A Curse

Anshi Yilang sat in the school director's office, seemingly lost in thought, his expression shifting between gloom and uncertainty.

Just yesterday, his medical report had arrived—though he'd gone for the checkup with the mindset of "I'm getting older, might as well get it done," the results were far from reassuring. Anshi Yilang never expected his heart to actually have issues, and serious ones at that—serious enough to require hospitalization for observation.

Yet, that young man had spotted the problem with just a glance. Recalling the bet he'd made with him, Anshi Yilang's expression darkened further.

Was he really about to lose his precious granddaughter?

But…

She had been so tiny and adorable when she was born.

Knock knock knock. A sound came from the door. Before Anshi Yilang could respond, the door was kicked open!

"Damn it—"

He slammed the desk and was about to stand when he saw the girl standing there, hands in her pockets, one leg still raised from the kick.

"Yo, old man," An Shiyu greeted in her Osaka dialect. "We're here."

Beside her stood Ye Shuang, looking resigned.

"Xiao Yu, why do you always open doors like that?" Anshi Yilang frowned, his tone stern as he scolded her.

"What if you hurt your precious toes on the door?"

"Your grandpa would be heartbroken!"

Ye Shuang: "…"

Are you sure you’re not just a doting grandfather?

"Have a seat," Anshi Yilang said to Ye Shuang, gesturing to the chair in front of him.

Ye Shuang obliged. The office chair had armrests, and An Shiyu promptly plopped down on one, her slender legs swinging idly as she leaned back against Ye Shuang’s shoulder without hesitation.

"Uh… isn’t this position a bit awkward?" Ye Shuang asked.

An Shiyu, sucking on a lollipop, tilted her head to look at him. "Want me to sit in your lap instead?"

She smirked. "That works too."

"Never mind."

"Xiao Yu, sit on Grandpa’s lap," Anshi Yilang immediately offered.

"No."

"W-why not? You loved sitting on my knees when you were little!"

"Tch, wasn’t that because you forced me to?"

"How cruel!"

The grandfather and granddaughter bickered in their dialect, leaving Ye Shuang unable to follow the conversation. Still, he could guess the gist—the troublesome old man was just jealous.

"Alright, let’s get down to business," Anshi Yilang suddenly turned serious, interlacing his fingers on the desk.

"Tell me, how did you know about my health condition?"

Ye Shuang thought for a moment, then pointed to his own wrist. "I took your pulse back then, didn’t I?"

"Is it really that accurate?" Anshi Yilang seemed skeptical.

"If it’s just diagnosing an illness…"

Ye Shuang wasn’t lying—identifying medical conditions was something he could do with confidence.

Beside them, An Shiyu’s expression shifted strangely. Her gaze fixed on her grandfather. "Old man, you’re sick?"

She had no idea what had transpired between Ye Shuang and her grandfather. But at the mention of health problems, her lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by a grim expression.

"It’s nothing serious," Anshi Yilang said.

"That’s not 'nothing'!" An Shiyu snapped. "Why didn’t you tell me?!"

Anshi Yilang hesitated before explaining, "Old age comes with ailments. I didn’t want to worry you."

An Shiyu fell silent, then hopped off the armrest. She shot her grandfather a look.

"Pathetic."

Without another word, she walked out.

"Xiao Yu!"

Anshi Yilang sighed heavily as his granddaughter left.

"Did something happen in the past?" Ye Shuang asked, watching An Shiyu’s retreating figure.

Her reaction seemed tied to something deeper.

"That child… lost family members before. She’s sensitive about these things," Anshi Yilang said vaguely.

"For her, no sorrow fades. She relives the pain as if it were fresh."

"About our bet—I won’t oppose your relationship with Xiao Yu anymore…"

Ye Shuang almost pointed out that there was no relationship to begin with, but given the mood, he held back.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" Anshi Yilang suddenly requested.

"What is it?"

"If possible, spend more time with her. Do things that make her happy… You seem to be someone special to her."

Ye Shuang didn’t find the request unreasonable. "I’ll try."

Anshi Yilang then pulled out a card from his pocket and slid it toward Ye Shuang. "There’s 500,000 here. Consider it payment."

But Ye Shuang shook his head.

"Too little?"

Ye Shuang smiled. "No need. If she found out I did it for money, she’d never forget that betrayal. Do you want your granddaughter to carry another sorrow?"

Anshi Yilang froze, as if realizing something. "You knew? Did Xiao Yu tell you?"

"No, I guessed."

Anshi Yilang looked astonished. "Your medical skills are that advanced?"

Ye Shuang didn’t know how to explain, so he simply chuckled.

——

Rooftop.

An Shiyu sat on the ledge, half her body hanging over the edge, the wind tousling her bangs as she gazed into the distance.

Lost in thought, her eyes lowered, the cold in her heart far deeper than the wind’s chill.

"That’s dangerous, sitting there." A voice came from behind.

An Shiyu didn’t turn, recognizing the speaker instantly.

"Doesn’t matter. How’d you find me, old man?"

But then she stiffened—Ye Shuang swung himself onto the ledge, mimicking her posture.

"Call it intuition."

He glanced down.

"Whoa, that’s high."

An Shiyu snapped out of it and turned away. "Old man… you really are weird."

"Says the weirdest one here."

"Heh."

The breeze brushed her face, and though Ye Shuang sat at a distance, his presence shielded her from some of the cold, bringing an unexpected warmth.

"Old man."

"Yeah?"

"Do you know more about hyperthymesia?"

"Maybe. It’s a condition where you can’t forget anything, right?" Ye Shuang said. "All humans have the capacity for perfect recall, but 'forgetting' is actually a protective mechanism."

"Never forgetting anything…"

"Like I said before, it’s more like a curse, isn’t it?"

His words, carried by the wind, seemed to settle deep in her heart.