The couple had business dealings with the Lawson family. Clarice listened to their conversation with her father and learned that they wanted to adopt a child. After that, Clarice privately found the woman in the couple and told her about Herbert.
This was how she described Herbert to the woman. “He’s the kindest child in the world, but he has a demon father. Madam, if you want a child, I suggest you visit him. He’s very sensible. You’ll like him.”
Clarice only mentioned Herbert to Madam but did not tell her his name or appearance.
Later on, the couple really went to the orphanage. When the madam arrived, she immediately took a fancy to a silent and sensible child. Later on, the madam called Clarice and said that she had already chosen the child she liked. She even sent Clarice a photo.
Clarice smiled knowingly after looking at the photo.
She did not tell the lady that the child she brought back was the child she was talking about.
She was afraid that Madam would bear a grudge if she said it.
Once, Clarice met the child at a party. At that time, the child was already ten years old. He seemed to have become a different person. He was lively and cheerful, and he could sweet talk. He always made the couple smile.
The lady brought Herbert to Clarice and introduced him to them. Herbert hugged her as if he didn’t know her and praised her for being beautiful.
Clarice stared at Herbert’s face and felt puzzled. She wanted to ask Herbert, “It’s only been three years. Don’t you remember me?”
In the second half of the banquet, Clarice had been sitting at a distance, quietly sizing up the child. Julia had also noticed the child. She said to Clarice, “He’s completely different from before.”
“It’s like she’s a different person, right?”
“Yeah.”
Clarice thought that the child would continue to be happy like this, but his life was not good. Not long after, the lady fell ill and passed away. After she died, her husband could not recover from his setback and started to degrade himself. He always ignored the child at home.
She heard from Kevin that the boy had locked himself at home and had not come out for a few days.
When Clarice heard about this, she could not let go.
On this day, she happened to be free. In the end, she could not help but ask the chauffeur to send her to Marvin’s house.
She pressed the doorbell and waited quietly.
No one answered the door the first time she pressed the button. Clarice pressed it several more times, unwilling to let go. Finally, twenty minutes later, someone opened the door.
The door opened and Clarice looked up to meet the eyes of a young man with exquisite features.
The young man had picturesque eyebrows, black hair, and black eyes. His facial features were exquisite, and he was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt. At first glance, he did not look like his biological father, Robert, nor his biological mother. However, on a closer look, one could discover that this young man looked a little like his mother.
The once skinny child was actually so outstanding.
Clarice thought Herbert would still pretend not to know her.
However, the young man gave her a faint smile that she had not seen in a long time. He said, “Clarice, long time no see.”
Clarice was in a daze. At this point, she had already sensed that something was wrong with Herbert, but she hadn’t figured it out. “Herbert, I heard about Caitlin. Your condolences.”
Herbert invited her into the house.
Hearing this, he nodded calmly, as if he was not too sad.
He poured Clarice a cup of milk. Clarice, who had been drinking coffee recently, stared at the milk and was stunned. Seeing her stunned, Herbert asked her, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like milk? I remember you used to love it very much.”
That was so many years ago…
Clarice drank her milk and heard Herbert say, “My name’s not Herbert anymore.”
“Yes?”
Herbert said, “My name is Long, Dragon. My name is Zhuang Long.” He sat down opposite Clarice. He looked young and gloomy, but he gave off a dangerous feeling. Clarice stared at him, and the scene she saw at the party a few years ago flashed across her mind.
She asked Zhuang Long, “We met at the gathering. Why did you pretend not to know me?”
He said, “He really doesn’t know you.”
“Him?” Clarice was stunned.
Zhuang Long said, “Yes, I know you. I don’t know the other one.”
Clarice was smart and immediately understood what Zhuang Long meant.
He actually had schizophrenia!
“Usually. When will he come out?”
Zhuang Long shook his head and said, “You’re asking the wrong question.”
“Yes?”
Zhuang Long said, “You should ask when I’ll come out.”
Clarice frowned and thought about what Zhuang Long meant. After a short silence, Clarice already understood what he meant. “You’re the subpersona?” Clarice used an affirmative tone.
“Yeah.”
“I came out when he was afraid. I was born to face darkness and evil. He wasn’t. He was kind and good and naive.”
Clarice felt terrible when she heard this.
The two of them chatted for a while more. When Clarice got up to leave, she suddenly hugged Zhuang Long. “Even if you were born to face the darkness, don’t be afraid. At least, with me, no matter what kind of person you are, you are my friend.”
“Also, if you feel terrible, you can tell me. Don’t hold it in.” Even if it was a second personality, he had a soul, thoughts, and memories. His heart would ache.
Zhuang Long was stunned. He thought: After so many years, why does Clarice still like to hug him?
He hugged her politely and said coldly, “I’m fine.”
Caitlin’s death was a huge blow to Zhuang Long. He had never dared to face reality. For two years, he was sometimes awake and sometimes asleep. What was even more funny was that once, during the Harvard exam, Zhuang Long was perhaps too nervous. When he entered the examination hall, he was still himself. When he sat at the table, he felt dizzy.
‘Zhuang Long’ woke up and was stunned when he realized that he was sitting in the examination room.
He did not know whether to laugh or cry, but he still answered the questions seriously.
When he was fifteen, Zhuang Long entered Harvard. It was also this year that Marvin decided to marry another woman. That night, Zhuang Long could not fall asleep. When he woke up again, he had already become ‘Zhuang Long’. Zhuang Long received an invitation from Marvin, but he did not plan to attend.
That day, images of Marvin and Caitlin’s love flashed across his mind repeatedly.
Zhuang Long felt confused. Why did someone who used to be so loving fall in love with someone else in just a few years? He was not in the mood to attend their wedding and felt that it was quite ironic.
