Shen Wenxun’s room was crammed with books in various languages. The shelves were already full, so she had resorted to stacking them haphazardly along the walls. Several open journals and papers were spread across her desk, giving the space a cluttered and cramped appearance.
Shen Yu entered with a document folder, standing two meters away from her. “Last time I contacted you about moving Dad’s grave back to China,” he said.
The cemetery management had informed Shen Yu that he wasn’t listed among his father’s registered next of kin. To relocate the grave, they could only liaise with Shen Wenxun.
Shen Wenxun was in Iceland at the time, so she instructed him to retrieve an agreement from this house in Country L that could prove his relation to their father.
“That document can prove your kinship with your dad,” Shen Wenxun had told him.
Now, Shen Yu stood before her, eyes downcast as he handed over the folder. “I wanted to confirm with you,” he asked calmly, “is this the right one?”
Shen Wenxun took the folder, pulled out the few pages inside, and glanced over them. “Yes,” she nodded.
“Why?” Shen Yu suddenly asked.
“Why what?” Shen Wenxun didn’t understand his question and looked up.
Shen Yu opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Just then, Qi Fang’s voice rang out from downstairs: “Shen-Xiao-Yu! Dinner’s ready!”
Shen Wenxun’s attention immediately shifted. “He’s got quite the set of lungs. Are you sure he has cognitive impairment?”
Shen Yu explained, “There’s no necessary correlation between mental acuity and vocal volume.”
“Fair point,” Shen Wenxun readily accepted this explanation.
As they descended the stairs, they found Qi Fang standing at the bottom, wearing an apron with his hands on his hips, ready to catch Shen Yu if he tried to skip dinner. He was startled to see his mother-in-law instead.
“Dr. Shen,” Qi Fang stammered in shock, “What brings you here?”
“This is my house,” Shen Wenxun replied.
Shen Yu: “…”
Fortunately, Qi Fang had thick skin. After a moment of awkwardness, he quickly recovered, apologizing profusely and naturally inviting Shen Wenxun to join them for dinner.
However, the other two wore strange expressions. Shen Wenxun turned to Shen Yu first and asked, “Is this a symptom of his condition?”
Shen Yu nodded, “Yes.”
Qi Fang: “?”
As they sat down at the dinner table, a flicker of surprise passed through Shen Yu’s eyes. He hadn’t expected that even in his “dementia,” Qi Fang had retained his culinary skills.
The meal progressed with each lost in their own thoughts. Shen Yu remained silent, preoccupied. Qi Fang, on the other hand, had much to say to his mother-in-law. Yet, the more he spoke, the more he noticed Shen Wenxun’s strange gaze upon him, leaving him increasingly puzzled.
Finally, Qin Xiaosa interjected, engaging Shen Wenxun in a discussion about the latest developments in Country L’s physics field and their potential applications in the tech market. This managed to divert Shen Wenxun’s attention.
After dinner, as Qi Fang was about to clear the table and wash the dishes, he suddenly heard his mother-in-law call out, “Xiao Fang, come outside with me for a moment.”
Shen Yu looked up in confusion while Qin Xiaosa raised an eyebrow.
Qi Fang: “…”
In all the years he had known Shen Yu, Shen Wenxun had never called him out alone like this.
In that instant, countless possibilities flashed through Qi Fang’s mind, including but not limited to: being beaten by his mother-in-law for not fattening up Shen Yu, for not making Shen Yu happy, for not feeding Shen Yu…
After considering these possibilities, Qi Fang thought, if that were the case—
Then he deserved it! Serve him right!
He followed Shen Wenxun out of the house and walked a short distance to the lakeside.
Shen Wenxun stopped and turned to face him.
Qi Fang was still clutching a dishcloth. He hesitated, wondering if he should kneel down and beg for forgiveness.
“Mother-in-law, I’ve failed to take good care of Shen Yu. This is the dirty cloth I just used to wipe the table. Please use it to smack me on the head.”
