Translator: RogueKat | Editor: RogueKat
————————————————————————
Songhai City.
At 7:30 in the morning, in a dim room, on a soft big bed, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly woke up in a startle. He held his head and curled up like a shrimp.
The throbbing pain in his head was so intense that it felt as though his skull was being crushed under the weight of a thousand hammers. It was as if sharp steel needles were being driven deep into his brain, causing his scalp to twitch with agony. As he struggled to cope with the excruciating pain, he began to experience auditory and visual hallucinations. Chaotic images started flashing before his eyes, like a feverish dream, and a cacophony of meaningless noises filled his ears, drowning out all rational thought.
Zhang Yuanqing knew his old illness was back.
Shaking and unsteady, he struggled to climb out of bed and fumbled for the drawer of the bedside table. He reached for the medicine bottle with trembling hands and eagerly twisted off the cap. Pouring five or six small blue pills he swallowed them whole, without hesitation.
Then, he collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath and enduring intense pain.
After about ten seconds, the splitting headache weakened and then gradually subsided.
"Phew..." Zhang Yuanqing let out a sigh of relief and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.
During his time in high school, he was afflicted with a peculiar illness that caused his brain to recall every single memory from the past, both important and trivial, without any control. In addition, he had an insatiable desire to gather and analyze external information, and his brain had an astonishing level of control over his body.
Fortunately, this state is unsustainable and will eventually be interrupted by the body's inability to cope with the strain.
Thanks to this ability, he was able to effortlessly secure admission to Songhai University, a highly-ranked and prestigious institution in the country.
Zhang Yuanqing referred to his state as "brain overload." He believed he was evolving into a superhuman, but his body couldn't handle the transformation, leading to frequent interruptions.
When he told this speculation to a doctor, the doctor couldn't understand him, but was greatly shocked and advised him to go to the psychiatry department downstairs.
In any case, the hospital could not find the cause of his illness. Later, his mother returned with a special medicine from abroad, and his condition was finally under control. As long as he takes the medication regularly, he will not relapse.
In April, Songhai City was bathed in the beauty of spring, and a cool, refreshing morning breeze greeted Yuanqing as he opened his eyes.
"Knock, knock!"
A knocking sound came from the door, and Yuanqing's grandmother called out from outside: "Yuanqing, get up."
"I don't want to," Zhang Yuanqing coldly and ruthlessly refused, wanting to go back to sleep.
With the sun shining bright and the weekend in full swing, wasn't it a waste of life to not sleep in?
"You've got three minutes. If you're not up by then, I'm splashing water on you," Grandma threatened, her tone even colder and more ruthless.
"I'll give you three minutes. If you don't get up, I'll splash water on you."
Grandma was even colder and more ruthless.
"Alright, alright..." Zhang Yuanqing gave in immediately.
He knew that his hot-tempered grandmother was serious about carrying out her threat.
When he was still in elementary school, his father died in a car accident, and his mother, a strong-willed woman who never remarried, brought him back to settle in Songhai and left him in the care of his grandparents.
She had thrown herself into her career and become a successful businesswoman, earning the admiration of her relatives.
As time passed, Zhang Yuanqing's mother purchased a home of her own, but he wasn't fond of the empty, spacious flat. So, he still lived with his grandparents.
Anyway, his mother's work kept her extremely busy; she left early and returned late every day and frequently went on business trips, fully committed to her career. Even on weekends, when she wasn't working overtime, she ordered takeout for their meals.
The one thing she said most to her son was, "If you need more money, just let me know."
It sounded great to have a reliable mother who could fulfill your economic needs infinitely.
But Zhang Yuanqing always responded with a smile, saying: "The pocket money I receive from Grandma and Aunt is enough."
Indeed, his aunt.
The woman who insisted on coming to his room to play games last night was his aunt.
Zhang Yuanqing yawned, turned the doorknob of the bedroom, and walked into the living room.
