Past Like a Dream

The wall clock had just struck nine-thirty at night.

However, Su Houde had been standing outside the corridor since nine, watching the spacious room within.

The scent of watercolor paints occasionally wafted from the room, along with some soft music. It wasn't until the last student had finished scanning a replica of "David" that they also left right at nine-thirty.

This was an art studio.

At this moment, the art teacher, wearing a canvas denim apron, her hair tied up, and possessing an ethereal aura, let out a long sigh. Looking at the now empty studio, she revealed a smile of satisfaction.

She began tidying up the tools and stools in the studio.

"San Niang..."

Su Houde called out softly.

Luo Qiu, who had been watching with him for a good half hour, suddenly said, "Aren't you going in?"

Su Houde hesitated for a moment and asked, "She... doesn't remember me anymore?"

Luo Qiu said calmly, "Do you still remember Taiyinzi? I later asked him some things about the Supreme Jade Emperor's Heart Seal Subtle Scripture. With each stage completed, a physical form is discarded. Once discarded, it's discarded. She won't remember you who made jade for her back then, nor will she remember herself who had you make jade for her... Why even ask? You've been watching for half an hour, don't you already have the answer?"

Su Houde sighed, "She is San Niang, but I don't feel like she's San Niang... Her eyes aren't like this."

As he spoke, Su Houde gritted his teeth and suddenly stepped forward, walking into the art studio.

Startled by the sudden intrusion, the young art teacher, who no longer went by Yu Sanniang but Qin Chuyu, exclaimed, "Sir, I'm closed for the day. Is there something you need?"

"San Niang..." Su Houde called out softly.

Qin Chuyu's gaze became slightly wary. "Sir, who are you looking for?"

Although this man wasn't truly unkempt, he had an air of dejection and a haggard look that easily put people on guard—at least, that's how Qin Chuyu appeared at the moment.

Su Houde felt a pang in his heart, and his complexion turned even paler. He lowered his head dejectedly, then sat down to the side, a drawing board separating him from Qin Chuyu.

"Sir, what do you want to do?"

"Can I paint a picture? I can pay... just for the time to paint one."

"Sir, I'm about to close. If you want to learn to paint, you can sign up tomorrow."

However, Su Houde had already picked up a Da Vinci V35 from the tool tray beside him. He dipped it in water, and the scattered bristles converged into a sharp point, like a brush for drawing eyebrows.

Su Houde sat perfectly straight. He closed his eyes, held the brush, and remained still.

Qin Chuyu had never seen anyone so focused when they started drawing. She couldn't help but frown—should she call the mall security to come and remove this person, or find some other way to get rid of him?

As she was contemplating, the strange man had already begun.

He applied the brush with complete concentration, not looking at her, his eyes filled with a gentle affection.

Scumbling, dabbing, outlining.

The brushstrokes were interspersed with peculiar colors. Qin Chuyu, out of curiosity, walked behind Su Houde to take a look, and then she didn't leave.

This wasn't a Western painting technique. This person was actually using a watercolor brush like a calligraphy brush to paint in the style of ink wash painting.

But... what he was outlining seemed to be a portrait of a woman in palace attire.

Smiling enchantingly, naturally perfect, the person in the painting seemed about to leap out from the canvas. Qin Chuyu's mouth opened slightly. The woman in the painting seemed to have been modeled after her.

Su Houde began to inscribe characters on the canvas, and he was also reading the characters that had been provided.

"Sitting opposite yellow flowers, I raise a cup of sorrow; awake, I still recall the madness of drunkenness."

"How can cinnabar be an elixir of a thousand years? White hairs are hard to erase by the sun."

"Inscriptions behind me are merely for self-satisfaction; before my eyes, puppets dance at their will."

"Recalling this fleeting life, it truly becomes a dream; in the end, it must... it must have an end."

Qin Chuyu seemed to be drawn into a wondrous artistic conception by the inscribed poem, losing herself in a daze. When she came to her senses, Su Houde had already walked to the doorway and was about to leave.

Several crumpled banknotes lay on the stool... it seemed he had indeed paid.

Qin Chuyu was stunned. She quickly called out, "Sir, your painting..."

"It's for you."

Su Houde closed the door.

Qin Chuyu instinctively grabbed the banknotes on the stool and rushed out of the art studio, only to see that both corridors were empty. Where could she possibly see anyone?

She returned to the painting that had been completed, feeling that the night was inexplicably... wonderful.

"She really forgot me... and forgot herself..."

Outside the mall, on the plaza, Su Houde sat on the edge of the now-closed musical fountain, looking dejectedly at the unclear night sky. He suddenly said again, "Before, the sky was full of stars."

"It must have an end," Luo Qiu sat down beside Su Houde and said softly, "It must have an end."

"What exactly was it that I drifted through for five hundred years?" Su Houde looked at Luo Qiu.

Luo Qiu shook his head.

How could he know? There wasn't any wisdom accumulated over countless years that could explain it in a single sentence.

But he also felt embarrassed to not be able to say it, and as the Club's owner, his pride wouldn't allow it. So, like an old monk, he said, "Love is tiring."

Su Houde froze.

He suddenly burst into laughter, a deep, desolate laugh. He stood up abruptly, spreading his arms, and let his body fall backward into the fountain, submerging himself in the water.

After a long while, Su Houde calmly said, "It's over... Take what you want. This painful memory is better left behind."

Luo Qiu nodded and reached out, grasping towards Su Houde.

A ball of light formed in Luo Qiu's palm. At the same time, Su Houde suddenly stood up, feeling a change within himself.

He felt something shedding from his body, and his whole being grew lighter and lighter. "I... What's happening to me?"

"What kept you drifting for five hundred years was the obsession to see Yu Sanniang again. What was the source of that obsession? It should be the reluctance to let go of that feeling. You said it was painful, because you loved very deeply."

Luo Qiu toyed with the ball of light in his hand. "But if all those beautiful memories were gone, where would your obsession come from? Everything must end... everything will eventually fade."

"Is that so... I also..."

He finally closed his eyes.

When Su Houde opened his eyes again, he felt a chill all over his body, a terrible sensation. "Where... Where am I? Who are you?"

The jade craftsman from his past life had vanished. Now, he was just Su Houde himself—he had forgotten this absurd incident.

So the question arose.

Who suddenly fell into the pool? He saw a sneaky figure wearing a mask standing in front of him and felt a strong sense of unease.

Luo Qiu said, "Who I am isn't really important... What's important is, have you forgotten something?"

Su Houde frowned, a moment of confusion clouding his expression. "I... I feel a bit lost."

Luo Qiu placed a few banknotes on the ground. "You've forgotten that your family is worried about you, fearing you've met with an accident."

"What?"

Su Houde suddenly became extremely flustered, as if he had seen a ghost. The person in front of him had disappeared!

"Damn it..."

He jolted, remembering the words of the strange person. He instinctively pulled out his phone, and the call log was already flooded with missed calls from family and friends.

He couldn't help but stare in disbelief. "How long... how long has it been since I went home?"

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PS: Have you forgotten that the person you haven't forgotten has long forgotten you? Have you forgotten that those who have always remembered you have been waiting for you... Have you also forgotten... to vote!!!