ã€ŠFlying Gulls Never Landã€‹


 CH 1

    What is freedom?

    Before I was sixteen, freedom to me was like birds soaring in the sky; fish swimming in the sea; precious enough that Sandor Petofi said he would be willing to give up his life and love for. An abstract, yet uniform existence.

    After I turned sixteen, freedom had a more tangible definition. It became beyond my reach, it was the world outside high walls, a goddess like being that had King Chu Xiang wrapped around her little pinky.

    I waited a whole ten years, to obtain it again.

    The day I left prison, I brought with me only simple luggage and stood behind the metal gates that slowly opened. It was only one wall that separated me, but the sky appeared to be more vividly blue, the air faintly sweeter.

    I greedily sucked in a gasp of air, ready to greet the new life I had been waiting for so long.

    ¡°Lu Feng¡­¡± The prison guard, Old Huang called after me. It wasn¡¯t a cold, apathetic string of numbers, but rather my name.

    I went into prison at the age of sixteen for voluntary manslaughter, for ten whole years, aside from being at the juvenile detention centre for the first two years. The last eight years I had stayed at Qing Wan City First Prison to serve my sentence. Old Huang at that time was already fifty something, so if I added everything up, after sending me out he should be at the age to retire.

    ¡°Don¡¯t turn around¡±, he said immediately, seeing that my body was inclined to turn back. ¡°Keep walking forward, and never come back again.¡±

    Thinking back, it¡¯s strange. Knowing that I was free again didn¡¯t bring tears to my face, but this one simple sentence from Old Huang made my nose run and brought about a sense of melancholy.

    I blinked away the wet heat circling my eyes and sent him a wave with my back facing him, before moving through the metal doors in big steps.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave everything here and never see each other again, Old Huang.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure what expression Old Huang had behind my back, but I was smiling pretty happily. An excitement I had never had for ten years bubbled within me, and each step I took had a spring to it.

    ¡°Di di di¡­ Di di di¡­.¡±

    An incessant buzz woke me from my sleep, as I opened my eyes to see the faded and cracked ceiling bathed in dim light. It took me some time to fully come around, as I belatedly realised that I was no longer in the First Prison facility anymore.

    There was no longer the sky splitting snores coming from the room which Number 67 lived in, nor the stench of sweaty feet. There was no need to wake up early in the morning to carry out physical labour tasks, or the need to live through each day like a never ending cycle of shifts.

    Even if I had left the prison for three months, sometimes when I was in deep sleep I would still think I was trapped inside that building that was like a metal cage. Somewhere even the sun rays could not pierce, where despair lurked, heavy and suffocating.

    I slapped the alarm to turn it off and rubbed the bridge of my nose. I stole a few more minutes of rest on my bed, before sitting up and shaking the sheets off to get out of bed.

    After half a month of continuous light showers, today the heavens finally decided to be supportive and bring about fluffy white clouds spread amongst a bed of brilliant blue skies. The sun was so bright that it was hard for one to open their eyes, all in all it was a rare day of great weather.

    I quickly brushed my teeth and washed up before putting on a leather jacket and leaving the house. I bought two Tianjin pancakes, one cup of soybean milk and walked to a bus stop a hundred metres out. I waited for around five minutes before getting on the bus.

    There weren¡¯t many people taking the bus on a Saturday morning, so after an hour when it was the third last stop, there was only me on the bus.

    The driver asked if I was getting off at the last stop, as if there was no one at the next stop, he would just keep driving.

    ¡°Yeah, I get off at the Good People¡¯s Nursing home¡±

    The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror, ¡°Visiting a patient there?¡±

    I continued sucking on my soy milk, despite the cup being almost empty. I nodded my head casually in response, ¡°My mother.¡±

    The driver let out an expression that was sympathetic and regretful for a minute second, before letting out a long sigh.

    ¡°What a pity.¡±

    P ibbxfv vbkc, ylalcu atf ragjk lc ws wbeat, ribkis alutafclcu ws uglq bc atf qijralm meq ecali la kjr mgertfv, klatbea ulnlcu j gfqis.

    P vbc¡¯a xcbk tbk ibcu atf vglnfg xfqa ublcu bc atf gbjv obg, yea la kjr bynlber tf xcfk ktja asqf bo qijmf atf ¡°Xbbv Ufbqif¡¯r Regrlcu tbwf¡± kjr. Kb qea la clmfis, la kjr bcf bo atf ifjvlcu qijmfr ulnlcu qjiiljalnf mjgf obg qjalfcar. Uea yiecais atbeut, la kjr pera j qijmf atja gfmflnfv qjalfcar ktb kfgf vljucbrfv klat afgwlcji liicfrrfr jcv cffvfv j cegrlcu tbwf ktfgf atfs mbeiv jkjla vfjat.

    My mother has Lymphoma cancer and it was diagnosed a year ago. When it was found out, she was already in the late stages.

    Back then, I still had a year before I was done with my sentence. Before, she was always very keen in visiting me and would always speak about the wonderful life that was awaiting me after I left the prison. She would even envision my married life when I was far from it, where every ¡®odd¡¯ day she said she would take care of the kids, and every ¡®even¡¯ day would be the in-law¡¯s on babysitting duty. When she suddenly stopped coming, I realised something was wrong.

    Then my mother¡¯s friend came along, and at first she still tried to hide it, saying my mother had appendicitis and was in the hospital, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to come visit for a short while.

    After being in prison for so long, I didn¡¯t pick up many things, but the one thing I became great at was examining the expressions of others. When I saw the way she talked, I knew that everything about the appendicitis was a lie. With greater insistence from my side, she spoke the truth, as I expected.

    Faced with a foreign cancer name I had never heard before, I was startled for a long time, to the point where I didn¡¯t even know when my mother¡¯s friend had left.

    That night, I used my leisure time to go to the library and borrow two books related to medicine. I spent a whole week fumbling through the contents before I realised that my mother had gotten a terminal illness, and unless Jehovah himself descended upon this earth to cheat my mother out of her fate, there was no way to help her get better.

    After understanding the situation, I didn¡¯t really feel much sadness. I was just numb, memories of each passing day becoming like fog, indiscernible from the other, and as if each moment was a dream.

    A few days after that, my call to a number I could not reach finally went through and the first thing my mother said was that she was fine, and she told me not to worry about her.

    ¡°You have cancer, do you think it¡¯s something that will be fine if you say it is?¡± The fact that my immediate family was sick, but I couldn¡¯t even stay by their sides made me beyond frustrated.

    My mother was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again her tone had completely changed, no longer being overtly carefree.

    ¡°I have a few credit cards here and I¡¯ve changed all the passwords to your birthday. If something does happen to me, don¡¯t forget to withdraw the cash. This illness has slim to none chances of being cured, so even though I¡¯ve accepted the doctors treatment proposal I know this is just a way to extend my remaining life.¡±

    A while ago she was still speaking so enthusiastically about the future, and now she was conveying her will. She spoke naggingly about many things, where the pass books were placed, where the land certificates were and even the basic steps of how she wanted the funeral to be arranged when she passed.

    At last she said, ¡°Son, I will try my best to hold out until you leave prison, then, let¡¯s go home together.¡±

    I¡¯ve forgotten most of my feelings back then, and it isn¡¯t something I want to recall. I just remember after the numbness¡­ was shockingly excruciating pain.

    My mother ended up carrying out her promise and saw me leave prison through sheer willpower. Even the doctors who predicted she would only have half a year left were amazed. However, she was never able to accompany me home, as the condition of her body was still too weak, and so she was sent to Good People¡¯s Nursing Home shortly after I left prison.

    Using the doctors words, that place had good conditions, good facilities and could let patients leave this world with greater dignity and comfort.

    The surroundings of the nursing home was truly a great environment, and coupled with the fact that today had fine weather, all the windows on the buildings seemed to sparkle, and the facilities radiated cleanliness. The light coloured marble floors mirrored the reflections of the people above, and were so clean one could roll about on the floor.

    With the Tianjin pancakes in my hands that I had brought for my mother, I entered the ward and found that there was no one inside. The blankets were all folded up neatly, as if no one had ever laid there. I looked quizzically at the name on the sickbed, Lin Xiang Ping, so there was no doubt it was my mother.

    A sense of claustrophobic unease rose in my heart as I feared something might have happened to her. As I was heading out to look for staff I could reach out to, a voice came from the door of the ward.

    ¡°A-Feng, you came¡­¡±

    I turned around and saw that my mother was well and accompanied by the nurse who was walking her inside. Seeing this, I was able to suppress the panic that had gripped me earlier.

    ¡°Where did you go so early in the morning?¡± I asked, as I hurriedly went over to help my mother get on the bed.

    ¡°The weather was good, so I went out for a walk.¡±

    She was worn down by the illness, evident with her skin taking on a less healthy appearance and with all the weight that she had lost. Anyone who saw her would not think she was attractive, but the nurse who accompanied her would always tell me that Lin Laoshi had an unique charisma, the most captivating out of all the terminal patients she had encountered.

    My mother had been strong for her whole life, and she was always the most afraid of people seeing her in a fallen, ashamed state. Even as her own son, I never got to witness many times when she truly lost her composure.

    The only time I did witness it was when the ruling of my case was being announced. When the time of ¡®ten years¡¯ left the judges lips, she rose abruptly with uneven breaths and her expression terrifyingly sombre.

    I thought she would curse at me furiously for bringing disgrace for the family, or she might mercilessly aim a shoe straight for my head.

    But she didn¡¯t say anything, her mouth was tightly clenched, and she just gave Sheng Min Ou a loud, resounding slap.

    That sound of the slap was so deafening that even the Judge shook uncontrollably in response. A hand shaped imprint was left on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s handsome face, like a beautifully crafted porcelain vase now ruined by an ugly red mark, abrupt and jarring to see.

    The court officials accompanied me when I left the courtroom, and the whole time I was looking at my mother, but I eventually sneaked a look at Sheng Min Ou.

    His eyes were cast downwards and he said nothing at all, seemingly unmoved by the slap my mother gave him, nor did he respond to the gaze I gave him.

    The crowd started rising and left the courtroom in order. My mother¡¯s eyes were red as she pushed against the wave of people to reach me, disregarding the court officials who were blocking her path as she tried to see me once again.

    Sheng Min Ou still sat there motionless. At that time, I thought it was because he was afraid to face me, and that he was blaming himself for his negligence in this case. Later, I realised that I was truly too naive.

    He was able to remove two figures that he found annoying, how overjoyed he must be sitting on that bench, so why would he care about that slap my mother gave, when the pain would disappear in the next few minutes?

    He wasn¡¯t looking at me, not because he was hit so hard by my mother that his soul had left his body, but rather because he was afraid that if he met my gaze, he would be unable to control the glee that lurked in his expressions.

    ¡°Last time didn¡¯t you want to eat Tianjin pancakes? I bought it for you today, but it took a while to get here so it might be cold already, I can heat it up for you.¡±

    I let the nurse accompany my mother, then I headed towards the tea room in the kitchen to heat the Tianjin pancakes.

    It was still early, so apart from each ward letting out coughs and murmurs of gentle conversations there were no other noises. The tea room was even more devoid of anyones presence.

    I heated up the Tianjin pancakes in the microwave for half a minute, then I took it out when it was lukewarm.

    Even though she had specifically mentioned that she wanted to eat it, with the current conditions of my mothers body, it was difficult for her to summon an appetite to eat the food. The most she could do would be just getting a taste of the food, eating a few bites before putting it down.

    I carried the bags and took them back with me, and when I was nearing my mothers ward, there was a ¡®Ding¡¯ as the lifts came to a stop on this floor.

    I didn¡¯t stop in my footsteps as I continued walking forwards, until from the elevators a tall figure wearing a suit walked out and obstructed my path.

    Even though I hadn¡¯t seen him in ten years, I recognised Sheng Min Ou in an instant.

    In his left hand, he held an abundant fruits basket, and he was holding a phone with his right hand, having a conversation with someone.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget tonights date, I¡¯ll be there on time.¡± When he was speaking, his tone was measured and controlled, despite his brows furrowing in a telltale sign of his impatience.

    As I stood in his sight, being an adult now, there was no way for him to miss my presence.

    He spared me a look from the corner of his eyes and didn¡¯t seem to think much of it at first, but after exchanging a short few words with the person on the other side of the line he stopped abruptly, and slowly, as if he had seen a ghost in daytime, turned to look over at me.

    He had finally recognised me.

    ¡°I have some matters to attend to now, I¡¯ll call you back later.¡± He hung up the phone, placed his hands in his pockets and looked at me square in the eye.

    He was sizing me up, seemingly assessing whether I had staged an escape from the prison, and whether that hand he had tucked in his pocket should be calling the police at this instant.

    ¡°When did you come out?¡±

    While he had been assessing me, I had also evaluated him.

    Ten years had passed, I grew taller, he had not, but I was still fucking shorter than him, by almost half a head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been out for about three months,¡± I replied. Even though I didn¡¯t know how to smoke, I really wished I could get a cigarette, light it up and press it to his face. I wonder how he would still pull of such an arrogant, condescending expression in that situation.

    He let out a seemingly disinterested ¡®oh¡¯, before handing over the fruits basket to me. ¡°Then you can deliver this, I¡¯m afraid that if Ms Lin sees me again she will scream and make a huge deal out of it. Being too emotional is bad for her body.¡±

    I took a glance at the luxurious and almost delicate fruits basket he brought, before accepting it and giving him a word of thanks.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything that¡¯s difficult in the future just give me a call, the nurse should have my contact details.¡±

    His phone was in his right pocket, and it wasn¡¯t like I was a primitive caveman who didn¡¯t have a phone of my own. Just the thought of exchanging our own contact details was tedious to him, to the point where he told me to reach out to the nurse to get his phone number if there were any issues in the future.

    On the surface level, he had perfected his polite mannerisms and courtesies. The only thing separating his true desires for me to never interact with him again until I died was just a sheet of insincerity, fake as can be. If I used one finger, one sentence, I could poke through it and expose what laid beneath, but in the end I said nothing.

    I smiled and accepted it, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ten years ago, I would have not hesitated in exposing him, but now I had grown up. The adult world was like so, where even if there is a translucent sheet of paper, barely covering up what was beneath, it was still better than seeing the ugly truth for what it was in it¡¯s bare form.

    He turned around and pressed the button for the lift to go down, and bid his farewells to me half heartedly, ¡°I still have things to do, so I¡¯ll be going first.¡±

    A weak breeze came by during this movement, and a cold scent was brought forth. It was  leather accompanied with sandalwood, and in that one instant the dominating scent had filled up my entire nasal cavity.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡±

    He tilted his head, his gaze lowering slowly to my face, then slowly shifted away again, stopping for only two seconds. The elevator arrived, and he stepped inside without a word, as if he had automatically filtered out my question just then.

    Bewildered, I realised that this probably meant ¡®no¡¯ from him.

    I watched him enter the elevator, and in this space where no one else occupied, he seemed to no longer need to uphold the facade he had kept going, and revealed some of his true colours.

    The tightly knit eyebrows started to relax and with his half lidded eyes, he exuded a sense of unrivalled arrogance. Anyone in his eyes would just be a talking pig, and even a casual remark or conversation with him would be the greatest gift they received.

    Heaven knows how he suppressed the urge to vomit whilst talking to me just then, it must¡¯ve been hard for him.

    With Tianjin pancakes in one hand and a fruits basket in the other, I returned to the ward.

    ¡°You just went to heat up breakfast, how come you returned with a fruits basket?¡± My mother stopped her conversation with the nurse and asked me, a questioning gaze evident in her eyes.

    I placed the fruits basket on her bedside drawer, and picked a delectable pear out as I planned to wash it first and then give it a taste.

    ¡°Sheng Min Ou just dropped by¡­¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even finished speaking, when all the fruits in that basket, aside from the pear I was holding, were hurtled towards the floor. The action was done so fast it could be aptly described as both swift and violent in its nature.

    She was panting, the hair around her temples a mess. ¡°Tell him to get lost!¡±

    My mother rarely loses her composure, yet now she uncaringly threw a fit, speaking callously at her previously adopted son to ¡°get lost¡±.

 CH 2

    I bent down to pick up the fruits which were scattered all over the ground, placing them back in the basket. I attempted to appease my mother, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry alright, look he¡¯s already gone. If you don¡¯t want to eat fruits, you can eat the Tianjin pancakes I bought you. They taste great.¡±

    She tightly clenched the sheets within her fists in response, her eyeballs popping out slightly due to anger, making her eyes so big it was slightly unsettling.

    ¡°He just brings bad luck! He¡¯s a parasite! Someone who bites the hand that feeds them!¡±

    I placed the fruits basket on the floor and sat on the bed, playing the role of the perfect audience. I listened to her using every iteration possible to curse at Sheng Min Ou without butting in.

    I never knew she could curse at someone so vehemently like this, and without even repeating the same phrase. It seemed like she¡¯s had plenty of practise these past years, with outbursts of profanity now becoming a second language to her.

    The nurse was unable to hide her astonishment at my mothers rapid firing of obscenities. She probably would never say Lin Laoshi was the terminal patient with the most charisma again, as the Lin Laoshi right now honestly did not have a trace of charisma within her.

    On the way home, there were still very few people on the bus and I held in my lap the fruits basket. I had lied to my mother previously saying that I would throw it out, but really I was going to bring it home so I could eat it myself.

    This basket was at least a few hundred renminbi, it would be a pity to throw it out.

    I looked at the view outside, a blur through the windows, and my thoughts started unravelling uncontrollably. I thought about my mother and then to the future, until I eventually ended up thinking about the man who I hadn¡¯t seen for a long time.

    Sheng Min Ou was adopted into my family when he was three years old, and the reason for his adoption was no other than the fact that my parents were unable to conceive a child of their own.

    However, just like many families who were struggling with having a child of their own, once the couple decided to finally adopt, they were met with a surprise pregnancy.

    There wasn¡¯t even time for Sheng Min Ou to have his name changed, all his legal documents and adoptee certificates had just been processed when my mother was found to be pregnant.

    Once she knew, she wanted to immediately terminate the adoption process, but my father did not agree. He felt sorry for Sheng Min Ou, and could not bring himself to hurt the young child again by being the second set of parents to abandon him. He also firmly believed that it was Sheng Min Ou that breathed new life into the Lu family, bringing forth fertility and good luck, and if this child was mistreated, then the whole family would receive great misfortunes.

    Although my mother was not a teacher, she had worked in the finance department in primary school and so all her colleagues would politely refer to her as ¡®Lin Laoshi¡¯. Being a believer of science and education, she did not believe in the outdated superstitions of my father at all and his rationale to keep Sheng Min Ou, resulting in a huge fight, to the extent where they almost divorced.

    There was no real problem in their relationship, other than the fact that neither of them usually took a step back when there was an argument. In the face of a fight that was blowing up with no clear resolution, even now I have no idea how the two worked it out back then, but in the end my mother decided to concede and allow Sheng Min Ou to stay.

    However, that was all the compromise she was willing to give, as Sheng Min Ou effectively became an unnecessary extra in the house.

    Instead of saying he was part of the family, it would be more apt to describe him as an outsider who was living off our charity. My father treated him fine, however my mothers disgust towards him was evident, as she never considered him as a son, but rather simply a mass of air that had a name attached.

    As a young child I was immature, so I used to relish in the favoritism shown by my mother. I would hold a toy cake that she bought for me, and show it off in front of Sheng Min Ou, whilst taunting him by asking him if he wanted it or not.

    Sheng Min Ou would always look at me with a blank expression on his face, his ink black pupils appearing perpetually cold. Each time he was approached by my cowardly self pretending to respect him by ¡®offering¡¯ toys, he would not hesitate in telling me he was uninterested in the toy, and then leave without offering a second glance.

    After I grew up, I realised that when Sheng Min Ou looked at me, he probably gave me the same glance as he did with idiots.

    Lf vlrilxfv wf, P mbeiv offi la.

    Snfgs alwf P aglfv ab jma eq jgbecv tlw, bg lclaljaf mbcnfgrjalbcr klat tlw, P mbeiv offi atf jnfgrlbc ogbw tlw atja tf kjr agslcu ab mbnfg eq. Cr atf vjsr qjrrfv, P yfujc ab ofjg tlw rilutais.

    Pa kjrc¡¯a jr lo tf cfnfg rwlifv jgbecv wf, yea gjatfg tlr rwlifr kbeiv cfnfg gfjmt tlr fsfr, jr lo tf kjr kfjglcu j wjrx ktlmt boofgfv j ojirf qgfafcrf bo qfjmf jcv tjgwbcs. Sjmt wbwfca jcv ufraegf bo tlw yflcu mbegafber ab wf kjr pera jcbatfg mjimeijafv wbnf ab meggs ojnbeg klat atf jveiar lc atf tberf, rb tf mbeiv mbcalcef tjnlcu j qijmf ab rajs.

    This feeling of ¡®dislike¡¯ I sensed may have been more ambiguous when I was younger, but after I grew up, with ten years having passed, I eventually saw it for what it was.

    Then, when I was ten years old, disaster struck for my family.

    My father was on his way home from work when he was involved in an accident. He was caught under the wheel of a cargo truck along with his electric scooter bike, and when he arrived at the hospital he was barely holding on. The injury had been too grave, the bleeding too excessive, where even an immortal would have a hard time saving him.

    With his dying breath, my father grasped onto my mothers hand, and made her swear that she would raise both sons up properly, especially Sheng Min Ou, and fund his high school and university fees. Being husband and wife for decades, my father knew what kind of person my mother was.

    Although my mother was reluctant to agree, faced with a dying person she could only nod and accept his wishes.

    From then on she was widowed with two dependent children, and Sheng Min Ou became even more of a liability to her. Consequently, her attitude worsened towards him as her contempt and neglect for him only grew.

    After Sheng Min Ou started living on campus, he would very rarely return home, only coming back when it was New Years or when it was the anniversary of my fathers death. During the winter and summers break, he would spend it outside working at his jobs.

    When he was in his final year of high school, he gradually stopped asking my mother for money, instead relying on the income from his odd jobs to fund for his living expenses and school fees, and even applied for a scholarship in university. My relationship with him was already distant and only drifted even more after he moved out.

    When I was in tenth grade, he was already in his second year of university, attending the best college in Qing Wan City studying Law. He came back home even more infrequently, often just returning to eat a meal before going off in a rush again.

    I had no choice but to use all of the tricks up my sleeve, asking questions from papers that I already knew back to front to have him help me, so he would stay at home for just a while longer.

    While he was explaining the questions to me, I always admired the view of his side profile, seeing how the sunlight would hit his fluttering eyelashes, casting faint shadows just beneath his irises.

    Every time I was entranced by his good looks, I would marvel at whether his biological parents were fools, because how could a normal person abandon such a handsome and healthy boy.

    From then on, I believed the deep affection I couldn¡¯t push aside for him was just the attachment I felt for an older brother, a dependency born from the lack of a father figure in my life.

    Until the appearance of Qi Yang.

    He would harass Sheng Min Ou, and thirst for his attention in greedy and despicable ways. It was as if I was looking at my own reflection.

    In that moment, I suddenly realised the deep feelings I had, the attachment I couldn¡¯t push away, were all just manifestations of desire. I had longed for Sheng Min Ou for a long time, so much that I just wanted to hold him tight and never let him go.

    In the ten years, I thought and mulled over a lot. Fundamentally, I was the same type of person as Qi Yang, both of us being caught up in our feelings for him, and not wanting to accept the reality where Sheng Min Ou ignored our existence. Except, he was more extreme in his doings, often surpassing my bottom line.

    During my time in jail, the inmates were mostly distant with each other, but after spending a long time together often a few close relationships were formed.

    In the 67th cell, I was most tight with three people: San Ge, Monkey, and Shen Xiao Shi.

    These people all came in after me, but all left before me.

    San Ge¡¯s real name is Wei Shi, a character with an outspoken and straightforward personality. Although he was a bulky man he had a sharp mind for business, so when he first came to serve his sentence he actually owned multiple massage parlours, with even more people under him.

    In a moment of boredom, I asked him why he got sentenced. He ran his hands over his bald head, and cursed the person and his eighteen ancestors, for being the reason why he had to now serve five years in prison.

    If I had to explain why he got sentenced, it would actually seem like quite the cliche drama plot. Wei Shi¡¯s massage parlours were becoming more popular and expanded by the day, so it required constant connections to keep growing. He discovered an important contact, Da Ge, and if he could successfully network with him, then demand for his business would greatly soar, to the point where he could just bat an eye and still generate massive amounts of money.

    He and his business partner, who was also a good friend, came up with a plan to invite Da Ge to the casino for him to bet to his hearts content. If he won money, it would all be his to keep. If he lost money, then it would be paid for by himself and his partner. If Da Ge was happy, then their later negotiations would be infinitely easier as well.

    Before going to the casino, everyone was in on the agreement and so they went with high spirits. Unbeknownst to them, Da Ge was the type of gambler who was seen only once in a thousand years, the type of person who would lose every bet, and the more he played the more he lost, until in the end tens of millions were gone.

    For Wei Shi, these tens of millions were not a small sum. He had to use up all the cash on hand, and sold off several stores to make up for the amount, but they had successfully built a connection with Da Ge, so earning this sum back would not be a difficult task.

    The problem came when his good friend suddenly went back on his words, refusing to pay for his half of the losses, and blamed the whole casino idea on Wei Shi.

    Wei Shi was forced to shoulder the full amount, and flew back to China barely suppressing his rage. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, until a few days later late at night he suddenly ran over to that friends house, tied him up and threw him in a car that took them out of the city. He stopped at a desolate faraway place, and beat the partner up until he was fully satisfied, before leaving and selling the car off.

    When the police found him, Wei Shi was yet to realise how serious the repercussions would be for the offense he had committed. For illegally detaining and possessing the properties of others, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

    ¡°Tell me I don¡¯t have rotten luck, look at what kind of shit I had to deal with!¡±, he exclaimed as his eyebrows furrowed, the merciful expression of the Guanyin tattoo on his arm becoming twisted and sinister as his muscles clenched with anger.

    I patted his shoulders, knowing it did little to comfort him. It would only be through telling him my story that would allow him to still laugh in this situation.

    After he finished listening, he looked at me in astonishment, and only motioned to give me a thumbs up after a while.

    ¡°As the saying goes, there is always someone out there who surpasses you. The person you had to deal with was an even bigger piece of shit.¡±

    I smiled, ¡°I agree, so you¡¯re not the one with the most rotten luck.¡±

    After that instance, we developed a camaraderie as if both of us were patients who found someone else diagnosed with the same illness. In prison, we both looked out for each other, and it was the same for when we left the cells too.

    On the day I regained my freedom, it was him and Shen Xiao Shi who came together to pick me up. Not only did they help me reintegrate back into society, but Wei Shi also asked me to go to his new store to become the manager there.

    I heard ¡®manager¡¯ and thought this seemed like a title with a lot of responsibility, so I asked him how many people I would be in charge of.

    He took a swig of iced beer and raised two outstretched fingers. ¡°Two people, one in charge of finance and the other is just a normal shop employee.¡± He pointed at Shen Xiao Shi beside him, ¡°This is your first employee. You¡¯ll see the person in charge of finances tomorrow, she¡¯s a beauty.¡±

    A person with a business mindset and a sharp intuition would always get back up no matter the setback. After Wei Shi left prison, he decided to not take up massage parlours anymore, but opened two pawn shops instead. Both of them were doing very well, and I would be in charge of the third franchise. In the early stages of expansion, he was missing a dependable person he could trust to oversee its operations.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about this though, you¡¯re asking me to manage a whole store, and I can¡¯t do that.¡± I spoke bluntly about my shortcomings, intending to reject his offer.

    Apart from the reason I gave, I was concerned about my mother as well. In her last days, I wanted to spend more time by her side.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, you have no experience and you didn¡¯t finish your education. After you turn me down, how are you going to find a job that would be good for you? I know you¡¯re worried about your mother, so here, I¡¯ll enrol you in a course first, and you can learn how to determine the authenticity of the jewellery and goods shown to you. This course takes a month or two minimum, so after you¡¯re done with that, you can decide on whether you want to still come to my chain to take up the job.¡±

    Though Wei Shi looked uncultured, he spoke meticulously and did things in a manner that was very thoughtful for the other person. If I said no again, I would only appear ungrateful.

    It was a good thing I didn¡¯t turn him down again, because after living in the ¡®ivory tower¡¯ for a long time, inflation had occurred far more rapidly than I had imagined, to the point where even Tianjin pancakes were more expensive now.

    After my mother heard that I found a job so quickly she was extremely happy, and laughed that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about me being too lazy to find a job and being unable to provide for myself.

    If she was able to witness my exuberance in even the most menial tasks over the past years, like folding my blankets, she would not have had this doubt cross her mind.

    The course on authenticating jewellery and goods was not difficult, at least it was far easier than the classes taught in high school. It was mainly focused on teaching people how to quickly determine the authenticity of luxury bags and the various gold and silver items people would bring. Sometimes, when the instructor was caught up in their teachings of the class, they would even talk about international trends currently shaping the luxury goods.

    To summarise, trends were like the crazed outbursts of people, when it comes it¡¯s fierce and furious, when it leaves it departs quietly and without a sound.

    The course was completed after three weeks, and the academy even gave out a graduating certificate. The instructor left a message for every student who had graduated the class.

    On my certificate it said, ¡°To my student Lu Feng, your future shows infinite possibilities, and your hard work is bound to reap rewards soon. I hope you treasure this and I wish for all your endeavours go smoothly.¡±

    Given his good wishes, if in the future I did become wealthy, I would definitely give him a big red pocket to convey my thanks.

    I returned home carrying the basket of fruits, and I had just finished pouring a cup of water for myself when Wei Shi called, asking me to go out for hotpot.

    I could hear many rowdy voices in the background of his call, it seemed like the atmosphere was truly lively indeed.

    I took the keys preparing to head out again, but at the door I lowered my head, catching a whiff of the scent that lingered on the denim jacket. A light scent of leather and sandalwood remained, though it was barely there.

    I hesitated for a second before turning back to my room, taking off the jacket I was wearing and getting another one out from the closet, before rushing back outside.

 CH 3

    Wei Shi called his pawn shop ¡®Prosperous Pawn Shop¡¯ in the hopes that his business would thrive and be prosperous just like the name.

    When I really dived into the job, I realised that I had to manage slightly more people than what Wei Shi had previously mentioned. There were actually three of them, finance manager Liu Yue, store staff member Shen Xiao Shi, and housekeeper Wang that was hired specifically to help cook and clean around the place.

    Working at a pawn shop sounds quite intimidating sometimes, like it¡¯s a business where once you walk into the store you¡¯re bound to lose something. From possibly the golden necklace your mother gave to you, to one of your livers, there¡¯s nothing a pawn shop would reject.

    But that¡¯s honestly a demonised perception.

    As a pawn shop, only legal items are accepted, so really it¡¯s a fair and ethical platform to trade. If it¡¯s something we are able to accept, we will gladly take it in, but otherwise we wouldn¡¯t want anything else from the customer.

    The electronic sensor played a woman¡¯s voice greeting ¡®Welcome¡¯ as I raised my head up, interrupted from my reading of the magazine Zhi Yin. When I saw how he was dressed, a handsome man wearing a floral shirt pushing the door and entering the store, I knew business had come.

    Wei Shi was very strategic in choosing the location of his store, the pawn shop was at the intersection of a nightclub and a large shopping centre. After the beautiful hostesses and handsome hosts received their presents, they could quickly come to the pawn shop to check out how much their gifts were worth. At the same time, those that were tired of seeing the same stores in the shopping centres could come into the pawn shop and see what new items had just come in and were for sale.

    The person in front of me was dressed unconventionally but he was still stylish. The buttons of his shirt might as well be all the way open until his belly button, and once he took off his sunglasses, the first thing he did was check out Liu Yue and send flirty glances her way, clearly being experienced in enacting this routine.

    ¡°Boss, how much is this watch worth?¡± He asked me, handing over the red leather box in his hands.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a famous watch.¡± Shen Xiao Shi commented. He was initially reclining at the sofa by the entrance swiping on his phone, but came over after seeing a customer come in, curious about the potential deal in place.

    I tossed the magazine in my hand to one side and slipped on the white gloves, bringing over the magnifying class to begin my appraisal.

    The metallic gold plating of the watch and the watch straps didn¡¯t have any visible scratches. The logo was clearly visible, the paint on the hands of the watch were the original colours without any fading and the watch hands itself were still straight and proper. I flipped the watch and examined its back, each gear of all different sizes were working meticulously and grinding in perfect synchronisation, the handiwork overall impeccable.

    ¡°This watch seems to still be very new,¡± I said. A watch of this calibre being brand new would be worth at least two hundred thousand renminbi.

    Floral shirt¡¯s face showed a trace of a smugness. ¡°I recently got to know this beautiful lady and she gave it to me. I¡¯ve never even worn it once, it¡¯s brand new.¡±

    I placed the watch back in the box, and told him our price. ¡°If you want to pawn it off to us and give up your ownership over the watch completely, I¡¯ll give you one hundred and twenty thousand renminbi. Otherwise, if you¡¯re still intending to get the watch back, you can pawn it here for one month and we¡¯ll give you a hundred thousand. Or, you can also pawn it for three months and we¡¯ll give you eighty thousand renminbi for it.¡±

    The smile on floral shirt¡¯s face froze, and he looked at me in disbelief. ¡°Surely you¡¯re cutting the price way too steeply, this watch is brand new I¡¯ve never even worn it once. If you¡¯re not willing to offer two hundred thousand, it¡¯s at least worth one hundred and fifty thousand?¡±

    I closed the lid of the leather box and pushed it back to its owner, taking my time negotiating the price of the watch.

    ¡°One hundred and thirty thousand renminbi, once we finish signing the documentation the money will be immediately transferred to your account.¡±

    He lowered his head and thought for a moment, before gritting his teeth and gingerly passing over the red leather box to me.

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    Vtfc Wljb Vtl oijrtfv j reyaif atewyr eq ab wf, jcv P ujnf oibgji rtlga tlr lcnblmf. Vtfc Wljb Vtl atfc mjwf bnfg ab ajxf wjcs tlut dejilas qlmaegfr bo atf kjamt, atfc delfais jrxfv wf tbk wemt P kjcafv ab rfii la obg.

    Ktf qjkc rtbq tjv j QfJtja jmmbeca, klat bnfg obeg atberjcv oglfcvr bc la. Vtfc Wljb Vtl kjr gfrqbcrlyif obg merabwfg rfgnlmf jcv rjifr, jcv bcmf atfgf kjr jc lafw atja kjr qjkcfv ab er jcv atf bkcfg gfilcdelrtfv atflg bkcfgrtlq bnfg la, tf kbeiv ajxf qlmaegfr bo atf lafw jcv jcv lwwfvljafis eqibjv la ab atf QfJtja jmmbeca offv.

    ¡°One hundred and fifty thousand,¡± I quietly whispered to him, confirming the amount we would ask for.

    Operating a pawn shop meant we would mostly be gunning for money that came quickly, with the philosophy of getting rid of inventory with the shortest turnaround time possible. Asking for a high price that made people desire the item but hesitate to purchase was the worst possible strategy for us. We firmly believed that it was better to earn less profits on reselling the item rather than asking for a high price that no one could commit to, resulting in said item rotting at the back of our inventory. So to summarise, it was better to earn less profits than have deficits from not being able to resell a highly priced good.

    Wei Shi always said that I had a talent for this line of business, and I was a natural apprentice, but I know a lot of what he said was flattery. If being able to negotiate prices was a talent, then my mother would be the kind of earth splitting rare gem in terms of how ¡®talented¡¯ she was.

    ¡°Sasha?¡± I looked at the name of the invoice that floral shirt had signed, and unhesitatingly scrunched up the piece of paper to give him another sheet.

    ¡°You need to write your real name.¡±

    He curled his lip before accepting the new sheet of paper and wrote his real name, Fang Lei.

    ¡°For the beautiful lady, if you have time call me and I¡¯ll take you around. I can get you a 20% discount off alcohol if you need.¡± He said, notioning at Liu Yue.

    He then tucked away the invoice and checked his bank account, before having a few more words with Liu Yue, passing her a perfumed business card.

    Liu Yue smiled and accepted the card whilst storing the one hundred and thirty thousand renminbi watch in the safe.

    After floral shirt left, Shen Xiao Shi laid back on the comfortable and plush sofa, raising his phone high in the air and let out a sigh.

    ¡°Life is so good when you¡¯re born handsome, you don¡¯t have to do anything and it¡¯s an easy one hundred and thirty thousand renminbi to the bank account. That much money is two whole years of my base salary.¡±

    Liu Yue alt-tabbed and brought forth the over exaggerated kdrama she was watching before, and nonchalantly replied, ¡°He¡¯s not that handsome though, at least not as good looking as my idol. He just has a good body, I mean, look at those pecs¡­.¡± She lowered her head to look at her own chest, then regretfully shook her head. ¡°I mean, if I had two hundred thousand renminbi to burn, I would never have given a watch to him. He didn¡¯t even wear that watch once, and just pawned it off as soon as he could. Clearly it didn¡¯t mean much to him at all. Honestly, this just proves that liking idols is better than chasing after a real person.¡±

    ¡°If you could afford to spend two hundred thousand renminbi on a man would you really lose sleep over how he dealt with the gift? That amount of money is just a drop in the ocean for them.¡± I said, naturally adding my two cents to their conversation as I returned to my magazine, resuming my reading of the article ¡®Salvation of the Fallen Girl¡¯.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Every day after work finishes I have to pass that luxurious club, ¡®Golden Days¡¯. From six p.m. onwards the customers start heading in, and they all drive luxury cars, from Bentleys to Ferraris to Lamborghini¡¯s, it¡¯s as if they were holding an expensive car exhibition.¡± Liu Yue said, agreeing. ¡°The girls that came over before, Jennie and Pearl, their roles were to be beautiful hostesses inside that club, and every so often they would come over with some of the luxury bags that they were given. They¡¯re always dropping seven, eight bags at a time too, and it never fails to amaze me.¡±

    ¡°How do you know they¡¯re hostesses?¡± I remembered the two of them, and they did come over each time with many bags, but because each time they came they were not wearing makeup, their skin appeared horrible and their complexion was frail. It looked as if they had played mahjong all through the night for three days and three nights straight, so I had initially assumed they worked in an antique shop of some sort.

    ¡°I added them as a friend on WeChat,¡± Liu Yue explained, waving her phone in her hands. ¡°Honestly, every day they¡¯re either thanking this boss for gifting them diamonds or that boss for a new luxury bag. With every post I get closer to hating the rich.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi suddenly jumped up from the sofa, ¡°Woah, someone¡¯s already expressed interest for the watch!¡±

    Liu Yue and I both got startled at his sudden exclamation as we turned to look at him.

    He whistled, ¡°A one hundred and fifty thousand renminbi watch, off our hands now.¡±

    Floral shirts watch had just been on our WeChat account for less than half an hour before someone staked their claim on it. As we¡¯d authenticated it was an expensive luxury item, it was worth too much for any damage to happen to it in transit if we had a courier deliver it. After reaching out to the client, he coincidentally turned out to be in Qing Wan City on a business trip, and was currently living in one of the five star hotels in the city. I passed that hotel on my way home, so I decided to personally deliver the parcel to him.

    It was worth over a hundred thousand renminbi, so I was too scared to even take the metro in case of any accident. I called a taxi to take me directly to the hotel, and then I planned to find Wei Shi to get this fee reimbursed.

    The hotel was an intimidatingly tall skyscraper, entirely cased in glass panels that appeared iridescent when bathed in the city night lights. The grand hall of the hotel was spotlessly clean and was elegant in design, carrying a refreshing scent.

    Perhaps there was some kind of banquet being held in one of the halls tonight, as I saw many people step out of their cars and come through the entrance. They wore decked out in impeccable formal wear, suits pressed and gowns sparkling, and were the embodiment of the elite in society.

    However, possibly due to how I was dressed and looking sorely out of place like I wasn¡¯t someone who had been invited here, once I stepped in that hall a doorman can over to ask if they could assist me with anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡±

    I told the client that I had already arrived, and the client responded quickly too, telling me to wait for a second and that he¡¯d come down shortly. I smiled at the doorman and walked to the reception area where there were lounges.

    I hadn¡¯t even sat down yet when a sleek silver sportscar stopped by the door and I couldn¡¯t help but take a closer glance at it.

    From the passenger seat sat a young female with a curvaceous figure, her red dress hugging her body so that it complimented her extremely thin waist. The temperature was slightly chilly, so she had worn a black feathered shawl draped across her shoulders. WIth her soft curls and red lip, she looked extremely beautiful.

    She strutted and crossed the front of the car to get to the drivers seat. She waited for the driver to open the door and get up before looping her arm through his as if she was utterly familiar with the movement. She then walked with him to the hotel and passed through its revolving doors with the air of a queen, taking each step with her stiletto heels and leaving clicking sounds in her wake.

    I remained where I was, and my sight landed without missing on the man beside her.

    It had only been a few days, but it appeared that we crossed paths again.

    He, like many of the other men in the room, wore a formal three piece suit with a black tie around his neck. His pocket square tucked pristinely in his chest pocket, with only a corner of the pure white fabric peeking out.

    However, unlike many of the other men, he had a great body, and his choice to only button up one of the buttons in his suit made him appear more toned and fit. It was evident he possessed a very enviable upper body physique and his strides also showed off his long legs.

    If they were to enter the elevator, they would have to pass me, and if they passed me, then it was impossible for Sheng Min Ou to pretend that he did not see me. At this moment, Sheng Min Ou did indeed see me, and absent mindedly stopped in his footsteps.

    For a split second, I met his solemn, cold gaze and saw a piercing maliciousness that could make anyone tremble. It was as if he was a tyrant, with a personality no one dared oppose, who had just discovered a filthy parasitic bug on his bed.

    Should he just brush it away? No, the bug was so tiny and insignificant that it was not even worth mentioning, but it did not mean that he should provoke it unnecessarily. Through his gaze, I understood how desperately he wanted to crush me, this ¡®bug¡¯ he despised, and all the torturous ordeals he would put me through if he could.

    However, all of this was only for a second, as just in a blink of the eye, the frosty expression and malice disappeared, as he appeared and acted human once more.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± The red lipped beauty asked, her eyes darting back and forth from me and Sheng Min Ou, a confused expression on her face.

    Sheng Min Ou looked towards her and his lips curved in a slight smile as he opened his mouth about to say something, but I was faster and moved to interrupt him.

    ¡°Ge, who is this?¡± I asked him with a smile on my face, ¡°Perhaps, is she your girlfriend?¡±

    The smile that was on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s face froze, and the gaze that came sweeping at me was so cold it was like falling into an icy abyss.

    He slowly opened his mouth to speak, ¡°He is my younger brother.¡±

    The beautiful lady appeared to be quite taken aback, ¡°You have a younger brother? How come I¡¯ve never heard of you mention him?¡±

    I spoke unflinchingly and met his gaze, which was as sharp as knives, and smiled again, ¡°Because for the past ten years I¡¯ve been serving my sentence in prison.¡±

    Her face paled as she stared hesitatingly at me.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s expression completely darkened, and dragged the beautiful lady by her elbow saying, ¡°Mo Yu, you can go up first, I will just have a few words with¡­ my younger brother.¡±

    She looked as if she still wanted to ask a question, but at this time another party of impeccably dressed guests came in. As if she was scared of attracting attention, she immediately shut her mouth, relaxed her expression and nodded slightly at Sheng Min Ou, before leaving a faint pleasant scent behind as she left.

    After she left, Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t even spare me a glance before walking towards the doors, as if he were certain I would follow him.

    I tugged at the corners of my mouth and waited for him to be quite a few paces ahead before dragging my feet as I followed him.

    Sheng Min Ou leaned against the walls of the hotel as he lowered his head and cupped the flame of the lighter as he lit up the cigarette in his mouth.

    He inhaled deeply, before slowly exhaling it out. Amidst the darkening night, the orange embers of his cigarette glowed. He held the cigarette between his fingers, the smoke shrouding his appearance, his eyes through the haze appeared seemingly worn down.

    I walked towards him, attempting to liven the atmosphere. ¡°So, is she really your girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°Lu Feng¡­¡± The deep rumble of his voice reached me, carried by the night breeze, and took me slightly off guard.

    It¡¯s been ten years. Ten years, and this is the first time I¡¯ve heard him call my name.

    He looked at me, finally no longer concealing the cold ruthlessness in his eyes.

    ¡°Stay away from me.¡±

 CH 4

    My heart thudded painfully in my chest, as if there was a restless little person hiding there trying to catch me off guard. When it saw the right opportunity had come, it pounced and moved to kick me down where it hurt the most.

    The scent of tobacco and cologne mixed to form a pervasive spiciness, threatening to dominate at any second. It was similar to Sheng Min Ou, like how under the pressed suits and polite mannerisms was the spirit of a wild, malevolent beast.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to get close to you.¡± I explained, passing forward the paper bag I held in my hand and continued, ¡°I just happened to come here to deliver an item to a client.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even glance at the outstretched paper bag, the sharpness in his eyes not softened in the slightest, ¡°It¡¯d better be like that.¡±

    Oh? So according to that tone of voice, he suspects me following him?

    I felt like laughing inside, and then actually let it spill, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to contact you if anything happened? How come you forgot what you said to me so quickly?¡± I tucked my hands in my jacket pockets, and couldn¡¯t help but feel my voice develop an edge to it, ¡°Or are you saying, you¡¯re scared that other people will know you have a murderer for a younger brother, and that this will affect the elite image you¡¯ve curated for yourself?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou bit down on his cigarette with a hardly concealed sneer, as he looked at me like I was a joke he didn¡¯t find humorous.

    ¡°Lu Feng, you¡¯re already twenty six years old, you¡¯re not a sixteen year old child anymore, so stop being so immature.¡± He dusted off the burnt cigarette parts over a trash bin next to him and continued, ¡°Even if other people know about our relationship, it¡¯s not as if I told you to kill the person, so what does that have anything to do with me? Also, it¡¯s not as if we¡¯re really biologically related brothers.¡±

    My fists which I tucked into my pockets gradually clenched tighter, he really knew exactly which words and phrases would drive a knife to my heart.

    Perhaps I really had been separated from the outside world for too long, long enough to forget what kind of ¡®monster¡¯ Sheng Min Ou was and how easily he manipulated others and got them wrapped around his little finger.

    Indeed, he was really just a monster that had a painted skin over him. In front of people, he shone and was admired by everyone, but all of that was really just to veil and cover up the real him that was much too different from a normal person.

    I took another step closer towards him and asked in a murmur, ¡°Does your girlfriend know how abnormal you are?¡±

    Because of the way he was leaning against the wall, the difference in our heights were almost negligible, to the point where I could evenly gaze into his eyes. I leaned forward almost imperceptibly, and he only looked back at me, without moving a single muscle.

    I gave him a smile, before quickly closing my hand around the cigarette which he held between two fingers. The burning heat scorched through my palm and pain shot from my hands to my brain, but after having already anticipated it, the pain wasn¡¯t as bad as I had prepared myself for.

    After a brief moment of excruciating pain, I loosened my grip on the now extinguished cigarette, and showed him the small blistering circle left imprinted on my hand, which looked angry and raw.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s pupils shrunk rapidly in the fading light as he gripped my arm and forcefully tugged me so I was in front of him. The pitch black in his pupils were like an abyss, so dark it seemed as if there was no end to it, and I could tell he was truly furious.

    ¡°Oh, and here I thought you were going to do something else. What, did you think by acting like this you could use this against me?¡± He gave a cold smile and revealed impeccably white teeth, ¡°Do you believe me when I say I could make you disappear from this earth, and no one would ever realise?¡±

    For a brief moment, I thought I could see the monster again, hiding under the painted skin and about to break free. It gnashed its teeth together, preparing to pounce and tear out my artery in one swift bite. My arm which he gripped was now in agonising pain, as I took in a sharp inhale trying to relieve the hurt, and started to struggle slightly in response.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you started?¡± I said, semi-impressed by myself at how I could still throw out a taunt in this moment, but immediately I admitted defeat, ¡°Ge, don¡¯t do this, it really hurts.¡±

    A flash of disgust showed in his eyes, as he released my hand and then shoved me away.

    ¡°Efwfwyfg ktja P rjlv,¡± tf kjgcfv, rwbbatlcu bea tlr rela, ktlmt kjr yjgfis mglcxifv. Mgbw tlr mtfra qbmxfa, tf abbx bea tlr qbmxfa rdejgf, jcv wfalmeiberis klqfv fnfgs olcufg, jr lo tf pera mjwf lcab mbcajma klat agjrt atja kjr ecyfjgjyis oliats. ¡°Gb cba, jqqgbjmt wf.¡±

    P geyyfv ja ws jmtlcu jgw jcv wbnfv la rb atja P wjvf j ufraegf bo vfofja, rlucjiilcu atja P tjv reggfcvfgfv jcv kjr mbwqifafis bo cb atgfja cbk.

    ¡°OK, I got it.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou threw the pristine pocket square forcefully into the trash bin, before walking past me, brushing shoulders as he did so, as he left for the hotel entrance.

    I remained standing in my spot for a while, staring at that pocket square for a long time, until the phone in my bucket started buzzing. The client was already at the lobby, and having not found me, and with me not replying to my messages, he could only call my number instead.

    I rushed into the hotel again and met up with the client, apologising several times for the inconvenience, before letting him sit down to examine the item.

    ¡°It really is a good watch,¡± he remarked, taking it out of the box and eagerly clasping it onto his wrist.

    The client was around forty years old, and even though he had styled and smeared gel all over his head he still was unable to hide his thinning hair. He wore a metallic grey suit that was clearly custom tailored, and his tie was flawlessly straight. Like Sheng Min Ou, it appeared he was invited here to the banquet that was going on.

    ¡°Is there going to be some sort of event going on tonight?¡± I asked.

    The client examined the watch from all angles before casually responding, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s an annual general meeting held by our company. I said it was a business trip, but really I¡¯m here as a representative from the side branch to attend the banquet. As I left in a rush, I forgot to bring the watch I usually wear, so I could only look for a new one to wear to the event.¡± He lowered his arms, ¡°Just then I saw you talking to consultant Sheng Min Ou, so I thought you were here to also attend the annual meeting.¡±

    His voice was even and measured, but I could tell he was trying to weigh up my relationship with Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°Consultant?¡±

    ¡°Legal consultant, he¡¯s the Head legal consultant for Mei Teng Pharmaceuticals.¡±

    I nodded, then closed the box which came with the watch, putting it inside the paper bag I brought it in. ¡°He¡¯s just a friend that I haven¡¯t seen in a while, we just happened to meet so we caught up over a short conversation.¡±

    ¡°I can just wear the watch, so you can toss away that box now.¡± He tidied up his cuffs and then continued meaningfully, ¡°Consultant Sheng right now is the CEO¡¯s favourite, he¡¯s definitely going to be the ideal son in the law in the future. Many people are trying to introduce themselves to him without a way to meet him. If you¡¯re close with him then please do me a favour by bringing up my name to him and putting in a good word for me.¡±

    This client was the type of person who could afford a hundred thousand renminbi watch and buy it as if he were shopping for groceries, yet now he was asking me to help him get a word in? He clearly thought much too highly of me.

    If I really recommended him to Sheng Min Ou, I would be certain that Sheng Min Ou would unhesitatingly drag his name into the blacklist.

    However, I replied, still exchanging pleasantries, ¡°Of course of course, if I have the opportunity I¡¯ll definitely do so.¡± Sheng Min Ou spoke about me earlier, but he was wrong about one thing. I wasn¡¯t immature and as for the world of adults, I knew of it dearly. ¡°Please continue to support our business with your patronage in the future.¡±

    The client beamed and patted my shoulders, before leaving after saying his farewells.

    I held the paper bag and walked out of the hotel, looking out for a place to dispose of it. Somehow I ended up back at where Sheng Min Ou had previously been dusting off his cigarette, and on the white marbled ashtray was the pitiful looking white pocket square that had been heartlessly abandoned.

    ¡°It¡¯s your rotten luck for following Sheng Min Ou,¡± I said, before stuffing the paper bag into the bin, then tucking my hands into my pockets as I left.

    I walked out for not more than a hundred metres when suddenly, the frustration in my heart started increasing rapidly. There was an insistent voice in my heart, telling me to turn back, turn back, turn back¡­.

    Shit!

    I couldn¡¯t take another step forward as I cursed inwardly and gave in, turning around to walk back. I quickly retraced my footsteps back to the hotel and grabbed the silk pocket square left at the bin before stuffing it in my pocket, then I retreated at the speed of a thief.

    Knowing Sheng Min Ou¡¯s secret, was an accident.

    Or perhaps I should say back then I didn¡¯t actually know what kind of soul lay hidden under his carefully crafted skin, I just felt¡­ like he was a bit strange.

    Faced with high school entrance exams, I was under a lot of stress, and my mother was obstinately controlling with what I could do. Apart from eating and sleeping, I wasn¡¯t allowed any time to relax.

    Under the stress and pressure, I escaped from home but had nowhere to go, so I could only go to find Sheng Min Ou. When I arrived at his school I found out that he had long since moved out of dorms and lived on his own off campus.

    His classmate told me that he still had classes in the afternoon, so I should go to his classroom to look for him.

    I found the classroom, but I didn¡¯t see Sheng Min Ou at all. I could only lean back on the corridor walls and wait for him, ignoring the anxiety I felt.

    After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Sheng Min Ou turned into the corridor from the other side of the hallway. Behind him was a bespectacled young man, who was a bit shorter in height. His expression was passionate and gleeful, to the point where I thought it looked almost exaggerated, and he was speaking the whole time.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s expression was cold and solemn with his brows already appearing furrowed. In his hands were two books and he walked with big strides. His gaze was unwavering, as if he completely could not hear what the other person was saying. Even if the other person was trying very hard to be able to keep up with his pace, it was like he had no intention of stopping at all.

    Then, he raised his head and saw me.

    He stopped in his tracks immediately, furrowing his brows even further, only walking towards me after a long while of pausing.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, without beating around the bush.

    My gaze shifted from left to right, because there was a third person watching us, I was too embarrassed to admit that I had escaped from home.

    ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to see you.¡±

    The bespectacled man narrowed his eyes and sized me up for a second, before using a very soft voice to ask Sheng Min Ou who I was.

    ¡°You should be attending class right now.¡± Sheng Min Ou turned a deaf ear to the question being asked and easily exposed my lie.

    I bit my lip and lowered my head, no longer speaking.

    I heard him seemingly click his tongue in irritation and felt a pang of sadness in my heart, as I assumed that he also found me unwelcome. I was just planning to leave when I heard him say, ¡°Wait for me outside.¡±

    My emotions were all over the place, having felt dejected just a moment ago to now being ecstatic. I knew this meant that he wanted me to wait for him until his class was over, so I raised my head and couldn¡¯t help but let out an airheaded smile, nodding as I accepted.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait outside for you, I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou walked past me to get into the classroom, but the young man behind him continued looking at me.

    ¡°Who are you? What is your relationship with Sheng Min Ou?¡±

    Faced with a sudden air of hostility, not even just humans, but the majority of living organisms on earth would be able to sense and understand a confrontational atmosphere. Furthermore, his aggression towards me was downright unfounded and impossibly rude.

    I had to maintain my image of being an obedient little brother to Sheng Min Ou, but in front of strangers I found it hard to hide my sharp edges.

    My expression darkened, as I didn¡¯t hold back in the slightest at expressing my dislike towards him.

    ¡°None of your fucking business.¡±

    In that instant, the inevitable outcome of myself and Qi Yang had been sealed.

    I used to enjoy the ¡®fated to be enemies¡¯ trope immensely, and I always thought if both myself and Qi Yang were characters, then we would definitely fall into the cliche where a character announces ¡®Only one of us will survive in the end!¡±

    I remember waiting outside the classroom for Sheng Min Ou for almost an hour, until the marble underneath my feet was polished glaringly clean, then he finally appeared with the crowd of people.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I rented a room outside, I can take you there for a while, then I¡¯ll get mum to pick you up.¡±

    Hearing him allowing me to visit his place made me overjoyed, but once I realised that he was calling mum to pick me up, my expression crumpled again.

    ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t I stay at your place for a while?¡±

    His expression was unchanged as he tucked his books under his arms and walked forward. He left me one word with no room for negotiation, ¡°No.¡±

    I pouted slightly, realising that being unreasonable and acting shamelessly only worked on my mother, and was completely ineffective on him.

    I followed Sheng Min Ou as we moved to leave the school when I felt a phantom prickling sensation on the back of my neck. I pressed my palm against it and rubbed it, then turned around to scan the masses behind us.

    In the ocean of people moving to leave campus after class was over, I was able to spot the person who was looking at me in one glance, as he stared at me in silence. Or, perhaps he was looking at Sheng Min Ou.

    His gaze made me very uncomfortable, it was forebodingly sinister yet undoubtedly passionate, and filled to the brim with hatred.

    I placed both hands behind my neck, ignoring the goosebumps and muttered a curse, ¡°Psycho.¡± I decided not to spare him another thought now and in the future as I chased Sheng Min Ou and left.

    It was just a nonchalant remark when I cursed him, but who knew, Qi Yang was really insane.

 CH 5

    Warning: There is a brief (3-4 sentences) graphic depiction of gore in this chapter.

    When I arrived at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s rented room, he told me to first take a seat. The room¡¯s signal was bad, so he could only call my mother by stepping out to the balcony.

    Sheng Min Ou rented a place that was within two kilometres of the school and was in quite an old neighbourhood. The size of his room was around twenty square metres and aside from his bed, the thing that occupied the most space here would be the bookshelf.

    An impressive amount of books were crammed into the bookshelves, and a sizeable portion of them had been stacked on the floor, categorised by their width and size.

    It was clean, tidy, and there was a bit of¡­ I sniffed the air, recognising the smell of disinfectant.

    I scanned the room, taking the entirety of it in with ease due to its small size, and sat down on the only chair in the room.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s desk was also tidy and organised, on it was a laptop that wasn¡¯t very new, a pen without a lid, and a few books in a foreign language that were stacked neatly.

    I stole a glance at Sheng Min Ou who was outside the room still on the call, and out of boredom, I decided to randomly look through a few books which were placed on the desk. It was a complete accident when I knocked over a thick, delicately wrapped hardcover book, and its contents spilled all over the floor.

    I hurried to pick it up, afraid that if I even hesitated for a second Sheng Min Ou would find out what I had done and get angry again.

    If he got angry, he wouldn¡¯t be the type to reprimand me for it, but instead next time he would just not let me in his room.

    When I gathered the few photos which had scattered, I should have just stuffed them back within the pages of the book, but my gaze accidentally lingered.

    My vision was suddenly filled with bloodied flesh that was bruised and blistering, starkly juxtaposed by the masses of white, severed limbs. There were the twisted expressions of the corpses, their faces warped in agony, and creamy layers of human fat which oozed out along with mangled, bloodied organs. Bones protruded out of the corpses at sickening odd angles, caught up and tangled in sinews, as large pieces of skin were still attached. From a glance, it looked like in the depths of hell, atop a mountain of corpses, there was a flag waving through the bloody haze.

    Seeing such extreme graphic content disturbed me, as I felt cold sweat prick down my back, and my stomach began to become queasy.

    Moreso than the fear I felt, I was more astonished.

    Why would Sheng Min Ou look at pictures like these? Did he need it for homework? He studied Law, so he would have to look at crime scene files, but these pictures¡­ was there some kind of purpose behind it?

    From the balcony came the sound of a door opening, and I immediately stuffed the photos back into the book and placed it back to where it was on the desk, as well as organising all the other books that seemed out of place.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sheng Min Ou caught my actions immediately and walked over with a hand outstretched towards me.

    As I saw the slender fingers encroach towards me, my heartbeat became frantic and I couldn¡¯t help but hold my breath. However, his hand simply passed me to where the books behind me were.

    ¡°I was just ¨C helping you organise your desk¡­¡± I said awkwardly, giving him a smile to try and win some favour back.

    He held the book in his hands and looked at me with slanted eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t touch my possessions again.¡±

    All the hairs on my back stood up, as I hesitantly nodded my head.

    Sheng Min Ou placed the book on the very highest bookshelf, at a height that was hard for me to reach. Then he randomly chose a book, and laid by the bedside as he read it.

    I sat backwards on the chair, my arms crossed where the backrest was and asked, ¡°Ge, why did you move out of dorms? Isn¡¯t it so expensive to rent a place outside, it¡¯s probably more worth it to move back home.¡±

    He turned over a page, his attention completely focused on the book as he replied to me at a nonchalant pace, ¡°Dorms are inconvenient, home is too far away, being here works well.¡±

    ¡°Do you have money?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Where does your money come from?¡±

    P jrxfv wfgfis jr j qjrrlcu atbeuta klatbea atf lcafcalbc ab vlu ja tlr qglnjms, yea mifjgis tf wlrlcafgqgfafv ws lcafcalbcr.

    Vtfcu Zlc Ye gjlrfv tlr tfjv, tlr fsfr oeii bo j wbmxlcu uilca, ¡°Gbc¡¯a kbggs, la kjrc¡¯a ogbw sbeg wbatfg.¡±

    Pc atf qjra, ws qjgfcar tjv obeuta yfmjerf bo tlw, rbwf bo atflg jguewfcar gfijalcu ab atf lrref bo lctfglajcmf lc atf oeaegf. Zs wbatfg kjr jikjsr rmjgfv atja tf kbeiv oluta obg j rtjgf bo atf lctfglajcmf ktlmt rtbeiv yf rbifis wlcf. Pa kjr ws tberf, ws yfibculcur, fnfgsatlcu kjr wlcf, jcv rtf jguefv jr lo kf tjv tecvgfvr bo wliilbcr ab yf qjrrfv vbkc.

    The disagreement between the two was easily overheard through the thin walls in the house and the contents carried over easily into the ears of Sheng Min Ou and myself. Back then, Sheng Min Ou always appeared very detached from it all, and I was always more anxious. Now it appeared that despite seeming apathetic and unbothered by the whole situation, he had listened attentively the whole time and remembered every word that was said.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer the question then don¡¯t, not as if I care.¡± I was used to his mocking remarks and had developed some sort of semi-immunity to it now. Seeing that he didn¡¯t reply to me, I faced away from him and propped my chin on my hands, spacing out as I looked at the wall in front me.

    I never asked what the purpose behind those photos were, and why he would have them. Was it because it was necessary for his courses? Perhaps deep within my subconscious, I had already realised that this would not be a good question to ask.

    I abandoned the opportunity to take a peek at the truth, but Qi Yang did not.

    He understood way before me, where Sheng Min Ou¡¯s desires really lie.

    ¡°Welcome~¡±

    My body shook slightly, as the magazine on my face fell to the floor and I was woken from a light nap.

    I rubbed my face and took a look at who came in and when I made out the persons appearance I was slightly shocked.

    Fang Lei had come again, this was his third time he had visited us in a month.

    This time he brought with him a brooch that was dotted with diamonds and glittered like a sky full of stars. While he was waiting for the appraisal, he started boasting about the female client who had gifted him the present.

    ¡°She¡¯s really head over heels over me, it¡¯s actually a little bit frustrating, because it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be able to go into a real relationship.¡± He gently bit the ends of his sunglasses, and it was only when one took a closer look at him that they could see the very light makeup around his eyes and his eyebrows. ¡°Her fianc¨¦ apparently is someone her father approved and he forcefully made a match out of them two. I¡¯m quoting her words here but she said apart from his degree and his looks there¡¯s nothing else good about him. Disregarding the fact that he¡¯s a lowborn, he doesn¡¯t treat her well at all. Of course, he also¡­seems to be quite unenthused when it comes to bedroom activities.¡± When he spoke of the last part, Fang Lei had let out a small chuckle.

    A person who could use the term ¡®lowborn¡¯ to describe someone else in the 21st century had to be someone who was self centred, arrogant, and thought very highly of herself, so how did she find this kind of floral guy attractive?

    ¡°Ge, all of this was gifted to you by her alone?¡± Shen Xiao Shi was someone who spoke sweetly, so he would call everyone he met ¡®Ge¡¯.

    He slouched over the counter, looking at Fang Lei with an abundance of interest, his features clearly displaying his keenness on what he thought was going to be big gossip.

    ¡°Yes, all of it was from her. In a few days she said she would gift me a car, do you guys accept cars here?¡±

    ¡°Jeez, if you add all of this together that would be like a million renminbi already?¡± Shen Xiao Shi clicked his tongue, ¡°Cars are a bit harder to get rid of, so I guess it depends on how much you¡¯re willing to pawn it off for.¡±

    After using a magnifying glass and a thermal conductivity meter to intricately examine the brooch, I confirmed that all of the diamonds were real and searched up two identification codes for the two biggest diamonds.

    Both diamonds were above two carats, and were very high quality in terms of purity and colouring. It was a rare exquisite grade brooch.

    ¡°Two hundred thousand.¡± I said, interrupting their conversation and staking my price.

    Fang Lei had already gotten used to the way I announced the price so after a tsk, he asked if I could raise the price a bit.

    ¡°These two bigger diamonds could sell for a hundred thousand renminbi alone, so if you¡¯re offering only two hundred thousand for this whole brooch then you¡¯re being too much of a miser, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    I furrowed my brows to appear deep in thought, as if I was having a hard time deciding. I bargained with him back and forth, keeping up the facade, and in the end we settled on adding an additional eight thousand renminbi.

    Liu Yue placed the brooch in the safe and then proceeded to authorise the transaction to Fang Lei¡¯s bank account.

    ¡°Honestly, you should come to the club and check it out. We have a bunch of handsome guys and beautiful girls there, whatever you¡¯re looking for you¡¯ll find it, and we don¡¯t have any of those nasty hidden fees.¡±

    I could see that Liu Yue had almost reached her limit after being incessantly pestered by him to the point where her smile began to look forced, so I had to help her out.

    ¡°Then that really does sound like a tempting offer, we¡¯ll make sure to go when we have time.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ve agreed~¡± Fang Lei said, putting on his sunglasses again and as he walked away coolly. While he was leaving through the door however, he almost walked straight into three tall and burly men.

    He jumped at the sudden appearance of them and looked bewilderedly at the three men, continuing to turn his head to look back every so often as he left the store.

    The three men entered the store, and the leader did not utter a single word as the two followers behind him swiftly moved towards the door and closed it.

    The chill had already started settling in, and the weather was getting increasingly cold, yet they all wore T-shirts and singlets, exposing the tattoos that snaked all throughout their arms as they came at us with an air of hostility.

    ¡°What are you all doing! We keep the door open when we¡¯re conducting business, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re some black market store, so why are you closing the door?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi moved to open the door again, but midway he was slammed to the wall by one of the men.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move, did we ever say you could move?¡±

    I stood up from the chair and looked Liu Yue in the eye, sending her a silent signal. She understood, and quietly hid under the counter.

    ¡°What is the reason behind this visit here today?¡± I asked, looking at the towering bald man who was their leader.

    The bald man shot me a grin, exposing a golden tooth that shone brightly and said he was known as ¡°Tiger Ge¡± in the Jianghu. He had always been in this part of town and had heard that the business I was running was doing pretty well, so came by to just take a look, and to borrow some money. In return, if I had any favours to ask for in the future, I could reach out to him.

    Simply put, the local mafia had come to collect rent for operating on his ¡®premises¡¯.

    Once he made it clear what he was here for, the situation became easy to resolve.

    Shen Xiao Shi sneered at them, ¡°We¡¯ve been open here for a little less than half a year, and no one has ever come up to us asking to ¡®borrow¡¯ some money from us. Don¡¯t mess with us, we have a line here that connects us to the Police.¡±

    Tiger Ge was especially unfazed, ¡°Sure, tell the police to come, the most they can do to us is throw us in a cell for two days. After we come out we¡¯ll make this place our new home, every day we¡¯ll lounge here for eight hours, whoever comes in we¡¯ll give them a greeting, let¡¯s see if you¡¯re able to still get business like this.¡±

    He clearly was intending to leave with the money one way or the other, and after detailing how dedicated he was willing to be to get that money, I was left with no choice.

    ¡°Alright, come over here, I¡¯ll give you the cash now.¡± I said, walking towards the metal fence that separated half the store, waving my hand as I motioned for Tiger Ge to come closer.

    There was no suspicion from the other side at all as he moved in, brimming with confidence, waving an outstretched hand to ask me for money.

    ¡°You¡­¡± He only had time to speak one word when I gripped onto his arm and exerted all my force to hurl him, sending his whole body crashing into the metal fence.

    Immediately, I twisted his arm behind his back, maintaining an iron grip on it and grabbed his T-shirt collar, slamming his head into the fence three times at a furious pace, until blood came spurting out his nose as he elicited painful howls.

    Once this happened, the other two men shouted in anger and wanted to move forward so they could rescue Tiger Ge from my hands, but they forgot that there was still Shen Xiao Shi.

    Shen Xiao Shi was someone who had pale skin and looked rather gentle, as if he could do no harm, but he was actually someone who had more experience than anyone else in gang fights.

    It was precisely because of being in a gang fight that he had accidentally crippled someone for life. The offence sent him to prison for four years ¨C despite himself insisting that he only participated because it seemed like it would be fun, and not because he had anything against the other guy. When he first went into jail, he had only been eighteen, and even now he was just twenty three, so he was younger than me.

    Shen Xiao Shi grabbed a folding chair in the corner and without batting an eye smashed it down towards one of the men. The man crumpled immediately at the impact, and without hesitating he moved to hit the one remaining.

    The two men were ambushed by him so only took damage without being able to retaliate back, resulting in their ability to fight being reduced drastically.

    The man who dropped instantly remained there, but the other one had a scar on his face and was of a bigger build so he appeared to regain his senses faster after the hit. He turned on Shen Xiao Shi and charged, gritting his teeth and ignoring the bleeding from his head wound.

    When Shen Xiao Shi first joined the big family that was Qing Wan City¡¯s First Prison, he had only been a child that was in his teens, and due to his skinny frame he appeared rather vulnerable. Coupled with his refreshing looks, it was easy for other people to form ideas about him.

    He happened to be in the same cell as Wei Shi and myself, but we didn¡¯t communicate much when we first saw each other. In prison, there were many inmates coming through and leaving each day, so it was impractical to try and be friends with everyone.

    We only started talking because one day when I headed towards the showers, I accidentally witnessed an inmate sexually harassing Shen Xiao Shi. Inside the walls there were unspoken rules, once someone became a ¡®woman¡¯, they would become the target of all the prisoners, and would never be able to escape that role, carrying a target on their back.

    I noticed that he was still young so I couldn¡¯t bear to ignore what was happening, and I helped him despite it being an unnecessary move on my behalf as I was interfering in the matters of others . After I was through, I was locked in a small cell completely devoid of light, my body cuffed down with restraints as I remained there for twenty four hours, but at least I did the right thing.

    I loosened my grip on Tiger Ge¡¯s collar and opened the lock, slamming my feet against the metal door and shoving Tiger Ge within the enclosed space between the wall and the fence.

    ¡°Shit, you¡­ you¡¯re retaliating? You better fucking watch yourself.¡± Tiger Ge threatened, his speech mumbled through bloody teeth as he hurled a fist at my face.

    I avoided his swing easily and reached him faster, my fist landing heavily right beneath his rib and where his stomach was.

    If we wanted to fight based on who was more ruthless, then these people honestly still couldn¡¯t be called my opponents yet.

    Liu Yue pressed down on the buzzer to contact the police, and the police quickly rushed towards our store and crashed through the door. Although I couldn¡¯t describe Shen Xiao Shi and myself as having left this fight completely unscathed, this brawl still resulted in an overwhelming victory for us.

    The police escorted the fallen men on the ground one by one into the police cars and then called for us to accompany them and give our statements back at the station.

    Tiger Ge probably did not anticipate that he would pick on an opponent that could win against him so he stared daggers at me, his eyes filled with murderous intent when we arrived at the police station. Seeing that I was unfazed by his attempts, he suddenly decided to cause a scene, insisting that his nose had been fractured, that he wanted to do a medical examination, and wanted to sue me for assault and battery.

    The police who was taking the statement down shot him a glare and pointed the pen at him, ¡°Settle down, do you really think this is a place for you to make a fuss?¡±

    ¡°Aiyou... my liver hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°My head hurts so much, I feel like it¡¯s splitting apart!¡±

    Tiger Ge and his two followers seemingly all received the same signal as they suddenly all dropped in unison, laying sprawled on the floor, pointing at various body parts as they whined in pain.

    ¡°Are you guys made out of porcelain? Just then you were all jumping up and down, swearing like no tomorrow and now you¡¯ve all decided to just fall on the floor. Who are you trying to deceive here?¡± Liu Yue exclaimed, sighing at their shameless display and put both hands at her hips as she started cursing at them.

    At this point, a towering figure walked through the door and once Liu Yue saw the other person, all tension immediately left her face.

    ¡°San Ge is here!¡±

    Wei Shi came in with a dominating air surrounding him, and once he entered everyone wearing a uniform greeted him.

    ¡°Apologies, apologies, my staff members brought inconvenience to everyone¡­ I truly apologise for this.¡±

    He turned around facing this way and his gaze swept past all of us. After seeing Tiger Ge, his thick, dark brows raised slightly, seemingly surprised.

    ¡°Wang Pangzi, how come it¡¯s you?¡± He asked in a cold tone, his face now completely devoid of emotion.

    Tiger Ge who was just domineering and cocky a second ago now he appeared to be like a quail caught in the rain. His face was pale, and his body was trembling.

    ¡°San, San Ge??¡±

 CH 6

    After all the chaos that happened, it turned out that we all supposedly knew each other.

    Back when Wei Shi opened his massage parlour, Tiger Ge worked under him for several years, and rose through the ranks to be in quite a senior position. Later, Wei Shi went to jail and the massage parlours all closed down, which led Tiger Ge to consider other routes for survival.

    Years passed since they had last met, and the Wang Pangzi from before became the ¡®Tiger Ge¡¯ of today. Wei Shi had long since become a myth in the Jianghu, a fading memory to everyone.

    Who could¡¯ve thought that things turned out to be so coincidental, where a random trip to a store chasing for rent ended up leading him to his ex-bosses shop.

    He had picked the fight, and it was with someone he had failed to recognise until it was too late. Currently, there was no one who felt more awkward than Tiger Ge.

    The three of them immediately curbed their acting and asserted that everything was a misunderstanding. Then, they promptly lined up and formed two lines with Shen Xiao Shi, Liu Yue, and myself, shaking hands and making up with us in the police station.

    When we left the station it was already past eight o¡¯clock at night, Wei Shi decided to treat everyone to hotpot, and after finishing our meal everyone still felt unsatisfied to end the day there, so they suggested going to ¡®Golden Days¡¯ near us to sing karaoke.

    Apart from Liu Yue being a girl and therefore inconvenient for her to return home too late, everyone else left for the nightclub in high spirits. Wei Shi called a cab for Liu Yue before we all parted ways with her.

    As Liu Yue described previously, the entrance was crammed with luxury cars.

    Wei Shi booked a room that was quite grand and called up a few hostesses. Inside the karaoke room, the lights shone, distorting a myriad of colours all across the room. Soon enough, a sound much like wailing that was meant to be singing made my head hurt.

    ¡°Hey handsome, you want a smoke?¡± The hostess asked, her face caked with heavy makeup as she leaned closer towards me, holding a cigarette in her hand.

    I shook my head, rejecting her offer.

    I said I was fine just listening to them sing, however Wei Shi the dumbass didn¡¯t let me sit idly, and asked for a hostess, saying that it was the rule here for everyone to sing a song.

    ¡°What do you say, handsome, let¡¯s have a drink?¡± A hostess called ¡®Li Li¡¯ poured a cup of alcohol for me, seeing that I didn¡¯t smoke.

    I pushed the cup back, declining once more, ¡°I¡¯m allergic to alcohol.¡±

    Honestly, these were all excuses, in reality I was just bad and inexperienced with alcohol. When I was around fourteen or fifteen, I secretly imitated adults and smoked as well as drank, but before I could really become used to either practice I was found out by my mother, and following that was a lecture and beating from hell, which resulted in me never carelessly trying to copy bad habits again.

    Li Li probably thought I was quite boring, as she tugged at her lips and quietly downed both cups of drinks herself.

    I also thought it was boring.

    Shen Xiao Shi stood on the little stage-like platform, holding the mic in his hand and wailed at pop songs that I didn¡¯t listen to. Wei Shi and Tiger Ge were catching up over the past few years, both of them enshrouded in the cigarette smoke, their expressions oddly unfamiliar to me. Tiger Ge¡¯s two followers seemed to be enjoying themselves greatly with the hostesses, as laughter flowed consistently from that corner of the room.

    It was all pretty boring.

    I told Wei Shi that I needed to go to the bathroom as I turned to leave.

    At the supermarket near the entrance I bought a bottle of water, then for some unknown reason I bought a pack of cigarettes. I sat next to the flowerbed by the parking lot outside of Golden Days, and brought a cigarette to my mouth in an unfamiliar manner without lighting it.

    It was astringent.

    I bit at the cigarette butt, taking a closer look at the cigarette box, and didn¡¯t see anything special about it.

    I knew Sheng Min Ou smoked, but it turned out that cigarettes didn¡¯t even taste good, I would actually rather have a lollipop instead¡­

    Ciatbeut P tjv atlr atbeuta lc ws tfjv, P mbcalcefv ylalcu bcab atf mlujgfaaf lc ws wbeat klatbea ajxlcu la bea.

    C mbcalceber ragfjw bo wfc jcv kbwfc vfmxfv bea lc iezeglber mibatfr qjrrfv atgbeut atf qjlg bo ugjcv ubivfc vbbgr mbcalceberis, jr P rajgfv ja atfw bea bo ybgfvbw, ktfc P revvfcis rjk j ojwliljg oluegf.

    Fang Lei had his arm intimately wrapped around a toppling figure as they walked unsteadily from the carpark.

    ¡°I still want more drinks¡­¡± The woman mumbled, her curls splattered across her features, her eyes tightly closed, leaving only a pair of red lips visible. Her whole body was tightly wound around Fang Lei, as if she were a snake.

    ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s stop drinking, you¡¯ve spent this whole day drinking already. I¡¯ll take you back home, otherwise your fiance is going to be worried.¡± Fang Lei said, gently comforting the other figure as he tapped her back in small motions.

    I remained staring at the woman, my eyes crinkling as I tried to make out more details.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be worried about me¡­ he doesn¡¯t have a heart at all!¡± The woman¡¯s voice suddenly became heated as she continued fanatically, ¡°Did you know¡­ even now.. I still haven¡¯t been to his house¡­. God, does he have something to hide in there?! It¡¯s still you in the end, you¡¯re much better than him, I like you¡­.¡±

    I kept to the shadows and in between us was another car, so they didn¡¯t notice me at all.

    Fang Lei held the woman and helped her get into a sports car that was painted electric purple, and patiently helped her adjust the height and tilt of the seat. Then he stepped into the driver¡¯s seat and disappeared into the car.

    In a short while, the sports car let out a roar, similar to some mighty beast as it reversed. Then, with a swift slam on the gas, it left the car park like a gust of wind.

    After I could no longer see any trace of the car, I removed the cigarette from my mouth and walked back into the Golden Days club again.

    The atmosphere inside the room was still lively, and Wei Shi was now the person singing.

    He really gave it his all, singing his heart out. After he finished his song ¡®Let¡¯s start again¡¯ the three men who had just gotten a beating earlier were so moved that hot tears streamed down their faces as they gave Wei Shi a thunderous applause.

    I sat next to Li Li and initiated a conversation, ¡°You know Fang Lei right? He also works here.¡±

    ¡°Fang Lei?¡± Li LI replied, her expression a mixture of confusion and surprise.

    I thought about it for a second, then switched the title, ¡°He¡¯s called Sasha here.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± The way Li Li regarded me seemed to have a minuscule shift in that moment, ¡°Are you his friend, or¡­ client?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not really friends, do you know the ¡®Prosperous Pawn Shop¡¯ that¡¯s just on the other side of the street? I¡¯m the manager there. He frequents our place to pawn off items, and after a while we became acquainted with each other,¡± I explained, smiling. ¡°I was just cooling off for a bit outside just then and saw him leave with a beautiful lady, do you happen to know who she might be?¡±

    ¡°That should be his most recent client, I heard he¡¯s the daughter of the CEO of some pharmaceutical company. She¡¯s loaded.¡± Li Li commented, her face full of envy and admiration.

    After hearing that she was the daughter of a pharmaceutical company, I initially still had 20% doubt, but now I could be 100% certain. Just then, the woman who was stuck to Fang Lei like glue, was the exact woman who I had seen next to Sheng Min Ou, his pale, rich and beautiful girlfriend.

    ¡°I heard she has a fianc¨¦?¡±

    Li Li was unconcerned as she gave me a smile, ¡°How many people are truly single when they come to a place like this? They¡¯re all just spending their money for a good time, it¡¯s not as if anything real is going to come out of it.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t exactly true. She was gifting watches one day and diamonds the next, it was obvious at least to me that she was head over heels for Fang Lei, and more likely than not she had really developed feelings for him.

    Sheng Min Ou, oh Sheng Min Ou, even someone like you can have this sort of ending too.

    I started laughing, and Li Li stared at me in confusion.

    I raised my bottled water at her and toasted her with it, saying, ¡°I¡¯m happy for Sasha and I wish for the two of them to last a long time together.¡±

    The confusion on her face deepened but I disregarded it as I stood and took over Wei Shi¡¯s microphone, queueing up the song ¡®I wait a thousand years for this one moment¡¯ and receiving roars as they cheered and whistled.

    Saturday was the anniversary of my father¡¯s death. I wasn¡¯t able to visit his grave in ten years, and since my mother couldn¡¯t go this year, she asked me to go in her stead.

    Before I went she had specifically reminded me to go in the afternoon, and when I asked why, she paused for a bit before saying with a long face that it was because Sheng Min Ou would go before noon.

    I had actually already guessed, when it came to the day that was the anniversary of my father¡¯s death, he would never be absent.

    On that day, I woke up earlier than most and went to the markets to buy flowers, small dishes and alcohol, then took the bus to head to the cemetery.

    I thought I had already arrived early enough, but I didn¡¯t expect Sheng Min Ou to be there even earlier than I was.

    My father¡¯s tomb was indoors, in a columbarium. Enclosed in the four walls, three of them were filled floor to ceiling with small places to hold cinerary urns. In each slotted space were two electronic candles, and a white plastic flower propped there as an offering.

    If the family wanted to offer things for the deceased, they could put it on the floor in the column of where the urn was, and later a caretaker would take it away. In the room, there were even two long benches, set up to allow visitors to sit there and take their time accompanying those who passed.

    When I got there, I saw Sheng Min Ou with his back at me, sitting on one of the long benches.

    In front of him on the floor, neatly aligned with the column where my father¡¯s urn was, was a bouquet of daisies.

    I stopped in my footsteps, not continuing forward, and even hid behind a corner of a wall, afraid to be discovered by him.

    Sheng Min Ou sat there for a long while without any movement. If it wasn¡¯t for the posture which he was in being a difficult one to fall asleep to, I would¡¯ve thought he was dozing off from waking up too early.

    In the early mornings, the gusts of winds easily brought chills to my bones. Simply by breathing out, a white fog would condense in my sights and cloud my vision. However, when sunlight pierced through the leaves and shone on my body, I would briefly have a moment of reprieve and feel an ephemeral warmth.

    Faded auburn leaves gently swayed in the wind, their shadows becoming smears of lighting on the floor.

    The branches shook almost imperceptibly, until finally Sheng Min Ou started moving, as if he were swayed by the wind too. From his coat, he took out his cigarette box and lit up a cigarette, placing it next to the bouquet he had brought.

    White smoke rose in spirals, disintegrating into the morning air. He waited for a moment then stood up and looked as if he were about to leave.

    I stopped hiding and walked out, turning the corner from which I watched him.

    He turned at the same exact moment, coming to a stop when he saw me.

    ¡®How can so many coincidences exist? It is all but meticulous planning and thoughts.¡¯ In my mind, a quote floated into my consciousness, although I had forgotten where I had seen it from.

    ¡°Ge, you came.¡± I said, smiling as my eyes crinkled.

    He had both hands in his coat and his gaze didn¡¯t linger on me for a second, as he moved to walk past me with his big strides.

    When he walked past me, I held onto his elbow in one swift movement.

    He jerked away from me, as if he was born with an instinct that disallowed him from being touched by me for more than three seconds.

    For a moment, we were both startled.

    I curled my hands into fists and held them in my pockets then simultaneously took a large step backwards, so as to keep a safe distance from him.

    ¡°I just wanted to ask you, all the time, have you been receiving the letters I sent to you?¡±

    In the ten years, I sent him many letters, but I never received a reply.

    From having hope, to being anguished, to stupidly pleading and finding reasons, until finally accepting and giving up. The first three steps took me five years, and the next five years were a long road where bit by bit my heart crumpled as I reconciled myself with the truth. Even then, I still sent out a letter every three months, and never expected a reply.

    In the last year, when I knew my mother was suffering from a terminal illness and she was at death¡¯s door, I no longer wrote any more letters.

    Now, when I asked him, it wasn¡¯t to blame him and it wasn¡¯t for any other reason. It was only so I could finally receive an answer to a question that had been buried deep inside my heart for many years.

    ¡°Letters?¡± He said, flattening the cuffs of his sleeves. ¡°I¡¯ve received them.¡±

    I froze, ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Then, it turns out you¡¯ve never looked at any of the letters?

    He seemed to already know what I wanted to ask, so he answered me in a very straightforward manner, ¡°I didn¡¯t read any of it, I threw them all away.¡±

    My heart which was clamouring and making so much noise in my ribcages finally stilled itself, leaving me with deafening silence. Faced with an answer I expected, I thought I wouldn¡¯t be disappointed.

    I overestimated myself.

    ¡°I thought this was what happened.¡± I dropped my eyes, looking at his polished shoes, my smile a little bitter.

    His coat swayed gently in the breeze, and he moved his feet to leave.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡± I called to stop him.

    He didn¡¯t stop this time, and left for the exit of the cemetery without ever looking back.

    Staring at his departing figure, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh, it seemed like I could never get him to stay.

    ¡°Treat your girlfriend better!¡± I raised my voice and yelled.

    It wasn¡¯t until Sheng Min Ou completely disappeared from my vision, that I carried everything I brought with me and went to see my father.

    I put the bouquet and the dishes on the floor and arranged them nicely, then bowed to the urn three times and moved to sit on the benches.

    ¡°Long time no see, dad.¡± I intertwined my fingers and clasped my hands together, my thumb making small circling motions over and over again. ¡°I¡¯m not a good son, if you want to yell at me or hit me, you can do whatever you want when we meet again. I¡¯m sorry for everything, I¡¯ve failed to meet mum¡¯s expectations and yours, I know, I know it all¡­¡±

    I closed my eyes, becoming engulfed in darkness once more.

    ¡°But I just can¡¯t give up like this.¡±

 CH 7

    The air was unbearably hot and my breathing was rough. I bit down on the hem of my shirt, stuffing a leather jacket to my face and desperately tried to inhale its scent.

    The fading cologne was already nearly imperceptible, as apart from the smell that originally lingered in the closet there was almost no other scent. In the heat, overwhelmed by my emotions, my mind became increasingly clouded.

    Sheer slivers of sweat ran down my forehead in rivulets, as the tip of my tongue soaked the fabric pressed against me.

    Not enough, it still wasn¡¯t enough¡­

    The growing impatience that was unable to satiated led me to casting away the jacket as I hurriedly clutched the pocket square against my nose, breathing in its air rapidly, like I was an asthma patient.

    When the air tainted by tobacco came flowing through my lungs, it was as if I had been electrocuted, and a sense of euphoria spread throughout my body.

    My eyes shuttered abruptly as my body slumped, falling onto the bed as if I were embraced by clouds. I loosened my bite on the handkerchief as I peeked through half lidded eyes at the ceiling and the antique fan installed, fatigue lacing my breaths.

    I placed the handkerchief over my face and through the fine gossamer fabric, everything appeared to be masked by a haze.

    The first time I dreamt of making love with Sheng Min Ou, I woke abruptly in fear, finding myself covered in sweat and patches of stickiness. Gripped by guilt over what I had dreamt of, the feeling of shame had seared its way into my heart, and all I wanted to do was take the dream into the grave with me, never thinking about it again.

    However, things did not always go as one wished. The more fervently one tried to suppress or resist it, the harder it was to ignore.

    During class, when I ate, when I showered, any moment when my brain could switch off it became vulnerable to the thoughts. If there really was a devil on earth, this absurd yet lustful dream would be the bait that catalysed my descent.

    And Qi Yang, would be the arrow that catapulted me into the abyss.

    I couldn¡¯t make out what I desired, perplexed by my feelings for Sheng Min Ou and this uncertainty fuelled my insomnia. Finally, I decided one day that I had to know for myself and give myself closure.

    I skipped the self study periods after school to go find Sheng Min Ou, and when I stepped into the worn down apartment it was the anxiousness in my heart and a foreboding feeling that  made me approach his place with light footsteps.

    When I reached his floor, a weak light spilled from his corridor and I heard the sounds of two men arguing.

    ¡°Qi Yang, stop coming here to piss me off.¡±

    The tips of my ears moved slightly, I would never mistake this voice, it was Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me leave¡­ I know what kind of person you are, don¡¯t worry, I can accommodate for you, I can accept you unconditionally¡­ ¡°

    The other voice was also very familiar, especially the feigned tenderness, it made my stomach hurl. It was that psycho indeed.

    P gfmbuclrfv Hl Tjcu¡¯r nblmf rkloais joafgkjgvr, atf mbcnfgrjalbc yfakffc atf akb qgbnbxlcu ws meglbrlas. P vlvc¡¯a wjxf jcs cblrf, jr P mtbrf ab rafjiatlis qbxf ws tfjv bea, mibjxlcu wsrfio klatlc atf vjgxcfrr ab ibbx bnfg ja atf mbwwbalbc.

    Vtfcu Zlc Ye rabbv ja atf vbbg ab tlr gbbw ktlmt kjr tjio bqfc, jcv Hl Tjcu kjr nfgs mibrf ab tlw. Cybnf atflg tfjvr kjr j veiifv rfcrbg iluta ktlmt rklamtfv bc ktfcfnfg rbwfbcf kjr atfgf, lar iluta pezajqbrfv klat atf gfra bo atf mbgglvbg meggfcais rkjiibkfv ys vjgxcfrr.

    ¡°You can do anything to me, as long as you¡¯re happy, I won¡¯t ever resist¡­¡± Qi Yang slowly sank to his knees, yanking his shirt up, exposing his bare abdomen.

    I don¡¯t know what was there, but Sheng Min Ou looked at it for a long moment without his gaze leaving, as if he was shocked¡­ also as if he had been entranced.

    Qi Yang¡¯s face showed a smile as if he had prevailed, and reached out for Sheng Min Ou¡¯s hand. As if he was a devout disciple of Sheng Min Ou, he kissed the tips of his fingertips with utmost sincerity.

    ¡°You can drink my blood like it is wine, you can treat my flesh like dough and treat me however you want on the bed, you can express your desires fully on my scars¡­¡± He reluctantly let go of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s fingers and instead reached out with a clear objective in mind, as he caressed the part that had reacted to his speech.

    ¡°I will let out the most chilling screams, crying as I plead for mercy, mercy for something I crave.¡± Qi Yang continued with his seduction, as he undid the zipper, greed clouding his eyes, his anticipation evident, ¡°A-Sheng, I love you¡­ I love you so much¡­¡±

    My eyes widened as my fingers gripped the doorframe of the emergency exit so hard they became white. In my mind were countless voices, screaming incessantly for me to go dropkick Qi Yang that psycho, and make him stay away from Sheng Min Ou.

    Everything in front of me was tinged with blood red in my anger, and just when I decided to bash the shit out of the psycho, Sheng Min Ou was faster and sent him flying with one kick.

    Qi Yang collided with the walls on the other side of the corridor, and held his stomach as he curled up into fetal position, painful moans escaping him, as if he were under great agony.

    Yet, he was still able to smile, ¡°Yes, just like this¡­¡± He coughed then continued, ¡°Don¡¯t hold yourself back¡­¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s eyes darkened, as he laughed callously, ¡°You think you understand me?¡± He stood there, and unhurriedly brought up his zipper. After he was done, he said two words in a measured tone, ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    He walked back into his room and slammed the door shut with excessive force, causing the dull light on the ceiling to shake.

    Qi Yang stared intently at the closed door and started to laugh maniacally as he clutched his abdomen, his blood slowly seeping out through the shirt, dyeing the fabric red.

    Serves him right.

    A smirk crept into my expression, as I felt greatly satisfied by the turn of events.

    Qi Yang looked as though he wouldn¡¯t be leaving in a while, and Sheng Min Ou did not look as if he was in the mood to hold a proper conversation with me. After weighing up the pros and cons, I decided to go home first and then decide on what to do.

    Once I reached the bottom floor of the building, I turned around again to look at the room which Sheng Min Ou rented. There, the light still shone, a light that was as ordinary as can be, yet it seemed to be imbued with some kind of magic power, alluring me to keep gazing at it.

    The riddles which Qi Yang and Sheng Min Ou spoke in made me irritated, as if there was a world, one where only they could enter and I was blocked off outside.

    Like Qi Yang, once I had also believed that I understood Sheng Min Ou very well, but it looked like that was not the truth. I was just another person that had been on the receiving end of Sheng Min Ou saying ¡°You only think you understand me.¡±

    After coming home, due to the homeroom teacher reporting to my mother that I had cut revision periods, I faced half an hour of fanatic admonishment.

    She said, she sacrificed so much because of me, so why couldn¡¯t I be more mature and behave better? She then brought up my dad, saying it was easy for him because he had passed already, and now he wouldn¡¯t have to spend his life tirelessly trying to raise me right.

    To get away from her constant reprimanding, I escaped into the bathroom.

    ¡°If only you were as good as studying as Sheng Min Ou, then I would be at peace!¡± Her voice bellowed as it came through the door.

    I splashed cold water on my face, memories from my dreams and reality interweaving with each other. In one moment, it would be the fierce, vehement breaths of Sheng Min Ou unfurling next to my ear, then a moment later I would see Qi Yang¡¯s eyes, his gaze lingering in the empty corridor.

    Droplets of water dripped from strands of my hair as I propped myself up against the basin and lifted my head. For a brief moment I was dazed, if it wasn¡¯t because of my features being my own, the same one I had seen for the past ten something years, then I might have mistaken the reflection for Qi Yang and thought he had stalked me home.

    The mirror reflected my appearance, my skin pale, the rims of my eyes red and my lips tightly pressed together, making my gaze look even more sinister.

    My eyes and Qi Yang¡¯s were so similar it was almost indistinguishable. Greed, envy, admiration¡­ these eyes contained all the feelings I contained for Sheng Min Ou. Why did I even think of going to him to seek an answer, when it was plainly written in my eyes all this time?

    I was the same as the psychopath Qi Yang.

    Acknowledging this fact made my heart palpitate, and under the swell of my emotions I raised my fist at the mirror, shattering its surface.

    Blood flowed through the cracks, forming a web of red as it trickled slowly and dripped down on the basin. My mother heard of the commotion and hurriedly came through the door, and screamed in horror at what I had done.

    ¡°Xiao Feng, blood¡­ blood! How could you be so reckless¡­ I was just talking to myself¡­ I won¡¯t say that again.¡±

    She thought it was what she said that hurt my feelings, and from then on she never compared me to Sheng MIn Ou again.

    She didn¡¯t know that my ego was fine, what was on the verge of collapse, was my belief that for the past ten something years my feelings for Sheng Min Ou was that of ¡®brotherly love¡¯.

    After finding out that Fang Lei was the person that picked the flowers out from Sheng Min Ou¡¯s garden, I paid him extra attention. Every time he came to the pawn shop, I would make additional conversation with him. After a while, even Shen Xiao Shi started to notice something was up and asked me if I had fallen to ¡®Sha Ge¡¯s¡¯ charm, otherwise why would I appear exceptionally happy every time he came?

    Here, he was clearly exaggerating. At most I was just a little excited, it wasn¡¯t to the extent where I would label it as being happy.

    ¡°¡­He wants to leave, but the CEO isn¡¯t willing to let him go, so it¡¯s at a stalemate right now. If you asked me, what¡¯s wrong with staying at the company you¡¯re going to take over anyways, it¡¯s so hard to try and start your own business.¡±

    Fang Lei¡¯s expressions were very animated as he spoke about him and his pale, rich, and beautiful client. When he mentioned Sheng Min Ou, he elaborated on what had happened and detailed the events at great lengths. To summarise, Sheng Min Ou wanted to leave Mei Teng to start up his own company, and his fiancee¡¯s father did not approve.

    Sheng Min Ou only got to where he was because of the CEO, so he could not make a big deal out of the situation, therefore leaving them at a temporary statemate.

    ¡°Not everyone is like you and relies on a sugar mummy.¡± Shen Xiao Shi joked, ¡°Did that beauty really fall in love with you?¡±

    ¡°Just yesterday she mentioned eloping to Europe.¡± Fang Lei said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel sorry for her fiance, his soon to be father-in-law thinks of him as a business asset, and his woman is thinking of eloping with another man. Apart from his job, he doesn¡¯t have any other hobbies, what a failure of a life hahahaha¡­.¡±

    I stared at his laughing face and leaned back against the chair, finding a small chuckle escaping me as well.

    ¡°Yeah, it is a bit of a failure.¡±

    During my ten years in prison, I was closest with three people, Wei Shi, Shen Xiao Shi, and Monkey.

    The day I came out of prison, Wei Shi and Shen Xiao Shi both came to pick me up. Monkey wasn¡¯t able to make it as he was busy camping in a discreet spot over in another city, waiting for his paparazzi scoop on celebrities and the like.

    Monkey was not his real name either, it was just that he was of a small build and had thick facial hair, similar to a monkey, so we called him that.

    Monkey disliked it when people called him his real name, because his real name was Yi Da Zhuang, and each time someone called him ¡®Da Zhuang¡¯, he would always think the other person was mocking him.

    Before Monkey went into Prison, he had been working in the line of private investigation. Although, different to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, he was not involved in homicide cases, but rather specialised in helping the wealthy investigate whether there was any suggestion of infidelity.

    Once, he had been helping a wealthy lady take pictures of her husband cheating on her with a young mistress in a private mansion, when he accidentally got caught by the security guards there. In one hit, he broke their nose. Once he was exposed, the wealthy lady who had hired him immediately drew a line between them two, denying any involvement. Under the charges of assault and illegal trespassing, he ultimately had to pay a settlement fee and was sentenced to prison for one and a half years.

    Due to the nature of his profession, he had witnessed all sorts of dramatic events. He also had a talent for performing, so naturally after a while, he became Cell 67¡¯s publicly acknowledged stand up comedian.

    After eating, whenever we had time for breaks, anywhere that had a trace of him would be filled with endless entertaining sketches. It was to the point where after he had finished his one and a half years of sentencing and left the cells, Wei Shi, Shen Xiao Shi and myself would still continue to miss him dearly.

    After Monkey left prison, he decided to quit his old profession, and changed career paths to collect paparazzi scoops instead.

    I thought it was a pretty solid choice, as it was a profession where he could transfer some of his old skills.

    After I left prison, despite adding him as a friend on WeChat, aside from the occasional ¡®likes¡¯ i gave him on his status updates, and sending the obligatory new year greetings, we rarely spoke to idly conduct chit-chat.

    So when I dialled his number and asked him to come out to negotiate a contract, he seemed a bit startled.

 CH 8

    Although I was an atheist, I still liked Churches. There was always a sense of tranquility in there, and that peacefulness soothed people, calmed them down, and allowed them to mull things over.

    There was a Church in prison, built so those who were religious would have a place for prayer. The priest would come in once every month, and sometimes when I had nothing to do I would go visit to listen to the hymns, and look through the Bible. The priest knew I wasn¡¯t a believer, but he had never chased me out of the Church.

    He always said that he was waiting to baptise me, for God to absolve me of my sins. He repeated these same words for many years, until he became too old to come visit, and a younger priest came in. The young priest was more indifferent towards the inmates, so I finally regained some peace and silence back.

    If the elderly priest knew I was a freak who liked men, he would definitely regret everything he said.

    God would not absolve the sins of someone like me.

    Sunlight came pouring through crystalline windows, and left refractions of light on the oak brown tables.

    Someone had left a Bible in the compartment under the desk, and the Bible which had been thoroughly used had several pages missing from it.

    I nonchalantly flipped through the pages and when I stopped, I saw a verse from Proverbs. ¡°A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.¡±

    Fuck, it was so true.

    I sat there staring at the verse for a long while, slowly savouring each word on my tongue.

    Then I felt a slight thud on the long bench, and realised someone else had joined me.

    ¡°Feng Ge, why did you call me here to discuss our arrangement?¡± Yi Da Zhuang wore black rimmed glasses with a simple sweatshirt and jeans combination. His white sport shoes were slightly dirtied, and because of how quiet our surroundings were, he had lowered his voice to a whisper.

    ¡°In the movies, whenever the spy and the higher authorities meet up, they always choose a place like this.¡± I placed the Bible back in the desk compartment and spoke of my intentions, ¡°I wanted to ask you for a favour.¡±

    I explained what favour I needed and the context regarding the situation. I also detailed the results I wanted out of it, and at the end I asked him how he wanted to charge fees.

    Yi Da Zhuang forgot about keeping his voice down as he exclaimed, startled, ¡°You want me to investigate the daughter of the CEO at Mei Teng Pharmaceutical and the affair she has with that male hooker?¡±

    I placed a finger to my lips, ¡°Shh.¡±

    He quickly looked around at our surroundings, and saw quite a few people were currently glancing at him, so he quickly nodded to apologise and awkwardly clasped a hand over his mouth.

    ¡°Feng Ge, you know I haven¡¯t been a private detective in a long time,¡± he whispered, ¡°however since you asked, then I have to help you. Plus, this has to do with the colour of your brothers hat. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t charge for this, and I guarantee that I¡¯ll even find out what colour underwear the pair of cheating scums are wearing!¡±

    I was deeply moved by his speech and gave him a pat on the shoulder, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be relying on you.¡±

    ¡°Rba j qgbyifw,¡± Tl Gj Itejcu kjnfv tlr tjcv jcv uba eq ab ifjnf.

    P ralii kjcafv ab mbcalcef rlaalcu obg j ktlif, rb P vlvc¡¯a wbnf, tbkfnfg ecfzqfmafvis Tl Gj Itejcu gfaegcfv joafg j ktlif, tlr fzqgfrrlbc ugjnf.

    ¡°Mfcu Xf, cfza alwf ifa¡¯r cba mbwf tfgf jcswbgf, fnfc lo kf kfca ab j gbboabq la kbeiv yf yfaafg atjc tfgf.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s ability left no room for doubt, in just three days he sent over a preliminary report containing the results of his investigations.

    The CEO of Mei Teng Pharmaceuticals was Xiao Sui Guang, and he only had one daughter called Xiao Mo Yu. She had graduated from a prestigious school overseas and possessed a beauty that was incomparable to any other girls. Similar to many rich heirs, she lived an extravagant and rather frivolous lifestyle, and was used to dropping millions as if they were mere pennies to her.

    It was such a person who was part of the elite in society as well as being the classic pale, rich and beautiful woman that all men seeked. She never had a moment where men did not flock to chase after her, and yet she became engaged to Sheng Min Ou a year ago.

    ¡°Xiao Sui Guang does not have any sons, and his only daughter just squandered each day by blowing money on fun. Since a long time ago, he had already started to look out for potential candidates to take over his position in the company. Your brother is his first choice.¡± Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s voice came through from the mobile phone, as he continued, ¡°From when your brother started university, he had already started being sponsored by Xiao Sui Guang. Of course, your brother was just one of the people who were sponsored by him. However, once he graduated and started working in Mei Teng Pharmaceuticals, his superior performance at work quickly caught the attention of Xiao Sui Guang. From then on, Xiao Sui Guang started to invest heavily into training and mentoring your brother, and even acted as a matchmaker after his daughter came back from studying abroad, bringing the two together.¡±

    The father-in-law really dedicated a lot of effort into this, which explains why Fang Lei had said Sheng Min Ou only reached his status today because of the CEO.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡° Yi Da Zhuang dragged out the last word, taking a moment to pause. ¡°Clearly problems have surfaced in their relationship. Xiao Mo Yu came into contact with Sasha from Golden Days three months ago, who we know as Fang Lei, and recently the two of them have been practically inseparable from each other. Every week they would go to the hotel to check out a room, and they¡¯d do this at least two times a week. A few days ago, Xiao Mo Yu really made it rain and bought a sports car as a gift to Fang Lei.¡±

    Everyone knew of the old saying, ¡®The real difficulty for heroes is when they face a beauty¡±, but really this quote overestimated heroes and underestimated beautiful people. When a beauty really appeared, no one could avoid their charms, not heroes, and now it appears even beautiful women like Xiao Mo Yu couldn¡¯t resist either.

    ¡°Does Sheng Min Ou really want to leave Mei Teng Pharmaceuticals and create his own business?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, honestly now that we¡¯re talking about this I¡¯m quite shocked myself. He¡¯s essentially the Emperor¡¯s son-in-law in the company, so why does he have to start from scratch again? Is he tired of living the good life and wants a challenge now?¡±

    ¡°Is it really that strange?¡± I asked, dragging the cursor and browsing the files that Yi Da Zhuang sent me on the computer. I skimmed through the files and quickly read it all, ¡°I think rather¡­ the fact that he can stay with a company for so many years and work under them all this time, that¡¯s the thing that makes me surprised instead.¡±

    I always thought Sheng Min Ou studied the law so he could better understand and circumvent it, using the knowledge to his own advantage, I never considered the possibility where he would actually use his degree in his daily work.

    Now looking at him, he became the legal consultant for a big company, he¡¯s recognised by the CEO and he has a young and beautiful fiancee with a great career in front of him. With all this lined up¡­ he could almost pass as an ordinary person.

    ¡°Well to my understanding, Xiao Sui Guang currently refuses to talk about this topic. Last week he made an excuse saying that he had an important meeting to attend and ran away overseas, so he won¡¯t be back until next week. Sheng Min Ou currently hasn¡¯t made a move in response, but it doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s planning to back down easily.¡±

    In three days, Monkey was able to find out so much information, and I realised then that he really was the real deal. Before I had never truly appreciated his talents, but now seeing Yi Da Zhuang working as a paparazzi made me feel as if his talents were wasted.

    I told Yi Da Zhuang to keep up the pace of the investigation, and hung up the call. I swiped the screen of my phone back and forth for a long time before finally calling the number which had always been saved in my contacts, but was one I never dialled.

    On the third ring, the line was connected and there was an air of silence with no customary greeting and no conversation. If it wasn¡¯t for the faint breathing sounds coming from the other side of the line, I would¡¯ve thought that there was a problem with the connection.

    Indeed, this was a very Sheng Min Ou-esque way to pick up the phone.

    I thought of this in my mind and laughed silently, steadily confronting his silence with a quiet of my own, listening to his soft breathing sounds as I leisurely read through the file Yi Da Zhuang had sent me again.

    However I couldn¡¯t leave him hanging for too long, so after I thought it had been enough time I spoke to reveal who I was.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    He seemed to not be surprised at all, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±

    I wanted to continue speaking but I was suddenly met with a monotonous ¡®du.. du..¡¯ ringing.

    He hung up the line.

    I looked at my phone, which had already returned to the dial screen, and the curve of my lips slowly started to flatten into a line. I flicked to my contacts, and called him again.

    Once, twice, three times, he never picked up.

    I called him continuously for maybe twenty something times, all of it in one go, and that¡¯s when he finally picked up the phone again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one minute, if you have something to say, speak.¡±

    The rich bass of his voice came through the phone and went directly into my eardrums, I licked my lips and pressed my phone more fervently against my ears, wanting to hear his voice more clearly.

    One minute was clearly not a lot of time, but the reason why I called him could actually be clearly explained in just one sentence.

    ¡°I can help you leave Mei Teng.¡±

    On the other side of the line, Sheng Min Ou was quiet, then his voice suddenly became charged with a threatening air, ¡°Lu Feng, you investigated me.¡±

    If we were standing face to face at this moment, perhaps he would already grab me by the collar and have smashed my head against the wall already.

    ¡°If I told you you probably wouldn¡¯t believe it, but all of this is really a coincidence. I wasn¡¯t investigating you, you¡¯re just¡­ you just happened to be involved in it.¡± I really did ask Yi Da Zhuang to investigate another person, and it was Xiao Mo Yu, not him.

    ¡°What are you trying to get at?¡±

    I closed the file on my laptop, as I spun my chair around and asked, ¡°If I helped you, how would you repay me?¡±

    After a brief moment of silence came a voice with a sheerly disguised sneer, the disdain evident in every syllable.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll reward you¡­ to give me head.¡±

    The spinning on the chair suddenly came to a stop as I held the phone in shock. I wasn¡¯t even able to comment on the suggestion which honestly was debatable in who it rewarded more when I heard a harsh bout of laughter rise from the other side.

    ¡°Did you think I would answer in this way? Stop dreaming. Lu Feng, you don¡¯t need to meddle in my business, why don¡¯t you focus on yourself.¡±

    I felt like he was going to hang up the phone again so I quickly spoke and kept my words concise, ¡°I have a way for you to not get on Xiao Sui Guang¡¯s bad side and to be able to leave Mei Teng at the same time. You detest the whole hierarchy system don¡¯t you, Xiao Mo¡­¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even finished my sentence when I heard the familiar tone of the line being cut. I looked at the time on my laptop screen, and it really was exactly sixty seconds, not one more, not one less.

    I threw the phone on the desk, and pulled at my hair in irritation.

    ¡°If Sheng Min Ou hung up his phone quickly enough, then Lu Feng¡¯s rate of speech won¡¯t be able to catch him no matter what.¡± The corner of my lips tugged as a defeated smile formed on my features. ¡°The top of your head is already green to this extent, what pride are you still hanging on to? You know at this rate you¡¯re going to become the grassy boy?¡±

    Although I was frustrated, after allowing myself a moment to calm down, I grabbed the phone over and sent a text to Yi Da Zhuang. I asked him to keep a close eye on the room Xiao Mo Yu and Fang Lei always checked into, and ideally find out a pattern for how frequently they met so we could ambush them.

    ¨C Feng Ge, what are you trying to do?

    The luminescent blue light from the phone screen washed over my face, and after a moment of pause, I typed back six words.

    ¨C We catch them in the act.

    A week later, Xiao Sui Guang came back from his overseas trip, and the discussion with Sheng Min Ou was still left at a stalemate. Xiao Sui Guang used the excuse of Sheng Min Ou being too tired from his excessive workload and gave him a month off, in an attempt to dissuade Sheng Min Ou from leaving. However, this was clearly not what Sheng Min Ou wanted.

    ¡°Xiao Sui Guang said, ¡®Now that you¡¯ve decided you¡¯re ready enough to tackle things yourself, you¡¯ve decided to recklessly charge into everything that comes your way.¡¯ Sheng Min Ou then responded, ¡®You know this isn¡¯t what I meant¡¯. Xiao Sui Guang let him go, and then Sheng Min Ou left the office.¡± Yi Da Zhuang was intimately familiar with the happenings and recounted it all, ¡°This is the hottest scoop from what happened today at Mei Teng.¡±

    I let out a gasp in amazement, ¡°How come you even knew this?¡±

    ¡°I pinpointed a few employees at Mei Teng that were known for having no filter after getting a few drinks of alcohol and purposely lingered around the bar to chat with them. After a while, they spilled everything. Ai, honestly, this isn¡¯t even the main point. The important part is you asked me to find the pattern behind when Xiao Mo Yu and her male hotshot would check in to a hotel. Well, I found that pattern. This Wednesday at 2 p.m., they¡¯ll be meeting right in the city centre, at Acelier Hotel, and they¡¯ll book the presidential suite on the top floor.¡± Yi Da Zhuang really went above and beyond in his service, as he had already outlined what the following plan would be. ¡°I¡¯ll reach out to of the servers who works there and buy the uniform off him, and then we¡¯ll both head up together. You follow behind me, I¡¯ll go knock on the door, and once it¡¯s opened, you¡¯ll hold the phone up and barge into the room.¡±

    Then he looked at me and asked, ¡°You got it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got it, I got it.¡± I said, nodding my head several times, my respect for professionals in this line of work increasing exponentially.

 CH 9

    At 2:05pm on Wednesday afternoon, I called a taxi and reached the entrance of the Acelier Hotel. When I was about to head in, I reached for my phone and gave Sheng Min Ou a call.

    He still did not pick up, and I didn¡¯t know whether it was because his phone wasn¡¯t by his side, or because he saw that the call was from me so he didn¡¯t pick up.

    I wasn¡¯t bothered by this, as I opened my text messages and selected a photo Yi Da Zhuang had sent me a few days ago. In the picture, Xiao Mo Yu and Fang Lei were in a car and were in the middle of a heated kiss. Although the lighting was dim, it was still unable to cover the passion evident in both their actions and mannerisms, and anyone who saw the photo would understand that their relationship was not one that was platonic.

    Two minutes later, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s name appeared on my phone screen, accompanied with a ringing sound that displayed an incoming call.

    ¡°Now you want to talk to me?¡± I said, speaking first as I picked up the call.

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s breaths were rough and heavy, like he had just finished an intense workout.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you fifteen minutes to come to the Acelier Hotel in the city centre. Don¡¯t be late.¡±

    This time, I hung up the phone first.

    Yi Da Zhuang probably used some of his connections, as he had already changed into the servers uniform and had taken his position, waiting in the hotel. No one had approached him or told him to get out, and after seeing that I was near the entrance seemingly not taking any action, he discreetly snuck out to meet me.

    ¡°Feng Ge, how come you¡¯re not heading in?¡±

    The uniform he bought appeared a bit big on him and it reminded me of a child secretly trying on an adult¡¯s clothing that evidently did not fit, so it was quite entertaining to see.

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡± I replied, keeping my eyes on the cars that rolled up to the hotel.

    ¡°Shit, you didn¡¯t ask San Ge to bring a whole mob over did you?¡± Yi Da Zhuang asked nervously.

    I looked at him stunned, ¡°What kind of thought is that? Do you think we¡¯re acting like gangsters today?¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang touched his nose and didn¡¯t speak further as he waited with me in front of the entrance for a while. During then, a few of the guests at the hotels thought he was the doorman, and gave him the keys to their car as they assumed there was a valet parking service being offered. So as to not expose his identity, he went down each time to park the guests cars, albeit rather begrudgingly.

    I watched as time passed second by second, and when I thought Sheng Min Ou wouldn¡¯t be coming after all, his familiar silver sports car appeared in my vision.

    Then I heard him slam the brakes, and the sports car stopped a hair¡¯s width away from Yi Da Zhuang and myself.

    Yi Da Zhuang jumped backwards, and was about to cuss when the door to the driver¡¯s seat slowly opened, and Sheng Min Ou stepped out, buttoning up his suit in the process.

    From his height to his physique, Yi Da Zhuang was outclassed in each category. Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s ¡®fuck¡¯ was therefore stuck in his throat and all that left him was a ¡°f-¡± sound, with the remainder of it being held back reluctantly.

    Sheng Min Ou walked towards me with purposeful strides, and lifted a hand very naturally to throw his car keys at Yi Da Zhuang.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not¡­¡± Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s voice died out as he fumbled to catch the keys, trying to explain the situation when he suddenly stopped, ¡°Why am I thinking that this good looking guy seems so familiar?¡±

    He had conducted extensive investigations, despite most of the digging being centred around Xiao Mo Yu. However, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he had also seen one or two photos of Sheng Min Ou in the process.

    I did the introductions, ¡°This is my brother.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang was shocked for two seconds, then suddenly pieced everything together, ¡°So you were waiting for your older brother, hello Da Ge, I¡¯m Feng Ge¡¯s buddy, Monkey¡­¡± As he said that he reached his hand out, wanting to shake Sheng Min Ou¡¯s hand.

    There was no way Sheng Min Ou would touch him. He didn¡¯t move at all despite being prompted to, and just remained stoic as always, glancing at the pair of outstretched hands, with no intention at all to respond to the invitation.

    If this was a manhua, then in the panel I could already see his thoughts being written in plain sight, ¡®why is a monkey trying to shake hands with me.¡¯

    In an instant, the atmosphere became quite awkward, and I coughed slightly before nudging Yi Da Zhuang with my elbow and told him to quickly park the car.

    ¡°Then you both can wait for me upstairs, I¡¯ll be there shortly. Remember, wait for me to arrive first before you do anything!¡± After he had said everything, he passed me the card to access the elevators before quickly getting in the car and driving away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I waved the card in my hand, signalling for Sheng Min Ou to follow along, when he suddenly reached out and gripped my wrist.

    ¡°Tell me what the room number is, I¡¯ll head up alone.¡±

    Pa kjr mifjg atja tf vlvc¡¯a kjca wf ab yf lcnbinfv jcs oegatfg.

    Vb joafg remmfrroeiis gfjmtlcu sbeg vfralcjalbc sbe xlmx atf qfgrbc ktb uba sbe atfgf ab atf megy? Ktfgf kjr cb kjs P kjr ublcu ab ifa atja tjqqfc.

    P oluegfv tf kbeivc¡¯a jmaejiis mjerf j mbwwbalbc jcv kgfraif wf obg atf fifnjabg mjgv lc ygbjv vjsiluta, rb P xfqa ws mjiw, ¡°Vegf, ifa¡¯r vlrmerr beg mbcvlalbcr, fnfgsatlcu lr cfubaljyif.¡±

    His darkened pupils were cold and heavy, as he tightened his grip to show that he was not planning to enter any sort of negotiations with me.

    Although it was winter so I wore more layers of clothing, I still could not withstand him applying so much force to my wrist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, if we take any longer they¡¯ll have already returned the room.¡± I swapped the elevator card to my other hand and forcefully broke out of his restraining hold, turning to walk further in the hotel.

    The whole way, I didn¡¯t turn to look back. Though internally, I did worry about what would happen if Sheng Min Ou really didn¡¯t follow along, because then that would royally be the screw up of the century. However, when I went into the lifts and turned to see that he had been following behind me the whole time, all my worries dissipated like smoke dispersing into air.

    In the end, he had no way to deal with me.

    The lifts ascended quickly, towards the highest level of the hotel.

    Sheng Min Ou leaned to the other side of the lift, standing diagonally opposite me. Between me and him, it was like there was a clear line, where even if we were forced into an uncompromisingly small space, he would still find the furthest point away from me and stay there, protecting the existence of the line.

    ¡°I want to first collect my interest¡­¡± I said, eyeing the levels and seeing the elevator approaching the top floor. I suddenly stepped forward towards Sheng Min Ou, and passed the ¡®line¡¯.

    He snapped his head up with both his hands in his pocket, but when he saw me get close one hand came out and with a furrowed brow he moved to block my approaching body.

    I ignored his hand pressed against me and instead reached my fingers out to clasp onto the back of his hand, then swiftly leaned forward to press a heavy kiss on the edges of his mouth.

    This time I really did something extremely daring, and Sheng Min Ou¡¯s eyes widened instantly. The hand that was placed in front of my body suddenly gripped tighter, and with my hand wrapped around his, I could feel each joint protruding and each bone stiffening.

    After I finished being shameless, the elevator doors popped open with a ¡®ding¡¯ as we reached the highest level of the hotel.

    I jumped out of the elevator in a flash, nimbly avoiding the punch that was directed my way.

    Perhaps he was beyond angered by me, as the elevator doors closed and then opened again, and after a few moments Sheng Min Ou finally left the lifts, his expression clearly pissed off.

    He had just copped a huge offense to him so he must be in a foul mood right now. I didn¡¯t do anything to aggravate him further and kept far away from him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait here for a bit.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s gaze flicked over to me in response, but didn¡¯t make any other movements.

    I clicked my tongue silently, realising that I had already become quite used to his contempt towards me.

    After waiting in front of the lifts for a few minutes, Yi Da Zhuang appeared with a bottle of champagne and quickly came to us.

    ¡°Where did you find the champagne?¡± I asked, curious, taking the bottle from him and realising that it was actually empty.

    Yi Da Zhuang politely returned the car keys back to Sheng Min Ou and then replied to my question, ¡°It¡¯s a prop we¡¯ll use for later, otherwise it¡¯ll be really hard to crack open the door. I have experience, trust me.¡±

    He confidently led the way and walked in front of us, then paused in front of a door and pressed his ear against it to listen to the commotions inside. Then he straightened up and tidied his clothes, prepared his pose, and told me and Sheng Min Ou to stand back where the peephole could not see. After everything was ready, he pressed the door bell.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Fang Lei¡¯s voice sounded from inside.

    ¡°Sir, our hotel has specifically prepared this bottle of exquisite champagne for you to thank your patronage and support.¡± Yi Da Zhuang said, his face forming a fake smile.

    It was silent inside for a while, then footsteps sounds were heard, ¡°Just a minute.¡±

    A moment later, there was the sound of the door unlocking, and the room slowly opened up to us.

    Fang Lei¡¯s handsome and eye catching face appeared in front of us, wearing only a bath robe, and his exposed chest was filled with scratch marks. On his neck was a hickey that was beginning to darken in colour.

    He had just opened the door when Yi Da Zhuang took this as his cue to barge inside.

    I held my phone up high following behind him, capturing every second of Fang Lei¡¯s shocked and terrified expression.

    ¡°You, you all¡­ Who are you?¡± Fang Lei blocked our paths and raised his head to see me. In that moment aside from his fear and puzzlement was a hint of disbelief, as if he couldn¡¯t believe he was seeing me here.

    What can I say, sometimes when your paths are fated to cross, even if you try to avoid it you can¡¯t.

    I disliked how he was in the way, so I sent him crashing to the floor with a kick to his gut. The space was then cleared so we successfully entered.

    The hotel room was a complete mess, on the floor, on the living room sofa, on the king bed in the bedroom, there were clothes left everywhere like a typhoon had swept through the place. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what kind of passionate acts happened here mere hours ago.

    Sheng Min Ou closed the door and once he turned around he saw Fang Lei sitting paralysed on the floor, his legs parted, and very unabashedly flashing his parts to him. Sheng Min Ou frowned instantly, expressing his distaste.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to keep it then keep your legs spread.¡± His voice was quiet, but he was deadly serious.

    Fang Lei didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but still shook in response, his expression perplexed.

    I kicked his shoulder from behind and reminded him, ¡°Put your legs together, stand up, and talk.¡±

    At this moment, the door from the bathroom opened and accompanied by the steam, Xiao Mo Yu emerged with her hair wrapped, wearing only a bath robe.

    ¡°Honey, tonight lets go eat¡­¡±

    Her gaze flickered across the room and froze on Sheng Min Ou, then she saw me holding up my phone recording her, and she quickly understood what had happened. In an instant an ugly expression formed on her features.

    She took a cigarette from the box left lying on the bedside table and held it inbetween her fingers as she lit it up. She moved to sit on the bed and with her legs crossed, she spoke to Sheng Min Ou, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou walked towards her with big strides, and as he passed me he used his palm to press down on my phone. I understood what he meant as I stopped the recording and did not continue filming.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mr Xiao later that it was because our personalities weren¡¯t compatible¡­¡± The rest of the words died out as the bedroom door closed and sealed all traces of their conversation.

    In the living room, I quietly leaned against the wall and spaced out, and Yi Da Zhuang stood in front of the windows taking in the view of the city from the very top floor. Intermittently, he would sigh and make a remark of how unfair the world was when you were rich. Fang Lei stood at a loss in the centre of the room, and after seeing how we ignored his presence, he picked up a few pieces of his clothing, wanting to make a run for it.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked.

