That wisp of residual soul returned with the ashes, always following beside Zhou Hui, scattered until only a mass of weak soul energy remained circling around. She watched his grief, heard his sobs, but had no way to help.

She followed him home, sensing from afar the main soul she had been separated from for so long.

Ji Tong had brought her grandmother to stay for a few days. Hearing the faint sound of the door opening from the courtyard, she happily dropped her needlework and ran out, “It must be Zhou Hui.”

Grandmother smiled with squinting eyes, “Run slower, don’t fall.”

She had just reached the doorway when she seemed to collide with something invisible. A force returned to her body, her head split with pain, and she felt like plunging headfirst into water – a suffocating sensation as ice-cold water desperately poured into her body, accompanied by a long, sharp ringing in her ears.

Zhou Hui spread his arms and walked toward Ji Tong, but saw her suddenly stop, standing there in a daze. He walked to her side, “So happy you’ve gone silly?”

Enormous grief pressed against her chest, making it almost impossible to breathe. Ji Tong supported herself against Zhou Hui with one hand while pounding her heart with her clenched fist. Painful images rapidly flooded her mind, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

Zhou Hui was terrified, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m going to kill him!” She held her head and crouched down, then tightly grabbed Zhou Hui’s wrist, “Help me kill him.”

Zhou Hui understood who the “him” in her words was. He crouched down and embraced Ji Tong, “He’s no longer here, he disappeared eighteen years ago.”

“He’s no longer here… he won’t come looking for me anymore.” Ji Tong repeated dazedly over and over, tears and snot streaming down her face, gasping heavily, “He’s gone…”

“Yes, gone.” A wave of pain surged through his heart, Zhou Hui’s heart twisted painfully as he slowly comforted her, “His soul scattered to the winds, never to return.”

Ji Tong cried until she fainted.

When she woke up again, she was in the hospital with Zhou Xin accompanying her. As soon as she regained consciousness, Ji Tong bolted upright, alertly surveying her surroundings, “Where is this?”

“The hospital.” Zhou Xin had just been crying, her eyes still somewhat red, looking at her with worry, “Tong Tong, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

“Where’s He Feng?”

“What He Feng?”

Ji Tong pulled out her IV drip and ran out, “He Feng—”

Zhou Xin anxiously followed, “Tong Tong, don’t scare me, why are you talking nonsense again?”

Zhou Hui had gone to buy dinner and heard Ji Tong’s shouts as soon as he stepped out of the elevator. He quickly ran back and intercepted the frantically running woman, “I’m here, A’Zhi.” He cupped her face, “I’m here.”

Ji Tong saw his face clearly, momentarily stunned, then tightly embraced his waist, “Don’t leave me.”

Zhou Hui gently stroked her back, “I won’t.”

…

Ji Tong’s body had no problems. This fainting episode actually cured many of her minor ailments. She was no longer drowsy, nor was she always listless and lacking energy as before. Now she ate well and slept soundly, much more spirited.

Every day she would actively pull Zhou Hui to go exercise. Zhou Hui found this somewhat hard to adapt to and asked her: Why did you suddenly become so diligent?

She answered very directly: I’m afraid I’ll die too early and leave you alone, so I need to exercise well.

At the same time, she also developed some bad habits, such as becoming even more fond of drinking. For this, Zhou Hui would hide her alcohol everywhere, or secretly drink or pour out some of it.

She became somewhat deeper than before, always liking to sit alone in the garden in a daze, sometimes gazing at the sky, sometimes staring at the ground, sometimes lying down watching a few ants moving things.

Zhou Hui brought her a glass of orange juice. Ji Tong smiled as she received it, “Sit down.”

Zhou Hui sat beside her. Ji Tong rested her head on his shoulder, drank half the glass and set it aside, playing with his fingers, “Let’s go blow up the little devils’ home.”

Zhou Hui was slightly surprised, “Are you joking or serious?”

Ji Tong looked up at him, “Do I seem serious?”

“Yes.”

“Then will you come with me?”

“Sure.”

Ji Tong laughed, placing both hands on top of his head, pressing down, and bit his nose, “You go then, I’m not going.”

