Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?
Chapter 381: The Heart’s Repentance

Chapter 381: Chapter 381: The Heart’s Repentance

Ke Peng heard someone calling him from behind, didn’t think much about it; after all, it had been over a decade, and the person was already dead.

But when he turned around, he froze on the spot.

What did he see? That familiar figure was so familiar, even though more than ten years had passed, he had never forgotten.

"Gu Jingyi?" Ke Peng said in disbelief.

"What? You don’t recognize me?"

Before speaking, Gu Jingyi laughed with tears in her eyes, longing for this moment, not knowing how she had longed for it. She always knew it was impossible, but couldn’t help fantasizing, never expecting it to actually happen one day.

"No... not... I, I..." He was visibly panicking.

Then, he took two steps in three, hopped on the bicycle nearby, kicked off with his foot, and found it would actually ride, so he pedaled away furiously, not even having time to adjust the handlebars.

Shen Siyuan: ...

What kind of move was that? He had seen many reunion scenes, but this was the first time he’d seen something like this.

But Gu Jingyi just smiled and then said with certainty, "He will come back soon."

As soon as her words ended, Ke Peng had already cycled back, crying as he rode, and went straight to Gu Jingyi.

Gu Jingyi stood there quietly waiting for him, watching him gasp as he rode toward her, watching him park the bicycle in front of her with a frantic look, watching him stumble over his words trying to explain...

"I... I didn’t mean to leave you, I’m sorry... I’m sorry..."

Ke Peng knelt on the ground, begging for Gu Jingyi’s forgiveness.

-----------------

"Ke Peng, the hospital is urging for payment again, we need to come up with fifty thousand; I have thirty thousand, can you figure out a way to gather the other twenty thousand..."

Gu’s father had bloodshot eyes, looking somewhat bewildered and frantic as he stared at Ke Peng.

Ke Peng understood why he was like this; his most beloved daughter was lying on the bed, emaciated, but he couldn’t gather more money. At this moment, he was suffering unimaginable pain and torment.

"I... I understand, I’ll call home again and ask..." Ke Peng wasn’t much better off himself, with a messy mop of hair, looking very haggard.

Ke Peng, twenty-five years old this year, had graduated from college just three years ago, earning only two to three thousand a month. How could he have money for his girlfriend’s medical treatment? All the money was borrowed from friends and taken from his family.

-----------------

"Mom~"

"No money, son, let me tell you, cancer, that thing is incurable. You better break up with her sooner, or she’ll drag you down..."

"Uncle~"

"Xiao Peng, uncle’s own household is also facing difficulties, expenses are high. You’re not young anymore; you should be sensible. It’s not easy for your parents to earn money, don’t throw your life away for this, you’ve done enough..."

"No, uncle, I’ll pay it back."

"What will you pay back with? It’s a bottomless pit, and it’s incurable, the money will all be wasted, and you’ll be dragged down for life, think about your parents if not yourself..."

"Uncle, I understand."

"Sigh, hanging up now..."

"Auntie~"

"Xiao Peng, auntie really has no money left. We have our own family to maintain, you..."

"Thank you, auntie, I’m hanging up."

"Third uncle~"

...

"Ah Tao~"

...

"Ming Yu~"

...

After making the rounds, Ke Peng managed to borrow only a little over two thousand yuan. Standing at the hospital entrance, Ke Peng was lost in confusion.

"Need to borrow money?" A voice from behind interrupted Ke Peng’s train of thought.

It was Gu Jingyi’s dad, looking at him with a face full of hope.

Ke Peng sighed and shook his head: "I’ve asked around, but only got a bit over two thousand."

"How could that little amount be enough? Try again. Have you asked that wealthy classmate of yours? Didn’t he already lend you over a hundred thousand before? His family is rich; you can borrow some more from him..."

But Ke Peng didn’t think so. His classmate, who lent him over a hundred thousand when his monthly salary was only two to three thousand, had already done more than enough. He couldn’t take advantage of his generosity.

But Gu’s father didn’t see it that way; for his daughter, he had to grasp at any sliver of hope.

Ke Peng’s attitude infuriated Gu’s father, "Is face really that important? It’s not like we won’t pay it back. His family is so rich, what does it matter if you borrow more? Aren’t you friends? We can make up the money slowly, but once Jingyi’s gone, she’s truly gone..."

Gu’s father grabbed Ke Peng by the collar, almost deranged.

"I know... Uncle... I understand..."

At that moment, Ke Peng’s mind was in complete chaos, overwhelmed by panic, confusion, and sorrow.

"Hurry up and call your classmate to borrow money; I’ll go check on Jingyi." Gu’s father finally let go with satisfaction.

Watching Gu’s father’s retreating figure entering the hospital, the words of his family and friends echoed in his mind once again.

"She will drag you down..."

"It’s incurable; all a waste..."

"The money is thrown away; what will you repay with..."

...

Ke Peng wavered and turned to run, fleeing from there, from the hospital, disappearing without a trace...

He ran away on the twelfth, and on the eighteenth, Gu Jingyi died in the hospital bed.

Ke Peng had escaped, but his heart remained trapped in that day, never able to leave.

Later, Ke Peng married and had children.

But the guilt towards Gu Jingyi gnawed at his heart every day.

He felt that he had let down Gu Jingyi and wronged his own wife.

Since Gu Jingyi’s death, he never visited her family again, nor saw her father.

But every year on November eighteenth, he would go to Huang Chunling Cemetery.

Not to pay homage, but just to take a glance, just a glance...

-----------------

"Alright, don’t cry anymore. I’ve never blamed you. You’ve fulfilled your responsibility, done what you should, even more than others have. You don’t need to feel guilty..."

Gu Jingyi touched Ke Peng’s head with her hand, filled with multitudes of emotion.

The two were university classmates and had been together since their junior year, always having a good relationship. If it weren’t for her sudden illness, they would probably already be married with children of their own.

"I’m sorry... I’m sorry..."

Ke Peng held onto one of Gu Jingyi’s hands, burying his head in her palm, weeping bitterly, filled with regret.

Gu Jingyi didn’t comfort him further but reached out with her other hand, gently stroking Ke Peng’s hair, cheeks...

This real touch, filled her with nostalgia, the simplest human tactile connection, gave her a sense of presence.

Ke Peng didn’t really know what he was repenting for; in truth, he had done enough, had reached the limit of kindness and duty.

Perhaps he was just grieving that at the moment of Gu Jingyi’s passing, he wasn’t by her side.

Perhaps it was just a confession to his own heart.

Until the sound of a siren startled Ke Peng awake.

He stood up in a fluster, anxiously turning to Shen Siyuan and Gu Jingyi and said, "I just called the police."

Shen Siyuan: ...