Chapter 47
Chu Ci felt as if he had a very long dream.
Fleeting glimpses of life in dreams, each scene like a fleeting glance, the unfamiliar and the familiar, gradually blurring from clarity. It turns out that when one is nearing death, one truly does reflect on life.
The world around me gradually dimmed, the colors disappeared, everything turned black and white, and finally even the gray and white faded away.
Ahead lies a pitch-black wormhole, which could also be a passage to a parallel universe.
Chu Ci was suddenly overcome with grief. She couldn't bear to part with Xingxing. Her child was still so young. If she were gone, how would he, such a small child, grow up?
Xingxing has a father, and his father is...
Have I already drunk the Meng Po soup? My mind is in a daze.
Huo Junyan, it was Huo Junyan, she remembered, but he asked her who she was.
He doesn't remember her...
He forgot her, just as she had once forgotten him.
Chu Ci stood in the darkness, silently weeping. She realized that forgetting was more painful than leaving; she couldn't even utter a sound.
For five years after she left, he thought she was dead and lived in despair. When she returned, she had forgotten him. Did he also feel the same heartache as she did?
Wait, why would he forget her?
Could it be that, like her, he was in the water for too long, and the lack of oxygen to his brain caused memory damage?
Ha, they really are...
No, that's not right, it's those "charging cables".
Chu Ci smiled bitterly. Sometimes she really disliked her sharp and thoughtful self. Even on her deathbed, her mind was still so clear.
However, it wasn't a charging cable; it looked more like some kind of device that could connect to the brain.
Can memories be altered...?
Can memories be changed?
Destroy, destroy the hippocampus, and then overwrite it with new memories to change those memories.
She kept reasoning in her mind.
My neck is itchy and uncomfortable, and it feels like an electric current is being conducted into my scalp.
The voice is so familiar, but I can't make it out. It's as if the voice came from beyond the heavens, and it's been squeezed and distorted. The touch is so familiar, warm water is falling on my face.
Um?
Does it rain on the road to the underworld?
"…doctor……"
I finally heard it clearly: they were calling for a doctor. The voices that followed were drowned out by a crackling sound. What was that?
pain.
Headache.
Another whoosh—bang bang whoosh—crackle and rustle…
fireworks.
Chu Ci was stunned. Fireworks?
The sound around me grew louder, like drumming, but I couldn't make it out. The electric current in my scalp and neck grew stronger. This... this is on a ship, yes.
"...Help, help..."
His eyes suddenly opened.
My vision was blurry, with layers upon layers of light. The bright light was blinding, and my eyelids were pulled. The light dimmed again, and the sound gradually became clearer.
During a lull in the fireworks display.
"...He will wake up soon, his bodily functions will gradually recover, his white blood cell count is rising, and his condition is very optimistic."
Then came that familiar yet distant voice, soft and trembling almost imperceptibly.
"She's awake?"
Even Chu Ci (a famous Chinese poet) is speechless. Asking such a pointless question, ugh~
"Yes, I'm awake. Oh, by the way, Mr. Huo, I wish you and Mrs. Huo a Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."
The room quieted down, and after a rustling sound around her, Chu Ci wanted someone to turn off the lights, as the ceiling light was too bright and she couldn't open her eyes.
After a long while, the light dimmed.
Chu Ci felt a surge of joy. Then, another burst of fireworks went off. She tried to turn her head and suddenly felt someone lift her neck, and she leaned against a warm, firm embrace.
The fireworks were dazzling; they looked beautiful and comforting through the window and across the night sky.
"…cough,"
"You're awake?"
She was being held in a hug.
A familiar silhouette appeared before her eyes. His features were still handsome, but his frizzy hair covered his eyebrows and made him look a little disheveled. Chu Ci chuckled. When had Huo Junyan ever been so unkempt?
Huo Junyan cupped her face in his warm hands, his fingertips stroking her skin, and he spoke incoherently.
"You're awake? You heard me? You've been lying here for three months... I always knew you'd wake up. Xingxing asked me every day, saying he's a good boy... Actually, no, you never told me. That kid's pretty cunning..."
Stars, her stars.
Chu Ci's eyes welled up with tears, and her consciousness began to drift again. She felt as if she had been picked up and was being pricked by needles before losing consciousness. After that, she knew nothing more.
By the time she was fully awake, the Lunar New Year had already passed.
It was only after lying in the hospital bed these past few days that I finally pieced together the whole story.
That day, Huo Junyan was dragged away underwater. When he woke up, he found himself locked in a room with the windows sealed off and his brain connected to "BCI".
