Nian Nian [Rebirth] - Chapter 1

It was a scorching hot August in Beishi (North City).

Outside Baoshan Cemetery, several cars were parked, and a group of young girls had gathered, most holding parasols and bouquets of flowers.

“When can we go in?” asked a girl holding a small portable fan. “How long have you all been waiting?”

The crowd began whispering amongst themselves, but no one could answer her question. Suddenly, the door of the lead car opened, and someone poked their head out and said, “Wait a little longer, it’s almost time.”

The girls quickly gathered around, throwing out miscellaneous questions.

“Have you been here before?”

“Can we really go in? I heard my mom say this is the most expensive cemetery in Beishi; they don’t let just anyone in.”

“Did you contact the agency?”

“The agency must have lost touch long ago. Did you contact her family?”

“Family… Chen Nian?”

At the mention of that name, everyone suddenly fell silent.

The person in the car let out a long sigh before saying, “I contacted Teacher Chen Nian.”

“Who are you?” someone asked.

The person in the car revealed half their body; it was an older-looking girl: “I’m also a fan of Zhizhu, and I used to be the head of the official fan club. I contacted Teacher Chen, and we can go in today.”

“That’s good, that’s good. This is my first time here, and I was really worried…”

“Are you a newer fan?”

“Yes, I was young back then. I only watched Zhizhu’s works later.”

“Yeah, it’s been a long time.”

“Ten years… I flew all the way from Haishi (Sea City) just for this. I don’t want her to be alone.”

“She won’t be. Zhizhu was so wonderful; many people remember her. She’s been trending on the hot searches all day today…”

Indeed, starting from midnight last night, search terms related to Fang Zhizhu had topped the trending lists.

Today was August 20th, 2030—Fang Zhizhu’s fortieth birthday and the tenth anniversary of her death.

No matter how outstanding an artist is, they may have some scandals during their lifetime, but once they suddenly fall, people can no longer bear to say anything negative.

Fang Zhizhu was beautiful, a widely recognized fact since her debut at age fourteen. Fang Zhizhu was talented; by the time she reached the pinnacle of the entertainment world, winning a Grand Slam of Golden Music Awards and Best Actress accolades, her brilliance was unmatched.

She died before she could age, her life abruptly cut short. All her images were preserved at her most beautiful age, making her passing all the more heartbreaking.

On major social media platforms, fans expressed their deep remembrance of her. Even passersby would share her photos and videos.

“If Zhizhu hadn’t died, she would definitely be gorgeous right now,” someone in the crowd remarked.

Beauty is in the bone, not the skin; time never defeats a beautiful woman—that’s what people often say.

“After all this time, we still don’t know exactly why she committed suicide…”

This had become the most regrettable unsolved mystery in the industry.

“I always felt it was related to that person. Zhizhu’s parents never lived with her, and the only person she was connected to was that one person…”

Many people speculated the same.

In Fang Zhizhu’s sixteen-year career, the tabloids reported many rumors about her, involving both men and women, but none ever had concrete evidence—except for the photographer Chen Nian.

Chen Nian frequently appeared by Fang Zhizhu’s side, listed in the staff credits of her works, and finally, Chen Nian appeared with her on the red carpet at the film festival.

In front of a global audience, Fang Zhizhu accepted an interview and formally introduced her: “This is my girlfriend, my lover, Chen Nian.”

The world was stunned.

That night, Fang Zhizhu won the most prestigious Best Actress award, and naturally, Chen Nian’s name was included in her acceptance speech.

Fang Zhizhu and Chen Nian did not attend the post-awards gala that night. They escaped all the congratulations and commotion, took the very last flight, and returned home to Beishi over ten hours later.

Everyone was looking forward to their next appearance. Countless magazines contacted Fang Zhizhu’s agent, hoping to secure the latest exclusive interview and delve into the story of the Best Actress and her partner.

But a week later, they only received the news of Fang Zhizhu’s death.

The police report cited suicide as the cause. The time was the day after the awards ceremony, the location was Fang Zhizhu’s luxury home, and the witness was Chen Nian.

Shock and suspicion rushed in, and Fang Zhizhu once again stirred up the world.

In the long years that followed, there was no fresh news about Fang Zhizhu. Only Chen Nian’s name occasionally appeared in the public eye, mostly concerning her sweeping the grave, offering sacrifices, wandering the streets alone late at night, or being threatened, intimidated, and even physically assaulted by fans.

“Stop it,” the fan club president interrupted the increasingly angry turn of the conversation in the crowd. “We are here today to see Zhizhu.”

The noise vanished. The president paused and said, “Teacher Chen Nian is a good person. She was the person closest to Zhizhu.”

“All her assets were left to her, which makes people very suspicious!” someone in the crowd quietly shouted.

The president frowned and shouted back, “If you have the ability, go solve the case! Why are you yelling here! Without Chen Nian’s permission, you wouldn’t even be able to enter the cemetery gate!”

The girl suddenly burst into tears and threw the flowers she was holding on the ground: “Then I won’t go! I have nothing better to do! Zhizhu is gone, and you guys just act like Chen Nian’s dogs!”

After that was said, a fight was about to break out.

The president’s phone rang, conveniently interrupting the rising argument.

