Song t.i.tle: 畫心 (Painted Heart)

Music Composer: 藤原育郎 (Ikuro Fujiwara)

Lyrics Composer: 陳少琪 (Keith Chan)

Performed by: 張靚穎 (Jane Zhang)

Published: Oct 20, 2008

Background: "Painted Heart" is the theme song of the Chinese drama, Painted Skin, which is an oriental ancient era romance and magic movie. I haven't actually watched this movie, but the song is beautiful. The term 'painted skin' implies a disguise that transforms a monster into a beauty.

At the very start, there was no vocalise planned, but Jane Zhang added it of her own initiative after seeing the film when she saw that the movie was about the forbidden love between a human and a fox spirit. It exhibited the desire humans had towards the beauty of the world and their fascination for superficial loveliness. The vocalise was intended to express the misgivings, confusion, and sorrow in the hearts of the characters.

I skimmed over some of the wikipedia summary and it seems to be quite a heart-wrenching story…

Original Music Video:

Sung by the same person, but in a quadruplet(?). I personally prefer this version because the quality sounds a lot better to me:

Lyrics:

kàn bù chuān， shì nǐ shī lùo de hún pò

看不穿，是你失落的魂魄

cāi bù tòu， shì nǐ tóng kǒng de yán sè

猜不透，是你瞳孔的顏色

yī zhèn fēng， yī chǎng mèng， ài rú shēng mìng bān mò cè

一陣風，一場夢，愛如生命般莫測

nǐ de xīn， dào dǐ bèi shén me gǔ hùo

你的心，到底被什麼蠱惑

What I can't see through, is your disappointed soul.

What I can't make out, is the color of your eyes.

A gust of wind, a night's dream, love is as hard to predict as life,

What exactly is keeping your heart bewitched?

nǐ de lún kùo zài hēi yè zhī zhōng yān méi

你的輪廓在黑夜之中淹沒

kàn táo huā， kāi chū zěn yàng de jiē gǔo

看桃花，開出怎樣的結果

kàn zhe nǐ， bào zhe wǒ， mù guāng sì yuè sè jì mò

看着你，抱着我，目光似月色寂寞

jìu ràng nǐ， zài bié rén huái lǐ kuài lè

就讓你，在別人懷裡快樂

Your silhouette is drowned by the night.

Look at the peach flowers, what kind of outcome would they reveal?

As I watch you, hug me, my gaze is as still as the moon,

I can only allow you, to find happiness in another's arms.

ài zhe nǐ， xiàng xīn tiào， nán chù mō

愛着你，像心跳，難觸摸

huà zhe nǐ， huà bù chū nǐ de gǔ gé

畫着你，畫不出你的骨骼

jì zhe nǐ de liǎn sè， shì wǒ děng nǐ de zhí zhúo

記着你的臉色，是我等你的執着

nǐ shì wǒ， yī shǒu chàng bù wán de gē

你是我，一首唱不完的歌

Loving you, is as natural as a heartbeat, despite its intangible nature.

When I try to draw you, I'm unable to draw your bones.

I memorize your features, because I can't give up waiting for you.

You're the song, that I can never finish singing.

kàn bù chuān， shì nǐ shī lùo de hún pò

看不穿，是你失落的魂魄

cāi bù tòu， shì nǐ tóng kǒng de yán sè

猜不透，是你瞳孔的顏色

yī zhèn fēng， yī chǎng mèng， ài rú shēng mìng bān mò cè

一陣風，一場夢，愛如生命般莫測

nǐ de xīn， dào dǐ bèi shén me gǔ hùo

你的心，到底被什麼蠱惑

What I can't see through, is your disappointed soul.

What I can't make out, is the color of your eyes.

A gust of wind, a night's dream, love is as hard to predict as life,

What exactly is keeping your heart bewitched?

nǐ de lún kùo zài hēi yè zhī zhōng yān méi

你的輪廓在黑夜之中淹沒

kàn táo huā， kāi chū zěn yàng de jiē gǔo

看桃花，開出怎樣的結果

kàn zhe nǐ， bào zhe wǒ， mù guāng sì yuè sè jì mò

看着你，抱着我，目光似月色寂寞

jìu ràng nǐ， zài bié rén huái lǐ kuài lè

就讓你，在別人懷裡快樂

Your silhouette is drowned by the night.

Look at the peach flowers, what kind of outcome would they reveal?

As I watch you, hug me, my gaze is as still as the moon,

I can only allow you, to find happiness in another's arms.

