Cheng Boyan had doubts about whether Xiang Xi could properly recuperate after being discharged from the hospital. This kid had been hospitalized for three months, and not a single person had come to visit him.

When Cheng Boyan found him in the parking lot, Xiang Xi didn’t have a phone on him, and during his long hospitalization, he hadn’t borrowed a phone to contact anyone either. Cheng Boyan couldn’t figure out what kind of environment Xiang Xi lived in… But after all, this was Xiang Xi’s own decision, and he didn’t plan to inquire too much.

Xiang Xi’s hospitalization had already cost Cheng Boyan a significant amount of time, energy, and money. He felt that if he were to stop Xiang Xi from being discharged or worry about his life after discharge, he might as well go to the psychiatric department to get some medication.

Xiang Xi had been feeling restless these past few days. He didn’t know if it was because he was excited about being discharged or if there was some other reason, but his emotions were easily stirred. When he saw the two sets of clothes Cheng Boyan had bought for him, he even rubbed his eyes, and his voice became nasal.

“Thank you, Brother,” Xiang Xi said, looking down at the clothes on the bed. “You even bought a full set.”

“I noticed you don’t have many clothes. Every time I see you, you’re wearing that same down jacket. It’s not warm, is it?” Cheng Boyan wanted to see if Xiang Xi was really crying, but Xiang Xi kept his head down, making it impossible to tell. He could only pat the clothes and say, “I just guessed the size, but it should fit.”

“It fits. I can tell just by looking at it,” Xiang Xi said, then quickly went into the bathroom.

Cheng Boyan heard him blowing his nose loudly inside and instinctively jumped up to squeeze some disinfectant onto his hands, rubbing them together.

“Ah, that feels better!” Xiang Xi came out with a slightly red nose, but his eyes were bright, and his usual smile was back on his face. “Brother, you… you’re at it again!”

“Blowing your nose like you’re playing a trumpet,” Cheng Boyan frowned.

“That’s the proper way to blow your nose,” Xiang Xi said, squinting as he laughed.

“All your things are here,” Cheng Boyan said, handing him a bag containing Xiang Xi’s small belongings. “And that pendant—I didn’t bring it with me. Later…”

“Brother,” Xiang Xi pulled Cheng Boyan to the window and spoke in a very soft voice, “Can I ask you for a favour?”

“Hmm?” Cheng Boyan looked at him.

“There’s something I want to ask of you… I know it’s not really appropriate, but… I really have no other choice. It’s about that pendant…” Xiang Xi scratched his head, struggling to get the words out. “Can… can you keep it for me for now?”

Cheng Boyan was stunned. He hadn’t expected Xiang Xi to make such a request.

After a couple of seconds, his first reaction was to refuse. The pendant was a valuable item, and aside from its unclear origins, its value alone made it inappropriate for him to keep.

But before he could refuse, Xiang Xi spoke again, sounding anxious: “I know it’s not appropriate, but I’m begging you, brother. I know you’re a good person. Only by leaving it with you can I feel at ease.”

“You should keep it yourself,” Cheng Boyan shook his head. “I…”

“Brother, brother,” Xiang Xi grabbed his arm. “I promise, that pendant is really mine. It’s not stolen or scammed. It’s really mine. It was in the blanket when Uncle Ping found me. It’s the only thing that can prove my identity.”

Now it’s an important piece of evidence for his identity?

Cheng Boyan felt like ever since he met Xiang Xi, he had been constantly thrown into a state of confusion. One bizarre statement after another left him completely overwhelmed.

“Besides, I’ve been hospitalized for so long, and I even had surgery. You even used imported screws in my leg… I saw the bill, and it scared me so much I almost lost the screws,” Xiang Xi continued, not letting go of Cheng Boyan’s arm. “I really can’t pay that much right now. Keeping the pendant with you can serve as collateral…”

“I’m not asking you to pay me back immediately,” Cheng Boyan sighed. “Just write me an IOU.”

“Would you believe an IOU from me? I wouldn’t even believe it myself,” Xiang Xi also sighed. “That’s why I say you’re a good person. If I write you an IOU and then run away, where would you even find me?”

Cheng Boyan didn’t respond. He wasn’t indifferent to the money—it wasn’t a small amount, and he couldn’t just give it to Xiang Xi for free. He had already given away 4,000 yuan, which was holy enough. But he also didn’t want Xiang Xi to use the pendant as collateral. Something of such high value with unclear origins was just too unreliable.

“Brother, brother…” Xiang Xi shook his arm again. “I know my words aren’t very trustworthy, but I’m not lying to you about this. You saved me. I wouldn’t use a stolen pendant to cheat you.”