It's a head-mounted device that connects to neurons in the brain.
This technology is currently in the research stage in China, but human trials are already being conducted abroad.
Huo Chengxun's goal was not to overwrite or alter Huo Junyan's memories, as he was incapable of such delicate work; rather, he intended to destroy Huo Junyan's brain through microelectrodes.
Create an idiot.
Huo Junyan couldn't understand Huo Chengxun's thought process. He thought it was completely unnecessary. Since he dared to kidnap him, he should just kill him and be done with it once and for all.
Thinking this way and that way only gave him the opportunity to retaliate.
This is a classic example of "villains dying from talking too much".
While acknowledging the aspects of Chu Ci (a collection of classical Chinese poetry), he understood Huo Chengxun's actions.
Although both Huo Junyan and Huo Chengxun were raised as heirs from birth, there is a fundamental difference between them.
To be precise, Huo Chengxun's claim to the position was more legitimate, and he received more support.
Old Master Huo completely favored him, even going so far as to suppress his own son, which shows how much he valued him.
His days of being the center of attention suddenly came to an end. He didn't lose his right to be the heir, but was kicked out of the house. His life after leaving the Huo family can be glimpsed from the fact that Lani later took him in.
Although they were not destitute and homeless, they were still in dire straits, with their lives and dignity trampled underfoot.
Perhaps his personality changed from that time onwards, or even earlier, after all, he had been eyeing his grandfather's woman.
He hated Huo Chaojiang for taking his position.
But over the years, Huo Chaojiang has always remained moderate, leaving him helpless. Even the matter that he firmly believed was set up by Huo Chaojiang has made no progress.
Over time, Huo Chengxun's mind became twisted.
At this time, Huo Junyan, who was extremely talented, was born. He watched as his grandfather taught his cousin hand in hand, just as he had taught him back then.
He hated this beauty; he wanted to destroy it.
If Huo Junyan dies, everyone will remember the fall of this brilliant talent and hold him responsible.
Grandfather favored him, but not to the point of letting him kill his other grandson.
And then there's Huo Chaojiang, his fourth uncle, who's terrifying, yet everyone thinks he's gentle and kind.
Huo Chengxun is crazy and twisted, but not stupid. After all, Old Master Huo personally taught him how to manipulate people's hearts.
He wanted everyone to see the foolish Huo Junyan slowly turn from pity to disgust, and finally prefer to be without him. He wanted Huo Junyan to experience this too, no, and Huo Chaojiang as well, so that he would have no successor...
Huo Junyan reluctantly agreed with Chu Ci's analysis, but he still felt that Huo Chengxun was indecisive in his actions.
Chu Ci remained silent; a proud son of heaven like him could never understand the state of mind of someone who suffers daily cold stares and verbal abuse from their family.
Fortunately, he didn't understand.
Chu Ci was also very fortunate.
Tiger Erni had asked her why she didn't like Huo Zixi and instead preferred Huo Junyan, who was far away in the clouds. Chu Ci replied: I don't know.
She also felt that she and Huo Zixi shared common interests, could have fun together, cared about each other, had known each other for a longer time, and both had unhappy family backgrounds, so they seemed to understand each other better.
But it was precisely this understanding that made them friends, rather than lovers.
Later came Zhou Yubai, who used her but also cared for her.
Over the course of five years, his tolerance towards her couldn't have all been an act; she also understood his ambition and his complex feelings toward the Zhou family.
It's still about understanding—understanding his heart, understanding his obsession.
But she wouldn't approach him.
Looking back now, Chu Ci suddenly understands that her past experiences automatically identified like-minded people to befriend or collaborate with.
Subconsciously, she was drawn to Huo Junyan.
His past was bright and warm; he had never truly come close to the shadows, nor had he stepped on the insects in the damp gloom.
Unlike Huo Junyan, Huo Chengxun, Huo Zixi, and even Zhou Yubai or Chu Ci, who all had a bittersweet childhood, Huo Junyan had a different kind of childhood.
He grew up in a beautiful and affluent environment, was raised as an heir, was given high hopes, and was regarded as a treasure.
While others' empathy for her past grievances may resonate with her, it cannot truly connect her with them on a deeper level.
Like a bag of spicy strips, she recalled the embarrassment she felt when she was in school, and for a moment she was lost in thought.
Huo Zixi and Zhou Yubai would be the first to notice her emotions. Then, they would sit together and reminisce about the past, eventually getting caught up in the hurt they had suffered in the past and hurting themselves again.
Huo Junyan would pay directly and without caring about the eager-looking child next to him.
