Chapter 117 I Remember You

Chapter 117 I Think of You

When consciousness returned to him, the first things Lin Juangui perceived were the scent of disinfectant and a hint of salty, slightly briny sea air.

His blurred vision gradually focused, revealing a stark white ceiling. An old ceiling fan spun lazily overhead, emitting a rhythmic, hypnotic creak.

Lin Juangui had no idea where he was. The lingering sense of vertigo and loss of control still swirled in his mind.

Had he come back to life *again*?

Why 'again'?

Before closing his eyes, he had already stopped feeling the cold. He was just utterly exhausted, wanting to sleep.

As his consciousness finally slipped away, he had heard Qu Yang's voice.

He was back.

Lin Juangui fell asleep peacefully, believing his life would finally reach its absolute end—ending his entanglement with Mu Zhang, allowing Huo Zeshen to escape his fate and start a new chapter. He could rest properly. Yet, he hadn't expected to open his eyes again.

Disappointed? Not exactly. Lin Juangui couldn't even muster much emotion.

Seeing Lin Juangui awake, a nurse communicated with him in somewhat broken English. Only then did Lin Juangui understand where he was.

After the plane crash, rescue personnel had brought Lin Juangui to the nearest remote island near the accident site. This was the only hospital on the island.

Lin Juangui had been unconscious for at least half a month. He had multiple bruises and a mild concussion, but nothing serious.

The most troublesome aspect was the diplomatic situation.

Due to the complex airspace control rights involved in the accident and a sudden period of regional political sensitivity, Lin Juangui and several other passengers from the same flight were temporarily restricted from leaving the island, their return date up in the air.

After understanding the situation, Lin Juangui sank back onto the hospital bed. He realized that after finishing his role in the interstellar era, he had returned to the world he originally belonged to.

In this world, Lin Juangui couldn't see the system, nor was there another translucent figure chattering in front of him. He hadn't expected to circle back to this point in time. He was a bit confused about what the Main God intended to do.

If that was the case, what about Huo Zeshen? Could Lin Juangui still find him?

Lin Juangui rubbed his temples. He wasn't fully recovered yet and couldn't think too much. But since he had miraculously survived, wasn't it possible that Huo Zeshen, whose body was never found, also had a chance?!

A week later, while waiting for the negotiation results and once his body allowed it, Lin Juangui began strolling around this lazy tropical island.

The island was small; cycling around it took less than half a day. Coconut groves cast shadows, the water was clear, the sand white, and time seemed stretched by the thick sunlight and sea breeze.

But Lin Juangui hated the sea.

The sight of the sea outside the window made his heart race with just a glance, even though his vision was extremely blurry. He still felt an inward resistance.

Lin Juangui was nearsighted. His glasses had gone missing during the rescue. He asked a nurse where on the island he could get glasses. The nurse simply pointed in a direction. Lin Juangui circled the island several times before finding the place, discovering this glasses shop had no sign; it shared a space with a barbershop, with only a few display counters.

Most of the glasses styles here were rather conservative and outdated, but Lin Juangui couldn't be picky. His immediate priority was to clear his vision.

After choosing glasses, Lin Juangui also got a haircut. Surprisingly, the barbering was quite good. With his hair cut, Lin Juangui looked much more spirited than before.

The awkward part came when paying. The shop owner said they couldn't process card payments, only accepting cash. Lin Juangui explained he was a crash survivor with no local cash, promised to come pay tomorrow, and even left his wristwatch as collateral. The owner, skeptical but accepting, took the watch without saying much.

As dusk approached, the island's bank had already closed. Lin Juangui could only wait until tomorrow.

Lin Juangui wasn't fully recovered. After a day of running around, he felt drained. Lying down at night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, feeling only restless and unsettled.

Lin Juangui knew his mental health issues hadn't been cured by those memories of the cycles. During the interstellar era, to avoid raising suspicion, he hadn't sought any psychological treatment.

By the end, he had almost pushed through his plans by sheer willpower. The cost was his body and mind being riddled with holes, unable to muster any mental energy.

