novelraw Chapter 599 : A Puzzle Piece in the Depths of the Soul
Chapter 599 : A Puzzle Piece in the Depths of the Soul
Chapter 599: A Puzzle Piece in the Depths of the Soul
"Your leg is injured, and you're still drinking?"
Chen Fan smiled self-mockingly: "As the saying goes, one drink solves a thousand worries. Alcohol is the best medicine for sorrow."
"What do you have to worry about?"
Wen Wan teased: "You're young, successful in your career, and you have such a beautiful girlfriend who loves you. What could you possibly have to worry about?"
"In my opinion, you're just being melodramatic."
Chen Fan gave a bitter smile: "Come on, even the emperor has times when he worries."
"What does the emperor worry about?"
"He worries about the empire, the court, and which concubine to sleep with tonight."
Wen Wan: "..."
Her gaze swept over the shopping bag Chen Fan had placed on the coffee table.
"You bought more alcohol? Are you planning to drown your sorrows alone here?"
Chen Fan smiled without explanation.
Wen Wan suddenly asked: "Do you remember how many times we've drunk together?"
Chen Fan paused, thought for a moment, and said: "I remember it was twice."
Wen Wan shook her head.
"Three times. There was another time when I was at my lowest, in that apartment I was renting."
Chen Fan remembered.
He rubbed his nose a bit embarrassedly.
"Right, it was three times."
"I feel like drinking," Wen Wan suddenly said. "What's the point of drinking alone? Why don't I join you for a couple of drinks?"
Chen Fan was stunned, "Haven't you had quite a bit to drink tonight already?"
Wen Wan shook her head: "It's fine. I've sobered up quite a bit by now. And besides..."
Her eyes glanced at Chen Fan: "Even if I get drunk, it's okay. I trust your character."
Chen Fan: "..."
"Sister, that's not exactly a compliment. I'd rather you didn't trust me."
"Sister?"
Wen Wan's beautiful brows furrowed, exuding the charm of a mature woman.
Chen Fan realized he had misspoken and quickly took out a can of beer from the shopping bag, opened it, and handed it over.
"Won't your manager come looking for you?"
Wen Wan shook her head: "No. I snuck out alone tonight, nobody knows about this place."
Chen Fan opened a can of beer for himself as well.
"Come on, let's toast to our reunion."
Wen Wan smiled and clinked her can with Chen Fan's, then tilted her head back and took a big gulp.
Then, without any pretense, she raised her hand and wiped the beer from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.
Chen Fan watched in astonishment: "Your alcohol tolerance has improved?"
Wen Wan said proudly: "Please. You should know better than to judge me by past standards. I've been in this industry for over a year now, my alcohol tolerance has long since been trained up."
"Then I can rest easy."
Chen Fan chuckled and took a big swig.
He put down the can and looked at Wen Wan.
"Who goes first?"
Wen Wan adjusted her sitting position.
"I'll go first."
Then Wen Wan recounted how she had accidentally entered the entertainment industry and her experiences over the past year.
As a newcomer with no experience, especially as a woman, she was luckier than most women in the entertainment industry.
Right from her debut, she encountered good scripts and great directors.
With just one drama, she became famous across the country, becoming a hot new star in film and television.
In the eyes of outsiders, she was a radiant new star with unlimited prospects, but no one knew exactly what Wen Wan had gone through alone during these days.
She worked tirelessly, striving to earn money, just so she would never have to return to her previous days of financial hardship.
After hearing about Wen Wan's experiences during this time, Chen Fan reminded her: "You still need to balance work and rest, take appropriate breaks. Don't just work for money and wear yourself out, that would be counterproductive."
Wen Wan took a sip of beer, then looked at Chen Fan.
"What about you?"
"Me? I have a lot more experiences to share."
So Chen Fan started from when they last met, which was during the school lockdown, and briefly recounted his experiences.
After listening quietly, Wen Wan looked at Chen Fan and said softly: "To be honest, you look very tired to me."
Chen Fan paused, then smiled and shook his head.
"Not really... maybe."
Wen Wan: "Perhaps I should use a different word. I feel that even though you now have everything, success in your career, a perfect love life, but I sense that you seem very lonely."
"Lonely?" Chen Fan raised an eyebrow.
Wen Wan nodded: "Yes. Lonely!"
"Why would you say that?"
"Because I can see it in your eyes."
Wen Wan said seriously: "I think there must be a part of you that's hidden, that no one has touched, not even your girlfriend knows about. That's why you feel lonely. It's as if..."
"It's as if you're running alone in the darkness, unable to find your kind, unable to find a confidant, unable to find someone who resonates with your soul."
Chen Fan's heart stirred slightly, and he inconspicuously moved his hand from the table.
To be honest, he was shocked.
He didn't expect Wen Wan to see through his inner thoughts so quickly.
And right to the core of the issue.
What was the biggest secret in his heart?
Naturally, it was his rebirth.
This secret he could never tell anyone, not even his closest family or girlfriend.
Having been reborn once, his career was smooth sailing, and his love life was blissful and happy.
It could be said that in this life, Chen Fan had perfectly made up for all the regrets of his previous life.
But... no one knew that inside this body was actually the soul of a 40-year-old man.
In his previous life, he was a business tycoon who had built a hundred-billion-yuan empire. After being reborn, with his foreknowledge of the future, he started businesses and conducted trade, everything was so easy and effortless.
Yet it didn't bring Chen Fan any sense of achievement.
That's right, a sense of achievement.
It was as if you were playing a game with cheats enabled. At first, it might feel great, but after playing for a while, you lose that exhilarating feeling of defeating a boss after giving it your all, that sense of achievement.
In this life, the only thing that brought Chen Fan a sense of achievement and happiness was his love with Su Ruochu.
He had made up for his regrets, had four unforgettable years with Ruochu in university, and successfully prevented Ruochu's death...
Just for this one thing, he deserved to be proud and confident.
But... his soul still felt lonely.
Just as Wen Wan had said earlier, Chen Fan was lonely because he couldn't find his kind, couldn't find a confidant, couldn't find challenges in life...
Among those around Chen Fan, Su Ruochu understood him the best.
Often, with just a glance or a gesture from Chen Fan, Su Ruochu could understand his thoughts and intentions.
However, Su Ruochu was after all only in her twenties. She was young, innocent, and inexperienced. There were many things that still needed his guidance and nurturing.
And what about the hidden 40-year-old soul inside Chen Fan?
Su Ruochu didn't know about it, and couldn't possibly understand his thoughts and ideas.
Perhaps in ten or more years, when Su Ruochu was in her thirties and had more life experience, she would understand.
But not now.
And all of this, Wen Wan had easily achieved.
From when they first met until now, Chen Fan had drunk with Wen Wan four times, and each time it left him with a feeling of regret for not meeting earlier and the difficulty of finding a true confidant.
Wen Wan and Chen Fan's soul ages matched perfectly.
On many topics, the two would resonate with each other.
This was also why Chen Fan never treated Wen Wan as an older teacher, and would be completely open with her. Some troubling matters or inner thoughts that he wouldn't express in front of Ruochu, he would instead tell Wen Wan.
It could be said that Wen Wan's appearance filled a piece of the puzzle deep in Chen Fan's soul that Su Ruochu temporarily couldn't fill.
With this piece of the puzzle, Chen Fan's life might be perfect.
Seeing Wen Wan's intense gaze fixed on him, Chen Fan's heart stirred.
Should he accept this piece of the puzzle?