Chapter 31

Dr. Ren’s eyebrows were well-groomed, his appearance handsome, and especially his eyes—well-shaped and upright, giving off a natural charm that made people like him at first glance.

Bai Wei said, “Senior…”

“Hey, you didn’t forget my name, right? I’m Ren Junyao,” Dr. Ren smiled, “We were in the same club back in university.”

Bai Wei certainly recognized him. It was just that their sudden encounter was somewhat awkward.

Bai Wei and Ren Junyao were the kind of people who would never have crossed paths under normal circumstances. They were in different departments in college; Bai Wei was a loner, while Ren Junyao liked to participate in various organizations and social activities. As an outstanding student who didn’t need to rely on his grades to gain anything, Bai Wei, who had no position in the student council, wasn’t supposed to be within Ren Junyao’s social circle.

Until they happened to participate in the same essay contest.

As expected, Bai Wei won first place by a narrow margin. This was quite unexpected for Ren Junyao, who had asked many classmates to vote for him. After this event, Bai Wei was invited to join the literature club by his classmates. When Bai Wei accepted the invitation, he casually said, “I heard you’re willing to join the club, and the vice president is very happy.”

The vice president was Ren Junyao.

Ren Junyao was cheerful and magnanimous. He knew Bai Wei had won the contest and, in front of everyone, would put his arm around Bai Wei’s shoulders and smile as he praised him, saying, “He’s a very talented person.” Everyone thought Ren Junyao was very generous. His gracious attitude toward his loss made him even more likable. It was at this point that Bai Wei realized Ren Junyao had known him much earlier than he had imagined.

Three years ago, when they were still in middle school, Ren Junyao had already lost to Bai Wei in another essay contest. Though they were separated by more than one ranking that time, Ren Junyao had already remembered Bai Wei’s name. Everyone teased them, saying, “You two really have a special connection.”

Someone asked how Ren Junyao remembered Bai Wei. Ren Junyao smiled as he looked at Bai Wei’s face and said, “Among the award-winning participants in that competition, there were only two of us under 17 years old. I thought to myself, this 16-year-old ‘genius’ Bai Wei and I, either we’ll be lifelong rivals or we must become friends.”

He squinted his eyes and smiled again, “See, now we know each other.”

A few senior students started teasing them. Someone joked that Ren Junyao was being overly sentimental, saying there was more than one person between them, so how could they be ‘lifelong rivals’? Wasn’t that like skipping levels and forcing an encounter? Ren Junyao wasn’t upset, and with his usual good-natured smile, he said, “This time, we’re only one place apart, right?”

Many people thought that Bai Wei and Ren Junyao had a special connection and should be friends, inviting them to all events together. But Bai Wei wasn’t the kind of person who would do something just because others wanted him to. He couldn’t develop a sense of closeness with Ren Junyao, no matter what jokes Ren Junyao made or what activities he invited him to. Rather than go out with them, Bai Wei preferred to sit by the lake, letting the evening breeze blow through his mind, clearing away the emptiness and impatience.

Ren Junyao probably realized this. Once, he suddenly said to Bai Wei, “Junior, your family should be doing pretty well, right?”

Bai Wei wasn’t interested in the topic, but he still politely mentioned that his family was just an ordinary middle-class one. Ren Junyao listened and smiled bitterly, saying, “You don’t have to be modest. I can tell just by the brands you wear. Just now, when we went to buy candles for the literary club, you just placed an order in that boutique without even blinking.”

They walked along the riverbank in summer, just the two of them. Dandelions bloomed in clusters by the bank, and with the evening breeze, the white puffs flew about. It was Ren Junyao’s idea to buy candles. He said that the senior students were graduating soon, and before they left, they were planning a candlelit reading event, hoping to leave everyone with beautiful memories. He asked Bai Wei to go buy the candles with him. Bai Wei hadn’t participated much in the literary club’s activities lately, but since Ren Junyao mentioned him in the group, he didn’t want to refuse.

Ren Junyao said, “Actually, my family’s situation isn’t great. You see, I’m considered a prominent figure at school, right? It’s hard to imagine that someone like me spends every winter and summer vacation doing farm work and feeding pigs at home. I’ve never told anyone this, only you. I don’t want people to pity me. I always think, if I work hard enough, I’ll be able to live a better life…”

Ren Junyao didn’t want others to pity him, perhaps because he didn’t want to feel pitied either, Bai Wei thought. Out of politeness, Bai Wei suggested, “Then, senior, have you considered changing your major to something like finance? Your current major might make it harder to get large returns in the short term. Do you have enough credits to switch majors?”

