NCCnovel Chapter 536: Everyone Passes Away, Only 3 Remain by Their Side
Chapter 536: Everyone Passes Away, Only 3 Remain by Their Side
Zhang Lei and Ye Shuqin eventually left Beijing.
After a long and winding journey, the two quickly returned to the Kingdom of Kangaroo, where their royal residence was located, and all their closest relatives and family members had gathered. Zhang Lei had already made up his mind to spend the rest of his long life with his loved ones, and to peacefully accompany them on their final journey.
Time flies silently, and fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Over the long years, most of the family members who once surrounded Zhang Lei could not escape the natural law of birth, aging, sickness and death, and passed away peacefully one after another, all of them buried in the royal cemetery.
Now, only the fifteen people who initially accompanied Zhang Lei remain by his side.
During this period, Zhang Lei frequently traveled to and from London, just to visit his only daughter, Zhang Chengwan.
Now in her seventies, Zhang Chengwan still looks like a little girl next to Zhang Lei, whose appearance seems frozen in time. Looking at her eternally young father, Zhang Chengwan harbors a deep sense of both distance and understanding.
During their countless interactions, Zhang Lei was almost tempted to reveal the secret of immortality, hoping to free his daughter from the constraints of birth, aging, sickness, and death.
But each time, the perceptive Zhang Chengwan noticed in advance and politely refused.
Later, Zhang Chengwan took the initiative to ask Zhang Lei to take back all nine hundred years of lifespan she had accumulated.
Her gaze was calm, and her tone was indifferent: "Dad, I don't want to have a long life, and I don't want to suffer the torment of a thousand years of loneliness and the death of all my relatives and friends. I can't bear that kind of endless loneliness."
Looking at his daughter, whose hair had turned completely white, Zhang Lei felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He spoke softly, "Wan'er, if there's anything else you want, just tell your father. As long as you ask, your father will grant it to you."
Zhang Chengwan gently shook her head, her eyes filled with contentment and peace: "Dad, I lack nothing, and I have no regrets."
"In my life, I was lovingly cared for by my parents in my childhood and had harmonious companionship with my siblings; after growing up, I had a smooth marriage, a loving and harmonious marriage, and was surrounded by my children and grandchildren. I have had all the warmth and fulfillment that one could have."
Zhang Lei was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "If you truly wish to continue living, I can still extend your lifespan."
Zhang Chengwan immediately raised her hand to interrupt, her attitude firm: "Dad, there's no need. Everything in this world has a price. My life has been fulfilling and without regrets, and I have no more worries in my heart. As long as I can see you and Mother safe and sound, I am already satisfied."
Hearing his daughter's insightful words, Zhang Lei said nothing more and simply stayed quietly by her side.
As time passed and the family grew generation after generation, their descendants continuing unbroken.
Zhang Lei had long since lost track of which generation his family had reached—whether it was the third, fourth, or fifth generation. His long lifespan had rendered the usual generational changes blurred in his memory.
Another twenty-two years have passed in a flash.
Zhang Chengwan, at the age of 100, has finally come to the end of her life.
In her final moments, Zhang Lei and Ye Shuqin stayed by her side, quietly keeping vigil. Surrounded by her parents, Zhang Chengwan passed away peacefully with a smile on her face.
The loss of her daughter became an unbearable pain in Ye Shuqin's heart. She held her deceased daughter and wept for a long time, unable to calm her grief.
Zhang Lei stood silently, unable to offer any words of comfort.
He possessed an endless lifespan, saw through the cycle of reincarnation, and knew that birth, aging, sickness, and death were the natural laws governing all things in the world, from which no one could be exempt. Yet, when faced with the separation from his loved ones, he still could not hide the melancholy in his heart.
After his daughter left, Zhang Lei became increasingly depressed and despondent.
He stopped traveling far and wide, put aside all the trivial matters, and only wanted to cherish the remaining time, wholeheartedly accompany the fifteen wives who remained by his side, stay together, and leave no regrets.
However, even though Zhang Lei secretly used his life force to prolong the lives of his fifteen wives who had been with him for so long, and slowed down their aging, life and death are predestined. Those who are meant to leave will eventually reach their end.
The first to leave was He Wenyuan, followed by Yang Maixiang, Yu Li, Ding Qiunan, Guan Xiaoguan, Su Meng, Han Chunyan, He Wenhui, Chen Xueru, Lou Xiao'e, Yu Haitang, and He Yushui.
One familiar face after another passed away, and Zhang Lei personally saw them off time and time again. Each of them, more or less, sensed the extraordinary secret and abilities that Zhang Lei possessed, yet none of them greedily sought immortality or asked for a long lifespan.
They simply stayed quietly by Zhang Lei's side, tenderly supporting him, silently understanding each other, willingly letting Zhang Lei properly bid them farewell on the last journey of their lives.
The relentless pain of separation gnawed at Zhang Lei's heart day after day, almost driving him to madness. He began to drown his sorrows in alcohol, using the strong alcohol to numb his senses and mask the endless loneliness and grief in his heart.
The three sisters, Ye Shuqin, Ye Shuqi, and Ye Shuhua, witnessed all of his vulnerability and pain.
After a quiet discussion, the three sisters made a joint decision: for the long, endless years to come, they would stay with Zhang Lei, never leaving him, and accompany him to the end of time.
When Zhang Lei heard about the three sisters' decision, the grief and despair that had been building up for a century finally broke down.
He could no longer maintain his usual composure and toughness, and he hugged the three sisters tightly, bursting into loud sobs.
Seeing this man, who was always so strong and capable, reveal such a vulnerable and helpless side, the three sisters felt heartbroken and their eyes also reddened. They hugged him tightly, quietly comforting him and becoming his last safe haven.
Time flies by in the blink of an eye, and a hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Despite the ever-changing world and the passage of time, the years have left no trace on Zhang Lei and the three Ye sisters.
The four of them still looked like they were still young and fresh, like eighteen-year-old boys and girls who had just graduated from school. They were handsome and their charm had not diminished.
The outside world has undergone tremendous changes.
High-tech products are emerging one after another, powerful new weapons are constantly being developed, and convenient and diverse communication methods are dazzling. A brand new era is upon us.
Zhang Lei, Ye Shuqin, Ye Shuqi, and Ye Shuhua, dressed in simple yet stylish clothes, walked among the bustling crowd. Their refined and unconventional demeanor made them stand out from the crowd, yet they remained calm and composed.
They ultimately chose to settle in bustling Shanghai.
In this neon-lit international metropolis, in an inconspicuous corner of a street, a unique and quirky little shop opened together.
The shop was named Pawnshop No. 4.
The name comes from a simple and straightforward origin: there are four people in the shop, one is the owner, and three are the owners' wives. The four of them support each other and run the business together.
The pawnshop contained countless treasures, a dazzling array.
It contains rare and exotic treasures and folk artifacts that the four of them collected from all over the world during their travels.
There are also rare and priceless items that Zhang Lei obtained through the All Things Trading System, including exclusive treasures and rare gems that are hard to find in the world.