But it was all just insignificant talk. Though I longed to express my joy at seeing Liang Qian well—even to embrace her with a sense of peace—my true *identity ultimately prevented me from doing so.

If Nie Chuan had been present, it would have been different, but with just the two of us, we realized we were from entirely different worlds than Liang Qian, finding absolutely nothing to say. So, after a few pleasantries, Da Xiong and I hurried away.

As we left the hospital, I looked back at Liang Qian twice. Although there was so much I couldn't say to her, I knew her future days would surely be good.

Nie Chuan was back; even though he wasn't me, he possessed the same attentiveness and the same love. All that love would be poured entirely onto Liang Qian, just as if I were still by her side.

Suddenly, a song came to mind—The greatest love is letting go. Since Liang Qian and Nie Chuan were truly in love, as long as they were together, perhaps who I was no longer mattered.

Besides, I am Nie Chuan, and Nie Chuan is me. If they are together, it's the same as Liang Qian and I being together.

That’s what I thought, yet for some reason, I didn't speak a single word on the way downstairs; I felt a knot of oppressive energy in my chest that I couldn't swallow down. When we reached the ground floor, Da Xiong patted my shoulder and laughed, “Are you falling asleep standing up?

We still have that mutton hot pot to eat!” I managed a smile and said, “Should we call Nie Chuan and ask him to join us?” Da Xiong shook his head. “Although Liang Qian is mostly fine now, she still needs to stay in the hospital.

They haven’t seen each other for so long; let them spend a little more time together. Plus, Xiao Chuan has a mountain of things to deal with and no time for dinner with us.

Once we get back and regroup, we’ll definitely gather again. After all, all the mysteries haven't been solved.

It won't be too late to eat then, and there might even be a chance to go digging together again.” I shook my head. “This time, even if ten bulls tried to drag me, I wouldn’t go exploring ruins or underground mazes again—unless Nie Chuan finds a concrete clue that can solve everything in one go.

Maybe then I’ll accompany him one more time.” After a pause, I mimicked my other self’s tone. “You know too, we haven’t unearthed a single valuable burial artifact from those places recently.

My business might be going under.” Da Xiong chuckled, flagging down a taxi, and said, “Didn’t you go to the underground city of Atlantis? And that subterranean palace entirely constructed of pure gold?

Why didn't you snag a couple of pieces back then? Artifacts from that kind of alien culture—even if not valued by age as antiques—the sheer scientific research value alone would have us lying down and living comfortably for the rest of our lives.” I blinked.

“Wait, shouldn’t it be ‘sitting and eating, lying down and pooping’…” After thinking it over, I decided it still didn’t sound right. “Forget how we defecate.

You have no idea how treacherous that golden maze was. The entire floor was electrified; one wrong step and you’d be electrocuted.

And you expect me to grab artifacts? I’d be lucky not to end up as charcoal.” Da Xiong smacked his lips, deeply regretting it.

“You might get electrocuted whether you took anything or not. If it were me, I’d damn well take it!” Just as I was about to mock his greed and disregard for life, the driver nearby honked his horn and barked in a thick Beijing accent, “Are you two getting in or not!

Are you just playing around here or what!” I quickly apologized. “Sorry, we’ll get in right away.” Da Xiong shoved his stout frame into the car first, then I settled into the back seat and told the driver, “Take us to the best place for mutton hot pot.

No detours.” The driver didn't say a word, stepped on the gas, and drove off. Finally, the driver took us to a famous Beijing mutton restaurant on Nanyuan Ethnic Street.

He collected eighty yuan for the fare and sped away with a grim expression. I figured the driver was treating us so poorly because Da Xiong had been rambling about grave robbing and underground palaces the whole way.

Usually, people who talk like that are considered fanatics who’ve watched too many tomb-raiding novels, showing signs of mental derangement, rather than people believing we’re actual tomb robbers. We ordered a large pot and over a dozen bottles of baijiu, eating from past three in the afternoon until closing time at eleven at night.

Da Xiong drank about seven or eight bottles of premium baijiu and was nearly unconscious when we left. I exerted every ounce of strength to carry him downstairs, hailed a taxi, found a nearby chain hotel, and collapsed into sleep.

Midway through the night, I awoke with a terrible stomachache. Maybe it was because I hadn't eaten such delicious food in so long, causing me to overeat and get diarrhea, or perhaps the alcohol was bad.

In any case, I dashed to the bathroom seven or eight times. Once I was completely empty, I fell back asleep.

When I woke up, it was already noon the next day. I noticed my beard had grown considerably overnight, which felt strange.

As I finished showering and changing into fresh clothes, Da Xiong also woke up, scrambling to use the toilet. When we went out to check out, the attendant insisted we pay for three days.

I argued that even if we had missed checkout time, we should only pay for two days; why three? Da Xiong even got into a shouting match with the young woman at the front desk, causing a massive ruckus.

