Chapter 103: Sage’s Love |
“…”
Yu Xiao stared at the Sage, completely dumbfounded, her mind a blank slate. What the hell did he just say? How did he see six years ago that he would fall for her today?
Yu Xiao was usually a confident girl, but she couldn’t wrap her head around that idea. Unless…
A light bulb went off in Yu Xiao’s mind. Maybe the Sage wasn’t wrong, because there was a way this could happen.
The Sage had been watching her like a hawk, so he caught Yu Xiao’s slight shift in expression. He asked, “Did you figure it out?”
“Uh?” Yu Xiao blinked. “Figure out what?”
“Why things are different from what I saw,” the Sage said.
“I have no clue,” Yu Xiao shook her head. “How would I know?”
The Sage could see right through her, whether she lied or not. He took a few steps back, turning his back to her, looking at the fiery red sunset through the window. He threw a question at Yu Xiao, “Do you believe in fate?”
Yu Xiao didn’t have much to say about fate. She had never given it much thought. She guessed most young people these days didn’t either. First of all, most of them were atheists, and second of all, they had too much on their plates to waste time on such mystical stuff.
Online novels had taught most young people a catchy mantra: “my fate is determined by me, not by heaven.”
Yu Xiao didn’t buy into that nonsense, but she liked to hedge her bets. When things went her way, she thanked fate. When they didn’t, she cursed it and vowed to change it.
Things weren’t going her way lately. Fate had given her cancer at the ripe old age of twenty-one. She spat in its face and said, “I don’t believe it.”
The sage shrugged and said, “Me neither.”
Then he went back to his window seat, resuming his bored stare at the horizon. He looked like he had seen it all and nothing impressed him anymore.
Yu Xiao followed him and plopped down next to him. She said, “You can see the future, right? You know why I’m here?”
“Hmm.”
“So, do you agree?” She pressed, “Will you help us save the hospital?”
He took his time before answering, “Nope.”
“…” Yu Xiao blinked, then asked, “Can you tell me why?”
He shook his head and said, “Nope. I just don’t feel like it.” He reached for a plate of snacks on the coffee table and stuffed his mouth with cookies. He chewed slowly, savoring the crumbs. He looked like he could doze off any second.
Yu Xiao frowned and asked, “Then why did you even see me? What’s the point?”
“You’re the most interesting thing in my life right now,” the Sage said, biting into a dried apricot that made him wince. “I wonder if I’ll fall for you, like I saw in my vision.”
Yu Xiao had no words. She stared at him, then at the window he was gazing out of. The city sprawled below them, a hundred stories down. It was a sight to behold, sure. But it was still just a city. “Don’t you ever get sick of this view?”
The Sage said, “I’m sick of it already.”
“Then why do you keep looking?” Yu Xiao couldn’t figure him out. He was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. “Why don’t you go out and have some fun?”
The Sage said, “Out there is no fun either.”
“What?”
“I know everyone and everything in this city. I know what’s going to happen before it happens. Going out would be like watching a rerun of a boring show. No thanks.” The Sage shook his head. “I’d rather stay here and conserve my energy.”
Yu Xiao felt like she had entered another dimension. She couldn’t wrap her head around it.
But she didn’t have time to try. She was here for a reason, not for small talk. She felt a surge of malice in her chest. She clenched her fists and glared at the Sage. “You can see everything, huh? Do you know what I’m going to do to you?”
The Sage looked away, his face a mask of boredom and contempt. “You won’t do anything.”
“How do you know?” Yu Xiao narrowed her eyes, her voice dripping with menace. “Sometimes I lose my cool, and I even surprise myself.”
The Sage’s voice was flat and final. “You won’t.”
Yu Xiao had been hoping for some sage wisdom, maybe a riddle or a prophecy. Instead, he hit her with a low blow. “You know, I have your bestie in my hands.”
Yu Xiao’s mouth fell open. She glared at the bushy-browed bastard, who had the nerve to smirk at her. She lowered her hands, feeling the blood drain from her face. “Don’t you dare.”
“I don’t dare anything,” the Sage said, shrugging. “I just do what I have to.”
Yu Xiao decided to change tactics. She put on her most mysterious smile and said, “Do you have any idea what this world really is? Do you think it’s all there is?”
She saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes. He frowned, as if wrestling with some inner demon. He took a long breath, then relaxed his face. “You know the truth of this world?”
“Of course I do,” Yu Xiao said, arching an eyebrow. “More than you, anyway.”