Lin Juangui only fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion around midnight, finally waking up when the nurse came to call him at noon.

He ate his meal in a daze, then braved the scorching sun to go to the island's largest bank to exchange money. He then hurried back to yesterday's glasses shop to pay. But the owner said, "Someone already paid for you."

Lin Juangui's hand holding the cash froze mid-air. He glanced back towards the door, then asked the owner with a smile, "Do you know who it was?"

The owner's face showed an air of honest simplicity. "No idea. They just said to pay for you and asked me to give them that watch, so I did."

Lin Juangui didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Trading a watch worth a small fortune for the cost of glasses and a haircut—anyone would call that a good deal.

Thinking about it, the owner was almost naively honest. As long as his due payment ended up in his pocket, he wouldn't take a cent more.

Lin Juangui wasn't too heartbroken about the watch. It was his fault for not doing his homework about the island. Since he chose to use the watch as collateral, he had to be prepared not to get it back. The owner's actions were perfectly reasonable; he saw no issue with it.

As for who took the watch, Lin Juangui didn't care. Causing trouble in an unfamiliar place was just asking for misery. He would be leaving this island soon anyway. As a visitor, paying a bit of a 'toll' was understandable.

The sun gradually sank lower in the west. Lin Juangui strolled through winding streets and alleys. Wearing a loose linen shirt and trousers, he passed islanders with sun-bronzed skin and bright, cheerful smiles.

He tried to mimic that smile, moving his facial muscles. Hmm, a bit difficult.

Had Lin Juangui actually forgotten how to smile?

*How funny.*

He would have to face many similar scenes in the future. If he kept being afraid, how would he handle photos of work at sea later?

Lin Juangui nearly vomited several times but managed to control it in the end.

Forcing oneself to face an unwanted reality was truly nauseating.

Lin Juangui took a deep breath. He feared the sea because of Huo Zeshen. Huo Zeshen had been reborn before his eyes, even... his home was on the sea.

Lin Juangui remembered Huo Zeshen taking him to his home before. His little den was messy, full of life, unlike the Huo Zeshen he once knew who was very orderly with chores. Yet it felt more real.

Lin Juangui walked to a rocky outcrop, leaning against it, clutching his chest as he caught his breath for a moment.

Why did it feel like he had gotten used to that sickly, weak persona from the interstellar era? Lin Juangui was never like this before. Now, he could control his body effortlessly, without needing any psychic energy.

After a while, his heartbeat finally steadied.

He looked at the sea again, telling himself not to recall the scene of Huo Zeshen disappearing, but rather Huo Zeshen knowing he was afraid of the sea, gently holding him, shielding his view from the unsettling details.

Lin Juangui sighed softly, sitting on the rocks, buffeted by the sea breeze, watching the sun slowly set. He felt utterly out of place, unable to blend with the surroundings.

He was too pale, too quiet, his eyes holding a weariness and ethereal emptiness honed by life's trials.

As the sunset completely sank into the ink-blue sea, Lin Juangui finally sensed something amiss.

Someone was watching him from the shadows.

These past days, Lin Juangui had been so distracted, neglecting many things around him.

Lin Juangui looked in the direction the feeling came from—perhaps a dense grove of trees, perhaps the balcony of a sky-blue painted building, or perhaps an empty stretch of beach.

He didn't need to think much about it; he could roughly guess that the person watching him was the one who had taken his watch. That person might be checking whether Lin Juangui still had any valuables worth taking, or perhaps considering whether to kill him and rob him of his belongings.

Lin Juangui knew he had made a mistake. He had assumed that few people on this remote island would recognize his watch, but in reality, flashing his wealth carelessly would only invite trouble. He had been too careless.

In a situation like this, he couldn’t stay outside any longer. Lin Juangui deliberately took the main road back to the hospital, and even while sleeping at night, he remained alert to any movement around him.

