บท 1: Chapter 1
"I slept for 25 years?"
When Gu Yuan heard these words, her eyelashes lightly blink. The black and white clear eyes looked lost. She's unable to comprehend Doctor Chen who was standing in front of her.
At the age of 18, she contracted a rarely seen terminal disease. Without any other choice, she cut short her studies to concentrate on her treatment. After going through 2 years of treatment, her lead doctor requested to perform the final surgery on her.
The success rate of this surgery was only 0.5% with only 2 final possibilities, fail or success. If she succeeded, she will be able to overcome this disease else she will die.
The awoken Gu Yuan thought her surgery was a success but unexpectedly heard this kind of news.
She tilted her head and looked at the young doctor standing in front of her.
The doctor's surname was Chen, 50 years old. He said he was the disciple of Dr.Luo.
Dr. Luo was only 28 years old yet he already had a 50 years old disciple that place under him?
She felt like she just had a short sleep but 25 years had already passed. The world had changed so much that it was difficult for anyone to accept.
"Yes." Although Dr. Chen sounds calm and collected due to his professionalism, his tightly held clenched fist betrayed his excitement.
A patient who was frozen for 25 years due to a failed surgery survived.
What were these? The miracle of life? A historical moment in medical history? Dr. Chen thought himself as witnessing a moment that was sufficient to be recorded into the annals of history. His clenched fist trembled.
"Can you bring me a mirror?" After contemplating for a period, Gu Yuan finally raised a request.
"Mirror?" Dr. Chen quickly responded and asked a nurse to bring a mirror over.
Gu Yuan looked into the mirror for more than half a day. She even opened and closed her mouth, blinked her eyes then moved her head left and right to confirm that the person inside the mirror is really her.
A face with a slight of baby fat, milky white skin, soft and tender at first glance, no signs of skin sagging, eyes are clear and water with no trace of crow's feet at the corner of the eyes.
(TN: The crow's feet here refer to wrinkle)
She was the little beauty that had been praised by everyone since young. At 17, she was admitted into the film school. Unfortunately, her studies were interrupted by her terminal disease right after only a year of schooling.
After accepting the news that made her dazed and hard to digest. Gu Yuan felt so much better after seeing that she still looked as youthful as the last time she saw herself.
"So...Dr. Chen was born in 19xx?"
"Yes." Dr. Chen, of course, understands that to wake up after 25 years had passed
was a difficult thing for anyone to accept. So he carefully tried to help her establish the concept of time. "I was born in the year 19xx. The year you had your last operation, I was 25 years old, 5 years older than you. At that time, I was still a medical student."
"I understand."
Gu Yuan mumbled softly, her heart still had some indescribable feeling.
Someone who was older than her by 5 years and can be considered as her peer is now 50 years old and can fit to be her father. Then, what was she? Time traveller? Rebirth? Forever young?
Dr. Chen felt relieved after he saw Gu Yuan so fast accepted this fact. Immediately afterwards, he told Gu Yuan some of the details of the surgery she had in that year and the precautions she needs to follow.
It turned out that Dr. Luo was the one that helped her to perform that life and death surgery. After the surgery progress tilled 75%, he found abnormal conditions that will lead to the surgery into failure. Dr. Luo then immediately made a decision to carry out the previously arranged alternative plans. The plan was to put her body into a deep-freeze state. To freeze all her cells in a healthy state. This type of freezing was different from the normal freezing as this can still keep her body cells alive.
As long as there's a day when Dr. Luo manages to overcome the abnormal conditions, he can still perform another surgery on Gu Yuan.
The medical advanced rapidly in the 25 years. Dr. Luo also managed to perform several treatments on the frozen Gu Yuan and finally helped her to overcome her disease. Her body is now completely healthy.
"Actually 13 years ago, you had already recovered. However, we don't know what happened as your body cell continued to sleep even after we took you out from your deep-freeze state. We were unable to do any other things except to help your body to carry out its basic functions. We never thought you would suddenly wake up after so many years."
Over the years, the world has changed a lot. The former Dr. Luo who treated her 25 years ago, is now a renowned leading expert in his medical field.
Gu Yuan listened to Dr. Chen's stories on various popular science findings and accepted the counsel by the psychologist that was found by Dr. Chen. She then slowly accepted this reality.
"I....Can I leave this place now?" Gu Yuan also accepted a full body examination and everything seems to be good. Her body is now very healthy.
Looking out of the window, the sky was high cloudless. She wanted to go out.
She's been inside this institute since she was 18 years old and she had been isolated from the outside world for far too long.