The Sage looked uneasy. “I’ve been searching for the truth of this world for a long time. I know you’re from somewhere else, and the way back is in the big hospital in the middle of the city.”
Yu Xiao was impressed by how much he knew. She didn’t have to waste time explaining the basics. She was ready to weave her web of lies.
The Sage shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. “Shame. You’re the lucky ones, you know. You can still cross the threshold to the other side. We’re stuck here for good.”
Yu Xiao felt a surge of words rising in her throat, but they got lodged there like a fishbone. She managed to croak, “So what? Don’t you want to know what’s out there, huh?”
“Would you tell me then?”
Yu Xiao leaped at the opportunity. “Sure, I’ll tell you everything. If you come with me to the hospital, that is.”
The Sage turned his gaze to the sunset, his smile fading. “Nah, forget it. I’m not that curious.”
Yu Xiao’s frustration boiled over. She gaped at the Sage, her mouth opening and closing like a dying carp. She couldn’t take it anymore.
She blurted, “How can you live like this? You’ve been holed up in this room for years, right? Same old place, same old faces, barely a word spoken. What’s the point of this existence? Don’t you ever crave a change?”
Yu Xiao was getting heated, her voice rising with every word. But the Sage didn’t seem to care. He just kept looking at her, his expression unreadable.
Yu Xiao tilted her head and flashed a grin. “What’s the matter, scared of a little danger?” She winked at him. “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. You saw those paintings outside, right? They’re snapshots of my life at the hospital. Trust me, I can handle anything.”
Sage met her gaze with a blank expression, then dropped a bombshell. “What if the danger is you?”
Yu Xiao blinked. “Excuse me?”
He ignored her question and asked another. “How vast is the outside world?”
Yu Xiao frowned. What kind of weirdo is he? She wondered. Does he have a short attention span or something?
“Very vast,” she answered. “Much more than this city can offer.”
He looked past her, his eyes distant. “I have no name. They call me Sage, because I was born with knowledge that others lack. I spent ten years uncovering the secrets of this world. I discovered its flaws, its origins, its connection to the hospital in the heart of the city, and…”
He trailed off and lowered his head. A bone jutted out from his pale, thin neck. “Then I built this place, and I never left. It’s a boring life, but not a bad one. I still have things to live for.”
Yu Xiao shook her head. “I’m not telling you to die. I’m asking you to help us. Once we’re done, you can come back here and resume your routine.”
Sage let out a soft laugh, the first sign of emotion he had shown since Yu Xiao met him.
He closed his eyes, a silent no.
Yu Xiao frowned. “Come on, don’t you want to help us out?”
The Sage didn’t budge. Yu Xiao sighed and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a card, the one she had snagged from Luo Jin before. A one-time deep love card.
She had a hunch she would need it today, ever since she met the Sage and heard his cryptic words. But she hoped to avoid it. Functional cards were hard to come by, and they could save your life in a pinch. She hated to waste one.
But the Sage was right. She couldn’t escape her fate. She had to use the card today.
She was about to use it, when the Sage opened his eyes and fixed them on the card in her hand.
“What’s that?”
Yu Xiao blushed, feeling like a thief caught in the act.
“Is that supposed to make me fall in love with you?” he asked again.
She gasped. “How do you know?”
He ignored her question and asked his own. “What does love feel like?”
She stammered. “I… I don’t know.” She had never loved anyone, so she had no clue.
He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know?” He studied the card in her hand, then mused, “It must be a powerful emotion, strong enough to make someone sacrifice everything, even their life.”
“It’s not that extreme,” she said, shaking her head.
He was being melodramatic. She didn’t believe that love was that insane. She would never sacrifice everything for someone, no matter how much she liked them. (Oh, poor Smiley, Misty would have noticed the hint.)
The sage leaned in and whispered, “How can you be sure it’s not like this, when you’ve never been in love?”
Yu Xiao rolled her eyes. She wanted to tell him off, but she had no comeback. She settled for a snort. “Whatever.”
His gaze shifted to the card in her hand. “Can I take a closer look?”
“In your dreams.” Yu Xiao clutched the card tighter.
It was unbound, which meant anyone could activate it. And if he did, she would be screwed. Literally.
“Come on, let me see.” He pleaded. “I won’t take it, I promise.”
She hesitated, then sighed. “Fine, but don’t touch it.” She lifted the card up for him to see.
He reached out and gently grasped her wrist, bringing it closer to his face. He examined the card with a serious expression.
It was a black card, with a galaxy of stars and symbols on one side, and a heart on the other. The heart seemed to pulse with a faint rhythm, as if it had a life of its own.
