Nanke Yifu Chapter 1

Searching for Chi Fu (1)

Chi Fu thought he must have gone insane.

He woke up to find a completely unfamiliar living person lying right beside him, in the same bed, under the same blanket, pressed close to him.

The reason he thought he was insane wasn’t because a stranger was in his bed, but because his first reaction wasn’t terror, screaming, defensiveness, or calling the police. Instead, it was…

Chi Fu stared at the unfamiliar face.

The lines weren’t sharp; stray strands of hair rested on pale skin. It was a look that was perhaps too soft for a man. His eyelashes were long, and Chi Fu wondered what kind of eyes would be revealed when the eyelids opened.

Even though the man was currently sleeping with his short hair a mess, like a bird’s nest, Chi Fu had to admit, wasn’t he just too handsome? And what was with this feeling of his heart pounding? It wasn’t just a fawn fluttering; this felt like a whole herd of elk crashing around. Was this love at first sight?

Love at first sight for a stranger who suddenly appeared in his bed? He must be crazy!

Crazy or not, could someone really be born this good-looking? Was this person sleeping with makeup on?

Chi Fu leaned closer, trying to discern the details, but before he could reach a conclusion, the man’s eyelashes fluttered, as if he were about to wake up. Chi Fu immediately got up, backed away, smoothed the blanket, patted the pillow, and let his eyes dart everywhere but at the man, acting extremely busy.

There was no movement from the other side.

This is my house. Why am I acting like a thief?

Chi Fu muttered this to himself, then secretly glanced at the man again.

He was awake, staring blankly at the ceiling. Was he still groggy and hadn’t realized this wasn’t his home? Or had he realized but didn’t know why he was here?

Chi Fu considered for three seconds whether he should prompt him. In the fourth second, a tear rolled down from the slightly reddened corner of the man’s eye. His hand moved faster than his brain, instantly grabbing a tissue and gently wiping the tear away for him.

What was he doing? Why was he so practiced at this?

Chi Fu internally scorned himself for letting his soul and intelligence drift away, completely captivated by beauty, yet his actions didn’t pause.

He was completely mesmerized. The man had a pair of amber eyes, clouded with moisture, half-hidden by messy strands of hair, which only added a certain charm.

“I’m fine,” the man smiled at him, rubbed the corner of his eye with a bent finger, and lifted the blanket, intending to get out of bed.

If there truly was a destined lover, if a red thread was truly tied to his pinky finger, then this person must have been tied to him with a braid made of red threads.

His appearance, his voice, his every movement and expression—all of it plucked at the heartstrings that had been vibrating non-stop since Chi Fu woke up today.

It felt as if even if the man stood there expressionless and motionless, even if he were given another, less stunning face, Chi Fu would still feel nothing but overwhelming joy toward him, unable to muster any defense.

In a daze, Chi Fu numbly followed him out of bed, to the bathroom, and watched him wash up, completely ignoring why there were two sets of daily necessities and why this person was so familiar with his home. He even obediently took the egg the other person retrieved from the refrigerator and went to fry it, then took out bread, ham, and cheese to make a sandwich.

There were actually tomatoes and lettuce in the fridge, but he didn’t include them. Chi Fu didn’t know why, but he felt that the man wouldn’t like those two ingredients in his sandwich. The egg was the same; he felt the man would prefer it runny.

Breakfast was placed on the table. The two sat facing each other. Chi Fu picked up the cup opposite him, poured milk into it, and put it back before asking, “What’s your name?”

The man smiled at the question, a little helpless, and said, “My name is Yan Laixi.”

Yan Laixi, Chi Fu repeated the three words in his mind. He repeated them several times but the man didn’t continue, so Chi Fu had to speak up again, “Aren’t you going to ask what my name is?”

Yan Laixi cooperatively asked, “What is your name?”

“My name is Chi Fu,” Chi Fu said.

“Oh,” Yan Laixi stirred the milk in his cup, his eyes bright, subtly anticipating something. “Now what? Do we need to say hello, shake hands, and greet each other?”

Chi Fu felt as if the man was simply at home, relaxed and comfortable, eating breakfast and waiting to see what little trick his boyfriend was planning next.

He extended his hand and said, “Hello.”

