Truth to be told never once in his life that he would be someone that hailed as saviour, not in his past life or in this new given life. Well, for Cheng Jiayi, he self-consciously understand himself well. He is not a saviour or having any thoughts on become one.
He is not Superman, no sir he is not most definitely.
But his so-called good friend in this body he now occupy seems have different opinion. The chubby boy with spectacles and darn shines with all the glow of youthfulness which Jiayi has long forgotten is keep harping by his side on the bed of the hospital.
"Jiayi you're awesome, I means I never seen you ever run so fast like that, but you did," Wang Churan speak with crack voice most associate with male teenager on the verge of puberty. At 16, maybe he is already at puberty right ? Ah science never been his strong suit, neither any other subject mind you.
Jiayi, now laying on the hospital bed looking at the teenager in front of him with true confusion. Yes confusion, because he suppose to be in his home, cuddling his cute little TomTom, a persian tabby cat with squishy face that he love so deeply, well as that the only closest companion he has in his 28 years of life. Regrettably, he never taste the enduring and flaming love of human species due to his loner and quiet nature. Not to mention being so overly self-conscious about every little thing about himself and his surroundings.
Well lets start from the beginning before everyone get a headache just like how Jiayi is having right now. The gist of it, he, Cheng Jiayi, the suppose lonely 28 years 'unfortunately single virgin' old man somehow waking up in 16 years old teenager with the same name as him. This teenager unlike him, is an orphan that been raised by his grandfather before that kind old man also recently passed away. So now he is living by himself in the house left by his parent and getting by through the money left both by his parent and grandfather. Seriously what a pitiful boy yet compared to his old self is in much better condition than himself at 16 years old.
Yes, he somehow, miraculously overnight transmigrate into a body of a teenager and waking up on this hospital bed with bloody head injury due to the selfless act of this original body owner saving a little boy that almost hit by a car. As a result, the teenage Cheng Jiayi suffered head injury when he hit his head hard on the pavement in the attempt of being a saviour.
What a selfless kid, at 16 he already has altruistic nature. But still, it bother Jiayi about the matter of why he is now waking up in this teen body. What happen to his own body and where does the soul of this body go ?
"Jiayi, Jiayi do you hear me ?!"
The sudden voice intrusion halt Jiayi wondering. He try to turn his face but groan in pain instead. He forget about this body head injury.
"Jiayi, are you all right ? Do you need me to call doctor ?" Wang Churan must have a close friendship with the original owner as his voice now truly laden with worry, in contrast with his previous jubilant voice.
"No, no need. I am fine."
"Its just erm I want to go to toilet; can you help me ?"
Wang Churan face brightened hearing it, and without further ado help his injured friend walk to the toilet that conveniently inside this private hospital room. According to Churan, parents of the child he save feel tremendously grateful to him, thus they spare no expenses as a way of repaying his selfless act.
"Woah" Cheng Jiayi is practically a little bit taken when he see the person reflected on the mirror hanging on the toilet wall.
Because this face is exactly similar to his own. It remind him of his own awkward teenage year. The similarities is so uncanny that it makes him somehow feel deja vu. Is he regressed back to his own teenage self? No, he suppose not as the memory of this body indicate he still in the same year he is living, 2024. So, he definitely not regressing back to his 16 years old self.
"What exactly happened ?" He murmur quietly while rubbing his own face. Even the small, pointed mole of this face is exactly situated at the same place as his own, on the right corner of his upper lip.
But he pretty sure he never once save a kid during his teenage day or having a best friend name Wang Churan. But yet, its evidence from the mirror reflection that he and this teenage Cheng Jiayi look exactly the same.
"Hmm why we look so alike, urgh, and why I am waking up in this body ?" Jiayi really has a terrible headache at this moment. From the snippet of memory that somehow surfacing in his consciousness, it is apparent that despite of their uncanny 'like a pea in the pod' countenance, they are indeed not the same person.
"Jiayi, Jiayi are you ok in there? Do you need help to pee ?" Wang Churan voice can be heard asking.
"Yo, don't be shy if you need help. We have seen one another naked since we little kid."
