Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Sheng Yize paused a little, then gave her head a knock with his knuckles. “Don’t be silly.”
“You’re all I have. Can you promise not to leave me?” she murmured in a monotonous tone. Sheng Yize’s heart sank and he panicked.
He gripped An Xiaxia’s hands. “No, absolutely not! Xiaxia, many people care about you. It’s just in your head… Let me know if you don’t feel well. I’m right here with you. Don’t be scared…”
“Do you care about me?”
“Yes.”
“Then don’t leave me…”
“Alright.”
“Pinky swear…” She stuck out her pinky. Sheng Yize hooked his with hers, made the swear, then tucked her in. “Now, go to sleep.”
“Alright.”
She closed her eyes, but her fingers dug into the sheets involuntarily, as if it was the only way she could fight back this endless fear.
–
The next day.
Sheng Yize made an appointment with the doctor, who ran an examination on An Xiaxia before asking her a lot of questions.
An Xiaxia kept silent throughout most of them and refused to cooperate. Even Sheng Yize couldn’t persuade her.
“I want to go home…” she whispered. Grandpa Sheng was out of danger and she couldn’t stand another minute of staying in the hospital.
Unable to dissuade her, Sheng Yize nodded. “Go wait for me in your ward. I’ll take you back home after I’m done here.”
An Xiaxia nodded and left the room docilely.
Sheng Yize gestured at a nurse to close the door, then turned to the doctor and asked in a low voice, “How’s she doing?”
” Sigh … The excitement probably brought her memories back, but I can’t say for sure to what extent… But I can tell that she’s in bad shape now. I would advise you to find a quiet place for her and take some time off…” The doctor adjusted her glasses.
Sheng Yize interrupted him. “Can’t we hypnotize her again?”
The doctor shook her head. “It’ll have the opposite reaction if pushed too far. In her current state, hypnosis is out of the question… Do you remember the story of King Yu fighting the flood? Persuasion is more important than coercion. Rather than avoid it, it’s better to talk with her and have her accept reality.”
The doctor’s advice was rational, but Sheng Yize felt exhausted. He thanked the doctor politely, then went to get An Xiaxia.
A boulder seemed to be lodged in his chest and he felt suffocated.
–
An Xiaxia remained in that state until the final exams. She neither cried nor screamed, but she never smiled, either.
She went to school in silence, ate her meals in silence, then fell asleep in silence.
Moreover, she was exhibiting resistance to other people. Whenever Sheng Yize tried to make some intimate move, she would tremble nervously, sometimes even to the point of huddling in a ball.
After the finals, the summer vacation started.
Sheng Yize had decided to follow the doctor’s advice. After talking it over with Papa An, he planned to take An Xiaxia out on a trip.
“Let’s get out of the city for a few days, ok?” Sheng Yize asked softly.
An Xiaxia knew he was only doing this for her own good. After some thought, she agreed.
Sheng Yize had planned the entire trip. They set off by plane, then changed to buses and boats. Finally, they arrived at a quaint small town.
It was a beautiful water town with bridges and rivers. The view was clean and tranquil, and reminded one of a beautiful landscape painting.
“I used to stay here when I was little. It’s called Sunset Town. Isn’t it beautiful here?” Sheng Yize had both of their bags over his shoulder and held one of An Xiaxia’s hands.
An Xiaxia looked up and saw a plate that read “Sunset Town,” which was written with bold strokes. She stumbled.
“What is this place…” she asked in a panicked voice.
Sheng Yize replied patiently, “Sunset Town.”
An Xiaxia’s face instantly drained of all color.