ài zhe nǐ， xiàng xīn tiào， nán chù mō

愛着你，像心跳，難觸摸

huà zhe nǐ， huà bù chū nǐ de gǔ gé

畫着你，畫不出你的骨骼

jì zhe nǐ de liǎn sè， shì wǒ děng nǐ de zhí zhúo

記着你的臉色，是我等你的執着

nǐ shì wǒ， yī shǒu chàng bù wán de gē

你是我，一首唱不完的歌

Loving you, is as natural as a heartbeat, despite its intangible nature.

When I try to draw you, I'm unable to draw your bones.

I memorize your features, because I can't give up waiting for you.

You're the song, that I can never finish singing.

nǐ de lún kùo zài hēi yè zhī zhōng yān méi

你的輪廓在黑夜之中淹沒

kàn táo huā， kāi chū zěn yàng de jiē gǔo

看桃花，開出怎樣的結果

kàn zhe nǐ， bào zhe wǒ， mù guāng sì yuè sè jì mò

看着你，抱着我，目光似月色寂寞

jìu ràng nǐ， zài bié rén huái lǐ kuài lè

就讓你，在別人懷裡快樂

Your silhouette is drowned by the night.

Look at the peach flowers, what kind of outcome would they reveal?

As I watch you, hug me, my gaze is as still as the moon,

I can only allow you, to find happiness in another's arms.

ài zhe nǐ， xiàng xīn tiào， nán chù mō

愛着你，像心跳，難觸摸

huà zhe nǐ， huà bù chū nǐ de gǔ gé

畫着你，畫不出你的骨骼

jì zhe nǐ de liǎn sè， shì wǒ děng nǐ de zhí zhúo

記着你的臉色，是我等你的執着

wǒ de xīn， zhǐ yuàn wéi nǐ ér gē shě

我的心，只願爲你而割捨

Loving you, is as natural as a heartbeat, despite its intangible nature.

When I try to draw you, I'm unable to draw your bones.

I memorize your features, because I can't give up waiting for you.

You are the only one, I'm willing to part with (cut out) my heart for.

Happy reading~

Chapter 208: Nature is Calling

With ability users attacking from all sides, there was no way the zombie would be able to dodge all of the attacks. Some attacks managed to hit and the zombie roared with anger as it glared at the ability users.

Although the ability users managed to hit the zombie, they were still having a very rough time.

The senior commander instructed the troops to focus on killing the normal zombies while also paying attention to the ability users' situation. Anyone that could see would be able to tell that the situation wasn't good.

In addition, ability users were very precious. The death of just one caused the base huge damage. Although some people had been able to awaken their abilities without the gene essence, there were still extremely little ability users and every base fought to obtain them.

The senior commander was so worried that his face was completely sweaty and the flesh on his face spasmed. Ning Shu also couldn't do anything but watch because she didn't have the training to get involved in that kind of orderly battle.

She thought for a little while, then lifted an axe and made to head towards the ability users' group. When she revolved her inner strength through her entire body, her speed and strength were extremely high, so she could probably hold her own against the variant zombie.

Although ability users had special abilities, their speeds and strengths probably couldn't compare to hers. Couldn't they see that the variant zombie's strength came from speed and physical strength?

"Where are you going?" The school doctor uncle grabbed Ning Shu's arm and lifted his brows as he asked her this.

Ning Shu had a premonition that if she said she was heading off to kill the zombie, the uncle would respond with disdain. Hence, she replied, "Nature is calling."

The school doctor uncle: …

"Behave and stay here. If you run over there, you'll just end up getting hit by the ability users' stray attacks. Don't overestimate your abilities," said the school doctor uncle mildly. After that, he took out his gun from his waist and narrowed his eyes as he aimed at the zombie.

Ning Shu: …

The zombie was too fast. If you were able to freaking make this shot, this ma'am will kneel down to you.

The uncle pulled the trigger. The shot wasn't sent directly towards the zombie but to an area a little distance away from the zombie.

Then Ning Shu saw a very amazing scene. The zombie seemed to throw himself towards the bullet. The zombie had gotten shot!?

Ning Shu fell to her knees. The f.u.c.k? Something like this was possible!?

The zombie was frozen for a second. Then the muscles around his chest convulsed and squeezed the bullet out of his body.

Ning Shu's forehead hit the ground. Da f.u.c.k? Why were the two of them both so anti-scientific!?

