Chapter 77

Two days before surgery, Wen Ran checked into the hospital as ordered. No need to worry about being bored this time—Gu Yunchi brought BDH-339 to the room.

BDH-339's first time out in the world, absolutely thrilled. With nothing to do, it took Wen Ran out for walks. By the end of the day they'd toured the whole 195 Institute, and this morning they'd already run into He Wei twice at the Dental Department.

"How bad do your teeth have to be to come to the hospital twice in one morning!" BDH-339 was shocked.

He Wei rolled his eyes. "Nosy trash can. Who told you to take the patient out of his room? Get back, get back!"

Grumbling, he shooed Wen Ran and BDH-339 back to the room. Before closing the door, He Wei gripped the handle and warned: "Wander around again and I'll call Lieutenant Colonel Gu over to yell at you."

He'd barely left when Wen Rui pushed the door open, picked up an apple from the table, and carefully peeled it clean.

Then ate it himself.

Wen Ran: "..."

"What are you looking at, can you even see clearly?" Wen Rui took two bites of the apple. "Had meetings all morning, didn't even eat before coming over. So what if I eat some of your fruit."

"Get out." Wen Ran said. "My friend and... Fang Yisen are about to arrive."

On hearing this, Wen Rui plopped down on the sofa.

BDH-339: "So uncultured."

Not expecting Wen Rui to come this early, Wen Ran was a little worried. He quietly called BDH-339 to the bedside and whispered: "Send Fang Yisen a message. Tell him Wen Rui's in the room. Don't come."

"Got it."

But before BDH-339 could send the message, Zhou Zhuo pushed the door open without knocking: "Let me see what the kid looks like now."

Fang Yisen walked in behind him. The moment he entered the room, Wen Ran saw Wen Rui stand up.

He absolutely hated his own bad-vision eyes right now, couldn't make out the expression on anyone's face.

Zhou Zhuo walked to the bedside and asked about Wen Ran's condition in his usual blunt manner. Wen Ran made vague sounds in response, but his head tilted ninety degrees, peering past Zhou Zhuo's side to look at Fang Yisen and Wen Rui.

"I'm talking to you, what's with the attitude?" Zhou Zhuo pulled something from his pocket and tossed it on the blanket. "Take it, take it."

Wen Ran picked up the stiff card. Even though he couldn't see clearly, he could tell from that pale blue that it was a Blue Glass Recharge Card. Instantly energized, he turned it over and over, looked at it several times, and said happily: "Thanks, boss!"

"So, surgery tomorrow, nervous?" Fang Yisen came over and topped off the water in Wen Ran's bedside cup, then handed it to him.

"A little, yeah." Wen Ran took the cup, looked up and smiled at him. "Sorry you had to fly all this way to see me."

"I had a business trip to the next city in a couple days anyway, so I came early. It's nothing."

Shhh-shhh-shhh sounds from the sofa—Wen Rui was peeling another apple.

Zhou Zhuo only now noticed BDH-339 by the bed. "Yo!" he said. "Military Hospital tech has come this far, trash cans this fancy? But isn't it unsanitary to be so close to the bed?"

BDH-339: "Another uncultured one."

Zhou Zhuo didn't hear that. His phone rang, he gestured to Wen Ran and Fang Yisen and stepped out. The room got much quieter. Wen Ran leaned quietly against the headboard, watching Wen Rui quickly finish peeling the apple and hand it to Fang Yisen: "Have an apple."

"No need." Fang Yisen declined flatly.

Wen Rui turned and held the apple out to Wen Ran: "You want it?"

Wen Ran immediately stopped exchanging glances with BDH-339, pulled the blanket up a bit: "No."

""

After Zhou Zhuo came back, the three of them chatted for a while longer. Wen Rui sat on the corner sofa, staring intently at Fang Yisen. When Fang Yisen was urged by Company messages to go back to the hotel and work, he immediately stood up and followed him out, without even saying goodbye to Wen Ran.

"Heard that used to be your old ge." Zhou Zhuo glanced at Fang Yisen and Wen Rui's backs. "What's the deal with those two?"

Wen Ran put on a fake sigh: "Long story."

"Acting all wise, whatever." Zhou Zhuo said dismissively, then asked, "When's Gu Yunchi coming?"

