Ninth In the World

The memories that Di Jiu obtained about his previous life were mostly centered around the language and the kind of world he was currently living in. His memory was still very fuzzy when it came to the people around him and his relationship with them. He was also not sure if he had liked Shen Ziyu or hated her in his previous life. He could only use rough words to describe his feelings.

“That’s great! An Lang and I have already prayed. Let’s go back to the hotel together!” Liang Xi said in relief, now that she knew his issue had nothing to do with Shen Ziyu.

Di Jiu thought Liang Xi must have been a warm old high school friend of his.

…

Getting from Wang Chuan Temple to the County City Hotel, where Liang Xi was staying, took them one hour. Di Jiu looked like a homeless person, so he naturally attracted a lot of people’s attention on the bus.

Di Zimo was no stranger to Liang Xi. She had been his high school friend, as well as a guest at his wedding with Shen Ziyu two years ago.

Liang Xi did not know why Shen Ziyu, who was such an outstanding lady, would marry Di Zimo, but she was not surprised when they got a divorce. The two of them were not on the same social standing, so no matter the reason behind their divorce, it certainly did not come as a surprise.

What Liang Xi found weird was that Di Zimo had changed a lot compared to the way he used to be.

Di Zimo used to be an introverted, cowardly man. However, while they were on the bus together, he would not stop asking her questions. It was as if he were looking for things to say, as if he had not spoken to anybody in ages… It seemed like he was trying to get everything off his chest in one go.

“What do you need help with, Di Zimo?” Liang Xi asked without beating around the bush. She was starting to get tired of his endless talking. Could the failure of his marriage have changed him so much?

“You guys chat. I’ll go buy Brother Zimo some clothes,” An Lang, who was together with Liang Xi, volunteered. He did not want to interrupt their conversation.

Di Jiu laughed. “Thank you, Junior An Lang. I can buy some clothes later on my own.”

“I did not expect you to change so much, Di Zimo. An Lang is not your junior. He is in his second year of accounting school, so he is technically our senior. You can tell us what you need help with, but there is no guarantee that we will be able to help you,” Liang Xi said unkindly, rolling her eyes at Di Jiu.

At first, she had been sympathetic, but after riding the bus with him to the hotel, she saw clear as a day that he did not need her sympathy. He did not have any mental problems whatsoever.

Di Jiu, who did not mind one bit, continued the conversation by saying to her, “In the future, I will be using the name Di Jiu instead of Di Zimo. Di Zimo represents my past self. Di Jiu will represent my present self. I have decided to start my life afresh.”

“Alright, Di Jiu. Can you please tell me what you need from me already?” Liang Xi was getting frustrated with his talk of past and present lives. The way she saw it, unless he worked diligently, things would stay the same.

Di Jiu chuckled. “You know that I have been traveling around lately. I actually fell on my head once. Although I survived, most of my memories have become fuzzy. For example, when I first saw you earlier, I almost didn’t recognize you. Could you please update me on everything as simply as you can?”

“Oh…” Liang Xi and An Lang let out a simultaneous gasp. Both of them were shocked by his words.

After a while, Liang Xi voiced her uncertainty. “No wonder I thought you seemed different from your past self! Are you alright? Do you need to be checked by a doctor?”

Di Jiu laughed bitterly as he said, “Seeing a doctor requires money, which is something I don’t have in abundance. Besides, being like this is not bad. At least I have forgotten things that I don’t want to remember. This is good for me and other people.”

Liang Xi nodded unconsciously in agreement as she said, “What do you want me to tell you?”

“Just tell me everything you know about me. It’s okay, I have let go of the past a long time ago. The reason why I want you to tell me everything is for me to prove that I have put it all behind me.” His words still sounded very ambiguous.

Thankfully, Liang Xi did not catch on to his tone of speech. She just sighed. “We were only high school friends for two years. What I know is very limited. You transferred to our class in the second year and stayed until our third year. You were very quiet. Maybe you were just an introvert, unlike the way you are now.”

“After graduation, I went to university. You left the school, because you didn’t get in. Two years ago, when I attended Shen Ziyu’s wedding, I didn’t even know that the person she was getting married to was actually you. Then, a while later, I heard that you two got a divorce. That’s pretty much it…”

Liang Xi eyed Di Jiu suspiciously as she spoke. Logically speaking, if he had been able to marry Shen Ziyu, then his family background must have been decent. Why did he not continue studying despite the fact that he had not been able to get into university? Liang Xi recalled that he had always been very mysterious. She had never found out where he had come from, what his family did for a living, or who his parents were.

Di Jiu rubbed his nose. Little did he expect that he and Liang Xi had barely been friends for two years. According to what Liang Xi had said, they had only been slightly closer than complete strangers.

He had not gotten any of the information that he needed.

“Thank you so much, Liang Xi.” Di Jiu stood up.

“Are you planning on going back to Luo Jin?” Liang Xi could not resist asking him another question when she saw him stand up.

He stretched lazily and gave her a smile. “That’s right, I am going back to Luo Jin to take a look. It’s definitely better than roaming the streets.”

He knew that he had been staying at Luo Jin, because he had found a rental receipt in his wallet with that address on it.

“Di Jiu… Di Jiu… I think that you are much happier than you used to be. Everything is water under the bridge. Don’t think too much about it,” Liang Xi could not resist commenting.

Di Jiu gave a hearty laugh and said, “That’s right. The situation is as is. What do I have to fear anymore? If I remained depressed, it would only satisfy the people I hate.”

“So what are your plans for the future?’

“I have been following a herb gatherer for the past few years, so I am planning on finding a related job with whatever knowledge I have. Thank you for helping me by bringing me back here,” he said as he walked out of Liang Xi’s room.

Revenge was still a distant goal. He needed to survive first. Yu Jianfu had given him a card, but looking for a job at the Ai Bo Hospital would be his last resort. First, he would go to Luo Jin and look at the place where he had been staying.

…

It took him four hours to get from the Wang Chuan County City Bus Station to Luo Jin, and although he had some memory of it, he was still impressed when he reached Luo Jin. Compared to Pearl City, Luo Jin had way too many residents.

The town was crowded and bustling with activity, but it did not have as wide a variety of aviation equipment as Pearl City. Perhaps technology was not as advanced there as in Pearl City.

Di Jiu felt for the folded piece of paper with the Luo Jin Wu Chuan District address. It was Xue Hu Road 726, Lane 22, Building 601. The name written on it was Di Zimo, so he was certain that this was the place where he had been staying lately.

The sixth floor was at the top of the building. As soon as Di Jiu threw open the door, he caught a whiff of a faint rotting smell. When he looked up, he realized that the ceiling was soaked in rainwater. This was probably because the measures taken to ensure that the top floor was waterproof were not good enough.

Di Jiu did not care that the roof was leaking, though. All he wanted to do was wash himself clean and sleep.

He had been stressed and on edge from the moment he had dug up that gray stone, up to the point when he had been struck by lightning, experienced those changes in his body, heard those devastating news from Qu Xiaoshu and escaped into the void, only to come to this place.

Even when he had been in Yu Jianfu’s car or outside the Wang Chuan Temple, he had only slept lightly because he’d had to stay alert. Now, he could finally let his guard down. This house made him feel some sort of security.