Lost of Oblivion: Chapter Six

In a gentle and sympathetic manner, Lán SīZhuī said, “HánGuāng-Jūn, you haven’t eaten anything for quite a while. Why don’t you go to the kitchen, so that the cook could serve you something to eat. Jīn Líng and I will stay here to watch over Wèi qiánbèi.”

Lán WàngJī replied, “I don’t need anything.”

Jīn Líng and Lán SīZhuī exchanged a glance, and the latter shook his head in despair.

Jīn Líng hesitantly said, “HánGuāng-Jūn, you... you only slept for three hours. Why don’t you rest a little bit more. SīZhuī and I will be waiting outside along with JǐngYí.”

Noticing that the bed was wide enough, Jīn Líng wanted to add “You could sleep with Wèi WúXiàn”, but, on second thoughts, he bit his tongue.

Lán WàngJī simply replied, “I’m fine. Don’t worry. Xiōng-zhǎng* has transferred in me some of his spiritual power.”

Soon after Jīn Líng and Lán SīZhuī left the room, Lán WàngJī stood up from his chair, and went to sit on the bed. He held Wèi WúXiàn’s hand, closed his eyes and began to meditate.

Was he tired? Yes, indeed, he was extremely tired. However, he didn’t want to fall asleep and miss the moment Wèi WúXiàn would wake up.

Somehow, it seemed to Lán WàngJī that he constantly looked for Wèi WúXiàn. During the Shooting Sun campaign, Wèi WúXiàn went missing for three months since no one knew that he was thrown into the pit of the mass burial. After the bloodbath of Nightless Sky City, for thirteen years, he had looked and waited for Wèi WúXiàn to return.

When Wèi WúXiàn came back, Lán WàngJī swore to protect him. However, despite his protection, Wèi WúXiàn was stabbed by Jīn Líng, and went into a coma for four days.

Luckily, this time, it only took two days to find Wèi WúXiàn.

And, two days had passed since Lán WàngJī took the unconscious Wèi WúXiàn back to Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù.

“Wèi Yīng, after the examination, the doctor didn’t find any internal injury, saying that you had protected your vital organs. In other words, there is nothing serious about your health condition.

“So, please wake up soon. I miss you.” said Lán WàngJī.

Outside, Jīn Líng, Lán SīZhuī and Lán JǐngYí were sitting on the porch of Jingshi*, and facing the front garden of the house, in which there were various types of plants.

It seemed that Wèi WúXiàn had taken a liking to planting many different kinds of vegetation; he would, for instance, on one day dig a small pool for lotus plants, and on another day he would make a small squared field to grow watermelons, and so on.

Moreover, here and there, there were different varieties of flowering plants, which offered a beautiful spring view.

The front garden of Jingshi did no longer look like the previous plain garden.

However, this splendid view was not enough to soothe Jīn Líng from being restless, plucking the flower stem of an orchid, he began to fidget with it, while Lán JǐngYí glared angrily at him for plucking the orchid, when, suddenly, they heard Lán WàngJī said, “Wèi Yīng, you’re awake.”

The three of them rushed to get into the room, Lán JǐngYí tripped over the threshold and fell on the floor, Jīn Líng jumped over him and dashed towards the bed.

Although his eyes were wide open, Wèi WúXiàn’s vision was blurred. Covering his forehead with one hand, and, with an alarming voice, he cried, “A child! There is a child!”

Then, he raised his head, and, finally, he began to see clearly. He said, “It’s you, Lán Zhàn? Lán Zhàn, save the child, save the little baby.”

Lán WàngJī held his hand and said, “The baby is safe and sound. I found her by tracking your signal-transfer talisman. Right now, she is at the convent, and the nuns are taking care of her.”

Wèi WúXiàn said, “Oh, really?”

Feeling a sudden sharp pain in his head as he tried to recall what happened, Wèi WúXiàn pressed his fingers on his temples, he had a vague recollection of the baby, however, he could not remember exactly who that baby was.

Meanwhile, Lán SīZhuī and Lán JǐngYí had also reached the sickbed, Lán JǐngYí said, “Wèi qiánbèi, you scared us to death.”

