When The Foolish Gong Lost His Memories - Chapter 4
Duan Xiuze said, “Okay, okay, okay.” After a while, Jiang Wangshu received another message from Duan Xiuze: “So, you’re really down there, right?”
Jiang Wangshu replied, “?”
Duan Xiuze continued, “I just need to make sure I’m pure down there, you know?”
Jiang Wangshu deadpanned, “Get out.”
Duan Xiuze acquiesced, “Okay.”
On Monday at nine o’clock, Jiang Wangshu and Duan Xiuze arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau on time. Jiang Wangshu handed a divorce agreement to Duan Xiuze, who promptly asked, “Where’s the pen?”
Jiang Wangshu paused, replying, “Forgot to bring it.”
Duan Xiuze, undeterred, suggested, “Go inside and sign it.”
After borrowing a pen from the service desk, Duan Xiuze signed neatly and handed it to Jiang Wangshu, saying, “Your turn.”
Jiang Wangshu, with pen in hand, asked, “Are you sure about this? With your amnesia, give it a month to see if your memory returns. You might regret it.”
Duan Xiuze cut him off, saying, “Regret? The doctor says it’ll take a year to recover. Imagine being married during that time; it gives me goosebumps.” He crossed his arms, playfully shivering.
Jiang Wangshu, unfazed, remarked, “Fine. Just hope your memory doesn’t miraculously return, and you find yourself proposing to me again. I won’t agree.”
Duan Xiuze, surprised, declared, “Impossible! Even if I jump off this Civil Affairs Bureau building, I won’t propose to you again!”
Jiang Wangshu nodded, “Okay,” and signed the divorce papers. As he did, Duan Xiuze, captivated by Jiang Wangshu’s hands, stared for a moment.
Post-signing, Duan Xiuze sighed in relief. Concerned, he observed, “You should rest. Those dark circles make you look like a panda.” Peering closer, he added, “Why do your eyes seem a bit red and swollen? You didn’t cry, did you?”
Jiang Wangshu, with a small smile, replied, “Cry? I just pulled an all-nighter working.”
Duan Xiuze, empathetic, remarked, “Being a social worker is tough, thankfully not my gig.”
The Civil Affairs Bureau employee, satisfied they weren’t rushing into things, handed them their divorce certificates cheerfully.
Duan Xiuze, holding the certificate, mused, “From an innocent high schooler to a divorced man in one leap.”
Jiang Wangshu: “…”
Jiang Wangshu added, “Call the police, maybe they’ll arrest me.”
Jiang Wangshu stepped into the luxurious Rolls Royce, an air of sophistication surrounding the vehicle. Duan Xiuze, visibly surprised, remarked, “So, you own a car now?”
Jiang Wangshu casually replied, “I reserve its use for client meetings. Hop in, and I’ll drive you back.”
Seated in the plush passenger seat, Duan Xiuze inquired, “Don’t you think you need a chauffeur?”
Jiang Wangshu responded, “And incur unnecessary expenses? No, thanks.”
While Duan Xiuze was familiar with Jiang Wangshu’s frugal nature, it intrigued him how this trait persisted into adulthood. Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, “What are you up to these days?”
Wang Shu casually revealed, “You’ve opened a technology company, and I have a stake in it.”
Duan Xiuze simply said, “Oh,” and fell silent.
Jiang Wangshu stole a few glances at him and teased, “No more questions?”
Duan Xiuze replied, “None.”
Arriving at the entrance of Duan Xiuze’s hotel in a companionable silence, just as he was about to exit, Jiang Wangshu halted him, saying, “Hold on a moment.”
Turning to face him, Duan Xiuze witnessed a mix of defiance and tension in the mature demeanor of the adult Jiang Wangshu. He suggested, “It might be cleaner if you return first. Hotels can be unsanitary.”
Duan Xiuze declined, “No, I won’t accompany you. I also have mysophobia.”
With a cheerful tone, Jiang Wangshu acquiesced, “Alright, I’ll go along with your preferences.”
