SES Chapter 79 Part 2

Mu Dai was on the verge of tears.

Luo Ren couldn’t hold it anymore and burst out laughing. Only then did Mu Dai realize he was teasing her. Furious, she lunged up to twist his arm. “How dare you!”

He caught her easily, pulling her into his arms. With one hand, he grabbed a strip of animal hide and slapped it over the iron sconce, smothering the flame in a practiced motion. The fire died with a hiss, leaving only a faint burnt-fur smell curling through the room.

Mu Dai curled into his chest, head bowed, not moving.

Luo Ren bent close to her ear. “Tell me, girlfriend—did you miss me these past two days?”

She nodded. “I missed you so, so much…”

Her throat tightened, sadness welling up. She couldn’t go on, so she just hugged him tighter.

Sensing her mood, Luo Ren lowered his head and brushed his forehead against hers. “Come on, lie down comfortably so we can talk.”

He sat against the wall, letting her rest in his arms, and draped a thin outdoor silk blanket over her.

Mu Dai whispered, “Are you really not going to sleep?”

“I can sleep sitting up. Don’t need a bed,” he replied.

Suddenly, she giggled. “I dreamed about you.”

She told him about her dreams—one where they were weaving cloth in the rain, another from long ago where she dreamed he was playing mahjong.

Luo Ren chuckled, then said, “At least they were good dreams.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because in them, you’d already married me. And we even had kids.”

Mu Dai froze. Her joy dimmed, and she murmured, “But people say dreams mean the opposite.”

Luo Ren didn’t answer. He only stroked her cheek. She clasped his hand in both of hers.

“Luo Ren,” she asked softly, “if I died… would you find another girlfriend? Would you treat her just as well?”

He smiled faintly. “You’re too young to talk about dying.”

“You don’t understand. Death is actually very close.”

Like that morning—if Luo Ren had arrived a few seconds later, she would’ve been strangled. Like eight years ago—when she was thrown from a building and slammed into the ground, certain she would never wake up again.

Luo Ren leaned down, forehead pressed to hers, so close he could see her dark, bright eyes.

“Did that old woman, Zhamma, say something to you?” he asked.

So he knew. Mu Dai’s eyes filled instantly with tears.

“She said… in the end, the one by your side won’t be me.”

Luo Ren kissed her lips gently. “I asked her. Everything she says is just feelings, not visions. Feelings can lie.”

Mu Dai stayed quiet.

He went on, “Maybe it’s just that you’ve changed too much. When I came back from the Philippines after four years, even Pingting said, ‘Brother Luo, you seem like a completely different person.’”

“Is that so?” Mu Dai’s voice was flat, torn between wanting to believe him and thinking he was only comforting her.

“But what if I really do die?” she asked.

“Then while you’re alive, give me everything,” Luo Ren said firmly. “Love me like your life depends on it. Carve yourself into my bones. That way, whether you’re alive or dead, I’ll belong to you forever. That’s better than wasting time in sorrow.”

It was the first time she’d ever heard someone put it like that—strange, but it made sense. She thought for a while, then asked, “And what if it’s you? What if you’re the one who’ll die first?”

Luo Ren was silent for a long time before answering. “A man’s way is different. If I knew I was dying, I’d break up with you. Or tell you I didn’t love you anymore, so you’d let go.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d want someone to take care of you. I wouldn’t want you wasting your life on me. But I could waste mine on you, and I wouldn’t mind.”

Mu Dai’s tears brimmed again. Sniffling, she knelt up on the plank bed, hugged him tightly, and whispered in his ear, “I want you to be taken care of too. If I really die one day, you should find another girlfriend. I won’t be jealous.”

He held her close as her tears soaked into his neck.

“Even if you say you won’t be jealous, you will be, won’t you?” he teased gently.

“…Mm. Just a little.”

“Only a little?”

“…Maybe a little more.”

Luo Ren laughed, wiping her tears dry. “Go to sleep. You haven’t really rested in days.”

Mu Dai nodded, obediently lying back down. As he covered her with the silk blanket, she suddenly asked, “Luo Ren… why do you even like me?”

“Because you’re wonderful,” he said.

She sighed. As her eyes drifted shut, she whispered, “I don’t think I’m wonderful at all.”

That night, she dreamed again.

She dreamed of being dragged across the ground, her body heavy and weak. She opened her eyes but saw nothing—only a blur of crimson amber filling her vision.

Then she was tossed somewhere cold. Gritty sand beneath her, the ground trembling faintly, the feeling sharpening as if a vehicle was rumbling closer.

A low voice urged her, “Mu Dai, get up. If you don’t, you’ll die.”

She struggled to move but couldn’t. “I can’t get up.”

Then another voice, harsh and commanding, bellowed, “Up! If you don’t, it’s all over!”

The rumble of the approaching vehicle grew heavier. Headlights blazed, bearing straight down on her.