The next day, when the nurse came to check on his injuries, she asked why he hadn’t gone out for a walk today. Lin Juangui made an excuse: “The sunlight is too harsh. My eyes are sensitive, and I can’t handle strong light.”

As he spoke, Lin Juangui stared into the nurse’s eyes, a faint smile on his face, as if he were observing her.

Was he being too sensitive? In the past, the nurse never asked such questions—she hardly cared whether Lin Juangui went out during the day, as long as he was there during the night rounds.

But today, she suddenly asked, making it hard for Lin Juangui not to feel suspicious.

Lin Juangui spent the entire day in his hospital room, holding an English book. That strange gaze didn’t appear again—it seemed whoever it was wasn’t planning to attract too much attention in the crowded hospital.

However, the next day, the nurse suddenly brought a basket of fruit and placed it on the cabinet beside Lin Juangui’s bed. “Someone told me to give this to you.”

Lin Juangui glanced at it. The tropical fruits in the basket were so fresh they still had dewdrops on them—mangoes, rambutans, wax apples—arranged artfully. Beside them was a plain white card, unsigned, with only a line of printed English: “To replenish vitamins and aid your recovery.”

“…Do you know what the person looked like?” Lin Juangui placed the card back where it was, showing no intention of enjoying the fruits.

The nurse shook her head. “The front desk said someone asked them to deliver this basket to ‘that very handsome Asian man.’ As soon as I heard that, I knew it was you, so I brought it over.”

Was this a test, or a warning?

Lin Juangui got up and gave the fruits to the medical staff and other patients, keeping only one wax apple for himself. He went to the front desk and placed it in front of the receptionist, flashing a dazzling smile. “Hello, may I ask who delivered the fruit basket today?”

The receptionist was momentarily mesmerized by his smile. After thinking for a moment, she said, “A girl brought it over. She said someone asked her to deliver it to the handsome Asian man.”

“I see. Thank you for passing it along. This is for you to enjoy.”

After Lin Juangui left, the nurse watched his retreating figure, picked up the wax apple, took a bite, and murmured as if entranced, “So sweet.”

A night passed, and everyone who had eaten the fruits was fine. Lin Juangui temporarily dismissed the idea that the other party wanted to harm him.

But in the afternoon, Lin Juangui received several carefully selected books: an illustrated guide to the local marine ecosystem, an obscure collection of philosophical essays, and an exquisitely bound poetry collection.

These books were delivered with another printed card: “To help pass the time.”

The books were new but seemed to have been lightly flipped through, with faint creases at the page edges. Someone must have read them beforehand to ensure the content was suitable.

Lin Juangui no longer wanted to ask who had sent the books. Whoever it was was cunning and clever, knowing he would try to trace the source. They must have used different people to deliver the items, making it impossible for Lin Juangui to pick up any trail.

Lin Juangui had no interest in this game of hide-and-seek. As for leaving the island, when he asked the staff, they told him negotiations were still ongoing. Lin Juangui rested his hand on the bedside cabinet, thought it over, but ultimately gave up.

For now, Lin Juangui didn’t want to know anything about what was happening back home. Even after waking up and finding his phone in the cabinet, he had no desire to turn it on.

He couldn't bring himself to deal with the mess. As long as he could get to where Huo Zeshen was, nothing else mattered to him.

On the third day, Lin Juangui received a set of high-quality drawing tools and a blank sketchbook, accompanied by another card: “Perhaps the scenery is worth sketching.”

The scenery of this small island was indeed worth seeing, but Lin Juangui wasn’t in the mood.

For these three days, he hadn’t gone anywhere. Even though he had initially thought about exploring the entire island, someone was watching him from the shadows, and Lin Juangui didn’t want to put himself in danger.

Should he keep playing it safe?

Lin Juangui didn’t like that idea.

He slowly sharpened a charcoal pencil, picked up the sketchbook, and went to a coffee truck by the seaside, sitting under a beach umbrella.

It had been a long time since Lin Juangui last drank coffee. He needed to add extra milk to make it palatable.

