Chapter 62 Dull Knife 06
"Mrs. Yan usually enjoys flower tea, but Su Yu didn't specify which kind," Dong Shuoye said.
Xia Ran bowed his head to search for information online. "What about you? What are you planning to give?"
Dong Shuoye replied, "I'm thinking of a piece of hand-dyed fabric. I noticed Aunt Yan likes to wear clothes that are tailored by hand and have a slightly traditional style. She should appreciate receiving the raw material."
Xia Ran pondered for a moment. "As for tea, we're not sure what particular type Aunt Yan Zi prefers. Whatever she likes, she likely has in abundance already. A new batch might not suit her taste. I'll choose a tea set for her instead."
He glanced at the store information that appeared in his search. "There's an auction house for porcelain in Star City that occasionally sells individual pieces directly. We can go take a look."
At five o'clock in the morning, Lin Shuicheng opened his eyes and exhaled softly in the darkness.
One cat slept at the head of the bed, while the other slept at the foot. Chief slept soundly, but "Fu Luoyin" was startled awake by Lin Shuicheng's movements. The gray kitten stood up from its corrugated cardboard nest, its eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
The kitten's eyes were yellow-green, leaning more towards yellow, lacking the eerie greenish glow that Chief's eyes had when he glared. They were like two small lamps, evoking a sense of inexplicable comfort and protection. It simply observed him with mild curiosity.
Lately, Lin Shuicheng's sleep pattern had been completely disrupted, mainly due to his worsening sleep quality. Initially, he experienced vivid dreams and difficulty falling asleep, often waking up easily. Then, he found himself becoming increasingly immersed in his dreams. The clarity with which his dreams used to translate into reality after he woke up suddenly vanished – or rather, his perception of dreams became more realistic. It felt as if he would permanently be trapped within them, never able to awaken.
He couldn't recall the specifics of his dreams, but they couldn't have been pleasant, given that he always startled awake.
Lin Shuicheng rubbed his damp hair from the cold sweat and got out of bed to take a hot shower.
It took him half an hour just to get out of bed, and almost an hour to wash from hot to cold water.
Recently, he had become so lethargic that even completing such trivial tasks was a challenge. He could now lie idle for hours on end, barely playing games.
His phone pinged.
Lin Shuicheng hadn't touched his phone in a long time, but when it lit up this time, he paused, then unlocked it to read the full message.
It was a notification from the hospital: "Dear family member, the ICU visiting route has been upgraded. Visiting hours are now open 24/7, though the allowed visiting time remains unchanged at half an hour per day."
Compared to the first few years, Lin Deng's condition had stabilized. Originally, he could have been transferred out of the ICU, but because Lin Shuicheng had chosen the brain stimulation treatment at Third Hospital for Lin Deng, the equipment and monitoring required were only available in the ICU, so he remained there.
Only then did Lin Shuicheng realize that he hadn't visited Lin Deng in a while.
Thoughts of his brother slightly revived his spirits. He changed clothes and prepared to leave.
Scanning through the rest of his messages, he noticed an unfamiliar number had tried to contact him multiple times. The latest text read, "Your birthday invitation will be delivered by someone else. Please ensure your communication lines are open."
Lin Shuicheng couldn't recall whose birthday invitation this was, and he deleted the message along with it.
At the hospital, after visiting Lin Deng, he changed out of his sterile clothes and shoe covers. Just as he was leaving, he bumped into a nurse who was there to conduct sterilization checks.
The nurse recognized him and spoke casually about Lin Deng, "Dengdeng has grown up quite a bit now. His condition is pretty good. Doctor Yan Zi came over the other day to examine Dengdeng's neural synapse electrical responses. The electrical activity has significantly increased compared to before, so perhaps he'll wake up soon."
Lin Shuicheng replied, "Thank you."
Only at this moment did he suddenly remember something – he finally recalled what he had forgotten. Lin Shuicheng asked, "Is Doctor Yan's birthday coming up?"
"Yes, Master's birthday party is in two days," the nurse said with a smile. "You know Su Yu, Mr. Lin, right? You'll be going, won't you? It's a shame I can't attend because I'm going on a trip with my boyfriend."
Lin Shuicheng rubbed his temples and nodded. "Yes, yes, I'll be there – I haven't had time to pick a gift yet. Could you tell me if Doctor Yan has any particular preferences or hobbies that might help me choose?"
