Sweltering August.
Drip, drip, drip—
The shrill cicadas' buzz mingles with the intermittent honks, echoing through the bustling streets where the crowd flows rapidly. The scorching sunlight bakes the ashen asphalt pavement, and the heat ripples, distorting the entire street.
Under the sparse patches of shade along the roadside, a few young people are huddled together, puffing on cigarettes, waiting for the traffic lights.
Suddenly, one of the youngsters, exhaling a plume of smoke, seems to have noticed something. He lets out a soft exclamation, his gaze fixed on a corner of the street.
"Arno, what are you looking at?" his companion asked beside him.
The young man named Arno stared blankly at the street corner for a while before speaking, "You know... how do blind people cross the road?"
His companion paused for a moment, looked thoughtful, and then spoke slowly, "Generally, blind people have someone to accompany them when they go out, or they rely on guide dogs. In more modern cities, there are also traffic lights with audio signals at the roadside. If all else fails, perhaps they could rely on sound cues and a white cane to navigate little by little?"
Arno shook his head, "What if there's no one to accompany, no guide dog, no audio signals, and even the white cane is being used to carry cooking oil?
"...Do you think you're funny?" His companion rolled their eyes, followed Arno's gaze, and in the next moment, they froze in place.
Across the road, a young man in a black short-sleeved shirt was standing. Thick layers of black satin were wrapped around his eyes, completely blocking out all light.
In his left hand, he held a budget shopping bag filled with vegetables, while his right hand gripped the white cane slung over his shoulder, resembling a carrying pole. At the end of the white cane, a large bucket of golden peanut oil shimmered in the sunlight!
Blindfolded in black, cane on shoulder, vegetables in the left hand, oil-bearing in the right...
This bizarre scene immediately captured the attention of the surrounding crowd—a wave of onlookers.
"Mis, look, that person looks so strange." "With so much fabric covering his eyes, can he see the road?" "Didn't you see the white cane in his hand? He's obviously a blind person, you know?"
"In this day and age, most blind people wear sunglasses. Who still wraps their eyes with fabric like this on a hot day? Isn't it too stifling?"
"Exactly, and have you ever seen a blind person not using the white cane to walk but using it to carry things?"
"Youth these days really know how to have fun."
"..."
The summer cicadas' chirping couldn't drown out the hushed whispers of passersby. They curiously eyed the young man, quietly debating whether he was truly blind or just pretending, all while some eagerly watched the flickering red traffic light.
At that moment, a clear voice rang out from beside the young man.
"Brother, shall I help you cross the road?"
It was a little girl in a school uniform, around twelve or thirteen years old, with a few glistening sweatdrops on her cheeks. Her big, dark eyes were filled with concern as she gazed at the young man, pure and simple.
The young man was slightly taken aback, turning his head to look in the direction of the little girl. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Sure."
He hung the bag of vegetables on his right hand, freeing up his left hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. He gently took hold of the little girl's hand.
Snap—!
The green light lit up. The young man quickened his pace, walking with the little girl towards the opposite side of the road. The little girl was nervous, anxiously scanning both sides for oncoming vehicles, her steps cautious and timid. As for the young man, he walked with steady assurance.
In the eyes of the onlookers, it didn't seem like a kind girl helping a blind person cross the road; rather, it appeared more like an older brother guiding a younger one across. The road wasn't wide, and in just a dozen seconds, the two reached the other side. The young man thanked the little girl, and without looking back, he headed towards a secluded alley.
"He's not blind," Arno said with conviction as he witnessed the scene. "He must be able to see."
A young person behind Arno, one hand supporting their chin in contemplation, seemed to have a realization. Suddenly, as if figuring something out, they exclaimed, "I get it, he's cosplaying as a blind monk!"
Snap—!
A resounding slap landed squarely on the back of his head. Arnau cursed under his breath, "Idiot, always playing games. Who the hell cosplays as a blind monk in the middle of a busy road? Are you out of your mind?"
After a brief pause, Arnau muttered softly to himself, adding, "Besides... the blind monk's eye-covering cloth is red, this cosplay doesn't match at all."
"Arnau, you're still talking about me..."
"Shut up."
"Oh."
As the two bickered, the young person who had remained silent on the side watched the young man walk away, a slight furrow in their brow.
"What's wrong?" Arno noticed his gaze.
"I know him."
"Know him?"
"Yes," the young person nodded. "When my younger cousin was still in elementary school, I heard that there was a student in their school who had an accident, had eye problems, had to use black satin to blindfold, and supposedly had some mental issues…"
"Mental issues?" Arno paused, carefully recalling the recent situation. "I didn't see any issues, it seems."
"That was all a decade ago; maybe he's recovered by now. But at the time, it caused quite a stir. The student dropped out within a few days and reportedly transferred to a special school for the blind."
At that moment, another person chimed in eagerly, "Speaking of which, what kind of accident was it? To make someone go blind and have mental issues, could it be some supernatural occurrence?"
"I don't know," he paused, "but... I heard it was something even more bizarre."
"Poor guy," Arno sighed. "What's his name?"
"Seems like it's... Lin... Lin... Lin Qiyue?"
...
