"Qiu Yue! Qiu Yue!" Uesugi Chigenki hurriedly pushed the door open and entered, only to freeze in her tracks. Before her eyes were two teenagers, a boy and a girl, embracing each other.
...
"Damage to the brain tissue has caused memory loss due to impaired brain function..."
"Logically speaking, the fact that he survived after using his skull to break the blade is already a miracle. Or perhaps it's a testament to the strength of an ability user."
"And now the blade is still lodged in his head, unable to be removed. Memory loss... was to be expected." The doctor stared at Su Ze's black-and-white brain scan as he spoke.
"So, is there still hope for my friend?" Shen Qingsheng asked, his gaze fixed on Su Ze, who stood in the corner with a calm yet wary expression, his hand forcibly held by the little goofball.
Upon hearing that Su Ze had woken up, Shen Qingsheng had rushed back without delay.
"If we can remove the blade, and with his powerful regenerative abilities, he should be able to recover," the doctor said. "However, extracting a five-to-six-centimeter blade from the brain is truly..."
The doctor didn't finish his sentence, and the room fell into silence.
Su Ze appeared completely fine on the surface, but the blade he had broken with his skull was still deeply embedded in his forehead. The wound had healed, burying the blade inside his head.
"We need a powerful healing-type ability user to assist us during the surgery, to prevent any accidents that might occur when extracting the blade..." the doctor muttered, outlining his treatment plan.
After the disaster, healing-type ability users had become rarer than pandas. They were now working in major hospitals, saving lives, but this particular hospital still didn't have one.
At the time, the hospital had only focused on saving Su Ze's life. If they had tried to remove the blade then, Su Ze would have certainly died. Even with a healing-type ability user present, it wouldn't have made a difference, so they had left the blade untouched.
...
"Let's go back to Kyoto. There's a hospital in the city center with a healing-type ability user on standby," Meng Xingyao said over the phone from Kyoto, already making arrangements with the hospital.
"That's the only option left," Shen Qingsheng said, shrugging.
"Can you let go of me now?" Su Ze shook the hand of the little goofball who was holding onto him.
"No... won't let go!" The little goofball pouted stubbornly, gripping his hand even tighter with both of hers.
"Let's talk," Shen Qingsheng said, unable to stand it any longer. He walked over and nudged Su Ze's shoe with his foot.
...
Uesugi Akizuki didn't release Su Ze's hand, and the two followed Shen Qingsheng to the quieter rooftop—though it was clear Shen Qingsheng had brought them there intentionally.
"You can feel it, right? You've lost your memory. You don't remember anything, not even me, your best friend," Shen Qingsheng began, getting straight to the point and establishing his identity.
Su Ze remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Do you know who she is?" Shen Qingsheng tilted his chin toward Uesugi Akizuki.
Su Ze looked at the little goofball, whose eyes were filled with a mix of aggrievedness and stubbornness as she held his hand, and shook his head.
"Uesugi Akizuki, your... girlfriend," Shen Qingsheng said without hesitation. "Looking at the way you're trying to push her away now, are you planning to abandon her?"
"..." Su Ze was stunned for a while. He silently locked eyes with the cute and silly Uesugi Akizuki before finally speaking. "Before I lost my memory... did I really end up with such a goofball as my girlfriend?"
"What do you mean, 'such a goofball'? Hahaha..." Shen Qingsheng burst into laughter, thoroughly amused by Su Ze's remark.
Uesugi Akizuki, sensing Su Ze's slight disdain, immediately pulled him into a tight hug, as if to prove, "I'm not a goofball! Don't you dare look down on me!"
But the height difference between them was quite something. With a gap of over ten centimeters, Uesugi Akizuki ended up burying her head into Su Ze's neck, making it seem more like Su Ze was the one holding her in his arms, the little goofball.
