NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18: Everything Is up to You, Sir
"Why be so cruel, sir?"
The Yae Sakura in front of him sighed, but didn't show any surprise or sadness. She calmly accepted this result, as if she had expected it.
The cracking sound of shattering glass was rapidly approaching in the distance. This world had finally been broken apart by Lin Wei's own hands.
The shattered surface was that of the peaceful Yae Village. What was exposed in the shattered cracks was an ominous black fog, and raging flames.
"Why did you have to break this last bit of peace?"
Yae Sakura seemed to be in another world, turning a blind eye to the broken state of the world.
She reached out and took away the teacup in front of Lin Wei, turned over a new cup, and poured him another cup of warm water. Then, she smiled gently, and a look of nostalgia, but also sadness, appeared on her face.
"Before, every time Rin took her medicine, the bitterness would make her face scrunch up. So at that time, I would prepare a cup of warm water for Rin to rinse her mouth. I also specifically raised some bees, and gathered some honey and saved it, so that Rin would have something sweet in her mouth after she finished taking her medicine."
"In order to make the bees produce more honey, I also planted all sorts of random flowers in my own courtyard. They would be in bloom during all different seasons. Hehe. Now that I think about it, the few flowers in that space wouldn't have helped me much."
As Yae Sakura said that, she still had a proper smile on her face, like a dutiful Miko in front of a villager seeking her help. Then, she flipped over another cup and poured herself a cup of warm water, and took a light sip.
"Unfortunately, I have forgotten the taste of honey, otherwise, it might have made Mr. Lin Wei feel slightly better, and it would have also made me seem less rude."
The sound of shattering glass was still approaching, and the collapse of the world was still accelerating. But the two people sitting on the tatami mat didn't seem to care at all.
Yae Sakura raised the cup of warm water in her hand and looked gently into Lin Wei's eyes. Lin Wei understood and also picked up the cup of water in his hand. The two of them replaced tea with warm water, and finished it in one go, as if they were drinking wine.
It was truly good water. Although it was plain and tasteless, it was full of gentleness, hope, and blessings.
"I'm truly sorry for making you laugh, sir. My humble home is simple. I wanted to offer a cup of tea to my guest, but in the end, I only had this cup of water to offer."
Yae Sakura sat up straight, bowed deeply, and poured another cup of warm water for Lin Wei. Then, she collected her expression and asked,
"Someone like me, whose soul has been worn away, and can only recall the bitterness of things, is it necessary to see the outside world? I've also seen some of Mr. Lin Wei's memories. Although they are not pleasant, but I had chosen to indulge myself in this false world until the very end. Isn't this exactly the kind of ending that Yae Sakura was supposed to have?"
"Since you've already obtained what you seek, why must you interfere?"
Yae Sakura's tone was somewhat sorrowful. Then she lifted her beautiful arm and pointed to the spiderweb-like cracks that had already spread to the wooden door of the courtyard. The originally prosperous and beautiful Yae Village outside was completely gone, but her eyes were always fixed on Lin Wei's eyes, not paying attention to the world that was about to be destroyed.
She had known all along.
Lin Wei looked back at her with equanimity and calmly said, "No matter how beautiful a dream is, it's still just a dream. No matter how terrifying a nightmare is, it's still just a dream. As long as you want to, you can wake up from any dream, whether it's beautiful or terrifying. As long as you're still alive, there's hope for the future, because being alive is hope itself!"
"Can someone like me, in this state, still be considered alive?"
Yae Sakura was a bit self-mocking. She shook her head and poured herself another cup of bitter tea.
"Why not?" Lin Wei suddenly reached out and pressed down on Yae Sakura's teacup. She tried to struggle a few times but couldn't break free.
"You can walk, you can laugh, you can talk, you can communicate, you have thoughts, you have emotions. How can you not be alive?"
"Look at Yae Village. What a beautiful place! You can't find another village in the world that can compare to it! This is the symbol of your soul, the symbol that you are still alive!"
"Without a rich mind, abundant love, and fervent hope, how can the canvas of your soul be so beautiful?"
Lin Wei shouted loudly, "Yae Sakura, look me in the eye! Look, I'm alive! This is the kind of gaze that a living person would have!"
"Can you see your reflection in my eyes? This is the expression that a living creature would have!"
"Your eyes are the same, even though your body has already decayed, your soul is still shining brightly."
"How can a beautiful soul like that, a strong soul like that, not be considered to be alive?!"
"..."
Yae Sakura was silent.
At this time, the shattering of the world had already shattered the small flowerbed in the courtyard, and had formed a dark, destructive vortex that tightly surrounded this last bit of pure land in the center.
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly opened her mouth with a self-mocking tone,
"Can someone like me, whose hands are covered in blood, who is burdened with sins, and who has accomplished nothing, be considered beautiful and strong? Mr. Lin Wei, I appreciate your kind words, but time is running out. Please leave now."
"But the Yae Sakura that I remember, she was a strong, decisive, and opinionated girl."
Lin Wei poured out the tea that he was holding under his hand. Then, he turned over a clean cup and poured a cup of warm water for Yae Sakura before saying slowly,
"Look at this warm water, it's wonderful! Even in such a bitter life, it still brings a trace of precious sweetness. Even if it's very weak, it's still precious enough, enough to temporarily escape the nightmares in the bitter night and sleep peacefully!"
"Look, beside the bitter tea, there's warm water that represents hope and blessings; in the illusory Yae Village, there is this warm and real house. You have been calling for help in this way, you have been trying to save yourself in this way!"
"Yae Sakura! Why are you still deceiving yourself? You have never given up hope, you have never given up on life, and you have never given up on yourself. And now, are you telling me that you want to give up? Are you going to give up when you're about to reach the end?"
The collapse of the world had already spread to under the corridor, and time was running out. Lin Wei became anxious. He grabbed Yae Sakura's hand, looked seriously at her face, which had become a little dazed,
"Yes, that's right! We are weak in the face of gods, and powerless in the face of fate, but that isn't a reason for us to accept our fate!"
"Yae Sakura, you have always been resisting, haven't you?"
"When Rin was selected to be a sacrifice, you immediately wanted to take your sister and escape, without any hesitation!"
"Even when Rin had already been placed on the altar and was about to be executed, you still grabbed her hand and wanted to run away with her, without any hesitation!"
"Even if you ultimately failed, it was only because we were weak, and we didn't have enough strength to resist!"
"We have always been fighting against that hateful fate. Keep going! Keep living! Keep living, no matter what it takes! As long as we're still alive, we will see hope sooner or later!"
"Look, we have never given up, I will not give up, and you have never given up, so I won't allow you to give up now!"
The collapse of the world was about to touch their bodies, and it was almost too late!
Lin Wei screamed with all his might:
"Yae Sakura, are you really still hesitating? The Yae Sakura that I know is not the same person as the one who looked like her from fifty thousand years ago!"
"The Yae Sakura that I know is resolute, decisive, and will fight to the end as long as there is even a glimmer of hope! As long as there's a glimmer of hope, she will never give up!"
"If you're tired, just leave everything to me. I will be the one to cut off all these nightmares. Then, I will take you to see the world outside, a world that isn't beautiful, but is real!"
The sound of the mirror shattering was already right beside them. The black cracks of the collapse had already surrounded the tatami mat, as if they were going to swallow them up in the next second.
Yae Sakura paused slightly to process all of this. After weighing her options, she drank the warm water in her hand. Then she poured another cup of warm water for Lin Wei, stood up, composed herself, and bowed deeply.
"If that is the case, then I will leave everything to you, Mr. Lin Wei."
"Please, cut off all of these nightmares for me!"