He did know a bit of simple sketching, though he wasn’t particularly skilled. “Capturing the spirit but not the form” was how Lin Juangui would describe his drawing ability.

During the period after his memory loss, Lin Juangui often stayed at home. Aside from handling work matters, he would amuse himself by playing with his cat and drawing. Most of his drawings were of cats—he didn’t know how to draw anything else.

So, drawing from past memories, Lin Juangui sketched a colorful cat lying on its back, stretching lazily on the sketchbook.

A faint smile finally appeared on Lin Juangui’s face, but he soon lowered his head, looking downcast.

His colorful cat was probably fine. He had hired a dedicated caretaker and nutritionist, hoping the cat would live a long life.

Like this, Lin Juangui gazed out at the sea for a long time. His hand holding the pencil trembled at first but gradually steadied.

The wind lifted the hem of his clothes and strands of his hair. At that moment, he had become a painting in someone else’s eyes.

As the sky slowly turned orange, Lin Juangui tore out the drawing and tacked it up on the message board of the coffee truck.

On his way back to the hospital, he deliberately took a small path. The feeling of being followed grew stronger. Lin Juangui turned into a side alley, waited for a moment, and even paid attention to the direction of shadows to avoid giving himself away. A few seconds later, he abruptly peeked out—but there was nothing.

It seemed the other party enjoyed this game of cat and mouse, but Lin Juangui stood still for a long time before finally saying nothing and turning back to the hospital.

That night, Lin Juangui tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

In the dead of night, he heard the sound of the hospital room door quietly opening. The person moved lightly, as if trying not to wake Lin Juangui, but they seemed to sense that he wasn’t truly asleep and quickly closed the door again.

Lin Juangui instantly threw off the covers, not even bothering with shoes, and rushed to the door, pulling it open.

The hallway was empty, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Due to his lack of sleep during this period, Lin Juangui’s mental state was already quite poor. He was exhausted from being alert to every little movement around him.

“…Ha, haha.”

Lin Juangui suddenly laughed a few times, then his expression instantly returned to calm indifference.

It didn’t matter anymore.

Lin Juangui went back to bed and soon fell asleep.

When he woke up, he saw a box of handmade coconut candies on the bedside cabinet. The packaging was simple, and the card was brief: “A little sweetness.”

Lin Juangui opened the box. The coconut candies were even shaped like little cat heads, looking quite adorable. But Lin Juangui still had no intention of trying one.

He gave the box of candies to a child who had come to the hospital for treatment.

Lin Juangui was no longer worried about whether the items sent by the person in the shadows were safe. He even began to think that the other party might just be mischievous, coming up with all these tricks simply hoping for a response from him, yet not wanting Lin Juangui to truly know who they were.

After that, Lin Juangui accepted all the gifts. He didn’t discard them, but he didn’t use them either.

He arranged them neatly in a corner of the room, like a display cabinet of puzzles waiting to be solved.

He continued his routine: taking walks, reading books, wandering aimlessly by the sea, daydreaming, and shopping at various stores. He seemed completely unaware of the hidden gaze and the continuous gifts, only his eyes growing increasingly calm, occasionally flickering with a cold, playful glint.

Lin Juangui's injuries were healing very slowly, as his mood was affecting his recovery speed. When the nurse came to apply his medicine, he always frowned and said, "You're in pretty poor shape, aren't you? You don't eat much normally either. I really don't get you Easterners."

"Want to know why?" Lin Juangui deliberately played coy.

The nurse shook his head and followed his lead, asking why.

Lin Juangui's eyes curved into a smile. "Because I'm being harassed."

The nurse: '?'

He didn't understand what it meant.

Lin Juangui glanced at the pile of gifts. "Aren't you curious why I asked you before who sent these things? Up until now, I haven't seen the person giving the gifts, and I still don't know who they are."

The nurse subconsciously swallowed, clearly startled. "Do you want to call the police?" he asked.

Lin Juangui shot back, "Would it be useful?"

Maybe... it would still be a little useful.

However, when the police came and checked the surveillance footage, they didn't find any suspicious individuals.