His Grandma's home has a total area of 150 square meters, and when they sold their old house to buy this new one, Zhang Yuanqing remembered that it was more than 40,000 yuan per square meter.
Six or seven years have passed, and now the housing prices in this area have risen to 110,000 yuan per square meter, almost double the original price.
Fortunately, his grandfather had the foresight back then. If they had not moved to the new house, Zhang Yuanqing would have to sleep in the living room. After all, he had grown up and could not sleep with his aunt anymore.
On the long dining table by the living room, the source of his headache was slurping down the porridge. Her pink slippers were dangling off the edge of the table.
She had delicate and pretty features, and her round egg-shaped face looked quite sweet. There was a small mole at the corner of her right eye.
Due to just waking up, her fluffy and messy big wavy hair was scattered, making her look a little more lazy and charming.
His aunt's name was Jing Yu'er, and she was four years older than him.
When Zhang Yuanqing came out, Auntie licked the corner of her mouth and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, you're up so early. That's not like your style."
"It's all thanks to your mom."
"Why are you cursing at people?"
"I'm just telling the truth."
Zhang Yuanqing gazed at his young aunt's stunning face, which was as lovely as a blooming flower and as delicate as jade. She was spirited, bright, and charming.
People say that staying up late can leave you with dark circles under your eyes, but this rule didn't seem to apply to the woman in front of him.
Grandma heard the commotion from the kitchen and peeked out to see what was going on. After a moment, she emerged with a bowl of porridge in hand.
Grandma had hair that was both black and silver, and her sharp eyes revealed that she was the type of old lady with a short temper.
Despite her relaxed skin and faint wrinkles taking away from her once youthful appearance, one can still vaguely see that she had a good appearance when she was young.
Zhang Yuanqing accepted the bowl of porridge passed to him by his grandmother, quickly downing a gulp before asking, "Where's Grandpa?"
"He's out for a walk," his grandmother replied.
His grandpa was a retired detective. Even though he's getting older, he still maintains a very regular schedule. He goes to bed at 10 p.m. every night and wakes up at 6 a.m. in the morning.
After finishing her porridge, the pretty aunt smiled and said: "After breakfast, I'll take you to the mall to buy clothes."
Are you really that kind? Zhang Yuanqing was about to agree when his Grandma, who was beside him glared at him with a fierce look in her eyes and said: "If you dare to go, I'll break your legs."
"Mom, why are you being like this?" Auntie pouted. "I just wanted to buy a few spring outfits for Yuanqing. Why are you making it so difficult? Even though he has a different last name, he's still family."
Grandma cut in sharply, "Do you want to end up with a broken leg too?"
Auntie rolled her eyes and sulkily lowered her head to her porridge.
As he listened to the argument between the mother and daughter, Zhang Yuanqing knew that Grandma must have arranged another blind date for Auntie, and his playful Aunt wanted to drag him into trouble.
That's how it's always been. She would bring her nephew along to the blind date, and after a few minutes of polite conversation, her socially adept nephew would win over the potential partner. The two men would then chat amiably, from small matters to global issues. While leaving her to watch from the sidelines.
She just needs to drink her beverage and play with her phone. Her blind date would feel like they have had enough social experience and knowledge to impress a beautiful woman, leaving them feeling pleased and confident.
Jiang Yue'er has been exquisite and cute since she was young, and she has often been praised by neighbors. She's beautiful, sweet, and obedient, which makes her very popular among the elders.
Grandma naturally had to keep a close eye on her beautiful daughter. She strictly forbade her from dating or going out with her male classmates since she was in middle school.
Her youngest daughter didn't disappoint her, as she never had a boyfriend even after graduating from college. However, once she entered society, especially after her 25th birthday, grandma became a bit restless.
She thought to herself, I only said I didn't want you to start dating early, not letting you become a leftover woman. How many years of youth can a woman have?
With this in mind, she enlisted the help of her old friends and sisters to scour the country for promising young men and arrange blind dates for her daughter.
