I lost my memory.

I remembered everyone except him.

He stared at me with a cold expression.

“What am I to you?”

I cautiously guessed, “My boyfriend?”

Those two words instantly made the handsome guy’s eyes turn red.

“Boyfriend, my ass! I’m your son!”

I immediately got annoyed.

Fine, just tell me you’re my son. Why the hell did you have to swear at me?

One second, I was sleeping peacefully at home.

The next, I opened my eyes and found myself lying in a hospital bed.

A doctor was carefully examining me.

Behind them stood an incredibly handsome young man with sharp, well-defined features, staring at me expressionlessly.

I looked at him.

He looked at me.

I stopped looking at him.

He kept looking at me.

Whose family member was this?

I glanced left and right.

Wait.

This was a private room.

Was he here for me?

But…

I didn’t know him!

A sudden chill ran down my spine.

This was a hospital, after all.

Hospitals were exactly the kind of places where ghost stories, sleep paralysis, and all sorts of supernatural nonsense supposedly happened.

And looking at the gloomy expression on this handsome guy’s face, I could practically feel my scalp tingling.

“Ms. Jiang, what’s wrong?”

Under the doctor’s puzzled gaze, I shakily raised one hand.

“There’s someone standing behind you. Can… can you doctors see him?”

The entire room fell dead silent.

“…Ms. Jiang, we’re not blind!”

The handsome guy looked like he was about to explode.

“Jiang Sheng, what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Oh.

He was human?

And we knew each other?

I immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Good, good, good.

As long as he wasn’t a ghost!

“Who are you?” I asked.

The handsome guy’s eyes widened, his gaze trembling.

“You’re asking me who I am?

“Then tell me. What am I to you?”

That expression.

That tone.

For some reason, they made me feel like I was some heartless scumbag who’d abandoned him after getting what I wanted.

I cautiously guessed, “My boyfriend?”

The handsome guy’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

“Jiang Sheng, are you an idiot? Boyfriend, my ass! I’m your son!”

That was incredibly rude.

I immediately snapped back, “And I’m your father!”

The handsome guy rolled his eyes so hard that he looked like he was about to faint.

He kicked the door open.

“Fuck this. I’m done dealing with you!”

Then he stormed out.

The doctor beside me cautiously said, “Ms. Jiang… he really is your son.”

“No way!”

I raised my voice.

“I’m a beautiful young woman in the prime of my eighteen-year-old youth! Where the hell would I get a son that big?”

“Twenty-nine?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Eighteen. Twenty-nine what? I said eighteen.”

How could he not understand something so simple?

Besides, with a gorgeous face like mine, how could he possibly have the heart to suggest I was twenty-nine?

“But…”

“Hm?”

“Ms. Jiang, you’re already… thirty-four years old.”

Horrifying.

I’d gone to sleep and woken up sixteen years older, with a rebellious teenage son thrown into the bargain.

And to make things worse, I’d completely forgotten him.

The heartbreak was comparable to spending your entire fortune on a piece of meat, only for a dog to snatch it away.

“At least I still have this face. Who would’ve thought I’d still be this gorgeous at thirty-four?”

I cupped my face in my hands, completely mesmerized by myself.

Perfect.

Wasn’t this exactly the delicate, elegant beauty of a pampered young lady?

Tang Tang gave me a dramatic sideways glance.

“Looks like you really did lose your memory.”

“Why?”

“Because your current image is that of an arrogant, sharp-tongued queen, not some innocent little princess.”

I glared at her.

“You’re the innocent little princess.”

Tang Tang tossed her wavy curls over one shoulder.

“This queen is a devastating femme fatale capable of bringing nations to ruin.”

“…Ugh.”

But then something occurred to me.

“Wasn’t your childhood dream to get into Peking University? How did you suddenly become a celebrity?”

Tang Tang shrugged.

“The boat of dreams, you know. Sometimes it just capsizes whenever it feels like it.”

“Besides, I’m riding the waves smoothly now. Practically walking on water.”

I blinked.

“Riding the waves smoothly? What does that mean?”

Tang Tang froze for several seconds.

“Kids shouldn’t ask about things they don’t understand.”

I immediately got angry.

“I’m thirty-four!”

Tang Tang laughed.

“So now you’re admitting you’re not eighteen?”

To be honest, it was still difficult to accept.

My last memory was clearly from when I was eighteen.

I’d just finished the college entrance examination and was lying in bed sleeping in.

“I really have a son?”

“One hundred percent genuine. Ten times your money back if he’s fake!”

Remembering the handsome guy who’d looked ready to destroy the entire planet, I hurriedly shook my head.

“No, no, no. One is exhausting enough!”

“How old is he?” I asked.

Tang Tang answered, “Fifteen.”

Even though I’d mentally prepared myself, I still sucked in a sharp breath.

“He’s fifteen and I’m thirty-four. Doesn’t that mean I gave birth to him when I was nineteen? Was I seriously that rebellious?”

Tang Tang nodded solemnly.

“Extremely rebellious.”

“Didn’t my parents stop me?”

Tang Tang suddenly looked hesitant.

My heart sank.

My eyes immediately began to sting.

“My parents… they…”

“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t start imagining things.”

Tang Tang hurriedly interrupted me.

“Your parents are alive and perfectly healthy! It’s just that back then, you insisted on dropping out of school to have the baby, so they cut ties with you. Neither side has contacted the other in years.”

“Oh.”

I couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

No wonder when I’d pulled out my phone looking for someone to help me, I’d instinctively resisted calling them.

Tang Tang asked, “Anything else you want to know?”

I hesitated.

“Then… what about my husband? Who is he? Is he handsome? Do we have a good relationship?”

That was the question I cared about most!

But Tang Tang answered:

“No idea.”

My head filled with question marks.

“No idea? How can you not know? He’s my husband! My son’s father! It’s not like I reproduced asexually!”

Tang Tang shrugged.

“Then you’ll have to ask yourself. Your parents strongly opposed you back then, and one of the biggest reasons was that you absolutely refused to tell anyone who the father was.”

“…Even you don’t know?”

Tang Tang and I had grown up together.

We told each other everything.

She was my closest friend.

No matter what secrets I kept from everyone else, I’d never hidden anything from her.

Yet she shook her head.

I stared blankly.

Damn.

Had I really gone that hard?

“Want to know who your son’s father is?”

I nodded.

“Then think carefully. You got pregnant during the summer vacation after graduating from high school, so it could only have been someone close to you around that time.”

My eyes immediately lit up.

“Now you’ve got my attention!”

I was just about to mentally line up all my old crushes and investigate them one by one when the handsome guy returned.

When he saw Tang Tang, he obediently greeted her.

“Aunt Tang.”

Then he looked at me, and his entire face became irritated.

“Eat.”

I immediately got annoyed.

“Show some respect. Call me Mom!”

He sneered.

“Didn’t you say you were my father?”

Fine, fine.

I wasn’t going to argue with a child.

Even if I was only eighteen mentally, I was still older than him.

“Son, what’s your name again?”

He rolled his eyes.

“Listen to what you just said and tell me whether that sounds normal.”

I rolled my eyes right back at him.

Then I turned to Tang Tang.

“What’s my son’s name?”

“Jiang Ye.”

I raised two fingers in a V sign.

“Ye?”

Tang Tang stared at me.

“…You’re thirty-four. Stop trying to act cute.”

Jiang Ye stared at me too.

“…You really lost your memory?”

I shrugged.

“What else? You think it’s April Fools’ Day and I’m messing with my own son?”

Jiang Ye frowned.

“How did you suddenly lose your memory?”

Tang Tang immediately chimed in.

“Exactly! I’ve been wanting to ask you that this whole time!”

I paused for a moment.

“The doctor said I fell and hit my head.”

Jiang Ye took a deep breath.

“You tripped over your own feet this morning, fell face-first, and smacked your head against the sofa. You’re telling me that made you lose your memory?”

I looked completely innocent.

“What am I supposed to do about it? I really did lose my memory!”

“When did the doctor say you’ll recover?”

I shook my head.

“He said it depends on my luck.”

Jiang Ye stared at me expressionlessly.

His gaze made my scalp tingle.

“Fine, fine. I don’t completely understand it either, okay? It doesn’t really affect anything anyway. Maybe one day something will shock me and all my memories will suddenly come back.”

Tang Tang wanted me to stay in the hospital for a few more days.

Jiang Ye didn’t seem to care either way.

But I wanted to go home as soon as possible.

In the end, Tang Tang couldn’t withstand my relentless begging and whining, so she drove the two of us home.

Before we parted, I asked her:

“Have Jiang Ye and I always had such a terrible relationship?”

Tang Tang nodded.

“Why?”

I’d gone against everyone to give birth to this child.

How could there be so little affection between us?

“This situation can basically be summarized by one song.”

Tang Tang immediately started singing.

“Mommy, Mommy, please put down your phone. How long has it been since you played games with me?”

I stood in the wind, staring blankly as her taillights gradually disappeared into the distance.

What kind of messed-up song was that?!

When I arrived home, I was stunned all over again.

This duplex apartment was more than two hundred square meters.

Was I seriously this rich?

So…

I was a wealthy woman now?

I grabbed Jiang Ye just as he was about to head upstairs.

“Did Mom buy this place?”

Jiang Ye irritably yanked his arm away.

“If you want to talk, then talk. Why do you keep grabbing me?”

Oh?

My temper immediately flared.

I hugged his arm tightly against my chest.

“Come on, come on. Try pulling away again. Let’s see whether you’re stronger or your mother is.”

Jiang Ye looked me up and down.

“How old are you? Aren’t you being a little childish?”

I fell silent.

This house was unlivable.

I was running away from home!

Jiang Ye must’ve been born specifically to contradict me.

If he didn’t talk back, apparently he couldn’t survive.

The fact that he’d managed to grow up safely to this age was entirely thanks to my mercy and accumulated virtue.

Still, he did reveal some useful information.

According to Jiang Ye, I was simultaneously a relocation-property beneficiary, a landlord, and a beauty blogger.

Apparently, many years ago, I’d bought several properties.

By some absurd stroke of luck, nearly every place I bought was eventually slated for redevelopment, allowing me to accumulate my first real fortune.

After that, I’d become addicted to buying real estate.

Now I owned several properties and lived comfortably off the rent I collected every month.

In my spare time, I also filmed short makeup tutorial videos.

I glanced at the social media profile he’d pulled up for me.

Holy crap.

More than a million followers!

But that raised an important question.

“Where did I get the money to buy my first property?”

Jiang Ye stared at me.

“You’re asking me? I was still an embryo back then!”

I scratched my head awkwardly.

Right.

That did make sense.

“Could it have been your father…”

Jiang Ye suddenly shot to his feet.

His voice turned cold.

“I don’t have a father.”

God.

What a headache!

I hadn’t even had time to enjoy being a young woman, and now I’d suddenly become somebody’s mother.

I genuinely had no idea what I was supposed to do!

Jiang Ye obviously didn’t have a good relationship with his mother—meaning me.

On top of that, he was quick-tempered and easily irritated. The slightest disagreement could make him explode.

Although I was technically thirty-four, mentally speaking, I’d only just made it through adolescence myself.

So I actually understood pretty well what might have shaped his personality.

Put simply, it was like this:

I wanted to eat a pear, but you kept forcing me to eat an apple.