—What nonsense, Qi Fang stopped his wild imagination.
Standing by the lake, Shen Wenxun’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked Qi Fang up and down. Finally, she spoke, “Xiao Yu talked to me today.”
Qi Fang instinctively replied, “About what?”
“He said you have dementia,” Shen Wenxun said bluntly.
“…” Qi Fang responded, “That’s a misunderstanding.”
Shen Wenxun nodded, “You don’t seem like it.”
“Actually, Shen Yu is the one who’s sick,” Qi Fang explained. “I was planning to tell you about this and take him to see a doctor here in Country L.”
Shen Wenxun was silent for a moment, then said with a hint of incredulity, “He says you’re ill. You say he’s ill. Which one of you is actually ill?”
*
Faced with Shen Wenxun’s confusion, Qi Fang thought for a moment before explaining the whole situation to her.
He recounted everything from Shen Yu’s initial strange behavior to the subsequent signs, the puzzling lack of diagnosis at the hospital, and the speculation about “Munchausen syndrome by proxy.”
Shen Wenxun was an expert in physics but was unfamiliar with medicine and psychology. She summarized after hearing Qi Fang’s explanation, “So you’re saying that Xiao Yu thinks you have dementia because he actually has dementia?”
“…” Qi Fang tried to clarify, “Shen Xiao Yu doesn’t have dementia.”
Shen Wenxun nodded, “With his intelligence, it would be a shame if he had dementia. Is it treatable?”
Qi Fang replied, “The cases are too rare. We can only try our best.”
He paused, then suddenly asked, “Dr. Shen, do you have any ideas about the cause of Xiao Yu’s illness?”
Shen Wenxun frowned and looked up, “Why do you ask that?”
Qi Fang spoke slowly, “Before showing signs of illness, Shen Yu took his students abroad for an academic conference. I heard him say that he visited Uncle Chen’s grave during the trip and also came to Country L.”
“I suspect Shen Yu’s illness is related to this experience.”
Uncle Chen was Shen Yu’s father, named Chen Ziqiu.
As the conversation turned serious, the casual smile faded from Qi Fang’s face, and his voice became earnest. “I was wondering if you had any impression of what he might have experienced during that time?”
This time, Shen Wenxun remained silent for longer, as if weighing her words carefully.
Qi Fang had asked without much hope, since Shen Wenxun was still in Iceland when Shen Yu came to Country L. They certainly hadn’t met, so what could Shen Wenxun possibly know?
However, Shen Wenxun’s reaction made Qi Fang gradually furrow his brow and grow serious. “Dr. Shen—”
“Xiao Yu told me earlier that he wanted to move Ziqiu’s grave back to China, but he wasn’t listed as next of kin in the management system,” Shen Wenxun said slowly after some thought.
“He called me, so I told him to return to Country L to find something,” Shen Wenxun paused, then added, “I thought he was old enough to know certain things.”
When it came to matters concerning Shen Yu, Qi Fang was always extremely sensitive. Even before Shen Wenxun finished speaking, he had an inkling of what she meant.
“Are you saying…?”
“I asked Xiao Yu to come back and find the divorce agreement between Chen Ziqiu and me,” Shen Wenxun said calmly. “It included supporting documents regarding Shen Yu’s custody.”
Qi Fang remained quiet for a long time before asking, “May I ask when this happened?”
It had been quite some time, and Shen Wenxun squinted, thinking for a moment before answering, “It was about… half a year before Ziqiu passed away. Xiao Yu was still in school then, too young, so we kept it from him.”
The night breeze by the lake was cool, rustling Qi Fang’s clothes. He heard the sound of a door opening from the nearby house. Turning around, he saw Shen Yu standing in the doorway, one hand on the door frame, gazing at him from afar.
At that moment, Qi Fang instinctively guessed Shen Yu’s thoughts.
—Shen Yu was worried about him.
