The memories Joe Di recovered from his past life were mostly limited to language and the general nature of the world he came from. When it came to the people and events around him, his recollections were extremely vague. He wasn’t even sure whether he liked or disliked Zoe Shen in his previous life, and could only gloss over it with hazy words.
"Alright then, Andrew Lang and I have already burned incense. Why don’t you come back to the hotel with us?" Hearing that it wasn’t about Zoe Shen, Cathy Liang immediately relaxed.
Cathy Liang was a warm-hearted high school classmate—this was the impression she left on Joe Di.
......
It took over an hour to drive from Lethe Temple to the Zen Garden Hotel in the county town where Cathy Liang was staying. Because Joe Di looked like a vagrant, he attracted quite a few stares on the bus.
Cathy Liang was no stranger to David Di—not only because they were high school classmates, but also because she had attended the wedding of Zoe Shen and David Di two years ago.
Although Cathy Liang couldn’t understand why someone as outstanding as Zoe Shen would marry David Di, she wasn’t surprised by their divorce. The two of them simply didn’t belong on the same level; no matter the reason for their marriage, it would have been stranger if they hadn’t divorced.
What struck Cathy Liang as odd was how much David Di had changed compared to before.
Previously, David Di had seemed withdrawn and timid, not one for conversation. But during the two-hour ride today, he hadn’t stopped asking questions. It was as if he was searching for something to talk about, or maybe he hadn’t spoken to anyone in so long that he wanted to say everything all at once.
"David Di, is there anything you need my help with?" After they returned to the Zen Garden Hotel, Cathy Liang cut straight to the point. She was starting to get overwhelmed by how much Joe Di talked—it was just too much. Could a divorce really change a person’s personality this drastically?
"You two chat. I’ll go buy a few clothes for Brother David," Andrew Lang volunteered, clearly not wanting to get involved in the conversation between Joe Di and Cathy Liang.
Joe Di smiled, "Thank you, Andrew, but I’ll buy the clothes myself later."
"David Di, I really didn’t expect you to change so much. And Andrew isn’t a junior, you know—he’s in Computer Science, second year of grad school, so he’s actually our senior. But seriously, what do you need my help with? Maybe I won’t be able to help at all." Cathy Liang rolled her eyes at Joe Di, clearly exasperated.
She’d felt some sympathy for Joe Di before, but after spending time with him on the way to the hotel, she realized that he definitely didn’t need her pity—and showed no sign of depression.
Joe Di didn’t mind at all and continued, "Cathy, from now on I’ll go by Joe Di. The name David Di represents my past and previous life. Joe Di is my present—it’s a new beginning."
"Alright, Joe Di, what exactly do you want me to help you with?" Cathy Liang sighed helplessly. Past lives and new beginnings—she thought, if you don’t work hard, nothing ever changes.
Joe Di smiled, "You know I’ve been traveling lately, but once I accidentally hit my head in a dangerous place. I barely escaped with my life, and now a lot of my memories are fuzzy. For example, when I just saw you, I almost didn’t recognize you. Could you tell me a bit about myself?"
“Ah…” Cathy Liang and Andrew Lang exclaimed at the same time, both startled by what Joe Di had said.
It took Cathy Liang a while before she hesitantly replied, "No wonder you seem different than before. Is that what happened? Are you alright? Do you want to go to the hospital for a check-up?"
Joe Di gave a self-deprecating smile, "You know how it is—going to the hospital costs money, and I don’t have that much. Besides, things aren’t so bad now. At least I’ve forgotten some things that maybe I shouldn’t have remembered in the first place. For me—and for some others—that’s probably a good thing."
Seemingly agreeing with Joe Di, Cathy Liang nodded unconsciously. "So, what do you need me to tell you?"
"Just say anything you know about me. It doesn’t matter—I’ve already let go of the past. The reason I’m asking is to prove to myself that I’ve really moved on." Joe Di’s words remained ambiguous.
Fortunately, Cathy Liang didn’t mind Joe Di’s tone. She sighed and said, "I was only your high school classmate for two years, so I don’t know much. You transferred to our class in the second year and stayed until graduation. At school, you were pretty quiet—or maybe just introverted—not nearly as talkative as you are now."
After graduation, I went to college, but you didn’t pass the entrance exam and left school. It wasn’t until two years ago, when I attended Zoe Shen’s wedding, that I realized the groom was you—my high school classmate. Later, I heard you and Zoe Shen divorced, and then you disappeared…"
At this point, Cathy Liang looked at Joe Di with some confusion. By rights, someone who could marry Zoe Shen should come from a good family. So why did Joe Di quit school after failing the college entrance exam? She also remembered that Joe Di had always been mysterious since they became classmates—she didn’t know where he was from, what his family did, or who his parents were.
Joe Di touched his nose. He hadn’t realized he and Cathy Liang were barely more than classmates for two years. By her account, they were only a bit more familiar than strangers.
As for the information he wanted, he hadn’t gotten any at all.
"Thank you, Cathy," Joe Di said, standing up.
"Are you planning to go back to Luojin?" Seeing Joe Di get up so decisively, Cathy Liang couldn’t help but ask.
Joe Di stretched and smiled, "Yeah, I’ll head back to Luojin for now. It’s still better than wandering around outside."
He knew he lived in Luojin—there was a rent receipt in his wallet with the address listed as Luojin.
"David...Joe Di... I think you’re more optimistic than before. Let the past be the past—don’t dwell on it," Cathy Liang couldn’t help but advise.
Joe Di laughed heartily, "Yeah, if you’re going to die, you might as well face it head-on. At this point, what do I have to be afraid of? If I let myself fall apart, it only makes those I hate feel satisfied."
This chapter isn’t finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting story!
"So, do you have any plans?"
"Over the past few years, I learned a bit about medicinal herbs from an herbalist. I’m thinking of looking for a related job. Thank you for bringing me back, Cathy." With that, Joe Di left Cathy Liang’s room.
Revenge was a distant goal—for now, he had to survive. Frank Yu had given him a business card; if all else failed, he could go to Aibo Hospital in Linchuan City and look for work. But first, he would check out his place in Luojin.
......
It took more than four hours by bus from the county station in Lethe to Luojin. Though Joe Di’s memories were somewhat fuzzy, when he entered Luojin, he couldn’t help but marvel—compared to Pearl City, Luojin was far more crowded.
Not only were there more people, but it was also much livelier. If anything, the only thing Luojin lacked compared to Pearl City was the absence of various flying vehicles—perhaps the technology here lagged a bit behind Pearl City.
Joe Di took out a folded rent receipt. The address read: 601, Building 22, Lane 726, Xuehu Road, Wuchuan District, Luojin. Because the name David Di was also on it, Joe Di was certain this was the place he’d lived in his previous life.
The sixth floor was the top floor. As soon as Joe Di opened the door, he caught a faint whiff of mildew. Looking up, he saw the ceiling stained by rainwater—the waterproofing on the roof clearly wasn’t done well.
Joe Di didn’t care about the leaks at all. The first thing he did was thoroughly clean himself, then went straight to sleep.
From unearthing the gray stone, to having his body transformed by a bolt of golden lightning, to hearing the Di family’s tragic news from Trevor Qu, then fleeing into the void and arriving here…
Throughout the entire process, Joe Di’s nerves had been stretched tight. Even in Frank Yu’s car and outside Lethe Temple, he’d only been half-awake. Only now did he finally feel a measure of safety.
(That’s all for today’s update, friends. Good night! Please consider recommending this story.)