Not only did you force me to eat it, you also demanded that I show no negative emotions and smile while doing so.

That kind of psychological resistance would naturally trigger a person’s defensive instincts.

So what should I do in a situation like this?

There were two options.

First, take the gentle approach.

As long as I had enough patience, even an iron rod could eventually be ground into a needle.

Second, confront him head-on.

Either the east wind crushed the west wind, or the west wind crushed the east wind.

Which one should I choose?

I’d think about it tomorrow.

For now, sleep came first.

Eighteen-year-old Jiang Sheng needed to preserve the energy of her thirty-four-year-old body.

Reality proved that being a biological mother was anything but easy.

Wanting to surprise my newly acquired precious son, I deliberately woke up early and planned to fry him an egg and cook him a bowl of noodles.

Maybe I could salvage our mother-son relationship, which was currently thinner than a dragonfly’s wing.

The result?

The egg burned black.

The noodles turned into mush.

Jiang Ye frowned.

I couldn’t tell whether he was disgusted by the food in front of him or by me.

I immediately offered him a hundred-yuan bill with both hands.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, would you kindly grace the breakfast shop downstairs with your presence?”

Jiang Ye snorted and walked out.

When he noticed me following behind him, he turned around.

“What are you doing?”

I looked aggrieved.

“Mom’s hungry too!”

At the breakfast shop, Jiang Ye ordered several things he liked before asking me:

“What are you eating?”

“The same thing I usually have.”

Jiang Ye stared at me coldly.

“You never used to eat breakfast.”

Well.

That was embarrassing.

I immediately promised:

“From now on, Mom will eat breakfast with you every day.”

Jiang Ye exploded again.

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Right, right, right. Nothing to do with you. It’s me. Mom has decided to repent and become a new woman.”

Although Jiang Ye’s mouth insisted he didn’t care, his body was surprisingly honest.

The entire breakfast passed in unbelievable peace.

After breakfast, he went to school.

I went home to sleep some more.

Waking up and realizing I didn’t have to go to school anymore…

What an incredible feeling!

Unfortunately, before I could enjoy my sleep properly, I received a call from the school.

“Are you Jiang Ye’s parent? He got into a fight at school and injured another student. Please come to the school immediately.”

I froze.

Jiang Ye?

Fighting?

Parent?

What the hell did that have to do with me?

Oh.

Right.

I was thirty-four now.

And I had a son named Jiang Ye.

My competitive spirit instantly ignited.

But when the taxi driver asked, “Where to?” I immediately blanked.

Right.

What school did my son even attend?

With no other choice, I called Tang Tang.

“Sweetheart, what school does my son go to? And what class is he in?”

The moment I finished asking, I could clearly feel the taxi driver’s judgmental gaze.

There I sat.

Small.

Helpless.

And deeply wronged.

Tang Tang told me that Jiang Ye attended Guanghua International School.

“My son’s amazing!”

“…Shut up!”

Tang Tang snapped irritably.

“He wanted to attend No. 1 High School. You’re the one who forced him into Guanghua. The two of you had a massive fight over it back then.”

No. 1 High School?

That was my old school!

“Why did I do that?”

“You said you wanted to prepare him to study abroad.”

“I feel like there’s going to be a plot twist here.”

Tang Tang sneered.

“Jiang Ye doesn’t want to study abroad at all!”

Tang Tang warned me to behave myself so the mother and son wouldn’t end up trying to kill each other again.

I was speechless.

Had I really become that controlling after turning into a parent?

Alas.

In the end, we really do become the very kind of people we once hated.

How tragic.

How lamentable!

I rushed to the school as quickly as possible and stormed straight into the teachers’ office.

Jiang Ye stood off to one side with a gloomy expression.

When he saw me arrive, his only reaction was to raise his eyelids slightly.

Besides him, there were three tall boys with bruised and battered faces and one teacher whose expression looked terrible.

Oh.

One versus three.

And my son had absolutely crushed them.

Amazing!

I couldn’t resist secretly giving him a thumbs-up behind my back.

“Jiang Ye’s mother, Jiang Ye went far too far this time. Look at what he did to these students. Since something this serious happened, the school will definitely deal with him severely!”

“No rush, no rush.”

I waved my hand.

“Let’s establish exactly what happened first. Was my son acting in legitimate self-defense, or was this a mutual fight?”

The teacher’s eyes widened.

“Legitimate self-defense? Mutual fight? Mrs. Jiang, look carefully. Jiang Ye was the one who beat them up, and look at the state they’re in!”

I nodded.

“So…

excessive self-defense?”

The teacher looked like her blood pressure was about to shoot through the roof.

I hurriedly explained:

“Teacher, let’s be straightforward here. There were three of them and only one Jiang Ye. Obviously, they started trouble and got beaten instead. If they’re bad at fighting, they can’t blame society for it!”

“Pfft!”

Jiang Ye burst out laughing.

The other boys immediately panicked and started shouting over one another that Jiang Ye had attacked first.

I turned toward Jiang Ye.

He immediately put on an expression that made him look like a completely uninvolved bystander.

Fine.

Looks like I still had to handle this myself!

“Where’s the evidence?” I asked.

They pointed at the injuries on their faces.

“This is the evidence!”

I was speechless.

“That only proves the three of you suck at fighting.”

The teacher finally couldn’t take it anymore.

“Jiang Ye’s mother, please stop being unreasonable!”

What kind of accusation was that?

I was clearly reasoning with them perfectly well!

“Then let’s call the police!”

The teacher stared at me.

What?

“Jiang Ye’s mother, what exactly are you trying to do?”

I blinked innocently.

“We can’t agree on what happened, can we? When there’s a dispute we can’t resolve, we call the police. Isn’t that what our teachers taught us when we were children?”

“Jiang Ye beat them up! He injured them this badly! Even if they provoked him first, there was no need for him to hit them so hard!”

I nodded.

“You’re right about that. Jiang Ye really was wrong. How could he hit them that hard?”

I turned toward him.

“Jiang Ye, come here. Apologize!”

Jiang Ye reluctantly walked over.

Under my coercive gaze, he delivered the most arrogant apology imaginable.

Judging from his tone and attitude, it didn’t sound like he’d said, “I’m sorry.”

It sounded more like:

“Go fuck yourselves.”

While everyone was still stunned, I quickly pressed my advantage.

“About this incident—both sides were at fault. But just as the teacher said, Jiang Ye did go a little too far, so we admit our mistake and apologize. At the same time, I hope you boys won’t deliberately make trouble for our Jiang Ye again. All right?”

Following the sacred principle that harmony was the most precious thing, the matter was successfully resolved.

Finally, using the excuse that I needed to take Jiang Ye home so he could reflect on his behavior, I dragged him out of the school.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

Jiang Ye snorted. “Aren’t you afraid they’ll actually call the police?”

“Let them. At worst, what you guys did would be classified as a mutual fight. The worst-case scenario is a fine. And if we’re getting fined anyway, we might as well piss them off while we’re at it, right?”

I confidently patted my chest.

“Relax. Mom did her research before coming here. When it comes to school bullying, you absolutely can’t just roll over and take it.”

Jiang Ye was speechless.

“Are you sure I’m not the one bullying them?”

“I went to high school too, you know. You think I can’t recognize these little tricks?”

“Right. I forgot. You’re eighteen now.”

He sounded like he was mocking me.

I shoved him into a taxi.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“To have fun!” I said excitedly. “When I was in school, I always wished that whenever my parents got called in, they’d take me out to have fun afterward. Who would’ve thought I’d end up fulfilling that dream myself?”

Jiang Ye looked at me.

“You got your parents called to school when you were a student too?”

Oops.

I seemed to have accidentally exposed myself.

“Uh… Anyway, taxis are so inconvenient. Wait, do I know how to drive?”

Jiang Ye rolled his eyes.

“Dream on. Even if you do, you’re not allowed to drive right now. Don’t forget your brain is only eighteen years old.”

I got annoyed.

“You are not allowed to disrespect your honorable mother like that.”

“Then, my most honorable and beloved mother, may I ask where exactly we’re going?”

That question stopped me cold.

In my memories, the only places to have fun were the park and the skating rink.

Jiang Ye looked bewildered.

“Never heard of it. Don’t know it. Not going.”

In the end, Jiang Ye stepped up as the responsible one and took me to an arcade.

The moment I walked inside, I was completely captivated.

I was like a wild horse freed from its reins.

There was no stopping me.

Jiang Ye looked utterly speechless.

“Are you taking me out to have fun, or am I taking you?”

“What kind of question is that? Can’t a mother and son have fun together?”

Jiang Ye sneered.

“The age gap is too big. There’s a generation gap.”

I fell silent.

What an ungrateful brat!

But he was obviously all bark and no bite.

When we played basketball machines, claw machines, and dance games together, he didn’t look reluctant in the slightest.

By the end, my eighteen-year-old heart was still burning with fighting spirit, but my thirty-four-year-old body had officially gone on strike.

“I’m exhausted, exhausted, exhausted!”

“Weak. Useless.”

Jiang Ye’s mouth showed no mercy, but his hands twisted open a bottle of water and handed it to me.

I didn’t bother exposing his hypocrisy.

I calmly accepted his service.

After leaving the arcade, we went out for hot pot together.

When we got home, I asked him:

“I’m in a good mood today. Any wishes? Mom will make one come true!”

Jiang Ye frowned at me.

After a long silence, he said:

“I want to transfer schools.”

Transfer schools?

I looked at him in surprise.

Then I remembered what Tang Tang had told me.

It seemed being forced to attend Guanghua really had been bothering him all this time.

Seeing me remain silent, Jiang Ye’s expression darkened.

Just as he was about to head upstairs, I said:

“Okay. We’ll transfer.”

Jiang Ye whipped his head around.

“Seriously?”

I nodded.

“Of course.”

“Which school do you want to transfer to?”

Jiang Ye pressed again.

“You mean it?”

I nodded solemnly.

“Absolutely.”

His expression turned cold.

“Then why did you spend so much money forcing me into Guanghua in the first place?”

I had amnesia!

How the hell was I supposed to know why?

This child really wasn’t cute at all.

“Fine, fine. Mom was wrong, okay? So, Young Master, which school do you want to transfer to?”

This time, Jiang Ye didn’t hesitate at all.

“No. 1 High School!”

I grinned mischievously.

“Wow, such deep affection. Is there some pretty girl waiting for you there?”

Jiang Ye sneered.

“You think everyone’s like you?”

The moment he finished speaking, both of us fell silent.

Jiang Ye’s expression became complicated.

He clearly realized he’d said something he shouldn’t have, but he was too stubborn to back down.

I sighed.

“Good thing Mom has amnesia right now. Otherwise, I’d beat you so badly your own mother wouldn’t recognize you.”

For once, he didn’t talk back.

After a long while, he suddenly asked:

“Do you know how to handle the transfer procedures?”

Well…

How would I know?

But where there’s a will, there’s a way.

“Adult problems should be left to adults. Children like us only need to give the orders.”

Jiang Ye looked at me with blatant disdain.

“What exactly are you planning?”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Finding your godmother!”

Jiang Ye stared at me.

“…Since when do I have a godmother?”

At that exact moment, the call connected.

I hurriedly spoke.

“Tang Tang, your godson wants to transfer schools. As his godmother, surely you’re not going to abandon him, right?”

