Chapter 21: In the Next Life, Be Born into a Good Family

Jiang Yue was stunned by these words. It took her a long time to react, and she asked, "He... how much did he donate?"

"One hundred and twenty thousand. Mr. Chu is such a kind man! All the children at the orphanage love him..." The visitor paused, looking around. "Wait, where is Mr. Chu?"

Jiang Yue replied distractedly, "He... he had something to attend to and isn't here."

"Oh, that’s a shame. I wanted to thank him in person. He was in such a rush last time; he just dropped off the money and left."

Jiang Yue’s expression grew increasingly complex. She finally realized that the one hundred thousand I had borrowed from her had gone to this.

In the ensuing silence, Director Shi added, "Ms. Jiang, so far, seventeen children from our orphanage have found their forever families. I came here specifically to thank you and Mr. Chu. We even brought a television crew with us. Would now be a convenient time for an interview?"

Whatever Jiang Yue was thinking, she remained silent for a moment before finally saying, "Well... Director Shi, I’d like to wait until Chu Jianghe returns before addressing this. Let’s hold off on the interview for now, if that’s alright?"

Director Shi hesitated briefly before nodding. "That works too. I had the same thought."

"Thank you for making the trip, Director Shi."

"It’s no trouble at all, it’s only right."

Jiang Yue was always generous in such matters. She stood up and said with a smile, "Let me see you out, Director Shi."

After seeing the director off, Jiang Yue returned to her office, but she no longer had the heart to work. She sat dazed in her chair, lost in thought, occasionally chuckling to herself or looking suddenly sorrowful. She spent the entire morning in a stupor and left the company at noon.

To my surprise, she headed to my cemetery. At the entrance, she even bought a bouquet of flowers. She walked through the desolate paths of the graveyard until she found my headstone. Her visit was unexpected; I didn't know if she regretted her actions, but regardless, I would never forgive her.

She stood blankly before the tombstone, clutching a bunch of white chrysanthemums, her expression solemn, her eyes fixed on the stone. Seeing my own photograph on the marker, I felt a whirlwind of complicated emotions.

The photo was taken just after I graduated from college. Back then, I was full of spirit, and my eyes held the confidence of someone looking forward to the future. But one wrong step led to another, and from the moment I met Jiang Yue, my life was no longer my own. I had given her everything, thinking I could melt her heart and spend the rest of my life with her. In the end, I was nothing but a self-righteous fool.

Suddenly, Jiang Yue began to talk to the tombstone.

"Chu Jianghe, I didn't intend to come and see you. Do you know why?" She asked herself and answered, "Actually, I don't know why either. I just felt like I should take a look. After all, we were husband and wife once."

Spare me, Miss Jiang; I could never aspire to such a height.

She continued, "If I hadn't seen you pushed into the furnace and turned into a pile of ashes with my own eyes, I wouldn't have been able to believe you were truly dead all these days."

"Maybe this is fate. Your fate, and mine."

"Don't blame me. I told you long ago that I didn't love you. You were the one who insisted on clinging to me."

"I have nothing to regret. Your illness wasn't caused by me, and the car accident certainly wasn't my fault."

"It’s just... I don't know why, but I've been thinking about you for no reason these past few days."

"And today, I found out that the one hundred thousand you borrowed from me last year was donated to the orphanage... Why didn't you just tell me the truth back then?"

"What’s the point, Chu Jianghe? You kept saying you loved me, so why didn't you tell me anything?"

"And your illness—I didn't believe it at first, but couldn't you have just handed the diagnosis to me and shown me?"

Hearing her cold, detached words, I wanted to laugh. Even now, she still thought the problem lay with me. If I had shown her the diagnosis, she would surely have accused me of forgery. She wouldn't even acknowledge my body; what was she incapable of?

"Are you stupid? I didn't even love you, why bother?"

"Sigh! In your next life, try to be born into a better situation and find a good woman."

She kept talking to the tombstone, even bringing alcohol, drinking as she spoke.

I watched as she expertly lit a cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke. I was curious; she used to feel sick at the mere smell of smoke. Finally, she passed out in front of my tombstone, a faint smile on her face and two tears hanging from the corners of her eyes.

I didn't know why she was crying, whether from sorrow or regret. Even if she knelt before my grave and wailed, I wouldn't feel a thing. My heart had died; this woman wasn't worth another tear from me. I hated her; I wished she were dead.

When her phone rang, she snapped out of her lethargy and answered it. I didn't know who was calling or what was said, but after hanging up, she turned and left the cemetery.

As soon as she stepped out, I saw Cheng Jun waiting for her at the entrance. They embraced, and Cheng Jun began to comfort her. It must have been him who called; the "white moonlight" truly was important—one call and she was out.

"It's alright, Yueyue. His death has nothing to do with you. Don't be like this. I know you're sad, but let me take you on a trip tomorrow to clear your head."

Jiang Yue shook her head. "No, I'm not sad. I just remembered some things and felt I should come here to take a look."

"Well, it shows you have a kind heart. Let's go."

Listening to Cheng Jun’s shameless words, I realized that if I hadn't become a soul after death, I would never have known that my passing was his doing. But Jiang Yue, of course, was still in the dark.

I truly wonder: if she learned the truth, what would she do? Would she protect her "white moonlight," or would she turn against him for my sake?