chapter 1 black satin

August in full blaze.
Drip, drip, drip—!
The shrill cicadas' cries mixed with the intermittent honking, echoing through the bustling streets. The scorching sun baked the asphalt to a dull brown, waves of heat distorting the entire roadway.
Under the sparse clusters of trees along the roadside, a few young people gathered, smoking and waiting for the traffic lights.
Suddenly, a young man, in the midst of blowing smoke rings, seemed to have noticed something. He exclaimed softly, his gaze fixed on a corner of the street.
"Allen, what are you looking at?" his companion asked.
The young man named Allen stared at the street corner, then spoke after a long pause, "You think... how do blind people cross the road?"
His companion was taken aback, hesitating for a moment before slowly responding, "Generally, blind people have someone to guide them when they go out, or they have guide dogs. In more modern cities, there are even traffic lights with voice announcements at the crosswalks. If none of those options are available, they might rely on sound and their cane to inch their way across."
Allen shook his head, "But what if there's no one to guide them, no guide dog, no voice announcements, and when the cane is being used to carry groceries?"
"Do you think you're funny?"
His companion rolled his eyes and followed Allen's gaze, only to freeze in place the next moment.
Across the street, in the opposite corner, stood a young man in a black short-sleeved shirt. Thick black cloth wrapped around his eyes, blocking out all light. In his left hand, he held a cheap shopping bag filled with vegetables, and on his shoulder, he slung a white cane. It looked as if he were carrying a pole, and at the end of the white cane, a large bucket of golden peanuts glistened in the sunlight!
Eyes covered, cane on shoulder, left hand with vegetables, right hand with oil…
This bewildering scene instantly drew the attention of a crowd around them.
"Hey, look, that person looks so strange."
"With so much cloth over his eyes, can he see the road?"
"Didn't you see his cane? He's definitely a blind person, right?"
"In this day and age, most blind people wear sunglasses. Who wraps their eyes with cloth like this on a scorching day? Isn't he afraid of overheating?"
"Exactly, and have you ever seen a blind person not using their cane to walk but instead to carry things?"
"Young people these days are really something."
"..."
The summer cicadas' calls couldn't drown out the hushed whispers of the passers-by. They scrutinized the young man, quietly debating whether he was truly blind or not, all while eagerly watching the blinking traffic light.
Just then, a clear voice rang out from beside the young man.
"Big brother, shall I help you cross the road?"
It was a girl in a school uniform, about twelve or thirteen years old. Sweat glistened on her cheeks, and her big dark eyes were fixed on the young man, pure and simple.
The young man hesitated for a moment, then turned to look in the direction of the girl. A faint smile played on his lips.
"Yes."
He hung the bag of vegetables on his right hand, freeing his left hand to wipe the sweat from his clothes. Gently, he held the girl's hand.
Click—!
The green light lit up.
The young man took a step forward, walking with the girl towards the other side of the road.
The girl was nervous, glancing left and right at the passing cars, her steps cautious and timid.
As for the young man... he walked steadily.
In the eyes of the onlookers, this scene didn't seem like a kind girl helping a blind person cross the road. Instead, it looked like an older brother guiding a little child.
The road wasn't wide, and in just a dozen seconds, they reached the other side. The young man thanked the girl and headed towards a secluded alley without looking back.
"He's not blind." Allen, seeing this, stated confidently. "He must be able to see."
One of the young men behind Allen, propping his chin with one hand, thoughtfully said, "I get it, he's playing Lee Sin in League of Legends!"
Slap—!
A resounding slap landed squarely on the back of Allen's head. He cursed and grumbled, "Idiot, all you do is play games all day. Who the hell plays the Blind Monk in the middle of a busy street? Are you asking for trouble?"
After a two-second pause, Allen muttered under his breath, adding, "And besides... the Blind Monk's eye covering is red. This doesn't look like it."
"Allen, you really..."
"Shut up."
"Okay."
Just as the two were arguing, the young man who had been silently watching the departing figure of the young man frowned slightly.
"What's wrong?" Allen noticed his gaze.
"I know him."
"You know him?"
"Yes." The young man nodded, "When my younger cousin was still in elementary school, I heard that there was a student in their school who had an accident. His eyes had problems, and he had to use black cloth to cover them. They also said he had some mental issues..."
"Mental issues?" Allen was taken aback, carefully recalling the situation just now. "I didn't see any issues."
"That was ten years ago. Maybe he's recovered by now. But back then, it seemed like it was a big deal. The student dropped out not long after, and they said he transferred to a special school for the blind."
At that moment, another person chimed in eagerly, "By the way, what kind of accident was it? To cause someone to go blind and have mental issues, could it be a curse?"
"I don't know." He paused, "But... they say it was something even stranger than that."
"He's had a tough life." Allen sighed, "What's his name?"
"I think it's... Lin... Lin... Ben Lin?"
...
In the evening glow, Ben Lin pushed open the door.
