The Stars In Your Eyes

To understand the scene from the previous chapter, let's go back to one week before.

It was Saturday evening, the first week of October. Autumn's wind is cold, Zhen Guo feels lucky he wore a thick sweater and padded jacket. His wife chose his clothes for this evening.

It was rare for his friend inviting them to drink. If this was 15 or 10 years ago, it was not a surprise. They went to the bars and lounge almost every week when they were young. But after they have their own family, it was not an option anymore. Only on a few occasions they will go out together again like this.

And it's even rarer for his friend to invite them with just a short text message.

[Are you free tonight? Let's get some drinks..]

His friend didn't say to invite Luo Jiao, his wife. Usually if he invited them to some celebration dinner, he always told them to bring his sister in law. The last time they drank together without the wives, maybe around 5 years ago? Zhen Guo didn't even remember when.

All he knows, even when this friend of his broke up three years ago, he didn't invite them like this. At first, Zhen Guo thought Jian Kang Lu was inviting only him. He didn't think much, and just replied that he was free. Jian Kang Lu then told him the place and time to meet.

Zhen Guo thought maybe Jian Kang Lu needed some advice in architecture or something within his scope. Zhen Guo agreed immediately because his friend never asked for this kind of advice before. Even the apartment his friend living in right now is still using the original layout that Zhen Guo designed for the template.

When Jian Kang Lu bought that apartment, Zhen Guo offered him to customize the design and layout to give some personal touch. Most people who bought new luxury apartments want to personalise their own crib. But Jian Kang Lu just smiled and said he wanted to let the apartment's owner decide which part of the apartment that needed to be changed.

Zhen Guo understands who the apartment owner Jian Kang Lu mentioned. To be precise, the owner of Jian Kang Lu's heart at that time. But that owner didn't change anything, and then walked away. Left Jian Kang Lu alone. So until today, that apartment is still in the original design and layout.

Zhen Guo will be more than happy if he could give Jian Kang Lu advice or help in his scope of ability. Since he and his family received a lot of help before from Jian Kang Lu. But he never felt that Jian Kang Lu needed his help.

That's why Zhen Guo agreed immediately to drink tonight even though in reality he has to meet his friend to discuss their future project. He cancelled the meeting, and told Luo Jiao about Jian Kang Lu's messages.

"Hmm.. It's rare for brother in law to send this kind of message. Do you know what happened to him lately?" Luo Jiao asked him while she prepared lunch. Preparing lunch for Luo Jiao means transferring the food from the delivery order into the plate and bowl at the dining table.

"Yeah, the last time was a long time ago, you know.. When he heard 'you know who' told him 'that'."

Luo Jiao knows exactly what his husband means with those weird sentences. Those times may be the darkest time in the entire Jian Kang Lu's life.

Luo Jiao always admired Jian Kang Lu. That man is strong. She never saw him sad or stressed out no matter what hardship he had to face. People will think that his life is easy. You know, the lucky man who always receives all the good in this world without having to lift his finger.

But they all know nothing. Or maybe they just pretend not knowing.

Luo Jiao knows him since they're in university. People thought Jian Kang Lu never studied, so different from other medical faculty students. He looks like he enjoys his life leisurely. Watching movies, playing games, reading comics, going to the bar.

But they don't know he always reads the books in his free time, listening to the lecture's recording, watching educational videos, even when he's going outside. While driving, while running, while eating. They thought Jian Kang Lu was listening to music.

Jian Kang Lu didn't hide those facts, he always shared the good material he found for studying. But people are just envious of him. They refuse to listen and copy his study style.

But once again, most medical students didn't know how to maximise the benefit of having fancy gadgets. They have fancy gadgets just for prestige. Some know and are good at using it, but some just too stubborn to learn.

When people ask Jian Kang Lu why he didn't study like other medical students, he said "I just need to understand the material well and maintain my score. I didn't need to get a flying score. Why do I have to sacrifice my happiness doing the things I like for studying all the time? It's boring, don't you think?"

Though he says those words, Jian Kang Lu always sleeps late and reads the books before he sleeps. Even on his holiday.

Jian Kang Lu also knows how to treat others with kindness and sincerity. Unlike other doctors with stoic faces and treating their patients like a statue, Jian Kang Lu treats the patients like he treats his own friends or family.

No wonder he became more popular after he graduate. But then again, wicked people will say that he's popular only because of his face.

When Jian Kang Lu is in his residency, he can't sleep for two days in a row but still kindly answers phone calls from his friends when they need to ask him something. When he had to finish the research's material for his professor in a short limited time, he still lent his hand to help his colleague with a smile.

When he had fights all night with his lover and blamed for nothing, he still showed up in the hospital with a smiling face and talking like usual with his colleague.

When his grandmother who was very close with him died, he cried. But he only took one day off and returned the next day, treating his patients well and smiling professionally.

When his research's ideas and material are stolen by his own colleague, he just smiles and changes his research immediately. He didn't say anything, and still talked to that person politely. But he never answers anything ever again from that person other than just some empty greeting. Jian Kang Lu is easy to forgive, but he never forgets.

Jian Kang Lu never showed anything when he had some difficulties that maybe other people can't handle.

He always said, "Can you solve this problem by thinking why God gave you this problem day and night? Can you be happy if you scream or mad or crying? If you find a problem, don't think about it. Just try to look for the solution. If you can't solve it, then just sleep. Maybe the solution will come tomorrow."

Or he will say, "Count your blessing instead of your misery. The blind will envy the eyes that can see colours and shapes. The deaf will envy the ear that could hear birds singing and the ocean rippled. The mute will envy the words conveyed and the voice resonate."

That's how strong he was.

