Everyone was shocked. Qin Shi Huang was still at the excavation site of his mausoleum. If they didn't hurry, it meant they wouldn't even get to see him one last time.
Just then my phone rang. I answered it and a voice on the other end said with a smile, "Xiao Qiang, it's me."
I called out, "Brother Ying!"
Everyone immediately gathered around. At this moment, Liu Bang burst in from outside, snatched the phone, and shouted, "Fatty, there's only one day left. It would be too much if you didn't come back and meet us, wouldn't it? If that's the case, we won't be friends in the next life!" It was clear that Liu Bang was very agitated, and this was the first time he had said such emotional words.
Qin Shi Huang chuckled and said, "Don't pull it anymore, you've stolen my heaven and earth, I won't say anything."
Liu Bang's expression changed drastically, and he staggered two steps, saying, "You... you know everything?"
"I already knew that. Did you think it was something like eating shredded pork?"
Liu Bang: "I..."
"Alright, alright, that's all for now. Looks like I won't be able to go back. Take good care of everyone."
I asked anxiously, "Brother Ying, are you really not coming back?"
"Hey, there's only a little work left, we can't let it fall apart. You should let the skin-hanger give the hungry people a couple of words."
I knew that the "hanging skin" that Qin Shi Huang mentioned specifically referred to Jing Ke. I was at a loss for words and murmured, "Ke Zi... he's already gone."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a long time, so I quickly asked, and Qin Shihuang calmly replied, "Oh... I'm fine. Heh, I still owe him three hundred yuan..."
Li Shishi could no longer hold back and cried out, "Brother Ying!"
Qin Shi Huang forced a smile and said, "Ha, silly girl, asking how the steamed buns are. Alright, no more..."
The call was disconnected. When we called back, no one answered. It seems that Fatty Ying missed Ersha on one hand, and was also feeling sad about himself on the other. He just wanted to quietly finish his last bit of work and then leave. Maybe that's for the best.
After another agonizing day, we calmly bid farewell to Qin Shi Huang in a foreign land. Aside from unnatural deaths like Jing Ke's, most clients simply fade away when their time comes. I don't feel much guilt about Ersha's death, because if I were him, I would have done the same without hesitation, definitely. What pains me most is that I've never really had a proper conversation with him, because he was mentally challenged. It's like having a large group of brothers, and one day you suddenly realize that the one who cares about you the most might be the most reserved and neglected one—that heartache…it's hard to bear.
Next up was Li Shishi. For the past two days, Baozi had been inseparable from Li Shishi, attending to her every need—eating, sleeping, even going to the toilet—fearing she might suddenly disappear. Wu Sangui and Hua Mulan were also immersed in grief, not uttering a single word all day; the atmosphere at home was extremely oppressive.
What puzzled me was that Jin Shaoyan didn't show up at this time. I don't know if he was afraid of something.
The day of parting finally arrived, and Baozi had learned to face it all with relative calm. That day, she set out a table of food and wine, but of the five, only Liu Bang remained to see her off. We sat together in silence, but this was better than letting Li Shishi leave quietly alone.
Just then, the doorbell rang loudly, and the person outside seemed afraid we wouldn't hear it, so they knocked on the door even harder. When I opened the door, I saw Jin Shaoyan standing there, looking travel-worn and much thinner than before.
Li Shishi stood up and smiled slightly, "I thought you weren't coming to see me off." She concealed it well, as if she really wasn't excited, but you could feel her anticipation from the speed at which she got up from her seat.
Jin Shaoyan strode up to Li Shishi, grabbed her shoulders, and said passionately and urgently, "Shishi, I've made all the arrangements these past few days. I don't need to worry about anything anymore. Take me away—" Jin Shaoyan's eyes were bloodshot, and his clothes were disheveled. Is this really the same person I first met—the perpetually calm and suave playboy?
Jin Shaoyan suddenly pulled out a sharp dagger and held it to his neck, saying as if relieved, "Let's go together!"
We were all startled by the sudden turn of events, but given the distance between us, it was too late to save him.