Tang Tang: “…”

Jiang Ye: “…”

Tang Tang was incredibly efficient.

Within just one week, she’d taken care of everything.

When she handed me the transfer documents, her face was full of disdain.

“Go ahead. Keep messing around. Let’s see whether you regret all this once your memories come back.”

“Why would I? Am I really going to hold a grudge against myself?”

Getting angry at myself?

Wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble?

Tang Tang sneered.

“What exactly do you think you’ve been doing all these years?”

Then she narrowed her eyes.

“Actually, that’s strange. Why aren’t you curious about how you’ve been living all these years? Jiang Sheng, tell me the truth. Are you pretending to have amnesia?”

I was speechless.

“I’m not stupid. Jiang Ye and I are like fire and water. My parents and I cut each other off and haven’t spoken in years. And aside from your number, my phone contacts are basically all takeout places, delivery services, and repairmen. Does that sound like I was living a wonderful life?”

Tang Tang clapped.

“At least you have some self-awareness.”

“No. It’s because I’m an outsider looking in now, so I can see everything clearly.”

“Then aren’t you planning to visit your parents?”

“Later. What’s the rush? Shouldn’t I repair my relationship with my son first?”

“So how are things between you and your son now?”

I thought for a moment.

“Pretty good. Steady progress.”

If we ignored the fact that he’d threatened to sever our mother-son relationship that very morning.

Honestly, even now, I still didn’t understand exactly what had set him off.

Just because I’d smashed my own piggy bank?

Here’s what happened.

Because of my amnesia, I still wasn’t used to paying for everything with my phone, so I carried cash everywhere.

Unfortunately, we’d run out of cash at home.

That was when I set my sights on my piggy bank.

I’d bought it myself back in middle school.

At the time, my parents had finally stopped confiscating my New Year’s gift money, so I’d become obsessed with saving.

By the time I was eighteen, I’d accumulated a decent amount.

I never expected the piggy bank to still be around after all these years.

That proved I’d been doing pretty well financially.

Now it was finally time for it to fulfill its purpose.

Without hesitation, I smashed it open.

Jiang Ye heard the noise and rushed over.

The moment he saw it, he sucked in a sharp breath.

“You smashed it?”

I nodded.

“Yep!”

He gritted his teeth.

“I want to sever our mother-son relationship.”

And just like that, our daily breakfast routine was canceled.

He stormed off furiously.

I asked Tang Tang:

“Why the hell did he react like that?”

“You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Figure it out yourself. You’re the one who caused all this!”

Tang Tang put on her sunglasses and strutted away.

Nope.

I wasn’t taking the blame for this one.

If anyone had committed some unforgivable crime, it was probably the kid’s father.

But…

Who exactly was his father?

I couldn’t stop thinking about it again.

God.

That mystery was even harder to solve than why Jiang Ye was angry.

Since His Royal Highness was furious, I didn’t dare touch the money either.

I bought another piggy bank and stuffed all the money back inside.

When Jiang Ye came home from school, I proudly held it up in front of him.

“Look! It’s exactly the same as the old one.”

Jiang Ye gave a flat “Oh.”

He didn’t even spare me a glance.

I had no choice but to apologize.

“Mom was wrong. Mom shouldn’t have smashed it without permission. Mom has committed a terrible crime and deserves to die ten thousand deaths. Baby, please forgive Mom!”

Normally, if I talked like that, he’d definitely look disgusted.

But today, he didn’t react at all.

Ignoring me, he said indifferently:

“It’s already broken.”

This…

This was definitely the calm before the storm.

What was I supposed to do?

I could only follow him around apologizing the entire way.

When we reached his bedroom door, he stopped me.

“I need to do my homework.”

I had no choice but to use my ultimate move.

“Ta-da! Look! Your transfer paperwork is finished. Next week, we’re transferring to No. 1 High School!”

Jiang Ye glanced at it.

“Oh.”

I fell silent.

Teenagers were truly an unsolved mystery.

I’d thought Jiang Ye would keep giving me the cold shoulder because of the piggy bank.

But when I woke up the next morning, he acted as if nothing had happened.

Before leaving, he even reminded me to put on another layer of clothing.

“You’re not angry anymore?” I asked.

“I was never angry.”

…

Wasn’t that just lying through his teeth?

But seeing how obviously unwilling he was to discuss it, I wasn’t stupid enough to provoke him.

I told him:

“Mom’s going out later!”

“Where?”

“To the bank to change my password.”

How embarrassing.

Eighteen-year-old me couldn’t guess the bank card password thirty-four-year-old me had chosen.

I’d already tried the birthdays of everyone in the family.

Every single one was wrong.

Cold sweat broke out across my forehead.

Don’t tell me the password had something to do with my son’s father!

Surely I hadn’t been that hopelessly in love!

Terrifying!

Jiang Ye told me to be careful.

Then we went our separate ways.

I went to the bank and changed my password.

After leaving, I had a nice amount of cash on me and decided to wander around and buy a few things.

Then I discovered…

I was lost.

I stood blankly at an intersection, staring at the unfamiliar surroundings.

I had absolutely no idea which direction to go.

I had no choice but to call Tang Tang.

She didn’t answer.

In the end, I called Jiang Ye.

“What?” he asked.

“Mom’s lost!”

Jiang Ye was speechless.

“Lost? How old are you? Where are you right now?”

I shook my head.

Then I remembered he couldn’t see me.

“I don’t know.”

“Then where are you trying to go?”

Jiang Ye sounded even more speechless.

“Don’t you know how to hail a taxi, give the driver your address, and have them take you home?”

“Ha ha ha!”

I laughed awkwardly.

“You really thought Mom didn’t know that? I was just testing whether you use your phone during class. Caught you red-handed!”

Jiang Ye gritted his teeth.

“Shameless. Childish.”

By the time it got dark, I received a call from Jiang Ye.

He didn’t sound particularly happy.

“Where are you?”

“I’m eating barbecue! Want to come?”

Jiang Ye snorted.

“No.”

I had no choice but to coax him.

“Come on, come on! Your beloved mother can’t find her way home. I need my precious baby to come pick me up before I can go back.”

“…Are you seriously still joking around?”

Jiang Ye practically shouted.

I laughed happily and stopped teasing him.

“Come on. This place is really good. If you don’t eat here, it’s your loss!”

After sweet-talking him for ages, the brat finally gave in.

God.

I was such a humble mother.

I gave him the address.

After hearing it, he fell silent for a moment.

Then he said:

“I’ll be there.”

He certainly took his sweet time.

It was nearly an hour before he arrived.

I looked at him speechlessly.

“The food’s completely cold. Why didn’t you come a little later?”

Jiang Ye glared at me.

“Don’t you know it takes almost an hour to get here from home?”

Honestly.

So young, yet such a terrible temper!

“Fine, fine. Mom talks too much. Hurry up and eat!”

Jiang Ye idly turned a few bamboo skewers in his hand.

“Why did you come all the way over here? Did you come to visit them?”

I shook my head.

“Huh? No.”

He frowned.

“Then why did you come here?”

“Just revisiting an old place.”

“Nonsense,” he said.

He lowered his head.

A skewer of pork belly turned over and over in his hand for a long time, but he never took a bite.

“You could go visit them.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Enough. Eat your food. You’re just a kid. Why are you worrying about so much?”

Jiang Ye got angry again.

I hurriedly added:

“They’re doing really well. They adopted a child, and the whole family is happy together. Why should I go disturb them?”

Jiang Ye snorted.

“Then if you’re so capable, don’t ever come back here again.”

What an unfilial son.

“Hurry up and eat. We still have to go home afterward. I’m freezing to death.”

Jiang Ye glanced at my bare arms and frowned.

“Serves you right.”

But his hands moved quickly as he took off his jacket and handed it to me.

I didn’t stand on ceremony.

I really was freezing.

Only then did Jiang Ye finally take a bite of his food.

His face immediately filled with disgust.

“This is what you called delicious? Is there something wrong with your taste buds?”

I stared at him.

“…Shut up and eat.”

Thanks to the torture I’d put myself through the previous night, I gloriously came down with a cold the next day.

My head spun.

My entire body felt weak.

I felt absolutely miserable.

Jiang Ye prepared my medicine while nagging me nonstop.

It was almost as if he were the parent instead.

“Do you need me to take the day off and stay home to look after you?” he asked.

I immediately nodded.

“Yes, yes! That would be great!”

Jiang Ye stared at me.

“If you’d hesitated for even one second, that would’ve shown at least some respect for my education.”

“I learned a phrase recently that’s perfect for you.”

“What?”

“Sharp tongue, soft heart!”

Jiang Ye looked irritated.

“What kind of nonsense have you been watching all day? Have you livestreamed yet? Do you have any idea how many hours you owe?”

The moment I heard that, I hurriedly pulled the blanket over my head.

“Oh wow, I’m suddenly so sleepy!”

While hiding from reality, I somehow actually fell asleep.

In my dazed state, I heard the door close.

Alas.

My precious son had abandoned me.

As expected, I wasn’t as important as his education!

Later, hunger woke me up.

The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Jiang Ye sitting nearby with his head lowered, working through practice problems.

Hearing me move, he put down his pen.

“Wait. I’ll get you some porridge. Then take your medicine.”

After finishing a bowl of porridge, I was instantly full of energy again.

“Baby, did Mom sleep all the way until evening?”

“What evening?”

“Didn’t you already come home from school?”

Jiang Ye grabbed my head and turned it toward the window.

“The sun’s shining right there. What kind of daydream are you having?”

“You didn’t go to school!”

My face lit up.

Jiang Ye looked awkward.

“I was afraid you’d die alone at home!”

I sighed dramatically.

“Ah, my son is so warm and caring. I wonder which lucky little fairy will get to have you in the future.”

Jiang Ye stared at me.

“…Shut your mouth!”

My body was weaker than I’d expected.

A simple cold dragged on for three entire days.

Jiang Ye kept trying to take me to the hospital.

I refused even if it killed me.

He was furious.

“Are you a child? Don’t you know you’re supposed to go to the hospital when you’re sick?”

I knew I was being unreasonable, but I stubbornly argued anyway.

“Everyone’s somebody’s child! Don’t you know your mom is only eighteen right now?”

Jiang Ye gritted his teeth.

“An eighteen-year-old old lady!”

Very good.

I officially took back everything I’d said about him being warm and caring!

Fortunately, by the fourth day, I’d finally recovered.

It was also the day Jiang Ye transferred schools.

He didn’t show it too obviously, but I could tell he was incredibly happy.

Naturally, my gossip-loving heart couldn’t resist.

“What exactly is so attractive about No. 1 High School?”

Jiang Ye rolled his eyes.

“Stop thinking nonsense. All my best friends are there!”

Oh.

So that was it.

“Mom’s sorry,” I told him.

“For what?”

“For not respecting what you wanted before and refusing to let you attend No. 1 High School. I’m sorry.”

I’d expected Jiang Ye to say something like, “At least you finally know.”

Instead, he said:

“You don’t need to apologize. I know you wanted what was best for me.”

I was so touched that I immediately threw my arms around him.

“My precious son!”

Jiang Ye roared:

“Let go! How many times have I told you? If you want to talk, then talk. Stop putting your hands all over me!”

After transferring to No. 1 High School, Jiang Ye was obviously much happier.

Sometimes he’d even come home and tell me about interesting things that had happened at school.