The nurse pondered for a moment. "Hmm... Director doesn't really have any extravagant needs. He's not short of money or things, but he does enjoy brewing and drinking floral teas. There are even two tea sets in Master's office, very delicate ones. We can sometimes sneak in a cup when we're not too busy."
Lin Shuicheng inquired, "Does Doctor Yan have a favorite type of tea? Do you recall any specific flavors?"
The nurse replied, "I'm not sure about that. I just remember it being tangy, sweet, and fragrant. Each time seems to be different."
Lin Shuicheng said, "Thank you."
The nurse replied, "It's okay, Mr. Lin. I'll head to the sterile area first."
In the ICU floor, the elevators were set for emergency use. As usual, Lin Shuicheng took the escalator down.
At the end of the escalator, the department directory was displayed as always. Above Lin Shuicheng's head, a green sign with an arrow pointed clearly to "Neurology."
The elevator descended slowly. Staring at the indicator, Lin Shuicheng paused in his steps.
At this hour, only doctors on night duty would still be seeing patients. After registering, Lin Shuicheng entered the consultation room and found a young female doctor sitting there. She smiled and nodded at him, saying, "Hello."
Beside her, an intern physician offered Lin Shuicheng a cup of hot water.
Lin Shuicheng returned the greeting and then asked, "Hello. Can you prescribe me some sleeping pills? I've been suffering from insomnia for a long time. I don't need a large dosage, just two or three pills would do. I haven't been able to sleep normally for about two weeks now."
"Take it easy. Explain slowly. We can't prescribe medication without due consideration. We have to be responsible for our patients," the female doctor said after listening to his description. She handed him a form, "First, go for a blood test, then get a CT scan, thyroid function test, and an EEG. Don't worry, we're just confirming the cause of your insomnia. These tests are covered by Star City's medical insurance. Bring the results back to us when you're done."
Lin Shuicheng hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent. After accepting the form, he left to take the tests, thanking her before he closed the door behind him.
After he left, the internist watched his departing figure and whispered to the female doctor, "That guy is really good-looking, but Teacher, usually we only check endocrine and brain function. Why did we also ask him for a blood test and thyroid screening?"
He had just arrived for a day or two and was a third-year student at Star City Medical University.
"The patient's insomnia is most likely due to depression," the doctor explained. "The other tests are to confirm it. I've seen many cases like this. One glance is enough to tell me their condition. They only mention insomnia but don't realize or don't want to admit their depression. Eighty percent of patients in psychology also shuttle back and forth to our department. In the actual diagnosis, interdisciplinary assessments are always involved. The human body is one of the most complex systems, and issues related to the brain, nervous system, and endocrine are the most challenging. You'll understand that soon. Also, did you notice how he emphasized 'not a large dosage'? That indicates he has an estimation of his condition in his subconscious. He fears we won't prescribe sleeping pills because of his depression. The more such tendencies, the less we should prescribe them. It's very risky. When he returns, we'll still give him antidepressants as usual."
The hospital was less crowded in the early hours. Lin Shuicheng received all his test results about half an hour later.
Sitting on a bench outside the lab, he went through each item one by one.
His major was chemistry, and he had collaborated with numerous pharmaceutical companies. The English abbreviations, units, and numerical ranges that seemed like gibberish to others were crystal clear to him.
A moment later, Lin Shuicheng stood up and walked out but not back to the neurology department. Instead, he headed for the escalator.
It was five o'clock in the morning when most city dwellers were still asleep.
Fu Luoyin was browsing a student forum near the university; Su Yu was sleeping with a pair of slippers hugged in his arms; the auction house was brightly lit and bustling with people. In the neurology department's on-duty office, the internist opened the door but didn't find the handsome young man.
As Lin Shuicheng walked, he folded the test report in his hand twice before gently tearing it into pieces. He threw them into the trash bin and left the hospital without looking back.
Six in the morning.
Lin Shuicheng hailed a taxi to arrive at the auction house, browsing through the scattered tea sets on sale.
This was the most reputable auction house he had found through his research. On the official website, Lin Shuicheng had seen pictures of several tea sets with relatively lower prices for individual pieces, ranging from thirty to fifty thousand yuan. He planned to inspect them in person.
After entering the store, Lin Shuicheng showed the saved images from the website to the staff member. He had his eye on a nine-piece Yōmei Zisha teapot set and hoped to purchase it.
The staff member excused himself for a moment, then returned with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, sir. This tea set has already been sold today. The information on our website hasn't been updated yet, so unfortunately, it's no longer available. Would you like to look at some other options?"
