Everything echoed across time: the tearful moments of To the Moon

Before we knew it, everyone's eyes were glued to the screen, not wanting to miss a single detail, eager to know how the story would unfold.

On screen, Saria and Kristen went to great lengths to finally access John's childhood memories. Clearly, this was the part of John's memory gap caused by taking a large amount of inhibitors.

This seemingly peaceful town left everyone puzzled as to what had happened to cause John to need to take memory-blocking drugs.

While everyone was thinking that, a figure resembling John as a child appeared on the screen, kicking a ball by the roadside as he walked towards his house.

However, at that very moment, the small family van was slowly backing up...

"Bang!"

Almost simultaneously, as the screen went black, everyone knew what the final outcome would be. And coincidentally, Kristen and Saria, who had arrived just in time, also witnessed this tragedy.

Accompanied by the background music and the gradually clearing heartbeat, everyone saw that the person getting out of the car was none other than John's mother, nicknamed "Joey," who had appeared once in the previous episode at John and River's wedding.

"Mom... hit her own son?"

FrostNova, witnessing this scene, instinctively opened her mouth wide. FrostNova clearly understood the immense impact this would have on a child and a mother.

"But... Chen Qi, no, John should still be alive, right? If he died because of this, then there would be no sequel..."

"... I don't think this is John, FrostNova."

However, Talulah, with her more meticulous observation, revealed her guess to FrostNova at this moment. Facing the slightly bewildered gazes around her, Talulah sighed softly and said:

"Chen Qi probably planned this all along. This house was designed by Miss Xi based on his ideas. I remember Chen Qi saying that John's room had to have bunk beds."

"I found it strange at the time, but now it seems... Chen Qi had been planting foreshadowing in various small details from the very beginning. Chen Qi, as a creator, is more meticulous than any of us... He used all the hidden foreshadowing, whether we noticed it or not."

Talulah's words were confirmed in the conversation between Talulah and Kristen on screen. Soon, everyone saw that the young John, played by Chen Qi, indeed appeared on screen.

He also witnessed his mother run over and kill his own brother. The child ran frantically to where his brother had fallen. With tears streaming down his face, Chen Qi, even though his body had shrunk due to the power of the evening, still displayed his masterful acting skills.

He didn't make a scene like John in the game. Although he also cried, after the tears, he blankly looked up at "his mother," his tone devoid of complaint or resentment, only showing incomprehension of what was happening before him, and murmured:

"Mom... why did you hit Joey?"

Why did you hit him?

"Joey... Joey, wake up, Joey..."

Chen Qi's bewildered questioning, his incomprehension of why his mother would do such a thing, and his continued refusal to believe that his mother intentionally killed his brother even after everything had become a fact, pierced the softest part of everyone's heart through the screen at that moment.

"This is really... unfortunate for a mother who has made a mistake..."

Even though none of the women present were mothers, they could all empathize with how much hurt such words could cause a mother.

This also answered their previous question about why John had taken large amounts of antagonists.

At this moment, Kristen's words revealed the truth. Looking at John's mother, who seemed utterly terrified, she slowly stated her judgment:

"She seems somewhat mentally unstable."

"And... at least, I don't think she uses 'Joey' as a nickname for John."

"... You mean, because of her own mistake, his mother gave John a large dose of sedatives and raised John as 'Joey' ever since?"

Saria understood Kristen's meaning and offered this explanation calmly. Such a cruel explanation weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, leaving them speechless for a long time.

"But what if she mistakes John for Joey? What will John do then?" Saria's mood was also somewhat gloomy, and her tone became heavy.

"... I don't like this memory, let's move on."

Kristen clearly didn't want to linger in that memory any longer, and she slowly walked forward. Saria silently followed Kristen away.

After the two women left the scene through Xi's painting, Chen Qi, who was still inside the painting, quickly broke free of his acting. A short while later, he heard Xi's whisper:

"Chen Qi, what do we do now? According to your script, after this scene is performed, this part of the script should be finished, right?"

"Although I've finished setting up the rest of the set, Kristen has absolutely no lines, and we're just going to get to the final stage of the script... Should we call a halt?"

"--Don't call 'cut' now. Perhaps Kristen doesn't know what happens next, and it won't have any impact." Chen Qi, whose body had shrunk considerably, also didn't let Xi call "cut," because he knew very well that Saria, who had read the script, was with Kristen.

"Perhaps Miss Saria is also curious whether Kristen will make the same choice as the Doctor in the show. If Kristen really does do so, perhaps she will have achieved her goal."

Of course, Chen Qi was most optimistic about Kristen's current state. She had been filming with Saria for half a day straight, and during that time, she had almost completely immersed herself in acting... no, or rather, she had forgotten that she was acting.

She is truly experiencing a journey through memories, accompanied by Saria, and now on the journey to "To the Moon." She has clearly forgotten her identity and wants to know the truth of everything.

