Ch. 161Regrets of a Past Life, All Made Whole
Chapter Summary: “Regrets of a Past Life, All Made Whole”
Key Plot Points and Events
- Half a month after returning to his original world, Feng Xiaoyuan goes home for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Although the house is physically familiar, he feels an unsettling sense of alienation and even forgets which room is his.
- That night, he dreams vividly of his life on Douluo Continent: his parents and older brother there, Ning Rongrong, the Elemental Team, his teachers Mo Chen and Gongye Changkong, and especially Grey Wolf.
- Upon waking, Feng Xiaoyuan realizes that the memories sealed by the Illusion Realm have returned. He now remembers Douluo Continent, Soul Tools, the Heaven-and-Earth Love-Questioning Valley, and the Illusion Realm itself.
- Despite recognizing that his current world feels increasingly false, Feng Xiaoyuan chooses not to expose the Illusion Realm. Instead, he embraces the opportunity to spend time with his parents and live through an ordinary family life.
- He celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival with his parents, cherishing the warmth of being reunited with them.
- Over the following years, he graduates, joins a Fortune 500 company, earns promotions, and becomes increasingly successful. His parents proudly celebrate his achievements and later urge him to marry.
- Ten years later, Feng Xiaoyuan reunites with his university roommates—Qi Xia, Li Huowang, and Fang Yuan. They notice that he appears not to have aged much.
- To conceal his unusual appearance, Feng Xiaoyuan uses Soul Power and an illusion to make himself look older, causing his friends to assume they were simply mistaken or drunk.
Character Development
- Feng Xiaoyuan: He transitions from confusion and emotional disorientation to acceptance and gratitude. Though he remembers his true life in another world and suspects his present reality is artificial, he deliberately chooses to enjoy the family life he once lost. His supernatural abilities remain intact, and he becomes skilled at hiding them.
- Feng Xiaoyuan’s parents: They provide him with the ordinary affection and domestic warmth he has long been deprived of. His mother is nurturing but anxious about his future, while his father quietly expresses pride and hopes he will stay close.
- Grey Wolf: Though appearing only in Feng Xiaoyuan’s dream, Grey Wolf’s presence demonstrates how deeply their companionship affected him. He remains a symbol of loyalty, friendship, and Feng Xiaoyuan’s lost life.
- University friends: Qi Xia, Li Huowang, and Fang Yuan remain close enough to reunite years later. Their observations about Feng Xiaoyuan’s unchanged appearance hint that his abnormal nature may eventually become difficult to conceal.
Significant Themes
- Memory and identity: Feng Xiaoyuan’s recovered memories force him to question which life is real and where he truly belongs.
- Reality versus illusion: The familiar modern world increasingly feels false, while his “dreams” of Douluo Continent feel emotionally and sensorially authentic.
- Regret and compensation: The title reflects Feng Xiaoyuan’s chance to make up for lost time with his parents and experience the ordinary family life he once missed.
- Family and reunion: The Mid-Autumn Festival meal becomes especially meaningful because it restores a sense of familial belonging.
- Concealment and adaptation: Feng Xiaoyuan hides his memories and powers, choosing to live peacefully within the Illusion Realm rather than challenge it openly.
- Time and mortality: His unchanged appearance contrasts with the aging of his friends, emphasizing his separation from normal human life.
Character Interactions
- Feng Xiaoyuan’s mother warmly welcomes him home, corrects his mistake about the rooms, and later fusses over his meals and marriage prospects.
- His father expresses pride and asks him to remain home longer during the holiday.
- In his dream, Feng Xiaoyuan recalls close bonds with Ning Rongrong, the Elemental Team, Mo Chen, Gongye Changkong, and Grey Wolf.
- His university roommates tease him about looking unusually young. Feng Xiaoyuan responds by secretly altering his appearance, successfully making them doubt their own observations.