The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 5 - 12
Chapter 5 - 12
The surgery was a success, but unfortunately, Yu Qing failed to pull through the most dangerous thirty-six hours of the postoperative window. That night is something Yu Shuang will never forget. She slumped over her younger brother's bedside, holding onto his arm. As the late hours of the night deepened, Yu Qing's body temperature climbed higher and higher. Yu Shuang wept as she cried out, and then—at the absolute peak—his temperature began to drop, plunging lower and lower. Just as Yu Shuang's heart filled with a flicker of hope, Yu Qing stopped breathing. In the end, he never woke up. He had gone straight to the heavens to find their mother.
Yu Shuang collapsed across her brother's body and wept without restraint. In the vast, boundless universe and primeval expanse of the world, there was no longer a single soul who shared a direct, unbreakable bond with her. She felt like a telegraph machine whose signal wires had been severed, plunging into a pitch-black void with no exit in sight.
Despair. Utter, absolute despair.
Upon learning of her husband's death, Yu Qing's wife immediately fainted. Her mother had no choice but to shift her focus entirely to her daughter, rushing her to the emergency room to feed her broth and water; her son-in-law was gone, and she could not afford to lose her daughter as well. Moreover, there was still a child growing in that belly, and the due date was fast approaching. The elderly grandmother was stuck at home taking care of the granddaughter and grandson and couldn't break away. Nearly all the aftermath and funeral arrangements were run and handled single-handedly by Kang Long.
Yu Shuang felt a deep-seated hatred! She hated her brother for refusing to listen, and she hated her sister-in-law for not stopping him! Wasn't he literally worked to death? Just to scrape together a couple of extra bucks, he went wild with overtime! When a family is poor and struggling, why bring so many kids into the world? Two wasn't enough, so they needed three?! What are they trying to raise, a bunch of peasants like Runtu?!
At the same time, Yu Shuang pitied her sister-in-law. Looking at the woman's belly, which was swollen as large as a mother cicada, Yu Shuang couldn't fathom how this woman was going to survive the future, or how this household was supposed to go on. Three children, two elderly family members, a lone woman, and no job whatsoever—good grief... Yu Qing hadn't even purchased life insurance. She had reminded him of it several times; on one occasion, she had practically been ready to sign the policy for him. Yu Qing had stubbornly refused, insisting he didn't need it because his luck was about to turn and wealth was about to roll in... And the result? Fate threw him a sharp hairpin turn, hurling him straight into the underworld.
To Yu Shuang, it was all a tragedy, an absolute nightmare. She had never believed in destiny before, but seeing everything now, she couldn't help wanting to ask the heavens what on earth was going on. In the span of just two years, she had lost soldier after soldier, stripping her raw into a solitary loner! How was she supposed to go on living?!
The remaining matters had to be handled one step at a time. They had gained plenty of experience with funerals by now. Once the weeping ended and the body was cremated, Yu Shuang collected her brother's ashes and, accompanied by Kang Long along with her eldest niece and second nephew, traveled back to their hometown to bury Xiao Qing. He was laid to rest right alongside their mother. Everyone in Yuying Village was moved to deep sighs, and mourners came in a steady, unbroken stream. Upon seeing Kang Long, the villagers didn't ask too many questions, though privately they all tacitly assumed he was Yu Shuang's other half, remarking with shared sighs that born from the same womb, the brother's share of good fortune had clearly been entirely usurped by his elder sister. Hearing further that Yu Qing had left behind a posthumous child, the village inevitably circulated rumors, whispering that the unborn baby must have a harsh destiny—before even entering the world, the child had already brought about the father's doom.
With the funeral concluded back in Yuying Village, word naturally made its way back to the big city. Jia had just returned from London when she received the grim news. Meng rushed straight over to Shuang's place upon returning from Singapore, only to find Rui alone in the apartment. The two of them couldn't help sighing over Shuang's wretched fate, but since the tragedy had already occurred, only two things could be done at present: first, send monetary condolences—an old tradition in Yuying Village where ritual courtesies had to be impeccably observed; and second, wait for Shuang's return so they could gather together and offer proper comfort.
Upon learning that Kang Long had traveled alongside her through thick and thin, Yu Meng immediately lavished praise on him. "That is truly rare. When you hit a massive hurdle like this, it's not really about money—you need someone right by your side."