"He's at a meeting, should be here soon. You need him for something?"

"What would I need him for." Last time at Wen Ran's apartment building, Gu Yunchi's bodyguards had tied him up like a crab, which Zhou Zhuo found deeply embarrassing. Better not see him. He said: "Eat well, sleep well. I'll come back tomorrow morning to see you into the Operating Room."

"But I feel like you'll be hungover at some club till noon."

"Shut up!"

Everyone gone, the room empty again. Wen Ran picked up the radio, clicked it on, and listened to storytelling with BDH-339.

He'd taken medicine earlier. Listening, the drugs slowly dragged him toward sleep. He vaguely felt the room darken—probably BDH-339 closed the curtains. A few minutes later, very light footsteps came to the bedside, and someone touched his hair and face.

Catching the familiar Pheromone, Wen Ran fell asleep completely at ease.

When he woke, the lamp was on. Gu Yunchi was sitting in the chair by the bed, file and pen in hand. Wen Ran yawned and asked: "Are you writing a self-criticism report?"

"No." Gu Yunchi didn't understand why Wen Ran was so obsessed with self-criticism reports. Every time he picked up a pen, it automatically triggered Wen Ran asking "are you writing a self-criticism report?"

"Then when are you going to write it? You really need to write it properly." Wen Ran sat up in bed, earnest: "I heard from BDH-339, Military Headquarters has a year-end medal and promotion ceremony. If you don't submit your self-criticism, you can't make colonel... oh right, where's BDH-339?"

"Chatting with the nurse." Gu Yunchi turned a page. "Where did it hear this stuff now?"

"Yesterday it was wandering the hospital and ran into Lu Heyang at a follow-up. Lu Heyang told it to remind you to write the self-criticism." He'd also just learned Lu Heyang had amnesia. Wen Ran said: "Lu Heyang's really thoughtful, right?"

"Hopefully the nurse shaving your head is just as thoughtful." Gu Yunchi put down the file and capped the pen. "Awake now? If you're awake, go get your head shaved."

Too late to claim he wasn't awake. Wen Ran slumped his shoulders and counted silently for a few seconds: "Fine." Then asked, "Did you buy me a hat?"

Gu Yunchi pressed the remote to open the curtains, picked up the paper bag on the coffee table, and handed it to Wen Ran.

Rustling sounds. Wen Ran pulled out the contents, held them two centimeters from his face and squinted hard: a khaki dog, a brown bear, a green tree, a pink pig—if he had to guess, those were the creatures.

This was a far cry from the pure black, cool, stylish beanie he'd imagined. Wen Ran got mad: "Where did you even find so many hats with ears?"

"Children's clothing store." Gu Yunchi's reasoning was solid: "Your head's already not big. Shaving it will only make it smaller."

"But still...!" Wen Ran grabbed the pink one. "Why this one? This is a pig, right? It's a pig, right?"

"No." Gu Yunchi's tone was normal: "It's a flamingo."

""

In the end Wen Ran walked out of the room clutching the dog hat, finished all the pre-op tests, sat obediently in the chair, and put the cape on to get his head shaved. BDH-339 kept circling the chair, photographing Wen Ran's hair from every angle for posterity.

The clippers buzzed against his scalp, moving slowly. Wen Ran squinted toward the upper right—through the blur, Gu Yunchi was leaning against the windowsill, head slightly down, looking at his phone or comms device, looking not very concerned.

When the nurse finished cleaning up the loose hair and removed the cape, Wen Ran immediately put on his hat, said "thanks," and walked out with BDH-339. Only then did Gu Yunchi unhurriedly pocket his phone, straighten up, and follow.

Back in the room, the nutrition meal had arrived. After this meal, no food after eight, no water after ten. Maybe psychosomatic, Wen Ran didn't have much appetite, ate a little, listened to the doctor run through some precautions, and promised to sleep well.

BDH-339 went with the doctor to fetch medicine. Gu Yunchi was on the balcony taking a call. Wen Ran dawdled alone for a bit, grabbed his pajamas to shower. But Gu Yunchi came back and handed him the phone: "Commander Pei wants to talk to you."

