The Shadow of the Past

Chu Nian and Pei Yu met when they were seven years old.

The weather that day had been beautiful. Crimson sunset clouds dyed the entire sky, and the locust tree in the yard was at its most vibrant bloom. With a gentle breeze, the scent of locust flowers would envelop the entire orphanage.

The director of the orphanage stood at the entrance, holding Chu Nian’s hand. Less than a meter away stood a young, beautiful woman, and beside her was a boy about Chu Nian’s age.

Chu Nian hid behind the director, his small hand gripping the adult’s clothes tightly as he peeked timidly at the woman.

Her gaze was exceptionally gentle. When her eyes met Chu Nian’s, her expression softened even further. She smiled at him, and as a stray locust flower fell from the tree and caught in her hair, a faint blush crept onto Chu Nian’s cheeks without him realizing it.

“Oh my, he’s so beautiful.” The woman’s voice was soft as she proactively crouched down. “Nian-Nian, do you still remember who I am?”

Chu Nian blinked. The gentle aura radiating from her made him want to step closer, yet he lacked the courage and shrank back instead.

“Chu Nian,” the director pulled him forward, nudging him toward the woman. “This is your Auntie Liao. She’s the one who has been donating your clothes and books these past few years. From now on, you’ll be living with her. She is your mother.”

Mother?

Chu Nian tilted his head.

His large eyes were full of innocence, as if he were struggling to process a word that was both foreign and vaguely familiar.

Mother.

For as long as he could remember, no such person had existed in his life.

Liao Ling’s eyes crinkled with warmth as she looked at Chu Nian’s fair little face. Then, as if a sudden thought struck her, her brow furrowed slightly, and her eyes grew red.

“Poor thing. Such a well-behaved child, yet his parents passed away.” As she spoke, Liao Ling reached up to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.

“Mom, stop crying.” It was the boy standing beside her who spoke. He was wearing a basketball jersey, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead and traces of mud on his knees. He had clearly been pulled away from a game before he even had a chance to change.

“I have a bet with the kid next door. Whoever makes ten baskets first has to be the other person’s lackey. Now look—I’ve deserted the front lines. Mom, if you want to be sad, be sad about the fact that I’ll have to work like an ox for someone else tomorrow.”

His voice was crisp and bright.

The boy was a bit taller than Chu Nian. Chu Nian stared at him, wondering if he would eventually grow as tall as that locust tree.

Perhaps sensing the gaze, the boy turned and looked at Chu Nian. His amber eyes sparkled as his lips curled up into a brilliant grin.

In that moment, Chu Nian felt as though he were looking at a second sun.

Liao Ling was amused by the boy’s words and gave him a mock glare. “Nian-Nian is part of our family now. Pei Yu, you’re the older brother. You must protect him.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Pei Yu gave a playful salute, his back straight as a young poplar tree.

Chu Nian didn’t even remember how he had agreed to go with them. He only remembered his head feeling dizzy and light. When Liao Ling reached out to him, he simply grasped her slender fingers.

At first, Chu Nian didn’t adapt well to the new home. Liao Ling and Pei Yu were incredibly kind to him—almost submissive—as if terrified he might feel rejected. They fulfilled his every wish.

He was afraid of the dark. During the day, with Liao Ling and Pei Yu around, he felt nothing; but once the long nights began, the lonely silence would wrap around him tightly. Having finally felt the warmth of a family, the old feeling of being abandoned would make him feel suffocated.

Until one day, he gathered his courage and knocked on Liao Ling’s door.

As he grew older, he began to sleep in the same room as Pei Yu.

The bond between Chu Nian and Pei Yu grew stronger with every night spent sharing a room. They went to the same elementary school, the same middle school, and even the same high school. Their fate was so intertwined that they were even in the same class.

Chu Nian thought he and Pei Yu would be brothers for life.

Pei Yu was like the rising sun; no one could help but like him. He was handsome, had a great personality, was upright, and loved fighting for justice. To protect Chu Nian from bullies, he even took up Taekwondo. Because no one in their neighborhood could beat him, he became the “Little King.”