Indeed, Yu Shuang felt this truth in her bones. Bringing her niece and nephew back to the big city temporarily, Kang Long had taken care of every single detail along the journey. From departure to return and through all the chaotic affairs in between, Kang Long had shouldered everything without a single word of complaint or regret. She owed him far too much. The hospital expenses had all been paid out of his pocket, to say nothing of the mental exhaustion and physical labor he had expended. Yu Shuang finally realized the profound importance of having someone by one's side; no matter how strong she tried to be, there were moments of utter helplessness when she longed for a shoulder to lean on. Kang Long had stepped into that role without missing a beat. This was no longer something that could be neatly summed up by the word "romance."
Yu Shuang finally understood: human emotions and attachments are difficult to gauge during calm and peaceful times. Only when trials arrive, amid the towering waves and fierce gales of hardship, can one truly see that "a long journey tests the endurance of a horse, and the passage of time reveals a person's heart." When two people are together, they have to be able to weather storms side by side! Not flying in opposite directions when disaster strikes is the rarest and most precious quality of all. Yet, didn't her gentleman's agreement with Kang Long dictate that neither of them owed the other anything? They were supposed to maintain equality, preserve their freedom, and live unencumbered lives. Yet after coming full circle through this ordeal, she found herself heavily in debt to Kang Long. How was she supposed to repay it? Financial debts could eventually be cleared, but emotional debts were exceptionally difficult to settle.
Sitting on the train, Yu Shuang let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. Countless thoughts and memories inevitably surfaced in her mind. What now? What was going to happen to these children in the future? All three children carried the surname Yu; as their aunt, could she possibly wash her hands of them and look away? Her sister-in-law was still so young—was she really expected to guard an empty room and live as a widow for the rest of her life? Was that realistic? Yet, burdened with three children, how could the woman ever remarry? It was an insoluble puzzle! A throbbing headache. Opening her eyes, she saw Kang Long playing mobile games with her eldest niece and second nephew. She desperately wanted to say a simple "thank you" to Kang Long, but the words felt far too flimsy and thin, trapping themselves in her throat.
The moment they stepped out of the station, Jia, Meng, and Rui rushed forward to embrace Shuang, weeping bitterly. Their tears were shed in mourning for Yu Qing; in the past, they had never truly felt that this unruly, reckless boy held any real importance, yet now, it was he who had once again drawn the sisters tightly together. No matter how one looked at it, they all shared the surname Yu!
A brief period of readjustment followed.
This was the second family member lost from Yu Shuang's household. Coming one after another in swift succession, Shuang had originally been a staunch materialist, but these brutal blows from reality left her feeling dazed and disoriented, causing her to begin questioning whether human beings truly possessed a fixed destiny. Kang Long analyzed the situation for them, quoting the ancient saying: First is fate, second is luck, third is feng shui, fourth is accumulating hidden virtue, and fifth is education. Impatiently cutting him off, Shuang snapped, "Speak human." Intrigued, Rui chimed in from the side, begging Kang Long to explain further. Holding a child by each hand—for the past few days since arriving, the children had been looked after entirely by Kang Long, who took them to various museums and parks where they had the time of their lives, growing genuinely attached to him—Kang Long obliged. "Fate and luck represent the timing of the cosmos. There is actual scientific logic behind this; essentially, it views human beings as celestial bodies themselves. At the exact millisecond of your birth, the gravitational and energetic influence exerted by all other celestial bodies in the universe shapes who you are, molding your physical form. That is innate—that is fate." Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Luck, on the other hand, represents the shifting influences of those celestial bodies upon you throughout the rest of your life. These influences bring both good and bad, operating in ten-year cycles. That's why people say the river flows east for ten years and west for the next ten."
Yu Shuang and Yu Rui listened, completely spellbound. Yu Meng walked in from outside, while Yu Jia emerged from the kitchen, both pulling up chairs to listen as well.
Kang Long pressed on. "Third is feng shui, which refers to the impact of geographical positioning and terrestrial advantages upon a person."
Interjecting, Yu Meng said, "Xiaokang, you should come take a look at the feng shui of my place sometime. I always feel like that house has a gloomy vibe."
Muttering under her breath, Yu Jia retorted, "You're worrying about feng shui while you're riding a wave of great luck?"
Kang Long resumed his explanation. "Fourth is accumulating hidden virtue, and fifth is education. Both of these fall under the domain of human harmony. What does it mean to accumulate hidden virtue?"
"Doing good deeds without leaving your name," Yu Shuang offered.
"Correct," Kang Long released the children's hands. "Accumulating hidden virtue has causality as its theoretical foundation. This universe operates driven by cause and effect. When you accumulate hidden virtue, it simply means you are planting good causes. Do good deeds, practice charity; when you build up enough of them, you increase the probability of harvesting good results."
"And what about education?" Yu Jia asked, deeply invested since Sisi was currently studying in London.
