Chapter 24 Memory Recovered

Chapter 24: Memory Recovery

The neural connection in Chu Yan's brain that had been severed from his past snapped back into place on Christmas Eve.

But the night gave him a reprieve.

In the middle of the night, as Chu Yan pretended to be asleep, someone gently lifted his pillow. When they saw nothing underneath, their movements paused, and in the stillness, an offbeat breath was especially jarring. He pretended to turn over, and in his haste, the person hurriedly placed a small square box under his pillow. The discomfort on the side of his neck became a new source of discomfort keeping him awake.

He hadn't had insomnia in a long time.

To be precise, it had been two months and seven days.

On the day he was hit and became "like an idiot," he hadn't slept for two days and two nights. His mind was scattered, and he couldn't concentrate while driving until a stray dog ran in front of his car. To avoid it, he crashed into a big tree on the side of the road.

Fortunately, it was late at night, and there were no pedestrians out.

Retracing his memories, there was a sense of disarray, as if they had been maliciously cropped. During the two-plus months at He'an Hospital, how could that "idiot" have been himself?

The amnesia shattered the glass dome that had kept him comfortable and at ease, allowing a complete stranger to see all his embarrassing moments.

Yet those moments of embarrassment were sharply felt, contrasting sharply with the moment the glass dome settled back into place. Puzzled, confused—it all seemed to change in an instant, but the experience felt entirely different.

Thankfully, dawn hadn't broken yet. He couldn't see Chi Suiyong's face clearly, allowing him to temporarily deny these past months.

But what would he do when morning came?

He hadn't been back to the company for over two months; it was probably a mess. During this time, Yunshang hadn't visited much, likely too busy to find the time.

Chu Yan instinctively avoided the details of his interactions with Chi Suiyong over the past two months, seeing this period as a bizarre necessity imposed by his "illness," and choosing to look forward.

As for Chi Suiyong—he was a good doctor.

Today was Saturday; Chi Suiyong wouldn't set an alarm. He had gone to bed late last night. Chu Yan was sure that before he finished dealing with everything, he wouldn't have to face him in this ward again.

Because once their eyes met, those sharp, clear feelings like a cold spring would clash with who he was now, dragging him into a vortex of truth-seeking.

Once his phone was charged, Chu Yan opened his memo app and added a new entry to the densely packed list.

"New entry—Dr. Chi.

Chi Suiyong, pediatrician, non-surgical physician, 31 years old, about 1.8 meters tall, weighs around 65 kilograms.

Preferences: Artsy old movies, occasionally anime, likes handmade items, dresses in warm colors, mildly nearsighted but doesn't wear glasses, picky eater (but hides it well), mild OCD (probably due to his profession).

Gentle and attentive with people, his ex is male—meaning he's not into women, but he likes children.

The perfume he uses is Order Forest, the mid-range but worst-selling one from Yitai—it was the perfume Mom designed for Qi Qinghe, which he has always worn.

My dependence during amnesia was probably due to the above reasons.

Duration of contact: two months and seven days.

Important events: Visited Dr. Chi's house for Qin Zheng's (his brother-in-law) birthday. The next morning, Dr. Chi caught me making pour-over coffee (he got a bit awkward). Went to Wetland Park, ran into his ex (Dr. Chi has good taste).

Celebrated my birthday (Dr. Chi put a lot of effort into the decorations). Received many small gifts. Got lost once, but got found thanks to Dr. Chi's ex... Will add more if I think of it.

Summary: Without Dr. Chi's care over the past two months, my big brother would have been in a real mess. To reciprocate, I should figure out how to thank Dr. Chi." He thought.

When he looked up again, it was already 7 AM. Chu Yan quietly dressed himself, then left the ward and went directly to Director Xing's office.

Director Xing would be at his desk by 7:30 sharp.

While waiting, he called Chu Chenzhi and Yunshang individually. He still couldn't drive, so he needed someone to pick him up. Big Brother was the closest person to him after Qi Qinghe, and since he was being discharged today, he had to come.

Chu Yan pulled open the curtains in Director Xing's office, sat in the armchair, and idly twirled the ends of his hair with his fingers.

He had looked in the bathroom mirror this morning—his hair hadn't had a treatment in too long, and it didn't look as good.

For now, that was the only thing bothering him.

"Chu Yan?"

The office door was open. Director Xing had arrived early today. He glanced around the room and asked naturally, "Where's Xiao Chi? Why isn't he with you?"

Chu Yan stood up, one hand in his pocket. "Director Xing, I'm here to handle my discharge paperwork."

"Huh?" Director Xing seemed caught off guard, unable to react immediately. "You... you're better?"

"Yes. Do I need any discharge procedures?"

Director Xing rubbed his bald head. The person in front of him now wasn't the amnesiac Chu Yan, but one of the bosses. His demeanor shifted quickly. "No need. I'll handle the discharge. By the way, have you informed Chairman Chu?"

Chu Yan raised his wrist, only to see a kid's watch on it.

This was a "Little Genius" children's watch with GPS that Dr. Chi had brought from his nephew's home after Chu Yan got lost at Times Square last time. Dr. Chi had told him to wear it always because it had GPS, so he wouldn't get lost again.

Chu Yan took off the watch and put it into his coat pocket. "My older brother will be here soon."

Yunshang and Chu Chenzhi arrived together with the hospital staff reporting for duty.

After arriving, Chu Chenzhi looked Chu Yan over. A flicker of melancholy passed through his eyes, but he didn't show much joy at seeing his brother recovered. "When did you remember?"

"When I opened my eyes this morning."

Yunshang, still in her high heels, was impatient to confirm whether this unexpectedly short vacation was truly over. "Fully recovered? No buffer period?"

