PAPER Chapter 3

 Chapter 3: I Didn’t Want to Cause Trouble

Translator: Abo Dammen

Outside the room, Wen Jianzhi’s mother watched everything unfold. Ever since she had learned of her son’s disappearance three months ago, she had been unable to eat or sleep properly, her heart constantly on edge. Finally, they had found him, but he was tied up like an animal, screaming and howling like a madman. As a mother, her heart was shattered, but there was nothing she could do to help him.

Now, with Qu Yin’s soothing presence, she finally saw a glimpse of the calm, composed Wen Jianzhi she once knew. The sight brought her both relief and sorrow.

She glanced at the old man in the wheelchair. His face was ashen, his fingers gripping the armrests tightly. After a long while, he turned his head away, his expression a mix of anger and heartbreak, and said nothing.

Qu Yin let Wen Jianzhi hold him for about ten minutes. When the doctor gestured for him to come out, Qu Yin softly said to the man in front of him, “Can you let go of me for now?”

Wen Jianzhi didn’t release him. Instead, he tightened his grip.

Qu Yin gently patted the arms wrapped around his waist and said in a soft voice, “I need to step out for a moment. Wait here for me, okay?”

Wen Jianzhi said, “You can’t leave.”

“I’m not leaving,” Qu Yin reassured him, pointing to the doorway. “I’ll be right outside. You can see me from here.”

Wen Jianzhi seemed to hesitate, but after a long moment, he slowly loosened his hold on Qu Yin’s waist. Then, as if afraid Qu Yin might run away, he quickly grabbed his wrist and emphasized, “Come back right away.”

“Okay.”

As soon as Qu Yin was released, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His waist ached from being held so tightly for so long.

This guy… what kind of brute strength does he have?

Inside the room, Qu Yin and Wen Jianzhi exchanged quiet words, their voices too soft for anyone outside to hear. But soon, to everyone’s surprise, Wen Jianzhi let go of Qu Yin’s hand and sat calmly on the edge of the bed, showing no further signs of agitation.

When Qu Yin stepped out, he overheard the doctor and Wen Jianzhi’s family in the middle of a heated discussion.

“You’ve seen the results for yourselves. The patient’s emotions are unstable, and he only remembers that young man. I understand that you want to take him to a better medical environment, but given his current condition, it’s not advisable. Treating amnesia is a long and arduous process…”

The old man interrupted the doctor, “Are you trying to tell me that my grandson is now completely dependent on that man? If I insist on taking him away, are you going to stop me?”

The old man began coughing violently, and Wen Jianzhi’s parents quickly stepped in to pat his back and soothe him.

Zhao Lang sidled up to Qu Yin and whispered, “They’ve been arguing for a while now.”

Qu Yin asked, “What are they arguing about?”

Zhao Lang repeated the bits and pieces he had overheard, though his retelling was a bit jumbled.

Qu Yin finally realized that letting him into the room to see Wen Jianzhi had been a “test.”

After learning of Wen Jianzhi’s amnesia and the hospital’s inability to diagnose the cause, Wen Jianzhi’s family wanted to take him home and seek out more renowned doctors. Judging by their attire, they were clearly a wealthy and influential family. It was only natural that they would want to provide the best care for their son.

But the doctor insisted that Wen Jianzhi’s case was special. His mind was in disarray, and he only remembered Qu Yin. Seeing Qu Yin drove him into a frenzy, and not seeing him made it worse. Qu Yin had inadvertently become the key to Wen Jianzhi’s recovery.

The implication was clear: Qu Yin and Wen Jianzhi had to stay together.

The old man was furious at this suggestion. There was no way they would take Qu Yin with them. Even if Qu Yin were willing, the old man would never allow someone like him to set foot in their home, tarnishing their family’s reputation.

So, the doctor used the “test” to prove his point.

If the family couldn’t accept this and insisted on forcibly taking Wen Jianzhi home, they could, but no one knew what the consequences would be. Unless they were prepared to keep him tied up all day, every day.

Even death row inmates were allowed to stand before their execution.

And Wen Jianzhi was just a patient with amnesia.

Wen Jianzhi’s mother approached Qu Yin as he stepped out of the room.

Her eyes were slightly red and swollen, but it didn’t detract from her beauty. On closer inspection, Wen Jianzhi’s features resemble hers more.

“How did you and Jianzhi meet?”

Qu Yin snapped out of his thoughts and replied, “He came to work part-time at our studio. We got to know each other over time.”

“How did you two… start dating?”

The woman clearly struggled to accept her son’s sexual orientation. The word “dating” seemed to be forced out through gritted teeth, barely audible.

Her sudden interest in Qu Yin wasn’t just casual small talk. She was probing to see if their relationship had started on legitimate terms.

Qu Yin said, “We spent some time together at work, and then he confessed his feelings to me. I agreed.”

“He pursued you?” The woman seemed stunned, as if she had just heard something unbelievable. She sighed silently, as if foreseeing something.

Before Qu Yin could say more, two police officers approached him for routine questioning.

They asked for Qu Yin’s personal details and then inquired, “Did you see the patient before he went missing?”

Qu Yin crossed his arms in front of his chest. “…Yes.”

The older officer noticed his defensive posture and asked, “What did you talk about?”