    He gave me an embarrassed smile, ¡°Ge, let¡¯s not do this, after all we know each other, please just let me off the hook this one time.¡±

    I didn¡¯t get to reply to him when Yi Da Zhuang heard what he said and started laughing. ¡°Ge? You¡¯re calling him older brother, you know who that person inside is to him?¡±

    He pointed at me, then pointed at the rooms door.

    Fang Lei shook his head in confusion.

    ¡°My older brother,¡± After a pause, I added on, ¡°Only by law.¡±

    Fang Lei looked as if he was faced with imminent death and understanding crept in as he realised that this time he really was done for.

    ¡°What a coincidence¡­¡± He said to me, as he quietly tried to take a peek at the direction of the hotel rooms exit.

    I could see that he was still waiting for a chance to escape, so I warned him, ¡°The last person who tried to run away in front of me now has a tomb, and the reeds in front of it are probably past two metres tall.¡±

    Fang Lei looked at me, and then looked at Yi Da Zhuang, then he obediently placed the clothes he grabbed onto the floor.

    ¡°Okay, fine, I am despicable, I deserve everything that¡¯s coming my way, I admit it.¡± He said, slumping down onto the sofa in disappointment.

    The conversation between Sheng Min Ou and Xiao Mo Yu did not continue on for too long. In ten minutes, that door was open again.

    Sheng Min Ou walked out and just as he passed the door the enraged voice of Xiao Mo Yu came blasting from the darkened bedroom.

    ¡°Sheng Min Ou, you¡¯re just an abnormal freak. Don¡¯t ever think there will be a woman in this world who could tolerate you!¡± In a fit of anger she threw a piece of clothing at Sheng Min Ou, however she did not have enough strength and halfway through the garment fell to the floor. ¡°Just you wait until you die alone!¡±

    ¡°Remember what you agreed to just then,¡± Sheng Min Ou was undisturbed by her actions at all, and still remained rather courteous, ¡°Then I won¡¯t be disturbing you both any longer, I¡¯ll be taking my leave first.¡±

    I saw him moving towards the door to leave and quickly followed behind his footsteps, not forgetting to say bye to Xiao Mo Yu before I left.

    ¡°No need to worry about the tape. Once you follow through with what you promised my brother, I¡¯ll naturally delete it. See ya, Miss Xiao.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang was completely at a loss witnessing the scene which unfolded in front of him, as he anticipated a storm from what was brewing but only got to see a gentle display of rain. He caught up with us and asked me, ¡°Is this it? We¡¯re not going to beat the crap out of that cheating scum of a man and aim for his dick with slingshots or stuff chillis in his ass?¡±

    It seemed like his previous clients were quite creative with their ideas¡­

    I saw that we were getting left behind by Sheng Min Ou, so I patted his shoulders and ran forward towards him whilst saying my thanks to Yi Da Zhuang.

    ¡°No need for any of that, thanks a lot, next time I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡±

    I saw that the elevator doors were about to close so I squeezed through, turning my body sideways, and caught up to Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°DId you finish your discussions?¡±

    He ignored me.

    ¡°How are you going to thank me?¡± I stared at his lips, which were perfectly proportioned and thought back to how it felt to press mine on his. ¡°I don¡¯t want a lot, just do what I did before, except you will be the one to initiate.¡±

    What I said clearly angered him, as he remembered how he had been harassed earlier.

    He grabbed my collar and forcefully shoved me against the elevator wall.

    In the lifts, three of the walls were embed with floor to ceiling windows that were champagne gold. In each of these mirrors, his fierce and malicious expressions stared back at me, yet my reflection remained a smiling face, one that perhaps looked like I was just asking to be hit.

    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t know what kind of woman she was?¡± He said whilst slowly approaching me, ¡°So what if you¡¯ve chased her away? Lu Feng, I¡¯d rather marry a whore than get in bed with you.¡±

    His breathing could clearly be felt against the side of my face, and once he came close to me, the scent of leather and ebony was so intrusive it was hard to ignore¡­ and even closer I could detect a hint of musk as well.

    It was as if his scent was the manifestation of the strong wave of hormones he exuded, and after breathing it in for a long time, one would go weak with intoxication.

    ¡°Do you understand?¡± He asked, as he gripped forcefully at my cheeks and tightened his hold on me, his fingers clenching harder.

    A burst of excruciating pain shot through my system and faced with his eyes that were barely suppressing the anger inside, I unconsciously nodded.

    ¡°Understood¡­¡±

    He knew of Xiao Mo Yu¡¯s promiscuous lifestyle but he chose to pretend as if he did not know. If it were anyone else, perhaps they turned a blind eye out of love for the other person, but for him, it¡¯s probably because he didn¡¯t care about Xiao Mo Yu at all.

    He only needed a ¡®fiancee¡¯, so he could appear to be someone who had flesh and blood, someone who knew of the difference between ice cold and warmth, someone who was a normal person.

    If needed, he obviously could also pretend to be someone who was head over heels in love, sweetly using the words ¡®baby¡¯, and ¡®honey¡¯ every day.

    He didn¡¯t do it, not because he can¡¯t, but because he won¡¯t, just like how he never bothered to cover up his disgust for me. To put it more bluntly, both myself and Xiao Mo Yu were people who were not worth his time for him to put on a mask for us and to deceive us with his mannerisms. I probably even placed behind Xiao Mo Yu.

    Perhaps from the very beginning he didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of the issue with Xiao Mo Yu, but due to my involvement, things had spiralled out of control. Xiao Mo Yu and him had now completely severed any chances of continuing on the facade that they were a loving couple, so he was forced to let go of his ¡®cover¡¯. His anger at this loss was evident in the force he exerted when he choked me.

    The elevator stopped and Sheng Min Ou let go of me, viewing the shocked appearances of the people outside as if they were nothing to him. He walked out of the elevator, his expression stoic as ever, not being impacted by others at the slightest.

    I rubbed my cheeks that were now both sore and aching, weaving through the crowd which automatically parted for us and followed him out of the hotel.

    ¡°Fine, you can just pay me back at a later date!¡± I yelled at his departing figure, risking it all for that one line. I didn¡¯t even see what his reaction was or if he reacted, as I tucked both hands in my pocket and ran off as fast as I could.

 CH 10

    Our pawn shop had never explicitly stated that we only accepted non-living things, but I never really thought that someone would come to try and pawn off their cat, and a purebred ragdoll to boot.

    The young woman who claimed she was the owner of the cat produced a whole heap of certificates for us to examine and stated that the ragdoll was an expensive acquisition from overseas. Since it was born, it was only fed imported food, and the asking price for this barely one year old male cat was a hundred thousand renminbi.

    I spent two months learning to appraise the value of luxury items, so I could give an estimate on whether a piece of jewellery was worth a hundred thousand, but I really had no expertise in the field of pet cats. Plus, it wasn¡¯t like we had cat food or cat litter, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy for us to take care of it either.

    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t accept living things to be pawned off here. I suggest perhaps heading to the pet shop on our left and asking them instead?¡± I said, pointing at a general direction for her.

    The young woman looked at the certificates sprawled out and scooped them all up again, rolling her eyes at me. Then in one swift movement she took the pet cage with her cat enclosed and walked away, fuming.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t accept it, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier!¡±

    The cat, which had already grown to be quite built, stared at me through the metal confines of the cage. It¡¯s azure blue eyes were confused and innocent at the same time, and I pitied the cat looking at it.

    Without being able to help it, I was reminded of another cat from my memories..

    Young people were always the most adept at adapting to new situations, and after I realised my feelings for Sheng Min Ou, in three days I had wholeheartedly accepted this development.

    Falling in love at an early age was becoming such a common occurrence, so when it happened to me, it wasn¡¯t entirely shocking.

    If my feelings were strong, there was no way I could forget about him no matter how much I willed it, so even if I spent days thinking about ways to move on I wouldn¡¯t be able to come up with a solution. If my feelings were shallow and I didn¡¯t think about it, then over the years I would come to forget him, so there was even less of a need to agonise over the situation.

    Ever since my father had passed away, I understood one principle ¨C if you want to do something, set out to achieve it early, because you don¡¯t have as much time as you imagine to spend on hesitating.

    When I smashed the mirror with my hand in a fit of hotheadedness, it was the epitome of recklessness that was characteristic in adolescence. The aftermath was a painful lesson for the rashness of my actions. The tendon connecting my index finger and my middle finger had been torn, and not counting the surgery to get stitches, my hand also had to be put in a cast for a month.

    I was pretty happy about not doing homework for a month, but my mother always looked at me with a disapproving frown, sighing frequently as she thought about all the work that I would have to catch up on.

    So I proactively suggested having Sheng Min Ou tutor me on the weekends and help me with my studies.

    At first, my mother had her reservations, as she was scared that I would go to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s house to slack off. However, I swore to the skies that I would work hard and in the next monthly exams at school, I maintained my rank in the top 50 of the grade. Seeing this, my mothers concerns were finally assuaged and she went to call Sheng Min Ou.

    I was actually pretty scared he wouldn¡¯t agree. We already started contacting him less and less then, and the few points of contact we maintained throughout our estranged relationship was completely due to it being a matter of habit. Every time we said our goodbyes and I saw his disappearing figure down the staircases, I would always have the misperception that I was about to lose him.

    Fortunately, he agreed in the end. When his foster mother called to ask for a favour personally, he would at least do it for her sake. Though he did say that he only had time to tutor me after seven p.m. at night, as during the daytime he had his part time job to attend to.

    I thought about it, and the timing worked out perfectly. I could head to his place after eating dinner.

    Cii P vlv kjr pera mbwf ab ecvfgrajcv ws offilcur yfaafg, jcv la tjvc¡¯a fnfc yffc j ibcu alwf, yea bcmf P atbeuta jybea rfflcu Vtfcu Zlc Ye, P rajgafv yfmbwlcu fzmffvlcuis cfgnber.

    P rqfmlolmjiis mtjcufv lcab j ygjcv cfk beaola, rasifv ws tjlg, glcrfv ws wbeat klat wbeatkjrt, jcv jvperafv atf qbrlalbclcu bo ws mjra.

    When I arrived at the neighbourhood where Sheng Min Ou lived, I didn¡¯t think it would be that coincidental, as I saw him head home.

    He had his back facing me and didn¡¯t realise I had arrived right after him. By his feet was an orange kitten, playfully circling around his legs.

    At 7 p.m., the skies had completely darkened. In the old neighbourhood, there weren¡¯t many street lights, only a flickering yellow light bulb which was installed at the corridor entrance, feebly illuminating the small area it covered.

    Sheng Min Ou and that cat were right at the outskirts of the dim lights, subsequently engulfed by the darkness.

    The cat did not appear to be too afraid of people, as it nudged at Sheng Min Ou for a long time, intermittently letting out soft and cute purring sounds.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s eyes flickered downwards as he looked at it, and did not move to chase the cat away. He stood in silence and let the cat continuously nudge itself against his leg.

    My mother wasn¡¯t very fond of animals that shed fur, so despite myself crying and pleading for her to let us adopt a dog when I was younger, she had never wavered from her firm stance. I thought Sheng Min Ou was similar to my mother, both having mysophobia and not being able to tolerate pets shedding hair all over the place, and so I didn¡¯t expect him to behave in this way at all.

    The scene of him and the cat was truthfully adorable and fun to watch, so I stopped a few paces away from them and watched silently, not wanting to interrupt their moment together.

    This continued for two minutes longer, then it was as if someone flicked a switch on in Sheng Min Ou, as he slowly bent down and moved an outstretched hand towards the cat, lifting it up from the ground.

    He stood, looking the cat in the eye, and the orange fur ball obediently meowed back in a small, cutesy tone. However, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s eyes did not look any softer at this show of affection.

    That gaze for some reason made me think of jackals and wolves, the natural predators of the animal world. Hunger, excitement, cruelty¡­ my heart thudded heavily in my chest without any reason as I stepped out of my spot, calling his name in my mouth.

    ¡°Sheng Min Ou¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t know why I chose to call out his full name, as if everything had already been predetermined at this moment. Fate held my hand and told me ¨C I had to stop him, I should stop him.

    Sheng Min Ou heard the noise and looked as if he was abruptly jerked from his thoughts, as he came back to his surroundings. He immediately released his grip on the cat and looked at me. The orange cat meowed softly and after nimbly landing on the floor, ran off in an instant.

    I had never seen such a shocked and unguarded expression from Sheng Min Ou, as if he had just experienced a nightmare that had just shook his soul to the core. Whilst reality and his dreams were still indistinguishable in his mind, he recognised me. In his daze, I appeared to be a part of his nightmare, and as a result exacerbated his fear.

    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± Even his voice was shaking slightly.

    I thought it was because of my arrival that scared him, so I hastily apologised, ¡°Ge, sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking of scaring you. It was, just then¡­¡± Just then, I didn¡¯t even know what was happening, so I could only come up with a lie on the spot, ¡°I saw that the cat seemed quite cute, so I wanted you to hold on to it and not let it run away, so I could¡­ so I could pet it for a bit.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou looked all around us, and perhaps it was because of the shock that he had just received a moment ago, as even his tone of voice wasn¡¯t as harsh and cold as it usually was.

    ¡°I think.. it ran away.¡±

    I smiled as I approached him, ¡°That¡¯s alright, if it ran away then let it be. There¡¯s always a chance I¡¯ll see the cat again next time.¡±

    Yet when I next saw the cat again, it was stuffed in a gift box that was white as snow, and placed on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s bed. Its whole body was covered in pink lace as decoration, but its belly had been ripped open, the guts spilling out, and even in death the cats eyes remained wide open.

    Life flashes by the eyes, and in a lot of cases, there actually will never be a ¡®next time¡¯ coming.

    My mothers health deteriorated by the day, and now she wasn¡¯t able to leave her bed. The doctor said it was possible that she wouldn¡¯t be able to live past this winter.

    This diagnosis wasn¡¯t hidden to her, as she was aware of the fact that she did not have many days remaining. When she spoke to me, she had less reservations with saying what was on her mind, and she didn¡¯t avoid the topic of life and death.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost the New Year, whatever I do I have to make it until then to not ruin it for you, so you can celebrate it properly.¡± She laid on the bed, breathing in the oxygen, and even when she spoke it took strenuous effort. I didn¡¯t know how she was going to stick it out for another month when her body was like this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± I clasped her hand, and I wanted her to know that if holding on was too painful and hard, then there was no need to continue fighting, and that she could take a rest¡­ but every time I thought of saying this, the words were stuck in my throat.

    Despite preparing myself for it several times, I still dreaded and was terrified about a future where I was completely alone.

    Confidently saying goodbye was a really hard thing to do.

    After leaving the nursing home, I saw that it was still early in the day, so I wanted to go to the shop to take up an extra shift, but halfway there I received a text from Yi Da Zhuang.

    Sheng Min Ou had left Mei Teng Pharmaceutical two weeks ago, and had broken off the engagement with Xiao Mo Yu.

    A lot of people had expected a huge commotion from the ex father-in-law but none of it happened. Xiao Sui Guang not only informed the whole company and thanked Sheng Min Ou for all the valuable contributions he had made over the years, but also personally escorted him to the doors, and gave him a warm embrace before saying their farewells.

    It was evident that he felt guilty towards Sheng Min Ou, and probably after knowing all the wrongdoings his daughter had done he had assumed that Sheng Min Ou was resigning to leave this upsetting place.

    To sum up, Sheng Min Ou was very successful in leaving Mei Teng Pharmaceuticals, and the way he resigned was impeccable, having not gotten on anyone¡¯s bad side and having boosted the feelings of sympathy other people might have for him. It could even be used as an exemplar in a textbook on how to cleanly resign from a company without offending anyone.

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s investigation should have stopped after the day we commenced the operation to ¡®remove the grass¡¯ but for some reason he misunderstood what I had told him, since every few days he would send me updates on what Sheng Min Ou was doing. As for me, because of obvious reasons, I didn¡¯t exactly stop him.

    Today was the first day Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm opened up for business, so he sent over a text message letting me know, and also added the address of where his new firm was.

    I took a look at the location, and it was honestly very close to where Prosperous Pawn Shop was, it was in the office building at the department store nearby, and wouldn¡¯t be more than two kilometres away if I walked.

    I wanted to go out for a walk anyways, so I got off a stop early at the department store and went to the florist to buy a bouquet of flowers, writing my congratulations for the new firm opening, then went on my way to the address that Yi Da Zhuang had sent to me.

    The location of this place was already quite good, and the office building was extremely affluent looking, so the rent couldn¡¯t have been cheap. If Sheng Min Ou had decided to rent a room in this building in such a short amount of time, then it was clear to see that he was very ambitious with his new firm and felt confident that it would succeed.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm was called ¡®Jin Shang Law Firm¡¯, and it was very easy to find. Once I came out of the lifts and made a left turn I saw it in front of me. In the corridors, there were two neat rows of flower baskets, all with congratulatory phrases being sent from some individual or company and wishing the new law firm a prosperous opening. The grandiose of the flower baskets were beyond my imagination, and in comparison, the flowers in my hand appeared ugly and shameful.

    Xiao Sui Guang had also sent over a flower basket, and it was placed closest to the entrance. The flowers were still vibrant, yet the arrangement and the overall theme was elegant, so in one look it was clear that it was different to all the other vivacious arrangements surrounding it.

    ¡°Sir, you are?¡± The receptionist stood up and walked towards me to greet me, seeing me holding a big bouquet of red roses in my hands. She paused for a second, as if unable to ascertain whether I was a client or a delivery boy here here to pass on flowers.

    I gave her a smile, ¡°Is Lawyer Sheng here?¡±

    The receptionist looked to be a honest young woman, who¡¯s cheeks reddened at the smile I gave her and slightly shyly responded, ¡°Lawyer Sheng is not here, he¡¯s out seeing a client and will be back in the afternoon.¡±

    It was only their first day opening and already there were clients to meet, it appeared things were going quite well.

    ¡°Can I wait here for him?¡± I asked again, ¡°I want to give these flowers to him personally.¡±

    The receptionist hesitated for a moment, then at the same time a tall, thin framed man with neatly combed hair walked out from one of the rooms inside the office. Seeing this man, the receptionist¡¯s eyes lit up as she called him over.

    ¡°Lawyer Wu, this gentleman says that he wants to personally hand over the flowers to Lawyer Sheng, do you think we can let him go to the parlor so he can wait there¡­¡±

    The young lawyer with the surname Wu held a cup of water in his hands and turned around, looking at the red roses in my lap and arched an eyebrow slightly in response.

    He put his black and gold mug on the front desk and picked out the congratulatory card I had written for Sheng Min Ou to celebrate his business opening.

    ¡°Qing Wan City¡¯s temperature may be cold, but my love for you has always remained in the summer, in the moments that are most feverishly hot.¡± He shivered slightly after reading it out loud. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so sappy, it¡¯s signed by someone called ¡®Lu Feng¡¯ at the bottom, I haven¡¯t heard of Sheng Laoshi mentioning this person before.¡±

    I took the card from his hand and tucked it back into the flowers.

    ¡°¡­.¡± He stared at me inexplicably.

    The corners of my lips tugged upwards in a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s me, I¡¯m Lu Feng.¡±

 CH 11

    Lawyer Wu¡¯s smile instantly froze, his expression becoming undeniably awkward. He had no idea that a random passing comment he said would be heard directly by the person in question.

    ¡°My bad, my bad!¡± He hurriedly apologised, stretching his hand forward towards me, ¡°I¡¯m Jin Shang Law Firm¡¯s lawyer Wu Yi, you¡¯re Laoshi-¡­. Are you Lawyer Sheng¡¯s friend?¡±

    I clasped his hand in mine and shook it, ¡°I¡¯m his younger brother.¡±

    He momentarily froze in shock again, the confusion clear as day on his face, and there was a long pause before he withdrew his hand back.

    ¡°Oh, yes¡­ then you, you can wait for him first in the parlour, he should be back very soon.¡±

    It was probably hard for him to understand why a younger brother would bring a rose, symbolic of romantic love on the opening day of his older brother¡¯s law firm and why despite being brothers we didn¡¯t share the same surname.

    That¡¯s fine, later on he¡¯ll discover even more things he wouldn¡¯t be able to understand.

    After I thanked him, I brought the flowers with me to the parlour, and I sat down for only a short while before the receptionist came in with something to drink.

    ¡°Have a cup of tea first, when Lawyer Sheng comes back I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    The parlour had a huge glass floor to ceiling window, providing the room with ample light and also providing a decent view outside.

    On the wall was a painting that had splashes of red and black interspersed. It was a triptych, and each panel of the painting had a concentrated section of red submerged by the darkness. The only difference was on the first panel there was quite a structured red dot, then the second panel had it becoming bigger and more distorted, until the final third panel showed something akin to a rotten tomato exploding on the canvas.

    I asked the receptionist if she knew what it was, and puzzled, she turned around to take a look at the painting behind her and then shook her head at me.

    ¡°A client gifted this to us, perhaps Lawyer Sheng would know.¡±

    Once she left the parlour I had nothing to do, so out of boredom I scrutinised the painting in more detail, diligently trying to decipher what the artist wanted to convey, but I was ultimately unsuccessful.

    It appeared that I was not someone who had an innate sense for appreciating art, as no matter how I tried to analyse the painting it just looked like a rotten tomato to me.

    ¡°Sir¡­ don¡¯t do this¡­¡±

    There was a sudden commotion outside the parlour and it sounded like the receptionist and someone else were in some kind of disagreement.

    I stood up to see what was going on myself, and just as my hand gripped the door handle, a high pitched shriek accompanied by the loud shattering of glass was heard.

    I instantly pulled the door open and rushed outside, seeing the receptionist pale and in shock standing at the doors, and next to her was a middle aged man, wearing crumpled designer brands.

    By his feet were brown glass shards littered all over the floor, his right hand holding the remaining half of a broken beer bottle, the stench of alcohol evident around his body.

    ¡°Why did you have to represent that woman!¡± He screamed, his voice raw with emotions, ¡°I already have nothing left, yet you¡¯re still helping her steal away my paintings! Do you want me to just die? Then no one is going to come out of this alive!¡±

    Wu Yi attempted with great effort to control the man¡¯s emotions, his forehead drenched in sweat, ¡°Mr Liu, please don¡¯t do this, we can talk it out. Ms Sun is free to choose whoever she wants to represent her in her marriage dissolution proceedings. If we weren¡¯t the ones taking this case, it would be someone else representing the plaintiff¡­¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Mr Liu blurted, bursting into an abrupt fit of anger. ¡°Back when we got married she tricked me into signing a prenuptial agreement, and now I see that she was just waiting for this day to come! Over the years how much help have I given her to establish her career? Now she says she wants a divorce so she¡¯s getting one, she won¡¯t even give me ten million renminbi, and she¡¯s going to steal my paintings, how can she do this to me?¡±

    His hand clutching the beer bottle started to shake violently, and the receptionist reacted with small panicked intakes of breath, quietly retreating a few steps as she picked up the phone, ready to make a phone call.

    ¡°Put the phone down!¡± Mr Liu caught the actions of the receptionist and barked his demand as he ran towards her.

    The receptionist let out a shrill scream, throwing the phone away and reflexively hugging her head as she dropped, crouching on the floor.

    P rjk Zg Ole tjv cb lcafcalbc bo rabqqlcu jcv tjv j obgfybvlcu rfcrf bo ktja kjr ab mbwf, rb P vjrtfv bnfg, qgbafmalcu tfg tfjv klat ws tjcv. Ciwbra lc atf cfza lcrajca, atf rtjgq fvuf bo atf yffg ybaaif rilmfv bqfc ws rtlga riffnf jcv qlfgmfv atgbeut ws rxlc, jr vgbqr bo yibbv vglqqfv vbkc bc atf ktlaf wjgyifv alifr, obgwlcu cewfgber rqijaafgr bo gfv.

    I suddenly had a random thought ¨C ¡®ex-inmate witnesses an act of injustice and bravely jumps into the situation to help¡¯, now this would probably make a good positive headline for the news.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡­. I¡­.¡± Under the influence of alcohol Mr Liu had acted on his emotions and lashed out, but now that he actually saw blood being spilt, he had sobered up and now trembled with fear, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it!¡±

    His lips shivered slightly and terrified by what he had done, he tugged out the glass bottle which he had stabbed into my arm.

    Fuck¡­¡­

    I cursed inwardly, feeling the pain scorch my insides. The grey woolen cardigan I was wearing was quickly dyed red as my blood flowed outwards freely, and formed intersecting patterns of red and grey.

    ¡°Quick¡­ call an ambulance!¡± Wu Yi was still white as a ghost, ¡°Mr Liu, you¡¯ve committed an offense against the law, I must ask you to put down your weapon now!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Mr Liu clearly was still in shock, and apart from this phrase he was unable to express anything else.

    Seeing him in this cowardly state made me furious inside, and just when I was figuring out how I should disarm him, a pair of pale hands came out from behind Mr Liu, with clearly formed joints and muscles. A large palm wrapped around Mr Liu¡¯s wrist that was holding the glass bottle at inconceivable speed, and the other hand gripped his throat.

    Mr Liu only had time to let out a scream that sounded like a pig getting slaughtered, as the broken glass bottle fell from his hands, and he fell to the ground with an arm restrained behind his back.

    Sheng Min Ou arrived without anyone noticing, but once he actually appeared he easily overpowered everyone else and took command of the situation. He disregarded Mr Liu¡¯s distressed howls and pressed a knee against his back, then grabbed his hair and forced him to raise his head.

    ¡°Mr Liu, now you might have another charge coming your way that you¡¯ll have to deal with.¡± Sheng Min Ou whispered next to his ear.

    Mr Liu had long since sobered up and terrified, tears rolled down his face as he shivered uncontrollably, ¡°S-Sorry¡­. I didn¡¯t¡­.¡±

    After repeating ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to do it¡¯ several times Sheng Min Ou ran out of patience and didn¡¯t allow Mr Liu to say another word as he shoved the man¡¯s head to the ground.

    Everyone at the scene could hear Mr Liu¡¯s head thud heavily against the ground, making a similar sound to when a wooden club broke the surface of a drum from hitting it too hard. Seeing this, everyone fell silent, and as a result Mr Liu was knocked out cold.

    ¡°Mr Lu, are you okay? You¡¯re losing a lot of blood!¡± The receptionist exclaimed and hurriedly picked up the dropped phone, ¡°I¡¯ll call for an ambulance now!¡±

    I grabbed her, stopping her in her actions, ¡°It¡¯s only a small injury, no need to call the ambulance, I can treat this myself.¡±

    I pushed up my sleeves to take a better look, and whilst it wasn¡¯t a big wound, it was quite deep, and I had no idea whether there were any remnant shards of glass embedded inside. It evidently wouldn¡¯t be something I could treat, and I¡¯ll still have to head to the hospital later myself.

    ¡°How can we leave it like this?¡± The receptionist looked as if she was about to tear up, as she added, ¡°If this had cut through a tendon or a blood vessel and affects how well you can use your hand later then what are we going to do? It¡¯s still bleeding, it must have cut across an important vein! I¡¯ll call the ambulance now, please just wait a moment!¡±

    My head hurt slightly as I replied, ¡°It¡¯s really okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Wu Yi, go get the first aid kit.¡± Sheng Min Ou took off his tie, cuffing Mr Liu¡¯s hands against his back with it, and only after confirming the knot would steadily hold did he get up from the ground.

    His suit, which was always pristinely pressed down showed a few unavoidable creases, and strands of his hair fell in front of his face, obscuring his right eye.

    Perhaps it was the commotion from just then that had made him feel slightly hot, or maybe the tightness of his formal wear made him uncomfortable, as once he got up he unbuttoned the first two buttons on his dress shirt.

    Like that, his prominent collarbones which had always been hidden under his formal attire finally appeared in front of everyone.

    I stared at the bones which jutted out for a long time, not bothering to cover up the intensity of my gaze.

    Wu Yi quickly came back with the first aid kit and Sheng Min Ou took it and walked towards a conference room. After pushing the door open, he turned back to look at me, and seeing me still having not moved, he furrowed his eyebrows in impatience.

    ¡°Do you need me to carry you over?¡±

    I was caught off guard, then realised he was going to help me treat my wound. Instantly, I had a feeling that this was surely too good to be true.

    ¡°Well, no need for that.¡± I maintained pressure on my wound and walked nimbly towards him.

    I sat on the chair and only concentrated on Sheng Min Ou as he took various appurtenances out of the first aid kit, including bandages, disinfectants, gauzes and a pair of disposable gloves intended for medical use.

    With refined ease, he quickly slipped on the pair of gloves and half knelt in front of me, using a pair of pliers to hold the gauze pads, and then started to clean the immediate area around the wound.

    On the floor of the conference room was a white circular rug, which was now sullied by my blood, as droplets of red bloomed like flowers.

    ¡°Sorry, I dirtied your carpet.¡±

    His eyes were casted downwards, remaining focused on treating my wounds as if he didn¡¯t have time to deal with me.

    I plucked a rose from the bouquet on the table and gave it to him.

    ¡°For you, congratulations on starting your own firm.¡±

    Still no reaction.

    Bored at his lack of response, I took back the rose and let the petals linger at the corner of my lips, ¡°How come you can encounter life threatening situations in this line of work, considering this why don¡¯t you just hire me as your bodyguard? I¡¯m very inexpensive, just one kiss and you can completely have me.¡±

    Maybe it was the dangerous situation that we had just faced which spiked the adrenaline levels in my body. Before, I already had the guts to do things, but now I simply had no fear.

    I curled my toes and with a feather-light touch brushed it back and forth the place between his legs, in an attempt to test his limits.

    ¡°Oof..¡± In almost the next instant, an excruciating pain shot up from my arm as if it was being torn in two pieces, the plier holding the gauze was now firmly pressed into my would.

    My facial expressions were distorted from the pain, and I hurriedly removed my foot.

    He lifted his eyes, the corners of his lips curving downwards into a slight frown, as he refused me with no room for ambiguity, ¡°No need.¡±

    I started this by sexually harassing him, and he returned the favour with violence.

    Excellent, how very fair.

    ¡°I was wrong I was wrong.¡± I used the rose to pat the back of his hand as I begged for mercy, ¡°I apologise.¡±

    He brushed the rose away with a flick of a hand, and then with practiced ease unravelled the bandages and wrapped up the wound.

    ¡°What does the triptych on your wall stand for?¡± I asked, no longer wanting to carelessly provoke him and attempting to direct his attention elsewhere.

    He stilled for a second, then turned around to take a glance at the paintings behind his back.

    I thought he wouldn¡¯t respond to me, like how he did for the many questions I¡¯ve asked before, leaving me to just entertain myself. However, he actually gave me an answer this time.

    ¡°That alcoholic man outside, when he was in his youth he had a very promising career as a painter.¡±

    That person would stumble just walking, and he couldn¡¯t even enunciate his words properly, so it was clear that being in a drunken stupor was a state he was intimately familiar with. Someone like him actually turned out to have been a painter, no wonder he kept talking about his paintings¡­

    ¡°However, he was unable to grasp the opportunity when it was presented to him. He listened to the desires buried at the depths of his heart, and allowed himself to indulge in it without restraint, intoxicated by the false realities and euphoria that alcohol presented him with.¡± Sheng Min Ou stood up, taking off the rubber gloves which were dyed red with blood, and threw them into the trash can. ¡°This is a painting from during the peak of his career, his ex-wife gave it to me as a gift to celebrate my firm¡¯s opening, it¡¯s titled Life.¡±

    I looked towards the triptych again and after knowing its name I felt like I had a sudden revelation. To be born, to grow and mature, to experience death ¨C  the three stages essential to life.

    Sheng Min Ou also gazed at the paintings, ¡°The red here symbolises the main movement in a musical piece, with black being the coda. Throughout tens of millions of years, life was always a topic which fascinated humanity and provoked much research, however we¡¯ve always been unable to answer the question which has puzzled us for centuries. Sometimes I think to myself, why do humans exist? If it was to just experience feelings of happiness or sweetness, then what about those lives caught up in misery, are they just meaningless?¡±

    I mumbled underneath my breath, suddenly unsure of what I should say. I could only turn the rose around in my hand and try to think of an answer that was positive and would galvanise him to look on the bright side.

    ¡°Even if ninety percent of it was miserable, there would still exist one moment of sweetness.¡±

    ¡°A moment of sweetness?¡± His voice was laced with a faint ridicule, ¡°A whole lifetime of suffering, just for that one moment of sweetness? I can¡¯t understand.¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t be able to understand because he lacked empathy. He would not be able to imagine, just for that one moment of sweetness, how long a person would steadily walk that path of misery for, all alone.

    Sheng Min Ou turned back around to look at me, ¡°Something that confuses me even more is¡­ how could you be like a cockroach that refuses to die, harassing me time after time without ever getting tired and without regard for any consequences? What is the difference between what you¡¯re doing now, and what Qi Yang did back then?¡±

    He really just compared me to that sick psychopath¡­ his words were like drops of acid, dripping straight onto my heart. In an instant, all I could feel was a twisted sense of pain, his acerbic comment cutting straight into me. Even more tragic was that I actually couldn¡¯t defend myself or provide a rebuttal to his points.

    Truly, there was no difference between me and Qi Yang.

    He was the reflection that looked back at me in the mirror.

    I moved my lips and forced myself to smile, ¡°Of course there¡¯s a difference, I call you ¡®older brother¡¯¡±.

    He gazed at me, his expression stoic and calm, ¡°I am not a toy for you two to fight over, it is not as if if you won against him, I will belong to you.¡±

    Perhaps it was because today I acted in a heroic way which slightly bumped up his tolerance for me, so now he wanted to calm his emotions and properly have a conversation with me.

    Being able to talk to him peacefully like this made me delighted, but the contents of this conversation really displeased me.

    ¡°I have never treated you as a toy.¡±

    Who would sacrifice ten years of their youth for a mere toy? This toy didn¡¯t even come decked out in gold or silver, and had a foul way of speaking.

    ¡°So no matter how I treat you, you don¡¯t plan on giving up?¡±

    Wu Yi knocked on the door outside, saying the police had arrived, but Sheng Min Ou ignored him, his gaze never wavering from me, as he waited for my reply.

    I didn¡¯t know why he was asking me this, but I didn¡¯t want to lie to him.

    I handed the rose over to him again, ¡°Maybe one day I¡¯ll give up, but at the moment I still have a lot of gas left in the tank to keep going.¡±

    He looked down at the crimson rose, the red so vibrant it was burning, and took it from me.

    My breath caught in my throat, then I saw him throw the rose into the trash can with a flick of a wrist without a trace of cherishing it, before he left, taking large strides as he moved to go outside.

 CH 12

    Mr Liu was brought away for an interrogation, and Sheng Min Ou left as well to represent the law firm. I was then brought away at the insistence of Wu Yi as he accompanied me to the hospital to get stitches.

    Fortunately, with my injury at the elbow and the chill of winter settling in, the cut would be unnoticeable once I hid it under long sleeves. Otherwise, if my mother got to see the wound, she would definitely conjure up some wild guesses as to how I got it.

    ¡°Thankfully you were here today, Mr Lu, otherwise I don¡¯t even know how things would have ended.¡± Wu Yi offered to send me home and spoke to me in the car, ¡°Laoshi also came back just in the nick of time, really the whole incident was unfortunate but it ended up being one of the best possible outcomes that could have happened.¡±

    I sat in the backseat, twirling my wrist. Though the bandages were tied up a bit too tight, it didn¡¯t restrict me from being able to move my arm.

    ¡°You call him your teacher, so are you his student?¡±

    ¡°No, no, I call him ¡®Laoshi¡¯ but it is different to a teacher in the educational sense. I used to work at Mei Teng as Laoshi¡¯s assistant, and he taught me many things. Being a senior I revered, I chose to refer to him as ¡®Laoshi¡¯ out of respect. Two months ago, after I heard that Laoshi decided to leave Mei Teng, I offered to leave with him. At first, I was scared that he would be unwilling, but he ended up agreeing straight away.¡± He smiled and then continued, ¡°I¡¯m very grateful towards Laoshi¡¯s trust and confidence in me.¡±

    Through the reflection of the review mirror, I could see the young man¡¯s expression was bright and he appeared to be someone with a passionate and dedicated character, as if he wouldn¡¯t easily be defeated by anything that came his way. It was a strikingly different personality from Sheng Min Ou.

    I leaned back against the seat, relaxing my muscles all over, and let out a long exhale.

    ¡°Then he must¡­ think of you highly.¡±

    There was some congestion on the roads back, and as waves of fatigue rolled in, I succumbed to a deep sleep. When I woke up again, the car had already stopped outside my apartment block.

    After thanking Wu Yi, I got out of the car and climbed up the stairs. Even though I knew Sheng Min Ou wouldn¡¯t reply to me, I still sent him a text message letting him know that I had safely arrived home.

    With my mother¡¯s condition remaining worrying and not looking like she was going to hold out for much longer, once Wei Shi knew of it he gave me annual leave ahead of time, so that I wouldn¡¯t have to go to the shop every day.

    My mother woke early, so she would usually wake at around six a.m. and then feel sleepy again at ten a.m.. During the day, the only time when she would actually be awake and fully conscious was these four hours. Now, she slept for an increasingly longer amount of time with each passing day. Although she attributed this to people naturally wanting to sleep more in winter, but I knew, that one day she would fall asleep just like this, and never wake up again.

    Usually I would choose to take the earliest bus to see her and speak to her, or hold a monologue so she could just listen to me talk, then leave when she fell asleep.

    ¡°Today I passed a garden and I saw two reckless little kids playing with water. The weather is so cold nowadays, don¡¯t you think they must have too little homework to do so they¡¯re bored out of their minds, so they¡¯re asking to get sick instead? There were no adults supervising them either, so who knew which families¡¯ kids they were.¡±

    I carefully peeled the mandarin in my hands, making sure to get rid of the pith until each piece was spotless and had no white strings anymore. Content with it, I brought the piece to her lips, but she shook her head, giving me a gentle smile as she spoke feebly, ¡°You, when you were younger you ate everything that was given to you, how come now you¡¯re becoming more picky and meticulous.¡±

    I took the mandarin piece and put it in my own mouth, my voice muffled as I responded, ¡°What do you mean picky, it¡¯s called having refined taste.¡±

    She laughed, ¡°This is called being refined..¡±

    Actually, since I was younger I was always pretty unsophisticated, just that Sheng Min Ou happened to be especially peculiar regarding his belongings. To make him happy, I was forced to see things in the way he did and become more particular with everything.

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    The adults spoke amongst themselves and were playing with poker cards, so Sheng Min Ou and myself sat on the couch watching television. There was a steel box filled with all sorts of confectionery, where sweets and lollies were in abundance, as well as a fruit platter consisting of winter dates and mandarins.

    The female colleague hosting was extremely welcoming, and was scared we were holding ourselves back, so she forcefully placed in our hands one mandarin each and told us it was very sweet, so we should try it.

    Temporarily disregarding how Sheng Min Ou back then might have considered and categorised everyone as a low IQ existence, he at least from the outside appeared very polite and obedient, to the point where even my mother was unable to find a fault of his. After thanking the female host, he clutched the mandarin in his hand and continued to hold on to it.

    I had been eyeing the mandarins ever since I entered the room, except I felt too embarrassed to reach out and grab one. Now that someone had given one to me, everything ended up working out perfectly.

    Just as the female colleague had said, the mandarins were delectable, and immediately I had finished it off. I looked towards Sheng Min Ou, and found that he was still holding the mandarin, having not touched it at all.

    ¡°Ge Ge, are you not eating it?¡± I asked, reminiscing about the sweet juices of the mandarin and it¡¯s refreshing taste, as I salivated at the thought of eating it again.

    He looked at me, then looked at the mandarin in his hands, his eyes darkening as he asked, ¡°Do you want something that¡¯s mine again?¡±

    Back then I was young, so I didn¡¯t realise in the slightest that there was something wrong with the way he asked his question, and I was completely oblivious to his expression, not fearing how he looked in that moment at all.

    My mother did not conceive me with ease, so she was always especially doting towards me, which led to me developing an arrogant and willful personality. If my father bought two sets of toys or snacks for me and Sheng Min Ou, then after I was bored with my toy or finished my snack, I would always cry and cause a scene so I could have Sheng Min Ou¡¯s half that he still hadn¡¯t gotten to touch yet. I knew that if I said I wanted it, my mother would unconditionally meet my demands, and take everything away from Sheng Min Ou.

    Sheng Min Ou wouldn¡¯t get angry, or upset, he would just give me what I wanted and say that he didn¡¯t like it anyways.

    Due to these incidents, my father would often argue with my mother. My mother thought that my father was meddling in other people¡¯s businesses, treating someone else¡¯s son more favourably than his own flesh and blood. My father thought she was completely unreasonable and causing trouble without reason. As for me, I was completely absorbed in my perception of being the most adored child in the family, receiving immense satisfaction from taking away the things belonging to Sheng Min Ou, without realising I was being an idiot at all.

    What goes around comes around, a part of why Sheng Min Ou was so antagonistic towards me today was because of all the sins I committed back then.

    ¡°Of course not, there¡¯s still many mandarins on the table, I don¡¯t want yours.¡± Even though back then I was an idiot and couldn¡¯t decipher his expressions, I was still able to sense his displeased mood. In response, my tone of voice subconsciously became more eagerly attentive, ¡°Ge Ge, these mandarins are really sweet, is it because you don¡¯t want to peel them yourself? I¡¯ll do it for you, okay?¡±

    He looked at me for quite a while, before passing me the mandarin, which had some residue heat left on it from him holding it in his hands for so long.

    I happily accepted it, quickly peeled off the rind then handed it back to him. He didn¡¯t take it from me, rather he just scrutinised the mandarin, which still had an abundance of pith all over.

    ¡°I don¡¯t eat the pith.¡±

    I was caught off guard and let out a small ¡®oh¡¯, then I lowered my head and started peeling away at the pith, one strand at a time. After ten long minutes, until there was no trace of white on the mandarin anymore, I handed it over to him again.

    He held the fruit at both ends, critiquing it as if he was examining an artefact.

    I was filled with anticipation and didn¡¯t even want to blink as I stared at him, waiting for his praise.

    He lifted his gaze and took a swift look at me, then his fingers suddenly loosened their grip, and then the fully orange mandarin, now completely devoid of pith fell from his hands.

    ¡°Ah¡­.¡± My eyes followed the mandarin as I saw it fall to the floor, rolling twice on the concrete and now coated in dirt.

    ¡°My bad, I didn¡¯t have a good hold on it.¡± Sheng Min Ou said that it was ¡®his bad¡¯, yet his expression did not show a single trace of remorse.

    He bent down and picked up the dirtied mandarin that was unable to be eaten anymore, and casually threw it into the bin. No matter whether it was for the mandarin, or for my feelings, he didn¡¯t treasure it at all.

    I bit at my lips, and took another mandarin from the fruit platter, ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡­ I¡¯ll peel another one for you?¡±

    He plucked a tissue from the box and wiped his hands, shifting his attention from me to the television, and refused me seemingly without much thought.

    ¡°No need, I don¡¯t want to eat it anymore.¡±

    Back then, I really thought there was nothing else that could be as despairing as this, and tears would well up in my eyes each time. For a long while, I thought that my despondence was because I felt like I had been wronged, but now that I think back on it, perhaps it was because I already sensed his antagonism towards me.

    ¡°Oh? Feng Ge, You¡¯re here.¡± Shen Xiao Shi heard the sound of the door opening, and raised his head from behind the counter. Seeing that it was me, he appeared to be quite surprised.

    ¡°I had nothing to do so I came.¡± After leaving the nursing home I had nowhere to go, so rather than staring at the same four walls at home, I¡¯d rather visit the shop instead.

    ¡°Then come in and take a seat, here, take my spot.¡± Shen Xiao Shi got up and stretched, the action lifting his white T-shirt which had ''Everyone is Evil'' written, revealing his thin but fit waist.

    The heater was turned up high in the store, and adolescent males were in the peak of their physical conditions with hot blood coursing through their veins, so naturally they would all be less tolerant of the heat. Sheng Xiao Shi often just wore a parka on the outside, and a T-shirt on the inside. Once he entered the store, he would take off his outer layer, leaving only a thin T-shirt on.

    ¡°How is the business these past few days?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is because it¡¯s almost new years and everyone is heading back to their hometown, but the past few days have been quiet.¡± Shen Xiao Shi opened the iron door and switched with me. ¡°Yesterday someone came in to pawn off a portrait of Luo Zheng Yun and he had signed it personally as well. This would probably be the biggest sale we¡¯ve had the past few days.¡±

    ¡°Luo Zheng Yun?¡±

    Liu Yue responded half heartedly to me whilst engrossed in her kdrama, ¡°Feng Ge, you don¡¯t even know Luo Zheng Yun? He¡¯s an actor that¡¯s become super popular the past two years, he¡¯s really handsome, and his acting is even better. He has only debuted for two years but he¡¯s already been crowned king of the silver screen. He only released ten thousand copies of those portraits as a limited time product, and that copy being pawned off had his signature. As soon as we put it online someone else had already bought it off us.¡± She raised two fingers, ¡°For twenty thousand renminbi.¡±

    When he debuted I was still in cells making flowers out of plastic, so it was completely normal for me to not have heard of him.

    I took off my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair and asked, ¡°How does he look? Let me examine his visuals.¡±

    Hearing this, Liu Yue quickly opened up a new search tab and entered ¡®Luo Zheng Yun¡¯ these three words. Immediately, the webpage was filled with pictures of the same man.

    He was pretty handsome, with sleek, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his features appearing even more defined on camera. Different from the youthful male idols now that could give one smile and melt the hearts of their older fans, it appeared he didn¡¯t smile much, and he gave off a more sombre feeling. However, because he was too good looking, the contrast between his personality and looks gave him an alluringly sinister appearance¡­ He looked exactly like the antagonist that every female would fall in love with in an idol drama, apart from the main heroine herself.

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, recollecting my glance and commenting, ¡°Not as handsome as my older brother.¡±

    Liu Yue looked skeptically at me as she replied suggesting, ¡°Feng Ge, when are you going to let us see that mysterious elder brother of yours? I just want you to enlighten me and show me what a truly handsome man is like.¡±

    I waved my hand in an exaggerated motion, ¡°There¡¯ll be a chance, all of you will have a chance.¡±

    Whilst we were talking, the door opened from the outside, and in came a person wearing a black coat with a slender frame.

    I raised my head to glance over at that direction, and just happened to look them in the eye.

    He stopped abruptly in his footsteps, pausing at the door, his thick glasses reflecting light, making it hard to decipher what emotions were in his eyes.

    ¡°Lu¡­ Lu Feng?¡±

    This person had pale alabaster skin, his fringe slightly obstructing his eyes and he had a scarf snaked around his neck. If it wasn¡¯t because I heard his voice and identified that it belonged to a male, I would¡¯ve thought this was a woman that walked in.

    I squinted my eyes, my memory completely blank, and was unable to recognise him, ¡°You are?¡±

    That person walked forward two steps, so I could completely take in his features.

    Although his glasses were thick, his limpid eyes still shone clearly through the lenses, and he had luscious eyelashes framing them. His appearance could be described as beautiful and delicate. Seeing a face like this, I quickly matched the person in front of me with someone from my memories.

    My voice was stuck in my throat, as it took me a long time for me to hoarsely say his name, ¡°¡­Mo Qiu?¡±

    In my junior years of high school, despite being mischievous and prone to causing trouble, I always ranked highly for exams and was good looking, so everyone from teachers to students would be fond of me. In my cohort, I was the student elected king. Just by raising an arm and chanting a few words, a whole heap of people would follow me.

    I always shone and stood out, and received countless exclamations of praise. Whoever I saw I could befriend, yet as if it was an unspoken principle of this universe, whenever there was someone who was welcomed and popular, there was someone who was equally disliked.

    If I was the idolised student at school who had fans all around, then Mo Qiu, he would be the person everyone wanted to avoid like the plague.

 CH 13

    Although Mo Qiu had an especially rare last name, back when we were attending school together he was neither exceptional in his grades nor his looks. His personality was even more sombre and he seemed perpetually perturbed. He wore thick lenses reminiscent of the bottom of beer bottles, and he always kept to himself at school, never interacting with others.

    In the adult society, to fit in and assimilate one would often have to make sacrifices and wear a mask to cover up their authentic feelings. With the younger crowd, feelings and relationships were more genuine with less ulterior motives, but there existed a rule that was enforced even more stringently.

    The bizarre behaviour of Mo Qiu and his self inflicted ostracization led to him becoming the black sheep amongst a flock of white, and soon he became unbearable to everyone.

    At first it was just complaints from peers in private regarding his personality, or mocking remarks directed at his speech and mannerisms. Slowly, things escalated, and more and more people started to humiliate and make fun of him in front of his face. Wherever he walked, the crowd would disperse and avoid being in the same area, and each item he touched only had one place where it belonged ¨C the furnace.

    He was a walking nuclear pollutant, as he found himself alienated in every situation. Even the homeroom teacher had problems with him as his grades reminded straggling without signs of improvement.

    It wasn¡¯t until the bullying towards Mo QIu escalated towards a breaking point, when he was pushed down from the top of the stairs by someone and injured his leg that the school authorities caught on, and a meeting was held to discuss a plan moving forward with the homeroom teacher.

    The strategy they devised through an afternoon of planning was simple and blunt, they would have me, Lu Feng, help him as we were paired up one to one. Not only would I become his ¡®leg¡¯, but I would also help him with homework and be a positive influence on his emotions, so the two of us could improve and grow together.

    I had to admit, whoever thought of this idea really was a fucking genius.

    I was forced to carry out my newly appointed duties, as I became Mo Qiu¡¯s guardian, and even my seat had been swapped so I would sit next to him.

    Although everyone else still could not tolerate him, perhaps due to me being by his side, it had never escalated to him bleeding again.

    When my duties were finished, due to my excellent performance, Mo Qiu¡¯s grades saw a significant improvement. Our homeroom teacher, caught in their excitement, appointed me to continue being his private tutor, until the semester had finished.

    In the end, a semester passed, followed by another semester, I became his appointed nanny, bodyguard and private tutor for two years. At the end of all of this all I got was a shoutout from the homeroom teacher at the graduation ceremony, as they praised how I was ¡®passionate to help fellow peers and was of a huge help in aiding and shouldering the burdens of the teachers¡¯.

    After high school I didn¡¯t ever see Mo Qiu again. In private, we barely talked, he scarcely spoke, and I also felt like we were simply two very different people, so from the start I consciously maintained distance with him. After graduating, we each went our separate ways, and didn¡¯t even exchange any contact details with each other.

    Meeting him again like this today was something I honestly never expected.

    ¡°How coincidental.¡± Mo Qiu commented, his eyes full of delight, and a trace of nostalgia. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for many years right, I thought¡­ I thought I would never be able to see you again.¡±

    Apart from his lenses becoming slightly thinner, and having grown taller, it appeared that his personality hadn¡¯t changed much at all.

    I chuckled in response, ¡°You saying this makes it sound as if I died.¡±

    Mo Qiu was startled and hurriedly waved his hands in response, ¡°No no no, I, I said the wrong thing¡­ it should be I didn¡¯t imagine I would be able to see you again.¡±

    The difference between the two wordings were negligible.

    I stopped joking with him and asked, ¡°You¡¯re here for?¡±

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    He really just exposed himself without anyone probing, Shen Xiao Shi hadn¡¯t even asked anything, and he had already in a hurry revealed everything.

    Shen Xiao Shi looked as if he suddenly understood and let out two ¡®oh¡¯s¡¯, then with a phone in his hand he sat on the sofa and went to play his games.

    I told Liu Yue to go retrieve the portrait, while I wrote an invoice for Mo Qiu and gave it to him to sign.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Mo Qiu said and returned the signed invoice to me.

    I thanked him in response, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for customers like him, then we wouldn¡¯t be able to sustain our business.

    Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s portrait was neatly placed in a delicate hard paper box, with the same portrait being printed on it.

    The surroundings were dark, and Luo Zheng Yun sat on a leather navy blue seat, the dim ambient light reflected on his face, each outline making his features seemingly classical like he was an acrylic painting. He leaned forward just slightly and stared straight into the camera, and amidst the elegance there was a hint of arrogance and hubris.

    Mo Qiu carefully accepted the box, his eyes glued on Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s printed features. It wasn¡¯t until I reminded him to inspect the goods that he snapped out of his thoughts and properly checked the item.

    After validating that there was no problem with it, I asked Liu Yue to bring a bag over to wrap it up and pass it to him. He held the bag and stood there, not leaving at the first instance.

    I saw that he was on the verge of saying something and was hesitating, so I prompted him, ¡°Is anything wrong? If something is, please go ahead and say it.¡±

    ¡°Lu Feng, we¡­ are old classmates who happened to meet by chance, can I¡­ can I get your phone number?¡± His hands were twisted in the handles of the bag, showing his unease. ¡°If there¡¯s time in the future, when you¡¯re free, let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s go out to eat?¡± Towards the end, his voice became more quiet until it was barely a whisper, and if someone wasn¡¯t aware of the situation they would think that it was a fly buzzing around.

    ¡°I thought it was a big deal. You have the store¡¯s WeChat account right? I¡¯ll have Xiao Shi send over my phone number to you.¡± My phone was right on the table, and I was sure Mo Qiu brought his phone with him as well today, because he just used his phone to pay the remaining amount due. Yet now, I was like how Sheng Min Ou was once, putting up a sheet of insincerity between us two.

    As an inmate who has served ten years in jail, I really did not want to catch up with old classmates of mine and reminisce about what life was like for us then.

    If later he asked me which university I got into, and I told him the only thing I was in was a cell, he would be shocked, and I¡¯d feel unpleasant too.

    No one wanted to bring upon themselves a blow to their self esteem and pride.

    ¡°No it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll add you!¡±

    However, Mo Qiu was someone who was simple minded, and appeared to not be able to understand the meaning that was implied in sentences by adults. After hearing what I said, he happily whipped out his phone.

    I had not expected this, so I only reached for my phone that was on the table after pausing for a long moment.

    ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡±

    Mo Qiu left, perfectly satisfied with the sequence of events. I stared at the new name which was saved in my contacts for a long while, hesitating as to whether or not I should drag it into the blacklist.

    I had a finger suspended above his name then decided to leave it. Taking into consideration that he was a client of the shop, I settled with keeping it there for now.

    Ever since I had intervened to help Sheng Min Ou¡¯s employee and got injured as a result, his attitude towards me seemed to have changed.

    Before, if I even attempted to get close to him, he would react like an enraged wolf that was provoked, letting out a deep growl as a warning and tensing up into a pose, ready to strike out at any time. However, now even when I lingered before his eyes all the time, he could still pretend that I did not exist.

    He seemed to be letting go of the reins and letting me do whatever I wanted, so that I could come to the conclusion of giving up myself. He did not care about me, so he did not pay me any attention.

    He no longer showed his aversion to me at every moment, which was actually a good thing for me. However, now he treated me as if I was plain air, an existence that could not be seen, heard or felt, and truthfully this ruined some of the fun I had when I would provoke him.

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, I should take responsibility for what happened, I didn¡¯t think that it would provoke him to act out to this extent¡­¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office door which had been tightly shut for a whole afternoon finally opened, and from inside walked out a lady who was well dressed, wearing a beret and an aubergine one piece, as she held a pair of leather gloves in her hand.

    I raised my head from the newspaper and Sheng Min Ou¡¯s eyes swept past me, then as if there was nothing out of the ordinary, he retracted his gaze.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want the paintings anymore, let¡¯s conclude everything like that.¡± The lady¡¯s expression was scrunched in worry, and even as she left she let out heavy sighs.

    ¡°I understand, take care.¡± Sheng Min Ou accompanied her to the front door and only turned around to come back when she was completely out of sight.

    I did not raise my newspaper to continue reading it, my sight trailing his movements.

    He evidently did not take a look towards my direction, but as if he was omniscient as he hooked his finger to gesture me to come over without shifting his glance, and signalled for me to follow.

    Seeing that he was about to enter his office again, I hurriedly put down the newspaper, got up from the seat and walked briskly over.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office was eminently minimalist and exceptionally bright, with no trace of anything unnecessary, and even the chairs and tables were of a simplistic design as they were transparent.

    There were no pens on the office desk and no paper apart from a silver laptop and a jarring red pocket.

    Sheng Min Ou crossed behind the desk and held up the red pocket, passing it to me, ¡°Take it, it¡¯s the hospital fees.¡±

    I was a bit taken aback by this show of sudden affection, ¡°You¡¯re giving this to me?¡±

    I felt the envelope after receiving it, it was thickly stuffed, and had at least ten thousand renminbi inside.

    ¡°It¡¯s from the lady just then, Ms Sun, the man who hurt you is her ex-husband.¡± Sheng Min Ou sat down on the transparent chair that looked not in the slightest comfortable and opened up his laptop. ¡°She felt guilty about it, so offered to reimburse the hospital fees.¡±

    ¡°She really was married to a lacking husband,¡± I clutched the red pocket and swatted it lightly against the palm of my hand, ¡°Hopefully next time she can take a good look at the men in her life.¡±

    ¡°You can go now.¡± Sheng Min Ou said without raising his head, his words like an order the Emperor gives when dismissing his subjects.

    I stared at the crown of his head and his half covered features, unwittingly letting out a long sigh, then thought to myself, ¡®Married to a lacking husband, huh¡¯.

    I walked towards his desk, sitting on it and waved the red pocket in my hand in front of his laptop screen to attract his attention.

    ¡°Mum doesn¡¯t have long.¡± I collected all my feelings and spoke in a heavy voice, ¡°The doctor said she might not make it to New Years.¡±

    He stopped typing abruptly and slowly raised his head to look at me in silence.

    I licked my lips nervously and asked, ¡°If, and I¡¯m saying if, that day really comes¡­ can I call you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t need his accompaniment, and I didn¡¯t need him to rush over to be by my side and take care of the funeral proceedings with me, I just wanted to¡­ in that day fated to bring me misery, be able to in the first instance hear a voice that could bring me happiness.

    Sheng Min Ou leaned back into his seat and sneered, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t need my consent to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, even if you said no I would still call you.¡± I replied, giving a slight smile, ¡°But I wanted a guarantee that you would pick up.¡±

    He opened his mouth, and just when he was about to say something, the laptop on the desk started ringing, the tone sounding like someone had requested him for a video conference.

    ¡°Leave.¡± He looked at the screen, the words in his mouth directed to me.

    Ai, it really came at an unfortunate time.

    I was exasperated internally, but I still wanted to leave on a shameless note, so as I headed out I kissed the red pocket and blew him a kiss, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it that you agreed.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou had just put in his bluetooth earphones, and hearing me say that he seemed to look over to where I was, but perhaps it was because of the participants on the other side of the call or for some other reason, he didn¡¯t comment further in response.

 CH 14

    Two days before the eve of Chinese New Year, my mother fell into a coma, and the doctor said that she may never wake up again.

    As I wasn¡¯t sure when her last moments would be, I could only be by her side all day. Apart from the few moments when I left the hospital ward to take a breath of fresh air, the rest of the time I would not take a single step outside of her room.

    Just in these few days, I had forced myself to learn how to smoke. Good habits required daily perseverance, however with bad habits a few minutes was all that was needed to become intimately familiar, to the point where you would suspect whether you were some kind of heaven splitting genius with an aptitude for it.

    After I learnt how to smoke I realised that the taste of the smoke wasn¡¯t completely bitter. The white wisps of smoke would enter my lungs and come back out my nose and mouth, and a burning as if I had just drunk vodka would spread throughout my body, the fumes and the haze immensely relaxing and intoxicating.

    It was only when I was breathing in these puffs of smoke, that was when I could completely empty myself of thoughts about the past or the future, and to block out the occurrences of aging, illnesses and death.

    ¡°Look at me, didn¡¯t I shoot that super far!¡±

    ¡°I also shot it far, look at mine¡­¡±

    I stood under one of the willow trees in the garden, swallowing clouds and blowing out fog. Not far away were two young boys, aged around seven or eight years old, playing with their water guns near a pond. There were quite a few patients taking a stroll near them, but no one looked like they were the parents of these boys.

    Do they have too little homework to do, to the point where they were bored out of their minds so they had come and play with water in the middle of winter?

    I pinched the cigarette between my fingers and blew out a billow of mist, staring at the dying lotus leaves on the surface of the pond, and suddenly remembered that I actually also had reckless moments like this.

    That was when I first attended elementary school and the school was organising a spring trip. All the students went on buses to an amusement park, and once we arrived we were allowed to go off on our own.

    After everyone separated from each other, myself and a few other classmates went to explore together and went on some rides, but they weren¡¯t exhilarating enough to satisfy ourselves so we wanted to go on the boats on the lake.

    The homeroom teacher had reminded us specifically before we all dispersed to not head towards the lake, in case something happened to us. However, our hearts longed after the thrill and were unable to heed the warning given, and we ended up still heading towards the wharf regardless.

    Yet, when we really did play around there, the experience was just so-so.

    The four of us were on a small swan boat, and were rather unaccustomed to rowing as we clumsily rowed and inched forward in the emerald waters, often spinning in circles in the same spot. I found it quite dull, so I put down my oar and returned my sights to the banks, just so happening to see a familiar shadow passing.

    ¡°Ge Ge!¡± I disregarded the fact that I was on a boat, and leapt up in excitement.

    Sheng Min Ou in the distance was with a few of his friends in his more senior grade and after hearing my shouts, they all unwittingly turned to look towards me.

    At that time, Sheng Min Ou and I attended the same primary school, and when I was in the first year of primary school, he was in his fifth year, but we didn¡¯t share classes in the same building, so apart from returning home with him I almost had no interaction with him during the day.

    Sheng Min Ou looked at me and didn¡¯t move, nor did he make any response to show that he heard me. A moment ago he was still animatedly conversing with his friends, yet in an instant the expression on his face had become a lot more distant. He was always like so, faced with my earnest gazes or my zealous calls, he would always behave like a bystander. Cold, detached, and even slightly on guard.

    The small rowboat started rocking and alarmed, the other three boys started yelling almost frantically, each of them reaching out to make me sit down.

    I pointed at the shore, ¡°Let¡¯s row over there? I want to go find my older brother!¡±

    I directed them as we vigorously rowed towards the banks. Afraid that Sheng Min Ou would get impatient waiting and walk away, I waved both arms continuously like a windmill, and called out for him to wait for me, saying that I would be there right away.

    The waters near the show were filled with lotus leaves that had begun blooming, and we used all our effort to part through the lotus leaves but there was still a distance between us and the shore.

    I wasn¡¯t sure whether or not it was because I had asked him to stay, but Sheng Min Ou really did not leave, but he also did not make a move to get closer. I dropped the oar and stood up, holding out an outstretched hand to him.

    ¡°Ge, I¡¯ll come with you guys, pull me up.¡±

    Vtfcu Zlc Ye ibbxfv ja ws fzafcvfv tjcv jcv vlvc¡¯a wjxf j wbnf lc j ibcu ktlif. P ofia j yla jczlber, rmjgfv atja tf kjr eckliilcu, rb P ifjcfv obgkjgv fnfc wbgf, qjrrlcu atf fvuf bo atf ilaaif rkjc gbkybja.

    Pc atja bcf lcrajca, atf ybja alqqfv jcv P mbwqifafis ibra ws yjijcmf jcv ofii obgkjgv, aewyilcu lcab atf mtliilcu kjafgr bo atf qbbi jr rqglcu tjv pera yfuec.

    I splashed around in the water, the green of the lotus leaves entangled around me. I grasped the stems surrounding me, as if clutching on to my last straw.

    Shocked and horrified screams for help echoed above as ice cold water surged into my nasal cavity and choked me. In my shaking vision, I could see Sheng Min Ou standing by the shore and looking at me with downcast eyes, calm to the extent it was like the person who fell into the water wasn¡¯t his younger brother, but an obstreperous frog. He knew that nothing would go wrong, so he would also not need to be worried over the incident.

    Soon after, a passerby leapt into the waters and saved me. Honestly, the lake wasn¡¯t even that deep, it was only around two metres in depth, and the bottom of it was filled with lotus roots. However, for me who was only 1.2 metres tall at the time, this was synonymous to a fatal incident.

    After being rescued and brought on shore, my whole body shook uncontrollably as I sat on the floor, completely drained of energy as I found myself unable to stand.

    By my ear were various buzzing sounds as a crowd of people surrounded me. Adults recapitulated my dangerous actions whilst children boisterously asked whether I was okay.

    I blankly looked all around me, trying to search for Sheng Min Ou¡¯s figure amongst the crowd of people.

    Suddenly, a warm sensation spread across my back, and a jacket with lingering body heat covered my head and shoulders. Seeing the familiar garment, I immediately turned back and Sheng Min Ou at that time also lifted his eyes to look directly at me.

    In an instant, my highly strung emotions burst out uncontrollably and I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore as I threw myself at him and clung on to his waist, letting out loud, wailing sobs.

    ¡°Ge¡­ I was so scared¡­¡± I kept calling out to him as I let out my worries.

    His body remained rigid for a long time, until his thin T-shirt had become completely wet from me, before he moved one hand and slowly pressed it on my back.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine now.¡±

    At one time, I suspected whether the first person I saw when I was born was Sheng Min Ou, and the imprinting effect happened like what occurs with chicklings, so as a result each day I would follow behind him and chirp incessantly. Otherwise, it was honestly hard to explain why I was so fondly attached to him and why I never wanted to part from him from when I was young until now.

    I finished reminiscing, and the two children were still holding up their water guns, pointing it at the centre of the lake as they continuously shot water from it.

    I finished smoking my one cigarette and planned to head back, however I hadn¡¯t even taken more than two steps from where I stood when suddenly a dull splashing sound was heard from behind me, accompanied with the shrill shriek of a child.

    What did I say? It was because they had too little homework to do.

    I closed my eyes briefly, then quickly turned around and raced towards the edge of the lake. Though there were two children by the waters originally, now there was only one.

    Quite a few people heard the same commotion as I did and hurried towards this direction, and someone had seen the entire sequence of events happen from faraway.

    ¡°A kid fell into the water, he didn¡¯t have a proper foothold and slipped¡­¡±

    ¡°Quick quick quick, save the child!¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening to the child in the water, he might have been shocked or frozen by the cold, but he was going under. The one remaining on the shore started crying at a loss of what to do.

    Afraid of wasting another second, I only had time to throw my phone on the grass before diving into the lake.

    The bone chilling water soaked through the fabric of my clothes and the glacial cold was contagious, snaking its way to my extremities and wrapping around my whole body, numbing me until my teeth started chattering uncontrollably.

    I reached out and grabbed the back of the child¡¯s collar in one go, dragging him with me as I reached back for the shore. He continued resisting, like a deranged animal. Luckily, the place he fell wasn¡¯t far from the shore, about one metre away from it, otherwise from how fiercely he fought back it would have definitely been a strenuous effort to save him.

    The people standing on the shore all offered a hand and pulled the child up and then swiftly returned to also hoist me up.

    The hospital staff heard of the news and quickly came over, placing a bed sheet each over me and the reckless child.

    Soon after, a panicked couple hurriedly made their way over, dressed in the uniform that the hospital cleaners wore.

    ¡°How could you be so careless¡­ you¡¯re going to scare us to death!¡±

    ¡°Told you to not go towards the lake and play with water, now something¡¯s gone wrong hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    The onlookers started vividly describing the heart stopping events that had just occurred, pointing at me and saying that if it wasn¡¯t for a kind hearted person like me, then no one would be able to guarantee how their son could have ended up. The couple was more afraid after hearing their words and were also ashamed, as they repeatedly bowed to me and expressed their gratitude.

    I waved my hand, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it wasn¡¯t anything hard to do.¡± Cocooned in the bedsheet, I was cold to the point where I was still inadvertently shaking, ¡°Ever since I was younger I liked helping others.¡±

    The hospital staff saw that my face was turning almost blue from the cold, so they hurriedly asked me to enter the building to warm myself up and to also take a hot shower. They then handed me a clean patient garment for me to change in, in case I caught a cold.

    I walked halfway to the hospital when someone hurriedly ran out the doors and headed towards me. Once I fixed my sight on them to determine who it was, I recognised her as the nurse who was taking care of my mother.

    My heart erratically skipped in my chest, as a foreboding sense grew uneasily in me.

    As I thought, the nurse panted as she ran towards me, shouting while she continued coming my way, ¡°Mr Lu, Lin Laoshi is awake, you¡­ you must quickly return.¡± She leaned over, holding onto her kneecaps, and continued, ¡°She¡¯s awake, and she¡¯s able to speak, she¡¯s been asking for you.¡±

    I startled, then abruptly understood the meaning behind her words.

    When the soul was about to depart from the physical body, there would be a sudden burst of energy in the final moments, that was the twilight of life. However, more people referred to it as the ¡®final radiance of the setting sun¡¯, the final flash of lucidity before someone passed.

    I stumbled forward a few steps before finally sprinting, the biting wind howling at my ears, my cheeks feeling as if they were being sliced by knives as pain throbbed intermittently there.

    I used the fastest speed I had ever ran in my life to race there, in the middle of it I found the bedsheet to be in my way, so I bunched it up and threw it to one side. My lungs expanded to the point where it felt like it was going to explode, and my throat was filled with a heavy scent of blood. When I finally reached ward, I came to a stop immediately, without barging in.

    Appearing as I did right now, I honestly would look like a very sorry person.

    I recovered my breathing and wanted to roll up my sleeves which were drenched, but once I saw the bandages around my elbow, I suddenly remembered that my knife wounds were not recovered yet, and there were still a few days before I could remove the stitches.

    I clicked my tongue and had to roll down my sleeve on the other side, then tidied my hair before I carefully opened the door and stepped in.

    The nurse propped up the pillow so it was higher, and my mothers eyes were half closed as she looked outside the window, before hearing a noise and turning to see me.

    ¡°You came back?¡± She appeared to not notice anything off about how I looked as she extended a hand out to me, ¡°Come, let mum take a good look at you.¡±

    My body continued dripping water, and I walked like this from the entrance of the ward to her bedside, leaving drops in my wake.

    In the room the heater was on, and gradually my body temperature started rising again, but I still felt cold.

    ¡°Mum, how do you feel?¡± I clasped onto her hand, finding that her hand was not warmer than mine by much, reaching a conclusion even more clearly in my heart.

    ¡°Pretty good, I feel as if these few days I don¡¯t have much energy anymore. Why is your hand so cold?¡± She wrapped both hands around mine and rubbed it, attempting to warm me up.

    When I was younger, these pair of hands had held me, accompanied me, fed me clothes and changed me, it had done everything a mother should do. Yet now, they were shriveled and dried up, like a branch about to break, so that even with my one hand I could not bear to wrap around them.

    ¡°I went outside to take a walk.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so cold outside, why would you venture outdoors.¡± She said, patting the back of my hand as a way of scolding me, with her lips forming a bitter smile at the end. ¡°A-Feng ah, mum might have to break her promise here. Luckily it¡¯s a few days earlier and didn¡¯t coincide with Chinese New Years Eve, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t even be able to have a good New Years.¡±

    ¡°Mum¡­¡± My throat was dry, and the scent of blood from sprinting still hadn¡¯t completely faded.

    ¡°Not being able to see you form a family and establish your career, is mum¡¯s only regret. Lu Feng, you must promise me, you have to get married.¡± As if she was scared that I didn¡¯t hear her, she repeated her words once more, ¡°You have to get married.¡±

    I swallowed thickly and gave a hollow laugh, ¡°If I find the right person, I will.¡±

    Although my words came out like this, I knew that I probably would not be able to find that someone.

    Hearing my equivocal reply, my mother¡¯s tone became more vehement without warning,

    ¡°No! You must promise me, you must swear¡­ you will get married.¡± She clutched both hands around mine, her strength startlingly different from a patient who was about to pass, ¡°Lu Feng, this is your mother¡¯s final wish.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Mum?¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand why she so stubbornly insisted on me getting wed, to the extent where she made it her final dying wish. It was almost as if¡­ almost as if she knew I would never get married.

    But how would she know?

    This thought was acutely terrifying, and in an instant my blood went cold, yet the next words that came out of her mouth corroborated my guess.

    ¡°You must promise me, you have to get married¡­¡± When she said those words, her eyes were wide open to the degree that it looked horrifying, ¡°Never¡­ never again to see Sheng Min Ou!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou these three words came down to me like thunder, shattering my world.

    She knew.

    The feeling that I could never use words to express, the perverse love I felt for my own step brother, she had known since long ago.

    In that instant, it was as if I was sunk into a murky depth, a quagmire with no bottom in sight. Every breath I took, the lethal black mud would submerge my body under further. It crept past my chest, engulfed my neck and covered my nose and mouth, bringing forth a slow but painful death.

    I wanted to scream to escape, but the black mud chained at my hands and feet, so I could only stand and despairingly watch as my body became slowly engulfed and dissolved by it.

    I tried to open my mouth, but I found that I could only let out a hoarse and mangled noise, as if there was a piece of red hot iron, wedged in my throat, burning through my vocal chords, so that I could never speak as I wanted to again.

    It was as if I was walking on a narrow wooden bridge, to my left and right was an abyss, and both sides in front and behind me were collapsing.

    Either way, I¡¯d die.

 CH 15

    I dialled Sheng Min Ou¡¯s number, not finding the incessant repetition of my movements tedious, until the scarcely remaining battery on my phone was fully depleted. The phone now could no longer be used, and despite all my efforts, the person on the other side ultimately never picked up.

    I sunk down into a squat in the hospital corridors, painfully tugging at my hair, before I let my face fall into my arms.

    He didn¡¯t pick up my calls, even when it was a time like this, he still refused to pick up. I just wanted to hear his voice, even if he just provided me with a sliver of comfort, I would still be able to hang on and continue enduring everything, even if it was ever so despairing or painful¡­ but he wouldn¡¯t even grant this miniscule wish of mine.

    ¡°Liar¡­¡± I closed my eyes, blinking away the hotness repressed there.

    I maintained that pose for a long while, until a gentle woman¡¯s voice sounded in front of me. I raised my head, seeing a young nurse staring at me with concern in her eyes.

    ¡°Mr Lu, are you okay?¡±

    I rubbed at my face and stood up from the ground, ¡°I¡¯m fine, is the car here?¡±

    The nurse nodded, ¡°The car from the crematorium is here already and it¡¯s currently waiting in the underground parking lot. You can head down there now.¡±

    While speaking, a care worker pushed out a stretcher bed and there was a slight bump on it that was tightly covered by white fabric.

    When it passed in front of me, perhaps due to the shaking from the wheels, from the top a pale and shrivelled hand suddenly fell and hung at one side.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    The care worker immediately stopped and I walked forward, carefully holding that ice cold hand, completely devoid of any traces of life and placed it back under the white covering.

    The scene where these hands had just held mine was still fresh in my mind, traces of the touch still lingering. However now, the owner of these hands would never again be able to smile and call me ¡®A-Feng¡¯, nor will they nag at me to wear more layers when it¡¯s cold, or to drink more water when it was hot.

    A person¡¯s death was like a light being extinguished, or when soup was poured out into the snow. When the lamp wick went out, when the snow had melted, they would disappear from the earth without a trace. You wouldn¡¯t try to remember a specific lamp, or diligently try to recall a speck of snow. However, people were different, when they were gone, what they left behind were countless memories, bonds that couldn¡¯t be forgotten. It was endless remorse and wordless regrets.

    A long black van came to pick my mother up. I sat in the front passenger seat, next to the driver and went along to the crematorium. After finishing all the paperwork, the staff there asked if I wanted to hold a farewell.

    Before my mother passed she had specifically mentioned that she didn¡¯t want a farewell, as people would just laugh at her and feel pity. She knew in the depths on heart that there wouldn¡¯t be many people who would genuinely feel sad and grieve for her.

    ¡°No, we won¡¯t need it.¡±

    Hearing this, the staff member heavily pressed a vibrant red stamp on the records, and after passing it to me, they told me to go wait at another area for collecting the ashes.

    The weather today was downcast and cold. The collection area for ashes did not have any heaters on and the ceramic tiles seemed to conduct cold gusts of air. The plastic chairs felt as if they were covered with a thin layer of ice, making it hard for a person to sit or stand still.

    After waiting for around half an hour, the big screen finally showed my mother¡¯s name.

    The ashes were placed inside an elegant white urn, and when it was passed into my hands there were still some remnants of heat.

    I held the urn and thanked the staff before turning to leave.

    The taxis in front of the crematorium did not easily stop. There were many taxis that were vacant but sped up and drove even quicker past me once they saw the urn in my hand, so fast I couldn¡¯t even get to take in their car plate number before they disappeared without a trace.

    I could only head back into the crematorium and ask to borrow their phone line. I called Wei Shi and asked if he could come to pick me up.

    Wei Shi didn¡¯t say another word except for asking me to stay where I was, and said that he would be there immediately.

    I stood at the side of the road, one hand gripping the urn, the other hand reaching for a cigarette and lighting it up. When the floor was filled with scattered cigarette ashes, my hair had been completely tousled by the howling wind and my head was throbbing. At this moment, Wei Shi¡¯s car slowly pulled up from one end of the road.

    Coafg rlaalcu lcab atf mjg, atf kjgw jlg fcnfibqfv wf jcv P ifa bea j ibcu rlut, lcrajcais offilcu jr lo P tjv yffc gfnlnfv jujlc.

    ¡°C-Mfcu, jgf sbe bxjs?¡± Qfl Vtl abbx j ibbx ja wf, ¡°Tbeg mbwqifzlbc ibbxr tbgglyif.¡±

    P qijmfv atf egc bc ws ifu, ws olcufgr gecclcu qjra lar mbwqifafis mbiv regojmf.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The last residue heat on the urn had completely disappeared. Sheng Min Ou had said that black was the coda in the piece that was life. No, black was not the coda, the cold was.

    It was too cold.

    I adjusted the seat so I could lean back and closed my eyes, ¡°Call me when we arrive at the columbarium.¡±

    When Wei Shi arrived there, the skies had already darkened. He originally planned to go with me but I politely declined.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to accompany me, I¡¯m already this old, this is something I can do.¡±

    Wei Shi held the car door, his expression not having relaxed by much, ¡°A-Feng¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really fine.¡± He didn¡¯t even get to finish his sentence as I declined once again.

    Seeing that he really couldn¡¯t convince me, he could only acquiesce.

    ¡°Then, take care of yourself.¡±

    The columbarium staff brought a ladder with him and helped me open the niche, then placed the urn containing my mother¡¯s ashes inside.

    From now on, the two of them were reunited as husband and wife, and could enumerate all my shortcomings as an unfilial son.

    I bowed three times towards the niche and didn¡¯t stay for long as I thanked the staff and walked alone back towards the parking lot.

    Wei Shi saw that I returned so quickly and was slightly surprised, ¡°Everything¡¯s done?¡±

    ¡°Done.¡±

    Wei Shi started up the car and deliberately used a light and casual tone, ¡°Let¡¯s go, San Ge is going to take you out to dinner.¡±

    From a few moments ago, my body had started feeling cold flashes and my head also was throbbing, it felt like an oncoming fever.

    Since I jumped into the lake in the afternoon, I didn¡¯t even get to change and take a shower before my mother woke up. Afterwards, I had been busily attending to everything that came after and didn¡¯t have a moment of rest until now. The clothes on my body were blown by the cold wind, then warmed by my body heat, and although they were almost dry now my shoes remained wet. My feet seemed to be soaked in glacial waters, unable to feel warm no matter what.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, San Ge, send me to the department store that¡¯s close to our shop.¡±

    ¡°The department store?¡± Wei Shi was shocked, ¡°Do you want to buy something? Need me to accompany you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find someone,¡± After pausing for a second, I continued, ¡°To find my older brother.¡±

    I leaned against the car door, the passing car lights leaving illuminated streaks in my vision.

    Sheng Min Ou was like these streaks of light, he was clearly right in front of me, but I just couldn¡¯t grasp onto him, and for him, I was merely a passerby.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, your mother just passed, you would need to let him know.¡±

    Wei Shi didn¡¯t say anything else and soon the car arrived in front of the department store.

    Now the sky had completely darkened, and all around us were effervescent lights glowing in various brilliant colours, shining on the city as if it was daytime.

    After waving to Wei Shi and saying goodbye, I stuck both hands in my pocket and walked towards Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm.

    Although it was already seven o¡¯clock at night, there were still many people who had just finished their day at work. I took an elevator to head up and every time we moved up a level, from outside there would be a mass of people waiting to squish their way in, the scene unfolding being quite astounding to watch.

    When I finally got to the level where Jin Shang law firm was, I exerted all my energy to squeeze out from the crowd, and almost lost my shoe in the process.

    After expending a burst of energy there, I felt like I was even dizzier now.

    The light in the law firm was still on and I had just arrived at the entrance when I saw the receptionist carrying her bag and emerging from inside.

    ¡°Mr Lu?¡± She was surprised at seeing me, ¡°How come you¡¯re suddenly here?¡±

    ¡°Where is my brother?¡± I snuck a peek inside the firm and there seemed to be many lights which remained on, so he was probably still there.

    The receptionist replied, ¡°Recently we picked up a major case and Lawyer Sheng regards it of great importance. He was in a video conference with them again for a whole day, I think he just left to head to the emergency exit staircase for a cigarette break.¡±

    She pointed at a direction for me.

    I nodded at her and turned to walk towards the fire exits.

    I pushed open the heavy fire door and a thick smog of cigarette smoke hit me.

    Sheng Min Ou leaned against the wall and was smoking while lowering his head, preoccupied by his phone. The cold white reflection of the screen illuminated his face, making his features seem even more sharper, the gaze in his eyes more gloomy.

    He heard the noise and lifted his head, in an instant he froze slightly, and even his hands which were in the middle of something had stilled.

    ¡°Do you still have more? Give me one.¡± I walked towards him and asked him for a cigarette.

    Sheng Min Ou seemed to hesitate for a moment, then he took out a whole packet of cigarettes from the inner pocket in his blazer and passed it along with his lighter to me.

    I sat on the staircase at the side and lit up the cigarette with refined ease, then tilted my head back and blew out a puff of smoke towards Sheng Min Ou¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Mum died.¡±

    In the spiralling smoke, it was hard for me to distinguish his emotions, I could only hear him replying with a monotonous voice, ¡°Sorry for the loss.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up my calls?¡±

    He lowered his eyes and looked at the phone screen, then stuffed it into his pocket, ¡°I didn¡¯t guarantee you that I would pick up your calls.¡±

    ¡°Fuck. You..¡± I initially wanted to curse at him with even worse words, but once I thought that his mother was my mother, I forced myself to take back the remaining four words. ¡°Sheng Min Ou, do you despise me this much? To the extent where I¡¯m begging you to pick up and you won¡¯t even do that?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t respond, his silence was as if he had been fed poison which had made him mute.

    Was this because he didn¡¯t find me worth the effort to acknowledge my tantrums, or because he was more considerate that I had just lost my mother so he didn¡¯t want to respond to me as he usually would?

    ¡°Mum knew of my feelings for you.¡± I lowered my head, staring at the warm yellow tiles beneath my feet and laughed bitterly, ¡°Before she passed, her only wish was for me to not see you again. She held my hand and told me that I had to get married and never meet you again¡­ she wanted me to promise her, she begged me to do so.¡±

    I grabbed my hair, upset, ¡°I couldn¡¯t speak, and I couldn¡¯t make a choice¡­ why wouldn¡¯t I make a decision?¡±

    My mother grabbed onto my hand, only wanting to see me nod my head and then she could rest in peace. However, I was like an idiot standing there, unable to give any semblance of assurance.

    ¡°Lu Feng¡­¡±

    Her grip on my hands started to fade slowly, and the weak light in her eyes started to disperse and dim. She let out a long sigh and a drawn out moan, as if she wanted to fully spit out all traces of life remaining in her.

    With this sigh, her fingers started to uncurl, and she no longer held onto me tightly.

    When her fingertips had completely loosened and were no longer holding onto my hands, I abruptly came to and reflexively grabbed her falling hands.

    ¡°Mum?¡± I called out in panic, though she could no longer respond to me, as she lay there with half opened eyes.

    With a shaking finger, I moved to detect traces of exhalation under her nose, and found that she had stopped breathing.

    Because she was unable to complete her last with before dying, her eyes remained open until death.

    I held onto that hand and pressed my forehead against it, feeling the energy slowly dispersing from my body as my knees bent and I slowly knelt on the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    I knew I didn¡¯t do well, I never did well. I could¡¯ve become an even better son but I didn¡¯t, I wasn¡¯t worthy to be her son.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ Sorry¡­¡±

    Having a son like me, they really had rotten luck. They should¡¯ve just thrown me out instead of the placenta, the placenta probably would have done better than me.

    I continued kneeling in front of the hospital bed, holding my mothers hand, continuously voicing my remorse until the caretaker realised something was amiss and called the doctor over to drag me up from the ground.

    Pain, sorrow, a sense of vacancy, loss and not knowing what to do. On this earth, there no longer existed someone who loved me. On this earth, the amount of people I loved lessened by one again.

    Surrounding me were clearly doctors and nurses, yet I had never felt so alone in my life.

    I impatiently wanted to call Sheng Min Ou, to confirm his existence, but he did not pick up my calls, and did not send a message to reply to me either.

    There wasn¡¯t even something as small as a full stop¡­

    He knew that I only needed one moment of happiness to be satisfied, yet he was a miser to the extent that he couldn¡¯t even give me the bare minimum.

    I knew that he had his work to attend to, he had his own life, I was nothing to him, even any dog would have priority over me. I knew, of course I knew.

    On this earth, there was no one else who loved me, and the only remaining person I loved, did not love me back.

    He viewed me the same as worthless reeds growing on the side of the road, and avoided me as if I was a flea.

    Even if I died one day, he wouldn¡¯t shed a single tear.

    I knew of it all.

 CH 16

    Thanks Maggy for the Kofi allowing for this sponsored chapter release!

    The cigarette was already burnt to the end and with a gentle tap, the accumulated ashes crumpled and fell, searing the back of my hand and creating a scorching pain.

    ¡°You should listen to her.¡±

    A shadow loomed over me and I raised my head to see Sheng Min Ou already standing in front of me.

    He blocked the only light source and his face was cast in darkness, the only light emitted from his pupils cold and heavy.

    I laughed, hearing my own chuckle and replied, ¡°Yes, I should listen to her.¡±

    With no warning, I leapt up and lunged at him, like a wild beast showing their claws and formed a fist with my hands as I swung it fiercely at him.

    My fist found its mark as it accurately struck his cheek and Sheng Min Ou¡¯s face swerved to one side as a result. I panted heavily and waved my first again, this time he blocked it and in one clean move landed a blow at my abdomen.

    In an instant, all my organs felt like they were being ripped to shreds, I ignored the excruciating pain and continued with my relentless attack.

    The two of us were entwined, exchanging blows and ripping at the other¡¯s clothes, tumbling on the dirtied floor without a care for appearing dignified anymore.

    The continuous escalation of my body temperature made my head swirl, as the meagre amount of energy I was able to harness disappeared instantly.

    Sheng Min Ou found the opportunity and pushed me onto the floor.

    He pinned me at my shoulders and leaned his whole weight on me, ¡°Are you done being crazy?¡± His suit, which was always impeccable, was now crumpled and messed beyond fixing. A trace of blood stained the corner of his lips as his fringe fell to cover his eyes. He was discomposed and enraged, ¡°I warned you long ago to not approach me, you¡¯re the one being shameless and guilty so who¡¯s to blame here? Lu Feng, the world does not revolve around you, being able to have something just because you like is a child¡¯s delusion, how old are you now to still have these dreams?¡±

    To him, I was just acting crazy and being shameless.

    I lay on the cold, chilling floor and suddenly felt so exhausted. My body was tired, my heart even more so.

    In the ten years, days accumulated to form months which formed years. I thought I could continue being pertinacious, but the avalanche came so unexpectedly that I could not brace myself against it, making it so I could no longer hold on anymore.

    ¡°Sheng Min Ou, I¡¯ll just ask you one question.¡± I said quietly, staring intently at his eyes, not wanting to miss any trace of emotion displayed there, ¡°Ten years ago, did you purposefully plan it so¡­ so I could go seek Qi Yang?¡±

    I had always avoided thinking about this question since long ago, and avoided asking it, but today I desperately wanted to know the answer. Perhaps in my subconscious I already knew that once I got the answer, I could whole-heartedly give up.

    Sheng Min Ou heard what I said and at first he appeared as if he didn¡¯t quite comprehend what I was saying, as he furrowed his brows slightly.

    I saw that he wasn¡¯t answering, so I asked again through gritted teeth, ¡°Did you do it on purpose?¡±

    He looked at me for a long time, then stood up and released his grip on my shoulder.

    ¡°I did it on purpose?¡± He repeated slowly, then in the next second he suddenly leaned over and gripped my neck with a choking hold, his handsome features appearing sinister to the point it was frightening, ¡°Yes, I did it on purpose.¡±

    His palm gripped forcefully at my throat with enough force to crush my windpipe, obstructing oxygen from flowing in. I scratched at the hands which were like metal clamped down on me but was unable to move it in the slightest.

    He choked me and pressed his lips beside my ears, softly whispering, ¡°Everything was by my design. You were going to die anyways, it¡¯s a pity Qi Yang was too useless, he was involved in that way and in the end it only resulted in you serving ten years in prison.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stop my whole body from shaking, because I couldn¡¯t breathe, and also because of his words.

    Perhaps if I died like this things would be better¡­

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    The oxygen suddenly flowed into my lungs, I coughed, and reflexively started gulping down air, choking as the corner of my eyes teared up.

    Sheng Min Ou got up as if he wasn¡¯t involved in any of the prior action and straightened this crooked collar, patted away the dust on his clothes and then combed through his dishevelled hair with his fingers, attempting to make himself appear as presentable as possible.

    I clutched my throat and wanted to get up, however because I didn¡¯t have any energy, I could only lean towards one side and cough, bearing the excruciating pain that reverbed through my ribcage as I did so.

    While I coughed, leather shoes firmly echoed against the tiles on floor tiles as they headed towards the fire door.

    ¡°Lu Feng, not only are you shameless, you¡¯re also a coward.¡±

    The safety door opened and then closed again, my breathing started to even out and the surroundings became quiet once more.

    I stared at the spaces between the bricks in front of me and slowly lowered my head, pressing my blistering hot forehead against its surface.

    ¡°Lu Feng, you¡¯re utterly shameless.¡± My voice was hoarse as I crouched there, my fists finding no target to vent aside from the ground. It was only through hurting myself that I could make myself calm down and not lose my cool.

    Time passed and I didn¡¯t know how long, maybe ten minutes, or perhaps half an hour. I stumbled as I got up from the ground, my knuckles covered in bruises as my hands still trembled even as I let them hang by my side.

    I didn¡¯t take the elevator, instead, like a walking corpse, I descended down the stairs step by step, and then hailed a taxi by the side of the road and returned home.

    Once I arrived home, I didn¡¯t even have time to take off my clothes before I crashed onto the bed.

    There wasn¡¯t a single part of my body that didn¡¯t hurt, not a single part that wasn¡¯t cold. If I died like this on my bed, in my home, that would be an okay ending.

    My eyelids felt like they were filled with lead and I was unable to discern my chaotic thoughts, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to sink into darkness.

    When I slept, it was extremely turbulent, in one scene I would see the horrific scene of my father passing away, then in another I would see the cat on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s bed.

    The two pieces of memories intertwined with each other and dyed the dream world a cruel, macabre red.

    My father had an accident on his way back from work, back then my mother had been waiting for him for a long time and saw that he had not returned so had already prepared to head outside to look for him. Just as she was putting on a jacket, the call from the hospital arrived ¨C a truck hadn¡¯t seen my father and directly plowed over his body.

    By the time my mother had hysterically scrambled to bring us to the hospital, the doctor was blunt in letting us know that my father was almost going to pass, and wanted us to see him one last time.

    In the emergency room was a horrifying scene I would never be able to forget for the rest of my life. My father lay on the stretcher bed and all sorts of tubes were pierced into his body, a single white bed sheet covering his body below his neck.

    His whole body below his abdomen was like a broken water pipe, as blood slowly leaked out from the white bed sheets and continued spreading across the fabric. A continuous stream of blood splattered onto the floor, quickly forming a puddle of red beneath the bed.

    Seeing the grisly scene in front of her, my mother finally couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore and started bawling my fathers name, pleading with him to not leave us behind, begging him to hold on for our sake.

    My father was in a more lucid state of mind than my mother and was aware of what condition he was currently in. He didn¡¯t say any unnecessary words and used the last of his energy to leave his parting remarks with each one of us, not wasting any time.

    He first asked my mother to raise us well and to provide for both our university fees, especially Sheng Min Ou, he must continue to attend high school and then sit the university exams. My mother agreed, he then looked towards me and asked me to listen obediently to whatever my mother asked of me, and to not be mischievous anymore in the future.

    This was the first time I came face to face with death and I was still unable to fully grasp the situation at hand. I was terrified and also in pain, and all I could do was to imitate my mother, begging him to not die, to not abandon us like this.

    Yet this wasn¡¯t something he could achieve if he simply wished for it, as his fond gaze swept by my mother and I reluctantly, then finally landed on Sheng Min Ou.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s eyes were downcast, focused on the vibrant pool of red at his feet. From beginning to end, he was like a statue with no presence, standing to one side. He wasn¡¯t panicked, nor did he shed tears.

    He seemed to feel my father¡¯s gaze on him as he lifted his head to meet it and gently called out, ¡°Dad.¡±

    He wore a white shirt, the school uniform, and stood by my father¡¯s side. One was on the peripheral of death and the other was in the full bloom of adolescence. As if God had arranged it, it was the most realistic yet cruel juxtaposition.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡± My father¡¯s voice had become gradually quieter, his complexion visibly becoming more grey, but he still exerted great effort to give a smile to Sheng Min Ou, ¡°Dad believes, you will become a¡­. very¡­ very good person¡­¡±

    To be able to distinguish the words that came after, Sheng Min Ou had to step into the bloody puddle and lean over, nearing my father¡¯s mouth.

    I could see that my father¡¯s mouth was moving, but I was unable to hear any sound that came out.

    After a second, Sheng Min Ou straightened up, stunned as he stared back at him, and finally nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Even to this day, I still did not know what that one ¡°okay¡± meant. Only after my father heard his response, he was able to smile as he closed his eyes. A short moment later, the machine let out a shrill sound, as the heart rate monitor on the electrocardiograph flattened into a straight line.

    My mother let out an explosive, piercing howl as she pushed Sheng Min Ou to one side and threw herself on my father.

    I stood there at a loss, as the doctors and nurses came and crowded in front of me until I was pushed back.

    The sounds of sobs filled my ears; in my eyes I could only see two colours, white and red.

    I swallowed my saliva and scanned my surroundings to see there was no trace of Sheng Min Ou. There was only a trail of bloody footprints, extending beyond the door.

    I followed the footprints and found him by the door, leaning against the wall as he sat there.

    He buried his face in the crooks of his arms, his hands tightly gripped onto his elbows. His fingernails dug into the sides of his arms, leaving crimson moon red crescents.

    I sunk down to squat next to him, uneasy as I touched his body, ¡°¡­Ge?¡±

    He shook from head to toe and raised his head, his eyes were red all over, but there weren¡¯t any tears.

    ¡°Dad died¡­¡± I buried my head in his shoulder, whimpering, ¡°We won¡¯t ever have a dad anymore.¡±

    He allowed me to cry, and after a long time he replied, ¡°I know.¡±

    From my father¡¯s accident until the funeral, Sheng Min Ou had never once shed a tear from beginning to end. Once, I unintentionally heard my mother complaining to her friend, saying that Sheng Min Ou was a ungrateful, selfish son. My father treated him so well, yet he did not feel an iota of pain from my father¡¯s horrific death.

    At first I did not agree with her words, I thought that Sheng Min Ou must¡¯ve hid himself and secretly cried, he wasn¡¯t as cold blooded as they thought.

    Then¡­ I realised that tears were something he did not possess. If you weren¡¯t capable of it, how could you make someone show it?

    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t time for me to die, as I laid on my bed for two days and two nights without eating or drinking, and somehow my fever actually subsided. However, my body continued perspiring, and if I took two steps I would start feeling unsteady.

    I originally wanted to order some takeout for myself, however I found that the store which sold congee had closed early. In hindsight, I realised that today was Chinese New Year¡¯s eve.

    I scooped out the only remaining portion of rice and cooked porridge for myself. It was a meal that was better than having no where to eat at all, and after I had finished eating I wanted to lay on my bed again.

    From outside the door there suddenly was a loud knocking noise, each thud was frantic and strident, as if someone had come to chase up on outstanding debt.

    I shifted towards the door with weak steps and peered outside through the peephole, only to see Wei Shi and Shen Xiao Shi standing side by side like two door gods.

    Seeing that I did not move to open the door after a while had passed, Wei Shi raised his chin at Shen Xiao Shi, signalling for him to continue pounding on my door.

    I quickly unlocked the door before it was splintered into pieces by these two bastards.

    ¡°Is something up?¡±

    Wei Shi and Shen Xiao Shi saw that I had finally opened the door and their expressions lightened up in response, as they squeezed through from either side of me and entered my house.

    ¡°I called you but your phone was off, I had thought something might have happened to you.¡± Wei Shi placed the bags that he was holding onto the table and saw leftovers of the porridge that was so diluted the bottom of the pot could be seen. He furrowed his brow and commented, ¡°You¡¯re just eating this? Here here, San Ge bought you good food, prawns, dumplings, shao mai and big wontons, come eat some.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi also placed the plastic bag he was holding onto the table, and in one glance I could see an abundance of vegetables, meatballs and the like.

    ¡°Feng Ge, let¡¯s eat hotpot tonight!¡± He hummed a small tune as he brought out items from the bag one by one.

    I didn¡¯t actually have much of an appetite but I still sat down and ate a prawn dumpling, ¡°Today is Chinese New Year¡¯s eve, aren¡¯t you guys going to go back home to celebrate it?¡±

    Wei Shi dismissed my thoughts with a wave of his hand, ¡°My parents get annoyed by me whenever they see me, and I can¡¯t be bothered heading back, this year I¡¯ll spend it with you.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi also agreed, ¡°Yeah, this year we¡¯ll spend it with you.¡±

    I knew it wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t have a place to celebrate the new year, but rather they were worried about me, which was why they insisted on celebrating Chinese New Year¡¯s eve with me.

    Looking at it this way, my life wasn¡¯t so much of a failure.

    I swallowed the food in my mouth and nodded as I replied, ¡°Okay, then you guys prepare the hotpot, I¡¯ll head back to sleep for a bit longer.¡±

    With swaying steps, I entered my bedroom, and this time when I fell asleep I didn¡¯t have any disturbing dreams again.

    Once I woke up, the entire room was filled with the delectable scent of food and the television which I rarely turned on was now playing the Chinese New Year Gala. Wei Shi and Shen Xiao Shi moved the dining table to the living room and set up the dipping sauces, having prepared everything and now ready to go.

    The doorbell rang and Shen Xiao Shi ran to get it, Yi Da Zhuang appeared outside the door holding two bags of beer.

    Amidst the lively atmosphere, surrounded by friends and the billowing hotpot steam, the once pessimistic thought that flashed in my mind now seemed like a joke.

    To hell with dying, if I died then wouldn¡¯t I be doing exactly what Sheng Min Ou wanted? Living was already a cowardly enough thing, did I really have to die in an even more cowardly way?

    No, definitely not.

    Even if all my teeth rotted off and my body deteriorated until I couldn¡¯t move a single step anymore, I still had to live longer than Sheng Min Ou.

    While eating, Wei Shi saw the injury on my hand and asked me what happened.

    ¡°I accidentally tripped and hurt myself.¡± I placed that hand back down beneath the table.

    He looked at me for a while, suspicion evident in his eyes, but he didn¡¯t press further.

    From outside the windows, someone had lit up the firecrackers, as it crackled, reverberating rattling noises and adding to the bustle of noise and excitement.

    The sound of the hotpot, the sound of the firecrackers, the sound of the television, and the sound of people, amidst this exuberant atmosphere I raised my drink and toasted the three people sitting with me.

    I wished them a happy new year, and I thanked them for always being here.

 CH 17

    Trigger warning: Attempted suicide

    After the Chinese New Years celebration was over, Wei Shi initially wanted me to continue resting for a few days but I refused, and on the eighth day of the Chinese new year I returned back to work.

    I didn¡¯t go to look for Sheng Min Ou again, and obviously he wouldn¡¯t initiate any contact and come looking for me.

    This worked out anyways, as long as I could resist it, no matter how alluring Sheng Min Ou was to me and how deeply I had fallen for him, if ten years wasn¡¯t enough then I¡¯d use twenty years. If twenty wasn¡¯t enough I¡¯d use thirty, eventually I¡¯d be able to cut him off.

    Days passed by plainly as I attended my shifts at the shop. My routine consisted of two things: daily life and work. If I felt bored I would go out with my friends to grab food. If I was tired, I would knock out immediately as soon as my head touched the pillow once I got home. Sometimes, on rare occasions, I¡¯d go out to watch a movie, and this was how I lived my simple, ordinary life.

    I thought that the rest of my life would pass by like so, but who would have imagined that on one late night in March, this simple, ordinary life would be abruptly shattered by someone, and I would be caught wholly unprepared.

    The sound of my phone buzzing interrupted my dreams and forcibly woke me from my slumber. Still slightly disoriented, I reached for my phone on the drawer next to my bed and took a look at the contents displayed. Mo Qiu in one breath sent me ten or so messages in a row, each part lengthy and detailed.

    I rubbed my eyes as I continued scrolling down, not understanding what he was getting at so late at night. At one point he was saying he was grateful for having met me in junior high, and he was extremely grateful as without me he wouldn¡¯t be able to be the illustrator he had always aspired to be. Then later, he would say that he was extremely happy to have met me again after not having seen me in so long, and if it was possible, then he would really like to have a long, genuine conversation with me. In his texts, he rambled a lot and spoke of many things, and in the end he said if I didn¡¯t mind, he hoped I could attend his funeral, and be with him on the last part of his journey.

    ¡°What the fuck, what¡¯s going on?¡± In an instant, I was fully awake, completely astounded at what I was reading.

    When Chinese New Years came by, Mo QIu reached out to me then and arranged for us to meet up at a cafe to catch up over coffee. The two of us spoke in an unfamiliar and awkward manner for about only an hour. I saw that there really wasn¡¯t much more to talk about so I told him that I had something to do in the afternoon and had to leave first.

    That time when I spoke to him, he didn¡¯t show any hint of being pessimistic and weary towards this world. When I asked if he had married, his face turned a shade of red as he shook his head and responded that although he hadn¡¯t married, he was in a serious relationship with someone.

    I politely congratulated him and out of courtesy asked him to bring his partner with him next time we met.

    Back then, what did he say again to that?

    ¡°We¡­ haven¡¯t met yet.¡± Mo Qiu held his coffee cup, and with a hint of nervousness stared at the table top, not meeting my eye.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t met them?¡± I was perplexed for a second, then quickly came to understand his words, ¡°You met them online?¡±

    He blushed even harder and shyly affirmed with a soft ¡®en¡¯ at my words.

    Online dating could be a legitimate thing, however Mo Qiu with his personality honestly was very similar to the type of naive and foolish victim who was scammed of their money, their feelings, and in the end was left with absolutely nothing.

    Seeing that we were friends in junior high, I briefly threw in a word of advice, ¡°Then you should try to meet up with them, don¡¯t be foolish and not know whether the person you¡¯re talking to is even the gender they claim to be.¡±

    Mo Qiu¡¯s body went rigid at my words as his eyes shot up to gaze at me for a split second before his line of sight dropped again, ¡°I know, their appearance, surname, age, and occupation, I know it all.¡± Perhaps he saw that I was dubious towards his online relationship so he explained, ¡°The other person is a lot more wealthy than I am, they¡¯re not a scammer.¡±

    Why couldn¡¯t they be a scammer if they were well off, they could still cheat you of your feelings.

    However, Mo Qiu at that time seemed excited about it and I figured that no matter what I said he wouldn¡¯t listen. Instead, if I continued insisting, it would seem like I was insensitive and unable to read the room. Therefore, I held onto my bucket of cold water, and in the end I didn¡¯t dish it out.

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    Vtla, atlr fnfclcu lr gfjiis¡­

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    ¡°Hey, Feng Ge, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Do you have Mo Qiu¡¯s address?¡± Since Mo Qiu added the store¡¯s WeChat account, then perhaps he had purchased or pawned off items before in the store and left a delivery address.

    ¡°Mo Qiu?¡± Sounds of ruffled pages were heard on the other side of the line, ¡°Wait a second, let me see.¡±

    Two minutes later, Shen Xiao Shi confirmed he had found it and read out the address.

    ¡°Send it over to my phone,¡± I said as I got up and raced to get changed, before rushing out the door.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Feng Ge?¡± Shen Xiao Shi only thought now to ask if something had happened.

    My phone vibrated and I saw the text message he had sent over. I replied, ¡°Mo Qiu seems to be attempting suicide, I¡¯m going to head over, hopefully there¡¯s nothing going on.¡±

    ¡°Fuck me, suicide?¡± Shen Xiao Shi was also shocked, ¡°Then do we need to get the police involved?¡±

    It was due to his comment that I was reminded of the police and realised we should also call them to get help.

    The beginning of spring was still slightly chilly, so I tucked my neck deeper into my clothing and walked out as I continued talking, ¡°I¡¯m going to hang up first and call the police, they should move out faster than me, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll be able to find a taxi at this time.¡±

    After I hung up my call with Shen Xiao Shi, for the first time in my life I called ¡®110¡¯, the operator on the line asked me to detail what had happened and inquired what Mo Qiu¡¯s address was. She said that the police would be there soon and they would also simultaneously dispatch an ambulance over.

    My luck was pretty good, as soon as I walked to the side of the road there was an empty taxi. I sat down and told the taxi driver that I was on my way to save someone and asked him to drive faster if he could. The taxi driver having heard this slammed the gas pedal and I was almost sent flying into the dashboard. Just by looking at the moves of the gear changes and the drifting, it was like we were racing on a Formula 1 circuit in the middle of the night.

    Usually it was a half an hour drive, but due to the driver¡¯s endeavours and partially because the roads were empty at this time, we arrived in a short fifteen minutes.

    After I got out of the car, I sprinted towards the neighbourhood. I didn¡¯t even need to really search for it, under the street lights dimly illuminating the roads, the blinding lights of the police cars in the distance was exactly where I needed to be.

    In front of the old residential building, a police car and an ambulance were stopped there. I was just about to head up when from the narrow staircases two paramedics came down, one on either side of a stretcher, and trailing behind them were two police officers.

    In an instant my breathing almost came to a still, as I feared that on the stretcher I would see a corpse that was covered by a white cloth.

    As they came down, I could only retreat backwards, past the main entrance. The stretcher passed by me, and Mo Qiu¡¯s pale face was on there, although he looked like he was only a hair¡¯s breadth away from dying, the fact remained that he was not dead.

    What a relief¡­

    I was able to wholly allow myself to relax, as I leaned against the entrance and let out a long breath.

    A young police officer walked towards me and asked if I knew Mo Qiu.

    ¡°He¡¯s my friend, it was me who called the police.¡±

    The officer had both hands on his hips and sighed just as I did moments earlier, ¡°He was burning coal in his room and had slit his wrist, it looked like he was truly determined to die. Talk to him and try to persuade him, he¡¯s still so young, what kind of problem can¡¯t be solved?¡±

    I also wanted to know how bad the problem had to be to have forced him to choose such a path for himself.

    The door to Mo Qiu¡¯s house had been broken from when the police forcibly entered his house, and until it was fixed it wouldn¡¯t be able to be closed properly. I still had to follow the ambulance to go to the hospital, and for lack of a better method, to prevent Mo Qiu from suffering an even bigger loss than what he did already to his body, I could only call Shen Xiao Shi again to ask if he could go to Mo Qiu¡¯s house for the night to prevent anyone from intruding and stealing his property. I then asked if tomorrow he could help contact a locksmith to repair the door.

    ¡°Sure, well no matter where I rest I¡¯ll still be getting sleep.¡± Shen Xiao Shi accepted without any objections.

    Once I arrived at the hospital it was another round of chaos, I had to pay the outstanding fees, fill out the forms and wait for the doctors to finish checking up on Mo Qiu. When things had settled down, the sky was already lightening up.

    Mo Qiu¡¯s parents seemed to have divorced when he was very young, and after heading their separate ways neither of them seemed to pay too much attention to him. He grew up with his grandparents and now both of them had passed away, so he lived alone in their old apartment.

    This was my second time entering the emergency unit. Due to my first experience being honestly not that great, I especially detested this place, and after staying here for a while I started feeling sick in my stomach and broke out in cold sweat.

    Mo Qiu hadn¡¯t woken up anyways, so I spoke to the nurse letting her know I was leaving for a short while, then headed out the hospital for a smoke break.

    While I was smoking, Shen Xiao Shi suddenly called me.

    ¡°Feng Ge, I saw that your friend didn¡¯t close his computer, so I wanted to turn it off for him. I ended up accidentally taking a longer look¡­ ¡° Shen Xiao Shi spoke and then stopped.

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°And then I saw some things I shouldn¡¯t have seen, I called upon my smart brain cells and thought about it, then I pretty much pieced together what happened with your friend.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi explained his discovery to me and at first I didn¡¯t care much about it, but near the end I became more apprehensive towards the situation as my brows became more furrowed, until I couldn¡¯t even continue smoking anymore. My stomach felt like it was doing flip flops, as if I had eaten a meal that was left out overnight and had gone bad.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi replied, ¡°I was scared that I was jumping to conclusions, so I flicked through almost a year¡¯s worth of his conversation history, and found some video recordings that he wasn¡¯t able to delete yet¡­ did you want to see it?¡±

    ¡°What the fuck, no!¡± I cursed at him, ¡°Turn off the computer and pretend you never saw anything.¡±

    At this moment, a nurse came to the entrance and asked, ¡°Is Mo Qiu¡¯s guardian here? He¡¯s woken up.¡±

    I hurriedly hung up the phone and returned to the emergency room.

    Mo Qiu¡¯s eyes were half open, and it appeared that he wasn¡¯t completely lucid yet. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he initially didn¡¯t wear his glasses or if they took it off him while attempting to rescue him, but his glasses weren¡¯t there anymore. His eyes were lost and glistened slightly, and his lips were faintly bruised. Suddenly looking at him like this, there was a trace of fragile, sickly beauty there.

    ¡°How come you had to resort to this, back when I saw you weren¡¯t you doing fine?¡± I asked as I sat beside him.

    Mo Qiu turned his head to look my way and without saying a word two streams of tears silently flowed down from his eyes.

    My head hurt, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Lu Feng¡­¡± Mo Qiu¡¯s eyes were full of sadness as he asked with a hoarse voice, ¡°A person who is a failure can never be successful, right? No matter whether it¡¯s with family, friends or in a romantic relationship, they¡¯d be a failure at all these aspects, right?¡±

    I looked at him and withdrew all expressions from my face, ¡°Right my fucking ass, no way.¡±

    Mo Qiu stared at the ceiling, ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ someone like you, you wouldn¡¯t.. wouldn¡¯t understand someone who is a failure like me.¡±

    ¡°Someone like me? What kind of person am I?¡± I started laughing, at this point, I felt there was no need to hide anything anymore, ¡°Half a year ago, I just came out from serving my sentence at prison. If you had to categorise me into a type, then I would be an ex-con.¡±

    Mo Qiu¡¯s whole body trembled at my words, as he turned his head to look at me in disbelief, ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°In the summer holidays of 10th grade I killed a person and was sentenced to ten years.¡± Since I already opened my mouth to speak, the rest wasn¡¯t as hard to say as I imagined, ¡°If you¡¯re comparing us in terms of failure, then aren¡¯t I a bigger failure than you? Plus, you didn¡¯t even fail that bad in terms of friendship, didn¡¯t I come to save you?¡±

    Mo Qiu stared at me still in shock for a long moment, then muttered, ¡°Thank you.¡± After saying so, his expression crumpled and he started bawling even more unstoppably than before, ¡°Thank you for always protecting me¡­¡±

    I initially wanted to close the tap, however I didn¡¯t imagine that I would have instead swung a sledgehammer onto the pipe and bursted the whole thing. I hurriedly asked the nurse for some tissues, then I pressed it onto the tears and helped him clean his face.

    ¡°What did you have to go through? You should just let it out, don¡¯t always keep it all in, perhaps I can help you?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t help me.¡± His nose appeared red after I rubbed it with the tissues.

    I patiently responded, keeping my tone gentle, ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything, then how do you know I can¡¯t help you?¡±

    He was quiet for a long moment, throughout which he would just silently shed tears.

    Just when I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and was about to reveal what I knew to him he slowly opened his mouth, ¡°Someone filmed¡­ a video of me that¡¯s not good, and the other person threatened me, if I didn¡¯t comply with their demands, then they¡¯ll upload the video¡­ on the internet, and everyone will know that I¡¯m¡­ that I¡¯m a slut¡­ like that.¡±

    His eyelashes were stained with tiny orbs of his tears, as they slid down the corners of his eyes and to his temples, creating little damp patches on the sides of his pillow.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, I really am not¡­¡± He shook his head, his eyes reflecting a sliver of hope he held for me, but more than that, it will filled with utter despair.

 CH 18

    What Mo Qiu revealed corroborated exactly with what Shen Xiao Shi had revealed to me earlier, so he indeed had been scammed of his feelings by some scum.

    However, Mo Qiu¡¯s body had just been cleared of being in a critical condition, and this was also a public place so I was unable to ask more detailed questions. I could only first provide some words of comfort as I told him to not worry about it and we could deal with everything once his body recovered more. Mo Qiu had just lost copious amounts of blood and was also anaerobic, so he was soon fatigued after his outburst of tears. He was almost immediately knocked out as soon as he closed his eyes.

    The day we left the hospital, I escorted him home. He stuttered and mumbled for me to stay for a while in his place, and poured me a cup of tea, then revealed he had something to give me. I sat on the sofa in the living room and he left to enter the bedroom. From the sounds emitted it seemed like he was shuffling through his belongings to look for something.

    His room had the curtains drawn, so the light that peeked through was dim. On the floor were a piling heap of his possessions, so it was evident that Mo Qiu was not one who was good at tidying after himself.

    That day when the police found him, he was lying on the tiles in his bathroom, on one side was a coal burner that was lit aflame and as for him, his wrist already had been slit.

    In the two days where Shen Xiao Shi had been looking out for his home, he had also taken the time to clean the bathroom and the blood stains left on the tiles. After he had finished cleaning he sent me a text saying that he felt like the cleanup crew from all the crime thriller movies.

    I sat waiting for a few minutes, then Mo Qiu single handedly carried a huge bunch of his belongings out from his bedroom. I saw that he was swaying slightly as he walked so I hurriedly walked up to take the items off him.

    ¡°Thank¡­ thank you.¡± We collectively placed everything on the desk as he dropped onto the sofa, sinking within its recesses, the few steps he took already having broken him out into a sweat.

    He lowered his head and stared at the bandages which wrapped around his left wrist and weakly but clearly enunciated his next words, ¡°I don¡¯t want all these things anymore, please help me get rid of them.¡±

    I flipped through it all and saw that it was a huge heap of Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s various portraits and posters, a lot of which had been signed by him personally.

    I understood what this meant, but I still had to ask again, ¡°You¡¯re throwing all of this away?¡±

    Mo Qiu nodded, his face half hidden by his fringe appearing frail and alabaster white. The light which had appeared in his eyes had now disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°I started speaking to him in the summer of last year¡­ on one of the social media platforms.¡± His tone was calm, even slightly lifeless, ¡°I used to always post comments on his posts or send him private messages, but he never replied to me, it was more like me talking to myself. That day, like I always did, I sent him a private message and told him what I did in a day and what I ate, then at the end I wrote that as usual, I would always support him and like him, but I didn¡¯t think that he would actually reply to me and have me add his personal phone number. After that, we started conversing more regularly¡­.¡±

    It probably wasn¡¯t Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s first time doing something like this, he flirted and smoothly got what he wanted, he was masterful at leading a person on without ever actually committing, and was articulate with his words that were intimate one second then distant the next. He was able to wrap naive people around his little pinky, so that without ever even seeing the real person, they were beguiled to want to dedicate the rest of their lives to him.

    Prey were only fit to be eaten when they were fattened, Luo Zheng Yun used half a year to raise Mo Qiu from a pitiful, small pond fish to a trophy worth pouncing on.

    It was evident that he was meticulous and had put a lot of thought into his actions. When he thought that it was about time to lay down the trap, he used the excuse of meeting each other in real life for once, and baited Mo Qiu to a luxurious private club.

    ¡°Ca atf yfulcclcu, tlr yftjnlbeg kjrc¡¯a jcs vloofgfca ab ktja kf rjk bc atf ylu rmgffcr. Lf kjr tewbgber jcv ubbv ja tbivlcu j mbcnfgrjalbc, tlr fifujcmf mbeiv yf jaafrafv ab ys jcsbcf¡­¡± Zb Hle mbcalcefv klatbea iloalcu tlr tfjv, tlr olcufgr lcafgaklcfv abufatfg lc glulv wbalbcr ilxf tf kjr j wjmtlcf, tlr ktbif ybvs jqqfjglcu fzagfwfis jczlber.

    Luo Zheng Yun, for all intents and purposes was dazzling beyond comparison, and a huge celebrity that millions of fans looked up to. For him to suddenly be interested in a person that was so ordinary no one else ever turned an eye to him, and for them to begin a secret relationship, it fulfilled the wildest dreams that Mo Qiu had thought of when imagined the two of them together.

    He was completely captivated by this man and believed every saccharine phrase that came out of his mouth, as Mo Qiu fulfilled everything that was asked of him. He had fallen into the trap and was completely defenseless when he accepted the drink the other had given him, as he soon found his consciousness blurring and his body lethargic.

    He had been drugged, and Luo Zheng Yun just sat across him, his legs crossed in a high and mighty manner, completely unphased as he revelled in Mo Qiu¡¯s terrified, panicked struggle.

    ¡°I wanted to escape¡­¡±

    But he was unable to do so, it was only a few steps but Luo Zheng Yun caught up to him from behind and covered up his mouth and nose as he dragged Mo Qiu to the bed.

    Mo Qiu had accepted the invitation so he had naturally anticipated something like this might occur. He was an adult and so could be responsible for his actions, but he never thought that things would happen under such violent, oppressive circumstances.

    ¡°A grown man saying this might be really strange¡­ but back then¡­ I¡­¡± He choked with emotion, ¡°I was really scared, it was really painful.¡±

    Luo Zheng Yun liked seeing him break down, he forced himself onto him, humiliated him, and even caught all of Mo Qiu¡¯s pleading and cries for help on tape. With that, he could extort Mo Qiu further in the future and so he could keep a recording of his work for himself to later appreciate.

    ¡°What you went through¡­ have you considered calling the police?¡± It was my first time encountering an incident this cruel and disgusting. Despite having prepared myself for what was to come the truth still shattered my views on the world, my values and how I saw people. Truthfully, it fucked me up inside.

    ¡°He used a video tape to threaten me and said if I went to the police, he would spread it all on the internet. Plus¡­¡± Mo Qiu wiped the tears which had escaped, speaking again in a nasally voice, ¡°A man forcing a man¡­ how could that count as rape? If I called the police it would just end up in ridicule for me. He can afford to hire the most proficient and esteemed lawyers to defend him and the police would be able to instantly distort the truth. As for me¡­ for me, apart from being humiliated, there¡¯s nothing else that would come out of this.¡±

    I was unable to hold back on my urge to take out a cigarette, as I lit one up and started smoking it.

    ¡°Bullshit that it¡¯s not rape, if it¡¯s not rape then was it consensual? You¡¯re going to accept that?¡±

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t accept it, what can I do?¡± Mo Qiu appeared even more dejected, ¡°After that time, he would often use the tape as a threat and coerce me to go meet him again, forcing me to take part in more of his videos¡­ a wicked cycle then began. Each time he would be exceedingly cautious as well, I don¡¯t have any evidence to hold against him.¡±

    Luo Zheng Yun used half a year¡¯s time to completely understand who Mo Qiu was as a person, and knew that with his personality there was no chance for defiance. There was also no one that he could go to to speak about this issue, so Luo Zheng Yun stopped holding back and carried out all his crimes without restraint.

    The stress continued building up and with nowhere to go to relieve the pain, for Mo Qiu to escape reality he could only choose death.

    ¡°For scum like him, there¡¯s no need.¡± The atmosphere surrounding us was stifling to the extreme, I let out a puff of smoke and couldn¡¯t find any more comforting words to say, ¡°Actually, you have evidence. You¡¯re the best evidence. The chances may look slim but it¡¯s not as if there isn¡¯t any hope¡­¡±

    Mo Qiu froze, then trembled timidly and spoke, ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t do it¡­ you¡¯ve seen it, from when I was younger I could never do anything.¡±

    Seeing that he was quivering like a quail, I was angered but had nowhere to pin the blame on. It was because he was someone with a personality like this, that he was tyrannised mercilessly.

    Yet, after my anger dissipated, I realised that I was only thinking from my perspective. I wasn¡¯t Mo Qiu, and Mo Qiu was not me either. I wasn¡¯t able to fully understand what he was feeling, and he naturally wouldn¡¯t have my decisiveness.

    At the end of the day, I wasn¡¯t wrong, he wasn¡¯t wrong, the person in the wrong was Luo Zheng Yun, the son of a bitch.

    Mo Qiu seemed to understand what I was feeling, as the hand that wasn¡¯t injured curled into a fist, his tone becoming increasingly timid, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I caused trouble for you. I¡­ I will go report this to the police, I won¡¯t be held hostage to his threats anymore. It¡¯s not like I need to see anyone in my line of work anyways, even if it blows up, I¡­ I¡¯ll be fine, at worst I¡¯ll just never step outside my home again.¡±

    Ai, hearing him speak like this, it felt like he was reporting things to the police because of me¡­

    If he really went to the police and things blew up, with Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s influence and affluence, he would undoubtedly be able to fan the flames of public speculation. Considering that, why did I get the feeling that Mo Qiu would break under the incessant societal criticism and as a result die even faster?

    In the end, I wasn¡¯t so righteous that I felt the need to expose every evil and be a force of justice for society. I just wanted to help Mo Qiu resolve this issue, not push him on another path resulting in death.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something reckless like that, you might be able to handle it for a month or two months. If it was a year, two years or even five, ten years, after you¡¯ve tasted the inescapable, crushing loneliness, you wouldn¡¯t be able to easily say something like ¡®if worse comes to worst I¡¯ll never step outside my home again.¡¯¡±

    To be trapped inside a fixed space and to feel the pain of passing each day within that small confined area, he had no idea of what it was like, so he was able to say such a naive phrase and allow emotions to affect his decisions.

    ¡°Alright, you go take a rest first.¡± I smothered the cigarette in a cup of tea that wasn¡¯t touched and picked up a portrait on the table, ¡°I¡¯ll help you think of something.¡±

    Two days later, Mo Qiu called, clearly panicked and said that Luo Zheng Yun contacted him again. He responded that he wasn¡¯t feeling well and so refused, but Luo Zheng Yun seemed to be quite displeased with it. When Mo Qiu finished he broke down as he started crying again.

    He apologised to me, and at the same time asked me what he should do.

    I was just about to reassure him when he suddenly hung up the phone. When I got to his house and finally got him to open the door, I found that the bandage wrapped around his left arm had disappeared, and the wound which had been stitched up was now ripped apart again and was now bleeding.

