Rediscovering the Past
The next few weeks passed in a blur of planning meetings, draft schedules, and event logistics. Wu Zhilan was swept up in the meticulous details of the book launch for Zhou Han, but that strange sense of familiarity wouldn't leave her. Every time she sat across from him in planning sessions, something unspoken lingered in the air a quiet tension, an almost magnetic pull.
Zhou Han, usually guarded and quiet, seemed just as affected. In the company of others, he kept a respectful distance, keeping his comments to the point, his gaze focused. But when he was alone with Wu Zhilan, she'd sometimes catch him looking at her, a distant look in his eyes, like he was trying to place her from a forgotten memory. She had to admit she felt the same way something about him felt so…known.
One afternoon, after a particularly long meeting, Zhou Han stopped Wu Zhilan just as she was gathering her things.
"Wu Zhilan," he said, his voice softer than usual. "Could we talk for a moment?"
"Of course," she replied, curiosity sparking in her chest.
They moved to a quiet corner of the empty conference room. Zhou Han seemed to be searching for words, and Wu Zhilan could sense his hesitation, as though he didn't know how to say what he was feeling.
"Have you ever…felt like you've lived another life?" he asked at last, his voice barely a whisper.
Wu Zhilan's heart stuttered. She looked into his eyes and felt the same strange pull, a feeling of being pulled back in time, of flickering lights and distant music. It was like standing on the edge of a memory she couldn't fully grasp.
"Actually, yes," she answered, surprising herself with her honesty. "For weeks now, I've been having dreams dreams of another life. And in them, there's a man I can't quite see, but I feel I've known him forever. It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"
"No," he replied, his voice steady but laced with emotion. "I've been having similar dreams. They feel…real. I keep seeing myself in old Shanghai, working with a woman who…well, it feels like she's you."
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words. Wu Zhilan felt a wave of emotions, confusion mingled with relief, like some hidden truth was finally surfacing. They were both wrestling with something too big to ignore a connection that transcended time.
"Do you remember anything specific from these dreams?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
He hesitated, then nodded. "In one of them, we were on a ship, about to leave on some kind of mission. I remember the fog, the smell of the sea…and then an explosion. I remember pushing someone, pushing you overboard, to save you."
Wu Zhilan's eyes widened. She had dreamed of that same explosion, the rush of icy water, the sight of a man's figure disappearing into flames. Hearing his words felt like pieces of a puzzle finally clicking into place.
"I think…we've met before," Wu Zhilan said, her voice trembling slightly. "Maybe in a life we can't fully remember."
They sat in silence, absorbing the weight of what they were saying. Somehow, they knew that this wasn't a coincidence. Their memories, their feelings everything felt too aligned to ignore. As they looked at each other, the distant memories of Land Dai Wei and Lu Cheng the deactivate and spy, torn apart by duty and tragedy seemed to rise to the surface, taking on new life within them.
Finally, Zhou Han broke the silence. "There's a historical archive in the city. It has records from the 1920s. I've been there before, researching for my novels, but now…" He trailed off, his gaze meeting hers. "Would you go with me? Maybe we can find something…anything that can confirm this."
Wu Zhilan didn't hesitate. She knew she needed answers, even if they would be difficult to understand or accept. "Yes," she said. "Let's go."
---
Later That Evening: The Archives
The dim light of the old archive felt both eerie and oddly familiar as they moved through rows of cabinets filled with fragile documents and yellowed photographs. Wu Zhilan's hands shook as she carefully sifted through files, old newspapers, and forgotten records, searching for any sign of their past lives. Zhou Han worked silently beside her, methodical and focused, his expression intense as he examined every document he came across.
After nearly an hour, Wu Zhilan fingers brushed over a worn photograph tucked at the bottom of a stack of papers. She pulled it out slowly, holding her breath as she examined the image. In the faded photograph, a group of people stood side by side, their faces blurred from age. At the center of the image were a man and woman, dressed in old-fashioned suits, a look of fierce determination in their eyes. Wu Zhilan felt her pulse quicken as she recognized the woman's face her own face. And beside her, with the same intense gaze, was Zhou Han.
"Han," she whispered, holding the photograph out to him.
He took it from her, his expression unreadable as he studied it. "It's us," he murmured, sounding as if he were speaking to himself.
A rush of emotion overwhelmed them both, a wave of grief, longing, and relief. They had finally found proof of what they already knew that in another life, they had been Dau Wei and Lu Cheng, partners in both duty and love. Wu Zhilan felt a strange mix of sadness and joy, a quiet ache for all they had lost, yet also a glimmer of hope for what they might now reclaim.
In that moment, they made a silent vow to rediscover the life they had shared and to forge a new one together. The mystery of Dai Wei and Lu Cheng was no longer a distant echo but a vivid story waiting to be relived, rewritten, and, finally, resolved.