Chen Ming said:
"Are you showing weakness? You're wearing a ring, is that your tactic?"
Quite vigilant.
Chen Ming's observational skills slightly surprised Wen Xishu.
Wen Xishu's eyes carried a light sadness:
"It's my wife's."
Chen Ming said:
"You look... rather young."
Wen Xishu replied:
"In the apocalypse, everyone could die at any moment. Loving someone shouldn't leave regrets."
Dr. Chen paused for two seconds:
"What about your wife?"
"She's dead. I said, loving someone shouldn't leave regrets, otherwise... an insurmountable gulf might emerge."
Wen Xishu laughed self-deprecatingly, at this moment his deep affection was beyond question.
"Those without love have nothing to fear, so from now on, I won't be easily scared by these ghostly things."
"I shall try to avoid death, but if one day it must come, I won't mind too much. But I hope to die understanding."
Wen Xishu knew that even in lying, a point must be made. The ring set with Starlight's dice has many explanations, but since Dr. Chen focused on the deceased wife…
So he could first create a "commonality."
Indeed, although Dr. Chen didn't say he would spare Wen Xishu, he clearly became curious about Wen Xishu's past.
That's how information works; you give it, often the other person will respond.
Dr. Chen said:
"How did she die?"
Wen Xishu answered:
"Killed by a guy named Sagittarius. Since you've seen Aquarius, you ought to know there are twelve such individuals."
"But unfortunately, I have no way to seek revenge against Sagittarius, right?"
Dr. Chen genuinely didn't know, having only seen Aquarius.
He knew Aquarius was formidable, but had no concept of the other star signs.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Ming said:
"Yes, today it's hard for you to leave here. But in the future, if I encounter the Sagittarius you speak of, I'll find a way to avenge you."
Wen Xishu nodded very seriously:
"Then I pray he knows to come."
After a brief silence, Dr. Chen finally opened up:
"My wife and I met at this bar."
Wen Xishu said nothing, but had already adopted a listening posture.
The stage was now given to Wen Xishu and Chen Ming.
They were the protagonists of this showdown.
Old Zhou, Xiaoya, and Ah Fei, dared not make a sound.
Ah Fei and Xiaoya felt that Teacher Wen wouldn't just give up, and feared saying something that might interrupt Teacher Wen's rhythm.
Chen Ming's narration continued:
"The story of her and I is endless. In short, I loved her. With her, every day's joy was brought by her."
"I started to feel that the entirety of life's meaning was in making her happy."
"But such a person left me. Do you know, as a doctor, what my greatest regret is?"
"It's that I couldn't save my wife."
Chen Ming looked at Wen Xishu; Wen Xishu's act was thorough. At this moment, he returned Chen Ming with a knowing look. Chen Ming felt he could sense some of his pain.
A desire to confide arose.
Wen Xishu's eyes carried some old melancholy and reminiscence, gazing at the ring on his hand.
Chen Ming continued:
"Back when the city hadn't lost order, many eerie anecdotes appeared."
"Have you heard a baby's cries at midnight? Heard footsteps from the morgue or an old person's cough?"
"And many, many more terror stories fitting people's stereotypical impressions, all turning into reality."
"I suddenly realized one thing, that the world was going haywire. Something familiar yet non-existent, a story or legend…"
"Were gradually becoming real. I even received messages saying some cities have zombies now, in one city vampires appeared…"
"Odd things began happening in hospitals too, all aligning with those overly familiar stories told by the nurses."
"Thus, I realized, the world was set for significant change. A transformation subverting human cognition, yet matching part of their imagination."
"Things existing in people's imagination are reviving. Like what's written in those novels, the revival of spiritual energy... no, reality should be called fantasy revival."
"Yes, fantasy has revived. All sorts of bizarre things invading reality, the world begins to descend into chaos, I guess maybe soon after, cities will lose order."
"Later, it was confirmed, my guess was right. The world's end came."
Wen Xishu had to admit, Dr. Chen was indeed perceptive.
But oddly...
Didn't the "fantasy revival" around him seem a bit too easy?
Perhaps Dr. Chen had something on him.
Sure enough, what Dr. Chen disclosed next verified Wen Xishu's conjecture.
Turns out Dr. Chen, had seen more than one star sign, only unaware that he had seen another fellow.
"When all those bizarre anomalies across the globe awakened, my first reaction was delight."
"Although I'd never heard of any resurrection tales, the stories of ghosts were familiar."
"If everyone acknowledges the existence of ghosts, then ghosts truly exist, on Longxia's continent, there's always been this saying about the Ghost Festival night parade of thousands, it's great, perhaps then I could see my wife."
"To accomplish this, I began incessantly reinforcing the presence of ghosts."
"Do you know when the apocalypse came, but before the cities lost order... which place was the busiest?"