Chapter 60
“Jiajia, why are you back?” Yang Jianguo looked at his son, who was dragging a suitcase with a gloomy expression, in surprise.
“Brother Jing's company just started, and I didn’t want to disturb him too much, so I came back early.”
As soon as Yang Jiabo finished speaking, his phone rang. The call was from Wei Jing. Staring at the caller ID, Yang Jiabo frowned.
“Whose call is it? Why aren’t you answering?” Yang Jianguo noticed his son’s odd behavior, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
“Oh, I’m just tired from the trip. Zoned out for a second.”
Wei Jing had called to ask if he had arrived home safely. After just a couple of words, someone urged Wei Jing to attend a meeting. Yang Jiabo, feeling guilty, secretly sighed in relief.
Wei Jing’s company was in its early stages, requiring him to work late into the night. Though he still called every day, their conversations had grown fewer. Yang Jiabo, tangled in his feelings for Wei Jing and unsure how to face them, was somewhat relieved by the distance.
Yang Jiabo wasn’t an ambitious person. Even after being reborn, he had mostly overcome his suicidal thoughts and simply wanted a stable, peaceful life within his own small world. Rebirth didn’t mean completely erasing the past. Though he tried to appear cheerful and positive, deep down, he still feared crowds and unfamiliar environments.
After opening the farm, he rarely ventured beyond its boundaries—just a slightly larger version of staying at home. Aside from helping manage the farm, he preferred lazing in bed with a book. All these signs pointed to his lingering psychological issues.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye, during which Yang Jiabo had been self-hypnotizing into believing his feelings for Wei Jing were purely brotherly.
Since returning home, Yang Jiabo hadn’t mentioned treatment. Wei Jing didn’t want to pressure him, but months had passed with no progress—only deliberate avoidance. Wei Jing felt he couldn’t let this continue. If he didn’t push him, would Yang Jiabo just hide in his shell forever?
Wei Jing made time to contact a psychologist and called Yang Jiabo daily, urging him to come to the capital for treatment. Every time he answered, Yang Jiabo frowned as if swallowing bitter herbs, perfunctorily saying he’d think about it.
Going to the capital meant facing Wei Jing. Yang Jiabo groaned inwardly, distance allowed him to keep deluding himself. Frequent contact? He didn’t dare imagine the consequences.
Unaware of his turmoil, Wei Jing thought he was just avoiding treatment. After some consideration, Wei Jing directly contacted Yang Jianguo to discuss Yang Jiabo’s therapy.
Yang Jianguo fully supported the idea. His son was growing older, reaching the age for marriage. Having suffered an unhappy marriage himself, Yang Jianguo wanted his son to have a happy family. Noticing Yang Jiabo’s recent absentmindedness, he grew concerned.
Despite their joint efforts, neither could persuade Yang Jiabo to leave his shell. Finally, Wei Jing had no choice but to bring the doctor to the farm. Yang Jianguo was delighted, while Yang Jiabo stood dumbfounded at the sight of Wei Jing and the psychologist at his door, he hadn’t expected this move.
“Brother, aren’t you busy?” Yang Jiabo stared blankly, struggling to process the situation.
“If the mountain won’t come to me, then I'll go to the mountain,” Wei Jing said, both exasperated and fond.
[山不来就我，我便去就山 (shān bù lái jiù wǒ, wǒ biàn qù jiù shān): lit. If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain; fig. If one party refuses to compromise, the other must take the initiative.]
“……”
Yang Jiabo didn’t know how to respond. His chest felt tight, sour yet warm. Eyes reddening, he stared dumbly at Wei Jing. After months apart, Wei Jing seemed more mature and even more handsome.
Wei Jing, seeing his pitiful, teary-eyed look, wanted to pat his head but held back, changing the subject instead. “This is Dr. Luo, who just returned from studying abroad.”
Dr. Luo, Luo Lixin, was a scholarly man in his thirties with a gentle demeanor. Talking to him felt like a warm spring breeze - comfortable and relaxing. After settling him in a nearby bamboo house, Yang Jiabo gave him a tour of the farm.
Luo Lixin loved the farm’s environment - willow trees, ponds, bamboo cottages, and orchards. Though not as refined as Jiangnan gardens, it was naturally cozy.
Wei Jing, busy with work, had to leave the next day. The farm had guest rooms, but he always stayed with Yang Jiabo out of habit.