Lin Shuicheng didn't decline and, guided by the staff member, examined a few more tea sets, but none of them quite met his expectations.
Seemingly reading his thoughts, the staff member asked, "Among these, is there anything that catches your fancy, sir?"
Lin Shuicheng pointed at a celadon Ru kiln tea set. "This one is very beautiful, but I'm gifting it to an elder, and it doesn't seem quite appropriate."
The base of the Ru kiln cups featured delicate ripple patterns resembling water, forming the double happiness symbol, which was typically used as a wedding gift.
The manager, standing nearby, drew in a breath before smiling. "How coincidental. I feel like I've witnessed this scene before. The customer who just bought the nine-piece Yōmei set also pointed at this one, saying it was nice but not suitable for an elder's birthday. What a coincidence. I believe his surname was Xia? It seems both of you have similar tastes."
The clerk scratched his head. "Seems like it.
Lin Shuicheng eventually purchased the celadon tea set. He commented, "I can probably give it to my younger brother as a wedding gift in the future."
At precisely seven o'clock.
Fu Luoyin entered work, leaving breakfast on the dining table. Lin Shuicheng returned home, feeding both Chief and the little gray cat before administering medicine to the feline.
He placed his phone by the bedside, turned on the induction cooker to cook himself a bowl of instant noodles, then proceeded to freshen up before lying back in bed.
This time, he finally remembered snippets of his dream. In it, his home had turned gray, and the entire Dongtong City was shrouded in a gloomy haze, as if filtered with an indelible shade.
Lin Shuicheng opened the door to find his grandfather, father, and younger brother in the yard, all of them appearing gray as well. In a corner sat another person, also gray and silent—his name was Chu Shihan.
They all gazed at him tenderly without speaking, their faces tinged with sorrow.
He asked, "What are you doing?"
He took a step forward, but with each step, the people and events in the courtyard moved further away from him. The scene shifted, and these individuals went about their separate tasks.
Lin Wang wore his police uniform with a solemn expression, a sight that Lin Shuicheng had witnessed many times in his youth. He knew it meant his father was embarking on an urgent mission.
Lin Deng was engrossed in homework, while Chu Shihan sat at a desk reading a book.
Lin Shuicheng even saw his younger self.
In the yard, his grandfather lay in a rocking chair basking in the sun, his mouth moving as if reciting poetry loudly for him. Young Lin Shuicheng crouched before him, attentively listening with his little head in his hands.
His grandfather was a man of chivalry, a teacher who, apart from insisting they practice calligraphy, would jot down mediocre verses when idle. His sole regret was not nurturing Lin Shuicheng into a literary figure – it was clear that Lin Shuicheng was more suited to science and engineering. Thus, the elder then set his sights on Lin Deng.
Lin Shuicheng asked, "Why aren't you talking to me?"
Still, no one replied. In the dream, he looked up to see snow beginning to fall, fluttering down to transform into paper money upon hitting the ground. Dongtong City's funeral had commenced.
Awakening from this dream, Lin Shuicheng felt his heart pounding wildly. The oppressive atmosphere almost suffocated him.
It was 9:30 AM.
Fu Luoyin slowed his speech due to stomach pain, and the others in the conference room lifted their heads to listen attentively, creating an atmosphere of profound silence.
The leader, Chief, leaped into Lin Shuicheng's arms, gently licked his cheek, then hopped off the bed and slipped out through the pet door of the rental apartment, beginning its daily inspection of its subordinates.
Lin Shuicheng got up to make a call. "Hello, this is Lin Shuicheng."
The person on the other end clearly remembered him and promptly responded, "Oh oh oh, Mr. Lin, how have you been lately! Do you still have time to take on projects? We've been struggling to find someone these past few days..."
Each word was recognizable, even writable, but when strung together, they seemed to lose their meaning, as if a barrier had been placed over the world, turning all sounds but his own into a buzzing noise.
Lin Shuicheng's ears started ringing violently again. After taking a few deep breaths, he pressed the back of his ear, then, amid the subsequent dizziness, bit down hard on his fingertip to jolt himself back to consciousness with the pain.
"I was wondering if you could help me with something. Could you send me a few more boxes of the drug I synthesized for your company that's already on the market? I'd like to keep them as a memento. Unfortunately, I misplaced the samples during my recent move. This over-the-counter medication isn't available for purchase, and I'm truly sorry about it."
The caller immediately replied, "Of course, no problem at all. Are you in Star City? We'll deliver them right away!"