As Duan Xiuze smiled and exited the car without looking back, Jiang Wangshu, left alone in the vehicle, retrieved the divorce certificate. Reflecting on it, he stored away the document with a composed demeanor, ready to depart. However, as he raised his gaze, he caught sight of Duan Xiuze leaning against the hotel window, observing him.
Startled, Jiang Wangshu rolled down the car window, asking in a somewhat stern tone, “What are you doing?”
Duan Xiuze met his gaze and explained, “I wanted to check if you were crying.”
Ignoring him, Jiang Wangshu retorted, “I’m unwell.”
Undeterred, Duan Xiuze requested, “Turn your head around.”
With an eye-roll, Jiang Wangshu complied, sarcastically asking, “Satisfied?”
Examining his eyes, Duan Xiuze observed minimal changes, except for the expected redness from staying up late. He couldn’t help but express, “Alright, I thought you might shed a tear.”
Jiang Wangshu scoffed, “As if. I’m not that sentimental.”
Relieved, Duan Xiuze commented, “That puts my mind at ease. I thought you were deeply affected. In that case, I won’t feel any guilt.”
In a moment of frustration, Jiang Wangshu took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and declared, “Duan Xiuze, you’re unbelievable. From now on, I might as well serve you this divorce certificate and let you devour it!”
Momentarily stunned, Duan Xiuze began to respond, but before he could utter a word, Jiang Wangshu swiftly pressed the accelerator, nearly ejecting him from the car.
Regaining his balance, Duan Xiuze yelled after Jiang Wangshu’s car, “You’re as stubborn as ever! Mind the road! Your erratic driving might make your loved ones weep!”
As Jiang Wangshu returned home, he was met with a poignant reminder in the living room—a wedding photo of the two, both adorned in suits, with Duan Xiuze holding his waist. Despite their smiles capturing a certain unease, the image encapsulated the simplicity of their nuptials.
Without guests or elaborate blessings, it was just the two of them, savoring their wedding day. Jiang Wangshu added the divorce certificate to the remnants of yesterday’s writings, items he hoped Duan Xiuze might consume if given the chance.
Later, a call interrupted his contemplation. Answering without much thought, Jiang Wangshu found Meng Wen on the line. “Hello?”
Recognizing the voice, he inquired, “Changed your number?”
Meng Wen confessed, “I was afraid you’d hang up if I called.”
Seated on the sofa, Jiang Wangshu nonchalantly asked, “How are you?”
Meng Wen shared, “Xiu Ze called me recently, asking about both of you. He seems a bit perplexed.”
Acknowledging the truth, Jiang Wangshu revealed, “He had a car accident and lost his memory.”
Surprised, Meng Wen remarked, “Amnesia?”
Jiang Wangshu confirmed, “Yes.”
Understanding, Meng Wen added, “No wonder…”
Uninterested in further conversation, Jiang Wangshu redirected, “Is there anything else?”
Meng Wen hinted, “With his memory loss, perhaps returning to the Duan family is the best option for both of you.”
Cutting him off, Jiang Wangshu asserted, “We’re divorced. That’s final. I have matters to attend to, so let’s not discuss this now. I’ll hang up.”
With that, Jiang Wangshu ended the call, choosing not to block Meng Wen’s number. Their history rendered him a potentially useful connection.
Sighing, Jiang Wangshu tossed the phone aside.
On the other side, Duan Xiuze, reclining on the hotel sofa, received a call from Meng Wen. “Hello?”
Meng Wen questioned, “I asked Jiang Wangshu. Is it true that you divorced him?”
Duan Xiuze responded, “It’s amusing, isn’t it?”
Perplexed, Meng Wen probed, “Didn’t you lose your memory?”
Duan Xiuze remained silent.
Unperturbed, Jiang Wangshu’s indifference continued. Meng Wen questioned, “So, are you going to laugh it off?”
Duan Xiuze countered, “I still consider you a brother. Do you find it amusing that I got divorced? Do I have such a disgraceful brother?”
Caught off guard, Meng Wen faltered, “I don’t want you to get divorced, but…”
Interrupting, Duan Xiuze asserted, “You just don’t want to wish me well.”