Perhaps worried about his “dementia” causing him to wander at night or concerned about something else. But this emotion, which Shen Yu would have once considered “not part of the plan” or “a waste of time,” now showed on his face because of Qi Fang.
Qi Fang’s heart melted completely.
He turned his gaze back to Shen Wenxun and couldn’t help but ask on Shen Yu’s behalf, “Why?”
Why did they divorce?
Ever since he had coincidentally met five-year-old Shen Yu and been struck by his brilliance, Qi Fang had shamelessly often gone to Shen Yu’s house for meals.
His impression of Chen Ziqiu, though the memories were vague, was clearly of a very gentle man.
Chen Ziqiu was a doctor who, whenever he wasn’t too busy, would make time to cook for the family. Qi Fang had been fortunate enough to eat his cooking several times and thought it was much better than his family’s housekeeper’s.
As for the relationship between Shen Wenxun and Chen Ziqiu, Qi Fang remembered it had always been quite good.
Shen Wenxun was cold and career-driven, but Chen Ziqiu was gentle-natured. The two treated each other with respect and had never argued in front of others.
Hearing Qi Fang’s question, Shen Wenxun smiled wryly and said, “You and Xiao Yu asked the same question.”
“But I don’t really understand,” she continued, “Why must there be a reason?”
“For Chen Ziqiu and me, marriage was just an additional legal document. The absence of this document doesn’t mean we were completely severed from each other.”
“We divorced because it was no longer suitable to maintain a ‘married’ state, not because Chen Ziqiu and I became enemies, nor does it mean we lost all feelings for each other.”
“If you must have a reason,” Shen Wenxun pondered for a moment, then said, “I can say that I proposed the divorce. The factors involved were complex, but primarily because I was too busy with work and failed to fulfill my family responsibilities, which burdened Ziqiu instead.”
“To make life easier for both of us and to reassure Ziqiu’s parents, we chose to divorce. At the same time, he gave me custody of Xiao Yu, hoping that I would still have a family member by my side in the future.”
“However, Shen Yu was still too young then. Ziqiu would often come home to take care of him. We had originally agreed to tell him about this when he entered high school, but—”
Shen Wenxun stopped speaking.
Qi Fang remained silent and didn’t ask further.
When Shen Yu was in second grade, Chen Ziqiu passed away due to acute myocardial infarction caused by overwork from performing consecutive surgeries at the hospital.
“As a junior, it’s not my place to judge your choices back then,” Qi Fang said. “But I can promise you that Shen Yu and I won’t reach that point.”
A faint smile finally appeared on Shen Wenxun’s lips as she said softly, “I feel at ease leaving Xiao Yu with you. It’s fortunate to have you.”
She continued, “You asked if what happened before is related to Xiao Yu’s illness. I now think it is.”
“Perhaps…” Shen Wenxun’s voice lowered, her expression showing a hint of reminiscence about past events, “Xiao Yu still harbors resentment about my divorce from Ziqiu.”
At this point, Qi Fang said, “Shen Yu wouldn’t.”
Shen Wenxun looked at him, slightly surprised.
“Shen Yu respects everyone’s legitimate choices,” Qi Fang said. “Even if you and Uncle Chen are his parents, he wouldn’t let his emotions affect you and Uncle Chen.”
“He probably just truly wants to know the reason,” Qi Fang smiled.
Shen Wenxun nodded, “I’ll explain it to him.”
“Thank you for your hard work with Xiao Yu’s illness,” Shen Wenxun said. “If there’s anything I can help with, feel free to contact me directly.”
The lakeside conversation came to an end. Upon returning to the house, Shen Yu, who was waiting at the door, first looked at Qi Fang.
“It’s nothing,” Qi Fang couldn’t resist ruffling Shen Yu’s soft black hair, saying softly, “Dr. Shen wants to talk to you.”
Watching the two of them go upstairs, Qi Fang looked away and let out a long, melancholy sigh.
Qin Xiaosa walked over, untying the apron around his waist—with Qi Fang absent and Shen Yu being genuinely incapable in daily life matters, he had no choice but to rise to the challenge and wash the dishes himself.