"Of course you can." Dr. Chen hurriedly said: "But do you want to wait for Professor Luo? Professor Luo was currently holding a very important seminar overseas. Therefore he was unable to be here right now but he'll be back in a few days. After he knew you woke up, he's very excited and he also wished to see you."
When Dr. Chen mentioned this, he seemed to hesitate a bit and looked at her strangely.
Gu Yuan did not notice his strangeness and continued to immersed in her own thinking.
In her memory, Professor Luo was 28 years old, a talented young doctor in the medical field. At 28 years old, he was already her lead doctor in charge of curing the world's difficult and rare disease that she had.
The Professor Luo in Gu Yuan's memory was elegant and graceful, cultured and refined, dressed in a white coat and the whole body exudes an aura that belongs to an outstanding person.
Perhaps it was the subconscious dependency on the doctor in charge after becoming a patient. She really liked Professor Luo.
Especially after she found out about Chen Ran betrayals and deceits. In her despair, she even pinned all her hopes on Professor Luo.
Now, the elegant and graceful, cultured and refined, Professor Luo is already 53 years old? Is now an old man?
Gu Yuan wrinkled her nose, "....In the future, we can meet again when there's a chance. Now, I wish to return home."
Things were still the same but the people have changed. It's better to retain the beautiful memories.
***************
Gu Yuan very quickly completed her discharged procedures. In the overwhelming of the institute's doctors and nurses, she pushed her small suitcase and followed the kind Dr. Chen to the airport.
In the suitcase, there was some simple clothing and items that were prepared for her by Dr. Chen. He also gave her back her ID as well as the cash from her purse before her surgery.
After Dr. Chen sent her to the airport, he reiterated again, "Remember to come back on time for your routine physical examination."
Gu Yuan naturally promised him and waved at him gratefully.to bid her farewell.
But Dr. Chen seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Gu Yuan halted her steps, "Dr. Chen, is there anything else that you want to tell me?"
Dr. Chen finally made up his mind, "Do you still remember the 5 ova that you freeze over?"
Gu Yuan stumped for a moment, then she remembered them.
During her treatment, she was found to possess a rare powerful gene. In the words of the professionals, it was a genius gene. If this rare gene disappeared, it would be a loss to humankind. So after the doctors discussed with her, she agreed to remove 5 ova from her body.
Gu Yuan suddenly had a bad premonition, her black and white clear distinct eyes looked at Dr. Chen. Her eyes blinked and she carefully asked: "Then?"
Dr. Chen looked at her seriously and replied, "That 5 ova had already turned into life forms."
Gu Yuan's eyes instantly widened.
This was a feeling that she was unable to voice out, just like having someone told her 'Your 5 eggs have hatched.'
Dr. Chen: "That 5 ova had turned into life forms, 5....."
Dr. Chen contemplating on how to continue: "5 sons. The eldest among them is already 24 years old."
Gu Yuan: "........."
Dr. Chen looked at her seriously: "Miss Gu, if you want, I have some clues here with me."
Gu Yuan quickly shook her head and waved again: "No, no, no. Let's forget it."
Even though she's already 45 years old, she still felt she was that 18 years old beautiful girl who suffered from a terminal disease and just entered into the institute with the hope. She's unable to accept that there's someone who helped her hatch out a 24 years old convenient son!!
When Dr. Chen wanted to say more, Gu Yuan had turned around and pulled her suitcase along, practically fleeing from him.
After walking far away, Gu Yuan was still unable to calm down her heart.
She's not married and she didn't have a harmonious life yet, but unexpectedly she now had 5 sons? The eldest is already 24 years old?
It was unimaginable.
Gu Yuan took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. She decided not to continue to dwell in it since it was only 5 ova. She also never saw them before, so it had nothing to do with her.
Yes, it had nothing to do with her!
After trying so hard to convince herself, she finally has the mood to look around the airport.
It really had to be said that, the changes in these 25 years were really big. Gu Yuan looked around this airport that was built very magnificently and filled with the smell of the future. Afterward, she followed the stream of people to prepare and check-in.
A staff member looked at her at a glance: "This is your own ID?"
Gu Yuan hurriedly said: "Yes."
It was Dr. Chen who helped her to apply for this new ID recently. He said nowadays IDs were already upgraded and can be used to directly check-in to train stations and airports. Gu Yuan felt that this was very magical. The ID in her memory belongs to the outdated era when it was checkered twill and laminated in plastic.
The staff member frowned, and looked at Gu Yuan up and down: "You're 45 years old this year?"
Gu Yuan hesitated awhile then nodded her head: "Yes, I'm 45 years old already."