Being happy was important, of course.

But his grades…

“Can you keep up?” I asked.

Back at Guanghua, I didn’t know whether he’d been acting out of spite, but he’d basically given up on studying.

His grades had plummeted.

“How about we hire a tutor?”

Jiang Ye asked:

“Do you care that much about my grades?”

Judging by his expression, I had the distinct feeling this was a life-or-death question.

If I gave him the wrong answer, he might tear the roof off the house.

Still, I followed my heart and nodded.

“Don’t you want to study aerospace engineering? I looked it up. The good universities have really high admission scores for that major. If your grades aren’t good enough, how are you supposed to study it?”

Jiang Ye stared at me in surprise.

After a moment, he choked out:

“Right. You lost your memory.”

“What?”

“You didn’t want me studying that before.”

Oh?

Was he digging up old grievances now?

“Mom didn’t know any better before. Now Mom thinks aerospace engineering is amazing!”

Jiang Ye was speechless.

“…You really have no principles anymore.”

Then he said:

“You don’t have to agree with everything I want. You’re acting so different that it doesn’t even feel real.”

I sincerely praised him.

“Do you have some kind of abuse fetish?”

Jiang Ye’s eyes practically burst into flames.

He turned around and walked away.

“This conversation is impossible!”

I chased after him.

“So do you need a tutor or not?”

“No. I have a secret weapon!”

My sleep quality had been a little too good lately.

For three days straight, I couldn’t drag myself out of bed early enough to eat breakfast with Jiang Ye.

Jiang Ye was furious.

He unilaterally canceled our breakfast arrangement.

I desperately tried to salvage the last shred of hope.

“Tomorrow! Mom will definitely wake up tomorrow!”

Jiang Ye glared at me.

“I’d have to be insane to believe you!”

Before leaving, he shouted:

“Do you even know how to eat properly when you’re home alone? Look how skinny you’ve gotten! You’re practically skin and bones!”

I was delighted.

“I’ve lost weight? Looks like my diet’s been working lately.”

I asked him:

“Is Mom pretty?”

Jiang Ye looked like he was about to throw up.

“Ugly as hell.”

I burst out laughing.

He stormed out irritably.

I’d always been curious about Jiang Ye’s so-called secret weapon.

That mystery was finally solved over the weekend.

Jiang Ye told me one of his friends was coming over to tutor him and ordered me to prepare a lavish lunch.

He couldn’t stop praising this friend.

Top student in the entire grade.

Academic genius.

Prodigy.

His absolute best friend.

I gave an “Oh.”

Following the usual stereotype, I assumed he’d be some bespectacled nerd.

But when I saw him in person, I froze.

I tugged on Jiang Ye’s sleeve.

“You forgot the most important thing.”

“What?”

“His looks are off the charts!”

With a face like that, calling him the school heartthrob wouldn’t be an exaggeration at all!

For a split second, I wanted to clutch my face and scream.

The boy was also incredibly polite.

He greeted me respectfully.

“Hello, Auntie.”

Crack.

That was the sound of my heart shattering.

Auntie.

What an utterly pure and desire-killing form of address!

I instantly became kind and motherly.

“All right, all right. You boys study. Auntie won’t bother you!”

The first time Jiang Ye opened the door, I asked if they wanted fruit.

The second time, I asked what kind of drinks they wanted.

The third time Jiang Ye opened the door, he snapped:

“Not hungry. Not thirsty. Don’t need anything!”

There he went getting irritated again!

“I’m asking what you want for lunch!”

Jiang Ye stared at me.

“…With your cooking skills? Do we even have a choice?”

I jumped in shock.

“You want Mom to cook? Do you have some kind of grudge against your best friend?”

“Of course we’re ordering delivery! Mom has money. Bird’s nest, abalone, whatever you want—I can afford it!”

“…Whatever.”

I immediately objected.

“What do you mean, whatever? This is the first time you’ve brought a friend home. Of course we have to treat him properly!”

Jiang Ye snapped:

“Don’t you know how to—”

He suddenly stopped.

Then he looked at me hesitantly.

“How did you know it was the first time?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Because Mom has a brain!”

“Then please, person with a brain, decide what we’re eating yourself!”

Bang!

He slammed the door shut.

Hmph.

No manners!

His handsome friend was completely different.

Every gesture was proper and composed.

Calm, polite, and refined.

After lunch, I sent Jiang Ye downstairs to take out the trash.

He was extremely irritated about it, but I quickly suppressed his rebellion.

Once he’d gone downstairs, the handsome boy thoughtfully asked:

“Auntie, is there something you wanted to talk to me about?”

I nodded repeatedly.

“I wanted to ask how Jiang Ye gets along with everyone at school.”

“Don’t worry, Auntie. Jiang Ye gets along with everyone really well. Everyone likes him!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

I immediately relaxed.

“Then could you do Auntie a favor? Next weekend is Jiang Ye’s birthday. I want to throw him a birthday party. Could you invite some of his classmates to come?”

The handsome boy didn’t hesitate for even a second.

He immediately agreed.

The handsome boy was incredibly reliable.

He gave me plenty of useful suggestions on how to organize a successful birthday party.

And early that morning, he invited Jiang Ye out, leaving me plenty of time to prepare.

With help from some of Jiang Ye’s classmates, I redecorated the entire house.

String lights.

Balloons.

Snacks.

Drinks.

Board games.

Everything we could possibly need.

Finally, there was a gift filled with all my love and an enormous birthday cake.

By the time everything was ready, I felt completely exhausted.

Just then, I heard the front door open.

Silence.

Lights off.

Jiang Ye’s irritated voice came from the entrance.

“She’s not home? Where did she run off to now?”

The next second, the lights suddenly came on.

Everyone rushed toward him and shouted:

“Happy birthday!”

Jiang Ye froze.

The handsome boy gave him a push.

Jiang Ye looked through the crowd and saw me standing behind everyone.

His gaze immediately darted away.

He spoke irritably.

“Pointless.”

But the tips of his ears turned uncontrollably red.

I pushed the cake forward.

“Happy birthday, Little Jiang Ye!”

Jiang Ye muttered:

“You’re the little one.”

I secretly pinched him and whispered a warning:

“I put a ton of effort into this. Don’t make your mother beat you on your birthday.”

Only then did Jiang Ye behave.

Amid his friends’ cheering, he reluctantly made a wish and blew out the candles.

But I knew he was incredibly happy.

Because it was the first time I’d ever seen his eyes shine so brightly.

With another chorus of “Happy birthday!” someone suddenly made the first move.

A handful of whipped cream was smeared all over Jiang Ye’s face.

He froze for one second.

Then immediately activated revenge mode.

Screams.

Laughter.

Cheers.

Playful curses.

The noise never stopped.

The corners of my lips unconsciously curved upward.

Ah.

Youth really was wonderful.

I quietly went upstairs, placed the present I’d prepared for Jiang Ye beside his pillow, then returned to my own room.

I was so sleepy.

I needed to rest for a while.

In my half-conscious state, I heard my bedroom door being pushed open.

Looking carefully, I realized it was Jiang Ye.

The moment he saw me, he froze.

Then he quickly walked over.

Before I could understand what was happening, he grabbed a tissue and pressed it firmly against my nose.

I stared at him blankly.

His face was filled with panic.

“Why is your nose bleeding?”

I pulled the tissue away and looked.

Sure enough, it was stained bright red.

“What are you doing?”

Jiang Ye pressed it back against my nose.

“Ow, ow, ow! Be gentler!”

Jiang Ye’s eyes turned red.

He growled:

“What the hell is wrong with you? Are you sick?”

I rescued my nose from his hands.

“The weather’s dry. What’s so strange about getting a little nosebleed? Stop overreacting!”

Jiang Ye didn’t believe me.

“Really?”

I nodded.

When I pulled the tissue away again, the bleeding had already stopped.

I pointed at my lips.

“Look. They’re so dry the skin’s peeling.”

Then I swallowed.

“I’ve been busy all day and haven’t even had a sip of water. I’m dying of thirst!”

Jiang Ye glared at me angrily.

“How old are you? Don’t you know how to take care of yourself?”

“All right, all right. It’s your birthday today, so you’re not allowed to get angry. Otherwise, you’ll be in a bad mood for the entire year!”

“Hmph. Superstitious nonsense.”

The noise downstairs was still going strong.

“Why did you come upstairs?” I asked.

“To see what you were doing.”

This old mother’s heart instantly warmed.

“My precious son! Come here and let Mom give you a hug!”

Jiang Ye jumped backward.

“That’s disgusting!”

I burst out laughing.

Bang!

Jiang Ye slammed the door and left.

Two seconds later, he pushed it open again.

His eyes wandered away from mine.

In a much softer voice, he said:

“I’m really happy.”

As his footsteps gradually faded away, I collapsed weakly onto the bed.

I took out my phone and dialed a number.

“Hello, Dr. Zhou. I had another nosebleed.”

“Hospitalization? Forget it!”

“But could you prescribe me some more painkillers? The pain’s been killing me these past few days. I haven’t been able to sleep properly at all.”

“Yes. I haven’t been able to eat much either. I throw up whenever I eat.”

“I know. I know.”

“But please have mercy on me, Dr. Zhou. It’s not like it can be cured anymore. At least let me suffer a little less.”

“Dr. Zhou, you’re the best! See you tomorrow!”

I hung up and opened the notes app on my phone.

【Transfer Jiang Ye to another school】

Mission accomplished!

【Take Jiang Ye out to have fun】

Mission accomplished!

【Hope Jiang Ye makes lots of friends】

Wish fulfilled!

【Throw Jiang Ye a wonderful birthday party】

Mission accomplished!

Next goal:

【Cook Jiang Ye a meal with my own hands】

Cooking Jiang Ye a meal was unbelievably difficult for me!

I followed every step of the recipe exactly.

And yet, somehow, everything I made always tasted strange.

It was like a child playing house.

When other people cooked, it was called home cooking.

When I cooked, it was called a joke.

God.

How discouraging!

After struggling for ages, I finally managed to make three dishes and a soup, complete with both meat and vegetables.

Jiang Ye took one bite.

Then he put down his chopsticks.

He asked:

“What brought the two of us to the point where we’re trying to kill each other?”

At least Jiang Ye was grown-up enough to comfort me afterward.

“You don’t need to go through all this trouble. I’ve been eating cafeteria food and takeout for years. I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

That only made me feel worse.

I immediately set myself a new goal.

“Mom will definitely cook you a meal so delicious you’ll want to swallow your own tongue!”

Jiang Ye humored me.

“Oh. Can’t wait.”

“Oh, right,” he said. “My school’s sports meet is the day after tomorrow. Are you coming?”

Jiang Ye spoke casually, as though he’d only just remembered it.

But the hand hanging at his side unconsciously clenched into a fist.

“Are you competing in anything?” I asked.

“High jump and the 100-meter relay!”

“That’s amazing! Then Mom will come cheer for you!”

Jiang Ye snorted.

“Participating in a couple of events counts as amazing? At least put some effort into your compliments!”

Then he hummed a tune as he headed upstairs.

On the day of Jiang Ye’s sports meet, I put on a tracksuit, did some light makeup, and headed out.

When I reached the school gate, I called him and told him to come get me.

He was speechless.

“Should I organize a cheer squad to line up on both sides and welcome you too?”