Ren Junyao said, “Bai Wei, maybe it would be easier for someone from a family like yours to switch majors. Actually, I’ve been reading some books on Laozi and Zhuangzi recently. Maybe it’s better to pursue what comes naturally, instead of forcing things.”

It was Ren Junyao who first mentioned his family situation, and now he was talking about adopting Laozi’s philosophy. But since Ren Junyao said he followed Laozi, Bai Wei didn’t feel the need to respond. He lifted his foot, wanting to return to school and read, but Ren Junyao suddenly said, “Junior, let’s sit here for a while and watch the dandelions.”

The dandelions were indeed fluttering, but the riverbank was muddy. Bai Wei stood beside Ren Junyao, trying not to let his pants touch the bank. His scalp tingled as he listened to Ren Junyao say, “Do you know? Many people think graduation is a beginning, but when you look back, it actually feels like an end.”

Bai Wei replied, “But senior, you haven’t graduated yet, have you?”

Ren Junyao looked at Bai Wei: “When I was in high school, I wanted to know what someone younger than me by a year and yet far more talented was like. Later, when I got to university, I realized it was you. Maybe only in this university could we meet and give each other the illusion that we can overlook our family backgrounds and have an equal conversation…”

Bai Wei was starting to feel the numbness in his legs. He said, “Senior, I think that even if you follow Laozi, you can still pursue your own life.”

Ren Junyao said, “You know? Actually, many people in the school and the club see us as a comparison. We’re both excellent, I’m sociable, and you’re aloof. I’m always chasing after things, but you stick to the rules, ignoring everything outside of yourself. I still think, if we don’t become close friends in this life, we’ll be lifelong enemies.”

Bai Wei’s legs were numb, and at that moment, he realized he had been so focused on keeping his pants from touching the riverbank that he’d overlooked his pant legs. Now, his pants had yellow mud stains from the riverbank. At that moment, Bai Wei started to feel a rising heat in his head.

“Senior, after graduation, both we and our classmates will quickly forget about each other,” Bai Wei casually said.

“Yes, but how will they see our future lifestyles? How far will we go in this world, based on where we start?” Ren Junyao sighed, then turned and stared at Bai Wei. “Bai Wei, what do you think about us?”

Bai Wei replied, “Senior, I think we should go back to school quickly. Let’s go.”

Bai Wei never understood whether Ren Junyao was asking to compete or not. After returning to school, he changed out of the pants and sent them to the laundry, asking them to make sure to clean the pant legs thoroughly.

A couple of years later, he heard the news that Ren Junyao had given up the chance to join a big company and decided to return to his hometown to become a doctor, dedicating his life to it. There were one or two rumors that Ren Junyao hadn’t been selected by the company and that someone had noticed he cheated during his interview. But more people said that Ren Junyao didn’t care for fame or fortune and only sought inner peace, which was very impressive.

Bai Wei only felt that Ren Junyao ultimately chose to follow the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi. He didn’t quite understand why others would tell him about Ren Junyao’s situation. Those people only said, “Because you two are a control group, aren’t you rivals?”

Huh?

Bai Wei found it quite baffling. He didn’t study Mohism, nor was he interested in the Analects. When did he become Ren Junyao’s rival? Some said Ren Junyao was still no match for Bai Wei, that Bai Wei smoothly sailed through before graduation, winning the most prestigious literary newcomer award. Others said Bai Wei found a good job at a TV station after graduation. There were even people saying that Bai Wei was indeed a genius, with his first book becoming a big hit… Just like how the competition at sixteen changed Bai Wei’s life, causing Ren Junyao to miss out on his own.

But now, everything seemed to have flipped. Bai Wei hadn’t written anything since running away, and the TV station even interviewed him, calling it “ruining the prodigy.” Ren Junyao, on the other hand, was respected in Snow Mountain Town, known as Dr. Ren, a man with excellent medical ethics.

“Hello, Senior Ren,” Bai Wei said.

His greeting always made people think he was polite and well-behaved. Ren Junyao placed a cup of hot milk for the patient beside Bai Wei’s desk and sat down. “Actually, I should have visited you earlier. But the reports… sigh, I don’t even know how to explain it. Those rumors out there, you must be quite troubled by them. I thought you might not want to meet old classmates.”

Ren Junyao was also referring to the letter from Bai Wei’s childhood friend, Li Yuan. Li Yuan hadn’t gone into detail in the letter, but Bai Wei understood. After running away, Bai Wei hadn’t published any works for a year and a half. The internet buzzed, with some saying Bai Wei had ruined his talent and couldn’t write anymore. Others said Bai Wei had chosen the wrong life path, ending up with a failed marriage. There were even rumors saying Bai Wei had prematurely indulged in the vanity of fame and fortune, losing his true nature and that even pretending to live a secluded life wouldn’t work.