“Alright,” Cheng Boyan finally gave in, waving his hand and pulling his arm free. “Listen carefully. I’ll keep it for three months. After three months, when you come back for your check-up, bring the money, and you can take the pendant back.”

“Deal!” Xiang Xi quickly nodded. “Deal, deal, deal! Brother, I knew you were a good person!”

Cheng Boyan pinched the bridge of his nose. “One more thing: if you don’t show up, I’ll take the pendant to the police.”

“You…” Xiang Xi was stunned. “Is there a ‘Top Ten Upright Youth’ award in our city? If there is, you should win it every year!”

“That’s just how upright I am, as straight as an iron rod,” Cheng Boyan patted his shoulder. “Change your clothes and pack your things. I’ll go handle the discharge procedures.”

Although Cheng Boyan agreed reluctantly, Xiang Xi felt a huge wave of relief.

The pendant was very important to him. He hadn’t lied to Cheng Boyan about this. It was indeed in the blanket when Uncle Ping found him.

“This is why I had to keep you alive,” Uncle Ping had told him, pointing at the pendant. “This might be the service fee your father or mother gave me.”

The pendant had hung around Uncle Ping’s neck for many years, and the string had broken several times. But that night, when Xiang Xi reached out and pulled the pendant off, it was the first time he had touched this piece that belonged to him.

The pendant was his only connection to his parents. He had to keep it safe. Carrying it around wasn’t safe, but leaving it with someone like Cheng Boyan, who had a respectable identity and social status, was the safest option.

He changed into the clothes Cheng Boyan had bought for him—a full set, from inside out, even including shoes. They were soft-soled casual shoes, very comfortable. As soon as he put them on, he could tell they were high-quality.

Xiang Xi walked up and down the hallway a few times. Good shoes really made a difference!

When Cheng Boyan returned to the room after completing the discharge procedures, Xiang Xi had already packed his things.

“Let’s go eat, and then I’ll drive you home,” Cheng Boyan said, checking the time.

“…Huh?” Xiang Xi didn’t move. Drive him home? To where? Where was he supposed to find a home for Cheng Boyan to take him to? If Cheng Boyan found out he didn’t even have a place to stay, would he still believe him about keeping the pendant safe?

Xiang Xi suddenly realized how stupid it was to choose a day when Cheng Boyan was off work to be discharged.

“Can I leave tomorrow instead?” Xiang Xi looked up and asked.

“What’s wrong with you?” Cheng Boyan looked at him, confused. “The discharge procedures are done. Other patients have been waiting for this bed for days. Besides, I have work tomorrow. I don’t have time to take you home.”

Xiang Xi couldn’t come up with any reason to delay further, so he got up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and followed Cheng Boyan out of the hospital.

After being in the hospital for several months, stepping outside felt strange to Xiang Xi. Standing on the street, bathed in sunlight, he looked around, unsure of which direction to go.

Cheng Boyan didn’t take the car right away. Instead, he led Xiang Xi to a Western restaurant near the hospital.

“I don’t have to eat bland food anymore?” Xiang Xi asked when Cheng Boyan ordered him a steak.

“You need to replenish your nutrients now. Eat some meat,” Cheng Boyan said, looking at him. “You’re quite tall, but do you even weigh 100 pounds?”

“Wow, your estimation skills are way off,” Xiang Xi laughed, leaning on the table. “I weighed myself at the nurse’s station yesterday. I’m 120 pounds.”

“So you’ve gained some weight during your hospitalization,” Cheng Boyan also smiled. “After you go back, make sure to eat well. Your leg hasn’t been active for a long time, so you can do some light exercises at home, but don’t overdo it. No running or heavy lifting for now.”

“Okay,” Xiang Xi nodded. The word “home” suddenly made him feel melancholic. To go home, he first needed to have a home.

After the meal, Cheng Boyan brought the car around. Xiang Xi got in and hesitated for a long time before saying, “Brother, just drop me off at… the intersection near Zhaojiayao.”

“Zhaojiayao?” Cheng Boyan was startled and turned to look at him. “Your home is in Zhaojiayao?”

“Home… sort of. Yeah, my home is in Zhaojiayao,” Xiang Xi rubbed his nose.

“Did you grow up there?” Cheng Boyan started the car and headed toward Zhaojiayao.

“Yeah,” Xiang Xi smiled wryly. With just those words, Cheng Boyan could probably imagine what kind of person he was.

And he was right. Cheng Boyan didn’t say another word for the rest of the drive.

When they were still a block away from Zhaojiayao, Xiang Xi asked Cheng Boyan to pull over. He didn’t plan to go back to Zhaojiayao right now. Being too close would make it easy for Uncle Ping’s people to spot him.

