Chosen: Beyond Fate

Ye Zhi narrowed her eyes. The smile faded from her face. “Has it never occurred to you that your excessive concern for him might be the result of that kind of manipulation?”

Tong Hua’s face twitched. Although she’d grown up pampered and had never really known hardship, her family had remained relatively peaceful under the stewardship of her eldest uncle. There had never been any life-or-death power struggles.

That didn’t mean she was some fool who could be manipulated at will.

Heart Core Chosen Ones all seemed to be like this. They had seen too many disgusting things, to the point that they never hesitated to judge people from the darkest possible angle, just as those of the Aether Path were inclined to trust absolutely in what they saw, convinced that their own perception was the complete truth.

Pot, meet kettle. They were all the same in the end.

Still, as a friend, even if only a self-proclaimed one, Tong Hua felt she had to defend him. “Isn’t it possible that he doesn’t have any ulterior motives?”

A look of pity appeared on Ye Zhi’s face. “Then you’re in an even worse position.”

You throw yourself at him, and he still doesn’t want you. Worse, he might even take everything you’re willing to give without ever offering anything in return.

Tong Hua was practically sinking into the sofa by now. Despite hearing that, she still tried to stubbornly defend him.

“That guy has more than his fair share of flaws, but when it comes down to it, he’s still a good person. He has principles and boundaries. He’s not nearly as bad as you're making him out to be... right?”

Ye Zhi didn’t say anything for a long stretch of time. “Perhaps that’s the worst part of all.”

If he were simply a scoundrel who only cared about himself, things would be easier. At worst, he’d come up with some sinister scheme to control other people, satisfy his own desires, and eventually find some relief by indulging himself without restraint. But if he were really as Tong Hua described, then that was truly, utterly terrible for himself and everyone around him.

When circumstances turned bad, ordinary people would accept reality and endure it because they had no other choice. Evil people looked for ways to adapt, seized benefits, and indulged their greed. Good people restrained themselves and resisted temptation and wickedness.

But someone like him wouldn’t do any of those things. If his principles and boundaries would not allow him to submit and become as insignificant as an ant, then he would overturn everything and make an enemy of the entire world. He would stop only when either reality or he himself ceased to exist.

He was an engine with inexhaustible power, fueled by pain and resentment, running without rest. Once he chose a direction and decided to move, he would charge straight ahead with brutal force. He’d smash every obstacle in his path to pieces, grinding it into dust and burning the remains to ashes.

Ye Zhi waved her hand nonchalantly. “Of course, everything I just said is purely speculation. No matter how capable a Heart Core Chosen One is, we still have to meet someone in person before diagnosing them. Trying to draw a conclusion from someone else’s account is like trying to admire flowers through a fog. There’s no way to tell the truth from falsehood.

“But I imagine he probably wouldn’t want to meet me. So please don’t introduce us to each other. And if you value this friendship, don’t keep sticking your nose into his affairs or interfering like you used to, unless he asks for your help first.” She paused. “If you’re really grateful to me, then when you eventually realize you’ve been taken advantage of, please don’t call me and cry about it. Oh, and if it turns out he isn't even interested in taking advantage of you, please don't call me then, either.”

Tong Hua exploded in rage. “Why are you so sure that I’ll be taken advantage of in the first place?!”

Ye Zhi smiled and lifted her coffee cup without saying a word. She took out her compact mirror, flipped it open, and placed it in front of Tong Hua, inviting her to admire the hopelessly love-struck, thoroughly foolish expression staring back at her.

Tong Hua fell silent. All the strength drained from her body. She slumped over the table, unable to lift herself back up, and let out a helpless sigh. “I just don’t get it. How can someone live like they're constantly on edge, as if something’s always chasing them? Keep that up long enough, and sooner or later they’re bound to break. Why would anyone choose to live like that?”

“Who knows?” Ye Zhi lowered her eyes. She looked out the window at the shimmering sunlight dancing across the waves. After a long pause, she added, “If I had to say, then maybe, perhaps... it’s guilt.”

It wasn’t a conclusion based on any theory, nor was it an objective assessment. It was more of an instinctive guess, or perhaps simply the intuition of someone on the Heart Core Path.

She extended a finger toward the notepad covered in scratch marks. Effortlessly, she poked a hole right through the middle of those countless scratches. It was as though the hole had always been there, just that no one had noticed it.

That was the true root of everything. Perhaps he had encountered something once, and then lost something, something more precious than his life and everything that made him who he was. It had been taken away, destroyed, and hollowed out. All that remained was a void that could never be filled. Like an inescapable curse, it brought him pain and torment, but it was also a miracle unlike any other, and was the only thing that kept him moving forward.

From that moment onward, every single day he lived had to have value. Every morning when the sun rose, he opened his eyes and heard a voice echoing from the depths of his soul, telling him, You must not waste your life.

