TLSMLMMM Chapter 43

Si Yunyi accepted the medical book with both hands, treating it with the utmost respect. His gaze fell upon its blank cover, worn by the passage of time, and he bowed slightly to thank the old man.

“This medical book has been passed down from generation to generation. Having it in my possession all these years has been a waste,” the old man said with a sigh. “Although our ancestors left instructions that it should only be passed down to blood relatives, perhaps they never imagined their descendants would turn out like this. Fortunately, I didn’t leave the book to my son back then. Otherwise, who knows how he might have mistreated it?”

“Don’t worry.” Chu Junlie enthusiastically clasped the old man’s hand.

“You’ve already made the decision to go against your ancestors’ wishes. We’ll definitely take good care of this medical book!”

The old man turned his head and rolled his eyes at Chu Junlie’s remark.

After leaving the hospital, Si Yunyi sat in the car and began flipping through the medical book. It indeed contained numerous medicinal prescriptions, but in modern times, these formulas had clearly not yet been scientifically verified.

Si Yunyi scanned the pages rapidly, searching for any information about dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease was known as “dementia” in ancient times. Si Yunyi had consulted many classical texts and had encountered brief descriptions of dementia in several medical books. At that moment, he desperately hoped that the book in his hands would also contain records and prescriptions related to the condition.

The car moved smoothly onto the highway. Chu Junlie watched Mr. Si’s fair fingers continuously turn the pages, as though he were searching for something. His reading speed was remarkably fast.

Chu Junlie cautiously shifted closer, inch by inch, then tilted his head slightly to get a look at the writing inside the book. The characters appeared to have been written with a traditional Chinese brush, and they were all in traditional Chinese script. Since the old gentleman had struggled through difficult circumstances over the years, a little dust and dirt had accumulated between the pages.

But Mr. Si didn’t seem to mind the dirt at all. His gaze, behind his glasses, remained focused on the text, completely unconcerned about the dust collecting on his fingertips.

Chu Junlie didn’t need to think too hard to figure out what Mr. Si was looking for. Old Master Si’s condition was worsening day by day, and there had even been an incident where he wandered off and got lost. Mr. Si had a heart full of worry, but he simply didn’t show it in his usual manner.

Chu Junlie gradually tilted his head, wanting to move a little closer to the person beside him. Just then, the car took a turn. Caught off guard, Chu Junlie’s head suddenly came to rest on Si Yunyi’s shoulder.

Chu Junlie didn’t dare move a muscle. He could barely bring himself to look at the expression on the person beside him. The temperature of his ears steadily rose, and he could clearly feel the shoulder beneath his head stiffen for a moment.

The driver faintly sensed the movement in the back seat and glanced at the rearview mirror. There, he saw the tall, well-built man resting his head on Young Master Si’s shoulder, the tips of his ears flushed red.

If it had been anyone else, the driver might have described the scene as a little bird relying on its companion. But that description simply didn’t suit Young Master Chu, whose height and build could hardly be associated with anything resembling a little bird.

If he absolutely had to make a comparison, he wondered whether there was even such a thing in the world as a giant earth-carving bird.

Si Yunyi was deeply absorbed in his reading and didn’t notice anything until a head came to rest on his shoulder.

Remembering that this book was practically their shared property, Si Yunyi shifted it slightly toward Chu Junlie and continued reading the following passages.

Watching the book move toward him, Chu Junlie’s eyes gradually lit up. He struggled to suppress the upward curve of his lips, but his happiness was practically bursting at the seams.

Was Mr. Si inviting him to read together?

Suppressing his excitement, Chu Junlie lowered his head and tried his best to read the medical text, even though he could understand barely half of it.

Some traditional Chinese characters were easy enough to recognize. But when several unfamiliar characters appeared together, Chu Junlie would blink a few times and completely lose track of what the passage was describing.

By the time Chu Junlie had finished reading two lines, Si Yunyi had already skimmed through roughly two pages and was turning to the next ones.

Chu Junlie couldn’t understand the text, but he didn’t want to move his head away either. All he could do was pretend that he understood.

Yet, perhaps it was just his imagination, but the more he looked at these traditional characters, the more of them he seemed to recognize.

There was one character he hadn’t recognized three pages earlier. After encountering it several more times, Chu Junlie was astonished to discover that he suddenly knew what it was.

Not only could he recognize how to read it, but he also knew its simplified Chinese equivalent. Gradually, the meaning of the character became clearer to him.

After turning a few more pages and encountering the same character for the fifth or sixth time, Chu Junlie could finally understand what it meant within the context of the surrounding sentences.

