When Song Yecheng returned home, it was already bright.
Song Sheng and his wife's residence was very close to Luming Villa, so they arrived faster. When Song Yecheng opened the door and went in, the two were already waiting on the sofa.
"He's back?" Qiu Mingyue quickly stood up and went to greet him, asking worriedly, "How is he? Is he awake now?"
Song Yecheng shook his head. Only then did Qiu Mingyue see clearly his obviously bad complexion and the tiny bloodshot in his eyes. She couldn't help but touch his slightly messy hair with heartache and asked again, "Then why did you run back? Aren't you there to guard him?"
Song Yecheng said: "I came back to get something."
Song Sheng frowned and asked with concern: "Why did he faint for no reason? Have you found out what the cause is?"
Song Yecheng had originally asked them to come over to briefly explain Jiang Que's condition, so he didn't try to evade the question. Instead, he led Qiu Mingyue back to the sofa and asked, "Do you remember his adoptive parents going abroad?"
The couple didn't understand how the topic had jumped to this point, and they couldn't help but look confused: "...I remember, what's wrong?"
Song Yecheng said bluntly: "They didn't actually go abroad. They've already passed away."
The couple's expressions were blank for a moment, and they almost didn't understand the meaning of this. After a long while, Qiu Mingyue keenly realized something: "Is this related to his fainting?"
Song Yecheng nodded.
The reason why he asked the couple to come to his house instead of going to the hospital was actually because he had other considerations - he did intend to explain Jiang Que's condition to them, but he did not intend to tell them everything.
Jiang Que's mental condition could not be concealed, and he had no intention of concealing it. The reason why he chose to use "the death of Jiang Que's adoptive parents" as the entry point was because he was only prepared to reveal the part about the paranoia for the time being.
Yes.
Jiang Que was traumatized by the death of his adoptive parents and developed the delusion that "they were not dead but had gone abroad."
——This is the explanation Song Yecheng gave to the couple.
As for the dual personality, "rebirth" and "prophecy", he did not mention them for the time being. Firstly, it was because those situations were too complicated, and secondly, the existence of the "shadow" was somewhat frightening, and he did not want the couple to have too many associations and worries.
However, what he didn't expect was that just when he said that there might be something wrong with Jiang Que's mental state, but before he could specify what the problem was, the couple's eyes simultaneously revealed a strange look, and they even looked at each other as if to confirm each other.
Song Yecheng originally thought that it was just out of shock, but as he explained, the couple's strange expressions became more and more intense, so that after roughly explaining the situation, Song Yecheng finally couldn't help but ask: "...What's wrong?"
Qiu Mingyue hesitated for a moment, then, as if wanting to confirm something, frowned and asked, "Are you sure...his problems only appeared after his adoptive parents got into trouble?"
This question confused Song Yecheng. He was stunned for a long time before asking blankly, "What do you mean?"
The couple looked at each other again, their eyes filled with worry, as if they were silently discussing something. After a moment, Qiu Mingyue finally turned back and said, "Do you still remember Dean Xu from Ankang Home?"
Song Yecheng didn't know why she suddenly brought this up, but he nodded anyway.
Qiu Mingyue said, "You told us the other day that he didn't relay your call and secretly kept half of Jiang Que's letter. I thought this was very strange, so on my way home that day, I called him to ask about the situation."
After finding out the reason that day, Qiu Mingyue felt quite complicated. After all, that accident caused the two children to miss each other for more than ten years, and she felt bad just thinking about it.
She knew that she would have to tell Song Yecheng about this sooner or later, but she couldn't figure out how to start. She always wanted to find a suitable time, and kept putting it off until today.
Now that she had made the move, she didn't hesitate any longer and told the truth, "Although your father and I didn't agree to let you adopt Jiang Que right away, we knew you weren't joking and that you might actually bring him home in the end. So, we contacted Dean Xu to learn about his situation in advance so we could have a better idea of what to do."
"But then we took you away without taking him with us, and we didn't mention that you would come back. Dean Xu thought we were dissatisfied with Jiang Que's situation and didn't want to adopt him anymore, so we suppressed your contact later."