But things changed abruptly. The first time Chu Nian realized Pei Yu’s personality was shifting was during the summer break after middle school graduation.

The summer a decade ago was even hotter than the current one. The sky was cloudless, and the old man living on the first floor slept in a lounge chair in the shade, slowly waving a cattail leaf fan.

That day, Liao Ling had bought them popsicles—the kind with two sticks in one bag. Liao Ling let Chu Nian pick his favorite, but Chu Nian chose to save Pei Yu’s favorite flavor for him instead.

He ran downstairs holding one popsicle, with another already in his mouth. The coldness nearly froze his lips, and the melted sweetness was about to overflow from the corners of his mouth. Chu Nian even greeted the old man downstairs as he headed out.

Without waiting for a reply, Chu Nian ran behind the residential building. This was an old district; the buildings were decades old, leaving traces of time everywhere. A building behind them had been demolished six months prior, leaving an empty lot. Since no one had come to rebuild it, it became a playground for the local children.

Pei Yu usually spent his time there.

A few days ago, Chu Nian and Pei Yu had gotten into an argument because Pei Yu had randomly stabbed Chu Nian’s arm with a pencil. He had used a lot of force; it was painful and had drawn blood. Chu Nian wanted an apology, but Pei Yu insisted he hadn’t done it on purpose.

His tone had been so self-righteous that Chu Nian swore never to speak to him again.

However, after a few days of their cold war, Chu Nian was bored to tears. He decided to use the popsicle as an olive branch. He ran under the sweltering sun, the glare making it hard to keep his eyes open.

He squinted as he searched the area. The popsicle in his hand was melting rapidly, sticky sweet water dripping onto the ground. After a long while, he finally spotted Pei Yu’s small figure.

The boy’s back was turned to him. He was busy with something and didn’t notice Chu Nian’s approach. Chu Nian, still a bit grumpy and wanting to startle him, softened his footsteps even further.

As he crept closer, a strange, metallic scent began to drift into his nose. Chu Nian wrinkled his nose in distaste; he didn’t like that smell.

“Snap.”

Chu Nian froze. He had accidentally stepped on a dry twig.

Pei Yu’s movements stopped. He looked up and turned back toward Chu Nian.

With that one look, Chu Nian’s eyes widened.

The popsicle in his hand slipped and hit the ground.

He would never forget that day. The sun in the sky was scorching, but Pei Yu’s face as he turned around was splattered with bright red blood.

Chu Nian swallowed hard.

Upon seeing him, the boy was momentarily surprised, but then he smiled at Chu Nian as if nothing had happened.

His hands were clearly covered in blood, and his fingers were tightly gripping a small knife. The sharp blade, stained with red, was even more blinding than the midsummer sun.

At Pei Yu’s feet lay a small, furry creature.

The world went silent. Chu Nian thought he heard a tiny, weak whimper.

A thousand questions flooded Chu Nian’s mind in an instant.

Who is this? Is it Pei Yu? No… how could Pei Yu do something like this?

Seeing no reaction, Pei Yu followed Chu Nian’s gaze downward. The second his eyes landed on the creature on the ground, Chu Nian saw his expression turn terrifying.

Yet, he kept smiling at Chu Nian.

“Nian-Nian.”

Pei Yu’s voice seemed to stick to the humid air.

“Isn’t it cute like this?”

*********

“Chu Nian…”

“Chu Nian?!”

Chu Nian snapped back to reality. He widened his eyes to see Supervisor Ye leaned in close.

For a split second, Supervisor Ye’s face seemed to overlap with Pei Yu’s.

A numbing sensation flashed through his mind, and Chu Nian shoved the man away with all his might.

Supervisor Ye hadn’t expected the sudden outburst. He reflexively stumbled back several steps, lost his footing, and fell flat on the floor.

Chu Nian gasped for air, his temples damp with sweat. He stared at Supervisor Ye, finally dragging himself out of the swamp of his memories.

He isn’t Pei Yu. Pei Yu is dead.