He stared at the card for a long time, then released her hand. He looked at her with a strange mix of emotions. “Use it.”
“What?”
“Use it.” He repeated, more firmly. “Use it on me.”
Yu Xiao bit her lip. “Maybe I don’t need it,” she said. “Maybe you’ll just…”
“Use it.” The Sage cut her off. “I won’t do anything unless you use it.”
She sighed. He was so stubborn. Fine, she’d play along. But when he fell for her, hard and fast, she wouldn’t go easy on him. She’d make him pay for all the trouble he’d caused her.
She activated the card, feeling it dissolve in her hand. She watched the Sage closely, looking for any signs of change.
Nothing. He was still the same, calm and composed. They locked eyes, neither of them speaking. The silence stretched on, until Yu Xiao wondered if the card was a dud. Had Lu Xu and Luo Jin tricked her? Was this not a real love card?
Then the Sage closed his eyes. He raised his hand to his chest, touching his heart. He whispered, “So this is love.”
Yu Xiao felt a surge of hope. “Do you feel it?” she asked. “Will you come with us to the hospital now?”
He opened his eyes, but he didn’t answer right away. He looked at her with a question in his eyes. “Is that what you want?”
“Of course it is,” she said. “You know I don’t belong here. I need your help to get out.”
He nodded slowly. She thought she saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll do it for you.”
Yu Xiao glanced at the dark sky. The sun had set hours ago, leaving them in the shadows.
“Qing Shi said hospitals are a nightmare at night.” She tried to laugh, but it came out as a nervous squeak. “How about we go tomorrow, when it’s bright and sunny? Do you want to get ready tonight? Or catch some z’s?”
The sage cut in. “Your friends…”
“Shit!” Yu Xiao smacked her leg. “I totally spaced.”
She grabbed her phone and called Zhou Xiao Zhen. On the other end, Zhou Xiao Zhen sounded like she was in pain. “Hiss… Smiley.”
“Precious, how are you holding up?”
“I’m okay, I found a hiding place,” Zhou Xiao Zhen stomped on a rat. “Except for the rat bites, I’m peachy.”
“Why are rats biting you?”
“It’s the grudge card,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said. “Anything with eyes, they go nuts when they see me. They want a piece of me.”
“Damn.” Yu Xiao shook her head. ‘Why is there such a huge gap in effects for the same type of card? Precious gets hated by rats, but Sage barely batted an eye when I used it on him.’
“Smiley,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said. “Did you sort things out on your end?”
“Yup, all set. We’ll hit the hospital at dawn.”
“Awesome.” Zhou Xiao Zhen sounded relieved. “Let’s call it a night, then. I don’t want to get caught. I’ll lay low and see you at the hospital door tomorrow morning.”
“Stay safe, okay?” Yu Xiao warned.
“I will,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, ending the call.
Yu Xiao put down the phone. “Can you let my friends go now?”
“Sure.” The Sage pulled out his own phone and made a quick call. “They’re free,” he announced.
“Thank you.” Yu Xiao smiled sincerely and got up to leave.
“Are you leaving?” The Sage looked at her with a hopeful expression.
“Hm.” Yu Xiao gestured at the window. “It’s late, and you need some sleep, even if I don’t.”
“I’m not sleepy.” The Sage gazed at her. “I’m in love with you now, can’t you stay with me tonight?”
“…” Yu Xiao stared blankly at the Sage, wondering if he was joking or delusional. He claimed to love her, but she couldn’t see any signs of it.
“I’ll do you a big favor tomorrow,” the Sage said with a grave expression. “You need to stay here with me tonight. It’s the least you can do for me.”
Yu Xiao: “…”
She didn’t have much choice, so she agreed to stay with him in his fancy suite. He took charge and ordered dinner for both of them, and to her surprise, he already knew her preferences. She had to admit that he was good at getting things done.
They ate without saying much, until her phone started ringing. It was Zhao Lan: “Hey, Smiley, how are things going on your end?”
“Smooth as silk,” Yu Xiao popped a garlic shrimp in her mouth. “The Sage is on board with our plan. He’ll go to the hospital with us tomorrow morning. How about you guys?”
“We’re fine, just a little hungry. Did you get in touch with Precious?”
“I did. She’s still under the influence of that weird card and hiding somewhere. She’ll join us at the hospital gate tomorrow morning,” Yu Xiao said. “What about Liu Yu and the rest? Are they okay?”
“They’re fine, don’t worry,” Zhao Lan said. “When are you coming down? Want to grab a bite with us?”