Chu Yan snorted. "Looks like you've had it pretty easy during this time."

Yunshang laughed awkwardly. "Absolutely not. I've been in a mess every day, just waiting for you to take back the reins so I can be off the hook."

The company had been out of his hands for too long. Chu Yan called Secretary Chen and arranged an afternoon meeting. Yunshang watched him, her face slowly turning pale.

Vacation was definitely over!

Chu Chenzhi stepped forward and patted Chu Yan on the shoulder. "Where's Dr. Chi?"

Chu Yan put away his phone. "Probably still asleep."

"Does he know?"

"Not yet."

"He's been taking care of you all this time. If it weren't for Dr. Chi, you wouldn't have been willing to cooperate with treatment in the first place. How about this—let's set a time for a meal together and thank him properly."

Yunshang interjected, "Big Brother, just one meal? That's a bit stingy of you."

Chu Chenzhi smiled. "It's up to Chu Yan."

Chu Yan looked down, thinking. He had been pondering this all morning. Although Dr. Chi was a doctor at He'an, it wasn't his job to care for him. Over this period, Chu Yan had felt that Dr. Chi's care had become woven into his daily life.

Of course, this is related to his personality. After all, he has always been gentle and considerate to other young patients in the hospital as well.

"Brother, I know. Let me finish this busy period first."

"Tsk... How could this be? It shouldn't be!" Yunshang leaned in toward Chu Yan. "According to normal logic, when old memories return, they would overwrite new ones. That means you should have forgotten Dr. Chi, but you actually remember him."

Chu Yan: "..."

Director Xing, being the most authoritative in this area, had the most say. "Miss Yun, where did you read about this 'normal logic'?"

Yunshang shrugged, a bit disappointed. "I read it in a book. Isn't it usually like that?"

Chu Yan stepped back half a pace. "Put away your imagination. Help me pack up later and then take me back."

Just as he spoke, a voice sounded from the doorway.

"Chu Yan..."

Among everyone present in the office, only Chu Yan recognized the familiar urgency in that voice.

Everyone looked over. Chi Suiyong looked like he had just woken up, wearing only a loose sweater.

"..."

Seeming to notice something unusual, Chi Suiyong's steps halted in place as he looked around at everyone's faces.

Director Xing greeted him, "Xiao Chi, you came just in time. Chu Yan has recovered and is being discharged today. You've worked hard for over two months—now you can step back with your mission accomplished."

Chu Yan's gaze met Chi Suiyong's. The muscle memory of his face produced a smile that was no different from before.

But his eyes had stripped away the pure affection once reserved for a certain someone, leaving behind the steadiness and dignity of an adult.

Restraint was reserved for Chi Suiyong.

Chi Suiyong was momentarily stunned, more like a self-protective reaction as a stress response. He smiled and said, "Then congratulations, Chu Yan."

Chu Yan stepped forward slowly and extended his right hand. "Thank you, Dr. Chi, for your care during this time."

Chi Suiyong looked down at the neatly aligned, straight fingers, then slowly extended his own right hand to complete this adult social interaction. "You're welcome, Mr. Chu. From the very beginning, you made me a promise."

Then, his gaze shifted to Chu Chenzhi.

Chu Yan stepped aside.

Had there been a material transaction made in his absence?

He stared at the back of Chi Suiyong's head. After considering his knowledge of the other man, he suddenly dismissed that guess.

"Mr. Chu, now that I've successfully stepped back, can I come to you to have you fulfill that promise?"

Director Xing had been present at the time and naturally remembered this matter. But back then, Chi Suiyong hadn't followed up. Now that he brought it up, it felt a bit strange.

Chu Chenzhi replied, "I promised earlier that I would do anything within the Chu family's power. So, Dr. Chi, feel free to speak your mind."

"I remember when I first joined He'an, the hospital had a medical fund for special-needs children. I'm not sure why it was discontinued. Among the patients I've recently treated, two children meet the criteria. If it's not too much trouble for Mr. Chu, I would like to see the fund reinstated."

Chu Yan looked at Chi Suiyong's back. Though this request wasn't for himself, it was still quite an exorbitant request.

How would his brother, Chu Chenzhi, respond?

"The fund was suspended mainly due to internal management issues. Dr. Chi, rest assured—I will have someone put this matter on the agenda."

That was fine. It saved him from having to rack his brain for a way to thank the other man.

Chu Yan smiled faintly. He admired what Dr. Chi was doing, but using him as a bargaining chip with his brother Chu Chenzhi while excluding him from the equation made him uncomfortable.

He certainly wanted to reclaim that sense of participation. "Brother, after the fund is reinstated, the funds to be allocated can go directly to Yitai, since I am the beneficiary of the exchange."

Then he turned to Chi Suiyong. "Dr. Chi, don't you agree?"

"As long as the fund gets reinstated, I don't care who pays for it." Chi Suiyong clenched his fist, turned around, and lifted his chin slightly. "Mr. Chu, you probably still have things to pack. I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

The title changed, and with it, the tone became distant.

Chu Yan's breath deepened, driven by habit. Some words that didn't need careful consideration seemed to stir in his throat, then were suppressed.

It was hard for anyone to completely break free from an established habit all at once.

But in Chu Yan's view, Dr. Chi had already, with his professional habits, made a clean cut in their relationship.

With just that "Mr. Chu," their doctor-patient relationship was over.

"Alright, Dr. Chi. Go ahead."

Earlier, Yunshang had said that a single meal as a thank-you was too stingy. So, was reinstating a fund worth tens of millions a year enough to be considered substantial?

But Dr. Chi, this token of gratitude never actually reached you, did it?