“What an exhausting way to live,” Ye Zhi concluded with a sigh.

Splash!

The sound came from outside the window. Not far away, a mischievous child leapt from the diving platform into the sea and hit the water like a little cannonball, sending up a spray of foam.

The child splashed around happily, waving and calling for the little girl still hesitating on the platform to come down too. “Third Sister, hurry up! Come on!”

A moment later, an older girl lost her temper. Throwing all thoughts of poise and dignity aside, she planted her hands on her hips and shouted toward the water, “Get back up here this instant!”

“Bleh! No way! I’m not getting back up!” The mischievous child flicked a hand, sending up a spray of water and giggling with delight.

The furious older sister immediately rolled up her skirt and waded after the child.

One firm smack later, the little troublemaker behaved and burst into loud sobs. “Mom! Lu Ling’s bullying me!”

“Complaining, eh? Want another one?!”

The mother chuckled from beneath a beach umbrella as she watched the commotion. “It’s fine. He’s already changed into his swim trunks. He might as well enjoy the water. Lu Ling, you should go play too.”

Splash!

The hesitant little girl on the platform suddenly jumped in as well. She burst into giggles alongside the youngest child and started splashing water at their older sister.

“Big Brother, come on!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” A tanned man nearby quickly stripped off his floral shirt. Ignoring his sister’s speechless expression, he climbed onto the platform and grinned. “Allow me to demonstrate... the Deep-Water Bomb!”

SPLASH!!!

And with that, he dived headfirst into water that only came up to his waist. His legs remained sticking out of the water, twitching twice. Somehow, he was completely fine. Laughing heartily, he climbed back up, grabbed a bucket, and eagerly joined the water fight. More specifically, he joined his siblings in bullying their older sister.

Soaked from head to toe, Lu Ling flew into a rage. Turning around, she finally spotted her savior. “Second Brother! Hurry up and do something about them!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” someone shouted excitedly.

A young man covered in brutal scars waved his hand. He held up a Gatling gun[1] he had just modified from a vehicle-mounted high-pressure water cannon and let out a villainous cackle as he charged over.

“Anyone who’s not wearing a swimsuit... dies!!”

But as he ran past the dessert shop, he caught sight of someone behind the window. He paused for a moment, leaned over, and waved in greeting. Then, unable to wait any longer, he leaped straight into the sea.

The hunt begins!!!

Inside the private room, Ye Zhi stared at him. Then she turned and looked at Tong Hua, who had gone completely speechless. “You know him?”

Tong Hua let out a complicated sigh. “Yeah. That’s him, the guy you described as having an exhausting life.”

Ye Zhi was rendered speechless. After a while, Tong Hua chuckled softly. Resting her chin in her hand, she gazed at the beach outside the window. “Isn’t it kind of nice, though?”

***

The water fight mostly consisted of everyone bullying Lu Ling at first. Later, they all turned on Lu Feng instead. Then, when the water guns ran out of power, Lu Feng joined forces with everyone and launched a counterattack.

They also had a diving contest to see who could make the biggest splash. Lu Feng won decisively, mainly because his head was the toughest.

Then they played in the sand. They built a little castle for the youngest child, a little swan for the third child, and a bust statue of Lu Ling. As for Lu Feng, they built him a grave. Everyone worked together to bury him in the sand, leaving only his head sticking out.

They bought milk tea and took turns drinking each other’s cups. They ate fruit too, including peaches, apples, and watermelon they had sliced up and brought from home. They also stole the youngest child’s grapes, which somehow made them taste even sweeter.

When the children finally grew tired from playing, Ji Jue picked one up in each arm and hoisted them onto his shoulders. Under the directions of the third child and the youngest child, he charged wildly across the shallow water and along the beach.

“Second Brother, I want ice cream!”

“Okay, okay, let’s get ice cream!” Ji Jue readily agreed. Looking into the freezer at the animal-shaped ice creams, he asked, “How about the kitty one?”

“Okay!”

“I want one too!” The third child raised her hand. “I want the little shark!”

And so began the battle between the kitty ice cream and the little shark ice cream. The kitty lost its head, and so did the little shark.

The sea breeze drifted in from afar. At some point, the brilliant sunlight gradually faded westward. An orange-red glow appeared across the emerald sky, while countless flecks of gold danced upon the shimmering waves like innumerable fish. The sunset was breathtakingly beautiful.

Perhaps, this was the kind of “value” he believed every day of life had to hold.

1. The Gatling gun is a historic, rapid-fire machine gun patented by Dr. Richard Jordan Gatling in 1862. It features multiple rotating barrels around a central shaft. By turning a hand crank, the barrels sequentially load, fire, and eject spent cartridges, allowing for sustained, high rates of fire while preventing overheating. ☜