“No, thanks, I’m eating right now,” Yu Xiao said, glancing at the Sage who was watching her with a piercing gaze. “I won’t be able to see you tonight. Let’s meet at the hospital gate tomorrow morning.”
She hung up the phone and the Sage threw a peeled shrimp into her bowl.
Yu Xiao felt a flush of heat on her cheeks as Sage peeled another shrimp for her. No one had ever shown her such gentle care before. She muttered, “You should eat some too, you know.”
Sage smiled and handed her the shrimp. “I enjoy watching you eat more.”
Yu Xiao shivered, not from pleasure, but from dread. She wished he would stop with the cheesy lines. She popped the shrimp in her mouth and chewed silently, hoping he would change the subject.
He did. “What’s your world like?” he asked. “Can you tell me about it?”
“Sure.” Yu Xiao was relieved. She could talk about anything, as long as it wasn’t romantic. “My world is like yours, but bigger. And there are no Sage guys like you…”
She didn’t realize how much she was saying until she noticed the sun peeking through the curtains. She had been babbling non-stop to a secondary NPC, answering his curious questions and sharing her stories. They had moved from the table to the sofa at some point, probably when she felt sleepy.
Yu Xiao rubbed her eyes and looked around. She couldn’t remember when she had fallen asleep.
A face loomed over her, inches from her own. Yu Xiao’s scream died in her throat as she recognized Sage.
“Good morning, sleep well?”
Yu Xiao’s heart raced, but not in a good way.
“Yeah…” She pushed him away and sat up. “Were you watching me sleep?”
“Of course,” he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Yu Xiao shuddered. She hated the idea of his eyes on her while she was unconscious.
“You should get ready,” he said. “I ordered breakfast for us.”
He gestured to a table laden with food.
They ate in silence, then headed to the elevator. Sage held her hand, squeezing it gently.
It was a rare occasion for Sage to leave his penthouse. He had his bodyguards clear the way, making sure no one could approach them. He wore a flawless Tang suit, his black hair flowing behind him. He looked like a king, and his employees gazed at him with awe.
They stepped out of the building, into the sunlight. Sage blinked and looked around.
“How do you like it?” Yu Xiao asked.
“It’s fine,” he said. “Let’s take a walk.”
Yu Xiao snorted. “What, you want to admire the view some more?”
Sage gazed at her. “I just want to be with you.”
Yu Xiao rolled her eyes. Not this again!
She clamped her mouth shut, hoping he wouldn’t say anything else. Did he really expect them to walk around like a couple?
They weren’t far from the hospital. Yu Xiao could see the building looming ahead. She was glad. This function card had been handy, but it came with a price. She wouldn’t use it again unless she had to.
“—Hey!”
“—Hey!!”
A voice shouted from behind. Yu Xiao turned and saw a fat man running after them. He looked familiar.
He caught up with them, panting. He noticed Sage and frowned. What was with the weird outfit?
“You’re…” Yu Xiao recalled, “the phone guy.”
He feigned hurt. “And you forgot me in one day?”
Yu Xiao was confused. “Did you need something?”
“Yeah.” He nodded and held out a phone charger. He looked sheepish. “I remembered I had an old one at home. It was my dad’s. He died a while ago. I kept it. Here, take it.”
Yu Xiao blinked in disbelief. “This…”
“Take it, take it. It’s no good to me,” the shopkeeper said, shoving a charger into her hands. “You need this, right? To check your phone for any messages elders left?”
“Uh, yeah. Thanks a lot,” Yu Xiao said, clutching the charger.
“It’s nothing, really. Don’t mention it,” the shopkeeper said, scratching his head sheepishly. He handed her the charger and hurried back to his shop. “You better get going. I have to watch the store.”
Yu Xiao stared at the charger, feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt.
“Come on,” the Sage said, pulling her along. “We have to get to the hospital.”
They were almost at the entrance when a shadowy figure leaped out from behind a dumpster. “Smiley!!!!”
Yu Xiao squinted and saw a filthy, ragged person reeking of garbage. She recognized the voice as Zhou Xiao Zhen’s.
“Precious?” Yu Xiao recoiled.
“It’s me, it’s me,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, wiping her face with a dirty sleeve. “Don’t you know me anymore?”
“What happened to you?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen looked like a walking disaster. Her clothes and shoes were torn and stained, making her resemble a veteran of the beggar’s guild.
“Boo hoo hoo… I’ve had such a hard time, you have no idea. Yesterday, I was chased by a mob of angry people, and I barely escaped. Then, the rats and roaches came after me…”
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