Song Yecheng was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that the truth of that year would be like this - so simple, yet so cruel.
There is no conspiracy, no calculation.
It's just a misinterpreted "I thought".
But it is precisely such a trivial misunderstanding that makes people feel helpless and powerless, because they cannot even find the source of the blame.
Song Yecheng couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions. However, when he looked up and saw the self-blame that could not be concealed in Qiu Mingyue's eyes, he was left with only heartache. He reached out and rubbed the back of Qiu Mingyue's hand, and comforted her, "It's okay, it's all over. And this is not your fault, don't take it upon yourself."
After that, he paused and asked again: "Why do you suddenly bring this up?"
The truth of the past is certainly important, but this matter can be talked about at any time, but Qiu Mingyue chose to mention it at this time. It is obvious that she must have a reason for mentioning it.
Qiu Mingyue pursed her lips, and as expected, this led to the main point she wanted to say. "When we went to see Dean Xu to inquire about the situation, he saw our intention to adopt, so he gave us a very detailed introduction to Jiang Que's background. What impressed me most was the reason why he was sent to Ankang Home."
Hearing this, Song Yecheng was suddenly surprised to find that he had never explored Jiang Que's experience before entering Ankang House. Perhaps it was because Jiang Que was only a tiny child when he first met him, so he tacitly regarded that as the "beginning."
Hearing Qiu Mingyue's words, he realized that there might be a "wedge" before the "beginning", and hurriedly asked, "What's the reason?"
Qiu Mingyue frowned and said, "Director Xu told us that he was sent to Ankang Home when he was four years old. The reason he became an orphan... was because his mentally ill father killed his mother during an attack and then committed suicide on the spot after regaining consciousness."
Song Yecheng was suddenly stunned.
I didn't expect to hear this kind of answer.
At the same time, he suddenly understood the meaning of Qiu Mingyue's previous question -
"Are you sure...his problems only started after his adoptive parents got into trouble?"
——Jiang Que’s biological father suffers from mental illness, and Jiang Que’s mental condition is also in trouble now. It is hard not to wonder whether there is some connection between the two.
Qiu Mingyue and Song Sheng exchanged worried glances. After a moment, Song Sheng spoke up, "But don't overthink it for now. He's still asleep, right? We can only confirm his diagnosis after he wakes up. What we've said can only be considered clues. Just tell Xiao Zuo so he has an idea. Don't worry too much about anything else. The probability of inheriting mental illness isn't that high, otherwise your mother and I wouldn't have taken it so seriously back then."
Hearing this, Qiu Mingyue nodded in agreement, "Yes, Dean Xu also said at the time that the child was doing very well in Ankang Home. It might be because he was too young when his parents' accident happened, so he has no memory of those events. Not only did he not show any abnormalities, but his IQ was significantly higher than other children his age. He even showed rare artistic talent at such a young age. At that time, an entire bulletin board at Ankang Home was filled with his writings and paintings. Your father and I even went to see it."
Listening to the two people's comforting words, Song Yecheng suddenly felt a little sad.
He intentionally omitted part of Jiang Que's illness because he was afraid that they would take the situation too seriously and develop some fear or prejudice against Jiang Que. But now it seems that they are actually much more open-minded than he thought, and now they even comfort him.
Song Yecheng swallowed the bitter taste in his throat and nodded to indicate that he understood. Then he suddenly remembered something, turned his head and glanced at the corner of the living room, and said, "Can you take Baimao home and raise him for a few days? I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of him during this period."
"Okay," Qiu Mingyue said, "We'll take it back later, so you don't have to worry about it."
After saying that, Qiu Mingyue touched his hair with some concern: "But you have to take care of yourself too. Don't just focus on accompanying him to treat his illness and neglect eating and sleeping. If you end up wearing yourself out, how are two sick people going to take care of each other?"
Qiu Mingyue was obviously trying to lighten the mood, and Song Yecheng smiled faintly in agreement: "I know, don't worry."
After sending Song Sheng and Qiu Mingyue out of the house, Song Yecheng looked at the empty cat bed, not knowing what he was thinking. After a moment, he turned around and went upstairs.
