Could Chu Tang hear his voice?
This discovery made Chu Tianming's boring, maddening daily routine in the dark room somewhat bearable.
He began to encourage her to go out more often,
like clubbing, ice skating, or going for a drive...
Even though he knew it was unrealistic, he spoke with great enthusiasm.
Of course, that woman paid him no mind.
Thus, Chu Tianming floated beside Chu Tang,
from spring to autumn, from autumn to spring.
He learned why this woman confined herself to the dark room every day, and why no family members came to look after her.
He learned why blind people disliked going out.
He also witnessed her emerge from self-imposed isolation, step by step, by stimulating her will to survive.
She fell, she got up.
She was injured, she bandaged her wounds.
The entire process was undeniably arduous.
If it were Chu Tianming himself, he would have given up long ago.
He would have just laid down and let it all go.
It was like watching a novel or a TV series, where the protagonist who faces setbacks eventually stands up and regains their peak strength.
But if the arduous journey were to happen to oneself,
whether one could persevere would be uncertain.
Perhaps the mind would be filled with thoughts of giving up.
...
Gradually,
when Chu Tianming looked back,
the woman who used to hide in the dark room, depressed every day, had stepped into the sunlight.
Holding her guitar, she sat on the street in the afternoon and calmly played her beloved guitar.
Beautiful melodies poured from her fingertips,
like a beautiful dream woven by the gods.
Sunglasses shielded her from the glaring sun, and her white cane was her weapon.
These two things could no longer hinder her progress.
Even Chu Tianming,
had to admit that Chu Tang had changed significantly.
Who would have thought that not long ago,
she was a timid person who didn't even dare to go out?
Chu Tianming couldn't help but recall his own past twenty-plus years.
What had he done?
Had he changed at all?
Chu Tianming thought for a long time and could only come up with one conclusion.
— For the past twenty-plus years, he had truly just been traveling in the human world.
He hadn't left anything behind, nor did he have anyone with whom he shared a deep connection.
It seemed... that was all.
This place did not belong to him, and he did not belong here.
He was merely a traveler.
And not just any traveler, but one who casually littered, spat, and was rather unvirtuous.
However,
when the moment finally came when he had to leave,
his hands and feet bound by the Black Wuchang's chains, being dragged into the underworld passage,
Chu Tianming felt an inexplicable sense of regret.
Regret for what?
He hadn't figured it out.
Was it for not having had enough time to properly explore this world?
No, he had enjoyed his exploration.
It was just that, it seemed he had also missed something.
...
The melody Chu Tang composed was recorded by Jiang Lin in the live stream room as a separate audio file.
The guitar accompaniment, paired with the woman's clear voice, hummed softly.
When the last note of the guitar faded,
the entire barrier within the enchanted dome fell silent.
Jiang Lin's voice, after a pause, slowly resumed:
"She said she thanks you for your company.
Although she doesn't know where you've gone, she can now live independently.
She will go out and experience this new world."
"Heh, is that so?" Chu Tianming curled his lips, unsure if it was self-mockery or something else.
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, "She can live independently without me..."
Although he knew this would be the outcome,
the blind girl had not faltered since deciding to dismiss her caregiver and live independently.
But hearing her say it like this, Chu Tianming felt a bit uneasy.
Had he really gone crazy from being confined in the dark room?
"Thank you for relaying the message, streamer."
Chu Tianming instinctively wanted to ask about the relay fee.
But remembering his wallet was cleaner than his face, he swallowed the rest of his words.
Since the streamer hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't either.
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Chu Tianming was ashamed to mention money for the first time in his life.
"Ding~ Congratulations to the host for completing the daily task: Drifting Bottle Wish * 1. Reward has been issued!"
The system prompt sounded, and two wisps of divine power appeared within Jiang Lin.
They mingled with the gray gas and ghostly energy.
It was like sharing a room with roommates.
"It's nothing, you can go about your business."
Jiang Lin said calmly.
With that, he raised his hand and retracted the barrier.
Chu Tianming hesitated for two seconds, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
He turned and rejoined the brick-carrying team.
Besides carrying bricks, he had other correctional labor tasks to perform later.
In any case, he wouldn't be allowed to be idle.
Jiang Lin watched the figure carrying bricks, thinking about the information he had previously found.
Both Chu Tianming and Chu Tang were born in the Western Realm and later moved to the Eastern Realm.
What was in the Western Realm? There was [Opportunity].
The ability to foresee life's script and change it.
This meant...
their meeting was likely not a coincidence.
Rather, it was something they, or one of them, had sought out themselves.
...
In the human world.
At Chu Tang's home.
Chu Tang, who was sleeping in bed, suddenly woke up.
Had she just... had a dream?
Chu Tang wasn't sure.
But there was a strange feeling, as if guided by fate.
It was as if what she wanted to say had been conveyed to that unseen existence.
Had her guardian spirit/ancestor visited?
Thinking this, Chu Tang lost all desire to sleep.
She lay in bed for a while, then suddenly felt inspired.
She fumbled to sit up, put on her jacket.
She picked up the guitar by her bedside and strummed it gently.
The pleasant sound echoed in her ears.
In the pitch-black world, it was as if colorful notes were spinning and dancing.
Painting a beautiful scene.
A soft humming sound circled within the room.
...