"Crack—" Wu Tianzhen, who had just finished peeling an apple, lost his grip and dropped it on the floor.
The delicate flesh shattered into white foam on the floor, bounced a few times, and rolled into the corner of the ward, collecting dust.
"...What, what do you mean?" His voice faltered, and for a moment, his mind felt completely blank. All sorts of strange thoughts, like little monsters, ran hand-in-hand from the depths of his heart, leaving behind a messy, dusty scene.
Wu Tianzhen opened his mouth, inexplicably feeling a urge to laugh. He looked at Fatty. "Look, Fatty, Xiao Ge woke up and learned to joke now, hahaha! Did he learn from Zhang Haike? Zhang Haike has this talent, truly, you can't judge a book by its cover."
For the first time, he desperately wished to hear Fatty's witty remark, but all he received in response was silence.
The wind outside blew up the white curtains by the window, obscuring Fatty's expression as he sat by the window.
Wu Tianzhen couldn't see clearly. He wanted to step forward for a closer look, but his feet felt rooted to the spot, unable to move.
The room froze for a few seconds. Wu Tianzhen abruptly turned his head. As if suddenly realizing what Zhang Qiling had just said, he rushed to the bedside in a few strides.
The familiar anger surged again. To be honest, Wu Tianzhen was generally a gentle person, but for some reason, he seemed particularly prone to anger lately.
Under Wu Tianzhen's gaze, Zhang Qiling showed no reaction. His eyes remained calm, as if his current madness or breakdown had nothing to do with him as a person.
This sense of "unrelatedness" completely ignited Wu Tianzhen's rage.
"Clang—"
Wu Tianzhen's knees hit the hospital bed. He leaned forward, grabbing Zhang Qiling by the collar! The collar tightened instantly, leaving faint red marks on his fair neck.
This was a highly oppressive posture. Zhang Qiling almost instantly felt the discomfort of his space being invaded.
His physical condition had improved considerably after a day of rest. The immediate threat around his neck made him instinctively extend his right hand and grip Wu Tianzhen's wrist.
Zhang Qiling was sure his grip was not light. The wrist of the person in front of him was likely already bruised, but for some reason, this person still didn't let go, nor did he make any move to retreat.
He was slightly bewildered, and then he heard a strange question.
"Stop pretending, I know you're faking it—" Wu Tianzhen stared intently. At this moment, Zhang Qiling was wearing a hospital gown, without the cover of his signature hood. Any expression on his face was exposed.
"Are you still thinking about finding that damn door! I know, you want to ditch us like before, don't you?!"
"Zhang Qiling, look at me, you—"
Wu Tianzhen's roar abruptly stopped.
Zhang Qiling didn't dodge. His gaze was incredibly calm. Even when treated like this, there was no ripple in his clear eyes.
Wu Tianzhen was very familiar with this look. It was the look with which Zhang Qiling viewed the world.
He looked at the sky, the rivers, the rain, every blade of grass, animals, even corpses—
It was always with this kind of gaze.
No emotion, neither rejection nor affection, just pure acceptance. Such an expression.
Wu Tianzhen's anger got stuck in his throat. He suddenly realized that Zhang Qiling had let go of his hand without him knowing. He then seemed to realize his rudeness and awkwardly straightened up.
Fatty sighed beside him. His voice was not loud, but it struck his heart like a morning bell or a drum. Wu Tianzhen quickly exchanged a glance with him, unsure what his own mind was shouting in its chaos.
...Then he belatedly realized that Zhang Qiling had truly lost his memory.
...He had truly forgotten them, forgotten the past they had experienced together.
"Fatty... you knew this all along, didn't you?" Wu Tianzhen stood still for a long time, then asked softly.
He suddenly remembered Fatty's odd behavior in the sacred land, but he had been so focused on the exit that he hadn't noticed.
Fatty hummed and hawed for a while, vaguely confirming.
"Tianzhen, it's really not a big deal," Fatty took a bite of a banana, chewing vigorously, his voice muffled. "He just can't remember, what's the big deal?"
"It's good that he's alive, isn't it?"
"..."
Wu Tianzhen was instantly speechless.
He recalled the fear he felt when they first found Zhang Qiling in the sacred land. To this day, they didn't know how Zhang Qiling, who was on the verge of death, had come back to life.
He calmed his emotions and looked at Zhang Qiling, who was now sitting quietly on the hospital bed.
Wu Tianzhen didn't know how much of their conversation Zhang Qiling understood, nor whether he still retained any impression of them in his heart. For such a long time, he had stayed obediently on the hospital bed, listening to them talk.
Sensing Wu Tianzhen's gaze, he turned his head sharply, his expression still placid.
...This expressionless turning of his head towards the sound was like an unenthusiastic sunflower.
Wu Tianzhen couldn't help but laugh. As if driven mad, he laughed wildly in front of Zhang Qiling's hospital bed for a long time, finally wiping the tears from his eyes.
When he looked up, Zhang Qiling still had that listless expression and didn't comment on his sudden outburst.
So Wu Tianzhen, with a smile on his lips, greeted Fatty. "Fatty, you watch Xiao Ge for a bit. I'm going out to get some water and I'll be right back."
Fatty glanced at him, appearing to want to say something but stopping himself. Then, he shifted the chair beneath him and sat down by Zhang Qiling's bed with his legs spread wide.
Wu Tianzhen understood Fatty's assurance. He walked out of the ward with a smile, carrying the kettle straight towards the hot water room. In the corridor along the way, he ran into Zhang Haike, who was rushing past with a stack of report forms.
Then Wu Tianzhen suddenly thought of an overlooked question—
How did Xiao Ge lose his memory, anyway?