"Education expands your own wisdom and elevates you starting from your own foundation. Education is essentially a form of self-cultivation—cultivating your own wisdom and refining your moral character. Once your wisdom and virtue are elevated, your luck can be transformed as well."
Yu Rui gently applauded. With a laugh, Yu Meng remarked that Xiaokang could practically go lecture on the Lecture Room television program. Yu Jia chimed in, asking Kang Long to calculate her fortune as well. On one hand, Yu Shuang dismissed him by saying his fortune-telling was inaccurate, while on the other hand, she muttered, "So you're saying my luck is this terrible because my destiny is bad, I lack wisdom and virtue, and I haven't done enough good deeds?" Chuckling, Kang Long replied, "Well, you still have to put in effort regarding human harmony."
Yu Meng threw her arms around Shuang and Rui, reached out to grab Jia as well, and challenged, "Isn't this enough human harmony?" Laughing heartily, Kang Long explained he was speaking in general terms.
The group sat together a little longer. Seeing that the hour was appropriate, Yu Jia and Yu Meng prepared to leave, reminding Shuang not overthink things and promising to visit her again another day. Before departing, however, both of them added Kang Long on WeChat. After staying a bit longer, as night fell and the children prepared to bathe and sleep, Yu Shuang grew exhausted and dozed off against the couch. With Rui present, it was inappropriate for Kang Long to stay the night. Yu Rui walked Kang Long downstairs, seizing the opportunity to say, "Brother Kang, you'll need to take good care of Sister Shuang moving forward." Kang Long acknowledged that he would. Yu Rui continued, "I might be running around trying out for crews soon and won't be able to stay here permanently. Once I move out, if it's convenient for you, you should just move in here."
"Did Yu Shuang say that?"
With a bitter smile, Yu Rui replied, "She doesn't have the mental bandwidth to plan anything right now. It's my suggestion."
Kang Long let out an affirmative murmur.
Stoking the fire further, Yu Rui added, "You're a man, and you're so refined and gentlemanly—making the first move won't cost you anything." Blushing slightly, Kang Long scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Yu Rui pressed on, "Since you're so good at fortune-telling, why don't you calculate things between yourself and Sister Shuang?"
"Me and her?" Kang Long paused in his tracks. "Yi and Geng combine to form metal."
"What does that mean?"
"She has a strong attraction to me, but staying together with me might cause her to lose her sense of self."
"How would she lose herself?"
"By failing to be the boss? By no longer playing the strong career woman? Probably something like that," Kang Long said with a smile.
Teasing him, Yu Rui remarked that sounded nice enough. "What about me? Help me calculate mine."
"Right now?" Kang Long asked in surprise.
Yu Rui had already typed her birth characters into her phone's memo pad.
After glancing at them, Kang Long pulled up a bazi charting app to inspect the Four Pillars. He fell silent, musing thoughtfully after reviewing the results.
"What? Am I doomed to an early death?" Yu Rui asked nervously, though her face betrayed no trace of it. They had walked out to the entrance of a convenience store, where the fluorescent lights cast a glow over them.
"No. Yu Qing's destiny was the one cut short."
"You're just speaking in hindsight."
"His chart had three亥 (Hai) clashing with one巳 (Si)."
"You didn't say that earlier."
"Even if I had, nobody would have believed it."
"Well, how is mine?" Yu Rui steered the conversation back to herself.
"Pretty good. You share the exact same birth characters as Michelle Lee. Xin as the day master."
"What does that mean?"
"Xin metal symbolizes precious jewelry. You'll be able to marry a wealthy man in the future," Kang Long deadpanned. Yu Rui giggled, thinking to herself that if that theory held true, she would finally get exactly what she wished for.
Just as his car pulled up, Kang Long bid Yu Rui farewell. Barely a dozen meters down the road, his phone buzzed with consecutive incoming messages; opening them, he found that both Yu Jia and Yu Meng had sent their birth characters, asking him to calculate their fortunes as well. The drive home was smooth and uneventful. Kang Long looked over their charts separately.
Yu Jia possessed a Wu earth destiny—characterized by strong tolerance and inclusiveness, though her chart carried peer stars, indicating a strained relationship with her husband that might not last to the end.
Yu Meng's destiny was governed by Ding fire, and she happened to be colliding directly with opposing annual and earthly branches. Having learned his lesson, however, Kang Long framed his responses with extreme gentleness, telling Yu Jia that her destiny was one of steadfast tolerance and emotional depth, capable of accommodating her husband for a happy life, while telling Yu Meng that she naturally possessed a magnetic allure toward men, complemented by one exceptionally great asset—she was destined for longevity.
Both answers were precisely what the two women wanted to hear.