Chapter 33 Those eyebrows, those features, clearly resemble...Young Master Lan?!
On the very day I made my decision, Mr. Chang began my treatment.
When the pain actually came, it wasn't as terrible as I had imagined.
Perhaps it's because I've done too much mental preparation, or perhaps my blocked meridians are still relatively sluggish compared to ordinary people.
When I heard Dr. Chang say "I'm all better," I felt more bewildered, as if waking from a dream, than relieved.
I thought it hadn't even started yet, but it's already over—or more accurately, it's temporarily come to an end.
Mr. Chang said that the real key is the rest and rehabilitation that follows.
I nodded and thanked Dr. Chang. Looking at his slightly tired smile and the way he wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, I felt both grateful and apologetic.
This time, Dr. Chang didn't squint and bend over his desk to write a prescription. Instead, he took out the prepared ointment from the medicine box he had brought and handed it to Mr. Ajiu along with a note with instructions.
The latter solemnly accepted it and carefully confirmed the matters with Doctor Chang one by one, like a good student humbly seeking knowledge from his master.
Chang Li, who had been able to watch cautiously from the sidelines the whole time and was not allowed to get too close, finally ran over as if he had been granted a pardon.
When she was just one step away, she stopped abruptly and tiptoed over. Looking at me, her fair, round face was filled with a worry that shouldn't be there for someone her age.
"It must hurt a lot," he whispered.
I shook my head: "It won't hurt. With your grandfather's superb medical skills, what are you worried about?"
As I spoke, I patted his head. Changli's head was small and round, with his hair divided into several strands and tied into two pigtails at the back of his head, making him look both delicate and playful.
Everyone talks about blond-haired boys and blond-haired girls, and now that I look at it, Chang Li's hair is indeed a bit blond, but it's not the kind of dry blond caused by malnutrition. It looks like it's his natural hair color, and there's even a slight reddish tinge near the ends, like the fiery red of autumn maple leaves.
"That's to be expected. If one's medical skills are not superb, then what kind of doctor is he? He'd be more like a quack or a charlatan."
Chang Li spoke eloquently, then looked up and gave a sweet smile: "Besides, his medical skills are superior, and my worries are mine. They are two unrelated things. I care about my brother, and I am willing to do so. No one can get in my way, and no one can stop me from coming."
Feeling my stroking of his head pause slightly, Changli opened his eyes, which had been narrowed into two crescent moons, and asked with a hint of confusion, "What's wrong, brother?"
Without realizing it, Changli started calling me "brother," perhaps because he felt it was more intimate that way.
I've been puzzled for a long time, but today I couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Li, why are you so concerned about me?"
The child blinked his bright, dark eyes and said earnestly, "Of course it's because I like my brother! I liked him the moment I saw him—his appearance, his voice, even his scent—"
As he spoke, he reached out and took my hand that was resting on his head, then buried his face in my arm and murmured in a muffled voice, "I like them all."
—That's a reason so simple and blunt it's impossible to refute. Perhaps it's just that they're children, aren't they?
I stood there stunned for a long time, not knowing what to do.
In the end, he simply said, "Thank you."
Thank you for liking me so genuinely, without any reason.
Upon hearing this, Chang Li silently raised his head, his face slightly flushed, whether from joy or shyness, it was hard to tell. Looking at me, his eyes shone with an astonishing light.
He said, "You're welcome."
He then said, "Brother, why don't you come back with us?"
I wasn't sure if his saying we should go back together meant visiting his home, and I couldn't help but look a little embarrassed.
Not to mention, I can't move around easily now, and even if I recover completely in the future, I might not be able to come and go freely.
But Changli seemed a little anxious when he heard my explanation.
"No, brother, it's not about visiting, I mean we're going back together..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chang Li received another blow to the head—it was Mr. Chang who had struck him again. He looked at his grandson with a disappointed expression, saying, "Have you forgotten what I told you before we came here?"