“I need to buy some… groceries,” Xiang Xi pointed to the market across the street. “If I suddenly go back, they probably didn’t buy enough food for me.”

“Oh,” Cheng Boyan didn’t ask further. He took out his wallet, pulled out a few hundred-yuan bills, and handed them to Xiang Xi. “Take it.”

“No need!” Xiang Xi was stunned and immediately started shouting, “No need, no need, no need, no need… How can I take your money? No need, no need, no need…”

Before Cheng Boyan could say anything else, Xiang Xi grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and jumped out of the car. “Brother, thank you. I’m leaving now. Thank you. I’ll call you once I’ve settled down.”

Settled down? Call him?

“Do you have my number?” Cheng Boyan asked.

“Yes,” Xiang Xi closed the car door, then leaned in through the window and quickly recited Cheng Boyan’s phone number. “I memorized it when you were fixing the car.”

“What do you mean by ‘settling down’?” Cheng Boyan asked again.

Xiang Xi smiled but didn’t answer. He turned and jogged toward the market.

He had to run away quickly. If he moved too slowly, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to leave and would shamelessly climb back into Cheng Boyan’s car.

Cheng Boyan, who was serious, upright, and gentle with everyone, had been the most solid warmth behind him these past few months. He was afraid that if he walked too slowly, he wouldn’t be able to take another step.

*

The market was a familiar place for Xiang Xi. Slightly different from ordinary markets, this one had many store-fronts that didn’t sell vegetables—places for playing cards, singing, and opera. It was crowded, chaotic, and dirty, but it inexplicably gave him a sense of belonging.

As he walked into the market, he couldn’t help but sigh. What kind of different life? What kind of longing for another life? Some people, like him, were destined to belong to places like this.

His long-standing life experiences had firmly trapped him in the vitality that emerged from this chaos.

To break free and leave, the price would likely be what he was facing now.

Confusion.

Xiang Xi kept his head down and quickly passed through the market, then walked down two more streets. Ahead was an artificial lake that had long since dried up.

The bottom of the lake was covered in potholes and piles of construction debris. The elderly still gathered here in the morning to exercise around this pit, which always moved Xiang Xi. What kind of spirit was this…?

He slid down the edge of the lake and found a sheltered spot to sit.

The afternoon sun was warm. Xiang Xi leaned against the rubble and weeds behind him and thought of the cat on the wall opposite Room 17. By now, it had probably finished its mating calls.

Green grass sprouted from the muddy ground beneath his feet, and not far away were several plots of land where nearby residents grew vegetables. If you ignored the background and just looked at the scene before him, it almost had the charm of spring flowers blooming.

Xiang Xi was a patient person. He had to be. Often, he would spend time like this, doing nothing, watching people and things. As a child, he would listen to the fake blind man tell him all sorts of right and wrong principles. As he grew older, he started thinking for himself.

He was quite peaceful here. At this time, there were few people by the lake, and no one would come down to where he was. He placed his backpack behind him, lay down, and stared at the sky.

He watched from the time the sunlight was too bright to open his eyes until the sky gradually darkened.

Music began to drift from the lakeside—square dancing, ballroom dancing, singing, and opera. The love for noisy art truly transcended class and wealth.

Xiang Xi’s reflections on many things came during these idle moments. Brightness and darkness alternated around him, noise and quiet alternated, escape and having nowhere to go alternated…

Judging by how long the music had been gone, it was now late at night. Xiang Xi casually plucked a blade of grass from beside him and chewed on it.

After a while, he stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

Of course, he couldn’t go back to Zhaojiayao, and he didn’t dare to. But he still had to grit his teeth and make a trip there. All his belongings were still in the small room in Tongkui Alley. Although even the money he had saved wasn’t worth much, those things represented his entire past.

Xiang Xi quickly made his way through several small streets and alleys into Zhaojiayao. The familiarity and ease with which he navigated this place filled him with anger. The “life” he had paid such a high price to escape didn’t even require a second to transition back into. He could seamlessly blend back in as if he had never left.

How infuriating. How messed up.

How disappointing.

He paused for a moment outside the small room, then carefully tugged on the rope on the windowsill. The window opened, and he reached in to unlock the door.

The room was the same as always, with a damp smell.

He rummaged through the corner cabinet and found the small bundle hidden under piles of cardboard and rags. He opened it and checked—his little trinkets and the roll of money were still there.

Xiang Xi stuffed everything into his backpack. The bag, which Cheng Boyan had bought for him, was quite spacious with many small pockets. He distributed his belongings into the pockets, feeling a strange sense of amusement, as if his “wealth” had suddenly increased.