“…Shut up and hurry. Bring a few more people with you!”

He complained endlessly, but he came out remarkably fast.

Three or four classmates came with him.

“Hello, Auntie!”

“Hello, hello!”

When Jiang Ye saw the mountain of stuff beside me, his eyes widened.

“What is all this?”

“Mom is sponsoring your entire class with love!”

“…Did you bring the whole supermarket here?”

I snorted.

“Quit complaining and carry it inside!”

The moment I gave the order, the classmates behind Jiang Ye cheered and rushed forward to grab everything.

“Auntie, you’re the best!”

Jiang Ye carried a box beside me.

“Why did you buy so much stuff?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Does your honorable mother make you proud or what?”

Jiang Ye snorted.

“Waste of money.”

I smiled and didn’t argue with him.

“Want me to help carry that?”

He shifted away from me.

“Forget it.”

Then he looked me over.

“Did you lose weight again?”

“Really? That’s great!”

Jiang Ye rolled his eyes.

“Keep torturing yourself. When you get sick, don’t expect me to take care of you!”

After saying that, he quickened his pace to catch up with his classmates.

He still didn’t forget to turn around and urge me:

“Can you walk faster? It’s about to start!”

As one of the sponsors, I was given a seat in the VIP section.

Even without going down to the field, I had a clear view of everything.

My eyes remained fixed on Jiang Ye.

He was running around energetically on the field.

His event hadn’t even started yet, but he was already laughing loudly as he watched the others compete.

It was the first time I’d ever seen him this happy.

“Auntie, Jiang Ye’s high jump is about to start. Do you want to go over and watch?”

“Of course!”

Jiang Ye was tall and had incredible jumping ability.

I held my breath as I watched him accelerate toward the bar and leap effortlessly over it.

Amid the thunderous cheers, Jiang Ye turned to look at me.

His eyes were shining brightly, filled with anticipation.

Without hesitation, I gave him a huge thumbs-up.

My son was amazing!

I was about to walk over and give him a hug when my vision suddenly blurred.

I shook my head, trying to clear it.

It didn’t help.

My vision began losing focus, overlapping into double images.

The world spun around me.

Then a dull, stabbing pain struck.

My heart skipped a beat.

I turned around, intending to leave.

But it felt as though an invisible hand had reached inside my skull and was violently pulling and tearing at my nerves.

My breathing became rapid.

Someone seemed to grab my arm.

I clutched their hand tightly, wanting them to lead me away.

The next second, everything went black.

My body collapsed uncontrollably.

I heard panicked shouting all around me.

Through my fading consciousness, I even caught a glimpse of Jiang Ye.

His face looked terrible.

He seemed to be saying something, but the ringing in my ears was so loud that I couldn’t make out a single word.

I must have scared Jiang Ye half to death.

And I’d ruined his sports meet too.

God.

This was terrible.

When I woke up, Tang Tang was the only person in the hospital room.

Her eyes were bloodshot as she glared at me, as if I were some heartless bastard who had betrayed her.

Sorry about suddenly passing out!

“Where’s my son?” I asked.

Tang Tang gritted her teeth.

“Jiang Sheng, you’re really something. You hid something this serious from me?

“And this whole amnesia thing—was that a lie too?”

“Heaven and earth are my witnesses!”

I raised my hand and swore.

“I really did lose my memory!”

Tang Tang’s expression made it clear that she wouldn’t let me off until she knew the truth.

I had no choice but to confess everything in exchange for leniency.

I really had lost my memory.

Because the tumor in my brain was pressing against my nerves.

I’d already started seeing doctors before I lost my memory.

At the time, they’d warned me that my memory could become impaired.

Sure enough, after losing consciousness once, I developed amnesia.

The doctors had performed a complete examination.

They told me the damage to my memory was irreversible and might become progressively worse.

They also told me that if I wanted to understand my own condition, I could check the notes on my phone.

And the very first sentence in my notes was:

【Don’t tell anyone about the illness.】

“How long?” Tang Tang asked hoarsely.

“The doctor said they discovered it about a month and a half ago. It’s malignant. There’s no chance of a cure.”

I immediately cut off Tang Tang’s attempt to persuade me to have surgery.

“So you didn’t tell anyone?”

I shifted into a more comfortable position and lay back down.

“I don’t know what I was thinking back then, but honestly, I agree with myself. If it can’t be cured anyway, why make everyone miserable with me? I might as well enjoy every day I still have!”

Tang Tang looked at me.

Tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

I hurriedly comforted her.

“All right, all right. This is exactly why I was afraid to tell you. There’s no need for this! Life and death are determined by fate. Wealth and honor are up to heaven.”

“Now can you tell me where Jiang Ye went?”

Tang Tang said that after Jiang Ye learned about my condition, his expression had turned awful.

Then he’d run straight out of the hospital without looking back.

I hurriedly called him.

No answer.

When I called again, his phone was already turned off.

I was worried about him and wanted to leave the hospital to find him.

Tang Tang stopped me.

“Give him some time. Let him calm down on his own.”

I’d assumed Jiang Ye would come visit me soon enough.

Even if I didn’t play the sympathy card, I didn’t have many days left anyway.

Surely he’d want to cherish whatever time we still had together?

But throughout the three days I spent in the hospital, not only did he never come to see me, I discovered after returning home that he’d moved straight into the school dormitory.

I had a feeling this had become a serious problem.

I couldn’t get in touch with him.

So I had no choice but to wait outside his classroom and corner him there.

The moment he saw me, his face went blank.

He turned around and walked away.

I hurriedly grabbed his hand.

“Jiang Ye, let’s talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

He tried to pull his hand free.

I refused to let go.

Finally, he gave in.

“Fine. Talk. What do you want to say?”

I asked:

“Why did you suddenly decide to live at school?”

Jiang Ye sneered.

“Aren’t you about to die anyway? I’ll have to live alone sooner or later. What difference does it make whether it happens a little earlier or a little later?”

His words were like a sharp knife plunging straight into my heart.

It hurt.

Badly.

“Jiang Ye, don’t talk like that.”

“Then how am I supposed to talk?”

Jiang Ye stared at me.

“You should’ve just died two years ago!”

He said:

“If you’d died back then, I would’ve gotten used to it by now.”

I’d always felt the need to make things up to Jiang Ye.

Because my notes were filled with things about him.

Line after line was filled with guilt.

But what he’d said today genuinely hurt me.

It sounded almost as though he was looking forward to my death.

Tang Tang sighed.

“You can’t really blame him.”

“Then are you saying I’m the one to blame?”

I sounded dissatisfied.

Tang Tang silently looked at me.

My heart sank.

“What happened two years ago?”

After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke.

“Two years ago, you tried to kill yourself. You took sleeping pills. Jiang Ye was the one who found you, and he was also the one who got you to the hospital in time.

“He might think you don’t want to live again.”

I froze.

Tears poured from my eyes before I could stop them.

Two years ago, Jiang Ye had only been thirteen.

A child barely entering adolescence.

He had no one else.

His mother was the only person he could depend on.

And that mother had tried to kill herself.

How desperate must he have felt?

And now…

Was I about to push him into that same despair all over again?

My health deteriorated by the day.

My mental state worsened along with it.

Tang Tang didn’t feel safe leaving me home alone and wanted me hospitalized.

I readily agreed.

There was no helping it.

In my current condition, I might collapse one day and simply never get back up.

Tang Tang asked whether I wanted to visit my parents.

I shook my head.

“Why would I go back? To beg them for forgiveness? Or make them beg me for forgiveness? Or should we all forgive each other and let bygones be bygones?”

I pointed at myself.

“If I go back looking like this, wouldn’t that basically be emotional blackmail?

“Whether they forgive me or not, it’ll become something that torments them. Why bother?

“There’s almost no emotion in this world that people can’t endure except regret. Once people start regretting, they can end up denying their entire lives. Then comes that bottomless despair. That’s terrifying.”

Tang Tang frowned.

“So two years ago… did you regret everything?”

I froze.

Then I fell silent.

“I don’t know.”

I’d forgotten.

I didn’t know why I’d tried to kill myself back then.

I didn’t know whether I’d regretted anything either.

“But if it were me, and I genuinely wanted to kill myself, I’d choose pesticide, not sleeping pills.”

Tang Tang had her own life and career.

She couldn’t watch over me forever.

Whenever I was alone in the hospital room, waves of despair would suddenly surge toward me.

The heart-wrenching pain nearly swallowed me whole.

It wasn’t the first time I’d experienced such violent emotional fluctuations.

Ever since losing my memory, I’d occasionally become sick of living.

I’d want to cry.

I’d want to hide.

I’d want to die.

Depression.

It wasn’t difficult to figure out.

Seriously.

How had I managed to turn my own life into such a disaster?

I still hadn’t been able to contact Jiang Ye these past few days.

But I sent him messages every day.

Most of them consisted of me whining pitifully and trying to make him feel sorry enough to visit me.

Unfortunately…

It didn’t work at all.

Just as I was seriously considering hiring someone to kidnap him and bring him over, he suddenly appeared in my hospital room.

He looked exhausted.

His complexion was awful.

He looked like he hadn’t slept properly in a very long time.

He’d also visibly lost weight.

“Jiang Ye!”

I called his name.

But suddenly, I had no idea what to say.

He lowered his head and stared at the tips of his shoes.

Then, in a hoarse voice, he suddenly asked:

“Can you… not die?”

That one sentence struck straight at the weakest part of my heart.

My eyes instantly burned.

I had to tilt my head back to keep the tears from falling.

Suppressing my emotions, I smiled and opened my arms toward him.

“Son, Mom missed you so much! Hurry over here and give Mom a hug!”

Jiang Ye remained frozen in place.

Like an abandoned child.

My heart ached.

I threw off the blanket and tried to get out of bed to hug him.

But Jiang Ye moved faster.

He stepped to my bedside and wrapped his arms tightly around me.

He buried his face against the crook of my neck.

His grip tightened.

His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Then a quiet sob escaped him.

Tears blurred my vision.

For the first time, I became truly afraid of the death that was approaching.

I really wanted to stay with him just a little longer.

Jiang Ye seemed to grow up overnight.

He began constantly traveling between school and the hospital, taking care of me while keeping up with his studies.

His grades improved incredibly quickly.

By the midterm exams, he’d even made it into the top thirty of his grade.

He learned how to cook too.

He was unbelievably talented at it.

Every day, he made me a different kind of soup, even though I could barely drink any of it.

It made me unbelievably jealous.

The school was about to hold a parent-teacher meeting.

His teacher called me and asked me to attend.

And Jiang Ye hadn’t even told me about it.

So I secretly went behind his back.

When he saw me there, Jiang Ye frowned unhappily.

I had no choice but to crack jokes to calm him down.

Besides, my condition wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t leave the hospital at all.

As I listened to his teacher praise him, I felt incredibly proud and satisfied.

Unfortunately, I’d still overestimated myself.

Halfway through the meeting, I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up, Jiang Ye’s eyes were red again.

He threatened that if I ever did something like this again, he’d break my legs.

His mouth always said the cruelest things.

But the way he gently wiped my hands couldn’t have been softer.

He was always like that.

Sharp tongue, soft heart.

It was the same with my high-dose painkillers.

On one hand, he complained that they were bad for me.

On the other, he begged the doctor to prescribe me a little more.

I knew I’d scared him.

