The car left the highway.
Xie Yi asked me, "Where do you live?"
I replied, "No. 44 Yongle Road."
He glanced at me. There was something strange in his eyes. I felt like he was smiling, yet I clearly hadn't seen him smile.
The car came to a stop. He turned to me. "This is No. 44 Yongle Road. Are you sure this is your home?"
After saying that, he got out first, and I followed.
I didn't answer his question. How could I possibly forget my own home? I had come back just last week for the May Day holiday.
But when I saw what was before me, I was stunned.
The address was right—No. 44 Yongle Road—but it was a scrap collection station.
What was going on? Wasn't this supposed to be Green Garden Residential Area? My home was on the fourth floor of Building Two, Unit Two, Green Garden Residential Area.
Yet right in front of me was unmistakably a scrap collection station, and the sign clearly read: No. 44 Yongle Road.
Xie Yi had to be behind this. I didn't know what trick he had used, but ever since he appeared, something had felt wrong with me. Not just me—Eccentric Song seemed like he'd been possessed too.
That guy had clearly been to my home. He had clearly met my parents. Yet he claimed he hadn't seen them, and said I only had a Grandpa, that I had always lived with Grandpa.
What about Eccentric Song? Only then did I remember that he hadn't gotten out of the car. I walked over and pulled open the door. "Eccentric Song, get out!" For some reason, having him by my side made me feel more secure. Though his behavior today had left me dissatisfied, he was still one of my own.
But the car was empty. There was no sign of Eccentric Song anywhere.
"Where is he?" I turned to Xie Yi, my voice trembling with anger and fear.
Xie Yi sighed softly. "There was never any Eccentric Song. And your parents haven't been by your side for a long time. Your Grandpa raised you from the time you were twelve. From then until now, you've always been withdrawn and never interacted with anyone. You usually liked locking yourself in your room."
"You're lying!"
My body began to tremble. I glared at him and shouted, "Who exactly are you? What did you do to me? Where's my friend? What did you do with him?" As I spoke, I rushed forward and grabbed his collar. I felt like I was going insane, already on the verge of losing control.
"Xiaobai, stop!" A voice reached my ears. I released him, and upon hearing that voice, my frantic heart gradually calmed down.
That voice was familiar and gentle. It was Mom's voice.
"Mom, you came at the right time. He..." I turned toward the source of the voice, but the words caught in my throat. The person standing not far away wasn't Mom, but an old man. Yet I had clearly heard Mom's voice just now.
I hurriedly looked around for Mom, but there were only a few bystanders watching the commotion.
I heard people in the crowd whispering.
"Old Bai Tou's grandson is acting up again."
"Ah, who knows what sins they committed. Such a fine child—how did he end up like this?"
"Don't let his crazed behavior fool you. He studies hard. I heard he's attending university in the provincial capital now!"
"What good will graduating do him? What workplace would dare hire someone with a broken mind?"
My head buzzed endlessly. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and after that, I knew nothing.
I didn't know how much time had passed before I woke up. Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself lying on a bed, with the old man sitting beside it.
"Xiaobai, you're awake?" The old man smiled when he saw me wake up. I looked at him, then glanced around. The room was small and dim, piled with junk everywhere, and there was a foul smell in the air.
"Who are you? How did I get here?"
The old man's expression immediately turned gloomy again. "Xiaobai, I'm Grandpa. Don't you remember Grandpa? This is our home. Haven't you been living here with me for the past ten years?"
I remembered what Eccentric Song had said. I didn't have any parents at all, only a Grandpa who depended on me as I depended on him. Was he talking about this old man?
But I had a home. I had parents. My home was on the fourth floor of Building Two, Unit Two, Green Garden Residential Area. My father was Jiang Chengyue, and my mom was Chen Fang!
I sat upright abruptly. "Where is he? The person who came with me—where is he?"
The old man didn't speak. Then I saw Xie Yi walk in from outside.
"I know you can't accept it right away, but this is reality." Xie Yi came to the bedside. The old man looked at him, sighed, and shook his head. "You two should talk. I'll go outside and tidy up."
"Mr. Xie, I don't know who you are or what your background is, but I'm begging you, can you let me go? Can you let me live quietly like I used to?" I pleaded with him. He was driving me insane.
Xie Yi narrowed his eyes. "Jiang Xiaobai, how long are you going to keep running away? Can't you be more of a man and bravely face everything that happened in the past?"
I grabbed his arm. "I really don't know what you're talking about. I just want my old life back. Please."
Xie Yi gently brushed my hand away. Then he said, "Jiang Xiaobai, you can pretend to have forgotten everything that happened back then. You can keep living in your fantasy. But have you ever thought about the pain the people at Little Ancestral Hall Entrance are suffering right now? Your father and mom are among them. Don't you want to save them?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. I want to go home. I want to go home right now." As I spoke, I jumped out of bed and rushed outside.
I was going to Green Garden Residential Area. As long as I got home and saw my father and mom, I could prove that all of this was Xie Yi's doing.
Xie Yi chased after me. The old man had originally wanted to stop me, but he only raised his hand before lowering it again, letting me run past him.
I ran fast, but Xie Yi was faster. He grabbed me. "Where are you going?"
"I told you, I'm going home." I gritted my teeth.
Xie Yi let go. "Fine. I'll go with you."
I couldn't be bothered with him. I jogged forward, and he followed close behind me.
After running for a while, I stopped. I suddenly realized something—I didn't know where Green Garden Residential Area was or which way I should go.
Why? How could I forget where my own home was?
I crouched down and clutched my head tightly in both hands. My head hurt so badly. The harder I tried to remember where my home was, the more it felt as though my head was splitting apart.
"Does your head hurt again?" Xie Yi asked softly.
I said nothing.
"Can't find your home anymore?" he asked again.
I raised my head. "I remember it's the fourth floor of Building Two, Unit Two, Green Garden Residential Area, but I've forgotten how to get there."
At that moment, I felt utterly helpless.
"I know. Come with me." Hearing that voice, I jerked in surprise and looked to the side. Eccentric Song was standing there, smiling at me. He reached out and helped me up.
The moment I saw him, I calmed down. "Eccentric Song, where did you go?"
Eccentric Song said, "I didn't go anywhere. Haven't I always been by your side?"
I looked again at Xie Yi standing to my left. His face was calm. "Let's go."
I didn't look away. There was a hint of provocation in my gaze. Didn't he say Eccentric Song had never existed? Didn't he say Eccentric Song was only someone I had imagined? He should be able to see him now, right? Eccentric Song was right beside me, supporting me.
Xie Yi didn't care about my gaze. I heard him sigh softly.
Under Eccentric Song's guidance, we quickly found Green Garden Residential Area. For no reason, my heart began to pound. Once we got to the fourth floor of Building Two, Unit Two, would I really be able to see my parents? I truly hoped nothing else would happen. I couldn't endure this kind of torment anymore.
Building Two, Unit Two.
I took a deep breath, then headed up the stairs. Eccentric Song and Xie Yi followed behind me.
What must Xie Yi be thinking right now?
Who exactly was he, and why had he latched onto me?
I felt like my mind was filled with a hundred thousand questions, along with a hundred thousand raging alpacas. If I could, I really wanted to draw a circle and curse him. Though I had always thought of myself as a kind person, even a rabbit would bite when cornered, wouldn't it?