Wen Ran was very surprised, took the phone, and carefully said: "Commander Pei?"

"Hey, Li Shu." Clearly the tone of someone addressing a familiar junior, Pei Yan said warmly: "Surgery tomorrow, will you be scared? I've been busy these past few days, probably won't be able to come see you for another week or so."

Wen Ran glanced nervously at Gu Yunchi, quickly answered: "It's fine, Commander Pei, it's a minor surgery, you don't need to come all this way."

"You call a craniotomy a minor surgery." Gu Yunchi said from the side, immediately earning a glare from Wen Ran.

Pei Yan laughed: "Sounds like you're doing alright then. Alright, alright, won't bother you. Rest early, all the best with the surgery."

"Thank you, Commander Pei."

After hanging up, Wen Ran asked: "Did you specifically ask Commander Pei to encourage me?"

"In your eyes I'm already that thoughtful."

"..." Nothing to say. Wen Ran slung the pajamas over his arm and headed to the Bathroom. He knew the route well by now, still wearing the little dog hat, refusing to take it off.

The one good thing about a shaved head—it was easy to wash. Wen Ran showered, changed into pajamas, walked out of the shower stall, stood at the sink to brush his teeth and wash his face, then grabbed the hairdryer and dried his bare head.

He looked at the round, blurry head in the mirror, like a small patch of land waiting for new green to grow, needing some extra encouragement—Wen Ran gave himself a thumbs-up.

After the thumbs-up he put the hat back on, turned to leave, almost at the door, his eyes suddenly went wide and he froze.

Gu Yunchi, leaning in the shadows by the wall, bent down and bumped Wen Ran's nose tip with his. "I didn't see anything."

Quietly resolved to call the Military Headquarters hotline after recovery to report Gu Yunchi, Wen Ran silently walked out of the Bathroom. BDH-339 was back with the medicine. He took them one by one, climbed into bed, and lay down.

Ten minutes later, Gu Yunchi came out of the shower and saw Wen Ran lying on his side facing away, blanket tucked in neatly, just a dog-hat-wearing head poking out.

He walked over and pulled the hat off. Wen Ran immediately covered his head and twisted toward him: "Why are you taking my hat?"

"It's uncomfortable to sleep in." Gu Yunchi turned his head to look at BDH-339.

Two patches of blush appeared on the screen, and the eyes turned into pink hearts. BDH-339 giggled twice: "I'm heading out. Goodnight."

Gu Yunchi dimmed the lights, leaving only a faint bedside lamp, then pulled back the covers and got into bed. He squeezed the back of Wen Ran's neck: "What are you mad about now."

Wen Ran's emotions had been pretty rich lately, and that was a good thing. Gu Yunchi was deeply convinced of it.

No answer. A few seconds of silence, then Wen Ran turned to look at Gu Yunchi, crawled on top of him using hands and feet, and settled down.

Wen Ran asked seriously: "Did you secretly laugh at me? Even a little counts."

"Why would I laugh at you."

"Then why did you buy those weird hats."

Gu Yunchi's hand pressed against his lower back: "I bought them because I thought they were cute."

Immediately out of comebacks, Wen Ran sat in awkward silence for a bit, then said: "My head is so cold."

Suddenly without hair, he wasn't used to it—empty. Wen Ran buried his face in Gu Yunchi's neck, nuzzled around a few times, the short stubble pricking Gu Yunchi's jaw and the side of his neck. His mouth pressed against Gu Yunchi's collarbone, and he suddenly said quietly: "I'm still a little scared."

"Mm." Gu Yunchi held him: "That's normal."

"Can you comfort me a little."

His hand patted twice on the omega's thin back, and Gu Yunchi asked: "Have you ever thought about joining the Military Headquarters."

Less like comfort, more like a distraction—and a successful one. Wen Ran instantly lifted his head: "What?"

"Next March, the Military Academy of Aerospace Engineering will hold an admissions exam. Take the grad school test. About half a year after enrolling, you can be assigned to an Air Force Base for an internship."

Made grad school sound as easy as breathing, but Wen Ran only had one question: "What about my political review? What do I do about that?"

"You were Wen Ran when you were adopted, and you changed your name to Li Shu after finding your biological mother." Gu Yunchi said, "Isn't that your real history."