This action somehow struck Yan Laixi as funny. After he finished laughing, he took Chi Fu’s hand extended across the table, shook it up and down, and said, “Hello.”

His palm was warm, his hand was lean, his wrist bones were prominent, and his fingers were long and his nails were beautiful.

Fortunately, this handshake didn’t completely empty Chi Fu’s mind. He still remembered to ask the important question: “Why did you suddenly appear in my house? Is it because of your Anomaly?”

“Hasn’t it ended yet?” Yan Laixi leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, frowning slightly. “You’re making me a little scared. If you want to play, don’t keep pretending you don’t know me.”

“But I…” Chi Fu’s intuition told him he shouldn’t say the next sentence, yet it was something he had to say. “I… really don’t know you.”

“Don’t joke like that. You know what my Anomaly is. You know what I fear most is…” Yan Laixi stopped abruptly as if suddenly realizing something.

He didn’t yell at Chi Fu, didn’t bang the table or jump up. His tone was just a little urgent. For some reason, Chi Fu just knew that he was in a particularly bad mood right now.

“Your…” Yan Laixi’s voice trembled, the word spoken softly. “Anomaly.”

“I don’t have an Anomaly.” Chi Fu didn’t know what to do. He actually wanted to go over and hug him, but that felt too presumptuous. He could only try to ease the tension through conversation. “Maybe I actually have an identical twin brother?”

Anomalies are destined to accompany a person throughout their life, incurable, cause unknown, varying in degree and form—disease, Mutation, ability—anything is possible. Severe cases sometimes result in death shortly after birth, while mild ones may have no impact on daily life. The only exception is identical twins, but it’s not a miracle; it’s a tragedy.

Chi Fu was certain. Forget identical or fraternal twins; he didn’t even have a blood-related sibling. He also didn’t know why his own Anomaly hadn’t manifested yet.

The person opposite him turned pale and asked, “How old are you this year? What is the date today? What were you doing yesterday?”

“I’m twenty-four this year. It’s November… sixth or seventh? Anyway, it’s the beginning of the month. I was at work yesterday. I left around four in the afternoon, and I even closed the bar early. I got home around eleven.”

Chi Fu owned a small bar, usually open from four in the afternoon until one in the morning, but this schedule was a standard “for reference only.” In reality, the opening and closing times depended purely on his mood.

Calling it a bar was a stretch; it was more like a beverage shop that served alcohol. A quick glance at the menu showed nothing with a high alcohol content. Its connection to a bar was even weaker than its operating hours, which weren’t originally set for this time either.

“You…” Yan Laixi cleared his throat. “Do you still remember why the operating hours were changed to the evening?”

“Because I can’t get up early,” Chi Fu said. The other person’s calmness made him inexplicably nervous. “Um… you…”

“I’m fine,” Yan Laixi asked, his voice very soft. “Do you still remember Nanke?”

Chi Fu shook his head. Nanke? A person? Or a place?

“Let’s go to the hospital.” Yan Laixi stood up, grabbed his jacket, changed his shoes, and stood by the door waiting.

Chi Fu tidied himself up and walked past him. Feeling that the man hadn’t followed, he looked back and saw Yan Laixi standing frozen at the door, watching him.

He felt like the man was terribly sad.

For a moment, Chi Fu wanted to rush back, hug him, tell him he was joking, and apologize properly, but he couldn’t.

Because he truly had no memory of this person from before today.

“My Anomaly is Dream; it wouldn’t cause this situation,” Yan Laixi said on the way to the hospital, handing over an ID card. “Yan Laixi, twenty-seven years old, is your…”

He suddenly stopped speaking. Chi Fu didn’t take the ID card. The card would indicate his Anomaly, and the “Unknown” written on Chi Fu’s own card would probably be changed soon.

Yan Laixi didn’t need to prove himself. Chi Fu no longer doubted him. That familiar, relaxed demeanor, the extra daily necessities and personal items, and their placement and current state of use—all served as proof.

Even without these, Chi Fu would still trust him.

His body was desperately trying to tell him the answer.

Chi Fu tentatively finished the sentence: “Is my… lover?”

He saw the other person nod, a very small, calm movement, so calm that it made Chi Fu’s heart ache.