    My expression darkened as I brought him to the hospital to get stitches again. During the taxi ride there, at several instances I wanted to tell the driver to just continue driving straight towards the police office, but I knew that even if we went, Mo Qiu probably wouldn¡¯t say a single word.

    Mo Qiu¡¯s deteriorating mental health with each passing day made it so I had no choice but to accelerate my plan.

    There were actually many ways to deal with scum bastards. When you found that all the legal, proper routes were blocked off and unavailable, then you might need to find another way to get things done.

    I didn¡¯t have many friends, but I just so happened to have one who was associated with the entertainment circle.

    Yi Da Zhuang had been a paparazzi for only a few years, but he had quite a few scoops on Luo Zheng Yun.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be tricked by his looks that make him appear like he doesn¡¯t associate with anyone else, within the circle he is actually known for his various escapades. However it has always been consensual on both sides, so there¡¯s never been any problems. These scoops therefore have just always been passed on amongst us but never circulated further.¡± Yi Da Zhuang let out a puff of smoke as he continued, ¡°I know which clubs and nightclubs he frequents, but he always has personal bodyguards following him around, so you won¡¯t be able to corner him.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to block him off like that.¡± People passed by the shopfront and their expressions were either cold or closed off, no one had the time to care about anyone else, yet here I was watching out for the one person I was assigned to help more than ten years ago. Shit, I could almost shed a tear at my own resolution, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he like to film videos? I¡¯ll design a specialised tape just for him, so he can film to his heart¡¯s content.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s hand stilled, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just playing my hand according to his tastes. He likes to prey on the pretty, so we¡¯ll set up a honeytrap, and then we¡¯ll bust him in his act and hold that against him, see how he likes it.¡±

    ¡°A honeytrap?¡± Yi Da Zhuang was even more shocked, ¡°You?!¡±

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± I pointed my chin at the scene beyond the door, ¡°I don¡¯t fit in with his beauty standards, but look over there. That is the epitome of a gentle and weak rabbit in the face of a shark.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang followed my line of sight and saw Shen Xiao Shi completely unaware of our conversation as he laid on the sofa playing with his phone. It looked as if he was about to lose the game he was playing, as while pressing down on the buttons his expression looked twisted and malevolent, like a Qing Mian Ye Cha come to life again.

    He shook at my words, ¡°Xiao Shi¡­ Is he up to the task?¡±

    ¡°Even if he can¡¯t he¡¯ll have to do it.¡± I pushed the door and entered, approaching Shen Xiao Shi with great geniality as he still laid on the sofa. ¡°Xiao Shi-ah, Feng Ge wants to discuss something with you.¡±

 CH 19

    Inside the club, people were dressed in all sorts of seductive clothing and danced to the rhythm in one unified mass. The music throbbed and was blasted so loud my eardrums hurt, and the laser beams swept across the room in erratic, dizzying movements.

    This was already the third nightclub we hit up in one evening, if we still couldn¡¯t bump into Luo Zheng Yun and lure him out, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand my surroundings anymore, and we¡¯d have to call it quits for now.

    ¡°Feng Ge, can I really lure out the sick pervert like this?¡± Shen Xiao Shi adjusted the thick rimmed glasses sitting on his features, seemingly unused to it.

    I looked at the white T-shirt and flannel combination he wore and thought back to Mo QIu¡¯s usual attire, ¡°You can, you definitely will, have some confidence in yourself.¡± I helped him adjust the micro camera hidden in his clothes, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Monkey Ge is able to see everything from a distance, if anything goes awry we¡¯ll be there straight away.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi replied with a crooked smile, ¡°En, make sure to come quickly when the sick pervert is on the brink of death from receiving all of my punches.¡±

    After rotating through three different nightclubs and drinking three cups of orange juice, my bladder was slightly full. I told Shen Xiao Shi to continue staying where he was and left to go to the bathroom.

    As I was in the bathroom, my phone in my pocket vibrated for a second, it was from Yi Da Zhuang who sat in the car outside keeping an eye on the situation. Luo Zheng Yun had finally arrived.

    I wiped my hands clean and rushed to leave the bathroom. The nightclub had two levels in total, and it was hard figuring out where he was through the dim lighting.

    I squeezed through the pulsating masses on the dancefloor and headed back to our lounge to tell Shen Xiao Shi that Luo Zheng Yun had arrived.

    Shen Xiao Shi immediately straightened his back, his expression seeming particularly nervous, and his posture also appearing especially unnatural.

    I furrowed my brows, ¡°You need to calm down.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi whispered back, ¡°I suddenly need to use the bathroom¡­¡±

    I closed my eyes and told him to go and return quickly.

    After Shen Xiao Shi left, I rested both arms on the back of the lounge and leaned back, tilting my head against the soft surface, when I suddenly made eye contact with a gaze directed at me from the second floor.

    Those eyes were sinister, cold, and seemed to stick to me, like a venomous snake poised to strike. Except, in the exact moment our gazes met, those features formed a warm smile instead.

    He was simply faking it, so I returned the favour and without breaking eye contact, returned a fake smile.

    In the end, it was he who looked away first. A while later, a towering foreigner wearing a suit appeared in front of the lounge and passed a note to me.

    ¡°Luo Zheng Yun, Mr Luo wanted to give this to you.¡± He pointed at the note and then pointed at me, then without waiting for me to say anything in response, he turned around and left to return to the second floor.

    I unfolded the note and saw that on it were a few simple words; a time, and a place.

    1am, backdoor.

    I brought out my phone to take a look at the time, there were still five minutes until it was 1AM. Could he take any longer?

    I waited for two more minutes and there was still no trace of Shen Xiao Shi. I had no idea if he fell into the toilet or something.

    I continued cursing him inwardly, and immediately fired a text to Yi Da Zhuang letting him know that the plan had changed and I was now going to carry it out. I then ended it by asking him to wish me good luck.

    The backdoor led to an alleyway and there was a black Rolls-Royce parked there, as well as a huge, well built man standing beside it.

    Due to the distance and the backlit lighting, I wasn¡¯t able to confirm that the towering figure was the foreigner who had passed me the note until I was close enough to him.

    The phone in my pocket continued to vibrate, it could¡¯ve been an incoming call from Yi Da Zhuang but I ignored it as I quietly slipped a hand into my pocket to decline it.

    Once I approached the front of the car, the foreigner stopped me and motioned that he wanted to do a body search.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to do a body search?¡± My brows creased as I feigned that I was unhappy with the situation, ¡°You were the ones who passed the note to me, I wasn¡¯t the one who initiated this whole thing, don¡¯t be mistaken.¡±

    He did not acquiesce, ¡°For the safety of Mr Luo, we must do a body search.¡±

    I hesitated whether I should dip out at this moment or if I should continue pushing for it, when the window directly adjacent to me lowered slightly so a gap could be seen, and from it came a warm and elegant voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, let him come in.¡±

    The bodyguard, having heard so, moved aside and opened the door for me.

    Oeb Itfcu Tec rja bc bcf rlvf, tbivlcu j uijrr bo ktlrxfs atja ibbxfv ilxf vjgxfcfv ildelv ubiv lc tlr tjcv, jcv gjlrfv la jr j abjra ab wf.

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    ¡°I noticed you very early on.¡± There was a separator between the front seats and the seats at the back, sectioning the two parts of the car and creating a private space in the back. Luo Zheng Yun took out a bottle of whiskey from the storage box in the car and waved it around as he asked me, ¡°Want some?¡±

    There was no way I was going to drink anything he gave me, so I shook my head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m allergic to alcohol.¡±

    Luo Zheng Yun softly muttered ¡°Ah¡± in response, ¡°Then it¡¯s a real pity.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for Mo Qiu revealing what had happened to him, then no one would ever have reason to suspect and equate the person currently sitting in front of me to a rapist. This man was all dressed up and proper, talked in a charming way, and had a career that many admired and were jealous about.

    Perhaps it was because things were like so, that he became so unrestrained without any fear of repercussion or karma for all his wrongdoings.

    ¡°How should I refer to you?¡± Luo Zheng Yun asked.

    ¡°Lu Feng.¡±

    ¡°Is it the Feng from the phrase ¡®Feng Yu Jiao Jia?¡¯¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Feng from Feng Ye.¡±

    ¡°What a cute name.¡± His curiosity towards me seemed boundless, ¡°You look very young, are you still studying?¡±

    I pretended that I had no idea he was flirting with me, ¡°No, I started working already. I¡¯m an appraiser at a friends business.¡±

    He appeared slightly shocked, ¡°An appraiser? What do you specialise in appraising?¡±

    ¡°Anything. Luxury items, antiques, all sorts of rare and unordinary things, my main task is to see whether or not they¡¯re worth anything.¡±

    He put down the whiskey glass, the ice cubes clinking softly against the surface of the glass.

    ¡°Then give me an appraisal, how much do you think I am worth?¡± He shifted towards me as he leaned forward, the tone of his voice suggestive.

    I stared at his lips, as if I was seduced by him.

    ¡°Priceless.¡±

    He startled at my words, then smiled as he moved back, as if he was in a great mood.

    ¡°You¡¯re not even going to ask where I¡¯m about to take you?¡±

    I returned a smile, leaning back into the seat and carelessly gave him a reply, ¡°You¡¯re such a big movie star, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to abduct me and sell me off.¡±

    His elbow was propped against the armrest as he leaned his chin against his hand, his voice becoming an octave deeper, ¡°You don¡¯t know that for sure.¡±

    Obviously, he wasn¡¯t going to sell me off, but he wasn¡¯t going to bring me to a great place either.

    The car continued driving for a long while, after passing a grandeur gate we traversed further passing through a dense forest. After clearing it, what appeared in front of my eyes was an especially decadent and ostentatious building, evidently inspired by European architecture.

    There were no signs but there were bodyguards. We went into an underground garage and entered a private lift to reach the desired level. This probably was the private, exclusive nightclub that Mo Qiu had mentioned previously.

    Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s bodyguard did not follow us upstairs, and apart from the corridor being completely devoid of noise and having not another person in sight, this place was reminiscent of any other luxury hotel.

    ¡°Take a seat anywhere.¡± Luo Zheng Yun swiped the room card with practised ease, and the view which was revealed in front of me was a penthouse that was unnecessarily large. A bar, a pool table, a private theatre, and an enormous spa which faced the floor to ceiling windows, this place would still have abundant free room left over even if ten or so more people were called in.

    ¡°Below us is a casino, and above us there is an infinity pool. If later on you¡¯re interested, perhaps we can go and enjoy ourselves there.¡± As the words ¡®later on¡¯ left his mouth, he looked at me and intentionally slid off his jacket at the same time.

    My stomach churned in disgust at his words, so I appeared to be distracted, curiously examining our surroundings as I asked, ¡°How soundproof is this place?¡±

    He thought about it for a second, ¡°Very good, good to the point that¡­ even if you scream and moan to your heart¡¯s desires no one would ever hear you.¡±

    Fuck, this damned psychopath.

    I maintained a sizable distance with him, ¡°Then you¡­ go take a bath first?¡±

    I could also take this opportunity to find a place to plant the phone.

    Luo Zheng Yun looked at me, without moving, ¡°Is this your first time?¡±

    My brows furrowed in response as I reflexively denied it, ¡°Of course not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, otherwise I¡¯ll have to take it slow.¡± He closed the distance between us, almost pressing himself against me, his fingertips like grasshoppers lightly tapping on the back of my hand, then it slid into the pockets of my pants.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Cold sweat broke out on my skin in response as his move startled me and I immediately clasped onto his hand. However, he was just reaching for my phone in my pocket, as he slowly retrieved it and pulled it out.

    ¡°What am I doing?¡± He seemed to be thrown off by my reaction, but still patiently explained, ¡°I hope that during the whole process our phones can be locked away in the safe, okay? Please understand that I also have my concerns.¡±

    Now that we were here, if I shook my head and declined him at this point then everything that happened before would have gone to waste.

    I pretended to hesitate, then nodded my head in the end, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Luo Zheng Yun deliberately put both our phones into the safe with me watching, but obstructed my view when he was inputting the password.

    He really was a thousand year old sly fox, it was getting outrageous how cunning he was.

    Although¡­ I didn¡¯t lose to him in that regard.

    He blew me a kiss, then headed into the bathroom to wash up. I heard the sound of water hitting the tiles and let out a cold chuckle as I slipped out the other phone that I had kept on me from the inner pocket of my jacket.

    Shen Xiao Shi didn¡¯t bring his phone with him to the bathroom, I thought that it might come in handy, so I took it along with me.

    I found a hidden angle that was facing the bed and propped the phone against it as I hit the record button.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t think that I would have two phones did you, damned psychopath.¡±

    I took off my jacket and stretched, preparing for the sequence of events that would come afterwards.

    The sound of the ready stream of water lessened, there was around two minutes or so when there wasn¡¯t any noise coming out from inside. I gradually edged closer to the door, pressing my ear against it.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The yell echoed straight into my eardrums, then a heavy thud followed, it sounded like someone¡¯s body had collided against a surface.

    I furrowed my brows, pressing a hand to the door, ¡°Mr Luo?¡±

    A series of groans were emitted from inside.

    ¡°Can you come in to help me up?¡± Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s voice was laced with pain, ¡°I think¡­ I twisted my ankle.¡±

    I mouthed ¡°nuisance¡±, then pushed down on the door handle and opened the door to enter the bathroom.

    Luo Zheng Yun seemed to not have turned on the bathroom fans, as the steam filled up the room, creating a fog so dense that even when I breathed in I felt slightly suffocated by it.

    I looked towards where his voice came from, but didn¡¯t see any shadow of him.

    Without any reason, my heart skipped a beat, and I got the sense that something was amiss. I was about to head back out when in my peripheral vision I saw a blur of a shadow leaping out vigorously from behind the door. I didn¡¯t even have time to react and call for help when someone had their hand clamped onto my neck, then in the next instant a sharp pain was felt to the side of it, as if someone had stabbed me with a needle.

    In the mirror blurred by condensation, I could make out Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s excited and twisted features, and in an instant all the hairs on my back rose up as I fought back and striked at his chest with my elbow.

    Luo Zheng Yun let out a grunt, a syringe falling from his hands as he stumbled and retreated out the door.

    I clasped onto my neck, my feet trembling from beneath me, and at the same time heat coursed my body, like I was parched for something.

    Mo Qiu didn¡¯t bring up this type of move¡­.

    ¡°I noticed you early on.¡± Luo Zheng Yun wore a bathrobe, his hair still dripping with water as he gently rubbed the spot on his chest which I had just struck as he started laughing maniacally, ¡°Your eyes look like those of a wolf¡¯s, it¡¯s untameable.¡±

    I concentrated to keep my consciousness intact as I asked, ¡°What did you give me?¡±

    He used his index finger and thumb to depict a small dosage, ¡°A little bit of something that will liven you up more, it will make you very nicely obedient.¡±

    Although just then I had hit him and interrupted him injecting the full dosage, but the drug seemed to especially potent as the part that was coursing through my body seemed to already be taking action. The effect was already interfering with my senses, as I began panting.

    Before I fully lost my consciousness, I had to leave here.

    I needed to first remove him as a factor, so I grabbed a glass cup on the basin and threw it at him. Startled, he hurriedly ducked to one side and dodged, only to see my foot swinging at him as I aimed a kick forcefully at his abdomen.

    He managed to dodge it again, but still he felt my feet scrape at his skin.

    I didn¡¯t bother to acknowledge him any longer as I sprinted, wobbling towards the door. He followed suit and caught up to me from behind as he forcefully grabbed at my hair, dragging me to the bed.

    ¡°Looks like you have a lot of fight in you.¡± A flash of anger showed in his eyes, as he slammed a fist down into my stomach.

    Overwhelmed by the pain, I curled up into a fetal position, however because of the pain I seemed to have more of a grip on my consciousness.

    ¡°Let go of me¡­. Help me¡­¡± I relaxed despite the reaction in my lower body, like I had given up on resisting him, as I incessantly pleaded weakly in response.

    ¡°I said before, this is a place where you can scream as much as you want.¡± Luo Zheng Yun was unmoved by me, as he slowly removed his bathrobe. ¡°I just love seeing people like you, people who think that you¡¯re worth something, I love your fear and disbelief when you find out who I really am. It¡¯s too interesting, when you cry, it¡¯s honestly so interesting. It¡¯s simply exhilarating.¡±

    His hand pressed against my neck, his nail scraping where the needle had punctured my skin earlier, as if he was intent on scraping off a layer of my flesh.

    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± I tilted my head with the last of my strength, my voice trembling.

    ¡°If you¡¯re obedient, then I won¡¯t.¡± Luo Zheng Yun leaned down, his lower half evidently aroused. He appeared like a venomous snake that had tightly wrapped around its prey and was now ready to devour and savour the delicious meal to come, ¡°But I can¡¯t guarantee that as once I get excited, I might toy with you until you die.¡±

    In that instant I stopped trembling, as I stared at him coldly, ¡°Then if I hit you, it should be considered as self defense?¡±

    My words had just left my mouth and a perplexed, startled emotion had just appeared on his features as I wrapped my hand around the hotel landline phone placed beside the bed as I smashed it towards him, aiming for his temple. I used all the force in my body as I didn¡¯t hold back at all, hitting him there until blood trickled down from his forehead as he was completely knocked out.

    ¡°You can go fuck yourself!¡±

    I discarded the broken landline to one side as I jumped off the bed and grabbed the phone I had hidden in the television drawers as I dashed outside.

    Those few hits to Luo Zheng Yun was already me expending energy beyond what I had. With each following step I took I felt increasingly like I was drifting, as if every step was on a soft bed of cotton.

    The thick carpet beneath my feet seemed to have sucked away all noise, as I wandered down the corridors like a headless fly. I wanted to press down on my phone to call someone, but no matter what I pressed I saw double of everything.

    ¡°Is¡­ Is anyone here?¡± It didn¡¯t matter who appeared, I just wanted someone, anyone to come.

    I rounded a corner, and just when I suspected that this place was absent of a third person existing, I crashed head first into a solid body that was walking this way. The phone I gripped in my hand fell to the carpet, as I lost my balance and almost fell to the ground as well.

    I reflexively held on to that person¡¯s elbow, and smelled a faint scent of leather and sandalwood.

    Sheng Min Ou also used this type of cologne¡­

    The familiar scent eased my impatience as my body continued to slip downwards, and against my will my eyelids started drooping.

    ¡°Take¡­ take me away¡­.¡±

    The other person had an arm around my waist, and whilst propping me up, they bent over to retrieve the phone that I had dropped on the floor.

    In the last few seconds of my consciousness, I seemed to hear my own voice echoing beside myself.

    ¡°Let go of me¡­. Help me¡­¡±

    Unlike my usual tone of voice, it was a desperate plea, filled with terror.

    Author¡¯s notes: are you ready?

    Jiraiya (translator): screaming.

 CH 20

    NSFW.

    Trigger warning: rape, aphrodisiac usage, depictions of gore (unrelated to previous scene). Please do not proceed if you are uncomfortable with these themes.

    I dreamt of that cat again.

    Ginger all over, it would circle around Sheng Min Ou¡¯s feet and meow cutely¡­ that cat.

    As I walked up the stairs and came to a dimly lit corridor, a ray of sunlight spilled from a small window at the end of the hallway, becoming its only source of light.

    Most of the doors were firmly shut, and around this time most of the residents still hadn¡¯t returned home yet.

    The soles of my shoes scraped across the cement as I stopped in front of the third door to the right side of the corridor. The door that should have also been tightly closed revealed a small slit into the room, as bright rays of light leaked from within, forming a coruscating beam of white against the darkened surface of the ground.

    Perhaps in the morning Sheng Min Ou had left in too much of a hurry, so he didn¡¯t notice that he left the door unlocked. With this thought in mind, I reached a hand out to the door handle, and gently pushed against it to reveal the room.

    Inside, the room was scrupulously clean as always, and the thin white curtains blew gently with the breeze. I noticed a strange smell carried by the wind, it reeked of fish being left out for too long, and this scent had me unwittingly creasing my brows.

    After searching all over the place, I quickly found the source of the scent ¨C it was a white gift box left on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s bed.

    The gift box wasn¡¯t too bulky or too small, it was at a size where a cake with a diameter of thirty centimetres would fit perfectly. The box was wrapped with a cutesy, satin pink ribbon and there was a delicate little card left on top.

    I know I shouldn¡¯t have looked at it. Back then I had already figured out my feelings for Sheng Min Ou, however I knew Sheng Min Ou only saw me as a clingy and slightly annoying foster brother that grew up with him and had no blood relation to him whatsoever.

    He had the right to socialise and meet anyone he wanted, and he had the rights to like whoever he wanted to. Therefore, it was also perfectly within his rights to be pursued romantically by someone else.

    This was a normal thing, it was unavoidable. I told myself this, repeating the same phrase over and over again under my breath. However, a strong sense of possessiveness clouded my logical thoughts, resulting in my actions contradicting with my words, as I still ended up picking up that card and opening it up.

    ¡®It seemed like you really liked it.¡¯

    The handwriting on the card was almost illegible and looked like wild splatters of ink on a page, with the message being signed off with one word, ¡®Yang¡¯.

    Qi Yang. Almost instantly, I thought of him.

    I threw away the card and clenched my teeth as I untied the pink ribbon that had been carefully done up in a perfect bow.

    I was going to find out what the hell he was up to!

    The satin ribbon unfurled and I took a deep breath, opening the lid of the box with both hands.

    Before this point, I had imagined several things could be in the box. Books, flowers, or expensive designer items, they all seemed like gifts that were appropriate for Sheng Min Ou.

    I never expected to find a dead cat inside.

    It was tiny, its frail, weakened body curled up within the box, its stomach having been ripped open and disemboweled with a knife. The cat¡¯s murky eyes were still half opened, it¡¯s long tongue crooked as a bit poked out from its mouth. I had no idea how long it had been dead for, but the unexplainable stench from before was the rotting, decomposing scent from its corpse.

    The impact of this scene on me could not be understated more. I stood there transfixed, because of the sheer shock I received from the sight I witnessed, my whole body was rigid, and I was unable to move.

    The organs that were still slick with blood were littered within the box and they filled up my vision, prickling at each nerve that took in the sight.

    It was so triggering that sharp cramps formed in my stomach.

    Against my will, the sight of this cat overlapped with the image of my father when he had horrifically passed away back when I was ten years old.

    At the funeral, the adults were whispering amongst themselves, their tone laced with pity as they remarked, ¡°It¡¯s truly unfortunate, I heard that his whole lower half of the body had been obliterated, and the guts and intestines were poured across the floor.¡±

    ¡°By the time he got to the hospital, the doctor took one glance and already confirmed that he didn¡¯t have much time left. It¡¯s a pity, he still had two sons, the younger one is still only ten years old.¡±

    ¡°Tbe ralii vbc¡¯a xcbk? Ktf bivfg bcf vbfrc¡¯a tjnf jcs yibbv gfijalbc klat atf ojwlis, tf¡¯r jvbqafv ogbw atf bgqtjcjuf. Coafg yflcu qgfucjca klat atf sbecu bcf, Wljcu Ulcu kjcafv ab ajxf tlw yjmx, yea Yiv Oe cfnfg gfifcafv. Rbk ibbx, tf¡¯r ifoa Wljcu Ulcu ab gjlrf akb rbcr jibcf, tbk jgf atfs fnfg ublcu ab wjcjuf¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, even if she tried to re-marry it would be hard, they really only have themselves to blame¡­¡±

    In the transparent coffin father was covered up by a cheap bouquet of flowers, and on his body lay a vibrant, red cotton blanket. His pale features still appeared lively, and his complexion seemed even better than what it looked like when he had been alive.

    I stared at that familiar yet alien face and heard the relentless gossiping from people talking about business that wasn¡¯t theirs. Unsettled, I glanced at Sheng Min Ou who was by my side, and quietly slipped my hand into his.

    He tilted his head to take a look at me. Usually he would have shaken off my hand but it was only in that moment that he allowed me to grab onto him without making another move.

    The sudden, unexpected death, the horrifyingly gruesome scene, even the viscous liquids that seeped through the box, it reminded me of the puddle of blood that leaked from my father¡¯s hospital bed.

    I didn¡¯t need to see my reflection to know that the look on my face must have been terrifying, and for a few seconds, I didn¡¯t even realise that I had stopped breathing.

    It was at this moment that the scene in front of me turned dark, as a pair of slightly cold hands came from behind me and covered up my eyes.

    In an instant, goosebumps erupted from the back of my neck and my heartbeat spiked. I almost dropped the lid of the box that I was holding and started to instinctively fight back, like a cat that had it¡¯s tail stepped on.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    It was just two short words, uttered in a pace that wasn¡¯t rushed or spoken too slowly, and it even was absent of any strong emotion, but it stopped me from thrashing around immediately.

    ¡°Ge?¡±

    In the darkness, my heart which had felt too tight for my chest suddenly seemed to be able to relax again. The clean scent of soap mixed with a trace of disinfectant lingering in Sheng Min Ou¡¯s fingers seemed to displace the smell of the rotting corpse, and successfully calmed down the frenzied, erratic beating of my heart.

    My fingertips traced at the hands, but I didn¡¯t even get time to confirm anything else when in the next instant, the hand hooked me back and continued pressing on my eyes as my whole body was dragged back towards the door.

    ¡°Stay outside.¡±

    Slightly disoriented, I spun in a circle and waited for the hands to lift from my eyes, when I realised that I was already far away from the bed, and was now facing the door of the apartment.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡±

    I turned around and looked towards him. Sheng Min Ou had his back facing me, his tall, wide build completely covering the gift box laying on the bed.

    ¡°Get out.¡± Sheng Min Ou instructed, without even turning his head to look my way, his tone leaving no room for any objections.

    I pressed my lips together, and backed out the door.

    In your teens, it was the time when you were the most reckless, never learning from any of the incidents that happened. Although I had just been terrified to the extent that my hands were still covered in cold sweat, and I had cursed Qi Yang that psychopath thousands of times in my mind already, but after standing in that corridor for a while, I couldn¡¯t resist the curiosity and the need to understand in my heart. Through the crack in the door, I quietly took a peek again at the scene within the room.

    Sheng Min Ou lowered his body to pick up the box on his bed. As his back was facing the door, I was unable to see his expression, but it was evident that he was not terrified at the gift. Unlike me, he did not appear shocked at all to find a dead cat on his bed, as from beginning to end he remained so resolutely calm that it was unnerving.

    He seemed to want to place the lid back on the box again, but just as he was in the process of doing so, he suddenly stopped, maintaining his pose without moving, just like a tape machine that suddenly froze while playing a cassette.

    His shoulders were trembling, and through the silence, I thought I could hear rough breathing sounds.

    He seemed to be suppressing something, pushing back on it, and as he was torn between this stalemate, he seemed to be able to arrive at a conclusion.

    The tape started playing again as he moved once more, placing the lid to one side, then stooped down as he placed both hands into the box.

    From my angle I could only make out that his hands seemed to always be moving, but I couldn¡¯t see what exactly he was doing.

    This behaviour was truthfully abnormal to me, and anxiety filled my heart as I became more desperate than before to know what was going on.

    Just when I wanted to push the door further so I could widen the slit where I peeked, Sheng Min Ou straightened his back, shifted his body slightly and placed his hands, which were covered in blood all over, into the sunlight.

    His long, slender hands rotated under the sun as he examined the scene of sunlight and blood in his hands, his eyes lit ablaze in unconcealed, maniacal joy.

    Despite clearly standing under the sun, he seemed to be shrouded in a cloud of darkness that no one could get past.

    My chest returned to the tightness I had felt previously, and before he could catch me looking at him I hurriedly retrieved my gaze and pressed my back against the wall, breathing heavily as I gulped.

    I thought back to the photos which were tucked in the book, and remembered Qi Yang¡¯s bizarre words and phrases. I even thought back to when my father died, the puddle of blood that was by Sheng Min Ou¡¯s feet¡­

    At that moment, I suddenly came to a realisation. Killing the cat wasn¡¯t Qi Yang threatening Sheng Min Ou or making a demand, it was a present for him, it was to appease, to please.

    It was as Qi Yang had said, he knew what Sheng Min Ou liked.

    ¡°¡­Your eyes look like those of a wolf¡¯s, it¡¯s untameable.¡±

    ¡°This is a place where you can scream as much as you want¡­¡±

    ¡°Help me¡­.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡±

    ¡°¡­Your eyes look like those of a wolf¡¯s, it¡¯s untameable.¡±

    ¡­..

    ¡°This is a place where you can scream as much as you want¡­¡±

    ¡­..

    ¡°¡­Your eyes look like those of a wolf¡¯s, it¡¯s untameable.¡±

    ¡­..

    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡±

    ¡­..

    ¡°Help me¡­.¡±

    The ringing by my ears were conversations that were endlessly looped on repeat, it felt as if I had heard of it before, but no matter how I tried I couldn¡¯t remember what it was about.

    Lost and in a daze, I started searching for the origins of the sound, the black corridor becoming twisted and distorted in front of me, shifting into a vortex, sucking me into scorching lava.

    I let out a painful scream, my body becoming ignited by flames, the skin of my body melting from the blistering heat.

    It was too hot, so hot that I was going to go crazy, like a lost fly buzzing around seeking for the one thing that was going to be the antidote. Desperate, I dashed around blind and continued running into walls.

    Just when I thought I was going to be devoured by the flames, a vast expanse of the ocean suddenly appeared in front of me, its waves a rich ultramarine blue, the coolness mesmerizing and addicting. I didn¡¯t give it a second thought as I dived headfirst into it.

    The fire was quickly extinguished as I floated on the surface of the water. I took a deep breath, and the waves started getting bigger and bigger, the force of it continuously slamming into me, threatening to make my whole frame fall apart.

    The swaying of the waves¡­.

    The soreness of my muscles¡­

    I opened my eyes, and in front of me was total darkness, something had covered up my eyes.

    I tried hesitatingly to take off whatever was wrapped around my eyes, but I found that both my hands were bound together, and even more damning was the fact that each of my feet were also constrained to something.

    My hands were tied together, my legs were apart. I was forced to remain in a position where I was half kneeling and half laying down as I was tied to something¡­ it seemed like it was a bed.

    From behind me came the relentless sounds of strong, continuous pounding, each time it happened it incited my rage, slowly chipping away and inflicting more damage on the dignity I had as a man.

    In this type of situation, I could figure out what was happening to me even if I used my kneecaps to think.

    ¡°You son¡­ of a bitch¡­.¡± I cursed in a hoarse voice, my voice dying out at moments beyond my control, ¡°You¡¯re despicable, you, nngh, let go of me¡­..¡±

    The man behind me didn¡¯t seem to be frightened seeing that I had woken up, insead, his actions towards me became even more rough and merciless.

    The hand at my waist tightened, as if he was laughing at my helplessness, as he lowered his body to bite at the side of my neck, cruel and ruthless like a wild beast tearing at the skin and flesh of its prey.

    I let out a stifled grunt in response to the pain, and bit tight on my lips, not allowing myself to let out any embarrassing sounds.

    A liquid trickled down from my neck and I had no doubt it was blood that had seeped out from the wound he inflicted.

    ¡°You¡­ fucker¡­. Don¡¯t ever let me find out who you are¡­..¡±

    My forehead fell to where my wrists were both tied together, as my body continued shaking and trembling. Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s injection made my conscience feel heavy and my body soft all over, as I couldn¡¯t summon an ounce of strength. Despite this, I could feel the searing heat all over, as each part of my body became sensitive to a degree I had never experienced.

    Even the most miniscule amount of friction between my body and the bedsheets would elicit a painful ache that was hard to suppress.

    ¡°I will¡­. ahh.. kill you¡­..¡± Though the intention behind my words were overflowing with malice, when I heard the words that came out of my mouth, even I thought they lacked resolute strength behind it, as it appeared soft and weak instead. It didn¡¯t sound like a warning that someone was going to be killed, but rather it came out like a flirty phrase said on the bed.

    The man who was violating me did not say a single word from beginning to end, only when I was cursing at him using extremely foul words did he suddenly thrust into the deepest parts of my body, like a punishment, as he forced me to break my silence, relishing in the sounds I made.

    The more pleasure my body received, the more ashamed my mind was.

    If I had a knife in my hands, I would unhesitatingly stab it into the man behind me, then dice up his body into mince and feed it to the dogs.

    The muscles in my thighs continued trembling, and if it wasn¡¯t for the man forcibly holding me up, I would have immediately fallen face flat onto the bed.

    I started regretting waking up in the middle of this, even him violating me whilst I was unconscious was better than the limbo I suffered, torn between mind and body.

    As the temperature on my body continued rising, all traces of logic started disappearing. I thought I was going crazy, drowning in the tormenting ecstasy as wave after wave washed over me.

    My silence which I had held on for so long finally shattered as I started pleading against my wishes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± I straightened my chest, my body still arched upwards, as I wanted to prop myself up, but I was only halfway to getting up when a fierce, thundering wave hit me with the force of a tsunami, as I plummeted and crashed back down into the bedsheets.

    The intense, repeated assaults were unbearable as it sucked all my mental and physical strength. I let out light, trembling breaths as I was lost in the swamp of darkness, my mouth forming the same shapes and I continued muttering and repeating the same phrase.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­. Bastard¡­.¡±

    Yet the man behind me simply traced my sweat soaked spine from top to bottom, then with a choking hold grabbed onto the back of my neck as he started assaulting me again, completely unphased.

    I will fucking rip this bastard to shreds.

    At the end of my consciousness, this was my last remaining thought.

 CH 21

    Thank you VBaby for the Kofi for sponsoring this bonus chapter! I apologise for not updating as soon as I received the donation due to some real life commitments kicking in. Thank you for your patience!

    I was woken by a splitting pain in my head as a migraine settled in. The room was flooded in sunlight as I lay face down on the bed, my hands and feet now completely free of restraints.

    I remained still for two seconds, then in a flash I flipped my body over as I leapt up from the bed, grabbing a lamp from the bedside as I removed the lampshade.

    I surveilled the area and found no one, so I lifted my feet to venture out in careful steps as I combed through different parts of the room. I hadn¡¯t even walked a few paces, when I suddenly felt something drip down from an unspeakable part, flowing from my thighs all the way until my ankle. I lowered my head to look at it, and once the colour and texture of what I saw registered in my head it incited an even greater desire to kill someone.

    In this room, no matter the decoration or the layout, it was similar to the one that Luo Zheng Yun was in so I deduced that I should still be in the private club from yesterday and hadn¡¯t left it¡¯s premises yet.

    Ha, out of the frying pan and straight into the fire. The guests here really weren¡¯t picky at all, they were willing to bed a random person they bumped into in the corridors. It turns out birds of a feather really flock together, everyone here was a fucking bastard.

    The more I thought about it, the more my jaw clenched. I gripped tighter onto the lamp in my hand and slammed a foot into the bathroom door that was half open.

    The room was spotless, there was no one in the bathtub, and no one behind the door.

    I walked in to inspect the room further and found that the bath towels and complimentary shower gels all had visible signs of usage. The person was casual and relaxed enough to find time to take a shower afterwards¡­

    There was no one else in the whole room apart from me, so I knew that the person had already long since left the place. I quashed the anger bubbling within me and threw the ¡®weapon¡¯ in my hand into the bathtub. As I turned around to leave the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror.

    I was startled for a second, then moved forward to take a closer look.

    My reflection in the mirror was especially pale, my eyes red rimmed and standing out starkly in comparison. The most terrifying thing was a bite mark on the neck, it was a deep purple and swollen, and even the slightest touch would trigger pain. If I took a closer look at it still, I could see a needle mark left from the injection in the middle of the bite marks.

    He even bit down on the exact place Luo Zheng Yun had injected me.

    My fingers traced that area as I turned around and found even more markings on my back.

    The fury that I had just managed to suppress started to rise up again, so I closed my eyes, slid the bathroom door open and rushed in to take an expeditious bath.

    It was only after I had cleaned up all the mess that remained on my body that I remembered an especially important belonging that I had forgotten ¨C the phone.

    To get that footage, I used my own body as bait and things had gone wrong in the process. If at the end, all of this was for nothing then I could blow up this whole place without hesitation.

    I returned to the bedroom and turned the place upside down, then at last I found the phone under a pillow, and it still had enough battery.

    I let out a breath, then quickly searched through it for the footage from the previous night.

    The part where Luo Zheng Yun had taken his shower to when he had tricked me to enter the bathroom was not filmed on camera, but the sounds were clearly recorded. However, what came after, like the events of him dragging me to the bed and his exertion of violence on me was clearly caught on tape, all of it on there. Especially the line, ¡°But I can¡¯t guarantee that as once I get excited, I might toy with you until you die¡±, those words was exceedingly cruel, and hearing it again made my blood boil in response.

    After I knocked Luo Zheng Yun out, I stumbled and tripped as I clutched the phone in my hand and made my way to leave. Even up until here the recording function was still on and working.

    My breath stilled, as I continued watching.

    ¡°Is¡­ Is anyone here?¡±

    I leaned in closer to the screen and I could already make out a corner of a man¡¯s clothing as he rounded the corner. Unfortunately, before the camera could capture the man¡¯s appearance, I had bumped into him in the video, and the phone had also slipped from my grasp.

    The screen displayed a momentary darkness.

    ¡°Take¡­ take me away¡­.¡±

    The phone was picked up by someone, and through the shaking camera lens there was a flash of a foot, wearing a black derby shoe paired with navy suit pants. I still wanted to look into it further but the video abruptly stopped at this point.

    The other person had picked up the phone and simultaneously turned off the recording function.

    I stared at the timestamp for when the recording finished and the stationary foot that remained in the corner, and resisted the urge to jump inside the phone screen so I could rip apart the person there to shreds.

    With nowhere to express the looming frustration in my heart, I had a moment where fuelled by impulse, I wanted to just smash the phone into pieces, but at the last second I managed to stop myself.

    Pa kjr jr lo atf qtbcf kjr lclaljalcu lar ijra ilcf bo rfio vfofcrf, jr atf rwjii ktlaf vfnlmf lc ws tjcv revvfcis rajgafv nlygjalcu.

    P ibbxfv ja atf rmgffc, jcv la kjr jc lcmbwlcu mjii ogbw Tl Gj Itejcu.

    P abbx j ofk vffq ygfjatr ecali P kjr mbwqifafis mjiw yfobgf P qlmxfv eq atf qtbcf.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s frantic and overjoyed voice suddenly pierced through my eardrums, ¡°Fuck me, Feng Ge, Feng Ge you¡¯re still alive! Feng Ge, where are you? I searched the whole night for you, Feng Ge, you¡¯re okay right?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if last night I had cursed out loud too fervently, because my throat was still slightly sore, and my voice sounded as if it was mixed with gravel.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, where are you right now?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday I followed your car to the entrance of the ¡®Sacred Garden of Eden Private Club¡¯ but I couldn¡¯t enter without a membership, so I spent the whole night waiting for you outside. When it was almost daytime, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to sit there any longer, you weren¡¯t picking up my calls and I wasn¡¯t seeing you exiting the premises either, I was worried for you so I decided to call the police.¡± Yi Da Zhuang sounded upset as he described the following sequence of events with indignation, ¡°In the end when they heard that I was reporting my friend who had followed Luo Zheng Yun into a private club and wasn¡¯t able to come out again, they had the audacity to question whether I was drunk or not? They even warned me that prank calls like these could be an offense that lands me in jail!¡±

    I sneered lightly in response, anyone who heard someone calling for help with these lines would probably think it was just a prank, after all Luo Zheng Yun did create a wonderful persona for himself.

    ¡°Alright, wait outside at the entrance, I¡¯m leaving here immediately and I¡¯ll be there in ten.¡±

    After I hung up, I picked up every item of clothing left strewn on the floor and redressed myself. The injury on my neck was too obvious, so to avoid Yi Da Zhuang noticing, I could only pull the zipper on my jacket to the very top and flip up the collars of my shirt to cover it.

    I followed the club signage and descended to the ground floor, where I finally was able to witness the grand entrance of this private club.

    Under a hugely extravagant chandelier, all sorts of different types of flowers and plants were placed on a marble desk, that was in an upside down cone shape. The floor below the desk was made from light grey marble slabs, and from the surface of the desk a light mist that was softly fragranced cascaded off its surface like a billowing waterfall made out of smoke. It would pour into the grey marble slabs and the whole scene was simply ethereal.

    If yesterday I hadn¡¯t been bound up by someone and taken advantage of, then today I should have been in the mood to greatly enjoy and appreciate the beautiful display in front of me.

    It¡¯s just a pity that there are no ¡®what if¡¯s¡¯ in this world.

    At the very end of the colossal hall was a reception desk that did not visually stand out at all, with only a female wearing the staff uniform being stationed there. She remained in her position as she stood still and if someone had only taken a rough glance it would be easy to mistake her as a mannequin just there for decoration.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯d like to inquire about yesterday nights room, number 1334, and see who booked it.¡± Once I knew that bastard¡¯s name, even if I had to go back into jail for another ten years I would still gladly accept the sentence just to castrate him myself.

    ¡°Apologies, we are unable to provide the names of our customers here.¡± The female staff¡¯s makeup was done in a very delicate manner, her smile was pleasing to see, and her tone of voice was gentle to hear.

    I clenched my teeth, unwilling to give up, ¡°Then can I request to see the surveillance footage from last night on the 11th floor? I¡­ I lost something in that corridor.¡±

    ¡°Then you can first apply for a search warrant.¡± She seemed to have already seen through everything, as she answered my question easily, her stance firm and unforgiving.

    She was a tough one to crack.

    Instantly, I was filled with anger, but since I was unable to get any answers out of her, I could only take my leave first.

    Once I left that European styled building, immediately someone had driven a golf car and escorted me out. In the daytime, the surroundings became much more visible, and it was only now that I realised that there were actually ample security guards patrolling the whole area, and the security level could even be classified as tight.

    On the gates as we exited the premises, a neat and lowkey row of gold letters were forged in metal ¨C the Garden of Eden.

    The name sounded nice, however no matter how well it was packaged outside, the insides were all rotten.

    Once I reached the gates, I called Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s cell phone again, and told him to drive the car over.

    After we had successfully met up, Yi Da Zhuang meticulously looked me up and down, his expression twisted and at a loss, as he opened his mouth several times, only to close it immediately after.

    ¡°Feng Ge, you¡­¡±

    I knew what he wanted to ask, I had disappeared for a whole night with no contact at all, in his mind he had probably hypothesised several scenarios.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± I leaned back against the chair as I lowered it, turning my body slightly so I was facing away from him as I closed my eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me any questions.¡±

    The car ride was quiet after that, and I couldn¡¯t actually fall asleep but I felt the headache coming back so I wanted some silence to myself.

    Now I truly understood how Mo Qiu felt, it really was not a good feeling. However, I didn¡¯t want to kill myself, I just wanted to kill the person at fault.

    After driving for approximately an hour, Yi Da Zhuang stopped his car as he quietly called me, ¡°Feng Ge, we¡¯ve arrived at your house.¡±

    I opened my eyes and sat up, then took out a phone from my pocket and passed it to him.

    ¡°Nothing happened to me at all, don¡¯t come up with any ridiculous thoughts. It was just that yesterday I was sneak attacked by Luo Zheng Yun as he injected something into me, and I still feel a headache from that.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang was greatly alarmed at this, ¡°A, a shot? What did he give you, shit, let¡¯s go to the hospital now, what if he gave you something that harmed you!¡±

    As he spoke he wanted to bring up my sleeves to see for himself, and I laughed in response as I swatted his hand away, realising that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell him that Luo Zheng Yun actually injected an aphrodisiac in me.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s probably a sedative, he only injected a bit before I slapped the syringe away.¡± I told Yi Da Zhuang of all the events which unfolded last night up until bumping into the other person in the corridor. From that point onwards, I simply twisted my words slightly, and the story completely headed into a different direction, from becoming a criminal case to a story that showcased a lot of wholesomeness.

    ¡°So a kind hearted passerby saved you, and had you stay in their room for a night?¡± Yi Da Zhuang repeated, shocked, ¡°You didn¡¯t even get to thank the other person when he left with a wave and disappeared without another trace?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I wanted to ask the receptionist for his contact details this morning, but unfortunately their level of professionalism was simply too high¡­¡± At this point, I almost couldn¡¯t keep up the facade and the smile plastered on my face, as the corners of my lips twitched, ¡°They weren¡¯t willing to give it to me.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang looked as if he was still skeptical of the events, but he didn¡¯t dare press the matter and interrogate further. He coughed softly and then lowered his head to view the phone in my hands.

    ¡°This is Xiao Shi¡¯s phone, right?¡±

    Yesterday night there was only a brief window of time where he had left to go to the bathroom, but after he returned he found both his phone and myself vanished without a trace. Shen Xiao Shi was confused for a second as he ran out of the nightclub in search of Yi Da Zhuang, only to find that Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s vehicle had also disappeared.

    He could only return to the club as he asked a passerby on the street to borrow their phone so he could sign into his QQ account and call Yi Da Zhuang.

    However, at that point Yi Da Zhuang had already hit the roads, and there was no way he was going to turn back to pick him up, so he told Shen Xiao Shi to go back home and rest for the night.

    Shen Xiao Shi initially was handed the most crucial task of all, but he ended up being involved in a rather baffling way, and leaving equally baffled as to what had just happened.

    Although in hindsight, it was good that it wasn¡¯t him¡­ from the fury which had boiled over from last night until now, I suddenly felt a trace of gladness. Then, because I felt glad over the way everything had panned out despite what had happened, I found this situation was absurd above all else.

    What even was this series of events.

    I rubbed the bridge of my nose, ¡°I lost my own phone in Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s room, and I probably won¡¯t be able to retrieve it, I¡¯ll need to buy a new one as well as¡­ destroying the data left on my phone using remote methods.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang looked at the recording I took last night and cursed as he watched it, ¡°Jesus, if this video was shown to the public then it would be completely over for him, what a piece of trash, he isn¡¯t human at all!¡±

    I made no comment as I took back the phone from his hand and placed it back in my pocket, then suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go buy my new phone.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang agreed as he turned the car around and headed towards the nearby department store.

    This whole incident started with Mo Qiu, so it was also natural that Mo Qiu should be the one who brought it to an end.

    I used the new phone to contact Mo Qiu and told him that things could pretty much be resolved now. He hurriedly asked me how things could be resolved but I kept my sentences brief over the phone and instead set a time so I could go over to his house to explain everything in detail.

    Before I entered his house, I specifically tugged at my collar so I could hide the bite mark that still looked ghastly against my skin.

    Judging by his complexion, Mo Qiu still didn¡¯t look too well, but at least the injury on his wrists hadn¡¯t reopened again from him tearing at it.

    He poured a cup of water for me, ill at ease as he sat there before he asked, ¡°Lu Feng, what were you talking about when you mentioned all those things over the phone? When you brought up resolving the incident, how did you plan to resolve it?¡±

    I took out the phone and sent the video recording to him.

    I had already returned Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s phone, so now the original recording of the video was in my hands and with Yi Da Zhuang. The one that I sent to Mo Qiu was an edited recording that obscured my face.

    Mo Qiu watched as his phone on the table vibrated a few times.

    Hesitatingly, he picked up the phone to take a look at the contents. A short while later, the speaker played a conversation that I was so familiar with by now that I could memorise it word for word, as Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s malevolent side was portrayed flawlessly.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Mo Qiu¡¯s eyes widened, as his complexion didn¡¯t seem to get better, rather it seemed to pale by a few shades.

    He looked at me as he questioned me unbelievingly, ¡°Lu Feng, you¡­ what did you do?¡±

    Even though the edited footage covered my face, my voice was not altered, so it wasn¡¯t strange for him to recognise me from the tape.

    I feigned confidence and ease as I gave him a smile, ¡°Just performing criminal entrapment, it¡¯s no big deal. Don¡¯t worry, he didn¡¯t do anything to me, rather I gave him a cruel beating, you don¡¯t have to worry at all.¡±

    The person who did do something to me was someone else altogether, and I would definitely find out who he was one day and make him regret the reckless decision he made on that day.

    Mo Qiu stared at me in shock, ¡°You¡­.¡±

    I saw that he was staring at an odd place, and immediately moved to cover the side of my neck.

    Seeing my reaction, he seemed to have confirmed something, as his expression distorted bit by bit until it became completely crumpled. I felt that something was amiss, so just when I wanted to say something to liven the atmosphere, he erupted into loud wails.

    Different to the past times he cried when he had always wept in silence, this time he sobbed loudly, tears and snot streaming down his whole face, as he looked like a devastated child, one who was so upset they couldn¡¯t maintain the image of an adult anymore.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± He almost yelled this one word at me as he continued while wailing, ¡°¡­Sorry¡­ If I was more decisive¡­ You¡­ Then you wouldn¡¯t have to do this¡­. It¡¯s my fault¡­ I¡¯m always letting you down¡­. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Droplet after droplet of big pearly tears hit the phone screen as he used his hands continuously to wipe off the tears on his face, though no matter how hard he tried he wasn¡¯t able to dry his eyes.

    I sighed softly internally as I comforted him, ¡°No, nothing happened, don¡¯t overthink it. This was just a sacrifice to lure him into the trap and it was just a bite, it¡¯s really nothing¡­¡±

    Mo Qiu continued crying bitterly over me as he incessantly repeated his apologies and claiming how it was all his fault.

    I saw that I couldn¡¯t convince him, so I opted to wait until he had let it all out.

    After he had wailed for about fifteen minutes, his voice was hoarse, his tears had dried, and his nose was completely stuffy. It was only until then that he was able to calm down despite the occasional hiccups.

    ¡°Send this to Luo Zheng Yun and tell him to never get close to you and threaten you again, otherwise you¡¯ll send this to all the media companies and post it online too.¡± I pointed at the phone in his hands as I instructed him, ¡°You got it?¡±

    Mo Qiu pressed his lips together as he nodded his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m really fine, you don¡¯t have to feel guilty over it.¡± I got up to leave but didn¡¯t feel at ease with setting off just yet, so I felt the need to re emphasise the point.

    Mo Qiu shivered slightly all over as he raised his head to look at me, and gave me a smile that looked absolutely horrible.

    ¡°En.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if he believed me or not, maybe he didn¡¯t believe me, but it was fine, because from now on all of this would have nothing to do with him anymore, and the rest would be a matter of my own.

    I believed it would be like so.

    I believed it would be like so.

    However, things were always unpredictable, and the next day just when I was performing an appraisal for a diamond ring a customer brought in, Liu Yue gasped in shock as she read out the headline of some breaking news on her laptop.

    ¡°Movie star Luo Zheng Yun has been taken away by police for investigation after alledged sexual assault and abuse against a man with the surname Mo. Oh my god, how could this have happened? Luo Zheng Yun is gay, and he rapes men? What is going on?¡±

    The diamond ring fell from my hands onto the desk as I looked up in confusion and shock.

    The Mo Qiu who was always cowardly and afraid, the Mo Qiu that always said he couldn¡¯t do anything himself¡­. He actually chose to involve the police.

    Something even more unexpected was the fact that after 24 hours, Luo Zheng Yun had been bailed out of the police office by his lawyer. The whole time, Luo Zheng Yun had worn a mask and sunglasses, not revealing an inch of his face. In contrast, the lawyer by his side seemed infinitely more calm, as if even if countless guns or cannons were aimed at him, and the barrel was pointed so close it was almost touching his face, he would still be able to walk forward with ease, his handsome face completely devoid of any traces of anger or agitation.

    His elegant demeanour was unmatched, and he stood straight and tall, walking alongside Luo Zheng Yun, he looked as if he was another celebrity from the way he presented himself.

    This lawyer, was the step brother that I had not seen for a long time, Sheng Min Ou, esteemed Lawyer Sheng.

    As I watched the live coverage on the laptop screen, I wanted to start clapping then and there as I applauded the heavens, whilst bursting into simultaneous praise, ¡°Truly, what a wonderful surprise!¡±

 CH 22

    I asked Mo Qiu why he suddenly thought to involve the police in this.

    He was silent for a while before he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be someone who¡¯s always being tormented by someone else, with no way to fight back. More than that, I don¡¯t want someone else to suffer because of my own cowardice.¡± While saying these words, he was shaking greatly, ¡°If I let him go, then next time the person getting hurt could be anyone, someone I know, someone I don¡¯t know, someone I passed on the street, someone else¡¯s child¡­ I don¡¯t want it to turn out that way.¡±

    In the past, I always thought that Mo Qiu and I wouldn¡¯t be able to see eye to eye due our differences; our personalities were unalike and our hobbies had no overlaps. He was slow to react and inarticulate, I was vivacious and loved exploring new sights and things. He always walked with his head down, I always strode with my head held high.

    Due to the principal¡¯s request, I had no choice but to bring a liability with me wherever I went, but deep inside I never really wanted to spend time with Mo Qiu, so after graduation I quickly cut off all contact with him.

    His relationship with me was built on reluctance and contradictions between my thoughts and actions. If being ¡®quiet¡¯ could count as a strength, then it would probably be the only nice thing I had to say about him.

    Yet in this particular moment, I saw a new side to Mo Qiu that I had never seen before.

    Previously he was someone who couldn¡¯t even protect himself, yet now he wanted to protect others. He was also alone in all of this, yet he was willing to face such a powerful figure like that head on.

    I hoped that he would never come to regret the choice he made today, and never regret being someone who learnt to fight back.

    He seemed to be more okay now and he even appeared more put together now than when I last saw him. I said a few more words to him before reminding him to take care of himself and to rest. I saw that it was getting late, so I got up ready to head out the door.

    Mo Qiu accompanied me to the door and as I was slipping on my shoes I remembered that I almost neglected divulging an important piece of information, so I remarked, ¡°Oh yeah, Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s lawyer is my older brother.¡±

    ¡°Your older brother?¡± Mo Qiu¡¯s voice came out perplexed, before it quickly turned into astonishment, ¡°The one who came to our parent teacher meeting, the really scary older brother?¡±

    I was stunned, then after a long while I remembered that we did have parent teacher meetings hosted by the school, but what exactly did he mean by ¡®really scary¡¯?

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him.¡± After properly wearing my shoes, I turned to Mo Qiu and waved at him to say my farewells, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even though he¡¯s my brother, our relationship has been quite estranged these few years, I just wanted to let you know. I¡¯ll be going now!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou did indeed come as a guardian to attend one of my parent teacher meetings, and it was when I was in ninth grade.

    After my father passed away, the breadwinner of the family became my mother, and typically apart from her main profession of working at school, she would also take up many part time jobs outside, resulting in her never having off days during summer and winter breaks, as well as the weekends.

    That year, the parent teacher meetings were held on a Sunday. Their intent behind locking in a weekend was so it would be more convenient for parents that went to work during the week to come and attend. However, my mother had no time, so no matter when it was arranged she would not be free. In the end we could only have Sheng Min Ou, who was the only one free at that time, to sit in on the meeting in her stead.

    Back then, Sheng Min Ou was already nineteen, so by all sorts of definitions he was already of age and an adult. Although the homeroom teacher was surprised that there was such a young ¡®parent¡¯ attending, as she knew of my personal circumstances, she didn¡¯t comment on the arrangements.

    Ninth grade was almost time for everyone to submit their preferences for the high school entrance exams. The main reason behind holding a parent teacher meeting that year was to explain any questions the families and students might have had behind the preferences. They also planned to instruct volunteers on how to facilitate the process, so students also had to be present to listen in.

    At least in my family I still had Sheng Min Ou, for Mo Qiu, there was only himself.

    Filling in high school preferences was too hard of a task for Mo Qiu¡¯s elderly grandparents to do, so after the homeroom teacher had confirmed that neither of Mo Qiu¡¯s parents would be attending, they could only allow Mo Qiu to attend alone.

    While the meeting was going on, due to Mo Qiu and myself being seated together usually during class, the meeting was conducted with Sheng Min Ou, myself, and Mo Qiu in attendance, with me sitting between the two.

    All my other memories of the day are rather hazy, I can only remember that Sheng Min Ou¡¯s hand looked especially beautiful as he held his fountain pen, and the view of him with his head down whilst taking notes was also a breathtaking view.

    On the other hand though, Mo Qiu¡¯s handwriting looked like a dog had crawled over his page, the notes he took were also indiscriminate towards the content as he jotted down inconsequential points mixed with the essential information, so all in all it was a complete mess.

    ¡°Lbk fzjmais kfgf sbe ilrafclcu ab atf afjmtfg?¡± P ibbxfv bnfg ja tlr cbafr obg j ktlif, reymbcrmlberis ogbkclcu.

    Zb Hle raloofcfv, atfc tf delfais gjlrfv tlr tfjv klat agfqlvjalbc ab ibbx ja wf obg j rfmbcv, yfobgf vgbqqlcu tlr ujhf jr tlr tfjv vgbbqfv fnfc ibkfg.

    ¡°Pr¡­ Pr jcsatlcu kgbcu?¡±

    I turned my head around to look at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s notes, he had a clear flow to what he had written down, his handwriting was impeccable and just looking at it was pleasing to the eyes. It was nothing less than what was expected from someone who was always top of the ranks..

    ¡°Ge, later could you lend the notes you took to my desk-mate so he can copy it down?¡± I leaned towards him, my lips pressed close to his ear as I whispered to him.

    Sheng Min Ou paused his writing as he looked towards me, then looked past me as his gaze swept by Mo Qiu on the other end.

    In my peripheral vision, I seemed to see an intense frisson tremble through Mo Qiu, then Sheng Min Ou retracted his gaze and gently gave an ¡®En¡¯ in response.

    This was probably the only time the two of them had interacted. After the parent teacher meeting finished, I let Mo Qiu take the notes home so he could copy the information across to his notebook back when he got home. He was boundlessly grateful for it and a few days later he even gave me two big apples, saying that it was a thank you gift from his grandmother.

    I ate one, the other I brought home with me to give to Sheng Min Ou. However, even until the end of the week he still did not return home. I asked my mother to give him a call but she refused, saying that things were fine as is so what good would it do to have him come back. Eventually, the apple lost its ripeness, becoming shrivelled. My mother was disgusted by it, so in the end while I was away she took the opportunity to throw it out.

    Who could have thought that two people who once met each other at a parent teachers meeting would now be facing each other again at a courtroom?

    No one would have guessed.

    There was no need to wait for the blue sea to turn into mulberry fields, only a short ten years had passed, but there was already a huge difference in the world.

    It was said that everything in this world was subject to change, and this had precisely fit the case.

    After I had left Mo Qiu¡¯s place, I took a taxi to get to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm. The reason I gave myself was that I wanted to find out what the truth behind all of this was.

    However, I knew that it was only an excuse, all I really wanted to do was to just see him again.

    There was never a moment where my mind wasn¡¯t sending signals at me to go seek him out, so breaking off my usual habits was like going through a withdrawal period. Now I yearned for him more than before, and I missed him more fervently than before too.

    I almost thought that I went back in time, to when I had just lost my freedom and when I was desperately, maniacally craving to see him, but he never responded to me and never came to visit me¡­ those two years.

    At that time even when I had dreams at night I would envision sprouting wings to go see him. I passed time counting down each day on my fingers, nervously waiting for the day when visitors were allowed to come, then afterwards spending that day crestfallen each time.

    Before, there would be high walls and iron windows, so I could only wait and was restricted in my movements. Now, unless I asked Shen Xiao Shi and the rest of them to lock me inside my house and tie up my hands and feet so I wouldn¡¯t be able to go anywhere, there was nothing that could stop me.

    Even if my logical thoughts told me, ¡°Lu Feng, if you did this Sheng Min Ou would look down at you even more, you need to calm down.¡±

    But my emotional feelings clamped down on logic¡¯s mouth, singing and praising, ¡°All bow down to Freedom! All bow down to Instinct!¡±

    I comforted logic, ¡°I¡¯m just going to visit so my eyes can feel rewarded for a while, I promise I won¡¯t do anything. Severe withdrawal symptoms can be fatal, so you need to let me take this step by step, you can¡¯t have me cut things off too cleanly, after all I¡¯ve loved him for so long¡­¡±

    Logic heard my words and consequently quieted down.

    Emotional feelings completely dominated the scene now, as emotions cheered jubilantly.

    In front of the law firm, heads bobbed up and down, it was all the reporters that came in hopes to secure an interview with Sheng Min Ou.

    I made my way in and weaved through the masses left and right, using all my strength to make it to the very front, only to realise that the glass door which usually was open to greet clients had now been firmly locked. On the door was even a notice expressing that Jin Shang Law Firm was not accepting any interviews with the media.

    Despite that, even with the notice plastered on the door, the reporters still flocked here to wait for their chance, neither side accommodating for each other.

    I tapped at the glass door and the receptionist hearing the noise raised her head. She saw that it was me outside and was surprised as she happily got up to open the door for me.

    With a click, the lock opened and I slipped through the cracks at the speed of light, without leaving any opportunity for the journalists behind me to make their way through after me.

    Seeing that outside the doors there was a darkened mass of people standing outside, I suddenly had the misperception that we were facing a zombie apocalypse. If there were a few bloodied handprints smeared onto the glass doors then it would look even more alike.

    ¡°Mr Lu, long time no see.¡± The receptionist greeted with a wide smile, ¡°Are you here to look for Lawyer Sheng? He¡¯s in the office, you can just head on in.¡±

    I nodded and thanked her, then left to walk towards Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office.

    After not being around for a long time, it felt like more people had joined the law firm, as the barren, emptied offices from before were now all pretty much occupied.

    It looked as if they were doing pretty well.

    Although, if you thought about it, there was no way that someone like Sheng Min Ou would stay under the radar for long.

    I came to the door of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office and I didn¡¯t knock as I gripped the door handle and directly entered.

    Inside, sun rays set the whole room aglow and in front of the huge floor to ceiling windows, a tall man had his back faced towards me, as he had one hand in his pocket and was talking to someone else on the phone.

    Hearing the sounds of someone entering, he retracted his gaze looking down at the city and turned to look towards me.

    ¡°You all should be more familiar with how to move public opinion and how to instigate a war planning around that¡­ we can just do it according to your tempo¡­¡± When he saw me his voice faltered for a second, as his gaze stayed on my face for a few seconds, before he turned away again to continue his call, as if he didn¡¯t care about my existence. ¡°For now, don¡¯t let him leave the house¡­ you can¡¯t convince him to stay? Do I need to teach you how to tie butterfly knots?¡±

    As he said these vexatious words his tone remained even, not too slow and not too fast, it even sounded very refined, but upon a closer listen, it was evident that every syllable was permeated with a sense of disdain.

    I sat down on the office chair in front of his desk and spun around from left to right, enjoying myself greatly. Around two minutes later, Sheng Min Ou hung up the phone and walked towards his desk.

    ¡°I thought we already formed a mutual understanding, that we¡¯d never see each other again until the day we died.¡±

    He never had anything nice to say when he opened his mouth, luckily I had already gotten used to this so I ignored his words as I delved straight into the main topic of conversation, ¡°I¡¯m here because of Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s case.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou tossed his phone to one side as he sat down, ¡°What, you started taking up being a paparazzi as a part time job?¡±

    His desk was made from a transparent acrylic material, therefore if I just slightly lowered my head, I could see everything including his outfit in plain sight.

    Today he wore a pair of black derby shoes that were a hundred percent handmade from genuine leather. Due to this brand of shoe being well regarded even in the luxury designer item market, it was no exaggeration for the brand to describe their customers as the wealthy elite in the business circles. I wasn¡¯t surprised at all by the fact that Sheng Min Ou would wear shoes from their brand, I was just surprised that the bastard who had violated me wore the same shoes that Sheng Min Ou did, and had the same cologne too.

    Such coincidences really existed on this earth¡­

    Did such coincidences exist?

    All of a sudden, the thoughts within my head started racing around all at once, this time my emotions did not say anything, instead logic told me to calm down for a second, and to gather my senses together.

    I opened my mouth, replying later than usual to his question, ¡°¡­ Mo Qiu is my friend.¡±

    He seemed to instantaneously understand as he intertwined his fingers together while he slowly leant back against his chair, erecting an invisible impenetrable defense.

    ¡°No comment.¡±

    I forced myself to tear my gaze away from his feet, ¡°Do you have to defend that monster? Whether Luo Zheng Yun is guilty or not, you should already know the answer in your heart.¡±

    ¡°The Law upholds justice, and lawyers are there to uphold the claims of their clients. Regardless of whether someone is innocent or guilty, Mr Luo has the right to request for a lawyer to defend him in court.¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s tone was unchanged, ¡°Further, strictly speaking I¡¯m not working for him, the party who signed my contract as his representing lawyer was Xing Hao entertainment, which he is under. The ones who are paying the heavy annual fee are also them, right now I¡¯m just protecting the client and preventing his properties from facing any additional damages. If you are here to try and get more information out of the case from me, then you can stop with whatever you¡¯re planning. The door is over there, you may leave now.¡±

    I long since stopped assessing his real feelings on the situation, and I knew that with his personality there was no way he would reveal any confidential information to me. Honestly, at the moment all my attention was directed on his pair of god damned shoes.

    But¡­ was it possible?

    The Sheng Min Ou that has historically always kept me at an immeasurably far distance, the Sheng Min Ou that would clean himself for ages after even the slightest touch from me, he would do something like that to me?

    What was he in it for?

    He could simply curl a finger at me and I would kneel to the ground and kiss the sole of his feet. Why would he need to blindfold me and tie me up, was he in it for the adrenaline rush that came with him torturing me?

    It was impossible, it was too bizarre, it should be¡­ just a coincidence.

    I quickly came to understand the reality of it all and denied the possibility of Sheng Min Ou being the bastard.

    I was able to see his face and we got to have a rubbish conversation. I stood up as I prepared to take my leave.

    Sheng Min Ou no longer looked at me as he opened the laptop on his desk.

    I lowered my eyes, staring at his thinly pursed lips as I subconsciously touched my neck. The mark made on the place that I was bitten had already faded, yet somehow at this time it started hurting inexplicably again.

    I wasn¡¯t able to hold it in any longer as the words blurted out of my mouth, ¡°Where were you last Saturday night?¡±

 CH 23

    Thank you Tinsunny for the Kofi allowing for this sponsored chapter release!

    ¡°Where I was last Saturday¡­¡± he raised his head, the corners of his lips curving into a mocking smile, ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡±

    I knew he would respond like this.

    The palms of my hands started sweating as I fixed my gaze on him and continued, ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it.¡±

    He looked at me strangely, like my words were incomprehensible to him, ¡°Pardon?¡±

    I paid extra attention to his facial expressions, not letting slip the most minute of changes reflected in his features. Yet unfortunately he seemed to really have a clear conscience, as he appeared like he honestly did not know what I was talking about.

    It reminded me of those adolescents that came out of the club in the early AM¡¯s and were stopped at an intersection by the cops, even though they looked as if they were a hundred percent drunk driving, but in reality they hadn¡¯t ingested a single drop of alcohol at all. All they did was drink a cup of juice in the club. It was very odd, but that was the truth.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I remarked whilst letting out a laugh, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ last week I accidentally was bit by a rabid dog that only knew how to bite people but not how to bark, and just then I was suspecting whether or not it was you who sent the dog.¡±

    He frowned, his voice now hardened with an edge of harshness as he returned his gaze to the laptop screen and resumed his typing on the keyboard, ¡°Lu Feng, I suspect there¡¯s something wrong with you mentally, it would be best for you to go to the hospital and visit the mental ward.¡±

    This would have to be the most laughable slander I¡¯ve heard in my recent years. He himself was abnormal yet he wanted me to go visit the doctor, has he even gone to see a doctor himself?

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to concern yourself over this.¡± I eyed his shoes one last time as I moved my feet and walked towards the door, giving him my most sincere wishes as I spoke without turning my head back, ¡°I hope you suffer a crushing defeat, Lawyer Sheng.¡±

    As I left the door, I just so happened to bump into Wu Yi holding a stack of paperwork as he passed by right in front of me. I called out to him and when he saw me, he shuffled back towards me and was rather surprised to see me there.

    ¡°Mr Lu, it¡¯s been a long time since I last saw you at the law firm.¡± He flicked a quick glance at the room I just came out of, ¡°What a coincidence, today Laoshi rarely came into the office and you just so happened to catch him here. You two really are brothers, that¡¯s some great synergy.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou probably didn¡¯t want this type of synergy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit busy the previous months and happened to pass by today so I thought I¡¯d drop in and visit. Let¡¯s not do the whole Mr Lu or Mr Ma thing, just call me A-Feng.¡± I draped an arm across his shoulders and dragged him two paces as we headed into a corner, ¡°Recently the firm seems really busy, have you all been working on the case surrounding Luo Zheng Yun?¡±

    Wu Yi still wasn¡¯t able to hold up an impenetrable defence like Sheng Min Ou yet, as he was still naive, being young and inexperienced. He glanced both ways and saw that no one was paying particular attention to the corner where we were at, so he lowered his voice and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s exactly that big celebrity you talked about, that case is really a headache for us, he¡¯s not an easy person to handle at all.¡±

    ¡°Can you win?¡±

    ¡°Even though it¡¯s a pain, if it¡¯s Laoshi, then we¡¯ll be able to win.¡±

    My heart thudded harder for a second, ¡°You¡¯re that confident?¡±

    Wu Yi immediately gave me a look that said ¡®I¡¯m not going to make a big deal out of what you just commented because you haven¡¯t seen anything¡¯ and replied, ¡°During the years that Laoshi was at Mei Teng Pharmaceuticals as a legal consultant, there hasn¡¯t been one lawsuit filed against Mei Teng that has won in court.¡±

    ¡°Everyone who witnessed this simply thought that the legal department under Mei Teng just excelled at what they did, but they weren¡¯t aware that all the tactics and defence strategies employed had been set out by Laoshi alone. Not just in lawsuits, he¡¯s also unparalleled in his methods of avoiding legal risk, if Mr Xiao was the king that ruled Mei Teng, where his words were the law, then Laoshi was the razor-sharp sword which he held in his hand to rule. Mr Xiao used him to overcome all obstacles on the way and there was no battle where they left defeated.¡± Wu Yi¡¯s eyes shone brightly, his limpid eyes reflecting nothing but veneration, ¡°This was also why when I knew Laoshi was going to leave Mei Teng, I was shameless in wanting to stick with him and follow him to wherever he went. By shadowing such an unrivalled sword, every day contains an abundance of learnings, even if I only picked up one or two skills here and there, it would still be a teaching for life.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if Wu Yi saw Sheng Min Ou through rose tinted glasses as he seemed like quite the undying fan, but his words did leave me with a sense of foreboding. I wondered what kind of character the prosecutor in charge of this case would be, and whether they would be able to go head to head against Sheng Min Ou, or even get the better of him.

    In the evening, I called Mo Qiu and told him to not go on the internet before the case was over, in fact, it would probably be good for him to unplug the internet router completely. Perhaps he sensed something, as he repeatedly agreed to what I had said and instead offered me words of comfort as he told me not to be too worried over the case. Mo Qiu then let me know that the prosecutor in charge was a very gentle and dependable female who was intent on bringing Luo Zheng Yun to justice.

    After hanging up, I went online to search for more news regarding the case. Things looked fine before I decided to dig up more information, as once I keyed in Luo Zheng Yun I found that their side had already started inciting speculation from the public. They had completely shaped Mo Qiu to be a male fan with mythomania, and amidst the truth and lies that were uttered by the public, those accounts that initially stood up for Mo Qiu started quietly becoming silent, as the large majority of onlookers chose to observe the events unfold, believing that this was the beginning of a major turnaround.

    Many people also called into the question the possibility of Luo Zheng Yun sexually assaulting another male, and even through the subtle wording of their comments it was evident that they didn¡¯t think that a male being on the receiving end of another male¡¯s violence and abuse was a big deal at all.

    From beginning to end, they had viewed this whole incident as an exciting sex scandal which concerned the entertainment circle, and not a vile, malicious crime.

    The judge, prosecutor, and even Sheng Min Ou¡¯s details were all displayed exhaustively online. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on this case, regardless of whether they were a fan of Luo Zheng Yun or not, as they all waited for the day when the first court hearing would commence.

    I was also waiting.

    However, I wasn¡¯t just going to wait, I also planned to go witness the hearing in person.

    Due to the case being too high profile and there being an excessive amount of people who wanted to attend the hearing in person, those who would be admitted would be decided by drawing numbers out randomly out of a raffle.

    On the day when the numbers were drawn, I happened to see Yi Da Zhuang in the crowd.

    The court staff would steadily read out the numbers that had been drawn out, and the crowd beneath would respond with either cheers or sighs after every announcement. Yi Da Zhuang had both hands clasped around his raffle and was vigorously praying to the heavens, but it appeared that his number still hadn¡¯t been chosen yet.

    I walked beside him and suddenly called out to him, ¡°What number do you have?¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang flinched in surprise and leapt out of the way before realising it was me who spoke to him as he rubbed his chest, ¡°Shit, Feng Ge, you know being like that is just asking for something bad to happen to the other person right! You almost scared the soul out of me.¡±

    ¡°How about we swap numbers.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I like the number you have.¡±

    Actually, I wanted both slips that we had, if I had an extra number, then I had an extra chance of being admitted in.

    Yi Da Zhuang sensed the danger behind my words as he tightly gripped onto his precious number and refused to swap with me no matter what. Just when I was about to resort to physically wrenching it out of his hands, the staff member above suddenly announced another number and shocked, I looked down at my slip and confirmed that it was indeed the number that had just been called.

    ¡°Lbis rtla, Mfcu Xf atfs mjiifv sbeg cewyfg?¡± Tl Gj Itejcu kjr rb pfjiber tlr fsfr fnfc jqqfjgfv ugffc, ¡°Pr la qbrrlyif obg er ab fzmtjcuf cbk?¡±

    ¡°Kbb ijaf.¡± P kjnfv atf rwjii rilq lc ogbca bo tlw jr P abbx ijguf raglvfr abkjgvr atf Jbega rajoo, jcv fzmtjcufv ws cewyfg obg j almxfa ab fcafg atf mbega tfjglcu.

    Yi Da Zhuang was still unwilling to give up as he chased after me relentlessly, ¡°No wait, I have a mission at hand to attend, you don¡¯t even have anything of the sort so how about you give the ticket to me instead?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll shout you a meal.¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll shout you three meals.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Ten meals?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t give it to you even if you shout me a hundred meals.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    When it was the day of the hearing, my right eye twitched incessantly and I had also forgotten to bring an umbrella with me, so consequently I was soaked by the rain for a short while.

    The entrance to the courthouse was already crowded with a considerable quantity of reporters and fans, with many people raising their numbered slips, choosing to wait patiently outside in silent support for their idol. They really believed from the depths of their heart that Luo Zheng Yun was a little, defenceless character being framed and slandered, and that there was some type of powerful, malignant organisation in the opposition that wanted to completely crush him.

    I hurriedly shook off the water droplets that clung onto me and stepped inside the courthouse, at this time the hearing for Luo Zheng Yun was already in progress.

    I hadn¡¯t even sat down for long before the court officers came to enforce protocols and asked for everyone¡¯s devices to be set to silent, as well as forbidding any loud noises and discussions, else they could be ejected from court.

    Two more minutes passed, and after the whole courthouse finally quietened down, the jury panel of twelve people entered, followed by the prosecution and the defense, and then finally the judge before the court officers completely closed the doors to the public and sealed the courtroom shut.

    When Sheng Min Ou entered, his sights casually swept past the general public attending the court hearing and his eyes coincidentally locked with mine as he was startled for a second.

    I gave him a smile and passionately blew a kiss to him.

    Without a trace of acknowledgement, Sheng Min Ou retracted his sights and walked with big strides towards his spot in the courtroom, as if my presence wasn¡¯t anything to him.

    Following behind him was Luo Zheng Yun and when he appeared, the public attendees caused a commotion in response, with many people neglecting what the court officers had said previously as they voiced their comments of support. There was even a small group of people who inexplicably began sobbing, and it was only until the court officers were about to eject them from court with stony expressions that they managed to get a grip on themselves and started to quieten down.

    Luo Zheng Yun seemed to be very pleased with the commotion that he had caused, as he repeatedly nodded and smiled to the attendees, before taking his seat on the defendants panel.

    I had done a search online of the prosecutor that was in charge of the case, and as Mo Qiu had described, she was an exceptionally capable and experienced woman who was graceful at the same time and her name was Meng Xuan Jun. She was thirty six years old this year and she had a stellar resume which boasted her various accomplishments. It was said that there wasn¡¯t a criminal who she couldn¡¯t pin a crime on, and she was as revered for her proficiency as Sheng Min Ou was.

    After the court hearing began, it was the prosecutor who would go first with their opening statement.

    Meng Xuan Jun wass dressed in a metallic grey suit as she stood up from her seat and addressed the court, ¡°I must first make clear that this is an especially malicious sexual assault case. It is only because the law in our country is imperfect that I must charge the actions witnessed as a case of molestation.¡± Her first sentence was already emotionally charged, as she caused a small ripple of commotion within the general public attending.

    As for the defence sitting opposite her, Sheng Min Ou heard her speech and leaned to his side whispering instructions to Wu Yi, his expression calm and assured without a trace of anxiety.

    When it was time for the defendant¡¯s opening statement, Sheng Min Ou rejected all charges raised by the prosecution and claimed that Luo Zheng Yun was completely innocent, and that his relationship with Mo Qiu was a voluntary one with consent from both parties, so there was no issue of force or coercion.

    The judge motioned afterward to proceed with the trial, and it was now on the prosecution who bore the burden of proof to put forward their case.

    Meng Xuan Jun put forward a list of evidence, including but not limited to chat logs between the two and sections of videos to prove that Luo Zheng Yun had been scheming systematically to set up a trap that spanned for six months. All it needed was for Mo Qiu to fall into it, so he could be lured to the hotel and then sexually assaulted.

    ¡°Does everyone know about ¡®pickup artists¡¯? It¡¯s also known as an ¡®art¡¯ to score dates, some people will go on the internet and intentionally pretend to be a certain type, like adopting a humorous and interesting persona, or becoming mature and handsome, gentle and rich or energetic and enthused, using these various characteristics to reach their goals of cheating someone out of their assets and their feelings. Luo Zheng Yun is such a person, a masterful pick up artist. He relies on the advantages from his appearance and his profession and shapes himself into a gentle, elegant, tender and sensitive man and cheated Mo Qiu¡¯s trust. In the end, he not only hurt Mo Qiu¡¯s soul, but he hurt his body too.¡±

    Her fiercely sharp gaze shot right through Luo Zheng Yun who sat on the defendants stand, yet Luo Zheng Yun just gave her a slight smile in return as he remained completely calm.

    Meng Xuan Jun furrowed her brows in disgust, and later requested to summon Mo Qiu to the stand.

    Mo Qiu appeared to be fretful and anxious in front of the judge and jury, as every time he answered Meng Xuan Jun¡¯s questions, he would bury his face deeply, as if he would hide underneath the chair if given the opportunity to.

    ¡°Did he commit any act of violence in bed, such as assaulting and beating you?¡±

    Mo Qiu cowered in response, his complexion ghostly white, as if these questions with no concern for his privacy were a form of capital punishment for him, each phrase like a thousand small cuts, slowly bleeding the life out of him.

    He apprehensively rubbed at his elbows, his whole voice trembling, ¡°He has.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell everyone, how you got the scar on your hand?¡±

    ¡°I¡­. I couldn¡¯t bear with his coercion any further, so I attempted suicide at home, later¡­ I was found out in time by a friend, so I didn¡¯t get to die. This scar was from when I slit my wrist¡­¡±

    When Meng Xuan Jun stated that she had nothing further to ask, both Mo Qiu and myself let out a breath at the same time.

    I had initially felt that Meng Xuan Jun¡¯s questions were already pressing enough, however I found that I was wrong when Sheng Min Ou came to present his case.

    Sheng Min Ou walked to the witness stand and held a photocopied document in his hand, showing it to Mo Qiu, ¡°In the past two years, you maintained your habits of sending a private message to Mr Luo every single day on his social media accounts, sharing the daily occurrences in your life and conveying your love for him. When Mr Luo was moved by your sincerity and gave you his private number, you quickly and proactively reached out to him. Clearly, you were enjoying it, and the chance for you to be in a more intimate relationship with your idol excited you beyond anything, correct?¡±

    Mo Qiu pressed his lips together tightly, and weakly nodded his head, ¡°Yes, however¡­¡±

    Sheng Min Ou brutally cut him off as he continued, ¡°On the day when Mr Luo invited you to ¡®Sacred Garden of Eden¡¯, you went completely voluntarily, and in his messages he didn¡¯t exert any force or pressure for you to go, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    The big screen behind the defendant started displaying the evidence in sync, and it was a coloured four panel cartoon. The cartoon depicted a wife, dressed up as a nurse holding up a needle as she joked about supplementing a ¡®hit of energy¡¯ for the husband after the husband returned from work. There was no beginning or end to the panels shown, as it appeared to be a small snippet of a scene from a larger, completed work.

    ¡°I do remember, this is my artwork.¡± Mo Qiu clearly did not understand why Sheng Min Ou suddenly brought out his piece, ¡°It was from a long time ago, it¡¯s about a young couple¡¯s humorous and comforting daily life¡­.¡±

    ¡°You really like roleplaying, don¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°In this piece, you depicted the wife and the husband assuming multiple roles in their daily life. Sometimes, the wife is a nurse, and at other times, the husband is a pirate. This work was completely created and conceived by you, and only you, so it seems like you especially like the idea of role playing.¡±

    Meng Xuan Jun interjected loudly, ¡°This has nothing to do with the case at hand!¡±

    The judge gave her a look and overturned the objection, as they let Sheng Min Ou continue.

    ¡°Your relationship with Mr Luo was completely consensual as your relationship progressed in a natural manner. Being involved sexually is a normal part of being romantically involved. If you weren¡¯t willing, you could¡¯ve called the police after the first time, but you did not, you chose to continue, because this wasn¡¯t coercion at all, it was just a role play between my client and yourself.¡± Sheng Min Ou was relentless in his pace, as he placed both hands on the witness stand, ¡°He liked you, so he was willing to satisfy all the fantasies that you had, as he played the role of being someone who had an inclination for violence, and the videos which he filmed with you were all to please you. He¡¯s a king of the silver screen, acting comes naturally to him.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that!¡± Mo Qiu tightly clutched on to the collar of his sleeve, his face deathly pale, as if in the next second he would be unable to take another breath in and faint as a consequence, ¡°It was because he said he would upload the videos online¡­¡±

    ¡°If he uploaded the videos, whose reputation would be at more risk here? You, someone who¡¯s obscure and unknown, and an illustrator whose profession doesn¡¯t even require them to reveal their face and identity, or him, a celebrity who has received very high praise and won various accolades?¡±

    Mo Qiu was startled for a second, hesitating as he mumbled, ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    Meng Xuan Jun abruptly stood up from her seat, ¡°Objection! He¡¯s clearly asking leading questions!¡±

    This time, the judge ruled in favour of the objection, and asked Sheng Min Ou to take note of the way he interrogated the witness as they stated that this may lead the jury to come to undue conclusions.

    It was at this point that Sheng Min Ou dialled down his unsparing attacks as he gave a slight nod towards the judge and expressed that he had no further questions.

    Seeing this, Meng Xuan Jun¡¯s expression became more grave from when the hearing had just commenced. She seemed to begin to understand that the battle today, or perhaps each battle that came consequently after today¡¯s initial hearing, would all be hard fought.

    Afterwards, Meng Xuan Jun began to question Luo Zheng Yun. When this first began, things proceeded smoothly. Mo Qiu appeared out of it throughout at first while Meng Xuan Jun began showing the tapes, repeatedly interrogating Luo Zheng Yun as to whether he used violence on Mo Qiu in bed. However, at a certain point Mo Qiu who sat at the plaintiffs table suddenly lost control of his emotions as he started to continuously sob spasmodically, burying his face in his hands as he wailed sharply. He had been completely worn down, and there was no way for him to continue in the present state.

    Meng Xuan Jun had no choice but to request for a temporary adjournment in court, and the judge understandably approved.

    The crowds started to disperse from the courtroom as they retreated out and many people started whispering amongst themselves. The reporters were busy with passing on the latest information to their news channels, each striving to be the quickest in delivering the latest updates.

    ¡°That man is so despicable, does he think that he¡¯s some kind of deity? How could our Zheng Zheng force him to do anything? It¡¯s obvious that by even considering him he¡¯s doing that guy a massive favour, ok?¡±

    ¡°Right, and he said our Zheng Zheng hit him, if he wasn¡¯t willing to go through with it then just call the police. The way I see it, Zheng Zheng wanted to break up with him, and he decided to bite back like this out of revenge. He¡¯s even slandering Zheng Zheng and saying that he was raped, what a ruthless and vicious man!¡±

    ¡°Not only this, I don¡¯t believe that someone can fall in love so deeply for one moment, then in the next just because they were taped whilst on the bed and things got a bit rough they act so terribly desperate like this, that¡¯s really way too pretentious¡­¡±

    ¡°It feels like that there¡¯s someone behind them trying to move this case in a more sinister direction, otherwise why would he suddenly come out to involve the police?¡±

    ¡°Our Zheng Zheng is really going through so much¡­¡±

    Leaning against the wall, I exhaled cigarette smoke as all I heard surrounding me were the vile words coming out of Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s fans. It was as if I was in another absurd and strange dimension, here everyone spoke words that they thought made logical sense and they believed that they fully understood the truth behind the situation. There was no need to go through a trial because it was already evident which side was the one that was guilty. From then on, no matter what refutes occurred and what rebuttals were put forward, they would be convinced that all of this was just something that had been plotted since long ago and was pure slander.

    I wondered after how many years, when these young girls looked back to this moment, whether they would feel ashamed and remorseful over their naivety and their gullibility, or if they would persist stubbornly with their preconceived truth, and still believe in Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s innocence.

    After finishing off a cigarette, the court officers summoned every back into the courtroom, but the trial did not recommence. Due to Mo Qiu¡¯s unstable emotions, the court hearing was deemed unfit to proceed, and consequently the judge announced that the case would be adjourned until a later date.

    Outside of the courthouse, the various media companies that weren¡¯t able to attend as members of the general public swarmed around Luo Zheng Yun once they saw him leave the room and badgered him for interviews and photos.

    Yi Da Zhuang snapped two photos and then was squeezed out of the circle surrounding Luo Zheng Yun, as he stumbled his way to me.

    ¡°Shit, is it necessary to be so forceful?¡± He cursed as he checked his equipment, a digital single lens reflex camera. He raised his head and then saw me, as his brows smoothened in joy, ¡°Feng Ge, quick, tell me what happened inside!¡±

    The skies no longer poured down with rain, but still it remained gloomy and downcast, making it an uncomfortable sight.

    I felt for the cigarettes that were in my pocket, and eyed the mass that moved into the distance, ¡°Things aren¡¯t looking good.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang followed my line of sight and looked towards Luo Zheng Yun and his legal team entering his MPV car with a massive crowd still following closely behind him as he sighed, ¡°Actually, when there was a temporary adjournment before I had already heard of what had happened from a few close friends within the circle. They said that the opposition¡¯s lawyer was just pounding in questions the whole time, and it was only the first round of questioning when the victim broke down under the pressure. It appears that the momentum for the prosecution isn¡¯t going as well as they¡¯d hope.¡±

    The opposition¡¯s lawyer wasn¡¯t just relentless with the questioning, it could be described as vitriolic and inhumane, it was utterly despicable and shameless.

    In the far distance, before Sheng Min Ou stepped into the car, his gaze seemed to flicker in my direction for a second.

    It was too far away, I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly but even if I thought with my toes I¡¯d still be able to reach the conclusion that on his outstanding features, his expression right now must be one that was filled with mockery and arrogance. It was as if he was challenging me, ¡°How would I ever suffer a crushing defeat? If anyone were to experience that, it would be you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say another word as I turned around and walked through the entrance of the court again. Yi Da Zhuang called out to me continuously as he shouted my name, but I didn¡¯t spare him another glance as I waved my hand at him so he could leave first without me, as I told him I had some more matters to attend to.

    After returning to the courthouse again, I coincidentally saw that the breakout room next to where the trial was being held had the door open, as Meng Xuan Jun and Mo Qiu walked through it. Meng Xuan Jun gently placed her hand on Mo Qiu¡¯s elbow as she continuously comforted him in a gentle tone, whilst Mo Qiu nodded at her from time to time.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine, don¡¯t be stressed¡­¡±

    Because I walked towards them and suddenly got nearer to where they stood, Meng Xuan Jun alertly stopped their conversation and her brows creased as she inquired, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Mo Qiu hurriedly explained, ¡°Ah, he¡¯s my friend.¡±

    Meng Xuan Jun¡¯s eyebrows slightly relaxed as just when she was about to say something, she was dragged several paces as I pulled her after me into the breakout room again. Along with her was Mo Qiu who I had also dragged with me, his face full of confusion as he was completely lost at what just happened.

    After shoving both of them into the room, I turned my hand over and locked the door behind my back.

    Meng Xuan Jun took another step away from me as she started raising her guard against me, asking, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I ignored her as I questioned Mo Qiu, ¡°Did you show Luo Zheng Yun the video tape I took?¡±

    Mo Qiu had just probably bawled for a long time, as even now his eyes were red like a rabbit¡¯s. After hearing my question, he quickly came to his senses as he immediately shook his head.

    ¡°N-No¡­ I didn¡¯t want to involve you in this.¡±

    ¡°Brilliant.¡± I fished out my phone from my pocket and found the recording of the tape from that day in HD and without any censorship or editing as I placed it on the table and pushed it towards Meng Xuan Jun¡¯s direction. ¡°Ms Meng, come here and take a look, you should be interested in this.¡±

    Mo Qiu hurriedly attempted to snatch away the phone, but I was faster and stopped him from doing so.

    ¡°Lu Feng, what are you doing?¡± From hearing his voice, it sounded as if he was about to cry again, ¡°I, I can do it myself¡­ you don¡¯t have to do this¡­¡±

    I pushed away his hand and stood in front of him, blocking his access to the table until Meng Xuan Jun gingerly picked up the phone and pressed play on the video before I continued, ¡°We know that there can¡¯t just be one victim like Mo Qiu who is involved, if there is one victim there will be a second. If he is not caught, then he will forever continue like this.¡±

    Meng Xuan Jun looked at the tape as her expression grew more shocked by the moment as she glanced at me before focusing her attention back to the video and then returning to me again as she confirmed, ¡°You were the other victim?¡±

    ¡°Not completely, but you can go ahead and say it like so.¡± I pulled out a chair and sat in front of her.

    Meng Xuan Jun looked at Mo QIu and then back at me, before doing the same and pulling out a chair for herself.

    ¡°I need to know more details.¡±

    The next day, all media channels in Qing Wang City blew up as they covered a new development in Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s case ¨C a new victim had appeared.

    Due to a conflict of interest, Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s initial lawyer had to step down and cease all involvement with the case as he was related to the victim. Luo Zheng Yun could only hurriedly call for help as he reached out to a large, well established law firm named Belton, as he hired their senior partner to represent him as his lawyer for the proceeding trials.

    After seeing the news being reported, I almost laughed maniacally at the thought of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s furious expression.

    He probably never would have imagined that I would personally involve myself in this mess.

    At this point none of this was even about justice anymore, it was more like a competition between myself and Sheng Min Ou, except it was one sided and it was just me pitting myself against Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°Lu Feng, are you crazy??¡±

    Over the phone, Wei Shi roared at me furiously as he elicited a frisson of fear from me, and almost had me falling off my spinning chair.

    I held the phone away from me and created some distance before I dug a finger into my ears and replied, ¡°Give me a hint, why are you yelling at me?¡±

    Wei Shi was enraged and continued barking, ¡°Shen Xiao Shi and Monkey have told me everything already, I was thinking earlier that you guys have all been mysterious and off for some reason, all of you guys just ditching work and always disappearing to places. Come over right now and explain everything to me¡­¡± Suddenly his voice seemed to be directed in another direction, ¡°Did I let you sit down? Stand up properly against the wall!¡±

    I knew it, a sudden call from Wei Shi was definitely not good news and it turned out as I thought, it looked like everything we involved ourselves in was completely out in the open with him now¡­

    Wei Shi was a pretty good guy usually, but when he got mad he became a Tyrannosaurus rex that had it¡¯s tail stepped on, no normal person would be able to bear with him in this state, and even I found him hard to handle like this.

    ¡°Just calm down a bit, I¡¯m actually a victim here¡­¡±

    ¡°This is such a big deal and all of you have been keeping this a secret from me, how are you going to get me to calm down?¡± Wei Shi¡¯s voice came out even louder if that was possible, ¡°Get the hell over here right now, otherwise don¡¯t even think of calling me a brother!¡±

    I thought about it for a bit and came to the conclusion that if I headed over right now, then I really would die in a most painful way. There was also a chance that I might have to cop a beating from him so I suggested, ¡°How about this, let¡¯s all eat hotpot together at night? I¡¯ll send the address over to you, let¡¯s talk and eat at the same time.¡±

    If things were set up like this, then firstly we¡¯d be in a public setting so he wouldn¡¯t find it appropriate to actually lift a finger against me, and secondly I believed that there wasn¡¯t any matter that couldn¡¯t be resolved with going out to eat hotpot. If such a problem existed, then the solution was to go out twice for hotpot.

    I didn¡¯t give Wei Shi the opportunity to reject me as I decisively hung up the phone, then searched online for a hotpot store which had a good reputation and sent the address over.

    That hotpot store was located right in the department store beneath Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm, honestly I didn¡¯t even know why I picked this hotpot place, but I got the feeling that if I couldn¡¯t personally witness Sheng Min Ou being defeated, then it would really be a huge shame.

    Author¡¯s notes: The author does not have a background in Law and the setting here is purely fictitious. The law and legal system depicted randomly draws inspiration from the national legal system, so please do not take it seriously.

    Translator¡¯s notes (Jiraiya): First, a late Merry Christmas to everyone! If you haven¡¯t noticed, this chapter was an absolute mammoth, being twice as long as the usual chapters (and also took forever to translate omg) so instead of splitting up chapter 23 into two parts I decided to upload it in one go. This upload will be the sponsored update and the guaranteed sunday update for the week. Thank you for your understanding!

 CH 24

    The four of us sat on a table and dunked the thin slices of meat into the boiling hotpot soup as we confessed to what we had done. Wei Shi expressed that he understood, but he was still angered over the situation.

    Wei Shi¡¯s entire forehead was covered in perspiration, and after taking off his jacket, he revealed full sleeve Guanyin tattoos that were unmissable. In addition, with his buzz cut and his oppressive presence, when he didn¡¯t talk he looked especially terrifying.

    I exchanged glances with Shen Xiao Shi and Yi Da Zhuang, and we all knew that this wasn¡¯t over yet. We hurriedly all topped our glasses with alcohol again and raised it to him in a sign of respect as we apologised once more.

    ¡°San Ge, we were wrong.¡±

    We Shi raised his gaze to look at us, then nonchalantly ate a peanut.

    Looked like it still wasn¡¯t enough.

    Shen Xiao Shi was the youngest and the most afraid of Wei Shi, so after seeing that Wei Shi¡¯s expression remained stony, he topped up our glasses again with iced beer as his face came close to a sulk.

    ¡°San Ge, I actually participated the least in this incident, I really didn¡¯t know anything at all. If you have to dish out punishments, you should give it to them, don¡¯t punish me okay?¡± After saying so, he chugged down all the contents in his glass.

    Yi Da Zhuang had just brought his glass to his lips as Shen Xiao Shi had begun speaking, and after hearing what he had said Yi Da Zhuang almost spat out his drink.

    ¡°Hey, Xiao Shi, you¡¯re really the definition of ¡®My comrades can go die but not me¡¯, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi shuffled closer towards the direction of Wei Shi and defended himself, ¡°I¡¯m speaking the truth, though. Originally I wanted to show off my capabilities and let that damned psychopath know what was coming for him, but after I came out of the bathroom I couldn¡¯t find a single person, so I had just spent all that time being nervous before for no reason. Seriously, what did I even get worked up for.¡±

    It was at this point that a smile finally cracked on Wei Shi¡¯s face, as he slapped the back of Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s head.

    ¡°You thought that you got worked up for no reason, I think that it¡¯s been too long since you¡¯ve been hit so now you¡¯re just itching for some hurt?¡±

    Wei Shi had smiled.

    I put down my emptied glass and silently met Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s eyes. Since Wei Shi had smiled, this incident was pretty much over. With his personality, he wouldn¡¯t hold what we had done against us any longer.

    I tugged at the collar of my shirt, I had already finished two glasses of beer, and the billowing steam of the hotpot was like a sauna, making me feel overheated.

    From age sixteen to twenty six, living in a controlled communal setting made me work and rest in normal hours and I had not developed any bad habits in that time. However, just one year out of prison and now I¡¯ve completely gotten used to smoking and drinking.

    Otherwise why would we always describe society as a corrupting influence?

    After we had successfully eaten our fill and explained everything to Wei Shi¡¯s satisfaction, I realised that apart from myself the other three had all drank quite a bit. In the end, when we were getting the tab and about to leave, Shen Xiao Shi had sunken into a squat outside of the main entrance of the restaurant and said he was feeling dizzy, so he was just going to sleep there for the night. Wei Shi showed no hesitation as he grabbed Shen Xiao Shi from behind and dragged him into the lifts.

    I was a lightweight so I carefully controlled my intake to not drink too much, and since I was the most sober out of the group I organised taxis to come for all of them.

    Shen Xiao Shi and Yi Da Zhuang lived in the same direction, so they left first.

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    I knew he meant to say this to me the whole night, he had just kept it in until he had the right opportunity to voice these feelings.

    He was never an emotional person, so him saying these words tonight was enough to show just how much he was worried for me.

    ¡°I got it.¡± I opened the door for him and signalled for Wei Shi to get in.

    He leaned against the door and made a solemn vow, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if the law can¡¯t get that fucker, I¡¯ll help you find someone to break his legs.¡±

    Although his eyes were bright and his words came out fine, I knew that this was only something he¡¯d say when he was drunk.

    He had previously corrected us gravely that he was just a good samaritan who had a lot of friends, his business was fully legitimate as well, and he wasn¡¯t a shady merchant who took advantage of loopholes in society or other people.

    ¡°What kind of words are you saying, do you miss the food we had back in prison?¡±

    The taxi started rolling slowly away, Wei Shi was still unwilling to give up as he lowered the window and turned his back to me, yelling, ¡°Then I¡¯ll feed him dog shit for him to eat, that¡¯s okay right?¡±

    The pedestrians on the side of the road started looking our way and I touched my nose before dashing towards the commercial buildings near the department store.

    The hotpot meal took longer than I expected, and I wasn¡¯t sure if Sheng Min Ou would be in the law firm either.

    However, once I arrived outside the entrance of the law firm, finding it completely dark but the door unlocked, I only had a brief moment of hesitation before I pushed the door and entered.

    At this time, all the workers had left already and the whole office was quiet, the only sounds remaining were the faint honks of cars coming from below the building. Since the door was unlocked, it meant that there was definitely someone still in the office.

    I walked in slowly until I came to the front of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office and gently pushed open the door.

    The roaring of the wind assaulted my features as the soundproof windows in the room which were usually tightly shut were wide open today, the blinds ferociously billowing in the air, its sounds amplified by the canyon effect.

    Sheng Min Ou sat by the window, a cigarette perched in between his fingers as he cast a glance at me. His usually neat hairstyle had been tousled by the wind, as strands of loose hair fell to cover his right eye and softened the hard edges on his face, making him appear more amiable and approachable.

    The entire place was cast in darkness, the only source of light being the soft glow of the city outside the windows as it illuminated a sliver of the silhouettes in the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood right now to deal with you.¡± He had a cigarette in his mouth, and in the dim lighting a spot of iridescent orange and scarlet burned aglow intensely before dimming down again.

    The smoke dispersed with the wind and blew towards me, carried by the breeze. In an instant, it triggered the aftereffects of those two glasses of beer I had drank.

    I started to feel the alcohol kicking in, my nerves becoming excited and my actions becoming out of control.

    ¡°Are you angry over Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s case?¡± I took two steps towards him when something in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I turned my head to take a look at it and saw that it was a letter opener knife with a black shaft.

    It had been brutally and forcefully jammed into the acrylic surface of the desk, and the knife stood up in a strangely rigid position as a result for me to admire.

    Judging from the angle and the deepness of it being stabbed into the desk, the perpetrator at that time was undoubtedly furious, if the desk was alive then this one strike would have sent it straight to death¡¯s door. Furthermore, surrounding the knife were small craters that looked like it was made from the same sharp point, the poor desk after being stabbed resembling a bee¡¯s nest.

    I thought to myself and imagined what kind of situation would provoke an outcome like this. Perhaps¡­ at that time Sheng Min Ou was just sitting here looking through his emails, or on the phone with someone, or flipping through various cases and reading up on the details, doing proper work with one hand and toying with the letter opener knife in his other. Then, something had incensed his anger, and he subconsciously used the knife to vent out his frustration and fury, as he stabbed at the desk beneath his palms. However, his rage only escalated with no signs of stopping, and it quickly broke past his limits as he wasn¡¯t able to control one of his movements, ultimately piercing it completely through his own desk.

    And the cause of what had made him lose all of his usual composure and control, let me take a bold guess¡­ was it me?

    I had solved the mystery myself and I gripped onto the shaft of the knife, exerting a decent amount of force to pull it out of the desk again. I traced over the various craters and holes, lifting my head and commented delightfully on his unfortunate situation, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to buy yourself a new table tomorrow.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou flicked a careless glance over my way, then quickly returned his gaze to the sight outside the windows, ¡°Put it down, then get out.¡±

    Although he hadn¡¯t responded directly to what I said, his current mannerisms and attitude were even more impatient compared to how he had treated me previously, so it was evident that he was currently in a foul mood.

    I caressed the tip of the knife as I slowly approached him, ¡°The law is really fair to everyone, once I have entered and involved myself in this, you must take your leave.¡±

    As the saying goes, alcohol gives you liquid courage. Even those who were usually more timid and risk averse could become bold and daring after drinking. Therefore it would be no exception for myself, who was already quite reckless, to have enough courage so that it was out of this world after intaking alcohol. If someone gave me a speaker right now, I could make such a commotion using it so that the whole building would know Sheng Min Ou was infuriated by me to the extent that he had just poked several holes into his desk.

    He didn¡¯t speak, remaining silent as he stared at the lights twinkling faintly beneath him as the city was swallowed by clouds.

    The moonlight shone on his eyes and it became a distant and cold ray, creating an impression of him that looked like an iron giant devoid of warmth.

    ¡°This time I won.¡±

    His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, exposing his firm and toned forearms. I traced the letter opener knife from his shoulder all the way down, pressing it against the skin of his forearm that was exposed.

    Perhaps the icy touch of the knife was too stimulating, as the man who was previously still as a statue seemed to in an instant become a lion that had just awoken from his sleep, as he looked at me in a terrifying way. Before I could react to the foreboding feeling, he struck and twisted my wrist, lifting it above my head as he forcefully slammed me into the floor to ceiling window behind me.

    The letter opener knife fell onto the floor and made a soft clanking sound. My body banged into the window and made an even louder sound.

    ¡°What are you all delighted for?¡± Sheng Min Ou grabbed a fistful of my hair, forcefully lifting my face, ¡°You think if you got rid of me from the case then you¡¯d be able to win? Luo Zheng Yun reached out to Qing Wan City¡¯s biggest and most established law firm, Belton, and has their most experienced partner defending him. When you were still getting breastfed, he had already started his career in law. There are many ways to make you regret being involved in this case. Even without me, your side still doesn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±

    I had no doubt that if he just exerted slightly more force, my arm would snap and the bones would fracture.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t try¡­ how would I know?¡± I uttered strenuously, ignoring the pain, ¡°I¡¯m the type of person to attempt the impossible fully understanding that the odds are stacked against me and I like a challenge, don¡¯t you know all of this already?¡±

    ¡°In these ten years you really haven¡¯t learnt anything at all, you¡¯re still using foolish methods to achieve your foolish goals.¡± His gaze which previously looked cold and distant was now completely absent, instead it had become a silent, furious blue flame. He pressed my face against the glass, exerting such great force that the side of my face was about to be deformed under the pressure, and my head had also started spinning since the impact against the window.

    His words prompted me to remember what had happened ten years ago, as I thought of Qi Yang, and myself on the rooftop, angered to breaking point after hearing what Qi Yang had said. He was right, everything that happened on that day was indeed completely foolish. However, under those circumstances, it was the only choice I had.

    My forehead pressed against the ice cold glass panel, and it was helpful in waking up my sluggish brain.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always not been smart enough, that¡¯s why I chose to use a method that would cause casualties to both sides¡­ to protect the person I want to protect.¡± I closed my eyes, my original intentions of coming to mock Sheng Min Ou¡¯s predicament having completely disappeared, the only thing remaining being a bitter taste in my mouth.

    I really was asking for it, why did I ever come here just to be hurt? Where was logic, the rational part of my brain? Why didn¡¯t logic appear to stop me, was it assassinated by emotions?

    ¡°Protect the person you want to protect?¡± Sheng Min Ou repeated my words without understanding the meaning behind it, and without warning he suddenly gripped onto me even tighter as pain erupted from my arm and my scalp.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­.¡± Unable to bear with it any longer, I started to struggle, and even my voice came out agonised.

    Just like how he had suddenly attacked, in the next instant Sheng Min Ou let go of me, then immediately retreated so we had an arms length of distance between us. It was as if suddenly I carried some type of virus on my body, and he didn¡¯t want to catch it off me.

    I rubbed at my stinging scalp as I turned around, pressing my back closely against the floor to ceiling windows, not wanting to recklessly get close to him again.

    On the floor was a cigarette butt that was yet to be extinguished, flickering it¡¯s dying embers in the dark as it had just fallen from Sheng Min Ou¡¯s hands. He stepped on it and put it out, his gaze resting instead on the letter opener knife for a moment before he turned towards another window and once again fished out a cigarette from within his pants pocket as he lit it up.

    ¡°If you¡¯re incapable, you won¡¯t be able to protect anyone.¡± In just a second, he had gone from a manic state to a calm demeanour once more.

    I closed my eyes, making no comment in response to his words and kicked the letter opener knife in the way as I walked straight towards the door. When I slammed the door behind me, I almost splintered it as it trembled within the frame.

    Two days later, I suddenly received Meng Xuan Jun¡¯s phone call. She didn¡¯t go in any specifics over the phone, instead she asked and confirmed a date for us to meet up, then hung up.

    I could tell from her tone of voice that something was off, and I almost thought that something had gone wrong relating to the case. In the end, when I arrived at the prosecutor¡¯s office, she solemnly told me to take a seat then swivelled the computer screen towards me and played a part of a surveillance tape.

    ¡°Based on your testimony, I¡¯ve obtained the footage which captures you and Luo Zheng Yun entering the hotel room that night and the footage for when you left the room. In the end, I discovered this¡­¡±

    In the tape, I stumbled and tripped as I appeared in the corridor, like a drunkard who had way too much to drink, as I made my way forward leaning against the wall. A few moments later, I collided straight into someone who had appeared coming out of a corner. Seeing that I was about to fall, that person immediately reached out to catch me, and when they had seen my features, that face which maintained calm no matter the situation showed a glimpse of surprise.

    I stared at the screen numbly, until the tape had stopped, my brain refusing to work as I struggled to collect my thoughts.

    ¡°Mr Lu, do you have anything to explain?¡± Meng Xuan Jun pointed at the tall, built figure that showed up in the tape, ¡°Why did your older brother also appear that day in the Sacred Garden of Eden?¡±

    I looked at her and opened my mouth, ¡°Uh¡­¡±

 CH 25

    Meng Xuan Jun appeared to be mistaken from seeing my reaction, as her expression became uncompromising, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me the truth? What was Sheng Min Ou¡¯s role in this event, did he plan everything?¡± Without waiting for an answer from me, she quickly denied her own assumption, ¡°No, if so why would he take up the role as Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s defence lawyer, that makes no logical sense. What the hell are you guys planning?¡±

    I was afraid that she would come to think that all of this was just some scheme we had set up, a trap for Luo Zheng Yun to fall prey to. Once a prosecutor had doubts about the authenticity behind the charges being pressed, she had the power to dismiss the whole case. If that happened, then Luo Zheng Yun would really slip away unscathed.

    Although I was even more shocked seeing the tape than her, I could only push aside the complicated feelings and thoughts going on inside my head and focus on explaining the situation as best I could.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t kept anything from you at all, on that day we happened to coincidentally meet. Prosecutor Meng, you can request and access surveillance tapes from when he entered the club to confirm whether or not he was there to meet me. These past few years, our relationship has been quite estranged, even though he¡­ saved me, but at that time I was already about to pass out, and I had no idea who the other person was, he also did not have any intent to let me find out.¡± I stared at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s blurred features from the surveillance tape and muttered, ¡°I also just found out that it was him after all.¡±

    It was honestly quite impressive that he managed to hold himself back when I cursed at him back then, comparing him to a rabid dog. With this level of acting, even Luo Zheng Yun would have to concede defeat.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that at this time, he wasn¡¯t aware of what had happened with Luo Zheng Yun?¡± Meng Xuan Jun picked up a pencil and tapped on the image of Sheng Min Ou on the screen.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t aware.¡± I confirmed, then added on to my answer, ¡°Before representing him in this case, there¡¯s a chance that he might have not even known who Luo Zheng Yun was.¡±

    Meng Xuan Jun¡¯s expression instantly turned into one of incredulity.

    ¡°Really, he¡¯s not the type of person to care about things like this.¡± Sheng Min Ou could flawlessly recite any world leader¡¯s name, but he was never interested in what was going on for people and things he didn¡¯t care about.

    Meng Xuan Jun scrutinised me intently, deliberating over how trustworthy my words were to her, her hands flipping the slim pencil in continuous, fluid motions.

    ¡°The position that I hold now in court is not my ultimate goal.¡± She leaned back against the chair, her gaze scrupulous as she stared at me, ¡°However, if I intend to continue clawing my way upwards, then I¡¯d have to deliver results. In recent years, our country¡¯s limited manpower has been unable to grow at the same rate as the new cases being lodged each year, so everyone feels the escalating pressures and burdens. The ability to not waste our country¡¯s resources and execute a fair adjudication of the case has become one of the criterias set to determine and appraise a person¡¯s ability.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make this case unnecessarily and overly complicated, so I will not be submitting this section of the tapes as evidence to court.¡± The movement in her hands stilled, as she leaned forward, ¡°However, if I find out that you two are hiding anything else from me, then I will dismiss my charges. I want to win, but I also have my principles, do you understand?¡±

    I composed myself, understanding that this was the final warning she was giving me. I realised that the ramifications behind this were more serious than I had expected, seeing that it had already shaken her trust in us.

    ¡°I swear, there is nothing else I have to hide.¡± I held three fingers up in the air and swore to the heavens.

    Meng Xuan Jun stared at me for a while, then tossed the pencil back into the cup holder, stating, ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the upcoming trial then, Mr Lu.¡±

    I inwardly let out a deep breath as I got up and gave her a slight nod of my head, ¡°Goodbye, Prosecutor Meng.¡±

    After I left the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, standing under the sun feeling the breeze blow past me, I actually felt like I had landed in another century. Who would¡¯ve thought that in a short half hour, my emotions could go through such a rollercoaster.

    As I descended down the steps, with each step I took it was harder to suppress the elation in my heart. Finally, unable to hold it in any longer I started holding my face in my hands as my laughter rang out. In the end, I sunk down to sit on the steps just so I could concentrate on laughing.

    Perhaps that scene was too bizarre to witness, as many people turned their heads towards me staring at the sight. I didn¡¯t actually mind as I continued sitting there, laughing without a sign of stopping as tears even formed from the corners of my eyes.

    Back then, who was the person who said that he¡¯d rather marry a whore than sleep with me?

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    ¡°How amorous.¡± I fished out my cigarette and lit it up, sitting on the steps as I inhaled the smoke in.

    I didn¡¯t know what was going through Sheng Min Ou¡¯s mind when he did this, did he find me too annoying, so he wanted to use these methods to shame and humiliate me?

    Then he really sacrificed a lot on his end too, this was a classic case of killing a thousand men on the enemies¡¯ side but losing eight hundred of your own.

    Or was it¡­ he finally couldn¡¯t suppress the desires in his heart, and that day he went with the flow and let out all his carnal feelings on me?

    At this point in time, I really wanted to be a roundworm in Sheng Min Ou¡¯s stomach, that way I would come to understand and be able to figure out what he was thinking without me needing to make wild guesses of my own, tossing and turning all day long.

    Actually, my relationship with Sheng Min Ou had not been this bad in the past. In tenth grade he had actually been my tutor, and allowed me entry into his world.

    The turning point of everything was that cat. The cat that had been killed by Qi Yang.

    Once I had buried the ginger cat¡¯s corpse with Sheng Min Ou, along with the anxiety I felt towards wanting to uncover Sheng Min Ou¡¯s secret, I felt indescribable hatred and malice towards Qi Yang¡¯s clinginess.

    Although back then I was only sixteen, younger than Sheng Min Ou by four years, I always believed that I had a duty to look after him. Back when my father was alive, he was the backbone of the family, the head of the house. Once he passed, I should¡¯ve been the one who succeeded his position, protecting my mother, as well as protecting Sheng Min Ou.

    So I went and sought out Qi Yang, and warned him to not get close to Sheng Min Ou again, otherwise I¡¯d teach him a lesson.

    Qi Yang was cornered in the narrow alleyway by me, and in his hand was a takeout order, his facial expressions completely devoid of surprise, only a keen interest. ¡°I remember you, A-Sheng¡¯s younger brother.¡±

    My expression darkened, as I lightly tossed up a broken half of a brick in my hand and caught it again, ¡°Don¡¯t refer to him so intimately, he¡¯s not close to you.¡±

    Qi Yang readjusted his black rimmed glasses, and placed his takeout order to one side.

    ¡°You like him.¡± These words left his mouth as he straightened his body again.

    I was stunned, stopping my action of tossing and catching the brick as I gripped it tightly in my hand, the corner of my lips twitching, ¡°He¡¯s my older brother, what did you expect, I don¡¯t like him but I like you instead?¡±

    Perhaps it was because deep inside I always considered Qi Yang as a psychopath, so no matter from which angle I saw him he always appeared like a maniac to me. His smile which made others feel ill at ease, his complexion of a starkly pale white, and the way that he always talked to others, like he was mumbling incoherently half the time, all of these things made me despise him.

    ¡°No, I meant¡­¡± He changed his wording, ¡°You and me are the same, we both have desires towards him.¡±

    My breath stilled, as I clutched on tighter to the brick in my hand, moving closer towards him one step at a time.

    ¡°I¡¯m different from you.¡± I uttered these words for him to hear, but it was also meant for myself, ¡°I would never give him a dead cat as a gift.¡±

    I would also never try to drag him into the abyss, knowing he was hovering around the fringes of darkness.

    Qi Yang disagreed, ¡°But he liked it a lot.¡±

    I moved and grabbed his collar swiftly, pressing him against the brick wall and raising the brick in my hand as I gave him a cold smile, ¡°I think you would also like a beating.¡±

    Qi Yang looked straight at me, his gaze reflected from behind his glasses lenses, and there was an indescribable sinister feeling from it.

    ¡°You¡¯re too pure, you still smell like you had just been breastfed, you¡¯re a naive little brat.¡± He spoke, unfazed in the slightest, ¡°You¡¯ll never be able to have him like this. Monsters only like monsters, deviants only attract deviants, can¡¯t you even understand this?¡±

    His words instantly ignited a blistering wave of anger within me, I raised the brick in my hand¡­ and smashed it against the brick wall behind him.

    I didn¡¯t know how many days of being exposed to the harsh heat and eroding winds the half a brick I held in my hand went through, but its structure had already deteriorated so it instantly crumbled at the impact, the parts broken off scraping the side of Qi Yang¡¯s face as it fell.

    The corners of his lips tugged upwards into a mocking smile, and his gaze at me seemed to say, ¡®see, I told you that you still smelt like you had just finished being breastfed, you little brat, you can¡¯t even stand the sight of blood.¡¯

    I tightened my fist around his collar, as I spat each word with venom, ¡°Fuck your understanding!¡±, followed by a headbutt as I rammed my forehead into his face.

    Qi Yang instantly let out a painful moan as he covered his nose with a shaking hand.

    I backed away a few steps, seeing blood pour out from the cracks in his fingers as he squatted on the floor, and wiped my forehead in disgust.

    ¡°No matter what he is, he will never belong to you.¡±

    I turned and left, leaving Qi Yang alone in the alleyway. For the next few days I remained anxious, scared that the psychopath would run to Sheng Min Ou and tell him what had happened.

    Fortunately, all was calm in the following days and the tutoring continued. Sheng Min Ou afterwards did not bring up anything related to Qi Yang.

    Just like this, I buried my desires for him deep into the recesses of my heart as I searched for any opportunity to be alone with Sheng Min Ou. For the whole winter vacation, I was almost glued by his side.

    I thought I hid it very well, but back then I was only sixteen years old, and I was too young and inexperienced. It couldn¡¯t be helped¡­ that there were times where I couldn¡¯t hold myself back.

    On the last two days of winter vacation, after many days of shameless and insistent begging, Sheng Min Ou finally agreed to let me stay over at his place.

    I was beyond ecstatic, unable to fall asleep the whole night.

    Beside me was the body warmth I craved so much and for so long, even if the winter nights were cold, when I thought of him being so close to me, a thin layer of sweat would form all over my body.

    I honestly couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so I stared at his side profile in the darkness, and unwittingly raised my body so I could get closer to him and trace over his features more clearly with my eyes. When my gaze fell to his lips, I was slightly entranced by it, and my self control slipped as I held my breath and lowered my body, placing a featherlight kiss on the corners of his lips.

    This kiss was blissfully wonderful and addicting, enticing me to go further, like an opium poppy, making it hard for me to stay away. Yet just when I was about to snake the tip of my tongue through the crack in his lips, I abruptly came to and realised how dangerous my actions were.

    I hurriedly raised my head to check Sheng Min Ou¡¯s eyes, and discovered that he showed no signs of waking up from my harassment. My heart which was frantically beating and about to escape from my rib cage thus calmed down, and fell back to a normal pace. I let out a quiet breath in the aftermath of it all and returned to my side of the bed, finally being able to fall asleep in peace.

    The sky was bright when I woke up the next morning, and Sheng Min Ou had already gotten ready, about to leave for work. I rubbed my eyes as I got up, and lazily stretched.

    He reached for his keys in the drawer next to me, and accidentally nudged a book off as it fell to the ground. I bent down to pick it up for him, and he had the same thought as our fingers brushed against each other. Before I could react, it was as if he was shocked by electricity, as he swatted away my helping hand.

    I was stunned for a second, then retracted my hand, feeling slightly wronged.

    He didn¡¯t explain anything other than giving me a brief look, stating, ¡°If you¡¯re awake, leave by yourself.¡± After which, he returned the book to it¡¯s initial place and left the place without giving another glance back.

    After that day, he began to distance himself from me.

    First it was because he was busy with his studies as they required his frequent attention, so he cancelled our tutoring sessions together. Then, regardless of whether I played dumb and no matter how shamelessly I acted, he refused to meet up with me. He had completely isolated me from his life, and did not allow me to step closer to him.

    Even a fool would come to realise that there was a reason behind such an evident attitude change, and I wasn¡¯t a fool.

    I suddenly realised that he knew everything. My delusions and my obsession with him. I thought I had acted without giving anything away, but he knew of it all.

    When I was attending school, I remembered that my teacher had once told us this story.

    Long ago, there was a fisherman, and every time he ventured out into the seas to catch fish, flocks of gulls would land on his boat, playfully spending time with him. His father found out of this occurrence and told him, ¡°I heard that the gulls seem to really like being around you, they all flock to be by your side. Next time, go catch one and bring it back so I can play with it.¡±

    However, the next day when the fisherman went to the seaside, the gulls were just orbiting the skies above him, never descending to flock beside him.

    The gulls detected the fisherman¡¯s intentions, and so flew high above, never once landing by his side.

    Sheng Min Ou also detected my intentions, and from then on, he was never close with me again.

 CH 26

    It was the second day of the trial and the weather still remained gloomy.

    I woke up early in the morning, and arrived in front of the court at the appointed time.

    As a method of protection for the victims involved in the incident, though the media were allowed to cover the court case they were not allowed to disclose the identities and appearance of Mo Qiu and myself. No matter how many possibilities and theories the public onlookers put forward and regardless of whether the media reports were disseminated online or via newspapers, Mo Qiu had to be referred to as ¡®a man with the surname Mo¡¯, and I was just ¡®a man with surname Lu¡¯. Therefore, if I didn¡¯t browse the internet and go looking for those malicious comments, the coverage of the case didn¡¯t actually have a big impact on my life.

    Yet for Mo Qiu, after his first appearance in court, it was either some unethical news publisher or a Luo Zheng Yun fan that attended the hearing ¨C somehow information regarding his career was leaked, and that resulted in a witch hunt for Mo QIu online.

    Later, they actually lynched a person, however that person was falsely accused. An innocent illustrator was therefore involved in the case and had his identity exposed in a most brutal and ruthless manner. In an instant, there was heated debate between fans and antis, and as the toxicity soared, endless accounts were banned over it.

    All of this was information that Shen Xiao Shi relayed to me, and he also added on by saying that he had participated in this ¡®great war of the century¡¯ too, engaging with braindead fans in three hundred rounds of battle until he had completely annihilated them, leaving not even a scrap of armor remaining.

    I took it with a grain of salt, unsure of whether or not it was true or not, but thought that it did seem like quite a lot happened.

    Although it was the second trial, Mo Qiu still remained nervous and started uncontrollably shaking from the moment he arrived outside the court. I gave him a pat on his shoulder with the intention of having him loosen up a bit, however he was frightened instead by my sudden movement, like a rabbit that just had its fight or flight response triggered.

    When we were called in, Luo Zheng Yun and his team entered in front of us, and as we thought Mo Qiu¡¯s mental state wasn¡¯t the best at the moment, Meng Xuan Jun and I subconsciously shielded him behind us, preventing him from directly facing Luo Zheng Yun.

    ¡°That¡¯s the new lawyer they hired for this hearing, Wang Xian.¡± Meng Xuan Jun lifted her chin and signalled for me to look at the middle aged man which stood behind Luo Zheng Yun.

    The man in question appeared forty or so years old and had a pristinely maintained beard. His posture was flawless and he adorned a gunmetal grey suit with a red pocket square in his front pocket. The white strands of hair peeking from his temples did not make him appear older, rather they added to his air of maturity and intellectual prowess. Compared to someone who was attending court, it looked more like he was attending an evening bouquet.

    Meng Xuan Jun commented, ¡°He¡¯s a slimy veteran and won¡¯t be easy to go up against, so you should brace yourself. He might question your relationship with Mo Qiu, and also bring up the fact that you were incarcerated with your existing criminal record to call into question the authenticity of your accounts.¡±

    This was one of the aces they had up their sleeves that Sheng Min Ou mentioned.

    I nodded towards Meng Xuan Jun, ¡°I understand.¡±

    This time, Yi Da Zhuang finally was picked to attend and listen in on the second trial. When I entered I was able to spot him instantly, and from there I also saw Sheng Min Ou and Wu Yi who sat in the second row.

    The three pairs of eyes fell on me simultaneously, yet I only returned Sheng Min Ou¡¯s gaze and blinked at him.

    Sheng Min Ou almost imperceptibly furrowed his brows, and then flickered his gaze towards another place without any sign of lingering.

    The hearing began and after swearing in with the oaths, Meng Xuan Jun asked me to recount the approximate details of the day when the case took place, as well as everything Luo Zheng Yun did to me in the private club.