"Do you know the wedding vows?" Shen Qingsheng suddenly stopped laughing and turned serious, as if he were a priest standing on a bright church altar, his hands slightly swaying as he recited the vows for the couple:
"Whether in times of prosperity or adversity, in health or sickness, in wealth or poverty," he began, his voice echoing despite the lack of a grand church or bright lights behind him—only the rising orange sun in the east:
“Will you give her all that you have, stay by her side for life, never part from her, cherish her, and treasure her until the end of time?” Shen Qingsheng spread his palms toward Su Ze, now fully embodying the authority of a priest.
Uesugi Akizuki stood frozen in place, her heart racing as she listened to Shen Qingsheng's sudden recitation of the wedding vows. She could already feel a faint sense of happiness...
Her eyes, filled with tenderness and anticipation, excitement and nervousness, were fixed on Su Ze, as if she were truly waiting for him to say something.
Su Ze remained silent for a moment, his expression complicated. He raised his head, about to respond.
But Shen Qingsheng raised a finger to his lips, signaling silence, and smiled. "I'm not a priest, and this isn't your wedding."
"Your wedding shouldn't be so shabby, held on a rooftop with only me as the witness to your vows of love."
"If you two are going to get married, it should be in a grand church! With doves flying, a white dress, a suit, and a packed audience..."
Shen Qingsheng patted Su Ze on the shoulder. "I just wanted to remind you that you're heading in the direction of marriage with her. So, until you regain your memory, make sure to treat her well... no, treat her even better!"
"Don't bully her, okay?" Shen Qingsheng said with a chuckle. "Don't take her for granted and regret it only after losing her."
Uesugi Akizuki, who had been staring at Su Ze in a daze, suddenly felt the urge to bite Shen Qingsheng!
She was clearly dissatisfied that he had interrupted Su Ze just as he was about to speak.
She had been so eager to hear what Su Ze would say, but now the opportunity was gone.
Shen Qingsheng didn't actually know if the two were a couple. He had only acted this way to make Su Ze stop rejecting Uesugi Akizuki.
After all, the two had been inseparable before, almost like a couple.
This arrangement would hold until Su Ze regained his memory.
Shen Qingsheng was absolutely certain that Su Ze would take responsibility.
Having lost his memory and facing an unfamiliar environment, Su Ze had become cautious, like a wolf on guard!
This wariness was ingrained in him, a result of his childhood spent living like a frightened bird. Until he truly understood his surroundings, he was a sensitive and vigilant wolf!
But once he grasped the situation, his inherent gentleness would gradually reveal itself.
After leaving the rooftop, Su Ze slowly began to accept the fact that this adorable witch with wine-red hair was his girlfriend.
His inherent gentleness and seriousness wouldn't allow him to refuse!
His tenderness was a gift from his mother, and he couldn't refuse to extend that tenderness to his girlfriend.
He gently patted Uesugi Akizuki's head. "Such a goofball, and yet you're my girlfriend."
"I'm... not a goofball!" Uesugi Akizuki pouted, feeling dissatisfied.
“Such an adorable goofball, with such a sweet and innocent voice,” Su Ze teased. “It takes you a whole second to say two words, and you still claim you're not a goofball?”
Su Ze could be a bit of a jerk, too. Even before meeting the little goofball, he had a mischievous streak.
Uesugi Akizuki didn't get angry. Instead, she simply smiled, her hands waving excitedly as she asked for a hug.
It seemed as if her Su Ze had returned.
"You're so clingy," Su Ze said as he hugged her.
It started to rain. The rising sun was now hidden behind iron-gray clouds.
The rain poured heavily, and a sports car was parked at the hospital entrance. Shen Qingsheng sat in the driver's seat.
Su Ze couldn't help but feel that the car looked familiar, as if it were his own.
Su Ze stood under the hospital awning, avoiding the rain. He wore canvas shoes, his pants rolled up to reveal his ankles. He opened an umbrella and handed it to the little goofball beside him, then crouched down.
"You hold the umbrella. I'll carry you on my back."