Qiming Chapter 67

Chapter 67

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A year ago.

In the intensive care unit of Ruihe Hospital.

Breathe, open eyes, open mouth.

But he didn't speak. The ability to express oneself through language was a slow and learnt process, and at this stage, it was temporarily out of his reach.

He gently raised his hand and noticed a rose gold watch on his wrist. It felt a bit heavy, but he remembered that this item was quite important to his parents.

Since it was valuable and important, he decided to keep it.

Then he asked himself once again, who am I?

The next second, the answer came to him immediately: his name was Xu Chengyue, and he was a lecturer at Nanpu University. He had no family now, as his parents had died in the line of duty five years ago. The closest person to him was his mentor during his master's and doctoral studies, Lu Yong.

He was lying here because, a few days ago, at a gathering hosted by Professor Lu, he had drunk too much and went to the rooftop of the laboratory to stargaze and moon-watch. He had stepped into the air and fallen off the building.

All the times, people, places, events, and his relationships with them were activated within seconds.

He raised his head and saw Ying Xizi wearing a black beret sitting by the hospital bed. She was holding a book and dozing off. The book in her hand accidentally fell onto her leg, startling her awake. She opened her eyes and saw Xu Chengyue awake.

She threw the book down and walked excitedly to Xu Chengyue with tears in her voice, "Chengyue, you scared me to death! It's great that you're awake!"

Then she asked with a look of anticipation, "You haven't lost your memory, have you? Do you remember who I am?"

At that time, Xu Chengyue really did not recognise her. In his memory, he had never seen this girl, so he naturally didn't remember her. He shook his head, unable to speak, but continued shaking his head when Ying Xizi asked again.

"My dad, that incompetent doctor," Ying Xizi complained angrily and ran out on her high heels.

He looked at the girl who had suddenly run out, feeling a bit at a loss. Fortunately, she returned soon with a middle-aged man in a white coat. They looked very much alike, so Xu Chengyue guessed they were father and daughter.

The two of them whispered a few words, and Ying Xizi left the room, pouting. The only ones left in the room were Xu Chengyue and the middle-aged doctor, who was Ying Han.

That day, the sun emerged from the long-overcast sky, the clouds dispersed, and a flower fell from the tree outside the window, blown into his ward by the wind, mistaking it for the rebirth of spring.

He would never forget what Ying Han said to him while sitting beside him. The middle-aged man's face was weary, carrying a compassionate helplessness. After confirming Xu Chengyue's condition through countless nods and shakes of his head, he clasped his hands together and leaned forward, softly saying, "Chengyue, now that you are awake, there are some things I must tell you."

Xu Chengyue looked at the man in front of him curiously. The success of the surgery should have been a joyous occasion, but Ying Han's mood was quite heavy. He remained silent for a long time, hesitating to speak, and occasionally got up to pace back and forth.

After a long hesitation, he checked the items in the ward, ensuring there were no issues before closing the window and the door.

"It's not a coincidence that you woke up."

"Chengyue'ah, in the future, no matter what happens, you must firmly believe one thing." Ying Han put down the medical record and pen in his hand, looking at him with a complex yet resolute gaze, "You must firmly believe that you are human, humans are bound by morality and law."

"Humans are different from animals because humans are bound by law."

"Humans are also different from machines because humans have morality and emotions." He forced a smile and said, "From a blank slate to a complex human being, one must go through countless trials and tribulations. As long as you accept the constraints of the law and abide by moral agreements, you are human."

He blinked, half-understanding, and remembered the neurosurgeon who had saved his life.

Now, a year and a half later, he recalled Ying Han's words and felt a sudden chill. After breakfast, he drove towards the school and happened to look up, seeing the sky split in two by a passing airplane.

Xu Chengyue rubbed the back of his head, the area where there was said to be a foreign object. He had never dreamt before, and Doctor Ying had once told him that he couldn't dream. But yesterday, in the darkness, he saw Lu Yong's hypocritical face, saw the sharp dagger. If these terrifyingly realistic scenes weren't dreams, then they could only be memories.

He had supposedly fallen by accident, the dagger in his hand disappearing without a trace. He was someone who was restrained enough not to get drunk, yet he inexplicably gave a story of drinking too much.

—————

A box of fruit, a separate fully automatic coffee machine.

Gu Yunfeng, using his one remaining hand, carried the heaviest fruit and pointed at the heavy coffee machine she was holding, asking, "Your dad likes this?"

"Yeah, he's been talking about getting one recently." She bit her lip and dragged the almost unmanageable machine up. "He likes to brew tea with it."

"Brewing tea with a coffee machine? That's unique."

"Pu'er tea with milk. He said he tried it at the hospital and found it delicious, but I haven't had a chance to taste it yet."

"Oh, it should be good." He imagined the tea leaves crushed and mixed with milk, the white blending with a hint of green, the rich tea flavour, and a pleasing appearance. So he nodded and asked, "So, this coffee machine... did you buy it?"

"Let's just say you bought it."

"That feels a bit embarrassing." He had just finished speaking when he received a glare from Ying Xizi, so he closed his mouth, carrying the box of fruit and consciously maintaining the guise of a weak patient.