However, as the zombie was forcing the bullet out, the ability users had taken advantage of this pause to attack the zombie with all their power. The enormous force sent the zombie cras.h.i.+ng heavily to the ground, causing a shockwave so large the ground seemed to shake. A huge wave of dust was sent into the air.

The zombie's clothing was already in tatters and areas of his body had wounds that showed bone from the ability users' attacks. As it stood there, its gaze swept across the ability users before landing on the school doctor uncle.

It seemed to have a very deep impression of this human that had managed to hit it.

Happy reading~

Chapter 209: Secret to the G.o.dly Shooting Skills

Although the variant zombie had been hit by the ability users' attacks, it didn't seem very injured. It caused everyone to feel helpless.

Meanwhile, the school doctor uncle was completely unperturbed despite the fact that the variant zombie was eyeing him. Ning Shu wondered if the uncle's facial nerves had been damaged since he was always expressionless.

However, whenever he mocked her, his expression of contempt was too on-point.

"Grrr grrr…"

The variant zombie growled at the school doctor uncle. Just as everyone thought that the next person to get his heart ripped out would be the uncle, the variant zombie turned around and flew away. In just a few moments, the black dot had disappeared into the horizon.

Ning Shu: It ran off…

Everyone exhaled heavily in relief with lingering fear still on their faces.

Phoenix looked towards the school doctor uncle with a complicated expression on her face. When she saw that he was unperturbed as he pulled Daisy up from the ground, a fire seemed to scorch her heart. For some reason, she was jealous of Daisy for being able to have a man like this stand by her.

Wolf was standing next to Phoenix and could naturally see the depression, anger, envy, along with the gentler feelings on her face. He said coldly, "He's nothing but a lower cla.s.s person that doesn't have any abilities. All he has is some skill with guns, are you really treating him as some sort of hero? Phoenix, what exactly is it that you're thinking?"

Phoenix retrieved her gaze and said to Wolf, "I'm only paying special attention to him because his background is a complete mystery which makes me feel uneasy."

When Phoenix saw that Wolf seemed skeptical, she continued trying to explain, "He's just an ordinary person without any ability, he won't be able to survive in this apocalypse world. However, for some reason, he seems to give off a dangerous vibe, that's why I'm paying close attention to him."

Wolf looked at Phoenix as he said coldly, "I hope that's the case." Then he turned and left.

Phœnix frowned as she hurried to catch up with Wolf. "What do you mean by this? Are you doubting me? If that's the case, what's the point of staying together? You don't even have the most basic trust in me."

"So then let's just break up." Phoenix stormed off angrily, leaving Wolf only the sight of her back.

On the other hand, Ning Shu was completely awed by the school doctor uncle's G.o.dly shooting skills and had been pestering him about how he learned it.

The school doctor uncle swept a mild glance over Ning Shu and said, "You can predict the direction a person will be moving in based on their movements. If you keep in mind the distance between yourself and the target, and the time it will take for the bullet to hit, your chances of success will be very high."

The school doctor uncle put it lightly as if it was a very simple matter.

Ning Shu fell to her knees again. This was too freakin' complicated, it required the brain to work lightning fast. She expressed that rather than dealing with something this complicated, it would be better to just charge over and hack with an axe.

"You're always kneeling at every little thing, don't your knees hurt?" The school doctor uncle glanced at Ning Shu disdainfully. "You're hopeless."

Originally it hadn't hurt, but after the uncle brought it up, her knees hurt so much it felt like her kneecaps had shattered.

When they got back to the room, the uncle headed to the bathroom to shower again. How long had it just been, yet he was showering again?

She silently lowered her head and tugged up her collar to sniff at herself. After staying with a mysophobic person like this uncle for such a long time, she couldn't help but feel like she was a slob.

The uncle soon finished showering and came out, wrapped in just a towel like before. Ning Shu's hands suddenly felt very itchy. She itched to just pull the uncle's towel off. If he was going to come out like this, he might as well not wear anything.

"You can go shower," said the school doctor uncle as he dried off his hair.

"I think I'm still good, I'll shower next time," said Ning Shu. Clean drinking water was already hard to secure, so was it really good to waste so much water showering?

The school doctor uncle froze, then he looked towards Ning Shu with a cool gaze. That gaze caused Ning Shu's hair to rise up on end. The school doctor uncle crossed his legs, causing them to look even more long and slender and the scene below the bath towel was almost visible.

Ning Shu tilted her head to peek below the uncle's towel. The temptation was seriously strong.