It was just like his English proficiency. He seemed to have learned it before, but after the accident, he had forgotten everything. As long as he read and studied it repeatedly, however, he could gradually recover what he had once known.

The car stopped near the shopping center, but Chu Junlie’s head seemed practically glued to the shoulder beside him. No matter what, he simply couldn’t bear to pull away.

Si Yunyi turned his face toward him and lightly flicked Chu Junlie on the forehead.

Get up.

Chu Junlie’s smile grew even brighter. Covering his forehead with one hand, he struggled to suppress his grin before lifting his head and looking at Si Yunyi with clear, innocent eyes.

“Mr. Si, I’m sorry. Did I make your shoulder sore?”

Si Yunyi hadn’t felt particularly uncomfortable. Apart from the initial moment when Chu Junlie’s head had rested heavily on his shoulder, the young man had seemed to use his neck muscles to support himself, trying his best not to put the full weight of his head on him.

It had felt more like Chu Junlie was simply keeping his head pressed close.

“When I get back tonight, I’ll definitely give you a massage,” Chu Junlie declared seriously, revealing his ultimate goal.

Before Si Yunyi could respond, Chu Junlie quickly got out of the car. He practically flew toward the shopping center entrance, moving so lightly and quickly that it seemed as though he feared the person behind him might call out, There’s no need.

Si Yunyi watched Chu Junlie disappear into the shopping center, then lowered his eyes and continued reading the medical book in his hands.

“Young Master Si,” the driver asked quietly, “where shall we go next?”

Si Yunyi’s hand paused in the middle of turning a page. It seemed he had suddenly discovered something extraordinarily important.

He didn’t immediately answer the driver’s question. Instead, he carefully read the passage three or four times before taking out his phone and clearly photographing the relevant section of the page several times.

Only after finishing everything did he raise his eyes toward the driver, a hint of emotion hidden behind his dark eyes.

“Take me to the Hong Kong Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.”

The Si family operated three medical institutions, which frequently collaborated with the clinical hospital established by the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. On the way there, Si Yunyi had a brief conversation with the academy’s director.

By the time he arrived at the director’s office, he discovered that the director had already summoned the head of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Department to join their discussion. Their efficiency was remarkable.

The head of the research department was a man in his fifties. Upon hearing that Si Yunyi had obtained a medicinal prescription, he had come specifically to examine it.

Si Yunyi took out his phone and showed him the prescription.

The department head studied the photograph carefully, his brows gradually knitting together.

“Mr. Si,” he said, looking at Si Yunyi with a hint of skepticism, “you should know that the condition referred to here as dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Anyone with even a basic understanding of medicine should know that this is a neurodegenerative disease. At present, we can only rely on medications that inhibit the breakdown of acetylcholine, along with antipsychotic drugs, to improve patients’ cognitive function.

“There is simply no evidence-based medical research supporting the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease through traditional Chinese medicine. I’m afraid someone has deceived you with this prescription.”

“Ahem.” The director coughed from the side and glanced at the department head, giving him a meaningful look.

The department head maintained the same attitude. He handed the phone back to Si Yunyi, showing absolutely no room for discussion.

Si Yunyi understood that the man’s words were already relatively polite. Given his usual temperament, the department head might otherwise have simply put down the phone, slammed the door, and walked away.

“Professor Zhao,” Si Yunyi said, looking at the department head with a calm voice and a focused gaze.

“Before coming here, I read quite a number of ancient medical texts. I’m also well aware that dementia is a common disease among the elderly. In ancient times, however, people’s average life expectancy was much shorter, and the proportion of patients was relatively small. As a result, dementia didn’t receive much attention, and traditional Chinese medical treatments for it were also relatively limited.

“But things are different today. China’s average life expectancy has reached seventy-eight years. There are now more than fifty million Alzheimer’s patients worldwide, and Chinese patients account for one-fifth of that number, making China the country with the highest number of cases.” ①

Si Yunyi’s expression gradually grew more serious.

“Even in ancient China, physicians used every available method to study dementia. They analyzed its possible causes from different perspectives and prepared herbal medicines to treat elderly patients. The Jingyue Complete Works even states, ‘There are cases of this condition that can be cured.’

“Yet today, you are willing to abandon a treatment without even trying it simply because there is no evidence-based medical support for traditional Chinese medicine in this field. Don’t you think that shows… a rather serious lack of confidence?”

The department head was rendered speechless by this argument. He studied the young man before him for a long time, pondering the matter before taking out his own phone and holding it toward Si Yunyi.