Eventually, the manager arrived and pulled up the surveillance footage, showing the two clips of us entering and leaving the hotel. Only then did we confess.

It turned out that after we fell asleep that night, we had actually slept for three full days and nights. We were now in the fourth day, well past checkout time.

The manager saw that we weren't people to be trifled with, so he ultimately agreed to charge us for three days. As we left the hotel, the attendants looked at us with odd expressions, whispering among themselves.

I imagined them saying, “These two stayed for three days and three nights without eating, drinking, or leaving the room. What on earth were they doing?

Are they doing drugs in there?” Fearing they might call the police and have us end up with Xiao Fangzi, Xiao Mozi, and Xiao Dongzi, I quickly pulled Da Xiong away from that alley. That afternoon, I accompanied Da Xiong to buy his ticket back to Harbin and watched him board the plane after checking in.

Then, I had no idea what I was supposed to do next. I lingered near the airport for a while, thinking of calling Nie Chuan, or perhaps Second Uncle, Third Uncle, or Mom and Dad, but I didn't dial any numbers.

Because I was *, not Nie Chuan, I couldn't possibly call and express concern for his relatives' well-being, could I? I could only guess about their situation.

I assumed they must be doing well, because Nie Chuan immediately started investigating Grandpa’s package upon returning home. Only if nothing was wrong at home would he be that relaxed and dive into the investigation so quickly.

Since there was a lead regarding Grandpa’s package, I couldn't leave Beijing yet. I needed to wait for Nie Chuan’s investigation results to understand the progress.

I decided to find a cheap hotel nearby to stay for a few days first. But when I dug into my pockets, I realized I only had six hundred yuan on me.

Even at the lowest-grade family inn, that would only last four or five days, and that was without eating. I let out a cold laugh, murmuring to myself, “Nie Chuan, oh Nie Chuan.

You’ve seen mountains of gold and silver, encountered extraterrestrial civilizations, and even became the apprentice of a mythical figure. Now, with such an awesome background, you’ve degenerated into a homeless person with only six hundred yuan.

That’s really like you.” Despite the cold laugh and the self-deprecation, I decided I would look for a job tomorrow. However, thinking it through brought up another difficulty: without an ID card, I couldn't get any formal job; I’d have to settle for odd jobs.

Thankfully, having explored so many underground ruins and fought various monsters, my body was accustomed to high-intensity exercise, so I had plenty of strength. Lifting bricks wouldn't be a problem.

Tomorrow, I’ll look for a construction site. I can move bricks and earn four or five thousand a month!

With that thought, I laughed out loud again, muttering under my breath, “Will my autobiography have a chapter titled, ‘Famous Biological Doctor Degrades to Bricklayer’?” I was laughing to myself, completely unconcerned with how others perceived me. Amidst the passing crowd, a little girl holding a lollipop looked at me, giggling foolishly, and shot me a look of disdain, which left me speechless.

No matter what, I needed to find a cheap hotel tonight and worry about construction sites tomorrow. Thinking this, I walked out onto the street outside the airport, took a bus, and headed towards the Fifth Ring Road.

I didn't get off until the bus reached the urban-rural fringe in the eastern suburbs. The place where I got off—I didn't know the village's name—was extremely chaotic, a melting pot of all sorts of people.

I asked a fruit vendor nearby where the cheapest inns were. He pointed toward a small alley behind him.

“It’s cheaper over there. Lots of female university students rent apartments there; if you’re lucky, you might find something cheap.” The fruit vendor meant well; I couldn't say anything other than giving a slight chuckle and buying a few tangerines.

Carrying the tangerines, I walked into the alley and found it completely choked with small stalls and vendors—all kinds of barber shops, small restaurants, and hostels everywhere. This reminded me of a similar place in the suburbs of Chengdu, stirring up countless memories.

Walking down this street, I noticed that the originally packed earth ground was already cracked and fragmented, possibly because it had just rained, leaving puddles everywhere. When cars drove past, they splashed mud and water everywhere with a sizzling sound.

After several cars passed, I had to retreat onto the so-called sidewalk. Even in such filth, there were many unattended children of migrant workers playing in the mud on the street.

Seeing them looking like mud statues, weaving in and out among the various tricycles and cars, I felt genuinely worried. Just then, a loud crashing sound suddenly echoed down the street ahead, causing pedestrians and cyclists to scramble away.

It turned out to be a speeding gravel truck. I thought to myself, no wonder the road was so ruined—large trucks must pass through here often.

There must be a construction site nearby. Just as I thought my job prospects were secured, I saw three toddlers, about two or three years old, who were playing in the mud, staring blankly at the speeding gravel truck, completely unaware of how to dodge it.

And the driver of the gravel truck, because his vehicle was so high, couldn't see the small children below!