Some even wrote reports like “Chasing the Genius Young Man Ten Years Later,” comparing Bai Wei with other adults and minors who participated in the competition he entered at sixteen. The reports emphasized Bai Wei’s family life, saying, “Bai Wei’s marriage and life must be unhappy. Immersing himself in the spiritual world, reading too many books without pursuing practical things, this is what happens…”

“True courage to retreat from the stream is different from hiding away for the sake of fame…”

The journalist’s interview wasn’t private, so many of Bai Wei’s neighbors in Snow Mountain Town found out about it. Fortunately, Bai Wei didn’t go out much and didn’t know many people. So, many people didn’t recognize him when they saw him, not connecting him with the person in the rumors.

But clearly, Ren Junyao already knew.

“After graduation, I returned to a small town near Snow Mountain to work as a dentist. I met my current wife in an accident. She is the eldest daughter of the Li family, the owners of the large white house by the river. I married her, and we moved here. So far, my marriage and family have been quite happy. My wife is very gentle. She invested in me, and I now have my own dental clinic in the town,” Ren Junyao said, looking at Bai Wei with concern and sympathy. “Junior, you should visit my home more often. Living alone here must not be easy for you.”

I’m already married—Bai Wei thought. From what Ren Junyao just said, he clearly knows that Bai Wei is married. Bai Wei couldn’t understand why Ren Junyao would say such things.

Bai Wei replied, “Senior, I don’t…”

“You don’t have to worry about bothering me. We have family gatherings every week,” Ren Junyao said with a hearty laugh, his face reminiscent of the kind, generous senior from their university days. “And now my career is going well, so I’m fairly free. On weekends, I have nothing much to do. I’m really concerned about you, Junior. Life in a small town must be hard for you, especially since you grew up in a big city.”

Ren Junyao was probably right. From the attitudes of the nurses and doctors outside the room, it seemed that Ren Junyao was regarded as a god-like figure in this small town. He had wealth, looks, education, and a great reputation. It seemed his “Laozi philosophy” had indeed brought him a good future.

At this point, Ren Junyao looked at Bai Wei’s hand. “What happened to your hand? Why are you alone in the hospital room? Where’s your family? They didn’t come to take care of you? By the way, have you had dinner?”

Bai Wei answered, “I asked him to go home and get something for me…”

Just then, there was a loud noise outside the door.

“Excuse me, please make way.”

A strange voice, along with the sound of rolling wheels, as though many people were pushing many carts, filled the air. Bai Wei froze for a moment. The ward where he was staying was a premium ward, meant only for paying patients. He was the only one in the single room at the end of the hall. Normally, there wouldn’t be anyone visiting other patients.

Then who were these people?

Ren Junyao spoke the words in Bai Wei’s mind: “Who’s coming?”

Someone pushed the door open and entered first—Bai Wei looked at his face, but didn’t recognize him. However, the cart he was pushing contained something.

“8K television screen,” someone said.

The second person entered with an adjustable brightness eye-care desk lamp, voice-controlled. The third person brought in an e-book, wheelchair, and other convenience equipment—what the hell, he didn’t even have a broken leg, why would he need a wheelchair? The fourth person brought in a food trolley, covered with silver lids, without any knives or forks, but just the handles of the lids were enough to show its luxury.

The fifth person brought in a clothes rack—hanging various clothes. At that moment, Bai Wei suddenly had an ominous premonition.

Change of clothes, could it be…?

Finally, Ren Junyao couldn’t help but stand up and scold, “Who are you people? Who allowed you to bring these things in?”

“I did.”

A steady voice responded.

The people pushing the carts were all dressed in suits, but the last person wore loose, easy-to-move sportswear. He was very tall, nearly touching the top of the door frame.

—–

In his hand, he was pushing a flower cart. The cart was filled with brightly blooming carnations.

— Luckily, it’s not chrysanthemums. This was Bai Wei’s first thought.

— What’s going on? This was Bai Wei’s second thought.

“I’m late.” Lu Sen ignored Ren Junyao’s shocked expression and looked at Bai Wei. “I went home to get some clean clothes.”

He then took out a white item from his pocket. “And a charger.”

Bai Wei’s gaze immediately shifted from “What were you doing outside for so long?” to “What did you do outside in such a short time?”

And it was also accompanied by a sense of social death and despair.

He stared at the carts. These weren’t the things he had asked Lu Sen to bring back for him.

Ren Junyao, at this moment: “Wait, who are you exactly?”