He first went to the master bedroom to find a suitcase and took out a few sets of clothes for Jiang Que. He then went to the fourth floor to get his computer and charger, and put them into the suitcase together with the mobile phone he had left in the study last night. Then he took out another suitcase and put a few of his own clothes and some daily necessities in it.
Yes.
He had no plan to run back and forth between home and the hospital. Since Zuo Jianqing said that hospitalization would not be a matter of one or two days, he was prepared to stay in the hospital permanently.
After packing up these, Song Yecheng went to the guest bedroom.
The guest bedroom was still as messy as it was last night. In front of the open wardrobe on the right were scattered a few pieces of clothing that Jiang Que had accidentally brought out when he was hastily rummaging through things. Next to the clothes was the notebook that had been turned out, still on the page that Jiang Que had read.
Song Yecheng still remembered that after Jiang Que saw the video last night, he hurried to the guest bedroom and took out this notebook, as if he wanted to find some evidence in it.
What would that be?
Why did he look as if he had been poured with cold water after reading it?
Song Yecheng walked over, bent down and picked up the notebook, but before he could take a closer look at the contents on the paper, he caught a glimpse of the scene in the closet when he stood up.
There was an open old wooden box there.
When Jiang Que moved in, he was accompanied by He Jingsheng and Liang Heming. Song Yecheng was not at home and never opened the wardrobe here later, so he never knew that Jiang Que had such a box.
The box was so worn out that it looked like an antique. Song Yecheng walked closer and found that the box was almost full of broken items.
It's all about him.
Those traces of damage and those cursed bloodstains should have been shocking to him as the person involved, but at this moment Song Yecheng only felt heartbroken, because he knew that these were all Ye Ying's masterpieces, and they were all the scars she had cut on Jiang Que.
There were signs of having been flipped around, and a crack was torn on the left edge, which seemed to be where the notebook in his hand came from.
Song Yecheng reached down and rummaged through the box, and saw an old laser pen and some scattered lamp heads at the bottom of the box. He then rummaged into the corner and found a ball of light yellow cat hair.
That was the laser pen he gave to Jiang Que that year, and the fluff left by Huangmao.
Seeing these things, Song Yecheng reacted suddenly.
This box is probably what Jiang Que has been carrying with him since he was still in the small town. It contains his only "property" over the years, and it is also the only thing he is unwilling to give up - even though he can easily throw away the house and savings later, he is still determined to keep these with him.
Song Yecheng's hand slowly brushed over those old things, with a myriad of emotions surging in his heart. After a while, he sighed softly and closed the lid of the box properly.
He bent down and picked up a few pieces of clothing scattered on the floor, put them back in the closet, closed the door, and then sat down on the bed. He finally lowered his head to look at the notebook in his hand.
The notebook unfolded to the page Jiang Que had last turned to last night. Judging from the handwritten date at the top, this should be a diary. The content was only a few words, but it fully revealed Jiang Que's perspective -
January 10, 2020
The sleepiness returned.
It was clearly still the 8th when I lay down, and I had set the alarm, but when I woke up I found that a whole day had already skipped.
Why do I still feel sleepy after sleeping for so long?
I feel dizzy, weak, and my body aches all over, as if I just finished a long day of work instead of sleeping.
Song Yecheng read it word by word, and soon remembered what Jiang Que had said when he confessed his "rebirth" to him:
"...After waking up, there were no scars on my body, and no obvious changes, except for the occasional drowsiness..."
Drowsiness.
From Jiang Que's perspective, he slept from the 8th to the 10th, which did seem like a symptom of sleepiness. But from Song Yecheng's perspective, the truth was clear:
The so-called "skipped" day was not due to sleep, but because of the switch of personality. As for the physical fatigue, it should be caused by the "shadow" going out.
At the same time, combined with the contents of the diary, Song Yecheng quickly understood the origin of Jiang Que's series of reactions last night -
After seeing the video, he was eager to prove that he had not been to the crew on the 9th, so he thought of the diary and wanted to find evidence in the diary that he was doing other things that day.
However, when he opened the diary, not only did he fail to find the record for No. 9, he also learned from the diary for No. 10 that he had spent that day in a dream.