Chang Li covered his forehead in grievance, but this time he did not argue as strongly as before. Instead, he replied dejectedly, "I remember, Grandpa."
"It's good that you remember." Mr. Chang stroked his long white beard, his expression softening. "Alright, it's about time."
He turned to look at me, his expression sincere and apologetic: "That kid Li is talking nonsense again, causing you trouble."
"No, it's no trouble at all."
I listened to the old man's apology with almost a flattery, and quickly replied, "Sir, you are too kind. I should thank him for coming to see me with you. I am more than happy to do so, how could I find it troublesome?"
I was speaking from the bottom of my heart; every word came from the very depth of my being.
But for some reason, there seemed to be a hint of sadness in Mr. Chang's eyes as he looked at me. Perhaps it was because he was too tired from making house calls in the wind and snow.
He sighed softly and said, "That's good then."
I originally intended for the grandfather and grandson to stay overnight, but then I thought about it again, and realized that this was not a good place after all.
It's really not suitable for Mr. Chang, a doctor, to stay with a tiny child. What if he goes out at night and runs into something inappropriate? Not only would it ruin his own reputation, but it could also have a negative impact on Chang Li.
Actually, a child Changli's age shouldn't be taken to such a mixed and chaotic place. He's so young and so adorable; what if he gets targeted by a disgusting creature like that old bastard... Just thinking about that possibility makes me feel extremely disgusted.
Chang Li, as a child, might not have thought of this, but Mr. Chang certainly understood.
Even so, Mr. Chang still kept Chang Li by his side, which was probably out of necessity.
In other words, Mr. Chang could not entrust the child to anyone else without his consent. This means that the child's relatives other than Mr. Chang were likely not around, or even no longer in this world.
With this thought in mind, when I looked at Chang Li's cheerful and adorable face again, my mood uncontrollably plummeted.
I know that even without his parents around, Changli grew up with his loving grandfather by his side, and with his cheerful and lively personality, he might not necessarily be unhappy.
I was just wondering, why are there so many regrets and separations in the world?
I used to think it was just because of poverty, but now it seems that it's not just that... perhaps it's fate.
But the saying goes that everyone has their own destiny, but what exactly determines the allocation of this destiny?
If it's a debt owed in a past life, it should be repaid in that life. Making someone who knows nothing about their past and future bear the karmic consequences they accumulated in their previous life only adds another soul to the world, filled with pain and resentment from suffering undeserved calamities.
If reincarnation truly exists, there shouldn't be a Bridge of Helplessness or Meng Po's soup.
Lifetimes upon lifetimes, good and evil are rewarded accordingly, and gratitude and resentment are clearly distinguished—isn't that delightful?
I suffer, and I know why I suffer.
I hate, even if it means indulging in my vengeance.
Those who collect debts and those who owe debts can recognize each other at a glance; the degenerate can continue to sink, while the clear-headed can find their own way out.
Instead of living in constant fear and unease like this, it would be better to end it all, like... like the me in that dream just before the door was knocked on...
But even I couldn't resist the temptation from the outside, so I answered so easily and opened the door.
But what happened outside the door didn't seem to be what he wanted. I don't know what became of me after that, because I dreamed about that dream twice.
One night, in the dim light of candlelight, I listened as Young Master Lan recounted the legends of the eighteen levels of hell.
Another time, on the winter solstice, I was dozing off by the fireplace, waiting for Young Master Lan to return from outside. That time, in my dream, I had just touched that door when I bumped right into Li Xiao in reality.
Now, only a few days have passed, and Young Master Lan's whereabouts are still unknown, and Li Xiao has not sent any news back.
I lay in bed, feeling a piercing itch spreading from my feet and ankles up to my calves. Only then did I truly understand the extent of the unbearable discomfort Mr. Chang had described, enough to make one give up halfway through.
—It's so painful.
Even though the nerves are not very sensitive to the pain of a broken bone, at this moment it felt as if thousands of invisible spiky insects were crawling on it, biting through the flesh, vying to crawl deeper into the flesh, and constantly burrowing into the gaps between the joints...
