After lying in the hospital for a month, Xiaoyun's body was finally fully recovered.
But his memory of the past was completely gone, almost as if someone had wiped the memory of a hard drive.
And despite the person who ran over Xiaoyun being the old man's grandson, the old man himself still felt a personal responsibility to help Xiaoyun.
So, he hired an internationally acclaimed neurologist to find the reason behind Xiaoyun's memory loss.
---
"Unfortunately, your hippocampus at the temporal lobe is disconnected partially around here... Although it can sometimes regrow on its own, the chance of it happening is extremely low when someone is fully developed.
We do have the technology to try to mimic the growth signals to that part of the brain that's currently under experimental test in the U.S, but it's going to be very expensive——"
The old man interrupted the neurologist before he could finish.
"Just tell me what the cost is." The old man asked.
"Around a several million USD... As a side note, there is a risk of permanently damaging it and with the chance of short-term coma.
If you want to make an appointment for it, you can go to the front desk."
The neurologist left the room as the old man turned over to Xiaoyun.
"I can pay for it. You don't have to worry about the cost." The old man promised.
"It's okay, mister. You had done enough for me. I'm sure I can live without it."
Xiaoyun shook his head in rejection as he didn't want to be more indebted to the old man.
"But what are you going to do next? You don't have any memory of who you are. You don't even know your name." The old man asked.
"I am sure life finds a way... Maybe one day I will remember everything again. Thank you for your help, mister."
A sense of determination was in his voice as he got up from his seat.
But just as he reached for the door handle, a heartfelt plea stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait," the old man's voice trembled with emotion, "how about you come to live with us? Please, I can't bear the weight of knowing I've ruined someone's life like this."
Xiaoyun froze for a second as the sincerity in the old man's voice made him soften a little.
But still, he was determined not to fall more in debt to the old man.
"Mister, it's not your fault. It's your grandkid's fault, and they are already facing the consequences. I think that is a fair enough punishment."
Just as Xiaoyun turned the door handle, the sound of someone dropping onto the floor echoed in the room.
"Please, just let me compensate you, or I'll never be able to sleep in peace."
After contemplating for a second, Xiaoyun turned back to the old man.
"Please, mister, you don't have to do this."
Xiaoyun tried to help the old man back up, but the old man remained rooted to the floor as he waited for Xiaoyun's decision.
"I... accept your offer."
An hour of driving later...
The old man's home was a massive mansion on a hill, with maids and butlers all over the front entrance.
And unlike most modern mansions that they had driven past, it had a lot of traditional elements.
"This is my home. Treat it as yours... I can never repay you for being so merciful to our grandson."
The old man thanked Xiaoyun again as his grandkid was let off lightly when Xiaoyun could have pressed more charges against him.
"He has already been punished fairly... I should be the one saying I can't repay you for this.
I would never imagine I would be living in this kind of place... This place looks beautiful."
Xiaoyun's eyes were all over the place as he followed the old man towards the gate.
As they entered the mansion, an old woman was already standing at the door waiting.
"Welcome back, honey. How's the boy?"
"He's here in front of you." The old man pointed at Xiaoyun.
"Oh, welcome to our house! If you have any questions, just ask one of the workers... And I'm so sorry for what our grandson has done to you."
The old woman bowed down in apology as she
"Your grandson is already facing the punishment he deserved. There's no need for you guys to feel sorry for what he did." Xiaoyun repeated the same answer to the old woman.
After hearing Xiaoyun's answer, the old woman looked even more thankful towards Xiaoyun as she guided Xiaoyun around the mansion.
---
After living in the mansion for a while, Xiaoyun began searching for work to be more independent.
But not a single person was willing to hire him as he didn't even have a basic ID.
And when he tried to get a phone number for his new phone that the old man brought for him, he was once again troubled by the lack of ID.
Seeing the trouble Xiaoyun faced trying to live a normal life, the old couple decided to talk with Xiaoyun.
"We know you have been troubled by the lack of ID and being unable to register for one... We got some connections that can help you, but we want to ask you a question first."
The old woman held an envelope in hand as she sat next to her husband.
"What is it?" Xiaoyun asked curiously.
"Are you willing to be our grandchildren? I know this sounds like it came out of nowhere, but this is the only way we can help you get an ID and a city Hukou."
