Chapter 842
Growing Old with Lee Doona
“Lee Doona.” He looked at her earnestly. “I’ve fallen in love with more than just your looks. It’s your whole being, your smile, your willfulness, your little temper, your passion for music, your gentleness as a mother, your occasional vulnerability. All of these make up the you I love.”
He paused, then continued, "And you know what? I think you're getting more beautiful every day. Not in appearance, but in the kind of charisma that radiates from within. You were beautiful at twenty, you were even more beautiful at thirty, and I believe you'll have different kinds of beauty at forty, fifty, and eighty."
Lee Doona's eyes welled up with tears. She reached out and hugged him, burying her face in his chest: "You smooth talker."
But her voice choked with emotion, and she held her arms tightly.
Su Chen gently stroked her back, feeling her breath.
“I’m serious,” he said softly. “Time may leave its mark on your face, but it will also make our love more profound. Just like those old records you collect, scratches and wear are not flaws, but proof of the experience.”
Lee Doona looked up, tears welling in her eyes, but she smiled brightly: "You're really good at talking now."
"It's all from the heart." Su Chen wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and then kissed her.
The kiss was tender and lingering, containing years of accumulated love, understanding, and commitment.
When they parted, Lee Doona's face was flushed, and her eyes sparkled with a familiar light once again.
That radiance was a blend of love, cunning, and warmth.
“You know what?” she said softly, “Sometimes I feel that the luckiest thing in my life was bumping into you on the street that day.”
Su Chen's heart stirred.
That was their meeting beforehand, a chance encounter under the butterfly effect.
He had just transmigrated and was wandering aimlessly through the streets when she was the girl who accidentally bumped into him and hurriedly apologized.
At that time, her eyes held a loneliness that he only understood later, while he carried an uncertainty about the world.
“I did that on purpose,” he joked.
"What?" Lee Doona exclaimed in surprise.
"I planned the time and place so that you would bump into me," Su Chen said seriously.
Lee Doona froze for a few seconds, then punched his chest: "Liar!"
But her laughter was clear and melodious, especially pleasant to hear in the quiet night.
Su Chen grabbed her hand and kissed her again, this time deeper and more passionately.
Lee Doona responded, running her fingers through his hair.
It was late at night, and only a small nightlight was on in the bedroom.
Lee Doona was already asleep, her head resting on Su Chen's arm, her breathing steady.
Su Chen was still awake, observing her sleeping face in the dim light.
Her eyelashes cast a fan-shaped shadow under her eyes, her lips were slightly parted, and one hand rested unconsciously on his chest.
Even when she was asleep, she maintained a certain cat-like elegance.
Su Chen gently brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead, revealing her smooth forehead.
Time has indeed left its mark.
The fine lines at the corners of her eyes, the almost invisible scar on her chin from a childhood accident, and the faint sunspots on her collarbone—but to him, these were all just part of her story, proof of his love for her.
He recalled that kiss from many years ago, in the small kitchen, with the smell of spicy stir-fried rice cakes.
The tension, uncertainty, anticipation, and excitement of that time have now settled into the warmth of sleeping in each other's arms on this quiet night.
But some things have never changed.
For example, he would still be attracted to her, she would still fascinate him, and there was an indescribable understanding and attraction between them.
Lee Doona stirred in her sleep, snuggling closer to him, and let out a satisfied sigh.
Su Chen smiled and hugged her even tighter.
Outside the window, the night view is as dazzling as a starry sky.
Inside the window, a loving couple sleeps in each other's arms, a simple yet blissful scene.
Tomorrow, Eun-sung will return, life will go on, and there will be new challenges and fun.
But at this moment, Su Chen felt only a peaceful contentment.
He traveled through time and space to come to this world, a journey he once thought would be lonely.
But unexpectedly, he met someone who made him understand what love, family, and the extraordinary meaning in ordinary life are.
He gently kissed his wife's forehead and closed his eyes.
Life may be long, but walking with the one you love makes every day worth looking forward to.
No matter what the future holds, they will remain the same as they are today.
Time flies like a galloping horse.
The ginkgo trees in the courtyard have turned yellow again, their golden leaves gleaming like flakes of gold in the autumn sunlight.
Su Chen sat in an old rattan rocking chair, a wool blanket covering her lap, watching the leaves fall one by one.