Because one day, the pain had become so unbearable that I couldn’t stop myself from slamming my head against the wall.

Tang Tang visited me often.

One day, while Jiang Ye wasn’t there, I decided to give her my final instructions.

Tang Tang’s eyes immediately turned red.

She covered her ears tightly.

“I’m not listening.”

I pulled her hands down.

“If I don’t tell you now, I’m afraid I won’t get another chance.”

I knew that over the years, I’d been sending money to my parents.

I handed Tang Tang a bank card and asked her to continue doing it for me until they passed away.

“So you’re planning to keep this from them?”

I nodded.

“If… if there’s even a one-in-ten-thousand chance they ask about me, just tell them I went traveling around the world.”

They would probably hate me.

They would probably blame me.

But either of those was better than regret.

“And there’s Jiang Ye. I’ve always wanted to find his unknown father, but my memories are gone. I don’t have a single clue.”

Tang Tang’s eyes widened.

“You’re trying to entrust your son to that guy? You’d be better off leaving him to me!”

“Mm. Then I’m leaving him to you!”

Jiang Ye was already old enough.

And the money I’d leave behind would be enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

What worried me was that when he reached major crossroads or had to make important choices in life, there wouldn’t be an older adult beside him to support him.

I was afraid he’d be lonely.

Afraid there’d be no one to help him.

Afraid there’d be no one to share his happiness and sadness with.

“So…

just stay by his side.

That’s enough.”

That night, I rambled on and gave Tang Tang endless instructions.

I think I cried too.

In my hazy sleep, a large hand held mine tightly.

It never loosened for even a second.

The warmth allowed me to sleep peacefully through the entire night.

Today, my mind was unusually clear.

I wanted to leave the hospital and go home.

I’d thought Jiang Ye would refuse.

To my surprise, he agreed without hesitation.

The moment we got home, I went straight into the kitchen.

Jiang Ye asked:

“Hungry?”

I shook my head.

“Mom’s making fish soup for you!”

I’d secretly learned this recipe at the hospital.

An elderly woman with more than sixty years of cooking experience had taught me her foolproof method for making fish soup.

I followed each step from memory.

And surprisingly…

everything went perfectly.

It was almost as if some divine force were helping me.

Satisfied, I ladled out the soup and handed it to Jiang Ye.

He gave me a thumbs-up.

As he ate, he asked:

“Why are you so determined to cook for me?”

I whispered:

“You’re the one who said it. You made a wish that you wanted to eat a meal cooked by your mom.”

Jiang Ye jolted violently.

He whipped his head toward me.

“What did you just say?”

I stared at him blankly.

“What?”

What had I just said?

Why couldn’t I remember anymore?

Jiang Ye lowered his eyes and shook his head.

I thought I saw something fall into his bowl with a tiny splash.

He silently finished the entire bowl of soup.

Then he put the bowl down.

“It’s delicious.

“On my tenth birthday, I made a wish. I wished that one day I could eat a meal you cooked with your own hands.

“I never thought it would actually come true.”

My eyes widened.

So…

I’d wanted to cook for him because of that?

I looked at Jiang Ye, my heart aching.

I wanted to apologize.

I wanted to tell him I was sorry for failing to give him a complete childhood.

But Jiang Ye suddenly shot to his feet.

“I’ll wash the dishes.”

I was about to follow him when something warm suddenly flowed from my nose.

I wiped it with my hand.

Bright red blood.

I hurriedly turned around to find some tissues but accidentally bumped into a chair.

“What happened?” Jiang Ye asked.

I quickly wiped away the blood.

“Nothing. Mom’s looking for a movie. Let’s watch one together later.”

Jiang Ye said:

“Okay.”

In the end, we never got to watch that movie.

Because while I was waiting for Jiang Ye, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was completely dark outside.

Through my hazy vision, I saw Jiang Ye.

He was sitting beside the bed, holding my hand.

“Sorry. I couldn’t watch the movie with you.”

Jiang Ye shook his head.

I urged him:

“Go to sleep.”

He shook his head again.

Then suddenly, he spoke.

“I’m scared, Mom.

“I’m scared.

“Please don’t sleep.

“Stay with me.

“Can you stay with me?”

I’d finally heard Jiang Ye call me “Mom.”

I wanted to agree to everything he asked.

But I was so tired.

“Tomorrow…

“Mom will stay with you tomorrow, okay?”

“No!”

Jiang Ye growled.

He clutched my hand tightly.

“Mom, don’t sleep. You can’t sleep!”

But…

I was so tired.

I struggled to look at him.

I wanted to see his face clearly.

But I couldn’t.

I wanted to tell him:

Don’t be afraid.

Mom’s right here with you.

But I couldn’t force out a single word.

Jiang Ye suddenly released my hand.

He leaned close to my ear and whispered softly:

“Then sleep, Mom.

“But tomorrow, you have to come watch the sunrise with me.

“You promised me.

“You can’t break your promise.”

I nodded.

Then slowly closed my eyes.

I needed to get a good night’s sleep.

Tomorrow…

I still had to watch the sunrise with my son.

BONUS STORY: JIANG YE

My mother lost her memory.

Her memories stopped when she was eighteen.

She didn’t remember that she had a son.

How ridiculous.

She’d forgotten sixteen entire years of my existence.

Whether her amnesia was real or fake, I figured she probably regretted giving birth to me anyway.

I was tired of it all.

I thought I’d just leave her alone.

It wasn’t like any of it had anything to do with me.

But the mother who’d lost her memories kept appearing in front of me.

I’d never seen Jiang Sheng so lively before.

I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to get closer to her.

She even promised she’d wake up early and eat breakfast with me every day.

I didn’t really believe her.

When I was little, she’d made countless promises to me.

Most of them were never fulfilled.

When I was five or six, she promised she’d take me to the amusement park once every month.

At first, she did.

Then once a month became once every six months.

Then once a year.

Until eventually…

we stopped going altogether.

She also promised she’d cook for me.

Yet she never even stepped inside the kitchen.

So I decided to wait and see how long she’d last this time.

But somehow…

she kept her promise.

Day after day.

I got into a fight at school.

I hated Guanghua.

I hated the people there too.

I didn’t understand where their ridiculous sense of superiority came from.

They always acted as though they were inherently better than everyone else.

But Jiang Sheng insisted on sending me there.

She wanted me to study abroad.

She said things weren’t good here.

She wanted me to go far away.

But she’d forgotten something.

My home was here.

If I left…

I wouldn’t have a home anymore.

We’d had a massive fight over it.

She cried hysterically and screamed:

“You have to go!”

I didn’t know when it started, but her emotions had become increasingly unstable.

I was terrified whenever she lost control.

It made her feel like a stranger.

So I gave in.

But every day became torture.

I didn’t want to study.

I didn’t want to make friends.

I let myself sink lower and lower.

Yet those people still insisted on provoking me.

Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore.

So I beat them up.

I’d expected Jiang Sheng to be furious.

Instead, she stood up for me.

She even helped me skip school.

So…

Jiang Sheng at eighteen had been this fearless?

What changed her later?

Was it me?

Suddenly, I hoped she’d never recover her memories.

Especially when she agreed to transfer me to another school.

For the first time in years, I felt unbelievably relaxed.

Unbelievably happy.

But then…

she smashed the piggy bank I’d given her.

She thought the piggy bank belonged to her.

Of course she did.

She only remembered her life up until eighteen.

She’d forgotten that I’d accidentally broken her original piggy bank.

The one she had now was something I’d saved up money to buy for her when I was eight.

She’d been so happy.

She poured all the money from the old piggy bank into it.

Then she said:

“From now on, this will be Mom and Jiang Ye’s Happy Piggy Bank. Whenever something happy happens to us, we’ll put some money inside. Okay?”

Back then, I’d thought:

This piggy bank is definitely going to fill up in no time.

But in reality…

the number of times we put money into it became fewer and fewer.

Eventually, the Happy Piggy Bank no longer had any reason to exist.

So if she smashed it…

then she smashed it.

Besides…

she’d forgotten anyway.

She didn’t just forget the piggy bank.

She even forgot the password to her bank card.

Then she got lost.

She called me and said she didn’t know how to get home.

I’d thought she was teasing me.

I’d thought she was only joking around.

Even when I eventually found her over there, I’d assumed she’d remembered them and wanted to go visit.

It never occurred to me that she was sick.

That she’d forgotten where thirty-four-year-old Jiang Sheng lived.

I should’ve noticed sooner.

She was sleeping more and more.

She was getting thinner and thinner.

Her memory was becoming worse and worse.

She was even getting nosebleeds.

And all I’d done was enjoy myself.

I really had been happy.

A new school.

My old friends.

A home that was becoming warmer and happier every day.

I’d thought Jiang Sheng losing her memory was an opportunity.

A chance heaven had given us to start over.

But in the end…

I realized it was a curse.

Jiang Sheng was dying.

She collapsed right in front of me.

The doctor said there was a tumor growing in her brain.

A malignant tumor.

At that moment, my entire world collapsed.

It was all fake.

Everything was fake.

The amnesia was fake.

Her being nice to me was fake too.

She simply didn’t want to live anymore.

Just like two years ago.

Back then, the lights in our home were rarely turned on.

She often sat staring blankly out the window.

Whenever I spoke to her, she ignored me.

It was as if I didn’t exist.

She locked herself inside that dark room without a single ray of light.

I often heard her trying to suppress her crying.

It was horrible.

I didn’t want to understand it.

I only wanted to run away.

I’d had enough of watching Jiang Sheng live like she was already dead.

I’d had enough of the suffocating darkness and death that filled our home.

Was this supposed to be a home?

It was nothing more than a prison.

But I’d never imagined Jiang Sheng would try to kill herself.

What right did she have to do that?

She was the one who brought me into this world.

She was the one who forced me to accept this terrible reality.

And in the end, she wanted to abandon me and leave me all alone?

Why?

What gave her the right?

Jiang Sheng wasn’t allowed to die!

I cried and begged her.

I begged her to look at me.

I begged her not to abandon me.

I’d thought that this time…

she finally wouldn’t leave me again.

But now she was dying anyway.

She’d lied to me again!

But then she said:

“If Mom really wanted to kill herself, I would’ve chosen pesticide, not sleeping pills.”

Suddenly, I remembered what she’d told me two years ago.

She said she hadn’t wanted to kill herself.

She just couldn’t sleep.

She said she was going to die if she couldn’t sleep.

If it continued, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to endure it anymore.

She had to sleep.

She needed to sleep.

I hadn’t believed her.

What normal person took that many sleeping pills just because they wanted to sleep?

How ridiculous.

It seemed like I’d never been willing to trust her.

Never been willing to understand her.

I was always blaming her.

But how much better was I?

I should’ve believed her.

I was the person closest to her.

Yet I’d never realized that she’d trapped herself inside her own tiny world and could no longer find her way out.

The doctor said her amnesia might have been something she’d subconsciously wished for.

She wanted to become the happiest version of herself—the eighteen-year-old Jiang Sheng—and use that version of herself to say goodbye to me.

I begged her.

I begged her not to die.

I begged her not to abandon me.

Because of my pleading, she forced herself to endure day after day.

But it hurt too much.

The pain was so terrible that even slamming her head against the wall until she bled couldn’t suppress it.

She became exhausted from the pain.

Exhausted from crying.