Chu Nian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He walked over to help Supervisor Ye up and apologized: “I’m sorry, Supervisor Ye. I didn’t mean it… I’m just not used to people being so close to me.”

Supervisor Ye’s face was pale. Once helped up, he wrenched his hand away and moved several steps to the side, completely losing his previous air of arrogance.

“It’s… it’s fine.” He rubbed the spots where he’d been hurt. As they walked back, Chu Nian didn’t hear any more disturbing inner thoughts.

Chu Nian finished his shift in a daze and walked out of the company entrance. The rain hadn’t stopped; icy droplets hit his face, forcing him to halt. He looked up at the dark clouds, wondering if he should go back and borrow an umbrella.

Just then, a black car pulled up in front of him. Two sharp honks startled him.

Chu Nian looked over as the window rolled down. The person inside leaned out.

—It was Zhou Ze.

If Zhou Ze was here, it meant Lu Jinnian was too.

“Mr. Chu,” Zhou Ze called out softly. “Get in quickly.”

Without stopping to wonder, Chu Nian ran a few steps and opened the door. The torrential rain still managed to soak his clothes slightly as he climbed in. Sure enough, Lu Jinnian was sitting there, one hand propping up his chin as if he hadn’t even noticed Chu Nian’s arrival.

However, even more eye-catching than the man himself was the cast on Lu Jinnian’s leg.

Chu Nian noticed it immediately: Lu Jinnian had a brand-new cast.

Once Chu Nian closed the door, Zhou Ze hit the gas. The rain outside grew even denser, like a water curtain pouring from the sky, making the world outside a blurry mess.

“What are you doing here?” Chu Nian asked suddenly.

Beside him, Lu Jinnian stiffened slightly, then his lips moved: “Passing by.”

Passing by.

That excuse again.

The look Chu Nian gave him turned subtle.

Zhou Ze, driving in the front, chimed in: “Mr. Chu, don’t doubt it. Our President Lu really was just passing by. He fell and broke his cast at home this morning…”

“Zhou Ze.” Lu Jinnian frowned and glared at him.

Chu Nian turned to stare at Lu Jinnian.

He had left in a hurry this morning; he hadn’t expected Lu Jinnian to go and fall while he was away.

Lu Jinnian licked his lips. “It was actually nothing major.”

Chu Nian nodded, saying nothing.

Silence settled in the car. Chu Nian leaned his head against the headrest and pinched the bridge of his aching nose. A wave of exhaustion washed over him.

Beside him, Lu Jinnian seemed restless. He kept stealing glances at Chu Nian out of the corner of his eye, clearly thinking his small movements were hidden, when in fact Chu Nian caught every single one of them.

[Wife looks like he’s in a bad mood.]

[Who! Who dared to make my wife angry?!]

[Don’t worry, Wife. I’m going to make Shen Que go bankrupt right now!]

The corners of Chu Nian’s mouth quirked up.

“Lu Jinnian.” He opened his eyes. The second he spoke, Lu Jinnian’s body went rigid. “Come here.”

“What for?” Lu Jinnian looked at him warily.

Chu Nian continued, “Let me lean on you.”

His voice was soft, sounding almost like a plea.

“Boom!”

He heard something explode in Lu Jinnian’s mind.

Lu Jinnian’s fair face turned red in an instant. He spoke with a stubborn edge: “Why should I let you lean on me?”

“As if just anyone can lean on Lu Jinnian’s shoulder…”

Before he could finish, his shoulder dipped.

Chu Nian tilted his head, resting it against Lu Jinnian’s shoulder. “You talk too much.”

Lu Jinnian shut his mouth instantly.

Chu Nian knew the man’s thoughts had likely turned into a chaotic mess of QR codes, but the warmth radiating from Lu Jinnian’s body was incredibly comforting, allowing Chu Nian to relax.

The man’s unique scent seemed to wrap around him.

Chu Nian’s thoughts began to drift. Memories flashed through his mind—memories of Liao Ling, memories of Pei Yu.

He remembered that Pei Yu had been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder in their second year of high school.

And after that…?

After that, Liao Ling had gone insane.