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Volume 1: Childhood Anecdotes

Chapter 1: Reload

Mi Yang was dozing off in a rocking chair. Opposite him, a small fan whirred and creaked, sounding like a lullaby that made Mi Yang’s eyelids feel even heavier. After a moment, the phone beside his hand buzzed twice. He picked it up and saw it was a notification for the final two payments to the bank. The mortgage was finally paid off. Mi Yang heaved a sigh of relief.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, his cousin knocked and entered, calling out, “Brother!”

Mi Yang was startled by him. His cold hadn’t cleared up yet, and his voice was nasal. “What’s up?”

The cousin, who wore glasses, sidled up to Mi Yang and fell silent, his gaze hesitant as if he had something difficult to say.

Mi Yang found his staring a bit odd and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The cousin was quiet for a moment before suddenly saying, “Brother, the Bai family is holding an engagement party today.”

Mi Yang was taken aback for a second. “Huh?”

The cousin studied his expression and said in a low voice, “The one, Bai Luochuan.”

Mi Yang waved his hand dismissively. “I know his family, but what does his engagement have to do with me?”

The cousin said, “Weren’t you and him the closest back then?”

Mi Yang thought for a moment, then frowned. “Are you saying… I have to go give a gift?”

The cousin’s expression grew even more peculiar, and he started to stammer. “Brother, are you going? I think, maybe you should lie low today. Why don’t you head back to the city first? It’s not really appropriate for you two to run into each other like this.”

“Go back to the city for what? It’s Grandma’s birthday tomorrow. I made a special trip here, why would I leave before her birthday is even over?” Mi Yang was completely bewildered, but he had just paid off his mortgage. Free of debt, and with his newly received salary in his pocket, he felt a little emboldened and didn’t take his cousin’s words to heart. He smiled and said, “It’s fine. It’s just a gift, right? I can still afford that. I’ll drop by tonight and see!”

The cousin immediately said, “Then I’ll go with you.”

Mi Yang said, “It’s not a big deal. No need. I’ll just go deliver it and be done.”

Mi Yang had a peaceful meal at home and chatted with the old lady for a while. Mi Yang’s grandmother doted on her eldest daughter the most, and by extension, she also spoiled her grandson, Mi Yang, the most. Seeing that he had a cold, she insisted on giving him her own ginseng lozenges to eat. Mi Yang pretended to eat two pieces and, after coaxing the old lady to take her afternoon nap, finally found the time to make a trip to the Bai family’s home.

It was already afternoon when he arrived. The cicadas chirped endlessly in the summer heat, their calls alone making one feel unbearably hot.

The Bai family’s ancestral home was quite famous in the area, encompassing a large tract of forest. Mi Yang rode his bicycle for a good ten-plus minutes to get there. As he rode, he couldn’t help but marvel at the Bai family’s fortune. It wasn’t just this patch of forest; he’d heard they owned the two mountains behind it as well. He was perfectly content with his own small apartment of a hundred-odd square meters, yet the Bai family had this vast estate with only Bai Luochuan as the sole heir. The comparison was truly stark.

When he reached the old Bai residence, Mi Yang rang the bell at the gate twice. He had originally planned to just hand a red envelope to whoever came to the door and be on his way, but before anyone from inside appeared, he ran into Bai Luochuan.

Bai Luochuan was driving over. As his car passed Mi Yang, he quickly hit the brakes. He smoothly rolled down the window, his sharp eyes fixed on him. He was handsome, and emotions churned in his deep-set eyes as he said, word by word, “Why are you here?”

Mi Yang’s voice was nasal from his cold. “I heard you were getting married, so I came to see you.”

Bai Luochuan gave him a deep look and said, “Get in the car.”

Mi Yang hesitated. “There’s no need. I came by bike, it’s not convenient…”

Bai Luochuan said impatiently, “I told you to get in the car!”

Mi Yang started to feel a bit displeased too. He and Bai Luochuan had been on good terms before, but this man had a domineering and arrogant personality, with an innate pride he couldn’t be bothered to hide. Gradually, Mi Yang had stopped contacting Bai Luochuan as much. Their relationship could now only be described as old friends from the same hometown. But since it was Bai Luochuan’s wedding, he decided to be a gracious guest. He parked his battered bicycle to the side and got into Bai Luochuan’s car.

Bai Luochuan’s sports car had a low chassis, and after getting in, Mi Yang felt as if he were nestled inside it. The air conditioning was blasting, and he sneezed after a short while, curling up with the tip of his nose turning red.

Bai Luochuan glanced at him and asked, “How did you know I was getting married?”

Mi Yang said, “Oh, my cousin told me.”

Bai Luochuan pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

The atmosphere in the car was a bit awkward. Mi Yang thought for a moment, then ventured, “Congratulations?”

Bai Luochuan let out a cold laugh, not looking particularly happy.

Mi Yang’s head was throbbing. He reached up and rubbed it. He found these rich people the most annoying. What are they even thinking? If I had this much money, I’d be as happy as if it were New Year’s every day! Can’t they just enjoy life properly?

After Bai Luochuan parked the car, he suddenly frowned, leaned over, and touched Mi Yang’s forehead. “I felt something was off just now. Why are you so hot… You have a fever?”

Mi Yang already had a bit of a cold. After being baked by the sun on his way over and then blasted by the air conditioning in the car, he was already feeling dizzy. Hearing him, Mi Yang nodded and said, “I think so.”

Bai Luochuan said, “You don’t even know if you’re sick or not. Are you a moron?”

You’re the moron, Mi Yang thought.

