The room fell into a brief silence. After a few seconds, Dr. Li snapped back to reality, "An archangel?"
"Yes."
"What was it doing?"
"Nothing at all. It was like a golden statue, sitting in the center of a massive lunar crater, looking up at the Earth, as if... keeping watch."
Dr. Li rubbed his eyes and opened his mouth somewhat helplessly, "Qiyue, do you know how far the moon is from the Earth?"
"Approximately 400,000 kilometers," Lin Qiyue calmly stated.
"Approximately 400,000 kilometers," Dr. Li repeated, "Even with the most advanced telescopes, we can barely observe the lunar surface. Yet, when you were seven years old, lying on the roof of your old house, you saw an angel on the moon with your naked eye?"
"It wasn't me seeing him," Lin Qiyue spoke softly. "It was God seeing me. I just lifted my head, and my eyes seemed to be dragged through space, locking eyes with him."
"So, God forced you?"
"Sort of. Otherwise, how could I see the lunar surface? I don't have clairvoyance."
"But if there really is an angel on the moon, why hasn't humanity discovered it in so many years?"
"I don't know," Lin Qiyue shook his head. "Perhaps that archangel doesn't want to be observed, and besides... does humanity really understand the moon?"
Lin Qiyue spoke with such sincerity that Dr. Li immediately thought of calling a car to take him back to the mental hospital. Dr. Li, after all, was a psychiatrist who had seen all sorts of mental illnesses in his medical career. He had summarized a rule: the more earnestly someone spoke nonsense, especially when it sounded quite reasonable, the more severe their condition tended to be.
"What about your eyes? What happened?" Dr. Li asked.
Lin Qiyue reached out, gently rubbing the black satin over his eyes. There was no discernible emotional fluctuation in his words. "That day, I locked eyes with Chi for a moment, and then... I went blind."
Dr. Li opened his mouth, glanced down at the case file in his hands, and fell into silence.
In the section about the cause of blindness, only four words were written.
—Cause unknown.
So... what really happened back then? Could it be true, as Lin Qiyue claimed, that he saw an archangel on the moon? Otherwise, how could one explain the sudden blindness?
This thought lasted only for a moment before Dr. Li promptly killed it.
That was close; he almost got led astray by a psychiatric patient!
Dr. Li could almost imagine the reactions of the doctors when the young Lin Qiyue, who had gone blind ten years ago, spoke those words in front of them. No wonder the child was forced to stay in the hospital; no matter how you looked at it, what he said was the kind of discourse only a psychiatric patient would make.
Such individuals were not uncommon in the hospital. Some claimed to be the reincarnation of Sun Wukong and spent every day hanging on the horizontal bar; others believed they were coat racks, standing motionless in their rooms all night; there were those who thought everyone resembled their spouse and would sneakily grope others' buttocks...
Well, the last patient was a greasy middle-aged uncle.
"All you said is from the past. How do you view this situation now?" Dr. Li adjusted his emotions and continued with the examination process.
"It's all delusions," Lin Qiyue calmly spoke. "That day, I just accidentally rolled off the roof, hit my head on the ground. As for my eyes, maybe a nerve got damaged, so I went blind."
He had spoken these words countless times, with proficiency and composure.
Dr. Li raised an eyebrow, wrote something on the medical record, then engaged in some small talk about daily life with Lin Qiyue. About twenty minutes later, he checked the time, smiled, and stood up.
"Well, the reexamination stops here. Your condition is no longer an issue. I hope you can adjust your mindset and live well." Dr. Li shook hands with Lin Qiyue, offering words of encouragement.
Lin Qiyue smiled, nodding slightly.
"Hey, Dr. Li, stay and have a meal." Auntie, seeing Dr. Li leaving, warmly invited.
"No, no. I have another patient to see. I won't disturb you." Dr. Li politely bid farewell to Auntie, then pushed the door and left.
In the instant the door closed, Lin Qiyue's smile disappeared, as if it had never existed.
"Delusions... What..." he muttered to himself.
"Bro, it's time to eat!" Younger cousin Yang Jin walked out of the kitchen, carrying dishes, and shouted.
Yang Jin was Auntie's son, four years younger than Lin Qiyue, just starting junior high school. Since Lin Qiyue's parents went missing, and he stayed at Auntie's house, the two had grown up together, closer than real brothers.
"I'm coming," Lin Qiyue responded.
Just as Lin Qiyue sat down at the small dining table, a warm sensation came from under his feet. He was momentarily stunned, then a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Cousin Yang Jin glanced under the table, teased, "Look at you, lazy as usual. You hardly move a muscle, but when it's mealtime, you're faster than anyone else."
A small black-and-white spotted dog poked its head out from under the table. Its tongue hung out of its mouth, and it panted, emitting warm breath. It approached Lin Qiyue, licked his feet, and wore a face full of affection.
Three people and a dog – that's what makes a home. Simple, challenging, yet strangely comforting. A decade has passed in this manner.
Lin Qiyue patted the dog's head, picked out a piece of meat from the few on the plate, and placed it in his cousin Yang Jin's bowl.
"Give it a bone to gnaw on," he said.
Yang Jin didn't refuse, their brotherly bond making further words unnecessary. What he was concerned about was something else.
"Bro, your eyes are really getting better?" Lin Qiyue smiled faintly. "Yeah, I can see now, but I'm still a bit sensitive to light. I'll have to keep the black satin on for a few more days."
"How many more days, Xiaochi? Auntie wants to remind you, eyes are too precious. Even if you can see now, don't be in a hurry to take off the black satin. What if... What if prolonged exposure to the sun damages them again? That would be such a pity! Let's be cautious, wear it for a bit longer!" Auntie hastily advised.
"Got it, Auntie."
"Oh, Bro, I saved up some money to buy you a cool pair of sunglasses. I'll show them to you later!" Yang Jin seemed to remember something and exclaimed excitedly.
Lin Qiyue smiled and shook his head, "Ah Jin, although sunglasses can block light, their effect is far inferior to the black satin. I can't wear them yet."
"Alright then..." Yang Jin seemed a bit disappointed.
"But when my eyes are completely better, I'll wear it every day when we go shopping, and by then, I'll buy you a pair too. We can wear them together," Lin Qiyue added.
Upon hearing this, Yang Jin's eyes lit up again, and he nodded vigorously.
"By the way, Xiaochi, Auntie has already arranged the transfer for you. When this semester begins, you'll be able to transfer from the special school to a regular high school." Auntie seemed to remember something and spoke, "But, have you really thought it through? Regular high school and the special school are not the same. Considering your situation, what if..."
"No 'what ifs,' Auntie," Lin Qiyue interrupted her, "My eyes are already fine, and if I want to get into a good university, I have to start on the same starting line as everyone else."
"You, this child... even if you don't get into a good university, it's okay. I can take care of you!"
"Bro, I can take care of you too!"
Lin Qiyue's body trembled slightly. The eyes beneath the black satin remained unseen, but his lips tightened, forming a smile.
A firm shake of the head.
Without saying a word, both Yang Jin and Auntie felt his determination. Even the little black-spotted dog at their feet nudged Lin Qiyue's ankle.
"-Woof!"