Chapter 108: Sipping on This Chicken Soup!
Bai Wei thought carefully for three seconds.
He slowly said, "I'm scared."
…maybe.
In his existing memories, death didn't seem so distant and everlasting, more like an old friend who would eventually come, unexpectedly appearing one day, giving you a warm embrace when you least expect it.
"Why are you suddenly asking this question?" Bai Wei pointed at himself. "I'm only twenty years old, how could I not be afraid of death?"
"Um, do you think about wanting to live well, brother?" Yagyū Simozi asked again.
"Hmm… Have I been going out and causing trouble often recently, making you angry?"
"I'm not! Why would I dislike you, brother? My family is very wealthy, so it doesn't matter even if you go out and have fun… Besides…" Yagyū Simozi initially panicked and explained in a hurried manner. Then she realized she had lost control and quickly composed herself, clearing her throat lightly. "I do not dislike you. I'm simply saying that it seems like you lack direction now, and you always have this… appearance."
She pondered for a moment, lifted her eyes, and said, "You look very lonely."
"This is Yingzhou, and, of course, I feel lonely."
"Can returning to the Ming Country make you not lonely anymore?"
"If you go back, there might be classmates, familiar faces, and maybe even a chance to go on a date with a young girl…"
"Even if Brother can go on dates with many girls at the same time, will you not feel lonely?"
"Yes,"
Yagyū Simozi furrowed her brow and said, "I don't believe it."
"I didn't lie. When people grow up, they should get married and have children. Once they become busy, it doesn't matter whether they feel lonely or not."
Bai Wei relaxed his body, placing his hands on the tatami mat, and leaned back, gazing up at the ceiling. With a helpless smile, he said, "But…"
"What is it?"
"This is just going with the flow of life, rather than truly living, it's more like surviving, living on inertia."
Great things, I have accomplished.
Throughout the long years, it repeated over and over again.
It's not that I feel tired, but somehow, it feels like something is missing.
Bai Wei chuckled, "Maybe it's just being overly dramatic. People don't necessarily need a specific goal to live their life well. Isn't it also nice this way?"
Yagyū Simozi denied, "No, that's not good!"
She always believed that ever since her older brother experienced the Kirin race, he seemed like a completely different person.
On the outside, there was no change, but inside, everything changed completely. It wasn't just about being less sharp and fierce, but also losing all motivation to strive and losing the eagerness to pursue anything. They became carefree, not caring much about most things, and ended up conforming to a life of mediocrity.
What he lost wasn't just his confidence, but also his sense of purpose in life.
Dreams are like sparks, they ignite the inner motivation within a person. Once the spark goes out, one loses their sense of direction, just like a ship without a compass, unable to find the guiding star in the sky.
Regardless of the past or the present, she still liked her older brother. She just didn't want to see him looking so hopeless and defeated.
She wanted to see her older brother standing tall and shining brightly at a high place, then proudly boasting to the people around, saying, "This is my brother!"
This was also the happiness she had imagined.
But, if it couldn't be fulfilled in the end…
"I just want to know, brother, what do you really want?" Yagyū Simozi murmured softly. "It's been so long, and you still haven't found it?"
"What do I want?"
What Bai Wei could think of, were probably things like strength, power, wealth, beauty… In nicer words, it could be replaced with success and love.
But he discovered that he didn't seem to enjoy these things.
The emperor, who had lived his whole life, understood that even if he held these things, he couldn't truly enjoy them. Every moment felt uncomfortable, like sitting on pins and needles.
Having power means thinking about how to use it; having influence requires being mindful of its cost; having wealth makes one only think about obtaining more; as for beauty… let's not even mention it.
In the end, he gave up his throne and empire, which proved that deep down, he didn't enjoy or desire them at all. In fact, he wished to get rid of them and give them to someone more suitable as soon as possible.
Because becoming an emperor means that you have everything, but from now on you will only keep losing more and more.