    I described all that had occurred without omitting any details, including the device I used to capture the tape and my friendship with Mo Qiu starting from back in junior years.

    When it was time for the cross examination, Wang Xian played his hand exactly as Meng Xuan Jun had anticipated, as he started casting doubt on whether or not my words could be trusted.

    ¡°Mr Lu, here I have a copy of your criminal record, and you¡¯ve served time in prison before.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell everyone what you were charged with?¡±

    ¡°Voluntary manslaughter.¡±

    He crossed his hands behind his back, a small arrogant smile exclusive to the elite appearing on his face as if he was omnipotent, confident that he could clear any problems that blocked his path.

    ¡°Tbe rkbgf lc mbega ab afii atf ageat, atf ktbif ageat, jcv cbatlcu yea atf ageat. Rbk mbeiv sbe jcrkfg ws defralbc jmmbgvlcuis?¡±

    P cbvvfv, ¡°Yo mbegrf.¡±

    ¡°Ljnf sbe fnfg gfugfaafv sbeg jmalbcr?¡±

    P kjr raeccfv tfjglcu tlr kbgvr, tlr defralbc ajxlcu wf ys regqglrf jr P vlv cba fzqfma atf ilcf bo defralbclcu ab tfjv lc atlr vlgfmalbc.

    Meng Xuan Jun reacted instantly, objecting that this question was irrelevant to the case.

    The judge looked towards Wang Xian.

    He immediately started explaining the rationale behind his actions, ¡°This question was just to confirm Mr Lu¡¯s attitude towards committing crime, and whether he is an individual that upholds values and morals that is shared by society.¡±

    The judge considered the proposal for a second then expressed the objection as invalid, and notioned for me to answer the question.

    I sat on the witness stand, facing the jury and the attendees, and it was as if time had slipped back to ten years ago.

    This Lawyer Wang, did he dig through and read up on my court transcript? Back then in court, the prosecutor handling my case had asked me the exact same question.

    ¡°Have you regretted the actions which you committed?¡±

    How did I answer back again?

    I looked at Sheng Min Ou sitting amongst the attendees and met his gaze from far away, a complicated and bitter feeling swelling up within me as it asked me repeatedly, ¡°You regret it? Regret it? Do you regret it?¡±

    The seconds ticked by one by one and no one urged me to make a response.

    ¡°No, I will never regret it.¡± When I came to and realised what I had said, I had already responded in a volume which everyone could hear clearly, and answered the prosecutors question.

    Back then I really was exceptionally stubborn with many flaws, I was arrogant and obstinate, unwilling to yield. I could have easily said a different response that was less extreme, but I just had to make a statement with my answer, I had to let everyone know that if I made a choice and committed to an action, I would never regret it.

    Now, I sat in the witness stand and Sheng Min Ou sat as a court participant, and the scene in front of me overlapped perfectly with what had happened long ago. The years seemed to blur as time appeared to come to a standstill.

    I looked over at him once more, responding to the same question I had received years ago. Just like he had done previously, he looked at me with a silent, distant gaze, as if he would remain unshaken by any response I gave.

    I was despondent towards the pain I had caused, I worried for the uncertain future that was ahead of me, and I was extremely penitent from breaking the law.

    But if you asked me whether or not I regretted it¡­

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never once regretted it.¡±

    I turned so I met the gaze of the middle aged lawyer decked out in his luxurious clothing.

    I would never regret anything I had done for Sheng Min Ou, not one minute, or any second of it.

    You might say that I¡¯m the type that never learns from lessons, well I am precisely that type of person who never learns.

    The crowd attending was unanimously shocked by my response, the attendees started all whispering to themselves as the judge hit his gavel repeatedly against a sound block, calling for silence as the court officials maintained order in the courthouse.

    Meng Xuan Jun suddenly stood up and hurriedly addressed the judge, ¡°Please allow me to request for a temporary adjournment.¡±

    The judge took a swift glance at his wristwatch and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll give you five minutes.¡±

    Meng Xuan Jun was livid as she slammed the doors of the breakout room behind her and was short of breath when she accusingly questioned me, asking whether I had a problem.

    ¡°How could you answer like that? Are you insane?¡±

    Mo Qiu stood in a corner and had shrunk himself up into a ball. He attempted to say a few words of dissuasion, however he had only muttered one word when the rest of it was swallowed by Meng Xuan Jun¡¯s voice.

    ¡°The jury does not care about whatever history you may have, if you answer like this, they¡¯ll think that there is something wrong with your morals.¡±

    Previously Mo Qiu had described her as a gentle person, it appeared now that it was just because no one had provoked her to this degree.

    I dug a finger into my ears, ¡°I thought that lying wasn¡¯t permitted in court.¡±

    Meng Xuan Jun was speechless for a second, wanting to curse at me but couldn¡¯t as she lacked legitimate justification. However, if she didn¡¯t swear at me, she would also feel indescribably suffocated.

    At last, she let out a long sigh, ¡°Our end game here is to sentence Luo Zheng Yun to his crimes, don¡¯t you remember? You said so yourself, if there was a first victim, there will be another one. If he isn¡¯t punished for this, he will never stop.¡±

    Of course I would remember.

    Because of her words, I swiftly regained my wits and realised that I had indeed allowed my emotions to get the better of me when I made my decision prior. The courtroom environment and Sheng Min Ou¡¯s presence were all too familiar to me, and made it hard for me to not be agitated.

    I grabbed at my hair then looked towards Meng Xuan Jun, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll approach the following questions more cautiously.¡±

    There were still a few minutes remaining so I gave the two of them a notice on my whereabouts then left the courthouse as I took a breath of fresh air outside, as well as to light up a cigarette. I ended up bumping into Sheng Min Ou in the corner of the smoking area.

    Seeing me, the person who stood next to him and was accompanying him on a smoke quickly put out her cigarette and brushed shoulders with me as she passed.

    My gaze followed her disappearing figure for a second as I vaguely recalled that she was an attendee in court, and that in the first trial I had seen her in the front row. Both times she wore a black dress, her complexion appeared frail but she was very attractive, so I had some memory of her.

    I lightly cleared my throat, holding a cigarette in my fingers as I moved forward, ¡°I don¡¯t have a lighter.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou raised his head and looked at me for a moment, then after a second of hesitation, he reached into his pants pocket, seemingly searching for his lighter.

    ¡°No need for such inconvenience,¡± I smiled as I bit on the cigarette between my teeth and lowered my body, borrowing the flame from his cigarette as mine caught on and became lit.

    The distance between us was minimal, we were so close that I could feel each breath he took against my face.

    After I had lit the cigarette, I stood up straight again, my gaze sweeping past his lips as I restrained myself with great effort to not stare too overtly.

    ¡°How come you¡¯re here?¡±

    It was strange, it¡¯s like I was born missing the ability to be mad at Sheng Min Ou. It was just a while ago when I had said the very words of wanting to completely be rid of him in my life, yet in just a few days from seeing him again, those gallant words which I had declared seemed to be phrases from a lifetime ago.

    ¡°Curious,¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s adam¡¯s apple moved slowly as he puffed out a breath of smoke, leaving me with two simple, vigorous words.

    I saw from his expressions when he was facing me that he seemed to be completely devoid of a guilty conscience, and his attitude was even worse than me despite myself being the victim. I could only admire his calm and collected demeanour.

    He really could act, if I flashed that tape in front of his face then I wondered if he could still maintain such a nonchalant expression.

    What was he thinking when he did all those things, it couldn¡¯t have all been annoyance right? Otherwise his taste and preferences would be really messed up.

    The angel logic and the devil emotions at this time jumped out again.

    Logic told me to wake up from my delusions, calling loudly, ¡°Sheng Min Ou does not have a heart, it¡¯s been this many years, and you¡¯re still holding onto the unrealistic hopes you had since the beginning, can you just wake up already?¡±

    Emotions also agreed with what logic had said, but it¡¯s face was still flushed red, amorous feelings displayed plainly on it¡¯s expressions, as it cupped it¡¯s face into its hands and stared dreamily at Sheng Min Ou, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t have a heart then then he doesn¡¯t have a heart, I¡¯ll just take his kidney. If I can¡¯t have his heart, I¡¯ll be fine having his body.¡±

    Logic was furious, ¡°Can you not have such low standards!¡±

    My standards really were this low.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡±

    I wanted to ask if he wanted to go to a place for us to sit down and have a quality conversation once this whole case was resolved, however he spoke up at the same time as me.

    ¡°Do you know what a ¡®rich judge¡¯ is?¡±

    I was taken off guard, and shook my head in perplexity.

    ¡°They were born as part of the bourgeoisie, and since they were young they¡¯ve never had to worry about food or clothing. They graduated from a prestigious school, their path one smooth road, never having experienced any sort of setback in life. Although they sympathise with the poor and despise evil, they¡¯ve never really tried to truly understand how people from other parts of the hierarchy think. This is the rich judge.¡± Sheng Min Ou flickered a glance over at the direction of the courthouse, ¡°Judge Zheng is exactly the aforementioned type.¡±

    The judge in Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s case had the surname Zheng.

    I furrowed my brows, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The prosecutor only needs to make sure that they can press their charges in the case and won¡¯t talk about any other unrelated issues. Judge Zheng does not like any victims that have a tainted record, for example, like you.¡± He held the cigarette in his hand and slowly approached closer, the razor sharp words in his mouth coming out with the suffocating cigarette smoke, ¡°He likes having close relations with rich people that are in the same standings at himself, such as Luo Zheng Yun. Even if the jury is convinced that Luo Zheng Yun is guilty, there is still a large possibility that Judge Zheng will only convict him to serve community service, after all molestation isn¡¯t a severely punished crime.¡±

    He asked, ¡°For a case that¡¯s a guaranteed loss, is it really worth it?¡±

    I bit down on the cigarette, not expecting for him to discuss this with me.

    ¡°Whether something is worth it or not, how should I put it, it depends on the individual.¡± I flicked off the burnt cigarette ashes, laughing as I continued, ¡°If it¡¯s something that I think is worth doing, no matter how difficult it is, I¡¯ll get it done. Similarly, if it¡¯s someone who I think is worth loving, no matter how vile they are, I¡¯ll still love them.¡±

    He understood the meaning behind my words, yet pretended to not have heard, as he put out the cigarette and raised his arm, eyeing the time on his watch as he remarked, ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    Five minutes were up, and now the trial would continue.

    The ace defence lawyer, the rich judge, the scum celebrity, what a dream team.

    It¡¯s fine, what happened between myself and Sheng Min Ou, we could figure it out later, but I needed to solve the matter at hand first.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I discarded the cigarette that I had barely touched into the trash, tucking both hands in my pockets as I proceeded to walk back.

 CH 27

    Wang Xian¡¯s questioning continued.

    ¡°Mr Lu, you were junior high classmates with the other victim in this case, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°From what I¡¯m aware of, in these last ten or so years, you two have not been in close contact.¡±

    ¡°We only met each other again in the winter of last year.¡±

    Wang Xian¡¯s expression morphed into one of doubt, ¡°You two have not been in contact for over ten years, but you decided to to come out and involve yourself in this case for an old classmate,  who can¡¯t even be called a friend. If I¡¯m honest, this is an action that¡¯s quite rarely seen. So then, could you tell me what motive you had when you left for the ¡®Sacred Garden of Eden¡¯ with my client? You also clearly anticipated that something would happen, as you hid your phone and recorded the evidence which you later submitted in court.¡±

    Meng Xuan Jun was right in her guesses, the defence really was making a big deal out of my relationship with Mo Qiu and on how trustworthy my account was.

    I gave him a smile in return, taking my time and not rushing to jump in and defend myself, ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re someone who probably doesn¡¯t have friends.¡±

    There was a murmur of laughter arising from the jury and the public gallery of attendees as Wang Xian¡¯s features stilled, his eyes reflecting clear annoyance at being the butt of a joke. If we weren¡¯t at court right now, I really would like to add on a few words, so he could look even more like I had just hit him where it hurt.

    ¡°In junior high, Mo Qiu was my assigned partner and I was tasked to help him out by my homeroom teacher. I was in charge of assisting with his homework, and was also on the lookout to prevent him from being bullied by other classmates. Although I realise I am someone with a criminal record, back when I attended school my grades were quite excellent, and I was always more than willing to help other classmates.¡± I looked at Mo Qiu who sat on the prosecutors bench and found that his eyes were red rimmed, as if he was about to burst into tears again, and unwittingly sighed to myself, ¡°Mo Qiu is someone who has an especially introverted and sensitive personality, at first I also tried to convince him to have the police involved in this, but because of the bullying he had endured when he was a student he has always cared a lot about how other people perceive him, so I wanted take this matter in my own hands and resolve this issue for him.¡±

    Wang Xian seemed to be just waiting for me to say these words, as I saw his lips part slightly and jumped in again before he could speak, ¡°Of course, this method was not smart, it subjected me to horrifying violence. Calling the police should always be the first call of action in any situation, I believe that the law will serve justice where deserved.¡± I looked to the jury, and directed all my emotions into my speech, ¡°No matter what kind of person we were, whether we like men or women, no matter our sexual preferences or how many people we¡¯ve slept with, none of these are excuses for someone to be violent to another person.¡±

    The jury was formed of a few young females who after hearing my words, nodded in affirmation. The look on Wang Xian¡¯s face worsened, clearly my speech was unexpected and had broken his tempo.

    However, for him to be called an ¡®ace¡¯, he clearly would have to excel in adapting to any given situation. Wang Xian quickly expressed to the jury that Luo Zheng Yun within the entertainment circle had always had a good reputation and personal brand, and that he¡¯d never had any negative rumours about being violent in bed. He was persistent in trying to create an image of an innocent gentleman that had been mistakenly accused and wronged in front of the jury.

    In the following moments of the trial, the prosecutor and defence went back and forth, a stalemate forming on the battlegrounds. Meng Xuan Jun displayed even more evidence, many of which in the form of Mo Qiu¡¯s private blog, to show the ramifications of Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s actions to Mo Qiu¡¯s body and psyche.

    From when he had entered a romantic relationship with Luo Zheng Yun, to his suicide attempt.

    ¡°For two months, he endured multiple counts of physical and sexual abuse from Luo Zheng Yun, there were more than ten instances recorded, yet the only place he could turn to was his own online blog, a place no one could discover apart from himself.¡± She picked a passage at random and began reading it out, ¡°I really am terrified, he¡¯s changed into someone I don¡¯t recognise anymore. What should I do? No one can help me, I feel like I¡¯m decaying and wilting, I¡¯m in so much pain, what do I need to do to be free of him?¡±

    Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s expression was completely devoid of remorse as he sat on the bench of the accused, and had the nonchalance to play around with his fingers, admiring his nicely manicured nails.

    Meng Xuan Jun held a file to the air, ¡°I also would like to submit an expert opinion as evidence, I have in my hand a psychologists¡¯s evaluation, diagnosing Mo Qiu with severe clinical depression, and that he is in immediate need of long term psychotherapy.¡±

    At this time, in the public gallery, someone from the last row stood up and passed the masses of people to excuse themselves. I took a look at them, and realised that it was the same lady that I had previously seen, wearing her black dress. Her head was lowered with her long hair obscuring her features, as she promptly left the courthouse.

    This hearing lasted for around two hours, before it ended much like last time. Once Luo Zheng Yun walked out from the courthouse, he was once again swarmed by media reporters.

    The next hearing would commence after five days, Meng Xuan Jun was not too concerned over it, the battle had just started, and the outlook for it ending in our win was very probable.

    I always thought that her idea of a ¡®win¡¯ differed from my understanding of what it would be like. If Luo Zheng Yun was seen as guilty by the jury, then the prosecutor would have done their job and fulfilled their mission. However, if Luo Zheng Yun was just given a suspended sentence following community service, it wouldn¡¯t bother him in the slightest, and this to me would not count as a brilliant ¡®win¡¯.

    Though at first I had involved myself not because I wanted to bring forth justice, but rather because of my personal rivalry with Sheng Min Ou, now that we¡¯ve reached this point, if in the end Luo Zheng Yun didn¡¯t get the punishment he deserved¡­ then it would really be too frustrating and bitter to stomach.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll all go get hotpot, it¡¯ll allow us to cleanse ourselves of this scum scent.¡± Yi Da Zhuang moved forward and hooked an arm around my shoulder, calling out to Mo Qiu as we left the courthouse.

    I replied, ¡°The scent of scum?¡±

    ¡°Once we stay in the same room as that scum Luo Zheng Yun for too long, we¡¯ll be contaminated by his foul smell,¡± Yi Da Zhuang explained, ¡°I¡¯ve already told San Ge and Xiao Shi to get there first and get us a seat so we can head directly there.¡±

    Mo Qiu appeared slightly uncomfortable at this, ever since I knew him he wasn¡¯t the type of person who was good at socialising, and for him to go out and eat with a group of people he wasn¡¯t familiar with was really a big ask. If I was honest, I didn¡¯t have much to talk to him about as well. If we were going to ask him to come eat with us, and it ended up with us leaving him out of our conversation, then it would be better to not call him to come at all.

    So I told Mo Qiu, if he didn¡¯t want to go then he didn¡¯t have to, and that he could go home to rest up instead.

    Zb Hle ibbxfv jr lo tf tjv yffc gfilfnfv bo j vfjat rfcafcmf, yea tf ralii jaafwqafv ab wjrx tlr fzqgfrrlbcr jr tf gfqilfv mbegafberis, ¡°C-Cqbibulfr, P¡¯w j yla algfv abvjs, cfza, cfza alwf P¡¯ii ub klat fnfgsbcf.¡±

    Lf rjlv tlr ojgfkfiir ab er jcv tjv pera aegcfv lc jcbatfg vlgfmalbc ab ifjnf ktfc tf abbx bcf rafq, jcv tlr ktbif ybvs kfca glulv jr tf rtgecx yjmx jcv gfagjmfv tlr obbarafqr.

    I looked over to where his gaze was, and saw Sheng Min Ou leaving the courthouse with Wu Yi following suit.

    Perhaps the courthouse was stuffy inside, as Sheng Min Ou took off his jacket and held it by the crook of his arm, revealing his pristinely fitted gunmetal blue suit shirt. From top to bottom, each button was tightly done up, and apart from his head and his hands, there was not another inch of skin exposed.

    Wu Yi saw me and waved a hand in my direction as a means of greeting. Sheng Min Ou ignored his actions and walked forward, his gaze unwavering, never even looking this way.

    ¡°How about we call your brother along and go together?¡± Yi Da Zhuang said whilst nudging at my shoulders.

    I looked at him like he was an extraterrestrial species, ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    If I went to go call him to eat with us, there was a ninety percent chance that he would have me get out of his sight straight away. Honestly, it was hard for me to imagine Sheng Min Ou wearing a full suit with proper leather shoes, eating hotpot with everyone, his expression stoic like he was practising abstinence the whole time.

    Even now, I still could not imagine what he looked like when he did me.

    If it wasn¡¯t something I witnessed personally, that kind of scene wasn¡¯t something that I could just conjure up with my barren imagination.

    Yi Da Zhuang touched his nose and mockingly stated, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go over there to just say two words to your brother, so wait here for me okay.¡± After saying so he didn¡¯t wait for my response before he bolted towards where Sheng Min Ou was.

    I could see from afar that Yi Da Zhuang approached Sheng Min Ou with an air of flattery and brought out his phone, looking like he was asking for Sheng Min Ou¡¯s contact details. Sheng Min Ou did not entertain him and rather tilted his head back to speak to Wu Yi, who then quickly fished out a business card from his pocket and passed it over to Yi Da Zhuang.

    Yi Da Zhuang was all smiles as he accepted the card, giving several nods to Sheng Min Ou as he watched them walk away.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, watching Yi Da Zhuang come running back with a jovial expression on his face as I teased, ¡°Did you catch feelings for Wu Yi or my brother?¡±

    ¡°How could I, it¡¯s just about the case, I wanted to ask your elder brother for his thoughts, given that he¡¯s a professional in the field. It¡¯s hard being a small journalist, you really have to hustle just to get food on the table.¡± He signed, the vexation evident in his voice, ¡°I work in the entertainment circles, so who would¡¯ve thought that one day I would have to follow a court case and tail everyone involved in it, life is really too difficult.¡±

    Every case that caused a commotion and caught the attention of the public would unavoidably have multiple media companies fighting for coverage. To hold an edge over one another all reporting the same incident, each reporter would have to bring out all their own tricks and connections.

    Camping outside the scene where all the action unfolded was a fundamental move that was expected of everyone, writing up an article that included an expert¡¯s breakdown of what was likely to happen was however a significant bonus.

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s company was initially not one of those gossip magazines. The purpose of the paparazzi like articles were so readers could be updated on what had just happened, whilst the company could capitalise off popular incidents by covering it and attracting attention. Previously, the articles submitted were all typical of yellow journalism, dramatising information in whichever way to pique the reader¡¯s interest. This approach was vehemently criticised by Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s fans, and the general public also felt disinclined to help.

    However, Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s most recent reporting not only clearly summarised the timeline of events, depicting both arguments put forward by the prosecution and the defence in previous hearings, but it even included a pencil sketch of Luo Zheng Yun sitting at the benches, his face a picture perfect embodiment of arrogance. Unlike the previous reports released which were of a lower tier quality, the writing style here was vastly different.

    As the article was also thorough and exhaustive with its details, despite Luo Zheng Yun fans attempting to stop the piece from taking off, the number of shares continued to increase.

    ¡°A lawyer has determined that the appearance of the new victim perhaps wouldn¡¯t be of much use and advantage to the prosecution, instead it would only serve to harm the amount of trust the jury is willing to place in the initial victim, as it provides the defence with new options and possibilities. Tsk, why does this lawyer¡¯s analysis feel so familiar¡­¡± I sat in front of the computer, smoking as I slid the cursor down and continued scrolling.

    Unlike the other reports which only focused on introducing the prosecutor, defence lawyer, and judge involved in the case, the article Yi Da Zhuang submitted read like it was for the general public who didn¡¯t have any prior knowledge of the entertainment world, as it also thoroughly detailed Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s birth, early life and how he established his career.

    Luo Zheng Yun came from an established family, with his ancestors being involved in trade early on. His mother and his uncle were both diplomats, and since he debuted in the entertainment industry five years ago his career has always been smooth sailing. Apart from having handsome looks and convincing acting skills, his tremendous success could also be attributed to his background. In the worst case scenario, all Luo Zheng Yun had to do would be to leave the entertainment circle, and he would still be able to go home to inherit the family business, enjoying life as an affluent heir and continuing to do his evil deeds.

    No wonder Sheng Min Ou concluded that I was doomed to fail.

    To pay a colossal price just in exchange for a smidge of justice, and in the end the mark left on him might not even compare to the white moon shaped crescents on Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s fingernails.

    In the third hearing, Sheng Min Ou continued sitting in his original spot, and so did Yi Da Zhuang, however Wu Yi was not in attendance. I scanned the last row of the public gallery, finding that the woman in the black dress who was present both times earlier still had not made it to the hearing yet.

    Due to Wang Xian raising questions last time as to whether my account could be trusted, Meng Xuan Jun was left with no choice but to launch a counterattack. She invited the superintendent jailor that oversaw my sentence back when I was in Qing Wan City First Prison.

    I thought that when I left the prison that day I would never cross paths with Old Huang again, yet who would¡¯ve guessed in less than a year I would see him again, and it was in such an awkward setting in court.

    ¡°Do you think Lu Feng is an honest person?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Could you tell us more about how you see him as a person?¡±

    Old Huang shrugged as he spoke, ¡°He¡¯s a soft hearted person, but he would never admit it, and he would also never admit that he¡¯s always more than willing to help others, but everyone all knew that the kid in cell 67 was different from those malicious and wicked criminals there.¡±

    I sat in the prosecutors bench and felt my face heat up at his remarks, even feeling a bit startled at his words. I knew that Old Huang was fond of me, but I didn¡¯t realise that he had such a high opinion of me.

    Meng Xuan Jun continued, ¡°Lu Feng is someone who wouldn¡¯t shy away from his honest thoughts at any time or in any situation, and this exemplifies his strong moral and ethics code. He¡¯s not someone who would use lies and deceit to reach a goal. I hope that the jury can consider the differences that exist between a figure in public and how they might conduct themselves in private, and not hold any prejudice against any marginalised groups, thereby accepting the witness testimony coming from Lu Feng. Thank you.¡±

    When it was time for Wang Xian to question Old Huang, he stood up and adjusted his collar.

    ¡°How many years have you served as a superintendent jailor?¡±

    ¡°Twenty years.¡±

    ¡°And for how many years have you overseen Lu Feng?¡±

    ¡°Eight years, from when he was eighteen.¡±

    ¡°Then you must hold strong feelings for him, you¡¯ve pretty much seen him grow up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m able to still distinguish between private and public matters without having feelings intrude.¡±

    Wang Xian started out with simple questions, then slowly introduced questions with more latent intentions as he exposed his fangs.

    ¡°Has he been held in solitary confinement back when he was serving his sentence?¡±

    Old Huang thought about it for a second then replied, ¡°He has.¡±

    Wang Xian instantly morphed into a shark that had caught the scent of blood, his expression becoming excited. Being the ace that he was, he would not let go of any opportunity.

    ¡°Only prisoners that have made a mistake get held in solitary confinement, correct?¡±

    Old Huang clearly did not want to respond to the question, however the Judge started urging him on, ¡°Witness, you must answer.¡±

    With no other alternative, he could only nod his head and answer, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Wang Xian let out a satisfied smile, clearly the current status quo was favoured towards the defence, however he did not stop his questioning just yet.

    ¡°And what was the reason for that?¡±

    He seemed to think that if the reason for me being held in solitary confinement was told to the jury, no matter what the cause or how little the matter was when it started, he would have a way to narrate the events so that I came out as an amoral and unrepentant scum criminal to society.

    Old Huang intertwined his fingers as he placed his hands on the stand, his tone slightly exasperated as he enunciated each word clearly, ¡°To prevent five prisoners from sodomizing and raping another child. That kid was only eighteen that year, and was a new prisoner. This can¡¯t be blamed on Lu Feng, however¡­ rules are rules, in the end all of them involved were held in solitary confinement.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Meng Xuan Jun remarked using a very low voice, delighting in the mistake that Wang Xian had made, ¡°What a good question indeed.¡±

    I looked at Sheng Min Ou who sat in the public gallery, his chin was lifted slightly and both his arms were crossed, his eyes full of uncertainty and disgust. As if in a symphony where every note rang out beautifully, a sound that didn¡¯t fit in had inexplicably appeared, and it had ruined the whole performance.

    Wang Xian clearly realised this too, that he shouldn¡¯t have asked the last question but the damage was done. Since he had already asked it, he could only continue with his line of interrogation with a darkened expression and swallow the bitter mistake that he had made.

    When the hearing was complete that day, Luo Zheng Yun wore a mask and hurriedly headed out. Yi Da Zhuang chased after him for pictures, with Mo Qiu and I intentionally waiting for a while before leaving the courtroom, just so we could put more distance in between us and Luo Zheng Yun.

    The next hearing would be the final hearing, whether or not Luo Zheng Yun would be found innocent or guilty would be revealed then.

    I saw Sheng Min Ou slowly exit as one of the last people in the room, and subsequently quickly let Mo Qiu know before running over to that side.

    I knew that Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t want to see me, but I couldn¡¯t resist the temptation to mess with him even though I had nothing to say. Seeing him frown over my antics had become a peculiar hobby of mine.

    Maybe in my last lifetime I was a beyblade, that would explain why I kept doing things now that was just asking to be hit.

    ¡°Esteemed Lawyer Sheng, after today¡¯s hearing will you change your predictions on how this case will go?¡± I raised a hand, grasping an invisible microphone and brought it in front of him.

    Sheng Min Ou probably used this to confirm the fact that there was indeed something wrong with me as his eyes slanted over to my side, as without any hesitation he moved to descend down the steps in big strides.

    Yet it was just at this moment that numerous screams suddenly erupted from outside the courthouse.

    I looked towards where the sound was coming from and found masses of people dispersing in waves, panic and shock conspicuously shown on their faces. An ill-boding feeling arose within me as I couldn¡¯t help but descend down the steps.

    Amongst the escaping crowd, I saw Yi Da Zhuang stumbling as he raced his way up the stairs. Without even thinking about it, I went forward to help him.

    In front of me, one of the court officers roared, ¡°Do you hear me, put down your weapon!¡±

    The bellows continued for a few more times,when suddenly there was a piercing shriek from a woman, grief entrenched in her wail.

    ¡°My son, your mother is coming to find you!¡±

    In the next second, three shots of gunfire went off as I reflexively crouched down and subconsciously looked towards where the sound came from.

    Through the crowd of people, traces of a black dress fell to the ground, a dagger stained with blood clattering as it dropped in sync. Not far from her was Luo Zheng Yun, who had collapsed on the floor in a puddle of blood, a large blossoming stain of red emerging from his chest, his face alabaster white and completely unresponsive to the crowd around him calling his name.

    The person closest to him, Wang Xian, seemed to have his legs give out as he fell to the ground and was unable to get back up.

    ¡°That scared the shit out of me!¡± Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s face was pale as he crawled to sit beside me, turning his head back to witness the scene, his voice still shaking uncontrollably, ¡°God knows where this lady came from, she charges up to Luo Zheng Yun and before you know it he¡¯s been stabbed five, six times. Each puncture was fatal, and she was yelling for him to return her son back¡­ my god, that¡¯s way too gory, I¡¯m going to throw up¡­¡±

    I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but for some reason my heart seemed to be in a mess right now.

    Crouching on the steps, I looked at the woman in the black dress who had several bullets put through her and had long since taken her last breath and inexplicably started recalling the scene I saw at the previous hearing.

    Before I went to the smoking area, wasn¡¯t she speaking to Sheng Min Ou?

    But¡­ even if they were talking, what significance does that have?

    She could have been just borrowing a lighter from Sheng Min Ou, and there may have been no definite connection between that incident and what had happened today. I shouldn¡¯t be letting my thoughts diverge in that direction, I didn¡¯t even know what I was thinking about all of this for.

    Without even thinking about it, I looked back up the long flight of steps.

    The towering courthouse cast its elongated grey shadows down on the steps below, where everyone else looked scrambled and pitiful except for Sheng Min Ou, who stood at the pinnacle of the stairs and cast his eyes downwards, taking in everything that had happened. A calm gaze, which watched all the crime, hatred, bloodshed and violence unfold.

    The cool, icy emotion made me think of the Lady Justice in front of the courthouse, with her left hand holding a set of scales, symbolic of fairness and righteousness, and in her right hand a sword, representing the desire to never rest until justice is served. Finally, the blindfold covering her eyes, conveying that she would always be rational and a voice of reason, never to be influenced by other, inconsequent noises.

    Jiraiya (translator): Hi everyone! Thank you for your support so far, I won¡¯t be responding to every single comment from now on as it usually takes me an hour to do so, but please know I really appreciate every single comment and I read all of it! As things get busier for me I¡¯m sure all of you would prefer if I spent that hour on translating, but know that I really am grateful for each comment! Thank you again and see you in the next chapter.

 CH 28

    Thank you VBaby for the Kofi allowing for this sponsored chapter release!

    The scene was overrun with chaos as screams and wails reverberated throughout, and accompanying all of this were the incessant clicking shutter sounds from the sedulous reporters.

    ¡°Are¡­ are you guys alright?¡± Mo Qiu called from afar, his complexion sickly white as he rushed over, both eyes filled with fear.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine¡­ ugh..¡± Perhaps Yi Da Zhuang sprinted too fast for his body to handle just then, or maybe he really was hit hard and disgusted by what had happened, as either way he started dry heaving on the staircases. Yet, he continued to wave at Mo Qiu, indicating that he was fine and that it was no big deal.

    ¡°What in the world happened?¡± Mo Qiu asked, peering down the stairs at the crowd that was slowly gathering around again before letting himself collapse on the steps.

    I also wanted to understand what had just happened.

    I turned back to look at the scene behind me, only a short moment had passed but Sheng Min Ou had already disappeared from where I last saw him. I stood up, my gaze flickering from sight to sight, until I finally found a trace of his back disappearing from a far corner.

    ¡°Wait here for a second, I¡¯ll be¡­ going to handle some things.¡± I said, hurriedly leaving them with these words before I ran, chasing after Sheng Min Ou.

    I rounded the corner and in front of me was the court¡¯s carpark. When I ran into it, Sheng Min Ou had already gotten in his car, and was just a second away from stepping on the gas.

    I doubted that I would be able to stop him from leaving, so without giving it too much thought I threw myself in front of his car, blocking his way out. He saw and didn¡¯t motion to turn off the car¡¯s ignition, but he also refrained from simply just running me over.

    I panted as I ran to the drivers side of the car, gesturing for him to lower his window.

    It was only after a while that the tinted window started descending, revealing Sheng Min Ou¡¯s handsome features.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    I clamped my fingers on the car window and caught my breath as I asked him, ¡°You, what exactly did you do?¡±

    He raised a single eyebrow, as if he didn¡¯t understand what I was trying to say.

    A wave of frustration rose within, and I wasn¡¯t in the mood to beat around the bush with him, so I unequivocally asked him, ¡°Last time at the trial¡­ what did you say to that woman?¡±

    His index finger tapped on the steering wheel with impeccable rhythm as he listened, as if it symbolised the levels of his patience. Every time he tapped his finger, the amount of patience he had would lessen incrementally.

    ¡°The woman?¡±

    Shit, if I hadn¡¯t already witnessed his irreproachable acting then I really would¡¯ve believed it myself.

    I pointed towards the direction of the entrance and couldn¡¯t hold myself back as the volume of my voice creeped up, ¡°The woman who was lying there on the floor, wearing a black one piece dress, she came to the hearing three times and last time during an adjournment she was smoking with you, don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t remember this!¡±

    I felt enraged and simultaneously fearful. Yet these emotions I felt and the breaking point just then had little to do with the shocking incident which had happened earlier. Whether Luo Zheng Yun died, how he died, when he died, I didn¡¯t care for this at all; whether justice really would be served, whether this world was fair or not, I didn¡¯t care for it either; what I cared about only was¡­ whether or not Sheng Min Ou was involved in all of this.

    To determine that Sheng Min Ou had a role to play in all of this through only a glimpse of an encounter that I had only chanced upon was a conclusion that even I found inexplicable. This was something that I couldn¡¯t even justify or explain with my gut feeling, and could not be accounted for either with logic. What was he doing it for? To enforce justice or to protect me? No matter which reason I came up with to explain his motive, it all became absurd and laughable in the end.

    ¡°Oh,¡± After being given a reminder from me, Sheng Min Ou seemed to have just recalled that someone like that did exist, ¡°Last time, we simply shared a smoke together, and we exchanged a few words.¡±

    In an instant, my heart was in my throat, ¡°What did you say to her?¡±

    Vtfcu Zlc Ye¡¯r lglrfr kfgf vjgx gfmfrrfr bo atlmx yijmxcfrr jr tf rajgfv ragjluta ja wf, gfwjlclcu rlifca obg j ibcu alwf.

    Mjmfv klat j rlifca mbcogbcajalbc ilxf atlr bcis wjvf ws offilcur wbgf jczlber.

    Fcjyif ab yfjg klat la, P rijqqfv atf mjg vbbg jcv jrxfv jujlc, vfrqfgjalbc fvulcu lcab ws abcf, ¡°Qtja atf tfii vlv sbe rjs ab tfg?¡±

    ¡°The truth,¡± he replied softly, giving me just the two words in response.

    I was stunned for a second, at a loss for words as I struggled to come up with a response.

    ¡°You did it on purpose.¡± My mind was thrown into chaos, for one second I saw the woman in the black dress outside the entrance again, then in the next it changed to be Qi Yang who I killed ten years ago, ¡°You¡¯ve always been good at it.¡±

    No matter whether it was getting other people to do the dirty work for him, or to bewitch others with his twisted words, he excelled, flourished at doing all of it. Except ten years ago I willingly and knowingly did it for him, yet what was the reason behind all of this today? What exactly did Luo Zheng Yun do that got on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s wrong side?

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s index finger stilled, suddenly stopping in his repetitive motions in tapping the wheel as his gaze grew steadily colder, as his lips curved upwards in derision.

    I felt my heart drop as I mumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m very good at it, and I do it faultlessly too, no matter whether it was back then or now.¡± He admitted generously, ¡°Knowing that I have sinned brings me happiness like none other.¡±

    My fingers unwittingly clutched onto the surface of the car harder, the barrage of his words knocking me off my senses and making me disoriented, as I struggled with discerning whether his words were coming out from the depths of his heart, or if he was saying it to me purely out of spite.

    ¡°Do you remember what Dad said to you before he passed away? He said you would definitely become a very, very good person, do you remember?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold myself back as I grabbed onto his elbow.

    His expressions slowly faded as he wiped away all traces of his emotions, not speaking once more as he was taciturn, opting to just stare at me.

    At certain moments, mentioning my father was a very good strategy to employ, but sometimes bringing him up would have the opposite effect. His existence was a dose of medicine that healed all things, yet he was also a scar that was etched deeply into our hearts.

    The sports car suddenly let out a frightening roar, like a beast¡¯s furious warning to any bystanders.

    ¡°Let go.¡± He roughly waved off my hand, his patience having completely run out, as he no longer wanted to entertain me in this discussion.

    I raised my fist and hit it against the edge of the window, a wave of numbness surging through my hand as I took two steps back involuntarily.

    Without waiting for the window to rise up completely, the silver white sports car raced past me like a streak of wind, leaving only dust behind as it dashed out of the car park.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I massaged the back of my hand as I stared as the exhaust coming out of the back of his car, kicking at the air by my feet in frustration.

    Luo Zheng Yun was sent to the emergency department in hospital as they tried to rescue him for three days, but they were ultimately unsuccessful in saving him. As the defendant had unexpectedly passed away, the trial and case was terminated.

    The woman wearing the black dress who had committed the murder was an instant hot topic online, and rumours flew everywhere ranging from her being Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s ex-girlfriend, to an anti fan, to a fired employee, every possible explanation was examined and resulted in a whirlwind of discussions, until¡­ a Weibo blog post which had been automatically scheduled was released.

    The poster¡¯s ID was ¡®Le Le¡¯s mother, Han Ya¡¯, she was thirty six years old this year and was a dancer in a nightclub. She had a son and gave birth to him when she was aged twenty, and the father of the son was unknown. If her son had continued living, he would be around sixteen years old today.

    The use of ¡®if¡¯ was because last spring, the son had taken his own life and killed himself.

    She admitted that it was her who killed Luo Zheng Yun, as well as foreseeing her own death. She hoped that her revenge, which she had played out in her mind for thousands of times did not fail. If this world was unable to provide her with the justice she deserved, then it would have to be on her to seek it herself.

    This was a scheduled Weibo post, but it read more like a suicide note, and it could be counted as the last thing she left for this world. The whole post was thousands of words long, each phrase written painstakingly with blood and tears, as it delved into her homicide motives in more detail.

    Her son Han Le had decided to jump off a building to commit suicide in the spring of last year. At first, she had thought it was because she didn¡¯t show enough care and affection for her son, as well as the pressures of taking the high school exams which had caused this tragedy to occur. She was overcome with remorse, the regret becoming all-consuming, and she had never considered any other possibilities.

    Han Le had always been a big fan of Luo Zheng Yun. All the posters on his walls were of him, his phone wallpaper was set to him, and his keychains had him too. He madly, and obsessively loved Luo Zheng Yun, not tolerating anyone who uttered a single bad word about him. Han Ya once purposefully commented a few words of criticism towards Luo Zheng Yun to tease her son, and in return Han Le ignored her for three whole days. Knowing that Luo Zheng Yun was cherished by her son to this extent, Han Ya specifically packed away anything related to him into a box along with her son¡¯s diary while packing away his belongings.

    And so, one year had passed. The scar had not healed completely, and the sorrow and pain still remained, yet Han Ya still diligently and enthusiastically tried to continue living.

    It was at this moment that breaking news of Luo Zheng Yun raping male fans came to her attention, and the saturated coverage that was always being broadcasted forced her to pay attention to the case as she became exposed to all the information.

    She started feeling ill at ease, it was a feeling that only a mother would have, and it impelled her as she hurriedly returned home and anxiously poured out the contents in the box, flipping open her son¡¯s diary.

    After reading its contents, she sank into an even deeper despair compared to what she had faced when her son committed suicide.

    Her son Han Le, a child only fifteen, ended up also falling into the injurious hands of Luo Zheng Yun.

    Though Han Le was different to Mo Qiu. He loved Luo Zheng Yun, and didn¡¯t feel pain when subjected to violence and force. Instead, he thought of it as his duty when they were making love. Every time when Luo Zheng Yun proposed to meet up with him, he was over the moon in bliss as he was completely swept up in their romance, which he thought was as sweet as honey.

    Yet Luo Zheng Yun this sick bastard may really have twisted desires in this regard, the more obedient and willing the other person was, the more boring he found them. He quickly got tired of Han Le and blacklisted his contact throughout all forms of communication, thereby completely abandoning him.

    The more elated Han Le was during the relationship, the more devastated and heartbroken he became after it ended. He couldn¡¯t understand why Luo Zheng Yun had cast him aside without a single word and he fervently believed that there had to be some sort of misunderstanding between them two. Han Le searched maniacally for him, but he was only still in junior high, and his social networks were fundamentally only comprised of his classmates, so it was of no surprise that finding Luo Zheng Yun, the scum, was beyond his abilities.

    The shock and devastation that came with being heartbroken, the pain from being toyed with and then abandoned, pushed this boy that was only fifteen towards a cliff¡¯s edge.

    During lunch break, he leapt and fell from the top of the maths block, ending his young life. The only thing he left behind was a short, plain note with less than one hundred words as his final thoughts.

    As for his mother, a whole year would pass before she came to find out the truth.

    ¡°My child, my child was only fifteen years old, he will now never grow old, and he will also never have the chance to grow old. All the wonderful things that lie in the future now have nothing to do with him. He will never get to attend high school, or go to university. When other people his age are getting married and having their first baby, he can only lie in the cold ground six feet under, bearing eternal solitude as he suffers there day by day! Yet what about Luo Zheng Yun? He still has his money and power, and he remains unrepentant for everything that he has done.¡±

    ¡°For the past ten or so years, I¡¯ve tirelessly earned money and painstakingly brought up my son under those conditions, I¡¯ve never harmed anyone else, and my child has also never done any bad deeds in his life, but the heavens did not give us their blessings. Luo Zheng Yun would just continue to harm someone over and over again, and not receive any punishment for his wicked deeds. Then there¡¯s the trial, a tedious and difficult process meant to judge him, but in the end it might just result in him sitting in jail nonchalantly for two or so years or even worse, he might not be sentenced to any time at all, I can¡¯t accept this result at all! My child has already lost his future, so why should he be able to live life as he wants? He must pay for his actions, he must die!!¡±

    Liu Yue finished reading Han Ya¡¯s suicide note as tears streamed down her face, the tissues heaped by the side of her laptop becoming a small mountain of its own.

    ¡°What a pity, how could Luo Zheng Yun be such a scum, that child was only fifteen and he could still bring himself to do those things.¡±

    There was a reason why he was called a bastard. I thought that Mo Qiu was the first victim, but I had no idea that it was actually Han Le.

    Due to this case, a movement was started online as some people hoped to change the definition of rape that was accepted legally, so that male victims could be included. Though the outcome of this in the future is uncertain, at least there were already glimmers of hope.

    Law was continuously being perfected through countless sacrifices, to call it the accumulation and result of humanity¡¯s blood and tears would not be an exaggeration in the slightest.

    I glanced at the time on the clock and saw that it was already nearly eight o¡¯clock, so I closed the magazine in my hands and got ready to leave work.

    ¡°Although saying this seems politically incorrect, after Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s death, Ms Han really could be counted as ridding society of a malignant presence.¡± Liu Yue brought her hands together in prayer, ¡°Ms Han Ya and young Han Le, rest in peace, in the next lifetime stay far away from scum humans, amen.¡±

    Once Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s incident was tied up, I lost contact again with Sheng Min Ou, and I thought that it would be a while where I wouldn¡¯t see him.

    However, things sometimes just happened to be coincidental, I didn¡¯t want to cause any difficulties, but the people around me kept stirring up trouble.

    It was deep into yet another night, when my phone suddenly started vibrating incessantly.

    I was still in a daze as I murkily blinked to glance at the screen and saw that it was Shen Xiao Shi calling. At first I didn¡¯t want to pick up, thinking that it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal anyways, however one call followed another, and it felt as if if I didn¡¯t pick he would continue calling me through the night.

    ¡°Hey, what is wrong with you¡­¡± In the end I could only pick up, my voice injected with remnants of drowsiness as I talked through the phone.

    Shen Xiao Shi perhaps already sunk into despair believing that I wouldn¡¯t pick up, as all of a sudden after hearing my voice he was stunned and lost for words for a while.

    ¡°Feng Ge, you finally picked up!¡± He replied, his voice evidently nasally.

    I picked up at once that his voice sounded off, so I struggled to sit up and gathered more patience as I asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°San Ge, San Ge has been taken away!¡± Shen Xiao Shi was impatient and angered at the same time, ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Wei Shi this dumbass, he went to eat at one of the street stalls late at night with Shen Xiao Shi, it was hard to park his car on that street so he sat on the car waiting, and told Shen Xiao Shi to get off and buy food. When Shen Xiao Shi returned with the skewers he saw, lo and behold, two police cars parked on the side of the road. He thought that it was because Wei Shi was parked illegally and it infuriated the police so much they had come and were prepared to tow his car off the premises.

    When he ran to take a closer look, he found Wei Shi handcuffed on the floor, with the police saying that he had intentionally assaulted someone.

    Shen Xiao Shi was shocked as he exclaimed, ¡°Who did he hurt?¡±

    The police pointed to a middle aged man at the side of the road who was clutching onto his nose, a patch of red blooming from his chest and remarked, ¡°See, over there, he was minding his own business then your friend went up to him and gave him a beating.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi knew that Wei Shi wasn¡¯t the type of person to resort to violence for no reason and so tried valiantly to defend and clear up the situation for Wei Shi, however the police dismissed his words and took Wei Shi along with them. Shen Xiao Shi was left with only the two skewers he had just bought and at a loss of what to do he could only reach out to phone me.

    It was dead in the middle of the night and I had to still go fetch someone from the cells. I took a deep breath, trying hard to gather a sense of tranquility.

    ¡°Calm down first, do you know which police station it is? Go there and wait for me, I¡¯ll¡­ be there as soon as I can.¡±

    After I hung up on Shen Xiao Shi, I flicked through my contacts list in search for Sheng Min Ou¡¯s number. After hesitating for a long while, I chose to make the call.

    Someone I knew that excelled at their job as a lawyer and was a person I could rely on at this hour ¨C there was only him.

    It was already one a.m., it was very likely that at this time Sheng Min Ou had long since turned his phone off to rest already. While dialling his number, I didn¡¯t have any expectations, rather I just wanted to give it a shot.

    I didn¡¯t know if it was Wei Shi that had great luck, but it turned out that Sheng Min Ou wasn¡¯t asleep. Although the phone was left ringing for a long time, in the end he did still pick up.

    ¡°Do me a favour.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for Sheng Min Ou to speak before cutting in front of him with my words.

    He seemed to be doing some kind of intense, vigorous exercise, as even when he spoke his words were interspersed with evident pants, his voice slightly hoarse.

    ¡°Why should I?¡±

    I knew he would say this.

    ¡°I saved one of your employees, so count it as returning a favour. I just need you to help me fetch someone who¡¯s being held in a cell¡­¡±

    He cut me off, ¡°That¡¯s my employee who owes you a favour, go find her and have her repay you.¡±

    I gritted my teeth, about to shatter the phone with my grip. Scared that in the next moment he would hang up on me, I didn¡¯t have time to consider the finer art of negotiation as I uttered the next words, blunt and brusque in my own way.

    ¡°That day, the person who fucked me throughout the night had to be you right? Count it as paying a prostitute back for their service and help me out here, okay?¡±

 CH 29

    Jiraiya (Translator¡¯s note): In chapter three, the character Fang Lei was introduced and there was a mistake in translating his nickname ¡®Pizza¡¯. It shouldn¡¯t have been ¡®Pizza¡¯ but rather ¡®Sasha¡¯. The nickname has been corrected now and I apologise for this mistranslation!

    Shen Xiao Shi anxiously waited alongside me outside the police station as we peered into the distance, looking for cars coming this way. When Sheng Min Ou¡¯s ostentatious silver sports car appeared in our vision, both of us let out a simultaneous shout in surprise, as if we had seen our ray of hope in an apocalypse.

    ¡°He¡¯s here, he¡¯s here!¡± Shen Xiao Shi bolted forward and started waving both his arms vigorously, so full of energy that he was just a few moments away from jumping up and down on the spot.

    The sports car turned into the police station and when Sheng Min Ou got out of the car he casted a glance at me from far away, before walking towards the police station to resolve the problem, like it was a routine he had done many times before.

    Sheng Xiao Shi and I hastened our steps to follow along and we ended up meeting him in front of the entrance.

    Before leaving, Sheng Min Ou seemed to have taken a shower as at the nape of his neck there were still damp strands of hair. At a close distance, the faint scent of his body wash could still be smelt.

    I grasped the handle of the door and was just about to swing it open when a large hand reached out and pressed against the door, stopping my movements.

    ¡°You two can wait here.¡± Without further explanation, Sheng Min Ou dropped this sentence on us and pulled open the door, walking inside without sparing us another glance.

    The glass door closed once again, creating a separation between him and me.

    After hesitating for a second, I yelled out to his retreating figure, ¡°Okay, hope it all goes well!¡±

    I leaned against the door with Shen Xiao Shi sitting at the bottom of the steps. Conversation between the two of us trickled as we sporadically initiated and responded, all the while waiting for news from Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°If I knew this was going to happen then I wouldn¡¯t go to that place for late night food, in the end we didn¡¯t get to eat the skewers, and it almost ended up in San Ge suffering another jail time. Not worth it, not worth it at all.¡± Shen Xiao Shi spoke disheartenedly and plucked out the weeds by his feet, ¡°I¡¯m suddenly reminded of last time when I had gotten skewers from that place and twisted my foot right after, it was so unlucky. That place must have something wrong with it¡¯s feng shui, next time we definitely shouldn¡¯t go back.¡±

    The time now was getting close to two a.m., and apart from police cars rushing to and from the station on the road outside of the police station, there was no other vehicle in sight. In the absence of light, the darkness appeared especially Stygian, unlike the police station which was illuminated like it was daytime by various blinding lights.

    ¡°If you become constipated are you going to blame their meat for being too hard to digest?¡± Waiting like this was truthfully anxiety inducing, as I fished around in my pockets of my leather jacket and felt a packet of cigarettes left from who knows when. Just when I was about to remark on my good fortune, I realised that I didn¡¯t bring a lighter with me.

    Whether something is good luck or misfortune truly can¡¯t be told until the event has fully played out.

    ¡°No, I would blame my toilet for not having enough suction.¡± Shen Xiao Shi shook his head and deadpanned.

    I was stunned for a second and bit down on my cigarette, cursing at him, ¡°Get lost!¡±

    After waiting for half an hour, the glass door was pushed open once more and Sheng Min Ou took the lead walking in front, with Wei Shi following behind absentmindedly.

    When Wei Shi saw me, he came up and greeted me with a bear hug, ¡°Thanks, brother.¡± While he said this, he also patted my back heartily twice.

    He was a man of great strength, after just being pat on the back twice I was already starting to feel the impact of his hits, so I hurriedly escaped from his restraining hold.

    ¡°What on earth happened?¡± I asked.

    Perhaps it would be better if I didn¡¯t ask. In an instant Wei Shi¡¯s demeanour crumpled as his back stooped and he inexplicably had a more sombre and weighed down air to him.

    ¡°Ai, actually this is what happened¡­¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi left the car to go buy the skewers so Wei Shi took the time to take a nap in the car when out of the blue, he heard a girl screaming ¡®thief!¡¯. He opened his eyes and saw a black shadow streak past the car, so without saying another word he jumped off the car in hot pursuit.

    Qfl Vtl kjr ola jcv tjv ibcu ifur, rb la kfca klatbea rjslcu atja lc pera j ofk wbwfcar tf tjv mjeuta eq ab atf oluegf. Ktbeut, tf vlvc¡¯a pera mjamt atf qfgrbc, tf kfca oegatfg jcv rajgafv yfjalcu atf qfgrbc eq ecali yibbv kjr oibklcu ogffis ogbw tlr cbrf jr atfs ijs bc atf oibbg, ecjyif ab rqfjx.

    Until this moment, it was the typical case of a hero jumping in to help out.

    However in the next second the plot twist occurred. The girl that called out for help dialled the police to have them apprehend Wei Shi, the reason being he had assaulted her father for no reason.

    It turns out that while Wei Shi was still napping, the thief had long since hopped onto his electric scooter and left a sizable distance of twenty or so metres between the two. The girl¡¯s father reacted as soon as he could to make chase, but was misunderstood to be the robber by Wei Shi and so suffered a beating. The girl thought that Wei Shi was an accomplice to the thief, so as soon as she got to the scene she kicked him as hard as she could with her high heels and also launched several attacks, swinging her handbag to his face.

    ¡°My calf is green from the bruising after she kicked me.¡± Wei Shi pulled up his pant legs to show me, and just as he said there was a patch of green forming.

    This really was a reality show that was absurd while interweaving traces of tragedy, with comedy displayed in those moments of tragedy, and moments of humanity within the comedic moments.

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing further, then I¡¯ll be taking my leave first.¡± While Wei Shi animatedly reenacted the events to us, Sheng Min Ou had stood at the side, keeping quiet and appearing composed as usual.

    As long as there was a third person who was present, he would wear a mask of appearing like an ¡®elite lawyer¡¯. He would be distant but polite, an excellent conversationalist, with a smile appearing on his face when it was expected or necessary. He would always act appropriate to the occasion without overdoing anything, keeping his malice for me surreptitious, a routine he really was all too familiar with doing.

    ¡°I¡¯m truly grateful for what you did tonight, Lawyer Sheng. Are you busy later? If not, do you want to come eat hotpot with us? I¡¯ll shout.¡± Wei Shi was too accustomed to doing business with others and made a habit of discussing anything over drinks, as he completely neglected what time it was at the moment.

    I was just about to refuse on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s behalf, when from a distance a few policemen walked over, holding down a bunch of drunkards as they came this way. I stood with Sheng Min Ou as Shen Xiao Shi and Wei Shi took another side and we parted to make way, allowing them to pass through a path in between us.

    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk¡­ don¡¯t handcuff me¡­¡± One of the drunkards suddenly started struggling in front of the entrance without warning, as his flailing arms almost came into contact with my face.

    I reflexively brought my arm up to block his hands, my feet stumbling back at the same time to dodge as I bumped into Sheng Min Ou¡¯s sturdy chest. Perhaps out of consideration to maintain my balance, his hand wrapped around my waist to support me.

    Yet that drunkard didn¡¯t stop even after causing such a scene, in the next second his whole body leaned to one side as he charged towards me. My eyes widened in shock, as I was only able to get the word ¡°fuck¡± out, without even being able to say ¡®me¡¯ before I felt the impact of a full body slam and went tumbling behind.

    The world spiralled as all I could make out was the searchlight positioned outside the police station and the clear night sky.

    Right before the moment of impact, the hand around my waist suddenly held on tighter, before I heard a stifled grunt next to my ear.

    I fell on top of Sheng Min Ou and was stunned for a second, before I gathered my wits again and immediately jumped off to check how he was.

    ¡°Ge, are you okay?¡± Although the stairs outside the police station weren¡¯t steep at only three steps, the fall was still onto concrete, and it was rock hard. If the fall was seriously bad, it could¡¯ve resulted from someone having broken bones to them even taking their last breath.

    I frantically pressed down on all parts of his body, from top down then left to right, scared that there was a part which had fractured under me.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s brows furrowed, a light sheen of perspiration appearing on his temples as he frowned, staring at his right foot.

    I looked at it and realised that his right ankle had already rapidly become swollen, it had only been a short while but I could already decently compare the size of it to his neck, so I knew that he had twisted his ankle.

    Shit, maybe that vendor really was a place of ill fortune, last time Shen Xiao Shi twisted his ankle and now it was Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Wei Shi skipped a step as he descended the three steps in two motions, crouching down and asking worriedly.

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t respond to him, only raising a hand out in front of me as he said, ¡°Help me up.¡±

    I hurriedly held onto his hand and carefully hoisted him from the ground.

    ¡°How are you so drunk, are you looking to die?!¡± Shen Xiao Shi angrily shouted as he was going to teach the drunkard a lesson, but was stopped as the police reprimanded him and interfered. Although he was still angered, he could only reluctantly fall back.

    One of the policemen saw that Sheng Min Ou¡¯s injury seemed quite serious so he asked, ¡°Will you be taking legal action? If you do, then come in for a statement. However, if I¡¯m being honest there¡¯s not much point to it, you can tell with one glance that these people have nothing to do all day, they won¡¯t really have any money.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s eyes were cast downwards, remaining fixated on his foot. He twisted his ankle gingerly, bracing the pain before he answered, ¡°I won¡¯t be suing.¡±

    The policeman after hearing so only responded with a ¡®sure¡¯, before apprehending the person and turning to leave.

    Wei Shi scratched his head rather abashedly, ¡°I feel like it¡¯s quite serious, should we go to the hospital to get it checked up? It¡¯s all because of me that Lawyer Sheng got injured, so the main responsibility lies with me.¡± He looked at Sheng Min Ou, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯ll pay all of the medical fees. If you need to stay in hospital then stay in hospital, if there is treatment required then go through with it, I¡¯ll definitely be responsible for whatever is necessary until the end.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Sheng Min Ou did not give it a second thought as he rejected the offer, shaking off my grip as he tried to take a few steps alone, his brows creasing even deeper as he did so.

    I hurriedly made my way over to support him once more, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself further than you should, it¡¯s best to still visit the hospital to get it checked.¡±

    Faced with the difficult reality in front of him and knowing that it wasn¡¯t something that could be solved through sheer willpower, he considered my proposition for a second. Perhaps he figured that now wasn¡¯t the time to continue acting alone, as this time he didn¡¯t reject the offer and allowed me to help him get in Wei Shi¡¯s car.

    Wei Shi drove his car with Sheng Min Ou and myself inside as he led the way in front. Shen Xiao Shi then drove Sheng Min Ou¡¯s silver sports car as he followed behind.

    After we reached the hospital and had the sprain checked up we were told that it wasn¡¯t a serious problem as it hadn¡¯t injured any bones. He was given bandages to wrap up the sprain and then would just need to rest for two weeks so it could heal.

    Although the doctor emphasised the point that Sheng Min Ou needed to rest well for it to heal properly, otherwise the same ankle would be more prone to getting a repeat injury in the future, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s attitude remained unfazed and unconcerned. I suspected that once the swelling went down, he would remove the bandages and then turn up to work like nothing was wrong.

    When we left the hospital, the sky was already lightening up. Like before, Shen Xiao Shi tailed us while Wei Shi drove and sent Sheng Min Ou back to his opulent residential apartment building.

    After parking the car, Shen Xiao Shi sat in shotgun next to Wei Shi and poked a head out as he asked, ¡°Do you really not need any help?¡±

    I waved a hand at him and told them to return home quickly so they could get some sleep.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll be leaving yeah, good night!¡± Shen Xiao Shi called out as he politely said his farewells.

    Wei Shi¡¯s car rounded a corner and after I saw they were completely out of sight, I turned to hold onto Sheng Min Ou and help him enter the building.

    In the elevator, Sheng Min Ou remained taciturn, so I followed suit as I kept my silence in response.

    As the elevator reached the lobby that was part of the resident¡¯s house, when the door opened I was greeted with a vestibule of considerable size. In front of me was a front door that was secured by an electric smart lock.

    Sheng Min Ou unlocked it with his fingerprint, then I helped him enter through the door.

    The whole apartment was decorated in a similar style to his office. It was extremely minimalistic, the embodiment of an attitude that cut off unnecessary purchases, threw out unneeded belongings and was free of overindulgence.

    The living room was barren and empty, there wasn¡¯t a sofa or a television, only a pure white rug which was put beside a wall. In the centre of the room where a chandelier would usually be installed, there was only a black punching bag hanging instead like an eyesore. Scattered around it on the floor lay two hand wraps for boxing that still hadn¡¯t been put away yet.

    I instantly understood why every time I called him he had seemed short of breath when he picked up. No wonder last time he could easily restrain Mr Liu who had acted during his drunken stupor, because he had been practising boxing all along.

    The arm slung around my shoulders lifted upwards as Sheng Min Ou shook me off, leaning against the wall as he made his way in.

    ¡°Alright, you can go back now.¡±

    This really was¡­ an immediate disposal after usage.

    My mouth twitched as I quickly walked up to him, ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not, let me take a look at your hidden resting quarters first.¡± After saying so I held him up again without caring for his opinion and dragged him with me as we continued walking ahead.

    The whole place had two rooms, one had another electric padlock, and one did not. I judged that Sheng Min Ou was not abnormal enough to give his own bedroom a lock, so I chose to open the one without a lock. It turned out that I was right with my gamble, as within the room there was just one mattress, one pillow, one quilt, and no other belongings.

    I was just going to head inside, when Sheng Min Ou blocked the entrance with an outstretched arm, preventing me from taking another step.

    This was his most private space in his house which he already kept private, I knew I couldn¡¯t push it any further, otherwise it would definitely trigger his anger.

    I took a step back and signalled for him to ¡®please enter¡¯, not daring to touch him again.

    ¡°If you have anything you need just call out to me, I¡¯ll stay outside.¡±

    I turned around and didn¡¯t even get to take two steps before Sheng Min Ou called out from behind me.

    ¡°Lu Feng, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re misunderstanding something?¡±

    Mixed in with his tone was something I did not appreciate, I could almost foresee now that following this was another round of inevitable bloodshed over ulterior motives being questioned and harsh criticisms on character.

    I closed my eyes momentarily and took a deep breath, turning back to look at him, ¡°What did I misunderstand?¡±

    He leaned against the door, his eyes cold as he looked at me and remained silent.

    I started laughing, ¡°Misunderstand that you slept with me because you like me? Then you tell me, on that day why did your high and mighty self have to devalue your worth by fucking me, did I force you to do that?¡±

    I thought he would give me a more dignified answer, however he wrapped up and put an end to all my questions with just one word.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I was stunned, and for a second I couldn¡¯t find a suitable response.

    Sheng Min Ou, is he really a human? How could he give out such a response, completely meaning it and without even blinking an eye?

    ¡°I forced you to sleep with me?¡± I was so angered I almost let out a laugh, ¡°So you¡­ so you just did it? Didn¡¯t you say you found me disgusting and you wanted me to stay away from you, so now you don¡¯t find me vile?¡±

    Did I press a gun against his head for him to cover my eyes, bind my hands and feet and to also leave a bite mark on my neck?!

    He was so bold and confident like he was in the right that for a second I doubted who it was that had the aphrodisiac injected into them.

    ¡°These past few years I have always been adept at keeping my emotions under control, you also saw the punching bag in the living room, I found a logical way of relieving those excess desires.¡± He spoke without a guilty conscience, and was unapologetic in his tone of voice, the words coming out his mouth like he was a cold, unreasonable robot. ¡°That day, it might have been because I had a bit to drink, the whole night I was accompanying an ignoramus client so my thoughts were all over the place, it felt like I was about to lose control. I made it to the end with great difficulty and was just about to head home as soon as I could, when you crashed into me. You were like a clingy dog that I couldn¡¯t get rid of no matter what, and you kept coming onto me. So¡­¡±

    I pressed my lips together, the smile on my face disappearing bit by bit, I already had a feeling I knew what he was going to say.

    ¡°It was simply a matter of both sides taking what they needed, you were just a fire extinguisher that happened to be there to put out the fire. Even if it wasn¡¯t you, anyone else could have sufficed.¡± He crossed his arms, and as expected each word, each sentence was like a stab to the gut, ¡°I haven¡¯t changed my attitude towards you at all, so don¡¯t be too full of yourself.¡±

    After leaving me with these words, he turned around and entered his room, closing the door behind him.

    I stood immobilized in my spot for a long while as I took a few silent, deep breaths before I walked to the living room, leant against the wall and slid down it.

    ¡°Shit, I underestimated him, it hurts so fucking much.¡± I closed my eyes, pressed the back of my head against the wall, and cursed as I placed a hand over my heart.

 CH 30

    After my father passed away we lost a source of income in the family, resulting in my mother becoming more preoccupied with work as she tried to provide for us. In the morning, she would first prepare two dishes, one vegetarian and one with meat, store it in the fridge and then set up the rice cooker. By doing so, when we returned home from school, all we needed to do was use the microwave to reheat the dishes.

    That year, I was eleven years old and the winter was especially cold, as the whole southern side of the country started facing heavy snowfall. That was the first time in my life I had truly witnessed snow; gentle, chilling, shrouding the whole sky in spray of white mist, a white that dyed the whole world the same colour.

    Yet when that snow was at its heaviest, I held onto the toilet and was vomiting my insides out, to the point where I felt like I was almost about to spit out my bile.

    After vomiting, there would come a period of time where a sense of comfort sets in, but five or six minutes later, the stomach pain would erupt again and cause a strong sense of nausea.

    Sheng Min Ou heard the commotion and came over so that he was outside the bathroom, maintaining a faraway distance as he did not move to approach me. He watched me for a moment, then used a tone without much concern, ¡°How are you feeling, do you need to go to the hospital?¡±

    I pushed down a tab to flush the toilet, then turned back to face him, with tears in my eyes and snot running down my nose as I gave him a hasty wave of my hand.

    ¡°No¡­ no big deal, we don¡¯t have to go.¡±

    My father¡¯s horrific and gruesome passing had caused significant trauma to me, as for a long period of time I was inexplicably averse to visiting the hospital. If I could avoid going there then I would never go, if I had no choice but to go then it would always be a quick entrance and an even quicker exit. Therefore, even if back then I was in excruciating pain, I still firmly held onto the thought of not visiting the hospital.

    As for Sheng Min Ou, back then he just felt like he had the ¡®obligation¡¯ to ask, so he did. Once he finished asking the question, it was on me for whether I wanted his help or not. Therefore, he didn¡¯t need to follow it up further, so he turned around to went back to his bedroom.

    I sat in the bathroom to rest for a while, swaying from side to side as I shakily made my way back to my room. Wave after wave of stomach pain hit me as I lay, curled up in my bed.

    I endured it until nine p.m. at night, before the dull hurt became a sharp, agonising pain. The discomfort didn¡¯t get better, rather it became more severe.

    A cold sweat broke out from every pore on my body, and the pain slowly drained me of all my energy. I noticed that even when I looked at sights ahead of me I seemed to see double of everything.

    Being in this condition made me realise that if I still held back and refused to go to the hospital, then my mother would probably return home to prepare funeral proceedings for my corpse.

    Drawing on my willpower to summon the last of my strength, I shifted out of my room one step after another, to knock on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s door.

    Our rooms were actually adjacent to each other, the original floor plan had one big bedroom but it was split in two to form our rooms. Then, because this renovation occurred after the house was already built, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s room had no windows at all, so it always felt cramped and oppressed, the inside of his room perpetually dark.

    Later on he moved out so my mother started using his room as a place for storage, with the inside of the room becoming increasingly chaotic and disorganised.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡± I strenuously approached his room as I knocked against his door.

    After a while, a few sounds were heard from inside his room, and Sheng Min Ou quickly pulled open his door and appeared in front of me.

    Back then he was fifteen at the time and had already started his growth spurt. He was substantially taller than me to the point where if I stood close to him, I needed to lift my chin up to look him in the eye.

    ¡°Ge, I¡¯m in pain.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold out any longer as I clutched my stomach and fell into his arms.

    He held onto me and stumbled back two steps, then held me upright.

    ¡°P vbc¡¯a tjnf atf fcfgus¡­¡± Coafg jii, fifnfc sfjgr biv kjr ralii atf juf bo j mtliv. Qtfc atfgf kjr cb bcf ab vfqfcv bc la kjr qbrrlyif ab ralii tbiv bea jibcf, yea bcmf atfgf kjr j qfgrbc ab gfis bc atf ktbif ragbcu ogbca mgewyifv, ¡°Xf, P offi ilxf P¡¯w jybea ab vlf¡­ bcf wbwfca P¡¯v offi mbiv atf cfza wlceaf la¡¯r tba¡­¡±

    Sheng Min Ou reached out a hand and placed it against my forehead, ¡°You seem to have a fever.¡±

    No wonder I felt like I had no energy at all in my body, I felt my centre of gravity lean more and more towards the person in front of me, and even the words I spoke came out with a wailing tone, ¡°Ge, am I going to die?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou probably concluded that the fever had messed with my brain, as he held me and placed me on the sofa. He then picked up the phone in the living room and dialled a number.

    A few rings later, the other side picked up and Sheng Min Ou spoke with evident worry in his voice, yet his emotions remained completely distinctive from his voice, like a lake¡¯s surface that had been frozen over, devoid of a single ripple.

    ¡°Mum, A-Feng seems to be sick, I¡¯m planning to take him to the hospital right now to get him checked out. After finishing work could you please head directly there.¡±

    My mother anxiously interrogated him and asked if it was any urgent matter, whether it was serious or not, and he replied dutifully. He told her to not worry, and that he would handle the situation appropriately.

    After hanging up, Sheng Min Ou left to go to his room for a change of clothes, then walked into my room to bring me a thick outer layer for me to wear.

    He grabbed the keys and started walking out the door, without any intention of helping me leave the house.

    I moved forward two steps then clutched my stomach as I knelt to the floor, unable to move another step. He saw that I wasn¡¯t following behind, so turned around and came back and faced me.

    ¡°No energy to walk?¡±

    I lifted my head with tears in my eyes and sniffled, ¡°En.¡±

    He frowned, the words ¡®an annoyance¡¯ almost materialising on his face. I bit my lip, the tears welling up under my eyes and on the cusp of spilling over.

    Suddenly, Sheng Min Ou appeared in front of me and squatted down.

    I was stunned, then I heard him say, ¡°Get on, I¡¯ll carry you.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement at all when I said in that moment a line of words appeared in my head, and that phrase was: ¡®In this world, only my elder brother is good to me, any child with an elder brother is a treasure you¡¯ll see.¡¯

    I blinked a few times, rapidly dispersing the tears that were gathering in my eyes and clumsily crawled onto his back.

    It took some effort for Sheng Min Ou to stand up, then he piggy-backed me out the door.

    During winter, the roads were more slippery and it was harder to hail a taxi in this weather. The road that was close to our house was also a quiet street, so after Sheng Min Ou stood by the side for a while and saw that no cars were approaching, he could only continue to move forwards to another crossroad to try his luck.

    ¡°Ge¡­ my stomach hurts¡­¡± I shrunk up on his back, covering my face with the faux fur hood and creating a small enclosed space that was both safe and warm.

    Sheng Min Ou perhaps felt ticklish from the fur on my hood as he turned his head back.

    ¡°When you get to the hospital it won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±

    Faced with my ramblings and my repeated whining as if I was a spoilt child, he always responded with silence as he ignored my complaints. However, sometimes when he was annoyed by my incessant complaints, he would occasionally choose to respond to me.

    The snow fell relentlessly, and clumps of it accumulated on his hair, with some even falling onto his thick, inky black eyelashes. When he blinked, it would melt into water again as it slipped down from the edges of his eyes, mixing with the sweat that formed near his temples.

    I wiped it off him with the back of my hand and couldn¡¯t hold myself back as I asked, ¡°¡­Ge, am i going to die?¡±

    Usually I wasn¡¯t someone who was so terrified of death. However, perhaps back then as I was young and sick, I was in a weakened mental and physical state so there was no helping my overthinking, despite it possibly being hard to understand for others.

    Sheng Min Ou did not address my question, as he took one step followed by the other, treading slowly on the snowy surface while he routinely scanned the roads to see if there was an empty taxi passing by.

    ¡°Ge, I feel horrible¡­ I feel like I¡¯m about to die¡­¡±

    Sheng Min Ou hoisted me up as he replied to me, his breathing uneven, ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± With every word he muttered, a white puff of smoke would form as it left his lips.

    From the distance, a taxi with a green ¡®empty¡¯ sign slowly approached. Sheng Min Ou hurriedly waved his hand at the car and my attention was also drawn to his action.

    The taxi parked near the curb, and Sheng Min Ou opened the door to the passenger seat. He then placed me down and held my hood tightly over my head as he stuffed me in the car.

    ¡°You¡¯re so¡­ annoying, how could¡­ say you¡¯re¡­ and die.¡±

    Following the sounds of the door closing, I could vaguely hear him muttering a few more words after the sentence he just said, but back then because of my agonising stomach pain flaring up once more I had completely lost any sense of playfully responding to him. All I could do was curl up in the back seat and shiver uncontrollably, as I lost my chance chance to confirm with him what he had said.

    Usually, I wasn¡¯t the type that easily fell sick, and even if I was sick I would usually heal up quickly. At most it would be two days before I fully recovered and leapt around all lively and fine again. However, that time I was diagnosed with acute enteritis, and I was put on an IV drip for a full three days. My mother informed all her current work posts of the situation and took a day off, but was unable to leave no matter what afterwards, so she could only have Sheng Min Ou accompany me in the hospital.

    Once the IV drip was inserted it was kept there for five to six hours. I was given a bed, so when I was tired I could sleep, but Sheng Min Ou could only sit on an uncomfortable wooden chair as he observed the IV drip attached to my body. If he became tired, he couldn¡¯t even rest well.

    On the second day after being given the IV drip, I actually already started feeling a lot better, and my fever had gone down as well. Once I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw in my sights was Sheng Min Ou.

    He had his chin cupped in one hand, his elbow placed on my bedside, his head tilted slightly as he stared at the IV drip above, appearing marginally bored and fatigued.

    I moved my hand and he realised that I was awake as his eyes turned to meet me.

    After I recovered from the illness, I developed a new, profound understanding towards life and lives. I started fostering an unparalleled passion for everything in this world, the white sheets of snow outside, the animated chirping birds, the bustling noises from lively crowds, my mother, and Sheng Min Ou.

    Especially my mother and Sheng Min Ou.

    I moved my hand which still had the IV drip attached to it and tugged at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s sleeve. In my heart, a soft, tender emotion swelled and I strangely felt touched by myself.

    ¡°Ge, when I grow up, I¡¯ll definitely be filial to you and mum.¡± My energy hadn¡¯t completely come back yet, so my voice was still weak, but it was enough for Sheng Min Ou to hear clearly.

    Sheng Min Ou propped his chin in his hand and the end of his eyebrow lifted upwards, whilst the edges of his lips curled simultaneously in amusement.

    ¡°You¡¯ll treat me with filial devotion?¡±

    I was scared he wasn¡¯t going to believe me, so I unwittingly clasped onto his fingers tighter and placed a heavier emphasis in my tone, ¡°En, when I grow up, get a job, and start earning money, I¡¯ll definitely treat you very, very well, better than anyone else.¡±

    Children are truthfully very naive, as they believed that when they grew up and started working to earn a steady income, they¡¯d have the ability to make people happy. For me back then, I completely neglected another possibility in my life, that I¡¯d grow up, and not only contribute nothing to society, but rather become a liability. That¡­ possibility.

    Sheng Min Ou stared at me in silent appraisal for a long time, the slight stun and shock in his eyes completely wiped from his expression, wholly faded into indifference.

    He returned my declaration with a half smile, ¡°Sure, up to you.¡±

    For him, that was just a child¡¯s fantasy. Perhaps from when he had first heard my words he had not thought to remember it and take it to heart. However, to me, I remember every single scene vividly in my head, each word I uttered was from the bottom of my heart, without a single phrase of deceit.

    Sheng Min Ou always thought that every action or gesture I aimed towards him, everything irksome, clingy, frustrating was all because the immoral love I had that I was unable to voice. The outcome between Qi Yang and myself, where one died and one remained alive, and all the commotion that was caused today, was completely because of the crazed possessiveness I felt towards him.

    Actually, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    At least, it wasn¡¯t completely the case.

    Everything I did for him, a part of it was because he was the person I loved, and the other part was because he was, and forever will be my beloved elder brother.

    I said that I would treat him well, I would look after him and take responsibility for him in the stead of my father, and I never go back on my words.

    Despite him not caring for it.

    The porridge on the stove started spilling over the sides of the pot and I abruptly jerked back to the present, hurriedly turning down the flames and searching for something to wipe down the mess. In the end, I realised that a hand towel did not exist in Sheng Min Ou¡¯s kitchen, so I could only start searching for a disposable wipe instead as I hastily took a few squares and placed it over the porridge that spilled.

    At the same instant, there was a sound from the bedroom. I glanced at the time on the clock and guessed that Sheng Min Ou had probably woken up, so I quickly turned off the stove and walked briskly towards the bedroom.

    I passed the dining room and came to the corridor before stopping in my footsteps, bumping into Sheng Min Ou head on as he just left his bedroom. He looked as if he did not expect that I would still be here, as the way he stared at me, stunned, whilst still keeping a hand on his door knob was quite amusing.

    ¡°Hey~¡± I said, giving him a greeting, ¡°I made some porridge, do you want some?¡±

 CH 31

    I ate some of the porridge in the bowl, taking glances at Sheng Min Ou in between spoonfuls.

    He was dressed in full business attire, a watch nicely adorned on his wrist, a tie neatly wrapped around his neck, looking as if he was about to head out in the next moment. Perhaps I had underestimated him as I originally thought that he would wait for the swelling to go down first before returning to work, but who knew that the thought of resting simply had never crossed his mind.

    It made sense, otherwise how could he be the epitome of success. To get there, he really was able to be heartless and callous to himself.

    After following this train of thought, I even came to the conclusion that in comparison, the way he treated me was rather nice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just eat porridge, try some dishes as well.¡± I took a slice of fried egg, tender and slippery and held it in my chopsticks, passing it into his bowl.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s fridge encapsulated his way of living, for it was spotless to the extent that it looked like it was never used. When I opened the fridge I almost thought I was hallucinating and at the same time, I was perplexed. If this fridge wasn¡¯t being used, then why on earth did he buy it? For decoration?

    As the saying goes, even the most talented housewife wouldn¡¯t be able to get rice on the table when the ingredient itself was missing. With no other choice, I could only use my phone to order rice, bacon, eggs and other ingredients that wouldn¡¯t go bad easily, and ask for the delivery to be made as soon as possible.

    The nearby markets started deliveries at 7 a.m., and it only took about half an hour for it to arrive in my hands. However, it was when I got handed over the bags in all their various sizes and had closed the door that I suddenly had an epiphany ¨C if I was going to get it all delivered in the first place, then why didn¡¯t I call for a ready made breakfast from the get go?

    However, all the ingredients had arrived already, and just like how the age old phrase went, ¡®It is what it is¡¯. What else could I have possibly done? I could only grit my teeth and get on with it.

    It appeared that after Sheng Min Ou had confirmed that I would not be leaving after all, he seemed to have given up on resisting me. He changed up his approach, completely ignoring my existence once more. If he could avoid communication then he would do so, and if he could stand up himself then he would never reach out to have me help him.

    We seemed to have fallen into a strange kind of cycle ¨C a malicious argument, followed by mutual silent treatment; I¡¯d proactively reach out to make things up, he¡¯d decisively reject my advances, I shamelessly persevere, and he¡¯d choose to be indifferent.

    The stage where he dismissed my presence and had no solution for me could be counted as the most harmonious and peaceful stage in the cycle.

    I saw that he didn¡¯t talk to me, so I finished the porridge and the egg I placed in his bowl then decided to leave him alone.

    After finishing breakfast, I proactively moved to wash the dishes. I left the kitchen and found that Sheng Min Ou had already worn his suit and was at the front door changing his shoes.

    He had already changed into his shoes on his left foot, however because his right foot had been bandaged, he was struggling to slip it in.

    I sighed, then walked towards him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it so forcefully. Didn¡¯t you hear the doctor saying that if you don¡¯t take proper care during the healing process, you¡¯re more susceptible to repeat injuries from twisted ankles in the future?¡± I admonished, getting down on one knee in front of him and patted his right calf, signalling for him to lift his feet. ¡°Your majesty, please raise your foot.¡±

    After making no move for a while, I raised my face and met his darkened pupils.

    I laughed, then traced a finger starting from the inside of his calf as it trailed upwards, past his knee and towards his inner thigh.

    The next words came out from my mouth without shame, ¡°If you don¡¯t lift your feet, I¡¯ll be continuing with this motion.¡±

    Xlnfc remt mlgmewrajcmfr, tf tjv cb batfg mtblmf yea ab jmdelfrmf afwqbgjglis. Vtfcu Zlc Ye kjr rbwfbcf ktb fzmfiifv ja kflutlcu eq bqalbcr ab obgweijaf j mifjg nlfk bo atlcur, rb ktfc tf kjrc¡¯a ulnfc jcbatfg bqalbc, tf kbeiv cfnfg gfrlra cffvifrris. Lfcmf, joafg j wbwfca bo mbcafwqijalbc, tf yfujc ab ribkis iloa eq tlr lcpegfv obba.

    With one hand on his feet, I used my other hand to carefully slip on his shoe. Fortunately, this pair of shoes were made from lambskin so it was especially soft, and I didn¡¯t have to exert any particular force to slip his feet in.

    ¡°Is it tight?¡± I let go of his feet, and had him place his foot down.

    He stepped down on it twice and adjusted to the sensation of it for a second, before finally speaking to me, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    I stood up and dusted my hands, then moved to hold onto his elbow.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll accompany you on the way to work.¡±

    With the pawn shop, I had already taken a week off to take care of a temporarily crippled Sheng Min Ou. Wei Shi had generously given me half a month off, and said that he could give me even more leave, so I should feel free to ask anytime.

    He was really thinking too much trying to be considerate. Sheng Min Ou went to fetch him in the dead of the night, and injured his ankle as a result, so there was no way I would let Wei Shi off that easily.

    ¡°You know how to drive?¡± Sheng Min Ou saw that I went to fetch the keys from the vestibule as if I was very familiar with it and unwittingly furrowed his eyebrows, verbally expressing his first query of the day.

    ¡°Yeah, I know how to drive.¡± After being released from prison, Wei Shi had me get a certification for the appraisal course, then also said that if I was going to learn things anyways, I should also get my license at the same time.

    Learning how to drive wasn¡¯t difficult for me, but I haven¡¯t driven ever since I had gotten my license as I didn¡¯t own a car.

    However, they were all cars in the end. How big of a difference could there be between Sheng Min Ou¡¯s sports car and the driving instructor¡¯s antique Hyundai Sonata?

    Bam.

    There was a heavy thud from the left mirror of the silver sports car as it had been solidly slapped by the cement pillar next to it in the carpark. The impact was so great that the mirror swivelled to one side.

    Shit, it seems like the difference was quite sizable!

    I didn¡¯t even have to get out of the car to know that the paint had definitely been scratched off.

    From beside me came Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice as he maintained a somewhat calm tone, ¡°Do you really know how to drive?¡±

    I lowered the window, and swung the left mirror back into place, giving him an awkward laugh, ¡°I really know how to drive. Don¡¯t worry, I have my license, it¡¯s just that your car is quite opulent, I¡¯ll need to get myself familiarised with it.

    I spent the whole drive maintaining an average pace of forty kilometres an hour, disregarding any car honks aimed at me. It was only when I saw an electric scooter had also passed me by that I reluctantly sped up to hit forty five kilometres.

    Sheng Min Ou picked up two calls in the car, both asking him when he would arrive. It appeared like there was an especially important meeting waiting for him.

    He responded with an approximate time for when he would arrive, and only said that it was slightly congested on the roads as he never signalled for me to drive faster. I wasn¡¯t completely sure as to why, but perhaps it was because he was scared that if I gassed the pedal too hard I¡¯d send him straight to the ICU.

    After a great amount of effort, we reached the bottom of his building and I spent probably more than double the amount of time required than usual.

    The employees in the law firm seemed to pay tenfold more attention to the fact that their boss turned up to work with one foot crippled. Though, maybe Sheng Min Ou commanded too much respect from others as apart from Wu Yi no one had dared to come up to ask how he was.

    ¡°Laoshi, what happened to you?¡± He looked stunned at Sheng Min Ou who was being propped up by me, ¡°Did you fracture something?¡±

    ¡°I just accidentally twisted an ankle.¡± Sheng Min Ou replied without giving any extra explanation, ¡°Tell everyone that I¡¯ve arrived, let¡¯s start the meeting.¡±

    Wu Yi nodded and left.

    Sheng Min Ou allowed me to support him as I helped him get to the conference room. In the corner of the room were two chairs, so taking the opportunity I chose one and sat down in it. Under normal circumstances Sheng Min Ou would definitely have me kicked out. However, given his unforeseen state of affairs and the fact that we were currently in the stage where I shamelessly persevered, whilst he chose to be indifferent, he allowed me to act as I liked and did not make me leave.

    The conference room steadily filled up with people, until the majority of the conference table was occupied. Before every person sat down, they looked towards me, their eyes full of curiosity.

    Sometimes I would respond to their gazes with a smile, if I got tired I would lower my head and play games on my phone instead, acting as if I couldn¡¯t feel the inquisitive glances being cast my way.

    The meeting that Sheng Min Ou started lasted for three hours, and even our lunches were served in the room as the receptionist brought it in. Unexpectedly, there was also lunch for me.

    After playing games for three hours straight, my phone was overheated to the point where it felt as if in the next second it would explode. Plus, my battery was also about to die.

    I could only tuck my phone away and prop my chin in my hand as I started finding something to occupy my time with. I checked out the tables, then the chairs, then stared at the ceiling, with my gaze finally resting on Sheng Min Ou.

    Once I looked at him, I could never tear my sights off him again.

    He had one hand lifted, subconsciously making little movements with his fingers, whilst his other hand would circle and highlight any points that were crucial on the papers that were handed out. When there was something he needed more clarification on, he would slightly raise his fingers, and the other side would immediately stop in their remarks as they awaited his query.

    His attitude may be regarded as more casual, however he could always strike accurately at the crucial points in the case. At times, he would even ask questions which made the other side dumbstruck and unable to reply.

    This was his kingdom, and he ruled with absolute control here.

    The various scents coming from the conference room were convoluted and hard to discern, yet I could somehow still pick up the scent coming from his body. An idiosyncratic and distinctive cologne scent, it was dark and gritty, but always poised to launch an attack.

    It seemed to take form as a tangible image, becoming the personification of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s untameable ambition. Exposed fangs and sharpened claws reached out from his body that wore the suit as it prowled along the ground, making its way up your legs, all the way until it assailed your head, until all you could do was kneel at his overwhelming prowess.

    I was lost in my thoughts as I stared, thoroughly delighting in it as I didn¡¯t even blink. If the intensity of my vision could be converted into a palpable state, I probably already would have burned two holes into him already.

    He quickly sensed it, raising his head from his folder as his gaze swept past me.

    I grinned at him, without any trace of a guilty conscience after having been caught red handed.

    ¡°Laoshi, here are some pro bono cases that were referred to us yesterday by the Qing Wan City Foundation. There are two civil cases and one criminal case. Personally, I feel that we could pick up the criminal case. The accused has already admitted to his crime, but he wants a sentence of under three years. We can negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecution to quickly resolve this case.¡± Wu Yi twisted a ballpoint pen in his hand and leaned into his seat, his expression morphing into one of craftiness, ¡°These pro bono cases are never ending, but since it comes referred by the foundation, being one of the two hundred law firms here we can only accept. However, there¡¯s no rule that we can¡¯t pick up an easy case, right?¡±

    It was at this point that I got a sense of Wu Yi actually being a lawyer. To be honest based on his mannerisms before I thought he looked more like Sheng Min Ou¡¯s chauffeur, and for a while I was suspicious that Sheng Min Ou only kept him around because he needed someone to do the odd jobs.

    Sheng Min Ou opened a new folder and flipped through each page, ¡°What were the other two cases?¡±

    Wu Yi thought about it, ¡°I remember it being¡­ a dispute regarding a medical treatment prescribed, and the other was a traffic accident.¡±

    A female lawyer was reading the documents in front of her and added, ¡°The hospital incident is quite confusing and complicated. The plaintiff believes that they¡¯ve become depressed as a result of taking an antihistamine produced by Mei Teng Pharmaceuticals. They now have a strong inclination for suicide, which is why they¡¯re accusing Mei Teng¡¯s drugs of being faulty. En¡­ the cost of this lawsuit isn¡¯t really one that the foundation can afford.¡±

    The other male lawyer spoke, ¡°In addition, Mei Teng may become our client in the future, so we should be cautious that we don¡¯t get on their bad side.¡±

    Wu Yi continued, ¡°In the traffic accident, there are two parties involved with the defendant in the case being the cargo truck driver, and the insurance company. Having three lawyers in the one trial is already complicated enough, but the insurance company¡¯s lawyer is infamous for being hard to deal with, so it¡¯s foreseen to be a tough lawsuit. In addition¡­¡± He looked at the document and read it¡¯s contents aloud, ¡°The cargo truck ran over a pedestrian who had the right of way. As the cargo truck overloaded on it¡¯s contents, the insurance company cited this as the reason and rejected the claim for the insurance payout. Out of frustration, the pedestrian¡¯s family took both parties, the truck driver and the insurance company to court. It feels like there¡¯s probably not much chance of winning.¡±

    Almost at the same time, both my line of vision and Sheng Min Ou¡¯s gaze converged on him. There was no other person in the conference room who spoke as the whole room sank into a strange silence.

    Wu Yi didn¡¯t hear a response back from Sheng Min Ou for an extended amount of time, so raised his head belatedly as he realised. When he lifted his eyes, he was met with a silent Sheng Min Ou who only stared at him, and the questioning gazes of everyone else in the room, perplexed by Sheng MIn Ou¡¯s odd behaviour. In an instant, he appeared to be like one of those makeshift movie projectors in the conference room, with everyone¡¯s sights united on him.

    Wu Yi¡¯s expression froze and was terrified to the point where he started stuttering, ¡°Lao, Laoshi, did I say something wrong?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s gaze fell back on the folder as he tore off a page and slid it to the centre of the conference table.

    ¡°Decline the other two cases, we¡¯re picking up the traffic accident one.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­right,¡± Wu Yi responded as he nodded hesitatingly.

    Once Sheng Min Ou had made a decision, no one else had a say in the matter.

 CH 32

    The vehicle that killed my dad was an overloaded cargo truck.

    He wasn¡¯t meant to have been on that road. However, in a few days it was going to be my mother¡¯s birthday, so he went to reserve a cake for her. On the way back, he took a route that he usually wouldn¡¯t have gone on for the sake of convenience.

    The accident happened then.

    He was driving an electric scooter as usual when from behind a cargo truck suddenly burst a tyre as the vehicle lost control and slammed into him. The truck should only have been carrying fifty tonnes of cargo, however it had overloaded by twenty tonnes. The driver was fully responsible for the incident, but the insurance company quoted the clause of ¡®no compensation owed due to illegal overloading on the vehicle and transportation of goods¡¯. Hence, they refused to provide the payout.

    As for the driver himself, he had even bought the car under a mortgage, and asserted that he didn¡¯t have any money but what he did have was his life ¨C if worst comes to worst he would just have to go to jail.

    My mother couldn¡¯t accept the fact that my father had lost his life for no reason and we couldn¡¯t even access the compensation that we were even entitled to. The only thing we had was a sheet that summoned both the driver and the insurance company to court.

    The lawyer assigned to our case was recommended to us and being a pro bono lawyer, we only needed to pay a very meagre sum for his services. However, it also meant that our expectations for his service couldn¡¯t be too high.

    The lawsuit dragged on for two years and the lawyer we had clearly did not put it at the forefront of his responsibilities. It would frequently result in my mother having to incessantly follow up with him to learn about how the case was progressing.

    In the end, the court had passed its judgement. Based on the contract, the insurance company was not liable to any payouts. As for the driver, he would have to pay for the costs of the emergency treatment, medical expenditures and the funeral service, coming to a total of two hundred thousand renminbi.

    Two years, one life, two hundred thousand renminbi¡­

    My mother could not accept the fact that a human¡¯s life was treated so lowly and expendably, so she had in a fit of rage decided to file a lawsuit. However, who could¡¯ve guessed that a person¡¯s life was indeed just a low and expendable presence.

    Outside the law court, she held onto the lawyer¡¯s sleeve without any regard for how she must have looked as she broke down in tears, begging him to think of another way. All she got in return was a darkened expression and a response filled with disdain, ¡°Know when enough is enough.¡±

    From his perspective, he had wasted two years of his time taking on this case for us, so it could be said that he had done plenty of good things, showing ample benevolence. Being compensated two hundred thousand renminbi was already an extremely good result, and if we continued to pester him then it would only be a waste of time for both sides. Someone who was capable of being appreciative would already have lauded him with abundant praise and thanks, accepting the outcome of this lawsuit, instead of acting like my mother being boundlessly avaricious and insatiable.

    It was as if this two hundred thousand renminbi was a reward of some sort gifted by the heavens, a first prize in the lottery, rather than the result of our incessant follow ups and the compensation that we deserved.

    Displeased, the lawyer shook off my mother and walked away in big strides. My mother fell onto her knees, sobbing uncontrollably as she yelled out my father¡¯s name, asking him how he could just pass away like this. She would then curse at the heavens, criticizing them for being so unfair as she questioned whether a good conscience still existed on this earth.

    I enveloped her in a hug, sporadically patting her back in an attempt to have her calm down.

    Within the courthouse, the floors were tiled with thick slabs of marble. Due to it being old, every tile had signs of abrasion, and when people walked on the tiles, there would be soft clicking sounds. When the place was less populated, this would be the only sound emitted as it echoed down the long corridor, the contrast of which making the whole building appear more solemn.

    In my memory, my mother¡¯s helpless cries still tugged at my heartstrings, giving me my first taste of feeling utterly powerless. However, what haunted me the most was still that lawyer¡¯s unflinching footsteps as he left, and the image of his back, impenetrably cold.

    ¡°Zew, la¡¯ii yf bxjs, la¡¯ii yf bxjs¡­¡± P miewrlis jaafwqafv ab mbwobga ws tsrafglmji wbatfg, jr P reymbcrmlberis kjcafv ab rffx ws fivfg ygbatfg¡¯r tfiq.

    Qtfc P ibbxfv ja Vtfcu Zlc Ye, P obecv atja tf kjr rajcvlcu lc atf mbgglvbg, vlrmbcmfgalcuis delfa jr tf rajgfv ja atf gfagfjalcu ijksfg. Llr rasuljc yijmx qeqlir kfgf nflifv ys j tfjns ugfs obu, wjxlcu la tjgv obg jcsbcf ab vlrmfgc ktja tlr agef lcafcalbcr kfgf.

    ¡°Ge?¡± I was a bit afraid of the expression he had on his face, and I had a nagging feeling that it was different from usual.

    Sheng Min Ou turned towards me in response and stared at me for a long while before suddenly opening his mouth, ¡°It turns out in this world, you can still receive punishment even if you don¡¯t commit murder.¡±

    He didn¡¯t appear to be resentful, rather it was spoken as if he had only just had the realisation, and it left a profound impact on him.

    Frissons ran up my spine as I stared blankly, stunned. Sheng Min Ou¡¯s words, the atmosphere around me, my mother¡¯s wailing, the departing lawyer, all of this interwoven with each other caused twelve year old me to be nonplussed and at a loss.

    I didn¡¯t know how I should respond to him; what he said couldn¡¯t even be called a question. It was more like a mammoth boulder that was a tonne in weight, careless and silent as it hurled and crashed into me.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡± I mumbled a response, struggling to find the right words to express myself. His words were a weight that crushed me, as I suffocated underneath it without respite.

    Without finding a place to let out my struggles and with no other choice left to me, hot, bitter tears escaped and dripped down as I tilted my face the other way. I was scared that if I let my emotions out of control, my mother would feel even worse, so I could only grit my teeth, forcing myself to hold on, to the point where my whole body would tremble in silence.

    I don¡¯t know how long had passed, maybe it was a few minutes, or a few seconds, but a hand suddenly gently grabbed my shoulder. When I turned around, Sheng Min Ou had already moved beside us.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, you still have us.¡± He spoke quietly, and I had no idea who he was saying this to.

    My mother at that time was extremely emotional, so I wasn¡¯t sure if she heard the words he said, but in that moment, this phrase provided me with enormous relief.

    Ten or so years later, a similar case had made its way to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm and was chosen by him. I don¡¯t know if he was still unable to reconcile with the events from the past, or if he felt resentful from what had happened, but he rejected two cases to pick that one. It probably was a conscious decision, making it so that this case was the only one remaining.

    In the afternoon I felt slightly tired since I didn¡¯t rest well from the night before. I had only closed my eyes for two hours on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s carpet in his living room, where I lay for the night without falling asleep. I decided to make my way to the law firm¡¯s sofa and took a nap there.

    I was half asleep when the conference room suddenly opened and I woke up from the early stages of my nap. Coming into the room was the receptionist, and she had a thirty something year old woman and little girl following her as they stood by the door.

    ¡°Ah! Mr Lu, apologies, I didn¡¯t know you were resting.¡± The receptionist hurriedly apologised as she saw I had woken up after her entrance.

    I sat up and pinched the bridge of my nose, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s occupied your space. If you need to use it then please do so, I¡¯ll be fine going somewhere else.¡±

    The receptionist took a step back and looked at a direction past the room, then after a while returned her gaze back on me as she replied, ¡°No need, no need. These two guests will just be temporarily staying here. Lawyer Sheng will be seeing them immediately once he has time.¡±

    She had the woman and the girl take a seat first, then left to pour a drink for both of them.

    The woman appeared tired, her complexion frail, and her clothes had evident signs of wear and tear, with the occasional stain. Looking at her expression, it was clear she had a lot on her mind. The girl on the other hand clung on tight by her side, her condition appearing a bit better, but in her eyes was a gloominess that was unfitting of someone her age, and she always stared at people with a timid look in her eyes.

    The woman nodded at me, then moved to sit opposite me.

    ¡°Nana, look at how small those buildings look from here. Don¡¯t they look good? Why don¡¯t we take a further look at it?¡± She said, attempting to brighten the little girl¡¯s mood. However, the girl had no interest in new, unfamiliar  sights. She chose instead to stick by the woman, looking as if she wanted to disappear in her embrace.

    The woman appeared a bit frustrated, and for some reason let out a long sigh, her eyes slightly red.

    ¡°How old is the child?¡± I asked, voicing my thoughts.

    The woman was stunned for a second as she looked at me, then made herself return a spiritless smile as she replied, ¡°Six years old, she should be attending school next year.¡±

    ¡°Is her name Nana?¡±

    The woman nodded her head, ¡°Yes, her name is Xu Na, her nickname is Nana.¡±

    I changed the tone of my voice instantly as I spoke in a more lighthearted manner, ¡°Nana, Shushu is going to perform a magic trick for you, okay?¡± From the table I took two sheets of tissues and took off my jacket so it now covered both hands as I continued, ¡°Now, I won¡¯t usually perform this magic trick to anyone. Today is an exception as I¡¯m performing it to a cute girl like you, so make sure you don¡¯t blink at all.¡±

    Xu Na remained silent as she continued clutching on to her mother, however her eyes showed her growing curiosity.

    I worked with the two tissues under the jacket as I folded a flower bud and crafted the petals. At the end, I reached out with one hand to grab the collar of my jacket, and in a fully serious tone, unveiled the trick.

    ¡°It¡¯s coming, this is a present only for little cuties, ta-da!¡± I pulled the jacket off, revealing a lifelike rose made from paper tissues, as I held it in my hand.

    Xu Na¡¯s eyes instantly widened, her expression one of astonishment as she looked as if she had never anticipated this result.

    I took a step forward and knelt down on one knee, giving her the rose that I had crafted for her.

    Xu Na hesitated for a second, then shyly reached out to accept the rose, and quietly said her thanks.

    I saw that there was a small smile on her face so knew that she finally could begin to let her guard down in this place. Seeing this, I suggested, ¡°Do you want to learn this? Shushu can teach you if you¡¯d like?¡±

    Xu Na looked back at me, enthusiastically nodded her head twice, then spoke in a quiet and shy tone, ¡°I¡¯d like to learn.¡±

    I started teaching Xu Na the steps on how to fold a rose. Once she had finished learning it, I then taught her how to fold a mouse, a swan, and a rabbit. During which, the receptionist walked in to deliver water, and stared in wonder at what we had created as she asked how I knew so many origami folds.

    If she had nothing to do for ten years, and could only stare up at the sky far past the confines of the tall walls, then she would also have many meaningless little tricks up her sleeve.

    For a period of time, I would even fold the letters I wrote to Sheng Min Ou into hearts. In retrospect, that was unbearably corny.

    The receptionist entered once more afterwards and spoke in a cordial tone to Xu Na¡¯s mother, ¡°Mrs Yang, Lawyer Sheng is available to see you now, please follow me.¡±

    Xu Na was enchanted by me as we played. Mrs Yang clearly did not want to disturb her daughter¡¯s enjoyment so turned to me slightly embarrassed as she asked whether or not I could look after Xu Na for a while.

    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no problem.¡± I answered straightaway.

    Mrs Yang explained to Xu Na that she would be just a room away, and told her to continue playing in this area. Once she had finished seeing the really capable lawyer shushu, then they would be able to return home.

    Xu Na quietly and obediently nodded in response. Before Mrs Yang left, she even gave a little wave.

    I stayed by Xu Na¡¯s side and almost finished folding a whole box of tissues as she organised and played with a row of the roses we had folded on the table. Suddenly, she raised her head and asked me, ¡°Shushu, do you know how to fold little people?¡±

    ¡°Little people?¡±

    Xu Na pointed at herself, ¡°A little person, just like me, so that people can look at it and know right away it¡¯s meant to be me.¡±

    ¡°This sounds a bit difficult, shushu skill¡¯s haven¡¯t developed to be that meticulous yet, so I¡¯m temporarily unable to fold a little girl as cute as Nana is.¡±

    Xu Na seemed slightly disappointed, then quietly responded with a ¡®oh¡¯.

    ¡°Why do you want to fold a little person?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but follow up and ask.

    ¡°Because¡­¡± Xu Na responded in a low voice, ¡°Mummy said, whatever we burn for daddy is what he will receive. If we burn money, he¡¯ll be able to receive that. If we burn houses then he¡¯ll receive a house, then maybe if we burn ¡®me¡¯, daddy will be able to receive Nana. I miss daddy, daddy probably misses me a lot too¡­¡±

    I never would¡¯ve been able to guess that the answer turned out to be this.

    It was a rollercoaster of childish naivete, humour, thriller, warmth, tragedy; a mix of all the flavours that exist ¨C it truly was a taste of the human world.

 CH 33

    Xu Na was tired out after our playtime and ended up falling asleep on the sofa. Seeing this, I took off my jacket and placed it over her.

    Mrs Yang and Sheng Min Ou spoke in the office for around an hour, and when they returned the skies outside were already tinged with a hint of dusk. She thanked me, carefully scooped up her daughter, and followed Wu Yi as he escorted them out of the office.

    I put on my jacket and followed them out. Once I saw that Wu Yi had sent them out, I went up to him and hooked an arm around his shoulders.

    ¡°They¡¯re the family of the deceased in that traffic accident case?¡±

    Wu Yi was astonished as he replied, ¡°How did you know? Mrs Yang told you about it?¡±

    ¡°I figured it out from my smarts and intelligence of course. The way they were dressed and how they spoke were simply too different from the target audience that you would have as clients. In one glance, one would be able to tell that they weren¡¯t the type to be able to afford the hundreds of thousands that was needed to have you represent them in a court case. Besides¡­¡± I grinned, flashing my teeth, ¡°I heard earlier in the conference room that you said the client would be coming to visit later in the afternoon.¡±

    Wu Yi smiled in response, ¡°No wonder.¡±

    He then followed up with a further explanation that the purpose behind calling the client over today was twofold. First, it was to align on the amount of compensation they would like to receive, and second, to explain the legal process that would ensue.

    He let out a sigh, ¡°The child is the most pitiable here, she¡¯s so young and she¡¯s already lost her father.¡±

    No one would disagree with that statement, no matter how much compensation was given, Na Na¡¯s father would never be able to come back again. He¡¯d no longer be able to accompany her as she grew up, and for a child, it was ultimately an absence that could never be made up.

    ¡°Hello, the express parcel for Mr Sheng has arrived.¡±

    Wu Yi and I both turned back to see a young delivery boy holding a long rectangular box, as his head continuously ducked back and forth in an attempt to look within the office.

    Wu Yi moved to approach him, but I grabbed him by the shoulders and had him stay where he was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it, it¡¯s all good.¡± I moved towards the delivery boy slightly overzealously, and signed the delivery off as he handed the parcel over.

    The paper box had a length of one metre, and was about twenty or so centimetres wide. It felt quite light as I held it though, so I had no clue as to what would be inside.

    I parted temporarily with Wu Yi and knocked on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office door. Without waiting for a response, I pushed the door open and entered, whilst simultaneously greeting him, ¡°Sir, your parcel delivery has arrived.¡±

    The office desk which was scarred with markings had already been replaced. The new one was an exact replica of its predecessor, having the same transparent material, and it¡¯s surface absent of any superfluous necessities.

    Hearing my voice, Sheng Min Ou raised his head from the file he was examining, and without a word he moved his laptop and other belongings on his table to the side.

    I understood the meaning behind this action, and quickly placed the box on the desk in the space that had been emptied out. I then passed him the envelope opener from the pen holder on his desk.

    He took it from me without even lifting his head and disassembled the box in a few fluid strokes, taking out from it an exquisite gentleman¡¯s cane.

    The wooden staff was long and sturdy, and it was crowned with a handle made out of deer antlers. To sum up how it appeared, it was high class, elegant and classy.

    If I wasn¡¯t wrong, this cane was from an Italian brand, and was purely handcrafted. It was also pretty expensive, as any cane from the brand would be in the four digit zone, and if the materials were of particular quality then the price could go upwards into the tens of thousands. Seeing Sheng Min Ou¡¯s wood and deer antler cane, I felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to get it crafted without at least ten thousand renminbi.

    Ai, all he did was twist an ankle, was it really necessary to drop so much money? If he told me earlier, I could¡¯ve headed to the local supermarket and got him one of those canes for the elderly, and it wouldn¡¯t have even cost more than a hundred renminbi.

    I pulled out a chair from his desk and sat opposite him as I asked, ¡°Did you pick that case because of what happened to our father?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou raised his cane, lifting it so he could scrutinise it at close range whilst exuding an air of arrogance and diligence. It was as if he was a King who was examining his staff with fastidious care. Each detail was required to be executed flawlessly, and every mark had to test the limits of the artisan, otherwise it would not be fitting for such a high and mighty presence like himself.

    ¡°I picked it because I wanted to.¡± He held onto the handle and tried out the cane as he attempted to stand.

    I had to admit, the texture of the deer antler really suited him, it was beautiful in a majestic and grand way, emanating a sense of firmness and power.

    At first he wasn¡¯t familiar with using the cane, but after a very short while, his stellar ability in picking things up became quickly apparent. In less than two minutes, he had completely figured out how to use the cane flawlessly, and walked about without any hindrance.

    Here I was, having taken off two weeks leave, yet I had already been made redundant from my job as a ¡®human cane¡¯.

    Sheng Min Ou walked two laps around the office, and perhaps he was satisfied with how things were going, as the corners of his lips unwittingly curved upwards into a faint smile. However, when he looked at me, that slight smile would instantly disappear.

    ¡°Leave the car keys behind, you can go now.¡±

    I knew that he had only bought the cane with such urgency so that he could get me out of his sight faster.

    ¡°I can drive your car back and escort you home;¡±

    He replied with an outright rejection, ¡°No need, I can have Wu Yi accompany me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but it would be such an inconvenience for him.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou let out a sneer and looked at me with an expression that said ¡®you know what I mean so why are you asking¡¯ as he slowly spoke his next words, ¡°I¡¯m more worried about inconveniencing you.¡±

    My smile faded slightly as I moved my sights off him, no longer staring him in the eye.

    If I didn¡¯t meet his pejorative gaze, or see his mocking expression, I was able to consciously lower the hurt from his attack, and consequently feel less of the pain. Although there was an element of me lying to myself here, it was the best solution I could come up with.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of being inconvenienced.¡±

    His voice lowered as he replied, ¡°Lu Feng, I thought I had already made things clear yesterday.¡±

    I stopped swivelling on my chair and glued my eyes to the floor, suppressing the bitter hurt in my voice as I responded, ¡°I understand, I won¡¯t have any delusions of my feelings being reciprocated. You find me annoying, you despise me, and you would never fall in love with me. This I know more than anyone else.¡±

    Pa kjr olcf yfobgf P rjlv atlr bea ibev, yea bcmf atfrf kbgvr ifoa ws wbeat, atf vjwjuf la lcoilmafv bc wsrfio kjr rb vfnjrajalcu atja P jiwbra mbeiv cba yfjg la. Snfc atbeut P xcfk la yfobgf, P kbeiv boafc mtbbrf ab cba mbcogbca la, vfwbcragjalcu atf asqlmji yftjnlbeg bo rbwfbcf klat atf Yraglmt Vscvgbwf. Po P vlvc¡¯a atlcx jybea la, atfc la mbeiv jiwbra cba fzlra. Snfc atbeut P ecvfgrabbv fnfgsatlcu mgsraji mifjg, P qgfafcvfv ab cba xcbk. Lbkfnfg, bcmf atfrf atbeutar wbgqtfv lcab rqbxfc kbgvr, P obecv P tjv cbktfgf ifoa ab tlvf. P tjv ab jvwla, jvwla¡­ atf gfjilas ktfgf atfgf kjr cb mtjcmf bo Vtfcu Zlc Ye ojiilcu lc ibnf klat wf.

    If I didn¡¯t develop romantic feelings for him, then in this lifetime our relationship with each other would never have been estranged brothers, albeit being non blood related, even until the day we died. We would perhaps meet up with each other once or twice every year, and give a rare call to each other when it was the New Year or when it was an occasion to celebrate. If I didn¡¯t have an acrimonious fallout with him, he definitely would not have cut me off completely. Even if in the depths of his heart, he could not stand me, he would still maintain pleasantries on the outside, and maintain our insignificant brotherly bond.

    Yet, I developed feelings that shouldn¡¯t have existed, and it was noticed by him. Him and I were no longer brothers, and therefore there was no need for him to keep up with the facade. Disgust was disgust, rejections were rejections, he didn¡¯t need to continue running circles around me anymore, and did not need to concern himself with how I felt.

    After all, he hated himself so much, so why would he show mercy to a person he didn¡¯t even care about.

    ¡°Look, you¡¯ve twisted your ankle and it¡¯s hard for you to move around right now, I¡¯m also extremely interested in the traffic incident case. How about you let me be a free chauffeur during this time, in exchange for me to have an opportunity to see how the case is progressing, okay?¡± I said, attempting to negotiate with him, ¡°I will absolutely not interfere with your life, and I won¡¯t be doing anything that you find disagreeable. It¡¯s just¡­ let me see you win. You¡¯d understand, for me as well, this case means a lot.¡±

    I raised my head to look at Sheng Min Ou, almost like I was praying to him. In this exact moment, the setting sun rays pierced through the windows of the building opposite us, and the sky outside was set ablaze. Sheng Min Ou had his back against the light, and his expression was cast completely into darkness.

    Time trickled with every second and every minute that passed. I was nervous beyond words, and was scared that even when I acquiesced to such a degree, Sheng Min Ou would still not be swayed.

    I sat patiently on my seat, trying as hard as I could to appear docile and harmless, genuine and dependable.

    He stared at me quietly for a moment, then walked towards me step by step as he gripped onto his cane before finally coming to a stop a metre or so away from me.

    I gulped, and subconsciously straightened my back in response.

    ¡°I¡¯ll set three rules.¡± He said, his eyes looking down at me, as the words came out softly from his thin lips, ¡°One, you will only watch, you will not be able to voice any thoughts or opinions of your own. Two, you will only watch, you will not touch anything with abandon. Three, you will only watch, you will not have any dissents. This arrangement will last for one month, you may drive the car, but you must escort me using the car when I need it.¡±

    In simpler terms, he had compromised on the case, but in regards to feelings, he was certain in making sure that there would be no chance for me to make any moves.

    That worked out anyways, he wouldn¡¯t have to think about how he could defend against me, and I wouldn¡¯t have to think of ways to get closer to him. In this one month, we could temporarily put away the feelings, and get along with each other in peace, focusing only on our common goal.

    Great, it was perfect.

    ¡°Do you understand?¡± Sheng Min Ou asked.

    I hurriedly nodded, signalling that I had understood, and I would never break the rules that were set. If he still didn¡¯t believe me, I could take an oath swearing to the heavens, pledging my life in the case that I broke it. He sat back on his seat and threw the paper box to one side, bringing his laptop to its original spot.

    ¡°Oh, by the way¡­¡±

    ¡°One.¡± I initially wanted to ask him for more details on the case, however he didn¡¯t even spare me a glance before directly hitting me with a number.

    I was stunned for a second, then quickly realised, it was the first rule ¨C I was only allowed to watch, but I couldn¡¯t express my thoughts.

    Shit, it already had begun?

    I was a little taken aback, but still followed the rules in place and quickly shut my mouth. Seeing that Sheng Min Ou had resumed his work as if there was no one else around, I could only quietly get up from the chair and walk towards the door.

    I was halfway before I turned around, retracing my footsteps to pick up the paper box from the floor as I took it away with me.

    Based on our rules that we had set, every morning I would arrive at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s apartment, pick him up and then send him to the law firm. During the day, I would burrow myself in a corner of their conference rooms and swipe on my phone playing games. If there was a meeting regarding the traffic incident, Wu Yi would let me know so I could listen in. At night, I¡¯d then send Sheng Min Ou back, then return home myself.

    At times he would also have other commitments, for example.. he would go to a few high end establishments to meet high profile clients, and these meetings would often be held at five star hotels, exclusive conference places and so on. At times there would also be private clubs, but these were more rare. Most of the time, I would sit in the car waiting for him. Usually if the meetings were short, they¡¯d be around half an hour, however there wasn¡¯t much of an approximation for the longer meetings. Whenever he finished meeting with a client, we would leave, taking the same roads we travelled on when we came.

    During this one week, I couldn¡¯t be sure about other things, but my skills as a driver had definitely grown.

    ¡°Tonight, you will be coming up with me.¡± Sheng Min Ou suddenly remarked as I steadily pressed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop.

    Although I was puzzled and doubtful, I nodded to show I understood without saying a word. There was nothing else I could do, under the three rules that were set, I couldn¡¯t voice my opinions, I couldn¡¯t raise any disagreements, basically I had to abide by whatever he said.

    Following the waiter¡¯s lead, Sheng Min Ou and I entered a magnificent, gold covered lift in the private club. As we ascended, he added a word of caution as he mentioned that today¡¯s client was exceptionally hard to deal with, and all I had to do was pretend that I was part of the decoration on the walls. If I didn¡¯t have to talk then I should keep my mouth shut, if I didn¡¯t have to walk then I should remain still, even better, I should just abstain from breathing altogether.

    ¡°If you mess this up, our agreement will be nullified.¡± The elevator doors opened slowly, and he walked out with his cane in his hand, leaving me only with a harsh remark.

    Then why did you even call me to come up here? I was mystified, and couldn¡¯t help but secretly curse at him behind his back.

    Once we were in the private room, I saw that there was a long putting mat, used for practising golf. In the room was a middle aged man of average build, wearing casual clothes who swung the golf club with confidence and practised ease as the ball just passed the edge of the hole.

    He clicked his tongue lightly, then turned around to see Sheng Min Ou. As if he had just noticed our presence, he exclaimed loudly as he called out towards us with exaggerated enthusiasm, and came forward to shake hands with Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°Xiao Sheng, you¡¯re finally here.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou shook back, ¡°Mr Cai, it¡¯s nice to see you.¡±

    After noticing me, Mr Cai naturally asked who I was. Once Sheng Min Ou responded that I was only his assistant, he lost his interest and stopped paying me any attention. I also solemnly abided by Sheng Min Ou¡¯s orders as I obediently stepped aside into a corner, acting as wallpaper decoration alongside the waiter that was assigned to this private room.

    This Mr Cai character was indeed someone who was hard to deal with. Though he was courteous and generous, each time he opened his mouth it would be in relation to current affairs, or about Shakespeare and Nietzsche. Either this, or what painting he had just outbid someone in an auction to purchase, or where he was going to dine at tomorrow. He would discuss just about every topic under the sun except for partaking in the actual conversation that was meant to take place.

    Sheng Min Ou attempted several times to steer the conversation topic back on track, however they would all be quickly glossed over by him in a few words. A bottle of whiskey wasn¡¯t enough, so he opened another bottle of red wine that had apparently aged very well from his vineyard. The topic of conversation swerved this way and that, never hitting the main point of discussion.

    Once or twice was alright, but when this continued happening, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s cordial and well regarded expression that he wore so well was even slipping. Though he continued smiling, the coldness in his eyes intensified bit by bit, and his smile no longer reached his eyes, as it appeared particularly perfunctory.

    However, this was only from my point of view. Mr Cai was none the wiser, and continued broaching broad topics, even going as far to invite Sheng Min Ou up to the putting mat to have a go at golfing.

    Sheng Min Ou was half crippled, so how could he even play sports? If Mr Cai wasn¡¯t purposefully out to set Sheng Min Ou up for failure, then he really was an extreme narcissist who was completely blind with regards to others.

    With this type of person, if he wasn¡¯t satisfied, then there was no possibility of securing a contract with him. No wonder Sheng Min Ou was so wary around him, and it was highly likely that this wasn¡¯t their first time meeting.

    Mr Cai exuded an aura of great hospitality as he made way for Sheng Min Ou, so if Sheng Min Ou continued sitting in his seat, then the atmosphere would undoubtedly turn awkward.

    I was still considering how this situation could be dealt with when I heard my name.

    ¡°Lu Feng,¡± He stood up, and walked towards the putting mat, as he passed me the cane. ¡°Hold this for me.¡±

    I hurriedly approached him to take the cane from his hands, and saw him smiling as he accepted the golf club that Mr Cai had passed him. Despite him wearing his mask of indifference, I caught a glimpse of a sinister, cold and ruthless aura.

    After witnessing such a sight, I was afraid that in the next second he would wave the golf club and smash it into Mr Cai¡¯s skull, so I couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward.

    Sheng Min Ou slanted his eyes my way, the intensity of his gaze rooting me in my footsteps, as I no longer dared to move forward anymore.

    With both his feet shoulder width apart and his upper body leaning slightly forward, he confirmed the distance between his golf club and the ball. Then, with a graceful swing that did not compromise in power, he followed through with his club. There was a sound, ¡®ta¡¯, followed by the golf ball sliding across the grassy mat as it landed smoothly in the cup. Sheng Min Ou had executed a precise putt.

    To be able to accomplish such a feat and then play it off so casually, he truly was a veteran at this sport.

    ¡°¡­..¡± Mr Cai did not expect Sheng Min Ou to be this good, and his mouth widened in stunned surprise.

    ¡°It is not very interesting.¡± Sheng Min Ou discarded the golf club on the floor without a care, and reached out for the cane in my hands. Then he spoke to Mr Cai again as he continued, ¡°If Mr Cai is interested, next time we can arrange to play a round of golf.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ okay.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if Mr Cai was stunned by Sheng Min Ou¡¯s demeanour or not, but in the end he finally sat down with Sheng Min Ou and discussed the actual topic of conversation. He expressed that he would follow up with the legal department to review the contract, and was greatly looking forward to partnering up with Jin Shang Law Firm.

    Sheng Min Ou drank quite a bit of alcohol, so despite still being conscious and awake after the whole affair, his footsteps looked slightly adrift, and he now required me to support him. Perhaps this was also the main reason behind why he wanted me to follow along with him.

    We returned to the car with him reeking of alcohol, and by now it was already midnight.

    Sheng Min Ou removed his jacket, loosened his tie, and unbuttoned the two topmost buttons on his shirt. After which he stopped moving, and closed his eyes as he started resting.

    An hour later, I parked the car at the bottom of his apartment, and seeing that he made no movements, I could only make a noise to wake him up.

    ¡°Ge?¡±

    He slowly opened his eyes and furrowed his brows as he took in his surroundings. When he realised that we had arrived at his place, he straightened up and attempted to open the door. In the end, even after several tries, he still wasn¡¯t successful in doing so.

    I saw that I couldn¡¯t just leave him like so, and was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get up to his place alone, so I got out of the car and circled around it to his side and opened the door for him, as I extended a hand out.

    He looked at my hand for a long while, not making a sound, before he gripped it with one fluid movement. After all, the three rules were only put in place as a one-sided restriction for me.

    ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± Once we made it through the front door, he instantaneously let go of my hand and began trying to dismiss me.

    I closed the door behind me, but I didn¡¯t leave.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make some hangover soup for you, then I¡¯ll go.¡±

    I had only walked forward two steps when Sheng Min Ou raised his cane horizontally in front of me. blocking my path.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time, you can leave now.¡± Due to the force he was exerting, each knuckle bulged out, becoming painfully apparent. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to the alcohol or if there was another reason, but the cane in his hand started trembling slightly, and appeared to be unsteady.

    I knew this was his last warning to me, and there was an implicit threat of danger underneath, so I could only reluctantly acquiesce as I turned around to leave.

    Just when I reached the door and gripped the handle, I heard a quiet sound of the cane falling to the ground, followed by a stifled grunt from Sheng Min Ou.

    I couldn¡¯t help but turn my head back, and pieced together that he was in the process of bending over to pick something up, but he had lost his centre of gravity so he toppled over as a result. Now he had a leg bent, with both his hands behind him on the carpet to support himself. His spiteful gaze was currently fixated on his right leg which had just disappointed him.

    ¡°Ge!¡± I got a fright seeing what had happened and hurriedly went to check on him, ¡°Did you fall?¡±

    I went to try lift him up, and in the process I unavoidably had to have some sort of physical contact with his body. I had just reached out and touched him when he immediately reacted violently and pushed me away.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I was caught off guard and fell to the ground, stunned and also slightly annoyed. However, when I raised my head to look back at him, I was startled at the sight of him with his eyes tightly shut and his brows furrowed, as if he was exercising great restraint. I took another look and saw that in his left hand by his side was a dark red wrestling bandage, so he was most likely trying to pick this up just then when he accidentally fell.

    I suddenly understood what had happened, his body was already in this condition but he still wanted to practice boxing.

    ¡°Sheng Min Ou, how long has it been since you were able to find a release?¡± I asked, staring at the bandages in his hand, which appeared even more vibrant juxtaposed against his carpet.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s breathing faltered for a second, as he opened his eyes to stare at me.

    ¡°One¡­¡± He evidently wouldn¡¯t answer me. A cold, solitary number was all that was given. I couldn¡¯t figure out whether it was a warning, or a conveyance of his thinning patience.

    He had counted to ¡®two¡¯, however I remained where I was. By his side was the antler cane, and I suspected that if I stayed where I was, then the person who¡¯d have their skull bust open would end up being me.

    However, before he could count to ¡®three¡¯, I still did not make a move to leave, rather instead I took the red bandage he held in his hand.

    His voice faltered as I saw doubt forming in his eyes.

    I didn¡¯t acknowledge him as I wrapped the bandage over my eyes, whilst simultaneously finishing his count for him, ¡°Three¡­¡±

    The word left me, and I tightened the bandage behind my head, my eyes now completely blind.

    With Sheng Min Ou¡¯s intelligence, he should be able to understand the meaning behind my actions.