That night, Yang Jiabo nervously leaned against the bed, distractedly flipping through a book while straining to hear the bathroom’s sounds. The lock clicked softly, and Wei Jing stepped out in pajamas, drying his damp hair.
“What are you reading?”
“A book on growing medicinal herbs.” Yang Jiabo avoided his gaze guiltily.
“I’m here for once. Aren’t you going to talk to me?”
The familiar minty scent of his own shower gel wafted from Wei Jing. Before recognizing his feelings, this wouldn’t have bothered him, but now it stirred something strange in his chest.
“Brother, I’m an adult, not a kid. Focus on your company, you don’t need to worry about me.”
“Hmm, you’re an adult in age, but mentally, you’re still a spoiled baby. If I really left you alone, you’d probably cry under the blankets.” Wei Jing saw Yang Jiabo as soft as toffee - fragile inside and out, easily hurt.
“That’s not true!” Yang Jiabo glared, refusing to admit Wei Jing might be right.
Wei Jing poked his puffed-out cheek. “Caught you.”
Yang Jiabo covered his face. “You saw wrong.”
“My eyesight’s perfect.” Wei Jing grabbed his wrist.
Like childish kids, they tussled playfully.
The next morning, Wei Jing left for the airport after breakfast. Yang Jiabo suppressed his reluctance and saw him off. This time, he could no longer lie to himself, his feelings for Wei Jing had long since changed.
Luo Lixin was sociable and soon became friends with Yang Jiabo. He didn’t bring up treatment, nor did he let others call him doctor. Yang Jianguo, knowing his identity, was initially warm yet reserved.
Within days, Luo Lixin blended into the Yang household. He mostly helped Yang Jiabo and chatted with him. Aside from the Yangs, no one knew he was a psychologist—they assumed he was a relative on vacation.
“Jiajia, you’ve seemed restless lately. If you’re willing, can you share what’s troubling you?” Luo Lixin had noticed Yang Jiabo’s mood three days prior but only probed gently. Yet Yang Jiabo’s distress only worsened.
“I…” Yang Jiabo hesitated. In two days, it would be the day of his childhood friend Zhang Wei’s accident.
Zhang Wei had been strikingly handsome, with delicate features rivaling celebrities. Ding Xiang had adored him since childhood, vowing to marry him. Fearing others would steal him, she clung to him like a shadow. Though they drifted apart after school, Ding Xiang persisted, even enrolling in his university to pursue him.
Her efforts paid off, she outshone Zhang Wei’s admirers and won his heart. Their families, already acquainted, happily supported their relationship, planning a wedding after Ding Xiang’s graduation. But Zhang Wei died before then.
Devastated, Ding Xiang insisted on marrying him posthumously. Her parents naturally opposed to their only daughter married a dead man, relented only after her suicide threats. A simple wedding was held, but Ding Xiang never recovered. Her parents moved away to spare her the grief.
Before Yang Jiabo’s death, he heard Ding Xiang never remarried, living alone. Some said she never forgot Zhang Wei, while others whispered she’d gone mad.
Though Yang Jiabo and Zhang Wei had lost touch, he cherished those childhood memories. He wanted to save Zhang Wei but feared the consequences.
Luo Lixin waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts.
“Brother Luo, I keep dreaming about a childhood friend dying in a car accident, lying in a pool of blood, eyes wide open.”
“The same dream repeatedly?”
“Yes. It feels so real, and I can’t shake this dread.”
Luo Lixin suspected stress might be the cause, but Yang Jiabo seemed to be hiding something.
To get him to open up, Luo Lixin needed someone he trusted most. Logically, that should be Yang Jianguo, but Yang Jiabo, while trusting, didn’t rely on him. Luo Lixin asked Wei Jing to probe indirectly.
After hearing Luo Lixin’s report, Wei Jing called Yang Jiabo. “I heard you’ve been upset. Can you tell me why?”
Yang Jiabo, expecting this, repeated his prepared explanation.
“Brother, do you believe in past lives? I feel like this happened in a previous life. I want to save him, but I’m afraid of altering others’ fates. Remember the two hypothetical lives I once mentioned? I think that was Second Cousin’s past life…”
He knew rebirth sounded unbelievable, even he sometimes doubted his memories. But keeping secrets bottled up made him desperate to confide in someone.
After a pause, Wei Jing asked, “So… do you want to save him?”
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