Lin Shuicheng provided his address and then settled into waiting.
Doing nothing, maintaining this position, just waiting.
Two hours later, a knock sounded on his door. Lin Shuicheng roused himself to answer, and the person handed him a brick-like package. "A delivery from a pharmaceutical company. Please sign for it."
After signing, Lin Shuicheng opened the box to find forty identical medication boxes, each containing pale green pills. The label read: Recommended dosage: Half a pill per day for adults.
He poured himself a glass of water and swallowed four pills before returning to bed, awaiting the next stretch of sleep.
His desire to sleep overpowered all rational thought.
In his dreams, he was acutely aware that the drug would affect the synthesis, transport, and effects of 5-HT1A, norepinephrine, GABA, and glutamate in his blood and nerves, areas beyond his perception. His corticosteroids, which inhibited neuron regeneration in his hippocampus, would temporarily reverse course – all for the sake of the two-week-long awaited peaceful sleep.
This antidepressant also came with severe side effects. It blocked several neurotransmitter receptors unrelated to its therapeutic effects. He would become even more drowsy, with low blood pressure. If he were lucky, he might even slip into an oblivious state and never wake up.
At two in the afternoon, Fu Luoyin emerged from a flower shop, inserting roses into a bouquet of pink cherry blossoms.
Half past two, he stood outside Lin Shuicheng's door.
"Lin Shuicheng."
Fu Luoyin knocked gently.
There was no response.
Fu Luoyin took a deep breath and said calmly, "I've come to deliver an invitation. If you're inside, please come out and take it. If you have the time, pack up your things. I drove here, so I can take you home. I didn't mean to disturb you, but you didn't answer my calls or reply to my messages."
"If you're not ready to go back yet, I won't force you. But don't contact that man with the surname Han anymore. He's not good for you. He's someone who's supposed to inherit the family business, but in his twenties, he hasn't accomplished anything significant. He's just a student council president engaged in petty squabbles, playing house. He's not suitable for you."
Still, there was no response.
"I'll wait for you until midnight tonight, Lin Shuicheng."
Fu Luoyin stood outside with the flowers in hand, staring at the door without moving.
He was handsome and poised, holding the bouquet upright, drawing the attention of many students. Despite the comings and goings of people, Fu Luoyin remained steadfast, standing as if he were in military posture, almost as if in a stubborn challenge.
From afternoon to dusk, and then from dusk to night.
On the first day Fu Luoyin entered District 8, he and the other twenty students in his class were punished to stand in military posture all night.
It had started when the drill instructor scolded them for marching "like donkeys." One student had retorted, "We haven't even started learning how to march properly," which only earned him a stricter rebuke, "Never learned how to march? Where did your middle and high school military training go? A bunch of good-for-nothings!"
On that full moonlit night, the instructor kept a watchful eye on them, prodding their hands pressed against their pants with his cane or kicking the back of their knees. If the cane went through or the knee bent, it meant they weren't exerting any force, and they'd be punished with twenty laps around the field.
Only Fu Luoyin truly persevered throughout the entire night, exerting all his strength.
The moment the instructor blew the whistle for a break, he fell to the ground, his trembling muscles barely able to support him as he tried to stand up.
It was 9:30 in the evening.
Lin Shuicheng still hadn't shown up, but Fu Luoyin spotted a familiar cat – the Chief, tail held high, strolled past him. After casting a glance back, the feline seemed taken aback for a moment before approaching to sniff his shoes.
A small gray kitten also slunk from behind the wall, mimicking the action, sniffing at his shoes.
Then, the two cats entered the pet door one after the other.
A middle-aged man, who lived on the same floor as the teachers, walked by and glanced back at him. "Waiting for someone, young man? I saw you standing here this afternoon."
Fu Luoyin managed a weak smile. "Yes, waiting for someone. Do you know if the person who lives here is home? I haven't been able to get in touch with them recently."
"Hmm, how could I not know? That boy has a red mole, right? Quite noticeable. Just before you arrived this afternoon, I saw him receive a delivery while opening the door. I was hanging laundry downstairs at the time." Before ascending the stairs, the man couldn't help but comment, "Truly young, still with time for these romantic pursuits. Back in my college days, I waited an entire night under a girl's window. As long as she became my wife, it was all worth it."
Fu Luoyin's smile became even more strained.
His grin was like a cheap mask. Even Fu Luoyin himself sensed that with the passage of time, he was gradually losing control over maintaining this expression. It was as if the pale wall paint was peeling off bit by bit, crumbling into fragments.
