Chapter 4, Traces of Existence

Zhang Yu entered the room, locked the door, placed the photograph on the table, and turned on the desk lamp to observe it carefully. In the photograph, every detail was clearly discernible; the branches and leaves of the treetops were distinctly visible, without any signs of having been obscured or altered. Moreover, this old photograph from many years ago had already begun to yellow slightly, making it even more improbable that it had been modified and reprinted as a replacement.

Social networks... classmates... parents... photos... Everything that Zhang Yu could think of to prove his existence has already been sentenced to death. Now, it seems that he truly has no way to make others believe that there once existed a person named Ling Weiping in this world

Aunt! I am looking for Ling Weiping!" Zhang Yu looked at the familiar face in his memory, feeling a surge of joy in his heart. Indeed, he had not taken the wrong path; standing before him was none other than Ling Weiping's mother

Although he does not have the contact information for Ling Weiping's parents, he still remembers where Ling Weiping's home is located

Zhang Yu looked at his mother's face, and the fear in his heart grew larger and larger. Unable to contain himself, he shouted: "Mom! Ling Weiping! The Ling Weiping who grew up with me, who was my classmate in elementary school, middle school, and high school! He often came to our house for meals and always praised your cooking! Do you really have no memory of him at all?"

Today happens to be the weekend, and there should be someone at Ling Weiping's home. As long as their address has not changed.

Since graduating from high school, Zhang Yu has not visited Ling Weiping's home for several years

The doorbell rang again and again, and Zhang Yu's heart began to race wildly.

So... where exactly has Ling Weiping in the photo gone? And where has he himself gone?

Zhang Yu returned home and found that his parents were still awake, sitting on the sofa watching television. Upon seeing him push the door open, Zhang Yu's mother asked in surprise, "Why are you back so early? Didn't you say you were going out for a late-night snack with friends? Come, have a bowl of mung bean soup first."

"Xiao Yu, what happened?" Mother leaned over and asked Zhang Yu with concern. When she saw that photo, she couldn't help but laugh: "Oh, isn't this a picture of you from your spring outing in elementary school? When you brought it home, your dad and I were saying how that funny face you made was so ugly it didn't even look like it came from either of us."

By the way! Zhang Yu suddenly remembered that during the spring outing in the sixth grade of elementary school, he and Ling Weiping had a group photo together, and that photo had always been kept in the family album along with the books! As long as he can find that photo, it would be able to prove Ling Weiping's existence!

Ling Weiping's mother held her husband's hand behind her and said: "This young man came to our doorstep, saying he was looking for someone named Ling Weiping, and claimed that he knew both of us and used to visit often. Do you know him?"

At the very least, we can go to his house to take a look

Zhang Yu's remaining rationality made him unwilling to cause his parents worry; he merely shook his head in a daze, then pulled out the photograph, tightly clenching it in his hand, and stood up to walk towards his room: "Mom, I am tired today and want to rest for a while"

Ling Weiping's mother still frowned, carefully scrutinizing Zhang Yu from head to toe. However, the look of doubt and vigilance on her face became even more pronounced. She turned her head and shouted, "Husband!"

However, Ling Weiping's mother in front of him frowned, looked at Zhang Yu, and then shook her head: "You have the wrong person." As she said this, she was about to close the door. Zhang Yu was taken aback, quickly stepped forward, and reached out to block the door: "Auntie, wait!"

No, it has not disappeared; rather, it is as if it never existed in this world at all

Zhang Yu's mother furrowed her brows, thought carefully for a moment, shook her head, and said apologetically with a smile: "Xiao Yu, I am getting older, and I really don't have much of an impression."

Zhang Yu looked at his father, but he merely shook his head gently

After speaking, Zhang Yu's mother stood up and was about to head towards the kitchen when Zhang Yu walked up to her and said: "Mom, I want to ask you something. Do you still remember Ling Weiping?"

But... why do they have no impression of their son's name either

Zhang Yu's mother nodded and said a word of acknowledgment, then turned to watch her son walk dejectedly towards the room. She glanced back at Zhang Yu's father on the sofa, her face still showing some concern: "Son... is everything alright?"

Zhang Yu quickly forced a smile and gently said in the softest voice: "Auntie, don't be afraid, it's me, Zhang Yu! Don't you remember me? I used to come to your house to play often when I was little!"

Zhang Yu looked at the man, feeling even more certain in his heart. That was indeed the appearance of Ling Weiping's father, there could be no mistake.

Zhang Yu was sitting on the bed, facing forward, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck his mind

"What are you doing!" Ling Weiping's mother, with the door not fully closed, immediately displayed a hint of vigilance on her face

Even if his classmates have forgotten his existence, at the very least, Ling Weiping's parents should not forget their own son

Zhang Yu clenched his fist tightly, then relaxed it. At this point, he found himself utterly powerless to prove the existence of Ling Weiping, as if she had completely vanished from this world.

Zhang Yu got out of the car and stopped at the entrance of Ling Weiping's courtyard. He carefully confirmed the building and location in front of him, relying on his memory to find the building of Ling Weiping's home, and walked into the unit.

Where are the others? In this photo, it has always been just you alone. Xiaoyu, have you had too much to drink...? Zhang Yu's mother, with a worried expression, reached out her hand to touch Zhang Yu's forehead

Do you remember this photo? What about the person who was originally sitting in the tree?" Zhang Yu still refused to give up, asking with a trembling voice

However, Zhang Yu's mother thought for a moment, then shook her head and said with a smile, "I don't remember that name."

Third floor ... ... on the left. ... ... It should be correct! Zhang Yu repeatedly recalled the scene from many years ago when he visited Ling Weiping's home. After confirming that he was not mistaken, he pressed the doorbell.

Finally, after an unknown duration of waiting, the door was opened by a middle-aged woman who looked at Zhang Yu with confusion and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

No, it's nothing, perhaps I remembered it incorrectly

Ling Weiping's home was always located not far from Zhang Yu's, until they moved farther away in high school. When they were young, he would almost every morning wait downstairs at Zhang Yu's house to go to school together. It was quite common for him to visit Zhang Yu's house on weekends or during holidays. Even if those classmates somehow forgot about Ling Weiping, Zhang Yu believed that at least his own parents would never forget him

With her shouting, a sturdy middle-aged man walked out from the inner room, approached the door, and stood behind his wife: "What happened?"

Zhang Yu felt a bit more at ease, hurriedly turned off the light, and lay down on the bed

Zhang Yu clearly remembers that in the photograph, both he and Ling Weiping were wearing school uniforms. He stood under a tree while Ling Weiping climbed up the tree, both making funny faces at the camera. However, at this moment, only his own funny face remains in the photo, while the tree is empty, with nothing there! In the original position of Ling Weiping, there is not a trace of alteration.

The next day, Zhang Yu woke up early, brushed his teeth and washed his face, greeted his parents, and hurriedly ran out the door to catch a taxi

This is impossible

Zhang Yu hurriedly ran to the television cabinet, rummaging through the drawer below to find the photo album, carefully flipping through each page. After searching for a long time, Zhang Yu finally found that photograph, but when his gaze fell upon it, he felt as if all the blood in his body had congealed.