CTS 44

The man paused for a moment, then said, “I’m not Zhou Yang.”

Shen Mo blinked and looked at him carefully. “If you’re not Zhou Yang, then who are you?”

As he spoke, he pulled the man into the room.

The place hadn’t been cleaned in days. It was filthy and messy everywhere. Shen Mo rushed about, trying to tidy up, and finally cleared a small space where someone could sit. “You said you’d only be gone for a few days. Why did it take you so long to come back?”

But where had he gone? How long had it been since he left? Shen Mo couldn’t recall anymore.

The man didn’t sit down. He folded his arms and studied Shen Mo, then repeated, “I’m not Zhou Yang.”

He pulled a wristwatch from his pocket and said, “Someone found this in that old warehouse. I figured it might be yours, so I brought it over.”

Shen Mo recognized the watch immediately. It was a gift from Zhou Yang. He quickly took it and put it back on. Still, he couldn’t remember when he had lost it. Just thinking about it made his right hand ache faintly.

He didn’t want to think any further. Noticing the bread he had just opened on the table, he picked it up and offered it. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let’s eat together.”

The moment the man saw the bread, his face changed. He grabbed Shen Mo’s wrist. “You’re eating moldy, spoiled food?”

The grip on his wrist hurt. Shen Mo flinched involuntarily, and it hit him that Zhou Yang never liked eating things like that. “I think there’s still some vegetables in the fridge. I’ll make you a bowl of noodles.”

He pulled free and headed toward the kitchen, but after just a couple of steps, the room spun. He stumbled, almost falling, but the man moved quickly and caught his arm in time.

Shen Mo felt a bit embarrassed. “Maybe I stayed up too late last night.”

Again, in a quiet voice, he said, “Zhou Yang…”

This time, the man didn’t correct him. He only said, “If I hadn’t come today, you’d probably have starved to death in that room. You’d end up on the news in a few days.”

But he still had bread to eat.

That was what Shen Mo thought, though he didn’t get the chance to argue. The man was already pulling him out the door. He was incredibly strong, and Shen Mo couldn’t break free, so he had no choice but to follow.

He was brought into a car. A man who looked like an assistant soon returned with a steaming hot bowl of porridge. Shen Mo was watched closely and made to finish the whole bowl.

Something felt strange to him. The sunlight was so bright, yet for some reason, everyone’s face looked blurry and unclear. Everyone except “Zhou Yang.” Even in a crowd, he could recognize him at a glance.

That was the person he had loved with all his heart.

Thinking of that, Shen Mo felt something in his chest melt into softness.

After finishing the porridge, Shen Mo was taken to the hospital. A doctor with the same indistinct face asked him several questions. Some were easy to answer, while others left him confused and uncertain. After the questions, he was brought in for a few medical checks. The man discussed his condition with the doctor, and in the end, they went home with a large bag of prescribed medication.

Shen Mo fiddled with the pill bottles and said, “I’m not sick.”

The man glanced at him from the corner of his eye and said calmly, “Take the medicine.”

For some reason, Shen Mo didn’t dare disobey him. He obediently poured himself a glass of water and took the pills. The man didn’t stay even a moment longer. As soon as Shen Mo finished taking the medicine, he opened the door and prepared to leave.

Shen Mo rushed after him and asked, “Zhou Yang, where are you going?”

The man paused mid-step, turned around, and locked eyes with Shen Mo. “I just happened to be passing by today. I won’t be coming again.”

Shen Mo stood there, stunned.

The man seemed to hesitate for a moment. Slowly, he reached out his hand, his palm moving toward Shen Mo’s cheek but stopping just short of touching it. Word by word, he said, “Zhou Yang isn’t coming back either. Whether you want to keep running away or wake up and face reality, that’s up to you.”

He withdrew his hand and turned to leave.

Shen Mo chased him all the way downstairs, watching helplessly as the man got into a car. He couldn’t catch up. He didn’t understand what had just happened. Why was Zhou Yang leaving? Weren’t they close?

His right hand started to hurt again.

Shen Mo quickly clutched it with his other hand.

The clear sky from the afternoon was gone. By evening, rain began to fall again in a soft drizzle. Shen Mo didn’t go back to the rental room. He just stood in the corridor downstairs, feeling hollow inside, not knowing what he was thinking.

Though the rain wasn’t heavy, it soaked through his clothes quickly. Shen Mo hunched his shoulders but stubbornly refused to move.

He didn’t sleep that night. Just before dawn, he slumped down against the wall. Early commuters began to pass by one after another, glancing at him as though he were insane.

Even Shen Mo began to wonder if he really had lost his mind.

The sky stayed gloomy all day. The rain wasn’t strong, but it fell without end. Shen Mo’s hair was completely soaked, water dripping steadily down, but he no longer felt cold. He didn’t even know what he was waiting for. He was simply waiting with all his heart.

In the afternoon, a car pulled up and stopped on the other side of the corridor. Shen Mo looked up briefly, then lowered his head again.

Near dusk, the rain suddenly became heavier. The small eaves above his head were no longer enough to keep him dry. Still, he didn’t move. He didn’t even think about standing up.

The car remained parked across the street, motionless.

When the sky was fully dark, the car door finally opened.

A man stepped out.

Shen Mo watched as he walked closer, holding an umbrella. He could almost hear the sound of his own heartbeat.

The man finally stopped in front of him, saying nothing, just silently staring at him.

Shen Mo stood up and threw his arms around him, sobbing, “Zhou Yang.”

The man’s body stiffened slightly. After a long, long moment, he let out a sigh and gently returned the embrace.