Flying-Bird Hourglass

33.

Love was a matter of a moment, the ambiguity of every moment was gas, plus the spark of a moment, boom, a blazing fire ignited.

“The secret of long-lasting love is to keep it fresh.” Rong Qianshan said.

I must say, he did it.

Until the end of my life, he still amazed me.

He was the flame that kept jumping in my life.



34.

I pressed the red button, the hourglass sent me for the last time.



35.

“Professor Rong, here.”

I stood at the door of the laboratory and observed Rong Qianshan carefully. He wasn’t young anymore, he was in his fifties, and the corners of his eyes were full of wrinkles.

He took the test tube, nodded and said, “Thank you.” He glanced over me and his gaze lingered, “Yingwen?”

“How old are you?” I asked.

“Fifty-nine.” He said.

“It doesn’t look like it,” I said, “you’re still handsome.”

“Really.” He laughed. “It’s been a long time since you came to see me.”

“Don’t want to bother your sweet time with the young me.” I shrugged and walked over, “I’m here to deliver something.” I opened my hand, where the hourglass was lying in my palm. It was empty without a grain of sand.

He picked up the hourglass: “What is this?”

“Something you sent me so I can see you.” I said, “You walked earlier than me.”

“When did I leave?” he asked.

“May 6th when you were sixty-eight years old.” I said, “I…” I suddenly saw the iron piece on the back of his neck, “What is this?”

His expression turned unnatural: “Nothing.”

I reached out and touched his neck, the piece of iron stuck tightly and grew into his flesh: “You told me that if a person’s brain happens to have the same frequency as a person in another world, they might meet. This thing, is a regulator.”

He looked at me in shock: “Are you studying philosophy or physics?”

“I am your best student.” I said, “You’ve been wearing this thing for twenty years?”

“I’ve been wearing it since I met you.” He said, “It doesn’t feel much.”

I stared into his eyes, obviously not convinced.

He whispered: “It hurts a little when I put it in, and I can’t get MRI for physical exams. Other things are fine.”

“You put an iron piece in your head!” I raised my voice.

“You’ve been in a mental hospital for half your life, too!” He refuted me.

Alright. You’re getting better at this. I was so angry that I turned to walk away, but his hand held me, “Don’t go.” He said, “Can’t you not go this time?”

“I don’t know, you’re the one who researched it.” I said, taking a deep breath, “I’m here to say goodbye.”



36.

I could feel my life coming to an end, like a candle holding the last flame.

At this time, Rong Qianshan was only fifty-nine years old, he was alive and well. He and I, fifty-six, had a lot to say.

Oh, I finally knew why Rong Qianshan’s mood was wrong that day.

He told me that someone passed away, but he didn’t tell who.

He witnessed my death.



37.

He looked at me suspiciously: “Goodbye?”

“I’m sixty-seven.” I said, “I’ve been taking risperidone for 30 years, and my heart is broken, and.” I paused and emphasized, “You walked two years earlier than me.”

“You asked your assistant to give me an hourglass at the funeral.” I said, “There was a magnitude 6 earthquake in the Hangzhou of my world that day.”

He said: “I made the two cities resonate.”

“Yes, Hangzhou of your world and Hangzhou of mine were merged together. I attended your funeral.” I said, “The hourglass can help me see you in the past. You manually created our encounter.”

“As expected of me.” He said, pleased with himself.

You did, it was you indeed.



38.

“This is my last crossing, what do you want?” I asked him.

“I want you to tell me about Shamanism.” He said.

“…Are you serious?” I thought he was a little out of his mind.

He laughed: “Then what else are you asking, come and kiss me.”

The feather scar above his right eyebrow fell into my heart. I was not a bird living on driftwood, I was a kite in Rong Qianshan’s hands.

He looked for me through time and space. I was the one he broke the boundaries of the universe for.



39.

My arms were growing transparent inch by inch, I thought, this was time for me to go.

He held my hand until he only grasped thin air.

I mumbled in his ear, I loved him.



40.

I attended his funeral and he left me an hourglass.

He watched me come to the end of my life, and I returned to him the hourglass.

We would toss and turn between the two worlds and became an unbreakable Mobius ring.



41.

At the age of sixty-five, I received an invitation.

Rong Qianshan was dead.


—End—