Rebirth: Professional Substitute

Chapter 1 - The Awakening

T/N Chapter titles are made up by us. The Chinese novel did not have chapter titles.

ZhouXiang tried to open his eyes but they were dry and the light was so blindingly bright that he could only squint his eyes. Coming into his sight is pure whiteness, so white that there wasn't even the slightest feel of human warmth. All the senses in his body gradually returned. He could smell the familiar disinfectant. He knew that he's in the hospital and was very shocked.

I'm actually still alive? Falling from such a high cliff, I am actually still alive?

It must be that his moral character was too good, so good that God was unwilling to accept him, leaving him to continue on living. Anyway, it's a good thing that he got his life back. But he didn't know whether he had any broken arms or legs. He couldn't feel them...his hands, his legs, he couldn't feel them at all. He was so frightened that he sweated profusely. Perhaps, it's a good thing that he's alive. But if he's disabled, isn't death better than living?

"ZhouXiang? ZhouXiang? You awake?" A middle-age woman's voice rang in his ears. The voice sounded solemn, tinged with a deep sobbing tone.

ZhouXiang exhaustively tried to turn his neck toward the voice. She's a woman in her fifties, looking very frail and very kind. Even though she called his name but ZhouXiang didn't know her.

Who is this?

"ZhouXiang......" That woman wanted to cry but was trying very hard to suppress herself. Stumbling to the door, she grabbed a nurse and shouted excitedly, "My son is awake! My son is awake! Quickly call the doctor."

Son? Who is your son?

ZhouXiang opened his mouth to try and talk but his throat was as coarse as the fire. He tried for the longest time but still couldn't make a sound.

Gradually, he began to feel his limbs. He moved his toes and he could feel them. His hands and feet, he could also feel them!

Soon after, a group of doctors and nurses rushed in and busily surrounded him. The nurse sighed, "He really woke up. He had been in a coma for two years, he actually really woke up. This is such a miracle. Auntie, congratulations!"

That woman cried and laughed simultaneously, so excited that she couldn't even speak clearly.

A nurse poured ZhouXiang a glass of water and used a spoon to feed him a sip. She only fed him a little bit before taking the water away. She softly muttered, "Don't worry, right now you need to get used to it first."

ZhouXiang asked coarsely, "I......how am I?" His voice sounded so coarse, it didn't seem like sounds that could come from a human being.

"ZhouXiang." The middle-aged woman rushed over to caress his face while crying, "Mom knew that you'd definitely would wake up. You finally woke up. Mom wouldn't be able to hold on much longer."

ZhouXiang looked at her in shock. Does this woman really think that I'm her son?

ZhouXiang recalled his memories and it seemed fine. All his 33 years of experiences are still so vivid in his mind. Even though the days before his death were passed by in agony, he rather wished that he could completely forget everything connected to that person. But he was sure that he didn't forget. And this woman definitely didn't exist in his memories. Even though...even though her sobbing made him feel distressed, her tears were so heartfelt, these are tears from a mother.

"You......you are......Auntie, I don't know you." ZhouXiang spoke this complete sentence with much difficulty.

The crying stopped as the woman look at him startled. The doctors and nurses were all stunned. It took them a while to react and the doctor patted the woman's shoulder, "Ms. Chen, ZhouXiang's brain has sustained serious impact. Anything is possible after he wakes up. If it's just memory loss, he is considered to be very lucky."