Meng Wen hesitated, “…”
Duan Xiuze concluded, “Hang up.”
With that, Duan Xiuze ended the call, realizing the satisfaction in cutting off conversations, a trait he now understood from Jiang Wangshu.
After enjoying this small victory, Duan Xiuze’s mood darkened.
For reasons unknown, he felt like he was floating, detached from reality.
Picking up his phone, he scrolled through Taobao, examining his order history. The list comprised mundane items—dish brushes, aprons, hand soap, shower gel, and other daily necessities. However, beneath these were more intriguing entries, including lubricants and flavored safety T.
Duan Xiuze sensed a glimpse into Jiang Wangshu’s privacy, creating
Duan Xiuze found himself grappling with an indescribable mix of emotions as he closed the explicit Taobao order. This newfound awareness marked a departure from his previous innocence, revealing a more experienced version of himself—a 23-year-old Duan Xiuze who struggled to comprehend his own evolution.
Despite the complexities, he clung to a belief in the conservation of energy.
Seeking a release, Duan Xiuze turned to Taobao again, entering a slang word that led him to an old acquaintance’s store. Placing four orders, he messaged the shop owner, “Hello, can you complete these today?”
The shop owner, seemingly surprised, remarked, “Brother, aren’t you married? Why are you here?”
Duan Xiuze, equally surprised, asked, “You remember me after 20 years?”
The shop owner responded with a wry smile.
“I’m divorced, please help me,” Duan Xiuze admitted.
Skeptical, the shop owner questioned, “Married for two years, yet you claim four times a day. Is this an act?”
Duan Xiuze, perplexed, responded with a simple “?”
Undeterred, he placed ten more orders, inquiring, “Can you finish them today? I’ll continue with 20 orders tomorrow.”
The shop owner hesitated but obliged. Duan Xiuze, unbothered by the prospect of rushed service, recalled the shop’s previous challenges, leading to closure.
Despite lingering physical discomfort, Duan Xiuze found solace in the thought that he had vented his anger—height growth concerns now a distant memory.
Shifting his focus to his phone, he stared at Jiang Wangshu’s name, a connection that refused to fade.
Meanwhile, Jiang Wangshu, who had taken a moment on the sofa, rose to cook a simple bowl of egg noodles. Reflecting on his limited culinary skills, he acknowledged Duan Xiuze’s prowess in the kitchen.
Sitting with his face in his hands, Jiang Wangshu noticed his constantly buzzing phone. Discovering Duan Xiuze’s messages, he maintained a calm demeanor. The seventeen-year-old Duan Xiuze, true to form, persisted with meaningless banter.
Setting the phone aside, Jiang Wangshu replied to Duan Xiuze’s persistent messages, “We are divorced. Do you not feel embarrassed coming to me?”
Duan Xiuze responded, “What does it matter? Weren’t we always together before we got married?”
Though tempted to question Duan Xiuze’s awareness of their current situation, Jiang Wangshu refrained.
Duan Xiuze, undeterred, sent a chat record of a conversation with the Dai Chong store owner. Jiang Wangshu remained silent.
Eventually, he typed a bold message, “Don’t you know? You have premature ejaculation, and you became impotent last year. We are already in a sexless marriage.”
Duan Xiuze’s shocked response was met with Jiang Wangshu’s reassurance that one minute was sufficient.
Waiting for a reply that never came, Jiang Wangshu set the phone down and focused on a simple lunch of noodles.
Post-lunch, he headed to work, attending the usual lunch meeting. As the staff gathered, Duan Xiuze’s disruptive message appeared on the screencast: “You are lying; I have at least more than three hours, and I am still holding up the sky!”
Jiang Wangshu, maintaining composure, calmly turned off the screencast and promptly blocked Duan Xiuze.
On the other end, Duan Xiuze was met with an exclamation mark on the photo he sent. Stunned, he exclaimed, “What? He hung up the phone and now he blocked me instead”
Storyteller Maple_syrup's Words
Hello dear readers! I'm a rookie translator and this is actually my first work so please support me! ᕦ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ᕤ
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