"Who are you? Are you the one from just now?"
I shouted loudly, but there was no echo at all. The memories around me kept shifting and changing. I searched carefully—I had to find Howard Zhang’s memory of drinking with someone at the foot of Universal Temple.
Suddenly, I saw a black trench coat, and immediately I was swept into that fragment of memory.
The evening breeze stirred. I stood below Universal Temple, and a figure ran down the steps. I looked over—it was Howard Zhang, his face full of joy, his steps light, nearly bouncing with excitement.
Below Universal Temple, a few houses in the small town still had their lights on, but only one inn was brightly lit, as if waiting for someone. Howard Zhang dashed past me, sprinting like a hundred-meter runner.
In a flash, Howard entered the inn. The owner, who had been dozing at the bar, woke up.
"Is the stuff I asked for ready yet?"
"It’s all set, Chongsheng. Hurry up, the fire’s been burning for a while. The good liquor your friend brought is ready."
Howard immediately went to the backyard. It was the off-season, so things were quiet—there were hardly any guests, and the rooms were all empty. In the backyard, he licked his lips, picked up a bottle of baijiu, and took a swig.
"Damn, that’s good."
Howard looked revived, and the innkeeper began to bring out plates of barbecue ingredients—mostly meat. Howard was practically drooling.
"Chongsheng, I’m going to lock up. If your master or senior finds out, don’t say I helped you with this..."
"Don’t worry, I won’t say a word."
Then Howard started grilling the food himself, eyes bright with excitement as he watched the sizzling barbecue. His stomach growled.
Soon Howard was eating, enjoying his food and drink.
"If only someone was here to drink with me. Eating alone is a bit lonely. It’d be perfect if there were a few pretty girls. Sigh, my phone got confiscated too."
"Why don’t I join you?"
At that moment, a cold voice sounded. I looked over—it was a guy in a black trench coat, wearing a mask and a tightly pulled hood. What shocked me most was that he seemed like someone Howard and I had seen as kids outside the internet café.
"Come on, come on..."
Howard called out warmly. The man sat down, pulled off his hood, revealing short hair. He didn’t remove his mask, but instead used a knife to cut a slit for his mouth so he could eat and drink, accepting the liquor Howard handed him.
Howard was a little suspicious at the stranger’s actions, but said nothing, and kept eating and drinking with him.
"Howard, you’re still just like you used to be!"
Howard let out a surprised sound, looking at the stranger with confusion.
"Do we know each other?"
The stranger chuckled.
"Drink up, drink up."
They didn’t talk about anything strange—just cars, women, and fun. The conversation was perfectly normal, nothing suspicious. I watched quietly from the side.
"By the way, Howard, do you remember promising someone something really important?"
When both Howard and the stranger were quite drunk, the stranger suddenly asked. Howard scratched his head, swaying as if trying to remember.
"I’ve kept every promise I ever made!"
"Is that so? Well, I should get going. You should get some rest too."
The stranger stood up. Howard grabbed him.
"Have a couple more drinks! I’m not done yet."
"Tomorrow night. I’ll drink with you again tomorrow night. I have something to do early in the morning."
That memory ended. As Howard collapsed drunk on the ground, I was back in the dark space.
"Who are you, really?"
I shouted. The voice from before sounded angry.
"If possible, let’s talk this out."
After a long while, a mass of black smoke appeared before me. The man who looked exactly like Howard Zhang stood in front of me, glaring angrily.
"I’ll say it again, Ethan Zhang—this has nothing to do with you. You’d better stay out of it."
"I’m just someone from the past. It’s normal you don’t remember me. After all, you and I never had any real connection—just saw each other once, but nothing more."
"What do you mean?"
What he said about being someone from the past sounded strange.
"It’s been more than ten years, but that’s how memory is—so many people and things are forgotten. My name is Liam Liu. If Howard still remembered me, maybe I wouldn’t have come back."
Suddenly, I snapped awake, staring wide-eyed at Howard, who was sleeping. Dawn had already broken.
"Did you find anything, Ethan Zhang?"
Redmond asked immediately. I nodded and replied.
"Liam Liu."
Howard woke up at that moment, yawning and opening his eyes.
"Cousin, did you find anything?"
"Howard, do you remember Liam Liu?"
The moment I finished speaking, Howard’s eyes widened. He shot up from the sofa, looking utterly shocked.
"What did you see, cousin?"
"The person who came out of your body called himself Liam Liu."
Howard’s face grew even more troubled.
"Liam Liu died fourteen years ago."
Howard stepped up to me, gripping my shoulders and shaking me.
"Do you remember? The first time we went to the internet café, the guy I fought with was Liam Liu. He bumped into me and tried to walk off arrogantly, so I grabbed him and we got into a fight."
I shook my head. Even though I’d just seen that part in the memory, I honestly couldn’t recall it myself. I remembered our first trip to the internet café vividly, and playing a game called 'Legend of the Swordsman,' but the fight between Howard and Liam Liu was a blank.
Just then, Susan Li brought breakfast. Howard couldn’t eat—he just sipped some tea, pressed his palms together as if in prayer, looking troubled.
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"After that fight, Liam and I actually became friends. Our high schools were just a few streets apart, so we’d run into each other, drink together, and hang out. He became a good buddy of mine, but it only lasted three months—he died in a terrible car accident."
Howard’s face was troubled as he spoke. He looked up at me, and suddenly I remembered—during that summer after eighth grade, Howard never came to play with me. I even asked my dad about it, and he called my uncle, who said Howard was dealing with something.
"Charlotte Luo..."
Howard spoke a woman’s name. Susan Li immediately glared at him and grabbed his ear.
"Howard, just how many secrets are you hiding?"
Howard immediately broke into a smile.
"No, no, it’s nothing. Just an old girlfriend, from high school."
Howard let out a resentful sigh.
"I get it. The only reason Liam Liu might have come back is because of Charlotte Luo."