The staff member checked once again, according to the face verification based on the ID's photo, there is no problem. She didn't say anything more and let Gu Yuan pass.
The people who lined up behind Gu Yuan naturally heard what she said, and they all looked at her 1 after another.
The young girl had some baby fat, looked lovable and charming. Her skin was milky, smooth and tender, it looked delicate. Her eyes were big and bright. No matter how they looked at her, she still looked like a pure young and inexperienced lady. How can she be 45 years old? Is that a lie?
No matter how advanced the modern plastic surgery was, the face that was touched by a knife and natural youth was obviously very different from each other. Faces that were touched by knives before, will never have this kind of youthfulness that came from within the bones. Furthermore, this young lady emitted the aura of a simple girl who had just entered university.
Facing the unbelievable eyes around her, Gu Yuan pulled her suitcase and lowered her head, hurriedly prepared to board the plane.
Although her youthful appearance attracted people's admiration and made her very happy, Gu Yuan afraid that the airport personnel would not allow her to board her plane. The air ticket was very expensive. If by any chance, she was stuck there, she still needed to pay for the air ticket!
After the plane took off smoothly, Gu Yuan finally felt relieved.
Looking around, the surrounding people had their heads bowed while holding and looking at a rectangular device with an electronic screen. It looked like a console game that she had played before. Gu Yuan was puzzled, thinking what were those devices. A newly invented game console? It appeared to be more interesting compared to the game console that she had played before.
After getting off the plane, Gu Yuan exit the airport and took a taxi in line as taught by Dr. Chen.
The taxi was driving on the highway and Gu Yuan looked out of the window
Although she had accepted that it was now 25 years later, and she understood the daily development of science and technology in these 25 years means the had already been achieved. But Gu Yuan was still shocked when looking at this city street view.
(TN: 四个现代化 – The Four Modernizations were goals first set forth by Deng Xiaoping to strengthen the fields of agriculture, industry, defense, and science and technology in China.)
After the taxi stopped, he requested for $120 from Gu Yuan. This made Gu Yuan take a deep breath. She looked at the driver in surprise, she never expected that after 25 years had passed, unexpectedly there's a taxi that charges sky-high prices to blackmail people. Her father's salary was only $1,000++ a month and it was already considered a high salary!
Gu Yuan: "How can this be! $120 is so expensive, brother driver, you can't bully me like this, this is daylight robbery! "
The taxi driver glared at Gu Yuan: "Expensive? You still think this is expensive? My taxi runs on the meter and this price is already very common here. You think I'm overcharging you? Louzi never does this kind of thing!"
[TN: Louzi- "I, your father" (in anger, or out of contempt) / I (used arrogantly or jocularly)]
Gu Yuan: "....."
A wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him. Looking at the taxi driver who was so fierce, Gu Yuan reluctantly gave him $120 and treated it as she's spent the money to buy her safety.
After receiving the money, the taxi driver looked at it carefully then looked at Gu Yuan. He then left her with a strange look.
After getting off from the taxi, she looked around the neighbourhood that had not been demolished and felt relieved.
Her mother already passed away while her father also remarried with a woman, surnamed Hou. Therefore her only reliance was this apartment here which was left to her by her waipo.
[TN: waipo – maternal grandmother]
To yearn day and night, after 25 years, she never expected that she could still return to this apartment.
Along the journey here, she kept thinking about it. She still had the key in her hand, she only scared that the neighbourhood was not around anymore and the door for the key to unlocking it did not exist anymore.
Now that the neighbourhood is still here and her apartment was still standing.
She took a sigh of contentment, carried her suitcase up to the 3rd floor, and finally came to her doorstep.
When she looked at the security door that was completely different from her memory, she felt something was wrong.
She took out her key and planned to open the door, but at this moment the door opened.
From within the door, a woman looked at her defensively: "Who are you? Why do you want to open our door?"
Gu Yuan looked at this woman inquisitively: "Are you Gu Yue?"
She soon felt something was wrong, Gu Yue was the younger sister brought over by her stepmother when she married her(GYuan) father. She was only younger than her by 3 months. So, by now she should be 45 years old also but the woman standing in front of her looked like 20 plus years old only. This woman and Gu Yue resembled each other, is this Gu Yue's daughter?
The woman: "Why do you know my mother's name? Who are you?"
When the woman was saying these, a few people also came out together from behind her. There's an old man, a young man and finally a woman in her forties. That woman angrily said: "Zihan, who is it?"
Peng Zihan: "Mom, this person just mentioned your name. Is she here for you?"
The middle-aged woman already looked over to probe. When she saw Gu Yuan at first sight, she was stunned.
"You, you, you——"