Chapter 746: 745 Soul Temperature
“…I don’t want you all to remember me after I die.”
In the silence, a voice rose up, calm yet shocking, drawing all eyes to it, unable to hide the panic within, including Li Wei’s.
Annie revealed a smile and nodded lightly.
“I’m serious. I don’t want anyone to remember me.”
“Felix, you know? Someone told Mom to start accepting everything, that she should start facing the fact that I might leave, that she can’t keep clinging to a void hope and persist in it, that they eventually have to go on living.”
“Maybe, after I pass away, they should try to get pregnant again, try for another child, and then start over.”
Kelsey couldn’t hold back, “Annie…”
Annie’s smile blossomed completely, “I know, it’s cruel, like I never existed, or like I never mattered.”
“I, just like Felix, I have been angry, sad, and in pain, but Mom said she can’t. She can’t just go on … She, she said I am her baby, not a Barbie that could be forgotten or replaced so casually, Mom told those people to get out.”
“I know, they love me. We all thought that love could save the world, but now we know, it’s just a fairy tale.”
“So, I thought about it, and I hope they can forget me, I hope they can continue living.”
“When I’m gone, they no longer need to take care of me every day, they won’t have to be frantic over conflicts between work and hospital times, they won’t have to arrange everything around me as their life’s center, sitting empty and lost in a restaurant, not knowing what to say to each other, like the living dead, until one day they can’t bear each other anymore and decide to divorce.”
“I, uh, I’m scared of that. I’m scared they’ll be trapped in the memories because of me forever.”
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“I love them, and I also want them to be happy, I want them to have their own lives, I want them to be fans of the Chieftains, I hope their lives don’t stop forever because I’m gone.”
Deep breath, another deep breath.
Annie showed a big smile.
“So, I hope they forget me, and I hope you guys forget me too. Don’t worry, I won’t be sad.”
“But instead, I’ll hold on tightly to every moment right now, while I can still run and laugh loudly, enjoying life to the fullest.”
“Hey, Felix, what happens after death doesn’t matter, now is the only thing that’s important.”
Annie looked at Felix with an unreserved air, that eleven-year-old soul shining with an energy never seen before, quietly lighting up the whole world.
Kelsey looked up at the church ceiling, doing her best to maintain her posture, even though the muscles in her neck were stiff, still refusing to look down.
Because looking down might just reveal her mess.
Li Wei turned around and flashed a smile at Annie, “Oh, dear Annie, would you really go to the prom with a simple-minded football player with brawns but no brains like me? I thought you liked handsome guys like Harry Styles.”
Felix laughed out loud without any restraint.
Annie covered her chest with her hands, a look of exaggerated shock on her face, “Li Wei, I can’t believe it!”
“How could it be Harry Styles? If it were Robert Pattinson, I might hesitate for a second.”
This time it was Li Wei’s turn to inhale sharply in an exaggerated way, his eyes wide as he stared at Annie, “And then?”
Annie’s eyes were full of smiles, but she still controlled herself, “Then, I would still choose you. Li Wei, please be sure to believe me, no matter what, I would choose you, definitely not because you’re right in front of me right now, definitely not. Definitely.”
Why does it sound weirder the more you emphasize it?
Li Wei blinked, looking confused, first at Mahomes and Kelsey, then at Felix—
Felix was the first to start clapping and burst into laughter, followed by Mahomes and Kelsey who couldn’t hold back either.
Li Wei turned to look at Annie, spread his hands, and a smile also crept onto Annie’s lips.
If this were truly a funeral, it would no doubt be one of the happiest funerals in history.
Li Wei’s smile faded, and he looked at Annie with sincere eyes.
“I respect your choice, no matter who you choose, I will be here, your forever prom backup partner. I don’t mind being a substitute.”
“Annie, please believe me, we won’t be stuck in place. We will keep moving on, living life; but at the same time, we will never forget you.”
“Who could ever forget the ray of light that brightened their life?”
Annie was stunned for a moment, her smile lingering on her lips not having time to fade, when suddenly her eyes filled with hot tears. She quickly turned her head away, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.
Li Wei, “But more importantly, we still have time.”
That was true for Annie and likewise for Felix, they shouldn’t forget how wonderful the story was just because an ending existed.
Perhaps no one can choose how their life ends, but at least, they can choose how to get there.
Taking a deep breath, Li Wei’s smile returned and he looked back at Felix.
“Hey Felix, we never know whether death or tomorrow will come first. Not just for you, for all of us; every person is the same, accidents are always a possibility. Life, once thought to be strong and resilient, is more fragile than imagined.”
“But before reaching the end, we have the right to choose how we spend each day. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, one small step at a time.”
“We earnestly pray that Felix Gray’s life may be extended longer and even longer, even though we don’t know if he hears us…”
Li Wei looked towards the statue at the front of the church, with every word and gaze, the atmosphere suddenly relaxed, and laughter spilled out lightly.
Li Wei paused for a moment; Felix looked at Li Wei, his bright eyes misting over, but within them, one could see a resilient and tenacious smile shimmering through the tears, like stars scattered across the sea, drowning Felix in surging waves of emotion.
“I can’t express how fortunate I have been to encounter you every time we’ve met, whether it’s at Arrowhead Stadium or the hospital. You always manage to shine a ray of light, a small glint at a time, guiding us in the direction to keep moving forward.”
“You are a Chieftain, and will forever be a Chieftain.”
“So, let’s continue the fight, okay? The game isn’t over yet.”
It wasn’t enthusiastic or thunderous, but Li Wei’s words nonetheless made everyone’s blood race.
At this moment, they could truly feel the warmth of the soul; even if standing at the end of time witnessing the apocalypse, they would still burn brightly without reservation.
Instead of pondering the length of life, it’s better to expand its width and explore its depth; that’s when life truly shines.
Felix straightened his chest and showed a smile.
However, just as his lips began to curve upwards, tears broke free from their confines and slid down, scalding his cheeks; yet this time, Felix didn’t wipe them, allowing his smile to unfurl completely amidst the tears.
Then, clenching his fists, he shouted with all his might, “Fly.”