「The scene changed.」
This recording was from an even earlier ti.
Bai Han and Xiao Xi t in the library.
Bai Han: "Xiao Xi, what book are you reading?"
Xiao Xi: "The Emperor’s New Clothes. I really liked this story when I was little."
Bai Han: "When I was just a little tyke, my favorite books were the Transford Warrior series."
Xiao Xi: "I know. Your mom picked one of them out as your wedding gift."
Bai Han laughed. "Haha, yeah. That really was a strange wedding gift."
Xiao Xi asked curiously, "...Why did you stop reading those books later on?"
Bai Han: "Hm?"
Xiao Xi: "I’ve seen the set. They’re in a corner of the storage room, covered in dust."
Bai Han tilted his head and thought for a mont. "Well... I guess... I just grew out of them."
"I an, they’re books for little kids."
Xiao Xi: "Is there anything wrong with reading fairy tales? They can be a comfort to the soul."
...
’Sothing’s strange.’
Li Xu mused.
He could figure out so of the reasons why Xiao Xi liked reading The Emperor’s New Clothes.
Xiao Xi had Asperger’s syndro, a disorder that causes social difficulties, similar to high-functioning autism.
And The Emperor’s New Clothes is all about pretending to be sothing you’re not.
That’s why Xiao Xi liked to read it.
But what did Transford Warrior an to Bai Han?
Li Xu took out another videotape, one from an even earlier date. This tape was not only marked with the ti but also a specific event: "Wedding."
"Is this their wedding video?"
Song Sisi said excitedly, "What was a wedding ceremony like more than twenty years ago?"
"We’ll know once we watch it," Li Xu said as he played the tape.
On the screen,
there was no grand wedding ceremony.
It even seed a bit deserted.
The only people on screen were still just Bai Han and Xiao Xi.
Oh,
and the watchtower.
The two of them arrived at the foot of the watchtower.
Xiao Xi leaned against the watchtower and asked Bai Han, who was beside her, "We should give it a na. What do you think of ’Xiao An’? Do you like it?"
Bai Han happily pulled Xiao Xi up the watchtower.
They began to dance by the light of the moon and the tower’s lamps.
Li Xu and Song Sisi watched quietly.
In the video,
a full moon hung in the sky.
The sky was quiet, and you could even see a few clouds.
Atop the watchtower,
two silhouettes were cast by the lights onto the glass of the top room.
They danced gracefully.
Although Xiao Xi didn’t look very skilled,
the sheer, overflowing happiness could barely be contained by the screen.
"It’s so beautiful!"
Song Sisi covered her face with her hands, her voice choked with emotion.
The screen went dark, then lit up again.
The wedding venue.
There weren’t many people.
It was a wedding that was both traditional and modern.
Amidst the officiant’s blessings,
the two were declared husband and wife, to spend the rest of their lives together.
Bai Han’s mother appeared. She didn’t look like a woman from the countryside; she was very elegant.
Perhaps it took a mother like that to raise such an outstanding son.
His mother was also very emotional.
She held Bai Han’s hand and said, "I am so proud of you, Xiao Hai."
At the wedding banquet,
Bai Han’s good friend, Zhou Gu, was puzzled. "Why does your mom call you Xiao Hai?"
Bai Han answered, "Oh, that was my maternal grandfather’s na. He passed away before I was born. My mom misses him a lot, so she gave his na as my nickna."
Zhou Gu was even more baffled. ’What kind of custom is that?’
But he quickly said with dissatisfaction, "How co you never told about this? We’re best friends."
Bai Han: "...Because I still prefer it when you call Bai Han."
「The scene changed.」
Xiao Xi and Bai Han appeared at a horse ranch.
The two of them were practicing horseback riding.
"You need to be careful."
Bai Han instructed.
But unexpectedly, Xiao Xi squeezed the horse’s belly with her legs, and the horse shot off briskly, leaving Bai Han behind in no ti.
The recording ended.
Still no answer.
Li Xu wasn’t discouraged.
He put in an even earlier videotape.
...
The new recording was from a hospital.
Doctor: "Unfortunately, as with many cases of Asperger’s syndro, this is a late diagnosis."
"You see, ma’am, if she had been diagnosed as a child, knowing about it would have made things much easier."
"If you have the ans, you could try horseback riding. Equine therapy might be beneficial for her."
"There’s a horse ranch to the north. You two can go practice there."
Li Xu understood now.
Why they were horseback riding back then.
After all,
even now, horseback riding isn’t a widespread activity, let alone more than twenty years ago.
So, the horseback riding was to help Xiao Xi find more opportunities to open up.
Ti continued to rewind.
In this recording, Bai Han and Xiao Xi were still at the hospital, waiting in line.
Bai Han said, "It’ll just be a little longer. They’ll call you soon."
Xiao Xi nodded.
She waited quietly.
And next to her was a toy platypus.
The very sa one that appeared many tis in the later recordings.
The scene ended.
Li Xu glanced at the table.
Only a few videotapes were left on it.
’If I still can’t find the answer, there might really be no way to help Bai Han regain consciousness.’
He took out an even earlier tape.
You could tell,
this tape was much older, and it was even a little damaged.
Li Xu was worried it might not even play.
After all, videotapes have a shelf life.
They usually deteriorate after thirty years.
However,
Bai Han had preserved the tapes very well.
Even though it was past its ti, it could still be played.
In the video,
Bai Han and Xiao Xi were just teenagers.
The two of them lived in the city.
Bai Han asked Xiao Xi to go see a movie.
The funny thing was, Bai Han got to the theater and watched half the movie, only to realize that Xiao Xi hadn’t arrived yet.
So, he squatted outside the theater hall waiting for her.
Just then, Xiao Xi actually walked out from inside the theater and asked Bai Han, "Why did you co out?"
A completely baffled Bai Han asked, "Were you here all along? Just sitting in there? Why didn’t you look for after you arrived?"
Xiao Xi was also confused. "Doesn’t ’watching a movie together’ just an sitting in the sa theater and watching the sa movie?"
Bai Han froze for a second, then burst out laughing.
"Haha... ’Watching a movie together’ ans we sit in seats right next to each other to watch the sa movie, not far apart without even knowing the other person is here."
Xiao Xi lowered her head and said nothing.
But Li Xu knew from the later recordings that Xiao Xi had Asperger’s syndro.
That’s why Xiao Xi behaved differently from most people.
The video continued.
Xiao Xi couldn’t understand the difference and couldn’t help but ask, "What are you laughing at?"
Bai Han: "Your way of thinking is so strange."
Xiao Xi: "...Are you still willing to keep watching the movie with , then?"
Bai Han nodded. "Of course, I am."
"Co on, let’s go back to our seats before the movie’s over."
Unsurprisingly,
Li Xu once again saw the platypus toy next to Xiao Xi.
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