Xiaoyun thought for a second.
He wanted to reject the suggestion as he didn't want to be even more indebted to the old couple.
But after thinking more about it, he had no other option other than to accept it if he ever wanted to do anything in life.
"That's perfect... In the envelope, we already got your ID and Hukou as an adopted kid to our... son."
The old woman suddenly fell into depression as if some bad memory had triggered in her mind.
"Ahem, Xiaoyun, you can open it now." The old man gently patted his wife on the back as he suggested Xiaoyun to open the envelope.
As Xiaoyun opened the envelope, an ID and a Hukou were right before his eyes.
"Sorry about the name... We didn't know what to put your name as, and since there was a time limit, we had to make it up on the spot."
The old man apologized, as the name on the identification was Chen Songming, which coincidently was almost the same name as the old man's grandkid, whom Xiaoyun saw in the police report after his hospital visit.
"No, no, it's fine. I like this name."
Xiaoyun murmured the name over and over again as if he had found a new meaning in his life.
Soon, all the workers in the mansion started calling Xiaoyun by his new name, Songming. And they started giving Xiaoyun even more special treatment, as if he was the master of the house.
The old couple also treated Xiaoyun with even more affection, almost making Xiaoyun believe he really was their long-lost grandkid.
Still, despite Xiaoyun getting an ID, he couldn't find any work as he didn't have any skills in anything, and the labor market was already saturated with unskilled workers.
The old couple eventually suggested that Xiaoyun go to a university rather than look for work as Xiaoyun continued to struggle to find work.
After considering it for an entire day, Xiaoyun accepted their sponsor to a special admission to a university nearby despite the fact that the admission time had already passed.
The only thing that Xiaoyun had to do was pass the entrance exam, which Xiaoyun passed with flying colors.
---
Xiaoyun's college life is very reclusive.
Every day is going to school, doing homework, and studying.
Xiaoyun barely ever talks to anyone and often just stays silent in the classroom and sits in the corner.
Until one day, a girl suddenly walked towards him.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" The girl asked.
"I don't mind it."
As Songming looked up, a sudden familiarity hit him, but he couldn't recall why.
As days went by, the two sat next to each other in class, but Xiaoyun never got the courage to ask.
---
Just as freshmen year was about to be over, Xiaoyun finally got the courage to ask.
"Sorry to ask this so late, but we've been deskmates for so long... Can I ask what your name is?"
Xiaoyun awkwardly scratched his head as he asked the girl.
"My name is Leyan. How about you?"
Leyan looked surprised that Xiaoyun had actually asked her name, as he had always been sitting silently next to her.
"My name is Songming."
After Xiaoyun finished replying, an awkward silence lingered between the two.
"Have we met before?" Leyan asked as she noticed Xiaoyun kept staring with curiosity.
"I don't think so... But I don't know why you look familiar," Xiaoyun explained his thoughts.
"Really? But I don't think I have seen you before."
After Leyan finished speaking, the two returned to silence as the professor began the next part of the class.
---
Xiaoyun was now in his sophomore year.
For some reason, Xiaoyun was constantly getting nightmares every night as if he had forgotten something very important.
Most importantly, he could feel the time starting to accelerate faster and faster.
"Songming, what's wrong? You look a little lost. Tell me, maybe I can help you."
The old man sat down on the sofa next to Xiaoyun.
"I don't know why... But it feels like time is passing faster and faster." Xiaoyun replied.
The old man suddenly laughed after hearing Xiaoyun's question.
"Oh, you still have so long to live. You are just worrying too much. You look just like every other eighteen years old.
You don't see me worrying about running out of time, and I'm almost in my seventies." The old man replied.
"Maybe you are right..."
Xiaoyun's mind still looked preoccupied as he looked down onto the floor.
"That wasn't the only thing in you that you were worrying about, was it?" The old man asked curiously.
Xiaoyun hesitated for a second but revealed his thoughts to the old man.
"I met a girl in school, and I don't know why my heart beats so fast every time I meet her... And she feels so familiar."
As soon as Xiaoyun finished talking, the old man suddenly patted Xiaoyun on the back and laughed even louder.
"Songming! You are just in love with her! It looks like you finally reached that age. Here, let me show you what is love."
