The scorching heat of August.
*Beep beep—!*
The shrill cries of cicadas mixed with the incessant honking of car horns echoed through the bustling streets. The blazing sun baked the grayish-brown asphalt, waves of heat rising and distorting the air, making the entire road seem to warp.
Under the sparse patches of shade by the roadside, a group of young men huddled together, cigarettes dangling from their lips as they waited for the traffic light to change.
Suddenly, one of them—midway through exhaling a cloud of smoke—coughed lightly, his gaze locking onto a corner of the street.
"Anuo, what are you looking at?" his companion asked.
The young man named Anuo stared blankly for a long moment before finally speaking. "How… do blind people cross the road?"
His friend paused, hesitating before answering, "Well, usually, blind people have someone to guide them, or they use a seeing-eye dog. In more modern cities, there are even voice announcements at crosswalks. Worst case, they might just rely on sound and a cane to inch their way across?"
Anuo shook his head. "But what if there's no one to guide them, no seeing-eye dog, no voice announcements, and even the cane is being used to carry a bucket of peanut oil?"
"…You think you're funny?"
His companion rolled his eyes but followed Anuo's gaze. The next second, he froze in place.
On the other side of the street stood a young man in a black short-sleeved shirt, his legs wrapped in thick layers of black silk, completely blocking out all light.
In his left hand, he held a cheap shopping bag stuffed with vegetables. His right hand gripped a white cane slung over his shoulder like a carrying pole—and at the end of that cane dangled a large, golden-yellow bucket of peanut oil, glinting under the sunlight!
Black silk covering his eyes, a cane hoisted over his shoulder, vegetables in one hand, peanut oil in the other…
The bizarre sight instantly drew the attention of everyone nearby.
"Hey, look at that guy. He's so weird."
"With that much fabric over his eyes, can he even see?"
"Didn't you notice the cane? He's obviously blind."
"Who even uses cloth to cover their eyes these days? Blind people usually wear sunglasses. Isn't he suffocating in this heat?"
"Exactly! And have you ever seen a blind person carrying stuff with their cane instead of using it to walk?"
"Kids these days just love messing around."
"…"
The summer cicadas couldn't drown out the murmurs of the crowd. People eyed the young man with curiosity, whispering theories about whether he was truly blind or just pretending—while secretly anticipating what he'd do next.
At that moment, a clear, youthful voice rang out beside the young man.
"Big brother, let me help you cross the road?"
It was a schoolgirl, around twelve or thirteen years old, dressed in her uniform. Beads of sweat glistened on her cheeks, and her large, dark eyes gazed at the young man with pure, simple concern.
The young man paused slightly, tilting his head toward the girl. A faint smile touched his lips.
"Mm."
He shifted the grocery bag to his right hand, wiped his left palm on his shirt to dry the sweat, then gently took the girl's hand.
*Click—!*
The pedestrian light turned green.
With measured steps, the young man and the girl began crossing the road.
The girl was nervous, her eyes darting left and right, watching for cars. Her steps were cautious, even timid.
As for the young man… he walked with steady confidence.
To the onlookers, the scene didn't look like a kindhearted girl leading a blind person—instead, it seemed more like an older brother guiding a child.
The road wasn't wide. In just a few seconds, they reached the other side. The young man thanked the girl with a soft word, then turned and walked away without a backward glance, heading toward a quiet alley.
"He's not blind," Anuo said decisively, watching the scene unfold. "He can definitely see."
One of the younger guys behind Anuo stroked his chin, deep in thought, before suddenly brightening with realization.
"Ohhh, I get it! He's cosplaying Lee Sin!"
*Whack—!*
A sharp slap landed on the back of his head. "Idiot!" Anuo snapped. "Who the hell cosplays Lee Sin in the middle of a busy street? You got a death wish?"
After a brief pause, Anuo muttered under his breath, "Besides… Lee Sin's blindfold is red. This isn't even accurate."
"Anuo, you're the one who—"
"Shut up."
"...Okay."
As the two bickered, another young man, who had been silent the whole time, stared at the retreating figure of the black-clad youth. His brow furrowed slightly.
**"What's wrong?"** Anuo noticed his gaze.
**"I know him."**
**"Know him?"**
**"Yeah."** The young man nodded. **"Back when my cousin was in elementary school, there was a student at his school who had an accident. Something happened to his eyes—had to wrap them in black cloth. Rumor was, he had mental issues too..."**
**"Mental issues?"** Anuo frowned, replaying the earlier scene in his head. **"Didn't seem like it just now."**
**"That was ten years ago. Maybe he's better now. But back then, it was a huge deal. He dropped out within days—heard he transferred to a special school for the blind."**
Another guy chimed in eagerly: **"Wait, what kind of accident could blind someone *and* mess with their head? Some supernatural shit?"**
**"No idea."** He paused. **"But... I heard it was something even crazier than that."**
**"Poor guy."** Anuo sighed. **"What's his name?"**
**"Think it was... Lin... Lin Qíyè?"**
---
Under the dusk's glow, Lin Qíyè pushed open the door.
