Ch 191: Paradise

The intense white light cleansed every stain from Yang Zhan’s body. He shook his head, eyes closed, his palms open, shielding his eyes.

The white light was too dazzling; it seemed he would need a very, very long time to adjust. A woman slowly approached and placed a silver flower butterfly necklace around Yang Zhan’s neck.

The woman appeared and disappeared, flickering in and out of view. He couldn’t see her face clearly until a moment later, when he recognized his wife, Xi’er.

Yang Zhan gazed at the face he hadn’t seen in years, his hands clenching tightly before releasing.

He gritted his teeth, his brow furrowed, as if struggling, escaping.

But soon he felt relieved. He touched the ring in his hand, a smile on his face, embracing his wife.

He used his right arm to lift his child and carried them forward.

What met his eyes was indescribable beauty.

A clear blue sky held a few wisps of white cloud, the clouds so low he could distinguish their layers.

The sun and gentle breeze were just right—neither too dry nor too humid; a refreshing breeze carried a hint of warmth.

In the distance were colorful buildings, neatly arranged in straight lines.

Not far away was the sea, reflecting the blue sky; the sea was like a blue-green jade, its waves rippling, the cries of seabirds coming from afar.

This seemed to be a small town, filled with the joyful sounds of its people; they seemed to be celebrating something today.

The town was large, so large that Yang Zhan couldn’t see its end.

Yang Zhan stood silently, watching, watching, for a long time; he had always longed for this kind of life.

Now, this life was before him.

Xi’er turned, gazing at her husband; she gently stroked his face.

The child in her arms also reached out a tiny hand, playfully tugging at Yang Zhan’s beard.

“Hello!”

“Welcome to Paradise!”

A voice interrupted Yang Zhan’s reverie. Yang Zhan lowered his head and saw a man in a white suit, offering a professional, forced smile.

“Please follow me.”

The man in the suit bowed respectfully and led the way.

Yang Zhan and his wife followed the man in the suit, somewhat bewildered.

Along the way, the man in the suit explained everything about this place.

No work, no excessive worrying about the future.

Everything is available here; if you want something, just write it down, and it will be delivered to your doorstep the next day. This is an ideal dwelling, the most wonderful place.

Yang Zhan arrived at the town’s residential area and chose a villa by the seaside.

Just moments ago, he was in battle, yet the next second, he was here. This dreamlike scene gave Yang Zhan a feeling of unreality.

But his wife and child couldn’t possibly be illusions. Yang Zhan’s heart felt like a dammed flood.

Cracks appeared in the sealed dam. Seeing her husband’s sorrow, Xi’er opened her arms and embraced him, her height barely reaching his shoulder.

“What are you thinking about?”

“A Zhan.”

The dam holding back the flood finally burst at Xi’er’s embrace. The flood, like a wild beast, surged forward.

“I’m sorry, Xi’er, Xiao Hua.”

A six-foot-tall man lowered his head, weeping uncontrollably in the embrace of a petite woman.

The dreamlike scene was unfolding before his eyes, and he couldn’t contain his emotions, releasing all his pent-up pressure.

Xi’er, slightly puzzled, quickly comforted Yang Zhan.

“What’s wrong, A Zhan?”

“Dad, Daddy?”

His daughter, Xiao Hua, was also affected by her father’s sadness. Her large eyes were red, as if on the verge of tears.

Yang Zhan lifted his head, revealing a happy smile; tears streamed down his face. He didn’t know how long he’d been living a life of hardship, nor how long he’d been wandering.

He was a dedicated police officer who, due to an accident, was burdened with an unimaginable wrongful accusation, with no chance of clearing his name.

Driven to desperation, he chose another path. He had forgotten—he didn’t know how long it had been since he had truly held his wife and child.

All the gloom was swept away. He pulled his wife and little girl close, opening the door to his own paradise, his own world.

After settling everything, Yang Zhan lay on the sofa, lifting his right hand to carefully examine the golden ring.

After a while, he came to his senses, and his nose twitched.

He smelled the aroma of his wife cooking—the scent of seafood mixed with a rich, fresh fragrance.

Xiao Hua wore a yellow floral dress. She wasn’t tall, probably a five-year-old, with fair, slender limbs and a smiling mouth.

She walked up to Yang Zhan, blinking her eyes, then burrowed into his chest.

Yang Zhan reached out and playfully tickled Xiao Hua’s sides.

Xiao Hua giggled, wriggling in Yang Zhan’s arms.

Many lights flickered across Yang Zhan’s weathered face, his previously listless expression now animated.

“Dad, Daddy, it tickles!”

“Behold, Daddy’s Invincible Dragon Claw Hand!”

“Bang!”

Xi’er, wearing a purple apron, held a plate in her left hand and gave Yang Zhan a playful “chestnut” with her right.

“Really, you’re so forceful! What if you hurt Xiao Hua?”

“Xiao Hua is so frail.”

Yang Zhan scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. He placed his right hand on Xiao Hua’s face, squeezing her chubby cheeks.

“Dad, Dad…”

Xiao Hua planted her hands on her hips, her round face pouting, full of resentment.

Not to be outdone, Xiao Hua placed her delicate hand on Yang Zhan’s beard and pulled hard.

“Ouch!”

Yang Zhan instinctively leaned back; a stiff beard hair was pulled out completely by Xiao Hua.

Yang Zhan gasped, watching the scene, wondering how a child could have so much strength.

“You wicked Xiao Hua, take this, my bushy beard attack!”

Yang Zhan launched a second round of attack, using his coarse beard to tickle Xiao Hua’s face.

“Ha, haha.”

“It… tickles, Daddy!”

Xiao Hua struggled free from Yang Zhan’s grasp, eyeing him with disdain. She rolled her eyes, dashed into the room, apparently searching for something.

To Yang Zhan’s surprise, Xiao Hua found a mirror and a razor in the room.

Yang Zhan knew exactly what his daughter was up to. He lay flat on the sofa, surrendering to her.

Xiao Hua had Yang Zhan hold the mirror. Yang Zhan saw himself in the mirror; he frowned. He saw a flower in the mirror.

Yang Zhan rubbed his eyes; the flower vanished, as if it had never been there.

His reflection showed a very weathered appearance, worlds apart from Xi’er and Xiao Hua.

Lying on the sofa, nothing could be more comfortable. No wonder this place was called Paradise.

The sweet sea breeze, his wife cooking, and an adorable daughter.

“Dinner’s ready.”