    I wouldn¡¯t voice any thoughts, I wouldn¡¯t carelessly touch anything, and I wouldn¡¯t have any disagreements.

    So, he could do anything to me.

    My vision plummeted into darkness, and my sense of hearing sharpened to the point where I would be able to hear a single pin drop.

    In the strange silence, I seemed to hear my own heartbeats. It was pounding frantically and in an uproar, having completely lost its sense of order and was now clamoring in my chest.

    I was left without a response despite waiting for a long time, and I couldn¡¯t even feel Sheng Min Ou¡¯s presence near me. I couldn¡¯t help but become slightly restless, as I unwittingly clenched my fists tighter.

    ¡°In a few days the trial is going to begin. You won¡¯t be able to deal with it calmly given the current state that you¡¯re in, right?¡±

    I paused for a second, and still did not receive any response. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I was certain that Sheng Min Ou was right in front of me before I blindfolded myself, then I would really have begun suspecting whether there was only myself in this entire room.

    To be honest, no matter how shameless I was, it was hard to continue when I was being ignored like this with no response whatsoever.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you¡­ using me as a fire extinguisher?¡± I said as I laughed derisively, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many times, after all whether you¡¯re using me once or twice you¡¯re using me all the same, so if you have the need you might as well use more times.¡±

    I tilted my head slightly, but still could not pick up any sounds. I had a moment where I fell into a sense of awkwardness, as if I was acting a whole soliloquy by myself.

    What did it mean, what does this mean? Last time I didn¡¯t want him to do me, and he couldn¡¯t get enough. This time I offered myself but he instead didn¡¯t want to do anything to me, did he have some kind of condition?

    Well, fuck it, if he didn¡¯t want to do me then he didn¡¯t have to. I¡¯d be returning home and getting an early night¡¯s rest anyways.

    I was just about to jerk off the bandage covering my eyes when a sharp pain erupted from my scalp, as someone gripped onto my hair then pressed my skull down.

    In that instant, it was as if the silence from the world outside had been completely shattered. Sheng Min Ou¡¯s heavy breathing and a complicated scent composed of alcohol, cigarettes, and his cologne came carried over by the air and settled into my every pore. Without intending to, I found that my breathing became heavy as well as a result.

    ¡°Open your mouth.¡± From above me came an extremely husky voice.

    I couldn¡¯t see anything, so as a result my ears became even more sensitive. As I became ready to carry out his orders, I also heard a series of soft sounds, of his zipper being pulled down.

    Knowing where this was going, I started lowering my body towards where the sound was coming from.

    A scorching heat and a dominating male scent invaded my senses as my jaw was rudely pried open in a violent and forceful manner, as he pushed himself deep in my throat.

    I wasn¡¯t too used to it, as my fingers fisted the long strands of carpet beneath my feet. I subconsciously wanted to straighten my body, however the hand at the back of my head kept me forcefully in place as it did not allow me to get away that easily.

    ¡°On this world, there are plenty of stupid people. Every day, I have to tolerate and put up with them¡­ I¡¯m already exhausted to the bone¡­¡± The hand which gripped my hair tightened with every word, as Sheng Min Ou¡¯s words staggered at points due to the motion happening to the lower half of his body. ¡°Every day I¡¯d ask myself, why wasn¡¯t I born one of these people? To be a stupid, ordinary person¡­ just like you, how good would that be?¡±

    The corners of my mouth were stretched in pain, and the unrelentingly harsh pounding caused me to feel lightly suffocated.

    The smell of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s body, his heat, his breathing, even the pain that arose due to his fingertips scraping past my scalp, all of this acted like an aphrodisiac, causing my whole body to be fired up, as my member down there started to feel painfully trapped.

    This fire really was too much, a small fire extinguisher like me almost couldn¡¯t take it. I hadn¡¯t even extinguished the spreading fire when I was about to go up in flames myself.

    As he increased his pace, the sense of suffocation became stronger. I started whimpering out of discomfort, however the treatment I received in response became even more brutal.

    ¡°Is it uncomfortable?¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice was filled with delight, ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted? The dog finally smells and has a taste of meat, are you happy?¡±

    Maybe he really held it in for too long, and in addition he had also drank alcohol, which exacerbated his already foul condition. All this in combination caused his levels of malice to rise several fold.

    If I could speak, then I would¡¯ve definitely responded with a huge grin, then shout jubilantly at the top of my lungs, ¡°I¡¯m ecstatic, I¡¯m really overjoyed! Thank you Lord for your grace!¡± to really disgust him.

    All of a sudden, there was a slight tremble from the object in my mouth, as Sheng Min Ou let out a satisfied sigh. His fingers were rigid for a second, before they gradually loosened. Then in the next second, he gripped at my hair fiercely again and flung me to one side.

    I fell to my side as I hit the floor, my mouth bursting as it was filled with liquid. I didn¡¯t get any time to swallow before I choked as it slipped down and I began to cough in an uncontrollable and violent fit.

    After a long while the coughs finally subsided, then all I heard was Sheng Min Ou telling me, ¡°Now you can leave.¡±

    Next to my ears was the sound of clothes rubbing together, and after a while the air in front of me seemed to move as I heard the sounds of the cane striking the floor as it slowly sounded more and more distant.

    The job of the fire extinguisher was fulfilled, so now it¡¯s purpose was obsolete.

    It wasn¡¯t until I heard the sound of the door closing that I took off the bandages tied around my eyes.

    I laughed at myself for a second, then took out a packet of cigarettes from my pocket and lit one up. The smoke rushed into my lungs, and my brows furrowed unwittingly as it mixed with the raw scent from before.

    This combination of smells¡­ kind of hits different?

    The corners of my mouth still stung from the pain as I wiped away some of the liquid. I unzipped my pants, leaned against the wall and started to please myself in Sheng Min Ou¡¯s living room, on this carpet, and having this scent in my mouth. It wasn¡¯t like he was going to come out again at this time.

    After I had extinguished my own fire, I picked up the bandage from one side and wiped away some of the stickiness, then stood up from the floor. I tidied up my clothes, and without caring about whether Sheng Min Ou was asleep or not, and whether he could hear me or not, I faced the direction of the bedroom and shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll be going now!¡±

    After which, I turned to leave.

 CH 34

    Thank you Maggy, Ko-fi Supporter and Guo Xinghe for sponsoring this bonus chapter!

    The next day, I arrived on the dot to pick up Sheng Min Ou and drive him to work. He acted as if nothing was amiss, like he completely forgot what had happened last night as he treated me exactly the same. His plan for how to handle the aftermath was evident, so I could only follow along and act as he expected, pretending that nothing had occurred.

    I really admired him at certain times. If it was anyone else, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up a facade that was so confident and self-reassured, with their features remaining wholly impassive. In addition, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he was able to finally find a release, but the tone of his voice was no longer as impatient as before. In the morning, I had almost stepped on the brake too late, resulting in a near rear-end collision. Usually, he would¡¯ve lost his temper at me already, however today all I received was a simple remark to ¡®be more careful¡¯.

    Tomorrow was the day of the court hearing, and Sheng Min Ou probably wanted to face the opposing lawyer on their battlefield well rested, so he didn¡¯t have any commitments scheduled in for tonight. The only thing planned was a long meeting to serve as preparation before the hearing tomorrow, and it started at one in the afternoon, with no confirmed end time.

    The meeting was overly long and tedious, with many legal terms being thrown in the mix, and upon hearing their discussion I was tempted to fall straight asleep. Halfway through, I gave up on following their conversation, so I decided to leave the conference room for a breath of fresh air outside.

    It was at this time that Mo Qiu¡¯s call came through.

    Luo Zheng Yun was dead, so the source of Mo Qiu¡¯s problems had also disappeared. However, he wasn¡¯t me, so given that someone who was perfectly fine and alive had died right in front of him, with that someone being a person he had liked, his sensitive nature had taken an even greater hit. He had fallen into depression and was stressed out, resulting in an extended period of time where he was in extremely low spirits. Fortunately, he himself had realised that he was on a slippery slope, and if he didn¡¯t call out for help himself then he would be headed towards his own death. Sensing this, he followed his psychologist¡¯s advice and signed up for a tourist group with a great sense of camaraderie, and left to enjoy himself and travel for two or so months.

    I saw the photos that he uploaded on WeChat, featuring blue skies, the vast sea and smiles from jubilant youths. His complexion appeared more lively, and his whole demeanour became more vivacious. The results of this treatment method could be concluded as a resounding success.

    This time, he reached out to call me as he had firstly brought back a souvenir for me from his trip, and secondly, he wanted to thank me for everything I had done in relation to the Luo Zheng Yun case. He then asked if I was free to meet up, and said that he¡¯d shout me a meal.

    I really didn¡¯t mind whether or not he showed his appreciation through a shout, however since he had already expressed his desire to do like this, then it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate if I continued to reject him. In the end, I chose a restaurant that was under Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm to meet up with him. The restaurant specialised in cantonese cuisine, boasting an authentic flavour profile, fresh ingredients, and also served in generous portions. Consequently, the lawyers at Jin Shang all liked ordering their meals from the restaurant.

    Mo Qiu didn¡¯t have any objections, so we agreed to meet at five p.m..

    After I hung up, I looked at the time and found that it was already nearing half past four. It looked as if Sheng Min Ou¡¯s side would still take a while before they were able to wrap up everything, and I figured that even after I finished eating there was still a chance they¡¯d still be in the meeting.

    I gave a heads up to the receptionist as I left, letting her know I was going out to eat and asked if she could give me a call if the meeting finished before I returned.

    The receptionist almost immediately flashed me an ¡®okay¡¯ sign with her hand in response.

    P tjv qgfaas wemt rjnfv tfg ilof qgfnlberis, rb ktfc P jrxfv obg rwjii ojnbegr ilxf atfrf, rtf kjr jikjsr wbgf atjc tjqqs ab byiluf.

    Zb Hle jgglnfv ja atf gfrajegjca akb wlceafr yfobgf la kjr olnf q.w., jcv lcrafjv bo mbwlcu lc tlr ereji jaalgf ktfgf tf kjr vgfrrfv tfjv ab abf lc yijmx jcv ktlaf, tf vbccfv j ulcufg sfiibk rkfjartlga bc abq, jcv mjreji yijmx rkfjaqjcar bc atf ybaabw. Lf jirb tjv j tjlgmea jr tf cbk rqbgafv rtbga tjlg. Llr ofjaegfr ibbxfv vfilmjaf jcv sbeatoei lclaljiis, yea joafg atlr agjcrobgwjalbc tf jqqfjgfv fnfc wbgf ogfrt-ojmfv, ab atf fzafca ktfgf P¡¯v jiwbra tjnf ab tfrlajaf obg j rfmbcv cbk yfobgf mjiilcu bea ab tlw.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, does it not suit me?¡± He asked, after sitting down and accepting the menu that the waiter had passed over to him. He flipped through the dishes as his expression became slightly flustered, after he noticed the shock displayed on my face.

    I poured tea into his cup for him and explained ¡°No, it¡¯s just, you changed a lot all of a sudden, so I kind of found it hard to recognise you.¡±

    Mo Qiu gave a shy and bashful smile in response, ¡°When i went on the trip, I made a lot of friends, and one of them was a fashion designer¡­ he said dressing like this suited me more, and would make me appear more lively. What I¡¯m wearing now was an outfit that he had made for me.¡± As he spoke, he lowered his head and propped up his glasses, with the corners of his lips remaining upturned in a small smile.

    It was evident with how he acted that there was more going on, and often it was said that the best treatment after a breakup was to start a new relationship. Clearly, what had happened to Mo Qiu was more serious than a break up, but if there really was someone who could heal and nurture his battered soul, and rekindle his desire to live a fulfilling life again, then it would be a great thing indeed.

    Following this, Mo Qiu didn¡¯t mention the topic of his ¡®fashion designer friend¡¯ again. After all, this was a private matter of his, so if he refrained from talking about them further, then it would  also be inappropriate for me to proactively bring it up again. Therefore, I could only pretend that I didn¡¯t notice anything from before.

    ¡°Oh right, this is the souvenir I got for you.¡± After we had ordered the dishes, Mo Qiu passed me a paper bag he had with him.

    I accepted the bag and took a look at what was inside. It was a tin that looked like hair wax and was the size of my palm. There were english words on the tin, and I could only understand one line that was explaining how it was to be rubbed on the hands and the body.

    Mo Qiu explained, ¡°This is lanolin oil, it¡¯s great to rub into skin, so it¡¯s great to prevent dry skin in winter.¡±

    I found that Mo Qiu and I had quite a big difference when it came to how we approached life and took care of ourselves. It was evident that he was more attentive when it came to his lifestyle habits, as apart from water, I had never applied anything else to my face in my life.

    If he didn¡¯t mention it to me, then I would never have even known that on this earth such things like lanolin oil even existed.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, Qing Wan¡¯s winters are pretty dry, I feel like I often get shocked by static electricity.¡± I thanked him, and placed the paper bag to one side.

    The dishes piled up on the table and Mo Qiu started telling me about everything that he had seen and heard of in the past two months.

    The mountains, valleys and all the breathtaking landscapes. The lands, their traditional customs and their people. The world was so extensive and vast, and there were plenty of kind people. In the places that he had passed by, the people may have been in a state of impoverishment, but they never lost their passion for life. Other people wouldn¡¯t understand their positivity, but they did not need anyone else¡¯s understanding. To live was not to think about the past or the future, but rather to enjoy the happiness of the present.

    Mo Qiu was practically entranced by this simple and straightforward way of living. He fervently declared that it was the Peach Blossom Spring of his dreams, and if possible, he hoped that when he was older he¡¯d be able to buy a small apartment there and settle down.

    In contrast to him, I appeared to be extremely lacklustre in terms of life ambitions. I never thought about leaving Qing Wan city, I grew up here, my parents were buried here, and Sheng Min Ou was here also. Though it was far from an utopia flourishing with sweet flowers and singing birds, and instead it was bustling and populated to the extent that one¡¯s head often hurt from the commotion, it was the only place where my heart and soul could be at ease.

    This was my home, this was my ¡®Peach Blossom Spring¡¯.

    Mo Qiu held the hot tea in his hands and continued, ¡°Previously, I thought that there was no hope in my life, as if every single bad occurrence had happened to me¡­ however the truth was, each person has their own thing that they¡¯re struggling with, and there was no such thing as always being a hundred percent happy. Each person could only ever understand and know what happened to them, and themselves only.¡± After expressing his thoughts, he pushed his cup forward.

    In just two short months he had already come to such a realisation, if it wasn¡¯t for his speech and mannerisms being how it usually was, and himself overflowing with positive energy, I would¡¯ve started to suspect it wasn¡¯t a tourist group he signed up for, but rather some kind of cult instead.

    We talked until half past six, and at this time my phone suddenly started vibrating. The receptionist had sent a message to me, letting me know that Sheng Min Ou and others had concluded their meeting, and that everyone was now packing up.

    Mo Qiu noticed that I had been glancing at my phone on occasion, and probably guessed that I had plans afterwards, so he proactively called the waiter over and asked for the bill. Then, he announced that it was a wrap for our meet up over dinner.

    ¡°Sorry for ending things early, next time I¡¯ll shout.¡±

    I held the souvenir in one hand as I walked out of the department store with Mo Qiu as we waited for a taxi by the side of the road.

    Mo Qiu heard what I said and shook his head as he replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Actually, I¡¯ve been looking at applying to study at a university overseas, and at the moment I¡¯m just preparing for it. In a bit, I¡¯ll have to undertake a few exams, and later tonight I have a huge heap of homework waiting for me. You¡¯re fine, I needed to return home to revise anyways.¡±

    I was stunned as I remarked, ¡°You¡¯re thinking of leaving to study abroad?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ thinking of getting a taste of a different kind of life.¡± Mo Qiu said as he smiled, ¡°It might not even work out.¡±

    I cupped one fist in the other hand and held it up to him as a sign of respect, ¡°Then I wish you all the best on your journey, and I hope you succeed in your studies.¡±

    Mo QIu returned the gesture, ¡°Given Brother Lu prosperous wishes, I want to also pray that all things will go as Brother Lu wants, and for you to have a smooth sailing life.¡± He gazed attentively at me, his pupils reflecting the various hues from the lights illuminated against the night sky, ¡°Lu Feng, you¡¯re a good person, and good things will definitely happen to you as a result of it.¡±

    I was caught off guard as I was handed a stamp of being a ¡®good person¡¯, and just when I was going to laugh, he suddenly walked forward one step and embraced me in a tight hug.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know this, but when I was younger, you were a big hero for me.¡± He let out a long exhale as he continued, ¡°Really, thank you.¡±

    I had never encountered this situation, and for a second I was afraid to make any movement, as I stood there rigid and at a loss of what to do. After a while, Mo Qiu loosened his grip on me and patted me gently on the shoulder, his eyes sparkling as tears welled up in his eyes.

    ¡°You¡­¡± He opened his mouth, as he was just about to say something, when the sound of Wu Yi¡¯s shocked exclamation at a distance cut him off.

    ¡°¡­Mr, Mr Lu?¡±

    Mo Qiu and I turned our heads at the same time, and we were greeted by a crowd of lawyers from Jin Shang Law firm, standing just three metres away from us. Each person had an unreadable expression, as if they had all witnessed some kind of big show.

    Especially Wu Yi, his expression was like he had taken a bite of a melon that had gone off. He probably couldn¡¯t understand at all, why Mo Qiu and I, two of the victims in the Luo Zheng Yun case, were doing in broad daylight on the side of a big road right in front of the public¡¯s eyes.

    My gaze moved to the tallest silhouette at the front of the pack, Sheng Min Ou had his hands in his pockets, and his eyes flickered to the palm Mo Qiu still rested on my shoulder. Mo Qiu immediately pulled his hand away as if he had been burned. At the same time, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s gaze shifted elsewhere, his footsteps continuing without stopping as he passed by my side and walked towards the building.

    The rest of the crowd quickly followed behind, with an ardour that seemed like they wished they had a pair of wings so they could get out of this situation faster.

    Wu Yi¡¯s features twisted into one of awkwardness, and pointed to the moving mass of people as he explained, ¡°We had finished our meeting, so we were here to¡­ to eat. Uh¡­ sorry about that, you guys continue.¡± After which, he waved goodbye to me, and left as if he had oil under his feet, disappearing like dust in the wind.

    This really had to be a joke, I had stayed with them for the better half of a month and had never seen them all go out to eat together, today I decided to come out for dinner and they also all chose to come out, did they have something against me?

    ¡°They¡­ they seem to have misunderstood something, do you need me to go explain things to them?¡± Mo Qiu became nervous, and started stuttering as a result of it.

    Vexed, I looked at him and responded, ¡°No need, be on your way now.¡±

 CH 35

    I shamelessly followed along with Sheng Min Ou and invited myself to their dinner, but because I had already just eaten, I really couldn¡¯t force myself to stomach much more food. Instead, I sat on the side sipping my tea, and listened to the general conversation.

    I attempted to explain my relationship with Mo Qiu, as I repeated and emphasised that we were, and we would only be old classmates to each other. When I said these words, I specifically looked at Sheng Min Ou, however he continued to eat his dinner, like he wasn¡¯t at all interested in what I had to say.

    I didn¡¯t mind whether or not other people believed me, I couldn¡¯t care less even if their imagination went into overdrive as they conceived fifty episodes worth of some melodrama plot. However, Sheng Min Ou was different. It didn¡¯t matter how he perceived the incident, I hoped that regardless he wouldn¡¯t mistake me for the type of person to split their devotions across multiple people at the same time.

    If at this moment there were only the two of us, then this misunderstanding would be quite easy to explain. If there was an easier path to walk, why would I voluntarily go for the harder one? My feelings which remained unchanged for him was the best evidence I could give.

    After finishing my second dinner of the day, I walked alongside Sheng Min Ou as we descended to the underground garage in silence, and this continued as we wordlessly got into the car too.

    We finally had entered a quiet space of our own, so after I approached a red light, I used my peripheral vision to observe his mood, as well as pondering how I should begin to approach the subject.

    At the same time, Sheng Min Ou opened his mouth before I said anything, ¡°You don¡¯t have to come tomorrow.¡±

    My heart clenched as I looked at him, ¡°But, our agreement¡­¡±

    ¡°I know we have an agreement, I¡¯ve injured my foot, not my head.¡± He furrowed his brows as he cut me off, his thumb repeatedly circling the antler head of his cane, ¡°I will fulfil my promise to the end, however I have no need for a chauffeur anymore.¡±

    This sudden notice was really quite a shock to me, as I was rather taken aback by it.

    I combed through my memories and incidents of the past few days back and forth, inside and out, and felt like in these days I hadn¡¯t gotten on his bad side at all. Instead, yesterday I had even selflessly helped him with a little deed, so why was he ruining what we had established between us with no warning at all now?

    Unless, I was wrong in helping him?

    ¡°Is it because of what happened yesterday?¡± I said, testing the theory I had. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous, I said that I wouldn¡¯t read too much into things and act delusional, so I will definitely hold myself to it. Your foot hasn¡¯t healed completely yet, so it should still be inconvenient for you to drive right now, no?¡±

    The corners of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s lips curved upwards derisively, as he looked at me like I was an idiot, ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m unable to let go of you as a chauffeur? Without you, I¡¯d still be able to find other people to drive for me. You just said that you wouldn¡¯t read too much into things and imagine that your feelings would be reciprocated, so why are you so intent now on clarifying with me why I¡¯ve made my decision?¡±

    His question which he had shot back at me caused my chest to tighten, as if I was suffocating. In an instant, it was like I had been crushed by a half a tonne boulder, as it landed squarely on me, making it hard for me to breathe.

    The red light had already turned green, yet I remained still, causing the cars behind to me to chorus in a series of honks.

    I took a deep breath, and as I changed gears, I directed a smile at Sheng Min Ou, ¡°Because I can never be like you, being so coldly indifferent and callous.¡±

    After the words left my lips, I made sure to not glance at him again as my expression remained neutral, and we made a silent trip back to the bottom of his apartment.

    When the car was parked, Sheng Min Ou opened the door and left for his apartment.

    ¡°All this effort for nothing, really.¡± I muttered in the wake of him slamming the car door shut. After extinguishing the engine, I followed him as I got out of the car too.

    P abrrfv atf mjg xfs ab Vtfcu Zlc Ye jr P gfaegcfv la ab tlw, atfc ijafg tf kjixfv lcab tlr jqjgawfca jr P ifoa obg atf wjlc ujafr bo atf mbwqifz. Ktf akb bo er qjgafv kjsr jr kf kjixfv lc beg vloofglcu vlgfmalbcr, klat cflatfg bo er rjslcu ubbvysf ab atf batfg.

    After I walked out for ten or so metres, my footsteps stopped in their tracks, as I couldn¡¯t resist but look back at the sight behind me. As I turned, I could only catch a corner of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s suit behind a glass door.

    I followed the road as I slowly made my way home. I decided to not call for a taxi as I felt the urge to smoke.

    The night sky was clear and bright, yet the stars were scarcely to be found. I couldn¡¯t stop exhaling the smoke as it left my mouth, as I finished one cigarette after another. It was only after the fifth one that I felt like my legs were starting to feel tired, so I called for a taxi by the road as it took me home.

    I didn¡¯t know when these days would come to an end, days of Sheng Min Ou and I mutually hurting each other.

    If I gave up, I¡¯d be unhappy. Yet, continuing on like this also made me unhappy. Why were things so hard for me?

    The next day, as Mrs Yang and her family¡¯s traffic incident case only began at one in the afternoon, I was able to use this rare opportunity to sleep in until ten in the morning. After which, I ate an early lunch before heading to court.

    This time, it wasn¡¯t a case that was attention grabbing or interested the public, so there was barely anyone in the public gallery listening in. As such, I easily sat in the first row, and I could clearly observe the miniscule changes in expressions of everyone on the plaintiff¡¯s side and on the defence.

    On the defendant¡¯s side sat two defendants, one with a stooped posture and features which were weighed down by the passing of time ¨C this man appeared to be the accused driver. The other was a bespectacled man with a neatly pressed suit, so he should be the representative for the insurance company. The strange thing however, was that there was only one lawyer.

    Could it be that they were both being represented by the same lawyer? As I thought this, the jury and the judge entered the courtroom, and the hearing began.

    As the plaintiff¡¯s attorney, Sheng Min Ou first began with the opening statement as he claimed that the insurance company being the first defendant should, according to the contract, pay Mrs Yang the 1.4 million renminbi that was owed to her. The driver responsible in the incident, Wang You Quan being the second defendant was then liable to pay one hundred thousand renminbi.

    ¡°After Xu Yong¡¯s passing, Mrs Yang must raise her daughter on her own. One and a half million renminbi was set as the compensation fee with reference to Qing Wan City¡¯s cost of living. It includes the expenses to raise Xu Na, now without a father, until she is of legal age, and does not include the fees associated with funeral proceedings.¡±

    The total of 1.5 million in compensation had the representative from the insurance company twitching his eyebrows incessantly in response, as he shook his head continuously. The driver responsible had both his hands clenched together, his gaze pointed downwards, his features torn.

    After Sheng Min Ou finished his declaration, it was time for the defence lawyer to begin his statement.

    The representative lawyer for the insurance company spoke with an air of incredulity as he stated that everything had been carried forward according to the terms of the contract, and that it was incomprehensible how they were listed as the first defendant.

    ¡°According to the terms of the contract, An Qi Insurance has the right to deny insurance payouts when the insured individual breaks the conditions and causes a traffic incident as a result. Wang You Quan has signed the contract, so he should know that in the case of overloading his vehicle, the insurance company wouldn¡¯t be liable for compensating him. To the honourable judge and jury, the plaintiff¡¯s attorney¡¯s demands are completely nonsensical, and I implore you to not support his demands.¡±

    When it was time for the second defendant to speak, which was when the lawyer representing the driver responsible should have spoken, Wang You Quan stood up himself.

    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t have money to get a lawyer, they said they would find one for me, but I thought about it and in the end there was no need for one.¡± Wang You Quan rounded the defendant¡¯s stand, and walked to the centre of the courthouse as he suddenly faced Mrs Yang and knelt down. ¡°I have committed a crime, I admit it all, please just let me go to jail, I really have no money. I took out hundreds of thousands in loans just for that truck, and for the past few months my truck has been suspended so I wasn¡¯t able to work. To pay back my debts, I¡¯ve gone to all the relatives and family I have to borrow some money from them first.¡±

    He bowed towards Mrs Yang and lowered his head to the floor, ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to hit your husband on purpose¡­¡± His voice trembled as tears spilled down and he suddenly raised his hands, slapping himself repeatedly on his cheeks, ¡°Sorry, I really am so sorry.¡±

    This type of behaviour in court was absolutely a farce, and as the jury turned to glance at each other, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s brows furrowed closer together. The judge had no choice but to knock the gavel repeatedly.

    ¡°To the defendant Mr Wang, please control your emotions. Your current actions have already impacted the jury, and if you don¡¯t stop¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, if I had money I would definitely compensate you, but I really don¡¯t have any. Even if I had to die I still wouldn¡¯t have any money to give you, please give me an option that would let me continue living!¡±

    ¡°I will have you arrested due to contempt of court!¡±

    Faced with a barrage of pleas from Wang You Quan, Mrs Yang¡¯s eyes started to redden as well, until finally the court police escorted Wang You Quan out of the court house. Mrs Yang turned her face to one side, as two lines of tears quietly slid down her face.

    It was a tragedy, yet at the end the victim who was completely innocent had to pay for all the sins committed.

    Wang You Quan may have it hard, but in this society who really has it easy?

    Xu Yong was just travelling fine on the road when he was swept under the wheel of the cargo truck. Mrs Yang was living in her own little blissfully content life, when suddenly she lost her husband, and Xu Na at such a young age lost her father.

    No one had it easy, everyone wished that there would be someone else who could empathise and understand them.

    Due to the second defendant¡¯s emotional outburst, the court announced a temporary adjournment, with the hearing resuming in half an hour.

    In the conference room, without the judge or the jury examining her, Mrs Yang also started to break down.

    She covered her face with her hands, as she paced back and forth in the room, ¡°He¡¯s asking me to let him go, but who will do the same for me? My child is only six years old, six years of age! In ten years, she might not even remember what kind of person her father was, and how much he loved her!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou wasn¡¯t the type to know how to comfort people when needed, as he stayed leaning against the door, turning his cane in one hand, and allowed her to cry in silence. However, his assistant, a young female lawyer was evidently a lot better at showcasing her empathy, immediately ran forward to give Mrs Yang a hug and gently whispered words of comfort.

    This atmosphere was too oppressive and stifling, and Mrs Yang made me think of my mother too easily. They were both women who didn¡¯t have anyone to rely on and were going through a period of great grief, as they were cruelly toyed around by an unfair fate.

    In the end, my mother wasn¡¯t able to get the justice she deserved. She was given a compensation of two hundred thousand renminbi, and because the other party was unable to pay the sum in one amount, they could only pay back the sum in meagre amounts at a time, like squeezing an empty tube of toothpaste. Ten thousand renminbi would come in one year, then in the next year perhaps another twenty thousand renminbi. Even when I went to jail, there was a hundred thousand renminbi left that he still owed us.

    Then, one day my mother came to see me and mentioned the other party out of the blue. She said that the money had finally been paid in full to us, and she wasn¡¯t sure if they suddenly had found some extra sympathy within them, but they also transferred an additional one hundred thousand renminbi to her.

    ¡°It probably was a case of someone who had rotten luck now suddenly getting incredibly lucky and making a fortune. Ai, it really is what they say, good people don¡¯t live long, but calamities in the form of humans prosper on for thousands of years. If the heavens could see this, then they should really send one lightning strike to kill off all the demons and deviants.¡±

    She had another meaning hidden in her words, and it was evident what she was signalling to. I could only pretend that I didn¡¯t understand what she was referring to, as I quickly skipped over this subject.

    ¡°There¡¯s only five more minutes before the hearing starts again. Mrs Yang, if you can¡¯t continue, I can submit a request to delay the commencement of the hearing.¡± Sheng Min Ou looked at his watch, ¡°However, if we do so, there may be a delay for when you and your daughter can receive the compensation you are entitled to.¡±

    Mrs Yang after hearing so scrunched the tissues handed to her in her hand, as she hurriedly shook her head, ¡°I can do it, I can do it, there¡¯s no need to delay the hearing!¡±

    From the beginning, Sheng Min Ou had no intention of delaying the hearing, and he even was starting to become impatient hearing Mrs Yang¡¯s continuous sobs. He politely offered a choice to her, then mentioned the pros of cons of the choices in a casual manner, all so the other party could follow along and make a decision according to his plan.

    Mrs Yang was shocked by him, and her tears stopped flowing as she threw out the tissues in her hand and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm her emotions.

    When the hearing began again, Wang You Quan had also calmed down following his earlier outburst after the court officers had educated him on the procedures and expectations in attending court. The judge asked whether or not he had anything more to say and received a shaking head in response.

    The judge brought the gavel down again, and announced that the case would now begin examination-in-chief procedures.

    Sheng Min Ou stood up, ¡°Your Honour, I¡¯d like to summon the first witness, Li Jun Shan. He shares the same occupation as the defendant Wang You Quan, also being a cargo truck driver.¡±

    The truck driver Li Jun Shan was then escorted into the witness stand by the court officers, and then sworn in by an assistant to the judge.

    After swearing in the oath to tell only the truth, Sheng Min Ou began questioning him.

    ¡°Could you please confirm whether your occupation is a cargo truck driver?¡±

    The man, who was bull-necked and boorish, nodded in response, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Have you bought an insurance policy to cover your vehicle with An Qi insurance company?¡±

    ¡°I have, the insurance amount was for two million renminbi.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou leaned against the cane as he walked towards the witness stand, ¡°Have you read through the terms and conditions of the contract in detail?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve roughly skimmed through it.¡±

    ¡°Are you aware of the fact that if in the case of an accident and your vehicle is found to be even one kilogram over the legal weight, the insurance company is within their rights to not be liable for any payouts?¡±

    Li Jun Shan was stunned, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about this. Our line of work is a bit peculiar, if we¡¯re in the cargo delivery business, it¡¯s extremely rare for the job to not go over the legal limits. You mentioned not being able to go even one kilogram over the limit, but that¡¯s too stringent for us¡­¡±

    The defence lawyer immediately stood up, ¡°Objection¡­¡± He struggled to think of a valid reason for a long time, ¡°The situation asked by the plaintiff¡¯s lawyer cannot be applied to the case! The witness isn¡¯t the party involved in this case, so his word cannot be taken into account.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou looked as if he had long since prepared and anticipated for this situation as he looked towards the judge and replied easily, ¡°Indeed, he is not one of the parties involved, but every word that he has uttered represents a common occurrence which happens to the drivers in this industry. It is only through giving the jury more insight on understanding how this industry operates that we can comb through and examine the core problems to this case.¡±

    The judge contemplated his words for a while then announced, ¡°Objection overruled.¡±

    The defence lawyer reluctantly sat back down after hearing so.

    If this wasn¡¯t a serious hearing, I could¡¯ve burst out with cheers and a raging applause for Sheng Min Ou¡¯s strong performance.

 CH 36

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s line of interrogation continued, ¡°Just then you mentioned that overloading is a very common practice in your line of work, can you tell us why?¡±

    Li Jun Shan looked at the attendees present and sighed, ¡°Because in our industry we get paid based on the weight of the cargo we carry. If we pack more in one trip, then we¡¯d get more money out of it. If a truck could carry two hundred tonnes of cargo, and every tonne was worth ten dollars, then in a single trip I can only make two thousand renminbi. For a return trip, it would only be about four thousand renminbi. If we subtract from that the costs of vehicle maintenance, costs on the roads, petrol fees and so on, then we¡¯re left with around one thousand renminbi. Even if I worked myself to the bone and made ten trips in a month, that would only be a ten thousand something renminbi. Each month I¡¯d still have to repay my loans that I took out for the vehicle. Once I finish paying my dues for this truck, I¡¯d pretty much need to buy a new vehicle by that point anyways. If I don¡¯t overload, if I don¡¯t do it, how am I able to make things work?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou held on to his cane, and for a long time he didn¡¯t make a sound. The judge addressed him in confusion, ¡°To the plaintiff¡¯s attorney, do you still have any questions you¡¯d like to ask? If not, then we will proceed to have the defendant¡¯s lawyer begin his cross examination of the witness.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou fixed his eyes on the witness, and it didn¡¯t look as if he was lost in his thoughts, but it appeared more like he was contemplating some important question. His gaze was too focused, even a little sinister and foreboding, to the point where Li Jun Shan couldn¡¯t help but shrink his frame in response.

    Sheng Min Ou was oblivious to it all, as his sights remained fixated on the witness, the following words leaving his mouth slowly, ¡°Yes, I still have one more question. So is it true then that in your industry, there are few drivers who don¡¯t overload?¡±

    Li Jun Shan was stunned for a second before he came to and realised that this question was directed at himself. He waved a hand and responded assuredly, ¡°I can¡¯t speak in definitives, but ninety nine percent of drivers would overload, otherwise there¡¯s no way for them to make a living.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou nodded his head, ¡°I don¡¯t have any further questions.¡±

    He sat back to his spot with the plaintiff, and in the following moments no matter what the opposing lawyer asked the witness, he would vehemently object to it. Even if it was a line that seemed casual and easy to respond, which would eventually lead to a deeper topic, he would cite the reasoning where ¡°the question is irrelevant to the case¡± to object. As a result, the opposing lawyer was agitated by Sheng Min Ou¡¯s schemes and had his tempo completely disrupted. Consequently, due to the frequent interruptions the jury were also unable to settle down and listen properly to what the witness had to say.

    ¡°You mentioned that you had briefly read through the contract earlier, which means that you have looked at the contract, correct?¡±

    Li Jun Shan hesitated for a second, then nodded his head, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You also know that overloading is an offense that breaks the law.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou raised his cane whilst remaining seated as he interjected, ¡°Objection, whether the witness overloads in his practice has no direct correlation to the case at hand.¡±

    The opposing lawyer was enraged to the extent where his features even started to look a shade of green, as he directly complained to the judge, ¡°The opposing counsel¡¯s actions have severely interfered with my rights to question the witness.¡±

    The judge directed a long gaze full of warning at Sheng Min Ou, ¡°To the plaintiff¡¯s attorney, please use your ¡®Objections¡¯ in a fair manner.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou straightened his back with his cane leaning against his lower body as he politely nodded to the judge, ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Cr obg atf qijlcaloo¡¯r klacfrr, atf vfofcvjca¡¯r ijksfg tjr atf gluta ab qfgobgw j mgbrr fzjwlcjalbc jcv nlmf nfgrj. Coafg atf lcregjcmf mbwqjcs¡¯r gfqgfrfcajalnf ijksfg olclrtfv defralbclcu Ol Aec Vtjc lc j reiifc wjccfg, Qjcu Tbe Hejc kjr jirb jrxfv ys atf pevuf lo tf tjv jcs defralbcr obg atf klacfrr ulnfc tf kjr vfofcvlcu tlwrfio. Pc gfrqbcrf ab atf pevuf, Qjcu Tbe Hejc kjr raeccfv jcv rtbbx tlr tfjv.

    ¡°Everything he¡¯s saying is the truth, I don¡¯t really got much else to add.¡±

    After saying these words, the features of the lawyer representing the insurance company immediately darkened, and when he rolled his eyes it looked as if his eyes were almost going to roll back into his skull. The judge opened his mouth, wanting to say something to Wang You Quan, but looked as if he was at a loss on how to broach the topic. In the end, the effort was turned to a sigh, as he announced that the court would continue examining evidence.

    I could fully understand the feelings of the judge. This Wang You Quan, he really was like a mole that Sheng Min Ou had planted to get in the way of the insurance company. One careless phrase from him had the same weight as ten phrases from a witness, so who knew what he was thinking when he spoke.

    After which, Sheng Min Ou presented a few pictures as evidence. Specific sections of the photograph were magnified and presented on a huge screen in court. Seeing the pictures, everyone attending was shocked. A few young, timid women in the jury also let out horrified gasps.

    Beneath a cargo truck that was piled with mountains of goods lay a man whose body was unrecognisable, being a pile of flesh and blood. Half his torso had been swept up and tangled in the wheel of a truck, as the grey cement under his body was dyed with a growing puddle of his blood. The deep, vibrant red in the photo triggered the neurons of everyone who was present.

    Mrs Yang quickly turned away from the sight, both her eyes tightly shut as they continued trembling as two lines of tears silently cascaded down her cheeks.

    This was also the first time I had seen these pictures. Despite being equally as shocked and alarmed, because of how horrifying the scene of death was, I couldn¡¯t help but think back to how my father had passed in the same way.

    I made the same move as Mrs Yang, as I turned away and chose not to look at those gruesome pictures anymore, closing my eyes in an attempt to regather and control my emotions.

    ¡°Life at times can be extraordinarily resilient, and at other times it may be exceptionally fragile. A woman has lost her husband, a child has lost her father, this tragedy had occurred solely due to the defendant, Wang You Quan. Based on the record following the traffic incident, he had turned at too great a speed, and didn¡¯t have enough preparation beforehand, which led to the instant death of Xu Yong, who was rightfully making his way across a pedestrian crossing. Without a question, this was all his fault.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s calm and steady voice ringed out to everyone¡¯s ears, and the impact behind his words were profoundly forceful.

    ¡°A young father who had just bought a birthday present for his six year old daughter, and was jubilantly rushing back home has now become a bunch of dust in a grave. Wang You Quan¡¯s many actions and choices have led to this tragedy, but ¡®overloading¡¯ is not one of these faults. An Qi insurance used a contract which does not highlight or bring to attention a key clause in their terms to avoid the issue of compensation. In my eyes, this is extremely immoral behaviour. In an industry where overloading is common, to the extent where it is seen as the norm, they hope to have drivers purchasing their insurance, but they also wish for them to remain ignorant to the fact that if there ever was an accident, they¡¯d never be liable for any compensation payouts.¡±

    The hearing continued for a whole afternoon, and when it was finished, we said our goodbyes with Mrs Yang at the entrance outside the law courts. I sat with Sheng Min Ou in the same car, as I intended to follow him back to the law firm to listen to everyone¡¯s thoughts and a summary on the first hearing.

    While the car was on the road, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s assistant, the female lawyer suddenly became curious as she asked, ¡°Boss, how come I wasn¡¯t aware that Xu Yong had purchased a birthday present for his daughter before the accident in the testimonies? Was this something that Mrs Yang told you in confidence?¡±

    I sat in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, and after hearing this question I quietly turned my head back to take a glance at Sheng Min Ou.

    His eyes were closed as he leant back against his seat, this thumb continuously running circles against the antler head of his cane as he replied, ¡°I made that up on the spot.¡±

    After leaving the courthouse, his terrifying incessant attacks were withdrawn completely, as it hid once more in the folds of his suit, under the extravagant exterior of his cane design. There, it would rest and prepare itself for the next assault, as it lay in ambush, waiting for the next court hearing where it would leap out and land a forceful blow to the opposition¡¯s head.

    Perhaps Sheng Min Ou could sense my gaze on him, as he opened his eyes and stared coldly at me.

    I felt a shiver rise in my chest as it felt like my insides were frozen. Suppressing the need to shudder all throughout my body, I hurriedly turned so I was facing the front as I looked out.

    Perhaps Sheng Min Ou had exerted too much energy in the afternoon in court as he often zoned out during the meeting later. In the end, when it was eight o¡¯clock at night, he proactively called to conclude the meeting today and to resume it at another time, as he had the rest of the lawyers pack up and start heading home.

    I also planned to go home, it wasn¡¯t like he needed me to drive him home anymore.

    As I had listened carefully to what was occurring around me the whole afternoon, and I had drank quite a lot of soup and tea in the evening, I felt my bladder was quite full so I planned to make a quick visit to the bathroom before leaving.

    The law firm had its own female and male bathrooms, however as there weren¡¯t many employees, the bathrooms weren¡¯t too big.

    As soon as I walked in the male bathroom I saw Sheng Min Ou, and it looked like he had just washed his face. He had both hands propped on the basin, as droplets fell from his face, his fringe and the collar of his shirt wet.

    His condition didn¡¯t look good, as if he was¡­ holding back and resisting something.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I was afraid that his emotions were impacted by the hearing we attended in the afternoon, so I asked despite knowing he might find it unnecessary.

    He raised his eyes and stared at me through the reflection in the mirror without speaking, his expression the usual as it created distance, leaving people stranded thousands of miles away.

    I raised my hands hurriedly in a show of surrender, ¡°Okay okay okay, one two three, I know, I won¡¯t ask, I¡¯ll shut up.¡±

    In the male bathroom there were urinals as well as cubicles. The urinals were right behind the basin, so Sheng Min Ou was in a position to effortlessly see the whole process of me taking my pants off and taking a piss through the mirror. I thought it was a bit indecent, so I moved towards the cubicle at a side.

    I just needed to take a piss, so I wasn¡¯t bothered to lock the door behind me. I pulled down my zipper as I proceeded to aim at the toilet and start to relieve myself.

    Just when I was about to finish, an icy cold palm suddenly reached out from behind and covered my nose and my mouth. In my moment of shock, I lost the accuracy in my aim and the last bit of my piss landed in my hand.

    Well, fuck!

    I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was because I had just pissed on myself, or if it was because of the hand that currently covered my face. However, regardless of whether it was the familiar scent of tobacco that I knew all too well, or the subtle smell of cologne that I could faintly pick up, all of this made me stop resisting in an instant.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s wet strands of hair brushed against my ear lobes, and the numbing itch following the contact made instinctively avoid him. The hand around me instantly held me tighter, not allowing me to make any movements.

    ¡°Life at times can be extraordinarily resilient, and at other times it may be exceptionally fragile¡­.¡± His breathing was meticulously controlled, spreading a burning warmth across the nape of my neck, ¡°Most of the time, it¡¯s mesmerizing and beautiful. If I was to slit your neck right now, I would be able to see a convoluted system of blood vessels, firm and sturdy muscles, bones white as snow. They are way more lovely than the you that lives right now, and they please people more too.¡±

    I was too afraid to make a move, and even more afraid to touch him using my hand that had my own piss on it, so I could only extend the tip of my tongue out, as I licked the palm of his hand in an attempt to curry favour with my tongue.

    From right next to my ear came Sheng Min Ou¡¯s soft and husky laugh, a laugh that triggered all the alarms in my body. It was as if all of a sudden I had been seized by a gripping terror that was experienced by herbivores when an overwhelming predator had descended upon them.

    In the next moment, Sheng Min Ou gripped forcefully at the sides of my cheeks, without holding back at all. I almost thought that my cheekbones were going to be crushed and broken by him, as I let out a painful yelp in response.

    The hand on my face trailed slowly downwards, until it had closed in on my throat, ¡°But I know that I cannot do that, because an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t be like so.¡±

    I leaned back in discomfort, exposing even more of my neck, vulnerable as it was already.

    ¡°Ge¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but plead for mercy, even if I didn¡¯t know what it was exactly that I had done wrong.

    ¡°Lu Feng, you have information that can be used against me, does it feel good, toying with me like this?¡±

    The hand on my neck continued to tighten, until I couldn¡¯t breathe and until I was unable to open my mouth to utter another word out.

    He didn¡¯t want to hear any defences I came up for myself.

    ¡°Since you always pretend and assume an altruistic persona of ¡®only I know of your unmentionable illness¡¯, and ¡®only I can help you to get out of this pit¡¯, do you get a burst of satisfaction from it?¡± His voice was laced with a cold, merciless killing intent, as if all he needed was to just apply a fraction more strength to completely snap my neck in two. ¡°You went to jail and now you¡¯ve become so selfless, this wasn¡¯t your train of thought previously.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember, you were also one of the people that dragged me into this abyss?¡±

    My eyes instantly widened, my heart thudding in pure, unadulterated pain as it was like a heavy weight had just collided with it. In addition to the sense of suffocation I felt that only worsened as time stretched on, I couldn¡¯t help it when out of physiological reflex, a single tear rolled down the corner of my eye.

 CH 37

    Thank you to Anon and Kate: Unquiet Australian for your Ko-fi¡¯s in sponsoring this bonus chapter!

    Trigger warning: Self-harm.

    What should one do when the person you¡¯ve always liked notices your feelings for them? If it was a teenage couple, a female and a male, then perhaps they could loudly confess their love. No matter whether it works out or not, at least it was a worthy attempt, one that in the end does all the feelings justice.

    However, what if it were two men? Or perhaps, what if those two men were brothers, albeit not blood related?

    When I was sixteen, Sheng Min Ou had noticed my feelings for him, and took it upon himself to single handedly cut off all contact with me.

    I was dejected by his refusal to see me, and also struggled to come to terms with this development. Since he avoided me and rejected all my calls, I decided I¡¯d have to go meet him in real life instead.

    I made up an excuse to my mother, telling her that I was sick and had her call my school to excuse me from attending. She knew that I had a lot of work piled on top of me, and that I was facing enormous pressure. Luckily, at that time my grades were pretty good, so despite her not being able to see how exactly I was ¡®sick¡¯, she still contacted the school to let them know I was going to be absent.

    Once my mother left, I headed towards Sheng Min Ou¡¯s school. The whole trip I was overjoyed with the thought of being able to meet him again.

    However, when I had asked around and found out where his classroom was, running as I went to look for him, reality was not as wonderful I imagined.

    Through a giant glass window, I could see in one glance Sheng Min sitting at the back half of the classroom, and next to him sat Qi Yang. The two of them were sitting in extremely close proximity, as if they were intimately having a conversation that was just for the two of them.

    I was stunned as I stood in the corridor, feeling like what I was seeing was absurd, and also was at a loss of what to do. Even more than these feelings, was a sense of jealousy that slowly arose.

    Jealousy was a pitch black fire, threatening to consume all traces of my rationality.

    During this, Sheng Min Ou also seemed to have felt it as his gaze swept towards me. I nervously met his eyes, feeling simultaneously excited and bitter at the same time. However, he was just carelessly letting his eyes roam, and after which he retracted his gaze and it was like he had never seen me at all, or perhaps he had noticed me, but pretended that I did not exist.

    He looked at Qi Yang with such an attentive gaze, and revealed such smiles in response to his words. While speaking, Qi Yang suddenly grabbed onto Sheng Min Ou¡¯s hand in excitement, Sheng Min Ou just batted an eye at his action, but did not show any signs of stopping his behaviour.

    I gritted my teeth, staring at their hands which were clasped together, and my mind was a roaring inferno, like a volcano had just erupted ¨C all my thoughts swallowed by uncontrollable, searing hot waves of emotions.

    He wasn¡¯t willing to see me, but he could accept Qi Yang getting close to him. He didn¡¯t want me anymore, he was snatched away¡­

    Unless it was really as Qi Yang had said, like how objects were sorted together and people also formed similar groups, Sheng Min Ou was only willing to be with people like himself?

    From behind me came hushed tones of a conversation, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Sheng Min Ou and Qi Yang?¡±

    I looked back behind me, and two boys were leaning against a railing behind them whilst smoking. They probably were able to see Sheng Min Ou and Qi Yang through the window as well, so their conversation steered towards thoughtless gossip.

    ¡°Previously Sheng Min Ou had even moved out of campus to avoid him, I heard that Qi Yang always stuck by his side, and anyone who tried to speak to him would get a death glare¡­¡± The other boy shook his head, his face twisted in disgust, ¡°That really is a problem, to be liked by someone like him is truly some rotten luck.¡±

    ¡°But look at Sheng Min Ou now, he¡¯s talking to him and having a laugh here and there. Maybe it¡¯s the case of a sincere heart reaching people, and now the big scholar¡¯s heart is finally touched by his efforts?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. I¡¯m not trying to discriminate against these types of people, but I feel like Qi Yang is not a normal person. He feels especially sinister, if I was the one who was being hounded by his affections, then I actually don¡¯t feel like I could carelessly reject him. It feels like he¡¯s the kind of person who could in a blink of an eye decide to end me and then off himself too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, that¡¯s true!¡± His viewpoint immediately received the approval of the other person, ¡°Qi Yang¡¯s gaze feels exactly like that type where if he doesn¡¯t succeed in vying for your love, he¡¯d kill your whole family. Sometimes I¡¯m too scared to even talk to Sheng Min Ou, because I¡¯m scared that the psycho would notice and remember me. If we actually got stabbed by that guy then that would be so not worth it.¡±

    My extremities were chilled to the bone, and my chest felt tight, like I couldn¡¯t breathe properly, all my frustrations pent up without a place to go. Still standing outside the classroom, I decided to dial Sheng Min Ou¡¯s number. I was just a window away, on the other side of the wall, and I saw with my own two eyes him fishing out his phone and directing a cold, dismissive glance at the screen. He then swiftly pressed down a key, flipped the phone around and tossed it to one side. At the same time, from my phone came the prerecorded reminder that the number I had dialled currently had their phone turned off.

    Hl Tjcu rjk tlr jmalbc, jcv jqqfjgfv ab yf rilutais meglber ja ktb tjv mjiifv.

    Vtfcu Zlc Ye alaifv tlr tfjv lc gfrqbcrf jr tf rjlv rbwfatlcu yjmx. Hl Tjcu¡¯r fsfr vjgafv abkjgvr atf qtbcf, atfc tf revvfcis ifjcfv lc mibrfg abkjgvr Vtfcu Zlc Ye, jcv rboais ktlrqfgfv ys tlr fjg.

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t move, allowing Qi Yang to get close. Due to how Qi Yang was leaning in, I wasn¡¯t able to see Sheng Min Ou¡¯s expressions clearly, however since he could tolerate Qi Yang being in such close proximity with him, this meant that he didn¡¯t dislike all of this.

    If he disliked someone, he would never give that person a single chance. He would cut off all contact, clearly display his unwavering attitude, he would never let it drag on¡­ just like how he treated me.

    He didn¡¯t dislike Qi Yang, but he disliked me.

    I didn¡¯t stay too long at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s school, as I returned home dispirited, like I had lost my soul. I plunged into bed, falling headfirst, and I wasn¡¯t sure what happened, because later I actually got sick.

    When my mother came home, she said she returned to find me completely wrecked by the fever, as I cried whilst saying I was hurting. I had no recollection of all of this once I woke up, and I¡¯m not eliminating the possibility that she had exaggerated what had happened, but because of getting sick that time I stayed bedridden for two whole days, and lost a visible amount of weight.

    When I returned to class, the teacher saw me and even suggested for me to take a few more days off if I hadn¡¯t completely recovered, so as to not overexert myself. Back then, whenever I glanced at the mirror, I always found it hard to believe it was possible for a person to physically change so much and look so hellish during such a short period of time.

    My emotions started taking a turn for the worse, I was moody, irritable, in low spirits, manic to the point I couldn¡¯t fall asleep despite my body feeling beyond exhausted from not getting enough rest. I searched the web, and found out that there was a likelihood of it being bipolar disorder. At the same time, a suicide prevention hotline number popped up. I stared at that number for a long time, but in the end I didn¡¯t write it down.

    Things were not as bad as to consider suicide, this I knew.

    My mother assumed that my studies were the reason behind why I had become so fragile, however she probably never would¡¯ve imagined that the reason behind why I got thinner each day was the fact that I was heartbroken.

    Heartbreak was a pain so excruciating that life may even look like it was no longer worth living. For others, the most they lost was a partner, but when I lost my love, it wasn¡¯t just a partner, but also an older brother.

    Teenagers were usually more inclined to rebel, for others, their way of rebellion was to not study and instead spend their time at internet cafes instead. However, my way of rebellion was more extreme, every thought I had was occupied with trying to get with Sheng Min Ou.

    During the day, I was a star student in the eyes of my teachers and classmates. I was an outstanding son in my mother¡¯s eyes, I diligently studied, strived to improve myself everyday, and was so outgoing and approachable that it looked like no speck of negativity existed within me.

    At night, I would call Sheng Min Ou¡¯s number incessantly, yet the only response I received would always be a cold, robotic female¡¯s voice. I knew he wouldn¡¯t pick up my calls, but it was already a habit to me, a set routine. If I didn¡¯t dial his number, I¡¯d always feel like I was missing something.

    Not getting enough sleep could make anyone¡¯s emotions worse, and as a result I came more and more irritable, developing a short fuse. Once at school, I accidentally bumped into a senior from the grade above. I tossed an ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ and wanted to leave, however they weren¡¯t a fan of my dismissive attitude, so they insisted on teaching me how I could be a ¡®satisfactory¡¯ houbei.

    I didn¡¯t waste my time on him as I landed a punch, knocking him out and resulting in a disciplinary warning over this incident.

    Being a good student has its perks, and it was evident in this situation. No one felt like I should be held responsible, and instead they made up all sorts of reasons for me, like ¡®the pressure of studying was too great¡¯, ¡®he did it as an act of self defense¡¯, ¡®the other person frequently picks on younger juniors¡¯. They even comforted me and told me to not take it to heart.

    However, faced with a disciplinary warning that didn¡¯t hurt me in the slightest, the senior was clearly displeased as this incident lingered on his mind. A few days later after school finished, he had some delinquents from outside the school teach me a lesson as they blocked my path off in an alley.

    Even with both fists raised, it was hard to defend against two pairs of hands, so faced with four, five pairs of hands it was an even harder task. I was beat until I was left in the muddied dirt of the alley, to the point where I couldn¡¯t even get up. After they felt like they had done their job, they left, cursing and jeering as they went.

    I laid by myself resting for a while before stumbling as I stood. I didn¡¯t go to the hospital, and didn¡¯t return home either. I relied on pure willpower alone to make it to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s rented flat.

    In hindsight, I would also question whether there was something wrong with me back then.

    I arrived outside his house, dropping to the floor and leant heavily against his door in wait. I waited until night had fallen, before he finally appeared.

    I didn¡¯t even think about why I went to look for him back then. Later, when I had a lot of time to reflect on everything, the feeling which gripped my heart had completely vanished, and I was unable to get a hold of anything.

    In reality though, this wasn¡¯t something that was too hard to figure out. From the perspective of a little brat, was getting someone who was important to them to see them in a beaten up state, all for the fact that they could look like a hero? Of course not ¨C it was so that kind of frustration which comes from feeling wronged, the battered down state, the feeling of having strayed far away and at a distance, all of this could be displayed for the other person to see, so they would feel sorry for them.

    From the entirety of when I was younger to now, Sheng Min Ou had never once displayed an emotion of this sense before.

    The sound of footsteps gradually drew closer, until a pair of shoes stopped from in front of me. It was then that I slowly raised my head up.

    Sheng Min Ou was looking at me from high above, as his eyes flickered downwards to meet my gaze. His eyes were completely devoid of surprise, and consequently there was no sense of care, or feeling sorry for, that I had been secretly hoping and wanting to see.

    I gave him a grin, however the movement tugged at the cuts on the corners of my lips, and I frowned in response to the flaring pain.

    ¡°Ge, I¡¯ve been beat up by people, it hurts so much¡­¡±

    I went to tug at his pant legs, however he remained unmoved by my actions as he only muttered softly, ¡°Let go.¡±

    We hadn¡¯t seen each other for two months, and this was the first thing he said when he saw me afterwards.

    I had remained sitting for too long, so I stumbled when I attempted to stand up. I propped myself against the door to help myself up and finally was able to stand properly.

    ¡°Ge, no matter what I did to make you angry, I apologise for all of it, please, don¡¯t be like this.¡± I pressed my lips together, and continued in an almost begging tone, ¡°Please don¡¯t ignore me.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou stared at me for a long time and then responded, ¡°You didn¡¯t anger me, I just don¡¯t want to see you. You should go home, and never return here again.¡±

    I didn¡¯t think that he would be so straightforward with his words, to the point that for a second what he just said didn¡¯t even sink in. He didn¡¯t even give me a chance to pretend that nothing had happened between us.

    Covering things up only made it more conspicuous, and he didn¡¯t need paper to mask the growing flames. What he wanted was to, alongside the annoying and irksome flame, eliminate all elements that could not be controlled by him.

    Seeing that I hadn¡¯t moved, he promptly dragged me to one side and fished out his keys to open the lock on his door. As if I was a piece of trash from who knows where that had made its way in front of him, he could just kick me away, without a need to show any sort of care for me.

    No matter what I did, he had already decided that he didn¡¯t want me anymore, so why should I bother continue playing along with the act of being an obedient and good younger brother?

    ¡°I like you.¡± I saw that his movement stiffened as he opened the lock, and a surge of elation rose in my heart for no apparent reason, ¡°Not the type of like that is felt by a younger brother to their older brother.¡±

    He looked at the door and was still for two seconds, closed his eyes, then holding back on the temper evident in his voice responded, ¡°Enough, get out of my sight, and don¡¯t come back again.¡±

    If it was like usual, once he told me to leave like that, I would¡¯ve done so. However that day I was like a madman, having no fear as I taunted and pushed him to the limits of what he could tolerate.

    ¡°Is it because you think these dirty words are tainting your ears? The younger brother falls in love with the older brother, how disgusting.¡±

    He gripped onto the door handle, and in the end abandoned his efforts of opening the lock that had already grown rusty from countless days and nights. He turned towards me, and revealed a cold, indifferent, and mocking smile in response.

    ¡°Since you already knew, then you shouldn¡¯t have said it.¡±

    He indeed thought I was filthy and disgusting. In an instant, a sharp pain stabbed at my heart. I stood there and thought, it was over, all those fights really did something to me, they must have broken my heart.

    Previously, I always thought that ¡®heartache¡¯ was just a noun, but I never would¡¯ve imagined that one day, I would actually experience it, without any kind of physical trauma, a feeling like my heart was being torn apart.

    I took a while to recover, then painstakingly continued, ¡°Yes, I should have guarded this secret for the rest of my life, so I could at least continue to be brothers with you. Now, you would rather never see me again, right?¡±

    ¡°I thought my stance was already very clear.¡± If what he said could make me leave, it was evident that Sheng Min Ou was not against directing even harsher and callous phrases towards me.

    I sneered, ¡°Then why can you accept Qi Yang being by your side? Because you like him more, or because¡­ he can fulfil your sick desires?¡±

    His eyes narrowed in response, and let a moment pass before he asked me, ¡°What are you talking about.¡±

    His voice had lowered, and it was more threatening.

    I was taunting and playing with a wild beast¡¯s mane, I knew that in doing so I was practically asking for death, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself.

    ¡°Anything Qi Yang can do, I can do. If monsters can only fall in love with monsters, then I will become one.¡± I said calmly, taking out a box cutter which I had kept on me.

    He looked at me, without making a move to stop me.

    ¡°Monster¡­¡± He murmured, ¡°So what are you going to do? Are you going to kill me?¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°No, I want to be that cat.¡± The cat that had received his pity, the cat that, even after death, was so loved upon by him. Sheng Min Ou was stunned for a second, and after I had made a cut on my arm, he quickly understood what I meant. His eyes widened marginally as his pupils shrunk in response.

    Fresh blood gushed out of my wound, dripping onto the dirtied floor. I looked at the splotches of blood on the floor as they bloomed like plum blossoms, and felt the frustration and the irritation which I had suppressed for so long suddenly fade by a great deal. I finally understood why so many people self harmed when they were depressed. Though it alleviated symptoms without being a cure for the root problem, it ultimately was able to transfer the pain elsewhere.

    Sheng Min Ou looked at the blood on the floor and in an extremely soft whisper said, ¡°Lu Feng, you fool.¡±

    Without waiting for my response, he rushed towards me and threw a heavy punch, the force of it tilting my whole head to one side. As a result, the box cutter also fell from my hands. The blows from his attacks continued raining down on me, he was like an enraged wild beast, with all sense of logic leaving him.

    I was hurled onto the ground, with his kneecap pressed against my back. He gripped my hair as he smashed me against the floor.

    ¡°Ge¡­ stop beating me¡­¡± I started pleading for mercy as fear kicked in and overran my thoughts and my body. I lost all bravado and began begging like a coward. ¡°If you keep hitting me, I¡¯ll die¡­¡±

    I thought I could bear it, but that was in the end just a naive thought a little kid had.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to die?¡± He lifted my head, panting, as he continued, his tone abhorrent, ¡°You want to become a ¡®monster¡¯? You? You think you¡¯re worthy?¡±

    ¡°I was wrong¡­¡± I hugged my head, feeling dizzy and in a haze all over, ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll never do it again.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou beat me like he had the intention of killing me. If I could describe my injuries from before as just mild cuts to the skin, then after his blows, I was basically injured to the point where I thought I¡¯d become crippled.

    After beating me, he let out a long exhale and stood up, looking much more relaxed than before.

    ¡°Get out of my sight, I don¡¯t need another cat.¡±

    There was the sound of paper being folded on top of itself, a crisp crunching, as he shoved a one hundred renminbi note in my pocket, and told me to call a taxi so I could go to the hospital.

    When the stars had faded a bit more from my head, I crawled up from the ground. I didn¡¯t go to the hospital, rather I bought some gauze from the pharmacy close by and after doing the basics like stopping the hemorrhaging, I called a cab and returned home.

    When I returned home, my mother also got back from a late shift, and she was so scared from the sight of me that she almost had a heart attack. She examined the extent of my injuries with trepidation as she pressed for details and how it happened. I blamed it all on the senior that held a grudge against me, saying that it was caused by the delinquents he had sent.

    The next day, my mother stormed the school and demanded for the teacher to provide an adequate response and explanation. A while later, the senior was persuaded to leave the school, and I never saw them since.

 CH 38

    It was a crazed gamble I took out of despair. I had earnestly thought back then that I could receive Sheng Min Ou¡¯s acknowledgement and win his heart by playing into the various clues I was able to gather off him.

    It was too childish, and too naive. No wonder Qi Yang called me a brat who was yet to have grown up, no wonder¡­ Sheng Min Ou was angered to that extent.

    I regretted my actions, and was penitent over what I had done more than once.

    Desire was a fountain, in small volumes it improved blood circulation and helped symptoms of hematoma, overall strengthening the body. However, in large volumes, it was an apocalypse calling, pulling people in a deep abyss, condemning them to eternal damnation.

    Everyone had a valve controlling desire and held it in their hands. If they wanted to shut it off, they could, and if they wanted to open it they could do so too. Until they were faced with danger at the very last second, they¡¯d always be under the false pretense that their life was one devoid of worries, without a semblance of self-awareness towards the danger that was encroaching.

    Take the once prodigal youth with boundless talent, Mr Liu. Sheng Min Ou had remarked on how he succumbed to the desires lurking in the depths of his heart and had let himself go, as he lost himself in the delusory pleasures brought upon by alcohol. And what about me? My desire for Sheng Min Ou had led me to lose my sense of self, as I lost the fundamental decision making ability that was crucial in response to events, resulting in an irrevocable mistake.

    Those words that I had promised him before, saying I¡¯d protect him and take care of him had simply become false assurances on a worthless piece of paper. I also had even said that I was different from Qi Yang, bullshit I was different. In the end, I wasn¡¯t even a better person than him. At least when he was open and upfront in his psychopath behaviours, unlike me, who could only speak in pretty words.

    After the beating from Sheng Min Ou, I felt as if he actually had whacked some sense into my head. The mania and chaos simmered down when confronted by unchecked violence, and I started to reflect on everything as I started to realise how laughable a person I was.

    I spent all the time remaining in that term attempting to contact Sheng Min Ou. I was too afraid to meet him in person, and had no face to do so. Instead, I resorted to calling him or sending him texts. Giving him a call every day was an established routine, followed by a lengthy text. This would contain inconsequential details of my everyday life, words of care, some sincere apologies, and occasionally I would also include some positive, uplifting excerpts.

    He had not once picked up my calls, and naturally he never returned any texts I sent either. Just like this, two months passed, the semester ended and summer holidays came around.

    It was an ordinary summer night, I dialled Sheng Min Ou¡¯s number as usual, however what responded wasn¡¯t the cold, apathetic robotic female voice.

    No one spoke, there was only shallow breathing coming from right next to my ear. Excited, I immediately jumped up from lying supine on the bed, as I sat up straight.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡± I spoke, my voice trembling.

    Sheng Min Ou seemed to have forgotten the argument we had last time, as he asked for me to go meet him the next day in the abandoned building we used to frequent when we were younger.

    Though the location was slightly strange, I never questioned anything he said, so when he wanted me to go, I followed his instructions and went to meet him at the specified time and place.

    That place wasn¡¯t far from where I lived, so I arrived there slightly earlier than when we had agreed to meet up. However, there I didn¡¯t see Sheng Min Ou, rather I bumped into Qi Yang, who had been waiting there for a long while¡­.

    ¡ª¨C

    The back of my knee flared up in pain as I stumbled to one side and gripped onto the toilet as I fell to my knees. I turned my head back and saw Sheng Min Ou retracting the deer antler cane.

    His back was against the cubicle stall door, as he lifted my chin with his cane, eyeing me with an expression of disdain.

    ¡°Enough with playing pretend, and enough of this facade of appearing as if you¡¯re looking out for me all the time. You can¡¯t watch over me, compared to you, I¡¯m the one who understands better what it takes for one to survive in this world.¡± The cane shifted down slowly, leaving a trail past my collarbones, and stopping in front of my heart. ¡°What did you think you could do for me? You can¡¯t even drive a car properly, and you still delude yourself into thinking you¡¯re able to light the way for me and show me a path? You can¡¯t protect anyone, Lu Feng.¡±

    P gfwjlcfv wbalbcifrr, rajglcu ja tlw lc rlifcmf, ¡°Tbe¡¯gf gluta, P jw lcvffv wjlcajlclcu j ojmjvf.¡± Llr fsfygbk jgmtfv rilutais lc gfrqbcrf jcv P rwlifv, ¡°Zfrrlcu klat sbe ilxf atlr, jirb offir ugfja.¡±

    Vtfcu Zlc Ye¡¯r fzqgfrrlbc rtloafv lcab bcf atja kjr rilutais afggloslcu, jr atf mjcf lc ogbca bo ws mtfra qertfv tjgvfg.

    ¡°You..¡±

    Before he could open his mouth to give me another admonishment, I grabbed onto the cane with one swift movement, and wrenched it towards myself. He was taken off guard as I hooked one hand behind his head and without giving it another thought, moved forward to bite his lip.

    We were like two ferocious wild beasts, tearing at each other, resisting each other, and struggling against each other.

    The stench of urine encroached my sense of smell, as some of the piss got onto Sheng Min Ou¡¯s pristine, white dress shirt. Instead of finding it filthy, it instead unleashed a thrill of pleasure, like I had defiled some god or spirit. I intertwined my fingers through his hair, everything was damp and hot, and I had no idea whether it was sweat, or water.

    It couldn¡¯t be called a kiss at all, there wasn¡¯t any part of it which contained a trace of gentleness. At first, it was just me single-sidedly attacking Sheng Min Ou, biting his lips until I pierced through skin and drew blood. Sheng Min Ou resisted fiercely, but it was hard to shake me off in such a confined area when I stuck to him like glue.

    That would teach him a lesson, who allowed him to lock the door behind himself anyways.

    Afterwards, Sheng Min Ou evidently became triggered by my actions, as he started launching a counter attack. He repaid the favour by giving me even more pain and injuries, and he almost even bit my tongue off.

    In the end, I wasn¡¯t sure if I should describe it as a kiss ending, or a battle ending, but after we stopped we were both short of air. His lips had cuts from the places I bit into, and there was a splotch of red. His complexion was a shade of green as it darkened considerably and then changed again, exactly like how a young lady would react if she had been taken advantage of by some pervert.

    I figured that my lips probably didn¡¯t look much better. I wanted to touch the cuts as I raised a hand, but I suddenly remembered that my hands had piss splattered on it, so I dropped it again.

    ¡°Go, you can blow up at me now.¡± I said, fully aware of how shameless I was being right now, as I hoistered myself up and sat on the toilet seat. As the saying went, a dead pig wasn¡¯t afraid of being boiled by hot water, and so that was the mentality I adopted.

    Sheng Min Ou picked up the cane that he had dropped during the chaos previously, and before he could open his mouth to reprimand me, sounds of people outside the door drew closer, and it was more than one person.

    Sheng Min Ou froze for a second as he relaxed his movements. I stared at him curiously, and suddenly wanted to know ¡­ would he let out a sound. Would he let other people know, that in the cubicle of his company¡¯s bathroom, he had done such an unspeakable thing with his own younger brother.

    I pressed my palm against his leg as I glided it up until it came to an especially important part of his body.

    Sheng Min Ou glared at me, his gaze looking particularly sinister and terrifying, but he made no noise in telling me to stop. I knew that this was still within the limits of what he could tolerate.

    ¡°The restaurant below us is pretty good, their new pineapple bun addition is legit¡­¡±

    ¡°The milk tea is also good too, except it often keeps you up at night after you drink it.¡±

    The two people who had walked within the bathroom started partaking in idle chit-chat, and seemed to not have discovered the existence of Sheng Min Ou and myself.

    I took advantage of the opportunity and pushed for more. I slowly pulled down his zipper, in an attempt to make as little sound as I could.

    He grabbed onto my hand, yet still he did not say a word.

    This was his kingdom, and he was the ruler here. How could he allow for his subjects to witness him in such an unsightly situation?

    I knew he wouldn¡¯t make a sound, he had to endure it all, so I became even more bold and reckless.

    I didn¡¯t react as he reached out to grab my elbow, instead I lifted my gaze up, met his eyes and gave him a smile to goad him, as I slowly lowered myself.

    ¡°The sausage also tastes good, it¡¯s really thick and long at the same time¡­¡± Mid sentence, that person belatedly realised that their sentence could be interpreted in another way, as they paused awkwardly for a moment before continuing, ¡°Anyways, it just tastes great.¡±

    The other person however didn¡¯t pick up on any underlying meaning behind his words, as he continued, ¡°Yeah, except it¡¯s too hot, and in the middle there¡¯s this cheese filling as well. Last time I bit into it it almost burnt my tongue off.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, and their juicy beef balls, after eating it you really will piss, it feels great¡­¡±

    Could you guys not discuss sausages and beef balls so passionately in the bathroom? Now I¡¯m even hungry after listening.

    I accidentally used more force than intended, as immediately a muted grunt came from above me, followed by a forceful tug at my hair. Sheng Min Ou wanted to pull me away.

    The two people outside continued to discuss the delicacies being offered by the restaurant, as they washed their hands and subsequently left the male bathrooms at a leisurely pace.

    To close off a tap that was leaking drop by drop was an easy task, however, to seal a pipe that had a crack in it already was something that was much harder to do.

    Desire was also much the same.

    This was even moreso the case when it came to a man¡¯s desire.

    The male bathroom resumed to be a two-person world once more, containing only Sheng Min Ou and I. Yet the silence stretched on.

    Listened to attentively, it wasn¡¯t just the silence, but there were also other scattered sounds, noises that slipped out, leading people to think about their wildest thoughts.

    In the end, the thought of not being discovered was no longer on our minds, and neither of us cared about whether or not someone else would walk in.

    Sheng Min Ou let go of me, leaning back on the cubicle door, and panted as he ran a hand through his hair.

    I turned around to spit out what was in my mouth and flushed it down, hearing at the same time the sound of the lock opening behind me.

    I waited for a second before looking back, and by then, as expected he had already walked out.

    I reached out for toilet paper as I wiped my hands, and exited the small cubicle after.

    Sheng Min Ou stared at his reflection in the mirror, his rumpled up shirt, his lips that were bitten and swollen, and his expression darkened.

    I washed my hands in another basin, and after seeing him like this, I wasn¡¯t sure what came over me as I walked towards him as I said, ¡°Sorry, I did it a bit too hard.¡±

    I used too much force, but he wasn¡¯t exactly gentle on me either. I poked my tongue out as I inspected the perimeters of mu mouth and discovered that he had indeed bit down and broken skin.

    Luckily I had fast reflexes and dodged, otherwise if he had bitten down on my tongue, that would¡¯ve just been the end of me.

    I pulled out a paper towel and wiped my hands dry, after which I made no attempt to acknowledge his existence as I walked out without sparing him another glance.

    Afterwards, I didn¡¯t feel like returning to the law firm again, as I figured I could just attend the second hearing. With this in mind, the next day I headed back to the pawn shop as I resumed my role at work.

    As soon as I stepped in I saw Wei Shi sitting in my seat, with Liu Yue snacking on sunflower seeds as always, fervently following her TV drama that was airing. However, Shen Xiao Shi was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°How come it¡¯s you?¡± I removed my jacket and tossed it to a sofa on the side as I leaned over the counter, ¡°Where¡¯s my younger brother Xiao Shi?¡±

    Wei Shi raised his head from previously staring at the phone and asked in surprise, ¡°Why are you back? Is your brother completely recovered now?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know that he¡¯s superhuman? He was fully healed on his second day.¡±

    Wei Shi rolled his eyes at me and reorganised the place before getting up and returning my seat to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m here today to cover a shift, Xiao Shi has some stuff going on at home so he called in for leave.¡±

    I heard this and was stunned for a second, I had known Shen Xiao Shi for so long, yet I had never heard of him bringing up anything remotely related to his family. It was as if he came into existence by emerging from a crack in the earth. As if he had no father, no mother, and no relatives, like he knew to fight before he could even utter a single word.

    ¡°I heard it, it was a girl who had called him on the phone!¡± Liu Yue raised her hand as she pitched in.

    I met Wei Shi¡¯s gaze, ¡°No way, Xiao Shi has become a grown up now!¡±

    ¡°My son has finally grown up now, it really wasn¡¯t an easy journey. In the evening, let¡¯s call up Da Zhuang, and we¡¯ll go to yours to eat some red bean rice.¡± Wei Shi opened the iron door and walked so he was beside me as he offered words that felt too sincere and heartfelt, patting my shoulder as he remarked, ¡°Now in our family there¡¯s only you left, you better start hurrying up.¡±

    He really was making a fuss when he had no idea of what had happened, I¡¯ve already left that club ages ago, okay?

    I was just going to give him a little thrill when Liu Yue dropped her sunflower seeds and covered her ears exclaiming, ¡°What non PG-13 content are you guys talking about, I¡¯m still young!¡±

    Later on that night Wei Shi contacted Shen Xiao Shi, but was unable to reach him. Even when we tried to call him, his phone remained to be turned off. In the end, we had to scrap the red bean rice and use it for soup instead.

    Following that day, the next day, and the day after that, no one would be able to contact Shen Xiao Shi. It was as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth.

 CH 39

    Wei Shi and I went to Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s house to look for him, and we knocked on the door for ages without receiving a response.

    Shen Xiao Shi was a local, but ever since he got out of prison he hadn¡¯t been in contact with family, as he lived away from home. He was someone who had an exuberant and rambunctious demeanour, however he was very guarded when it came to certain things. He never brought up anything to do with family, and Wei Shi and I had never asked him.

    Nowadays, everyone had a secret that they weren¡¯t willing to divulge.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Wei Shi stared at the lock on the door, brows deeply furrowed, ¡°Should we enter by force?¡±

    It was already half past nine at night, and due to the appalling sound proofing of the older apartments, the corridors were filled with sounds of someone¡¯s wartime TV show, as gunshots and grenades went off incessantly. If we entered by force under such circumstances, then it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that the residents of the block might all come out to take a peek at what was going on.

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a good idea, everyone would think we¡¯re committing burglary.¡± I looked like your average civilian, so it was fine for me, however Wei Shi by my side had floral tattoos spiralling up his arm and an undercut, so anyone who glanced at him would assume he wasn¡¯t a benign presence.

    Wei Shi scratched his head and glanced at me with an appraising gaze, ¡°You were in there for so long, did you not become a disciple of anyone there and learn any mysterious skills?¡±

    I stared back at him askance, ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± He was excited at my response, ¡°I learnt how to differentiate dumbasses.¡±

    Wei Shi muttered a ¡®fuck¡¯, then continued to bang on the door.

    ¡°San Ge? Feng Ge?¡± All of a sudden, from the darkness came a drawn out male voice.

    Wei Shi and I were simultaneously alerted by this sound, and turned around.

    Shen Xiao Shi stood not far from us, holding a huge plastic bag in his hand, as if he had just returned from a grocery run. His complexion did not look good, with dark circles lining his eyes, and his clothes creased as if he hadn¡¯t showered or changed in the past few days.

    The most important thing was that he was okay and nothing had happened to him. I let out a breath, and just when I was about to speak, Wei Shi stormed over and a resounding slap echoed from him hitting the back of Xiao Shi¡¯s head. It was a loud smack, and I felt myself tense reflexively in fear.

    ¡°Is something wrong with you?¡± Wei Shi was a demon come to life, as he howled, ¡°Would it kill you to charge your phone!¡±

    The strength Wei Shi had was not a joke, he had previously used sheer force to split a solid piece of wood in half.

    Shen Xiao Shi clasped both hands over his head and looked slightly as if he had been wronged, ¡°I just returned home today¡­ and there¡¯s nowhere to charge my phone outside.¡°

    ¡°Just returned? Where did you go to just return now? Do you not know that people would worry about you like this?¡± Wei Shi continued hounding.

    ¡°Alright, alright, the most important thing is that he¡¯s okay, we can talk further inside.¡± I motioned for Shen Xiao Shi to first open the door.

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    ¡°Come in once you¡¯ve calmed down.¡± I remarked.

    Wei Shi had not gotten to the point where his anger could be carried over to me yet, so after staring at me with a darkened expression, he turned away and went to smoke by the window.

    I walked into the room and saw Shen Xiao Shi sitting on the sofa, with his knees to his chest, appearing simultaneously small, pitiful and helpless. I went over and patted his head as I asked, ¡°What happened? Run it by Feng Ge.¡±

    Though Shen Xiao Shi still looked fresh faced and marginally puerile, he wasn¡¯t someone who didn¡¯t have a sense of responsibility. If he requested a day¡¯s leave, then it would be one day off to him. For him to have disappeared for all these days without a single message, must mean that something had transpired which he had not been able to account for.

    Shen Xiao Shi remained quiet for a long as he stayed silent. I didn¡¯t push him, but I did notice that in his grocery bag were all food. Coupled with his disheveled attire, I guessed that he hadn¡¯t had a meal yet.

    ¡°How about I make some instant noodles for you?¡±

    I took out a cup noodle from the bag and turned to head to the kitchen.

    ¡°My mother called me¡­¡± Shen Xiao Shi suddenly began talking, ¡°She wanted me to go back home, and said she wanted to see me one last time before she died.¡±

    Startled and stunned by his words, I held onto the noodles and circled back, taking a seat as I offered him my undivided attention.

    ¡°My father passed away when I was very young, and later my mother remarried, so I have a younger brother¡­¡± Shen Xiao Shi rubbed his eyes, as he spoke with a low voice.

    His mother was a woman who was especially soft mannered and had a pusillanimous personality. Being born with a weaker body, she allowed people to get their way with her. Though it was evident that there wasn¡¯t much love between the two of them, due to traditional views on marriage, she was already counting her blessings to have someone who was willing to accept a widow with a child. Therefore, she hastily accepted and got into her second marriage.

    It turns out that the second marriage was a living hell, easy to enter into but hard to escape.

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s step father was violent and easily angered, if there was anything in his everyday life which didn¡¯t go his way, he would beat and castigate his wife, with Shen Xiao Shi watching in silent disapproval. However, he was still young then, so even if went up to help, he would end up being the one getting pummeled by his step father, and in the end his mother would have to beg for mercy on his behalf, resulting in her suffering from even greater humiliation in the end.

    ¡°My mother always told me not to argue with him, as she wanted me to be more quiet, so I could be docile just like her, enduring everything.¡± Shen Xiao Shi however did not want to go along with it, and the older he got the less he could endure. However his mother did not understand and thought he was acting reckless and rebelling, as he continued to make trouble. ¡°I wanted to help her, yet she always treated me like I was the outsider. In the end, they were the real, happy family.¡±

    As a youth, having been deeply betrayed by his mother in this way, he treated the PC cafe as his home, and surrounded himself with similar troubled youths, as they squandered their time together.

    ¡°If she had told me that she wanted a divorce, then without another word, I would¡¯ve helped her get away from that man. She wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about money, I could have gone out to earn money and provide for her and my younger brother. However, this thought had never crossed her mind. Even just a trace ¨C there was never any semblance of the idea.¡± Shen Xiao Shi closed his eyes, his complexion paling, ¡°I loathed her. Loathe how she did nothing, loathe how irresolute she was, loathe how she wanted me to live in that despicable household, having a childhood like that.¡±

    The feelings of sorrow and happiness were not linked to each other, and it was the same for fury and fear. The mother was unable to understand the reason behind the son¡¯s anger, and likewise, the son could not empathise with the mother¡¯s trepidation, which became the root of all issues thereafter.

    Before he turned eighteen, Shen Xiao Shi was a hedgehog prone to violent fits of rage, and would stab anyone with his spikes. He engaged in fights and fought viciously, which in the end resulted in him serving time in prison. After he turned eighteen, after the keen guidance Wei Shi and I provided him, his spikes were worn down, as he lost some of his cynicism and bitterness, becoming more content with himself. He pretty much had recovered the temperament that most teenagers should have, however he still did not want to come to an amicable outcome with his mother, as he refused all attempts from her to visit. After he got out of prison, they still maintained no contact.

    Shen Xiao Shi continued, ¡°I thought this would be how it is, for the rest of my life. If that man one day died, I might go back to visit her, and alongside my younger brother attend to my filial duties as she got old. If that man doesn¡¯t die, then I absolutely would not return home, and that place isn¡¯t even home to me. However, three days ago, I suddenly received a call from a number I didn¡¯t recognise¡­¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother had called, and haphazardly asked if she could see him for the last time, as she pleaded for him to return home as soon as he could. Shen Xiao Shi did not know the reason behind this request, and just when he was about to ask, the other side had already hung up. After which, no matter how he tried, the line never connected again.

    This type of situation was truly strange, even though they hadn¡¯t met in many years, and still bore the same grudges of old, but in the end, the bond between mother and son still existed. Shen Xiao Shi was afraid that something really might have happened to his mother, so he hastily requested for one day of leave and then ushered a taxi to his old residential address.

    However, once he opened the door he was stunned¡­

    ¡°My mother used a hammer to smash him and he died.¡± He held himself in a tighter embrace, his voice hoarse and perplexed, ¡°She brought down the hammer so many times that the floor was a sea of blood, and the contents of his brain had spilled onto the ground. She said she wanted to see me one last time, and planned on seeking death after she got to see me. How could such a thing happen, Feng Ge? Couldn¡¯t she just leave him? Why did she have to trade her life for such an ending? If she had left that bastard ten or so years earlier, then how would it ever have gotten this bad?¡±

    This development was also one that I had not expected. I thought at most his mother might have fallen seriously ill, and wanted him to return home so she could see him one last time, as per the usual family drama convention. I didn¡¯t expect that at the next turn, the plot twisted to become a suspenseful murder. At this, I was also at a loss for words for a long while.

    ¡°Since I came to know of this incident, there was no way I would let her die. I convinced her to turn herself in, and escorted her to the police station myself.¡± He swallowed, then continued, ¡°These few days I have just been sorting this mess out, I need to respond to the police, deal with the bothersome relatives of that man, and I also have to hide this all from my younger brother so he doesn¡¯t find out. Ah, I¡¯m only just twenty three, why did it have to be like this, I still hadn¡¯t sorted out my own things, all of a sudden with everything turning out this way I feel like I can¡¯t handle it all¡­¡±

    He seemed to finally not be able to endure it all as like a kitten, he dropped his head to his knees, and began crying in small, choking sobs. I sighed inwardly, and shifted over to wrap him in a gentle embrace as I pat him on his back to console him.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you have us, we¡¯re here with you.¡±

    Wei Shi leaned against the door, his cigarette in his mouth and his expression heavy, and I had no idea how long he had been listening in for.

    He looked as if he wanted to come over, but was scared to do so at the same time. In the end, he let out a puff of white smoke in frustration, and turned to return by the windowsill, probably because he had no clue how he should comfort Shen Xiao Shi.

    ¡°Feng Ge, can I please ask for a favour¡­¡± After crying for a long while, Shen Xiao Shi raised his head, both eyes glimmering with tears as he sniffled and continued, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t agree to it.¡±

    The child was already pitiful to this state, if I didn¡¯t agree to his request then how would I deserve to be called ¡®Ge¡¯ by him?

    I drew two sheets of tissues and wiped his tears for him as I gently replied, ¡°Go ahead and ask.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi spoke with a stuffy voice, ¡°Can I¡­ please ask for Lawyer Sheng to defend my mother in court?¡±

    My movement stilled, and Shen Xiao Shi felt it as he hurriedly held onto my hand and continued, ¡°I know he excels at his job, and he¡¯s very expensive, but I¡¯ll pay him. I have a hundred thousand renminbi saved up, and if this isn¡¯t enough, I can write up a slip of how much I owe him¡­ no matter whether it¡¯s in the hundreds of thousands or the millions, I¡¯m willing to pay it all.¡± The rims of his eyes were red as he spoke, ¡°She gave birth to me and raised me up, I despise her, but I can¡¯t not assist her when she¡¯s in dire straits like this.¡±

    I knew what he meant, and understood his request, however the problem was¡­ Sheng Min Ou might not be willing to listen to me.

    Last time, because of Wei Shi, I had already traded in the favour that he owed me, and this time I really had no idea on how I could persuade him to help. Especially since recently his temper had been especially strange, if Shen Xiao Shi went to plead for help, it probably would be much more effective than if I went.

    However, when faced with Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s expectant gaze, I found myself unable to say no.

    In the end, I patted the back of his hand and nodded as I replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask for you.¡±

    Since he had owed me a favour before, there had to be a way for me to get him to owe me once more again.

    After returning home from Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s place, I thought hard about the issue for the whole night. The next day at seven in the morning, I called Sheng Min Ou ¨C I knew by this time he would already be awake.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you win Mrs Yang¡¯s case, so could you do me a favour in return please?¡± After the call connected, I raced to speak first.

    Sheng Min Ou might have really felt like he had no response to what I said, as he was quiet for a while before he replied in an arrogant tone, as if it was inevitable and should be expected, ¡°I can win anyways.¡±

    ¡°I can make it so you win it even faster.¡± After pausing for a second, I added another point, ¡°It might even result in more compensation.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    I sensed considerable disdain in his voice, yet I was not vexed by it as I continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t want my help that¡¯s fine as well, you can visit this prostitute again and the end result is the same.¡±

    On the other side, I heard his breathing come to a still, as Sheng Min Ou replied in a cold voice, ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°Then given what you¡¯ve said it¡¯s better for me to assist you in the case, yeah?¡± In a flash, I pulled the phone away from myself as I continued speaking, ¡°If you don¡¯t respond then I¡¯ll take it as you¡¯ve agreed? Hello? How come the signal got bad¡­ hello? Hello?¡±

    After pretending to say a few more ¡®hellos¡¯, I decisively hung up the call.

    Faced with the phone screen which showed the end of the call, I let out a long breath, then became slightly annoyed.

    ¡°I let you use me as a prostitute and you aren¡¯t even willing to do so, what was I going to do, poison you or something?¡± I threw my phone to the side and dropped to the bed as I fell asleep.

 CH 40

    ¡°Feng Ge, do I look the part dressed like this?¡±

    As Yi Da Zhuang had spent numerous years hidden at locations in wait, he had been considerably exposed to Grandfather Sun¡¯s greeting in the form of harsh sun rays. His skin was tanned and lined with fine wrinkles, and in addition to that, he had an attenuated figure, so at a glance he appeared to be older than his actual age. Presently, he donned a metallic blue workers outfit and wore a pair of old and worn down sneakers. He was the personification of a labourer who toiled through sunshine and rainstorms.

    I helped him with his jacket, then wrapped an arm around his shoulder as we sat at the desk.

    ¡°Remember to have a bit of an accent when you speak.¡± I pointed at each corner of the room, and the tissue box on the table as I continued, ¡°There are four mini spy cameras installed, ensuring full coverage and no blind spots in this room. I¡¯ll be watching in the bedroom, so don¡¯t hold back and give us a show of your acting talents.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang rubbed his face in nervousness, ¡°It¡¯s a new challenge and a new beginning¡­ maybe from now on I¡¯ll quit working as a paparazzi and see if I can change careers to be an extra in movies instead.¡±

    I patted his shoulder and replied, ¡°You can do it.¡±

    The doorbell sounded as Yi Da Zhuang and I exchanged glances. One walked briskly towards the bedroom, whilst the other shouted ¡®coming, coming!¡¯ as they moved towards the door.

    I gently closed the door behind me as Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s voice came from the entrance, ¡°Hello, hello, you must be the insurer, please come in.¡±

    I sat at the foot of the bed, staring at the television screen attached to the wall. The 42 inch big screen was divided in four, each scene streamed from their respective spy camera.

    The youthful insurer sat at the table with Yi Da Zhuang, and then proceeded to take out a thick document from his bag.

    ¡°This was the commercial insurance contract mentioned previously in our conversation over the phone. Please take a look and see whether you have any issues with it.¡± He passed the document to Yi Da Zhuang as he continued, ¡°In total, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    He pressed several buttons on the calculator, and came to an approximate sum as he showed Yi Da Zhuang.

    Yi Da Zhuang looked at it, then roughly scoped the contract in a convincing manner before suddenly pinching the bridge of his nose, ¡°Ai you, I¡¯m feeling dizzy from looking at all of this, the text is too small. I¡¯m done with looking at it, I trust you guys in the end, big corporations like yours won¡¯t lie to us ordinary citizens, I¡¯ll just sign it like you said.¡±

    The insurer didn¡¯t expect to seal this deal so easily, as he quickly fished out a pen to sign with, his eyes sparkling with jubilation. ¡°Of course, of course. Our company is pretty much ranked in the top ten of this industry, so our services are trustworthy. Please rest assured. You¡¯ll have to fill out information regarding your vehicle here, and if you could please pass me your personal identification card and your drivers license¡­¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang stood up to check his pant pockets, and searched for a while only to turn up empty handed. His brows became increasingly furrowed as he exclaimed, ¡°Eh? That¡¯s strange, how come it¡¯s gone?¡±

    He checked the pockets in his outerwear, conducting a thorough search inside and out, but couldn¡¯t find a thing.

    He racked his brain in contemplation and suddenly appeared to remember something. Yi Da Zhuang sheepishly gave the insurer a straightforward smile as he spoke, ¡°Ah, sorry, last night I went to my friends house and we had a bit too much to drink, I think I might¡¯ve forgotten my IDs at his house. It looks like we won¡¯t be able to sign these documents today, another day, on another day I¡¯ll come find you again¡­¡±

    Before the insurer could react, Yi Da Zhuang had already wrenched him out of his seat and grabbed him by the elbow as he dragged him to the door.

    ¡°Mr Yi, give¡­ give the contract back to me first.¡± The insurer remembered to ask for the contract back after being shoved out the door.

    Yi Da Zhuang moved alacritously towards the desk, and whilst picking up the contract, he lifted his face towards one of the mini spy cameras installed at the side and directed a coquettish gaze at it.

    After closing the door and sending off the insurer, I came out from the bedroom as Yi Da Zhuang walked through the entrance.

    ¡°How was it, was it okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± I saw that he had begun to stretch and was preparing to take off his clothes, when I glanced at the clock installed on the wall before speaking again. ¡°However, it¡¯s not comprehensive enough.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s actions came to a still, ¡°Ah?¡±

    When hitting a snake, you¡¯ve got to strike at it¡¯s seventh inch. If once isn¡¯t enough, then you need to do it twice, and if doing it twice isn¡¯t good either, then give it a third, forth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth slap. Even if it doesn¡¯t die, it¡¯ll be crippled.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang clearly didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind my words, as his perplexed expression was displayed clearly on his face.

    I didn¡¯t continue to beat around the bush as I gave him a straightforward answer, ¡°Today, I¡¯ve arranged to meet five insurers from An Qi, so make sure to keep each meeting within an hour to avoid conflicting appointments.¡±

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    ¡°You¡¯re really squeezing me dry here. I don¡¯t care, afterwards you have to shout me to a good meal, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be able to repay my blood, sweat and tears.¡±

    For two whole days, Yi Da Zhuang and I holed ourselves up in the small rental room, meeting up with one insurer after another.

    They sat in the same place, yet were of different ages, different genders and different attire. All ten insurers had been in the industry for longer than five years, and when it came to their insurance policies and the contents of it they pitched it zealously, spit flying from their mouths, as they jumped through hoops trying to get you to pay a higher premium. Then, as your head spun dizzily from all the information they dumped, they¡¯d ask you if you had any questions remaining.

    Yi Da Zhuang spoke, ¡°This¡­ third party liability clause, is it saying that if I did run someone over, the company would be able to compensate them on my behalf, right?¡±

    Ten insurers of different ages, different genders, different attires, sitting at the same spot, wearing the same professional smile on their faces, gave the same identical response, ¡°Correct.¡±

    The insurer handed the contract to Yi Da Zhuang and had him look through the terms and conditions, and if there were no problems then he could proceed to sign the contract. Yi Da Zhuang used the same excuse of not being able to read the contract properly ten times over as he only flipped on page before returning it to the insurer. Out of ten insurers, only two of them mentioned there being a disclaimer, but even then all they did was suggest that it was ¡°best for him to take a look¡±, as they still failed to comply with the mandatory requirement. It goes without saying then that they most definitely didn¡¯t go through the specifics of the term with him then.

    These insurers were all exceptionally guileful, they were aware that if they explicitly mentioned that they wouldn¡¯t offer any compensation in the case of overloading, then the deal would certainly fall through. Therefore, they tried to their best ability in skimming past this fact. If one day there really was an accident, there was already a signature on the white pages decorated with black ink. Everything would proceed according to the terms agreed upon in the contract, and without a videotape or any voice recordings, who could even blame them and say that it was their fault?

    I had Yi Da Zhuang help me in editing the footage, then spent the night writing up a lengthy letter comprising over eight thousand characters, then rushed to get it printed before the deadline of Mrs Yang¡¯s second hearing which would be held on the same day. Along with it I brought a USB flash drive which contained the video footage inside and hurriedly made my way to the law courts.

    As I was afraid that I might arrive too late, I dialled Sheng Min Ou on my way there and asked whether he was already at the courthouse.

    Sheng Min Ou seemed to be walking, as I could hear subtle whispers of the wind from his end.

    ¡°¡­ I just arrived.¡±

    ¡°What about the opposing lawyer?¡±

    ¡°Not sure, I haven¡¯t seen them.¡± The sound of the wind disappeared in an instant, he had walked indoors. ¡°What are you asking this for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll arrive in five minutes, wait for me by the entrance, I have something to give you.¡± Afraid that he might go against what I said, I made a point to emphasise my words as I added a layer of stress to my words, ¡°It¡¯s very important, be sure to wait for me! You got it?¡±

    The response to my words was the noise of a call being terminated, as Sheng Min Ou decisively hung up on me.

    I glared at my phone screen for a while, grinding my teeth as I pleaded with the taxi driver to please go faster, saying that I had a life-or-death lawsuit I needed to partake in, and if I got there late the consequences would be dire.

    The trip was meant to take five minutes, but after the driver stepped on the gas pedal more, we arrived in four minutes. I whipped out a banknote at lightning speed, and in the next second I hopped off the car and made a mad dash towards the courts. I initially didn¡¯t have any hope remaining, as I thought Sheng Min Ou definitely wouldn¡¯t have waited for me.

    However, when I saw a familiar figure outside the law courts with his head lowered to glance at his watch, I realised that I still did hold onto a small flicker of hope. I hoped that he would believe me, that I wouldn¡¯t make a joke out of such a serious matter.

    I ran towards him, panting as I did so and had a hand to my knee as I passed him the document, already stapled, and the USB drive.

    ¡°Here!¡± Due to him waiting, a wholly unexpected move, my heartbeat which was already frantic suddenly escalated even faster. I didn¡¯t have a choice but to hold a hand over my chest in response, as it slowly recovered.

    Sheng Min Ou accepted the document from my hands and began to immediately flip through its contents expeditiously. The female lawyer who was at his side also began to look over at it, unable to suppress her curiosity as she read out the title of the document, ¡°To the Supervising Administrators of Qing Wan City¡¯s Insurance Sector: Regarding the Misconduct of An Qi¡¯s Insurers, the unsatisfactory training program conducted towards employees, the malicious practises of intentionally skipping over terms in the contract and more¡­ it¡¯s a formal letter of complaint?¡±

    When hitting a snake, you¡¯ve got to strike at it¡¯s seventh inch. The supervising administration office operated under the government and were meant to police every insurer involved in the industry. If this practice caught their attention and consequently caused investigative groups to be formed to look into these illegal behaviours, then the whole industry could be involved, and by then the fine wouldn¡¯t be as simple as just paying one million renminbi.

    ¡°What is in here?¡± In less than two minutes, Sheng Min Ou had scanned the formal letter of complaint I had laboured over all night, as he pinched the USB drive in his fingers and asked me.

    ¡°Proof.¡± I stood up straight, my breathing having recovered significantly and passed my phone over so he could see, ¡°What I have on here is the same as what¡¯s in the USB drive, it just that on my phone sensitive information has been blurred out, whereas the USB drive contains the uncensored footage.¡±

    He accepted the phone and swiftly finished watching the footage, then calmly called for the female lawyer, who had still not been able to regain herself, to request for a five minute adjournment for the hearing.

    The female lawyer nodded her head, stunned, then immediately afterwards pushed over the heavy wooden doors of the courthouse and disappeared in front of our eyes.

    ¡°This is the idea you came up with?¡± Sheng Min Ou organised the document in his hands and asked.

    ¡°Are you about to chastise me over my methods being unpresentable and too stupid?¡± I flicked the letter of complaint in his hands and laughed as I spoke, ¡°Let me tell you, some things really are as the saying goes, ¡®Even if everyone disagrees, I will still forge my way¡¯, whether I succeed or not is one thing, whether I die in the process is another, if I feel good about it, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    Even if everyone stopped me, even if they all said ¡®no¡¯, even if every single one of them disapproved of my actions, why would it matter? If it was something I wanted to do, I would get it done.

    He stared at me for a moment, his gaze directed downwards as he was silent. I held his gaze and remained unspeaking.

    Suddenly from afar came sounds of footsteps and conversation, Sheng Min Ou and I turned around simultaneously and saw An Qi Insurance company¡¯s lawyer and representative walk towards us.

    ¡°Lend me your phone.¡± Sheng Min Ou simply stated as he walked towards the two with long strides.

    As I brushed by his side I whispered into his ear, ¡°I¡¯m leaving it to you.¡±

    I stood at where we were originally without going closer and I could only see at a distance Sheng Min Ou cordially conversing with the other two for a while, before the representative¡¯s expression immediately twisted, as he held the phone with an incredulous expression.

    Sheng Min Ou then passed the letter of complaint to him as his expression darkened while flipping through a few pages, before wrinkling the paper in his grasp.

    The lawyer looked at Sheng Min Ou, bewildered, and seemed to also be stunned by this unexpected approach as he was unable to form a response for a long while.

    Sheng Min Ou tried to be considerate of the representatives height by lowering his body, his face still maintaining a gentleman¡¯s smile as he whispered something in his ear. The representative¡¯s head jerked upwards sharply as he hurriedly nodded.

    He twirled the USB drive in his hand before turning around and leaving. Sheng Min Ou had only taken two steps before he saw me and seemed to remember something as he turned back and plucked my phone out of the representative¡¯s hands. Then, he turned around one final time, his genteel smile replaced bit by bit by one that was arrogant and contemptuous.

    He was like a king that had returned after an overwhelming victory as he strode forward with his head held high, walking on that corridor with sunshine spilling through, overflowing the area. On his head was an invisible crown, on his showers a vibrant, rich red cape, and each step he took was resolute and confident.

    ¡°I¡¯m returning this to you.¡± Sheng Min Ou said, passing the phone back to me.

    ¡°You resolved everything?¡±

    He looked askance at me, his gaze directed at me as if saying ¡®what kind of bullshit are you sprouting¡¯.

    I saw his reaction and realised I had asked for it as I touched my nose, then heard him speak, ¡°They agreed to rectification within a time limit, revising the layout of the contract and increasing the compensation sum, however only under the condition that the video and the letter of complaint must never be made public.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t a big deal, as my goal anyways was to help him win the lawsuit faster. In all honesty, there was a limit to what I could achieve, and I knew that I couldn¡¯t just rely on this case to change the world and catalyse a different set of regulations to be enforced.

    In the end, the case under the judge¡¯s guidance was able to be reconciled. An Qi insurance added another six hundred thousand renminbi on top of the original compensation sum as a humanitarian act.

    I didn¡¯t have the right to enter the discussion room, however even out in the corridors I could still hear Ms Yang¡¯s heart-wrenching cries. However, different from my mother¡¯s sobs from back then that were filled with a sense of unjust and frustration, in her cries there was a sense of happiness from being absolved.

    This was for the numerous days and nights spent tossing and turning restlessly, the multiple, incessant barrages of self-questioning, ¡®Why did it have to be me? Why couldn¡¯t it have been someone else?¡¯ The heavens were unable to provide an answer and those that had passed would never be able to come back again. Faced with the stresses of life and a young child, despairing tears accumulated as they weighed down her heart.

    Though this sum of money only served as compensation, at least there was now an answer to everything. There was no need to poke at the scars anymore, revealing wounds dripping and saturated with blood in front of others, pleading everywhere for justice to be served. Finally, everything could be left behind, and they could restart their lives again.

    After hearing the female lawyer explain the final result to Mrs Yang, walking down the pearl-river grey stairs of the court house, my body was lit by the warm sunlight, and bathed by the sunrays I was so comfortable all I wanted to do was just take an afternoon nap.

    How great, this feeling of being filled up with hope.

    After stretching my body out, the case was wrapped up now so I planned to also return home and sleep.

    ¡°Ge!¡± Before leaving, I called out to Sheng Min Ou.

    He paused on a step below as he turned around and looked back at me.

    ¡°I have something to say to you.¡± I said.

    He remained stationary as he continued looking at me.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll be taking our leave.¡± The female lawyer was extremely perceptive as she left, dragging Mrs Yang along with her.

    I moved down the next few flights of stairs and stood facing him, finally being able to direct my gaze downwards at him for once.

    ¡°Repay me a favour.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± He was brusque in his reply, seemingly accepting the fact that he owed me a ¡®favour¡¯.

    ¡°Shen Xiao Shi requires a defence lawyer, his mother¡­ is in a bit of a situation right now.¡±

    ¡°Tell him to come meet me at the law firm tomorrow afternoon at one.¡± Sheng Min Ou responded and then was prepared to turn and leave.

    I cursed inwardly, feeling greatly discontent towards his attitude, where he didn¡¯t appear to want to talk to me for a second longer than necessary if he could help it.

    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± I called out to his back, ¡°I always wanted to know, that day when father passed away, what did he say to you at the end?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou tilted his head back slightly, revealing his face.

    He was silent for a long while as his mouth remained shut. I asked him this question on a whim, so if he didn¡¯t want to respond to me I wouldn¡¯t have any way to get him to open up anyways.

    ¡°Okay¡­.¡±

    Just when I was about to say it¡¯s fine and you can leave now, he slowly uttered one sentence.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay even if you can¡¯t be a good person. Be someone that doesn¡¯t hurt others, and someone who also isn¡¯t hurt by others. Be an ordinary person like that, and it¡¯s enough.¡±

    I was stunned for a second, and linked up the words my father said to Sheng Min Ou before he passed, ¡°Dad believes, you will become a very, very good person¡­ But it¡¯s okay even if you can¡¯t be a good person. Be someone that doesn¡¯t hurt others, and someone who also isn¡¯t hurt by others. Be an ordinary person like that, and it¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°Father knew you¡­¡± I stared scrupulously at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s face, and whispered hoarsely.

    If my father phrased things this way, then it meant that he knew, knew that Sheng Min Ou he¡­

    ¡°Yes, he knew of it all.¡± Sheng Min Ou lowered his face as he continued in a low voice, ¡°He knew I wasn¡¯t normal.¡±

    After finishing his sentence, without waiting for a response from me, he turned to leave without another word, the distance between himself and I growing as I remained on the stairs.

    I stared at his retreating figure, my feelings complex. I dropped down to the steps, and suddenly, I really wanted to smoke.

 CH 41

    When Sheng Min Ou and I were younger ¨C I don¡¯t actually quite remember how young we were, but back then I don¡¯t think I had attended school yet. On one of those days, carried away by a whim I suddenly decided to ask my father what my name meant.

    My father thought about it for a second and carried me downstairs as he pointed to a maple tree outside and spoke, ¡°That¡¯s your name, ¡®feng¡¯, it¡¯s the same character as the ¡®feng¡¯ in maple trees.¡±

    That was a summer day, the maple trees were a rich green, and when they were part of the landscape of ample greens alongside other trees, I didn¡¯t see too much of a difference. In other words, being a maple tree was especially ordinary and uninteresting.

    ¡°Why is it a tree?¡± I asked with slight discontent, feeling that my father had not put much thought into the matter of coming up with a name for me, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good!¡±

    My father gave a genuine chuckle as he explained to me, ¡°The tallest trees always get blown down first. Wind is a terrifying enemy for trees, even the largest oaks cannot defend against a typhoon. However, look at your character, it contains both the wind character and the wood character, they both coexist and live in harmony. I hope that in the future, when you have to brave the storms coming your way, you don¡¯t become discouraged in the face of it. Everyone experiences life on this earth, and yet not one person will have a life that is complete smooth sailing. It¡¯s therefore important to know how to enjoy something despite suffering.¡±

    My father was exactly this type of person, he had a good temper and did things on a steady, slower tempo. On the weekends, he would sit in his rocking chair and have a cup of tea on one side and his newspaper on the other, and he could spend his whole afternoon savouring each detail. My mother was the polar opposite of him with a quick temper, acerbic wit, and her bustling enthusiasm carried over into how she got things done. If she could get one thing done today, she would never drag it on and leave it for tomorrow.

    However, what did I care about wood and wind characters, I couldn¡¯t even write my own name, so what was the point of telling me all of this? I was slightly stunned after hearing my father¡¯s speech, and my one takeaway was that since my father had such an elaborate explanation, that probably meant my name had a pretty cool meaning behind it.

    ¡°Then what is the meaning behind ge ge¡¯s name?¡±

    Back then, I thought since my older brother¡¯s name had one character more than mine, his name had to be even better, right?

    My father carried me upstairs as he considered my question seriously for a second before he replied, ¡°Ge ge¡¯s name has a meaning behind it too, however here I¡¯m quite limited by the confines of what I have to show as the real thing isn¡¯t here. Wait for next weekend to come around, dad will take the two of you to find it.¡±

    I nodded my head, pretending that I understood, though I didn¡¯t take this whole arrangement too seriously. In the end, the next week rolled around and my father scooped us up from bed early in the morning as he was surprisingly committed to actually taking us out for a trip.

    He told us to make haste when we were brushing our teeth, and once we had washed our face too, he shoved a meat bun each in our hands then started to push us towards the door.

    ¡°Old Lu, where are you guys heading to?¡± My mother asked in a rush as she hurried towards the staircases.

    My father perhaps was scared of being scolded by her as he scooped me up in one quick move and began walking downstairs at a brisk pace as he responded to her in a clear voice, ¡°To the sea!¡±

    ¡°The sea¡­ the seaside?¡± As if it was inconceivable, my mother repeated her words as her voice suddenly blasted our surroundings, ¡°What is wrong with you, why are you going to the seaside, it¡¯s such a harsh sunny day! Old Lu! Lu Guang Rong!!¡±

    With my mother¡¯s lioness roars echoing in the background, my father had long since escaped, holding me with one hand and dragging Sheng Min Ou with his other, as we disappeared without a trace.

    The sea being a natural sight to behold had always been far from the bustling cities and tucked away at places that had less people.

    My father with us by his side had us exchange three or four buses, until it felt like we had made so many turns that our bones would disassemble themselves already. It was then that we finally saw the outline of the sea.

    The walk from the bus stop to the seaside was scorching and strenuous. I realised that a weekend had just been wasted, all for seeing a blurry big patch of lake. A wave of reluctance rose in my chest as I wanted to return home and eat the braised pork that my mother made instead.

    However, my father had already started sprinting down the mudflats without a care for anything else, as he ran wildly back and forth barefoot on the seaside. Whichever place he ran by would cause one seagull after another to be shocked at the commotion.

    ¡°Helmx, mbwf vbkc tfgf jcv ajxf j kjix!¡± Zs ojatfg fzafcvfv ybat tlr jgwr jcv kjnfv ab er ogbw j ibcu kjs jkjs.

    Rjaegjiis, P tfiv atf tjcv bo atf sbecu sbeat cfza ab wf jr P gjlrfv ws tfjv jcv ibbxfv eq ja tlw, ¡°Xf uf, vjv lr mjiilcu bea ab er.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to go?¡±

    The sun shone from behind Sheng Min Ou, enveloping him in a blinding halo and causing his expression to be hidden in the shadows.

    ¡°En!¡±

    I squinted as I nodded heavily. In the next second, the person holding my hand slowly moved towards the sea.

    I was of a young age, and the sandy flats were not easy to walk on. Consequently, every time I made a few steps I would trip and fall. Sheng Min Ou might have thought that supporting me while I walked was too tiring, as he instead lifted me up and carried me as he walked towards my father.

    ¡°My son, do you see these birds? They are seagulls, the ¡®ou¡¯ character in Sheng Min Ou¡¯s name.¡± My father had rivulets of sweat running down his forehead from his wild sprints earlier, as he huffed and pointed to the flocks of seagulls that were casually making their way back and forth on the seaside.

    I held onto Sheng Min Ou¡¯s neck as I leaned on his shoulder, ¡°So many ge ge¡¯s.¡±

    A quick, gentle smile rang out from beside my ear. When I lifted my head to look, there was already no sign of it left on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s face.

    ¡°My little one, was there anything else you wanted to ask?¡± My father picked me up from Sheng Min Ou¡¯s hold, and asked as he tapped the tip of my nose.

    Is ge ge a bird? Why is he different from me?¡± I scrunched my brows, starting to become annoyed at my name once more, ¡°I want to be the same as ge ge.¡±

    ¡°The character ¡®Ou¡¯ means bird, but ¡®Min¡¯ represents a pure, beautiful fine jade.¡± My father completely disregarded the fact that a child might not be able to understand his speech, as he continued talking to his heart¡¯s content, ¡°Strictly speaking, your older brother is a seagull that is as pure as fine jade.¡±

    He hugged me with one hand, and with the other, he softly circled his hand on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s head. ¡°The person who gave you your name must¡¯ve wished for you to be free and to live as you wanted, not to be tainted by matters of this secular world we live in.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s expression remained indifferent as he stared at the indolent seagulls, his voice calm as he asked, ¡°Then why did they abandon me?¡±

    My father stilled hearing his words, as he bent down and placed me on the ground, his hands coming to his kneecaps as he stared Sheng Min Ou in the eye and said, ¡°Why do you think of it as them not wanting you? Perhaps, despite all their efforts, they couldn¡¯t keep you. Right?¡±

    Now that I think about it, my happy-go-lucky attitude and personality where I could survive multiple, incessant hits yet still recover quickly with fresh blood pumping through my body¡­ this was all inherited from my father.

    Sheng Min Ou was stunned, and didn¡¯t say another word afterwards.

    ¡°Feng Feng, quick, take your older brother and go run around in the waters.¡± My father shoved me from the back, pushing me towards Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°Ge ge, hurry up.¡± I had received my command, and therefore without speaking another word I held onto Sheng Min Ou¡¯s hand and dragged him along towards the waves.

    Sheng Min Ou was forcibly tugged along by me into the water, and a second later my father splashed him square in the face with a handful of seawater. In an instant, his expression darkened.

    Ever since I was young, I had been afraid of seeing Sheng Min Ou angry. Therefore, after witnessing this change in his demeanor, I immediately splashed a handful of water back at my father. It was a fast blow, and an accurate one too. The seawater went up his nose as he coughed in response, so I counted this as my ¡®revenge¡¯ for Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bully ge ge!¡±

    My father geared himself to run up and chase me as I squealed and ran behind Sheng Min Ou. Sheng Min Ou scooped me up and ran towards the shore, and when he looked back, the smile on his face was exceptionally radiant and bright.

    I spent many occasions thinking back to this moment. This was, in my twenty something years of life, probably the time when I was the most carefree. If I could pause time so it remained still forever on that day, that would be fine by me. Even if I had to re-experience returning home drenched in seawater, and then be blasted by my mother as she chastised us for what had happened.

    I woke up early in the morning and went to meet Shen Xiao Shi at the pawn shop. The two of us waited it out until midday as we finished eating, then straight afterwards we headed towards Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm, as we arrived at the parlor early in wait.

    ¡°Feng Ge, this time I¡¯m really in your debt.¡± Shen Xiao Shi lowered his head as he spoke. His complexion appeared better than a few days ago but he was still languid when he spoke.

    I attempted to tease him as I pinched his chin and spoke, ¡°If you say this then you¡¯re really not counting me as a close friend. What kind of relationship do we have that requires you to be this formal and appreciative?¡± After saying so, I hooked a finger under his chin.

    It was at this precise moment that the door to our room was opened, and my gaze diverted to see who had come in, just to see Sheng Min Ou and Wu Yi standing outside, their stares converging on my¡­ hand.

    Great, after having a bunch of witnesses seeing Mo Qiu hugging me on the streets, I¡¯ve now been caught once again teasing another boy within his own office space.

    Wu Yi also did not look like he was someone who was tight-lipped on things, and I had a feeling that after today my image and reputation in the eyes of the lawyers who worked here would go from ¡®the boss¡¯ younger brother¡¯ to ¡®the guy with interesting male-male relationships¡¯.

    I retracted my hand at lightning speed, and attempted to cover up what had happened by pulling away from Shen Xiao Shi and leaving a conspicuously large gap between us.

    I had no idea what Sheng Min Ou¡¯s thoughts were, but at least on the surface level he appeared calm and collected. Wu Yi was less so, with his smile being somewhat awkward.

    ¡°Hel- Hello, I¡¯m Jin Shang law firm¡¯s lawyer, Wu Yi. The person next to me is Sheng Min Ou, lawyer Sheng. You have probably met each other, so I won¡¯t overdo the introductions. Let¡¯s¡­ dive into it.¡±

    After Wu Yi shook hands with Shen Xiao Shi, he saw that Sheng Min Ou had already taken a seat on the sofa, and didn¡¯t appear to have any intention to extend the same courtesy to the other party. Seeing this, Wu Yi¡¯s expression changed minutely in response.

    After everyone had sat down, I patted Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s shoulder as I gently remarked, ¡°Okay, take your time explaining everything to them, don¡¯t feel as if you need to rush through it.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi was currently in a state where outwardly he appeared like he had everything under control and looked alright, but he actually had long since lost his spirit, distracted by the circumstances in his life. He softly muttered an ¡®en¡¯ in response, his elbows propped against his knees, both his hands clasped together as he lowered his head and began to recount his experience.

    Sheng Min Ou crossed his arms at his chest as he reclined onto the sofa, his expression a clear display of not wanting to deal with the matter but was being forced to do so regardless. Though he looked as if his mind was elsewhere for every minute of the conversation, I knew that he was listening attentively. Once he had decided to take on something, he would definitely carry it out to the best of his ability, even if he himself wasn¡¯t all that happy to work on it. To back-stab and double cross others wasn¡¯t his style.

    Shen Xiao Shi repeated everything that he had told me previously, during which no one interrupted him. After recounting the events fully, he gripped his hands tightly as he raised his head and looked apprehensively towards Sheng Min Ou as he asked, ¡°My mother¡­ will she be given the death penalty?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Sheng Min Ou replied brusquely, ¡°She faced long-term abuse and turned herself in, so she won¡¯t be handed the death penalty. For a guilty plea, the sentence usually won¡¯t be over twenty years.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi was stunned, ¡°Twenty years¡­ of jail time? No, that¡¯s too long, my mother¡­ she only killed a scum of a human being. To be sentenced to twenty years, when she comes out she¡¯ll be seventy already, what¡¯s the difference between her spending the rest of her life in that cell?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou remained unmoved by the plea, as he spoke with a cold voice, ¡°There isn¡¯t any term in the law which stipulates that scum deserve to die. Do you know why the legal system exists?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi was taken aback by his demeanor, and shook his head weakly in response.

    ¡°To protect and uphold the order in society. Humankind has evolved to reach the present age, and we¡¯ve already established our own rules. People who don¡¯t obey these rules must accept and receive punishment served by law.¡±

    Wu Yi saw that the atmosphere had changed and so tried to jump in, ¡°Actually¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a good person, and a bad person. If the good person doesn¡¯t kill the bad person, they¡¯ll instead be killed by the bad person. If the good person kills the bad person, then the good person will receive severe legal punishment. You want to talk about rules with me? What if¡­ what if¡­¡± Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s eyes were red as he suddenly turned to glance at me, ¡°What if that good person was a member of your family, what if he was Feng Ge, then could you still speak such apathetic, cynical words?¡±

    I stared at him, stunned.

    This little bastard, I was even about to suspect whether he had heard about the previous occurrences, otherwise how could he ask a question that was such a precise dilemma?

    Each word in that sentence was exactly like¡­ a reflection of what had happened that year.

    I couldn¡¯t help it but look towards Sheng Min Ou, as I wanted to see what he had to say. Sheng Min Ou ended up looking my way at the same time, as we looked into each other¡¯s eyes.

    His gaze was like it always was, indiscernible and abstruse. I couldn¡¯t be sure whether I really caught a glimpse of disappointment and frustration in his eyes, but quickly afterwards, his eyes were filled with contempt directed at Shen Xiao Shi again.

    ¡°Then what do you think should be done?¡± He shifted his gaze, as he directed his question to Shen Xiao Shi.

    Shen Xiao Shi clenched both fists as he exclaimed resoundingly, ¡°Of course it would be to give it my all for them to not be faulted for their actions. They did kill someone, that¡¯s undeniable, but that isn¡¯t a crime, that¡¯s an act of self-defence!¡±

    Jiraiya (Translator¡¯s note): The beach scene is so precious¡­¡­.  literally me rn.

 CH 42

    Thank you Anon and Kate for the Kofi¡¯s in sponsoring this bonus chapter!

    Sheng Min Ou looked at him, and a while had passed before a sneer formed on his lips, ¡°You really don¡¯t know where you stand. If you insist on your way of thinking, then perhaps I am not the person you should come to for help. I suggest you contact another party to assist you instead.¡± After saying so he stood up and directed his words at the young man by his side, ¡°Wu Yi, please escort them out.¡±

    His sprain had completely recovered, and now he could walk around freely without any impediment, so he no longer had any use for his cane. After finishing his remarks, he turned around and left for the door without another glance back.

    Wu Yi looked towards Shen Xiao Shi and myself rather awkwardly and was afraid to say unnecessary words, so he could only display a stiff smile on his face as he gestured for us to leave.

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s complexion paled, and under normal circumstances, if someone dared talk to him like this, then he most likely would already have a hand around their collar. Now however, he could only cling onto my hand powerlessly, as he pleaded and asked if I could go say some nice words to make it up to Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°Feng Ge, I¡¯m¡­ I was wrong, I misspoke. Could you please go and talk to lawyer Sheng, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose, it was just¡­¡± He lowered his head as he continued, ¡°Twenty years, how many twenty years are there in a lifetime? I¡¯ve lived my whole life until now and it¡¯s only been twenty four years. My mother¡¯s physical condition isn¡¯t great, Feng Ge, you know what it¡¯s like inside the cells. She.. she definitely won¡¯t be able to bear with it.¡±

    I patted the back of his hand and felt him trembling all over as I let out a soft sigh and comforted him, ¡°Alright, wait here for me, I¡¯ll be back in a second.¡±

    I had Wu Yi stay with him as I got up and walked towards Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office.

    Sheng Min Ou seemed to have anticipated that I would follow after him, as when I entered his office, he had already sat down and was reclining in his seat. He was facing the window, and even when hearing the sound of the door, he didn¡¯t make a move to acknowledge it.

    I walked beside the office table and knocked on his transparent desk, ¡°Xiao Shi just got a little carried away, he wasn¡¯t maliciously intending to go against you. Give him another chance, that¡¯s his mother, they¡¯re related by blood, please try to be more understanding.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou propped his chin with his palm, his index finger resting near the outer corner of his eye. He continued to remain stationary even after hearing me speak.

    I gritted my teeth as I ran to meet him front on, ¡°You owe me this favor, are you refusing to repay me right now?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou raised his eyelids as he spoke, his tone pococurante, ¡°Understanding? I don¡¯t have that type of ability, aren¡¯t you the one who knows this best?¡±

    I was stunned by his response, and it took a long while for me to realise that he was responding to the question that I had asked him previously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a conscience, I lack empathy, I don¡¯t become dejected when hearing of other people¡¯s suffering or misfortune, and I have no fear of death. What understanding are you asking for me to give him?¡± He wasn¡¯t saying this to cause strife, rather he was genuinely perplexed.

    I wasn¡¯t sure why, but after hearing him confess these words my heart unexpectedly started aching.

    When giving it more thought, he actually had it hard too. Who would want to be born and be different from everyone else? Abnormalities in the mental psyche was also a form of disability, and he would also just be included as a person with learning difficulties, one who needed the care and understanding of people around him. Therefore, if I treated him better, it was basically the equivalent of me showing compassion and love to that special group.