That's all? Yeah, that's all. Just that when he was living under a fake name, he hadn't dared imagine it—even though from Wen Ran to Li Shu, it was all a life he'd actually lived.

"I-I need to think about this carefully." The proposal came out of nowhere, and Wen Ran was a bit tongue-tied. "No, there's no time today. Tomorrow... after my surgery, I need to think about it seriously."

Gu Yunchi looked at him: "Then we'll wait until after your surgery goes well."

Even though he said he'd think it over, just imagining it made him ridiculously happy. Wen Ran cupped Gu Yunchi's face and kissed him at the corner of his mouth: "Actually, I used to fantasize about going to grad school. I wanted to learn more things."

Before his teens, the number of times he'd gone to school could be counted on one hand. In high school, the total time he'd spent at the Preparatory School was barely more than half a semester, and it came with oppressive, heavy pressure and schemes. Even through college, as far as Gu Yunchi knew, Wen Ran had never once gone up on stage to receive an award at any major competition—afraid photos would leak and he'd be discovered. When he graduated college, he was even absent from the graduation photo.

Wen Ran should have a relaxed, free, open campus life, like a normal person.

"I'm full of confidence now." Wen Ran propped his hands on either side of Gu Yunchi's face, looked down at him, and asked out of nowhere: "Gu Yunchi, where's your Officer's ID?"

"In the coat pocket."

Wen Ran quickly got out of bed, went to the nearby coat rack, reached into the military coat's pocket, and took out the Officer's ID.

With his back to Gu Yunchi, he opened the Officer's ID, fumbled around in the dim light since he couldn't see well and wasn't familiar with it, pried open the info card divider, and pulled out the thing tucked underneath.

In the dim light, Wen Ran could just barely make out two people standing side by side in the photo. He looked at it for a while, then tucked the photo back, closed the Officer's ID, and brought it back to bed in his hand.

Wen Ran slid the Officer's ID under his own pillow, patted the pillow, lay down, and said contentedly: "Done."

Gu Yunchi's hand rested on his lower belly: "What's 'done' about it."

Wen Ran just closed his eyes and announced he was going to sleep immediately, so Gu Yunchi turned off the light.

Listening to each other's breathing in the dark for a long while, Wen Ran suddenly said: "I saw that document a couple days ago. You know too, right? Honestly, I still find it hard to believe."

Gu Yunchi's forehead pressed against Wen Ran's shoulder, his voice low and even: "Which part are you referring to."

"Before I saw the document, I thought maybe seven years ago you liked me a little, just hadn't thought about marrying me." After saying that, he added in a classic case of protesting too much: "I'm not saying we have to get married, just that if you hadn't thought about marriage, it couldn't really count as liking someone a lot."

And that little add-on got Gu Yunchi right in: "So back then, you thought about marrying me."

Wen Ran denied it urgently: "No."

"Then I guess you didn't like me that much either."

Picking at his palm under the blanket, Wen Ran finally admitted: "Okay, I thought about it secretly."

Gu Yunchi's hand slid down along Wen Ran's left palm, pinched his thin middle finger, and his thumb pad rubbed over half a circle on it.

He said: "From now on, think about it openly."

The next morning, Wen Ran washed up as usual, then sat on a mobile hospital bed. The neurosurgery doctor marked up his head and wheeled him out of the room.

They took the dedicated corridor—smooth and quiet all the way. When they reached the Operating Room door, the ten or so people waiting stood up from their chairs. Tao Susu looked at Wen Ran's head and said, sniffling: "You look like a watermelon with all those marks."

Wen Ran laughed a little on the pillow: "About to crack it open."

Song Shuangang advised him: "Avoid the jinx."

"When you're better, I'll give you a hundred-yuan Blue Glass Recharge Card." Zhou Zhuo said.

"Don't be too generous." Wen Ran looked at Wen Rui: "Qian-ge, be a good person."

Only he had bad eyes—didn't see the small patch of bruising at the corner of Wen Rui's mouth, evidence from yesterday's not-being-a-good-person. Wen Rui, accidentally nudged by Wen Ran, cleared his throat lightly and said: "Little brat, adults' business is none of yours. Just focus on the surgery."