“Just… casual things.”

“Did you have any arguments?”

“…” Qu Yin said, “No.”

The officer’s sharp gaze lingered on Qu Yin’s face. His intense scrutiny made both the woman and Zhao Lang sense something was off, and they turned their attention to Qu Yin. Under their collective gaze, Qu Yin lowered his eyes and muttered, “It wasn’t really an argument. He just… made a request, and I didn’t agree.”

The officer asked, “What request?”

“He wanted to… move in with me. I said no.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone in the room wore expressions of awkward understanding.

What “moving in together” implied for adults was clear to all.

The officer coughed and asked, “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

During the days following Wen Jianzhi’s disappearance, the police had questioned everyone repeatedly. At the time, Qu Yin had kept their relationship a secret, only identifying himself as Wen Jianzhi’s colleague.

Qu Yin said, “I didn’t want to cause trouble.”

Wen Jianzhi had proposed moving in together just one week into their relationship. Qu Yin thought it was too fast and wasn’t mentally prepared, so he refused.

The next day, Wen Jianzhi disappeared.

It was hard not to blame himself.

Everyone had been searching high and low for Wen Jianzhi. If they found him, great. If not, Qu Yin would undoubtedly be under suspicion.

As it turned out, his instincts had been right.

Zhao Lang quickly jumped in to defend Qu Yin. “Yeah, yeah, their relationship has nothing to do with Xiao Wen’s disappearance. The surveillance footage clearly shows that Xiao Wen left on his own. It has nothing to do with Qu Yin. What was he supposed to say back then? It wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. Besides, being gay… it’s not something you can just casually talk about, you know?

“Xiao Wen is an adult. He knew what he was doing. You can’t blame Qu Yin for making him walk away, can you? I think…”

Zhao Lang tended to ramble, and Qu Yin, worried he might say too much, gently tugged on his sleeve to silence him.

Their conversation didn’t last long. Inside the room, Wen Jianzhi grew impatient and started calling for Qu Yin.

Fearing another outburst, the doctor quickly urged Qu Yin to go back in.

Zhao Lang gave him a little push and whispered, “Go on. I’ll be here.”

Qu Yin reentered the room. As soon as he got close, Wen Jianzhi’s arms wrapped around his waist, and he pressed his face against Qu Yin’s chest.

“You were gone for so long.”

In his current state, Wen Jianzhi didn’t care who was watching or what they thought. He did whatever he wanted without hesitation.

Qu Yin, of course, didn’t resist the patient. He lowered his head, his hand resting on the back of Wen Jianzhi’s head, gently stroking his hair.

To anyone watching, it was a scene of boundless affection.

Zhao Lang couldn’t help but speak up to the police. “Don’t mind me for saying this, but I can’t stand you suspecting Qu Yin. Look at how close they are. Even with his memory gone, Xiao Wen only remembers him. Their relationship must be really strong. Now that we’ve found him, isn’t it even clearer that he disappeared on his own? If you really suspect Qu Yin, you’re just wronging an innocent person.”

Wen Jianzhi’s mother gave Zhao Lang a cold look, but he met her gaze head-on, unflinching.

As Zhao Lang had said, all the evidence pointed to Wen Jianzhi’s disappearance being his own doing, unrelated to Qu Yin. Now that he had been found, the next steps were up to the family and the doctors. The police had no further reason to stay. After giving a few instructions, they left.

After two hours of persuasion from Wen Jianzhi’s parents, the old man finally relented and agreed to let Wen Jianzhi stay in C City for treatment.

Wen Jianzhi had been found, and his life was no longer in danger. Amnesia wasn’t something that could be rushed. The old man, due to his own health issues, needed daily medication and couldn’t stay long. Wen Jianzhi’s father also seemed busy, fielding one phone call after another during their time at the hospital.

In the end, Wen Jianzhi’s mother stayed behind to handle the remaining matters, while the other two took the earliest flight out of C City.

The once-crowded room quickly emptied, leaving an eerie silence.

Wen Jianzhi’s mother was on the phone in the hallway.

Zhao Lang, feeling hungry, went down to the hospital cafeteria to eat. He had wanted to bring Qu Yin along, but seeing how Wen Jianzhi clung to him, he decided to go alone.

Only the two of them remained in the room.

Qu Yin stood while Wen Jianzhi sat, his face buried in Qu Yin’s chest, his arms locked around Qu Yin’s waist.

Qu Yin lowered his head, a faint smile on his lips. He gently cupped Wen Jianzhi’s chin, tilting his face upward.

Their eyes met.

Qu Yin’s thumb brushed against the corner of Wen Jianzhi’s slightly upturned eye. Wen Jianzhi closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, clearly enjoying it.

If he were a cat, he would have been purring.

But he wasn’t something so cute.

Qu Yin asked softly, “Do you really not remember anything?”

Wen Jianzhi called out, “Ge…”

Qu Yin’s fingers slowly trailed down, from the corner of Wen Jianzhi’s eye, across his cheek, and finally rested on his lower lip.

With a slight press, his fingertip sank into the softness.

Though Qu Yin’s face wore a gentle smile and his eyes were filled with tenderness, his voice was as cold as a winter wind, devoid of warmth:

“You’ve really caused me a lot of trouble.”