Chapter 24: Recognition
Mu Jia Shu wiped the sweat from his forehead—most of it was from fear. “Doctor, how is he?”
“Aside from a scrape on his arm, there shouldn’t be any other issues.”
“Alright, thank you.”
As soon as Mu Jia Shu’s heart settled, anger immediately surged up. He reached out and grabbed Wei Xun’s collar, wanting to slap him. “Wei Xun, what are you doing?! Do you not want your life anymore!”
Such a loss of composure was rare for him and certainly didn’t fit Shen Shu’s identity. However, Wei Xun also failed to notice anything wrong at this moment. He couldn’t even distract himself to notice who was speaking; his alcohol-numbed brain was almost wooden at this point, and he could only laboriously and confusedly recall what had just happened.
Going to the hospital… there was no Mu Jia Shu there… so sitting by the street drinking. Seeing him in a dream, and seeing him in reality…
Wei Xun immediately understood what he should do right now. He shook off Mu Jia Shu and jumped up like a madman to rush forward. After a few steps, he suddenly shouted his name: “Xiao Shu! Xiao Shu! Xiao Shu!”
Mu Jia Shu’s hand, which was halfway toward grabbing him, stood frozen in shock. A group of people around him rushed up, desperately stopping Wei Xun.
And Wei Xun pushed away those around him and suddenly burst into tears.
The two people closest to him were so startled they let go, but Wei Xun no longer tried to run toward the direction where the car had driven off—among the countless streams of traffic, the one he was looking for was long gone.
“Xiao Shu! Xiao Shu! Xiao Shu! Xiao Shu!”
Under the immense loss, he didn’t know what was illusion and what was reality. His sanity was already blurred, and he couldn’t even realize what he was doing.
He only knew there was so much sorrow in his heart, and only calling this name would make it a little better. So he called those two words with all his might, regardless of everything, even though he knew clearly it was impossible to call that person back—the more he called, the more desperate he became.
“Quick, where’s the sedative? Quick, give him a sedative injection!”
Mu Jia Shu only then woke from his daze, hurrying forward to help. but looking at Wei Xun in that state, he didn’t know how to reach out.
For the first time since growing up, he understood what it meant to be at a loss.
The feeling was like when he was little. He once broke Uncle Wei’s favorite ashtray and cried on the spot in fear. Wei Xun wiped his tears while patting his chest and promising him that Uncle Wei would never find out. He believed it, but didn’t expect Wei Xun to go to his dad and take the blame, resulting in a sound beating.
He had been a good brother since childhood, but it seemed he had never been able to do anything for him. Mu Jia Shu had never imagined that Wei Xun would become like this because of his death.
If he had known this earlier, he wouldn’t have hidden his identity from the start, regardless of the consequences.
This was his mistake, and mistakes must be rectified.
He took a deep breath, calming his rapid breathing. He nodded politely to the doctor and took over the sedated Wei Xun.
When Wei Xun woke up, it was night. Everything around him was dark, and it took a while for his eyes to adjust.
Moonlight filtered thinly through the curtains, casting a frost-like paleness on the floor, enough for him to see the silhouette of the man standing quietly by the window.
The effect of the sedative hadn’t completely faded, and his limbs were still weak. Wei Xun tried to remember, slowly recalling what had happened before, but there seemed to be a gap in his memory.
He could remember getting drunk and chasing a car, but he didn’t know where this was, nor did he remember how he had gotten here.
Before understanding the other’s identity, Wei Xun cautiously made no sound. He just lay motionless on the bed, eyes quietly open as he took in the contours of the room in the darkness, making a judgment.
A bit… familiar?
At this time, the person leaning by the window seemed to have a telepathic connection with him, speaking softly: “Awake?”
Wei Xun: “…Mm.”
Holy crap, this voice also sounds a bit familiar. Sounds a lot like my family’s bodyguard.
Wei Xun asked, “Where is this?”
Mu Jia Shu said, “Your place.”
…As expected.
This “place” didn’t refer to the Wei house, but an apartment Wei Xun had bought for himself during university. A code lock was installed on the door, yet he didn’t know how Shen Shu knew this place or how he had cracked the code to get him in.
Having been out for several hours, the effect of the alcohol had subsided. When Wei Xun wasn’t being a madman, he was a sharp young man. Bathing in the light of socialism and believing in Marxism, he wouldn’t jump to thinking about dead people; his first feeling was that there was a conspiracy.
