Lu Shiyi always remembered the day of the car accident. He had been handling documents on his tablet when the collision sent the world spinning. The tremendous impact hurled him from the back seat into the windshield, his entire back slammed against the dashboard, and his head even shattered the glass. He lost consciousness on the spot.
Yet he soon woke up, only to find his consciousness sealed inside a vast, white void, surrounded by absolute silence.
He could not connect with his body, much less control it.
He could not sense time passing or hear the slightest sound. The endless void enveloped his consciousness completely.
It reminded Lu Shiyi of a man overseas who had spent more than twenty years in a vegetative state. When a device finally allowed him to communicate with the outside world, the first thing he said was to kill him.
If he, too, remained unconscious for twenty-three years, even with his strong will, he could not guarantee that he would not come to long for death.
At first, Lu Shiyi mentally went over the projects he had been working on. His accident might throw the company into chaos for a while, but Liang Xingyao, the group's president, had been his classmate at Harvard University's business school and was just as capable as he was. He should be able to stabilize things soon.
After that, he began thinking about Lu Shiming.
His younger brother, Lu Shiming, had always been his pride and joy. He had excelled academically since childhood, continued earning national scholarships after entering a prestigious university, and had already secured an internship at Yu Corporation.
After graduation, if he wanted, he could join Lu Shiyi's company or enter Yu Corporation's structured training program. In any case, once he graduated and started working full-time, Lu Shiyi would no longer need to worry about him.
As for himself, there was little worth mentioning about his life over the years. Studying, working, and looking after his younger brother had consumed almost all his energy. By twenty-seven, he had amassed a nine-figure fortune, yet had never truly enjoyed much of anything.
He had never even been in a relationship.
Liang Xingyao had always gone on about how he absolutely had to marry a stunning beauty, and tirelessly pursued celebrities in the entertainment industry, both men and women.
Much to his frustration, however, he discovered that many seemingly beautiful celebrities had undergone cosmetic surgery.
Liang Xingyao always called him an ascetic and urged him to experience the joys of love. He had once found him a beautiful female secretary, then, when Lu Shiyi remained cold toward her, replaced her a few days later with a handsome male secretary.
In the end, Lu Shiyi had been forced to have a serious talk with Liang Xingyao before he finally abandoned the idea altogether.
Lu Shiyi was somewhat fastidious and had exceptionally high standards. He preferred talented people with a refined, ethereal air, and also had a slight weakness for beautiful hands. So far, he had yet to meet anyone who made his heart stir.
At first, Lu Shiyi still tried to estimate how much time had passed, but he only managed to keep it up for about a month. His consciousness drifted through the void, growing hazy.
He did not know how long he had been unconscious or how much longer it would last. He had reviewed all twenty-seven years of his life three or four times, even dredging up the embarrassing incident when Lu Shiming, still losing his baby teeth, had greedily eaten maltose candy and ended up pulling out both front teeth with it.
But however amusing those memories were, they lost their appeal after four viewings. Lu Shiyi even began to agree with Liang Xingyao. Perhaps if he had a lover, or had once had one, that love would have sustained him through these long, lonely days.
Unfortunately, he did not.
Then, one day, Lu Shiyi suddenly felt something touch him. He looked around but found nothing. In an instant, he realized that someone was touching his body-and he could feel his body, too!
The hands were very soft and seemed to be wiping him clean, applying just the right amount of pressure. Even someone as calm and self-possessed as Lu Shiyi felt a little thrill of excitement. And those hands truly felt like the finest silk, so smooth and soft that they made his heart stir.
It definitely was not his younger brother.
Gradually, he seemed able to control his eyes for brief moments.
He wanted to open them and see who was touching him.
But even with all his strength, he could not open them. He could only make them move ever so slightly.
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