This is the best performance state, and it's what Chen Qi wants most, so he will absolutely not call a stop.

"Xi, tell Alina and everyone else to get ready. Today... we might be filming all day."

Chen Qi knew that he and Alina were about to deliver the first tear-jerking scene in " To the To the Moon," and that almost all viewers would remain in that state as they watched the rest of the story unfold...

"I hope Talulah and the others have prepared tissues... And I'm also praying they won't beat me up after the performance." Chen Qi couldn't help but sigh. Now, it's as if he's made a movie for them, and everyone present will become the first audience of " To the To the Moon."

Chapter 190: All Echoes from Afar, The Tearful Scene of " To the To the Moon"

As Chen Qi said, although the movie " To the To the Moon" is currently being filmed, apart from the members of the Art Troupe, everyone in the picture has quietly become the first audience of " To the To the Moon".

The work of the five main actors— Chen Qi, Alina, Kristen, Saria, and Xi, who orchestrates everything—is what sustains the film's continued production, allowing everyone to enjoy it immediately.

"The mother accidentally killed her favorite child, and then raised another child as if he were a part of her favorite child..."

The Patriot, now a father himself, was deeply moved by this part of the story due to the deaths of his wife and children. Although he didn't approve of John's mother's actions in the film, he could understand them.

In the following episodes, Kristen and Saria travel to John's earlier childhood memories, where they also meet John's brother, "Joey."

Clearly, the two brothers had a good relationship, but their mother favored Joey more. During a carnival, John and Joey both won a game, but there was only one toy train that they both wanted as a prize. Their mother "awarded" the toy train to Joey, while John only got a platypus doll and the beanbag he used to win the doll.

"So the platypus that's always been by the River's side, and that punching bag, were both won at this carnival?"

However, this detail alone only reveals the origin of these important props; people still don't know the meaning behind them.

Moreover, from the memories of this carnival, everyone learned a lot of things... such as the pickled olives that John had always liked in the previous storyline, which turned out to be Joey's favorite food.

"It seems that after Joey's death, this mother even imposed her child's hobbies on John, who later suffered memory loss due to taking large amounts of blocking agents, through a kind of... suggestion-like method."

"It turns out that Director Chen Qi had planted so many foreshadowing elements without us even realizing it... He truly lives up to his reputation."

As everyone watched, they discovered that the later plot indeed resolved their fragmented memories and many questions they hadn't understood. They gradually came to understand what had happened in John's life.

But... what about the River? The most important River, didn't it appear in this memory?

Such thoughts flashed through Muelsyse's mind. As the plot progressed, John, played by Chen Qi, unknowingly walked out of the carnival. He did not keep his promise to his mother to play "only in this area" and instead climbed the small hill next to the carnival.

Here, John, played by Chen Qi, is drawn to the starry sky and the two moons, unconsciously looking up at it. This prompts Saria and Kristen, who have been following him, to also look up.

"... You know, when I was a child, my father often took me to see the stars."

At this moment, Kristen gazed at the starry sky, standing beside Saria, and couldn't help but open her heart, a rare occurrence for her, and said to Saria with emotion:

"There was a small hill where we lived back then, and we would go there every year to stargaze... until dawn."

"Most of the time, I managed to keep going; my dad always brought me binoculars."

"... I remember, your parents both longed for the starry sky." Saria, seemingly forgetting she was acting, took up the conversation when Kristen mentioned the starry sky.

Kristen nodded and couldn't help but say, "Yes... but even so, Mom won't let me stay up late."

"So every time my father and I came home in the morning, I would pretend that I had slept well—which is why I later fell in love with coffee."

"... a very interesting story."

Seeing Kristen's long-awaited good mood, Saria didn't interrupt her this time. Instead, she smiled and echoed her sentiment. The two women seemed to have forgotten the past for a short time, exchanging smiles as if nothing had changed.

"... If I were to film this scene and show it to the other masters, I'm afraid they wouldn't believe that the Commander and Saria could laugh so happily."

However, as one of the earliest members of Rhine Lab, Muelsyse obviously knew quite a bit about the friendship among the early partners of Rhine Lab. However, it was clear that the relationship between Saria and Kristen was special, a fact that even Muelsyse, one of the earliest members, only knew but did not know the details of.

While Muelsyse was still marveling at witnessing such a magical scene, and Saria and Kristen were also immersed in the beauty of the starry sky, a rustling sound suddenly brought everyone back to their senses.

At almost the same time, Saria, Kristen, and Little Chen Chenqi, who was sitting alone on the wood, all looked in the same direction.

There, with a series of light footsteps, everyone saw the figure in the distance becoming clearer and more familiar... At that moment, everyone's eyes were filled with anticipation, and they vaguely guessed who it was.

"No way... it can't be that coincidental, such a romantic thing..."