In a reproachful tone, Jīn Líng said, “Why are you always acting so recklessly? Are you still a kid or what?”

Perplexed, Wèi WúXiàn looked at the three young boys, and noted that one was wearing a golden gown with a beautifully embroidered white peony on the chest, while the other two were wearing GūsūLán’s uniforms; a white gown with broad sleeves, an ornamental pendant dangling from the waist-belt, and a forehead ribbon with the curl cloud motifs.

The three of them were looking at him with concern.

Wèi WúXiàn asked, “Who are you?”, casting a quick look across the room, he added, “And, where am I?”

With a great astonishment, they all stared at Wèi WúXiàn in disbelief.

Jīn Líng asked, “You don’t recognise me?”

Wèi WúXiàn looked carefully at the handsome young boy with a red dot on the forehead, and noticed that he bore a faint resemblance to Jiāng Chéng.

He replied, “Sorry, I have a poor memory. I don’t recall seeing you before.”

Not losing a moment, Lán JǐngYí asked, “Wèi qiánbèi, what about me? Don’t you remember me?”

In a dispirited tone, Lán SīZhuī said, “Wèi qiánbèi, it’s me, SīZhuī.”

With great attention, Wèi WúXiàn looked in turn at the two elegant boys of the young generation of the GūsūLán clan, then he shook his head in negation.

Irritated, Jīn Líng thundered, “Wèi WúXiàn, if you are joking again, I’ll---”, he suddenly realised that Lán WàngJī was in the room, and quickly shut his mouth in panic.

Wèi WúXiàn followed Jīn Líng’s gaze, as the latter cast a quick look at Lán WàngJī, who, in this room, was the only person Wèi WúXiàn knew.

Then, all of a sudden, he asked, “Lán Zhàn, why are you looking so pale?”

Lán WàngJī, to whom the loss of Wèi WúXiàn’s memories came as a great blow, slowly began to loose his fist that he had clenched in shock. “At least, he still remember me.”, he said inwardly.

Lán WàngJī gently said, “Wèi Yīng, this room’s name is Jingshi, it’s one of the dwellings of the GūsūLán residence. Right now, you are at Yúnshēn Bùzhīchù.”

After a short pause, Lán WàngJī asked, “Wèi Yīng, what do you remember?”

Wèi WúXiàn then tried hard to recall what he recently did or planned to do. There were buzzing noises inside his head, then, with a confusing mind, he suddenly cried, “Jīn Líng! I’m going to see Jīn Líng! The baby! I have to save the baby!”

Then, he grabbed Lán WàngJīi’s sleeve, and asked, “Why do I remember that there is a baby who needs help? Is it Jīn Líng? Quick, take me to Jīnlíntái*!”

Lán WàngJī held Wèi WúXiàn’s both hands, then said, “Wèi Yīng, calm down. It’s not Jīn Líng. It’s a baby girl whom you have already saved.”

He resumed after a short pause, “Wèi Yīng, you had been washed away by the flood, then you went into a coma for four days. As a result, you have developed amnesia.”

Pausing again to let Wèi WúXiàn understand the situation, Lán WàngJī once more reassured him, “Don’t worried for the baby girl. She is now at the GūsūLán’s convent.”

Wèi WúXiàn murmured to himself, “It’s not Jīn Líng.”

Then, he looked up at Lán WàngJī, and said, “So, the one I rescued is not Jīn Líng but a baby girl.”

Lán WàngJī said, “Yes, that’s right.”

Wèi WúXiàn then asked, “Is the baby safe now?”

Lán WàngJī replied, “She is safe and sound. Later on, I’ll send someone to bring the baby here so you can see her for yourself.”

Wèi WúXiàn asked, “And, what about Jīn Líng?”

Lán WàngJī cast a look at Jīn Líng, then replied, “Jīn Líng is also safe and sound.”

Lán WàngJī’s voice was deep and pleasing to the ear, it had a relaxing effect on Wèi WúXiàn’s anxious mind.