"Grandma, it's obvious she's not interested in dating. You can't force a square peg into a round hole," said Zhang Yuanqing as he munched on a steamed bun and offered himself up, saying, "Hey, why don't you help me out and set me up on a blind date? I'm already very eager."
Grandma snapped back, "You're still young, so why are you in such a hurry? There are plenty of girls in your university, can't you find someone yourself? If you keep causing trouble, be careful or I'll beat you."
His grandmother was a Southern woman, but she had a fiery temper and wasn't gentle at all.
Even Zhang Yuanqing's mother, a successful career woman, wouldn't dare to cross her.
I’ve grown up, and been a handyman for several years now… Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself.
After breakfast, my aunt was pressured by her grandmother to change clothes and put on light makeup for a blind date.
She looked stunning with her simple and natural style, which highlighted her beauty.
She wore a fluffy round-neck knit sweater paired with a long coat and slim-fit light-colored jeans that hugged her shapely legs. The narrow hem of her pants was tucked into black Martin boots.
Her overall look was elegant and refined, without being too flashy or glamorous.
After exchanging a knowing look with him, my aunt grabbed her bag, twisted her waist, and headed out the door, saying, "Mom, I'm off to the blind date."
Meanwhile, Zhang Yuanqing calmly returned to his room and changed into a black T-shirt, a windbreaker, and running shoes.
A few minutes later, he opened the bedroom door and stepped out.
Grandma was in the middle of cleaning the living room when she saw Zhang Yuanqing come out. She paused and silently watched him.
Zhang Yuanqing spoke in his aunt's tone, "Mom, I'm going out on a blind date too."
"Get back here!" Grandma raised the broom threateningly. "If you dare to step out that door, I'll break your legs like a dog's."
"Okay!" Zhang Yuanqing obediently went back to his bedroom.
Seated at his desk, he held his phone and messaged his aunt: "Though victory is not yet won, tears fill the eyes of a valiant one."
"Speak in plain language!"
His aunt, who was probably driving, sent a brief response: "Sorry, grandma's keeping me home. You should go on the blind date alone."
His aunt sent a voice message.
Zhang Yuanqing opened it, and from the speaker came the angry voice of Jiang Yu'er: "What's the use of having you!!!"
His aunt retracted that voice message and sent another one.
This time, her tone changed to a cute and charming voice, acting like a spoiled child: "Come over quickly, my dear nephew. Auntie loves you the most, Mua~."
Ha, women!
Throwing a tantrum and acting cute, and expecting me to appease my grandmother's anger? At least send a red envelope.
At this moment, a slightly harsh ringing sound came, Zhang Yuanqing came to the living room, under the gaze of his grandmother, he pressed the intercom button and said: "Who is it!"
"Delivery."
A voice came through the speaker.
Zhang Yuanqing pressed the button to unlock the door and waited for 2-3 minutes before a deliveryman in uniform, holding a package, stepped out of the elevator and made his way toward him.
"Are you Zhang Yuanqing?"
"Yes, that's me."
"I have a package for you."
I didn't order anything online... he signed with a confused look on his face. He took a quick glance at the package information. There was no sender's name on the package, but the address was from Hang City, in the neighboring Jiangnan province.
Back in his room, Zhang Yuanqing retrieved a box cutter from his desk drawer and opened the package.
Inside the package, there was an air cushion to prevent drops wrapped around a black card and a yellow cover letter.
Zhang Yuanqing picked up the black card, which was about the size of an ID card. It felt like metal but was very smooth to the touch. The card was made beautifully, with silver cloud patterns on the edges and a black full moon in the center.
The black full moon was printed very neatly, and there were clear irregular patches on the surface.
Zhang was confused about what it could be. He opened the envelope and read the letter inside.
Yuanqing, I found something interesting that I thought could change my life, but I can't control it with my limited abilities. I think you can handle it.
So this is my gift to you, my brother.
From Lei Yibing!