Zhou Hui leaned in to kiss her lips.

The doorbell rang. Zhou Hui released her and got up to open the door. It was a handsome young delivery guy holding two boxes and carrying a black tube on his back. Zhou Hui signed for the delivery and brought it in, “What did you buy?”

“Art supplies.” Ji Tong stood up and took the small box, heading to the study, “Don’t know if I can still paint.”

Zhou Hui followed her into the room and unpacked the packages, taking out the contents.

Ji Tong spread out the large felt, hung the brushes one by one on the brush rack, and arranged the ceramic plates of various sizes.

She had bought natural mineral pigments, along with two ink sticks and an inkstone, all requiring hand grinding. Though troublesome, the colors produced were incomparable to tube pigments.

After organizing the tools, she spread a sheet of semi-raw rice paper in front of her, ground some ink with an ink stick, tested the color – the quality was quite good.

Zhou Hui stood beside her watching, “What are you painting?”

Ji Tong glanced at the tree outside the window, “That one.”

She handed the ink stick to Zhou Hui across the table, “Help me grind ink.”

Zhou Hui took it and moved this little thing back and forth on the inkstone.

Her hands were quite rusty. After two strokes, Ji Tong crumpled up the paper.

“Why throw it away? It was very good.”

“Not good.” She spread out another sheet and started over, but her hands seemed disobedient, still unsatisfied.

She was about to crumple it again when Zhou Hui caught her hand, “Finish it first.”

Unlike meticulous brush painting, freehand painting was quick. With textured strokes, dots, and washes, she finished two paintings quickly.

There was quite a bit of ink ground. Zhou Hui stood to the side looking at the two boxes of pigments, picked up a small bottle, poured out some crushed powder, dipped his fingers in water and rubbed it, immediately creating a beautiful deep blue color, “This can be washed off, right?”

“No.”

Zhou Hui frowned, “Then what about my hand?”

“Who told you to touch it randomly.” Ji Tong dipped her finger in ink and dotted it on his nose. Seeing his expression, she laughed, “How is it that you believe everything I say?”

Zhou Hui leaned forward, grabbed her collar, held her chin, the blue color staining her fair skin looked fresh and beautiful, “You dare fool me.”

“Who told you to be so easily fooled.”

Zhou Hui directly climbed over the table to her side, a small dish fell to the ground and chipped at one corner.

“My dish.”

“I’ll buy you another.” As he spoke, he swept all the brush, ink, paper and inkstone aside, lifted her by the arms and placed her on the table. After some intimacy, he restrained himself and stopped, “I’ll go get protection.”

Ji Tong hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him back, “Let’s have a child.”

Zhou Hui was stunned, “You want a child?”

“Don’t you?”

“Then let’s adopt one.”

“Why adopt?”

“Having children is too hard, I don’t want you to suffer.”

Ji Tong laughed.

Zhou Hui tugged her nose, “Don’t laugh, I’m serious.”

“You like children.”

“I like you more. If you get pregnant, you’d be considered an advanced maternal age, and your health isn’t very good.”

“I’ll exercise well and take care of my health, and medical technology is very advanced now.” Ji Tong tightened her legs around his waist, not letting him leave, “I want to have a child with you, I’ve always wanted to.”

The window was open, warm breeze blowing in from outside, making the thin sweat on their bodies even more sticky and hot.

Zhou Hui glanced at the color on the table corner and suddenly stopped moving, leaning toward her ear, “You don’t know what my code name was in Shanghai, do you?”

“Mm.”

“Flower Blue.”

Ji Tong suddenly understood, “So it was you, I thought it would be some beautiful female spy.”

“Do you know why it was called that?”

“I roughly know.” Ji Tong pressed her hand into the small dish, staining her palm blue, deliberately grabbing him all over, “When I used to paint in the mountain village, this was my favorite color to use.”

…

In mid-August, they went to Toronto, and at the end of the month brought Ji Tong to New York, as Zhou Hui was about to start school.