Chi Fu secretly prayed that maybe he had just bumped his head somewhere without realizing it, or perhaps he was suffering from some illness. In any case, there was still hope for recovery.

Being forgotten by your own lover, and being the only one forgotten—such a cruel thing shouldn’t happen to this person.

The person in the Dream departed once more. Yan Laixi looked at the familiar ceiling, his consciousness and memories of reality returning, gradually pushing out the separation experienced in the Dream. A tissue was gently pressed to the corner of his eye, and he realized he had been crying.

Yan Laixi looked at his lover, who was staring blankly at him, and found it somewhat endearing.

“I’m fine,” he said.

It was just a dream. When he woke up, he wouldn’t lose anything.

He wiped away the lingering tears from the corner of his eye, got out of bed to wash up, and then instructed Chi Fu to make breakfast. Chi Fu followed him the entire time, dazed and compliant, not causing trouble, not making a fuss, and not pestering him with random chatter. Was he still half-asleep?

The sandwich on the plate was made exactly to his liking. Chi Fu picked up his cup, helped him pour milk, and asked, “What’s your name?”

It was this childish little game again. Yan Laixi felt a little helpless, but he didn’t dislike these small moments of fun that Chi Fu persistently created. He played along and said, “My name is Yan Laixi.”

Unsure which direction Chi Fu wanted the conversation to go, he waited quietly for the next prompt.

Chi Fu: “Aren’t you going to ask what my name is?”

“What is your name?” Yan Laixi asked.

He heard the other person say, “My name is Chi Fu.”

It seemed Chi Fu wasn’t trying to impersonate someone or something. Yan Laixi suddenly felt a bit interested. Was this a possibility of a different way they met? Or was he reenacting the night they formally met?

He stirred the milk in his cup, asking how to proceed: “Oh. Now what? Do we need to say hello, shake hands, and greet each other?”

Then Chi Fu actually extended his hand and said, “Hello.”

Yan Laixi was amused by his seriousness. He wondered if this was a business negotiation or a blind date. Despite his internal teasing, he took Chi Fu’s hand, shook it, and said, “Hello.”

“Why did you appear in my house?” Chi Fu asked, his face devoid of humor, as if genuinely curious about the answer. He shouldn’t be acting this seriously if he was just playing a role. “Is it because of your Anomaly?”

Yan Laixi felt uneasy. He wasn’t an optimistic person. A series of anomalies were guiding his attention, and noticing one would lead him down a path toward a terrifying speculation. He didn’t want to look and wanted to end the game. “Hasn’t it ended yet? You’re making me a little scared. If you want to play, don’t keep pretending you don’t know me.”

The blindfold he had just tied on was ripped away. The speculation seemed about to become reality, exposed without cover, opening its bloody maw to swallow him. He heard Chi Fu say, “But I… I… really don’t know you.”

His tone was weak and hesitant. The more he hesitated, the more frightened Yan Laixi became. Chi Fu wouldn’t joke in that tone; Chi Fu wouldn’t joke with him like this at all. He knew he was repeating the process of meeting and spending time with someone every night, experiencing an incredibly real and beautiful dream, only to be forced to lose that person again. He knew his greatest fear was loss, but Yan Laixi could only tell himself that Chi Fu had gone too far with the game and lost his sense of proportion. Even if he was deliberately trying to scare him, as long as it wasn’t real, anything was fine.

“Don’t joke like that. You know what my Anomaly is. You know what I fear most is…” Yan Laixi paused. Right, the Anomaly.

Chi Fu’s Anomaly hadn’t manifested yet.

What if his Anomaly was…

Yan Laixi didn’t dare think further. He couldn’t accept that outcome.

“Your… Anomaly.” Yan Laixi’s hands began to tremble uncontrollably. He gripped his own arm, trying to force it to be still.

“I don’t have an Anomaly. Maybe I actually have an identical twin brother?”

The exact same joke as the first time the topic was brought up.

Yan Laixi told himself to calm down and confirm the situation first. Chi Fu still remembered who he was, and this was his home. It should just be a partial memory loss. He asked Chi Fu, “How old are you this year? What is the date today? What were you doing yesterday?”

