Chapter 0318: Piercing Shrieks Rise One After Another, Thus the Main Text Concludes

After a thorough examination by the doctor, Xie Chengze’s cranial nerves were found to be largely unharmed.

Perhaps due to his naturally sturdy frame and regular horseback riding and fitness routines during holidays, though he had been hit by a car, his bones remained unbroken, even cushioning several vital organs from significant impact. Combined with the surgeon’s skilled hands, he quickly moved out of life-threatening danger.

But pain was unavoidable.

Lying in the hospital bed, Xie Chengze watched the wall-mounted TV opposite him to distract himself from the discomfort. His parents, fearing they might disturb his rest, were handling work matters outside the ward.

He couldn’t help but recall the news report he had heard.

Come to think of it, he still didn’t know what that Shen-surnamed boy… what did he look like again?

Everything had happened too quickly. His body had reacted faster than his mind, and by the time he realized he was being hit by the car, he had already lost consciousness and arrived in Jian’an. There was no time to recall the boy’s appearance.

For some reason, an intense desire surged within Xie Chengze—a longing to see that Shen-surnamed boy. But remembering that the other was a college entrance exam candidate and a year younger than him, Xie Chengze found a certain thought in his heart somewhat amusing.

What was he thinking…

Transmigration wasn’t some commonplace occurrence, and moreover, who could guarantee that everything that happened in Jian’an wasn’t just a dream?

Although no dream could be so vivid, as if he had truly lived through over twenty years.

Xie Chengze shook his head slightly, lowered his gaze, and picked up his phone beside him. Opening his usual Yellow Cat fiction app, his eyes fell upon the familiar cover of a novel, and his heart stirred faintly.

A tingling sensation crept into his chest. Gently tracing the image of the nobleman in white robes on the novel’s cover, memories of his time in Jian’an gradually surfaced in his mind.

From their initial “clashing of wits,” to the ice-breaking phase of “you defend, I attack,” and eventually reaching “unity of purpose”—regardless of their unspoken feelings for each other, he and Shen Yuan had truly achieved their ideal of “housing for residents, land for farmers, and a contented livelihood for the people” within their lifetimes.

Oh, and there was also that mischievous side of Shen Yuan, who always used various… methods to make him take his medicine.

He would probably never meet anyone quite like Shen Yuan again.

A shadow of melancholy flickered in his eyes. Xie Chengze’s gaze drifted downward as he began clearing unread messages in the fiction app. Suddenly, he noticed that the author of The Powerful Minister had left a comment under his donation message.

The timing coincided roughly with when he had saved the boy.

[Heavenly Granny: This top donor hasn’t said a word, just keeps donating. Is something on your mind?]

Xie Chengze had been following this book for a long time but had never posted any reviews—he simply read the updates and casually made donations.

He never expected the author to reach out.

Come to think of it, perhaps because the book had too many readers, and male-oriented fiction often attracted critics who berated authors, this writer had chosen to avoid the comments section altogether and never responded to readers’ questions.

Xie Chengze replied to the author.

[Xie the Thigh: Well, can you tie Shen Yuan up and bring him here? We’ve only been apart for a short while, and I already miss him.]

After sending the reply, Xie Chengze couldn’t help but let out a self-mocking laugh. “What am I doing?”

The author would surely think he was insane or, perhaps, assume he was some delusional fan obsessed with Shen Yuan.

As if feeling embarrassed, Xie Chengze immediately closed the app and swiped his finger across the screen to open a short video platform.

After staring blankly for a while, his fingers uncontrollably moved toward the search bar.

“Name of the boy hit by car in Qingcheng…”

Swiping, swiping, swiping…

Stop.

“Shen… Yuan.”

His chest felt as if it had been blown open instantly. A sudden ache struck Xie Chengze’s nose as he gazed at the handsome, youthful face of the boy in the video. He directly pulled out the IV tube from his hand, rolled out of bed, and ran toward the hospital room door. “Dad! Mom! I need to see that boy’s parents!”

Mr. and Mrs. Xie turned in surprise, exchanged a glance, said something to their colleague on the other end of the computer call, and then closed the laptop screen.

“Alright, Dad will make the arrangements,” Mr. Xie nodded with his characteristically steady demeanor.

Mrs. Xie clutched her head and let out a sharp cry, “My precious son! You’re still injured! Don’t run around on your feet ahhhhhhh—”

…

The Xies acted with remarkable efficiency. Using some method, they directly contacted Shen’s father and mother through the hospital director.

When they saw Xie Chengze in the wheelchair, a flicker of sadness passed through Shen’s parents’ eyes, though they were also happy to see him awake. “Xiao Xie, it’s wonderful that you woke up. Otherwise, we wouldn’t know how to face your parents.”

Looking at the familiar faces of Shen’s father and mother, Xie Chengze felt a sudden appreciation for the power and wonder of genetics.

“I want to see Shen Yuan alone and have a word with him.”

Xie Chengze got straight to the point.

Shen’s parents glanced at each other and nodded. “That might be for the best. You’ve come at the right time. We were just about to have Yuan’er cremated. Before he completely leaves this world, let him see his savior too.”

