On the day he was discharged, Su Jingming went to visit Su Qicheng.
Su Qicheng was under medication, which had more or less allowed him to suppress his other personality. It was a rare occasion for the father and son to sit down and speak calmly.
Su Qicheng held a teacup, his fingertips rubbing against the porcelain several times. Su Jingming sat opposite him, dressed in black clothes and trousers. He kept his head slightly lowered, his eyes veiling his emotions.
After a long silence, Su Qicheng spoke. "I might not be able to look after the house for a while. I’ll transfer your living expenses to you. If it’s not enough, let me know."
Su Qicheng immediately transferred ten thousand yuan to Su Jingming.
Su Jingming gave a faint "mm" and offered a dry "Thank you."
Su Qicheng let out a forced, hollow laugh. Over the past few days, he had been constantly ruminating on his actions toward Su Jingming over the years. He truly could not be considered a competent father.
"The doctor said the other personality split off because of the divorce from your mother back then," Su Qicheng said, his voice lacking conviction. "So... so..."
Su Jingming lifted his gaze to look at him. Expressionless, he said two words in a very soft voice: "It’s fine."
Su Qicheng froze. The plea for forgiveness that had been on the tip of his tongue died there. He suddenly realized he had no right to ask for Su Jingming’s forgiveness.
Su Qicheng gripped his teacup and took several large, frantic gulps to soothe his parched throat. When he looked at his son again, his son was looking back at him. The unreserved disappointment and detachment in those eyes made Su Qicheng’s chest feel tight.
"About that matter at your school," Su Qicheng said, "once I’m better, I’ll go to the school to help you."
"No need," Su Jingming rejected him bluntly. "It’s almost over."
Su Jingming turned his gaze toward the window. October was coming to an end, and the bitter winter was approaching. The autumn wind was no longer gentle; it rattled against the windowpane with a sharp sound.
Su Jingming didn't stay long. After leaving Su Qicheng, he went straight to Wen Yan’s ward.
Wen Yan wasn't surprised by his arrival. He was holding a book, a coat draped casually over his shoulders. His eyes curved into a smile as he looked at Su Jingming. "Are you getting discharged?"
Su Jingming hummed in affirmation. "Wen Miao didn't come today?"
"I can manage on my own. It’s not good to keep making her miss class." Wen Yan closed his book. "What do you plan to do after you leave?"
"Go back to class next week. Attend the lessons I should attend, study what I should study."
Su Jingming’s expression was neutral, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Wen Yan raised an eyebrow slightly and pulled two Tiga Ultraman figures from the bedside cabinet.
Su Jingming’s eyes flickered. Wen Yan handed the figures to him.
Su Jingming looked down at the large and small Tigas in his hands, a kaleidoscope of emotions swirling in his heart.
"I retrieved your things from the training camp," Wen Yan said. "I figured you’d be worried about these two."
Su Jingming had indeed been worried about the Tigas left in the dormitory. As his thumb brushed over Tiga’s arm, he suddenly felt strange. In the past, seeing Tiga would give him a peculiar sense of satisfaction, but this time, that satisfaction was gone.
Yet, his heart didn't feel empty.
"Why are you dazing off?" Wen Yan asked. "They shouldn't be broken, right?"
Su Jingming shook his head. "No."
He just felt that this past month had been far too long—so long that he had used every ounce of his strength just to cope. He used to think the years of his youth were nothing but boundless darkness.
But in the autumn of 2021, light had slowly begun to seep into Su Jingming’s world. It made him greedily crave more.
The "fireworks of the mortal world" hidden in the long alleys of the marketplace, the star-studded sky hidden in the dark of night—these were parts of the world Su Jingming couldn't see clearly before. Now that he could see them, he wanted even more.
***
It took only half an hour for Su Jingming to get from the hospital to his home.
This time, he gave up on instant noodles and headed to the BBQ stall where he had eaten with Wen Yan and Song Yifei last time. To his surprise, he ran into Song Yifei there.
Song Yifei had a skewer in one hand and a beer in the other, his mouth stuffed with food. He saw Su Jingming, dressed all in black, emerge from the street corner.