“I’m twenty-four this year. It’s November… sixth or seventh? Anyway, it’s the beginning of the month. I was at work yesterday. I left around four in the afternoon, and I even closed the bar early. I got home around eleven.”

Twenty-four years old, November seventh, came home early last night. Every detail told Yan Laixi that Chi Fu had simply forgotten him.

What about the rest? Had he only forgotten him as a person, or had all those memories been erased too?

“You…” His throat suddenly failed him. Yan Laixi coughed hard. “Do you still remember why the operating hours were changed to the evening?”

“Because I can’t get up early.”

Yes, if he still remembered those things about him, how could he have forgotten him?

The original operating hours were from noon to eight in the evening. When they first moved in together, their schedules didn’t match at all. Chi Fu was about to wake up when Yan Laixi went to sleep. By the time Yan Laixi woke up, Chi Fu had already left. Throughout the day, they only had a few hours in the evening when they were both awake and together. So Chi Fu stayed up several nights, turning his healthy routine into the antithesis of healthy, synchronizing with Yan Laixi.

Yan Laixi had asked him why he didn’t just open earlier, since he woke up so early every day and spent a long time idling at home before slowly heading out. Was it because there were no customers in the morning?

Chi Fu’s answer at the time was that if he opened earlier, Yan Laixi would still spend a large part of their shared time watching him sleep. It was better this way: Yan Laixi was awake while he was at work, so they could text or call, and when he came home, they were both awake together, and they went to sleep together. Besides, he was the boss, and there were more customers in the evening.

He really couldn’t get up that early now. Because he couldn’t get up, his answer wasn’t wrong.

Yan Laixi felt like he wasn’t thinking clearly. Could Chi Fu, like Feng Su, just be a dream caused by an Anomaly?

“Um… you…”

“I’m fine,” Yan Laixi interrupted him.

He could see the worry in Chi Fu’s eyes, and he could also see that Chi Fu had no defenses against him, even though he was just a stranger who had suddenly appeared in his house.

“Then do you still remember Nanke?” He still wasn’t giving up, asking the question very softly. He was afraid of the answer.

The answer wouldn’t change because of his emotions.

“Let’s go to the hospital,” Yan Laixi said.

There was no point in contemplating here any longer. Whether it was an Anomaly or a physical problem, it could only be confirmed at the hospital.

He stood by the door, waiting for Chi Fu. The man was obedient. Whether it was making breakfast or now, even though he didn’t remember him, he still followed his instructions without hesitation or objection.

Wait, the breakfast was also made exactly to his taste. Maybe he hadn’t forgotten everything completely, and there was still a chance he could remember?

When Chi Fu walked past him, Yan Laixi subconsciously raised his hand, a very small movement that he quickly retracted.

He stood frozen, watching the retreating figure walk away alone.

Due to his work and personality, Yan Laixi rarely went out unless necessary. As a result, whenever they went out together, Chi Fu would cling to him like a puppy, insisting they wear matching clothes and hold hands.

Now, both of them were wearing clothes they had grabbed randomly. Forget matching; their own outfits weren’t even coordinated. And holding hands… wasn’t necessary anymore.

Yan Laixi told himself he needed to adjust. Whatever the reason, this level of amnesia wouldn’t be cured instantly.

On the way to the hospital, Yan Laixi finally regained some composure. Chi Fu didn’t remember anything now, so perhaps he should properly introduce himself and explain the current situation.

“My Anomaly is Dream; it wouldn’t cause this situation.” He rummaged through his belongings and pulled out his ID card, which could prove the authenticity of his information. “Yan Laixi, twenty-seven years old, is your…”

Yan Laixi couldn’t finish the sentence.

What was he to Chi Fu? Although you don’t remember a single thing about me, and your memories outside of me are perfectly fine, I am actually your lover?

If someone said that to him, he would immediately call the police. Or rather, the fact that Chi Fu had remained so calm and was still willing to trust him was truly unbelievable.

“Is my… lover?” Chi Fu didn’t take the ID he offered to check, finishing the sentence for him.

Yan Laixi nodded. They were lovers. They had been until he woke up today. After waking up today… he didn’t know.

If only one person held the memory of their love, if only one person recognized the other, could they still be considered a Romantic Relationship?

Could there still be a relationship between them?