In this day and age, it’s rare for someone to risk their life to save a stranger. Moreover, this young man named Xie Chengze has his whole future ahead of him and parents who love him dearly.

He might even have a beautiful girlfriend.

Or a handsome boyfriend or something.

Such things were commonplace in Qingcheng now.

With an excited heart and trembling hands, Xie Chengze finally saw Shen Yuan’s body, which was about to be pushed into the crematorium.

That year, Shen Yuan was 21. Having traveled extensively before returning to the capital, he had shed his youthful immaturity. Yet the boy on the stretcher still carried an air of scholarly refinement—his face as handsome as ever but not yet free of youthful innocence. His pale lips gave him a sickly pallor that tugged at the heartstrings, and his cold cheeks were a far cry from the burning warmth Xie Chengze remembered when he had leaned in close.

“Shen Yuan…”

Xie Chengze’s voice was hoarse as he spoke, his nose aching again. Scalding tears welled up in his eyes, swirling until they finally fell, as if using all his strength, slowly dripping onto the boy’s pale yet still handsome face.

“Wake up, okay?”

“You’re the protagonist, aren’t you? Don’t protagonists have special privileges? Just transmigrate over after you die of old age. I won’t mind you being old.”

“Come keep me company, or I’ll grow old alone.”

The body remained motionless, offering no response.

“Sigh, as expected, there are no miracles in a scientific world. No resurrection allowed after the founding of the nation, huh?”

“How am I supposed to convince your parents—oh no, this young man’s parents—to let me preserve you as a specimen for eternal collection… Just in case you really do show up someday…”

“Shen Yuan, you don’t want me to be this perverted either, right? If you’re not completely dead, wake up already. Don’t give me hope only to strike me down again…”

His voice was extremely low, as if muttering or mumbling, yet he was weeping so bitterly while shaking the corpse’s shoulders and arms, as if regretting his own incompetence in failing to save such a vibrant life.

Watching from not far away, Shen’s father and mother couldn’t help but shed tears, secretly wiping their eyes with their sleeves as they comforted him, “Child, he’s already passed away. Don’t grieve too much.”

Xie Chengze’s body stiffened. He suddenly realized the corpse before him belonged to “Shen Yuan.”

He had actually been praying for another soul to descend before the original owner’s corpse.

How offensive.

For a moment, Xie Chengze felt dejected, but human hearts are inherently selfish. His heart still told him that “Shen Yuan” was dead—this was an established fact—yet he hoped the Shen Yuan from Jian’an could revive this corpse.

“Hah…” He let out a bitter laugh, gripping the boy’s cold hand as he rasped, “Sorry… Classmate Shen.”

“I should have prayed for your revival first. If your spirit still remains, can you come back?”

“Your parents love you dearly too. They don’t want to lose you, just like…”

What the Flower Consort wanted was always her own son.

A counterfeit would always be a counterfeit—no matter how well imitated, it could never be the genuine article.

Xie Chengze prayed sincerely for a while longer.

But the corpse remained motionless.

Xie Chengze broke down.

This one won’t give, that one won’t either.

Could it be because during that lifetime in Jian’an, I tricked the people of Yi Province into cursing “goddamn heavens” every day, creating this karmic retribution?

Are the heavens of Jian’an and the heavens of Blue Star even the same heavens?

Heavens of Blue Star, give me some strength!

The heavens of Jian’an would always create special effects for me! You can’t be this useless!

Xie Chengze muttered to himself for a long time, wanting to delay the corpse’s cremation. He thought, what if Shen Yuan could live to a hundred? It had been 11 hours since his return, meaning he still needed to delay another 44 hours…

Two whole days! How was he supposed to delay that long?

If this went on, Shen’s parents would think he was a necrophiliac psychopath!

Ahhhhhhhhh——!

“Shen Yuan! Wake up! Wake up for me!”

“Open your eyes and look at me! I’m Xie Chengze! I’m Xie Chengze!!!”

“Don’t just die like this! Damn heavens, living heavenly grandmother! I’ve begged you hundreds if not thousands of times in this lifetime, and you’ve treated it all as background noise. I won’t settle accounts with you, just this once, only this once, I beg you…”

Xie Chengze tightly gripped the boy’s fingers, his eyes red-rimmed, “Revive him!”

I’m willing to exchange my current lifetime of longevity for him to come back and accompany me for another lifetime!

Watching their nearly delirious son, Mrs. Xie couldn’t help but grasp Mr. Xie’s fingers, worrying, “I feel like… our son has been acting a bit strange since he woke up.”

Though somewhat offensive…”He’s become so chuunibyou…”

Mr. Xie comfortingly patted her hand, saying steadily, “Men remain chuunibyou until death…”

The next second, two sharp screams from Shen’s father and mother echoed through the morgue—

“Ah—! Li-li-living! Br-breathing—!”

“Ah—! The corpse is moving—!”

At the same time, the novel platform’s backend sent an author’s reply.

【Old Heavenly Granny: Message received! Side story coming soon!】

(Main Story End)