CHAPTER 446: CHAPTER 396 WISH YOU WELL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

"Bang."

A gunshot shattered the air’s tranquility,

Qiu Yufei hurriedly reached out to support him, tumbling down together under the immense force of his fall.

"Xu Tong." Her hand brushed something slightly warm and damp; lifting her palm, it was smeared with fresh blood.

Xu Tong was on his last breath, yet that fervent gaze still clung tightly to her.

"Yufei, I’m sorry, I’ve made you suffer."

Qiu Yufei never expected that at this moment, he would still be apologizing to her. If he hadn’t taken a bullet for her, she would be the one lying here now. Why was he so foolish, willing to die for her without blinking an eye?

"Xu Tong, don’t talk anymore. I’m taking you to the hospital now." Qiu Yufei lifted her head and shouted at Steve, "Are you happy now that someone’s been hurt?

"Get him to the hospital." "Please, just hurry and get him to the hospital, and I’ll do anything you say from now on, I’ll live with you obediently, and never think of running away again."

"Don’t."

"Yufei, stop being obstinate. Let go and find your own happiness. If it weren’t for your wilful disobedience, it wouldn’t have come to this. Look back, what have you gained? Mu Shuoqian still won’t spare you a glance, yet you’ve lost everything you had. Was all this worth it?"

Xu Tong’s breath grew feebler, "I won’t make it, but I’m not afraid of dying. My only worry is that you’ll keep obsessing over the impossible. Haven’t you had enough of these days? Stop deceiving yourself, Yufei. Why not learn to let go, learn to forgive? Try to see the bigger picture."

"Xu Tong, don’t talk anymore, you’ll die," Qiu Yufei sobbed.

With some difficulty, Xu Tong extended his hand, awkwardly and slowly wiping away her continual tears, his eyes carrying a warm smile, "It’s good, this is the first time you’ve cried for me. Even if I die, I have no regrets."

"Xu Tong." Qiu Yufei held him tightly, "I’m so sorry, truly sorry."

"Don’t say sorry. In my eyes, anything I do for you is what I should do. I was partly to blame for what happened today. If I could have convinced you, stopped you, none of this would’ve happened. So, if anyone should say sorry, it’s me, not you." Xu Tong coughed up a mouthful of blood, frightening Qiu Yufei into screaming at Steve again: "Call an ambulance, quick, call an ambulance!"

Steve thought for a moment, then ordered his men to call for an ambulance.

For the first time, Qiu Yufei felt as if time was agonizingly slow. Xu Tong fell into a coma after saying a few words to her; she waited anxiously, her heart’s unease burning like flames.

She remembered when she first met Xu Tong—he was just a young kid. He damaged her favorite bag during their first encounter, and was so scared he kept apologizing. She was so angry she demanded compensation, and his face went pale when he heard the price. The wealthy Qiu Yufei naturally wouldn’t care about a bag, but unexpectedly, about three months later, Xu Tong appeared before her with an identical bag.

He had a somewhat simple smile, scratching his head while saying it was to compensate for the bag. She threw the bag into the nearby moat, not remembering his expression then. Thinking back now, it must have been hurt and ugly.

Finally, the ambulance arrived. Doctors and nurses lifted Xu Tong onto the stretcher, and Qiu Yufei followed closely beside him, her hands tightly clasping his. She had never felt so anxious about someone before—it could be guilt or atonement, but all she hoped was for Xu Tong to be safe.

Perhaps it was the bumpy ride,

"Yufei..." Xu Tong’s voice was hoarse.

Qiu Yufei quickly bent down, her ear to his lips to hear clearly what he was saying.

"Don’t talk, Xu Tong." Qiu Yufei’s eyes were red and swollen from crying. "Please, don’t talk."

"Yufei, I love you, even more than you love Mu Shuoqian. I would do anything for you, including dying. So don’t be sad. My life has always been yours; to die for you, I have no regrets..."

Suddenly, Qiu Yufei held him tightly, crying uncontrollably.

Xu Tong could feel her cries, knowing they came from true feelings. He smiled with relief, struggle to lift his right hand to gently rest it on her head. His beloved girl, the one he always cared for tenderly, was finally willing to cry for him, finally willing to truly care about him...

He finally did not live this life in vain; he could now close his eyes in peace.

All is well; his life can be considered fulfilled. He will forever protect and bless her in that world.

Goodbye, Yufei, may the remainder of your life be peaceful, may you find your true love.

Qiu Yufei felt the hand resting on her head suddenly slip off. She stopped her crying in a panic and, with disbelief, looked down at the man whose eyes were now closed. His face was incomparably serene, and the corners of his mouth even held a content smile.

The doctors quickly surrounded him, and Qiu Yufei found herself pushed to the back of the crowd. Staring blankly at the bustling doctors trying to resuscitate him, she felt as if her soul had left her body, and could no longer hear any sound around her.

However, due to their marital relationship, Steve had already cooperated with Jason, so whether Qiu Yufei stayed or left, Jason no longer cared.

This was Qiu Yufei’s first visit to City B. Compared to the prosperity of Aus City, City B was evidently less developed. Qiu Yufei didn’t know where Xu Tong’s family was; she realized now how little she knew about Xu Tong. Apart from knowing that he had grown up orphaned, she knew nothing at all about how he lived his life.

Qiu Yufei held Xu Tong’s ashes, clueless about where to bury him. Eventually, she inquired around and decided to take a bus to City B’s cemetery, planning to buy a plot there to bury his ashes.

On the way to the cemetery, Qiu Yufei stared out the window in a daze. As her mind wandered far away, she suddenly heard the distant sound of an evening bell, each toll clear and resonant.

This sound made her tumultuous emotions suddenly calm down, giving her an unprecedented sense of tranquility.

"Master, is there a temple nearby?"

"On that mountain up ahead, there’s a nunnery that’s been around for over a hundred years," the driver said enthusiastically.

"Then please, take me there first."

"Miss, are you going to pay respects?"

Qiu Yufei smiled without a word.

The mountain environment was serene and elegant. Halfway up the mountain path, she heard the sound of chanting and, though she did not understand the scriptures, the sound made her stop in her tracks and listen intently.

It wasn’t until the chanting ended that she stepped into the temple before her; the place was quiet and had an ancient charm. Qiu Yufei felt as if she belonged here, as if she was born for this place.

A nun, looking like the person in charge here, approached her and chanted "Amitabha Buddha" upon seeing Qiu Yufei.

Qiu Yufei responded with a gesture of respect, then knelt before the Buddha to worship.

"Master, I have committed many wrongdoings in the past. I wonder if Buddhism still has a place for me?"

The nun, with palms joined together, said, "In this world, foolish people chase fame and lose their nature; forgetting oneself among the clouds and mountains, they abandon gain and loss, and they find innocence. Understand, let go, be at ease."

Understand, let go, be at ease.

It turns out that the truth is this simple, and yet she had only come to realize it at this moment.

If it weren’t for her stubbornness, Xu Tong would not have died, and she would not have ended up so tragically.

Qiu Yufei knelt before the nun, pressing her forehead sincerely to the ground: "Please, take me in. For the rest of my life, I wish to accompany the solitude of a long-burning lamp, to keep a long-burning lamp for my friend, and to cleanse myself of past sins."

The nun sighed deeply: "Amitabha Buddha."

Qiu Yufei looked at the urn beside her, showing a smile of relief. Xu Tong, you would agree with my decision, wouldn’t you?

From now on, I will chant sutras and pray for you every night, amidst ancient scrolls and the blue lamp, seeking ascent to bliss.