And now, suddenly these short messages come. It's unusual. "Do you think this is related to Bai Yutang, that little platonic lover he had?" Luo Jiao asks her husband.

Zhen Guo looked at her wife with a blank expression, "It's platonic. What else to think?"

Luo Jiao could only give her husband a flat expression. Sometimes she admires how this simple brain of her husband can create an intricate building's designs. Maybe all his brain cells can only work about buildings related and nothing left to think about anything else.

But Zhen Guo received a phone call from Luo Yan in the afternoon, asking whether he was invited by Jian Kang Lu to drink tonight. That's when Zhen Guo remembered his wife's number one rules. 

Luo Jiao is always right.

Luo Yan said that Sun Hongjia also received the invitation. So they agreed to meet at the lounge before the appointment time with Jian Kang Lu. The three of them gather 30 minutes before Jian Kang Lu shows up. But none of them knows what happened. No clues, no signs.

Jian Kang Lu always arrived earlier, so 20 minutes after they chatted together, they saw Jian Kang Lu walking toward them in a steady step. They saw Jian Kang Lu's eyebrow raised and said in a playful tone.

"Am I dreaming? Why did you guys gather so early? Are you gossipping about me?"

They can't pinpoint anything wrong from Jian Kang Lu's face or his gesture. So they silently agreed to make this man drunk first before scraping the information.

As a man with unlimited black card, Sun Hongjia ordered the most expensive whiskey there.

"Here, let's toast! It's rare for us gathering here without our wives." Sun Hongjia deliberately poured the dark yellow liquid to Jian Kang Lu's glass until it was almost full.

One hour and three liquor bottles later, Jian Kang Lu's glossy eyes start to gaze into the blank space in the corner, and start sounding the things that bother his mind.

"This is lame, but I can't contact him."

They all know the 'him' Jian Kang Lu mentioned. Because Sun Hongjia and Luo Yan already threw curses towards Zhen Guo when they heard from their wives that Luo Jiao already met this kitten of Jian Kang Lu.

From Luo Jiao's vivid description, they only know that this kitten is a young man, third year architecture student in T university, looks very ordinary, a bit skinny, but gentle and polite. They curse Zhen Guo for not taking pictures or prying more about this mysterious man.

Luo Yan is the first asking, "What do you mean you can't contact him? Did he block your messages?"

"No.. My messages show that he read it. My phone calls are going through. But he never received my phone call nor replied to my messages."

Sun Hongjia is the second man to ask, "Did you do something that makes him angry?"

"I also don't understand.. I didn't think I did something that would make him mad. But he also cut contacts with his other friends in the university."

Zhen Guo is the third man to ask, "Did their friends do something to him?" Zhen Guo remembers the group of students he met before, he didn't think those lambs would bully or doing something bad to this platonic lover of his friend.

"No.. I don't think so.."

Luo Yan asked again, "When was the last time you contacted him?"

"Two months ago.. I came to his father's funeral."

Now the three of them show surprise on their faces. This young man's father is dead? That's a hard blow for anyone. But why did this young man suddenly didn't want to meet Jian Kang Lu?

Zhen Guo pondered why, then asked, "Do you know his address? His family contact? Maybe he has some problems?"

Jian Kang Lu sighed.. Since he's drunk, his voice is a little bit incoherent. "I called his sister, want to send her a congratulatory gift. She didn't mention anything. From what we talked about, it seems his family knows nothing."

Jian Kang Lu silenced for a while, and drank a little bit more. Then he continued, "I think his family didn't know that he took a break from his study. He didn't register for this term. His friends told me that when I asked them."

Now this is big news. Why this stupid friend of them didn't tell them about this sooner! How could they understand what happened if Jian Kang Lu didn't tell them the background story???

Sun Hongjia now understands. "Is it a financial problem? Or mental breakdown? Do you have any clues?"

Jian Kang Lu shook his head. "I don't have any clue. I don't even know where he is now. He also left the dorm. Whether he's still in B city, or back to W city. I don't know. All I know is that his family thought he's still studying like he used to be here. I already searched for him, but found nothing."

Jian Kang Lu finished his drink, and said with a low voice. "And i can't contact him at all.."

These groups of smart men who didn't know what to say just silenced and drank more. What to say? They didn't even know this young man! Maybe Zhen Guo met him once, but they can't expect much from Zhen Guo with his wooden personality.

They drive the wasted Jian Kang Lu home. They can hear him mumble, "I missed him.."

The drunk Jian Kang Lu usually can't be differentiated with his sober state. But tonight, they saw the other side of drunk Jian Kang Lu.

Jian Kang Lu who sat in the back suddenly looked at Sun Hongjia and said with an angry tone, "Why didn't he look for me if he had some troubles? Am i not reliable enough?"

Then he laid his head back with his hands upon his eyes and said with a worried voice, "What if something bad happens to him?"

Next he took his mobile phone from his pocket and started to call someone. Luo Yan dares to bet his house that this person Jian Kang Lu called must be that young man.

"I want to meet you, TangTang."

Three of them speechless. Even years ago when Jian Kang Lu asked them to drink together and also wasted, he only said "I've done everything I can. I will try my best until the end. I have no regret."

Sun Hongjia really wants to mobilize his PR department power to find this young man. But he didn't even know what this man looks like. Jian Kang Lu said he didn't have any pictures of him. Despite all of that, the three of them agreed to find some information about this man. At least they know his name, his university, and his address in his hometown.

They know if they can find this young man, at least this poor friend of them that stupidly devoted to this silly platonic love will be relieved and happy. They start to admire this young man. The one who could turn this smart guy into an imbecile.

Jian Kang Lu never be this foolish, but they love this foolish man.