Although the room in Tongkui Alley had once been safe, that was in the past. Back then, he could wander any street in Zhaojiayao without anyone bothering him.

But now things were different. Even though he hadn’t entered a different life, his life in Zhaojiayao’s underworld was truly over.

He couldn’t stay here long. If Uncle Ping or Erpan found out he wasn’t dead and had dared to come back, it would be like courting death.

As he ran out of Zhaojiayao, Xiang Xi turned back and glanced at the place where he had grown up. It was no different from any other late night.

Xiang Xi had never officially been homeless, but it wasn’t uncommon for him to wander the streets for days when he had no income and didn’t dare return to the underworld. He wasn’t uncomfortable with it.

He bought a bag of barbecue sticks from a street vendor and two packs of cigarettes, then skillfully found a secluded ATM booth that no one dared to use at night.

Even though spring was almost over, the weather was still cold. Popular spots like ATM booths were still first-come, first-served—one homeless person per door.

The ATM booth Xiang Xi chose had a door that didn’t close properly and let in the wind. Inside, two men were already lying down.

As soon as he walked in, one of the men, whose hair was almost matted into a wig, sat up and glared at him. “Get out!”

“I’ll stay until morning, then I’ll leave,” Xiang Xi said, throwing his bag into a corner and sitting down against it.

“Didn’t you hear him? Get the hell out!” the other man also sat up.

Xiang Xi tossed the skewers and cigarettes to them. “Uncles, I’ve run away from home. I’ll just stay the night.”

The two men exchanged glances, took the skewers and cigarettes, and each lit a cigarette. They looked Xiang Xi up and down for a moment, and the one with the matted hair clicked his tongue. “Got anything else on you?”

“Yeah,” Xiang Xi nodded, pulling out a small machete from his bag and placing it on the ground, stepping on it with his foot. “Uncles, life’s hard for all of us. I don’t want trouble, but don’t mess with me.”

The two men stared at him for a while, then didn’t say anything else. They took a cigarette from the pack and tossed it to him. “Running away from home is pretty trendy, huh?”

“Not bad,” Xiang Xi picked up the cigarette and put it in his mouth but didn’t light it. Cheng Boyan had told him not to smoke. “You two are ahead of the trend.”

"You're not eating this?" Someone pointed at the bag of barbecue and asked him.

"It's too greasy, I didn’t eat it. I bought it for you guys." Xiang Xi smiled.

What kind of reason was “too greasy”… Xiang Xi thought of how Cheng Boyan had said the same thing the day he ate twice-cooked pork with rice in a wooden bucket. He smiled. In the past, he would never have let such good food go uneaten.

After spending a few months in the hospital, his taste had changed.

Thinking about it that way, life really had changed, after all!

After the two finished eating, they lit cigarettes in satisfaction, then lay down to sleep. Before dozing off, one of them even tossed him a fresh piece of cardboard, saying it would keep the dampness out a little.

Xiang Xi hesitated for a moment before placing it under him. It wasn’t that he was afraid of the dampness—it was that the clothes he was wearing were really nice, the best he had ever worn in this lifetime. Lying directly on the ground made him feel a little reluctant.

Lying down with his bag as a pillow, Xiang Xi didn’t feel sleepy. He just needed a place to stay for the night.

The two seemed to be asleep, but whether they were actually asleep, when they might wake up, and what they would do when they did—no one knew. He didn’t dare to fall into a deep sleep either.

Outside the glass, the night grew darker and darker. The self-service bank was brightly lit, and against that contrast, he could only see his own reflection when he looked out.

Xiang Xi sighed. His hair was now just a layer of soft fuzz, completely shapeless.

Seeing his hair made him think of Cheng Boyan again. Cheng Boyan had the day off today. He was probably already asleep by now. If he remembered correctly, Cheng Boyan had outpatient clinic duty tomorrow…

Why was he even thinking about this?

Xiang Xi stared at his own face in the glass. What are you going to do tomorrow?

In the middle of the night, half-asleep, Xiang Xi felt freezing. After spending months in a temperature-controlled hospital room, suddenly having to sleep on an open marble floor was a jarring contrast.

Just as he was thinking about getting up to move around because he couldn’t stand the cold anymore, he heard voices from outside the self-service bank—several people laughing and joking around.

Someone shouted: "Hey, there are three of them in here!"

Before Xiang Xi could react, a glass bottle smashed against the window beside him.

Shit. A drifter’s life was even worse than a thug’s.

Xiang Xi sprang up and instinctively grabbed the small machete that had been tucked under his arm.

 

Translator : DarNan