"Love?" Xiaoyun looked confused.
The old man took out his wallet and opened it.
" Look at this picture. This is me with your grandma, being happy together. That's what love means." The old man replied.
"So, love someone is to make them happy?" Xiaoyun asked curiously.
"Well, that is part of it. Everyone has their definition of love. It's a very confusing and messy thing. You will need to explore it yourself to find what love means to you."
The old man scratched the remaining few hairs on his head as he didn't know how to dumb it down for Xiaoyun.
"But how do I start making her happy?"
"Well... Hmm, what do all the youngsters do nowadays?"
The old man paused for a second to think, then continued.
"Wait, I got it. You should ask her about an amusement park date. If she likes you, she will agree to it."
"Date? Amusement park?"
Xiaoyun was even more confused now as the old man brought out more technical terms that he couldn't understand.
"Yep, just trust me. Ask her out tomorrow. If I remember correctly, there is an amusement park near your school. You just need to go there and buy the tickets first."
The old man patted Xiaoyun on the shoulder again as he gave Xiaoyun a confident look.
"Okay, I'll do that."
Xiaoyun finally got a sense of direction as he pondered the words that the old man had just said.
---
The next day.
Xiaoyun and Leyan were in the classroom, still sitting next to each other, as the advanced class they were in was still taught by the same professor in the same classroom.
"Hey, Leyan," Xiaoyun called out suddenly.
"What's the matter?"
Leyan turned over to Xiaoyun, only to see him handing her a ticket.
"Here you go."
Xiaoyun shoved the item into her hands before she could say anything.
Leyan looked down at her hand only to see an amusement park ticket.
"What this for?" Leyan asked in confusion.
"I want to ask you to go to the amusement park as a date." Xiaoyun casually announced it without any thought.
"Oh. Um, can you give me a minute to think about this?"
Leyan's face blushed as she turned her head to the side and pretended to listen to the professor's lecture.
"Okay."
Xiaoyun also focused back on the lecture, seeing Leyan looking at the board.
Meanwhile, in Xiaoyun's blind spot, Leyan took out her phone and opened up a group chat.
A cute little kitty: Is Lili there?
Lily Lover: Yeah, I am here. What are you doing texting in class time?
A cute little kitty: It's an emergency!
Lily Lover: what happened?
A cute little kitty: A boy asked me to go to the amusement park for a date! What should I say? I never done this before.
Lily Lover: Just reject him. This is not the first time you have rejected someone.
Lily Lover: Come on, you had done this more than me already back in high school.
A cute little kitty: But I don't know why, but I don't want to reject him. He is the only one that hasn't constantly bothered me like other people.
Lily Lover: So, just agree then. What are you so nervous about?
Lily Lover: Looks like someone has fallen in love.
Little Chestnut: What!?! Is Leyan in love? When are you inviting me to your wedding?
A cute little kitty: Shut up! >﹏< I'll answer him now.
Leyan closed her phone and looked back at Xiaoyun, only to see him listening attentively to the class.
Leyan took out her phone and typed again.
A cute little kitty: He is so handsome when he is concentrating on the class lecture.
Lily Lover: It looks like our precious Yanyan really has fallen in love. She's already losing her brain cells (－‸ლ).
Little Chestnut: Come on, just tell him already. What's his reaction? Don't leave us hanging.
Leyan closed her phone and decided to wait until the class was over.
"I accept your offer." Leyan nervously replied as Xiaoyun began packing up his backpack.
"See you on Sunday then."
Xiaoyun got up from his seat as he prepared to leave.
"Wait, this is my phone number."
Leyan ripped a small piece of paper from her notebook and quickly wrote down her number.
"Why is my heart beating so fast?" Leyan thought to herself as she watched Xiaoyun leave the classroom.
---
Sunday has finally arrived.
It was a cloudy day as Xiaoyun was standing at the entrance of the amusement park, looking left and right at the crowds.
"There are really many people here today," Leyan complained as she finally found Xiaoyun at the entrance.
"I think because it's a Sunday so——"
As Xiaoyun looked up from the ground, he was stunned by Leyan's look.
Leyan was wearing a white dress, which was completely different from the usual long sleeves and pants that he saw in class.
Not to mention, there was even makeup on her face that he had never seen her put on before.
"Okay, let's go in."
