Everything Bai Xiaochun had just seen faded away, becoming an eternal memory.
He opened his eyes, to find himself still standing at the prow of the boat in the River of Time and Space. After a moment, he looked away from the Eternal Flower on the right.
The old boatman took out another jug of alcohol, took a sip, and then looked at Bai Xiaochun.
“That flower really suits you. It’s not going back to the beginning, but neither is it the true ending.”
Bai Xiaochun didn’t say anything, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. He looked at the flower on the left, and then the flower on the right, and finally, closed his eyes again.
“Why don’t you take that flower on the right? It seems wonderful to me. Although, both of them are actually acceptable…. Trying to pick between the two seems like a very difficult choice.” The old man sighed. Truthfully, not even he would have an easy time making this choice.
“One of them features a set conclusion. Although it would conform to your desires, everything is already set.
“The other features endless possibilities, and a future brimming with options. Maybe you could make things more perfect. Maybe you could get rid of all your doubts, and make your future exactly the way you want it.”
The old man shook his head. “How will you pick…? Would you like to have a drink while you consider?”
With that, he held out his jug of alcohol.
“There’s no need.” Bai Xiaochun said. Opening his eyes, he looked out at the two flowers. Smiling, he reached out….
The End.
1314. One Life, One Lifetime. A Will Eternal!
(In Chinese, the number 1314 rhymes with the characters that mean “one life, one lifetime” or essentially “one’s whole life.” It's a very sentimental and somewhat romantic number)