The Juilliard School was located at Lincoln Center, with a very rich artistic atmosphere. They rented an apartment nearby and hired a Chinese housekeeper to manage the household and care for Ji Tong, who was two months pregnant.

In Zhou Hui’s free time, he would take her for walks, shopping, playing tennis and golf, or go to concert halls and opera houses for performances, visit parks, art galleries, museums… When he went to classes, Ji Tong would paint at home when bored, read books, watch movies. She also signed up for prenatal yoga classes and flower arranging courses to relax her body and mind.

Their little days passed peacefully and happily.

In late autumn, Ji Tong bought a sewing machine, wanting to make some small clothes for the child.

Zhou Hui sat beside her clinging to her, frequently touching her bulging belly.

“I can’t move well with you like this.”

Zhou Hui ignored her, still holding her tightly, “I want clothes too.”

Ji Tong held up the small garment and measured it against him, laughing: “Go ahead and wear it.”

Zhou Hui put the clothes over his hand, “I’m too big, what should I do?”

“Then you’ll just have to shrink a bit.”

“That’s so hard.” Zhou Hui’s chin kept rubbing against her shoulder, “I don’t care, if our son has them, I must have them too.”

“How do you know it’s a son.”

“A daughter would be even better.”

Ji Tong embroidered a smiley face on the small collar, “Maybe it’s twins.”

“Twins wouldn’t be good, a big belly would be tiring, and besides, one is already competing with me for attention, two would be unbearable.” Zhou Hui held her hand, carefully removing the needle and thread, “Continue tomorrow, time to rest, you’ve been staying up late too much recently.”

Ji Tong looked at the time, “It’s still early.”

Zhou Hui carried her horizontally to the bed, held her in his embrace, “Then let’s lie down and talk for a while.”

Ji Tong quietly leaned on his shoulder and suddenly sighed.

“Why are you sighing?”

“I really want to give birth right away, then go eat and drink freely, ride horses, skydive…”

“There’s still time.” Zhou Hui leaned down and kissed her belly, pressed his ear against it, listening quietly for movement, suddenly excited: “It moved.”

Ji Tong buried her hand in his soft hair, “Let’s call him He Shan, Zhou He Shan. If it’s a girl, He Chuan.”

Zhou Hui fell silent for a moment, moved to the head of the bed and gently embraced her, “Good.”

…

Zhou He Shan was born in China, with elders from both families present.

From birth until a full day had passed, Zhou Hui hadn’t held the child even once. He stayed by Ji Tong’s side constantly, asking her every few minutes if the incision hurt.

Yu Na forcibly placed the baby in his arms. Zhou Hui wasn’t good at holding children, carefully supporting with both large palms like holding a bomb. Ji Tong lay in the hospital bed watching, finding it very amusing, but had to hold back her laughter to avoid pulling at her wound.

In the evening, Zhou Xin personally cooked some food and brought it over, also sharing some handmade cookies with the nurses.

During casual conversation, everyone praised her considerate son-in-law.

Since the son arrived, Zhou Hui hadn’t slept a wink. During the day he watched Ji Tong, at night he watched the child, finding him more delightful and satisfying the more he looked. He often couldn’t help but hook his little hand and touch his little nose, waking the child who would cry loudly, then frantically try to soothe him in helpless confusion.

This often woke Ji Tong, and after being disturbed multiple times, she would scold him when her temper flared.

Zhou Hui stood pitifully between them, not daring to say a word back.

It wasn’t until Zhou He Shan turned one that Zhou Hui’s backbone became a bit firmer. He would grab his son by the clothes and toss him aside, then embrace his woman intimately. To compete for attention, he sent Zhou He Shan to Canada to be raised by Yu Na and Zhou Zhenrong, only bringing him back at age four. From then on, he lived and studied in China.

Zhou He Shan looked like Ji Tong but had Zhou Hui’s height, with large hands and feet. The nine-year-old child had shot up to 5’6″, sunny and handsome, often acting like a little adult and seriously complaining to good friends who frequently visited: “My family members pair up – grandpa and grandma are a pair, dad and mom are a pair. Sigh, I’m like I was picked up from somewhere. I think I should bring a girlfriend home too. I kind of like my desk mate.”

