Chapter 140: A Touching Moment of Reunion!

At 2:00 AM, Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian, now disguised, quietly returned to the alley entrance of Mayor Wei’s residence. After scouting the area, Zhou Sinian confirmed that the coast was clear. Excited, the two made their way into the alley.

Upon reaching the courtyard wall, Zhou Sinian gestured for Ming Dai to wait, then vaulted over the wall first. Finding no issues after a silent landing and a quick sweep, he hopped back over to hoist Ming Dai into the yard. Since Ming Dai was effectively blind in the dark, Zhou Sinian kept a firm grip on her throughout.

Guided by the visual indicator of breathing patterns, they moved straight toward the room where someone was asleep. Using a military dagger as they had before, they carefully slid the door latch open and slipped inside. Once the door was secured, Zhou Sinian stealthily led Ming Dai to the side of Mayor Wei’s bed.

Ming Dai looked at the peaceful, middle-aged man sleeping on the bed and signaled to Zhou Sinian. Zhou Sinian took a deep breath, nodded affirmatively, and took the basket Ming Dai handed him.

Wei Yan was sleeping soundly when a sudden chill crawled up his back. The sensation of being watched jolted him awake. As his breathing shifted, Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian’s expressions grew increasingly excited; their eyes shone as they stared unblinkingly at the man on the bed.

Under their increasingly intense gaze, Wei Yan slowly opened his eyes, his hand instinctively moving under his pillow. Ready to fire the moment he was fully awake, he opened his eyes.

...!

The moment he saw them, even the seasoned Mayor Wei was stunned, his hand frozen on his weapon. An old man with a face full of wrinkles was staring at him with bright, affectionate eyes while holding an obscure object; beside him, a young woman was holding a box and giggling.

One could only imagine the terror! The intensity of their gaze made Wei Yan fear he was about to be abducted. Fortunately, his instincts held; he whipped out his pistol and aimed it at the two figures.

"Who are you?!"

If one listened closely, the deep voice carried a hint of a tremor. Hearing his voice again, Zhou Sinian felt a sudden surge of grievance. He couldn't help but blurt out, "Uncle Wei!"

*Snap!*

Wei Yan’s tension snapped instantly. His hand shook so violently he nearly pulled the trigger. He quickly lowered the gun, staring in disbelief at the wrinkled old man before him.

"Sinian?!!!"

Ming Dai was overjoyed. *Yes! We found the right person!*

Zhou Sinian nodded, feeling wronged, and looked at the lowered gun. "Uncle Wei, were you going to shoot me just now?"

Wei Yan looked at the weapon in his hand and shook his head, denying it, though he still stared at the old man in front of him with utter disbelief. "Is it really you, Sinian?"

Zhou Sinian nodded emphatically, placed the basket on the bed, and tore off his mask. Ming Dai used a cloth soaked in makeup remover to wipe his face, taking the opportunity to wipe the fake freckles off her own face as well.

In the dim moonlight, Mayor Wei finally recognized them. "Sinian? Young educated youth Ming? It really is you!" Perhaps because their entrance was so shocking, his first thought wasn't how they had managed to get in, but rather that their camouflage technique was excellent—he should learn that!

*Ahem!*

"Sinian, have you recovered?"

The three huddled on the bed to whisper, not daring to turn on the lights or approach the windows for fear that the guards might return and see extra silhouettes.

Zhou Sinian lowered his voice, mimicking Wei Yan. "Not yet."

Mayor Wei looked at him with an inscrutable expression; he could see that much for himself.

Ming Dai explained from the side, "We just started treatment. The tumor in his brain hasn't shrunk yet. Once it’s gone, he should be able to remember more."

Wei Yan looked at Ming Dai with excitement. "Young educated youth Ming, can you really cure him?"

Ming Dai shook her head. "Not at this stage. Zhou Sinian likely has shrapnel in his brain, coupled with brain damage from medication taken years ago. He needs to be examined at a proper hospital."