Muelsyse's somewhat incredulous words had barely left her lips when, as everyone eagerly awaited, Alina's portrayal of the young River appeared on the screen, right before everyone's eyes.

It really is River! She had met John when she was a child!

Kristen fell silent. She hadn't expected... or rather, apart from Chen Qi and Saria, who knew the plot, no one could have imagined that Alina would appear at this time, or that the two of them had known each other so long ago, much longer than they had thought.

"Hello!" John, played by Chen Qi, was meeting River for the first time in the story. He was immediately attracted to this quiet girl and greeted her right away.

However, River, played by Alina and suffering from functional autism, immediately chose to leave after hearing Chen Qi's call. Upon seeing this, Chen Qi immediately chased after her, shouting, "Wait! Don't go!"

"I'm Johnny, what's your name?"

Chen Qi's shout seemed to have an effect; Alina did stop. However, she didn't respond to Chen Qi's greeting. Only after a long while, somewhat awkwardly, did she softly say, "... You took my spot."

"Your spot? -- Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to have this spot to myself!"

"Um... would you like to sit with me?"

Alina's expression changed noticeably at the boy's sincere invitation. It seemed to be the first time she'd encountered someone so proactive in engaging with her. She didn't refuse, but simply asked softly, "Are you here to see the stars too?"

"You too?" Chen Qi answered without the slightest hesitation. Slowly, Alina turned around again and cautiously approached the boy. Chen Qi waited for her to walk towards him.

Gradually, the two grew closer and closer, and before they knew it, they were sitting together on the broken log, admiring the starry sky.

On the screen, everyone could see the backs of the two children; under that incredibly beautiful starry sky, their silhouettes appeared remarkably clear.

The night was so frightening, but the starry sky and bright moonlight illuminated the figures of the two children.

As the music and accompaniment began to play softly, many people were already moved to tears of joy—it was just a scene of two children sitting together, yet it had already touched them to tears.

But everyone, even the sobs, deliberately kept their voices down. They couldn't bear to break the silence. They all knew how precious the meeting of these two children was. This encounter would bind them together for life.

"Did you know? There are countless lights in the sky." Chen Qi deliberately started the conversation, but received only a simple answer from Alina.

Chen Qi seemed a little uncomfortable; he didn't know why the girl beside him was giving such a bland answer, but he still tirelessly tried to find topics to talk about:

"You just said this is your seat, right?"

"... I only come during the carnival." Alina's answer remained calm.

"Don't you like crowded places? I don't either." Chen Qi tried to strike up a conversation with the quiet girl beside him, continuing, "See, you still haven't told me your name!"

"... I won't tell you." However, Alina's gaze remained fixed on the starry sky as she calmly replied, "People at school make fun of me because of it."

"Why?" Chen Qi, somewhat confused. Alina simply answered truthfully, "They said my name makes them want to go to the bathroom."

"Oh... okay, but I don't think it can be any worse than 'John', right?"

"What I mean is, there's someone named John almost everywhere in the world!"

"... Even in Sargon, is it possible?"

"Absolutely possible!"

Under the starry sky, the distance between the boy and the girl was slowly closing. Their childlike conversations, which seemed meaningless, were actually the boy unconsciously breaking down the girl's defenses step by step.

This conversation captivated everyone present, bringing smiles to their faces, even those who had just shed tears.

"Have you ever tried making an Easter bunny out of stars? Like finding connecting constellations in the sky?"

"I've tried others, but not rabbits."

"... Would you like to give it a try?" Alina gave a clear answer, and the two children agreed to search for the constellation that makes up the rabbit among the countless stars, which made many people's hearts tremble.

"So that's why River has been folding paper rabbits all this time..."

"She wanted John to recall his childhood words, but John had lost his memory due to the blocking agent... that's why he couldn't remember."

Gradually, everyone's previous doubts were resolved. Why did River keep folding paper rabbits and keep asking John what the meaning of these paper rabbits was...? It turned out that what she had been trying to remind John of was these...

"Wait, I found it!" Chen Qi, who was a step behind Alina, was unwilling to admit defeat and pointed to a starry sky as if to continue the mistake.

Alina seemed to see through his thoughts. She smiled faintly and continued to ask, "Tell me what you saw?"

"There it is, isn't it? Those are two ears and a head!" Chen Qi pointed randomly to a spot under the starry sky; who knew where he was pointing?

But Alina still didn't expose her, and continued to ask, "Anything else?"

"And there... those are two feet!"

"That's right, is there any more?"

"And... and the moon!" Chen Qi was almost at the end of his story, but he still insisted, "The moon is its round belly!"

The familiar questions, but the answers were completely different. Alina's repeated questions reminded everyone of the time when, in her old age, she handed John the neatly folded two-colored paper rabbits, and her expectant questions.

Everyone understands now... Everything that was previously incomprehensible has been resolved.