Qin Xiaosa shook the water off the apron. Despite being disheveled, he maintained his graceful demeanor. Following Qi Fang’s gaze upstairs, he raised an eyebrow and said:
“What’s wrong? Didn’t perform well in front of your mother-in-law?”
Qi Fang shook his head and briefly summarized his conversation with Shen Wenxun.
Qin Xiaosa pondered for a moment. “This is indeed a new discovery. I now think your speculation might be correct. Shen Yu might have been shocked by learning about his parents’ divorce.”
“But if this is the reason,” Qi Fang continued, “why would Shen Yu have such a strange… reaction?”
Unlike the typical anger, disappointment, or sadness that most people would feel, Shen Yu appeared extremely calm. The only unusual reaction he showed was a change in his behavior towards Qi Fang.
Qin Xiaosa patted Qi Fang’s shoulder and said, “If you can’t figure it out, don’t dwell on it. Isn’t your head aching enough?”
Qi Fang patted Qin Xiaosa’s shoulder in return and sighed, “A single man like you wouldn’t understand the worries of us married folk.”
Qin Xiaosa: “…”
Consolation turned into insult. If not for their years of friendship, Qin Xiaosa might have used Qi Fang for Muay Thai practice right then and there.
“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Qi Fang remembered the main issue, taking out his phone to check the schedule, slightly worried. “How can we come up with an excuse to trick Shen Yu into seeing Dr. Watson?”
“Hm?” Qin Xiaosa folded his arms and said, “Right after dinner, Shen Yu told me he’s taking you to see a doctor for dementia tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll leave around 2 p.m. He asked me to keep an eye on you so you don’t wander off and disappear.”
“?” Qi Fang frowned, “Why is Shen Yu taking me to see a doctor too? Won’t this conflict with our schedule?”
“What’s the point of treating my dementia?” He said anxiously, “Whether it’s treated or not, I’ll be drooling when I’m old. Now that I can run, jump, and take a beating, what’s the need for treatment?”
Qin Xiaosa: “…Maybe Shen Yu values intelligence more than physical fitness.”
Qi Fang was puzzled. “But I wasn’t that smart before, either. How did Shen Yu fall for me then?”
Qin Xiaosa held his forehead: “You were already not so bright before, and now you’re even less so. How can Professor Shen not be worried?”
“…” Qi Fang said, “Wait, when did I become less intelligent? Don’t we know this is all fake?”
Qin Xiaosa shrugged. “But Shen Yu doesn’t know that.”
Qi Fang fell into an odd silence.
“Two o’clock,” he calculated the time. “Chen Ke and Dr. Watson have an appointment at 3:20 p.m. tomorrow. What are the chances of me going into the clinic, having a sudden fit, being declared hopeless by the doctor, and completing the consultation within half an hour?”
Qin Xiaosa ruthlessly replied, “Then you’ll be immediately transferred to Country L’s isolation center for mental patients.”
Joking aside, they still needed to come up with a solution. After some discussion, they decided to have Chen Ke send another email to Dr. Watson, preparing him for a potential delay tomorrow.
However, the next day, when Qi Fang, Shen Yu, and Qin Xiaosa stood in front of the clinic of the “doctor treating dementia,” both Qi Fang and Qin Xiaosa fell into silence.
A chubby man in a white coat and round glasses opened the door, greeting them enthusiastically: “Good day. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dr. Watson.”
He looked at Shen Yu, then at Qi Fang, comparing them with the photos of the two clients he had received. He said in English, surprised, “Oh? Are you two together?”
Shen Yu: “?”
Qi Fang: “…”
Qin Xiaosa: “Great.”
They could report the latest joke to Li Congming and Chen Ke later – the two patients Dr. Watson received this afternoon, one had cognitive impairment, and the other, well, also had “cognitive impairment.”
In other words, both were supposedly suffering from dementia.
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