Shao Yan lost his memory.
After staring at the mineral water accompanying the patient’s meal for five minutes, he asked the medical staff, “How do you use this?” At that moment, the school leader from Department A wished he could just die.
In idol dramas, nine out of ten involve an amnesia plot, but in reality, such situations are rare.
Shao Yan’s reputation for being academically unremarkable was not a secret even before he entered the school gates. Many people hoped it was a self-scripted and directed farce, but the final diagnosis from the doctor shattered their wishful thinking.
Shao Yan really couldn’t remember anything.
Apart from his own name, he forgot who his parents were, his family background, educational history, and even some common knowledge that a three-year-old should know.
His personality became exceptionally quiet. He could sit alone in the ward for half a day without moving. When someone spoke to him, he would stare at them with his clear black-and-white eyes without blinking. He kept staring until the other person awkwardly closed their mouth.
This seemingly quiet behavior makes it impossible for anyone to question the current anomaly. This young master, accustomed to a life of luxury since childhood, has no concept of “self-control.” He is timid and fragile, with a sensitive and delicate temperament.
If he could restrain his true nature and act for a consecutive half-month, he might not have squandered money continuously and still failed to pass the university entrance exams.
The doctors’ explanation for this is very vague. They can confirm that there is absolutely no congestion in Shao Yan’s head. Although they have encountered quite a few cases of temporary amnesia due to concussion, such a wide-ranging amnesia is truly unprecedented.
The human brain is inherently the most complex entity. Even with an unexpected stimulation that touches the brain’s nerves, the consequences are far from predictable. Moreover, in the subsequent amnesia tests, they couldn’t detect the slightest trace of Shao Yan pretending. This seemingly illogical amnesia event has unexpectedly become somewhat reasonable under various special circumstances.
They are powerless in this situation, and their only hope lies in time. Perhaps the memories Shao Yan has lost might suddenly return to his mind one day in the future.
Shao Yan calmly allowed the nurse to swiftly pull the needle from the skin on the back of his hand. The slight pain was nothing to him. The injection site switched to his other hand, and the fine drip needle pierced his skin, causing a brief backflow of blood.
He stared at that splash of red, his eyes narrowing slightly. Everything happening around him felt peculiar.
The young nurse seemed a bit afraid of him. In fact, for some unknown reason, the hospital staff seemed a bit fearful of him. After administering the injection, the nurse quickly packed up and left. Shao Yan didn’t divert his attention to irrelevant people. When there was no danger, he liked to be alone, quietly contemplating.
He vaguely understood that he had ended up in a remarkable place.
Shao Yan had a peculiar personality and was also an avid reader. He had read plenty of official histories and miscellaneous records and had heard of similar events in strange tales and folklore.
During his days in the hospital, although he hadn’t accomplished much else, he had encountered quite a few people. Those who claimed to be “school leaders” were cautiously polite, the medical staff were attentive and never left his side, and his supposed “parents” were clearly worried but had unpredictable whereabouts.
He could sense that something was off to some extent, but until he was sure he wouldn’t expose his origins, he couldn’t proactively ask more questions. Now, the safest preparation he could make was to investigate the body he had wore.
Shao Yan stood up, holding the IV bag, and strolled to the window. His gaze paused on the clear glass, looking outside. Beyond the hospital building in the bustling area, there stretched a vast expanse of green flower beds, occupying a large area, with a bustling road beyond that.
His hearing was keen, and the sounds of cars whizzing by seemed as if they were right by his ear.
Shao Yan lowered his head to look at his chubby hands.
There was a peculiar mirror in the room that could reflect every detail of a person. Shao Yan had seen his current appearance in the mirror before. Probably due to his pampered upbringing since childhood, despite this body being already adult, it looked somewhat more tender than its actual age. Originally, he had a relatively pleasing appearance with good facial features, but unfortunately, it was marred by layers of fat.
Too overweight, even his fingers were so fat they stuck together, unable to close or open properly. Walking caused the thighs to rub against each other, and the cotton hospital gown amplified the sensation of skin friction tenfold.
Shao Yan found it strangely amusing; This body probably weighed around two hundred pounds. Even walking a bit faster made him pant, and due to the injury, his head often felt dizzy. This sense of weakness was something Shao Yan, who had grown up with strict martial arts training and a disciplined lifestyle, had never experienced before.
Trying to squat into a horse stance, Shao Yan broke into a profuse sweat after just a few breaths. Shao Yan wasn’t in a hurry. He leisurely lay back on the bed for a short rest. Learning martial arts was never a quick process, and considering the age of this body, it was best to take things gradually.
Suddenly, there was a faint sound of footsteps outside the room. Shao Yan’s fingers trembled slightly, but after some thought, he decided not to open his eyes.
A fragrance, different from makeup, wafted in, and he recognized it as the scent of the “mother” of this body.
Having finished her tasks at home, Shao Yan’s father and mother hurried to the hospital. Seeing their son still asleep, they instinctively moved quietly. Shao Yan’s mother sat by the bed and couldn’t resist reaching out to gently brush the thick bandage on her child’s forehead. Seeing that he looked better than a few days ago, the rough texture beneath her fingers still made her eyes immediately turn red.