In the end, he realized that he might actually enjoy his current life more. His family was harmonious, his days were relaxed, and he didn't have to struggle for a living. Occasionally, he would do some good deeds and help others as much as he could. And if he could find a beautiful and kind-hearted girl to rely on, his life would be perfect.
"It seems like it is not so."
He said.
"But I do."
She said.
"I have many dreams that I want to make come true."
"I want to revive our family and bring comfort to the spirits of our parents!"
"I want to win the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament and receive the General's bestowed plaque!"
"I want to become a master swordsman. I really like the way of the sword. I want to swing my sword against the ocean's waves and cut through the mighty tides with my swordsmanship."
"I also want to go to the Ming Country and see the scenery that I missed before, go to the shrine in Ise and receive blessings from the Chamberlain, see the purple aura rising from the Baiyu Capital, see the president's mountain and the tower of alliance countries, walk along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and listen to the holy song playing in the dome of the Holy Church…"
"Perfect love, adorable children, walking hand in hand with the beloved person, crossing mountains and seas, to see the thousand-year-old ice flowers blooming on the snow-covered mountains."
"These, I want to make them all come true."
"Even if they all come true, I still feel it's not enough."
"I still greedily want to catch more… Every day, I treat it as the last day and strive my hardest to live."
She paused for a moment, then continued speaking.
"But now, I am still just a student at Far East University, far away from achieving any goals."
"So…"
"I can't live without you, older brother. I can't."
The girl's bold words became slower and gentle. She stared at Bai Wei, with seriousness and a hint of coquetry, speaking each word deliberately.
"I need my older brother to be by my side, to encourage me, to witness me… Otherwise, I will definitely stop halfway, or feel discouraged, or get lost."
"Brother, you are the most important person in my life."
"I hope that when I achieve those goals and dreams, you can be by my side to witness it."
It made a loud sound as it hit the ground.
Bai Wei could see the light in his sister's eyes, different from his own. She lived her life as if it was her last, always seeking excitement.
Oh, how greedy…
But, this is how a person should truly be.
Bai Wei raised his hand to support his forehead and laughed happily, saying, "Hahaha…"
Yagyū Simozi blushed and said, "You shouldn't be making fun of me now!"
"It's not mockery, it's appreciation," Bai Wei said with a gentle smile. "It's also a sense of admiration… My sister, you are much stronger than me. To be honest, the way you earnestly expressed yourself just now is quite charming. It has captivated me."
Yagyū Simozi's heart started racing, causing her to instinctively shrink back. She twirled her fingers around her hair and said, "It's, it's nothing really."
"Just like watching a superhero appear in a tokusatsu film," Bai Wei said, crossing his arms.
Yagyū Simozi's face fell, and at that moment, the kettle started to make a noise. She picked up the kettle and began to brew tea.
Throughout the whole process, nobody spoke a word. Finally, when the tea, shimmering with a green hue, was passed to Bai Wei, she asked, "After discussing up to this point, has your mood changed, elder brother?"
"To be honest, there were hardly any."
"Um…"
"Joking aside, your words have given me a lot of inspiration."
Bai Wei gently turned the tea cup with his fingers, lifting it up steadily. He blew on the surface of the tea, causing a soft mist to rise and ripples to form before calming down again.
"A person should always do something."
"So that they don't regret it too late when the situation becomes irreversible."
"While alive, it is inevitable to be caught up by past memories. Even so, there is nothing that cannot be let go of."
He set down the tea cup.
"I drank the bowl of chicken soup."
Occasionally sipping a bowl of soul-nourishing chicken soup always left one's heart incredibly fulfilled and gave them the courage to take uncertain steps forward.
Yagyū Simozi didn't understand what kind of decision Bai Wei had made.
The young man opened his eyes again, and sitting in front of him was no longer his sister, but instead the ghostly apparition from the past.
He said, "Come."
[Come on!]