She collapsed onto the bed, desperate to sleep.

She murmured:

“Mom has to stay with Jiang Ye.

“Mom can’t die.”

Her memories became more and more confused.

Sometimes she’d suddenly mention things from when I was little.

But whenever I asked her about them, she couldn’t remember anymore.

Aunt Tang asked whether I wanted her to recover her memories.

I shook my head.

No.

Let her memories remain in the happiest period of her life.

Even if that meant she forgot me…

that was okay.

BONUS STORY 2: JIANG SHENG’S NOTES

1. I’m sick. If I forget, remember this carefully: don’t tell anyone about my condition, especially Jiang Ye.
2. Jiang Ye is my son. I love him very much.
3. Transfer Jiang Ye to another school.
4. Take Jiang Ye out to have fun.
5. I hope Jiang Ye makes lots of friends.
6. I hope Jiang Ye gets into his dream university.
7. Throw Jiang Ye a wonderful birthday party.
8. Buy Jiang Ye a pair of sneakers he likes.
9. Cook Jiang Ye a meal.
10. Watch a movie with Jiang Ye.
11. Find a guardian for Jiang Ye.
12. Tell Jiang Ye that I love him.

THE AMNESIAC MOM — BONUS STORY: UNFORGETTABLE SHENG SHENG

My name is Jiang Sheng.

I have a son named Jiang Ye.

His father is Song Yuanke.

And he’s a complete scumbag.

Everyone thinks I met my son’s father during the summer vacation after my college entrance examination.

That’s not true.

The first time I met Song Yuanke, I was only thirteen.

Back then, I was being bullied at school for no apparent reason.

My first instinct was to tell my parents.

They said:

“If someone’s bullying you, tell your teacher! What good does telling us do? It’s not like we can go to school with you.”

So I told my teacher.

She called the bullies in and gave them a stern lecture and warning.

But unexpectedly…

that was only the beginning of my nightmare.

Because I’d “snitched,” their bullying escalated.

What had originally been cruel pranks turned into punches and kicks.

I begged my parents for help.

They said:

“Why don’t they bully anyone else? Why do they only bully you? Look at your grades. Look at what they’ve become! What exactly have you been doing lately, Jiang Sheng? You need to reflect on yourself!”

I asked my teacher for help again.

But every time I went to her, she became increasingly impatient and irritated.

Eventually, she said:

“Jiang Sheng, just focus on yourself and stay away from them. You already know they’re disobedient and impossible to control. Why do you keep putting yourself in front of them?”

At that moment, I finally understood.

I was alone.

No one was going to help me.

After that, their bullying followed me from inside the school to outside it.

A group of them cornered me in an alley.

I knew what was about to happen.

And there was nothing I could do except quietly accept it.

There was a boy in the alley.

He was squatting there smoking a cigarette.

He didn’t interfere.

He didn’t leave either.

He simply sat there with interest and watched.

He watched me get surrounded and beaten three separate times.

The fourth time, after everyone had finally left, I staggered to my feet and prepared to go home.

Suddenly, he snatched my backpack.

He said:

“You’re seriously useless.”

Expressionless, I yanked my backpack away and prepared to leave.

Then he spoke again.

“I know a way to deal with them. Want to hear it?”

I stopped.

Immediately, he started acting smug.

“Want to know? Bribe me.”

He didn’t look like a good person at all.

But there wasn’t any malice in his eyes.

And more importantly…

he was the first person who’d ever told me there was a way.

I wanted to hear it.

So I took out every bit of money I’d hidden on me.

At the time, I thought:

If he’s lying to me too, I’ll just die.

Because that money was supposed to cover all my living expenses for the next month.

He looked at it with disgust.

“Who wants this? Come on. Buy me a pack of cigarettes.”

He took me to a convenience store and used my money to buy a ten-yuan pack of cigarettes.

Then he told me:

“Find the weakest one in their group. The next time they bully you, ignore everyone else and beat the living hell out of that weakest one. Beat them until they can’t get up off the ground. Once you do that, the others won’t dare bully you anymore.”

I followed his advice.

But I wasn’t nearly strong enough.

I couldn’t even beat the weakest one.

Even so…

the way they looked at me afterward had changed.

There was more caution in their eyes.

He asked me:

“Do you know why?”

I shook my head.

He said:

“Because reckless people fear fools, and fools fear people who don’t care whether they live or die.”

And I…

was the one who didn’t care whether I lived or died.

But that still wasn’t enough.

I had to win.

Only then would they truly stop.

So he taught me how to use technique instead of brute strength.

How to use four ounces to move a thousand pounds.

He even taught me which parts of the human body were the most vulnerable.

And afterward…

I won.

I pinned that person to the ground.

Then I glared fiercely at everyone surrounding us.

The look in my eyes scared them.

They turned and ran as fast as they could.

I’d won.

He smiled and tossed me an apple.

“Not bad at all.”

He’d been right.

After I fought back so viciously, those people never dared bully me again.

Kids at that age didn’t have much of a concept of right and wrong.

They simply bullied the weak and feared the strong.

Once you became stronger than them…

they stopped daring to touch you.

To thank him, I went to a fruit stand and bought him a huge bag of apples.

I’d carefully picked every single one.

Each apple was big and bright red.

I stood at the entrance to the alley waiting for him.

Before long, he appeared.

When he saw me, he looked surprised.

“Were you waiting for me?”

I nodded and handed him the bag of apples.

“Thank you.”

He looked even more surprised.

“So you’re not mute after all.”

That was the first time I’d ever spoken to him.

There was no way I could explain to him that after asking for help again and again and getting nowhere, I’d simply learned to stay silent.

But he didn’t bother asking.

He merely tossed the apple in his hand and walked away.

That should’ve been the end of everything between us.

But once fate ties two people together…

they’ll always meet again.

The next time I saw him was half a month later.

He was injured, lying unconscious on the ground.

I had no idea what to do, so I could only drag him toward the nearest clinic.

But he was too heavy.

I couldn’t lift him at all, so I had no choice but to drag him along the ground.

I was terrified.

Terrified that he might die.

Suddenly, a hoarse voice rang out.

“Seriously? Where the hell did you learn this corpse-dragging technique?”

I looked up.

His eyes were open, and he was staring helplessly at me.

All the strength left my body.

I collapsed onto the ground and stared blankly at him.

He sat up and seemed about to say something.

Then his expression suddenly turned panicked.

“Hey… wait. Why… why are you crying? I’m the one who got dragged across the ground. Why the hell are you crying?”

He became completely flustered.

Only then did I realize how strangely emotional I was being.

I hurriedly wiped away my tears and shook my head.

I asked him what had happened.

He said he’d caught a cold and had a fever.

He was lying.

There were obvious injuries all over him.

Then he said:

“If I didn’t have a fever, there’s no way someone would’ve managed to hurt me!”

I leaned closer.

Just like my mother always did, I pressed my lips against his forehead.

Sure enough, he was burning hot.

He immediately shoved me away and stared at me.

“What the hell are you doing?”

I looked at him blankly and answered obediently:

“Checking whether you have a fever.”

Mom had told me that using your lips was the most accurate way to check someone’s temperature.

His expression became extremely complicated.

In the end, he called me an idiot.

I didn’t mind.

I’d endured too much malice from other people.

So I knew that although he was insulting me, he didn’t actually dislike me.

I bought him fever medicine, cold medicine, anti-inflammatory medicine, and some medication for his external wounds.

He pulled a hundred-yuan bill from his pocket and shoved it into my hand.

I was about to tell him it was too much.

Instead, he pointed at me and warned:

“Don’t be stupid. Never waste your money on men!”

I pursed my lips and whispered:

“You don’t count as a man.”

He grabbed my braid.

“What part of me doesn’t count as a man? You little brat, explain yourself properly or I’m beating you up.”

I rescued my hair from his hand.

“You’re not old enough. You only count as a boy.”

He didn’t look very old anyway.

He was probably a high school student.

And high school students were boys.

Apparently, I’d rendered him completely speechless.

He muttered:

“You were better off mute!”

Somehow, in this strange way, we became casual acquaintances.

I didn’t know his name.

But whenever we met, I’d always look at him.

And every time he saw me, he’d pull an apple from his pocket and toss it to me.

He really loved apples.

Whenever I saw him, he was either smoking or eating one.

He told me:

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Way cheaper than going to the hospital.”

He also asked whether anyone had bullied me lately.

I shook my head and said no.

They really had stopped beating me.

Instead, they encouraged everyone else in the class to isolate me.

I became someone who always came and went alone.

He whistled at me.

“A lone ranger? Cool.”

I smiled along with him without a care.

It seemed that only when I was around him could I feel a brief trace of warmth.

Later, those people cornered me again.

I’d expected it.

Their malice toward me had never disappeared.

This time, however, they’d brought reinforcements.

They really thought highly of me.

They laughed loudly and said they were going to beat me until I was crippled.

I clenched my fists.

Fine.

Then I’d make sure at least one of them went down with me.

Suddenly, he appeared.

He casually draped an arm over the leader’s shoulder.

The guy instantly lost all his arrogance.

He said:

“Bullying a little kid? That’s pretty low.”

The guy immediately started begging.

“Brother Song, I’m not bullying some little kid. This bitch beat up my little brother first. Don’t let how weak she looks fool you. She hits hard.”

“Oh?”

He tilted his head and looked at me, amusement filling his eyes.

“So naughty?”

Then he continued:

“But what can you do about it?

“This little brat is under my protection.”

The group immediately slunk away.

He poked my forehead.

“You really know how to cause trouble.”

I apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

He flicked me on the forehead.

“Were you the one in the wrong? What are you apologizing for?”

I lowered my head and said nothing.

Did it matter whether I was right or wrong?

Did anyone care?

He gave a quiet snort.

Then, looking almost annoyed by my behavior, he said:

“Follow me.”

I silently followed behind him.

After we’d walked for a while, he stopped and laughed.

“You’re not even going to ask where we’re going? Aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you?”

I shook my head.

“No.”

His expression became utterly speechless.

Only when we arrived did I realize he’d brought me to a cross-the-bridge rice noodle restaurant.

Once inside, we sat at two separate tables.

He told me:

“I’m not a good person. Getting too close to me won’t do you any good.”

Even so…

that was still the most delicious bowl of cross-the-bridge rice noodles I’d ever eaten.

My troubles didn’t end just because he’d protected me.

Those people continued provoking me with their words.

They said I slept around.

They said I was filthy.

They said anyone could sleep with me.

I ignored all of it.

Until one day they said:

“You think you’re safe just because you latched onto Song Yuanke? My brother said Song Yuanke’s good days are almost over. Let’s see what you do when that happens.”

They said Song Yuanke was nothing more than a dog who actually thought he was somebody important.

That was when I finally lost control.

I grabbed a chair and smashed it straight into that person’s head.

That incident became a huge mess.

My parents were called in.

They forced my head down and made me apologize.

Then they paid compensation.

And transferred me to another school.

After everything had finally been settled, I went alone to that cross-the-bridge rice noodle restaurant.

I ate an entire bowl through my tears.

The next afternoon, after school, I saw him standing outside the gates of my new school.

He turned and walked into an alley.

I followed him inside.

He handed me a piggy bank.

“This is a Happy Piggy Bank. From now on, whenever something good happens, put some money inside. Got it?”

I told him:

“Nothing good ever happens to me.”