Leyan walked in first as Xiaoyun followed behind her into the amusement park.
Two hours later...
"That roller coaster was so fun!"
Leyan legs were still tumbling from the ride that they had just gotten off.
"Yep, that was very fun."
Xiaoyun supported Leyan to a bench nearby as they sat down next to each other.
"It's been a long time since I went out... Thank you so much."
"No problem. I love you, so I am going to make you happy." Xiaoyun casually said it out loud to Leyan as he thought back to what the old man told him.
"Um, I-I, what? This is too fast. I'm not ready——"
Leyan panicked as she couldn't believe Xiaoyun's sudden confession. But Xiaoyun didn't notice it at all, as her response was too quiet to be heard by him.
"I'm going to go get some ice cream. What flavor do you want?" Xiaoyun asked as he got up from the bench.
"Vanilla is good," Leyan replied as she forced herself to calm down.
As Xiaoyun walked toward the ice cream shop, Leyan took out her phone and opened the group chat.
A cute little kitty: He just asked me to be her girlfriend. Should I agree to it or not?
Little Chestnut: Do you hate him?
Lily Lover: I mean, if Leyan hates him, she would have switched seats and never accepted the date.
Little Chestnut: Then it's up to you.
A cute little kitty: Isn't this too fast? I feel like I'm taking too many steps at once.
Lily Lover: Haven't you guys been deskmates for almost a year now? And how many times have you said this?
Lily Lover: If it doesn't work, you can break up at any time.
Lily Lover: It's just boyfriend and girlfriend, not marriage. When did Leyan become so traditional and backward, thinking she was trapped in a contract?
Little Chestnut: Hey, Leyan, don't listen to her nonsense. If you are not ready, just say you are not ready. If he can't even wait for this, does he really love you?
Lily Lover: Shut up. It's quite ironic you are saying all this when you literally asked when their wedding is.
Little Chestnut: I was drunk yesterday, okay? I didn't mean it.
Lily Lover: Leyan, you really want to listen to a drunkard's advice?
Leyan put down her phone as Xiaoyun came back with the two vanilla ice cream cones.
"Here's your vanilla."
As Xiaoyun handed her the ice cream, their hand briefly touched each other.
"Thank you..."
Leyan's face blushed red again as she started to get more nervous again.
The two sat on the bench, eating the ice cream in silence.
After finishing eating the ice cream, the cloud in the sky finally moved away, and the sun was now shining bright in their eyes.
The two finally got up from the bench and went to the next ride.
But all the other amusement facilities that they hadn't gone to were forming long queues with children and their parents.
"Let's go to that Ferris Wheel." Leyan pointed out as she noticed only a few people lined up for it.
After queuing for five minutes...
The two got into the Ferris wheel and sat down.
"Songming... Do you like me?" Leyan asked as the Ferris wheel began to move up.
"Yeah I like you, I feel happy being near you," Xiaoyun replied.
The two sat on the Ferris wheel in silence, looking at each other until the Ferris wheel reached its peak and stopped.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Leyan asked softly.
"Say what?" Xiaoyun looked back at Leyan's face in confusion.
"Don't you like me?" Leyan said it a little louder.
"Yeah, of course I do," Xiaoyun replied.
As the Ferris wheel began descending, Leyan finally spoke up again.
"What about the proposal?"
"Huh? What proposal?"
Xiaoyun looked confused by Leyan's question as he couldn't understand Leyan's hint.
"Where's my 'Do you want to be my girlfriend?' proposal?"
Leyan finally yells it out as she gets fed up with Xiaoyun's oblivious attitude.
"Oh, um, sorry, this is my first time... Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Xiaoyun asked nervously.
"Yes, I do! Geez, you are so naive!" Leyan laughed as Xiaoyun's nervousness was showing all over his face.
"Um, naive? What did I do?"
Xiaoyun scratched his head in confusion again as he couldn't understand what Leyan was trying to say.
"You dummy! You really can't understand hints at all, do you?"
Leyan face-palmed herself as she walked out of the ferry's wheel, laughing.
But Xiaoyun froze as the beautiful smile on Leyan's face stunned him.
"What are you waiting for? Come on, let's go to the next one!"
Leyan ran back to grab Xiaoyun by the hand, and they walked out together.