Wèi WúXiàn finally calmed himself down, and appeared to be relieved. He said inwardly, “Since Lán Zhàn said that Jīn Líng is fine, then it must be true.” The noises inside his head began gradually to vanish.

Lán WàngJī asked, “Wèi Yīng, what are your most recent memories? For example, what did happen yesterday or today? Or, what did you plan on doing tomorrow?”

Carefully, Wèi WúXiàn tried to recollect his memories, then said, “The full month banquet! Tomorrow, I’m going to attend Jīn Líng’s one-month-old banquet.”

Somehow, Wèi WúXiàn could not explain why it didn’t feel strange the fact that Lán WàngJī, who was sitting beside him, still holding his both hands.

With his head tilted to one side, Wèi WúXiàn asked, “Lán Zhàn, are you coming as well?”

Then, all of a sudden, he became very agitated again, he cried, “The silver orb! Where is the silver orb? You said that I was washed away by the flood, then, the sliver orb that I had on my sleeve is lost!”

Jīn Líng who, until now, was sulking could no longer hold his tongue, he asked, “What kind of silver orb?”

Wèi WúXiàn looked at Jīn Líng and sensed some sort of familiarity with him, he said, “I think there is no harm in telling you. It is the full month gift that I carved for Jīn Líng. It has a powerful charm to ward off evil spirits.”

Jīn Líng became overwhelmed with emotion, which brought tears in his eyes. He took off his ring and handed it over to Wèi WúXiàn, while asking, “Is this ring has the same kind of the charm you just mentioned?”

Wèi WúXiàn took the ring and slightly stroked the golden stars engraved on it, then said, “Indeed, it has a similar charm, which is slightly better than the one I made.”

“Oh!” he added, “Besides warding off evil spirits, the ring has other spells added into it.”

Wèi WúXiàn carried on examining the ring, then said, “The person who made this charm is a genius, who is fairly better than me.”

Jīn Líng took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Lán SīZhuī and Lán JǐngYí, then, looking straight at Wèi WúXiàn, he calmly said, “I am Jīn Líng.”

As Wèi WúXiàn got puzzled by what he just heard, Lán WàngJī briefly explained him the situation.

“So, what you mean is...” Wèi WúXiàn remarked while eating the bowl of congee that Lán WàngJī served him, “... as I woke up from the coma, I have lost twenty years of memories.”

“Lán Zhàn, is it true?” he asked after a short pause.

Lán WàngJī replied, “Yes, it’s true.”

After finishing the bowl of congee, Wèi WúXiàn felt that his mind was completely cleared up, he said, “This is really interesting.”

With a smile on his face, Wèi WúXiàn looked at Jīn Líng, then he said, “In other words, I didn’t see Jīn Líng when he was a baby, however, right now, I have in front of me the grown-up Jīn Líng.”

Unsure, Jīn Líng asked, “Do you really accept as true that I am Jīn Líng?”

Wèi WúXiàn replied, “Of course, I do. Why should I not accept it since HánGuāng-Jūn already said that it’s true?”

“Hmm! The congee was really delicious.” Wèi WúXiàn remarked, “Lán Zhàn, GūsūLán has improved the taste of its cooking.”

Lán WàngJī served him another bowl of congee.

Wèi WúXiàn carried on, “Jīn Líng, to tell the truth, you look a little bit like your father, and a little bit like Jiāng Chéng. You even carry Suìhuá*. ”

Wèi WúXiàn began to toss the ring up into the air, while saying, “Besides a genius like myself, I wonder who else is capable of making such a powerful charm.”

Jīn Líng was speechless, for an instance, he felt that Wèi WúXiàn didn’t lose his memories.

Wèi WúXiàn gave back the ring to Jīn Líng, and asked, “What is the name of your ring?”

“Golden Lightning.” replied Jīn Líng.

Wèi WúXiàn said, “This name is really dull. Can’t you come up with another better name?”

Jīn Líng replied, “For example, The Supreme Mythical Peerless Precious Ring.”

Wèi WúXiàn said, “Yes, why not?”

Jīn Líng rolled his eyes in disbelief.