    ¡°Ktfc sbe vbc¡¯a cffv ab ecvfgrajcv tlw, yea sbe ralii tjnf ab qlmx eq atf mjrf.¡± P tjio xcfia ab atf oibbg jr P qijmfv ybat tjcvr ja tlr jcxif, rboais wjrrjulcu atf jgfj, ws nblmf jvbqalcu j qifjrlcu abcf, ¡°Gbfr sbeg offa ralii tega? Ofa wf gey la obg sbe?¡±

    He didn¡¯t avoid my approach and did not berate me either, as all I got was a slightly weary glance directed my way, ¡°You treat your friends so well, nowadays ¡®normal people¡¯ like you are rare to come by.¡±

    I pretended that I couldn¡¯t hear the jibe in his words as I smiled, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m such a great person, no matter whether someone is my friend or my man, they¡¯ll all be spoilt happy.¡±

    The corner of his lips curled minutely, and just when I thought he was swayed by my words I heard him say, ¡°Except being your parents must have been an arduous task, they raised such a disobedient and annoying child.¡±

    I thought it was a rule to not hit people in the face when you¡¯re assaulting them, and to not stab others in the heart when going for digs.

    I straightened up my body all of a sudden, and found myself unable to present a smile, ¡°Are you going to help or not?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t come bother me for a whole month.¡±

    Here I thought he was going to lay down some extravagant order, but in the end he was just waiting to deliver this rule. It must¡¯ve been hard for him, in exchange for me to stay away and not bother him, he had to do all this in return.

    ¡°I have to help out with what¡¯s going on with Xiao Shi. If you wanted me to completely avoid you, then that¡¯s a bit of a hard ask.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I was unwilling to oblige, but rather it really was difficult to carry out.

    I had already waited ten or so years, would I really care about this one month?

    Now that I continued to incessantly involve myself with him to stay by his side, instead of thinking that I wanted him all to myself and to spend the rest of my life with him in a sweet, coupley manner, it was a more apt description to call this an obsession of mine. I had only persisted until now based on the notion of not wanting to give up.

    In this sense, I really was the best pairing for him. He wasn¡¯t normal, and I wasn¡¯t much better off than him. Stubborn to a fault and not willing to turn back on any decision I¡¯ve committed to, normal people surely wouldn¡¯t be able to do something like this.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll follow the arrangement that we¡¯ve previously established, the three rules. You may participate, but you may not voice any opinions of your own. You will not touch anything with abandon and you will not have any dissents.¡± After finishing, he glanced down meaningfully at my two hands which were still clasped around his feet.

    I hurriedly raised my hands and leaned my body back as I responded, ¡°Okay! Starting from now right? I¡¯ll shut up, I¡¯ll go get Xiao Shi.¡±

    I got up and turned to run outside before I suddenly stopped at the door, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, I had a dream about our father.¡±

    I gripped the handle of the door and didn¡¯t look back, behind me, there was not a single sound.

    ¡°Father wanted me to say to you that you¡¯re doing great right now. He¡¯s proud of you and he wants you to keep it up, don¡¯t slack off.¡± After saying these words, I pushed the door open as I headed out and walked back to the parlour.

    On my way back I brought both my hands together like I was praying and muttered a few words to the heavens, ¡°I used you for a bit there father, don¡¯t blame me please.¡±

    In the present moment, it was only the thought and reminder of my father that could resonate with Sheng Min Ou. Though he stated verbatim himself that he didn¡¯t have any conscience, he still lived according to my father¡¯s last wishes, and he was tirelessly trying to be a ¡®normal person¡¯. No matter whether it was his career accomplishments, or the punching bag he hung in his room, all of this was proof of the effort that he put into becoming a ¡®normal person¡¯.

    He erected a barrier, and he locked all the malevolent and tyrannical monsters behind it. He didn¡¯t allow himself to make any mistakes, and didn¡¯t allow himself to fall into the abyss. He believed that all living things were uneducated and ignorant, and he abhorred interacting with the cretinous humankind. However, he still used his superior intellect and disguised himself as an ordinary human, one that in his eyes, was unintelligent as can be.

    He had said that he knew even better than me regarding how to survive on this earth. He of course knew. He recognised his own abnormality, and he decided to suppress his innate urges and instead become a normal human. Every second of every moment, he studied in an attempt to better understand how he could pass off as a normal person.

    He went to college and passed with flying colours. He joined a company and he excelled at his work. He had a fianc¨¦e that everyone admired. Wearing the mask he molded for himself, Sheng Min Ou was on a path towards a limitless future. Until¡­ I had returned.

    It was as if I existed to purely act as his counter, before I felt wronged by this as I believed it wasn¡¯t that bad. Now however, I could genuinely understand his disgust towards me.

    I always infringed upon his personal boundaries, and I constantly touched that chain at the bottom of his heart which wasn¡¯t particularly sturdy, it was even one that dangled and reached into the abyss, the chain representing his ¡®morals¡¯.

    I thought that I was maintaining it, but in reality I was just shaking the door which kept the monsters in, over and over again.

    So why would he ever like me?

    I might be the only person on this earth which knew of his secret. People with obesity didn¡¯t like weighing themselves, because the scales would tell them a harsh truth. Sheng Min Ou also didn¡¯t like me, because my presence was like a reminder to him, a reminder of how abnormal he was.

    Prior to yesterday, there were a lot of things that I knew of but didn¡¯t fully understand. However, since then, it felt like I suddenly had an epiphany, a moment when I could make sense of everything.

    Perhaps my father¡¯s spirit couldn¡¯t stand to witness this either, as he decided to borrow someone else¡¯s misfortunes to explain the matter that gnawed at my mind, as well as to remind me of a fact.

    Some things really could not be forced.

    Shen Xiao Shi apprehensively walked into Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office. With every step he took, he would cast a glance back at me, as if I was on the other side of the horizon. An elementary school student being called into the principal¡¯s office would pretty much have the same reaction.

    I waved my hand, telling him to make haste as he headed in.

    Half an hour later, Shen Xiao Shi re-emerged from the office. He looked as if he could be blown away with every step he took, as he appeared in a trance, his gaze unfocused, like a demon spirit had sucked all the essence out of this innocent boy¡¯s body.

    I slapped my hand on his shoulder and asked him how it was.

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s whole body shook in response as he snapped out of it, ¡°Oh, lawyer Sheng said that he would try his best to plead not guilty in court. However, if the right circumstances came about, then he also wouldn¡¯t be averse to a plea deal with the prosecutor, and to have my mother plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence.

    I patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, leave it to my brother.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi nodded his head as he responded, ¡°En.¡±

    Later that night, as I had called Yi Da Zhuang previously for a favour and owed him a meal, I ended up also grabbing Xiao Shi and Wei Shi along to eat hotpot together.

    Hotpot really was a meal where it could be enjoyed for hundreds of times without ever getting tired of it. The more you had, the more addicting it was. It was suitable for all genders and demographics.

    The four of us got a private room to ourselves, Shen Xiao Shi had other things preoccupying his mind, so he ate little and spoke even less, as he dedicated himself to drinking.

    Yi Da Zhuang also knew of what had happened, so he strived to liven the atmosphere by spilling all sorts of celebrity gossip. Paired with Wei Shi, the two of them spoke one line then sang the next, as they looked like they were performing some sort of duet.

    ¡°Da Zhuang, Xiao Shi and I both have seeked out lawyer Sheng, so you have to stay strong. Don¡¯t create trouble.¡± Wei Shi said to Yi Da Zhuang as they clinked their glasses together. ¡°Don¡¯t get into conflicts with other people, if some celebrity sues you again and you end up back in jail, that¡¯ll be real ugly.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang almost choked on his mouthful of beer, as he wiped his chin and spoke, ¡°San Ge, touch wood or something, please. Besides, nowadays I haven¡¯t been following celebrities around, so rest assured.¡±

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t following celebrities, then who are you trailing?¡± I asked, while eating peanuts.

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s expression morphed into one that was crafty and sly at the same time as he purposefully gave us a vague response, ¡°This I can¡¯t reveal, if I do then it won¡¯t be as shocking. Anyways, it¡¯s big news that will definitely cause a stir in society. This year I have just been following this one case, I¡¯ve done all my homework and preparation so that at the end of the year I can guarantee I¡¯ll deliver something big.¡±

    If he didn¡¯t want to say it, then he didn¡¯t have to. I didn¡¯t have any particular interest towards this type of breaking news anyways.

    After eating our fill, I took care of the bill as we all got ready to leave. Shen Xiao Shi had just been drinking alcohol, and had gotten heavily inebriated as a result. Even when he walked, it seemed like his footsteps were floating. Wei Shi originally planned to give him a hand and support him, but it resulted in the two of them being stuck at the door frame.

    I was slightly worried about them, and since Yi Da Zhuang lived the same way as Shen Xiao Shi, I wanted him to give Shen Xiao Shi a ride, while I took Wei Shi home.

    However, Wei Shi was adamantly against it, as he waved his large hand and told me that I could leave by myself first. He wanted to speak with Shen Xiao Shi and have a heart to heart, so he could properly guide him and be there for him.

    ¡°He¡¯s already drunk to this degree and you still want to have a deep conversation with him?¡± I took a look at Shen Xiao Shi who was being propped up by Yi Da Zhuang, his cheeks flushed red as it looked like he had fallen asleep. ¡°It¡¯s probably better to not have that conversation today, go home and get some rest instead.¡±

    Wei Shi slapped away my hand, ¡°If we can¡¯t have that conversation today, I can talk to him tomorrow morning.¡±

    He was a man with a tall and sturdy build, if he really was stubborn about something then I wouldn¡¯t be a match for him. Knowing this, I could only acquiesce, and inconvenience Yi Da Zhuang some more as I asked him to send the two drunks home.

    I had no way of guessing that this ride would actually end up causing a problem, not counting the fact that it almost resulted in us the Qing Wan F4 collapsing and falling apart, but it also put Yi Da Zhuang in a very awkward position.

 CH 43

    The next day, an entire afternoon had passed and I saw no trace of Shen Xiao Shi at work. I considered that he probably had drank too much with Wei Shi last night, so was most likely still hung over. I dialled their numbers amidst these thoughts, once each, however neither of them picked up.

    ¡°Welcome~.¡±

    I looked up, and a young lady had walked in, fitted in a polka dot dress. She wasn¡¯t someone I recognised and looked to only be in her early twenties. As soon as she stepped in the shop, her gaze darted back and forth, as if she was insatiably curious.

    ¡°Hello, was there anything I could help you with?¡±

    She placed her luxury designer bag on the counter and rummaged through it, before fishing out a black VIP card as she passed it to me.

    ¡°Could you take a look at this and see if I can pawn it off? When I purchased it, it cost me pretty much thirty thousand a year for this membership. I went once but couldn¡¯t deal with it anymore.¡± She tightened her hand into a fist as she proceeded to massage and beat her shoulders in a delicate fashion, ¡°I only wanted to go there to check out the hot guys, as well as conveniently work out. However, the intensity of the training routines were admittedly beyond what I imagined, so I¡¯m going to grit my teeth and let go of this card for a fraction of the price.¡±

    I took the card from her hand and examined it. It was an exclusive membership card for the Hong Fei Muay Thai Fight Club.

    No wonder there was a phrase going around saying that people nowadays were truly talented, as they could find ways to reinvent the definition of the industry. There were only things that you couldn¡¯t imagine being brought in, but nothing that was out of bounds to them as items they couldn¡¯t pawn off.

    ¡°Hong Fei Thai Boxing¡­¡± I smiled at the other party, ¡°Please wait a second, this is the first time for us to have received such a product, so we will require some time to verify it.¡±

    ¡°You can call them to check. This is the best fight club in Qing Wan. The annual membership fee is more than twenty thousand renminbi, yet I¡¯m here willing to sell it for ten thousand renminbi.¡± The lady picked up her dainty handbag and then proceeded to sit down on the sofa, elegantly crossing her legs.

    In the meantime, Liu Yue called the phone number that had appeared after she searched up the fight club on the internet to enquire about the authenticity of the card and the rules regarding membership transfers. After learning that the card was genuine and could be transferred, she directed a light nod at me.

    I held the black card up between two fingers as I raised my hand and waved to the lady wearing her polka dot dress outside the iron fence as I exclaimed, ¡°Hey lovely, It¡¯s done.¡±

    The other party walked towards the counter again and reiterated: ¡°Ten thousand renminbi, I won¡¯t accept even one cent less.¡±

    ¡°Eight thousand renminbi for a pawn off with no returns, we¡¯ll pay you the full amount in cash.¡±

    ¡°Woah, you really have no mercy.¡± The polka dot lady replied, shocked. ¡°In one move, you¡¯re proposing a counter-offer of twenty percent less than what I asked.¡±

    ¡°Nowadays it¡¯s difficult for fitness cards to be sold, not to mention it¡¯s this kind of fight club membership card too.¡± I explained patiently, ¡°The rich wouldn¡¯t care about this discount being offered, and those who don¡¯t have money wouldn¡¯t consider this kind of club with exorbitant membership rates at all. Therefore, it¡¯s also inconvenient for us. I offered the price of eight thousand renminbi seeing that you were a new client, for everyone else I would¡¯ve offered five thousand or so. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go visit other shops and enquire with them.¡±

    Generally, whenever this classic last sentence was used, it was enough to seal the deal.

    Sure enough, the other party hesitated for a while hearing my words before finally nodding, as she signed the papers, took the money and then left.

    I folded the invoice and passed it to Liu Yue as I told her, ¡°I¡¯m taking this card, just deduct the money from my salary.¡±

    As soon as I saw this card, the image of Sheng Min Ou flashed in my mind. From now on, I¡¯d have a lot of time to myself anyways, so I might as well find something to do, like exercising and throwing a few punches here and there.

    The goal for me was to not be KO¡¯d by Sheng Min Ou next time we came into physical conflict.

    Qtfc la kjr olnf b¡¯mibmx lc atf joafgcbbc, P revvfcis gfmflnfv j mjii ogbw Qfl Vtl. Cr rbbc jr P qlmxfv eq, P tfjgv tlr ogjcalm nblmf mbwlcu atgbeut ogbw atf batfg rlvf bo atf qtbcf jr tf jrxfv ktfatfg bg cba P tjv rffc Vtfc Wljb Vtl, tlr yjggjuf bo defralbcr jvvlcu ab ws ugbklcu mbcoerlbc.

    ¡°Xiao Shi? Weren¡¯t you two together?¡±

    Wei Shi fumbled with his words as he replied, ¡°Uh¡­we were together at first, but then he ran outside and left. He isn¡¯t answering his cell phone and he¡¯s not responding to any messages. I¡¯m scared that he¡¯ll get himself into an accident.¡±

    ¡°Where are you right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at his house.¡±

    I frowned as I asked, ¡°You¡¯re at his house and he ran out?¡±

    The other side was quiet for a while, before Wei Shi exhaled irritably, and confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you reprimand him again?¡± Without waiting for him to answer, I continued, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try to give him another call and see if it goes through. We can talk about this later.¡±

    After I hung up the phone, I tried to dial Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mobile number, and he picked up after the third ring.

    It appeared that he simply wanted to avoid Wei Shi. I didn¡¯t know what sort of argument had occurred between the two, to the extent where it would warrant Shen Xiao Shi running away from home in anger.

    ¡°Xiao Shi, where are you right now?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi sniffed, responding with a strong nasal tone, ¡°Outside my house right now, I¡¯m downstairs.¡±

    Wei Shi this idiotic bastard, what did he do to make the kid cry?

    ¡°Did you have an argument with San Ge?¡± I held a conversation with him whilst switching apps as I sent a text message to Wei Shi, letting him know that Shen Xiao Shi was just downstairs as I told Wei Shi to go retrieve him.

    Shen Xiao Shi didn¡¯t reply for a long time, as the only sound coming through the phone was his audible breathing.

    ¡°Xiao Shi?¡±

    ¡°Feng Ge, do you remember what I told you that time, when you saved me in the bathhouse before?¡±

    He brought this instance up so abruptly that I didn¡¯t quite understand what he was quite getting at at first, as I quizzically replied, ¡°What?¡±

    I had rescued him once prior in the bathhouse and it had been five years since. Even if I could recall memories better than average, it was still a little fuzzy to me. Given what he had said, I honestly had no idea what he was referring to at all.

    ¡°Inside the cells, it¡¯s common to see things happening between one man and another. Some of them were willing, others were forced to do things against their will. When you rescued me, I actually said these words to you verbatim, ¡®I¡¯m grateful towards you saving me, however if you interfered and did this because you wanted to bed me, then I would hit you along with these other men.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Fuck, I remember that.¡± Given his prompt, I succinctly recalled the incident. At the time I considered it to be both humorous and awkward, as I clarified that I had no interest in men, and even less interest in him. Ever since I was young, I had only been interested in Sheng Min Ou alone.

    ¡°Why are you suddenly bringing this up?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to reiterate to you my stance towards people who are gay. It¡¯s fine for them to go for other people, but if they want to screw me, then I will without hesitation beat the bastard up.¡± His tone gradually became increasingly fierce and vengeful, however given that he had a slight nasal tone to his voice, it sounded more unfairly cute than menacing. ¡°If something really went down, I hope you don¡¯t blame me for it.¡±

    I was confused by his words but began to feel uneasy nonetheless, ¡°Xiao Shi, what really happened?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t Wei Shi going to have a heart to heart conversation with him yesterday? What the hell did they talk about to end up like this?

    Wait a minute, Wei Shi and Shen Xiao Shi had some sort of deep conversation last night. Then today, Wei Shi stumbled over his words when he had called me and now Shen Xiao Shi threatened that he would kill anyone who wanted to fuck him, and hoped that I wouldn¡¯t blame him for it¡­

    My head suddenly exploded as I connected the dots, the information I had pieced together making me feel at a loss.

    Could it be? I had just developed an inkling for the situation before I silenced my thoughts as I hastily denied it. No, it couldn¡¯t be, it was impossible.

    I was just contemplating on how I should address this situation, when Wei Shi¡¯s voice suddenly sounded on the other end. He had found Shen Xiao Shi downstairs.

    ¡°Xiao Shi, hear me out, I really¡­¡±

    There was a sound of the phone being dropped from the other side, and then the scene delved into chaos. There were sounds of a fistfight, of fury directed through curses, and Wei Shi¡¯s explanation, weak as it was covered by the other surrounding noises.

    I could only hurriedly call out Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s name as I anxiously gripped onto my phone, asking him what had happened and what was going on.

    ¡°Xiao Shi, listen to me, I really didn¡¯t mean it, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Fuck you, I treated you as if you were a brother to me, but what did you see me as?¡±

    I had never heard Shen Xiao Shi speak like this to Wei Shi. Out of the four of us, Wei Shi was the oldest, and Shen Xiao Shi the youngest. When we were in the cells, he had listened to Wei Shi¡¯s words the most. Wei Shi was someone who handled things in a mature and calm manner, and he was also someone who had also experienced a vast amount of lessons that life had to offer. Since he was a child, Shen Xiao Shi had lacked this type of male guidance, so he particularly admired Wei Shi, having the type of affection that existed between father and son.

    For him to flip out and be this livid towards Wei Shi, whatever occurred had to be something that shattered his views.

    I let the call continue as I rushed out and called for a taxi. Fifteen minutes later I was downstairs and outside Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s place.

    The sounds from the phone had long since gone silent by the time I arrived. I didn¡¯t know whether the phone was broken or whether it had run out of power.

    Wei Shi was sitting on the steps downstairs, a pale teal-aubergine bruise forming on the corner of his lips, and Shen Xiao Shi was nowhere to be seen.

    I put away my phone and called out to him: ¡°San Ge.¡±

    Wei Shi propped his elbows on his knees, a cigarette up held between his fingers as he raised his eyelids to look at me tiredly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived.¡± He said, as he shuffled over slightly and made space for me to sit down.

    Wei Shi¡¯s looks were already manly, however with his buzzcut, it made him look even more menacing, like he was some sort of evil spirit come to life. Coupled with the fact that his height was almost at a towering 1.9m, when he revealed both arms with full tattoo sleeves and sat downstairs outside someone¡¯s place, people who didn¡¯t know him would probably think that he was from a debt collection company and he was here to collect debts.

    ¡°You¡­¡­¡±

    I had only just spoken one word, when Wei Shi handed me a pack of cigarettes. I took a look, and drew out a cigarette from the pack as I lit it up, accompanying him on the steps as we sat together and breathed out puffs of mountain fog.

    I didn¡¯t dare to ask what occurred yesterday, so we continued smoking in silence until the cigarette was out when Wei Shi finally broke the silence.

    ¡°I mentioned to you before that I opened a store for foot spas, and I founded it with a good friend of mine. However, he showed his true colours when he was there for all the profits we gained but refused to pay off any debts we incurred together. I was enraged by this so I tied him up and gave him a beating, I even sold his car. Then, because of all of this, I was sentenced to five years.¡±

    ¡°I remember you saying that. You also said that you had shit luck, for not being able to see through people for what they were.¡±

    ¡°I lied to you,¡± Wei Shi bit his cigarette, flashing me a pained smile, ¡°he wasn¡¯t a close friend of mine, but someone who I was amorously involved with.¡±

    I was stunned, turning my head abruptly as I stared at him, my eyes almost bulging out.

    Wei Shi didn¡¯t look at me, rather he kept his gaze pointed at the ground: ¡°If you feel disgusted and want to cut ties with me, I have nothing to say to that. I¡¯m tired of keeping up this facade, pretending to be like a normal person, I don¡¯t want to do it anymore.¡±

    A long moment passed before I could squeeze out any sound from my throat: ¡°Then you and Xiao Shi¡­¡±

    Wei Shi drew a sharp intake of breath at this and traced the wound on the corner of his mouth: ¡°I was drunk and messed up. It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve done it, all of a sudden things just got out of control, I wasn¡¯t able to hold myself back and I kissed him. I also¡­ made him give me a handjob.¡±

    I shut my eyes, feeling a strange sense of disorientation. All of a sudden my thoughts became flooded with questions like ¡®where is this¡¯, ¡®who am I¡¯, and ¡®what¡¯s the date today?¡¯. I shouldn¡¯t have answered Wei Shi¡¯s call. If I didn¡¯t answer his call, then I wouldn¡¯t have to be sitting here now, listening to this crap.

    ¡°I swear, I was drunk, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± His voice trailed off as he ran a hand through his buzz cut in frustration, ¡°Now he believes that I treated him well just because I wanted to sleep with him. This little bastard, how could he be so unfair? Who would spend five years treating him well just for the sake of being able to bed him? What, does he think that his ass is made out of gold or something?¡±

    I coughed slightly as I responded, ¡°You have to give him some time to think over it though. Is he upstairs?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he went up and told me to never appear in front of him again in the future.¡±

    It¡¯s good enough that he didn¡¯t straight up beat you to death, I thought as I sighed inwardly.

    ¡°He¡¯s been in a bad mood recently, I¡¯ll talk to him in a few days when his feelings calm down a bit more.¡± I stood up and patted the grey streaks on my pants, dusting it off as I spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s go, otherwise when other people get off work and they see us two here, they¡¯ll think something is up with the way we¡¯re blocking the entrance.¡±

    Wei Shi got up in an enervated manner and walked with me towards the neighbourhood exit.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I also had something that I hid from you. Since you opened up and admitted to a lot of things today, I¡¯ll return the favour and be upfront about this too.¡± I stopped in my tracks and rubbed the back of my neck, not knowing how to begin. After so many years, this would be the first time I had ever admitted this to anyone else.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in men, I¡¯m not interested in women, I only like my brother.¡±

    Wei Shi¡¯s expression perfectly mimicked the one I had just moments before, his eyes wide open, looking as if the back of his head had just been struck by a meteor, as he was shocked beyond comprehension.

 CH 44

    After the period of initial shock had subsided for Wei Shi, he didn¡¯t follow up with any other questions afterwards. Perhaps he felt like none of the questions which came to mind were appropriate to ask.

    After that incident, Shen Xiao Shi didn¡¯t turn up to work for several days. When I called him, he would reply saying that he was busy with the lawsuit, so he had requested a whole month¡¯s leave to deal with it. His tone this time however was much more harmonious than the other day, when his words dripped venom like a declaration of war. He didn¡¯t mention Wei Shi, nor did he reveal any intention to leave.

    I asked him when the hearing would commence, and he replied that it was in two weeks. I calculated the date and told him I would be there.

    He thanked me again as he said in a soft voice, ¡°Feng Ge, sorry to inconvenience you like this.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you speaking now, there¡¯s nothing to apologise for regarding this matter.¡± I knew it wasn¡¯t easy for him to be shouldering everything alone, and so I added, ¡°If you ever need help with anything, make sure to tell me. There is no such thing as making trouble or causing inconvenience between us two.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi said ¡®en¡¯ softly in response before proceeding to hang up the phone.

    With it being a slow day at work, Shen Xiao Shi absent and being forbidden from going to see Sheng Min Ou, I honestly felt like there was nothing to do. Therefore, I checked the free times being offered and decided to go tonight to the best fight club in Qing Wan to check it out.

    When I got there, I found the place to be truly remarkable, and it was both spacious and clean. There weren¡¯t many people, however the club was well equipped.

    After updating the membership profile information, the staff assigned me to a young coach with the surname Zhou, and also gave me equipment fit for a novice. In it were tops, pants, and two straps which were meant to be wrapped around the hands.

    Different from the vibrant red colour of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s straps, the ones handed out by the club to its members were very ordinary, a simple, plain white.

    Coach Zhou was in his early thirties. He wasn¡¯t tall, yet despite having more of a lean build he exuded power. He claimed to have practised boxing for ten years, and the dark complexion of his skin was from when he went to Southeast Asia to learn the martial art.

    After getting changed, he took me to greet another female student.

    ¡°She¡¯s called Zheng Mi Mi, and she¡¯s attended three classes more than you.¡± He said, as he introduced us two.

    Seeing her, I wasn¡¯t sure whether the girl named ¡®Zheng Mi Mi¡¯ was of legal adult age or not. She appeared especially small, and she kept her hair tied in a ponytail, with dimples appearing on the sides of her face whenever she laughed. Her youth radiated off her in waves as if she were the dazzling sun perched high up the sky at noon, at the time when it was the most bright and beautiful.

    ¡°Finally, there¡¯s a starter who commenced later than me.¡± Zheng Mi Mi shook my hand, her ponytail syncopating with the rhythm of her head as she spun around to glance at me.

    ¡°Lu Feng.¡± I said, introducing myself, ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Just refer to me as ¡®shi jie¡¯.¡±

    I was taken aback by her words for a second, ¡°Shi jie?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how we refer to each other here, it¡¯s based on the order of when you join.¡± She stood akimbo, her skin uncovered by her sports vest glistening in sweat.

    I glanced at Coach Zhou, however the other party merely just smiled at me, with an expression that translated to ¡®she¡¯s just a young girl, I can¡¯t do anything either.¡¯

    I had no choice but to give in as I responded, ¡°All right, little shi jie .¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Zheng Mi Mi exclaimed, jumping happily on the spot, her cheerful remarks like the twittering of a delighted little sparrow.

    Coach Zhou clapped his hands together, signalling for us to quieten down, then began to run us through the basic movements.

    ¡°Olxf atlr, gjlrf sbeg jgwr ab atf rlvfr bo sbeg tfjv ab qgbafma ogbw ifoa jcv gluta raglxfr, yfcv sbeg xcffr rilutais, gfwfwyfg ab gfwjlc oifzlyif¡­¡±

    Lf vfwbcragjafv atf wbnfwfcar bo raglxlcu klat atf olra olgra, atfc ifa Itfcu Zl Zl jcv P jaafwqa la ijafg. Coafgkjgvr, tf kbeiv mbwf ab mbggfma er ybat bc beg afmtcldef.

    We followed this routine for half an hour, and I found that my body actually started to sweat as well.

    Zheng Mi Mi practised her jab as she suddenly asked: ¡°Coach, when will our Shi Xiong arrive?¡±

    ¡°Shi Xiong?¡± Coach Zhou corrected my posture and furrowed his brows in response to Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s question, ¡°Oh, you meant Mr Sheng? He mentioned that he would be coming today. Don¡¯t call him Shi Xiong though, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing, he¡¯s already an expert at this, and he doesn¡¯t need me to teach him at all. Actually, I¡¯d rather him accept me as a pupil.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s finally going to turn up? Awesome!¡± Zheng Mi Mi was excited, her cheeks even slightly flushed, ¡°Due to our backgrounds earlier I wasn¡¯t able to like him, but now it¡¯s different. He¡¯s single and so am I, so now I can finally unabashedly declare my love to him!¡±

    She really had no reservation towards vehemently hating and loving someone, and she was at the age where she could valiantly charge ahead in pursuit of her love. Looking at her reminded me of seeing myself from years ago, as I inexplicably came to the conclusion that this girl was quite likeable afterall.

    I asked her, ¡°What was your background before?¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi did not shy away from my question in the slightest as she replied, ¡°He was my cousin¡¯s fianc¨¦. Although my cousin kept claiming that he was abnormal in some ways, I still think he¡¯s super cool. He¡¯s different from the boys my age who are currently chasing me, in comparison to them he¡¯s charismatic and mature.¡±

    Coach Zhou had his back turned towards her, and on his face was a subtle expression, like he was attempting with great restraint to withstand the urge to throw up.

    ¡°Oh, so he pretty much would have been your cousin¡¯s husband.¡±

    That was alright, it wasn¡¯t a particularly taboo relationship or anything.

    After directing a few more questions at her, I found out that Zheng Mi Mi was just 20 years old this year and had been studying abroad before. After she had heard that her cousin and her cousin-in-law had broken up, she specifically rushed back from thousands of miles away to swoop in for her chance. However, since then the two have only seen each other once, and the other party didn¡¯t seem to have recognized her at all.

    ¡°The path of chasing an unrequited love is not easy. It¡¯s an arduous task and the path is long. Little shi jie, take your time on your pursuit¡­¡±

    Coach Zhou took a phone call and left for a while, leaving me and Zheng Mi Mi to stretch as we helped each other with it. Zheng Mi Mi had practiced dancing before, so this was essentially childs play to her. When she sat with her legs extended straight out, her fingertips could easily touch the soles of her feet.

    When it was my turn though, I realised that this simple action was really going to be the end of me.

    ¡°Your tendons¡­ why are they so tight?¡± Zheng Mi Mi pressed down on my shoulder so I could reach further as she spoke through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯re so hard!¡±

    I was holding my breath in and almost let it all out, ¡°Little shi jie, please be more careful with your words¡­ oh shit, it¡¯s getting pretty intense¡­ wait, wait, hold up, I can¡¯t do this anymore¡­.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi leaned her whole body weight on me as she pressed on,¡±No, this won¡¯t do. We need to hold this for another ten seconds, your tendons need to be stretched out properly.¡±

    After that, she began the count down for me. It was probably the slowest ten seconds I had ever experienced in my life. When she had counted down to five, I felt as if one minute had already passed.

    When she finally reached ¡°One¡±, the weight crushing down upon me suddenly vanished, as I immediately straightened up and gasped for breath, before collapsing to one side as I laid on the ground.

    ¡°Ah! My cousin¡¯s ex-fiance is here!¡± Zheng Mi Mi exclaimed as her voice suddenly dropped to a hush, ¡°Quick, look at him, isn¡¯t he handsome, isn¡¯t he cool?¡±

    I propped my face up on my elbows, as I raised my head and followed the direction of her gaze. My eyes were drawn to the salient feature, the striking red straps tied on the other person¡¯s hands, followed by their face, features so viscerally handsome and appealing.

    Sheng Min Ou skillfully tied the straps to his palms, pulled up the ropes which boxed the ring and slid in through the gap he had created. Coach Zhou followed behind him, wearing targets to strike at on both his hands.

    Though all marriages came to be through a line of fate, to meet Sheng Min Ou like this was truly unexpected.

    Zheng Mi Mi said he had been her cousin¡¯s fianc¨¦, so then, wouldn¡¯t that make her Xiao Mo Yu¡¯s cousin?

    I knew Qing Wan wasn¡¯t big, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this small.

    I felt like laughing at this situation from the depths of my heart, as I sat up, directing a scorching glance at him, the smile on my lips remaining there for a long time.

    Sheng Min Ou felt my gaze, and when he looked at me, he paused, and his eyes narrowing slightly.

    I knew how he felt, I was also shocked by how things had turned out.

    This wasn¡¯t something that I had had forced to happen, it was honestly the heavens insisting on bringing us together this time.

    I smiled at him as I raised my brow slightly and directed an amorous gaze over.

    ¡°Ah, he¡¯s looking at me, he¡¯s looking at me!¡± Zheng Mi Mi was overcome with excitement as she waved to Sheng Min Ou. Her behaviour was like a fan who was clearly overjoyed from being able to see their idol, but pretended to appear calm on the outside so they wouldn¡¯t scare the other party away.

    Sheng Min Ou glanced at her without giving her any response, as he lifted his chin towards Coach Zhou and started his own training.

    This was the first time I had seen him boxing. Although in this regard I was only a beginner, however from the speed of his punches and the power of his kicks, I could see that Coach Zhou meant what he said when he said that Sheng Min Ou was a master of his own right.

    ¡°Wow, even his sweat shines like glistening beads, how beautiful.¡± Zheng Mi Mi pressed her hands on her chest and as she looked intoxicated from the scene in front of her, ¡°How can he be so perfect! I want to raise the target for him¡­¡±

    Sheng Min Ou landed a kick dead in the middle of the target, resulting in Coach Zhou shuffling backwards, attempting to displace the forceful blow landed on him. He crashed onto the floor, the fall eliciting a grimace from him as he reorientated himself.

    Zheng Mi Mi sucked in a breath as she quickly corrected herself, ¡°Nevermind, it must be painful to be beaten by him.¡±

    Indeed, it was extraordinarily painful.

    I stood up and declared, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep going.¡±

    After training had concluded, I was covered in sweat and probably stunk, so I intended to rush off to take a shower. However, Zheng Mi Mi held me back and demonstrated the proper method on how to tie the hand straps.

    Though this little shi jie could be categorised as my ¡®rival in love¡¯ in a certain sense, she really was someone with a great character.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, that¡¯s wrong.¡± She held my hand as she demonstrated, ¡°you want to twist it so that it wraps around like this. See, this is how you do it, now you give it a try.¡±

    I followed her instructions and attempted it myself, finding it pretty easy to do.

    ¡°Right, thanks little shi jie. I¡¯ll be heading now, catch you next time.¡± I waved my hand as I parted ways from her, and from my peripheral vision I caught a glimpse of Sheng Min Ou still remaining on the stage, as I had no idea when he was planning to leave.

    After taking my shower, my exhaustion was washed away by the hot water. I wrapped my lower body with a bath towel, as I wiped my hair and walked away from the showers.

    I moved to open the storage cabinet, and a sliver of a gap had just appeared when suddenly an arm brusquely brushed by me and slammed against the locker, as it was pushed shut again.

    I felt waves of an aura that was oppressing to be in proximity to, as the other person was almost pressed against me, their scorching body heat radiating off them. It seemed to be even higher than my body temperature even though I had just taken a shower.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been stalking me again.¡±

    The heavens and the earth could both bear witness to my innocence, whoever followed him would be a puppy.

    Actually, wait a minute, little shi jie probably did stalk him though, otherwise she couldn¡¯t have known that he was boxing here.

    Little shi jie, sorry it had to be this way.

    He and I still had our three agreements which I was obliged to follow. Given that I couldn¡¯t speak, I could only shake my head in response.

    ¡°We agreed that all terms were binding for a month, however you couldn¡¯t even follow it for a week.¡± He lowered his body, leaning down as his breath softly caressed my ear.

    I shivered uncontrollably, as I moved forward and purposefully hit my head against the metal cabinet door, attempting to regain my composure and calm in this way, as well as conveniently creating some more distance between myself and him.

    ¡°There exists men, and women, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only one for you. Why must you insist on unrelentingly associating yourself with me?¡± The hand which pressed against the locker drew back, as it brushed against the top of my head, frissons running all the way down my neck.

    It was strange. My body was so undeniably heated, however the temperature of his hand wasn¡¯t nearly as warm. When his fingers snaked around my neck, it felt even cold to the touch. It was to the extent that I was taken aback by the temperature difference, and couldn¡¯t help it as a vague moan which was stuck in my throat escaped me.

    He pressed his forehead against the locker, his piercing gaze directed downwards. When I found that my legs were trembling slightly, even I chastised and berated myself internally.

    Only this much had happened, and you¡¯re already weak? Lu Feng, you¡¯re really way too useless!

    ¡°It¡¯s like you said¡­ for me there¡¯s only you.¡± I gritted my teeth as I spoke my first words to him tonight.

    I didn¡¯t know how he surmised that I was okay with both men and women, but he really was mistaking me. I was honestly only interested in him.

    His grip on the back of my neck tightened, and I heard him let out a sound like a sneer, full of disbelief and mockery.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    His hand around my neck lifted, however as a consequence he pressed even closer towards me. His lips hovered right next to my ears, as if he was planning to say something. The scent of sweat mixed with the aroma of the shower gel I had used, as the combined scent stirred up fatal hormones, which tugged at my soul. However, it was precisely at this moment when sounds arose from outside the changerooms, signalling that people were about to come in.

    He could only move apart, without saying another word as he left.

    I maintained my position there for a long time, until the heat in my body subsided. It was then that I turned my head, and by then, naturally there was no one behind me.

    After I finished changing my clothes, I waited in place for a while again, but Sheng Min Ou never came back.

    With a sigh, I got up and carrying slight regret with me, I left the club.

 CH 45

    Summers in Qing Wan city were always hot and humid, with frequent downpours. I shook off the water droplets on my umbrella as I retracted it and put it away. Near the entrance of the courts, there was an allocated area for storing umbrellas, so that the marble flooring indoors would be kept pristine irrespective of the horrid weather outside.

    When I made my way to the trial, Shen Xiao Shi had already arrived, and on the other side sat members of the victims family. It was quite occupied, with relatives of various ages gathered, though all of them wore the same vexatious expressions.

    ¡°Lawyer Sheng informed me that my brother will appear in court as a witness for the prosecution.¡± Shen Xiao Shi said, as soon as I had taken a seat.

    I recalled that his younger brother was still underage and had been attending a boarding school. When the case had happened¡­ he hadn¡¯t been home.

    ¡°He probably also feels deeply saddened by what had happened.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi kept his gaze trained on the empty witness stand, as he pursed his lips, nodding in response.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even been able to meet up with him alone yet. Following the accident, his grandparents picked him up from the boarding school. I attempted to speak to him several times, but each time I was turned away by relatives from his dad¡¯s side.¡± Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s gaze shifted to the other side, sweeping over a few middle aged men who took it upon themselves to sit in the very first row. He continued, his voice ominous, ¡°They demanded one million renminbi in compensation for their loss, otherwise there will be no letter of understanding. Without the letter being written, they threatened that they¡¯d keep my mother locked in there until her death.¡± At this, his hands which lay rested on his kneecaps ball up tightly into fists.

    I could tell that he wasn¡¯t in his right mind at the moment, and became worried as a result.

    Receiving a letter of understanding was equivalent to coming to an agreement for compensation and settlements. With this, the judge would be more lenient in determining the sentence.

    Back then, I also had one of these letters. I didn¡¯t know how much my mother paid to obtain a letter of understanding from Qi Yang¡¯s parents, but it was only with this that I received ten years in jail, instead of getting a sentence for over ten years as it should have originally been.

    During the trial, the letter of understanding was not examined in detail, rather it was submitted to the judge for reference. After the trial had ended, I attempted several times to ask my mother how much she had paid the Qi family to obtain the letter. At first, she refused to reveal the amount, as she insisted for me to not worry about matters regarding monetary payouts. However, eventually after my incessant questioning, she admitted that she paid them five hundred thousand renminbi.

    Five hundred thousand renminbi, it would be difficult even for a middle class family to hand over this much money upon a moment¡¯s request, and therefore even more so for a family such as mine. When I asked her where the money came from, her words were vague, as she explained that she already had some savings, and after selling the house, she was able to finally make up the amount demanded.

    A wave of unpleasant, guilty emotions washed over me when I heard that she had sold the house to reach the given amount. Though our house was rather dilapidated, it nevertheless contained the memories of our family for so many years. Each corner and mottled mark were symbolic of our everyday life, the ups and the downs.

    No matter what happened to members of the family, as long as the house was still there, it was as if a ¡®home¡¯ still remained.

    But now that the house was gone, and the male owner who once lived in this house had passed away, with the eldest son having grown up and moved out, and now with the younger son being behind bars¡­ I suddenly felt as if the family and this home were really starting to fall apart.

    My mother could tell that I was upset, and attempted to comfort me by saying that our house was not well lit, and that it was too big a place for her to live alone. She had long wanted to change to a place that was smaller, and situated on a lower floor.

    In truth, I knew that this wasn¡¯t the whole story. After what happened to me, there must¡¯ve been a lot of gossip circulating in the neighborhood. She was the type of person who placed importance on how others perceived her, so how could she possibly endure the careless remarks tossed around in her proximity? I knew that the decision to move houses was also to run from the speculation and the pointed fingers.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about money.¡± She held the phone and pressed her palm against the transparent pane in front of her, her eyes tinted slightly red, ¡°It¡¯s a matter of¡­ since I owe you, no matter how I repay this debt it wouldn¡¯t be a burden.¡±

    The subject in this sentence was left blurred and ambiguous as she spoke these words. As the saying went, children are the debt incurred by their parents. I therefore subconsciously understood her words this way, and felt even more dismayed afterwards.

    ¡°No, none of you owe me, instead I owe all of you too much.¡± I gripped the microphone tightly, my words spilling out as frustration and dejection welled in my heart.

    Ever since I had been born, all I had done was to continuously take from then, never once fulfilling my filial piety. The truth was, I owed them too much, and everything was my fault.

    Not only did I fail to meet their expectations, but I also couldn¡¯t fulfil their wishes. I wasn¡¯t able to give up the one thing they wanted me to give up the most in this lifetime.

    In this life, the fate I shared with them was too little, and everything I owed them, all the grievances and grace that they have shown me, I would pay back in the next lifetime, no matter what.

    After a brief wait, the trial began. The prosecutor in charge of the case was a middle-aged man, and he made his opening statement in a textbook manner.

    ¡°The defendant in this case, Ms. Yao Jing, has brutally killed her husband, Tang Zhi Peng, of sixteen years, with an axe hidden in her home on the evening of June 17th. After the murder, she turned herself in and confessed to the crime and how it occurred. The defendant stated that the cause of the murder was sparked by various previous arguments at home, and, fuelled by emotions, as the murder was an act of impulse killing. The facts of this crime are clear and evident, and the testimony is complete. Ms. Yao Jing killed someone, and she should pay for her actions. As a prosecutor, I hope the jury can see that she is guilty, and convict her of first degree murder. She has committed a crime after all.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother was at the defendant¡¯s dock, wearing an orange vest that signalled she was presently detained, taken into the state of custody. Her hair was a mess, her expression wilted, and she seemed almost unresponsive and out of it, only reacting to the events occurring at a much later time.

    ¡°Ms. Yao Jing did not commit an act of premeditated murder, rather, it was a justified act of self-defense. What had occurred was a tragedy, an accident that no one wished for to happen, however the main responsibility does not lie with my client. Ms. Yao Jing has been abused and tormented by Tang Zhi Peng for a long time, with this history of domestic abuse lasting for sixteen years. There was no such thing as ¡®giving each other a helping hand¡¯ in this relationship, in fact, the only time hands were involved was when bloodshed was caused. This marriage and all aspects of it, are soaked in the blood of Ms. Yao Jing.¡± Sheng Min Ou stood up, the rhythm of his speech and the control over his words impeccable, as if he was in the middle of a speech that he had prepared for a long time. ¡°For sixteen years, she endured Tang Zhi Peng¡¯s brutal punches and kicks again and again, without once resisting until this time¡­¡±

    ¡°The scene of the incident is none other than her home. What is bizarre or wrong with keeping an axe at home? The prosecutor here may not have done much housework at home, which is why they¡¯re unaware of the fact that an axe is a necessary tool for preparing some ingredients. Ms. Yao Jing was responsible for cooking all three meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner in the family, so how can we regard an axe in the kitchen to be an item that was ¡®hidden¡¯?¡±

    The prosecutor¡¯s expression was sullen, as he readjusted his glasses, his complexion darkening.

    ¡°My client Ms. Yao Jing and I do not accept the accusation of this incident being premeditated murder. I hope that everyone on the jury will consider the history of Tang Zhi Peng¡¯s long-term domestic abuse and the condition of him being intoxicated at the time when coming to an agreement on the case. What had happened was an action carried out on the most instinctual basis, because of him, she suffered severe physical and mental trauma. If she hadn¡¯t retaliated, then she would¡¯ve lost her own life. Further, I believe that any normal person would prioritise their own survival over others, and do whatever they can to ensure it.¡±

    ¡°Deiirtla!¡±

    Dfobgf Vtfcu Zlc Ye tjv olclrtfv rqfjxlcu, j ibev megrf revvfcis fgeqafv ogbw atf qeyilm ujiifgs.

    ¡°Pa¡¯r Kjcu Itl Ufcu¡¯r sbecufg ygbatfg.¡± Vtfc Wljb Vtl fzqijlcfv, ktlrqfglcu lc ws fjg.

    Vtfcu Zlc Ye¡¯r kbgvr lcmlafv jc beayegra ogbw Kjcu Itl Ufcu¡¯r ojwlis wfwyfgr, jr atfs yfujc ab mjerf j mbwwbalbc ogbw atf qeyilm ujiifgs, mbwqifafis vlrgfujgvlcu atf obgwjilalfr ab yf eqtfiv lc mbega. Vbwf lcvlnlvejir fnfc uba eq jcv rajgafv atgbklcu bypfmar lcab atf mbega.

    Sheng Min Ou was hit by a ball of paper square in the chest, as his eyes lowered in response, before he flicked the collar of his suit, which was speckless already, as if he was removing the presence of something that had dirtied him.

    The judge knocked the gavel several times, all of which ineffective in calming the Tang family. Given their insubordinate behaviour, he could only dispatch the bailiffs to forcibly remove the individuals that were most obstructive towards court proceedings.

    The remaining people saw how the situation panned out and were successfully deterred from causing trouble again, as they sat down obediently and begged for the judge to not eject them from court.

    The jury panel frowned as they observed the farce unfold, their perception of the Tang family falling to rock bottom.

    With a grim expression, the judge refrained from ordering the bailiff to escort more people out, as he addressed the court to continue.

    In the following moments of the trial, the prosecutor showed the jury several pictures and exhibits of the crime scene, including the murder weapon and the forensic autopsy report.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to see that he hoped to paint a picture for the jury of a wife who had deliberately planted a murder weapon, got her husband drunk, and then took advantage of his inebriated state to finally commit murder.

    The atmosphere in court became more and more tense as Sheng Min Ou and the prosecutor fired back and forth, their words becoming razor-sharp blades, clashing into each other fiercely in front of the jury and the judge.

    When Yao Jing and Tang Zhi Peng¡¯s son, Tang Zhuo was summoned to testify, Shen Xiao Shi instantly stiffened, his gaze fixed on the young albeit chubby boy who made his way to the witness stand.

    Yao Jing, who had appeared numb to all the occurrences surrounding her, raised her head for the first time.

    The prosecutor began his questioning, ¡°Can you tell everyone how your parents¡¯ relationship have been in the past two years?¡±

    The young, cherubic boy glanced at his mother and then at the Tang family seated in the public gallery.

    ¡°I went to a boarding school. I¡¯m not sure what happens usually, but everything was fine when I was at home.¡±

    ¡°Have you witnessed your Dad beat your mum?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Has your mum ever confided to you anything related to this matter?¡±

    The young boy paused, before committing to shaking his head.

    Yao Jing closed her eyes, two lines of tears trailing down her face. She proceeded to bury her face in her palms, her thin frame trembling as her shoulders shook, her attenuated fingers were as thin as firewood, to the point where they looked like they could easily be snapped.

    The prosecutor concluded his questioning, ¡°Your Honour, I have nothing more to ask.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou then got up and I was slightly nervous at first, as his method of questioning was usually excessively callous, and I don¡¯t know what sort of backlash he would receive from the Tang family.

    ¡°Last year, your birthday happened to be on a Saturday. I looked through your WeChat feed and you were home that day.¡±

    The young boy¡¯s gaze started to wander nervously in response.

    ¡°Did something happen that day?¡±

    The young boy furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t remember what happened last year.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou sneered as he pressed on, ¡°Your mother was sent to the emergency room at ten o¡¯clock in the evening and received five stitches on her head. You were at home that day, but you have no idea what happened?¡±

    The young boy bit his lip as he shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°You even took a family photo for your sixteenth birthday when everyone was eating. Do you really not remember such a monumental day?¡±

    ¡°I said I don¡¯t remember!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou remained quiet for a few seconds, letting silence fill the room, then signaled to the judge that he had finished conducting his cross-examination.

    After the trial, Wu Yi came over to speak to Shen Xiao Shi, letting him know that the prosecutor wanted to speak face to face with the defendant¡¯s lawyer and family members.

    ¡°It may be to negotiate a plea bargain.¡± Seeing traces of hesitancy on Shen Xiao Shi features, he added, ¡°Of course, this isn¡¯t something we are obliged to accept.¡±

    The Tang family also left the courtroom at this time, and when they passed by us, each of them stared at Shen Xiao Shi with a malicious glint in their eyes..

    ¡°Tang Zhuo¡­¡± Seeing the rotund boy being surrounded by the Tang family, Shen Xiao Shi rushed forward, and was immediately stopped by Tang Zhi Peng¡¯s younger brother.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The other party questioned, pointing at Shen Xiao Shi, ¡°Your son of a murderer, you better stay away from my nephew! Our Tang family has nothing to do with you.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s gaze suddenly morphed into one of animosity: ¡°Point at me one more time, try me.¡±

    The other party was startled, seemingly shocked by his aura for an instant.

    I quickly inserted myself between the two of them, and pressed down the finger that was pointed right at me as I remarked coldly, ¡°We¡¯re in a courthouse right now, you guys should lower your voices.¡± I tilted my head towards Shen Xiao Shi as I directed my next words at him, ¡°You too.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi turned his face the other way, his expression difficult to understand.

    ¡°A crooked stick will have a crooked shadow, and today we got to see that saying come true, truly whatever kind of person the mother is, the son will be too.¡± The other party snorted coldly, as the whole family left in a formidable manner.

    The young boy looked back at Shen Xiao Shi through the crowd, his eyes were rather nostalgic, before ultimately following his grandparents away.

    Wu Yi was a little surprised witnessing the commotion unfold as he exclaimed, ¡°This family is really¡­¡±

    Their law firm exclusively dealt with big cases, and thus their clients had all been well-presented and cordial. It was therefore to be expected that he hadn¡¯t witnessed people who acted in this manner.

    ¡°Feng Ge, go ahead, you don¡¯t need to wait for me.¡± The hostility had faded from his expression, leaving Shen Xiao Shi looking forlorn instead.

    I patted his arm in response, not knowing what to say.

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±

    After Shen Xiao Shi left with Wu Yi, I went to retrieve my umbrella from where I left it and prepared to head home. Coincidentally, just when I had gotten my umbrella and turned around, I bumped into Meng Xuan Jun.

    It was the first time I had seen her again since the Luo Zheng Yun case was terminated.

    She also appeared to be slightly surprised: ¡°Lu Feng? Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°My friend has a case, I¡¯m accompanying him and sitting in the public gallery to see how it¡¯s progressing.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say much, and she didn¡¯t follow up with more questions. After some more small talk and a few words of greeting here and there, all the steps necessary for a proper adult interaction had been completed.

    ¡°By the way, do you have Old Huang¡¯s contact information? Last time it was all because he was willing to testify for me in court. I¡¯ve always been meaning to thank him in person.¡±

    Meng Xuan Jun quickly understood who I was referring to by ¡°Old Huang¡±, and hurriedly took out her mobile phone as she flipped through her contacts.

    ¡°Here, I still have his phone number.¡±

    She sent me his contact details, then waved goodbye to me as she left.

    I held the umbrella in one hand as I leisurely made my way out. I decided to give Old Huang a heads up by sending him a text message first indicating who I was and saying that this number was mine.

    As a result, I received a call back in less than a minute.

    ¡°I was wondering when you would reach out and call me.¡± A voice chastising me came from the other end of the phone.

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh hearing that familiar voice and tone.

    ¡°More like you¡¯ve been waiting for me to shout you dinner, right?¡±

    Old Huang laughed loudly when he heard the words.

    Old Huang turned out to be off shift today and didn¡¯t live far from the courthouse I was presently at. There¡¯s no better day than today, so I invited him to come out tonight for some drinks.

    We agreed on eating at a rotisserie, and when I arrived Old Huang was already there. As soon as he saw me, he asked me when I had learned to drink.

    I touched my nose, stifling an urge to get up and greet him as ¡®sir¡¯ as soon as I saw him.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I know how to drink, at most I can only take two sips.¡±

    Old Huang poured tea for me, grinning, though his words were stern, ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t know how to drink, drinking harms your body.¡±

    We talked about what had been going on within the walls, and then caught up on what was happening outside.

    After he heard that I was working under Wei Shi, Old Huang slapped his thigh and remarked that he had always known that Wei Shi was a capable man, and one who was also loyal. He told me to continue following him and working by his side.

    ¡°If you have skills of your own, then you won¡¯t have to worry about not being able to get food on the table.¡± Old Huang exclaimed, taking a sip of his tea.

    As we talked, the conversation eventually drifted to the Luo Zheng Yun case from last time. Old Huang shook his head throughout, remarking that a horrible person had received the punishment he deserved, though the ending was a bit too tragic, being one that elicited many sighs from others.

    ¡°Funny that we¡¯re bringing this up, because I saw someone in the public gallery¡­¡±

    I laughed in response, ¡°What¡¯s strange about that, the gallery is usually filled with people.¡±

    Old Huang rolled his eyes at me, giving me a glance before he continued, ¡°I used to see this particular person outside the gate of our Qing Wan First prison. Year after year, he would turn up, but every year just like the last he wouldn¡¯t go in. He remained outside, smoking as he stood, and sometimes he would stay there standing for a whole day.¡±

    ¡°That is kind of strange.¡± I frowned, unable to figure out. ¡°Was it a man or a woman?¡±

    ¡°It was a man, he looked like a celebrity, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to remember him for so many years. Anyways, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen him this year.¡±

    I brought the teacup to my mouth and stilled. The person was a man, someone who looked like a celebrity, he appeared in the public gallery, and had a habit of coming to the First prison year after year but never went in¡­.

    Could it be?

    I balled my fists together. A vague possibility arose in my mind, as I became inexplicably nervous thinking about it, my heartrate accelerating in tandem.

    I almost spilled some of the tea when I put down my teacup. I flicked my hand hurriedly, trying to rid the droplets of tea on myself that I had spilt, as I took out my phone and showed Old Huang a picture of Sheng Min Ou that I secretly took of him.

    ¡°Is it¡­ him?¡± I asked gingerly, my tone cautious to the extreme.

    Old Huang took the phone and squinted his eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah ¨C it¡¯s him.¡± He raised his head in confusion as he asked, ¡°Why do you have a picture of him?¡±

    It was him after all.

    For an instant, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. It was a feeling that could not be captured by merely using words such as ¡®unexpected¡¯ and ¡®shocked¡¯.

    I felt goosebumps on the back of my neck, and I even began to suspect the world as I knew it.

    Was I dreaming?

    Then this dream was too real, way too real.

    ¡°He¡¯s my brother.¡± My voice came out a bare whisper, featherlight, because my soul had long since left my body.

    Jiraiya (Translator¡¯s note): OH MY GOD IS THIS REAL LIFE ARE WE FINALLY GETTING FED MY HEARTTTTT

 CH 46

    For the past ten years, I had always believed that Sheng Min Ou couldn¡¯t care less about what happened to me and whether I was still dead or alive. After all, his attitude towards me had always been apathetic, and frosty enough that my heart trembled.

    But what if, reality wasn¡¯t what it appeared to be on the surface?

    After shaking hands and exchanging farewells with Old Huang, I headed home and passed by a supermarket to buy a pack of cigarettes and a few cans of beer.

    Although drinking is said to harm the body, with the way I was feeling tonight, there was no better occasion for getting completely blackout drunk.

    I lit my cigarette and exhaled out the pungent smoke, my memories resurfacing from ten years ago.

    I rarely reminisced upon what happened that day, but I can¡¯t help but revisit the details today.

    After two months of no contact, Sheng Min Ou finally picked up my call.

    I didn¡¯t know whether this counted as a sign of peace between the two of us, but I was so happy, so excited, I even resorted to pinching myself to ascertain whether I was dreaming or not.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡±

    He answered my phone and I was ecstatic, but soon the dissatisfaction started to creep in. If only it wasn¡¯t a phone call, then everything would be great. If only he was standing right in front of me right now, then I would be able to embrace him and whine at him, as I told him what was upsetting me, holding him in my hands so that he couldn¡¯t push me away.

    ¡°Lu Feng, stop sending me those things.¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s familiar and indifferent voice came over the phone.

    I squeezed the phone tight in my hand as I replied hoarsely, ¡°Did you see everything I sent you?¡±

    Did he read all the text messages I sent when I was worried about him, ones in which I apologised to him, ones that contained sporadic, nonsensical mumblings of my day to day, ramblings that even I found slightly foolish. Did he look at all those things?

    Sheng Min Ou replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have time to read it, and I also have no need for those things, so don¡¯t send it to me anymore.¡±

    He had no need for me to worry over him, nor did he need me stupidly attempting to vie for his affection, he didn¡¯t even¡­ need me.

    Upon coming across this realisation, I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly dejected.

    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t send anything to you anymore.¡±

    I bent over, my eyes casted downwards as I now felt dispirited. The elation I felt over being able to talk with Sheng Min Ou on the phone was but an ephemeral feeling, as it faded into bitterness.

    There was a moment of silence on the other side, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡±

    I was startled at this, my back straightening abruptly as I hurriedly replied, ¡°Ge, I¡­I want to see you. Please, let me meet you! I won¡¯t do anything, I just want to see you and check in on how you are doing¡­¡±

    Ever since I was born, I hadn¡¯t experienced such a long separation from him. I simply missed him too much.

    The line didn¡¯t hang up, but Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t say anything again.

    ¡°See how I¡¯m doing?¡± Sheng Min Ou suddenly muttered, seemingly laughing, ¡°This world doesn¡¯t mean anything to me, so there¡¯s no such thing as doing well or not doing well.¡±

    ¡°Ge¡­¡±

    This world may be meaningless to him, and he might also view the people in this world as dispensable existences, however he was someone important to me, someone very important.

    I wanted to convey my thoughts to him and express how much I valued him, however I knew that it wasn¡¯t something he would appreciate. He probably would even find it ridiculous.

    ¡°Fine. Once you have truly experienced fear, you won¡¯t want to get close to the abyss again.¡±

    I snapped out of my thoughts and caught him seemingly whispering to himself.

    Yet, the meaning behind his words were unclear. He mentioned fear and then some abyss, but I had no idea what he meant. Though I was puzzled, I hadn¡¯t even begun to follow up with questions when a blissful realisation hit me ¨C he had agreed to meet me.

    ¡°Tomorrow at five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, I¡¯ll see you in the ruins.¡± He said, ¡°Don¡¯t be late, but there¡¯s no need to get there too early either.¡±

    The ruins weren¡¯t far from my home. It was a place where I went to by default when I made mistakes as a child. Since I could remember, a towering, unfinished building had been erected there. It appeared to be a commercial building, but for some reason the construction process suddenly stopped, and this hiatus lasted for many years.

    Ktf olgra alwf P tlv atfgf, ws ktbif ojwlis gfjilrfv atja P kjr wlrrlcu jcv kfgf lc j ogfchs ibbxlcu obg wf. Ktfs fnfc mjiifv eq fjmt bo ws mijrrwjafr ab jrx lo atfs tjv rffc wf.

    Zs wbatfg kjr jczlber ab atf qblca atja rtf kjr mgslcu bnfg atf ktbif lcmlvfca, jr rtf atbeuta P wluta tjnf ojiifc nlmalw ab mtliv agjoolmxlcu, yea lc ojma P tjv ojiifc jriffq jmmlvfcajiis. Qtfc P kbxf eq jujlc, atf rxs tjv yffc qiecufv lcab vjgxcfrr, jcv j oijrtiluta yfjwfv vlgfmais lcab ws fsfr, rb ygluta atja P atbeuta P rjk rajgr.

    ¡°¡­Lu Feng?¡± I covered my eyes and heard Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice coming from behind the bright beam.

    With the night sky being pitch black and the roads around us inconvenient to navigate, I really had no idea how he managed to find me in that place.

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t ask me why I was hiding there, nor did he display any excitement or anger at finding me. He just led me by my hand as we left the ruins quietly, his lone flashlight lighting the way.

    When I got home, Sheng Min Ou called my parents who were still out looking for me, and it was then that I realized that this was a grave matter, as I began trembling with fear.

    My parents rushed back after hearing the news and I thought I was going to experience a beat down from the tag team, so I hid behind Sheng Min Ou¡¯s back and refused to come out. However, my mother dismissed the whole night, and my father only gave me a reminder to not go out haphazardly next time, with that being the end of it.

    Back then, I felt as if I had escaped some sort of apocalyptic aftermath, so I counted my blessings that none of the admonishment happened. When I grew up however, I understood that in the few short hours while I was missing, whilst they may have been nothing to me, each second for them were like years. Perhaps during that time they¡¯ve already conjured up thousands of bad possibilities in their minds. That¡¯s why when I appeared in front of them safe and in one piece, they didn¡¯t have the heart to scold me harshly anymore.

    Ai, even when I was like this they still didn¡¯t hit me, no wonder I grew up with a personality that was so unrelentlessly bold.

    I remembered that I had asked Sheng Min Ou before on how he knew I was hiding in the ruins.

    He thought about it, and replied that it was instinct.

    Though he thought of it as instinct, I regarded it as the synergy between brothers. Ever since then, whenever I felt frustrated or upset, I would always hide there, and he would always come find me over and over again.

    It was an apt description to say that that place was the secret base of Sheng Min Ou and I. It held a unique meaning and was a special existence.

    I was therefore naturally excited when Sheng Min Ou asked to meet me, but I was also slightly perplexed as to why he wanted to meet at that place.

    I tossed and turned all night, constantly thinking about Sheng Min Ou, as my body was wracked simultaneously with excitement and anxiety. The next morning I found that I couldn¡¯t remain in bed any longer, so I got up and decided to head towards the ruins.

    That¡¯s right, even though Sheng Min Ou asked me to meet him in the afternoon, I already couldn¡¯t wait to see him, so I planned to get there early and wait.

    I packed my bags, bringing bread and water with me, as I prepared to head out.

    It was precisely at this moment that I received a call from an unfamiliar number.

    I had never seen the string of numbers present on my screen. It came through as a local call, and my phone continued to ring as the caller waited for me to pick up.

    I accepted the call suspiciously, and it turned out to be Qi Yang on the other end.

    ¡°Why do you have my number?¡± I held my phone tightly, holding my backpack as I sat down on the sofa, my initial excitement now completely submerged by a dark fire.

    Qi Yang didn¡¯t answer my question, his tone was full of sympathy and pity, as if he instead was the older brother who cared affectionately about me and grew up with me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read all the text messages you sent to Sheng Min Ou. He didn¡¯t reply to any of them right, what a pitiful little thing you are.¡±

    He knew exactly what to say to hit my sore spots and to exacerbate things. He hit bullseye, and I had to admit that he really was a master of words, knowing precisely how to irritate others as he wanted.

    ¡°It has nothing to do with you. What goes on between Sheng Min Ou and myself is nothing you need to concern yourself with.¡± I gritted my teeth as I replied, despising him with every fibre of my being. If Qi Yang was in front of me right now, I could spit on his face.

    ¡°He asked you to come out and meet him today, right?¡±

    My eyes widened in surprise, ¡°How did you know about this?¡±

    In an instant, my mind was flooded with thoughts that all flashed by. Sheng Min Ou only asked me to meet him yesterday, so how could Qi Yang know? Could it be¡­ Sheng Min Ou had told him?

    But even if he did, why was Qi Yang calling me now? Was he trying to provoke me?

    ¡°You poor little thing, if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re confused about, you can come early, I¡¯ll answer it for you.¡±

    When I heard that he even knew of the meeting location, I panicked, ¡°Did Sheng Min Ou tell you this?¡±

    There seemed to be a voice screaming in his heart: ¡°He didn¡¯t only just tell him about our messages, he even revealed to Qi Yang the location of our secret base? How could he do this? How could he?¡±

    Qi Yang chuckled lightly, his voice slithering into my ears, creating a sinister discomfort, as if a poisonous snake was right by my side, hissing sibilant whispers.

    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± He said, hanging up the phone afterwards.

    I gripped my phone tightly, looking at the call log on the screen, revealing that we had talked for less than five minutes. I took a deep breath, and with my backpack in my hand, I moved to head out.

    When my gaze skipped over the switchblade on the coffee table, my body stilled, and after giving it some thought I decided to grab it as I stuffed it into my trouser pocket.

    ¡°Where are you going so early in the morning?¡± My mother heard the noise and emerged from the bedroom, remnants of sleep still evident on her features.

    I kept my head low as I walked out: ¡°I¡¯m just going somewhere for a bit, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    My mother stayed where she was, still for a long time, before tentatively asking, ¡°Are you going to find your brother?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I replied, putting on my shoes. I looked up at her and gave her a smile before leaving.

    When I got to the ruins of the unfinished building, I crawled through a gap in between the metal barrier obstructing entry, and heard Qi Yang¡¯s voice above my head.

    ¡°Over here!¡± He stood at the highest point and waved his arms at me.

    I pressed my lips together as I made my way upstairs.

    Only half of the unfinished building was built, the concrete mix had been poured and the foundations of the building were there, but the rest was left untouched. Remains of steel bars and traces of rubbish from everyday life could still be seen everywhere littered on the ground. As there were no walls, the place was brightly illuminated.

    Qi Yang was waiting for me at the top level.

    Unlike the previous few times from when I saw him, he wasn¡¯t wearing glasses that day, and his hair seemed to have been carefully styled. He looked more lively than usual, and at first glance, I almost didn¡¯t recognize him.

    ¡°You poor little thing, I¡¯m glad you still came.¡±

    But when he opened his mouth, I knew that he was still the same person, the psychopath.

    ¡°You might as well talk now, what do you want?¡± I put down my backpack, warily maintaining my distance with him.

    Qi Yang smiled as he walked towards me slowly: ¡°Sheng Min Ou also wanted to meet up with me today.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, and before I could figure out what he meant, he pressed on: ¡°He wants me to kill you.¡±

    In an instant, my blood ran cold. Though it was the peak of the scorching summer, and the noise from the cicadas was so oppressively loud it could drown out all sounds in a hundred kilometre radius, my hands and feet were still shaking uncontrollably from the chills.

    Qi Yang¡¯s words were ridiculous, and absurd, but it was undeniable that the impact it had on me was not a small one.

    After the panic subsided, fury consumed my senses.

    ¡°No way.¡± I moved towards him and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. ¡°Cut the bullshit!¡±

    Qi Yang was still laughing: ¡°Just think about it, what better way is there for him to kill two birds with one stone? If both of us lose here, resulting in both our deaths, that would actually be the best ending for him.¡±

    His words sowed a seed of doubt within me.

    ¡°Stop talking.¡±

    ¡°A monster has no heart. Do you really think you have a place in his heart, that you¡¯re on his mind?¡± Even when I grabbed him by the collar, his expression was completely devoid of fear as he continued, ¡°How could possibly he love you? He doesn¡¯t even know what love is.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    I slammed my fist into Qi Yang¡¯s face, as he staggered two steps before finding his balance again. He touched the corners of his mouth, an abrasion forming to his lips as his smile became even more twisted.

    ¡°Your expression is so interesting right now.¡± He slowly picked up a steel bar from the ground, ¡°The original plan I had was to hide here, kill you, and then bury you. However, I suddenly felt that it would be too boring if I did that. After all, what¡¯s the point of walking alone in the abyss? I have to pull Sheng Min Ou into the depths with me, of course.¡±

    Once you have truly experienced fear, you won¡¯t want to get close to the abyss.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s vague warning flashed through my mind, unless ¨C he really meant for Qi Yang to kill me?

    ¡°You can have me tie you up, otherwise you can hide here quietly and watch me kill him, or the other way around if he kills me.¡± He gripped the steel bar in his hand and began to laugh as if he had lost his mind, ¡°In any case, he will be brought in by me to hell.¡±

    He¡¯s lost his mind, he¡¯s actually lost it.

    With this thought in mind, I lunged towards him and reached for the steel bar in his hand. We rolled around on the ground, stirring up dust as we inhaled it and choked, the remaining dust falling into our eyes.

    I started finding it hard to open my eyes, and Qi Yang seized this opportunity to push the steel bar in his hand down upon my neck in a strangling hold, effectively caging my body underneath.

    A sharp, excruciating pain flared in my neck as I struggled and kicked with my feet. Just when I started seeing spots of black and was about to run out of breath, the force applied on my neck suddenly disappeared. Qi Yang seemingly inexplicably decided to release his grip on me.

    In the trouser pocket, the switchblade that I had carried with me as a precautionary measure fell out due to the violent commotion, and it happened to be within reaching distance as I grabbed it.

    My neck burned and ached as if it was on fire, and for the first time I realised how sweet and wonderful the air rushing down my lungs were.

    Amidst my panic, I pulled out the switchblade and plunged it into flesh. Instantly, it was as if time itself had stopped, Qi Yang lowered his head, looking down at the side of his abdomen, as fresh blood poured out from the wound and flowed along the knife¡¯s edge.

    He staggered as he stood up, and ignored the wound on his body as he lifted the steel bar high above his head. Seeing that he was about to swing it down, I rolled on the spot and narrowly dodged a blow.

    However he didn¡¯t give up after this unsuccessful attempt, as he threw himself at me again as we became a tangle of limbs.

    ¡°As long as I¡¯m not dead, I will continue to harrass Sheng Min Ou for the rest of my life.¡± Blood seeped through the cracks of his teeth, his grin looking uncannily savage. ¡°He¡¯ll never be able to be rid of me, never!¡±

    With just one look at his expression, I knew that he meant every single word he said.

    Qi Yang wouldn¡¯t never let Sheng Min Ou go. He would lure him into the abyss, where Sheng Min Ou would never be able to return to the sun again.

    ¡°You wish!¡± I yelled, suppressing my voice as I wrapped my fingers around the knife in his abdomen as I pulled it out forcefully. In that instant, warm blood splashed on my hand, coating it in a sticky mess.

    He let out a painful groan, clutching his wound as he attempted to put distance between the two of us. I chased his retreating figure and stabbed his lower back, the only thought consuming my mind was the one repeating that I couldn¡¯t let him get close to Sheng Min Ou again.

    Blood spurted on his face as Qi Yang let out a despairing scream, before he proceeded to laugh hysterically.

    ¡°You really are a poor little vermin¡­he, he will never love you, but you¡¯re willing to go this far for him?¡± He turned around and lashed out as he struck my arm with the steel bar.

    Excruciating pain flared in my wrist as I reflexively dropped the switchblade.

    Qi Yang lunged at me again, and I used my remaining hand to defend myself against the steel bar that he came at me with. The two of us were caught in a tangle of limbs, thrashing unknowingly towards the edge of the building which precariously was devoid of safety barricades.

    ¡°You can shield him now, but can you protect him for the rest of his life?¡± he asked.

    The sharp tip of the steel bar inched itself closer to my eyeball as I gritted my teeth and pushed back with all my strength, forcing out two words from my throat.

    ¡°I can.¡± With a hard push, I threw him off me.

    A second ago, his twisted smile was still visible in front of me, then in the next, everything occurred too fast. All I knew was that in the blink of an eye, Qi Yang¡¯s ankle twisted and his whole body vanished beyond the edge of the building.

    I subconsciously wanted to catch him, but it was too late.

    He disappeared from my eyes, the building at a solid height, being seven or eight stories tall, as he fell on cracked gravel, face up. I threw myself towards the edge as I peered downwards and saw blood trickling out of his nose and mouth. He didn¡¯t die instantaneously from the impact, his eyes still focused on me, as he held his gaze for a moment, before his lids slowly closed.

    My legs gave out as I sat limply on the ground, my mind drawing blanks as I wondered what I should do next. Suddenly, I heard the sound of my phone vibrating, as I scanned my surroundings for a long time before I determined that the sound originated from my backpack.

    Exhausted, I moved towards my backpack, opened the zipper, and found that Sheng Min Ou had sent me a text message.

    He said, remember to get there on time.

 CH 47

    Someone near the ruins had witnessed the fight between Qi Yang and I, and they had immediately called the police afterwards to report the incident. Later during the investigation, they had also provided an eyewitness testimony for indicting me as the person who had pushed Qi Yang. The switchblade was an item of my possession, and on it were my fingerprints and Qi Yang¡¯s blood. Everything pointed towards me, and the facts were indisputable.

    The prosecutor explained my motive for the murder, stating that after witnessing Qi Yang¡¯s incessant harassment towards my brother, I was left with no choice but to resolve the issue by luring him out and killing him.

    I was already sixteen years old at that time, and thus I had reached the age of criminal responsibility. Despite finally obtaining that letter of understanding, I was still sentenced to ten years in prison under first degree murder.

    In the ten years, Sheng Min Ou never came to see me. No matter how many letters I wrote to him, none of them ever received a reply.

    To be a pathetic poor thing, a clingy dog who was a continuous pest, a fool inundated by their wishful thinking. I had always accepted all of these remarks before today, because I thought that this was indeed me.

    On the day my mother died, I had an argument with Sheng Min Ou. I asked him if he deliberately led me to face Qi Yang, and he didn¡¯t deny it. I believed that the truth was exactly as Qi Yang said, where Sheng Min Ou just wanted to take advantage of this exceptional opportunity to get rid of two pests at once.

    But if we deduced the truth of it all from another perspective, assuming that Sheng Min Ou was not as unreservedly indifferent as he appeared, then out of the signals which were given to me, and the facts that I had confirmed, one of these must be false.

    There was no need for Sheng Min Ou to silently keep up a facade for ten years until I had discovered it myself. On the other hand, Qi Yang¡¯s skillful tongue, sick and twisted, might have spotted Sheng Min Ou¡¯s disdain in clearing up something with me and so deliberately accused him of doing things that he hadn¡¯t done.

    Nonetheless, in the end I only have one witness for all of this, being Old Huang. Ultimately, the proof I had of him lingering outside the gate for ten years without once entering was not concrete enough. With how resolute Sheng Min Ou could be in denying things, he would probably respond that he went because the air was fresher in the suburbs. Therefore he travelled for the sake of tourism and to also have a smoke there, all to cultivate his mind and character.

    I emptied the cans of alcohol as I downed what I had bought from the supermarket, drinking until my footsteps were shaky, derailing from my original route home. When I came to again, it was the middle of the night and I had somehow managed to bring myself to the gates of where Sheng Min Ou lived.

    The security guard saw my inebriated state and stopped me from entering, as he repeatedly asked for who I was looking for.

    I responded with Sheng Min Ou¡¯s room number, and after he rang for Sheng Min Ou, the words began spilling out of my mouth as I talked.

    ¡°Hey, I really came to see my brother. You can double check this, look, isn¡¯t there someone who lives in that apartment complex called Sheng Min Ou?¡±

    The security guard frowned as he took another look at me, seemingly worried about the state I was in.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    After a few rings, the call connected and it got through. The security immediately informed Sheng Min Ou of the situation, and before Sheng Min Ou could say anything back, I rushed over, hiccuped into the intercom in my drunken stupor, and began to laugh inexplicably.

    ¡°Ge, hey it¡¯s me.¡±

    There was silence on the other side as the security guard separated me from the intercom with difficulty, before replying into the intercom: ¡°So that¡¯s pretty much the situation, Mr. Sheng, do you know this¡­ gentleman here? If you don¡¯t, we will call the police and have them handle this.¡±

    I cupped my hands as I placed them on either side of my lips, as I shouted in a louder voice, ¡°Ge, it¡¯s me, Lu Feng. I drank some alcohol, can you pick me up¡­¡± I hiccuped, then continued, ¡°I actually don¡¯t know myself how I ended up here¡­¡±

    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t good at handling alcohol, so even though I still maintained consciousness right now my heartbeat had accelerated and both my cheeks were flaming hot to the touch. Even worse, I felt overwhelmingly nauseous, my stomach feeling as if it would hurl something back up at any time.

    Pa kjr olcf yfobgf P jmaejiis mbcafwqijafv la, yea cbk atf wbgf jkjgf P kjr jybea atf rlaejalbc atf wbgf cjerfber P yfmjwf, jr P gertfv ab atf oibkfgyfv bearlvf atf rfmeglas ybbat ab nbwla.

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    I sank down squatting at the side of the flower bed, as I threw up the contents I had ingested, until it felt like I couldn¡¯t empty myself out anymore. I had pretty much used the whole meal Old Huang and I had last night as fertilizer.

    The security guard saw how uncomfortable I must be, and handed me a bottle of water for me to rinse my mouth.

    Sure enough, this was a five-star residential place, and even the security guards were outstanding with their five-star service.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said, taking the mineral water as I rinsed my mouth, feeling slightly more awake after throwing up.

    Five minutes later, Sheng Min Ou slowly approached us from a distance. Unlike every other time when I had seen him, his hair looked very loose and soft, as he wore an easy-fitting white T-shirt, and even had flip-flops on his feet.

    He approached us and cast his gaze downwards as he stared at me, ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night and you¡¯re beyond inebriated, you really are living life like a maggot.¡±

    If this was before, hearing his cold and coruscating words would have left me feeling pained and deflated, however I didn¡¯t feel any trace of sadness today. Not only did I not feel upset, I even got a little excited.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡± I gave him a foolish smile, ¡°You came to pick me up.¡±

    I swayed as I stood up, at once feeling a lack of strength in my leg as I collapsed onto him. He staggered back two steps and held me up in time, his tone changing for the worse: ¡°Stand up properly.¡±

    I refused to, as I leaned my head on his shoulders, my hot breath spilling on his neck, as I enunciated the following words, ¡°I¡¯m dizzy¡­¡±

    Sheng Min Ou probably saw the state of my drunkenness, and finally gave up on communicating with me, as he held me silently, leading me back to his apartment building.

    Given that I had to lean my whole body weight on him, the walk back was an arduous one. When he arrived in front of his door he could only free his left hand with great effort to key in a passcode as his right hand was pinned under my weight.

    While entering the password, I opened my eyes as they fluttered into slits, secretly noting the combination before quickly closing my eyes again as I resumed my act of playing dead after we entered the house.

    Sheng Min Ou left me on a grand carpet which adorned his living room, then rubbed the back of his neck as if he was about to leave.

    In my haze, I reached out and grabbed his trousers, as I bombarded him with requests for water, saying that I was thirsty.

    Sheng Min Ou stilled for a second, then with little effort, he plucked his foot out of my grasp, as his footsteps retreated into the distance.

    Ai, sure enough, whilst he may not regard me with absolute indifference, but to claim that he ¡®cared¡¯ about me¡­ it probably hadn¡¯t reached that stage yet.

    I stayed laying there, my shoulders starting to droop, weighed down by my discouragement as I  buried my face in my arms, unable to stop my inward sighs.

    Just as I was thinking about whether I should continue to use alcohol as an excuse to pretend to be drunk some more, or to somehow throw another test his way, the sound of distant footsteps that appeared to go further away had returned.

    There was a soft clinking sound, as Sheng Min Ou placed something on the floor beside me, before leaving again.

    When I heard the sound of the bedroom room closing, I quietly opened my eyes and found that there was a glass of water not far from me, a glass of plain, boiled water.

    I pressed a hand against my throbbing temples as I sat up, grinning like a fool at the sight of the glass of water.

    Then, he probably cares at least a little bit, right?

    I didn¡¯t know what brand the water was, as it looked unremarkable, but when I drank it the water was sweet.

    After finishing the drink that Sheng Min Ou had poured for me, I lay on the white carpet, my arms beneath my head acting as a cushion, as I twisted and turned. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, rather, I couldn¡¯t bear to actually sleep. I was afraid that once I woke up, I¡¯d find out that everything that occurred today was just a dream that had never been real.

    I turned over again, and below the punching bag which hung in the living room and dominated it, were two bundles of red hand straps, neatly placed.

    Based on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s character, he should¡¯ve discarded the strap which I used last time to clean myself up, however¡­ I reached out for the two straps as I started scrutinising them. There was nothing out of the ordinary, the straps themselves being without any flaws, as the condition of it looked as if they were almost new. However, I had a strange hunch ¨C that Sheng Min Ou, the bastard, might have kept the dirtied red strap, soiled with my fluids and sweat. After all, he had secretly made trips to my prison to see me, and now he even poured a cup of water for me. Was there anything he wasn¡¯t capable of now?

    My brain had been eroded away by the alcohol, and all that existed right now were pink bubbles. I felt as if my twenty seven years of guarding a cold kiln were finally, finally going to be over.

    I placed the hand strap over my eyes, and glancing through a hazy red layer, I slowly closed my eyes as I fell into a deep sleep.

    The next morning I was still fast asleep when someone ripped off the disarrayed straps on my face, revealing my face to the piercing sun rays.

    I groaned in pain, covering the intense sunlight with my arms, as I came to, only to see Sheng Min Ou standing in front of me and already neatly dressed. His gaze was cast downwards to look down at me as his expression was blank, as if he moments away from ruthlessly trying to drive me out of his house before he left for work.

    I hurriedly buried myself into the carpet some more, pretending that I was not yet fully awake.

    Sheng Min Ou waited for a while, probably shocked that I was so brazen as he kicked me on the side of my waist with his toes.

    ¡°Hey, get up,¡± he commanded, ¡°Get lost and go back to your own place to sleep.¡±

    My waist was more sensitive, so despite Sheng Min Ou not using much strength behind his jabs, it still took an amazing amount of willpower to force myself to not swerve his moves and avoid it.

    After sending two kicks to my side, perhaps after evaluating that I honestly could not get up, he gave in as he could only abandon his efforts.

    ¡°After you wake up, leave this place yourself.¡± He said, promptly moving towards the door after finishing his remark.

    After I heard the clicks sounding from the electronic lock, I did a kip up as I leapt up from the ground, rubbing my eyes and waist.

    Other places were fine, but my waist was oddly sensitive, as once Shen Xiao Shi somehow accidentally touched my waist from behind, and I almost broke his ribs with an elbow blow. So, heaven knows how I endured Sheng Min Ou¡¯s prodding just now.

    I took in the minimalist interior that was bathed in sunlight, as I patrolled around it and studied every detail in the room, like a wolf confirming its territory. I could only feel completely at ease once I could ascertain that everything was under my control.

    My fingertips left a trail against the wall, all the way to the bedroom, as I laid down on the only mattress here, and rolled around on it.

    The place that Sheng Min Ou would have previously never let me enter before was now free for me to exit and enter, and to use as I wish. There really was nothing better than this ¨C at least for  today.

    After I laid around and made a mess out of his bed, I embodied the typical scumbag persona where they just left after spending the night, as I patted my butt, and walked out of the room without casting another glance back. My sights narrowed in onto the bedroom adjacent to this one, the only room which had a lock.

    Since I first laid eyes on this room, it had preoccupied my thoughts. What secrets were hidden in this room? One could say that it was merely just an ordinary study, but then the door was locked. I didn¡¯t even see a single lock in Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm, and there was no way that this was the room which contained his peculiar hobbies, right?

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s home was immaculate, spotless and tidy, and one glance was enough to forget it all. Except for this place. It was only here that he had approached with extra caution, not allowing anyone to trespass and pry.

    Perhaps the answer I had been searching for, was also in here.

    Unable to withstand the curiosity in my heart, and with my intrigue piquing, I stretched out the muscles in my hands as I squatted down to study the lock.

    The lock was the same style as the one I had seen previously at the door. I inspected it from every possible angle, and after determining that there were no traces of any fingerprints, I decided to take a gamble and enter the password I committed to memory yesterday.

    I pressed down the last number and gingerly tapped the hashtag key without holding any high expectations for the outcome. Therefore, after I heard an electronic sound, followed by the locks opening one click after another, I gently pushed against the door knob and¡­ the door opened.

    The interior was very dark, with thick curtains drawn.

    I held my breath, and with the faint hint of light which flowed into the dark, I saw that the walls of the room seemed to be covered with things. As I opened the door, I must¡¯ve circulated the air within the room, as I heard the sound of paper being blown off and the crinkling of it as it floated down again.

    I walked into the room, and fumbled for a while in the dark, before I finally found the switch. The instant I flicked it down, the room suddenly lit up, and a harsh white light illuminated the whole room, leaving nothing hidden as all its contents were revealed to me.

    Bold font written in vibrant red dominated my sights, handwritten with paint as it covered the walls. The person who had written the words did not care about the aesthetic of it, nor did they worry about whether the paint would dirty their floors. Each stroke was like the aftermath of a murder scene, as the blood sprayed across and dripped from the surface.

    ¡¾Don¡¯t get close to him¡¿

    ¡¾Stay away from him¡¿

    ¡¾Get lost¡¿

    The menacing script written in blood was done over pieces of writing paper and envelopes, like it was some sort of bizarre, baleful ritual.

    I stood there in shock, utterly astounded by the scene in front of me.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s room was neat and orderly, minimalist and spotless, and there was never anything that was unnecessary. He appeared to also not have a need for anything that wasn¡¯t essential.

    However this room, disorganised and enshrouded in darkness was an oppressive and chaotic existence, completely departing from the style he presented to others. It was as if it belonged in another dimension.

 CH 48

    I leaned in closer and traced my fingertips over the words, the uneven texture of it slightly coarse to the touch, as it convinced me that what I saw was not an absurd dream of mine.

    Some of the letter paper stuck on the wall had already started to look crisp and yellow, as it resembled an artefact from the past. I was intimately familiar with it, my name written there at the bottom of it all.

    All the letters I wrote to Sheng Min Ou for the past ten years, he said he hadn¡¯t read it, he said he threw it all away. However, they had all been kept here.

    ¡°This is¡­your definition of not giving it a glance, of disposing of it all?¡± I stood in the middle of the room and spun around as I took in the sight of it all. The blankness in my mind was slowly dispelled by a sense of manic ecstasy, as I muttered under my breath, ¡°¡­From now on I¡¯ll never believe your deceptive words again.¡±

    As if viewing a piece of art that greatly resonated with me, I admired and reflected on it. At first I stood, then after a while I opted to squat down, before finally I simply just sat down on the ground, as I was reluctant to tear my eyes away. It wasn¡¯t until my mobile phone rang with Liu Yue asking me whether I wasn¡¯t going to turn up to work today that I realised and was surprised to find two hours had passed.

    To make sure that everything in the room remained exactly the same as before I entered, I closed the door carefully behind me and I wiped away fingerprints which weren¡¯t even visible on the door with a guilty conscience. I smoothed the folds and creases on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s bed, washed the cups, then went out to work.

    By the time I pushed the door of the pawn shop open whilst whistling a tune, I was greeted with the sight of Shen Xiao Shi sitting in his familiar spot. He was playing a game as he held his phone in his hands, and for a moment I thought I was developing hallucinations.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked, circling him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask for a month¡¯s leave?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi raised his head and glanced at me, then quickly shifted his gaze back to the phone screen.

    ¡°I have nothing to do at home, so I came.¡±

    I glanced at Liu Yue, who currently had earphones in and was catching up on her latest drama, as I squeezed myself to the side of Shen Xiao Shi and asked him softly, ¡°How was the talk with the prosecutor?¡±

    The miniature figure in Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s game was squatting in a corner and suddenly stopped moving at this. He placed his phone down and sighed as he replied, ¡°The prosecutor informed us of their conditions. If she pleads guilty, the sentence will be reduced to five years.¡±

    The original sentence was twenty years, but now it could be reduced so that it was only five years. This was a vast improvement.

    ¡°However, my mother didn¡¯t agree to it.¡± Shen Xiao Shi went on in a low voice, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to plead guilty. My brother¡¯s choice to testify in court really struck a nerve for her.¡±

    The choice to not plead guilty would result in the lawsuit being prolonged, as the fight against the prosecution continued on the battlegrounds of the court. The prosecutor probably would never be able to expect that Tang Zhuo¡¯s appearance in court as a witness would be the reason why the plea deal fell through.

    Being in the line of business as a pawnbroker does not guarantee a new item would come in every day, and even less so for every item that was traded in to find a new owner. If the items were too bizarre, or if no one takes an interest in them, then it was also very common for them to end up just rotting in our inventory.

    Business was quiet on this day, so I found some time to head to the back and go over the inventory. As a result, I found many items of all sorts of origins. There was a limited edition game card, a whole leg of Spanish ham, and a luxury brand windbreaker now out of season¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I said, as I wiped off the dust on the box, unfamiliar with the contents I held, as I  asked Shen Xiao Shi for help.

    The box had straight edges all around, as it resembled those briefcases in the movies which were always secured with a lock. The box, when opened, looked like a laptop, with a screen on top, buttons on the bottom and numerous jacks to plug in. Something which resembled a grey sleeve was stuffed in the corner and there was a coil of thin wire entwined with round electrodes connected at the top. It looked like an electrocardiogram machine in a hospital, only smaller.

    Shen Xiao Shi blew the dust on the game card, subsequently choking on it, before glancing at me and replying, ¡°I think that was traded in by a detective wannabe¡­it¡¯s a polygraph.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lie detector?¡± I looked at what was in front of me in disbelief, ¡°Detective fans even collect this type of thing¡­¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t make a visit to the pawn shop just to trade this. If it was just a polygraph, then I wouldn¡¯t accept it either. He traded in a signed set of thriller novels that were in crazed demand online, and he explained that if he wasn¡¯t trying to gather money to afford milk powder, then he would never have considered selling it. When he passed the books over to me, he, a fully fledged 180cm man, had tears streaming down his face.¡± Shen Xiao Shi shrugged, ¡°I felt sorry for him, so I took the polygraph alongside the novels, but it turns out that no one wants it so it¡¯s just been collecting dust.¡±

    Because your average person wouldn¡¯t need something like this, I thought as I looked at the black box in front of me.

    After tidying up the storage room, we threw away the items which we decided would be discarded. Shen Xiao Shi and I spent the whole afternoon inside, so we emerged enervated with every part of our body sore and covered in dust.

    ¡°How long have we left the ham in there for? It hasn¡¯t gone bad, right?¡±

    ¡°Pa rtbeivc¡¯a yf? P gfwfwyfg atlr atlcu mbeiv yf xfqa obg j ibcu alwf, yea la¡¯ii yf j yla glrxs lo kf ralii jgf ecjyif ab rfii la. C ifu bo tjw lr kbgat afcr bo atberjcvr, joafg jii¡­¡±

    P kjr ralii ajixlcu ab Vtfc Wljb Vtl ktfc P rafqqfv bea bo atf rabgjuf gbbw jcv obecv ws ujhf ijcvlcu rdejgfis bc Qfl Vtl ktb tjv pera jgglnfv.

    I didn¡¯t even have time to shoot him any facial cues before he caught sight of me, raised his eyebrow and began to speak in a stentorian tone, ¡°What happened yesterday? You didn¡¯t reply to any messages. Did your phone fall into the toilet?¡±

    From yesterday to now, in just a dozen or so hours, Wei Shi had no idea what I had gone through. I almost even forgot to turn up to work, so how could I possibly remember to reply to his texts.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    Before I could respond to him, his expression suddenly changed as he saw who was behind me, as Shen Xiao Shi walked into view.

    ¡°Xiao, Xiao Shi is also here.¡± His steadfast tone instantly shrivelled up, even taking on a cautionary approach.

    Shen Xiao Shi squeezed past me, without sparing a single glance at him, as he ensconced himself on the sofa and took out his mobile phone to resume his game.

    Wei Shi¡¯s eyes followed him, but when he saw that he didn¡¯t pay attention to him, the light from his eyes slowly dimmed.

    ¡°I remembered that there was still something I had to do¡­. I¡¯ll be going first. Lu Feng, remember to check your phone.¡± He reminded, a sneer on his face. He stopped in the shop for no longer than two minutes, with the doorknob still in his hand, before he returned the door to how it was before, as he walked out.

    I glanced at Shen Xiao Shi who was on the sofa, expressionless and indifferent, and then at the direction of the door where there was no longer any trace of someone being there. I sighed inwardly as I contemplated and worried for the future of these two people.

    Looking at their falling out, I didn¡¯t even know if in the future the four of us would be able to get together again and enjoy hotpot.

    We found that the whole leg of ham couldn¡¯t be sold, so I directed Shen Xiao Shi to sell it on WeChat according to the weight of the cut. Listing an exceptional leg of ham from Spain that was cured for four years attracted the attention of many people as they all wanted a taste of novelty. The slices were sold by a quarter of a kilogram and half a kilogram, and surprisingly, quite a lot of the meat was sold.

    When I was about to get off work, I received a message from coach Zhou, who asked whether I was going to go practice today.

    I asked him if shi xiong was going first.

    Coach Zhou first answered me with a ¡°?¡±, and then quickly understood who I was referring to.

    Ohh, did you mean Mr. Sheng? You¡¯re the second person today to ask me that, he¡¯ll be coming haha.

    There was no question about who the first to ask him was, it was none other than my little shi jie.

    The Spanish ham had quite a fair bit of scraps and leftover meat left, and since Shen Xiao Shi and I both didn¡¯t like to eat raw meat, we asked Liu Yue to take it all back instead. Liu Yue wrapped five or six packs of the leftovers in oil paper, and happily remarked that she would go home to make soup out of it. The bone which still had some meat on it was then broken into several pieces and placed in plastic bags, as it was intended to be given to the stray cats in the community.

    I was surprised by this as I commented, ¡°Cats even eat this?¡±

    Liu Yue replied, ¡°Usually I only feed them cheap cat food, so this could be considered an extra meal on top of what they¡¯re having. Surely this is better than nothing.¡±

    I remembered the last time I went to the fight club I saw two stray cats who were of average size, but were dirty and skinny outside. I pitied them, so I asked Liu Yue for a packet of ham and planned to feed them the meat if I bumped into them again.

    After saying goodbye to Shen Xiao Shi and Liu Yue, I chose a noodle restaurant at random and ate a bowl of noodles there. After that, I took the bag of ham with me as I called a taxi and headed towards the club.

    I stood outside the entrance meowing for a long while, but no kitten was seen. Just when I was feeling dejected from the outcome and was about to pack away the scraps of ham, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder from behind.

    ¡°Shi Di!¡± Zheng Mi Mi appeared behind me with a smile.

    She looked at the thing in my hand and curiously asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I handed the oil paper package to her, ¡°Want some? It¡¯s ham.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s eyes lit up as she remarked,¡±Woah, it smells delicious, it¡¯s kind of familiar to me actually. Isn¡¯t this the ham from [___]?¡± She spoke of the name of a Spanish brand which sounded like a tongue-twister, and then unceremoniously took the packet of ham from me as she opened it and enjoyed its flavour to her heart¡¯s content.

    I didn¡¯t get to feed a cat, but I got to feed a little shi jie, so at least it didn¡¯t go to waste.

    I entered the boxing gym with Zheng Mi Mi as we began our novice training regiment. Sheng Min Ou arrived during the partner stretching exercise from hell, and Zheng Mi Mi then began to sprout all kinds of shit about her idyllic fantasies in my ear.

    ¡°Why is my cousin-in-law so handsome¡­¡± she commented, whilst pressing down on my shoulder, ¡°My uncle''s company will have a charity dinner later, and it seems like my cousin-in-law will also attend. Say, if I volunteered to go with him as his date, do you think he would agree?¡±

    Sweat fell in rivulets as I endured the excruciating pain of my bones and muscles being torn before I replied, enunciating each word, : ¡°It¡¯s a bit¡­risky.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi let go of me at once, as she replied, evidently frustrated, ¡°I also think that, as he doesn¡¯t take note of me at all.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look for someone else, don''t hang yourself on this one tree. You¡¯re stunning, and the patches of forests that are waiting for your presence are unending.¡± I teased, as I wiped my sweat.

    Zheng Mi Mi let out an unrestrained laugh, and after a while, her expression suddenly shifted to a solemn one as she asked, ¡°Wait, shi di, don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯ve caught feelings for me?¡±

    I almost choked on my own saliva, as I hurriedly waved my hand at her to clarify the standing of our relationship.

    ¡°Even though little shi jie you¡¯re young, beautiful and wealthy, I¡­¡± I glanced in Sheng Min Ou¡¯s direction, ¡°my heart already belongs to someone.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi patted her chest as she went on, ¡°You gave me a fright.¡± Perhaps she thought that her reaction was too blunt, she immediately added, ¡°It¡¯s not that shi di you¡¯re lacking in any way, but it¡¯s mainly because someone else also has my heart, right. I like the mature and cold male god type, but you¡¯re kind of more the handsome, fresh faced boy with a sunny disposition, so you¡¯re not really what I¡¯m looking for.¡±

    ¡°Understood, understood.¡±

    She held her hand out to pull me up.

    I grabbed onto her hand as just when I got to my feet, I heard the sound of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice coming from the direction of the ring.

    ¡°You, get over here.¡± Sweat dripped down from his temples, as he came to the edge of the ring and hooked a finger at me, ¡°Hold the target for me.¡±

    Coach Zhou was holding the targets out for him just moments prior, but he was nowhere to be seen now.

    Zheng Mi Mi pushed me excitedly, ¡°Go on, shi xiong is calling you right now.¡±

    I was pushed forward by her, as I climbed up to the ring, almost frightened by Sheng Min Ou¡¯s sudden show of favour as I picked up the two hand targets on the ground. I wore them and then flashed Sheng Min Ou a smile, ¡°Ge, this is my first time, be gentle okay.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t say anything in response as he adjusted his breathing, swept his long legs, and attacked from the side. I hurriedly blocked his attack and was almost propelled sideways by the force.

    Fuck, was he for real?

    I didn¡¯t dare to slack off again as I carefully anticipated and received every attack from him. After experiencing his various jabs, uppercuts, and leg sweeps, my physical strength dropped rapidly, and sweat dripped from the roots of my hair as it seeped into my eyes.

    I was forced to occasionally close one eye, and my restricted field of vision made my movements and responses even more sluggish. When Sheng Min Ou directed a kick to the middle of the hand target, I didn¡¯t have time to adjust my center of gravity, and as a result I was sent flying backwards as I crashed into the ropes at the side of the boxing ring.

    I gasped for air as I found it hard to stand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here today.¡± Sheng Min Ou saw my beaten down appearance and found some compassion in himself to utter those words at me as he untied his hand straps and walked towards the locker room.

    Zheng Mi Mi came to the boxing ring, her voice filled with concern as she asked, ¡°Shi di, are you okay? Shi xiong was honestly so ruthless today, you¡¯re still a novice, but he wasn¡¯t merciful at all.¡±

    I took off the targets and found that I didn¡¯t have it in me to talk anymore, so I could only wave at her to signal that I was okay.

    With Sheng Min Ou already gone, she didn¡¯t stay any longer, and soon bid farewell to me before she left. I stayed where I was, laying there for a while, and after feeling like my HP had risen slightly, I headed towards the locker room.

    Coincidentally, as soon as I walked in, I saw Sheng Min Ou had taken a bath as he donned a bath towel and was opening his locker door.

    This situation, this scene, it was all too familiar.

    He was the only person in that area, so I sneaked behind him and found that I couldn¡¯t replicate the same action he did last time with my height, so I could only fall back on an alternate plan, as I wrapped myself against him. My arms circled his waist, my cheeks pressed against the back of his neck, all my sweat transferring over to his humid skin that was radiating heat.

    ¡°Ge, are you perhaps in a bad mood today?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou suddenly stiffened, and instantly reacted as he grabbed onto my roaming hands.

    ¡°Did you forget our three agreements? Don¡¯t touch me, and stay away from me.¡± He plucked my fingers off his body as he turned and pushed me away.

    I crashed into the lockers on the opposite side as the thud reverberated within the room, however this time I didn¡¯t feel any pain. On the contrary, my heart was filled with a warm, blissful feeling.

    Stay away from me. Each time he said this phrase to me, he was also warning himself to not cross the line, to not get close to me. Evidently, it was apparent that at times even he was unable to completely abide by his own rules.

    He kept me at a distance again and again, was it because he subconsciously thought that he would hurt me, so he wanted me to stay far from him and to never cross the boundary that must not be stepped into?

    What kind of feelings did he harbour when he made that hidden room, and how did he endure the past ten years?

    There were a plethora of questions in my mind, however, if I asked directly, he may not be honest in his responses.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t touch you. I¡¯ll stay far away from you.¡±

    Suddenly I found this whole situation to be rather humorous. I seemed to have become the fisherman in that story. In order to lure the gull down into my arms, I racked my brain for ideas and plotted tirelessly in pursuit.

    ¡°To be honest, in these past few days I¡¯ve reflected on a lot, and you¡¯re right.¡± I smiled at him as I continued, ¡°It¡¯s not like I have to have you, so why do I bother hanging myself on the tree that is you? I¡¯m young, handsome and¡­ I¡¯m full of energy and stamina, there are boundless amounts of forests elsewhere waiting for me.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou pursed his lips, his eyebrows gradually furrowing deeper, as if he didn¡¯t understand what I was doing by sprouting this entire monologue in front of him.

    Seeing this, I made a long story short as I finished with a few concise words, ¡°So, I give up.¡±

    ¡°From today, we¡¯ll return to being brothers, the legal kind. I won¡¯t force anything, and I won¡¯t harass you either. What do you think?¡±

 CH 49

    Thank you VBaby for the Kofi¡¯s in sponsoring this bonus chapter!

    Sheng Min Ou looked at me, his furrowed eyebrows eventually relaxing again, as it was replaced by a sneer which formed on his lips.

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, ¡°I hope you follow through with your words.¡±

    Today was unlike the previous days, so of course I would fulfil what I promised.

    I wouldn¡¯t force anything, because there was no need to force things; I wouldn¡¯t use harrassment, because sooner or later, you¡¯re going to fall into my lap yourself.

    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± I replied, giving him fake smiles as he didn¡¯t bother to pay me any further attention. He swiftly turned around and continued changing his clothes.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s back muscles were well-proportioned, with clear lines outlining the definition of his toned physique, and his skin color was an almost sickly white. It was odd, because given the current state of his undress he was already naked to the point where nothing could be more bare, yet I somehow felt that the view of his back was more a show of asceticism than when he was clothed.

    I moved a finger, then desperately suppressed the quivering of it.

    ¡°Then¡­it¡¯s settled.¡± Afraid that my gaze reflected my yearning too much and would give me away, I could only quickly direct my sights elsewhere, as I held my key and moved towards my row of lockers.

    When I came out again after the shower, Sheng Min Ou had long since left.

    Since Yao Jing refused to plead guilty, the case would have to undergo hearing upon hearing, so just the attorney fees alone would require a huge sum of money. After Wei Shi found out, he secretly gathered one hundred thousand renminbi in cash, wrapped it in a plastic bag, and then packed it in a plain shopping bag, as he called me to meet him outside the store and forcefully stuffed it into my hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it was from me, otherwise he definitely wouldn¡¯t accept it.¡± Wei Shi said, his glance darting into the shop ever so often as if he was a thief.

    I held the bag of cash tight in an embrace, reflecting on the weight of an arduous mission being placed on my shoulders that I had never felt before, ¡°Why did you bring cash, don¡¯t you know how to transfer money instead?¡±

    ¡°I got this from one of my other stores, so I didn¡¯t get to deposit it in the bank just yet and I thought I¡¯d bring it straight here.¡± His expression suddenly changed as he quickly finished, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then, I¡¯m going to go first.¡± After he uttered those words, it was as if the soles of his shoes had been greased with oil as he dashed off into the distance.

    I turned around, and Shen Xiao Shi opened the store door, his complexion also not looking too great.

    He glanced at the bag in my arms and asked, ¡°What is that?¡±

    My mind wracked by a guilty conscience, I moved to instantly hide the bag behind me, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, he brought me¡­shoes.¡±

    ¡°Shoes?¡± Shen Xiao Shi didn¡¯t buy it at all, as he reached behind me and snatched the bag. He opened it and was stunned for a while, ¡°This much money?¡±

    There was nothing fundamentally wrong with having money, however I lied to him. I lied to him about something that didn¡¯t require a lie, and thus it was enough for him to determine that this sum of money had something to do with him.

    He picked up a wad of money, as he looked at me with a sullen face and asked, ¡°San¡­Wei Shi gave it to me?¡±

    P mbeivc¡¯a fzjmais rtjxf ws tfjv, yea P mbeivc¡¯a cbv flatfg, rb P mbeiv bcis jnfga tlr ujhf jkxkjgvis.

    ¡°Lf pera¡­ kjcar ab ulnf sbe atlr jr jc jqbibus.¡±

    ¡°Cqbibulhf? Qlat wbcfs?¡± Lf rjlv atgbeut uglaafv affat, ¡°Gbfr tf atlcx P¡¯w rbwfatlcu ab yf rbiv?¡±

    P kjr rtbmxfv, jcv lcrajcais ofia atja ws fibdefca kjs klat kbgvr ojmfv jc ecqgfmfvfcafv Djaaif bo Qjafgibb tfgf klat tlw, rb P tegglfvis mtjcufv ws jqqgbjmt jr P gfqilfv, ¡°Rb cb, P mbcnfsfv atlcur kgbcu, P wjvf j wlrajxf klat tbk P rjlv atlcur! Ktlr lr¡­ j rew tf ifca sbe, ulnfc sbeg oglfcvrtlq tf pera kjcafv ab tfiq sbe j yla.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi threw the wad of cash hard back into the bag, remaining unappreciative of Wei Shi¡¯s efforts.

    ¡°Who cares about this.¡± He viciously remarked, grabbing the bag of money as he turned and chased after Wei Shi, seemingly with the intent of returning the money back in person.

    Staring at his gradually fading silhouette, I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head and sigh.

    The fate of the Qing Wan F4 in the future was really hard to say. .

    Shen Xiao Shi left for a full hour before returning. I noted that he came back empty-handed and was in a bad mood, so I guessed that the money should have been returned, however the verbal exchange between the two of them was probably not a happy conversation.

    ¡°Feng Ge, don¡¯t worry. The money that Lawyer Sheng requires, I won¡¯t be short of even a cent when I pay him.¡± Shen Xiao Shi started with a solemn expression, ¡°I will gather the money in full even if I have to sell my blood or a kidney.¡±

    Upon hearing these words I almost felt like a headache was going to occur, so I hurriedly waved my hands at him, ¡°There¡¯s no need, no need.¡±

    If he was going to sell his blood and kidneys to gather money, then I¡¯d rather offer my body to Sheng Min Ou as a way to repay the debt to him. At least this way it would result in an outcome where everyone was happy.

    In the afternoon, Shen Xiao Shi asked for leave, saying that Sheng Min Ou had asked him to make his way over to discuss the strategy for the upcoming hearing. As a friend of his and as a ¡°fisherman¡± who was currently trying to lure a gull, I expressed my desire to go with him.

    With only Liu Yue left in the pawnshop, we couldn¡¯t remain open and conduct business as usual, so we could only close the shop in advance.

    When we arrived at Jin Shang law firm, the receptionist led us to the conference room. As soon as we entered, we saw not only Sheng Min Ou and Wu Yi, but three other lawyers also present.

    Shen Xiao Shi sat at the conference table with them. As with before, I found a chair to sit in and remained in the corner as I watched quietly.

    ¡°Mr. Shen, we are planning to request Dr. Xu Wei Bo of Qing Wan Mental Health Center to do a psychological evaluation for your mother, Ms. Yao Jing.¡± Wu Yi slipped a form to Shen Xiao Shi and continued, ¡°If the result shows that she is mentally unstable, or has severe depression, we can use this as new starting points for our defense.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi scanned over the form and quickly signed his name in the lower right corner.

    ¡°In addition, we would also like to harness the media and use it to direct more public attention to this case.¡± A female lawyer said, ¡°Domestic violence is a very good topic and will attract considerable attention.¡±

    ¡°Media?¡± Shen Xiao Shi asked, perplexed, ¡°Why would we need to do this.¡±

    ¡°Well, actually¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s a win-win situation.¡± Sheng Min Ou interjected, cutting off the female lawyer who was still thinking about how to explain the matter to Shen Xiao Shi.

    He leaned forward, his hand clasped, as he placed it on the table and looked directly at Shen Xiao Shi. He continued, ¡°Through public attention, the process of the trial can be expedited, and our law firm can be featured in essentially advertisements for free as we gain a good reputation. Why shouldn¡¯t we do it?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi seemed a little hesitant. After all, media intervention meant that this case would be put under the eyes of the public for their comments and scrutiny. Even if you censored the names and reserved anonymity, it was difficult to guarantee that this wouldn¡¯t affect your future life.

    I heard many of their meetings, and so I had also picked up a few things as I reminded Shen Xiao Shi in a low voice: ¡°Xiao Shi, the momentum generated by public opinion may also affect the jury. ¡±

    Although the jury had sworn an oath to make their own independent judgments, and to not be affected by any external factors, when faced with overwhelming public opinion one way, unless you maintained complete distance from the world being unseeing and unhearing, who could really guarantee to not be swayed at all by it?

    I felt Sheng Min Ou¡¯s gaze coming my way, so I responded to his stare with a reserved look of my own as I nodded at him.

    Unlike previous instances, where as long as Sheng Min Ou was in the room my sight would never stray from him, this time when I entered the meeting room my main attention was fixed on Shen Xiao Shi. It was only now that I truly looked at him.

    No matter what I thought in my heart, from the outside at least, it appeared that my gaze really no longer followed him.

    I had carefully arranged a trap, one which looked harmless, careless, and made no commotion. I knew that my gull was especially acute, and that if my eyes betrayed any sense of fervour, if my actions were even the slightest bit excessive, his guard would be raised again. Therefore, I had to be careful, exceedingly careful, so that I could capture him completely.

    ¡°Given that it¡¯s a win-win situation, why don¡¯t you then just waive the attorney fee then?¡± I suggested, as I began to broach the topic of fees for Shen Xiao Shi, ¡°The benefits of such widely seen advertisements are more than the little sum of this attorney fee. In short, you guys are still coming out of this with a profit.¡±

    Wu Yi heard my proposal and laughed as he responded, ¡°You can¡¯t really put things that way¡­¡±

    ¡°Done.¡± Sheng Min Ou interrupted as he readily agreed.

    Wu Yi shut up all of a sudden and after a while brought his hands together in a salute as he remarked, ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±

    When Shen Xiao Shi heard that the lawyer¡¯s fee would be waived, his expression instantly lightened up as he exchanged glances with me, his features revealing a joyful expression.

    Shen Xiao Shi replied, ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s proceed with what you said.¡±

    They continued the meeting, and I retreated to my state of being the wallpaper again.

    Suddenly the phone shook and I saw that I had received a friend request. I took a closer look at it and it was from Zheng Mi Mi.

    I quickly confirmed the request and Zheng Mi Mi was still online. Immediately after she had sent over a message, ¡°Shi di, last time you shouted me some ham, this time I¡¯ll treat you to a big meal, yeah.¡±

    Treat me to a big meal?

    I raised my eyebrows a little bit, and replied bemused, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go out of your way to treat me to a meal back.¡±

    After a while, Zheng Mi Mi replied with a tearful emoji and finally spilled the truth.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really going out of my way to treat you or anything, okay. Remember the charity dinner I mentioned last time? It¡¯s right next month. I initially wanted my cousin-in-law to be my date, but he ruthlessly rejected me. I¡¯m worried that if I carelessly invite some other guy I know then he¡¯ll misinterpret my intentions, which will turn out to be annoying. However, I know you won¡¯t think this way, as after all your heart belongs to someone already.¡±

    So it turns out that this was what she had planned. Treating me to dinner was a guise, her true intention was to seek me for help.

    ¡°Honestly it isn¡¯t really a big deal if you don¡¯t have a date right¡­¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯ve already told my cousin that I¡¯d bring a super handsome guy to the dinner. Since I¡¯ve put the news out there already, are you going to just let me become a joke in front of my incompetent, annoying and spendthrift cousin?¡±

    After a while, perhaps after seeing that I hadn¡¯t responded to her despite some time having passed, she figured that convincing me would be a hard task. So she unleashed her ultimate move ¨C applying a cute tone to her words as she sent over a voice message.

    ¡°Pleaseee, shi di, you know you¡¯re the most handsome guy in my eyes. Besides you, I really can¡¯t think of anyone who is worthy of being my date. You¡¯re truly unique, you¡¯re so resplendent, so different from the rest. Amongst all living beings on this earth the two of us managed to meet, so considering this fate, are really going to turn down this little favour I¡¯m asking of you?¡±

    As I was in a meeting, I used one of the functions to turn the voice message into text, and just when I had finished reading her text and was going to send a rejection her way, I heard Sheng Min Ou¡¯s calm and collected voice ring out. All of a sudden, inspiration struck, and I suddenly changed my mind.

    I turned the phone volume to the max, and clicked on Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s voice message.

    ¡°Pleaseeee, shi di¡­¡±

    Instantly, a sweet and soft female voice sounded abruptly in the conference room, and everyone was taken aback by it, as they stopped in their tracks and unanimously directed their stares at me.

    Out of all the gazes I received, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s stare was exceptionally cold, as he seemed greatly dissatisfied that I had interrupted his meeting.

    Uh oh, the king got angry.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry!¡± I hurriedly got up, and covered my phone with one hand in an embarrassed manner as I walked out, looking as if I had been talking on the phone and accidentally pressed the speaker button. I responded in a soft voice, ¡°Wait one second, I¡¯ll go out to talk.¡±

    As I passed Shen Xiao Shi, I patted his shoulder lightly and pointed outside the door, expressing that I was going to head outside to answer the phone.

    Shen Xiao Shi was stunned by how saccharine the tone was just now, and took a long time before he had registered what I said as nodded at me and reacted.

    The whole way, I pretended to hold my mobile phone next to my ear as I turned into an evacuation corridor. After confirming that there was no one around, I let go of the phone, having put up a good act.

    I couldn¡¯t return to the conference room until a good five or so minutes had passed. I took out a pack of cigarettes and simply began lighting one up in the evacuation corridor as I began smoking.

    I sat on the steps and clicked on the chat box. After Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s voice messages, I replied to her with a simple ¡°OK¡± emoji.

    Zheng Mi Mi was over the moon, as she repeatedly thanked me.

    ¡°No, thank you.¡± I said, quitting the chat app with a smile.

 CH 50

    After the media intervened, Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother¡¯s case gathered attention from all sides.

    After suffering and enduring long term domestic violence, she had one day killed her husband in response. Was this a legitimate act of self defense, or was it the cause of premeditated murder?

    The whole case was suspenseful, one that tugged at peoples heartstrings, and effectively angered the readers. Online discussion regarding the case remained at an all time high.

    The lawyers of Jin Shang Law Firm had meticulously chosen two media outlets to interview Shen Xiao Shi, as he narrated what he had seen and experienced since he was a child, and spoke of the story of his mother.

    The two media outlets included one which published their news online whilst the other circulated their news offline. After the news was published, I bought a copy of the newspaper and carefully read through it. I have to admit that articles written by professionals were truly of a different ball game. The flow and structure of the points were clear, the key points were prominent, parts which should be sensationalised were sensationalised, whilst parts which should be kept simple were written in a concise manner. There was never a point where words were added unnecessarily, and similarly there was never a point where any crucial information was omitted.

    Upon reading the interview transcript, the image of a woman who was helpless, forced to continuously endure and receive her husband¡¯s verbal and physical assaults surfaced vividly from the article.

    ¡°Regarding such types of cases, the author has previously paid attention to similar events and found that once these cases receive coverage, the female victims are often subject to many ¡®accusations¡¯ that divert from the main issue at hand. They are accused of not leaving the perpetrators earlier, of their cowardly character, and that it is because of this cowardice that lets the violence continue.¡±

    ¡°Other victims to these cases are women with successful careers, being well educated as they come from good backgrounds. They treat others well, are capable themselves, and all have different types of personalities. Why then do these women suffer from domestic abuse? Because they are weak, because they¡¯re trapped due to love? No, they suffer from domestic abuse for only one reason and one reason only, because their husbands abused them.¡±

    ¡°The focus here should be on the perpetrator, and the scrutiny should only fall on the perpetrator. This world shouldn¡¯t be so harsh as to demand perfection from the victim, and such an approach is completely meaningless.¡±

    What a way to deliver their idea of the status quo being ¡°meaningless¡±. I couldn¡¯t help but note down the name of the reporter who wrote this report ¨C Ke Xue Zi.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that there was nowhere to hit the like button on a physical copy of the newspaper, I would¡¯ve served the other party with the whole ¡°like, comment, share and subscribe¡± combination.

    In the second hearing, there were a lot more people attending in the public gallery compared to last time, and more than half of the people here were reporters.

    Based on Qing Wan¡¯s criminal law system, the case was judged with the presumption of innocence. Given this, the defendant had no obligation to prove their innocence and so naturally they didn¡¯t have to proactively provide evidence to prove said innocence. However, the defendant could choose to testify in court as a witness for the defense and be subject to cross-examination, as well as having the right to remain silent as they witnessed the defense execute the strategy for their own case.

    Exercising the right to silence would allow the defendant to avoid the prosecutor¡¯s various challenges in court, however it would also likely cause the jury and the judge to draw unfavorable inferences being that this decision was a manifestation of the defendant¡¯s guilty conscience.

    In the first trial, Yao Jing did not appear in court to testify, however by the second trial, her name appeared on the witness list.

    Sheng Min Ou asked her to count and detail the origins of the scars on her body, and he told her to expose her fears, so she could tell the public how hard it was for her to survive to this day.

    ¡°I did think about running away from him, but he said that if I dared to file for divorce, he would kill me and my child.¡±

    She covered her face as she wept bitterly, ¡°If I die, then that¡¯s fine, after all I¡¯ve long since given up the will to live. However, what about my children? I already fell short of providing them a good childhood and a normal family. How could I possibly have them live in fear because of me?¡±

    ¡°What happened on the day of the incident?¡± Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t refrain from continuing to ask questions. He was calm to the point that it seemed cold to the onlookers.

    Yao Jing¡¯s crying lessened slightly, her voice trembling as she answered, ¡°He was drunk that day, and wanted to hit me again. I had no choice, I really didn¡¯t¡­ he beat me so many times that I was afraid. Last time he beat me to the point that there was blood in my urine, and if he beat me again I would definitely die. I knew that this time it would definitely spell death for me, so I went to the kitchen and grabbed an axe to defend myself. I told him to stay away from me, I just wanted to scare him, however he was utterly unfazed. He lunged towards me¡­ and then I swung down the axe at him twice. I didn¡¯t know where exactly I hit him. He grasped both hands to his neck and crumpled to the ground. The floor was full of blood, full of blood¡­¡±

    When it was time for the prosecution to ask questions, the prosecutor seemed to also be shocked by Yao Jing¡¯s experience. He approached the witness stand with a solemn and respectful expression, and took a long time before he asked a question.

    ¡°When Mr. Tang pounced on you, it wasn¡¯t like you could confirm whether or not he was meaning to hit you or if it was to snatch away your axe, right?¡±

    Yao Jing raised her head, her eyes bloodshot and swollen, tear streaks marring her face, ¡°No, I could be sure.¡±

    The prosecutor was taken aback, as he saw Yao Jing smiling bitterly: ¡°Whenever he lunged towards me, he had always done so to beat me. I can tell just by the look in his eyes whether or not he intended to beat me again.¡±

    I looked towards Sheng Min Ou and found that a hint of amusement appeared in his eyes, as he seemed very satisfied towards the question the prosecution had raised.

    After the trial was over, the media swarmed family members of the prosecution and defense as they hoped to conduct an interview with them. Sheng Min Ou and Wu Yi covered Shen Xiao Shi as they hurried out of the court.

    P obiibkfv atfw jcv kjr qertfv jrlvf ys atf mgbkv.

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    Zs tfjga afcrfv, jr P tegglfvis rtbeafv, ¡°Qjamt bea!¡±

    Dfobgf P mbeiv olclrt ws kbgvr, Kjcu Itl Ufcu¡¯r iljylilas bo j ygbatfg tjv jigfjvs abrrfv jc fuu bea ja oeii obgmf jr la kfjnfv atgbeut atf mgbkv, tlaalcu la¡¯r wjgx jr la mgjmxfv bc Vtfcu Zlc Ye¡¯r obgftfjv. Pc jc lcrajca, atf fuu rtfii rtjaafgfv, jcv atf nlrmber oielv rilv vbkc tlr mtffx, agjlilcu vbkc Vtfcu Zlc Ye¡¯r cfmx jr la rblifv tlr rela.

    When the liability of a brother wanted to hurl a second egg at Sheng Min Ou again, I lunged at his side from behind as I restrained his hands so that he could no longer move them.

    ¡°Help me! He¡¯s trying to kill me!¡± He screamed like a pig being slaughtered. ¡°A murderer is taking advantage of the situation and bullying me! You guys have the connections, you¡¯re able to get the top tier lawyers to represent you and you bought your way through the media so they portrayed the events in your favour. My family has none of these connections or skills, so we can only resign ourselves to this fate. Yao Jing must pay for her bloody crime!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t aware that the more he continued now, the more repulsed other people would feel towards him.

    The reporters focused their cameras on him and recorded him in his current despicable state. Later when this was posted on the internet with an article attached to it, it became another headline that incited much speculation.

    At the present moment, we were still within the confines of the court, and any form of violence, whether verbal or physical, was not tolerated. The liability of a brother was quickly swept away by the bailiffs who rushed over. The Tang family trailed them as they wailed, with some of the media dispersing as they followed. The rest however continued to point their microphones at Shen Xiao Shi and Sheng Min Ou, hoping they would reveal their stance on the incident which had just occurred.

    The only response they received was seeing Sheng Min Ou simply take a handkerchief from Wu Yi as he wiped the splattered egg yolk which trailed down his body. His expression was devoid of any irritation, yet Shen Xiao Shi however appeared overtly vexed by what had occurred. Despite this, he managed to keep it in as it wasn¡¯t until he got into the car that he launched into an enraged rant.

    ¡°Who the hell does Tang Zhi Cheng think he is! I let him get off without exploding his fucking head and he isn¡¯t already grateful for that, how dare he throw eggs at us? What a family of fucking garbage, Xiao Ye is fucking pissed!!¡± Shen Xiao Shi cracked his knuckles as the sound of it resonated in the air. His chest rose and fell in violent motions, and it was clear he was infuriated by this incident to no small amount.

    I saw that Shen Xiao Shi also didn¡¯t come away unscathed as there was a trace of egg yolk on his neck, so I handed him some tissue that was kept in the car: ¡°Shen Xiao Ye, let¡¯s calm down, it¡¯s not worth getting riled up over those type of people. Here, wipe your neck.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi snatched the tissue out of my hands as he rubbed his neck vigorously, evidently still angered, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you getting to him first and holding him down, then I really would¡¯ve rushed over and decked him.¡± His movements suddenly stopped, as it appeared that he had suddenly thought of something as he suddenly leaned towards the front seat and asked, ¡°By the way, Lawyer Sheng, are you okay?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou had already taken off his jacket and placed it under his seat, seemingly not wanting to keep it anymore. When Shen Xiao Shi directed the question at him, he replied in a very calm, matter-of-fact tone, ¡±I¡¯m okay¡±, as if he didn¡¯t take the incident to heart at all.

    However, a few days later, the media revealed that Tang Zhi Cheng was accused of instigating ¡®personal bodily harm¡¯, and was facing a hefty compensation fee, as the Tang family once again found themselves involved in a difficult lawsuit. In this regard, Sheng Min Ou was not really as ¡®okay¡¯ as he previously stated. He was very good at masking himself, the calmer he was on the surface, the more terrifying he could be behind the scenes. However, this was something for another time.

