Jin Se

Chapter 37

Gu Huaiyang had already blown out the lights and fallen half asleep when he heard a knock on his door.

He rubbed his eyes, threw on a coat, and sat up. Just who was bothering him at this godforsaken hour? Though, judging by the knocking, it didn't seem too urgent; not an eyebrows-on-fire kind of emergency that absolutely had to be discussed in the middle of the night.

He opened the door and saw Shi Wuduan standing outside, drooping his head glumly and clutching that weird astrolabe of his. Battered by the elements as he tried not to keel over, he was the very image of a frosted eggplant. For a second, Gu Huaiyang almost thought he'd sleepwalked over here the throes of a nightmare.

A few moments passed before Shi Wuduan finally showed signs of life; he raised his eyes woodenly and said, "Eldest brother."

"What's the matter?" Gu Huaiyang asked confusedly.

Shi Wuduan, who could normally natter on incessantly as a parrot, seemed to have gone mute. He stood there, motionless and noiseless as a tree. Gu Huaiyang, still befuddled, could hardly let him stay outside in the freezing wind, so he beckoned him in and Shi Wuduan obediently entered.

Gu Huaiyang said, "Sit down then."

He then mechanically sat down like a puppet with moving joints.

Before he'd arrived, Gu Huaiyang had been in bed for some time already, so there wasn't any hot water and he didn't bother making tea. He asked again, "What's the matter with you?"

At his words, Shi Wuduan raised his head, staring unblinkingly at the teacup on the table. His expression raised goosebumps on Gu Huaiyang's skin. He thought his gaze could just about bore a hole through the cup. Gu Huaiyang could tell that something was off with Shi Wuduan; he caught a whiff of alcohol off him and figured he might be drunk. He and Shi Wuduan stared at each other in the dim light for a minute before he finally gave in, and poked Shi Wuduan, "Do you... know who I am?"

Shi Wuduan said, "Eldest brother."　　

Ah, so he does recognize me - Gu Huaiyang concluded. He asked, "Are you drunk?"

Shi Wuduan paused, then slowly nodded, "Just a bit."

He is at least somewhat clear-headed, so what's going on?

Gu Huaiyang looked at him dubiosly. He'd known Shi Wuguan for several years, long enough to know he wasn't the brainless imbecile he appeared to be; he was just extremely introverted -- when he wasn'teating, that is.

His face was disturbingly blank, but he wasn't truely dazed.

While he remained silent, so did Gu Huaiyang. He fiddled with the lamp a bit and got it to shine a bit brighter. Then he turned to the side and yawned, waiting patiently as ever.

After who knows how long, Shi Wuduan's hand, which had been limply splayed out on the table, curled into a fist. He suddenly opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Gu Huaiyang leaned over and probed, "What?"

Then, Gu Huaiyang, without a doubt, heard him say, "I'm not wrong."

For a moment, visible anger flashed over Gu Huaiyang's face, making him look as young as he actually was - too young to be constantly repressing himself, unable to wear his feelings openly. For a moment, he was just an annoyed, peeved young man.

A second later, he heard Shi Wuduan slowly repeat, "I'm not wrong."

Gu Huaiyang startled; the candlelight flickered in the breeze slipping through the cracks of the door.