Fang Yisen just shook Wen Ran's hand and said nothing.

He also spotted He Wei outside the group, with an omega in a white coat standing next to him, hands in pockets—probably Chi Jiahán, who'd happened to be free and came along. Wen Ran waved at them.

He Wei snapped his fingers: "Teacher Xiao Shu, after surgery I'll take you to the Dental Department to see the dentist, ha."

Chi Jiahán turned and gave him a look.

BDH-339, who'd been following along silently, raised its mechanical arm, gently hooked the edge of the hospital bed, blinked its round eyes quietly, and said very softly to Wen Ran: "Little Tree, come back safe. I can't forget you again."

It wasn't actually a dumb trash can—how could it not notice? From the very first moment it saw Wen Ran, BDH-339 had been absolutely certain: it had finally found the nameless, best friend in its highest program.

Wen Ran reached out and pinky-promised it.

The pre-surgery goodbyes done, the medical staff pushed the bed through the first Operating Room door. Gu Yunchi could only walk him this far. He leaned down and said to Wen Ran: "You'll wake up after one nap."

"Mm." Wen Ran held his hand, expression serious: "I-I left something for you in that Yellow Backpack. If..." Remembering Song Shuangang's warning about jinxing it, Wen Ran didn't say it directly and mumbled: "Just remember to look at it."

"Got it."

He let go, and Wen Ran was pushed further forward. He looked up at the bright white lights overhead, endless and continuous—truly a river of light with no end. In this river, from the helpless, confused Wen Ran being wheeled into surgery for the first time, drifting and floating, he'd finally flowed to Li Shu, the one being prayed for and wished safe.

Calm and peaceful inside, Wen Ran closed his eyes.

The second door closed automatically. Gu Yunchi turned and walked out, glanced expressionlessly at the end of the corridor—Gu Peiwen was standing far off, accompanied by an assistant, his right hand resting on a rosewood cane.

A few minutes later, outside the main door, the red "In Surgery" light came on.

For nearly six hours, BDH-339 stood motionless in front of the Operating Room door, while Gu Yunchi sat in a chair against the wall, reading documents and taking calls as if nothing was wrong. A Yellow Backpack sat beside him.

The clock on the wall ticked away indifferently, tick-tick-tick. They were nearly forty minutes past the estimated surgery time. Zhou Zhuo in the chair across seemed a bit anxious—pulled out his cigarette pack several times, glanced at the no-smoking sign, then put it back.

Closing the document, Gu Yunchi picked up the Backpack and unzipped it.

This old Backpack held everything Wen Ran treasured most—IDs, bankbook, Mobile Phone, and a small black velvet bundle.

He unfolded the velvet. Inside was a Wave-Shaped Diamond Brooch.

The brooch that had swum with them through the late-night sea seven years ago, then been carefully hidden under the pillow by Wen Ran in the Little Fishing Village.

Under the brooch was a paper folded many times. Gu Yunchi thought of the night before last, when Wen Ran had gone into the study alone and locked the door behind him, staying inside for a long time. When Gu Yunchi went in later, he'd seen a trash can full of crumpled paper balls next to the desk.

He smoothed the paper out. Probably because Wen Ran couldn't see well, the letter wasn't long, and every character was written very large. The biggest was the line at the top of the blank space: "Li Shu's Letter to Gu Yunchi"—

Gu Yunchi, do you remember this brooch? You probably forgot, because you're too rich to remember little accessories like this. But I've always thought it was like a love token. As for why it's like one, don't ask.

Gu Yunchi, honestly I'm scared of dying. Especially lately. But there's nothing I can do about it. I tell myself maybe I should've died seven years ago, but I got lucky and got seven more years. That's already pretty good. Don't be sad for me.

Gu Yunchi, just bury my ashes under that Headstone in the Garden. I liked it there. Remember to have BDH-339 come chat with me more often.

Gu Yunchi, if there's a next life, I want to be a healthy kid in a happy family, grow up happy, and be with you forever.

Click—

Everyone stood up at once. Gu Yunchi, rarely slow, paused a second, looked up. Above the Operating Room doors, which were now opening outward, the green "Surgery Complete" light had come on at some point. A doctor walked out and, through his mask, said something to him with a smile.