    After returning from the court to the law firm, Shen Xiao Shi had to attend a debrief with the lawyers, so I didn¡¯t wait for him. Before leaving, I went to use their bathroom, and it didn¡¯t take long before Sheng Min Ou also came in.

    I pretended as if I couldn¡¯t see him, as I continued both minding and doing my business. During which, he remained in front of the sink, seemingly having no intention to talk to me either.

    After I finished and went to wash my hands, I discovered that he had taken off his tie, and his shirt collar was buttoned down, as he used a wet handkerchief to clean up the egg yolk that had seeped into his clothes. His hair was dripping wet, as he collected all of the strands and slicked it to the back of his head. Only one or two strands fell back rebelliously, as drops of water dripped down from his chin. In conjunction with the large patch of his collar that was soaked by the water, the allure in this scene was comparable to if his whole body was wet.

    I resisted the urge to lick my lips, and after sneaking a glance I didn¡¯t dare to look again, as I washed my hands dutifully and then went to dry them.

    Sheng Min Ou left the bathroom while I was drying my hands and from beginning to end we didn¡¯t have any communication. After my hands were dry, I found a familiar silver watch left on the side of the sink, so I quickly grabbed it as I chased after him.

    ¡°Ge, you forgot your watch!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou stopped when he heard me call out as he glanced at his wrist, as if only remembering that he owned a watch just now.

    He turned around, extended an open palm as he replied in a slightly detached tone, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I held the metal strap as I carefully placed the watch in his palm, making sure at the same time  that I did not have any physical contact with him.

    ¡°No worries.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou looked at the watch and stopped in his footsteps to put it on again.

    My shoulders grazed against his as I walked past him without any trace of hesitation in my footsteps.

    In the past half month, I pretty much had zero direct communication with him, and even if we did talk in some way it was because of Shen Xiao Shi, and because of Yao Jing¡¯s case. The status quo was something I endured very strenuously, and if he still didn¡¯t react some way in response, then this strategy of ¡®defense being the best offense¡¯ and ¡®taking a step back was to really take steps forward¡¯ would have to be ruled as a failure. I¡¯d have to think of another way for him to reveal his true self.

    Romeo getting into a relationship was nothing more than just climbing onto Juliet¡¯s balcony, but right now here I was employing all of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. The difficulty of this was no less than fighting a battle without gunpowder. If Sheng Min Ou continues refusing to submit, then I¡¯m afraid that I would have to resort to extraordinary means to get him to obey me.

    Little shi jie told me that there were going to be guests of high profile attending the dinner, so I couldn¡¯t have her lose face, and thus I was instructed to buy a more expensive and better looking formal suit. All expenses would be covered by her.

    With such a generous affluent person footing the bill, then I would naturally not hold back. I bought everything that was required from top to bottom, and also chose a luxury branded watch that was in the store. All of this would definitely boost Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s image.

    On the day of the dinner, Liu Yue and Shen Xiao Shi saw that I was about to get off work and had changed into a black suit. Seeing that I even had a bow tie on my neck, they were in such a shock that their jaws were almost about to drop off.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation huh Feng ge¡­¡± Liu Yue exclaimed, covering her mouth, ¡°Why are you dressed up so handsome today, are you going to go on a blind date?¡±

    I fixed the hairstyle that I had achieved with hair gel with some further hairspray as I smiled, ¡°No no, I¡¯m just heading to a banquet.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi circled me as he asked, ¡°Feng ge, I actually already wanted to ask you last time, do you¡­have a girlfriend?¡±

    I placed one hand in my trouser pocket as I loosened my bow tie and replied, ¡°There really is no girlfriend, I¡¯m just doing a favor to my friend and going as a show of support.¡±

    During the conversation, a horn sounded outside the door, and I waved goodbye to the two of them as I got off work ten minutes before we closed.

    Zheng Mi Mi today pretty much confirmed her identity as a rich second generation heir. From the onset, the business vehicle she came in was an ostentatious brand. She even had a whole chauffeur to herself, so you didn¡¯t have to lift a single finger to open or close the door as they¡¯d do it for you.

    When I got into the car, I unintentionally got a peek of Shen Xiao Shi and Liu Yue¡¯s gobsmacked expressions as they looked my way. Their shock spelled out their disbelief as they wondered when I got myself a ¡®sugar mummy¡¯, before they quickly averted their gazes and pretended that they hadn¡¯t seen anything.

    ¡°Shi di, so it turns out that you work in a pawnshop, what a unique job.¡± Zheng Mi Mi followed my gaze as she peered outside.

    ¡°I¡¯m just working to get food on the table, it doesn¡¯t really matter to me what I do.¡± I smiled at her and asked her if there was anything else I should pay attention to later.

    She touched her chin as she answered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me in egging on my cousin-in-law, see if he can be jealous of what happened and become a giant vinegar jar.¡±

    I looked at her in amazement, and I honestly really wanted to hold her hands and yell out loud, ¡°We really are related!¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi saw how I looked at her and got a little discomposed: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much, I actually had this exact thought in mind too.¡± I replied, ¡°A grave illness requires a serious dose of medicine, and to those who hide their thoughts deeply we must use whatever means possible.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi was stunned by my words, but she agreed vehemently with my ideals, as she nodded repeatedly, ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s¡­that¡¯s exactly the way to go!¡±

    When I arrived at the banquet, I had to admit that it was indeed a charity dinner hosted by a big corporation. Disregarding the fact that they booked out the entire conference centre in it¡¯s full grandeur as a display of their wealth, they also laid out a fifty metre long red carpet leading to the entrance of the hall. Upon walking on it, it was as if one had turned into an A-list actor or actress who was participating in a film festival, as one couldn¡¯t help but raise their head and shoulders high, showing their most flattering smile.

    As soon as we entered the banquet hall, there were quite a few people who had cast their eyes over our way.

    I obviously didn¡¯t assume that they were looking at me. Zheng Mi Mi today had her hair combed back into a slick long ponytail and wore a fringed silver evening dress with a halter neck. When she walked, the long fishtail trailed and swayed behind her, depicting her as a lively silver mermaid, which attracted a lot of attention.

    ¡°They¡¯re all looking at me. I must be as beautiful as an ethereal goddess today.¡± Zheng Mi Mi said in a volume that only the two of us could hear.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the brightest ethereal creature tonight.¡± I agreed with her.

    Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s smile grew, when suddenly her arm which looped around mine tightened its grip as she pulled me in a certain direction.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found our target, prepare yourself.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t realized what I was meant to prepare for when she stopped again and spoke in a more charming and saccharine voice than usual, ¡°Shi xiong, you arrived so early.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou was holding champagne in his hand and was in the middle of talking to someone else as a frown appeared after hearing her voice, when he caught sight of me all of a sudden.

    Though he looked extraordinarily calm, to be honest, such ¡®calmness¡¯ in a situation like this was a strange reaction to exhibit. Any normal person would be surprised to some extent, not to mention that his sight stayed fixed on me for two whole seconds before moving away to Zheng Mi Mi. Evidently, how he felt was not as indifferent as he attempted to portray on the surface.

    Ai, look at what I have been forced to become. If I had the opportunity I would definitely publish a book titled, ¡®How to Decipher What the Person You Like is Feeling ¨C  One Hundred Useful Tips¡¯.

    ¡°I have also just arrived.¡± He replied, introducing us to the woman who he had been conversing with. ¡°This is Ms. Ke Xue Zi, the editor-in-chief of Qing Wan Metropolis Daily.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Zheng Mi Mi hadn¡¯t even gotten to say anything yet, when I stepped forward and excitedly held Ms. Ke¡¯s hand, ¡°I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time, your article  ¡®The Malevolent Hand¡¯ was superbly written.¡±

    I had previously kept in mind the author¡¯s name who had written that report, but I didn¡¯t expect to see the real person today. What I said was not an act, there was honestly a factor of genuine surprise in meeting her.

    It could be seen that Ke Xue Zi was no longer in her youth, however she maintained her appearance very well, so that it was only when she laughed that slight fine lines would appear at the corners of her eyes.

    She had a hearty personality, and after seeing that I could accurately drop the name of her article, she then treated me with exceptional enthusiasm as she carried on further conversation with me.

    If Zheng Mi Mi and Sheng Min Ou were able to join in on our talk, then the four of us would be able to engage in a good conversation, however the two of them just had to remain silent as they watched on, making the whole ordeal slightly awkward.

    Moreover, most of the time I couldn¡¯t actually find a response for what Ke Xue Zi was saying, as I replied with variations of ¡®en¡¯, ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®right¡¯, which eventually became tiring to keep up.

    ¡°Mi Mi, weren¡¯t you going to take me to meet your cousin?¡± I couldn¡¯t stand continuing this solo performance anymore, so whilst conversation had faltered for a second as Ke Xue Zi was in the middle of switching topics I suggested this and exchanged glances at her to indicate our exit.

    Zheng Mi Mi was stunned momentarily when she heard me call out her actual name, but she quickly sprang into action, ¡°Oh yes yes, I think I saw my cousin just then, let¡¯s head over.¡± She nodded at the two of them, ¡°Then we¡¯ll be going first, if you¡¯d excuse us.¡±

    I nodded to Ms. Ke, who seemed like she wasn¡¯t over our conversation yet, and then gently patted Sheng Min Ou¡¯s shoulder as I remarked, ¡°See you later.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s gaze ran across my hand, leaving a cold trail in its wake, before tilting his head back to down the champagne he held in his glass without saying a word.

    ¡°I feel like my cousin-in-law is angry.¡± Zheng Mi Mi walked for quite a distance away from them before whispering to me.

    ¡°How could you tell?¡± I took two glasses of champagne from the passing waiter¡¯s tray, one for her and one for myself.

    Zheng Mi Mi accepted it as she purposefully acted mysterious and stretched out an index finger, moving it before my eyes: ¡°You don¡¯t understand, this is a woman¡¯s intuition¡±

    I smiled, originally having thought that she had some trick up her sleeve.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m toasting to little shi jie, I hope your intuition comes true.¡± After that, I clinked my glass with hers.

 CH 51

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Mi Mi here?¡±

    I was just bringing a wine glass to my lips, when a familiar, poised female voice sounded from behind me.

    The woman in question wore a tight, flaming red dress, hugging and showing off every curve on her body. She donned a bold red lip, her skin white as snow and her hair in big luscious waves, her aura unmistakably cold and aloof. As soon as she came close, Zheng Mi Mi, the little mermaid who previously shone, was totally eclipsed.

    ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t my cousin.¡± Zheng Mi Mi made an effort to straighten her back, refusing to be bested just yet.

    Xiao Mo Yu held up a red wine glass as her sights appraised her cousin critically, glancing at her flat chest, before she carried on dismissively: ¡°I heard you¡¯re currently practicing boxing? If you have time you should try to train¡­¡± Suddenly she registered my presence, as in an instant her whole frame stiffened as she stared at me incredulously, ¡°How are you here?!¡±

    Her memory was pretty good, quite a long time had passed but she still remembered me.

    ¡°Long time no see, Miss Xiao, how have you been doing recently?¡± I raised a toast to her, attempting to recall the name of the young man from the club, ¡°who was it¡­ how¡¯s Sasha again?¡±

    Xiao Mo Yu¡¯s complexion instantly changed, as she was thrown off by my question.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Sasha?¡± Zheng Mi Mi asked, curious, ¡°You two have previously met before?¡±

    Xiao Mo Yu remained calm and unperturbed, as she shot subtle daggers at me and replied, ¡°We¡¯ve met once before, but I didn¡¯t expect to be reunited again here. Are you two¡­ lovers?¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi immediately hooked my hand, and thus the competition between the two women began.

    ¡°Yeah, we met from the fight club. He¡¯s my shi di, and I am his shi jie. Take a look, cousin, aren¡¯t we so fitting for each other?¡± Zheng Mi Mi clutched on tightly to me after finishing her remark, flashing an evidently exaggerated and insincere smile to Xiao Mo Yu.

    Xiao Mo Yu was slightly wary of me, and so nodded reluctantly in response as she replied with equal insincerity, ¡°Yes, you two are quite fitting for each other.¡±

    ¡°Cousin, you really should hurry up and find a boyfriend too. You¡¯ll never find someone as good as my ex-cousin-in-law, but if you were looking for someone who¡¯s worse than him, you¡¯ll find men aplenty on the streets.¡±

    Did she mean that after Sheng Min Ou, it didn¡¯t matter who Xiao Mo Yu decided to date, they would all never measure up to him?

    The bite in her remark was unexpected from Zheng Mi Mi, and seeing this, I guess she really was born and raised in an established family after all. Even if she didn¡¯t get full marks for the artistry behind her words, she would still score an easy ninety nine.

    ¡°What does Sheng Min Ou have¡­¡± Xiao Mo Yu was evidently livid over her comments, but due to my presence, she couldn¡¯t fully retaliate. She could only gather her hair together in her hands as she feigned aloofness, ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware of the fact that I¡¯ve recently been dating the lead singer SKY from the band Skull?

    ¡°What? SKY?!¡± Zheng Mi Mi appeared to be a fan of this band, she had previously even recommended their songs to me before. This news had a huge impact on her, as she clutched her chest and took a step back involuntarily, almost getting tripped over by the hem of her skirt. Fortunately, I reached out and was able to firmly support her in place.

    She took a deep breath, her nails almost piercing through my clothes, but still she armed herself with a smile on her face as she readied herself for battle again. ,

    ¡°Yt, atf ues ktb tjr cb fsfygbkr bcmf tf ajxfr boo tlr wjxfeq?¡±

    Ktlr alwf la kjr Wljb Zb Te ktb rffatfv ja tfg kbgvr, ¡°Tbe!¡±

    Ktflg ilqr kfgf uecr jcv atflg abcuefr kfgf rkbgvr, jr gfwjgxr jcv gfyeaajir kfgf fzmtjcufv yfakffc atf akb, j ygliiljca mijrt bo kbgvr. Pa kjr j yjaaif yfakffc kbwfc, jcv ater cba bcf atja P mbeiv lcafgofgf lc, rb veglcu atf atlmx bo la P abbx ws ifjnf rjslcu atja P cffvfv ab erf atf yjatgbbw. P delmxis rxlvvfv jkjs ogbw atf rmfcf, jr lo atf rbifr bo ws rtbfr kfgf rilmx klat bli.

    I was just a vase there for decoration anyways, whether or not I was present shouldn¡¯t be of concern for the two.

    The air-conditioning was turned up to the max in the venue, and I could even feel the chill despite wearing a suit. Thinking about it now, I really didn¡¯t know how all the beautiful women dressed up in their evening gowns were able to bear the chilling temperatures.

    I took a glass of champagne in my hand as I left the hall, the terrace outside lit up with dim lights, and underneath it a sea of dark, inky green. Although the conference centre had a legacy behind it, due to its age a lot of its infrastructure couldn¡¯t keep up, such as the taps in the bathrooms for hot and cold water, and the dim lighting outside of the main hall. Added to this, because the building was a heritage site, even if there was money being invested in its renovation, it was difficult to make changes to the buildings appearance with ease.

    However, this ambience on the balcony was great for passing whispers during a lovers¡¯ rendezvous.

    I placed the champagne glass with its contents untouched on a brick ledge, and felt at my various pockets before I fished out my lighter and some cigarettes from the inner pocket of my blazer.

    Just when I was about to light it up, the door leading to the main hall was pushed open, and in an instant the noise and the commotions from the crowd poured out from within. A while later, it all disappeared again.

    I stood in the dark, so Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t spot me the instant he stepped foot outside.

    He walked straight to the edge of the terrace, his hands on the ledge, as he looked down at the dark depths in front of him. He remained stationary for a long while, and I wasn¡¯t sure whether he had drank too much so was trying to cool off with the breeze, or if he purely just wanted to escape the crowd inside and come out for a breath of fresh air.

    I stared at his back, and after admiring it for long enough, I lit the lighter as there was a resounding ¡®pop¡¯.

    This minuscule sound was enough to break the silence for Sheng Min Ou to discover my existence. The muscles on his shoulders tensed suddenly, as he slowly raised his head, seemingly trying to figure out which direction the sound came from.

    Then, he looked over with a frosty expression as he located my position. When he realised that it was me, the furrow between his eyebrows lifted as his expression morphed into a rare display of surprise.

    I held the cigarette between my fingers as I gestured at him, ¡°Do you want one?¡±

    If this was before, he most certainly would¡¯ve just turned around and left right there. However, today he not only walked towards me without much hesitation, he also took the cigarette from my hand and lowered his head so I could light it up for him.

    ¡°You came out for the breeze?¡± I cupped my hand around the flame, blocking the wind as I obediently lit his cigarette.

    Sheng Min Ou straightened up and leaned against the ledge, breathing out smoke as he replied, ¡°I despise social niceties.¡±

    I nodded and said nothing, the two of us each smoking our respective cigarettes, falling into a strange silence.

    When we had finished it, I lowered my head as I took out my phone, and begun my act again, ¡°Ah, Mi Mi is looking for me, so I¡¯m going to go back in first¡­¡±

    I was just about to leave, when I felt someone grab my wrist from behind, the force applied so strong I felt as if my bones were going to be obliterated under his grasp.

    It was so painful that I struggled reflexively to shake off the other person¡¯s hand, and it was precisely at this moment that the door separating the ostentatious circles and the silence was pushed open again, as a tall, thin man walked out while talking on the phone.

    ¡°I said that this matter can¡¯t be known to others. I don¡¯t care what method you have to resort to, you must suppress it¡­¡±

    Upon hearing the sound of someone approaching, Sheng Min Ou suddenly loosened his vice grip on my wrist.

    I cursed inwardly, rubbing my hands and turning around with a trace of panic as I asked, ¡°Ge, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The man talking on the phone fell silent, and Sheng Min Ou cast a glance over there before taking the cigarette out of his mouth and quashing it in the champagne glass next to him. Without raising an eye he said, ¡°Nothing, you can go now.¡±

    I remained in place, standing anxiously for a while, and when it sunk in that he was ignoring me, I finally turned around and took my leave. When I passed by the man who was making the call, the other party had already put away the phone and was looking at me with an inquisitive gaze. The man has long, slitted eyes and thin lips, and upon glancing at him I got the sense that he was someone who was astute and unfeeling. I could apply the classic Chinese idiom to him that he was ¡®handsome and outstanding¡¯, but that almost would be a bit of a stretch.

    I nodded at him, giving him a kind and gentle smile, yet within I had already condemned him to a fate where his body was split into eight pieces and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

    When I returned to the banquet hall, Zheng Mi Mi had already returned from her battle against Xiao Mo Yu and was looking for me.

    ¡°Did you see my cousin-in-law around?¡± She asked, holding a plate in one hand.

    ¡°No.¡± I replied, and picked a piece of sushi from her plate as I shoved it into my mouth without batting an eye.

    At this moment, there was a small commotion in the banquet hall. As a middle-aged man walked into the banquet hall, people all around would sporadically go up to him with a wine glass in hand as they greeted him.

    ¡°That¡¯s my uncle, Xiao Sui Guang, the chairman of Mei Teng Pharmaceutical.¡± Zheng Mi Mi whispered in my ear.

    No matter how one thinks about it, Xiao Sui Guang should be in his fifties right now, but perhaps it was because he took great care of his body, he looked as if he was in his early forties, with no signs of ageing at all. His posture was upright and when walked, it was as if a gust of wind had swept past. Just by watching from afar, one could sense the boldness and the aura of prestige he carried with him, formed through years of experience.

    After meeting him, I realized why everyone had remarked that Xiao Mo Yu was a disappointment. The father, a tiger, had given birth to a liability of a pup, which also explained why he must have wanted Sheng Min Ou to marry into his family.

    In terms of temperament, the two of them really did bear similarities.

    Xiao Sui Guang clinked glasses with the guests politely and occasionally engaged himself in conversation with them from time to time, when suddenly, I saw the person that I had previously seen on the terrace appeared next to him. He was brought to the side in a familiar manner, as Xiao Sui Guang introduced him to the surrounding guests.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, him.¡± Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s tone suddenly became one of abhorrence, as it was even more disdainful than when she faced Xiao Mo Yu, ¡°He¡¯s my uncle¡¯s nephew, and his surname is also Xiao. His name is Xiao Meng, and he¡¯s the newly appointed successor.¡±

    It appeared that Xiao Mo Yu really wasn¡¯t an option here, so Xiao Sui Guang had completely abandoned the prospect of her succeeding, and instead looked for successors among his nieces and nephews.

    ¡°What I¡¯m telling you right now is just between you and me. My uncle initially held cousin-in-law in high regards at the beginning, and had put his heart into training him for ten years because he seriously intended for him to be the successor. You could even say that my cousin ultimately was just a means for this to happen, however¡­ unfortunately even in the end it didn¡¯t end up working out. Cousin-in-law was not moved by fame and fortune, and didn¡¯t care for Mei Teng¡¯s tens of billions of assets.¡± Zheng Mi Mi sighed, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just as my uncle said, everything Sheng Min Ou had done for Mei Teng, was in exchange for what he had bought with his money. If it wasn¡¯t for that ten year agreement where he effectively sold himself, then there would be no hope of Mei Teng keeping him for that long. At the end of the ten-year period, he no longer has anything holding him back, and so he can let go of everything and instead do what he wants to do. ¡±

    I was stunned hearing this, as I repeated, perplexed, ¡°A ten year contract where he sold himself?¡±

    I had thought about this earlier, confounded by how someone like Sheng Min Ou could have served a pharmaceutical company for ten years. Even if it was a position like being the chief legal adviser, having a role where he silently contributed and remained shadowed behind the glory was such a departure from his usual temperament.

    I had wondered whether it was because Xiao Sui Guang had previously provided some sort of financial support for him, and so out of gratitude he had worked at the company to repay him. However, now that I¡¯ve heard Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s words, it appears that there was something hidden going on in the background this whole time?

    ¡°I had also found out by accident when I overheard my parents talk about it. It seemed that something had happened to someone in cousin-in-law¡¯s family back when he was attending college. He needed a hefty sum of money, so he approached my uncle¡¯s company with nothing else but himself, and waited a whole day until he got the chance to have an audience with him. My uncle was bemused at this occurrence, of a university student reaching out to him, and he thought it was going to be them expressing their gratitude for financial assistance. However, it turned out that they would instead say¡­¡± Zheng Mi Mi cleared her throat and continued in a low voice, ¡°Give me two million and I will sell myself to your company for ten years.¡±

    I repeated suspiciously: ¡°Two million?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact specifics of their negotiations, but my uncle actually even agreed to it in the end, and exchanged two million renminbi for ten years of his freedom. Fortunately for him, he lived up to his end of the bargain and didn¡¯t let my uncle down. During the period when he was still interning, he had already discovered a loophole in one of the contracts, and single-handedly because of that saved Mei Teng five million renminbi. Since then, my uncle has held him in high regard¡­¡±

    Two million renminbi¡­ ten years ago?

    Ten years ago, other than myself getting into trouble, who else could it be? If I had heard Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s words a month ago, there was a chance that I might not have determined the cause to be myself. However, after coming across that locked room, and knowing that Sheng Min Ou wasn¡¯t as indifferent to me as he appeared to be, how could I still spin the narrative and convince myself that this money might not have been for me?

    But how could it be two million renminbi, how could it possibly be such an amount?

    Back then, my mother had told me that the compensation sum for Qi Yang¡¯s family was only five hundred thousand, and that was made up of the sum of her own savings plus the money she received after selling the house. Now that I think about it, did they really only ask for half a million?

    Her words back then were vague, and her various cover-ups now in retrospect appeared to be full of flaws and inconsistencies.

    Was it precisely because Sheng Min Ou had indebted himself because of me, that even in the face of death, my mother was still unrelenting and refused to tell me the truth?

    I felt light-headed. Within the towering walls, I was refused freedom for ten years. He was outside those walls, yet in the end he was chained down too, unable to go anywhere.

    Jiraiya (translator): Behold, the first rule of BL angst. If the title has ¡®ten years¡¯ in it, you know you¡¯re in for a world of hurt.

 CH 52

    ¡°Shi di, are you alright?¡± Zheng Mi Mi observed my expression as she exclaimed, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡±

    After listening to her monologue, I was indeed not feeling great, in fact my heart wasn¡¯t feeling great at all. At this moment, I wish I could¡¯ve dropped everything to be by Sheng Min Ou¡¯s side, clarifying everything that had happened between us, and then embraced and kissed him under the spill of moonlight. From then onwards, we would spend the rest of our lives lovingly with each other.

    However, I also knew that if I went to confront him now, he most definitely would not admit to anything, and he might even turn the tables on me and chide me for thinking too much of myself again.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I smiled at Zheng Mi Mi as I continued, ¡°The air-conditioning here gave me a slight headache, I¡¯ll just head outside for a bit and I¡¯ll be alright again.¡±

    Even if he continued to vehemently deny everything that had happened, I found that I couldn¡¯t care less about it anymore. I had set up this whole scheme and now I was likely to ruin it all because of this one action, but I didn¡¯t care. One of my biggest traits was being brazen-faced, so if he wasn¡¯t going to react to what I was doing, then I¡¯ll just go to him instead.

    Back in the ancient times, we had Kua Fu who attempted to hunt down the sun, and now, we have Lu Feng chasing birds. If he refused to come down, then I would relentlessly chase after him; we¡¯ll find out who¡¯s more patient in the end.

    I was about to go to the balcony to look for Sheng Min Ou, when my way was blocked. A young woman, who looked to be a secretary appeared in front of me and informed us that Xiao Sui Guang had called for us and wanted to see Zheng Mi Mi and myself.

    When I glanced at Zheng Mi Mi, I saw that her brows were furrowed too, as surprise was etched plainly on her face.

    He was an elder after all and could be thought of as my saviour in some regards, so I nodded at her as I motioned for her to lead the way.

    ¡°Why would my uncle want to see you?¡± Zheng Mi Mi had an arm hooked with mine as she whispered softly in my ear, before suddenly catching sight of Xiao Mo Yu standing beside Xiao Sui Guang from afar. As if an epiphany hit, she remarked, ¡°Oh, I got it, it had to be my cousin who spilled this news to him. What an underhanded trick, I didn¡¯t even snitch on her for messing around with celebrities again, but here she is spreading news of me to my uncle already.¡±

    Xiao Sui Guang wanting to see me wasn¡¯t exactly a big deal. Both Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s parents were abroad as she returned to China alone, and now she had gotten a ¡°boyfriend¡± whose name he probably had never heard of. Being an elder as part of the older generation, it made perfect sense for him to want to meet me.

    ¡°You would be Mi Mi¡¯s boyfriend, right.¡± Xiao Sui Guang remarked with a kind smile on his face as he reached out and shook my hand. ¡°He¡¯s very handsome, Mi Mi really has grown up now, she¡¯s got good taste.¡±

    ¡°Hello Mr. Xiao, I¡¯ve heard a lot of great things about you.¡± I shook hands with Xiao Sui Guang and when I turned around I saw that Xiao Meng had also extended his hand out to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m Xiao Meng, I¡¯m pretty much Mi Mi¡¯s older brother. In the future, don¡¯t hesitate to reach out to me if needed.¡± As he spoke, he retrieved from his pocket an exquisite gold foiled business card as he passed it to me.

    I accepted it with both hands, and replied rather embarrassedly, ¡°I only bought this outfit today, so I don¡¯t have a business card on me¡­¡±

    ¡°No worries at all, you can just give it to me next time.¡±

    Of course I wouldn¡¯t interpret this as if he really wanted my business card, and an invitation for me to actually reach out to him if anything happened. These were just words of pleasantry, plain and simple. In this world, if something really happened, the only person I could unreservedly reach out to was my older brother. Apart from him, there was no one else.

    In the end, how can someone else¡¯s brother be better than your own brother?

    ¡°I heard that you two met at the boxing club?¡± Xiao Sui Guang asked.

    Zheng Mi Mi and I from beginning to end was but a total lie. This kind of story could deceive Xiao Mo Yu, being more naive and inexperienced¡­

    However, in the face of Xiao Sui Guang, I found it onerous to continue fabricating the lie. His gaze bore in me too deep, coming from someone who was older and had experienced it all. It was like in one glance he was able to penetrate through all my disguises and deceit.

    ¡°En¡­¡­.Yes.¡±

    ¡°How old are you this year?¡±

    ¡°Kkfcas-rfnfc.¡±

    ¡°Rba atja sbecu bo jc juf jcswbgf.¡±

    ¡°Eluta, sfr, cba atja sbecu jcswbgf.¡±

    Ktlr kjr ws olgra alwf yflcu reypfmafv ab remt mgbrr-fzjwlcjalbc ogbw jc fivfg, jcv klat fjmt defralbc yflcu jrxfv P mbeiv jiwbra offi atf rkfja obgwlcu bc ws yjmx. P kjr pera jogjlv atja atf cfza defralbc tf jrxfv kbeiv yf ktlmt eclnfgrlas P jaafcvfv, jcv jc tbcfra jcrkfg ab atja kbeiv rilq bea bo ws wbeat yfobgf P fnfc gfjilrfv la.

    Fortunately, Zheng Mi Mi realised what a predicament I was in, stepping forward to take Xiao Sui Guang¡¯s arm in her hand as she pleaded coquettishly, ¡°Okay now, Uncle, what are you doing here, are you about to reference his ID next? It hasn¡¯t been long since we started dating, don¡¯t put too much pressure on him.¡±

    Xiao Sui Guang smiled and he replied, ¡°You¡¯ve really all grown up now, look at you, protecting someone else from your family.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi blushed at his words as she feigned anger, ¡°Uncle, cousin has actually also found herself a boyfriend, he¡¯s also really famous. Next time, why don¡¯t you also ask her to bring her boyfriend for you to meet?¡±

    She had been kicking a soccer ball around and striked it right at Xiao Mo Yu¡¯s doorsteps.

    Xiao Sui Guang immediately looked at his daughter, ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve changed your boyfriend again?¡±

    The word ¡®again¡¯ was used brilliantly, leaving others with a lot to ruminate over.

    Xiao Mo Yu hurriedly lowered her head as she sipped her wine in an attempt to cover up her guilty conscience.

    Xiao Sui Guang snorted coldly in response, and for a moment there wasn¡¯t a trace of a smile anywhere, as it was evident that he was strongly opposed to his daughter¡¯s behavior.

    However, when he looked at me again, he quickly reverted back into the appearance of a magnanimous elder.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Xiao Sheng also enjoys boxing, he can talk to you about this.¡± Xiao Sui Guang turned his head to quietly mutter a few words with the female secretary from before, and the other party gave a serious nod before taking her leave.

    As to who ¡°Xiao Sheng¡± could be, I didn¡¯t even need to use my brain to figure it out. Just the instant darkening of Xiao Mo Yu and Xiao Meng¡¯s expressions was enough of an indicator.

    Xiao Mo Yu clearly didn¡¯t want to see Sheng Min Ou, as she quickly excused herself saying she needed to go to the bathroom, and slipped away in an instant.

    Xiao Meng employed more tact in his performance. He started off with the false pretenses as he reminisced on how it had been a long time since he had seen Sheng Min Ou, and he had missed him dearly. It was plain that just moments before, the two of them were on the same balcony and it was impossible for them to not see each other there, but here he was sprouting lies as if it was all true.

    ¡°Mr. Lu, your watch here is very interesting.¡± Xiao Sui Guang noticed my watch and displayed great interest in it.

    I stilled for a second before pulling up my sleeves to reveal a rose gold mechanical watch on my wrist. It was paired with leather straps, and if it had to be labelled as something of interest, it really could only spark rather inconsequential interest.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Zheng Mi Mi exclaimed surprisedly, ¡°There are no hands on this watch, how are you able to tell the time?¡±

    I explained how the watch worked to her, ¡°This is a minute repeater watch. If you were to check the time you wouldn¡¯t look at the hands to tell the time, rather, you¡¯d listen.¡± After saying so I activated a dial on the side of the watch, and from the watch core came three different sounds of distinct rhythms, each chime sounding crisp and melodious, like a bird¡¯s cry. ¡°The time right now is 8:18pm.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi leaned in towards Xiao Sui Guang, attempting to see the time displayed on his wristwatch. Upon seeing the time really was 8:18pm, she cried in wonder at the accuracy of my watch.

    There really was nothing magical happening though. There were three kinds of sounds, the first of which every chime would represent an hour, the second differing chime representing every quarter past, and the third distinct tone denoting a minute. If I wanted to know the time, all I had to do was add the three individual parts together, and possess basic mental arithmetic skills. That was it.

    ¡°It appears that Mr. Lu is very knowledgeable about watches.¡± Xiao Sui Guang remarked, suddenly enthused. ¡°I also quite have an interest in watches, and therefore have some sort of collection at home. If the opportunity arises, Mr. Lu, you could come to my house to take a look.¡±

    Xiao Meng added, ¡°My uncle is a watch enthusiast. We have a whole room full of iconic watches, and he also had a vault door commissioned to guard against theft.¡±

    I waved my hand hurriedly as I replied, ¡°I only know about it because this knowledge is required for my line of work, and I dare not call myself an expert on this subject. Individuals like Mr. Xiao would be regarded as an expert, however for me, at most the knowledge I have is just a mere product of circumstance.¡±

    Xiao Sui Guang began laughing as he talked with us about his collection. However, the atmosphere surrounding our conversation had become much more relaxed than the initial interrogation I went through.

    When Sheng Min Ou arrived, Xiao Sui Guang had just begun talking about his most prized watch.

    ¡°That really is one beautiful watch. I¡¯ll have to show it to you if I get the chance.¡± He saw Sheng Min Ou heading our way, and hurriedly waved him over to his side, ¡°Xiao Sheng, come, come here, let me introduce you to a friend. This is Mi Mi¡¯s boyfriend, Lu Feng.¡±

    A smile appeared on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s expressions as he reached out his hand at me, ¡°Congratulations.¡±

    His hands were slightly cold to the touch, and my palms were faintly sweaty, so the feeling of our hands being held together was not too pleasant of a feeling.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but though Sheng Min Ou looked at me with the most ordinary gaze, his eyes not particularly cold, I still felt as if his sights were as sharp as a blade, as it sliced at my flesh.

    Despite myself being the one who had set up the trap, seeing him actually fall right into it flustered me slightly.

    ¡°Uncle, we all are from the same boxing club, Cousin in l-¡­Mr. Sheng is even our shi xiong.¡± Zheng Mi Mi explained.

    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Xiao Sui Guang smiled, ¡°Young people should take this time to hang out together and talk more with each other. Xiao Sheng, you take work too seriously, you need to regulate yourself and know when it¡¯s time to take breaks, alright? Otherwise, when you get to my age, that type of lifestyle just isn¡¯t sustainable.¡±

    It was rare for Sheng Min Ou to not display any sort of impatience towards the ramblings of an ¡®idiotic commoner¡¯, as he appeared to really take in his words and listen attentively. He nodded before replying, ¡°I understand.¡±

    The circle conversed for a while longer, when Xiao Meng suddenly mentioned the various work contracts drawn between Sheng Min Ou¡¯s Jin Shang law firm and Mei Teng Pharmaceuticals. As confidential information was involved, Xiao Sui Guang had asked me and Zheng Mi Mi to take our leave first and to go enjoy ourselves.

    Afterwards throughout the banquet, the three of them were engrossed in their conversation, and they appeared to be enjoying the topic greatly. Xiao Sui Guang also brought Sheng Min Ou and Xiao Meng around with him as they clinked glasses with quite a few other people, this scene greatly reminiscent of parents who took their children along with them during Chinese New Years to toast the other parents.

    I wanted to catch Sheng Min Ou alone, but there never was a chance. After the charity auction ended, the guests started enjoying themselves on the dance floor as it opened up. After this event ended, it was almost ten o¡¯clock, and people started leaving the room in trickles. Zheng Mi Mi yawned as she similarly got ready to leave.

    I glanced back at Sheng Min Ou, who was still talking to Xiao Sui Guang, and motioned for Zheng Mi Mi to go first.

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t eaten enough yet, you should go back first.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi looked at me skeptically, ¡°You still want to eat? It¡¯s true, the meal here is free, but shi di, you don¡¯t have to eat until you burst, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know the greatest achievement in the world of buffet eating? Holding yourself against the wall as you¡¯re on your way out. Take your leave first, I¡¯ll call a taxi later to make my way home.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi shrugged, as she gave up and left me alone.

    I waited for a while, and saw Sheng Min Ou and Xiao Sui Guang shaking hands as they went in for a quick embrace, finally showing signs of leaving, as I hurried behind to keep up with them.

    I caught up to Sheng Min Ou on the long stairs outside the main entrance of the conference center as I approached from behind, ¡°Ge, what a coincidence, you haven¡¯t left yet? Did you drink tonight, do you want me to send you home?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou had quite a bit to drink, his silhouette on the steps appearing rather unstable as he attempted to make his way down the steps. He heard my voice and immediately froze, before slowly turning his head back, ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t drink?¡±

    I laughed as I moved towards him to support his weight before replying, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±

    After hearing Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s words, I made up my mind to carry out this exact plan, so of course I would take extra care to not consume any alcohol.

    ¡°Oh.¡± He replied, fishing out the car key from his pocket, dangling from his curved index finger as he held it in front of me. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be in your care tonight.¡±

    I initially thought that we would have to go back and forth on this topic of discussion for a while, and honestly did not expect him to be so complaisant today.

    As soon as Sheng Min Ou got into the car, he lowered the car window slightly so a slit appeared for ventilation. Then, he lowered the back of his seat, closed his eyes, and did not talk for the remainder of the ride. I glanced at him, turned down the air-conditioning to the lowest setting as I remained silent the whole duration and delivered him outside his apartment block.

    When I was about to help him get into his apartment, I found that I had a hard time doing so.

    ¡°Hold yourself up for a while¡­¡±

    After resting for a while in the car, the alcohol Sheng Min Ou consumed seemed to be completely absorbed by his bloodstream, as he appeared even more inebriated than before. As we walked, it felt as if the entire weight of his body was leaning against me, making each step an arduous effort. It was as if I had the weight of an entire mountain on my back, and it was one that I couldn¡¯t seem to wake up no matter what.

    When we came out of the elevator, I pressed his hand against the fingerprint lock, however it showed up several times to be incorrect. I was left with no other choice, as I could only enter his password to unlock the door.

    I helped him into the bedroom, stumbling and tripping over ourselves as we went. I hadn¡¯t even gotten the time to turn the lights on, when I fell to the ground and gasped for breath, utterly exhausted.

    With the curtains wide open, natural light spilled in from outside, Sheng Min Ou lay on the mattress, seemingly knocked out, as his brows and eyes were relaxed. Aside from his breathing being quite heavy, he didn¡¯t look drunk at all.

    Ai, since he was in a state like this, we could only have our conversation tomorrow then.

    To prevent him from sleeping in discomfort, I took off his shoes and socks and loosened his tie. I even unbuttoned all of his shirt.

    I looked at his sleeping face for a while, and touched his searing hot cheeks. Afraid that he might get thirsty in the middle of the night, I got up and prepared to go to the kitchen to pour him a glass of water.

    I massaged my neck and my sore shoulders as I walked out. The bedroom door was right in front of me, and I had half a foot out of the room when suddenly all the hairs on my back stood up. I knew innately that something was off.

    Our evolutionary instinct against danger had me reflexively freezing in my footsteps. Just when I was about to turn my head back, my vision blurred, and when I realised what was happening, there was already a tie pressed against my tongue, acting as a gag.

    ¡°Huh?! Hhn¡­Hnn¡­¡± I subconsciously moved to pull at the thing in my mouth, and flailed around as my legs seemed to be in an unstable position. The next second, as if I was a horse, I was dragged by the reins of a tie, back to the bedroom.

    Jiraiya (translator): Next chapter will be nsfw

 CH 53

    This chapter is NSFW.

    What was happening?

    I was at a loss and felt slightly helpless at what had suddenly occurred. However, the situation at hand clearly did not allow me to think further about what had transpired.

    I was thrown onto the mattress, my back facing the ceiling and my face in the sheets. The tie around my mouth tightened its grip, as if it was about to splice my face in half.

    During the chaotic struggle, a pair of broad and powerful palms brought my hands and wrists together, as they were raised high above my head. After which, they were then clasped together tightly, so that I was no longer allowed any further resistance.

    The scent of alcohol lingered around my nose, and my saliva gradually drenched the tie around my mouth. I was unable to move the upper half of my body, and just as I was about to prop up my lower half with my knees, there was a swift click. The pants around my waist instantly changed from having hugged onto me tightly to now being loosened, as they fell from my hips.

    Shit, those were the new pants that I had just bought as well, and I had only worn them once.

    ¡°Hmmph, hnng¡­.¡±If I was able to speak, I would¡¯ve definitely told him that he didn¡¯t need to be so abrasive, and that I could¡¯ve done all of this myself. I would have stripped myself down and then laid patiently to cooperate with his demands, he really didn¡¯t have to do all of this.

    But I couldn¡¯t speak, and from the beginning, Sheng Min Ou had made sure to eliminate all other possibilities, so that something which was consensual now looked it was rape.

    From behind my back, I felt the scorching touch of his body as he silently pressed against me, without speaking a single word throughout the whole process. He moved to bite my ear, whilst simultaneously sliding his hand down to grip the member down there as he began to rub it roughly.

    Initially, I would¡¯ve still had the strength to resist him, but after this maneuver I was now completely rendered helpless. I fell head first into the pillow again, my whole body trembling with anticipation.

    The first time it happened when we were in the club, I only felt anger, but this was because I wasn¡¯t aware the person behind the act was Sheng Min Ou. The whole process for me was utter humiliation, with nothing to enjoy. However, this time things were different, I knew it was him. It was he who touched me, he who bit me, and he who was giving me bliss.

    To call what was happening now as the object of my perpetual longing was an overstatement, however describing this as something I had merely kept in my mind was then an understatement. He was always the reason why I tossed and turned, and he was at the centre of my burning desires. Each thought of him plummeted me into a state where I yearned for him tenfold more, and aside from him, no other distraction occupied my mind. If he hooked his finger at me, I would never be able to escape his palm; and if so much as just smiled at me, I would do anything for him.

    I bit down hard on the thing in my mouth, as my body stiffened for a moment, and it spilled in his hands.

    Fuck! I cursed inwardly, my face slightly torched. Usually it doesn¡¯t happen this fast. It was because I knew it was Sheng Min Ou who was doing it, so I couldn¡¯t hold it back. Keep in mind that usually even if nothing happened, even if all he did was just glance at me for a second, that would already provoke a visceral reaction from me. His clothes, his handkerchief, everything, they were all aphrodisiacs that plunged myself into lust.

    My whole body became pliant, and every pore seemed to have opened up, screaming in choruses about how good they all felt right now. Rough pants sounded by my side, as something bit my ear forcefully, the pain startling me.

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± He finally spoke, his voice pressing against the side of my ear, as each breath he inhaled and exhaled extended into my ear canal. The sensitive fuzzes within my ear were stirred by the commotion, causing waves of tingles and itchiness, as I trembled again uncontrollably.

    ¡°Look, you¡¯re hard again.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell whether he was drunk or if his mind was still clear. I just felt like his voice sounded deeper than usual, his words coming out slower and more like a drawl. Aside from these details, I couldn¡¯t see his facial expressions, and so I found it hard to distinguish his state of sobriety. ¡°Do the others know what a whore you are?¡±

    I was taken aback, and amidst the slick sweat which covered my whole body and the suffocating lack of air in the room, my mind was suddenly filled with question marks.

    Others? What others?

    This was pure slander.

    If he was daring, he should¡¯ve let me loose instead. I was going to show him just how licentious I could be!

    The aftermath of my orgasm had not yet faded, but Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t wait for me to protest, before he had returned everything I ¡®spat out¡¯ back to me. His thick and elongated fingers weren¡¯t gentle, and they were even borderline disdainful in the way that they were shoved in and out of me, as my thighs became a mess of viscous liquids.

    Within the dimly lit space, aside from the slurred, unintelligible moans which escaped my lips, the only other sounds were the slippery slapping of liquids which would have turned anyone¡¯s face red.

    ¡°Nnn¡­ unn nnggh¡± I lifted my head and neck as my back arched and my waist began trembling. My behinds tightly clamped around his fingers, as I shot out cum again.

    This time, the sensation was much stronger, and also caught me off guard. My whole mind was empty, as my body helplessly trembled in sporadic bursts. Saliva dripped down the corners of my mouth as it trailed below and mixed with the sweat on my neck, becoming even more of a mess.

    With that, all my strength left me. Seeing that my body had become even more pliant and was about to drop down, a hand suddenly supported my waist as fingers fondled my obliques, without holding back on any of the power that was exerted in their movements.

    Pain was mixed with pleasure, and all my sensitive areas were held captive in the palm of his hands. As a result, I subconsciously wanted to move away from him, but in the next second, I felt something penetrate me.

    All the muscles in my body instantly stiffened, the pleasure and pain from my waist paling in comparison to the bulk of my problem, which almost had knocked the soul out of my body.

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t wait for me to get acquainted before he became the pestle to my mortar, the entire reason for his being to brutally pound and shatter everything.

    I felt as if I was burning, my vision starting to blur as my body lurched forwards and back beyond my control. Despite the tie acting as a gag in my mouth, it was unable to contain the screams from my throat.

    If Sheng Min Ou was to untie my tie now, my screams would have blown his roof off.

    Amidst the fierce rhythm, with my toes kicking and jerking against the sheets, I began starting to twist and swerve my waist against his motions due to not being able to handle his ferocious attacks.

    This action vexed Sheng Min Ou greatly. The fingers that pinched my waist tightened sharply, and he said in a malevolent tone by my ear, ¡°Do not dodge.¡± After speaking, he bit the back of my neck in one swift motion.

    The bite was a mean one, one that left no room for resistance. It was like when a predator had caught its prey, and how they ruthlessly kept their stranglehold on their prey with their bite to the neck until they were unable to fight back anymore, before they finally removed their sharp teeth from them and began to savour their meal.

    P mglfv bea lc qjlc, jcv kjr kfii jcv ageis gfragjlcfv, ecjyif ab wbnf jcswbgf.

    Cii bo ws rfcrfr rffwfv ab tjnf qfjxfv rbifis obg atlr jma bo lcafgmbegrf. P ofia atf qjlc, jmmbwqjclfv ys atf gjulcu arecjwl atja kfgf kjnfr bo qifjregf, jr P vgbkcfv ecvfg atflg nlbifca alvfr.

    The grip which shackled my hands together had been released, though I had no recollection of when it occurred. Instead, they turned to hold down my waist and abdomen, so that where we were joined, we were pressed even deeper.

    All ten of my fingers curled instantly as I tightly gripped the bedsheets under me, my hands gathering the white cloth before releasing it again.

    Oh my god, was I about to die on this bed?

    It would be hilarious to be fucked to death, I didn¡¯t even have the face to think about the expressions of Wei Shi and the others would show at the memorial service. If there really was an underworld, I would probably be part of the group of ghosts who would never be able to hold their heads up high, for this very reason.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s waist seemed to have been equipped with a motor, as he seemed to be getting faster and faster. Each time he thrusted, he entered hard and deep, and with each impale I felt as if I was within an inch of my life.

    I thought that I had a lot of vigour, but I was no match for Sheng Min Ou¡¯s relentless enthusiasm in which he would get hard, become soft, and then get erect again. After a while, I really couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so with one hand still tightly balling the bedsheets under me, I had my other hand reach behind me as I pressed it against his abdomen, hoping that he could ease the rhythm and not be so intense.

    It was also the first time I had touched him there. As he was currently exerting power from his abdomen, all his muscles were tensed, and therefore he was as hard as a rock.

    Hearing this, he did pause for a second, offering a short respite as he gave me time to breathe. However, before I had time to rejoice over the break, in the next second he had begun launching an even more violent attack, as he completely nailed me under his crotch.

    The tides came forcefully, breaking down my reason and annihilating all forms of thinking that were irrelevant to the moment. All I could feel was a rush of heat surging to the tip of my head, then in the next second, my body shook along with it as I reached the peak.

    My thigh muscles contracted, as my movements rippled over to the place where we were joined.

    Sheng Min Ou let out a groan under his breath as he let go of the nape of my neck. I immediately felt a warm fluid seeping into my body, the unfamiliar physical sensation of it triggering a wave of frissons down my body.

    He didn¡¯t withdraw immediately, instead, he straightened up and remained still for a moment, as if observing my reaction.

    There was no strength left anywhere in my body. No matter whether it was in terms of my mental reserves or physical ones, both were crushed into dust. It was the type of fatigue where I would feel tired if I even tried to move a finger.

    Suddenly, the back of my neck was being gently stroked by a large hand, trailing from top to bottom, as if petting a compliant pet. He seemed to especially like touching my back like this, and as I recalled, he did the same thing last time.

    I was drenched in sweat, my breaths a faint whisper. I just had to have a sensitive upper body, where even the slightest touch would trigger an extreme reaction from me.

    ¡°Wuu¡­ nnghh (don¡¯t¡­).¡±

    His palm trailed from the bottom to the top, as he pressed his hand against my neck.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice drifted from behind, his tone nonchalant, yet not to be defied, ¡°You will not voice your thoughts¡­ You will not carelessly touch things with abandon¡­ You are to have no objections¡­¡±

    Each time he spoke an agreement, he would thrust in me again, and the part which penetrated my body grew harder in response.

    It had only been a few minutes, yet he¡¯s about to go at it again?

    It wasn¡¯t alcohol that he was drinking, but rather Viagra right?

    I silently muttered a string of curses at him, but I still obeyed his instructions, as I accepted every demand from him docilely, following him into the descent of being overcome with desire again.

    The whole night was spent in ecstasy, as I felt overwhelmed with pleasure. He was like a beast who had been left starving for days on end, as he indulged in my body to the fullest extent. If he was unable to devour even the last bone in my body, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfil his desires, which were deep as an ocean. Later on, the fatigue I felt had become too much, as I could no longer stay awake, as halfway through the act I passed out and slipped into unconsciousness.

    When I woke up, I was alone on the mattress, and I was alone in the room.

    Ever since the death of my father, I had a feeling that Sheng Min Ou was drifting further and further away from me.

    This feeling was not strong at first, it was just a vague concept, but since Sheng Min Ou had started attending university, it suddenly became clear to me.

    He had been admitted into a prestigious school and was now integrated amongst the elite, and for most people, this should¡¯ve been something which caused them great joy. The day Sheng Min Ou received the admission letter from the university, it was a scorching summer¡¯s day. I was sitting at home eating an ice block in front of the fan when suddenly the doorbell rang.

    Sheng Min Ou went to open the door, and the courier at the door offered his congratulations before proceeding to ask him to sign off an item.

    He opened the parcel while walking back. I saw the name of the university printed on the envelope, and suddenly jumped up as I approached his side, ¡°Ge, you got the acceptance letter!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s expressions remained neutral, without much joy on his face. He gave the letter a rough glance, then stuffed the letter back into its envelope, as he took it into his room.

    When he reappeared again, he seemed to have forgotten about this incident completely, as he resumed his activities of flipping through his book on the sofa, letting the fan billow cool wind on his clothes. If someone saw this scene without having context from earlier, they would¡¯ve thought that he had failed the exam instead.

    The best university in Qing Wan, so many people would have stepped over each other just to walk through their gates. When one made it into such a prestigious institution, they usually wished for everyone around them to know.  This was clearly something that should have elicited great joy, however, he appeared to almost even be discontented.

    ¡°Ge, aren¡¯t you happy?¡± I licked the popsicle as I leaned towards him and asked.

    ¡°Why should I be happy?¡± Sheng Min Ou responded, without lifting an eye at me. He turned a page from his book as the spinning fan blew at the pages, lifting them up slightly and making a faint ruffling sound.

    I was stunned, biting the popsicle as I thought about it, ¡°Because¡­ you¡¯ve been accepted to the university of many people¡¯s dreams.¡±

    ¡°What does the dream of others have to do with me?¡±

    I was speechless for a while, as I innately felt that something was off with this sentence, but I couldn¡¯t quite put a finger to it. However at that moment, it was the first time that the thought ¡®Sheng Min Ou is different from me, and he¡¯s different from ordinary people¡¯ had appeared with such clarity in my mind.

    I began to reminisce on the past, and came to the realisation that Sheng Min Ou never seemed to be ever ecstatic over anything, and I had always never seen him shed a tear. The older he got, the more it felt like he had a wall which separated him from everyone, as he concealed all feelings and kept them to himself.

    It wasn¡¯t that he lacked social skills, nor was he someone who buried his head in books all day, he just¡­ did not appear to be close to anyone. Using his own words, other people¡¯s affairs had nothing to do with him, and his affairs did not need to be minded by others.

    Later on, he moved into the university dormitories, and moved away from home. The tangible distance between us exacerbated that vague feeling of ¡®I might lose him¡¯, and shaped it into a clearly formed idea.

    In the past, I thought it was because of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s unparalleled intelligence, how he had a prodigious IQ that wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person like me would have, which had caused this sense of distance. I chased him desperately, attempting to shorten the distance between the two of us. If he broke away and drew a three metre gap between us, then I would reduce that distance by two and a half metres. He disliked how I stuck to him, but I was even more determined to cling on to him. If I couldn¡¯t prevent him from drifting further and further away from me, then I was resolute on becoming the person who was closest to him.

    Later on, I realised that I might have thought about this the wrong way.

    Just like how people have to eat three meals a day, like how before flowers wither, they must have bloomed prior; like how if there was rainfall, there must have been overcast skies preceding it. For Sheng Min Ou, being accepted into a good university and obtaining a great job that was admired by plenty¡­ perhaps was just a matter of fact, just a series of events that occurred in the journey that was life. He was following the prescribed routine, doing everything a normal person would have done. The world was but a backdrop in the set, and other people were just NPCs. He could distinguish between what was right or wrong, but he couldn¡¯t feel excessive emotions.

    Just like how he kept admonishing himself to stay away from me, if he identified a goal, he would never ignore it. Rather, like a stubborn martyr, he was stringent in removing all obstacles, regardless of my sorrows or joys.

    Yet, when his policies, like when he said ¡°do not get close to me¡± do not go as expected, he himself might not even be able to explain why he ultimately lost control in this manner.

    The events which sparked joy for others, might not be what makes him feel joy; the things which saddened others, he similarly might not feel dejected over. Events which incensed others, may not cause a similar rage within him.

    He always appeared cold and indifferent, because nothing could really touch his heart. He also appeared tired, because the world to him was too boring, ignorant, and was just not what he wanted. He believed that a painful life was meaningless, and couldn¡¯t understand why some people would endure suffering nine times if they could in return taste happiness once.

    He was honestly a total pessimist from head to toe, but perhaps he didn¡¯t even realize this himself.

    When I woke up, it was almost ten o¡¯clock. I didn¡¯t want to get up, however the sun rays shining through the window were so unbearably hot that I couldn¡¯t continue sleeping anymore.

    Sheng Min Ou was not in the room, seeing that today was a working day, and combined with the fact that he was a workaholic, my guess was that he had probably left for work.

    When he left, I had a vague feeling of it, but I really did not have strength to open my eyes to check.

    I felt quite uncomfortable, as my body was a slick and sticky mess. I went into Sheng Min Ou¡¯s bathroom to take a shower, and after washing, I wrapped a bath towel around my waist as I noticed a bottle of black cologne on the sink.

    I aimed it at the air twice and sprayed, then took a deep breath. It was different from the faint wild wood and leather scent that I smelt before. The top note had a slight tea fragrance, with a trace of a lily of the valley scent. Paired with Sheng Min Ou, it was an exquisite combination. On the surface, he was calm, elegant, and proper in dress. However, in private, with a whip of his belt, he bit your neck with more force than anyone else.

    My trousers were gloriously sacrificed last night, so I could only randomly pull another pair from Sheng Min Ou¡¯s closet to replace mine. However, since Sheng Min Ou was a bit taller than me, the size didn¡¯t fit me as well, and after putting it on I had to roll up my pants and cuff them twice.  In an instant, the pair of pants seemed to have devalued in price.

    Now that I was dressed properly again, with the bottle of expensive cologne with me, as soon as I got out of the bedroom, I was met with the locked door opposite myself. My heart skipped a beat, and given that this was a rare opportunity, I wanted to revisit it again.

    The first time doing something, one¡¯s attempts would always be characterised by inexperience. However, the second time doing so, they would be markedly more familiar with it. My movements were smooth as I punched in the password. I was waiting for the door to open, when from my phone, an ear splitting siren suddenly sounded, startling me as I almost squatted right then and there with my arms over my head.

    I stared at the lock blankly, an ominous feeling rising in my heart.

    There were two unread messages on the phone, one from Shen Xiao Shi, asking if I was going to head to the store today. The other was from Zheng Mi Mi, following up on what food I managed to eat yesterday.

    I replied back to Shen Xiao Shi, letting him know that I would be there later, and then sent a smile emoji back to Zheng Mi Mi, telling her that I had stuffed myself last night.

    I hailed a taxi, heading towards Sheng Min Ou¡¯s company. The receptionist was in the middle of ordering food for everyone, and seeing my arrival, asked if I wanted to put in an order with them.

    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± I smiled at her and went straight to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office.

    When entering, Sheng Min Ou was on a call by the window. He glanced at me, and then parted his sights.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for concern, I will take care of it¡­¡± Sheng Min Ou answered, repeatedly assuring the other party. A few minutes later, when the call was coming to an end and before he hung up he had said, ¡°Take care of your health, Mr. Xiao.¡±

    The surname was ¡°Xiao¡±, and he had used such respectful language. Could it be Xiao Sui Guang? Take care of your body¡­ but yesterday Xiao Sui Guang was still looking all healthy, so how come he was being told to take care of himself today?

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sheng Min Ou asked, after he hung up the phone. He remained in position, standing in front of the window, his glance not on me. His head was lowered as he played with his phone, seemingly typing a text to someone.

    Seeing his carefree attitude, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that my legs were still weak right now, I would have thought that everything which happened last night was just a fever dream.

    ¡°Ten years ago, when you asked me to go to the ruins. What did you want me to see?¡±

    Everything was gradually becoming clear, but this alone, this one point, still perplexed me.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s fingertips stilled mid-motion, and they only began moving again after a long while, ¡°Haven¡¯t you asked me this before. I deliberately led you to see Qi Yang, and deliberately allowed the two of you to fight with each other. I had planned everything for a long time. All the misfortune you have suffered for the past ten years, it was all caused by me.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I cut in, ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou finally raised his head. First, his gaze remained fixed right in front of him as he breathed in and out roughly, then he looked at me.

    ¡°You secretly made your way into that room.¡±

    Sure enough, he knew that I had entered the locked room. In fact, yesterday night he was probably just pretending to be drunk so he could see whether or not I remembered the password.

    What was the point? Were we trying to see who was more masterful at employing the thirty-six stratagems?

    I coughed softly as I responded, ¡°If I told you that I didn¡¯t enter, would you believe me?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou slipped his phone in his pocket as he tucked both hands in there and said, ¡°That room just serves as a warning to myself, a reminder for me to act as a ¡®normal person¡¯, and to  not slip up in front of others. It means nothing.¡±

    Even until now, with conclusive evidence in hand, he was still unwilling to give up the ¡°right path¡± that he was determined to walk down. He was more than willing to argue with me, for me to believe that everything which had happened was just an illusion.

    I didn¡¯t know if I should be angry over his outright refusals, or if I should feel sorry for his stubbornness.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. You kept all my letters, because you wanted to warn yourself.¡± I slowly approached him as I continued, ¡°For ten years, every time the First Prison was open to visitors, you walked back and forth outside of their gates because the air was probably good there. You traded ten years in exchange for two million to pay the compensation sum, because Xiao Sui Guang appreciated you, and insisted on giving you the money.¡±

    Since he refused to admit it, I had no choice but to lay out my aces on the table one after another. It was almost like he thought the biggest card I had on my hand was a Joker, however instead I flashed him both Jokers together.

    Even for someone as smart as him, it was still difficult to find new, reasonable excuses in an instant.

    ¡°All the incidents mentioned prior is indeed what a normal older brother would do for his younger brother.¡± I stroked his straight and proper tie, as I hooked a finger around it and continued. ¡°But what happened last night, that was not something a normal older brother would do with his younger brother. What I am going to do now, is also not something a normal younger brother would do to an elder brother¡­¡±

    Before I had finished my words, I tugged hard on the tie in my hand and brought my lips together with Sheng Min Ou¡¯s.

    Our lips pressed against each other as he lowered his eyes, and after a moment of stiffness, he relaxed his guard when I slipped my tongue through his lips. He allowed me to kiss him however I wanted, without any resistance, but he also did not respond to my moves.

    I gently poked at his soft tongue, and after trying for a while without seeing a response, I tickled the roof of his mouth which my tongue. This time he reacted, as his teeth snapped shut, and gave me a bite that was neither light nor severe.

    ¡°Ahhn¡­¡± I let out a dissatisfied cry, and just when I was about to thread my hands into his hair we heard Wu Yi¡¯s voice by the door.

    ¡°Laoshi, fuck, the food finally came!¡±

    He really did not pick a good time to come. I hadn¡¯t gotten enough yet when I reluctantly withdrew my hand. Sheng Min Ou pushed me away and wrenched back his tie from my hand as he repositioned it, then looked out the door.

    Holding two boxes of lunch in each hand, Wu Yi stood at the door dumbfounded, with one hand still maintaining the posture of knocking on the door.

    It appeared that I had forgotten to close the door behind me when I entered the room just now¡­

    I touched a finger to my nose and took the opportunity to slip away, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going first, you guys take your time to eat.¡±

    Wu Yi¡¯s mouth was half open. He looked as if his soul had just escaped his body and as if his world views had just been completely obliterated. I walked towards him and when I was by his side, I reminded him out of goodwill, ¡°My brother and I are not related by blood.¡±

    Wu Yi stared at me blankly, ¡°Ah¡­huh?¡±

    I gave him a pat on the shoulder before walking out, and felt the cologne in my pocket before I decided to return.

    ¡°Ge, by the way, I took your cologne.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou had already seated himself back behind his desk, and when he glanced at said cologne bottle in my hand after hearing my words, all he did was gently spit out two words.

    These same two words, before I used to find it annoying, but how come now after hearing it I felt like it was sweet? Was I becoming more and more of a contemptible individual?

    I put away the cologne and smiled, ¡°Okay then.¡± I hadn¡¯t even taken a few steps when I turned around and went back. ¡°By the way, Zheng Mi Mi and I are just an act. Don¡¯t get angry, from beginning to end, in my heart there was only you.¡± After which, ignoring Wu Yi who looked as if he was a pile of ashes about to be blown away by the wind any second, I blew Sheng Min Ou a kiss, and then whistled a tune as I walked away.

 CH 54

    Trigger warning: Depictions of gore, self harm and animal abuse/torture.

    Zheng Mi Mi called me, and said that Xiao Sui Guang wanted to see me.

    Hearing this, I was taken aback as I had only met Xiao Sui Guang once prior. We hadn¡¯t conversed much either, so why did he want to see me again?

    ¡°He took a liking to you that day, and he wants to invite you for a meal at his place. He¡¯s even eager to have you take a look at his collection.¡± Zheng Mi Mi explained.

    I knew that it wasn¡¯t me that Xiao Sui Guang wanted to see, but rather ¡°Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s boyfriend.¡± All of this had started off with a solitary lie, and now I needed to make up even more to keep the initial one going. It was a tale as old as time.

    ¡°This is the last time that I¡¯m going to help you out. If your Uncle asks about me again, then just tell him you¡¯ve dumped me.¡±

    Zheng Mi Mi eagerly responded to my request with a barrage of ¡®yeses¡¯, then forwarded the address to me as we confirmed the time.

    ¡°Di-ding.¡±

    I had barely just hung up when a customer walked in from the door.

    ¡°Welcome¡­¡±, As soon as I noticed that the person I was talking to looked to be only around sixteen or seventeen, I stopped mid greeting, as I reminded her instead, ¡°We don¡¯t conduct business with minors here okay, little sister.¡±

    I pointed a finger at the red text on the walls, as the young girl startled in response. Her hair was all sleek black and pin straight, as she hurriedly waved her hands at me.

    ¡°No no, I¡¯m here to look for someone, not to pawn off an item.¡±

    The young girl had large eyes and a small face, her features all beautiful and proper, and purely judging by appearance alone, she looked as if she was a hundred percent Chinese. However, when she spoke the intonations of her words sounded strange, like she was a foreigner.

    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± I asked. There were only three people here, Liu Yue, myself and Shen Xiao Shi. Liu Yue had already seen her come in earlier, and had no reaction whatsoever, so it didn¡¯t look as if she recognised the girl. I also didn¡¯t recognise this girl, so the only person who could possibly know her was¡­

    My gaze fell upon Shen Xiao Shi, as I had all kinds of guesses in my mind.

    Given Xiao Shi¡¯s current predicament, ignoring the whole situation of his mother, who hadn¡¯t yet escaped her fate of possibly being sentenced to jail, there were still a heap of things going on. The incident between him and Wei Shi hadn¡¯t been cleared up yet, and now we were going to add a young girl, a minor into the mix. I was legitimately worried that he wasn¡¯t going to be okay after this.

    Shen Xiao Shi could feel my sights on him, as he was quick to explain, ¡°Wha- what? I don¡¯t know her, this doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me.¡±

    He then shot the question back to the girl, ¡°So, who are you actually here for?¡±

    The girl¡¯s sights circled the room once before fixing her gaze on me, as her fingers clutched the straps of her backpack hesitantly. She then walked towards me as she introduced herself, ¡°Hello, could I just check if you¡¯re Lu Feng? My name is Han Ying Yuan, I¡¯m Qi Yang¡¯s half sister, we have different fathers you see.¡±

    As soon as I heard the two words ¡®Qi Yang¡¯, whatever expression was on my face instantly vanished.

    I had previously considered this, what I would do if I somehow bumped into Qi Yang¡¯s family members on the street. However, I had never imagined that they would proactively seek me out instead.

    The pawn shop wasn¡¯t the right place to have this conversation as I felt the inquisitive gazes of Liu Yue and Shen Xiao Shi. I led Han Ying Yuan out of the store as we went to a nearby tea restaurant instead.

    ¡°Sorry, for suddenly reaching out to you like this¡­¡± The young girl placed her black backpack on her lap and brought it close to her, as if she was embracing it. ¡°My father and mother remarried to become one family, so there¡¯s quite a large age gap between my half-brother and myself. After¡­ my brother¡¯s incident, barely two years had passed before my parents divorced. I followed my father as we moved overseas, and it has been a long time since I¡¯ve come back. I¡¯ve returned this time to arrange for my mother¡¯s funeral.¡±

    P kjr cba fzqfmalcu atlr, ¡°Tbeg wbatfg¡­¡±

    Ktf sbecu ulgi¡¯r ujhf kjr mjra vbkckjgvr, atlcis nflilcu tfg rbggbk, ¡°Vtf qjrrfv jkjs bcf wbcat jub vef ab j mjg jmmlvfca¡­¡±

    Ktbeut Hl Tjcu kjr j qrsmtbqjat, tlr ojwlis wfwyfgr kfgf lccbmfca. Pa kjr ralii j qlas ab qjrr jkjs yfmjerf bo jc jmmlvfca, jcv ab cfnfg gfjmt jc fivfgis juf.

    ¡°Condolences.¡± I muttered, however, even if this was the case, I couldn¡¯t think of a reason for why the young girl would want to come find me. All the grievances and ties between their family and I had been cleared ten years ago.

    Han Ying Yuan pressed her lips together, looking as if she had much to say but did not know how, as she appeared to be struggling with where to start. It was then precisely at this moment that a waiter arrived, bringing us some refreshments to drink.

    The cold glass had condensation on the sides, yet the girl cupped it tightly between her hands as if it could provide her warmth, as she seemed to gather the courage to continue again.

    ¡°To be honest, I shouldn¡¯t have come to disturb you. However, I found something in my mother¡¯s remnants of items. After taking a look at it I honestly¡­ honestly couldn¡¯t convince myself that I hadn¡¯t seen anything¡­¡± She zipped open her backpack, and took out a worn down, green notebook from within. She carefully placed it on the table and pushed it towards me.

    Though puzzled, I accepted it and opened the notebook out of curiosity to take a glance at its contents. Inside were rows and rows of cramped, claustrophobic scribbles, each word being formed extremely carelessly. From the format of the entries, this notebook looked to be a journal.

    I became more apprehensive as my eyes traced down the page. This wasn¡¯t just anyone¡¯s diary, this was Qi Yang¡¯s.

    I flipped over a page and looked up to meet the eyes of Han Ying Yuan. She lowered her gaze, as if she was afraid to look at me directly.

    ¡°I found this at the bottom of one of my mothers big suitcases where she kept all her clothes. I was never really tight with my brother, when he passed I was only six years old. When I first found this journal, I thought that this would be a good way for me to get to know him better. I never could have imagined that¡­¡± She tightened her grip on the glass, as minute shivers ran down her body, ¡°This is without doubt, the devil¡¯s diary.¡±

    As I continued to read the journal entries, I began to understand why she had described it as such.

    Qi Yang was indeed a psychopath, and within his journal entries he made no effort to conceal his twisted, deviant actions. Today, he killed a stray dog; the next day, he tortured a stray cat. He recorded the horrific outcomes of these actions in gruesome detail, as if he was at a wine tasting, as he noted down each chilling scream they let out, and every miniscule reaction they showed.

    He derived joy from this, and he had absolutely no remorse.

    All of a sudden, I had a gut feeling that perhaps in Qi Yang¡¯s diary I could find the piece of the puzzle that was missing, the part that Sheng Min Ou wasn¡¯t willing to tell me.

    I started to quickly flip through the pages in the journal. Ten years ago, Sheng Min Ou was in his second year of university, and had been classmates with Qi Yang for two years. That was the end of everything, but if I wanted to know how things began, then I needed to go back to see what happened when they first met.

    I gave Qi Yang¡¯s diary a cursory glance as I flipped to the page where he had just entered university as a first year. I noted Sheng Min Ou¡¯s name appearing for the first time in his journal.

    Qi Yang and Sheng Min Ou were actually roommates at the beginning. From the moment Qi Yang set eyes on Sheng Min Ou, he was given no impetus to arrive at this conclusion but he became absolutely certain that they were of the same ¡®kind¡¯, and thus they should be together.

    In another context, for a different person, this type of feeling would be ¡®love at first sight¡¯. However, given it was Qi Yang, this could only be termed as ¡®fatality at first sight¡¯.

    ¡°Bullshit¡­¡± I swore, unable to keep quiet whilst reading his entries, as I belatedly realised my actions were inappropriate. Sitting opposite me was a minor, and she was also the younger sister of the person that I had cursed at.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, apologising to Han Ying Yuan, ¡°I couldn¡¯t hold it in.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She replied, drinking her milk tea, as she gently shook her head at me.

    I continued to read onwards, and the more I saw the more enraged I became, until I was trembling all over and my insides were burning.

    I was wondering why Sheng Min Ou would move out of his dormitories, and why he would rather rent a place outside. Turns out that he had been harassed by QI Yang to the point where he couldn¡¯t continue living there anymore.

    Qi Yang followed him, and sent him all sorts of explicit messages, forbidding him from interacting with anyone else. He even sent him various ¡®presents¡¯, still dripping fresh blood as it was given.

    If it was an ordinary person, then I¡¯d imagine that they would have already been driven crazy by Qi Yang. However, Sheng Min Ou was able to in the end withstand his harassment for two whole years.

    [Before, he appeared unmovable and stoic, and I thought that there was nothing that I could do which could shake him. However, today I suddenly found out that he actually has a younger brother.]

    Even though I was just seeing some words written on paper which alluded to me, chills still creeped up my spine, as I couldn¡¯t help but feel goosebumps erupt on the back of my neck.

    [His younger brother, such an adorable brother, if I split open his chest and spill out his guts, then would he still remain as calm as he is now?]

    [I sliced open my own stomach today and went to find him, kneeling in front of him as I promised that he could do anything to me. He rejected me again and said that I didn¡¯t understand him. I didn¡¯t understand him? Apart from me, no one else on this earth would understand him better!]

    [I told Sheng Min Ou that his younger brother was the same as me, he wanted him all to himself. His younger brother wanted to kiss him, so that in his eyes only he was reflected. Sheng Min Ou¡¯s gaze was terrifying, hahahaha!]

    I sped through the journal, reading ten rows at once. The words, which were written slovenly at first became more and more illegible. Each stroke was a stab to the page, a personification of his psychotic nature.

    Finally, when I had reached the last few entries of his journal, the contents, paired with his handwriting, was outright suffocating.

    [I secretly bugged Sheng Min Ou¡¯s room, and hacked into his phone messages.]

    [He wanted to meet up with me near the abandoned building so he could kill me. He had also asked his younger brother to meet him there too, so he could see him one last time. I knew of all his plans, but I won¡¯t let it go his way¡­.]

    [And he¡¯s still going to say that I don¡¯t understand him? If I don¡¯t understand him, then how would I be able to read his thoughts so clearly?]

    [Though dying at his hands would be great, dying at the hands of his younger brother would be even better. I want him to never be able to forget me in his life.]

    [Neither of us belong in this world. I will be free soon, but how long will he be suffering for?]

    I stared at his last entry, shell-shocked. The restaurant had their air conditioning on full blast, yet sweat seeped through my pores.

    The words of Qi Yang from ten years ago couldn¡¯t be trusted. I knew this from long ago, but I hadn¡¯t considered that everything, including his death, was a ploy that he had planned.

    I raised my head and looked towards Han Ying Yuan at a loss and pointed towards the diary, ¡°What does it mean here? Back then, Qi Yang allowed me to kill him?¡±

    Han Ying Yuan bit her lips as she spoke in a low voice, ¡°From what¡¯s written on the journal, it appears to be so¡­ back then I was still young, so I don¡¯t really have many memories of it, but I heard from my father that there was a mental illness which seemed to be hereditary on Qi Yang¡¯s father¡¯s side of the family.¡±

    I had always cursed at Qi Yang, saying that he was a psychopath, but it turns out that there actually was something wrong with him.

    I laughed as I closed the journal up and pushed it back to her.

    ¡°Why did you decide to come now and show me all of this?¡±

    Han Ying Yuan stilled for a second, ¡°I just felt like, I should come find you to tell you the truth. Then you wouldn¡¯t have to spend the rest of your life in remorse over what had happened.¡±

    I cut her off, ¡°I don¡¯t feel any remorse over the incident. Killing him is a decision I¡¯ll never regret.¡±

    I only regret not having done so earlier, otherwise Sheng Min Ou could have endured two years less of Qi Yang¡¯s harassment.

    Han Ying Yuan seemed as if she had been shocked, as she shrank in response, ¡°S-Sorry.¡±

    I took out my wallet and left a banknote on the table, ¡°This has nothing to do with you, thank you for telling me the truth.¡±

    I got up and was about to leave before remembering that I still had a question which I hadn¡¯t asked, so I retraced my footsteps to do so.

    ¡°By the way, do you know how much the compensation sum was ten years ago?¡±

    At once, the young girl¡¯s face seemed to burn red at the thought, ¡°I think, I think it was two million¡­ sorry, we shouldn¡¯t have accepted it¡­..¡±

    It really was two million.

    I closed my eyes, not saying anything more, as I turned and left.

    After seeing Qi Yang¡¯s diary, everything which I hadn¡¯t been able to piece together before now made sense.

    Qi Yang was really exceptional. Using his death, he had plotted for both mine and Sheng Min Ou¡¯s demise.

    However, why did he say that Sheng Min Ou calling me out to meet me was the last time that we would see each other? Was he exaggerating his words or was it¡­ because it was the truth?

    Hot air enveloped me outside of the restaurant, yet my hands and my feet were chilled to the bone.

    There was another possibility that I had never considered, and now it suddenly, unexpectedly occurred to me.

    The person who wanted to get into a fight to the death with Qi Yang, who wished for an ending that resulted in mutual destruction, was never me. The fear that Sheng Min Ou wanted me to experience, was also not Qi Yang¡¯s death.

    [Once you have truly experienced fear, you won¡¯t want to get close to the abyss again.]

    In his eyes, he was the abyss in my life, and it was only when he disappeared that I would be able to return, walking the right path again.

    He was using a tragic method, deliberately triggering stress in me, so that I would remember to never get close to people like him again.

    I clutched onto my chest, and sank down to the side of the street next to the flowers and shrubs. I was suffocated by the cruel reality of it all, my breaths coming up short.

    Whatever he did, he never took my feelings into consideration. He would also never think about how I felt as a consequence of his actions¡­

    To him, this world was boring, and he had become tired of pretending to be an ¡®ordinary¡¯ person. He wanted to be free, and he wanted to leave me in this hell.

 CH 55

    Thank you VBaby for sponsoring this bonus chapter!

    I spent several days calming myself down as I refrained from going to find Sheng Min Ou and even changed his name on my phone to ¡°Do Not Touch¡±.

    The truth was unexpected but I wasn¡¯t wholly angered over it. Rather, I just needed some time to digest all this information.

    Moreover, no matter what Sheng Min Ou did back then, now that the situation had passed, what good was it for me to remain angry in retrospect? Sheng Min Ou was the type of person where even if I did expose him, he wouldn¡¯t bat an eye at me.

    And to be precise, I wasn¡¯t angry, I was afraid.

    I knew that this world was not all that important to him, and all the living beings which currently existed weren¡¯t anything of significance in his eyes. If he felt like it was necessary, then he would be able to leave everything behind without any semblance of hesitation. He did not revere death, so naturally he would not feel guilt towards the people he left behind, let alone think about what a world without him would mean to me.

    In pursuit of just one trace of happiness, people were able to exhibit extraordinary perseverance. Sheng Min Ou was my hint of happiness.

    With him, no matter how arduous things became, I would still be able to endure and get through it. Even if I landed in hell, I would be able to climb my way up. However, if I ended up losing him, then this world would consist only of hardship, no longer as important to me, and no longer as special.

    How could one not be afraid to live in a world that was filled only with bitterness?

    A few days later Saturday came around, and it was the day of Xiao Sui Guang¡¯s banquet. Zheng Mi Mi had told me to just dress casually as it was a family dinner after all. Therefore, I wore a T-shirt, slipped on some jeans and headed straight there. She stood outside the main gates and had been waiting for me since early in the morning for us to go in together. She had also carefully prepared a bottle of red wine for me to bring as a gift.

    I held the bottle of red wine in my arms as I knocked on the door of the Xiao household and was led inside by the housekeeper. I was brought to a compact yet warm reception room. Before I could even get a word out to praise the decor, my eyes fell on Sheng Min Ou, who was ensconced in a leather sofa.

    The smile on my face instantly froze, as I turned to Zheng Mi Mi adjacent to me, forcing a pleasant facade as I questioned her on why she hadn¡¯t let me know that Sheng Min Ou would also be present.

    Zheng Mi Mi was even more surprised than I was, as she replied with a whisper that only the two of us could hear, ¡°I have no idea, my uncle didn¡¯t tell me that he would be here.¡±

    Itfcu Zl Zl ralii tjv jc jgw tbbxfv jgbecv wlcf ja atlr wbwfca, jcv atf akb bo er rabbv klatlc mibrf qgbzlwlas klat fjmt batfg, rb lc atf fsfr bo batfgr la ibbxfv jr lo kf kfgf ibnfgr, rtjglcu lcalwjaf ktlrqfgr klat bcf jcbatfg.

    ¡°Vegf fcbeut, sbe¡¯gf ybat fzqfglfcmlcu atf tbcfswbbc qfglbv. Tbe akb jgf atf asqf ktfgf fnfc lo sbe qjrrfv fjmt batfg ys, sbe kbeiv ub obg j delmx ylaf ja fjmt batfg¡¯r fjgr, jogjlv atja bcibbxfgr kbeivc¡¯a yf jyif ab afii tbk wemt joofmalbc sbe tjnf obg fjmt batfg.¡± Wljb Vel Xejcu kjnfv j tjcv ja er, jr tf yfmxbcfv obg er ab ub bnfg.

    Sheng Min Ou was on the sofa there. Before we came in, he seemed to be conversing with Xiao Sui Guang. His posture appeared rather casual, a hand propped on his forehead, an elbow resting on the armrest of the sofa, and a glass of whiskey in his other hand, complete with a spherical ice ball in the drink. Hearing the commotion, he cast his gaze towards the door. As Xiao Sui Guang joked, his gaze lightly swept past Zheng Mi Mi and myself, pausing on our arms, which were interlinked together.

    ¡°Young people always have an endless amount of topics to talk about.¡± He looked straight at me as he smiled, ¡°It¡¯s understandable.¡±

    I jerked my hand away from Zheng Mi Mi in an instant, my words tripping over themselves, ¡°A-Ah, what an embarrassing thing for Mr Sheng to witness.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t reply as Xiao Sui Guang¡¯s smile deepened, before he added more oil to the fire. ¡°Ai, look, he¡¯s getting shy now.¡±

    If this was a martial arts movie, I could¡¯ve spit out a liter of blood right about now.

    Zheng Mi Mi quickly sat down next to him, laying on an act of being angry as she spoke, ¡°Alright, uncle, don¡¯t make fun of us. By the way, where¡¯s my cousin, how come I haven¡¯t seen her around?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention her, she came back utterly inebriated last night, and ended up leaving early in the morning.¡± Xiao Sui Guang replied, sighing incessantly now that he was speaking of his only daughter.

    I moved to Sheng Min Ou and sat next to him in silence, not daring to get too close, as I left about half an arm¡¯s distance in between us. Later, during our subsequent conversation, he didn¡¯t even spare a glance at me. From beginning to end he only responded to Xiao Sui Guang and Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s words, as if I was just plain air to him.

    I felt as if I was a fish out of water, frantic and uncomfortable. Several times I was tempted to quietly lean over and initiate some small movements, but then I became afraid that the two people opposite me would catch on, as my frustration became almost palpable.

    I couldn¡¯t tell whether God was making a joke out of me right now. How was it that every time without fail, regardless of whether the other person was the same or opposite sex, each time that a situation which could be misinterpreted arose, Sheng Min Ou was always there to witness it? First Mo Qiu, then Shen Xiao Shi, and now Zheng Mi Mi!

    I found the soulless conversation to be increasingly onerous to endure, and after roughly half an hour later, a servant came by and let us know that dinner had been served, as we moved to the dining room.

    ¡°Apologies, I¡¯ll be one second, just going to the bathroom.¡± Sheng Min Ou gave me a barely discernible glance, before he turned and left.

    ¡°I need to go too!¡±

    I seized the opportunity to keep up with him, as I trailed after him, following the twists and turns as we came to a rather remote bathroom. After he entered, I rushed in after him, as I locked the door.

    ¡°Ge, I can explain¡­¡± I took the chance to make my move first as I embraced him tightly from behind, pressing my cheeks close to his back, as I spoke coquettishly, ¡°There really is nothing going on between Zheng Mi Mi and myself, my heart only has you, you and you alone. My body even still smells like you, can you smell it?¡±

    Ever since I had gotten my hands on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s cologne, I spritzed it on me every day, in the closet, on the bed, and even more on my body.

    Sheng Min Ou stopped in his tracks and remained stationary, but his voice was cold as he said,

    ¡°It has nothing to do with me, let go.¡±

    Last time he had smiled whilst congratulating me, then later that night I was gagged by a tie and I almost died on his bed. This time, if I believed him when he said that nothing mattered, then I would truly be a fool.

    ¡°My darling, my baby, my wonderful ge ge, in this life I will only ever love you. The situation with Zheng Mi Mi right now, it¡¯s all an act. I¡¯d promised her that I¡¯d act as her pretend boyfriend for the last time, it¡¯s not like I could just go ahead and break my promise.¡± I didn¡¯t feel shame in being sappy, as I turned up my sweet talking charms to the max, ¡°My heart has always belonged to you, if you don¡¯t believe it why don¡¯t you check for yourself?¡±

    I turned to face him and grabbed his hand as I pressed it against my chest.

    Sheng Min Ou frowned, his fingertips brushing against my shirt for a split second before he suddenly jerked his arm back.

    ¡°I told you already, it has nothing to do with me.¡±

    He stepped past me as he approached the basin and leaned slightly over it, pumping the hand wash as he scrubbed his hands so meticulously it was as if he was about to perform surgery.

    I guess he really came to wash his hands.

    I sighed inwardly, crossing my hands in front of my chest as I leaned against the wall and looked at him.

    ¡°Ge, I haven¡¯t bothered you these past few days, nor have I called you to harass you. Did you miss me?¡±

    He turned the tap on to rinse off all the foam on his hands, then took a wet towel from the side as he dried off.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think you missed me.¡±

    He directed his gaze at me from the reflection in the mirror, his lips curled up derisively, however he did not reply with any antagonising words.

    Looking at him in the mirror I was moved by an urge to suddenly ask a question as the words left my mouth, ¡°Ge, if one day I suddenly died, would you grieve for me?¡± After I had done so, I felt like I was being unreasonable, since I was forcing him to give a rather obvious answer.

    I lowered my eyes as I laughed at myself, ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s no need to answer.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou brushed past me as he moved towards the bathroom door, stirring up a breeze as he went, as his voice drifted from behind me.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to use the bathroom, then get out. Don¡¯t leave Mr. Xiao waiting.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I dragged out the last syllable, answering him in a lazy voice, as I pushed against the door weakly to walk out.

    By the time Sheng Min Ou and I had returned to the table again, we found that someone else had joined the table. Xiao Meng was here.

 CH 56

    ¡°Since everyone¡¯s here now, let¡¯s start the feast.¡± Xiao Sui Guang raised his wine glass and toasted everyone in a circle.

    Xiao Sui Guang was seated at the head of the rectangular table, facing the north as Zheng Mi Mi and I sat on one side, whilst Sheng Min Ou and Xiao Meng sat on the other.

    As the dishes kept coming up, our topics of conversation changed from one another. Given that it was a family-style banquet, the topics we indulged in weren¡¯t as constricted as usual. We dabbled in every topic, discussed current affairs, whatever we thought was worth talking about was entertained. Zheng Mi Mi even provided two pieces of gossip on celebrities, as Xiao Sui Guang laughed hearing the news.

    ¡°By the way, Xiao Sheng, how is that new case going recently? I¡¯ve heard people mention that the man who died was a long time abuser, and he always had the habit of beating his wife.¡± As we talked, Xiao Sui Guang brought up the case of Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother. ¡°How could a man hit his wife? And in the end, he was beaten to death by her. Honestly, he deserves it.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou stilled, holding his knife and fork, as he refrained from going into too much depth with his answer, ¡°The case is still ongoing, but we should be able to hear the outcome of it soon.¡±

    Xiao Sui Guang nodded, before suddenly turning to me, as he said solemnly, ¡°Xiao Lu, remember this, men must never beat women. Women are for us to spoil, to love and to respect. When you get married in the future, your wife will have the first and final say. Understood?¡±

    I had no response for a second, then Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s voice came from my side as she jumped in to respond, ¡°Well, women also can¡¯t just freely hit men. It¡¯s always wrong to use violence. Moreover, marriage is formed on the basis of mutual respect, everyone is born equal and there isn¡¯t such a thing as first say or final say.¡±

    Xiao Sui Guang was amused at her words, ¡°Look at this girl, I¡¯m speaking up for you, how could you expose me like this?¡±

    I looked across at Sheng Min Ou who was quietly eating. He looked completely uninterested in partaking in our conversation, and I grew more worried.

    He was too good at putting on a facade, to the point where what you saw was not necessarily what was going on beneath the surface. Looking at him now it appeared as if nothing was wrong, but there was a chance that inside, he was like the surface of a bubbling volcano. All it took was for me to trigger him before he exploded, and for me to suffer catastrophic consequences.

    Observing his indifference towards his surroundings, I had the thought to mess with him. I sneakily extended my feet under the table, as I imitated how lovers caught up in a clandestine affair would act, secretly engaging with him right under everyone else¡¯s nose.

    I hooked the upper surface of my foot with his calf as I slowly moved against him up and down, whilst observing Sheng Min Ou¡¯s expression as I did so.

    He was midway through drinking his soup before he suddenly stilled, the spoon holding the soup jolting as some of it spilled out.

    I stirred my own portion of creamy soup, making every effort to suppress the smile on my lips so that it wasn¡¯t too overt, as to not attract the attention of others. However, under the table, my movements became even more reckless and unbridled.

    ¡°Uncle, back then you weren¡¯t willing to let Xiao Sheng go, now look, if you had insisted on keeping him then Qing Wan would¡¯ve had one less exceptional lawyer. Though Mei Teng is good, how could it compare to being your own boss, right?¡± Although Xiao Meng was smiling as he spoke, I had the feeling that behind his smile, he spoke words laced with poisonous intent, his phrases containing insinuations, betraying the superficial friendly nature of his speech.

    Perhaps it was partly due to his deceitful, cunning looks. When his long, slender eyes shrunk into slits, it always gave the impression that he was calculating something, no matter the time or place.

    Zheng Mi Mi likely shared the same feelings as me, as she muttered softly, ¡°You obviously would agree with that last statement.¡±

    She said this lightly, so Xiao Sui Guang did not catch it, however Xiao Meng who was sitting opposite her, and myself who sat adjacent to her had heard her words. A cold light flashed in Xiao Meng¡¯s eyes, as he seemed to be agitated; however, considering that Xiao Sui Guang was present, he held back from instigating anything.

    When there was something to say, he would do so. I for one, was definitely not someone who had a filter, but if we were judging on the basis of being unrevealing, then Xiao Meng really could not compare to Sheng Min Ou. Sheng Min Ou could forbear his anger and carry on lively conversation with the most idiotic clients, and though it wouldn¡¯t be quite wholly imperceptible to the other party, they would definitely never be able to perceive changes in his emotions. He was accustomed to being stoic, and to carry on with a facade. Those who weren¡¯t familiar with him would never be able to figure out and grasp the endless thoughts he had, hidden under his polite appearance.

    That was the case even when it came to someone who was as familiar with him as myself. Even when my relationship to him was at a negative distance, I often found it impossible to decipher his true thoughts.

    As the saying went, accompanying a lord was the same as resting with a tiger. Given that I often stayed around Sheng Min Ou¡¯s side, it was like being side by side with a crocodile. Though normally he appeared to be a statue without any hostility in him, if you got too close and let your guard down, he would bite before you could react and leave you incapacitated for life. Yeah, let¡¯s not talk about the thrilling uncertainty that underpinned our every interaction.

    ¡°Mei Teng is great. It¡¯s actually too good, talent is so abundant there that my absence isn¡¯t one that will be missed, and for me to be there doesn¡¯t mean much either. The impact that I had was actually quite insignificant. Given this, a move into an industry which was better fitting for me would be a more optimal move, as I can be of greater assistance to more people who require my services. This is also a lesson that Mr Xiao had taught me, for me to never forget what I initially set out to do.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s words were spoken masterfully, as he also incidentally flattered Xiao Sui Guang¡¯s with his speech. Xiao Sui Guang was jubilant hearing these words, whilst Xiao Meng¡¯s expression twisted further.

    Sheng Min Ou placed down the spoon and stopped eating, as he picked up a linen napkin and wiped his mouth and then said, ¡°A while ago, I received a few pro bono cases, one of them being a medical dispute case involving Mei Teng. It seemed to be related to a new type of anti-allergic agent. I didn¡¯t pick it up at the time as I rejected it, so I¡¯m not sure what came out of the case.¡±

    Beneath the table, he shifted his feet, as if trying to avoid my harassment.

    ¡°Such a thing happened?¡± Xiao Sui Guang frowned as he said, ¡°Xiao Meng, you¡¯re in charge of drug research and development, are you aware of this?¡±

    Wljb Zfcu¡¯r fzqgfrrlbc mtjcufv, jr la yfagjsfv tlcar bo cfgnbercfrr.

    ¡°Pa¡¯r jii ubbv, ecmif. P¡¯nf rbinfv atf lrref, la kjr pera j mbeqif bo qbbg yjrajgvr mgjhfv obg wbcfs, la¡¯r cba jcsatlcu bo rluclolmjcmf.¡±

    Vfflcu atja tf kjr rb mbcolvfca, Wljb Vel Xejcu kjr gfijzfv rilutais, atbeut tlr ygbkr kfgf cba mbwqifafis ecoeggbkfv jr tf gfwjgxfv fjgcfrais, ¡°Ktf gfqeajalbc j mbwqjcs tbivr lr nfgs lwqbgajca. Ktfrf vjsr, ws tfjiat lrc¡¯a jr ubbv jr la kjr, rb sbe tjnf ab qea lc wbgf foobga ibbxlcu bnfg atf mbwqjcs. Qlat tbk Zb Te lr meggfcais, P¡¯w cba fzqfmalcu wemt ogbw tfg. Tbe, yflcu rbwfbcf ogbw atf Wljb ojwlis, wera atfgfobgf ajxf eq wbgf gfrqbcrlylilas.¡±

    The subtext contained in that message was quite a bit to process, as Xiao Meng broke out into a smile immediately after hearing this, excitement evident in his eyes.

    ¡°Will do, uncle.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± At this moment, I yelled abruptly, attracting the sights of everyone.

    Zheng Mi Mi looked at me bemused, ¡°What are you doing? Did you bite your tongue?¡±

    My eyes skirted around as if nothing had happened, completely not as if Sheng Min Ou had just mercilessly stepped on my foot under the table. I hissed lightly, and said with a hint of a mocking tone, ¡°I accidentally bit too hard, sorry, sorry, I must¡¯ve scared everyone.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou took a sip of the red wine in his glass, as if it had nothing to do with him, and casually let out a rather caring remark, ¡°Then you should be more careful, Mr. Lu.¡±

    Teasing the tail of a giant crocodile was a thrilling thing to do, but the pain that came afterwards was no joke either.

    After dinner, Xiao Sui Guang led us to see his collection. I have to admit that it truly was an impressive one. The collection was rich in different items and made people feel as if they were in a watch boutique. Many of them were also customized models that could not be found on the market, and this whole experience really opened my eyes and added to my understanding.

    After taking a look around, Xiao Sui Guang let me know apologetically that he had something to discuss with Sheng Min Ou. He left Xiao Meng with us, as he disappeared into the study with Sheng Min Ou.

    Xiao Meng agreed enthusiastically, but afterwards his mind appeared to be elsewhere. Every few minutes his glance would flicker towards the direction of the study, as if he wished he had X-ray vision, so he was able to immediately look through the door and discern what the two of them were doing.

    Zheng Mi Mi noticed his behaviour, and kept herself occupied with her phone, as she typed up paragraph after paragraph; to whom she was writing to, I had no idea.

    I maintained a superficial conversation with Xiao Meng for an hour, and just when I could not think of another topic to speak of, the door to the study opened and Sheng Min Ou walked out.

    He descended down the steps slowly as he called out to Xiao Meng and Zheng Mi Mi, ¡°Mr. Xiao wants you two to go up.¡±

    Xiao Meng went up without casting another look back and without speaking another word. Zheng Mi Mi however pointed to herself, a little surprised, ¡°I get to go up too?¡±

    I saw that it was getting late, and Sheng Min Ou had a coat in his hand, looking as if he was about to leave, so I said to Zheng Mi Mi, ¡°Go on up, say goodbye to Mr. Xiao for me, and tell him that I¡¯ll be taking my leave first. Thank him also for his hospitality today.¡±

    I should have said all this in person, but firstly, they were having a conversation between family members, and it was inappropriate for me to intrude as a fake boyfriend. Secondly, by the time I went up and came down again, Sheng Min Ou was sure to be gone, and thus the pros did not outweigh the cons.

    Zheng Mi Mi replied, ¡°Alright then, do you want me to call for someone to send you home?¡±

    ¡°No need, no need.¡± I glanced at Sheng Min Ou who was already walking outside, and I hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll just take Mr. Sheng¡¯s car and go.¡±

    Without waiting for Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s response, I chased after Sheng Min Ou as I left.

    As I passed the gates, it took a few quick paces for me to catch up and be by Sheng Min Ou¡¯s side again. I was unabashed as I said, ¡°Ge, I didn¡¯t drink today, shall I drive you back?¡±

    He didn¡¯t spare a glance at me as he tossed the car key in my direction. I caught it, and was very pleased with the cooperative attitude he displayed. As long as one was shameless, there was nothing that couldn¡¯t be done.

    I sat in the car, put on the seat belt and just pulled out of the spot when Sheng Min Ou suddenly announced, ¡°Xiao Sui Guang is about to die.¡±

    I slammed the brakes as I looked at him in astonishment, ¡°Huh?¡±

    Xiao Sui Guang had mentioned during the dinner that he was in poor health recently. I thought he was referring to having a headache or something similar, so I was taken aback that his health had deteriorated to this extent.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s long eyebrows furrowed, as he seemed agitated by my sudden braking.

    ¡°If you dare to brake like this again, then get out of the car.¡±

    I shrank my neck back as I lightly stepped on the accelerator, treating it with a gentleness that it had never received before.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Mr. Xiao? He appeared to be quite healthy, is he ill?¡± I drove out of the Xiao family mansion and resumed the subject.

    ¡°Cancer.¡± Sheng Min Ou wasn¡¯t the type to say only half of something, as he explained with two straightforward words.

    Thinking back to the previous phone call that Sheng Min Ou answered, it appears that he had been aware of Xiao Sui Guang¡¯s physical condition for more than a day or two. However, I wasn¡¯t sure how much of their confidential discussion today in the study had to do with this particular matter.

    ¡°Then Xiao Sui Guang called you in today¡­¡±

    ¡°To finalise his will.¡±

    So that¡¯s what it was. Perhaps Xiao Meng was partially aware of this, which was why he appeared so keen. However, given Xiao Mo Yu and Zheng Mi Mi¡¯s actions, it didn¡¯t appear that they were aware of Xiao Sui Guang¡¯s illness. Therefore, it seemed like not everyone was privy to knowing the truth.

    ¡°What a pity, Mr. Xiao is only in his 50s, right? So much can still be achieved at that age.¡± I remarked, sighing a little.

    ¡°It is inevitable for life to come to this in the end. The only difference being that some people reach this stage earlier, whilst some people get there later. As such, there is nothing to pity over.¡±

    Cars flowed incessantly to and from on the roads, their movements like an unending stream of a river. Beside us were monolithic buildings, with bright lights illuminating every inch of the street. It should have originally been a boisterous, lively scene, however with Sheng Min Ou¡¯s words in the background, it appeared inexplicably bleak.

    He was talking about Xiao Sui Guang, yet I felt that he was actually using Xiao Sui Guang as a proxy for me. He was answering the question that I had asked him in the bathroom prior ¨C if I suddenly died, would he grieve for me?

    According to his words, the rough answer was ¨C everyone was bound to die, so even if I died a bit early, there was nothing that was a pity.

    Ai, this really was a fitting answer for his cold persona.

    ¡°You can¡¯t say that. It is true that all humans face death, yet aside from it being a matter of when it occurs, there is also a difference in some deaths being trifling and unimportant, whilst others hold a heavy significance.¡± I tightened my grip on the steering wheel as I continued, ¡°If we did not get to live our lives until old age, even if you admitted your fate, your relatives and friends would not be able to accept such a truth so easily. So sometimes, it isn¡¯t the person who passed away that bears the most pain. It is the person who shoulders the memory of both of them alone that is suffering the most. Not everyone will be able to accept an unexpected death, and some may even express extreme reactions given such a situation.¡±

    Although more than ten years have passed and he may not have any more thoughts concerning that idea, I was still not assured. I found it necessary to reiterate how normal people¡¯s attitudes were concerning ¡®death¡¯.

    Sheng Min Ou was silent for a long time and did not answer, and inside the car the atmosphere fell into a steady quietness. When a red light appeared in front of us, I pressed down slowly on the brakes.

    ¡°Like how Xiao Sui Guang is currently dying, despite his children¡¯s wishes to be able to support him until he grows old. Xiao Mo Yu must be very upset at this.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s tone was full of reservation.

    I choked, wondering if I had found a wrong example to use.

    I hurriedly replaced it with another one, ¡°Shen Xiao Shi¡­ If Shen Xiao Shi suddenly was involved in an accident, and of course this is purely a hypothetical, then I would absolutely be devastated and caught up in grief. Even if it was Wu Yi, if he died young, I can¡¯t say that I would be heartbroken, but I would still be pained. That is empathy.¡±

    Xiao Shi, Wu Yi, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m here to apologise for using you two mates as an example.

    ¡°Then your emotions must be quite rich and delicate.¡± Sheng Min Ou leaned forward and turned on the audio player in the car. In the next second, a melodious, impassioned symphony flowed out of the speaker. Hearing the music spill out, he leaned back as he sank into his seat again.

    I subconsciously realised that something was off with what he said, and I wanted to clarify this with him, but the music was too loud and the cars started moving in front of us, so I could only give up on the thought.

    For the rest of the drive, Sheng Min Ou did not speak another word. His face was turned away, and it looked like he was resting.

    Actually, the words that I most wanted to say to him were never spoken.

    Amidst the music, I said the following words at a volume that only I could hear. ¡°If you really dared to die in front of me, then I would grow to be hateful because of my love. I¡¯ll show you how extreme a reaction I can have. Even in death, I won¡¯t let you be in peace.¡±

    When we arrived outside his place, I parked the car, and was just about to wake him up when I found his eyes already open. I had no idea if he even slept or not on the ride.

    We got out of the car and I returned his car keys to him. He was about to go upstairs without saying a word when I curled my mouth and tugged at his hand from behind.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say something?¡±

    He turned his head, frowning as he looked at me and said, ¡°Thank you?¡±

    I leaned in quickly, meeting his lips as I kissed him hard.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be sincere in your thanks, Lawyer Sheng.¡±

    He stood there, glancing askance at my hand currently clasped onto him. He wasn¡¯t angry, but he didn¡¯t appear to be too happy either.

    I let go of him at once, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like this¡­¡±

    My fingertips had just left the cuffs of his shirt when Sheng Min Ou suddenly grabbed me with a backhanded grip as he held my hand in his, pulling me towards him. My eyes widened, my mind suddenly blank, and my heart was beating so fast that it could jump out of my chest.

    The back of the neck was held firmly as he leaned over to kiss my lips, before prying my teeth open with the tip of his tongue, giving me a deep and arrogant kiss.

    Except, before I could respond, it was all over. He pulled away, and put a safe distance between us two.

    ¡°Was that sincere enough?¡± he asked.

    I swallowed, and looked at him blankly.

    Rather than calling what had just happened a kiss, it was more apt to describe it as a beast tasting the food that he had kept for a long time. When he bit my tongue, I had the thought that he might start to devour me starting from the tongue first.

    He took in how idiotic I looked, before his eyes flashed with the joy of having won something back. Before I could respond, he turned and left to go upstairs.

    I stared at his silhouette disappearing behind the glass door and it took a long time for me to come to terms with what just happened. I wiped my damp lips with my fingertips, and at once my legs gave out as I fell to a squat.

    ¡°Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck¡­¡±

    We were both adults here, and it wasn¡¯t like we hadn¡¯t done acts that were more explicit in nature. It wasn¡¯t even the first time we kissed. Yet, I was like a young boy who had just started to love, as after Sheng Min Ou¡¯s kiss, my face was flushed red, my feelings spirally fully out of control.

    jiraiya (translator): MFFFFF I¡¯VE WAITED TOO LONG FOR THIS DAY TO COME

 CH 57

    ¡°Ge ge!¡¯¡±

    I entered the courthouse with Shen Xiao Shi and was about to head into the courtroom when I heard a shout from not far away. Shen Xiao Shi seemed to recognize this voice, as he stiffened when he looked towards the source of the sound.

    The cherubic youth ran over, panting heavily as he glanced gingerly at Shen Xiao Shi before finally speaking with red-rimmed eyes, ¡°Ge, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    He wanted to reach out and tug at Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s hand but Shen Xiao Shi stepped back and avoided him, as the boy¡¯s features flashed with evident pain.

    Shen Xiao Shi looked at him emotionlessly, ¡°The person who you should be saying ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ to is not me, and there¡¯s nothing you have to be sorry for when it comes to me.¡±

    Tang Zhuo instantly paled after hearing this and became speechless.

    A myriad of emotions swirled in Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s eyes. He seemed like he wanted to say something else when in the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the Tang family marching over towards us with an air full of hostility. Afraid of the potential conflict, I hurriedly tugged Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s sleeve to indicate this.

    Shen Xiao Shi looked at the incoming mob approaching and sighed as he said to me, ¡°Feng Ge, let¡¯s go.¡± After which, he ignored Tang Zhuo as he left.

    Halfway down the hall I turned around to look back and saw the young boy remaining fixated and alone in his original spot, his eyes following Shen Xiao Shi, his figure appearing particularly lonely.

    This time during the trial, Sheng Min Ou summoned Dr. Xu Wei Bo from the mental health center as an expert witness to prove that Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother was depressed and mentally unstable due to years of suffering domestic violence.

    The prosecution had long been prepared for this. They launched a cross-examination in an attempt to raise doubts regarding the doctor¡¯s professionalism and expertise, as they aimed to sway the jury into believing that their assessment of Yao Jing¡¯s mental state was not credible.

    The prosecutor held a pile of materials in his hand as he showed it to everyone, ¡°Dr. Xu¡¯s complaint rate in the health center over the past five years has remained high with no signs of it decreasing. Many patients believe that their condition has not improved as he promised under his diagnosis and treatment. Evidently. Dr. Xu has had a habit of exaggerating his speech so as to highlight his authority.¡±

    In light of being questioned in front of the public like this, Dr. Xu¡¯s face went green as his lips trembled with anger, ¡°This is defamation!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou gestured to Dr. Xu as a reminder to keep his calm before standing up and nodding to the judge: ¡°This is not the first time that Dr. Xu has been asked to testify as an expert witness. No one has ever questioned Dr. Xu¡¯s professionalism before. Since the prosecution does not appear to find Dr. Xu¡¯s opinion credible, we can use an expert that the prosecution recommends instead. Regardless, there is nothing to be afraid of if one has done nothing wrong. Ms. Yao¡¯s diagnosis on her mental state will not change just because the doctor has differed.¡±

    The judge looked towards the prosecutor and frowned, ¡°Does the prosecution require a different appointment to fill in for the expert witness? I would like to remind the prosecution that when the defense submitted their application, you did not raise any objections towards their choice of candidate.¡±

    I heard from Shen Xiao Shi previously that because of the attention this case had received, the judge was keen on not having any additional complications thrown into the case, and hoped to conclude this as soon as possible. Therefore, this judge was particularly averse to any unnecessary delays.

    The prosecutor didn¡¯t seem to expect that Sheng Min Ou was willing to go to such lengths, and seeing the judge¡¯s stern expression his spirit seemed to diminish at once.

    ¡°No need, your Honor.¡± He stated as he sat down resentfully.

    After that, the prosecution summoned Tang Zhi Peng¡¯s colleagues and neighbors, and both witnesses only had good things to say about Tang Zhi Peng. They recalled that he was an honest and loyal man, friendly to everyone, and they did not believe that he was capable of violence.

    Shen Xiao Shi pressed his lips tightly, his eyes a tempestuous swirl of anger. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we were currently in court, I would¡¯ve suspected that he had it in him to immediately stand up and yell at the witnesses testifying, pointing a finger to their nose and asking if they were blind.

    Halfway through the trial, I suddenly received a call from Yi Da Zhuang. I saw how serious the atmosphere was in this trial and so refused his call. Just as I was about to send a message to tell him that it was inconvenient to answer the phone right now, my phone vibrated again.

    It must really be urgent if he was showing such perseverance. Afraid that it was a life or death event awaiting me on the other side of the call, I had to dash outside the courtroom to answer the phone.

    ¡°Qtja¡¯r atf wjaafg? Wljb Vtl¡¯r wbatfg lr meggfcais bc aglji.¡±

    Tl Gj Itejcu rffwfv ab yf bc atf wbnf jr tf rbecvfv rtbga bo ygfjat bnfg atf qtbcf, ¡°Mfcu Xf, P rfca rbwfatlcu ab sbeg jvvgfrr, bcmf sbe gfmflnf la¡­ bcmf la mbwfr, xffq la rbwfktfgf rjof. P klii mbwf bnfg lc j ofk vjsr ab ufa la ogbw sbe atfc.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sending your things to me?¡± I asked, perplexed. ¡°Did you enter the wrong address when you were online shopping or something?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah, pretty much. Make sure that you get that parcel for me. I¡¯ll definitely treat you my good mate to dinner afterwards.¡±

    After repeating his instructions a times more, he hung up the phone apparently in a hurry.

    I stared at my phone screen, which had returned to the default home screen, feeling a strange, inexplicable feeling arise within.

    All he did was send over a parcel to the wrong address. Did he have to act in such a hurried way? People who had no context on the situation might have guessed that he behaved like this because he had a huge sum of money sent my way or something.

    Lowering my body as I snuck back to the public gallery, I saw that the prosecution had once again summoned Tang Zhuo. The cherubic boy took his position on the witness stand for the second time, and perhaps due to there being more people at this hearing compared to the first time, he appeared to be more uncomfortable.

    The prosecutor¡¯s questions were similar to what he had asked previously, but this time, when he asked Tang Zhuo whether he had witnessed his father carry out violence against his mother, Tang Zhuo responded with silence.

    The youth stared down at the ground, as if there was something particularly interesting there, grabbing his attention.

    The prosecutor frowned and asked again, ¡°Tang Zhuo, have you ever witnessed your father commit acts of violence against your mother?¡±

    The court was blanketed in silence, and even the typing of the reporters stopped. The only sound audible was a slight noise from the overhead air conditioner.

    Whilst the environment was held in a standstill silence, the youth slowly raised his head.

    ¡°Yes.¡± His voice was simple and powerful.

    An uproar ensued, with the media present all glancing at each other before their ten fingers were a blur striking at their keyboards.

    The prosecutor was stunned for a moment, and even suspected his hearing, ¡°What?¡±

    Tang Zhuo swallowed, his voice now louder than before, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen it! That year, on my birthday, my dad grabbed my mum¡¯s hair and smashed it against the wall, whilst dealing punches and kicks at her. I wanted to stop him, but he pushed me into a room and locked the door behind me, preventing me from going out. Who he was outside in the public and who he was at home were two entirely different people. He treated me very well, but he was not a good husband!¡±

    Yao Jing¡¯s expression went blank for a moment, and then, overcome by emotion, she moved her body towards Tang Zhuo, tears welling up in both her eyes.

    Tang Zhuo¡¯s sudden change in his testimony caught the prosecutor by surprise, as he hurriedly asked for him to be listed as a hostile witness. The judge agreed.

    ¡°Are you currently being coerced by your mother?¡± The prosecutor asked, pointedly looking at the public gallery. ¡°This wasn¡¯t what you said last time.¡±

    Tang Zhuo trembled as he stammered, ¡°Last time I lied.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou stood up and objected, ¡°I oppose the prosecution¡¯s unfounded malicious speculations. From what we can see, the witnesses¡¯ statements are contradictory, and this points more towards the witness having received undue pressure from the prosecution instead.¡± His lips curved upwards, and he looked as if he was polite and cordial, however the words which left his mouth were scathing. ¡°I really want to know, did the prosecution instead coerce a minor in order for Yao Jing to be convicted as soon as possible?

    The prosecutor, having been so directly and bluntly questioned on the spot, felt shamed by Sheng Min Ou and retorted angrily, ¡°This is also a malicious speculation!¡±

    ¡°Then I take it back.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± The judge seized this chance to knock the gavel, interrupting the confrontation between the two.

    ¡°In consideration of the unique relationship this witness has with the case and the inconsistency perceived from his two testimonies, I have decided not to accept his testimony. I hope that the jury will form their own judgment on this.¡± Then he announced that there would be a one-hour adjournment, following the closing statements provided by both sides.

    That also meant that the jury would have to come to a verdict by today, so that the case would receive its end.

    During the adjournment, the prosecutor made a final attempt at a plea deal to Yao Jing, for her to plead guilty in exchange for a three-year probation, but Yao Jing refused.

    In the discussion room, Wu Yi was elated to the point where he wanted to dance the Cha-Cha, ¡°Victory is in sight, victory is in sight! In this final hour, the jury should be coming to a general consensus. The closing statements which follow later will only make their decision easier, and at most in half an hour we¡¯ll be able to hear the results.¡±

    Though he hadn¡¯t said it explicitly, from his various actions it was evident that victory was in our hands.

    The defense advocated that Yao Jing¡¯s actions were carried out as legitimate self-defense. If the jury declared that Yao Jing was not guilty, then she would be released on the scene.

    For Shen Xiao Shi, his mother¡¯s court case had weighed heavily on his mind recently, as it became hard for him to sleep and eat. Today was the day that he would finally be able to see the conclusion of this case, so it was unsurprising that he was excited over this.

    I had a hand on the table, and after Shen Xiao SHi heard Wu Yi¡¯s words he clasped my wrist tightly, as he exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯ve troubled you all these past few days. No matter what the result is, I will reserve a table at a restaurant and set up a time to properly thank everyone!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou was sitting just across from us. Hearing that he raised his head from the phone, giving a shallow smile as he said, ¡°That¡¯s too kind of you.¡±

    As if it was a conditioned reflex, it was like my hand had been sliced by a knife, and I hurriedly fought to get my hand out of Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s grasp. I moved a chair with me as I pulled away and created distance from Shen Xiao Shi.

    Shen Xiao Shi was immersed in his emotions and didn¡¯t notice, but Wu Yi suddenly burst into a coughing fit, as he turned his head to the side, his ears turning red from his continuous coughs.

    ¡°Lawyer Wu, are you okay?¡± Shen Xiao Shi asked with concern, noticing his coughing fit.

    Wu Yi didn¡¯t look back, instead he raised a hand as he waved it around, indicating that he was okay.

    After the one hour adjournment, everyone resumed their seating as they reentered the courthouse in order.

    Both the prosecution and the defense were to provide a closing statement. This was essentially the last chance for them to win the trust of the jury so this part was crucial.

    This was the first time that I had witnessed this section of a court hearing in the public gallery. Compared with the solemn seriousness of the sections preceding, this part was more akin to a showcase of the prosecution and defense¡¯s public speaking ability.

    Their speeches here had to be clear and logical, easy to understand, and tug at the heartstrings.

    ¡°I was an orphan. When I was three years old, I met my adoptive parents.¡± Sheng Min Ou paced slowly in the open area of the courtroom twirling a pen in his hand. ¡°When I was fourteen, my adoptive father died in a car accident. He was caught under a truck from behind, and after he was taken to the hospital, the doctor took one look at his wound and immediately covered him back up with the bedsheet, indicating that there was no point trying to try save him. That day, my younger brother cried his heart out, I had never seen him cry like that.¡±

    He paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°Questioning why Ms. Yao didn¡¯t leave her husband and why she didn¡¯t call the police at that moment is like questioning why my adoptive father didn¡¯t get out of the truck¡¯s way to avoid it back then.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t he hear the sound of a car coming?¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t she tell that he was drunk?¡±

    ¡°If a stranger on the street suddenly rushed up to you and was violent towards you, would you fight back? The answer is yes, of course. Then in the case of husband and wife, why is everyone questioning the wife¡¯s choice to fight back? In this fatal scenario where you¡¯d have to choose one out of the two options, when it¡¯s either your death or my demise, if Ms. Yao is a normal person, she would inevitably try her hardest to survive out of biological instinct. However, this is not murder, nor was it deliberate. It was an act of legitimate and reasonable self-defense.¡±

    After the prosecution and defense had finished their closing statements, the judge gave the jury ten minutes to come to a consensus.

    During these ten minutes, Shen Xiao Shi was extremely nervous, as rubbed his hands constantly, making me nervous too.

    I looked at Sheng Min Ou, but he seemed completely unperturbed, with his eyes half-closed sitting motionless at the defense table. If one didn¡¯t look closely, they might have thought that he was asleep.

    Ten minutes later, the jury representative stood up and bowed to the judge.

    Everyone in the audience focused their gaze on him, waiting for him to reveal the jury¡¯s decision.

    Time seemed to stand still as everyone held their breath.

    The representative cleared his throat and announced, ¡°The jury has unanimously found that the murder charge was not established and that the legitimate defense has been established, therefore Yao Jing was ruled¡­not guilty.¡±

    As soon as the words ¡°not guilty¡± came out, it felt like a big bell hammer slammed into my heart, as my whole soul felt shaken in the aftermath.

    I took the first chance I got to glance at Sheng Min Ou, just in time to see him lift his eyelids, a small smile curving upwards on his features.

    I wasn¡¯t sure who started first but the audience gradually burst into applause, before everyone joined together in unison.

    Shen Xiao Shi hugged me all of a sudden, crying tears of joy. ¡°We won, Feng Ge, we won!¡±

    My eyes were glued to Sheng Min Ou, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that everyone was watching, then I would¡¯ve ran towards him and held him in a tight embrace as I spun around him.

    Sheng Min Ou stood up at this very moment, placing one hand in his trouser pocket, his gaze sweeping past the public gallery before meeting my eyes.

    I flashed him a silly grin, however upon seeing me the smile on his expression quickly vanished, as he quickly averted his gaze and shook hands with Yao Jing who was next to him.

    Huh? Something was wrong with the way he looked at me.

    Shen Xiao Shi was jumping and screaming as he held me in his arms and I suddenly returned to my senses. It was as if I was caught in the howling cold January wind, as I shivered and hurriedly pushed him away.

    It was over for me, why was it that I felt like a husband who stole and cheated all the time, as I constantly became worried now about getting caught by my wife?

    I had really dug my own grave this time. The trap that I had set up back then to force the gull to descend was effective, but also had a bunch of sequelae that followed and was now a burden instead. Now, no matter what I did, it felt like I was giving off strong fuckboy vibes. I also appeared to be the player type too, the type that called everyone ¡®baby¡¯ and ¡®my love¡¯, the type of filthy scumbag who would play multiple girls at the same time.

 CH 58

    Yao Jing was released in court, and Sheng Min Ou being her defense lawyer was regarded as untouchable for a while, as he received a lot of media attention.

    Though he already had established a good reputation in his field, he still lacked popularity behind his name. After this incident, everyone knew of him now, and it could be said that this move had completely elevated the level of awareness surrounding his name.

    It was exactly as Sheng Min Ou had said at the beginning. This was a win-win situation where both sides benefitted.

    After the lawsuit was over, he became even busier than before. I went to their law firm a few times and saw that each time he was preoccupied with meeting clients. The once orderly office had also morphed to become like a swarming marketplace, with many people visiting for a consultation. Compared to his business which appeared to grow at light speed, my relationship with him looked as if it was on the verge of colliding with a reef.

    These days, he hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to me. Granted, it wasn¡¯t like he usually treated me with great enthusiasm, but I could still somehow discern a difference in his demeanor.

    Using the text messages that I send him daily as an example, I sent reminders for him to remember to take time to rest and to also eat on time. In the past, he wouldn¡¯t reply to any of these messages, but I knew that he would read them. However, in the past two days I started becoming more uncertain. Though I had nothing to go off of, I had a feeling that he might not even have opened any of my recent texts. He might have simply deleted it as soon as he received it.

    How did he end up becoming angry again?

    ¡°Ai, ge ge¡¯s heart really is about as clear as mud¡­¡±

    I stared at my empty notifications banner and sighed. Shen Xiao Shi passed me by, puzzled, ¡°Feng Ge, it¡¯s almost half past six, aren¡¯t you planning to leave?¡±

    I propped my face on a hand and sighed three times in one sentence as I replied, ¡°It¡¯s only half past six, isn¡¯t it still early?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi was taken aback, then glanced at the time on his phone, ¡°That¡¯s right, but did you forget? I invited Lawyer Sheng and the others to dinner today. I told you last week.¡±

    We were having dinner together? It sounded faintly familiar, however these past few days my thoughts had wandered elsewhere, and I had completely forgotten about this arrangement.

    Hang on¡­¡­

    I got up at once and grabbed Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s arm, ¡°Is my brother going?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi received quite a fright from my sudden actions, ¡°Probably¡­ he¡¯s probably going?¡±

    Liu Yue turned off her computer at this time, and slung her bag over the side as she moved to leave. Shen Xiao Shi and I were right in her way, so she could only stand aside and wait.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys going to leave?¡±

    I took a step back to let her pass through first, and noticed that she had subtle makeup on and even applied red lipstick today, as I remarked in surprise, ¡°Are you going on a date today?¡±

    Liu Yue looked back at me, and gathered a strand of her hair shyly, ¡°Aren¡¯t we all going to eat together? I wanted to see Feng Ge¡¯s super handsome brother, so I made a special effort to dress up today.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow and looked at Shen Xiao Shi as he smiled and explained, ¡°Liu Yue is great at livening the atmosphere, she¡¯s totally hype to have around.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi had Liu Yue and I go ahead first as he stayed back to lock up. Shen Xiao Shi rejoined us when the taxi arrived but he brought along with him a big briefcase in his hand.

    I looked at the briefcase and found it familiar as I tried hard to recall what it was. Suddenly, it hit me that I had seen this briefcase when we were cleaning out the inventory before. Shen Xiao Shi explained then that it was a polygraph, but as it was not a very common everyday item, it had been with us for a long time and could not be sold.

    Shen Xiao Shi could tell that I was curious and slapped the briefcase a few times as he remarked, ¡°We¡¯ll be using this to play some games. The restaurant I booked for has karaoke in it¡¯s private rooms. However, if all we did was sing then that might get a bit boring, so Liu Yue suggested for us to all play a little game.¡±

    ¡°Using a polygraph for the games?¡±

    Liu Yue turned around from her front passenger seat and said, ¡°Feng Ge, you don¡¯t understand, this is how you make things exciting.¡±

    At that time, I was still rather skeptical over how much additional excitement a polygraph could generate. However, two hours later, I would admit that games with a polygraph added were thrilling indeed.

    The three of us arrived at the restaurant. There was a table for 20 people, and the cold dishes had already been served. The automatic turntable was slowly rotating, and the wall was decorated with red and yellow colored balloons. The atmosphere of the place was great. On the side was a section where there was a sofa and coffee table, with dice for gambling and dice cups, as well as various other board games. Right in front of that was a projector with a huge screen and just as Shen Xiao Shi had said, there was an option to queue songs for karaoke.

    Pa kjr delaf j nfgrjalif qijmf klat wjcs oecmalbcr.

    Coafg kjlalcu obg jybea afc wlceafr, atf qfbqif ogbw Alc Vtjcu jgglnfv abufatfg, jcv j vbhfc bg rb qfbqif qbegfv lcab atf qglnjaf tjii. P ibbxfv jgbecv jcv obecv atja Vtfcu Zlc Ye kjr cbktfgf ab yf rffc lc atf mgbkv. P rabqqfv Qe Tl jcv jrxfv, ¡°Qtfgf¡¯r ws ygbatfg?¡±

    Wu Yi still looked slightly awkward when he saw me, as he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look me in the eye. He coughed lightly before responding, ¡°Laoshi is still meeting with clients outside. I don¡¯t know when it will be over. He might have to come over later.¡±

    If he wasn¡¯t sure when the meeting would end, then that meant there was a chance that he might not be able to make it here in time.

    I uttered a disappointed ¡®oh¡¯ and lost most of my interest. After that, I was absent-minded throughout the whole meal, as I couldn¡¯t help but let my gaze drift towards the door over and over. Even when we had finished eating, Sheng Min Ou still did not show up.

    It hadn¡¯t even passed 8 p.m. when we finished dinner. The lights were dimmed, as those who sang sang, those who drank drank, and those who were gambling with dice did exactly that. It was at this moment that Liu Yue decided to present her skill of ¡®livening the atmosphere¡¯, as she had Shen Xiao Shi bring out the polygraph. We bunched up and sat in a circle, as we started playing a game of Truth or Dare.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the referee. There are five dice here. Everyone takes a guess and the person who gets the closest to it loses. If you choose Truth, you¡¯ll have to be strapped up to the lie detector. If you decide to take Dare, then you¡¯ll have to down a whole glass of wine. You guys game?¡± Liu Yue explained as she shook the dice up in her hand, looking as if she was a veteran at this.

