Zhū Lín stroked his soft hair, not exposing his feigned ignorance, but instead answering with utmost seriousness, "My name is Zhū Lín. I was passing by and saw a pitiful child being bullied terribly, so I came to help him."
Jiāng Chóngyǎn: "...I, I am not a pitiful child."
"Then what's your name?"
"Jiāng Chóngyǎn." He said, stealing glances at Zhū Lín, wondering if she had figured it out.
"Jiāng Chóngyǎn?" Zhū Lín smiled, "You're very much like someone I knew before, though he was more well-behaved than you."
Jiāng Chóngyǎn: "!!! How is he more well-behaved than me?"
He was the most well-behaved, alright?
No, that person was him, so why was that person more well-behaved?
"Oh, he wasn't well-behaved either," Zhū Lín mused, "He, like someone else, was a little liar. So, neither of you are well-behaved."
Jiāng Chóngyǎn became angry.
He tugged at Zhū Lín's hand, puffing out his cheeks like a little squirrel, "You're lying to me, you're not well-behaved! You're a big bad person!"
With that, he turned to run.
Zhū Lín easily caught him and pulled him outside, saying, "I was just teasing. Ā Yǎn is very well-behaved, so don't run off. I'll worry."
Jiāng Chóngyǎn tentatively held her hand and asked in confusion, "Then who are you? How do you know me? And why are you helping me?"
"I am your master. You are my little rabbit that I raised. You descended to the mortal realm for trials but were harmed by a villain. I've come to save you."
"Lies, I don't believe you."
"Then I won't lie to you. I am your wife. We have a bond that spans three lifetimes. You lost your memory, and I've been searching for you."
"Lies, immortals don't call their partners 'wife', they call them 'niáng zi'."
"Then I am your niáng zi."
"Then what am I to you?"
"You are my little darling."
"Aiya! You big bad person..."
---
On a remote highway, the aging streetlights flickered intermittently, casting a somewhat eerie glow. The boy walking beside the road felt his heart skip a beat with each flicker, praying for a vehicle to pass.
Perhaps his prayers were answered, as lights appeared in the distance.
The boy stopped, looking expectantly in the direction of the lights, and raised his hand, hoping to flag down a car to take him home.
However, the speeding vehicle showed no intention of stopping. The car seemed to be slightly out of control, and the boy, sensing danger, quickly moved aside.
But it was too late. The driver, slightly tipsy, swayed the steering wheel, completely failing to see the person ahead, and crashed straight into him.
Realizing she had hit someone, she slammed on the brakes. A moment later, she cautiously got out of the car and walked forward. She saw the boy lying by the roadside.
Blood covered the boy's forehead, and his chest still rose and fell faintly. The girl instinctively reached for her phone to call emergency services. She dialed 1-1-2 but couldn't bring herself to press the green button.
In her ears echoed her father's stern admonition during a family meeting: "Your grandfather is about to step down. You are not to cause any trouble during this time. Anyone who does something bad and affects him will not be considered a descendant of the Míng family!"
The girl's hand holding the phone trembled slightly. A struggle between self-interest and reason raged within her. On one side were the family's honor and her grandfather's integrity; on the other, a boy's life and fairness. Which held more weight?
Life should have been more important, but it was someone else's life. This concerned her entire family. Slowly, self-interest began to gain the upper hand.
She deleted the three numbers one by one, found her contacts, and dialed another number.
"Hello, brother."
"I hit someone!"