At this moment, Li Shishi dared not make any sudden movements. I was certain that if she made even the slightest attempt to stop him, Jin Shaoyan would strike first. Li Shishi tried her best to appear calm, placing one hand on Jin Shaoyan's shoulder and saying softly, "Don't be silly. What will happen to your parents if you die? Have you thought about your grandmother?"
Jin Shaoyan paused for a moment, then immediately said, "I have already made arrangements. They will never know about me in their lifetime."
Li Shishi's tone hardened, and she said disappointedly, "Jin Shaoyan, don't be a coward and make me despise you."
Jin Shaoyan remained unmoved and said with a faint smile, "Shishi, you don't need to provoke me."
Li Shishi finally said sadly, "I'm a selfish woman. To be honest, if you came with me and we could be together, I really don't know if I would have the courage to stop you. But Shao Yan—dying like this won't solve anything, and we still won't be able to be together."
Tears welled in Jin Shaoyan's eyes, and his body trembled violently. Li Shishi gently stroked his face, and with great determination, resolutely said, "Think of me for a year, then forget me!" She took the knife from Jin Shaoyan's hand and tossed it aside, then nestled into his arms and slowly disappeared. In her final seconds, Li Shishi turned back and smiled at us: "Thank you, it's so good to know you."
Baozi and Jin Shaoyan burst into tears, one on each side.
The five-man group arrived one after the other, and of course, they left as well. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang arrived on the same day, and to be honest, I'm somewhat grateful for that. If they had been taken one by one like that, slowly being torn apart, people would have gone crazy.
On the actual day, Liu Bang was quite happy. He whistled as he went up and down the stairs early in the morning, telling us, "I've thought it through, I want to be an emperor again in my next life. What nonsense about seeing through life and death!" Then he started singing, "As long as the heart remains, the dream remains; at worst, I'll start all over again—"
We were grieving when his howl infuriated us, sending several cups and dishes flying. But it did somewhat ease our sorrow. I asked him, "Hey, I haven't asked you yet, what did you say to Fengfeng?"
Liu Bang said, "I told her to get lost if she takes a fancy to another woman." But he couldn't help but say sadly at the end, "It's better for her to hate me than for her to die."
I admire Liu Bang for this. He was ruthless and decisive, and compared to a sad and sorrowful farewell, this was indeed a better approach.
Liu Bang said, "By the way, Xiao Qiang, in the future, when you buy brand-name items, be sure to go to the official stores. Anything else in the city is a fake, but if you have any big business, don't forget to take care of Feng Feng."
I laughed and said, "Alright, you son of a bitch!"
Just then, the phone rang. I saw it was an unknown number and was about to hang up when Liu Bang said leisurely, "Answer it. It's probably my nemesis who's still alive."
My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly answered the call. Xiang Yu's weary voice came through: "Xiao Qiang, did you think I was dead? Heh."
My heart ached, and I cursed, "Brother Yu? You bastard!" I had always really thought that Xiang Yu had run off to the edge of some cliff to commit suicide for love.
Xiang Yu chuckled twice and said, "How dare you speak to your ancestors like that—have Shishi and the others left?"
"Um...where are you now?"
"...I don't know either, it seems to be on the edge of the pastoral area. I've already been to Gaixia. Xiaoqiang, I've been very happy during this time, really. Actually, I shouldn't keep talking about finding Ayu. I've realized that as long as you really care about someone, being with her is no different."
Liu Bang snatched the phone and said, "Stop talking nonsense, why don't you become a poet?"
Xiang Yu laughed and said, "Liu Xiaosan, you still owe me two lives."
"That's even more ridiculous. You killed tens of thousands of my people, and I killed tens of thousands of yours. Why only mention two things? Is it only your and Yu Ji's lives that are valuable? This won't do. No matter how fierce you are in battle, you'll always lose if you try to seize the world. Let's fight again in our next life."
Xiang Yu laughed: "Let's fight again!"
Baozi took the phone and hesitated before asking, "Um... what should I call you again?"