I really can't resist reaching out to scratch it.
When I'm awake, I'm fine, but I'm afraid that if I fall asleep, I might unconsciously touch the areas where the medicine was applied, so I asked Mr. Ajiu to help me immobilize my hands and feet.
I don't want to ruin everything because of a small, unintentional mistake.
Mr. Ajiu hesitated for a moment, but after my repeated requests, he agreed.
After struggling a few times to make sure it was secure, I felt a little more at ease, but the discomfort in my legs became more and more obvious.
...Later, I realized I was overthinking it.
Because of the itching, I could barely sleep at all. Not to mention doing anything uncontrollable in my sleep.
After staying up for two nights in a row, I started to feel a bit dazed.
Mr. Chang prescribed me a calming medicine, but it was mild, seemingly to avoid affecting the effects of other medications.
So on the third night, probably when my nerves were stretched to the limit, I miraculously fell into a drowsy state after drinking the calming soup.
I still feel itchy, but compared to the overwhelming drowsiness, all the noise and disturbances of the world seem insignificant, and even my body seems to have ceased to exist.
I vaguely felt myself slowly floating up. I felt like I had turned into a wisp of smoke, a fleeting thought, or perhaps a ghost.
I was floating in mid-air, yet I felt no fear whatsoever.
Below me stood a magnificent, golden palace unlike any I had ever seen before.
I saw a bustling crowd moving about, men and women, young and old, but the youngest among them must have been eleven or twelve years old.
They wore clothes of different colors, but very similar styles. People wearing the same color usually stayed close together, but that wasn't always the case.
Different colored clothing seemed to represent different social statuses.
Because I personally witnessed people dressed in one color bowing respectfully to someone dressed in another color, and then this scene was repeated in other corners.
These people, dressed in different colors, came and went in a hurry, as if they were busy preparing for something big.
What could it be?
Curious, I noticed that the body, which had long since dissipated like mist, suddenly sank down. Then I heard two little girls walking hand in hand, chattering away.
One person said, "The weather is so nice. It seems the Imperial Advisor was right. If it keeps up like this, tomorrow will definitely be a sunny day, a perfect day for a wedding."
...Is all this preparation for a wedding?
I couldn't help but feel a little curious about the protagonist of the wedding.
Just then, another person nodded and exclaimed, "Yes, yes, it snowed for so long, but it finally stopped today. As soon as the sun came out, most of the snow melted, but it's still wet underfoot, which is a bit..."
She seemed to want to complain about something, but was interrupted by her companion.
His companion put a finger to his lips and shushed him: "On such a big day, you dare to say such discouraging things? If someone overhears you, you're asking for trouble."
The little girl pouted, looking somewhat disappointed.
[They're just telling the truth. Besides, everyone in the country knows that tomorrow is the anniversary of that person's death, yet His Majesty is holding such a grand wedding. It seems the rumors from back then might be true. His Majesty is actually—]
...Actually what?
I was listening intently, eager to know what would happen next, but the little girl was cut off again by her companion, who covered her mouth with their hand this time.
Are you seriously out of your mind?!
His companion hurriedly lowered his voice to stop him, his eyes instinctively darting around.
But I never expected her to glance at my head. However, I'm not sure if she could see me in my current state, and if she could, what kind of me she would see...
The talkative girl finally freed herself from her companion's elbow, and after a long pause, she put her hands on her hips and complained, "Honestly, there's no one else here."
That's what they said, but they refused to continue the conversation.
Somewhat disappointed, I drifted off to other parts of the palace.
Along the way, I saw many different kinds of people and things, all of which I had never seen before.
I drifted aimlessly until I saw a light blue figure. The color and texture of the fabric looked very familiar. After noticing this, the figure itself became strangely familiar to me.
Just as I was racking my brains, the person turned a corner and suddenly revealed their true form before my eyes.
Those eyebrows, those features, they clearly resemble...Young Master Lan?!
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