“Creating one’s own misfortune…,” Shao Yan’s mother sighed deeply, thinking about the events of the past few days. She didn’t know if she was asking someone or just expressing her feelings. “This is risking his life… who is in the way of Yanyan’s life?”
The school’s explanation for this accident was that Shao Yan sneaked out of the dormitory to go to the toilet during military training at night and accidentally fell down the stairs. However, no one knew better than Shao Yan’s mother how timid her son was. At home, he wouldn’t dare leave his bed after the lights went out each night.
Although Shao Yan had been pampered by her since childhood, he was not lacking in discipline compared to children from ordinary families. During military training, there was a curfew after lights out, and based on her understanding, even if he had to hold it until the next morning, Shao Yan would never dare to sneak out alone to go to the toilet.
However, with no surveillance cameras and no eyewitnesses, the truth was at the mercy of the school’s account, wasn’t it?
Shao Yan’s mother withdrew her hand, glanced over her son’s sleeping face, gently tucked him in, and suddenly, her expression revealed a deep sense of resentment and unwillingness.
Seeing his wife’s expression, Shao Yan’s father couldn’t conceal his guilt on his face, but he could only comfort her, “Don’t let your imagination run wild.”
Deep in his eyes, a profound weariness was evident. The recent series of setbacks had almost brought this man, nearing his fifties, to his knees.
First, his father passed away, and with the unexpected collapse of Shao’s craftsmanship that supported the Shao family empire, it crumbled when no one was prepared. Then, just as his father’s body was laid to rest, the chief lawyer, who had minimal interaction within the group, suddenly notified that he was going to read a will he had secretly guarded. The contents of this will were, for Shao Yan’s father, the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Next, his only son, Shao Yan, had an accident during military training. The successive blows were far from being mere “coincidences.” Shao Yan’s father, who had been managing the group for decades, starting from a young age, was no fool.
Shao Yan’s father, Shao Ganguo, was the eldest son of the Shao family. Below him was a younger brother named Shao Yubao, born from the same mother, and the two brothers, only two years apart in age, had a close bond. However, this younger brother, born two years later, had a son, Shao Wenqing, a year earlier than Shao Ganguo’s eldest son.
The younger son, the eldest grandson, the old man’s lifeline. With a brother who had gained all the emotional advantage by his side, the curse manifested itself vividly, and there was no need to elaborate on the disparate treatment the two branches received.
Yet, even so, Shao Ganguo still couldn’t believe that his father would go to such extremes—
In the will, aside from a few long-established old restaurants, his father left nothing for his diligent and hardworking eldest son who had worked for the group for decades. Only Shao Yan, as a grandchild of the Shao family, received a five percent stake in Shao Industries. However, compared to what Shao Yubao’s family received, it was negligible.
Shao Ganguo questioned himself. Even if his father didn’t express affection for him enough, he had shown considerable favor in the workplace over the years. Such a will simply defied logic.
The will seemed fraudulent, but every detail was flawless. Notarized and read by Zhu, the lawyer who had worked for the Shao family’s group for decades, no one could challenge his authority without evidence.
His gaze fell upon his son’s tightly closed eyes, and Shao Yan’s father sighed. Although their relationship wasn’t particularly close, he wouldn’t have another blood relative in his lifetime. The fact that his child was unharmed was a rare comfort amid the recent series of heavy setbacks.
He understood his wife’s feelings but was unwilling to soil their child’s ears with these dirty matters. So, he gently touched his wife’s shoulder, signaling her not to wake up the child who had just managed to fall asleep.
After they left, Shao Yan slowly opened his eyes, directing his gaze towards the closed door while breaking into a strangely amused smile.
The body he found, evidently, belonged to someone who lacked diligence and studiousness. Born into wealth, indulged by his mother, and neglected by his father, this person had poor academic performance since childhood, lacked ambition, and seemed to have little entertainment in life beyond eating and sleeping.
Timid, with a sweet tooth, simple, and without friends, Shao Yan, who had grown up in the palace, had encountered many schemers. However, this was the first time he had come across someone like this. Besides a sense of novelty, he felt more of a sense of melancholy.
Initially, he had envied this person a bit. Also named Shao Yan, this body had sailed smoothly from a young age, not needing to grasp even the basics of social etiquette. Naturally, there were people clearing all obstacles for him, allowing him to live comfortably. In contrast, Shao Yan himself had struggled from a young age, experiencing the ups and downs, fighting for a living, and developing his aggressive and rebellious personality.
But now, upon reflection, what good did simplicity do in the end? In the end, he had implicated his own life.
The Shao family relations were not complicated. In the older generation, there was only a grandfather, and apart from the parents, there was only one married sibling uncle left.
Thinking about this uncle, Shao Yan’s interest piqued.
Even though Shao Yan’s father and this uncle shared the same parents and were not much different in age, it was evident that their relationship was not close. Since Shao Yan was hospitalized, the uncle’s family had not shown up. If it weren’t for Shao Yan’s parents mentioning it, he would never have known about this branch of relatives.
It was said that this uncle had a son who was a year older than Shao Yan. As a direct cousin, this person, like Shao Yan’s uncle, showed no intention of visiting him even until now.
The younger son, the eldest grandson…
Thinking about Shao Yan’s mother’s lamentations, Shao Yan could vaguely understand that the “accident” that led to him inhabiting this body was obviously not as simple as it seemed.
