Chen Wei had finally come to terms with being called Li Jian. The name felt foreign on his lips, and the face, voice, and even the body still felt strange and distant.
Now fully recovered, he was free to leave the hospital, but freedom came with its own challenge,among them being survival.
He only had a few bills left in his wallet, and with all of Li Jian's bank accounts frozen, he was effectively broke.
"How unlucky," he muttered to himself. "To end up as a young master and still go through the same phase of having no money."
He couldn't afford to end up on the streets, but the idea of crawling back to his father and begging for help was even less appealing. Li Jian's pride—his pride now—made that an impossible option.
He needed to find a way to get by, at least for a few days, until he could figure out his next move. For now, visiting his real mother would have to wait. He couldn't show up empty-handed or without a plan; that would only raise questions.
Standing outside the hospital building, coat slung over his arm and his belongings stuffed into his pockets, he stared at the cracked screen of his phone. The damage wasn't severe, but it was enough to be a nuisance. His eyes lingered on a particular contact, one he had been hesitating to call. From the chats he had read earlier, this person seemed to be the closest to him.
After taking a deep breath, he tapped the green button to make the call. The phone rang a few times before the person picked up, greeting him with an overly enthusiastic, "My mannn! Where have you been, bro? You've been ghosting me for days!"
"Hey," Li Jian said, his tone low as he tried to sound casual.
"You sound off, man," the voice on the other end continued. "Seriously, where've you been? Busy partying without me or what?"
"Something like that," Li Jian replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Let me guess," the friend said, his tone shifting slightly. "You're calling because you need my help with something, right?"
Li Jian sighed. It was now or never. "Yeah… I do."
There was a pause, and then the friend chuckled, though there was a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Figures. So, what is it this time? Trouble with your dad? Need cash? Or is it another one of your 'brilliant' plans?"
"Let's meet," Li Jian said, ignoring the teasing. "We'll talk then."
"Fine," the friend said after a moment, though his tone was slightly less enthusiastic. "I'll text you the place."
Li Jian thanked him and ended the call. Sliding the phone back into his pocket, he flagged down a cab.
As he climbed in and gave the driver an address, he leaned back against the seat, staring out of the window as the city sped by. He wasn't sure what kind of person this "friend" was or how much he could trust him, but for now, he had no choice. He needed an ally, and this was his best shot.
After a few minutes, the driver reached the destination. After handing over the fare, Li Jian stepped out of the taxi and found himself standing in front of a building with bold purple letters glowing brightly as 'SNIQUE'.
"What does that even mean?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. Still, he adjusted his coat, slung casually over his shoulder, and slid his hands into his pockets. With a calm and collected demeanor, he stepped into the building.
Inside, the atmosphere was dim, with only a few colored lights casting hazy glows across the space. The faint scent of alcohol and stale cigarette smoke lingered in the air. The walls were adorned with neon signs in abstract shapes, and the floors were polished black, reflecting the lights above.
The space felt vast and oddly quiet, lacking the crowd and music one would expect from a nightclub. Chairs were stacked on tables along the edges, and a bar counter stretched across the far end, its surface cluttered with glassware.
"Guess it's not open yet," he muttered, taking a step deeper into the club.
A voice called out from behind the bar. "Li Jian! Over here!"
Li Jian turned to see a man waving enthusiastically, emerging from behind the counter. The man looked to be in his mid-twenties, with a lean build and an air of effortless confidence. His dark brown hair was styled in a slight undercut, and he wore a casual leather jacket over a graphic T-shirt, paired with ripped jeans. His sharp jawline and easy grin made him look like the type who thrived in social settings.
"Long time no see!" the man said, clapping Li Jian on the back as he approached.
"Yeah, it's been a while," Li Jian replied, forcing a grin and trying to act natural.
The man narrowed his eyes playfully. "You look different. What's up? Haven't seen you with this calm energy before. You're not about to confess to some wild scheme, are you?"
Li Jian chuckled awkwardly, ignoring the comment. "Let's grab a drink."
The two headed to the bar, where the man poured them both a whiskey on the rocks. They settled into a booth near the back of the club, the dim lighting casting shadows over their faces.
"So," the man began, swirling his glass. "What's the deal?"
Li Jian sighed, looking down at his drink. He didn't know where to start. A part of him just wanted to confess everything—that he wasn't the real Li Jian.
He took a sip of the whiskey, wincing as it burned his throat. But on the second sip, it felt smoother, almost comforting. "A natural," he thought sarcastically, thinking about Li Jian's life, which seemed to revolve around alcohol and parties.
His friend, Qiao Yu, watched him closely, his gaze narrowing. "You're stalling. Spill it already," Qiao Yu pressed.
Li Jian exhaled slowly. "I don't know where to start," he admitted, the weight of his thoughts dragging his voice down.
"Start anywhere," Qiao Yu said, his tone softening. "It's me, man. Whatever it is, I can handle it."
"I got into an accident," Li Jian said finally, his voice trembling slightly. He cursed inwardly at the uncharacteristic stutter.
Qiao Yu sat up straighter, his eyes widening. "No i didn't here about it. Was it that bad?,You weren't answering my calls, so I figured you were just laying low. What happened?"
Li Jian hesitated again, swirling the remaining whiskey in his glass. "It wasn't just bad, Qiao Yu... I—" He stopped mid-sentence, unsure how to phrase the next part.
"You what?" Qiao Yu asked, leaning in, his concern evident.
"I don't know how to explain this, but..." Li Jian finally looked up, locking eyes with Qiao Yu. "I'm not Li Jian. At least, not really. The accident... something happened to me, and now I'm here, in his body."
For a moment, Qiao Yu just stared at him. Then he burst out laughing. "You've got to be kidding me! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Did you hit your head or something? Or are you trying out some weird new excuse?"
"I'm serious," Li Jian said firmly, his expression deadpan.
Qiao Yu's laughter faded as he saw the intensity in his friend's eyes. "Wait, you're not joking?"
"No, I'm not."
Qiao Yu leaned back in the booth, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, let's say for a second I believe you. If you're not Li Jian, then who the hell are you?"
"My name is Chen Wei. I don't know how or why, but when I woke up after the accident, I was... like this," he said, gesturing to himself. "I remember my old life. I was someone completely different."
Qiao Yu let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "You really expect me to buy this?"
"You don't have to believe me," Li Jian replied. "I'm telling you the truth because I don't know what else to do. I need help."
Qiao Yu sat in silence for a moment, his eyes scanning Li Jian's face as if searching for some trace of a lie. Finally, he spoke, his voice cautious. "Alright. Let's say you're telling the truth. What do you need from me?"
"I need a place to stay, and I need to figure out more about... this life," Li Jian said. "I don't have access to any of Li Jian's accounts, and I'm pretty much broke."