He said:

“It will.”

His words seemed almost magical.

At my new school, many wonderful things really did begin to happen.

There was Tang Tang.

She and I became best friends.

There was Ms. Shu.

She told me seriously that no matter what happened, I had to tell a teacher first.

And there were my classmates.

They were all incredibly friendly.

I happily shared these things with him.

He quietly listened.

But most of my happiness still came from him.

He taught those bullies a lesson so thoroughly that whenever they saw me afterward, they immediately avoided me.

He gave me apples.

Every one was big and bright red.

Whenever I forgot my umbrella, he’d stick one into the side pocket of my backpack.

Whenever I went home late, he’d follow behind me.

He always stayed far away.

But his shadow remained right beside mine.

Slowly, the amount of money in my Happy Piggy Bank grew.

And we continued maintaining this strange relationship.

Not too close.

Not too distant.

Later, when I finally understood what it meant to have your first crush…

I realized I liked him.

But then he suddenly disappeared.

He was gone.

He wasn’t in the alley.

He wasn’t at the cross-the-bridge rice noodle restaurant.

And only then did I realize…

I knew almost nothing about him.

Even his name hadn’t come from his own mouth.

I was terrified.

Terrified that I’d never see him again.

Fortunately…

that wasn’t what happened.

He appeared again on the night of October 29.

He stood downstairs from my apartment, silently smoking.

If I hadn’t suddenly decided to open the window, I might never have noticed him.

His figure wasn’t very clear beneath the streetlights.

But I recognized him instantly.

I carefully opened the door and rushed downstairs.

He looked surprised when he saw me.

Then he smiled.

“Since you’re already down here, don’t leave.”

He put out his cigarette and made me sit beside him.

I asked where he’d been.

He said:

“You’re just a kid. Focus on studying. Why do you care so much about what I’m doing?”

I asked whether he was going to suddenly disappear again.

He replied:

“What do you mean, suddenly disappear? I just had something to take care of.”

Only then did I finally relax.

I asked for his phone number.

He laughed.

“You don’t even have a phone, do you?”

I didn’t.

But I stubbornly insisted on getting his number anyway.

He sighed helplessly.

“We don’t have a pen. How are you supposed to remember it?”

“I can remember.”

And I really did.

I remembered that string of numbers for many years.

Until one day…

I suddenly forgot it.

That night, he stubbornly refused to let me leave.

He made me stay beside him until after midnight.

Once the clock passed twelve, he patted me on the head.

“Go home and sleep.”

I looked completely confused.

It wasn’t until many years later that I learned the truth.

After midnight, it was October 30.

And October 30…

was his birthday.

The story between Song Yuanke and me was plain and uneventful.

We were never even seen together.

Even when we walked down the street, there was always an arm’s length between us.

Whenever I tried to move closer, he’d raise his eyes and glare until I backed away.

But every time I ate cross-the-bridge rice noodles, there was always an extra large piece of pork rib in my bowl.

I was perfectly content with our relationship.

Even though no one around me knew he existed.

I confessed to him when I was seventeen.

“I like you. Will you be my boyfriend?”

He spat out his water and nearly choked himself coughing.

“I don’t date minors.”

“I’ll become an adult eventually.”

“Then we’ll talk when you’re an adult.”

And eventually…

I did become an adult.

My grades were pretty good.

I could’ve gotten into an excellent university.

But I didn’t want to leave.

I didn’t want to leave this city.

I didn’t want to leave the city where he was.

He asked:

“Which university are you planning to apply to?”

I lowered my head and named a university in our city.

He sighed.

“Really? That’s a shame. I was planning to move to City A and build a life there. Too bad someone won’t be able to come along.”

My heart immediately began pounding.

“Really?”

“Of course. You coming?”

I nodded.

Then nodded even harder.

After that, he told me he needed to disappear for a while.

He was going to settle everything here once and for all.

He told me not to look for him.

Not to contact him.

I agreed.

Even after knowing Song Yuanke for so many years, I still didn’t know much about him.

I only knew that he had no family.

He didn’t attend school.

He was always working outside.

And whatever work he did…

it wasn’t anything good.

I’d once asked him:

“Can’t you stop doing this?”

He merely shook his head.

He didn’t explain.

And now that he suddenly wanted to settle everything once and for all…

I was afraid.

There was nothing I could do.

All I could do was wait.

It was the seventeenth day I’d been waiting for him.

I’d fallen asleep in the place he rented.

Suddenly, voices sounded outside, followed by a key sliding into the lock.

I jolted awake and rolled underneath the bed to hide.

Someone said:

“Brother Song, get some rest. Once you get through this, you’ll be fine. We’ve all been through it.”

Then came a growl filled with barely restrained rage.

“Get out.”

It was Song Yuanke.

I waited until the voices disappeared and the room became quiet again.

Then I crawled out from under the bed.

Song Yuanke was leaning against the sofa, breathing heavily.

Something was wrong with him.

He looked dazed.

Even after I walked right up to him, his eyes remained unfocused.

“Song Yuanke, what’s wrong with you?”

He looked at me.

It took a long time before his gaze finally focused.

“Jiang Shengsheng?”

I nodded.

“It’s me.”

I tugged at him.

“Can we go see a doctor? What’s wrong with you?”

But suddenly, he grabbed me and pinned me against the sofa.

What followed was the longest night of my life.

I resisted.

But I couldn’t push him away.

Eventually…

I stopped fighting him.

There was nothing I could do.

This person was Song Yuanke.

Even if he’d lost control of himself.

Even if he was hurting me.

When I woke up the next morning, Song Yuanke looked at me with a complicated expression.

His hand brushed against my neck.

He said:

“Jiang Shengsheng, I’m going to prison.

“I was going to let you go, but you came straight back to me yourself.

“Now that this has happened, you have to wait for me.

“As long as I don’t die, whether it’s eight years or ten years, you have to wait.

“You’re not allowed to fall in love with anyone else.

“You’re not allowed to leave with anyone else.

“Otherwise, when I get out…

“I’ll kill you.”

Song Yuanke left.

He was in such a hurry that he didn’t even wait for my answer.

The only thing he left me was a bank card.

The password was my birthday.

I stared blankly at his retreating figure.

I watched him close the door and leave.

I didn’t know that would be the last time I ever saw him.

If I’d known…

I would’ve held onto him with everything I had.

And I would’ve told him:

“I’m not waiting for you.

“Don’t go.

“Don’t do anything else.

“Just stay alive.”

I never received any news from Song Yuanke.

Instead, the first news I received was that I was pregnant.

At the time, the new school year had just begun.

I’d gone to the city we’d both dreamed of going to.

I was waiting for him to come find me.

When I discovered I was pregnant, I felt more shocked than happy.

But driven by nothing more than a lonely burst of courage…

I decided to keep the baby.

And I really did.

Even when my entire family abandoned me.

I thought:

I’d already been abandoned once anyway.

Song Yuanke was the one who pulled me back.

Now I was simply returning to the person I’d originally been.

It was fine.

Everything would eventually pass.

A beautiful future was still waiting for me.

Those days were difficult.

Really, really difficult.

The first time I touched the money Song Yuanke had left me was when I was six months pregnant.

I accidentally fell and started bleeding.

I had to undergo treatment to prevent a miscarriage.

Another month passed.

Then a police officer came to see me.

He gave me another bank card.

That was when I finally learned that Song Yuanke had become an undercover police informant in order to clear his record, using his cooperation and contributions to atone for his past crimes.

The operation still wasn’t over.

All I could do was wait.

The officer told me:

“This is the reward money the police station gave Song Yuanke. He asked us to give it to you.

“He said you should live well.”

I believed him.

I accepted the money.

And continued waiting.

Later, Jiang Ye was born.

I remembered one time when Song Yuanke and I were eating at the cross-the-bridge rice noodle restaurant.

We overheard the owner excitedly choosing a name for his grandson.

On our way home, I asked him:

“If you ever have a child, what would you name them?”

Song Yuanke froze.

“What nonsense are you talking about? How would I ever have a kid?”

“What if you did?”

I kept pestering him.

Eventually, Song Yuanke couldn’t take it anymore.

“Ye, I guess. I never studied much, so I don’t know many good characters. But I once heard someone say that Ye means bright, radiant, and brilliant.

“I really like that character.”

Ye.

Jiang Ye.

It sounded beautiful.

I never stopped waiting for Song Yuanke.

Every so often, I’d find that police officer and ask whether there was any news.

His answer was always the same.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

So I continued waiting.

Honestly, those years weren’t unbearably difficult.

Because I had Jiang Ye.

He was what kept me going.

He was my hope.

He was my bright and brilliant future.

But the truth was…

I wasn’t a very good mother.

When Jiang Ye wouldn’t stop crying, I’d break down and cry too.

When he disobeyed me, I’d lose control of my emotions.

Sometimes I’d hold Jiang Ye and cry.

More often, I’d hide somewhere and cry by myself every single day.

Song Yuanke…

What am I supposed to do?

It hurts so much.

I held on for eight years.

Then one day…

I accidentally discovered that Song Yuanke had been dead all along.

I had no preparation whatsoever.

The truth came without warning.

The pain was delayed.

For five days, I continued living as though nothing had happened.

On the night of the fifth day, I stood in front of the window.

I was going to jump.

It hurt so much.

The agony came from every direction.

It tore through everything.

Destroyed everything.

Pierced straight through my chest.

I couldn’t hold on anymore.

But behind me, Jiang Ye softly called:

“Mom.”

I suddenly stopped.

Later, that police officer told me that Song Yuanke had already been dead the first time he’d come to see me.

“Why did you hide it from me?”

“Song Yuanke asked us to. He said that if he died, under no circumstances were we allowed to tell you.”

“Why?”

The officer silently looked at me.

Suddenly, I laughed.

Jiang Sheng at eighteen.

What would’ve happened if eighteen-year-old Jiang Sheng had lost Song Yuanke?

Would she have killed herself?

“You were overthinking it. I wouldn’t have.”

The officer didn’t argue with me.

Instead, he said:

“I always thought that if there ever came a month when you stopped coming to ask me about him, I’d tell you the truth.

“But Jiang Sheng…

“It’s been nine years.

“One hundred months.

“If you hadn’t suddenly found out yourself, I would’ve taken this secret to my grave.”

I scoffed at his words.

How could that possibly be true?

I wouldn’t have done that!

It was as though an enormous burden had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders.

I continued living.

Continued taking care of Jiang Ye.

But then I started suffering from insomnia.

Night after night.

My emotions became increasingly impossible to control.

Every time Jiang Ye cried because I’d lost control again, I hated Song Yuanke.

I hated Song Yuanke so much.

Because he’d ruined me.

And it seemed…

I was about to ruin Jiang Ye too.

I only wanted to send Jiang Ye far away.

Far away from me.

Far away from all these old wounds and illnesses.

Then I became sick.

The doctor told me that as my condition worsened, my memories might become damaged.

Suddenly, I found myself looking forward to it.

If I had to forget something…

I wanted to forget Song Yuanke.

And eventually…

I really did forget him.

Along with him, I forgot Jiang Ye too.

The only connection between us.

All my memories began again from the moment I bought myself a little piggy bank.

On the final night of my life, I dreamed of someone.

He was leaning against a wall, smoking.

He waved at me.

And he said:

“Hey, little brat.

“Come have an apple.”