“Add me on WeChat. Send me the prescription.”

A faint smile appeared on Si Yunyi’s lips. He added the department head on WeChat and sent him the prescription.

“I’ll study this prescription carefully when I return. If I find that it has genuine value, I’ll let you know.” The department head examined his phone for a moment before looking up at Si Yunyi again.

“You probably paid a considerable amount of money for this prescription, too. Would you like me to sign a confidentiality agreement?”

“No need.” Si Yunyi put away his phone. “If I wanted to keep it confidential and fully capitalize on the value of this prescription, I would organize my own research team instead of bringing it here.”

Upon hearing this, the department head couldn’t help taking another look at the young man before him. He suddenly understood a little better why the director, a man who usually thought so highly of himself and rarely admired anyone, held this young man in such high regard.

After watching the department head leave, the director stood up and looked at Si Yunyi with a cheerful smile.

“Xiao Si, it’s been such a long time since we last met, but you’re still as impressive as ever. It only took you a few minutes to persuade that stubborn old man!”

“It’s not because I’m impressive.” Si Yunyi looked at the director and smiled faintly. “It’s because Professor Zhao is willing to give it a try.”

“Listen to you! You always know how to say things that make people feel good.” The director smiled. “But yes, Old Zhao actually has quite a few projects under his supervision, and his workload is rather heavy.”

Si Yunyi immediately understood what the director was implying and stated his request directly.

“I hope you’ll make an exception and allow Professor Zhao to prioritize researching the prescription I brought.”

“Since you’ve asked, Xiao Si, of course I can’t refuse.” The director hesitated slightly as he glanced at the photograph on the desk, then raised his eyes toward Si Yunyi.

“It’s just that… there’s something I’d like to ask you for help with, too.”

The director had been unusually enthusiastic from the very beginning. Si Yunyi had already suspected that he had a favor to ask. Now that the director had brought it up, there was naturally no reason to refuse without hearing him out.

“Please, go ahead.” Si Yunyi’s gaze remained rational and composed.

“Why don’t you… try guessing?” The director seemed reluctant to bring it up and casually wiped the sweat near his temple.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to look at something first.” Sitting opposite the director, Si Yunyi gently pointed toward the picture frame on the desk.

The director turned the photograph toward him. It showed the director with his wife and daughter. His wife wore a gentle, graceful smile, while his daughter looked youthful and full of energy.

“This is a lovely photograph. Was it taken a few years ago?” Si Yunyi asked with a faint smile.

“Twelve years ago.” Looking at the photograph of his family, the director’s expression softened slightly.

“If I’m not mistaken, the problem you’d like me to help with concerns your daughter, and it may have something to do with her romantic relationship or marriage.”

Si Yunyi made his initial assessment.

“How did you know?” the director asked, looking surprised.

“When you agreed to my request, you glanced at the photograph. That means you were already thinking about how to bring up whatever was troubling you, and the source of that concern was connected to this photograph.”

Si Yunyi looked at the director calmly.

“Just now, you raised your hand to wipe away sweat, lowered your head slightly, and touched your forehead with your fingers. These are typical expressions of embarrassment.”

Si Yunyi’s gaze returned to the photograph.

“Your daughter appears to have been photographed shortly after taking her university entrance examination, and she seems to have achieved a fairly good result. Both she and your wife look quite relaxed.

“She was probably around eighteen at the time. Twelve years have passed since then, yet I haven’t heard that your daughter has married. And from what I understand, you’re a relatively traditional parent. The only matter concerning your daughter that would likely cause you such embarrassment and worry is her romantic or marital situation.”

“That’s right.” Having his concerns accurately identified, the director actually felt a little more at ease. However, the worry in his eyes remained unchanged.

“Actually, my daughter got engaged three years ago. We didn’t hold a grand ceremony. Both families simply sat down for a meal and agreed to the engagement, and the two young people seemed to like each other quite a bit.”

Si Yunyi’s gaze shifted slightly as he detected the problem in the director’s words.

According to Hong Kong customs, couples generally married within six months to a year after getting engaged. Yet, in this case, three whole years had passed.

“My daughter has kept putting off the wedding,” the director said worriedly. “I didn’t know why at first. It wasn’t until a few days ago, when I pressured her too much and she finally couldn’t take it anymore, that she told me the truth.”

The director looked up helplessly at the elegant man before him, who seemed almost otherworldly in his beauty.

“She can’t recognize her own fiancé.”

Author’s note:

① The statistics are from the 2020 Survey Report on the Diagnosis and Treatment Status of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients in China.