It was half past eleven at night, with half an hour left before midnight.
Finally, Fu Luoyin moved. He bent down and placed the flowers and invitation card in front of the door.
Moonlight poured down, casting a melancholic touch upon the exquisite gift box.
What he didn't want, he would never have sought anyway. Those eight hours were the most humbling, embarrassing, and abnormal hours of his life, something even Lin Shuicheng would never know about.
Turning around, Fu Luoyin walked towards the parking lot. As he did, he casually took out the anti-allergy medication he had on him and tossed it into the trash can.
He pressed his lips together tightly, his expression unchanged. He still clung to his cold exterior, though his eyes were gradually reddening.
At ten forty at night, the powerful effects of the medicine overwhelmed Lin Shuicheng. He felt breathless and in pain all over, yet he couldn't rouse himself from his sleep. He could only surrender to the depths of his dreams.
The commander climbed onto the bed, nestling close to him and gently licking his fingers. The little gray cat also jumped onto the bed but didn't approach Lin Shuicheng, only circling around his pillow.
Lin Shuicheng dreamed of his small courtyard again, but this time it wasn't a nightmare.
He dreamed of their family being normal. He saw Chu Shihan chatting with his grandfather in the yard, laughing happily—although this scene had never existed, it appeared harmonious in his dream.
He saw the teapot in his grandfather's hand steaming, and Lin Deng sitting nearby, crumpling a notebook, trying to gather the courage to ask him something. He could even hear his grandfather teaching him a poem, word by word: "In dreams, I forget that I am but a guest, indulging in fleeting joy."
His grandfather liked to emphasize each word with dramatic intonation. To this day, Lin Shuicheng still remembered the tone he used for every line, as well as the poem he always forgot.
"The flow of water, fallen flowers, spring departs—"
When Lin Shuicheng woke up, his face was streaked with tears.
He wiped his face roughly and got up, checking the date. It was time for him to prepare for Su Yu's mother's birthday party—the event would take place the next day, so all guests were expected to arrive at the artificial island a day earlier, meaning he needed to set off today.
He slowly got out of bed to wash up, splashing his face with cold water.
Outside, he heard the sound of cats playing. At the same time, someone knocked on his door, shouting, "Hey, your things have been taken away by a stray cat! Is anyone there? !"
Lin Shuicheng threw on a jacket and stepped outside to take a look.
In front of his door lay an exquisite gift box, its lid open, revealing an empty interior—petals were scattered within a radius of five meters, twirling gently in the breeze like the spirits of the wind. Thanks to the clean ground and lack of footprints, the scene possessed a peculiar beauty.
The Chief and the little gray cat carried a large bunch of flowers, dropping petals along the way as they scratched and bit at them wildly. When Lin Shuicheng looked up, he saw the kitten climbing a tree, the once-bunched cherry blossoms now scattered, with a touch of red on the verge of falling. He reached out gently and plucked it, discovering it was a rose.
Amidst the onlookers, Lin Shuicheng emerged from the winter chill in a thin shirt and jeans, approaching to lift the Chief down and retrieve the remains of the eternal flower from its mouth. He then clapped his hands, beckoning the little gray cat over.
The little gray cat hesitated but, after circling around, approached him and handed over the remaining flowers.
It was a bizarre scene: a winter morning shrouded in floral scent and pink petals, a handsome young man clad lightly, reaching out to pick a flower before tucking the remaining pink bouquet into his embrace. Two meowing kittens followed him, and a captivating teardrop mole adorned the corner of his eye.
Strange, yet breathtakingly charming.
Lin Shuicheng meticulously arranged the remaining flower stems and gathered every tiny petal he could find into a box, ensuring that all had been collected. Only then did he notice the invitation card pressed beneath the box.
He was familiar with the process of creating eternal flowers—the petals could be cleaned using glycerin.
This flower couldn't have come from Han Huang. Han Huang would occasionally send him fresh flowers, and there was no florist within Star University that sold eternal roses.
Lin Shuicheng reached out to pick up the rose, gently caressing its soft petals with his fingertips.
He let out a soft sigh.
Author's Note:
A'Dong declares Fu Luoyin the winner of this chapter!
Little Fu (Peacock spreading its feathers in all directions): Thank you all, thank you! Even though I didn't see it, my spouse felt it! Sending flowers is great! I'll do it again next time!
Little Lin pulled Little Fu away and lifted a small gray cat onto the stage: "It was this one, its performance was better than yours."