Chapter 131 (2/2)
However, no one was particularly interested in Zhang Zhun's singing The crowd had coood time, and it was just a matter of routine for the Zhun took his seat in a drunken daze at the front of the room All around him, intoxicated revelers lost theames Amidst all the noise and confusion, Chen Hsin sat on the other side of the indifferent crowd and listened quietly as Zhang Zhun began to croon:
The past - the present - what is gone will never return
Fallen red leaves, long buried in the dust
At the beginning - in the end - nothing ever changes
Lingering in the sky, you wander beyond the clouds…
He sang in Cantonese, his voice deepening as if he were singing of broken dreanition At parties like these, no one else would ever pick a song like this His voice, like a single drop of water falling into a lake, sent an inexplicable ripple across the rooaotten as heads turned in puzzle Zhun continued singing to hi4 churns with love and hate
In this world, there is no escape from fate
We draw close, but the distance between us cannot be closed
Or perhaps I should believe this is how things are destined to be!
Zhang Zhun's voice was beautiful - so beautiful that the thunderous heartbeat in Chen Hsin's chest had become the most intolerable noise in his own ears The noise was so chaotic, so loud, that it seemed his heart would burst from his chest at any moment… all because the voice was too beautiful - too much - for him to bear Just then, Qin Xun-er appeared and sat down beside him with a drink in her hand She turned on her charainst his chest ”Chen-laoshi+, you seeht your fancy?”
Chen Hsin was irritated; he did not like her at all Considering that she was leaving soon, however, he replied with a drawl, ”I fancy anything he sings”
Qin Xun-er giggled as if Chen Hsin had just told a joke ”Don't delve too deeply into all this It's just acting There's nothing tangible about it You see things but they're just illusions that you can't touch” She placed a manicured hand over the buckle of his belt ”I leave in the ht…”
Chen Hsin had no intention to hu ca to Chen Hsin ”Chen-ge,” he greeted, seeer to please the olderhad dated Qin Xun-er's former assistant for a while, the two of them already knew each other and had a rather a her hand froer ”
Flashi+ng a half-hearted s looked at Chen Hsin with pleading eyes Chen Hsin re to teach hinity at this point ”Chen-ge,a favor of you?”
Chen Hsin s aside Qin Xun-er's hand in the process, and stood side by side with the youngercast a discreet look towards a darkened corner near the karaoke jukeboxfor Chen Hsin to take a look as well ”Things ht turn out badly if I went over… can you helpin the darkness Soirl with a ponytail Chen Hsin frowned and swept his gaze around the roo's voice was filled with anxiety as he urged, ”On our way over, Zhun-ge said that I could look for you if anything serious cropped up”
At this, Chen Hsin finallyZhun and Chen Cheng-Sen, so close that one seemed to have draped himself completely over the other
Footnotes:
”The Flower that Roa: ”自由行走的花” (萨顶顶) youtubeco style: This is a traditional Chinese wedding rite that is co cross-cupped wine' (交杯酒) This rite requires needs to cross their ar their respective drinks, and finish their drinks at the same time Such a practice symbolizes the couple's commitment to share their joys and sorroith each other In this chapter, I chose to translate the ter the nificance of what the crowd is de Zhun is immediately clear to any reader who may not be familiar with Chinese customs ”Love of a Lifetime” by Lowell Lo: ”一生所爱” (卢冠廷) youtubecom/watch?v=LYkOG5OmUcA This is a timeless masterpiece that draws upon Chinese philosophical ideas and Buddhist concepts to capture the helplessness and futility of a love that can never be requited Co-written by Lowell Lo and his wife, Susan Tong, ”Love of a Lifetis for Stephen Chow's A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (1995) In this ination of the Chinese classic Journey to the West, the main character sacrifices his humanity and freedom in order to save the love of his life He fulfills his destiny by beco the Monkey God, which allows hier able to return to her side Sea of suffering: This is a direct reference to the Buddhist concept of dukkha (苦), which is the chief of the Four noble Truths of Buddhism