Almost instantly, the aroma of cooked dishes wafted into his nostrils from inside the house. He sniffed, swallowed, and walked in with his belongings.
Creak—!
The old door emitted a sharp, grating sound, drowning out the sound of stir-frying from the kitchen. A middle-aged woman pushed open the kitchen door, saw Ben Lin carrying bags and bags of things, and exclaimed in surprise. She hurriedly approached.
"Ben, how come you brought so many things back all at once?" The woman wiped her hands on her apron and quickly took the items from Ben Lin, chattering away.
"Such a big bucket of Peanut Oil? Child, did you misuse the government subsidy again?"
"Auntie, the subsidy for disabled people is for living expenses. Using it to buy oil is making the most of it." Ben Lin smiled.
"Nonsense, this money is for you to go to college. How can you use it randomly? Let me tell you, Auntie's earnings from work are enough to support the needs of us three. You shouldn't spend your own money."
Auntie gently wiped the oil drum and her expression showed a hint of distress. She muttered quietly, "This big bucket of oil, and it's a brand... must have cost quite a bit, right?"
Before Ben Lin could say anything, Auntie suddenly realized something.
"Wait... how did you bring back so much stuff?"
"Oh, I ran into a few kind-hearted people on the way. They helped me bring it back." Ben Lin calmly replied.
"Good, good, it seems there are still good people in society... Did you properly thank them?"
"I did." Ben Lin changed the subject, "Auntie, where's Carl?"
"He's doing his homework on the balcony... Oh, the doctor from the mental hospital for the routine check-up is here. He's resting in the room. You go see him. Auntie will go start cooking, and I'll call you when it's ready."
Ben Lin's steps faltered for a moment. He nodded and turned to head towards the bedroom.
...
"Hello, I'm Doctor Li from Sunshine Mental Hospital." Seeing Ben Lin enter, the young man sitting on the small stool in the bedroom stood up and greeted warmly. His face was framed by large black-rimmed glasses, giving him a scholarly appearance.
Ben Lin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Wasn't it Doctor Han who usually came?"
"Doctor Han was promoted to Vice Dean last year." Doctor Li smiled, a touch of envy in his eyes.
Ben Lin nodded slightly, acknowledging it.
Well, Doctor Han was quite old and had exceptional medical skills. It wasn't surprising that he had been promoted to Vice Dean. It was only natural for a younger doctor to take over regular check-ups.
Seeing Ben Lin sit down, Doctor Li cleared his throat and took out a stack of medical records from his bag.
"I'm sorry, but I'm also new here, so I'm not very familiar with your case yet. Can I get a brief overview?"
Ben Lin nodded.
"Your name is... Ben Lin?"
"Yes."
"You're seventeen years old."
"Yes."
"Hmm... according to the records, you lost your sight ten years ago, and at the same time, due to some issues, you were sent to our hospital?"
"Yes."
Doctor Li pondered for a moment. "Did you change your name?"
"... No, why do you ask?" Ben Lin was taken aback.
Doctor Li scratched his head awkwardly. "Ah, well... I guess I was just overthinking it."
He extended his hand, pointing at the age on the medical record, then at the words 'ten years ago', "You see, you lost your sight ten years ago, which means you were seven at the time. And your name happens to be Ben Lin, so I thought maybe you changed it after losing your sight..."
Ben Lin fell silent for a moment, then shook his head, "No... I've never changed my name. My parents gave me the name Ben Lin before I was born."
"Well, it's quite... cough cough." Doctor Li realized he was being impolite and quickly closed his mouth.
"Quite coincidental." Ben Lin said calmly. "Indeed, it's quite coincidental."
Doctor Li felt a bit embarrassed, but he quickly changed the subject. "Hmm... it seems the records don't provide detailed information about the accident that caused your blindness and mental instability. If it's convenient for you, could you tell me about it?"
Ben Lin hadn't spoken yet when Doctor Li hastened to add, "It's not to pry, but to better understand the patient. Of course, if you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you."
Ben Lin sat quietly, his eyes, covered in black ribbons, seemed to be fixed on Doctor Li.
After a long while, he began to speak slowly:
"There's nothing I can't say... it's just, you might not believe it, and you might even send me back to the mental hospital."
"No, no, don't think of our relationship as doctor and patient. This is just a normal conversation between friends. It won't go that far." Doctor Li joked, "Even if you tell me you were thrown into a cauldron by Laozi (Taoist Deity), I'd believe you."
Ben Lin fell silent for a while and then nodded slightly.
"When I was a child, I loved astronomy."
"Hmm, and then?"
"That night, I lay on the roof of our old house and looked at the moon."
"What did you see? The Jade Rabbit?" Doctor Li laughed.
Ben Lin shook his head. The next words he spoke caused Doctor Li's smile to freeze on his face.
"No, I saw an angel."
"An archangel enveloped in golden light, with six white wings."

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