After a ten-minute walk, they arrived at Ying Xizi's residential area, which had a high green coverage and looked hidden in the mountains from a distance. According to her, Xu Chengyue's mentor, Professor Lu, also lived nearby. If he was interested, he could visit someday.

But he thought about it and realised that Professor Lu didn't know him. It would be hypocritical to visit out of nowhere, it would be better to directly arrange a meeting at the Public Security Bureau, making things straightforward.

He stood at the entrance of the residential area, gently shaking his injured hand. He had been moving his arm and wrist occasionally over the past few days to ensure he still had feeling, reassuring himself that at least the nerves weren't damaged and his hand wouldn't be useless.

"Chengyue went to school today?" Ying Xizi walked behind him, the sound of her high heels never stopping.

"Mhmm." He nodded, looking at the tall buildings in the distance and the birds perched on the balconies. "He's been in a bad mood these past few days, he probably senses that something isn't right."

"Is he still staying at your place?"

"Yeah..."

"Tch–" The girl gave him a disdainful look, her eyes filled with ambiguity and doubt, making him feel inexplicably guilty.

He cleared his throat, striding past, and quickly changed the subject, asking, "When we get to your place, how should I be introduced?"

"A classmate, a secretly admired classmate," she answered seriously.

He froze for a moment and blurted out, "Am I the one who secretly admires you, or do you secretly admire me?" The next second, he stopped and turned around, and Ying Xizi, who was behind him, lost her balance and bumped into his shoulder.

How did the conversation steer towards a secret crush? Ever since Ying Xizi went on a blind date, things seemed to be heading in a strange direction. He pondered whether she had gained some new insights about relationships and intended to start afresh without clinging to Xu Chengyue.

"What do you think?" Ying Xizi rubbed her head, glaring at him resentfully.

"Just ordinary classmates..."

"Can't you pretend to have a crush on me?"

"Huh? I really don't... I don't have a crush on you." He froze for a moment, awkwardly replying.

"Pretend, I mean pretend!" Ying Xizi stomped her foot. She wasn't sure why she felt this way, maybe it was because she thought Gu Yunfeng had caused her so much trouble last time without feeling any guilt, and she felt the need to mess with him.

Gu Yunfeng could only put on an expression of sudden understanding, though he was internally thinking, what does it mean to pretend to have a crush? Did she make up that phrase? A crush is supposed to be unnoticed by others, how do you fake it?

He thought for a moment, concluding that 'pretend' should be reflected in the heart, having no love in the heart means pretending. Then how should a crush be expressed? Probably through details and the eyes. In other words, he needed to display admiration for Ying Xizi with exquisite acting, focusing only on the details without any genuine feelings.

It's too difficult. And completely unreasonable. He couldn't fathom any purpose for this act other than letting Ying Xizi experience being cherished.

"My mom isn't home today, just my dad, he's off this weekend. I told him an old classmate was coming for dinner."

"So, just pretend we have a great relationship. If my dad gets excited, he might tell you everything."

"He's so worried that you won't get married?" Gu Yunfeng asked with a helpless smile.

"Who knows what's gotten into him lately," she spread her hands in despair.

Ying Xizi held the keys in her hand. She placed the coffee machine on the ground, gave a resentful glance at Gu Yunfeng's immobile hand, and shook her head helplessly.

She turned the key, and as soon as the door opened a crack, a loud female voice came through.

"Sweetheart! You finally arrived, your dad and I have been waiting so long." A woman with permed hair and a red top pushed the door open, her appearance making it clear she was Ying Xizi's mother.

Your mom isn't supposed to be home?

He didn't voice his question, instead using his eyes and mouth to ask Ying Xizi. She looked at him with a face full of despair, as if saying she wanted to know the same.

"Aiya, you must be Xizi's boyfriend, right?" The woman warmly picked up the coffee machine from the floor, commenting on the trouble of bringing such a large item, praising his thoughtfulness.

Boyfriend? What the hell?

Gu Yunfeng stood at the door, dumbfounded.

In a few seconds, he envisioned a dramatic scene, wasn't Ying Xizi always fond of Xu Chengyue? That's why he never dared to let her know his current situation with Xu Chengyue.

But what just happened? What's going to happen next? Who's her boyfriend?

"Aiya, Mom, this is my classmate, what nonsense are you talking about?" Ying Xizi glanced at the still-dumbfounded Gu Yunfeng, sighing awkwardly.

"Alright, alright, a classmate, your classmate." The woman patted her daughter's head. "Why don't you bring classmates home for dinner more often?"

Ying Xizi didn't know how to respond. She moved her lips slightly as if to say something but remained silent in the end. She placed the coffee machine in the dining room, watching Ying Han fetch his cherished tea leaves, saying they should try tea made with the coffee machine.

The tea's flavour was indeed richer, its aroma filling the entire room and gradually spreading outside the window.

Gu Yunfeng was still standing at the door, ready to turn around and leave at any moment.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: August 24, 2024 by Angel

Edited: November 8, 2024 by Angel