Chapter Sixty-Four: Forget Me (Previous Life)

Ah, I don’t want this to be too sorrowful. How should I say it? The shares I hold in the Qin and Su Groups—each of my seven brothers will have 5%, Yuxiu and Yunting each get 5%, and the remainder you can divide among yourselves. As for the companies under my name… split them as you see fit, one for each person, and let Yuxiu choose one as well. Whatever is left, give it all to Cheng Yunting.

Perhaps from the moment I received this mission, I knew I would likely not return alive. Even if I did, it would be impossible… yes… impossible to return unscathed. Still, I am so glad I met all of you. If Mom and Dad hadn’t taken me in, I probably wouldn’t even be in this world now.

I just hope you all live well. Let the name Qin Xinqi become a thing of the past, a secret forever hidden away.

Also, I love you.

When everyone finished reading, they were overcome with tears. Cheng Yunting, silent, carefully cleaned Leng Zheng’s body, dressed her, and carried her back to their little villa.

No one stopped him. Perhaps, in the end, Xiao Zheng simply wanted to return to the Xinting Villa with Cheng Yunting.

…

Cheng Yunting placed Leng Zheng on the bed, lay down beside her as he used to, and held her in his arms.

At that moment, Chu Yuxiu poked her head in, walked in, and sighed. Perhaps the heavens are simply unjust—why must two lovers who care so deeply be forced apart?

“Cheng Yunting.” Chu Yuxiu called softly, handing him a letter. “This was written by Xiao Zheng at the Cheng house. She asked me to give it to you, and to pass on a message: she loves you.”

Cheng Yunting took the letter with trembling hands, staring dazedly at the envelope.

Chu Yuxiu sighed once more and left the room.

Cheng Yunting embraced Leng Zheng’s cold body, pressed his head against her collarbone. She would never again scold him for being mischievous…

“Leng Zheng, do you think I should be glad you still remembered me?” Cheng Yunting tried to smile, but his smile was more painful than tears.

He opened the envelope, wiped away his tears, took a deep breath, and as if mustering all his remaining strength, unfolded the letter.

Yunting,

By the time you read this letter, I’m probably already gone. Yuxiu has already distributed the inheritance, or rather, she’s shown you my will.

I only hope you won’t refuse. Those things… perhaps they don’t mean much.

When I received this mission, I knew it would mean death, or a fate worse than death, but I still went without hesitation. Soldiers are required to write a will and submit it, but I didn’t want to submit mine with the others. So, I gave mine to Yuxiu. If I returned whole, she was to burn it. But since you’re reading it now, it seems that won’t be the case.

I know the matter with Du Ruoyan wasn’t real, but it still hurt me deeply, it still gnawed at me. I was stubborn and never wanted to talk about it.

But my heart always told me: I love you, and no matter what happens, I can never forget you.

If there is a next life, let’s both be born into ordinary families—childhood sweethearts, loving each other always, getting married, and having a child that belongs to us both. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

But in this life, you should find someone else—someone who loves you, who can care for you, someone better than me. After all, Mom and Dad want grandchildren. Let her have a child with you, let her take care of you for me.

I often wonder what our child would have been like. Would they look more like me, or you? But I’ll never know now.

I want you to live well. I want you to live for me, to experience this world.

I don’t want to write this too sadly. After all, that’s just how I am—my life hasn’t been remarkable, I’m not anyone especially extraordinary. I have things I fear, I’m not invincible.

Let’s make a promise: in the next life, you’ll still marry me as your wife, all right?

You’ve finished reading now—don’t cry. Smile, think about it, you’ve lost a troublemaker, shouldn’t you be happy? Hehe.

Forget me, don’t cry. After all, I’m not worth your tears.

I love you.

Cheng Yunting sat for a long time after reading, then, unable to restrain himself, wept bitterly as he held Leng Zheng in his arms…

His girl was gone. She didn’t want him anymore…

“Xiao Zheng, my heart is with you. How could I ever marry another?”

“Xiao Zheng, you’re so heartless… how could you abandon me?”

He continued to hold her, muttering endlessly, his mind growing more and more distant…

His girl was gone, his heart was lost, his soul had followed after her, leaving him empty…

…

Two days later, Cheng Yunting personally dressed Leng Zheng in beautiful clothes, applied her favorite makeup, and laid her gently in her coffin…

He could not bear to have her body cremated to ashes. He wanted his girl to come into this world whole, and to leave it whole.

The Qin brothers said nothing throughout, nor did they stop him. Their love for Leng Zheng could never compare to Cheng Yunting’s.

Chu Yuxiu made public all of Leng Zheng’s identities and deeds online, and announced her passing.

At the funeral, many people came, many wept. But the Qin brothers, Chu Yuxiu, Cheng Yunting, Mr. and Mrs. Cheng, and Leng Zheng’s close friends did not shed tears, for they knew—Leng Zheng disliked seeing others cry.

One day, the doorbell at the Xinqi Villa rang.

Cheng Yunting answered the door and saw someone from the military.

“Mr. Cheng, I’m sorry to disturb you at a time like this. Our commander asked us, before her death, to give you this as a keepsake.” The officer saluted and handed him the item. “She often spoke of you on the battlefield, and before she was hospitalized, she told me to visit you from time to time, to keep you company so you wouldn’t lose yourself in thought.

This is a little thing our commander made in her spare time. It’s very precious—she wouldn’t even let us see it.”

“Thank you.” Cheng Yunting nodded, accepting the box. “I’ll see what it is, then.”

“All right, I’ll take my leave.” The officer nodded and departed.

Cheng Yunting returned to the living room and opened the box. Inside was indeed the little trinket Leng Zheng had carved, inscribed with the words: Leng Zheng loves Cheng Yunting…

…

Two months later, Cheng Changfeng officially passed the position of head of the family to Cheng Yunting, who led the Cheng family business to new heights.

But he never married. Many people online urged him not to forget Leng Zheng…

But how could he possibly forget? She was the love carved into his very bones.

That same year, he adopted two children—a boy named Cheng Yizheng, and a girl named Qin Anxin…