He was probably stunned at that moment, and he might have realized some possibilities, such as sleepwalking or amnesia.
But no matter which one it was, it meant that he might have really been to the crew that day, but he had no memory of it. That's why he showed such an unbelievable look and fell into great shock and panic.
Song Yecheng was still pondering, and after a moment, he flipped forward in the diary in his hand.
According to their previous analysis at the hospital, the "prophecy" was caused by the impression left by the "shadow", so the "shadow" should have appeared more than once.
Sure enough, the contents of the diary did confirm this - going back from January 10th of this year to November 15th of last year when Jiang Que first mentioned "rebirth" in his diary, he had experienced that kind of "sleepiness" more than once during this period, and the time points when these situations occurred were, without exception, before those "prophecies" were released.
Zuo Jianqing's inference should be about 80% correct.
Song Yecheng thought.
The diary has now been turned to the page of November 15, 2019, but this is not the beginning of the entire diary. There is a thick stack before that page.
At this moment, a question suddenly flashed through Song Yecheng's mind: If Jiang Que has always had the habit of writing a diary, then when he saw the previous diary, wouldn't he discover the fact that his adoptive parents had passed away?
With this doubt, Song Yecheng turned another page, but when he saw the date on that page clearly, this doubt suddenly dissipated -
November 8, 2018.
This diary entry was written a full year after the next one.
Song Yecheng thought about it for a moment and soon figured out the reason for this blank period - when Jiang Que hurried back to Su City, it was impossible for him to have the mind to bring the diary with him. After he returned to Su City, he first experienced Jiang Di's death and was trapped by Ye Ying for a whole year. During that period, he never came back, so naturally he could not leave any traces in this diary.
If you think about it carefully, this missing part may have indirectly provided an opportunity for his paranoia, because if there was no missing part, if he had mentioned any event of that year in his diary, it might be possible that when he looked through it later, it would reveal the fact that his adoptive parents did not go abroad, but had passed away.
Song Yecheng sorted out his thoughts, but did not continue to turn the pages of the diary.
After all, whether from He Jingsheng's recollections or Jiang Que's description of his "rebirth," all of his abnormal behavior appeared after his adoptive parents' death. Therefore, unless Jiang Que woke up and further diagnosed him and found that there was still a need to review the diaries before the two accidents, he would not read them without permission.
Thinking about this, Song Yecheng closed the notebook and planned to take it to the hospital first.
However, just as he stood up, his hand accidentally slipped and the notebook fell to the ground with a "bang".
The spine of the book hit the ground first, and the upright pages were shaken and spread out to a blank page near the back cover.
Song Yecheng didn't think much about it, bent down to pick it up, and was about to close it again, but unexpectedly, when his thumb accidentally touched the paper, his movement suddenly paused slightly.
The next second, he flattened the notebook again and rubbed it carefully with his fingertips, only then was he sure that it was not his illusion.
There were clearly only printed horizontal lines on the paper, but the blank spaces between the lines felt uneven, as if words had been written on them.
Could it be that it was printed over when I was writing the previous page?
Song Yecheng turned the page forward, but found that the page was also blank, without any writing at all.
Logically speaking, this is actually nothing to be surprised about. It might just be that Jiang Que used it as a pad when writing something on other paper, so some marks were left.
But for some reason, Song Yecheng at this moment inexplicably felt that this was not the case. It was as if some kind of premonition in the dark led him to pick up the notebook and hold it flat in front of his eyes, facing the light and observing it from the side.
After this observation, he was soon surprised to find that those marks were indeed the marks of words, but the depressions were very deep. They did not look like the marks caused by writing on a pad, but rather like... words written with a pen without ink.
Song Yecheng's mind moved slightly, and he immediately took the notebook and turned to go to the study. He pulled out a pencil from the pen holder on the table, leaned over the table, and began to smear along the mark.
A few minutes later.
The entire sheet of paper was covered in lead dust.
Song Yecheng finally stood up and looked at the large handwriting in the lead gray. After reading only three or two lines, he was stunned and stood there -
It turned out to be a letter.
A letter from the "shadow".
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