Chapter 1: Abyss Approaching
Darkness.
Deep, very deep, bottomless, without a speck of light.
In this endless darkness, there was a painful feeling of suffocation, accompanied by a sinking sensation that constantly surged up, impossible to resist.
What a feeling of despair, helplessness, and terribleness.
Just then, in the distant dark abyss, a faint light suddenly appeared.
The illusory light, blurry at first, gradually expanded and became clearer, covering the entire world with colors.
When the colors settled, a pair of eyes opened.
Old walls came into view, the intense suffocation and pain still overwhelming his mind.
He struggled to lift his head, glancing sideways with peripheral vision, a taut noose suddenly came into sight.
At this moment, one could see a young man in a blue and white school uniform hanging by the rope, his entire face turning purplish.
"Ah!"
The young man's eyes were wide open, struggling desperately, though unclear about what was happening, he didn't want to hang to death.
Creak~
The noose swung back and forth due to the young man's violent struggles.
Unfortunately, all this seemed futile, as the noose dug deeper into the flesh of his neck, the intense suffocation causing the young man's eyes to roll back.
However, just as he was about to give up,
Crack!
The old steel frame ceiling collapsed thunderously.
Boom~
The young man fell heavily, crashing onto the debris on the floor.
The loud noise was particularly jarring in the silent night.
"Cough cough~"
The young man collapsed on the ground, breathing deeply, greedily inhaling the fresh air.
Thump thump~
Soon, urgent footsteps approached from outside the door, and the door was pushed open abruptly as two figures rushed in, seeing the young man on the ground, they excitedly shouted.
"We found Su Ming, he's here!"
The young man struggled to lift his head to look at the figures at the door, yet before he could figure out what was happening, more and more people arrived.
The crowd surrounded the young man, anxiously saying,
"Quick, take him to the infirmary."
.....
Moments later, inside the clean infirmary.
Su Ming lay on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, his face filled with confusion.
Inside the infirmary, many students in blue and white school uniforms chattered.
"What's wrong with Su Ming? He hasn't spoken a word in ages, could it be he's had a mental breakdown?"
"Normal, if the love letter I wrote was made public throughout the school, I might react the same way."
"This guy really has it tough!"
...
"Quiet, stop talking now!"
A thin man with protruding cheekbones and sallow skin, dressed in a gray teacher's suit, suppressed the irritability in his heart and scolded the chattering students.
"Yes, Mr. Tang."
The students present looked at each other and shut their mouths.
At that moment, the door to the infirmary was suddenly pushed open with a bang, a man about 1.5 meters tall with a beer belly, dressed in a black tailcoat with meticulously groomed shiny hair and a small mustache on his face, rushed in with a tall woman wearing a red dress and a gemstone necklace.
They saw Su Ming lying on the hospital bed and rushed to his side, anxiously asking,
"Son, are you alright?"
"What's bothering you?"
"Who has done this to you? Tell Daddy, I will definitely sue them!"
...
Su Ming looked blankly at the middle-aged couple with no response.
Seeing no reaction from Su Ming, the couple became even more anxious, asking,
"Son, what's wrong with you? Say something!"
"Don't scare us!"
...
"Parents, please stay calm!"
Tang Yan and an older school doctor quickly stepped forward to calm them down.
"Doctor, what exactly is wrong with my son?"
Su Ming's parents asked anxiously.
"Su Ming attempted to hang himself in the storage room not long ago. Although he was saved, the lack of oxygen might have caused minor brain damage, leading to his current state of consciousness. Let him rest quietly for a while, he may recover."
The school doctor said with a sigh.
"Yes, that's right. Please, don't be upset right now; Su Ming needs peace and quiet."
Tang Yan echoed before turning to address the other students who had helped in the search.
"Everyone, go back to your dormitories and rest early. We have class tomorrow."
Although the students were somewhat reluctant, they eventually dispersed.
After hearing what the doctor and Tang Yan said, Su Ming's parents' tense hearts eased slightly, and they looked back at Su Ming.
"My child, please look at me, I am your mother!"
Su Ming's mother said, her eyes red.
Su Ming glanced at the middle-aged woman but did not speak. His headache was worsening, and he was utterly confused about what was happening.
"Really can't remember?"
"Mother?"
Su Ming's lips moved slightly as he murmured softly.
At that moment, a fragmented memory flashed through his mind.
In the memory, he stood in the playground surrounded by many figures in blue and white school uniforms, who were laughing at him incessantly.
Then the memory cut to him lying on a classroom window, looking at a graceful figure on the playground.
As more fragments of memory emerged, Su Ming felt as if his head was being torn apart, the agonizing pain causing him to moan in agony.
"Ah~"
"Son, what's wrong?"
Su Ming's parents asked, extremely anxious upon seeing this.
"Ah, my head hurts so much!"
Su Ming, clutching his head in pain, writhed on the hospital bed as countless fragments of memory continued to emerge.
The school doctor quickly grabbed a sedative and rushed over, shouting.
"Hold him down!"
Tang Yan and others frantically reached out to hold Su Ming.
Just as Su Ming was about to remember everything, the needle was jabbed into his arm. Immediately, he felt a wave of intense fatigue wash over him, and he fell asleep.
...
A day later.
The tranquil sunlight streamed through the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, casting its light on the spacious bed.
Su Ming slowly opened his eyes and struggled to sit up.
He held his forehead and groggily got out of bed, walking towards the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Su Ming blankly turned on the tap.
The water flowed—
Su Ming caught the running water in his hands to wash his face.
The cold water instantly cleared his groggy mind, and he then raised his head to look in the mirror.
Immediately, a round and chubby face appeared in the reflection.
"Ah~"
Su Ming jumped in fright, his entire body shivering.
His first reaction was—who am I? Where am I?
His entire mind was bewildered.
However, Su Ming soon calmed down and sorted out his chaotic thoughts.
He took a deep breath and looked in the mirror again.
He scrutinized the person in the mirror, completely dumbfounded.
This was his first time looking in a mirror.
After five minutes, Su Ming sighed resignedly, coming to terms with his new identity.
"ε=(´ο｀*))) Alas,"
"Never thought this body would be so heavy—must be over 180 pounds at least?"
Su Ming gazed down, examining his new body from all angles, then muttered softly.