I deliver food in a bizarre world

"Yes, that was about forty years ago." Master Lin's gaze became somewhat distant, as if he had traveled through time.

"I was very young then, and I was learning the craft from a master in a state-owned arts and crafts factory..."

"This box is one of the first pieces I completed independently. I originally intended to give it to... to a friend."

His tone was filled with reminiscence and sadness.

"Her name is Su Wan. She is the factory's accountant and also loves music, especially a folk tune from her hometown called 'Cicada Under the Moon'."

"That piece of music is not widely known, the score is incomplete, and the second half has been lost."

"Based on the fragments she hummed, I tried to complete the melody and burned it into this music box, wanting to give her a surprise."

Master Lin paused, his voice lowering slightly: "But, before I could deliver it, something happened..."

"Due to lax management, a fire broke out in the factory, and the warehouse storing semi-finished products and raw materials caught fire."

"Su Wan happened to go back to retrieve something she left in the office that night... but... she couldn't escape."

Chen Mo listened quietly.

He already had a guess about the story behind the music box; it was definitely not a pleasant memory, and he was pretty much right about it.

When I hear others talk about it, I always feel a strange sadness.

"Later, a few years later, the factory was restructured and went bankrupt. This batch of music boxes and some other inventory were disposed of."

"I also left that place of heartbreak, opened this shop, and focused on restoring wooden products. I rarely make new ones myself anymore."

Master Lin looked at the music box on the table with a complicated expression.

"I thought these things... these things were destroyed or lost long ago, but I didn't expect... they're still here, and they even have Xiao Wan with them..."

He didn't continue, but Chen Mo already understood what happened next and the whole story.

In that accident, Su Wan did not die completely; her obsession attached itself to the music box that was supposed to hold her feelings.

Her obsession lies in the regret of not being able to hear the complete "Cicada Under the Moon".

For decades, this lingering regret has circulated with the music box, affecting everyone who has been in contact with it for a long time.

Master Lin said softly, "She just... loves that piece of music too much, and wants to hear it in its entirety."

Chen Mo suddenly realized that the truth was now clear!

The so-called curse is actually a deep affection and regret that has not been let go.

"Master Lin, did you complete the poem 'Cicada Under the Moon' later?" Chen Mo asked.

"I've tried, but it always feels wrong, it lacks that... spirit." Master Lin shook his head, a bitter look on his face.

"Moreover, every time I try, I think of what happened that day, and I feel upset, so I put it off... This has become a heartache for me, and also an obsession for her."

Chen Mo looked at the music box, then at Master Lin, who was lost in his memories.

Therefore, the key to purifying this lingering regret lies in completing the song "Cicada Under the Moon" to end this regret that spans nearly forty years.

But how easy is that?

"Cicada Under the Moon" is a folk tune, the origin of which is unknown, and it has long been lost.

This incomplete piece of music was something even the original owner couldn't perfectly complete...

"Brother Mo, perhaps... we could let Master Lin give it a try now? After all these years, his mindset might be different now?" Zhao Tianyi suggested.

Chen Mo also thought this was a good idea and did not deny it.

He looked at Master Lin and said sincerely, "Master Lin, perhaps... you could try again? Not for anyone else, but just to put a period to this past. So many years have passed, it's time to end this matter."

Master Lin was stunned. He looked at Chen Mo, then at the music box, his eyes filled with intense struggle.

Clearly, this memory was extremely painful for him.

Just then, the music box on the worktable suddenly vibrated slightly, and the lid clicked open a crack.

Master Lin was startled, as if he had sensed something, and suddenly looked at the music box.

His lips trembled, and tears gradually welled up in his eyes.

After a full minute of silence, Master Lin seemed to have made up his mind.

He took a deep breath, put his gloves back on, walked to the worktable, and took out paper and pen.

"Okay... I'll try again." His voice was a little hoarse, but it carried a do-or-die determination. "For her, and for myself."

He closed his eyes, his fingers unconsciously tapping out a rhythm on the paper, recalling the melody from years ago, and feeling the persistent anticipation in the air.

Chen Mo sat quietly to the side, without disturbing her.

He knew that the most crucial moment had arrived.

Whether Master Lin can purify his lingering thoughts and let go of this obsession that transcends life and death depends on whether he can overcome his mental barriers and complete this unfinished little tune.

Facing the expectations that spanned forty years, Master Lin sat at his workbench, his eyes slightly closed, his fingers hovering above the paper, trembling slightly.

The music box lay there quietly, its lid slightly ajar, like an ear waiting to be awakened.

Chen Mo stood a short distance away, holding his breath and concentrating.

He could feel that the pale gray energy of sorrow was no longer just radiating outwards, but was gently encircling Master Lin like soft tentacles.

Zhao Tianyi remained silent in his mind, seemingly also affected by the somber atmosphere.

Time ticked by, and Master Lin's brows furrowed, with fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

Clearly, confronting this sealed memory and unfinished melody will be a difficult battle for him.

Those painful images and regrets of loss assaulted his defenses like a tidal wave.

He picked up his pen several times, wrote a few notes on the paper, and then crossed them out in frustration.

Completing the melody is not just a technical issue, but also a release of inner turmoil.

"Something's not right...something feels off..." Master Lin muttered to himself, his voice tinged with frustration. "It's missing that liveliness...that serene coolness under the moon and the persistent chirping of cicadas..."

Just as he seemed about to give up again, the music box vibrated slightly.

A faint yet clear thought was conveyed; it was a pure emotion.

Master Lin was jolted awake, his eyes snapping open as he looked at the music box, his gaze filled with shock.

It wasn't urging, nor was it complaining, but rather a gentle waiting that soothed his impatience.

Through the wooden box, he seemed to see the gentle figure standing in the moonlight forty years ago, humming an incomplete tune.

At this moment, the knot in my heart that had been accumulating for many years seemed to be quietly untied by this gentle obsession.

He took a deep breath, no longer forcing himself to conceive a plan, but instead closed his eyes, relaxed his mind, and let his fingers follow the rhythm of his heart. The long-awaited anticipation wandered on the paper.

The scratching sound of the pen tip rubbing against the paper became the only sound in the room.

At first, the writing was a bit hesitant, but gradually the melody began to flow smoothly.

He no longer tries to perfectly replicate the fragments of his memory, but instead incorporates his insights into life over the years, his acceptance of loss, and his nostalgia for the past into the musical notes he writes.