Huo Junyan naturally gave her what she hadn't received in her youth, and she suddenly felt relieved. She didn't need to comfort or reason with him; he just gave it to her.
The phone rang; Old Master Huo was no longer able to eat.
That day, after Chu Ci, Huo Chengxun, Lan Ni, and the others caused a scene at the old house, Old Master Huo suffered a stroke. He was over eighty years old when he had the stroke.
Huo Junyan sat silently next to Chu Ci.
He was imprisoned in Southeast Asia, where several so-called experts used "BCI" to stimulate his brain, causing him to fall into a coma several times.
After about two days, he figured out the intentions of the group and, taking advantage of their shift change, offered them generous rewards to divide them one by one.
Huo Junyan's promise wasn't just verbal; it was an immediate transfer of money, a villa, a luxury car, and the whole world was his to choose from. He also didn't need them to release him personally; they only needed to relax their guard immediately.
They all knew this was for money.
Huo Junyan seized the opportunity to escape.
However, he did not rush to contact the Huo family's people in Southeast Asia.
His trust in his family doesn't mean he can't see any problems.
The route that day was decided on the spot, but those people were able to ambush him in advance, which means that they had already been making preparations from the moment he left the mansion.
The people around him are basically Huo family confidants.
Huo Chengxun couldn't get involved with him, so who else could?
Huo Junyan was unwilling to suspect his grandfather, but he wouldn't risk his life. He didn't contact the Huo family or rashly contact people in China; instead, he tried to find a way back home on his own.
He remembered everything about himself clearly, except for Chu Ci. The moment he saw her, he couldn't remember who she was.
She stood under the rain curtain, slender and with skin so white it was almost translucent. She seemed about to collapse, but her eyes were icy cold. When she saw him, her gaze turned dazed and incredulous.
He watched her fall backward, and his body instinctively compelled him to catch her immediately.
But he still couldn't remember who she was.
It was a feeling more terrifying than death.
He collapsed after she fell into a coma.
BCI caused severe damage to his temporal lobe, resulting in memory loss. Fortunately, he received timely treatment, and he remembered the Chu Ci almost as soon as the doctor started treating him.
The girl he loved most.
Chu Ci suffered repeated infections from her wounds, causing her white blood cell count and other bodily indicators to drop rapidly, leading to a prolonged coma.
In the past three months, Huo Junyan only appeared once at the shareholders' meeting to reassure the shareholders. After that, he spent all his time with Chu Ci, and Huo Chaojiang took care of all the company affairs.
Huo Chengxun used "BCI" on him with a clear purpose. Why did Nalan Ni personally follow him onto the ship and use "BCI" on Chu Ci?
"..."
"Never mind if you can't remember."
After Huo Junyan returned that day, Huo Chengxun was sent abroad by Master Qin overnight. It was probably at Old Master Huo's behest before his stroke, as he was making final plans for his grandson.
As for Lan Ni, it seems she left with Huo Chengxun.
The situation was chaotic at the time, and the Huo family didn't have time to investigate these matters.
Chu Ci was silent for a while before saying, "I discovered Zi Xi's background five years ago. I went to ask his mother, uh, his adoptive mother."
Five years ago, she was too young and stood up for Huo Zixi. She was smart, but she didn't think things through.
After Lani found out, she kept a close eye on Chu Ci. In the end, she followed Chu Ci onto the ferry and attacked her on the ship. Then, a shipwreck covered everything up.
Huo Junyan found out that Lan Ni had been on the ship, but the shipwreck was real, and he couldn't find out Lan Ni's motive. The body was found to be unharmed, with no signs of human intervention, consistent with drowning.
Where is Zixi?
I've been awake for several days now, and I've seen everyone, including Zhou Yubai who came twice, but I haven't seen Huo Zixi.
Does he hate me?
Huo Junyan patted her head, "He's gone to expand overseas business. Give him some time. None of this was your fault. You're just too perceptive, too..."
He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Chu Ci looked at him, "What?"
"Just too smart."
Chu Ci suppressed a laugh and glared at him, then suddenly remembered something, "But I still let you fool me."
Huo Junyan stated that he was innocent.
She hooked her arm around his neck, her soft, low voice rising and falling, "You didn't drink."
"Um?"
She whispered in his ear, "The drink I drugged you."
Huo Junyan's eyes were as dark as the thick night outside the window. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his lips pressed together in a passionate and forceful kiss, just like five years ago when the unapproachable heir of the Huo family lost control when he broke his vow of celibacy.
End of article
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