But he didn’t dare talk back. Bai Luochuan had been quite formidable when dishing out punishments back in their school days; he certainly wouldn’t dare provoke the man now.

Bai Luochuan’s words were mocking, but his touch was surprisingly gentle. He half-supported, half-carried him inside and took him to a room to rest first. Mi Yang was pressed onto the bed by him, and it was only after his shoes were taken off that he realized something was wrong. He quickly sat up. “No, no, I just came to give you a…” Red envelope.

Bai Luochuan said impatiently, “Who cares about your pocket change? Keep it for yourself. Lie here and don’t move. I’ll go get a doctor.”

Mi Yang’s rebellious streak was also provoked by his young-master attitude. But the angrier he got, the less emotion he showed on the surface. He said in a humble tone, “You’re right. You wouldn’t care about a small red envelope from me. I’ll give you something else.”

Bai Luochuan looked at him. “Give me what?”

Mi Yang said, “My blessing.”

Bai Luochuan was still looking at him. “That’s it?”

Mi Yang nodded. “That’s right. I’ve delivered it, so I won’t trouble you to call a doctor. I’ll be heading back now. My grandma is still waiting for me at home for dinner.”

Bai Luochuan took a deep breath. “Since you’re here, wait a little before you go.”

Mi Yang lifted the thin blanket to get up, but Bai Luochuan pressed him down. The corners of his thin lips curved up slightly in a humorless smile. “Since you came to give your blessing, you should at least have a meal before you leave. My engagement toast—will you drink it?”

Hearing him say that, Mi Yang could only nod.

It seemed Bai Luochuan was just starting to get things organized. The huge residence had been quite deserted just a moment ago, but with a single phone call from Bai Luochuan, it quickly filled with people. The guests arrived quickly, and the banquet was prepared just as fast. Mi Yang had only just seen a doctor and rested for a moment before it was time to go downstairs for the engagement party.

Mi Yang checked the time: four in the afternoon. Locally, it was customary to hold banquets in the morning; afternoons and evenings were for second marriages. He didn’t know if this taboo applied to engagements. But Bai Luochuan had always been willful, and he was also highly capable, so the Bai family probably indulged him in these minor matters.

The bride-to-be was also someone he knew—the school beauty from their student days. The most damning part was that she and Mi Yang had been rumored to have dated for a brief week. Now, her eyes darted away when she saw Mi Yang, but Mi Yang’s expression was composed.

The bride-to-be wore a stiff smile, likely also bothered by the afternoon banquet, but she didn’t dare voice her anger. She was dressed in a simple cocktail dress, her makeup plain and understated. She looked more like an actor who had been hastily summoned, dragged onto the stage without even having time to dress up properly.

Standing on the stage, Bai Luochuan looked as if he were attending someone else’s engagement ceremony, even during the toasts. It was only when he reached Mi Yang that his face soured, and he fiercely drank three consecutive glasses with him.

Bai Luochuan said, “For all our years of friendship as classmates, you have to drink, right?”

After he drank, he asked again, “We’ve known each other for so many years. Don’t we count as brothers?”

By the third glass, Bai Luochuan was already quite drunk. His hand rested on Mi Yang’s shoulder, gripping it so tightly it hurt, but he seemed oblivious. He continued to stare at Mi Yang like a predatory hawk, his gaze sharp. “Tell me, don’t I count as your best… friend?”

Everyone at the table lowered their heads, drinking and eating. Not a single person dared to make a sound.

Mi Yang had no choice but to drink the three glasses. The baijiu went down, and with his existing cold, he felt even worse. His head throbbed violently, and he felt dizzy and drowsy. He couldn’t even remember what Bai Luochuan said to him after that. He vaguely recalled Bai Luochuan telling the people around them, “He’s drunk,” and then helping him upstairs. As they walked, Bai Luochuan talked to him, speaking from the heart, venting his dissatisfaction with the engagement and an even greater sense of unwillingness.

“…Do you think she’s some good person? She just wants to get some benefits from me, that’s all. She comes with one call from me, and she’ll leave when I tell her to. Mi Yang, was that the kind of woman you liked back then? I’m telling you, if you want to marry her, you’re dreaming. What I can’t have, no one else can either.”

Mi Yang frowned. “What do you mean?”

Bai Luochuan gripped him tightly, gritting his teeth. “All these years, are you blind? Can’t you see? Can’t you see what I mean by this…”

Mi Yang’s head was splitting, and drowsiness gradually washed over him. As he lay on the bed, he suddenly heard Bai Luochuan say, almost in a sigh, “I really wish I could go back to when we were kids. To start over and get to know you all over again.”

This young master actually wants to go back? Mi Yang thought. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to live through it all again. Life is good now, so why go through all that trouble?

With that thought, he drifted off into a hazy sleep.

When he woke up again, the first thing Mi Yang heard was the sound of a rattle drum, a rhythmic “dong-dong-long-dong.”

Mi Yang frowned, wanting to reach out and turn off this alarm, while also thinking that he didn’t have a ringtone like this on his phone. When he finally managed to force his eyes open, he saw clearly who had woken him—a young couple in old-fashioned military uniforms. They were holding a rattle drum, shaking it back and forth to amuse him. Their faces still held a youthful innocence, along with the radiant satisfaction of new parents.

“Yangyang, look. This is the rattle drum Daddy specially brought back for Yangyang from his business trip. Do you like it? Are you happy?”

Mi Yang: “…”

Mi Yang was not happy at all!!

But he couldn’t even protest. He was now wrapped in swaddling clothes, having become a tiny baby. Before him were his parents’ youthful, vibrant faces from over twenty years ago. He had returned to his childhood.