Capítulo 2: You Know Me?
The specialty noodles of the diner were homemade, and the kitchen was in direct view of the customers so that they could see how their food was being prepared.
Lu Shen was in rapt attention as he watched the owner knead and twirl the dough, before stretching it out like a rope. He did this over and over again until it reached the right consistency. Flour sprayed in the air as the dough was pounded back to the table, making anyone who saw it feel amazed.
For most of the people living here, they had seen this display a thousand times. So they were more content to divert their attention to the handsome young man studying the process of how the noodles were cooked.
"Aiyo, look at that face. He's even more good-looking than my Andy Lau! [1]
"Old woman, aren't you ashamed? He's young enough to be your grandson!"
"Bah! Can I not appreciate younger men now because I'm old? That He Shang [2] has been seducing young mistresses left and right, but I can't even admire a single man? Should I be a virtuous wife even at the end of my life, ah?"
"He must be one of the actors who went here to shoot a movie. I don't recognize his face."
"Isn't your Xiao Tang Yuan a shengnu? [3] Why don't you introduce her to him?"
"Do you think my Xiao Tang Yuan even has a chance? Look at the girl sitting beside him!"
Hui Yin didn't bother about the whispers going around her and calmly ate her noodles. Lu Shen was also ravenously eating beside her, the movement of his chopsticks a blur to the eyes. But his other hand was still holding the sleeve of her coat, as if he was afraid she would make a run for it and leave him.
After they finished eating, Lu Shen returned back to being wary of his surroundings. As Hui Yin was paying, he asked her, "Do you know these people?"
"No."
"Do you think I lived here?"
"No."
His head drooped. "And you don't know me either."
Hui Yin hesitated before cautiously saying, "No...I know you."
His head went up in a flash. His expression looked startled.
"You know me?"
Hui Yin pulled him out of the diner and away from the prying eyes of the villagers. "Yes, I do."
"You do? Really? Do you know my name?"
She looked at him. It was on the tip of her tongue, the name she had bestowed him. But in the end, she answered, "Your name is Lu Shen."
"Lu...Shen?" His forehead wrinkled. "Then what's your name?"
"Hui Yin."
"Hui Yin." He seemed more interested in hearing about her name than his own. "Your name suits you."
Hui Yin didn't know how to make sense of that. "Thank you."
The police station was located at the center of the village, and it was a bit far. While they were walking, Hui Yin asked him if he knew the location where he crashed his car. But Lu Shen said that he didn't remember. Everything that had happened after his accident and before she found him was a void to him.
"Why aren't you asking me about who you are? Don't you want to know?"
Hui Yin was a bit surprised that he didn't ask her for more information after she told him his name. Shouldn't he be eager to learn about his identity?
Lu Shen looked a bit blank before thoughtfully asking, "You said you know me?"
She nodded.
The way he looked at her slightly changed, and this made Hui Yin take a step back.
"Are you my wife?"
His almost-pleased tone made her choke. Wife, your ass! I'm trying everything because I don't want to end up becoming your wife!
"No!"
He looked crestfallen. "You're not?"
"Why would I bring you to the police station if I'm your wife?!"
Lu Shen seemed to be pondering her words.
"Hm-mmm, you're right," he said, and he gave her an inexplicable glance. This glance of his made all the hair in Hui Yin's body stand up. She had a very bad feeling about this.
Fortunately, they already arrived at the police station. Hui Yin dragged the reluctant Lu Shen towards the entrance and confronted the police officer behind the front desk.
"Don't want, I don't want to..."
Lu Shen tried digging his heels on the ground to pull her away, but Hui Yin grabbed the edges of the table and managed to stand her ground. The police officer gave them a bewildered glance.
"Officer, I want to report a missing person that I found," Hui Yin said without preamble.
"Missing person?" The police officer picked up the telephone beside him. "Do you their name? Or their location?"
"His name is Lu Shen, and he's right here..."
But when Hui Yin turned around, there was no one else behind her. She looked down.
Lu Shen was squatting on the ground, his arms tightly hugging her legs. It was obvious at first glance that he was trying to hide from the police officer. He was giving her a look that showed white all around his dark irises, while his head shook back and forth.
She sighed in exasperation and pulled on his hands. "Stand up."
But the arms around her legs just squeezed tighter, and his wide eyes were now brimming with suppressed tears. Hui Yin was at her wit's end.
Why is this man making her feel like a villain? This was for their own good! If he returned back to his former glory, he wouldn't have to wear cheap clothes like this. And she didn't have to worry about him threatening Jiang Xu...
"Miss?" The police officer coughed, and he signalled to her that the other person on the other end of the line of the telephone was waiting. "The location of the missing person?"
Lu Shen shook his head again, looking absolutely terrified. Hui Yin hesitated.
[1] A famous Hong Kong actor who was one of the most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s.
[2] A man with bald hair.
[3] Directly translates to 'leftover women.' This refers to women who hadn't married yet and were already in their late twenties or thirties. It's a social stigma in China, where most families harass their daughters who are still single to marry early or they'll risk being called a 'shengnu'.
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