Lin Juangui remarked coolly from beside them, "There are many blind spots in the hospital's surveillance. He anticipated someone would investigate the footage and made foolproof preparations."

The police asked if the other party had harmed Lin Juangui. Lin Juangui shook his head, simply pointing out the pile of gifts.

The police officer was momentarily speechless, as if he'd never seen such an absurd situation. After thinking for a while, he finally found a reason. "Perhaps this admirer... is just rather shy? After all, they haven't taken any actions that cause you actual harm, right?"

Lin Juangui smiled and glanced at the nurse who had helped him call the police, as if to say, 'See? Was that useful?'

The next day, Lin Juangui received a string of wind chimes. The chimes were made of wood, producing a soft, clear clinking sound when they collided.

This time, Lin Juangui didn't see a card.

The wind chimes were again placed back in their box and added to the pile of gifts.

Before he knew it, three weeks had passed since Lin Juangui woke up on this island.

The unforeseen diplomatic complications were finally resolved. The procedures for leaving the island were quickly completed. Early the next morning, a speedboat would take Lin Juangui to the main island's airport for his connecting flight out.

Upon receiving this news, Lin Juangui remained very calm. He found the nurse and told him about his imminent departure. "Just leave the gifts here. It's not like I could take them with me anyway. You can divide them up or sell them—it's no concern of mine."

The nurse was about to say okay when a girl with sun-darkened skin suddenly appeared at the doorway of the ward. She said to Lin Juangui, "I'm sorry. I'm the one who's been bringing the gifts. Please don't let it bother you."

Lin Juangui stared at her for a long moment, then smiled. "Did the person who asked you to deliver the gifts teach you to say that?"

The girl looked embarrassed. Lin Juangui didn't press the point. He simply took a cherry hair clip from his pocket and gave it to her.

"I'd heard the delivery person was a girl. I saw this hair clip and thought it was nice, so I bought it for you."

The girl accepted it with both hands, thanking him. "Someone wants to see you tonight. Will you go?"

Lin Juangui was somewhat surprised.

It seemed that person had good sources, knowing Lin Juangui was about to leave, and was magnanimously preparing to reveal the final answer.

"Yes, I'll go."

The girl immediately beamed with joy. "Then I'll come pick you up at seven tonight!"

Seeing the girl run off happily, the nurse looked at Lin Juangui with concern. "Aren't you worried?"

"Why don't you come with me?"

The nurse quickly declined. "I have a date with my girlfriend tonight."

Lin Juangui handed the nurse one of his business cards. "If you ever come to the country where I live, you're welcome to look me up. I'll definitely be your host."

"Lin, you're so kind."

The nurse hugged Lin Juangui tightly. Even if this card would someday end up forgotten, tucked into a magazine, he would still remember this Eastern beauty.

In the evening, the girl took Lin Juangui to the seaside. She was still wearing the hair clip he gave her.

She said her name was Mara and she had grown up on the island.

"Anyone who survives a plane crash into the ocean is blessed by the sea itself! It's the blessing of the sea and the island. We must send you off properly; that's the only way to show proper respect."

Mara brought Lin Juangui to a stall by the shore and, without another word, shoved a brightly colored Aloha shirt into his arms. "Island rules! Sending off a friend must be lively and festive. You dress too plainly!"

Lin Juangui looked somewhat stunned at the overly enthusiastic shirt in his hands, being half-pushed, half-led by Mara into a makeshift changing room nearby.

After a moment's hesitation, Lin Juangui changed into it. Mara praised him repeatedly upon seeing it. "You look really good in bright colors!"

Not far away, a small square had already gathered many islanders. A bonfire was set up. The air was filled with the charred aroma of grilled meat, the cloying sweetness of tropical fruits, and the unique scent of rum mixed with coconut milk.

Lin Juangui was warmly led to the best seat by the bonfire. Immediately, a girl wearing a flower lei placed a freshly woven frangipani lei around his neck.