From age twenty-seven, Zhou Hui rarely went out to perform, focusing more on composing to accompany his family. Only during Zhou He Shan’s winter and summer vacations would he take him to Canada to live with his grandparents for a while.

Every time they came to the farm, Zhou He Shan was like an unrestrained wild horse. With his grandparents’ protection, he became even more reckless in his frolicking – chasing cattle and sheep, jumping into water to catch fish, or leading several dogs into the forest and disappearing for half a day.

Zhou Zhenrong, watching this grandson who could reach heaven and earth, often wondered: “Tong Tong is quiet and steady, and though Zhou Hui was a bit mischievous as a child, he wasn’t this wild. Don’t know who this child takes after.”

Yu Na would chime in: “It’s good for boys to be a bit mischievous. When he grows up, he’ll naturally settle down. By then you’ll miss him pestering and making noise around you.”

Once at his parents’ place, Zhou Hui completely let Zhou He Shan run wild, each playing their own way without interfering with each other.

In the evening, he and Ji Tong returned from horseback riding to find Zhou He Shan digging holes by the river with the dog. Ji Tong was too lazy to dismount and instructed Zhou Hui: “Go see what he and Meat Meat are doing.”

Zhou Hui dismounted and walked over, lifting Zhou He Shan by the back of his collar, “What hole are you digging here?”

“Catching bugs! Really big bugs! Don’t know where they ran off to!”

“I see you’re quite good at digging holes. Tomorrow go help Uncle Brown plant crops.”

“I’m not going.”

Zhou Hui directly threw him into the river, “Come out when you’re clean.”

Meat Meat saw him fall into the river and quickly rushed down to rescue him. Zhou He Shan was a good swimmer and surfaced with a couple of strokes.

Ji Tong remained mounted on the shore watching him, “He Shan, you’ve played all day, go home and read.”

Compared to his father, Zhou He Shan was more afraid of Ji Tong. After all, Zhou Hui would occasionally play with him, but Ji Tong was different – she was stricter in both life and studies.

Zhou He Shan splashed around washing the mud off his body and silently came ashore. Just as he was about to climb onto the horse, Zhou Hui pulled him aside and mounted himself, “Go back the same way you came.”

Ji Tong looked helplessly at the father and son, extending her hand to her son, “Come up.”

Zhou He Shan obediently mounted and stuck his tongue out at Zhou Hui.

After tying up the horses, the family of three headed home.

Ji Tong rubbed Zhou He Shan’s head and talked with him, not noticing the sounds from inside the house. Zhou Hui heard faint gunfire from inside from a distance. He gripped Ji Tong’s arm, “Put Meat Meat away, wait for me to come blow-dry it.”

“Okay.”

Zhou Hui entered the house first and saw Zhou Zhenrong playing a gunfight game, directly turning off the display screen.

Zhou Zhenrong said glumly: “Why did you turn off my game?”

Zhou Hui casually stepped over, “Don’t play these gunfight games when my wife is around in the future.”

Zhou Zhenrong wasn’t angry either, chuckling dryly twice, “Aiya aiya, smell this stench of love.”

Ji Tong entered with Zhou He Shan, “Dad.”

Zhou Zhenrong lay on the sofa sighing: “Your husband doesn’t want his dad once he has you. Come here, He Shan.”

He Shan was all wet and pounced into his arms, “Grandpa, Dad threw me in the river again.”

Zhou Hui casually tossed a bath towel to Zhou He Shan, “Dry yourself.”

Zhou Zhenrong stripped off Zhou He Shan’s top, wrapped him in the towel and took him to the bathroom, “Grandpa will take you for a bath.”

Zhou Hui wiped the damp spots on Ji Tong’s clothes while calling to the grandfather and grandson: “You’re such a big person, wash yourself, don’t spoil him.”

“You take care of your wife, don’t mind us.”

Ji Tong took the towel from his hands and headed to the bedroom, “I’ll take a bath too.”

Zhou Hui followed her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, immediately changing his expression to one of smiling charm, “Let me help you.”

…