Chapter 1227: Slumber

Chen Ling looked at the tattered stone shovel in his hand, then at Sun Bumian, whose vitality was gradually fading, and an indescribable sorrow welled up in his heart.

He knew that Sun Bumian wouldn't truly die—he was just falling into a slumber, and in some future era, they would meet again... But at this moment, the loneliness and desolation in Sun Bumian's eyes made Chen Ling's heart tremble.

Sun Bumian had never treated any of his lifetimes carelessly just because he could reincarnate; every one of his lives was lived earnestly and exquisitely. He wanted to eat the most delicious food of the era, witness the happiness and prayers of the time, and leave his mark in every era with gold... When he fell into a slumber, everyone he had known in this life would be gone by the time he woke up, and the traces of his existence would vanish, turning into a vague, ethereal legend.

Seeing the look in Sun Bumian's eyes, Chen Ling realized that for Sun Bumian, this was never a "slumber," but a true "death."

He didn't want to sleep, didn't want to die, didn't want to say goodbye to everything in this era.

But he was dying...

"What's with that look?" Sun Bumian smiled, feigning ease. "What, shouldn't our reunion be just an instant for you? Why are you acting like it's a final farewell..."

Sun Bumian was right. As soon as Chen Ling left the save file, he could see Sun Bumian again immediately... Reunion was easy for him.

But for Sun Bumian, how many long years would that be?

Chen Ling suddenly felt like a cunning cheater. He could easily traverse two eras with the help of era save files, but for Sun Bumian, Yang Xiao, Lu Xun... for everyone living in them, they didn't know how many pains and obstacles they would have to cross before they could meet again.

Chen Ling didn't answer Sun Bumian; he just silently gripped the stone shovel and plunged it deep into the soil...

Then he shoveled the heavy dust away.

Dust flew. Sun Bumian sat quietly in the ruins, watching the red-robed figure busy digging his own grave in the deep pit, wondering what he was thinking.

Air raid sirens and the roar of fighter jets echoed overhead.

The two actors said nothing.

"That's about enough."

After an unknown amount of time, Sun Bumian slowly stood up.

He measured the size of the pit and then his own height. "That's it. I'll lie down, and you bury me."

"Should I just bury you directly?"

"Just bury me."

Sun Bumian finally raised his hands, stretched lazily to loosen his muscles, and then, clutching his prized lion-dance headgear like a treasure, walked step by step into the deep pit.

Chen Ling had dug the pit very deep—so deep that Sun Bumian's head didn't show when he stood in it. He solemnly placed the lion-dance headgear to the side, took off his small round sunglasses, and lay flat on the soil with his hands folded over his chest, like a well-behaved boy. He slowly closed his eyes, about to fall asleep.

Chen Ling stood at the edge of the pit, took one last look at Sun Bumian, and then began to fill the pit with the soil he had just dug out, handful by handful.

The yellow earth gradually submerged Sun Bumian's sunglasses, then his body, and finally the exquisitely crafted lion-dance headgear... Chen Ling's movements were very light, and he was prepared to stop at any moment, but from beginning to end, Sun Bumian said nothing, letting himself be buried deep underground as if he were truly asleep.

When Chen Ling filled in the last handful of soil, the world fell into silence again. The bright red opera robe stood over the flat grave, fluttering in the wind...

After a long while,

Chen Ling let out a long sigh...

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a muffled voice suddenly came from beneath the soil:

"Chen Ling."

Chen Ling was startled. "What is it?"

"I can't sleep."

“……”

Chen Ling looked at the leveled grave with a strange expression and asked again, "Can't sleep? Then what should I do? Should I dig you back out?"

"I want to die amidst the sound of gongs and drums," Sun Bumian said again. "Without the noise of liveliness and happiness, I can't enter my slumber... How about you beat a drum, hit a gong, or perform some kind of show for me?"

Chen Ling: ...

Chen Ling's mouth twitched slightly. He even began to suspect that Sun Bumian was playing with him, but thinking of Sun Bumian's condition earlier, he hesitated for a moment and then spoke:

"Then, should I sing you a play?"

"Sure."

Chen Ling cleared his throat, and the bright red opera robe stood in the ruins, singing clearly:

"Persuading the thousand-year-old, let not the word 'kill' pass your lips; the old minister will tell the master from the beginning. Liu Bei is a descendant of the Jing King, a single line of the Han Emperor's mysterious grandson remains..."

This passage Chen Ling sang was the classic "Persuading the Thousand-Year-Old" from "The Dragon and Phoenix Bring Prosperity," which tells the story of Liu Bei's wedding to Sun Shangxiang. Since Sun Bumian wanted to fall asleep amidst noise, this was undoubtedly a great choice—cheerful and festive.

Chen Ling's singing was naturally excellent. Even without the accompaniment of any musical instruments, he created a lively and joyful atmosphere. Fearing that Sun Bumian would fall asleep too slowly, he sang the entire piece of "Persuading the Thousand-Year-Old" from start to finish.

After finishing, Chen Ling looked down at the grave soil at his feet and asked tentatively:

"...Are you asleep?"

"No."

“……”

"No, although you sang well, I can't feel any joy at all... You don't feel happy in your heart at all!"

"How can I be happy?? Is this something you can just be happy about just by saying so???" Chen Ling was speechless. He really felt that Sun Bumian was playing with him, yet he had no evidence.

"I don't care, I can't sleep anyway."

“……”

Chen Ling was about to say something else when a painful cough came from underground. Sun Bumian's body had reached its limit, yet he couldn't fall asleep; all that remained was pain.

Chen Ling swallowed the words he was about to say. After pondering for a moment, he looked toward the Half-Mountain Hotel, and an idea surfaced in his mind.

He looked down at the time:

【00:12:02】

【00:12:01】

【00:12:00……】

He walked straight toward it.

"Cough, cough, cough... where are you going?" Sun Bumian asked.

"Don't worry," Chen Ling replied calmly. "I will make you fall asleep."

Chen Ling left.

The entire ruin fell into silence again, with only Sun Bumian's weak coughing occasionally sounding from underground.

Time ticked by, and as Sun Bumian's coughing became more frequent, until it almost didn't stop, a faint sound of firecrackers approached from afar.

*Pop, pop, crackle—!!*

The smoke from the firecrackers, like auspicious clouds in the human world, moved slowly through the desolate ruins.

Several figures wearing ill-fitting, cheap suits held firecrackers high, clutching rattles, small trumpets, and a pile of plastic toys, playing and laughing as they walked toward here...

Brother Pao held Xiao Yu's hand, walking through the fireworks, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting with all his might:

"Big Brother!!!"

"We've come to see you off!!!"