Illustration by Nigaria
“Ok, I got it! I’ll tell you everything I know. But you have to promise me, you will stay calm.”
“I will stay calm, I promise.”
Liu Shang: “Actually, I also don’t know much about what happened that year. Somehow, the back of the mountain suddenly caught fire one day. Luckily, its intensity wasn’t that big and it was quickly put out. But at that time, you went missing and couldn’t be found anywhere.”
“The villagers found you at the side of the altar on the hilltop. You were covered in injuries, and blood was flowing from head to toe. Aunt nearly fainted from fright, but she quickly carried you to the hospital. While Ling… he… when we arrived, he was nowhere to be found.”
“The next day, the mayor gathered everyone in the village to issue a command. That was, forbidding anyone from mentioning him to you. At first I did not understand why, until a month later when I was finally able to see you again. I found out then that you had actually lost almost all memories of Ling.”
“Wait a minute, did you say one month?!” asked Yi Xun.
Liu Shang: “Yes ah, is there any problem?”
How was it possible?!
He was unconscious for a whole month?!
“Yi Xun,” Liu Shang looked at him and continued: “You said, Ling was very important. However, let me ask you this: for you, inside your heart, what kind of person was Ling?”
“A very important……. friend?” Yi Xun replied uncertainly.
“Friend?” Liu Shang mockingly repeated the word, “Yi Xun, don’t blame me for saying something unpleasant. At that time, your relationship with Ling in the village was very good. But after that event, you yourself said that you had forgotten about things and you really forgot everything at once. Really truly heartless ah!”
After he was done saying these words, Liu Shang was regretful: “I’m sorry, perhaps today I’ve drank too much. But why don’t you think it over carefully, in the end, what did Ling mean to you?”
“Once you have figured things out, go and find Uncle Ding. At that time, he was the police officer in charge of the case concerning Ling. You can find out what happened at that time from him. But the final result certainly wasn’t something you are willing to know.”
Yi Xun: “I got it. Thank you, Liu Shang.”
“What are you thanking me for. We are good brothers, the kind that lasts for a lifetime. Oh, that’s right, I still need to deliver wines for the mayor. I can’t keep chatting with you now. If there’s time, I’ll get in touch with you again.”
“Ok.”
After Liu Shang left, Yi Xun looked at the letter in his hand, a trace of loss flashing across his eyes.
That’s right ah, for what reason did he want to know what happened that year?
Was it because Ling was waiting for him?
At that unknown “the closest place to God” place waiting for him?
However, even if he found out.
What was the point of him going there?
Ten years had already passed ah!
This period of ten years, to say that it was long, it wasn’t that long. But to say that it was short, it also wasn’t that short either. But it was enough to make the originally bosom buddy become a stranger.
However, in the end, who was Ling to him?
“Ah Xun, tomorrow I will wait for you here, you must not arrive late.”
“Don’t worry la, I definitely won’t. I promise.”
That’s right.
Ling was still waiting for him.
Regardless of what Ling meant to him.
Regardless of how much time had diluted the affections between them.
But,
At this very moment.
He wanted to look for him.
He wanted to find him!
To fulfill that last agreement they had made.
Once he found him, all the questions would be answered.
After figuring everything out, Yi Xun’s eyes turned firm. Taking big strides, he walked towards the west side of the small village.
Illustration by Nigaria
“Ok, I got it! I’ll tell you everything I know. But you have to promise me, you will stay calm.”
“I will stay calm, I promise.”
Liu Shang: “Actually, I also don’t know much about what happened that year. Somehow, the back of the mountain suddenly caught fire one day. Luckily, its intensity wasn’t that big and it was quickly put out. But at that time, you went missing and couldn’t be found anywhere.”
“The villagers found you at the side of the altar on the hilltop. You were covered in injuries, and blood was flowing from head to toe. Aunt nearly fainted from fright, but she quickly carried you to the hospital. While Ling… he… when we arrived, he was nowhere to be found.”
“The next day, the mayor gathered everyone in the village to issue a command. That was, forbidding anyone from mentioning him to you. At first I did not understand why, until a month later when I was finally able to see you again. I found out then that you had actually lost almost all memories of Ling.”
“Wait a minute, did you say one month?!” asked Yi Xun.
Liu Shang: “Yes ah, is there any problem?”
How was it possible?!
He was unconscious for a whole month?!
“Yi Xun,” Liu Shang looked at him and continued: “You said, Ling was very important. However, let me ask you this: for you, inside your heart, what kind of person was Ling?”
“A very important……. friend?” Yi Xun replied uncertainly.
“Friend?” Liu Shang mockingly repeated the word, “Yi Xun, don’t blame me for saying something unpleasant. At that time, your relationship with Ling in the village was very good. But after that event, you yourself said that you had forgotten about things and you really forgot everything at once. Really truly heartless ah!”
After he was done saying these words, Liu Shang was regretful: “I’m sorry, perhaps today I’ve drank too much. But why don’t you think it over carefully, in the end, what did Ling mean to you?”
“Once you have figured things out, go and find Uncle Ding. At that time, he was the police officer in charge of the case concerning Ling. You can find out what happened at that time from him. But the final result certainly wasn’t something you are willing to know.”
Yi Xun: “I got it. Thank you, Liu Shang.”
“What are you thanking me for. We are good brothers, the kind that lasts for a lifetime. Oh, that’s right, I still need to deliver wines for the mayor. I can’t keep chatting with you now. If there’s time, I’ll get in touch with you again.”
“Ok.”
After Liu Shang left, Yi Xun looked at the letter in his hand, a trace of loss flashing across his eyes.
That’s right ah, for what reason did he want to know what happened that year?
Was it because Ling was waiting for him?
At that unknown “the closest place to God” place waiting for him?
However, even if he found out.
What was the point of him going there?
Ten years had already passed ah!
This period of ten years, to say that it was long, it wasn’t that long. But to say that it was short, it also wasn’t that short either. But it was enough to make the originally bosom buddy become a stranger.
However, in the end, who was Ling to him?
“Ah Xun, tomorrow I will wait for you here, you must not arrive late.”
“Don’t worry la, I definitely won’t. I promise.”
That’s right.
Ling was still waiting for him.
Regardless of what Ling meant to him.
Regardless of how much time had diluted the affections between them.
But,
At this very moment.
He wanted to look for him.
He wanted to find him!
To fulfill that last agreement they had made.
Once he found him, all the questions would be answered.
After figuring everything out, Yi Xun’s eyes turned firm. Taking big strides, he walked towards the west side of the small village.