In the evening glow, Lin Qiyue pushed open the door. Almost instantly, the aroma of cooking wafted into his nostrils. He sniffed, swallowed, and entered the house carrying some items.
Creak—!
The old door emitted a harsh squeak, masking the sizzling sounds coming from the kitchen. A middle-aged woman pushed open the kitchen door, and upon seeing Lin Qiyue with bags in hand, she exclaimed and hurriedly approached.
"Little Seven, why do you bring back so much stuff again?" The woman wiped her hands on her apron and quickly took the items from Lin Qiyue, chattering away.
"Such a large bucket of peanut oil? Are you, once again, misusing the government subsidies?" she asked.
"Auntie, the government subsidies for disabled people are meant for living expenses. I'm using them to buy oil, making the most of what I have," Lin Qiyue smiled.
"Nonsense, this money is meant for your college education. How can you misuse it? Let me tell you, the money Auntie earns from working is enough to support both of us. Don't go spending money recklessly," Auntie scolded gently, wiping the oil drum carefully with her hands. She looked somewhat pained, muttering softly, "Such a big drum of oil, and it's a branded one... must have cost quite a bit."
Before Lin Qiyue could say anything, Auntie suddenly realized something, "Wait... how did you bring back so many things?"
"Oh, I met some kind-hearted people on the way, and they helped me bring them back," Lin Qiyue calmly replied.
"Good, good, it seems there are still many good people in society... Have you properly thanked them?" Auntie shifted the topic. "By the way, where's Ah Pu?"
"He's doing homework on the balcony... Oh, by the way, the doctor from the regular check-up at the psychiatric hospital came. He's resting in the room. Why don't you go check on him? Auntie will go prepare dinner, and I'll call you when it's ready."
Lin Qiyue's steps hesitated for a moment. He acknowledged with an "Oh" and turned towards the bedroom.
...
"Hello, I'm Dr. Li from Sunshine Mental Hospital." Seeing Lin Qiyue entering the room, the young man sitting on a small stool in the bedroom stood up and spoke gently. He wore a pair of large black-framed glasses, giving him a scholarly appearance.
Lin Qiyue raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Wasn't it always Dr. Han who came before?"
"Dr. Han was promoted to vice director last year," Dr. Li smiled, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
Lin Qiyue nodded slightly, saying, "Ah, I see."
Well, Dr. Han is quite old and highly skilled. It's not surprising that he got promoted to vice director. Having a younger doctor come for regular check-ups is reasonable.
Seeing Lin Qiyue sit down, Dr. Li cleared his throat and pulled out a stack of medical records from his bag.
"I'm sorry, as I'm new here, I don't know much about your case. Let me get a brief understanding first," Dr. Li apologized.
Lin Qiyue nodded.
"Your name is... Lin Qiyue?"
"Yes."
"Seventeen years old."
"Yes."
"Your birthday?"
"October 5th."
"Okay... The medical records state that you lost your vision ten years ago and were sent to our hospital due to some issues. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
Dr. Li pondered for a moment, "Have you ever changed your name?"
"...No, why do you ask?" Lin Qiyue frowned.
Dr. Li scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, "Ahem... it seems I jumped to conclusions."
He extended his hand, pointing to the age on the medical record, and then gestured to the three words "ten years ago." "You see, you went blind ten years ago when you were exactly seven years old. Your name also happened to be Lin Qiyue. That's why I thought you might have changed your name after going blind..."
Lin Qiyue remained silent for a while and then shook his head, "No... I have never changed my name. My parents gave me the name Lin Qiyue before I was born."
"Well, that's quite... ahem," Dr. Li realized his words were becoming impolite and promptly closed his mouth.
"Quite a coincidence," Lin Qiyue calmly spoke. "Indeed, quite a coincidence."
Dr. Li felt a bit embarrassed, but he quickly changed the subject, "Um... the medical records don't seem to provide a detailed account of the incident that caused your blindness and mental disorder. If it's convenient for you, could you tell me about it?"
Before Lin Qiyue could respond, Dr. Li hurriedly added, "It's not meant to be offensive. Understanding more about patients helps in providing better treatment. Of course, if you don't want to talk about it, I won't insist."
Lin Qiyue sat quietly, his eyes seemingly staring at Dr. Li beneath the black ribbon. After a while, he spoke slowly, "There's nothing I can't say... It's just that you might not believe it, and you might even take me back to the psychiatric hospital."
"No, no, no. Let's not define our relationship as doctor and patient. This is just a normal conversation between friends," Dr. Li quickly reassured.
"It won't come to that." Dr. Li half-jokingly said, "Even if you tell me you were pulled into the alchemy furnace by Laozi himself, I would believe it."
Lin Qiyue remained silent for a moment and nodded slightly.
"When I was a child, I loved astronomy."
"Okay, and then?" Dr. Li inquired.
"That night, I was lying on the roof of my old house, looking at the moon."
"What did you see? The moon rabbit?" Dr. Li chuckled.
Lin Qiyue shook his head. His next words, however, wiped the smile off Dr. Li's face.
"No, I saw an angel." Lin Qiyue spoke seriously, gesturing with his hands in front of him. "An archangel enveloped in golden radiance, with six white wings."