They planted this tree when they moved into this old house with a yard, and now its trunk is so thick that it takes two people to hug it.
"The seventy-third piece."
Lee Doona's voice came from the side, still carrying that unique gentleness, only a bit hoarse compared to when she was younger.
She sat in another rocking chair, wearing a beige cardigan. Her hair was completely white, but still neatly styled, tied into a loose bun at the back of her head.
Time has etched wrinkles on her face, especially around her eyes and mouth, marks left by years of smiling.
Su Chen turned to look at her: "What seventy-third piece?"
“The seventy-third leaf has fallen since we sat down,” Lee Doona said with a smile, her eyes still a deep brown, only a little cloudy, yet still bright.
Su Chen laughed and shook his head: "Why are you counting these?"
“It’s fun,” she said simply, reaching for a teacup on the small table next to her.
With his hands trembling slightly, Su Chen naturally handed it to her.
Their hands touched in mid-air.
Su Chen's hands were covered with age spots and protruding veins, while Li Doona's hands were thin and wrinkled, but the touch was still familiar.
He has held these hands for half a century, witnessing every change from smooth and firm to loose and aged.
“Eun-sung said she’ll bring the kids next week.” Lee Doona took a sip of tea, her eyes crinkling with satisfaction. “Xiao-min will be performing a piano piece she learned at school.”
Xiaomin is their granddaughter, Eun-sung's daughter. She is seven years old this year and has the same brown eyes and lively personality as Lee Doona when she was young.
“She’s going to pester you for stories again,” Su Chen said, his gaze falling on Li Douna’s face.
Even in her old age, her features remain exquisite, and the lines of her profile are soft yet clear in the sunlight.
“I like telling her stories,” Lee Doona said, turning to look at him. “Especially the ones she never gets tired of hearing.”
"For example, how clumsily her grandfather pursued her grandmother back then?" Su Chen raised an eyebrow, and even though his eyebrows were already gray, the gesture still carried the shadow of his youth.
Lee Doona chuckled softly, her laughter low and warm: "For example, how her grandmother patiently waited for that slow-witted man to finally understand."
They smiled at each other, their eyes revealing a tacit understanding that only they could comprehend.
A breeze swept through the courtyard, bringing down a few more ginkgo leaves that twirled and drifted slowly down.
A leaf landed right on Lee Doona's lap. She picked it up and held it up to the light to examine its delicate veins.
“Do you remember? When Eun-sung was little, we used to sit like this in the yard, and she would chase after the falling leaves,” Lee Doona said softly, her fingers gently tracing the surface of the leaves.
“I remember.” Su Chen also looked at the leaf. “She always picked the most intact ones to bring home, saying she wanted to make them into bookmarks.”
"And then what? Are those bookmarks still there?"
"It's in the box in the attic, next to your records." Lee Doona nodded and carefully placed the leaf on the small table beside her.
Her movements were slow, with the caution typical of the elderly.
Su Chen looked at her and recalled her lively and agile appearance when she was young.
The strands of hair that flutter when you turn around in the kitchen, the nimble fingers when you hold a guitar on stage, the light steps when you suddenly run in the street chasing a butterfly.
Time has changed everything, yet it seems like nothing has changed at all.
She's still the woman who cares about a fallen leaf, still that quirky yet adorable soul who likes to count meaningless numbers.
"Are you cold?" Su Chen noticed that she hunched her shoulders slightly.
"A little," Lee Doona said honestly, no longer as defiant as she had been in her youth.
Su Chen slowly stood up, his joints making a slight clicking sound.
Time has not spared him either; his back is somewhat hunched, and he needs a cane to walk.
He went inside, took out a thicker shawl, and gently draped it over Lee Doona's shoulders.
"Thank you." She looked up at him, her eyes filled with familiar tenderness.
Su Chen did not immediately sit back in his chair, but stood beside her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
Through the thin wool sweater, he could feel her slender shoulders and prominent shoulder bones.
This body once gave birth to life and accompanied him through thick and thin. Now it is gradually becoming fragile with time, but it is still the most precious thing in his heart.
“Look over there,” Lee Doona suddenly pointed to a corner of the yard.
Su Chen looked in the direction she was pointing and saw two sparrows hopping on the ground, pecking at something.