"You're here to eat too?" Song Yifei swallowed his food and immediately wanted to slap himself for asking such a stupid question.
Su Jingming nodded and went to the owner to order his favorites. Looking back at the few available tables and chairs, he walked over to Song Yifei. "Mind if I share the table?"
Song Yifei wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Share? We can even share some drinks."
Su Jingming sat down. Song Yifei handed him a skewer. Song Yifei’s face was already flushed from the alcohol, and an unfinished bottle of beer stood before him.
"You want to challenge someone to a drinking contest with your tolerance?" Su Jingming asked.
"Huh? Who are you looking down on?"
"You."
***
Never in his wildest dreams did Wen Yan expect to receive a phone call like this from Wen Miao.
"Song Yifei and Su Jingming are drunk at that BBQ stall we always go to. They’re acting like total lunatics."
"Why are you there?"
"I had a craving for BBQ."
"Aren't you on a diet?"
"Mind your own business, I'm a beautiful woman!"
Wen Yan threw on some clothes and rushed to the BBQ stall. By the time he arrived, Su Jingming was already preparing to save the world.
The surrounding diners were watching in stunned amazement.
"Acting out like this at such a young age... is there something wrong with his head?"
"I don't think it's his head. He probably studied himself into a stupor."
"How pitiful."
Su Jingming stood wobbling on a chair. He casually brushed the hair back from his forehead and glanced at the people around him. "Wait for it... I’m going to transform first!!!"
Hearing this, Song Yifei sat in his chair, laughing like an idiot. "Transform? Su Jingming, how are you so badass?!"
Feeling like he hadn't praised him enough, he stuck out a thumb and gave Su Jingming a big "like."
"—You! You're badass!! You can even transform!!"
Wen Yan spotted Wen Miao in the crowd of onlookers immediately. He clutched his forehead and walked over to her.
"Why didn't you try to stop them?"
Wen Miao was enjoying the show. "It’s hilarious! I checked for you—they only had two bottles total, one each. I knew Song Yifei was a one-bottle lightweight, but I didn't expect Su Jingming to be one too. This is too funny."
Wen Yan frowned, wanting to step forward and get Su Jingming down. Wen Miao grabbed his sleeve. "Don't you want to watch a bit longer?"
Before Wen Yan could speak, Su Jingming, still standing on the chair, spotted Wen Yan and Wen Miao.
He jumped down. Song Yifei asked incoherently, "Aren't you gonna transform? Hurry up, I haven't seen a transformation in ages."
At those words, the surrounding diners couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Su Jingming, however, looked at Song Yifei with a dead-serious expression. "Wait a second! I'll show you later! What if I expose my true identity right now?!"
He spoke with such gravity that Song Yifei was the only one present actually fooled.
Song Yifei nodded. "That makes so much sense!!"
Since Song Yifei was sitting, he hadn't seen Wen Miao and Wen Yan. It was only when Su Jingming walked up to Wen Yan that he noticed the siblings. However, as he looked at them, they seemed to have several overlapping shadows.
He shook his head.
Looking up again, why was Wen Yan’s hand resting on Su Jingming’s head with such a benevolent, fatherly expression?
More importantly, why wasn't Su Jingming resisting?
The scene before him—of a kind father and a filial son, of fatherly love as steady as a mountain—was simply too shocking.
Song Yifei couldn't help but ask, "Su Jingming, *hic*... when did you become Wen Yan’s son?"
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
苏启成 | Su Qicheng | Su Jingming's father.
迪迦 | Tiga | Refers to Ultraman Tiga, a popular tokusatsu hero.
人间烟火 | Human fireworks / Fireworks of the mortal world | A Chinese idiom (rénjiān yānhuǒ) referring to the bustle of daily life, the smell of cooking, and the warmth of ordinary human existence.
变身 | Transform / Transformation | Biànshēn; the act of a hero changing form (like a magical girl or Ultraman).
父慈子孝 | Benevolent father and filial son | A traditional idiom describing the ideal relationship between father and son.
父爱如山 | Fatherly love is like a mountain | A common idiom describing the silent, steady, and profound nature of a father's love.