Hearing this, Wei Yan’s body shuddered violently. He remained silent for a long time before asking in a dry, raspy voice, "Are you saying that Sinian’s condition is due to medication from his childhood?"

Ming Dai, startled by the terrifying aura radiating from him, couldn't speak for a moment. Zhou Sinian immediately pulled her behind him, frowning at Wei Yan. "Uncle Wei, don't scare Ming Dai!"

Wei Yan looked at Zhou Sinian protecting Ming Dai, and his eyes instantly turned red. He squeezed them shut, his Adam's apple bobbing. When he opened them again, the murderous intent was gone.

"Young educated youth Ming, forgive me. I lost my composure."

Ming Dai shook her head. "It’s natural to be worried. Based on my assessment, his condition wasn't caused by a single event; it was the result of years of consuming psychoactive drugs."

Looking at the silent middle-aged man, she decided to tell him the truth. "It most likely started in his early childhood. There must have been a period where he was off the drugs, which is why he didn't lose complete control, though he might have been prone to irritability and poor concentration. Later, the head injury and the growth of the tumor exacerbated his condition, leading to his complete collapse."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yan’s back slumped.

"Childhood! Beasts! A bunch of beasts!!!"

Wei Yan couldn't suppress his emotions. He gripped his gun tightly, his eyes filled with such hatred and pity that Zhou Sinian felt at a loss.

"Ming Dai..."

Ming Dai held back Zhou Sinian as he tried to back away and spoke to the distraught Mayor Wei. "There is still a chance to save him. Once the tumor in his brain is gone, we can schedule surgery to remove the shrapnel. Recovery should be possible."

Mayor Wei remained anxious. "What about the effects of those drugs?"

Ming Dai glanced at Zhou Sinian. "Whoever drugged him was very careful. The dosage was accumulated bit by bit, which gave his body a chance to metabolize it. It may have had some impact on his intellect and temperament. I've been with him for a long time—he's very smart, and his personality is fine. Er, although he does hit people sometimes, but..."

Ming Dai smiled at Zhou Sinian. "After all, hitting people doesn't affect him much, so it’s fine."

Wei Yan exhaled in relief. "Right, right, hitting people doesn't have much of an impact."

Zhou Sinian blinked, looking between them, not quite understanding that part.

After hearing about Zhou Sinian’s condition, Wei Yan felt a great weight lift. Even though all three were huddled on the bed, he bowed deeply to Ming Dai. She was so startled she nearly fell off the bed, only to be caught by Zhou Sinian’s long arms.

"No, no, Mayor Wei! We have a cooperative relationship—I help him with his illness, and he helps me with my work! You don't need to do this!"

Before Mayor Wei could respond, Zhou Sinian wasn't pleased. "Ming Dai, we aren't just partners, we are clearly..."

Ming Dai quickly covered Zhou Sinian’s mouth, terrified he would say something ridiculous like "Ming Dai is my mother!" If Mayor Wei heard that, he would surely think she had taken advantage of Zhou Sinian while he was mentally incapacitated.

In reality, she was overthinking it. Wei Yan looked at the two and smiled slowly. *As expected of Sinian! Even while out of his mind, he managed to find himself a wife!* The young woman was beautiful, kind, and possessed great medical skills—and most importantly, she was good to Sinian. It was Sinian who had come out ahead!

After this pleasant misunderstanding, the three moved on to the main topic. Zhou Sinian was uncharacteristically serious as he looked at Wei Yan.

"Uncle Wei, do you know how I was injured? Where did the incident happen? And who saved me?"

Wei Yan looked at the anxious Zhou Sinian, but instead of answering immediately, he turned his gaze to Ming Dai. "Young educated youth Ming, can his condition handle stimulation?"

Ming Dai paused, understanding his implication. She looked at Zhou Sinian, who was waiting eagerly. "It is best not to overstimulate him, but Zhou Sinian only began to recover some memories after seeing you in the county town and hearing your voice, combined with the letter you sent. Therefore, appropriate stimulation is helpful for his recovery."

Wei Yan nodded and turned his gaze back to Zhou Sinian.