The president answered the phone. The girl turned and walked away, and everyone else’s attention fell on the president’s face.

“Yes, okay, I understand. Thank you, Teacher Chen.”

The call was brief. After hanging up, the president took flowers and a box of offerings from the car and said to everyone, “It’s time. Follow me.”

“We are going to a cemetery, so please be quiet,” the president instructed. “If you see Zhizhu’s family, please be polite. We are only fans; the people closest to her are always the most heartbroken.”

They automatically formed two lines and followed the president inside.

The cemetery was located in a quiet area with solemn and majestic buildings. Walking within it, their hearts couldn’t help but sink.

The group of about twenty people made no sound from the moment they entered the park until they reached Fang Zhizhu’s tombstone.

The grave was clean, with two lush cypress trees standing tall.

On the tombstone was a black and white photo of Fang Zhizhu, with bright eyes and beautiful teeth, stunning enough to make one’s heart tremble.

One by one, they presented their flowers and offerings, silently offering a few words in their hearts and secretly wiping away tears.

The entire process went smoothly. They didn’t linger afterward and began walking back out under the president’s guidance.

After only a few steps, following the president’s line of sight, they all saw Chen Nian standing to the side.

A photographer’s appearance is usually unknown to the public, but the photo of Chen Nian and Fang Zhizhu holding hands on the red carpet had been circulated countless times afterward. Anyone who paid the slightest attention to Fang Zhizhu recognized that face.

Ten years ago, Chen Nian was beautiful; even standing next to the most gorgeous actress, she possessed her own unique radiance. But looking at Chen Nian now, everyone’s minds echoed the sentence the president had just spoken:

“The people closest to her are always the most heartbroken.”

Time may not destroy outstanding looks and temperament, but the loss of a deeply loved one certainly can.

Chen Nian was very thin, so thin that her cheeks and everything seemed to have sunken in, trapped in a dark, deep hole.

Half of her hair was already white, an extent completely unsuited for her age. The most terrifying thing was her eyes—large and beautifully shaped, yet like a pool of stagnant water, devoid of any ripples.

Everyone just took a fleeting glance before looking away.

The group left the cemetery and dispersed, with no further challenges directed at Chen Nian.

Anyone who saw Chen Nian’s current appearance could no longer believe she profited from Fang Zhizhu’s death.

For some, living can be more painful than dying.

The sun gradually sank, and the brilliant sunset light shone on Fang Zhizhu’s tombstone. Chen Nian rearranged the large piles of flowers and offerings again and again.

Those Fang Zhizhu liked were placed closer; those she didn’t like were kept further away. She hadn’t opened the fans’ letters, but they were all neatly held down by weights.

Fang Zhizhu loved reading fan letters. She said that fervent children were very cute.

Chen Nian thought Fang Zhizhu, who called others children, was very cute.

She survived day after day relying on these memories of cuteness, and she was tormented year after year by these same memories of cuteness.

No one knew why Fang Zhizhu committed suicide, and neither did Chen Nian.

She was fourteen when she saw Fang Zhizhu on television, twenty-four when they got together, and the following six years were the happiest time of her life.

She used to believe Fang Zhizhu was happy, too. Later, she attempted to dissect that happiness to unearth the truth. But there was no one who could verify it or give her an answer.

The last words Fang Zhizhu said to her before jumping were, “I’m sorry.” In the decade that followed, Chen Nian had been angry, hateful, and genuinely felt that Fang Zhizhu had wronged her. But now, looking at the photo on Fang Zhizhu’s tombstone, she felt only one emotion.

She truly missed her.

She wished so badly to see her one more time.

After the sun completely disappeared, Chen Nian left the cemetery and drove to Dr. Zhou’s house.

Zhou Haizhen was Fang Zhizhu’s psychiatrist before she died. Chen Nian only learned of his existence after Fang Zhizhu’s death.

The information Dr. Zhou provided to the police proved that Fang Zhizhu had a severe mental illness. Chen Nian couldn’t believe it. Every minute and every second, she speculated about what exactly caused Fang Zhizhu’s mental illness.

She had been bothering Dr. Zhou for ten years. Dr. Zhou was a good doctor, strictly adhering to professional ethics, and had never disclosed any of Fang Zhizhu’s consultation information to her.

But Chen Nian had to keep digging.

The car turned a corner, and Chen Nian saw the light on in Dr. Zhou’s garden.

There was a tall, lean silhouette in the light. Chen Nian’s fingers gripping the steering wheel began to tremble slightly. She managed to stop the car right in front of the steps to the courtyard gate, opened the door, and got out.

Zhou Haizhen stood up straight and said to her, “You’re here.”

Chen Nian wasted no words: “Why are you waiting for me outside today?”

Zhou Haizhen forced a smile, a grim one: “I knew you were coming. Just waiting for you.”

Chen Nian walked up to him and looked him straight in the eyes: “I come every month. You’ve never waited for me.”

Zhou Haizhen dropped the smile on his face and finally said seriously, “I’ve retired.”

“I’ve retired. Starting today, I am no longer Dr. Zhou.”

“I can tell you a few things as your friend.”

Chen Nian clenched her fingers, and her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Zhou Haizhen pushed the door open and turned back to her: “Come in and have a cup of tea.”