"Doesn't it look like the couple we used to see on the balcony of our old apartment?" Lee Doona asked, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.
Su Chen remembered.
That was their first real home, a small apartment with a balcony that could only fit two chairs and a potted plant.
Every morning, they would drink coffee there and watch the birds in the park downstairs.
Back then, I was young and felt that the future was long and the world was vast. I never imagined that one day I would be sitting here, counting fallen leaves and reminiscing about those distant mornings.
"If those sparrows had offspring, they would be great-great-grandparents by now," Su Chen said humorously.
Lee Doona smiled and reached out to take his hand that was on her shoulder.
Their fingers were intertwined, their skin loose, their veins prominent, yet they felt warm and real.
"Do you regret it?" she suddenly asked, without looking at him, her gaze still following the sparrow.
"Regret what?"
"Marry me, and live this ordinary life." Lee Doona turned to look at him, a rare seriousness in her eyes. "You could have."
She knew he possessed magical powers.
That's not magic.
“What could have happened?” Su Chen interrupted her, slowly sitting back in his chair, but still holding her hand. “Lee Doona, I never pursued any earth-shattering career or fame. I did it to find you.”
He said this many times, at different ages and on different occasions.
In youth it was a passionate confession, in middle age a heartfelt promise, and now it's a calm statement, but each time it's equally sincere.
Lee Doona's eyes welled up with tears; even in her old age, she remains easily moved.
Or rather, she never learned to completely hide her emotions in front of Su Chen.
"Smooth talker," she whispered, but tightened her grip on his hand.
"Only for you." Su Chen smiled.
They sat quietly, hand in hand, watching the light and shadows move in the courtyard.
Time seems to slow down here, every second is long and full.
Su Chen recalled those moments from many years ago.
The light in her eyes when we first kissed; the smile on her face as she walked towards him in her wedding dress; the tired yet happy expression on her face as she held her newborn daughter, Enxing; the profile of her secretly wiping away tears at her daughter's wedding.
Every moment is etched in their hearts, forming their shared lifeline.
"Su Chen," Lee Doona spoke again.
"Ok?"
"Have I ever told you when I like you the most?"
Su Chen thought for a moment: "Me, a dashingly handsome twenty-year-old?"
Lee Doona shook her head, a smile playing on her lips.
"A successful 30-year-old?"
He shook his head again.
"Becoming a father at forty? Or..."
“It’s you now,” Lee Doona said softly, turning to look at him intently. “White hair, wrinkles, needing a cane, but the way you look at me is still the same as it was back then.”
Su Chen felt a tightness in his throat. This was a kind of emotion that only the elderly could understand—not intense, but as deep as the sea.
Although I have some unique abilities after transmigrating, being ordinary is not bad either.
"You too." His voice was slightly hoarse. "I like you the way you are now."
This isn't just comforting words; it's the truth.
He loved her at every stage of her life, but indeed, Lee Doona, who had matured with time and whose wisdom and gentleness had become one, possessed an indescribable charm.
Her beauty is no longer superficial, but rather a composure and peace that emanates from within.
The wind rose again, this time bringing even more fallen leaves, like a golden rain.
A leaf fell onto Lee Doona's hair, and Su Chen reached out to brush it away, his fingers lingering in her hair for a moment.
"Do me a favor," Lee Doona suddenly said.
"what?"
"I want to hear that song; there are records in the attic."
Su Chen knew which song she was referring to.
The song they sang during their first dance at their wedding.
He nodded, slowly stood up, and walked into the house with his cane.
Climbing the stairs to the attic was a bit strenuous for someone his age, but he insisted on doing it himself.
The attic is filled with memories.
He found the old record player in the corner, with neatly arranged record boxes next to it, among Eun-sung's childhood toys, Lee Doona's collection of records, their old photos, and souvenirs brought back from their travels.
Su Chen found the record; the cover was faded, but it was well preserved.
He carefully took out the record, placed it on the record tray, and lowered the stylus.
As the music began, the familiar prelude echoed in the attic.
He slowly walked downstairs and returned to the courtyard.
Lee Doona remained in the same spot, eyes closed, a smile on her face.
Music flowed out of the open window, filling the autumn air.
Su Chen walked up to her and extended his hand: "Ms. Lee Doona, may I have this dance?" (End of Chapter)