Hearing it, Jiayi could only sigh. They indeed have such a closer friendship, almost like siblings' camaraderie but Jiayi pretty sure, according to this body memory, they never seen one another naked body.
"Thank you Churan, but no I don't need your assistance," Jiayi push the toilet flush at the end of his word. He walk toward the sink and once again look at himself in the mirror. Well, anyway he sure does look good in his teenage day, but why he never has a girlfriend or boyfriend back then. Not to be narcissistic, but look at this smooth and supple cheeks, the sculpture nose situated nicely on his face and the fuller pink lips. He is indeed good looking; he means both he and the original owner.
"Huh ?" As he absorbed in his own self-aggrandizing behaviour, caressing the smooth skin of his arm, something suddenly attract his attention. "What is this ? Needle mark ?" He pondered quietly while looking at the slight raise skin like a welt on the back of his left forearm. Jiayi pretty sure this is not the place commonly use for IV insertion or injections, and one would not have discovered it if Jiayi not being self-absorbed to caressing his now smooth teenage skin.
"Seriously what happened ? Why this boy has this needle mark at the back of his arm ?" The questions mark is so palpable that one can almost see it on his face .
He is waking up in someone else body. So, what happened to his previous self and what might had occurred to the young Cheng Jiayi. Somehow he wonder, do they swap their bodies ? Thus, logically the young Cheng Jiayi should be in his body now. All this literally impossible yet it happened,and Jiayi just could not fathom how does it occurred.
He is so deep into his thoughts that he forget about Wang Churan outside and the sudden harsh knock breaking his mind pondering session inside the toilet.
"Jiayi ! Come out. What taking you so long in there ?!" this voice does not sound young. Its harsh and guttural tone sure belong to an adult man.
Jiayi walk to the door, pause a bit and try to gauge what happen outside. He heard a gasp outside.
"Oh ! Maybe he is dying inside there !!" that exclamation utter by a much softer tone that definitely belong to a woman.
"Huh, so is he dying, hei you there go call doctor, my nephew might die inside this toilet !" The first person with guttural and harsh voice speak recalcitrantly toward Wang Churan.
Nephew !! The word struck a chord in Jiayi mind. A surge of memory that surely belong to original owner come to the forefront in his mind. So, the one outside must be his paternal uncle, Cheng Yuze and his wife.
However, why they can easily assume he might be dying instead of care about his wellbeing and injury . From the memory, this uncle and aunt has neither treated him badly nor kindly either. It also happened that the original owner seen this couple only several times in his 16 years of life. They mostly come to visit his grandfather. The recent meeting is during his grandfather funeral about 3 months ago.
Yet, from the trace of memory, Jiayi can determine that this original body owner feel a bit apprehensive ontoward this couple. Despite young Jiayi reluctance to meet them, the couple has tried to reach him in so many occasions. More often after his grandfather died. He even heard that after his parents dead this so-called uncle and aunt try to be his guardian. Fortunately, original owner grandfather still alive and taking him in instead. Besides, this uncle not exactly original Jiayi's father sibling, he is only paternal cousin that raise for a while by his grandfather.
Jiayi heard the continuous commotion outside and Wang Churan voice speak with dissatisfaction. "Uncle Cheng, why you speak so. Jiayi is fine," he retort though there still a hint of worry within his voice. He should not let Jiayi get into the toilet alone.
Jiayi release a sigh before he straightened up and with a demeanour of an injured patient he open the door and readying himself to face whatever it is waiting for him outside the door. Anyway, he is and still in fact injured. The pain he can feel on his head is not kidding.
When the toilet door all pair or eyes fell unto the poor injured Cheng Jiayi.
"I am fine and not death, thank you," Jiayi saying this with sound so tiny almost like a mouse. Touching his bandage head, he spare a few seconds looking at the newcomer in the room.
"Ahh what with this reaction, " looking at the middle-aged couple reaction in front of him raise a hint of suspicion within his always over thinking, self-conscious and seriously need to tone down a bit mind. Nevertheless, their reaction spark an interest on his ever active wondering mind. Okay time to start his inner "Di Renjie " moment.
"Hello uncle and aunt."