The aroma of home-cooked food hit him instantly. He inhaled deeply, swallowed hard, and stepped inside with his bags.
*Squeak—!*
The old door's shrill groan drowned out the sizzling from the kitchen. A middle-aged woman hurried out, wiping her hands on her apron, and gasped when she saw Lin Qíyè laden with groceries.
**"Xiao Qi! Why'd you carry so much at once?"** She fussed, rushing to take the bags from him. **"A whole bucket of peanut oil? Did you splurge your disability subsidy again?"**
**"Auntie, that money's for living expenses. Buying oil *is* using it properly,"** Lin Qíyè chuckled.
**"Nonsense! That's for your college fund! Listen—my wages are enough for the three of us. Stop spending your own money."**
She wiped the oil bucket carefully, her expression pained. **"Name-brand oil, this big... must've cost a fortune."**
Before Lin Qíyè could respond, she suddenly froze.
**"Wait... how'd you carry all this back?"**
**"Oh. Met some kind strangers—they helped."** Lin Qíyè replied smoothly.
**"Good, that's good... Seems there are still kind people in this world."** The aunt's voice softened. **"Did you thank them properly?"**
**"I did."** Lin Qíyè shifted the subject. **"Auntie, where's A-Jin?"**
**"On the balcony doing homework... Oh, the doctor from the psychiatric hospital came for your annual check-up. He's resting in your room. Go see him—I'll call you when dinner's ready."**
Lin Qíyè's steps faltered almost imperceptibly. **"Mm,"** he acknowledged before turning toward the bedroom.
---
**"Hello, I'm Dr. Li from Sunshine Psychiatric Hospital."**
The young man seated on a small stool stood as Lin Qíyè entered. His large black-framed glasses lent him a scholarly air, and his tone was gentle.
Lin Qíyè raised an eyebrow. **"Wasn't Dr. Han usually assigned to me?"**
**"Dr. Han was promoted to deputy director last year."** Dr. Li smiled, eyes flickering with admiration.
Lin Qíyè nodded. Of course—Dr. Han was elderly and exceptionally skilled. A promotion was inevitable, and sending a younger doctor for routine follow-ups made sense.
As Lin Qíyè sat, Dr. Li cleared his throat and pulled a file from his bag.
**"Apologies—I'm new to your case. Let me briefly review the details."** His tone was apologetic.
Lin Qíyè assented.
**"Full name... Lin Qíyè?"**
**"Correct."**
**"Age seventeen."**
**"Yes."**
**"Date of birth?"**
**"October fifth."**
**"Hmm... Records indicate you lost your vision ten years ago and were subsequently admitted to our hospital for... related complications?"**
**"Accurate."**
Dr. Li hesitated. **"Have you ever legally changed your name?"**
**"...No. Why?"** Lin Qíyè stiffened.
The doctor scratched his head sheepishly. **"Ahem... Never mind. My mistake."**
He pointed to the age on the medical record, then to the words "ten years ago." "You see, you lost your sight ten years ago when you were exactly seven years old. And your name happens to be Lin Qíyè (Seven Nights), so I thought perhaps you'd changed it after..."
Lin Qíyè remained silent for a long moment before shaking his head. "No... I've never changed my name. My parents named me Lin Qíyè before I was even born."
"That's quite... ahem." Dr. Li caught himself mid-sentence, realizing his comment might be inappropriate, and promptly closed his mouth.
"Quite a coincidence," Lin Qíyè said flatly. "Yes, quite a coincidence indeed."
Dr. Li looked embarrassed but quickly changed the subject. "Well... the medical records don't seem to detail the accident that caused your blindness and... psychological symptoms. If you're comfortable, could you tell me about it?"
Before Lin Qíyè could respond, Dr. Li hurriedly added, "I don't mean to pry. Understanding patients better helps with treatment, of course, but you're under no obligation—"
Lin Qíyè sat perfectly still. Behind the black silk blindfold, his gaze seemed to fix on Dr. Li.
After a long pause, he spoke slowly:
"There's nothing I *can't* say... But you probably won't believe me. You might even have me recommitted."
"No, no—let's not frame this as doctor and patient. Just a casual chat between friends," Dr. Li said lightly. "Even if you told me the Jade Emperor dragged you into his celestial furnace, I'd believe you."
Lin Qíyè exhaled, then nodded.
"As a child, I loved astronomy."
"Mm. And then?"
"That night, I was lying on the roof of our old house, watching the moon."
"What did you see? The Jade Rabbit?" Dr. Li joked.
Lin Qíyè shook his head. His next words froze the smile on Dr. Li's face:
"No. I saw an angel." He raised his hands, sketching wings in the air.
"A seraphim—bathed in golden light, with six white wings."