He pondered for a moment, unable to figure out what this Shen Shu meant. However, there was a subtle premonition in his heart; he could always feel that the other didn’t have ill intentions.
But what exactly was he trying to do?
As Wei Xun was thinking about how to inquire, the other had already spoken: “Do you remember what happened before?”
Wei Xun: “…I drank too much.”
Mu Jia Shu said flatly, “It was more than drinking too much. You chased a car all over the street, causing a traffic jam. After I pulled you back, you wailed and shouted in front of a crowd, scaring off many children. Finally, the doctor gave you a sedative injection.”
Wei Xun: “…”
He remembered Shen Shu said before that he didn’t have much schooling. Wasn’t his speech quite logical? In just two sentences, he already had a mental image.
However, he didn’t want this mental image.
Mu Jia Shu continued to state the facts honestly: “Then they asked me if you were usually like this or if it was a sudden onset. I said it was sudden. They then asked if anyone in your family had similar symptoms… actually, I didn’t know, so I just said no…”
Wei Xun: “…”
Why was it that although the kid’s tone was very serious, he felt a sense of being teased… was it an illusion?
“…The doctor used many technical terms. The general meaning was that this might be some kind of sudden-onset psychiatric condition triggered by some external factor, and they suggested hospitalization. I felt that wasn’t quite right, so I forced my way to bring you back.”
Wei Xun: “…Thanks.”
If everything was true, he really did have to thank Shen Shu for not sending him to the psychiatric department. Otherwise, for the Third Young Master of the Wei family to become a mental patient—the whole family wouldn’t have been able to step out of the house again.
Mu Jia Shu said, “I didn’t expect the power to go out shortly after we arrived. But anyway, that doctor also told me just now that communicating with a patient in a completely relaxed environment in the dark is conducive to relieving the anxiety of their inner world… do you feel better now? Does your head still hurt?”
“…” Wei Xun said, “No need, I just went on a drunken binge, it’s not that serious. But even now, I still don’t understand—how did you find this place?”
Mu Jia Shu hesitated for a moment, said nothing, and took two steps forward.
Suspicion surged in Wei Xun’s heart: “Stand right there! Explain yourself first!”
Mu Jia Shu indeed stopped. “Don’t worry. You aren’t some delicate little girl; I won’t do anything to you.”
Wei Xun watched him warily and slowly sat up. He felt a slight headache, but it wasn’t serious. There was a lingering taste of milk in his mouth. Moonlight spilled onto the bedside table. He pursed his lips, and his peripheral vision caught half a cup of leftover milk there.
He had always been this way; he was prone to headaches after a hangover, but if he drank some milk to soothe it, he would feel much better. However, very few people knew this.
One coincidence after another, one disappointment after another hope…
Wei Xun suddenly said, “Who exactly are you?”
Mu Jia Shu had originally intended to tell Wei Xun his identity. But such a thing as “borrowing a corpse to return a soul” was very bizarre; it was hard to express. Moreover, Wei Xun currently seemed to be emotionally unstable, and he was suddenly worried about scaring him. The words reached the tip of his tongue but didn’t come out.
No one in this world is willing to admit they are an anomaly. Knowing something in your heart is one thing; saying it out loud is another. Mu Jia Shu seemed unusually talkative today, but actually, he was just covering his nervousness.
Would Wei Xun be angry? Would he be suspicious?
“I…”
In that moment of hesitation, Wei Xun suddenly raised his voice: “Who are you? Who are you! I beg of you, say something to me! Who the fuck are you?! You…”
“San Ge!” Mu Jia Shu interrupted him. “…I’m sorry.”
Translator’s Note:
- [1] The Little Prince Quote: This is a famous passage where the fox explains the importance of “rites” or “rituals” in creating bonds.
- Beibingyang (北冰洋): An iconic Chinese orange soda brand from Beijing, recognizable by its glass bottle and white polar bear logo. It’s a very nostalgic drink for many who grew up in the 80s and 90s.
- Possessing a jade while being guilty of it (懷璧其罪 – Huái bì qí zuì): A Chinese idiom meaning that an innocent person can get into trouble simply by possessing something valuable that others desire.
- Erguotou (二鍋頭): A strong, clear Chinese liquor (baijiu) made from sorghum. It is known for being potent and is often associated with the working class or the military due to its high alcohol content and low price.
- San Ge (三哥): Literally “Third Brother.” This is the specific intimate address Mu Jia Shu used for Wei Xun. By switching from “Boss” or “Young Master Wei” to this, he is effectively dropping his disguise.
Happy reading!
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