Children with dark skin and gleaming white teeth curiously circled Lin Juangui, giggling.

Upbeat traditional music started playing, using the local tree bark dance and ukulele.

Mara brought Lin Juangui a coconut with a straw. "Try our 'green magic'! Guaranteed you won't forget it!"

Lin Juangui took a sip. It was fresh coconut juice mixed with a slightly intoxicating liquor made from a local plant root—refreshingly sweet with a hint of spicy aftertaste.

A whole suckling pig, freshly caught sea fish, chicken steamed in taro and coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves, mountains of tropical fruits—all sorts of authentic foods were continuously brought before Lin Juangui. The islanders took turns coming over, using simple English or gestures combined with expressive faces to toast him, pat his shoulders, and sing blessing songs.

An old craftsman skilled in shell carving handed Lin Juangui a smooth, warm black pearl shell with a naturally formed vortex pattern, gesturing, "Take this. The sea will recognize you and protect you on your journey."

The children gave Lin Juangui simple yet whimsical dolls made from coconut shells and colored thread. A boy shyly handed over a slightly crooked palm leaf boat.

As the night deepened, the bonfire burned brighter. The music became more soothing and melodious. Many people held hands, dancing a simple circle dance around the fire. Lin Juangui was also pulled in by the enthusiastic Mara.

At first, Lin Juangui was a bit stiff, but gradually relaxed under the influence of the unbridled joy around him, following the simple steps.

The firelight illuminated his pale face, casting a warm orange-red hue. The always overly calm eyes finally held flickering flames, appearing more lively.

The fervent and simple vitality, like a warm ocean wave, broke through all of Lin Juangui's defenses. He genuinely felt the unreserved kindness and blessings of this small island and its people.

As the farewell ceremony neared its end, a man addressed as Elder raised a large cup and solemnly said to Lin Juangui, "Child, take with you the island's laughter, the rhythm of the waves, and the warmth of the bonfire. Wherever you go, remember this grain of sand in the desert, always welcoming you back."

The crowd echoed in unison, raising their various containers.

Lin Juangui expressed his sincere thanks and drank the spicy yet heartwarming liquor.

As the crowd gradually dispersed and the bonfire turned to embers, the night breeze blew, slowly dissipating the tipsy warmth.

Lin Juangui walked along the moonlit beach. The tide gently surged; all was quiet. Although he told himself that in tourist-developed places, such farewell ceremonies before departure were quite common, his frozen heart had indeed cracked slightly, feeling genuine warmth.

"Oh, I almost forgot to give you something!"

Mara hurried over, handing a bouquet to Lin Juangui, and discreetly pointed in a direction, as if to say someone was waiting for him there.

Lin Juangui took the bouquet, filled with fiery red roses, like a searing flame that made his grip falter.

As before, a card was tucked among the flowers. By the moonlight, Lin Juangui read the words on the card. His hand trembled slightly, and the card slipped from his grasp, falling into the sea.

Lin Juangui dashed in the direction Mara had pointed.

Sure enough, after rounding a large cluster of rocks, he saw a tall, silhouetted figure standing at the end of a pier not far ahead.

The man wore a simple white shirt and dark pants, his back turned to Lin Juangui, facing the ocean.

The gentle moonlight traced the lines of the man's broad shoulders and straight back. Even in this still, silent pose, his presence felt restrained yet powerful, starkly out of place on this small island.

Lin Juangui stopped, neither moving closer nor speaking, letting the sound of the waves fill the silence.

After a long while, the man slowly turned around, and Lin Juangui finally saw his face.

It was an exceptionally handsome yet stern face.

His sword-like eyebrows were thick and dark, his nose bridge high and straight. Most striking were his eyes, which held a tenderness reserved only for Lin Juangui, like a sea holding the depth of the entire night, now gazing unabashedly at him.

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The two of them simply looked at each other for a long time, everything understood without words.

Under the moonlight, the card was silently being swallowed by the sea.

"In the spring night, the moon hangs high."

"I think of you, and my heart becomes whole."

[End]

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