    I could not have guessed that this little girl who was obsessed with dramas and celebrities had so many tricks up her sleeve, and I had no idea if she had learnt all of this from her TV shows.

    ¡°Go go go!¡± Wu Yi responded positively, rushing to participate first, ¡°I have never played with a polygraph before, it¡¯s so high-end!¡±

    In the end, the more enthusiastic he was the faster he lost. He guessed right in the very first round, and therefore became the first user who tried out the polygraph.

    Shen Xiao Shi put the equipment on for him as Liu Yue sat right opposite him and asked him to come up with any number. ¡°I have an app here which has a thousand truth prompts. Whichever question you guys end up with is not related to me yeah, it¡¯s not as if these questions are what I personally wanted to ask. Of course, if you really can¡¯t answer the question then there will be a slight electric shock penalty after ten seconds have passed. Then, you¡¯ll have to answer another question. However, if you lie and the machine beeps, it¡¯s not a pass, and you¡¯ll be shocked again, so the questions would still continue. Therefore, if you don¡¯t want to be shocked, you¡¯re better off telling the truth.¡±

    Wu Yi¡¯s expression changed a little hearing this, he hadn¡¯t anticipated that there would be electric shocks at stake in this thrilling game, and therefore appeared slightly nervous.

    ¡°The electric shock¡­does it hurt?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi comforted him, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s like being flicked by a rubber band.¡±

    Wu Yi was going to say something else when Liu Yue signaled for everyone to be quiet, as she read out the question corresponding to the number he selected.

    ¡°Number eighty-nine, who in this room would you most want to sleep with?¡±

    The colour on Wu Yi¡¯s face instantly changed to be the colour of dirt, ¡°This¡­ can we change the question?¡±

    Liu Yue replied, ¡°This is the whole point of choosing Truth, you can¡¯t just change questions at ease.¡±

    As soon as she finished speaking, Wu Yi¡¯s expression distorted as a yelp escaped him, as both his hands shrank back simultaneously.

    Liu Yue covered her lips and smiled, ¡°Oops, sorry, the time ran out as we were talking. Then, let¡¯s change the question.¡±

    Wu Yi sighed and cautiously changed to another number. This time the question was not as spicy as the one before it, as it asked Wu Yi for his most hidden secret which no one knew.

    Due to the ten-second time limit, Wu Yi didn¡¯t have much time to think. He glanced at me subconsciously, and quickly shouted, ¡°I accidentally learned of Laoshi¡¯s secret!¡±

    Though he had not specified what the secret was, just the mention of Sheng Min Ou was enough to light up the whole atmosphere.

    For a while, everyone rushed to Wu Yi and pestered him for what Sheng Min Ou¡¯s secret was, and why he hadn¡¯t been killed off yet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask, I won¡¯t say it!¡± Wu Yi hurriedly tore off the polygraph, his earlier excitement completely vanishing from his current demeanor as he sped off to one side to sing instead.

    ¡°Seeing how afraid Wu Yi is, it looks like this really is one hell of a secret.¡± One lawyer analyzed, as he folded his arms across his chest.

    ¡°I really want to know Lawyer Sheng¡¯s secret though, when should we get Wu Yi drunk?¡± Another lawyer said.

    The two smiled at each other and reached a consensus.

    I took a photo of everyone enjoying their time together from a distance, and sent it to Sheng Min Ou, whilst attaching a cheesy pick up line to him, ¡°Without you in this lively atmosphere, the happiness doesn¡¯t even mean anything. Ge, I miss you, how long will it take before you arrive?¡±

    Not long after I had sent the message, there was a sudden soft ¡®ding¡¯ at the door, followed by the waiter pushing open the door to the room and letting a tall figure in.

    Sheng Min Ou held his phone up to check its contents before putting it away at a glance.

    See, what did I say. I just knew that he wasn¡¯t reading my texts anymore!

    As soon as he raised his head, he happened to collide gazes with me and paused. I waved at him, pretending that nothing had happened, as I still welcomed him warmly.

    ¡°Ge, you finally came.¡± I went up and pulled at his arm as I dragged him to the side where we were playing with the polygraph.

    He didn¡¯t offer any resistance as he let me drag him inside.

    When everyone saw him approaching, they hurriedly stepped aside and also strongly insisted for him to also take part in the game. Every one of them having been electric shocked so thoroughly that their courage now swelled too.

    Sheng Min Ou sat down without fully grasping the situation and Liu Yue had him choose a number between five and thirty. He chose five. As a result, everyone winked at each other and chose numbers bigger than fifteen. When Liu Yue revealed the die under the cup, it was an eight. Sheng Min Ou had lost.

    There were not many chances to witness the boss truthfully answer questions. Everyone banded together in concealing the fact that there was an alternative choice being dare, and instead urged Shen Xiao Shi to hook him onto the polygraph.

    Sheng Min Ou was pulling up his sleeves. He had only arrived for five minutes, and he hadn¡¯t even warmed up the surface under his ass before he was dragged to the ¡®penalty chair¡¯. In light of this, his brows became slightly furrowed and full of bewilderment.

    The great lawyer who was highly esteemed outside was now being miserably tricked and done in by his colleagues at a game of dice. He wasn¡¯t even extended the opportunity to choose Dare, as he was forced to go with Truth. I found him being in this situation extremely interesting, as I fell against the sofa and laughed so hard I couldn¡¯t stand up properly.

    Perhaps I laughed too hard and had forgotten what I must have looked like in front of others as his gaze suddenly was directed towards me, his look mixed with slight disdain. I instantly reverted back to my younger, kid self. I didn¡¯t even just stop laughing, one glance from him was enough to have me sit up right and proper again, not daring to fool around anymore.

    I sat up straight, brought my knees together, and gave him a smile in an attempt to curry favour. He saw it, but like the text messages that I had sent him, it sank into the depths of the sea without any response, as he looked away rather indifferently.

    Wu Yi at this time had just finished singing a song on the other side. When he was about to queue up a new one, he noticed Sheng Min Ou being wired up to the polygraph, and decided to stop singing as he watched on in anticipation.

    Liu Yue gave Sheng Min Ou a recap of the rules and asked him to pick a number at random.

    ¡°Nineteen.¡± Sheng Min Ou chose the number without hesitation.

    ¡°Well, the question is¡­.¡± Liu Yue was just about to read the question when I swiped the phone from her hand and gestured that I would read the question out instead. She didn¡¯t say anything as she stepped aside for me to take her spot. I sat down opposite Sheng Min Ou, glanced at the phone, and placed it back onto the coffee table, face down.

    I leaned in towards him slightly, looked directly in his eyes, as if I just wanted to talk to him about today¡¯s weather.

    I gave him a smile first to liven the atmosphere, and then asked him the question without any euphemisms, ¡°Do you like me?¡±

    The crowd echoed noises of disappointment and boredom. To them, this question was not challenging at all. After all, what was wrong with brothers saying that they liked each other? This reaction was shared by everyone except for Liu Yue, who had read the question and knew that I hadn¡¯t followed the prompt on the phone at all, so she instead appeared especially startled.

    Ten seconds passed in an instant, and Sheng Min Ou never answered this question that was deemed to be unchallenging to everyone else. The moment the current ran across his wrist, his eyebrows suddenly furrowed. Other than that one movement, he appeared completely fine, and his reaction was the slightest out of everyone present.

    ¡°Boss, was it because you thought this question was too simple, so you deliberately didn¡¯t answer it and wanted a change of questions?¡±

    ¡°Boss, why don¡¯t you pick another number?¡±

    ¡°Pick a luckier number.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi controlled the machine, and asked Sheng Min Ou in a slightly diffident tone, ¡°Do we want to keep going?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t reply to him as he stared at me, and directly called out a number.

    ¡°Five-three-two.¡±

    I looked at the phone, typed in the numbers and laughed when I saw the question.

    The heavens were really on my side.

    ¡°Do you want to sleep with me?¡±

    Everyone let out a shocked sound, as Liu Yue leaned over to take a look as she smacked her lips together and said, ¡°Woah, this is so taboo, so thrilling!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou pursed his lips knowing he could not answer either way so could only submit to being electrocuted again. This time he had experience, so even when the charge hit him there was no change in his features. Shen Xiao Shi however appeared terrified and acted as if he was put in a difficult position, ¡°We, we¡¯re still going again?¡±

    After all, Sheng Min Ou could basically be regarded as the person who had saved his mothers life, and here he was electrocuting said saviour over and over again. It was inevitable that Shen Xiao Shi would feel some sort of burden doing so.

    After being electrocuted twice, Sheng Min Ou might have thought that I was messing with him, as he moved silently to take the electrode pads off himself, his facial expression sullen. I chased away Shen Xiao Shi, sat next to him, and stopped his hand.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make up the two questions that were asked before. They were all randomly generated by the phone. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Liu Yue.¡± I was being thick skinned and spouting nonsense but Liu Yue was very cooperative in nodding to my claims.

    Sheng Min Ou stopped moving, as he looked at me, ¡°Then what do you want?¡±

    I put the electrode pads back on his hand, blinked at him and said, ¡°Go on of course, unless you can¡¯t afford to keep playing?¡±

    Sometimes men really could not be taunted. If one decided to taunt him, then they would 100% fall for the trick.

    Not doing it and not being able to stay in the game were almost analogous in terms of the weight they carried.

    Sure enough, Sheng Min Ou sneered, ¡°Then continue.¡±

    He called out a number for the third time and Liu Yue handed me the phone. I glanced at the question, then leaned in close to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s ear as I asked him, ¡°If I had physical contact with other people, the type that was very intimate, would you be angry at that?¡±

    This evidently was not a question generated by the phone. From beginning to end, my goal was just to mess with him.

    Time ticked by with every passing second, would he remain silent and be electrified, or would he lie and face the same punishment, or would he simply just unplug the electrode pads and deride me for such shameless daydreams? I thought about it, and came to the conclusion that the chances of the first possibility happening was the highest.

    There were only a few seconds left, and seeing that Sheng Min Ou would similarly avoid answering this time around, I sighed in my heart, and thought to myself, hey, forget about it, he¡¯s already been shocked twice. Given Wu Yi¡¯s reaction before, it should be quite painful, so if he doesn¡¯t answer then that will just be that.

    I was about to bend over to turn off the machine when the man who had always remained silent suddenly opened his mouth at the last second.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    His voice was not very loud, but it was very clear.

    I sat there, my body stilled, staring stunned at the polygraph screen.

    The machine didn¡¯t beep and the heart rate was consistent. He had told the truth.

 CH 59

    When I asked the question, my mouth was pressed up against Sheng Min Ou¡¯s ear, and I had asked in such a soft tone that no one could hear it. Therefore, when Sheng Min Ou answered with a monosyllabic ¡°yes¡±, everyone lunged for the phone and took turns looking at the question.

    ¡°Do you wash your hands after using the bathroom?¡± Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°What kind of boring question is this!¡±

    Liu Yue disagreed and offered her own critique, ¡°Not necessarily, I think this question is pretty good. At least now we know Lawyer Sheng is an upstanding young man who cares about hygiene.¡±

    The young lawyers in the law firm were usually afraid of Sheng Min Ou, and would never make fun of him. However today they might have been affected by the atmosphere of the whole place as they took turns roasting him.

    ¡°Who out of us could be more hygienic than our boss. Isn¡¯t this clear from the sight of his office? It¡¯s so clean that I could roll on it naked.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m seriously suspecting that you¡¯re implying our boss has mysophobia right now.¡±

    ¡°Your baseless suspicion has been rejected.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also seriously suspecting that¡­you¡¯re into our boss! You¡¯re really out here thinking of stripping completely naked in his office hahahaha.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, do you want to die!¡±

    No matter how the subordinates bantered and laughed, Sheng Min Ou bore the same expression, as if these things had nothing to do with him. After removing the electrode pads, he stood up, vacated the seat and walked out to the balcony to have a smoke after excusing himself.

    I glanced at his retreating shadow and didn¡¯t chase after him as I stayed back and hung out with everyone for a while longer. Turns out I lost the very first game and was excitedly pushed towards the ¡®penalty chair¡¯ by everyone to take a seat.

    I picked a number at random and Liu Yue waited for a moment before reading out the corresponding question that popped up on her phone, ¡°What¡¯s the most cheesy nickname you have for your lover?¡±

    ¡°And I thought the question would be spicier but if it¡¯s just this¡­¡± I was completely unafraid of the ten-second time limit, as I easily gave my answer in the last three seconds, ¡°My little darling.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi couldn¡¯t deal with my response as he rubbed his arms and exclaimed, ¡°That is cheesy.¡±

    ¡°If I knew it was going to turn out this way, as if it were all a dream, then why do I withhold my tears like so¡­¡±

    Wu Yi somehow picked up the microphone again and began giving it his all as he sang emotionally into the mic. His singing caught everyone¡¯s attention and Liu Yue paused the game after seeing that everyone¡¯s attention was drawn towards the karaoke session.

    ¡°Feng Ge, is your little darling the beauty who came to pick you up in that luxury car the other day?¡±

    I turned towards her and looked at Liu Yue who was questioning me. She was gossip personified, her eyes full of a burning curiosity.

    ¡°No it isn¡¯t, and don¡¯t randomly guess like that.¡± I took off the lie detector data cable and put it away before I got up and walked to the balcony.

    Yearlvf atf yjimbcs atf wbbc kjr j ibcf, ygluta rlitbefaaf, klat rajgr rmjgmfis jqqfjglcu lc atf cluta rxs. Gfrqlaf atlr, atfgf kfgf j ofk mibevr vgloalcu jybnf, jcv lar qgfrfcmf wjvf la tjgv ab uefrr ktja atf kfjatfg kbeiv yf ilxf atf cfza vjs.

    Vtfcu Zlc Ye ifjcfv jujlcra atf uejgvgjli, tbivlcu j mlujgfaaf lc tlr tjcv jr tf rqbaafv ws qgfrfcmf. Llr fzqgfrrlbcr gfwjlcfv cfeagji, jr tf vgbqqfv tlr ujhf rtbgais joafg.

    Outside, I could still hear Wu Yi¡¯s faint singing in the background. I moved towards Sheng Min Ou, leaning next to him against the railing without looking at him, and started talking as if it was to myself.

    ¡°A while ago, Qi Yang¡¯s sister seeked me out.¡±

    From the corner of my eye I could see Sheng Min Ou suddenly stiffen, as if someone had pressed the pause button on him. A long while had passed, and still the silence stretched as I didn¡¯t continue with the next line.

    ¡°Why did she look for you?¡± Sheng Min Ou asked.

    I took a deep breath of air as I decided to beat around the bush, ¡°Well actually, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±

    In my peripheral vision, I caught sight of the iridescent lighter flame flickering downwards, following the motion of his pointed fingertips. In the next instant, my wrist was pulled vigorously by the man beside me.

    ¡°Why was she looking for you?¡± Sheng Min Ou asked, his voice harbouring a threatening tone as he grabbed my wrist.

    I honestly quite enjoyed him being like this, but at the same time I was also afraid of playing around too much and getting burnt as it would then be a rather difficult situation to fix. After considering things for a while longer, I decided to not continue taunting him as I answered his question.

    ¡°She showed me Qi Yang¡¯s diary. Qi Yang wanted to die back then and deliberately provoked me into killing him.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou stared at me for a moment, stunned, then released my hand as he leaned back against the railing again. He then took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket again, as if he was about to light a second cigarette.

    I rubbed my wrist, now sore from the strength he exerted when grabbing me as I leaned against the guardrail too. My eyesight was fixed to the sight in front of me as I continued, ¡°Do you know what Qi Yang said to provoke me back then?¡±

    The lighter lit up a flicker of a flame, and after a short while, the suffocating smell of smoke carried across the air towards me like a thick fog.

    Sheng Min Ou never said a word. Ever since I had told him that I read Qi Yang¡¯s diary, he seemed to have fallen into his own thoughts and forgotten my existence.

    But I knew it wasn¡¯t like he really couldn¡¯t hear anything I said, so I didn¡¯t wait for him to answer, and continued to throw truth bombs at him.

    ¡°He said he was going to pull you down into the abyss.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou froze again, and this time, he stayed motionless even longer.

    I turned around, placing both my hands on the railing and circled him in front of me as I continued, ¡°Do you know why I am telling you all of this?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou was holding a cigarette in his hand, and his eyes flashed with uncertainty. This time, I had really stumped him with my question.

    I leaned my body closer to his until I was pressing against him, not at all afraid of being caught by anyone in this compromising position. After all, they would just turn out to be a few more Wu Yi¡¯s. If they witnessed this moment then so be it, I actually wished that the whole world would find out about how crazy in love I was with him, so why would I care about these small details?

    ¡°I said I would protect you, so I will spend the rest of my life protecting you. In the same vein, if I said I liked you, then I will spend this whole lifetime liking you. Whether you hit me or scold me, I will never give up.¡± Due to the height difference, I couldn¡¯t help but look up at him slightly, ¡°Even if I get close to you, I won¡¯t fall into the abyss, and I won¡¯t be in harm¡¯s way. However, if you remain as you are then you leave me no other choice, and who knows what I might do then. If in the future I end up jumping off a building or lying on a train track because of love, then that would be a losing trade for you.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe that such a day had come when I could play this game with Sheng Min Ou. No wonder they say that those that are loved are emboldened, I had only received slight confidence in the matter and I¡¯m already coming up with nonsensical acts. When Sheng Min Ou does end up getting into a relationship with me, then wouldn¡¯t I be so daring I¡¯d soar up into the skies?

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Sheng Min Ou could also spot the signs of me heading up into the skies, as his eyes narrowed dangerously into slits.

    To be frank, I was actually panicking slightly at this point, however since I had already gone this far I could not allow any traces of timidness to peek through, so I forced myself to remain calm.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I further narrowed the distance between us two as I slowly inched closer to him, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a few days to think about it, don¡¯t let me down.¡±

    When the word ¡®it¡¯ left my mouth, I was still more than an inch away from his lips. However, after that, each of the words came out even more slurred than the other, until the last two words had completely dissolved and melted in his lips.

    The bitter taste of tobacco was carried by saliva as it was received by my taste buds. However, my brain was overwhelmed instead by a surge of little dopamine figures flooding my brain.

    They held hands as they rejoiced, exclaiming the antithesis of what was happening, ¡°So sweet, so sweet, so goddamn sweet!¡±

    This kiss was different from previous ones, as Sheng Min Ou offered no resistance. Instead, he allowed me free rein in tangling my tongue with his. I was intoxicated in the kiss, continuing with it until I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe anymore, until my legs went soft below me. It was only then that I reluctantly parted away from him.

    I leaned against him, slowly recovering my breath. Suddenly, my waist was pressed down upon by a large hand as my whole body shivered in response, an intermittent ¡®ah¡¯ escaping me.

    That hand didn¡¯t linger there, as it traced all the way up and hooked onto my back collar before tugging me away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Sheng Min Ou pressed his cigarette butt against the guardrail and cast a sweeping glance at me before departing indoors, taking big strides as he did so.

    I was still transfixed in my original spot wondering what ¡®thinking about it¡¯ was alluding to when my muddled brain finally came to and realised he was referring to our earlier conversation. At that moment, I could almost strip down naked and ride the railing out of pure excitement.

    There seemed to be a surge of pent up energy in my body with nowhere to go to, so I could only wear a dumb grin on my face as I waved my arms, trying to express my unspeakable joy through physical movements.

    When people said ¡°they¡¯ll think about it¡±, it was likely a sign that things were going to go south. However, Sheng Min Ou was different; the fact that he would even ¡°consider¡± this matter itself was an incredible feat for me to witness.

    I stayed outside on the balcony for a long time standing in the breeze before I calmed down and walked back in again.

    At 9:50pm, the restaurant politely hinted that they were going to close at 10pm because everyone would still have to return to work the next day. Given this, we decided to call it a night and to no longer continue the event.

    Sheng Min Ou hadn¡¯t drunk any alcohol so he was able to drive, and a few others who lived on the way went with him.

    Shen Xiao Shi ended up getting quite carried away afterwards as he drank quite a bit, so his walk was all crooked. I couldn¡¯t allow him to return home by himself in that state, so I helped him to the side of the road, intending to stop a cab to get him home.

    The street where we were at was famous for being ¡®the street that never sleeps¡¯ in Qingwan, and in terms of its bustling and lively atmosphere it ranked at the top of the list. However, given the high density of clubs and bars on the street, it also led to many youths getting inebriated and thus, the street had a reputation for having many incidents occur in the area as well. Then again because of said high proportion of youths in the area, the clubs on offer were a dazzling lineup, the assortment ranging from ambient bars to gay bars, to clubs ideal for finding one night stands; it had everything you wanted.

    ¡°Feng Ge, today really is one of the happiest days I¡¯ve had in the past few months¡­¡± Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s face was flushed in a drunken red, as his face showed a dumb grin, ¡°I¡¯m really very happy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also happy. These past few months I¡¯m really feeling happier and happier with each passing day.¡± We were both talking about different things, the beginning of my sentence not matching with the end of his, but rather impressively we were able to continue the conversation.

    I saw the oncoming taxi arrive when Shen Xiao Shi suddenly hurried to turn in one direction. I thought he was going to throw up so I followed him. However, when he reached a flowerbed he suddenly came to a stop, his gaze looking straight ahead.

    I followed his line of sight doubtfully and found Wei Shi¡¯s figure not too far away.

    A layer of shrubbery was planted in between where we stood and Wei Shi. In addition, the dark surroundings had also helped for our presence to go unnoticed by Wei Shi.

    ¡°You let me go!¡± Wei Shi waved an arm, also appearing like he had too much to drink, ¡°I already have nothing to do with you. Stop pestering me, or have you not been beaten up enough yet?¡±

    The man holding onto him was quite handsome, his eyes deep and beautiful. At a glance, he seemed way too good looking, completely different from Wei Shi who had thick eyebrows, big eyes and had a rough appearance.

    The man shrank when he heard the words, but he still didn¡¯t let go, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. Back then, it really wasn¡¯t me who called the police, you must believe me¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s not you, it was that little mistress you had on the side.¡± Wei Shi brushed off his hand rather forcefully and pointed at him as he swore, ¡°What a duo, fucking scumbag and his bitch, the biggest mistake I made in this lifetime was to meet you. I beg you to stop bringing disaster to me and to get out of my sight. Don¡¯t drag me into acting out a Qiong Yao drama with you as you pretend that you still can¡¯t get over our past. I don¡¯t want to fucking see you!¡±

    Shit, was this the lover that Wei Shi said was the reason for his jail sentence?

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to, I¡¯m intent on clinging onto you and bringing misfortune your way, I know you haven¡¯t forgotten me.¡± The man instantly moved to close the distance with Wei Shi, as he placed both hands on his shoulders, as if he was going to force a kiss.

    I was still sighing at the other party¡¯s shamelessness, when suddenly I felt a lightness on my shoulders as Shen Xiao Shi raced out from beside me, his body nimble like a rabbit. He leapt over the metre tall shrubs and raced to the other side, delivering a flying kick as he sent Wei Shi¡¯s ex-lover lurching through the air and landing two metres away.

 CH 60

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s flying kick seemed to have descended from the heavens above, as the mistress appeared rather dumbstruck in the aftermath.

    ¡°Shit, who the fuck are you?¡± I could no longer see him, but I could still hear his furious line of questioning.

    Shen Xiao Shi sneered and exclaimed, ¡°Your grandfather!¡± before leaping towards him.

    Seeing the two begin to fight each other, I raised a leg about to follow Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s footsteps of leaping across the flower bed. My foot was already placed down when I suddenly realised that I didn¡¯t have to follow his actions, as I withdrew my foot and circled the flowerbed instead, running towards them.

    Wei Shi had drank too much as well and was comparable to the mistress in his dumbfounded expression towards what just happened. He looked stunned at the two brawling on the floor, his expression a total loss at what was occurring.

    ¡°What are you doing just standing there? Separate the two of them!¡± I roared at Wei Shi, as I hurriedly stepped forward, restraining the mistress.

    My target wasn¡¯t short, as he was roughly the same height as me. Amidst his current rampage, I found it hard to hold him back.

    After being yelled at by me, Wei Shi was galvanised into action as he scrambled into the scene. Wei Shi approached him from behind and looped his arms under Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s armpits, applying brute force to separate the two of them.

    ¡°Fuck, don¡¯t stop me, I¡¯m going to kick this bastard and finish him!¡± Shen Xiao Shi breathed out alcohol, his eyes bloodshot, as his attempted to continue sending kicks his way, ¡°And he dares to sexually harrass someone in public, I think he¡¯s bored of being alive!¡±

    ¡°What does it have to do with you though, are you ill or something?¡± The mistress approached him again, angered, dragging me along with him and seemingly wanting to resume their fight.

    ¡°Yes, I do have an illness ¨C it¡¯s where if I see a slut I¡¯ll want to fight them. To cure it I think I¡¯ll have to beat your ass to death!¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi had cursed at his target so thoroughly that the mistress had no room for rebuttals, as he trembled with anger instead. He asked Wei Shi instead, ¡°Wei Shi, who is this person? Do you guys know each other?¡±

    Wei Shi ignored him, not sparing him a single glance as he softly comforted Shen Xiao Shi instead.

    ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t get too angered over it, it¡¯s all okay now.¡± He pressed his lips to Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s ear, as he tightly ensconced him in his chest.

    Shen Xiao Shi panted heavily, and gradually actually began to calm down.

    He was shorter than Wei Shi by a half, and currently he was obediently leaning into Wei Shi¡¯s embrace, giving an illusion that he was going to completely sink into Wei Shi¡¯s body.

    There were many cliques in prison, and conflicts were extremely common to see. Shen Xiao Shi happened to have an appearance that looked as if he was an easy target to bully as well. Whenever a new prisoner arrived in jail and wanted to establish a reputation for himself, he would often be chosen as the fated one. However, those people weren¡¯t aware that though Shen Xiao Shi looked weak, he was most definitely a little white rabbit who hid steel teeth. If a whole group of people attacked him, they might have some advantage, but he had never been afraid in any one-on-one.

    Everyone had some kind of flaw. Wei Shi was the type who when he got angry would stay enraged for a long time, while Shen Xiao Shi was someone who if he got into a fight would continue brawling endlessly, all attempts to hold him back being futile. Each time it got to this point, Wei Shi would act as a tranquilizer, like how he was now, pulling Shen Xiao Shi away before the prison guards arrived.

    Though now there were fewer chances to end up in a fight, Shen Xiao Shi still retained habits of the past as he automatically stopped in his tracks after being hugged, as if it had triggered a conditioned reflex of his.

    ¡°Gb sbe ralii cba ecvfgrajcv ktja xlcv bo gfijalbcrtlq atfs¡¯gf lc?¡± P ofia j riluta rageuuif ogbw atf wlragfrr jr P lcrajcais vbeyifv vbkc bc atf obgmf fzfgafv jr P mbcalcefv, ¡°Qbeiv j cbgwji oglfcv tjaf sbe ab remt j vfugff?¡±

    Lf rffwfv ab tjnf jkjxfcfv ogbw j vgfjw ja ws kbgvr jcv joafg j yglfo wbwfca bo rageuuif, tlr abcf revvfcis yfmjwf kgfamtfv jcv wlrfgjyif, ¡°Rb kbcvfg sbe kfgf jnblvlcu wf fnfgsktfgf, aegcr bea sbe¡¯nf obecv rbwfbcf cfk ab ojcms.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t deal with his sorrowful tone as I frowned deeply, and if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I had no hands free at the moment, I would¡¯ve wanted to rub the goose bumps on my arm.

    After hearing this, Wei Shi finally raised his eyes and looked over towards him. The glance he directed over was extremely cold, to the point where even I trembled three times when I saw it, let alone the person he was staring directly at.

    ¡°Leave.¡±

    The mistress¡¯ body stiffened, as he quietly looked at the two people who were leaning against each other for a moment, before asking me to let him go.

    I determined it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to become violent, so I loosened my hold of him.

    He patted the dust on his body, adjusted his shirt, glanced at Wei Shi one last time and then left silently.

    With the target gone, Wei Shi naturally no longer needed to restrain Shen Xiao Shi either, as he slowly loosened his strength. However, none of us expected Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s behaviour just then to be from a brief moment of lucidity, as after the blood rushed to his head the alcohol hit him even more strongly. Without Wei Shi supporting him anymore, he crumpled directly on the floor.

    ¡°Xiao Shi!¡± Wei Shi had half an arm around Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s body which was sliding downwards. He anxiously checked his pulse, and only allowed himself to be relieved when he was certain that Xiao Shi had passed out from being drunk.

    I explained to Wei Shi why Shen Xiao Shi had appeared here tonight, and also asked Wei Shi what the whole situation with the mistress was.

    ¡°I accidentally ran into him a while ago and he has been harassing me since. I¡¯ve been ignoring him, but I didn¡¯t expect him to follow me here.¡± He and I supported Shen Xiao Shi as we grabbed one arm each and walked towards the side of the road.

    ¡°My guess is that he wants to turn back to graze upon a pasture he had already passed.¡±

    Wei Shi spat, ¡°Well even if he wanted to graze upon this pasture, I would have to let him do it! Fuck, I really must have been blind to have liked him. I was overcome by lust and bewitched by his appearance to have not realised he was such a disgusting being.¡±

    I saw an empty taxi approaching so quickly stepped forwards to hail it.

    ¡°That¡¯s normal, humans are visual animals. It¡¯ll always be easier to have more people like you if you¡¯re good looking.¡±

    The taxi stopped right in front of us and I opened the door to allow Wei Shi and Shen Xiao Shi to get in. When I was about to step into the taxi as well, Wei Shi said that he would be fine sending Shen Xiao Shi off alone and told me to get home early.

    I subconsciously glanced at Shen Xiao Shi who was leaning on Wei Shi¡¯s shoulder, and happened to catch his eyelashes fluttering unnaturally and realised that he was only pretending to be asleep. It appeared that Wei Shi had also realised this and wanted to take the opportunity to talk through their matters once and for all and to spare me from being a third wheel.

    ¡°Alright, you guys be careful and stay safe.¡±

    I closed the car door and watched them disappear into the distance. With a long sigh, I tucked my hands into my pockets and stopped another taxi before I washed up and called it a day.

    I woke up early the next day, washed and got dressed before I left the house neatly, whistling a tune in my mouth. I hadn¡¯t even taken a few steps before I bumped into a courier delivery boy in the corridor.

    ¡°Are you Mr Lu, Lu Feng?¡± The courier boy held in his hands a tiny parcel, ¡°I¡¯ve called you previously, do you remember?¡±

    The parcel that Yi Da Zhuang mistakenly sent over to my address had arrived a few days ago, but I had to work in the day, and the courier service didn¡¯t operate at night so I could only arrange for the delivery to happen early in the morning.

    There had been too many things which occurred recently, and I almost forgot there was a delivery coming to my place. Luckily I met the courier here, otherwise who knows when I would¡¯ve been able to receive the package.

    ¡°I remember, sorry to have you specifically come back to deliver it again. You can give it to me now.¡±

    After signing off on it, I accepted the parcel from the courier and decided I was too lazy to go back home to leave it there. Seeing that it was a small item, I simply stuffed it into my outer pocket and brought it with me to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s house.

    The security guard there remembered me, and this time he only made a simple visitor record of me before letting me in.

    As I arrived outside Sheng Min Ou¡¯s apartment, I placed an ear on the door, trying to detect any movements inside. However, the door was too firm and thick to hear anything. Given the current time, I guessed that I should still be able to catch him so I entered the password and pushed the door to enter. Sure enough, Sheng Min Ou was there, with a neat shirt and tie, as he looked ready to leave for work.

    My entrance was rather sudden as he stood there holding a cup of coffee, his motions stilled in mid-air as he furrowed his brows and looked over at me.

    ¡°Who allowed you to enter?¡±

    I changed my shoes and closed the door for him.

    ¡°Yeah okay, if you didn¡¯t want me to come in then why didn¡¯t you change the password?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if it was because that one sentence had called Sheng Min Ou out, but he was silent for a moment, then he said nothing of the matter when he spoke again.

    ¡°What are you doing here so early?¡± He put the coffee cup back on the tray, a crisp clink sounding when the porcelain clattered against each other.

    ¡°I came here to see how you were going with thinking about it.¡± I had hurried over to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s apartment so was feeling quite thirsty as I took off my coat and placed it on the back of the dining chair. I lifted up the cup of coffee that was put down by Sheng Min Ou and drank it.

    I finished it all in one sip, and the astringent taste of it was hard to endure.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been one night since then.¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly in response.

    ¡°I said I¡¯d allow you a few days to think about it. It has been two days if we count yesterday and today. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± I clicked my tongue, finding myself unable to rid the bitter taste in my mouth, ¡°Ge, you¡¯re honestly lacking sweet things in your life. This isn¡¯t good, it¡¯s not good at all.¡±

    I put the cup back on the tray in disgust, and noticed a stack of sugar cubes on the side as I quickly tossed a cube in my mouth.

    Sheng Min Ou leaned against the dining table and crossed his arms to his chest before asking, ¡°Then what do you propose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sweet.¡± I pointed to myself and smiled, ¡°If you have me you won¡¯t be bitter anymore¡±

    He glanced at my mouth when hearing the words, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of tooth decay if it¡¯s too sweet.¡± After speaking, he picked up the car keys on the table and strode to the door.

    I watched him leave and didn¡¯t chase after him. Instead, I shouted from behind him, ¡°Drive safe on your way there!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou suddenly stopped and looked back at me, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

    He must be wondering why I wasn¡¯t following him. After all, I used to be overjoyed to be able to drive for him.

    ¡°I want to live here.¡± Under his gaze, I patted the back of the chair without batting an eye, ¡°My house was robbed and turned upside down. Now the interior is in chaos, and there¡¯s no way for me to live in it. Plus ¡­I¡¯m also afraid.¡±

    ¡°There was a break in?¡± Sheng Min Ou narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°It happened just last night.¡±

    ¡°Someone with your gutsiness is afraid of thieves?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the thief stealing from me, I¡¯m afraid of the thief keeping me on their mind. What if the thief comes to steal again while I¡¯m at home, and I bump straight into them. What if this time he decides to commit to his decision and kills during his act of theft too?¡± I approached Sheng Min Ou, standing closer to him and adjusted his tie which wasn¡¯t crooked in the first place, as my hand gilded easily to stroke his chest, ¡°Ge, are you able to leave me like this?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou gave one glance to my hand which was wreaking havoc and grabbed my wrist as he pulled it away from him.

    ¡°Sleep outside, and you¡¯re forbidden to enter my room.¡± He released my hand, turned around and left again.

    I had achieved my goal so I didn¡¯t call out to him to stop him again. When the door closed behind him, I danced wildly on the spot for a while to celebrate, then ran to his bedroom at lightspeed.

    Today was a public holiday at the pawn shop so I don¡¯t have to go to work. I laid down on his bed that had been neatly made up and curled up with the quilt that had Sheng Min Ou¡¯s scent all over it as I fell asleep, not keeping his words in mind at all.

 CH 61

    What happened yesterday was so thrilling that I didn¡¯t end up getting a good night¡¯s sleep. This morning, I then left straight for Sheng Min Ou¡¯s apartment to look for him. This led to evident sleep deprivation, as once I came into contact with his bed, it was like I was glued to it as I ended up sleeping until noon.

    I woke up, ordered takeout, then resumed sleeping after finishing my meal. When I sluggishly opened my eyes again, the sky outside the window was completely dark, as it looked to be around seven or eight o¡¯clock.

    I took a while to gather my senses again as I lay supine on the mattress, staring out into the darkness, when suddenly I heard the sound of the electric lock, followed by the noise of a door opening.

    I pricked up my ears quietly listening to the commotion outside. First there was the sound of car keys falling onto a marble surface at the entrance, then the sound of running water filling the bathtub, until finally slow footsteps making their way to the bedroom¡­

    The moment the bedroom door opened, I closed my eyes, pretending I was fast asleep.

    The mattress sank slightly as the person in question sat beside me. This wasn¡¯t the first time that I had disobeyed him, but just like in previous instances, the mere thought of his reaction to my antics made me beyond nervous.

    In the end, I stayed in waiting for quite a while, our surroundings falling completely silent as the person by my side remained still.

    I became impatient. However, just when I was about to sneak a peek, I felt an icy hand touch my cheek.

    I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was my body temperature that was higher, or if it was Sheng Min Ou¡¯s body temperature that was lower. His hands at certain times would always give me the feeling of ice. When he pressed it against me without warning, it often jolted me wide awake.

    I didn¡¯t know if I had controlled my emotions well or not, but I maintained my act of sleeping as I remained silent.

    His thumb traced gentle patterns on the skin under my eye as Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice sounded faintly in the room.

    ¡°You always refuse to listen to me.¡± As he spoke, his hand trailed downwards, until he was gripping my throat. ¡°Did you know that bad children who don¡¯t listen to others never end up with people liking them?¡°

    I only know that children who don¡¯t wail never get candy.

    I felt as if the hand gripping onto my throat restricted even further, until I could no longer keep up my facade of being asleep. I opened my eyes as I gripped both my hands around his wrist and offered him a placating smile. ¡°It¡¯s good if no one likes me though. If I was too good at getting others to like me, then Ge, wouldn¡¯t you get angry at me again?¡±

    In the dim lighting, Sheng Min Ou was only wearing a dress shirt on his upper body, the fabric white as snow. The top two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, revealing pale white collar bones beneath. With one of his long legs bent as he laid on his side, his gaze directed downwards at me, I thought he looked like the splitting image of a king who was about to fall asleep before finding a bold thief on his bed.

    He leaned down and replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t you pretty good at guessing my thoughts,¡± as he maintained a distance that was neither close nor far away. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you guess what I¡¯m currently thinking now? Hm?¡±

    My hand was actually circling around his wrist rather loosely as I was not exerting much force. He therefore rather liberally shifted his grip from being around my neck to over my cheeks, as he began to pinch my cheeks without restraint. He then emphasised caution as he jiggled my cheek fat back and forth.

    What he currently had in mind? He probably was thinking about¡­ how he could vengefully fuck me to hell and back to teach me a lesson.

    My cheeks were pinched which made it hard for me to voice any thoughts, so instead I opted to prove myself through actions as I grabbed a fistful of his shirt with both hands and tugged him towards me.

    Sheng Min Ou lost his balance at once and could only let go of my cheeks as he supported himself with a palm on the mattress.

    I pressed a hand to his nape, my other sneaking under his shirt as I greedily ran my hands by his sturdy and tensed back.

    I had eyed this part of him hungrily for a long time now and today I finally got to fulfil this wish. It took me too long to get here, much too long.

    Ca olgra Vtfcu Zlc Ye gfrqbcvfv atf kjs tf tjv wjcs alwfr qglbg, ys cba gfjmalcu ja jii. Ojafg bc joafg P tjv jccbsfv tlw abb wemt, qfgtjqr tf tjv yfmbwf delaf lgglajafv jr tf revvfcis rklamtfv eq ogbw vfofcrf ab boofcrf jr tf xlrrfv wf. Lf mbwqifafis bnfgaegcfv ws gtsatw, ktlmt kjr gjatfg ribk jcv ecmfgajlc, jr tf xlrrfv wf olfgmfis, ilxf j yfjra jybea ab vfnbeg j tewjc.

    At first, I could still keep up with him in this dance for two, however towards the end I had to admit defeat as I stayed obediently underneath him, my eyes unfocused, my breathing rough.

    This kiss had me almost deprived of oxygen as I reacted down there as well, which was beyond my control. It was at this moment that Sheng Min Ou bit my lower lip as he moved back.

    Our gaze intertwined, his appearance like usual, with only his breathing being slightly faster than normal. This was a stark and rather sorry comparison to myself, as I had become soft as a puddle in the aftermath.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling quite tired today, so I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡± Sheng Min Ou stood up as he unbuttoned his shirt one by one.

    My chest, which was still rising and falling rapidly suddenly stilled because of this move of his, and it was only a moment later that I rather clumsily picked up on his cue.

    He took off his shirt revealing his toned body, the outcome of his training at the fight club. His well-proportioned and powerful muscles were packed tightly according to his frame, with his abdomen formed like a paddy field . Even the V line abs, which were the hardest to achieve, could be clearly seen extending from his hip upwards, causing my gaze to come to a stop.

    He tossed his shirt onto the mattress and then began to take off his belt.

    Even the best strip show was just mediocre in comparison, I thought as I propped myself up. Though my breathing had recovered, I felt my heartbeat accelerate again.

    The metal belt was unclasped by Sheng Min Ou and fell to the solid wooden floorboards with a whine as he let go of it. He walked towards the door without even turning back, massaging his neck as he did so, as well as the marks that I had just scratched on his back.

    ¡°Get over here if you know how to perform a massage, I¡¯ll use that to make up for your rent.¡±

    Massage aside, at this point even if he wanted a magic trick from me, I would¡¯ve clenched my teeth, gone up and sent it regardless.

    ¡°Is just a massage enough? I can actually use other methods to pay rent.¡±

    He walked to the door and turned his head halfway as he glanced at me through his peripherals. His gaze was not particularly cold, but it still made me inconceivably shiver. The trembling travelled from my heart and went all the way south, until it reached down there. All of a sudden my entire face felt hot as I pressed my legs together in front of him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t keep endeavouring to do unnecessary things. You do whatever I tell you to do.¡± His gaze ran a circle pointedly over my face before he resumed his footsteps in walking away.

    That kiss just then probably was also something that was deemed ¡®unnecessary¡¯, but if we examined this rationally, if he really didn¡¯t want it he would have fought me off. Plus, towards the end he had responded to what I initiated.

    ¡°Hypocrite.¡± My mouth curled as I stood up and took a few deep breaths, waiting until my reaction to him had calmed down slightly before I walked towards the bathroom.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s bathroom was huge, the round bathtub placed next to the window. Once the blinds were open, one could glance down out of the window and look at the lights illuminating the streets beneath. The bathtub also matched the grand size of the bathroom, as three people could lie vertically in the tub and fit without a problem.

    When I entered, Sheng Min Ou was already lying in the tub. His back facing me as he had extended both his arms to the sides of the bathtub. His head was tilted back against the edge of the tub, his black hair completely soaked and combed back to reveal a clean forehead.

    ¡°Sir, which place would you like me to massage today?¡± I walked closer, half kneeling on the mat in front of the bathtub as I began my service.

    Sheng Min Ou closed his eyes as he voiced one word, ¡°Head.¡±

    ¡°Alright, no problem.¡±

    I rolled up my sleeves, placing my fingertips gently on his temples.

    After I had massaged that place for a while, I saw his breathing was becoming more even and drawn out and thought that he had fallen asleep. I leaned in and whispered hotly next to his ear, ¡°Sir, does this feel good?¡±

    Whilst I spoke, I purposefully flicked my tongue to his outer ear. It was only a second of contact, so it wouldn¡¯t be anything that could be classified as ¡®an unnecessary deed¡¯.

    He tilted his head to the other side as he slowly opened his eyes, his voice husky as he spoke, ¡°Continue.¡±

    In accordance with his commands, I continued to massage his temple, as I gradually exerted increased strength at my fingertips.

    The bathroom was shrouded in dense mist, the atmosphere equivocal. One person was even fully unclothed. There would actually be no possible explanation if nothing ended up happening in this situation.

    ¡°Ge, my technique is good right.¡±

    ¡°Do you have somewhere else that you would like me to massage, I can do that for you too?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou refused to talk further as I snuck a sneaky glance under water, my words flowing freely out of my mouth as I began to ramble, ¡°San Ge has had a back injury before, so I used to often massage his back. He said that I had good strength in my hands, and it felt good. But then Shen Xiao Shi joined us and this responsibility was given to him instead. Though he¡¯s the shortest out of all of us, he¡¯s even stronger than me, and he¡¯d often exert so much force that Wei Shi would often be sucking air in during his massages.¡±

    ¡°San Ge?¡± Sheng Min Ou suddenly asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s Wei Shi.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou seemed to dig through his memory for a second, ¡°Oh, the one who ended up in the police station because he assaulted someone last time.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose, that was a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. He¡¯s actually a pretty good guy. When we were all in prison, Shen Xiao Shi, him, myself and the other person you met before ¨C Yi Da Zhuang, we were all in the same cell, and we had the closest bonds with each other. After I left prison, Wei Shi helped me a lot. He had me manage the pawn shop and had Shen Xiao Shi support me in running the shop. If something happened to any of us, he would also immediately extend help without asking any questions¡­¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re very grateful towards him.¡± His voice was slow and very quiet at the same time.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I stopped in my tracks immediately, as the alarm bells sounded furiously within.

    Wait a minute, given this atmosphere and situation, I probably should not be mentioning another man now, right?

    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s not as if I¡¯m super super grateful towards him, I just think he¡¯s a good person.¡±

    I noticed something was off in his tone so I was hurriedly trying to fix my mistake, but it appeared as if it was too little too late.

    ¡°You help Wei Shi by massaging his back, you¡¯re there to wipe Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s tears, and you¡¯d even lure Luo Zheng Yun out for Mo Qiu using yourself as bait. If the prerequisite to calling someone a friend was to go to the lengths you¡¯ve gone, then there might not be anyone who could claim they have friends.¡± A wet hand suddenly shot out to grab my elbow, as I unwittingly trembled, as if I had been bit by a python. ¡°I¡¯m really tired today, so I¡¯m also in a bad mood. I told you to not do unnecessary things, but you never learn to listen.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou looked back at me, his pupils completely dark, ¡°Yes, I can get angry. You don¡¯t know how angry I can get.¡±

    These two sentences seemed to be fractured, as they appeared not to have any overt connection.

    I still hadn¡¯t realised what he was referring to by him getting ¡°angry¡± when he suddenly tugged me and pulled me into the tub. I fell in head first and swallowed several mouthfuls of bathwater when I hurriedly surfaced before being tugged by my shirt to the edge of the bathtub by Sheng Min Ou.

    As I coughed, I suddenly remembered that I had used a lie detector on him yesterday and asked him that in the case that I had physical contact with others, the type that was very intimate, whether he would get angry or not. At that time he only replied with a ¡®yes¡¯, but now it was like he was telling me explicitly that he really would be incensed over it.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡± Sheng Min Ou grabbed my chin as he lifted it slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t call out to me.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t making sense at all, but I also felt like he shouldn¡¯t be not making sense to such a degree.

    ¡°Ge,¡± I called out again, without fearing for my death or any consequences.

    For a split second his features looked ruthless before he let go of my chin and leaned towards me. There was a brief second where he looked like he was having an internal struggle before he then appeared to have let something go, as he wrapped a hand behind my nape and locked me in with a kiss.

    I thought about my conversation with him last night and reviewed possible words which may have triggered him, and found that ¡°San Ge¡± was a start.

    Before, I didn¡¯t dare to think too much, so many things were left unexplained to me. However, now I could think to the limits of my imagination. Though Sheng Min Ou¡¯s various emotions were largely static, his sense of jealousy thrived without restraint.

    In the past, Luo Zheng Yun had fed me an aphrodisiac and Sheng Min Ou had coincidentally bumped into me at the same private club. He tied me up and covered my eyes, and after the incident he had a bunch of excuses in his arsenal, saying that I had forced myself on him, or that he was in a poor mental state and needed a form of release. Now that I thought about it, it wasn¡¯t that, it wasn¡¯t any of those reasons. It was because he had seen the video on my phone and was so enraged he could¡¯ve exploded, which was why he couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore and fucked me that night.

    His grip on me loosened slightly and I seized this opportunity to ask him, ¡°¡­Is it because, I called someone else ge ge?¡±

    ¡°I said, shut up.¡± He frowned, leaning over to seal my lips once more, so that I couldn¡¯t make another sound.

    Someone who was like jealousy incarnate could be maddened beyond control over something like their title not being unique to themselves anymore.

    Once upon a time I had thought Sheng Min Ou was some sort of immortal who had descended into the mortal realm and didn¡¯t partake or share any feelings a human would have. However, in the end it appears that he is but a mortal himself.

    And he was the type of mortal who would become enraged over the fact that he was no longer my only ¡°ge ge¡± anymore.

    This was truly, too good.

    I opened my arms wide as I wrapped my arms around his back, as if I had just brought in a net I had cast out to catch birds, as I had him completely besieged.

    I¡¯ve caught you now, my gull.

    Jiraiya (Translator¡¯s note): Surprise! Merry Christmas everyone!! Hope everyone has a wonderful time celebrating and stay safe ?

 CH 62

    This chapter is NSFW.

    This time there was finally nothing blocking my mouth so I was free to scream and shout as I willed. As I entered a state of ecstasy, these sounds only grew, as the whole bathroom became filled by my cries and moans.

    Perhaps I was starting to make too loud of a sound, as Sheng Min Ou stopped, his breathing heavy. He shot me a displeased glance before clamping a hand over my mouth as he forced back the sounds coming from me.

    ¡°Hnngg¡­¡± My neck was bent back as I leaned against the edge of the bathtub. Sheng Min Ou approached, eyeing me from top down, bottomless pools of desire forming in his eyes.

    ¡°Lu Feng, do you get overjoyed when I¡¯m angry?¡± Each time he spoke, his words punctured through my body, with a viciousness that threatened to ravage my entirety. ¡°I dislike emotions that are hard to control and I dislike how you keep testing my limits, ignoring the words I say to you.¡±

    Despite the state we were in and the words he said, his gaze appeared extraordinarily calm.

    I slipped my tongue out and licked the palm of his hand, attempting to appease him.

    His eyes suddenly darkened as he simultaneously pushed himself within the very depths of my being.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you suffered enough?¡±

    ¡°Hn!¡± My eyes widened as I trembled, tears emerging from the corners of my eyes.

    Sheng Min Ou removed his hand from my mouth as he reached underwater and lifted up both my legs before moving furiously back and forth.

    I wrapped both my legs around his waist and hugged him tightly, scratching my fingertips impatiently against his back, as my tears rubbed against his temples and cheeks.

    I wanted to tell him that if it was for him, I would not be afraid of any sort of suffering. I wanted to tell him that I could be exceedingly obedient, following any word he gave. However, when I opened my mouth the only sounds that escaped me were soft and wet, a repetitive chorus of ¡°Ge¡± that only steadily rose in pitch.

    Accompanied by my shameless shouts and moans, his movements also became increasingly frantic.

    I almost couldn¡¯t bear it as I begged him for mercy, ¡°Ge¡­ slow down¡­ slow down, okay?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer at first, as his lips shifted from my ear to the side of my neck, leaving a trail of his hot breath on my skin. This sensation, mixed with the miniscule droplets of sweat on my body created waves of numbness, leaving me limp. I called out to him again, at my limit, as I scratched my fingernails harshly across his back. This finally elicited a response from him as he responded to me in an unsympathetic tone.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Before he had finished speaking, he moved swiftly and bit at my Adam¡¯s apple.

    I let out a sound, sucking in air like a dying prey as my fingertips trembled and stiffened for a moment, before one hand finally slipped limply from his back, leaving the other clinging on just barely to his shoulders.

    ¡°Ge, I¡¯m going to die¡­ I¡¯m really going to die¡­¡± As my sight swayed, I used a tone that I never could have used normally as my voice came out soft and weak, as if at any moment there was a chance that I was drawing my last breath. I called out to him coquettishly in the same breath, ¡°Can you¡­ en¡­ not do it so hard¡­¡±

    Every time I did it with Sheng Min Ou, I had a feeling that he was going to completely devour me, that I was going to be torn to pieces by him, one bite at a time. A sense that he would eat me up so cleanly that there would be no traces of even bones left in his mouth.

    Even if I begged for mercy, I would not receive any of his sympathy. Instead, it would only provoke him into becoming more ruthless, incentivising greater viciousness.

    The harder I struggled, the more forceful his bite. Once he set his mind to it, I would be his prey until death, a truth so certain that I couldn¡¯t entertain the possibility of escaping him even in my head.

    However, I was willing to play my part in this. I understood what it entailed, I embraced the expectations that came my way, Whether he decided to crush me into pieces, or to devour me whole, I would never push him away.

    He was what I had been relentlessly pining for, his presence beside me a reality that was too hard to come by. His bad habits, I could love them all in its entirety.

    ¡°You¡¯re really quite troublesome.¡±

    Without any warning, he stopped and came to a complete standstill. It caught me off guard, as I felt like I was caught mid-movement.

    When he moved, I felt like I couldn¡¯t stand it, but without him moving it was even harder to bear. In an instant, I entangled myself in his arms.

    ¡°Xf¡­.¡± Zs nblmf agjlifv boo jr P ifoa ufcaif rmgjamtfr erlcu ws olcufgcjlir bc tlr yjmx.

    C mbbi abcuef vgfk mibrf, lar alq agjmlcu j agjli ogbw ybaabw eq, yfulcclcu ja ws Cvjw¡¯r jqqif jcv fcvlcu ja ws ibkfg pjk.

    ¡°Oe Mfcu, lo sbe fnfg mijlwfv j rfmbcv ufuf batfg atjc wf¡­¡± Lf ibkfgfv tlr fsfr, jcv tlr fzqgfrrlbc kjr mbwqifafis vfnblv bo jcs tewbeg bg pfra, ¡°Ktfc P klii ygfjx sbeg ifur jcv alf sbe ab atf yfv obg atf gfra bo sbeg ilof.¡±

    I shivered subconsciously as my body trembled incessantly. Just as I was about to proclaim my loyalty to him, Sheng Min Ou kissed my lips and began to move at a feverish pace again, instantly plunging me into a wave of maddening desire.

    When I woke up in the morning, I heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom in the distance. I grabbed a fist full of hair as I yawned and sat up from the bed.

    A rich aroma came from the coffee machine in the kitchen. Sheng Min Ou was tying his tie as he stepped out of the bathroom, and only spared me a light glance when he noticed that I was awake. He moved to the coffee machine and pressed down a button and he poured himself a cup of fragrant black coffee.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to the company later.¡± He said, glancing at his watch as he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten minutes to get ready if you want to take my car as well.¡±

    Ten minutes?

    I looked down and observed my dishevelled state from head to toe as I accepted the difficult demand he made, ¡°Alright, wait a bit for me.¡±

    Last night, with the exception of my jacket, the rest of my clothes had been donated to a cause known as Sheng Min Ou¡¯s bath water. They remained wet after being through the washing machine, and even if I tossed them into the dryer now they wouldn¡¯t be able to dry in time.

    I could only rummage through Sheng Min Ou¡¯s closet in search of clothes.I looked high and low and found two white t-shirts that might have been sleepwear for him and a pair of jeans which I folded up and cuffed at the ends. When I paired this with my denim jacket, the end result turned out to be pretty good.

    My pocket was weighed down by something heavy and when I reached a hand in to feel it, it was a box used by the delivery service.

    Since Yi Da Zhuang had sent it to the wrong place, I didn¡¯t venture to take a look at what was within it. I figured that I would keep it with me first, and I would just return it whenever he decided to show up to ask for it back.

    I placed the delivery on the table and said to Sheng Min Ou, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m done.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou was not someone who had a strong sense of curiosity. He placed the coffee cup down and didn¡¯t ask what the contents of the courier box was. He had a suit draped over his arm and turned around as he walked towards the door.

    I thought things would be like how they had always been; with him not turning back and not waiting for me. I didn¡¯t expect that after I had changed my shoes and left the house that he would still be there in front of the elevator. I closed the door gently behind me and it was only then that he pressed the down button on the lift, as he had clearly been waiting for me.

    I walked up to him and stood by his side, and I couldn¡¯t help but sneakily reach a hand out to hold his hand.

    He dodged it at once but didn¡¯t remark on it as he deftly alternated his hand holding his clothes.

    I gave a pout but didn¡¯t harass him further. The elevator quickly arrived at our floor and he went in first. When Sheng Min Ou turned around and saw that I still remained in my original spot, he raised his eyebrows slightly as he pressed the button that opened the lift doors.

    ¡°Are you coming or not?¡±

    I grinned at him, ¡°Ge, it feels like I¡¯m dreaming right now.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou looked at me, seemingly indifferent, and then let go of the hand holding the elevator.

    Seeing that the elevator door was about to close, I cried out internally and hurriedly stepped in. The elevator door closed slowly behind me as I placed a hand over my chest and called out to Sheng Min Ou with a hint of complaint in my voice, ¡°Ge¡­..¡±

    Sheng Min Ou placed both his hands in his pockets and fixed his eyes on the display panel showing the floor number as he paid no attention to me. I was standing behind him and therefore caught the corners of his mouth lift up in a slight curve.

    How mean of him, I murmured silently within, yet a smile bloomed on my face that was even more jubilant than before.

    I took Sheng Min Ou¡¯s ride and arrived at the pawn shop. I got there a little late so both Liu Yue and Shen Xiao Shi were already there.

    Shen Xiao Shi sat on a sofa and appeared to be texting someone. When he saw me come in, he raised his head and the first thing he asked was if I had heard from Yi Da Zhuang recently.

    ¡°Da Zhuang? I got a call from him last week. Why, who¡¯s looking for him?¡± I brought out my phone and looked through the call history, where Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s last call to me was still there on the day of Shen Xiao Shi mothers final hearing. ¡°Does he owe someone money?¡±

    ¡°No, San Ge has been trying to reach him for the past few days to catch up with him, but for some reason he can¡¯t get through to his phone.¡±

    I tried to dial Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s phone number and found that his phone was also turned off.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s tailing a celebrity right now so it¡¯s hard for him to answer the phone,¡± I said. Yi Da Zhuang had a unique line of work, so there was a chance that he was simply laying low these past few days to gather his scoop. Then, when the information was exposed to the media, he¡¯d reappear along with it too.

    However, what I was more interested in now wasn¡¯t when Yi Da Zhuang would pick up his phone, but rather what was going on currently between Shen Xiao Shi and Wei Shi.

    I squeezed next to Shen Xiao Shi and lowered my voice as I assumed a casual tone as if nothing was out of the ordinary, ¡°Are you all good with San¡­ Wei Shi?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s fingers continued in a flurry of movement as he typed quickly. Without sparing me a glance, he hummed an nonchalant ¡°en¡± under his breath in response to my question.

    I didn¡¯t dare to press for further details on how they reconciled and exactly what the situation was between them. All I knew was that our four-member gang was still here and intact, and that we didn¡¯t need to disband. The rest of the details would naturally come out when they were ready to talk about it.

    When I told Sheng Min Ou that I was going to live with him, I was at first only testing the waters and didn¡¯t seriously intend to live there, given that I hadn¡¯t brought any change of clothing with me. Now that I really was going to move in, I couldn¡¯t wear his clothes all the time. Hence, I intended to go back to my place after work to pick up some spare clothing.

    I sent a text message to give Sheng Min Ou a heads up and then took the metro home.

    The place where I was living in was quite an old residential area, with high foot traffic passing the place and had its fair share of chaotic incidents. Each year when the end of the year approached there were sure to be several instances of burglary. Therefore, when I entered my place and found traces of items being moved from their usual spot, my alarm bells instantly went off.

    We had just passed the middle of the year and the burglars were already at my door ready to boost their annual performance numbers. Were they low on money at home to pay for coffins or something?

    I also just jinxed myself too, I lied to Sheng Min Ou and told him that I¡¯ve been robbed, and now I¡¯ve really encountered a break in.

    ¡°That¡¯ll teach you to talk nonsense,¡± I slapped my mouth gently and took out my mobile phone as I stood in the middle of the messy living room, about to call the police. Suddenly, I felt a ripple of air behind me, as if someone was approaching.

    The person never left ¨C they were still here!

    This thought had just flashed across my mind when a sharp, agonizing pain suddenly came from the back of my neck, as my sight became blotted with black. I made an effort to hold on to my consciousness, but I still fell to the ground against my will.

    Fuck, was this because the heavens thought I¡¯d been too high-spirited recently, so they had to set a few hurdles for me for me to go through hardship again?

    I had no idea how long I was out for, but when I sluggishly opened my eyes again everything was cast in darkness. The ground beneath me was stiff, and my neck still ached dully. I was at a loss for a second before I remembered the memories from before I was knocked out. I was so startled by this that I wanted to sit up, only to find all my limbs were tightly bound by my side, restricting any movement.

    What was the meaning of this? Turns out if thieves these days were unsuccessful in robbery they resorted to kidnapping instead?

    After struggling against the restraints for a while I discovered that it had been tied very tightly, as there were no signs of it loosening at all. I had to give up on my attempt and instead resorted to calming my nerves to better observe my surroundings.

    There was a smell of wood in the room I was kept captive in. I traced a finger against the ground, and it felt rough to the touch, as I determined it was gravel. There was a door not far away from which a warm yellow light emanated, accompanied by the sound of faint voices.

    I twisted my body as I shifted myself towards there, the voices becoming more discernible.

    ¡°Why did you take him with you?¡± A man asked, his tone pressing.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t find what we were looking for so of course we had to bring him along instead. Weren¡¯t you the one who said we had to resort to whichever methods to destroy the stuff at all costs?¡± The other man replied, his voice a raucous timbre.

    ¡°You guys have no idea what you¡¯re doing. If in such a short span of time, two people go missing and the police get involved in this, what is your plan then? I gave you all this money so you could deal with the matter as lowkey as possible. Instead, you have done the opposite of what has been asked. Is it because you think I¡¯m not in deep enough shit?¡±

    At this, another man interjected, ¡°Lets not talk in such harsh words, now that we¡¯re all in this together, if anyone were to be finished here we¡¯d all face the same fate. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re intentionally aiming for our demise.¡±

    I had no idea why, but the first man¡¯s voice sounded familiar to me. However, try as I might, I couldn¡¯t quite remember where I had heard of the voice.

    From their conversation I could deduce that they were looking for something, but what could I possibly have that would be of interest to them? If they were looking for items which were traded to the pawn shop, then they should be looking through the inventory there, why the hell would they come to where I lived for no apparent reason?

    Afraid that they would suddenly come to where I was, I wriggled my body backwards as I returned to my original spot.

    A rustling sound suddenly sounded in the darkness. I thought there were accomplices in the room too as my body stiffened instantly.

    ¡°Feng, Feng Ge, are you awake?¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s weak voice sounded from a dark corner of the room.

    ¡°Da Zhuang?¡± I was shocked to encounter him in this kind of situation, but other than that a thought also quickly flashed through my mind.

    I seemed to have grabbed at the tail of a thought as gradually I was able to piece together and make sense of what was happening.

    The man on the other side of the door had said that two missing people would attract the attention of the police, one was me, and the other appeared to be Yi Da Zhuang. Turns out that his disappearance these days wasn¡¯t because of following some sort of scoop, but rather because he had been dragged to the middle of nowhere and kept hostage there.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I asked in a low voice as I nudged myself little by little towards his direction.

    I didn¡¯t know if Yi Da Zhuang was injured or if it was because he hadn¡¯t eaten for a long time, but his voice sounded weak and rough, as if he had swallowed sandpaper.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­ Feng Ge, I dragged you into this mess, in the next life¡­ I will do whatever it takes to pay you back.¡±

    It was the end of summer now, and the weather was still slightly stuffy. I could smell the stench of blood and rotting flesh on him and realized that he may be injured, as my voice took on a more urgent tone, ¡°Summarise the story then, don¡¯t fucking talk about living or dying, it hasn¡¯t come to that yet.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang was silent for a while before sighing, ¡°I mentioned before that I was following a big scoop, do you remember?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Long story short, this big scoop I was talking about¡­ it¡¯s, it¡¯s related to Mei Teng Pharmaceutical. When I was helping you investigate Lawyer Sheng earlier, I met some researchers from Mei Teng. I later caught on to some traces of information from them and found out that there may be some complications with their new drug, rendering it unable to be launched to the market. I spent half a year investigating this and collected a lot of evidence, including files of their clinical data which they had falsified, as well as some highly classified original documents. To keep things secure, I hid everything in the safe outside, but to be extra sure I sent you the cipher for the password¡­¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let a curse out, ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you tell me all of this first if you were going to send me something that important?¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s voice became even weaker, ¡°Because I thought¡­I thought the more you know, the more dangerous it would be¡­I actually had a feeling that I was being followed the past few days, but I didn¡¯t expect Xiao Meng to have been eyeing me this soon, and to be this bold to have me tied up. For the past few days they¡¯ve tortured me to extort answers and they demanded me to hand over the documents. I had no choice but to tell them that the things were stored in the safe and the cipher was with you¡­ I thought the most they would do would be to look through your house and then to steal the cipher and take it away. I didn¡¯t think that they would tie you up too. Feng Ge, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really sorry, you can take it out on me¡­¡±

    He sounded as if he was about to cry, and even if I was angry I wouldn¡¯t be able to curse at him further right now. I looked towards the door whilst simultaneously pushing myself against the wall to try and prop myself up.

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of scolding you? I¡¯d rather spare that energy and direct it instead to thinking about how we can get out of here. How badly are you hurt?¡±

    No wonder I thought the voice outside sounded familiar, turns out it was Xiao Meng. Though Mei Teng was a large company, they had resorted to doing despicable things such as kidnapping and stealing in order to cover up the truth. Xiao Sui Guang¡¯s daughter was a disgrace, and it turns out his nephew was determined to not be outdone by her. It truly was unfortunate for the family clan. However, the matter at hand was a sensitive one. They had boldly kidnapped us with a clear target in mind, and they also had no intention of hiding their identities. The tone of the two kidnappers earlier was also intermittently laced with malice, leading me to think that they were not planning to let us go easily.

    Yi Da Zhuang may have realised this already, hence his incessant apologies.

    Because he knew that there was no chance we would leave here alive.

    ¡°Just a small injury, however I haven¡¯t eaten much for the past few days so I feel like I have no energy, and I¡¯m still thirsty¡­¡± As he was speaking, Yi Da Zhuang burst into a violent fit of coughs. Not long after, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

    We both held our breath at the same time, and Yi Da Zhuang stopped his coughing abruptly. I looked at the door, its fringes brightly lit and saw a dark shadow flash across the gap. The next second, the door was wrenched open, and the bright lights from outside flooded into the room. I felt a pang of soreness in my eyes as the light hit me and I couldn¡¯t help but squint slightly.

    The tall figure at the door walked towards us as I stiffened my body in alarm and chose my next words with deliberation, ¡°Brother, there¡¯s still room for discussion. Whether it¡¯s money or whatever else you require, I¡¯d be willing to cooperate. Don¡¯t -¡±

    Before I could get the two words ¡°get violent¡± out the man grabbed a fist full of my hair and violently threw me to the ground. I ate a mouthful of dirt, a cut on my lower lip forming as my teeth knocked into it, the scent of blood ripe in my mouth. Disorientated, I had just raised my head when I was grabbed by the back of my collar and dragged towards the door.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch my friend, I said it has nothing to do with him, take it out on me instead! I beg you, don¡¯t hurt him¡­¡± Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s voice was permeated by fear as despair dripped off each syllable. In a matter of moments, the door had shut between us and everything was contained in the small, dark room again.

 CH 63

    The man dragging me was of Herculean build, with bulging biceps as he wore a tight white singlet, revealing a black vine-like tattoo which snaked from his chest to his neck. He tossed me into a chair and then circled behind me to press down on my shoulder.

    ¡°Only talk if you¡¯re asked a question. If no one is addressing you, then keep your mouth shut.¡± He exerted force on my shoulders firmly as he spoke, his tone deceivingly calm, when each word was full of hidden threats.

    Outside the small, dark room was another room of about 20 square metres, its exteriors made of wooden walls and a wooden roof. There was a window, but it was covered with newspaper so that one couldn¡¯t see the view outside. However, the surroundings of this place felt extremely quiet, to the point where I could hear the noise of the cicadas and the rustling of leaves carried by the wind. The sounds of civilisation, of car horns and people conversing were nowhere to be heard.

    I didn¡¯t see Xiao Meng in the room, however a middle-aged man in a floral shirt with a cigarette in his mouth approached me and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Where¡¯s the cipher?¡± As he spoke, a gold teeth flashed from a corner of his mouth.

    ¡°¡­What cipher?¡±

    I played dumb in the hopes of holding on to some leverage, only to see a sneer form on the other mans expression as he bit down on his cigarette, raised his hand back and gave me a resounding slap.

    My ear buzzed, and the smell of blood in my mouth became even more pungent. It took me a while for my vision to focus again, as the middle-aged man stood close and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t force us to do things the hard way.¡±

    An icy object was suddenly pressed against the side of my neck, causing frissons to run down my whole body, as a bad premonition arose. I shifted my gaze downwards and saw a black pistol pressed against my neck.

    Xiao Meng the fucking coward, how did he even find such reckless criminals, ones that kept a gun with them?

    My heart sank, as I swallowed the blood in my mouth and spoke, the action tugging at the sore corners of my mouth, ¡°It¡¯s at my brother¡¯s place.¡± A satisfied expression appeared on the middle aged man¡¯s face as I quickly added, ¡°But he lives in an expensive residential area, there are surveillance cameras everywhere, and security guards patrol the place 24 hours a day. You guys won¡¯t be able to get in. Aren¡¯t the two of you here only in pursuit of money? There¡¯s no need to make this situation even more complicated. My brother isn¡¯t aware about the cipher so I¡¯ll give him a call and tell him to take it with him to a designated place. Then, you guys can use the cipher to open the safe, destroy its contents and then let Yi Da Zhuang and myself go free. This is an outcome which benefits us all and is to everyone¡¯s delight, how does that sound?¡±

    The middle-aged man pondered for a moment, then sneered, ¡°We have a fast thinker on our hands, you¡¯ve only just woken up for a couple of minutes, and here you are already having planned our next steps.¡±

    I gave him a smile, ¡°That¡¯s just my suggestion, what happens next ultimately depends on what you two Da Ge think.¡±

    As I said these words, sweat formed from the roots of my hair out of sheer nervousness as each drop traced its way down my collar, following the hollows of my back, crawling down like the pedipalps of a spider.

    The middle-aged man held his cigarette between his fingers and levelled a glance at me for a while before he lifted a finger and pointed at the tattooed man behind me, ¡°Da Long, put it away.¡±

    The metal object which had previously been digging into my neck was pulled back all of a sudden, as I closed my eyes and allowed myself to let out the breath that I was holding.

    ¡°Little brother, just stay here obediently, you don¡¯t need to worry about anything else.¡± He lifted his head up and looked around, ¡°It¡¯s very quiet here, no one will find you two.¡±

    A chill seeped into my heart as his eyes were filled with murderous intent and malice. I could tell that he was someone who was willing to kill for money, a person most definitely not to be messed with.

    ¡°Jin Ya ge, I feel like that Xiao guy is already very dissatisfied with us. I don¡¯t want him to possibly renege on our agreement if we mess up again.¡± The man nicknamed Da Long walked towards the middle aged man as he placed both hands on his waist and continued, ¡°Then we would¡¯ve really exposed ourselves to all this risk and put this much work in for nothing.¡±

    He casually tucked the gun away to the back of his waist, where the entire barrel was hidden under his pants. I sneaked a few glances to try and ascertain if it was a real gun, but I couldn¡¯t tell because of the distance.

    Alc Tj atgfk atf mlujgfaaf yeaa bc atf ugbecv jcv atfc mgertfv la yfcfjat tlr obba, ¡°Lf kbeivc¡¯a vjgf.¡± Lf rjlv mbivis, jcv ujnf Gj Obcu j ibbx, ¡°Kbrr tlw yjmx lc.¡±

    Gj Obcu aegcfv jgbecv jcv ugjyyfv atf ogbca bo ws rtlga jr tf qeiifv wf eq ogbw atf mtjlg, jcv atfc tjio tjeifv, tjio vgjuufv wf yjmx lcab atf rwjii, vjgx gbbw.

    I groaned reflexively in pain when my elbow hit the ground, accompanied by the sound of the wooden door closing slowly behind me. The parts of my body illuminated by the light became smaller and smaller before my surroundings returned to pitch black once more.

    Now I could only hope for Sheng Min Ou to realise I was missing and to look for me at my place. Then, upon discovering my house looking like it had been broken into, he would call the police to have them handle the case.

    But why did I feel like¡­that hope was so slim?

    ¡°Feng ge, how are you feeling?¡± Yi Da Zhuang asked anxiously in the dark.

    I pushed myself up by propping my shoulders against the floor, as my feet coordinated with my butt in a synchronised movement to nudge myself over to his side.

    ¡°They have guns,¡± I whispered. ¡°Have you seen them?¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang replied, ¡°I have, they¡¯ve even fired it once to scare me.¡±

    Fuck, it was a real gun.

    My heart sank once more, and I began getting afraid that they¡¯d hurt Sheng Min Ou by recklessly storming his door with a gun in hand.

    It was at this point that I heard the sound of a car engine roaring to life outside. I glanced in the direction of the door and I could see from the gap underneath that there was still someone pacing outside. My guess was that one person was sent to steal the cipher device, and the other remained behind to keep an eye on us.

    I gritted my teeth and decided that I couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. I had Yi Da Zhuang turn his back towards me, then I leaned over and used my mouth to locate the rope tied around his hands.

    Jin Ya and the other man used zip ties and their own locks to tie us up. Our arms were folded behind our backs, with the palms of our hands facing our elbows. There were three ties on our arms and even more on our ankles, knees, and legs, making it hard to escape easily.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to work, I can¡¯t bite through it¡­.¡± I tried to sever the zip tie using my teeth but I soon realised that I couldn¡¯t make a single dent in it. Even if I continued out of sheer perseverance to whittle the three zip ties down, it would probably be daybreak by the time that happened.

    I could only straighten myself up as I leaned against the wall panting, ¡°They have no intention of concealing anything in front of us, and they showed us their faces rather carelessly. They even revealed Xiao Meng as the mastermind behind this whole scheme. Da Zhuang, they have no intention of letting us go alive.¡±

    ¡°Feng Ge, it¡¯s my fault that you got involved in this.¡± Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s suppressed emotions finally erupted.

    He bursted into tears as he continued talking, ¡°I deserve to die, I¡¯m a bastard!¡±

    Though his grating wailing was all I could hear, I was in no mood to comfort him. The only thoughts in my head were about Sheng Min Ou and that cipher device.

    I began to slightly regret telling the truth, I should¡¯ve delayed spilling the information a little longer. For each day that they couldn¡¯t locate the cipher, they would have to keep us here a day longer. This would provide enough time for the others to notice our disappearance and to report it to the police. Even though I would be in for a vicious beating, I¡¯d be greatly increasing our chance of survival later. It wouldn¡¯t be like our current situation, where we¡¯d have to endure an excruciating wait until they gave us more information, a wait for us to be told when the hatchet placed on top of our heads would come slicing down.

    Tsk, I was still lacking in my ability to adapt to a given situation. I panicked as soon as the gun was pressed against me.

    I thumped my head repeatedly against the wall, ¡°Yi Da Zhuang, if I die I die. After all, you¡¯re my friend, so if the heavens had plans for our ill-fated relationship then so be it, I don¡¯t blame you. However¡­¡± I paused for a second as my voice became glum, ¡°However, if anything happened to my brother, would you believe me if I said I¡¯ll rise back from the dead and bite you to death.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s body trembled evidently as he hurriedly said, ¡°I do, I believe it!¡±

    I wasn¡¯t aware of how much time passed until the small, dark room was gradually filled with light as it became brighter. I found out then that one of the walls not far away from us had a window there too. Similar to the window I saw before, newspapers concealed the surface so we couldn¡¯t see outside, but sunlight could still illuminate faintly through the newspapers.

    It was probably around noon when the sound of the car engine returned again outside the house. The car that left last night had come back.

    My gaze met Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s as we both shifted ourselves towards the wall that was shared by both rooms, as we pressed our ears against it.

    The door opened and closed again, then came Jin Ya¡¯s voice sounding slightly irritated, ¡°Damn it, I couldn¡¯t get in.¡±

    ¡°Did you manage to get close to the apartment door?¡± Da Long asked.

    ¡°What door? I couldn¡¯t even get into the residential complex, and the kid¡¯s brother didn¡¯t leave to go anywhere either. I camped outside for a long time and didn¡¯t see him step out of the complex.¡±

    ¡°Then what do we do? He¡¯s not like that paparazzi guy. That guy could disappear for half a month and it wouldn¡¯t raise any suspicions, but if we keep the other one here for longer his brother may call the police.¡±

    Jin Ya was silent for a while, then said, ¡°Go and bring him here.¡±

    Da Long brought me out of the small room again. This time, Jin Ya agreed with my proposal yesterday and had me call Sheng Min Ou to tell him that someone was coming to pick up a delivery. I was instructed to have him hand over the parcel with the cipher to Da Long, who would dress up as a delivery boy. If he were to ask where I was, I was to say that I had been drinking and got drunk at a friend¡¯s house.

    ¡°Once Da Long confirms that he has what we need, he¡¯ll give me a call, and I will let you guys go immediately.¡± Jin Ya¡¯s features were shaped in a crude and wicked way, so when his expression morphed into a smile conveying benevolence, the juxtaposition of this sight raised all the hairs on my back instead.

    ¡°Alright, hand me my phone.¡±

    I knew he was lying, but I still swiftly agreed to his demand.

    Da Long fished out my mobile phone from his pocket and dialled Sheng Min Ou as he set the phone on the table in front of him and switched it to speaker mode.

    I leaned over slightly, facing the microphone.

    The call connected, and Sheng Min Ou remained silent on his side, as he had done countless times before. In fact, the other end was so quiet that those who didn¡¯t know might have thought the phone itself was faulty.

    ¡°Ge, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at¡­¡± I looked at Jin Ya, whose gaze was intently fixed on me as I followed his instructions, ¡°I¡¯m at San Ge¡¯s house. I had too much to drink with him last night so I slept at his house.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou was quiet, then after a long while he confirmed with me what I had just said, ¡°You slept at Wei Shi¡¯s house?¡±

    His voice came out extremely soft, like it was fairy floss, but I knew it was just an illusion. There was no fairy floss, only a violent snowstorm instead.

    I swallowed, attempting to make my voice as natural as possible.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Da Long was toying with his beloved black gun as he gestured it at me in random movements. I knew this was him threatening me, so I spoke even more cautiously, ¡°Ge, there is a courier box on your desk. Someone will come to pick it up in the afternoon, just hand it over to them when the person arrives.¡±

    ¡°The one Yi Da Zhuang sent?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the one Yi Da Zhuang sent to me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡±

    Da Long and Jin Ya¡¯s gaze converged on me at the same time. They were getting nervous.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. He sent it to me by mistake. I haven¡¯t opened it.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou hung up the phone, Da Long rubbed his hands excitedly, and said to Jin Ya, ¡°Jin Ya ge, it looks like this is about to happen!¡±

    Jin Ya¡¯s face morphed into the same gleeful expression as he waved his hand to have Da Long shut me into the room again.

    I didn¡¯t know if Sheng Min Ou would be able to understand my hint. If he went to Wei Shi to verify my story, he would know that I wasn¡¯t at his place at all, therefore indicating that something must be wrong.

    I spat out the dust in my mouth as I started examining the now brightening small space. My gaze passed Yi Da Zhuang, who had a bruised nose and a swollen face, and instead fell upon an unknown piece of rusted iron on the ground.

    It might have been from some sort of farming equipment. It was palm sized, and the colour of dirt. No one noticed it when it fell on the ground, which ended up working greatly in my favour.

    Holding the iron piece between my fingers, I said to Yi Da Zhuang, ¡°Even if I cut into your flesh later, you have to endure it no matter what, got it?¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang looked at me, then at the iron piece in my hand, before finally nodding vigorously and fearfully back.

 CH 64

    I had no idea how long the piece of iron had been rusting for, but it was more blunt than a piece of wood, and was only marginally better than if I had used my teeth. I turned my back to Yi Da Zhuang, and as I couldn¡¯t see where exactly the ties were on his hand, my efforts saw little return despite myself sweating all over.

    ¡°Feng ge, I don¡¯t think this is going to work. What if we¡¯re halfway through cutting the ties and someone walks in?¡±, he asked. I wasn¡¯t sure how badly I missed but I cut him instead and heard Yi Da Zhuang draw in a sudden sharp intake of breath as he hissed.

    ¡°No matter what we do we¡¯re screwed anyways, we don¡¯t have a choice but to try.¡± I responded, my perspiration slick on my fingers as it wet the iron piece, causing the piece itself to become slippery.

    I lost track of how long I had spent going back and forth in a sawing motion with the iron piece in hand when suddenly I heard footsteps come from outside the door. I immediately stopped and shoved the iron piece behind Yi Da Zhuang.

    The middle-aged man approached us with my mobile phone in hand, the vibrating screen showing an incoming call from ¡°Ge Ge¡±.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything unnecessary,¡± he warned, as he switched to speaker mode and then proceeded to pick up the call.

    I eyed the black sheathed dagger on his waist. If I could get it, I would easily be able to cut the ties on my hands and feet, however¡­

    I licked my dry upper lip as I said, ¡°Ge, what¡¯s up?¡±

    The other end of the line was very quiet and devoid of any background noise. I glanced at Jin Ya suspiciously, but he was also puzzled. After waiting a while longer, he reached out for the phone with the intention to hang up the call.

    ¡°Release my brother, what you want is in my hands and I¡¯m willing to offer it in exchange.¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice came out of the phone measured and unhurried as Jin Ya¡¯s eyes immediately widened. He checked my mobile phone in disbelief, as if suspecting that there was a mic installed on it.

    ¡°I know you have my brother and Yi Da Zhuang. The courier box held the cipher required for the safe at Wan Li bank and I retrieved the items from the safe just then. No need to worry ¨C I won¡¯t call the police, and I also don¡¯t care about anyone else involved. Give me an address, and I will personally bring the items in exchange for my brother.¡±

    Jin Ya held the phone firmly, and narrowed his eyes when he heard these words, the ends of his eyes tilting up slightly.

    Time ticked by, one second after the other, as Sheng Min Ou did not speak again, giving Jin Ya ample time to consider his proposal.

    Jin Ya hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, his tone chilling, ¡°The items kept in the safe were never meant to be seen by others. Since you have already retrieved it from its place, my employer will not be paying me the remaining sum of money with this being a botched job. You can expect to see your brother¡¯s corpse soon.¡±

    My heart tensed as I held my breath and was about to put up one last fight in a last ditch attempt to stay alive when Sheng Min Ou spoke on the other side of the line again.

    ¡°I can also give you money. I¡¯ll pay you in cash, old bills without consecutive serial numbers. A million yuan, how about that?¡±

    Jin Ya paused midway through his action of hanging up. The temptation of money was hard to resist, with the sum that Xiao Meng promised now up in the air. However, the one million yuan that was being offered now, that was a payout which seemed to come from the heavens, falling straight into his lap. It was an offer which would tempt anyone.

    He resisted against it, his expression appearing rather twisted as his fingers gripped the phone forcefully, an evident display of his internal struggle. However, he ultimately gave in as he succumbed to temptation.

    ¡°The exchange happens tonight. There won¡¯t be another chance.¡±

    This time, he decisively hung up the call before Sheng Min Ou could answer.

    Jin Ya stared at the phone, his expression sour. This job was meant to be straightforward, yet they encountered so many problems along the way. No one in his position would be happy with this turn of events.

    His sinister gaze swivelled suddenly to me as I tensed up, an ominous feeling arising. The next second, I was kicked forcefully in the chest as I slammed into the wall behind me.

    Szmgemljalcu qjlc oijgfv lc ws rafgcew jr P mbeutfv nlbifcais yfsbcv ws mbcagbi. Alc Tj vlvc¡¯a kjraf j rfmbcv jr wbgf xlmxr kfgf vlgfmafv ja ws ybvs.

    ¡°Djv iemx! Vemt yjv iemx!!¡±

    P megifv ws ybvs lcab atf obfaji qbrlalbc jr P uglaafv ws affat jcv rlifcais fcvegfv tlr yibkr. Tl Gj Itejcu ifjqa obgkjgv ab mbnfg rbwf bo Alc Tj¡¯r xlmxr jr tf yfuufv obg wfgms, qifjvlcu jr tf jrxfv obg tlw ab wbnf bc jcv ab cba kjraf tlr fcfgus bc er.

    It was only when Jin Ya had finally displaced all his frustration that he stopped the fury of kicks. He unbuttoned his shirt and left it open as he walked out with a bounce to his step.

    ¡°This fucker¡­¡± Yi Da Zhuang moved his body away and spat on the floor, his spit mixed with blood.

    The dull pain in my chest seemed to linger endlessly, and I wasn¡¯t sure if my sternum was cracked. I coughed a few times and picked up the iron piece again, as I motioned for Yi Da Zhuang to turn around.

    ¡°We keep going.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Yi Da Zhuang was so surprised that his expression was wholly blank for a moment, ¡°Its off, it¡¯s off?!¡±

    I took a look at the zip tie on his arm, the one that I had been wearing down for a long time, and sure enough it had come off. I surmised that this had happened when he threw his body forward to cover mine, as the suddenness of the action snapped the zip tie.

    My mood lightened slightly as I said, ¡°Let¡¯s keep using the iron piece, we¡¯ll aim to do the same to the rest of the zip ties too.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang stopped me, ¡°No no no, Feng Ge, my ability to retaliate is limited at the moment and I also won¡¯t be able to run very fast, so we should give you the greatest chance of survival. Pass the iron piece to me, now that I have a free hand, I¡¯ll be able to wear down the other zip ties faster. I¡¯ll try to break them all off for you within an hour, you¡­you¡¯ll escape from the window. Don¡¯t look back, just keep running, you¡¯ll definitely be able to escape.¡±

    Though this guy Yi Da Zhuang may have screwed me over and landed us in this situation, he at least exhibited loyalty. His rationale did make sense, in terms of fighting ability I was stronger than him. If somehow Jin Ya and his partner burst through the room with the intention to finish us off, at least with my limbs free I would be able to still fight back.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of that, do you think we¡¯re starring in a tragedy or something? With the whole ¡®keep running and don¡¯t look back¡¯ line as well? Just hurry up and start cutting through the zip ties instead of talking nonsense,¡± I replied. Now wasn¡¯t the time for polite back and forths, so I didn¡¯t show him further courtesy as I took him up on his offer.

    The iron piece was handed over as Yi Da Zhuang diligently sawed away at the zip ties binding my hands, his speed more than twice mine.

    ¡°Feng Ge, Lawyer Sheng lied to them. He didn¡¯t retrieve anything from the safe at all.¡± Yi Da Zhuang turned his head sideways and whispered, ¡°Just in case, I purchased an additional retina verification service. The safe can only be opened once it passes the double authentication of having both the cipher device and my retina pressed against the scanner. I never told them this because I held on to the thought of not letting them get to what I kept in the safe, even if I died. Though I, Yi Da Zhuang, work as an entertainment reporter I still carry the dignity of a journalist. To publish and make public the truth is the mission of every journalist, and I will never fucking succumb to criminals¡±

    I was left slightly stunned. So Sheng Min Ou had just been bluffing the whole time? He hadn¡¯t retrieved the documents from the safe at all, and from the beginning to end, his end goal was to use the one million yuan in exchange for me?

    ¡°They won¡¯t let us go like this¡­¡± It was evident from the sinister gaze of Jin Ya¡¯s eyes that he had never planned to let go of us at all. After getting the money, he would kill all of us, including Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°I agree.¡± Yi Da Zhuang nodded as he added, ¡°They have guns, with just one shot and we¡¯d all be dead.¡±

    The mood shifted to a standstill, with Yi Da Zhuang and I both falling into a sombre silence at the same time. For a while, the only sound in the entire room came from the slight friction of the iron piece cutting through the cable ties.

    It took Yi Da Zhuang an entire afternoon to cut through all three ties. After the last tie was cut, I grabbed my hands in excitement, though they still appeared slightly rigid due to the lack of blood circulation. I took the iron piece from Yi Da Zhuang as I moved to cut the three zip ties on my legs.

    Due to fearing the possibility of Jin Ya and his partner coming in, I made careful incisions upon the zip ties, making sure to not completely sever them.

    As I did this, the sky gradually darkened, and visibility within the room became extremely poor. The space we were confined in was thrown back into blackness, becoming a small, dark room once more.

    Just when I was about to be done with the third zip tie, I heard movement outside the door again. I hurriedly hid the iron piece and put both hands behind me.

    The tattooed man walked in and drew a dagger from his waist as he encroached upon us.

    I thought he was about to finish us then and there so I was ready to go, as I planned to leap up from my spot to engage in one last desperate brawl. However, he instead squatted down in front of me as he severed the ties on my feet with his dagger.

    ¡°Your brother is here.¡± He put away his dagger and took out a ball of cloth from his trouser pocket as he shoved it forcefully into my mouth. He then stood up and stared at me coldly, ¡°Get up, what ¨C unless you need me to help you?¡±

    I was calculating my chances of successfully tackling him and grabbing his gun when he turned around and I saw that his back was empty. Surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t carrying a gun on him.

    Given such uncertain circumstances, I decided to not play my trump card, as I planned to wait and devise a better play.

    I stood up with difficulty, my legs and feet stumbling beneath me as a consequence of being bound for a long time, as my first few steps were met with stumbles and falls.

    Da Long became irritated by how slow I was as he grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me out the door. We left the small, dark room, and moved past the bigger room outside as we finally left the confines of the house.

    I had no idea how the two of them even found this place, as it looked like we were in the mountains, with ample vegetation surrounding us as we were cast in a veil of darkness. The place where we held hostage was a decrepit log cabin, with firewood and spare bottles and jars piled up outside, a lingering reminder of someone having lived there in the past, with the place being deserted for a long time now.

    Da Long pressed a dagger against my neck as he stepped forward a few steps, bringing me with him.

    An unfamiliar jeep had its headlights on, illuminating the way. A tall figure stood enshrouded by the light, with a 24-inch suitcase by his feet.

    It took me a while to get used to the light before I could recognise the figure being Sheng Min Ou. By then, he had also noticed my arrival as he squinted his eyes, blocking the blinding light with his hands as he dragged the suitcase and took two steps towards me.

    ¡°Stop there.¡±

    Just then, I had only paid attention to Sheng Min Ou, and it turns out that I had completely missed the fact that there was another person next to the car.

    Jin Ya leaned against the car door with his arms crossed at his chest, the gun I was looking for previously now displayed prominently at his waist.

    Okay then, the situation wasn¡¯t looking too bad. It was a 2v2, and given the fact that Sheng Min Ou was worth two men, the chances of us winning this was more than fifty percent.

    ¡°Open the suitcase,¡± Jin Ya ordered.

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t say anything, instead, he placed the black suitcase down and unlocked the buckles. The moment he opened up the suitcase, Jin Ya, myself and Da Long next beside me all craned our necks to glance inside the box.

    ¡°One million¡­¡± Jin Ya couldn¡¯t resist as he took a step forward.

    It was at this moment that two quiet pop sounds came, carried by the wind, as the dagger pressed against my neck fell to the ground with a clatter. My shoulder was knocked back by Da Long who had fallen to the ground, as I stumbled to regain my balance. In my periphery, I saw Jin Ya clutching a hand to his bleeding ear, as he turned around in a furious dash towards me.

    ¡°Son of a bitch, how dare you involve the police in this!¡± Jin Ya said as he pulled out the gun from behind him, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about getting out alive!¡±

    Da Long lay crumpled on the floor, a red dot blossoming in between his eyebrows as his eyes were half-opened, his body lifeless. I quickly realised that Sheng Min Ou had probably called the police, and that there were already snipers who lay in ambush, just waiting for the two kidnappers to show up and to finish them. Unfortunately, it appeared that they fell short on just a bit of luck, as they did not manage to kill Jin Ya with a single blow.

    But it¡¯s okay, the luck that we were missing, I would make up for it.

    I pulled out the cloth from my mouth as I ran up to him, ¡°Your mums the bitch.¡±

    Bang!

    My fist smashed into his face at the same time as when Jin Ya¡¯s gun went off.

    I would count myself as someone who had diligently gone over their foundations, as the force of my punch wasn¡¯t a joke. Jin ya instantly cowered in pain, with blood flowing freely from his nose.

    Just as I was about to add another kick to his face, I saw Jin Ya suddenly lunge forward, with Sheng Min Ou appearing behind him as he pressed a knee against his waist. Sheng Min Ou then grabbed his arm and twisted it back mercilessly, as Jin Ya let out a harrowing scream, his hand falling to the ground at an unnatural angle, the gun dropped to his side.

    My tense nerves were finally able to relax slightly when I saw Jin Ya being subdued, as I fell to the ground on my ass and took long, deep breaths.

    Around me, the sound of dense footsteps and voices rang out one after another, as beams of individual flashlights intertwined within the forest.

    ¡°Ge, luckily you got my hint¡­¡± After being in a perpetual state of anxiety, as soon as I relaxed, I found a wave of fatigue hitting me.

    Sheng Min Ou had a hand gripping firmly onto the back of Jin Ya¡¯s neck as he turned to look at me after hearing me speak. When his gaze was cast upon me though, his usual cold and indifferent expression morphed into a rather strange one instead.

    It was as if¡­ he was at a loss at what had happened, so he appeared rather helpless.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, thinking that he showed this expression because of the injuries on my face. I planned on saying a few more words to joke around some more and to make him laugh, when my body began trembling for no apparent reason.

    When the evident danger had passed, adrenaline levels will drop to their usual level, with pain shortly ensuing.

    I looked down at my belly, and saw Sheng Min Ou¡¯s white T-shirt which I had borrowed being stained by a pool of red which was still spreading.

    Tonight, my luck seemed to also be lacking a little. In movies, the main character would never be shot, even if there was a barrage of gunfire going on. Yet, when it came to me, a single gunshot was enough to hit me.

    I looked at Sheng Min Ou again and stretched out my hand to him. I didn¡¯t know why, but I just wanted to smile at him.

    ¡°Ge¡­.¡±

    My vision gradually became blurred as Sheng Min Ou was stunned for a moment before grabbing my hand as he came to my side, letting me lean against him in his embrace.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m here¡­ I¡¯m right here¡­¡±

    In the last moments of my consciousness, it was Sheng Min Ou¡¯s incessant mutterings of these words by my ear that brought me indescribable peace, even when I fell into darkness.

    Actually, I wanted to tell him that I was not scared ¨C that if he was by my side, I would never be afraid.

 CH 65

    If I had to describe my father using today¡¯s language, he would be an open minded, literature stan. He was a friendly and interesting character, who got along well with friends and family. He would ideally spend his time by making a pot of tea for himself at home, followed by reading a book written by an author he liked.

    He had always told us that reading books could broaden our horizons, and that it was through reading books that we could gain knowledge. There was nothing else that was an investment of similar calibre ¨C requiring such minimal investment for such extraordinary returns.

    Back when Sheng Min Ou and I were young, he had always liked to read to us a chapter or two from his favourite books. It was a way for him to express his fondness for reciting, which he often had nowhere to exhibit.

    He particularly admired Borges¡¯s collection of short stories, especially the one titled, ¡°There Are More Things¡±, as he often repeatedly read to us the excerpts that he found exquisite.

    ¡°As a boy, I accepted those facts of ugliness as one accepts all those incompatible things that only by reason of their coexistence are called ¡®the universe¡¯.¡±

    I figured it was because he took these words to heart that he thought Sheng Min Ou¡¯s ¡°differences¡± weren¡¯t anything to be surprised about. This earth had all kinds of people on it, just as how some people were kind, and some would be evil. Some were selfless, and some were selfish. There wasn¡¯t a specific personality type that was correct or perfect, and in fact ¨C ¡°perfection¡± was but the type encapsulating the majority of people.

    Many years had passed since then, and though I can¡¯t say I can recall everything verbatim, the plot of this story remains deeply imprinted in my mind.

    Borges¡¯ stories often contained explorations of philosophical ideas, possibly influenced by his own personal background in Philosophy. He had also maintained his own unique views on the subject of death and time.

    Unlike my father, I most enjoyed the part near the beginning of the story. It was when the protagonist went through a moment of reflection upon learning of his uncle¡¯s death, ¡°I feel what we always feel when someone dies ¨C the sad awareness, now futile, of how little it would have cost us to have been more loving. One forgets that one is a dead man conversing with dead men.¡±

    Life was fleeting. Especially after my father had passed, this phrase elicited an even greater sense of sorrow. We should be treating our relatives as well as we could while they were alive. After their passing, no matter whether we burned joss paper or offered sacrifices, these things were truthfully only done to comfort ourselves.

    Thus, I always viewed Borges¡¯ point as one I shared.

    That was why when I woke up and suddenly found myself in the house I had lived in for more than ten years, I couldn¡¯t help but think of what Yi Da Zhuang said. The air in the house was rich with the fragrance of delicious food, my father was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, my mother was busy in the kitchen, and everything appeared in perfect harmony. Did he really jinx me ¨C was I really killed off by a single gunshot?

    I buried my face in both my hands as I propped my elbows on my knees, unable to process the situation.

    At least let me have some final words ¨C what kind of tragic death was this, passing away due to a single bullet? I wasn¡¯t even thirty yet, so surely this counted as coming to a premature end?

    And if I had really died, what would Sheng Min Ou do? He, he¡­he probably wouldn¡¯t be suffering for too long.

    My back folded further as I pondered this, however a feeling of comfort simultaneously arose from my heart.

    I was both sad that he wouldn¡¯t be mourning my death for too long, and glad that he would be able to get back on track and resume his usual routine, as he lived on to enjoy the rest of his life.

    It was times like this that these flaws in his personality actually became a blessing.

    ¡°Xiao Feng, how have you been lately?¡±

    My whole body jolted upon hearing this long-familiar voice, as I raised my head and looked at the middle-aged man on the sofa.

    My father was only in his forties when he passed. Perhaps time was meaningless in the afterlife as he looked the exact same as before, not appearing to have aged at all despite years having gone by in the real world.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± He flipped through the newspaper, as if he was just having a casual conversation between father and son, however my eyes instantly teared up, as my voice came out trembling.

    I had dreamed of this scene many times, sitting with my father like this, catching up on what was happening, analysing the recent events going on and partaking in activities we would never be able to do together again in reality.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing great. I¡¯m in good health, work is going well, and recently¡­ recently I¡¯ve even gained a bit of weight.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± My dad flipped to another page of the newspaper, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡±

    ¡°Lf lr jirb vblcu gfjiis kfii. Lf¡¯r j ijksfg cbk. Lf¡¯r yffc wjxlcu ubbv qgbugfrr bc fnfgsatlcu sbe¡¯nf ifoa tlw ab vb. Tbe mjc gfra jrregfv atja tf vlvc¡¯a ulnf lc ab tlr vfrlgfr, tf¡¯r jikjsr yffc rajcvlcu lc atf iluta.¡±

    Zs vjv tfiv eq atf cfkrqjqfg jcv mtemxifv, ¡°P xcfk atja ybs mbeiv vb la.¡±

    I laughed along with him, but it didn¡¯t take long before my dad put down the newspaper he was reading and suddenly directed a serious look at me.

    ¡°Your mother told me about you.¡±

    My smile froze instantly, just like when I had done something wrong as a child. I couldn¡¯t help but rub my knees with the palm of my hand and my eyes drifted, in fear of meeting his gaze.

    ¡°I won¡¯t criticize you, because these things are in the past. It¡¯s useless to talk about it, since people should be looking towards the future.¡±

    I stared at the ground as I spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve let both of you down.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense,¡± he replied. I felt a big, warm hand suddenly touch the top of my head, it was the warmth my father had in my memories, ¡°You¡¯ve never once disappointed us. You¡¯ve done well, your brother has done well, you¡¯re both doing great.¡±

    A sore sensation travelled up my nose as my eyes began to blur.

    I could¡¯ve never guessed that in this life, I hadn¡¯t contributed to much good, but I was still able to go to heaven after death.

    ¡°Although I still have a lot to say to you, it isn¡¯t the right time for a family reunion yet. I won¡¯t be asking you to stay for dinner, so you should leave now.¡±

    The large hand withdrew as I looked up blankly. My father dragged his slippers across the floor as he ran to the entryway of the kitchen, directing his question to my mother whose back was turned to us as he asked, ¡°Lu Feng¡¯s mum, Xiao Feng is going now, are you really not going to say anything to him?¡±

    My mother paused for a second before resuming her action of chopping vegetables, as she waved a hand, her back still facing me, ¡°No, no, nothing to say, tell him to scram.¡±

    This attitude, this posture, no doubt that was my mother.

    I stood up and walked towards her, before finally stopping at the kitchen door as I looked at her back and asked, ¡°Mum, are you still mad at me?¡±

    ¡°Angry my ass, I¡¯m already dead, so why would I care anymore.¡± My mother continued to cut the vegetables with great efficiency as she ultimately never turned around, ¡°I gave birth to you and raised you, though I did not give birth to Sheng Min Ou, I had also raised him. The fact that you two became like this, that is on me for failing in my ways of education. I can admit that.¡±

    ¡°Mum¡­¡­¡±

    I wanted to get closer, but a door that was nearby suddenly flung open, as if a hurricane had swept by.

    ¡°Your mother speaks harsh words on the outside but she¡¯s soft-hearted on the inside. When has she ever not let you do something you¡¯ve wanted to do?¡± My father dragged me by the arm as he took me to the door. When I was at the entryway, he turned me around so my back faced the door as he looked me up and down. At long last, he gave me a gentle, reluctant push out the door, ¡°You should leave, There are more things, and it isn¡¯t time yet. If you don¡¯t go now, you won¡¯t be able to make it back again.¡±

    I stumbled back towards the door and the next second, my whole body fell into the darkness. Illuminated by a hazy white light, the door to my ¡°home¡± that I recalled slowly closed in front of my eyes, before it disappeared in the depths of the darkness.

    The terrifying sense of weightlessness elicited a scream from me, as I frantically waved my limbs in an attempt to grasp at something. However, the only thing surrounding me was darkness, as it felt like I had been sucked within a giant black hole. The space was devoid of anything, even light disappeared here, as the only thing that existed was the gravitational force pulling me down,

    I remained in this state of free fall for several days longer before suddenly, without warning, I began to spot colours other than back.

    There was a white building, there were pedestrians walking about, an ambulance with its lights flashing, and the cold, hard ground¡­

    Before I could fully celebrate my return back to earth, my eyes widened in shock as I took in the sight of the rapidly approaching ground. Continued shouts of ¡°stop¡± came out my mouth, but it did nothing to stop my impending fate of colliding with the floor.

    When I fell to the ground, the pain that I was expecting never came, in fact, I didn¡¯t let out a single sound at all.

    I lay on the ground for a while, but I didn¡¯t feel any pain. Confused, I got up from the floor and smoothened my clothes.

    From one end of the corridor, two people were hurriedly making their way over. There was an older figure and a younger one, with the older one having traces of white emerging from the hair near his temples. The younger individual was charmingly beautiful, and these two people were precisely Xiao Sui Guang and Xiao Mo Yu.

    Xiao Mo Yu supported her father as he walked, her features forming a solemn expression that rarely appeared on her face. As she walked, her high heels left a steady, consistent rhythm of ¡®clicks¡¯ in their wake on the marble floors.

    ¡°Mr. Xiao¡­¡± I wished to say hello to them, I even had a hand raised, but it was like they hadn¡¯t seen me at all as they walked straight through me as they passed me.

    I hurriedly pressed down on my chest and found that I couldn¡¯t feel any rhythm there. I didn¡¯t have a heartbeat!

    ¡°Right now I¡¯m¡­what the hell?¡±

    I turned around and looked in the direction of where Xiao Sui Guang and Xiao Mo Yu went. The first thing I saw when my gaze travelled there was Sheng Min Ou, who stayed by the entrance of the operation room.

    He was still wearing the same set of clothes which were stained with blood, his white shirt splattered with traces of it. He stood there, his head raised as his gaze was fixed on the two red words, ¡®IN OPERATION¡¯ fixed on top of the door. He had a tall and commanding build which should not have elicited a weak and fragile impression. However, and I wasn¡¯t sure whether this was because of his unusual sorry state, or his state of exhaustion that I could sense from just looking at his back, but I felt like I was looking at a little boy who had gotten lost.

    He wanted so dearly to return home, however the next bus which arrived at his stop only had a fifty percent chance of taking him back. Therefore, though he might return home, he might also be led to somewhere even further from home. So he was filled with anticipation, yet scared, and at the same time slightly vexed at how he could¡¯ve gotten lost in the first place.

    ¡°Xiao Sheng¡­¡± Xiao Sui Guang began, before coming to a stop behind Sheng Min Ou.

    Sheng Min Ou heard his voice and turned his body partially to look at him, his features expressionless and his eyes dark.

    Xiao Sui Guang pressed his lips together as he broke free from his daughter¡¯s support, before bowing to Sheng Min Ou as he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen, I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± Xiao Mo Yu stepped forward to hold her father up again, ¡°You weren¡¯t aware of what Xiao Meng did, how could this be your fault.¡±

    Xiao Sui Guang ignored her, as he continued to look directly at Sheng Min Ou before speaking again, ¡°Please rest assured that I will bear all medical expenses and responsibility for subsequent compensations your brother may require¡­¡±

    Xiao Sui Guang went on to emphasise that he would follow through on his promises and that he would not shirk his responsibility. In response, Sheng Min Ou just looked at him, without providing any words of comfort, and proceeded to do even less than that by not offering a response at all. His act of refusing to communicate led Xiao Sui Guang to feel slightly awkward, as he gradually stopped talking.

    Sheng Min Ou spoke then, ¡°If my brother dies, Xiao Meng must also die.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know whether Xiao Sui Guang was frightened by this or what, but his mouth fell open as he couldn¡¯t think of a response for a second. Xiao Mo Yu jumped in then, her voice full of annoyance.

    ¡°Sheng Min Ou, what¡¯s with your attitude? If you have a grudge then hold that grudge, if you feel the need to avenge your brother then go do that. However, my father here is handling the aftermath of the mess Xiao Meng has made. We have a whole ton of other controversies to deal with outside, so don¡¯t take your anger out on us!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou turned back around and stopped engaging with them.

    ¡°You!¡± Xiao Mo Yu glared at his back, and had wanted to continue speaking before she took in the sight of the bright red operation sign above her. She held back her anger as she swallowed her words.

    ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go, he probably doesn¡¯t want us to stay here anyways.¡± With that, Xiao Mo Yu helped support Xiao Sui Guang as they turned around and left, her high heels clicking on the floor more harshly than when she first came.

    Meanwhile, Yi Da Zhuang, who had one hand and one foot in a plaster cast was propped up by Shen Xiao Shi as they approached the door of the operating room, followed by Wei Shi, who was holding a pile of bills.

    The three of them were initially having some sort of conversation, however when they reached the door of the operating room, they naturally quietened down. Xiao Shi helped Yi Da Zhuang sit down on the bench as he himself leaned against the wall, wrapping his arms around his chest as he waited quietly.

    Wei Shi stood together with Sheng Min Ou for a while, before he began to pace back and forth irritably.

    ¡°It¡¯s been several hours, why are they still not done yet¡­¡± His long brows furrowed as he paced with both his hands behind his back, ¡°There used to be a fake Daoist priest in the cells who had taken a look at Lu Feng and said that he had a hurdle to get over before the age of 30. If he managed to pass it safely, then he would be able to live to 100 years old without suffering from any disease or disaster. He had also provided a way to resolve this issue afterwards¡­ I feel like he knows what he¡¯s talking about, and his predictions seem pretty accurate. Lu Feng will definitely come out of this fine, and then he will smoothly proceed to live a long life.¡±

    After Wei Shi had said this, I did recall a fake Daoist priest that had landed in prison because of some involvement with pyramid schemes. He had taken a look at all of us, and said that the person who was fated for Wei Shi was far away out of reach, but also right in front of his eyes, as he ended this prediction with a meaningful glance. Wei Shi thought he was implying something, and so ended up serving him a beating in disgust.

    Turns out he had wrongfully misjudged him.

    I had no idea if the solution the Daoist priest gave was really that effective, but Wei Shi had just finished reciting it when the red light on the operating room turned off. Not long after, the door to the operating room opened as the primary attending surgeon took off his mask and came out, and was instantly surrounded by an anxious Wei Shi and Shen Xiao Shi.

    ¡°Doctor, how is he?¡±

    ¡°He, he¡¯s okay right?¡±

    The doctor smiled before replying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the operation went smoothly. However, we¡¯d still need to keep him in the ICU to observe his condition for a few days.¡±

    As soon as he had finished speaking, the door to the operating room was pushed open again. There was an oxygen tube inserted in ¡°me¡±, and my body had been securely covered up, as I was wheeled out by the medical staff.

    My face was so pale it was frightening. When the stretcher bed passed me, I took a glance at myself on the bed and shook my head with a tut.

    ¡°Wait for me, wait for me, I¡¯m coming with you guys too!¡±

    It took all his might for Yi Da Zhuang to stand as he followed the stretcher bed for a while, before Shen Xiao Shi came to his side to help him as they trailed behind. Wei Shi asked the medical staff in detail about the things to keep in mind and postoperative recovery procedures as he followed them, leaving only Sheng Min Ou standing where he was, having not moved an inch.

    I stood beside him and tried to touch him, but my hand slipped through his body.

    ¡°What? Are you unhappy now that I managed to come out of this alive?¡± I teased, lightly tapping his cheek.

    Sheng Min Ou evidently could not hear what I said. He raised his hand and eyed the traces of blood that had now congealed. After looking around for a while, he proceeded to walk towards the bathroom.

    Curious, I went after him and saw him enter the men¡¯s bathroom as he came to a stop in front of the sink.

    He began to wash his hands over and over again, rubbing them with soap, and along with the cuffs of his shirt which also had blood stains over it. He didn¡¯t stop with this behaviour, not even when his fingers turned white and his skin became wrinkled.

    It¡¯s understandable to wash your hands once or twice, but if it was over a dozen or twenty times, then that was surely too excessive right? If he continued washing his hands, I felt like they would start rotting.

    ¡°Ge, it¡¯s good now, stop washing your hands!¡± I yelled in his ear, trying in vain to stop his behaviour that almost bordered on self abuse.

    Five minutes had passed, the soap at the hospital now a decent amount slimmer in its circumference before Sheng Min Ou suddenly stopped moving. However, before I could be happy at this occurrence, I watched his face turn pale as he rushed into a cubicle and began dry heaving in front of the toilet.

    I panicked, and just when I wanted to check in on him a huge suction force pulled me away from his side. The scenery around me receded rapidly, and I quickly lost consciousness again.

    Jiraiya (translator¡¯s note): There were two quotes from Borges work, ¡®There Are More Things¡¯ that were referenced in this chapter and I wanted to bring special attention to its translation. The Chinese translation seems to have quite significant differences in my opinion, to the official English translation of Borges¡¯ work. I have opted to use the direct English translation of Borges story rather than translating a Chinese translation, but due to the rather distinct differences between them I have decided to include my translation of it here at the end of the chapter.

    My translation of the Chinese translation: ¡°Ever since the day I had obtained knowledge and understanding, I had since young come to accept those things we deem as ugly. In fact, there are many things on this earth which do not fit in, yet, each is faced with no choice but to accept the other, in order to coexist.¡±

    My translation of the Chinese translation: ¡°I feel what we always feel when we lose someone beloved: the sense of remorse for not having treated them better while they were still with us. Now, that sadness is futile. People tend to forget that only the dead can converse with the dead.¡±

    As you can see, this difference is quite significant, and placed within the context of the story it leaves a rather different impression. I have therefore provided both versions for reference, and I also would like to encourage you to check out and read ¡®There Are More Things¡¯ for yourself! It¡¯s a short read (only six pages) and rather Lovecraftian in its essence. Nevertheless, I¡¯ll leave the interpretation of what meaning Borges¡¯ quotes carry in this chapter to be up to you. Take care and see you in the next chapter!

 CH 66

    I was awakened by the incessant chirping of birds outside the window as I pried my eyes open to see the first traces of light spill through the sky. It appeared to be around seven or eight AM in the morning and there was no one else around me, as I found myself lying in the hospital bed alone.

    I heard a regular thrum from the machine beside me as I raised my hand and took in the sight of all the clips and needles inserted into it before lowering it again. My lips were immensely dry, and my body felt exceedingly hot. I wanted to lift the blanket off me, but as soon as I moved, a sharp pain flared from my left abdomen, as it almost knocked the lights out of me again.

    I knitted my brows together as I remained stationary afterwards, fearing the pain. It was at this moment that the bathroom door in the ward opened, and Sheng Min Ou walked out from within as he was wiping his hands. He initially had his head down as he walked towards me, however when he was halfway to my bed, he perhaps had felt my fervent gaze on him, as he quickly stopped in his footsteps and looked up instead.

    Our eyes met each other¡¯s, our gazes intertwined, and no one spoke a word as we continued to look at each other quietly.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how many days I had been out for. Sheng Min Ou appeared neatly dressed but his complexion looked as if he hadn¡¯t slept for three days and three nights. Overall, he looked horrible.

    ¡°Ge¡­¡± My voice was hoarse, and just muttering one word felt like an extremely arduous task. I wanted to sit up, but found that I had no energy in my body to do so.

    Sheng Min Ou heard me call out for him, and unfreezed from his stupor. It was as if the stalled gears within him began turning again, as he resumed his footsteps and walked towards the hospital bed.

    He sat down beside the bed, the handkerchief he had been wiping his hands on tossed carelessly onto the bedside table.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for three days, and you were just moved from the ICU to the general ward last night.¡± He glanced at the quilt which I had tossed away from myself as he grabbed a corner of it and placed it over me again. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. They¡¯ve just cut off a portion of your intestines, and you¡¯re currently experiencing a bit of a fever.¡±

    Hearing him say that I just had ¡°a portion of my intestines cut off¡± in such a nonchalant tone almost made me think that I hadn¡¯t suffered from a gunshot wound, but rather just came out of an appendectomy.

    His hand moved in front of me and I could catch the faint trace of disinfectant. My gaze followed his hands as I noticed that the edges of his fingernails looked very rough, with the skin surrounding it coming off.

    I was certain that the last time I had seen him, his hands still looked beautiful. Apart from the few calluses from his pen holding habits, there were no flaws present with any of his fingers. So how come, when I woke up, his hands had been ruined to this state? For some inexplicable reason I felt a sharp pain in my heart, but I couldn¡¯t begin to explain why I had suddenly paid attention to such a small thing.

    Sheng Min Ou had probably caught my line of sight, as he retracted his hands after covering me with the quilt, to a position where I could no longer see them anymore.

    After a person came to again, their senses in their body would recover slowly too. With each accompanying breath, a sense of excruciating pain would come with it, as it resulted in me taking each breath gingerly.

    ¡°Ge, I¡¯m thirsty.¡±

    I asked Sheng Min Ou for water and he picked up a plastic cup from beside him as he dipped a cotton swab in it and smeared water on my lips. I didn¡¯t think it was enough, so I reached out to grab the cup in Sheng Min Ou¡¯s hands so I could drink to my heart¡¯s desire, but he dodged me as he didn¡¯t let me anywhere close to the cup.

    ¡°You just underwent a small bowel resection surgery, so you¡¯ll need to fast for the next few days.¡± He said, putting the cup back in place, ignoring the gaze of my eager eyes desiring water.

    I grimaced in response, ¡°Then what do I do if I¡¯m thirsty? I feel so hot that I¡¯m going to dry out.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou adjusted the increments of the IV drip as he said the next two words without any change of expression in his face, ¡°Endure it.¡±

    Krx, tbk mbeiv P tjnf atbeuta atja joafg gfmflnlcu j uecrtba jcv abflcu atf fvuf bo ilof jcv vfjat atja Vtfcu Zlc Ye kbeiv ifa wf vb ktja P kjcafv, jcv rtbkfg wf klat fcvifrr joofmalbc jr lo ogbw cbk tf¡¯v xlrr wf jcv teu wf jcv iloa wf tlut, jr kf kbeiv qgbmffv ab rqfcv atf gfra bo beg ilnfr lc rkffa, ibnlcu vfnbalbc?

    I sighed silently as I tasted the remaining moisture on my lips when I suddenly remembered that Yi Da Zhuang was also involved, and I had no idea whether he was dead or alive. I hurriedly implored Sheng Min Ou to tell me whether Yi Da Zhuang was still alive.

    ¡°He¡¯s doing better than you.¡± Sheng Min Ou replied coldly.

    I could tell that the tone in his voice seemed off, as if he really disliked Yi Da Zhuang, so I quickly changed the subject as I said, ¡°I seem to have met Mom and Dad¡­¡±

    As soon as these words came out, the mood shifted to become even worse. Though Sheng Min Ou wore no expression on his face, I could feel that he was greatly unhappy and that his mood was plummeting downwards in a straight line.

    ¡°Maybe it was just a dream.¡± I added later, rather embarrassedly.

    Sheng Min Ou frowned slightly but didn¡¯t say another word.

    Truth is, I had a fever and my wound was still aching. I had opened my eyes and said a few words, but I was beginning to feel tired again. I closed my eyes and was about to sleep for a while when I heard Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice slowly ring out as he spoke, ¡°Since I was young, I have always been able to easily learn skills that others could only pick up after much longer. As long as I wanted to do something, whether it was entering a prestigious school or becoming an elite of society, it was never difficult for me. You may call me arrogant, and you may call me conceited, as I had never paid attention to anyone else¡­¡±

    I opened my eyes and listened to him quietly without interrupting him.

    ¡°I had planned my life meticulously as I calculated my future. I thought I had planned and accounted for everything, but I continue to lose to you. I had miscalculated regarding you ten years ago, and now ten years later, I still cannot accurately account for you..¡± He looked at me as he continued, ¡°You make me feel pathetic at doing what I do.¡±

    Was he blaming me with this confession or was he saying it was his fault? I wasn¡¯t sure, so I half-jokingly responded, ¡°I had a fake Daoist priest take a look at me in prison before, and his words seem to be very accurate. He said that before I turned thirty, I¡¯d have to get over a serious incident, but if I made it past then I would be able to live to old age without befalling any disease or disaster. I don¡¯t think that there will be a greater disaster than this time, so from now onwards everything should be smooth-sailing, so you won¡¯t be getting a taste of failure again.¡±

    The corners of his lips twitched as if he was smiling.

    The next second, he raised his hand to cover my eyes, his palms cool and smelling like soap and disinfectant, the texture of his skin slightly rough.

    ¡°Get some sleep.¡±

    My face was hot, I could even say it was boiling, so the temperature of his touch was just right, and it made me feel deeply comfortable. I rubbed my head against his hand nostalgically, as I closed my eyes obediently and quickly succumbed to sleep.

    My stay in the hospital ended up being for more than half a month. Given my wounds, my recovery was characterised by ample rest, and even actions like sitting up, wearing clothes and eating required assistance from others. During this period of time, it wasn¡¯t just Sheng Min Ou who was taking care of me, given that he had to work and have down time too.

    Shen Xiao Shi and Wei Shi took turns racing back and forth from Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s ward to mine. Their schedule was so hectic that they found it hard to manage the pawn shop at the same time, as they remarked that they had come to understand ahead of time what it felt like to see both their elderly parents hospitalised.

    After the bowel resection surgery, I was placed on a liquid diet for a while. Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother made me a lot of porridge after learning about my situation and came to visit me every few days.

    It had been a while since I had seen her, and she seemed like a completely different person. She seemed more spirited, her complexion rosy, and since living with Shen Xiao Shi, the mother and son duo had gotten along very well.

    I was bored in the hospital and she was bored at home. The two of us bored people got together and it worked out perfectly.

    I was involved in an accident, injured, then hospitalised and all this had taken place in less than twenty four hours. During which, each occasion had its highs and lows, and the plot saw unpredictable twists and turns. Moreover, as this case was a hot topic in society, there were people coming to visit me every day, and I had to entertain them with the details tirelessly for a long time.

    When Liu Yue came to visit, I told her the whole story. When Wu Yi and his group came, I had to say it again. Even Mo Qiu had come to see me, and who knew how he had heard the news, but I nonetheless repeated the story to him again.

    Later, Yi Da Zhuang came to me on his crutches with his laptop in his arms and sat beside my bed. He turned on the computer and, with a bout of determination, tapped on the keyboard with one hand as he asked me to repeat the story to him.

    ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t you there too?¡± I asked, perplexed, ¡°Do you have a twin brother or something?¡±

    ¡°No no no, I was there, but I¡¯m not as good at recapping the story as you are.¡± Yi Da Zhuang explained, giving a rather wicked smile, ¡°San ge and the others all praised your story, saying that it was extremely moving. The climaxes to the story kept coming and the portrayal of it was heart-rending. There was blood and tears, and the plot was tightly packed and fast paced. I thought about it and I can just use what you already have, it also spares me the energy of needing to think back on it myself.¡±

    Once Xiao Meng¡¯s plots were exposed, he had received an invitation from the police for an investigation. Yi Da Zhuang had published the evidence that he had collated, as he stated that Mei Teng¡¯s antiallergic drugs had defects, and that they had tampered and falsified clinical data. Mei Teng Pharmceutical¡¯s stocks had plummeted in one day as they urgently applied for a trading halt. Whether the company would survive this ordeal in the future was unknown.

    These days, I heard about how quite a few people were keen to interview him to draft up the story. Even the reporter who had previously covered the case on Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother ¨C Ke Xue Zi, had reached out and wanted to acquaint herself with him, but they had all been rejected.

    ¡°I can write this story myself, why would I have others benefit from this?¡± In a display of astonishing perseverance and determination, Yi Da Zhuang typed out every word of his draft report with only one hand and his five fingers, as he posted it onto his account as part one of a series. In a short timespan of two days, his account had already amassed over millions of followers.

    Shen Xiao Shi also followed his account, and bluntly remarked that he really was a devilish business genius for being able to serialise a news event into a multi-part story.

    After remaining in the hospital until my wound had roughly healed on the surface, and I could get up and walk again, the doctor allowed me to fill out the patient discharge forms.

    Sheng Min Ou drove his car and came to pick me up, as he took me back to his apartment.

    As soon as I walked through the door, I was stunned. There were cardboard boxes of various sizes piled up in his living room, crowding the originally empty and tidy space.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± I pressed a hand over my wound as I cautiously approached the boxes. Each box was labelled with different words, ¡®Clothes¡¯, ¡®Miscellaneous¡¯, ¡®Daily necessities¡¯ and such. It appeared like these cardboard boxes were used for moving houses.

    ¡°They all belong to you.¡± Sheng Min Ou replied in a simple tone, as he took off his jacket and walked towards the bedroom, as if this whole collection of cardboard boxes wasn¡¯t anything to be surprised about.

    I was stunned for a minute before I followed him to the bedroom.

    ¡°You had all my things packed away and moved them here?¡±

    He threw his suit aside and loosened his tie as he glanced at me, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    No problem no problem, how could there be any problem.

    I was on cloud nine, but I tried hard to school my expression on the outside so there wasn¡¯t a ripple of my feelings showing as I hurriedly shook my head.

    ¡°Not at all, it was a good move to take my things here, it was a great move!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou then tossed his tie on the ground in the same manner as how he discarded his suit, and then began undoing the top two buttons of his shirt and the cufflinks of his sleeves as he sat down on the mattress.

    ¡°Come here.¡± He said, as he sat on the edge of the bed, with his feet planted on the ground. He reached out a hand to me as he signalled with it for me to come closer.

    Without even thinking about it, I walked towards him and held his hand.

    He tugged me lightly and had me sitting in his lap with my back facing him, as he then held me in an embrace as he laid back until we were both lying down on the mattress.

    During the time when I was in hospital, he had always seemed very calm. Even when it was just then when I entered this place, he had appeared as he always did, if not a little tired.

    I thought he would always be like this, that there would never be any more feelings coming out of him.

    But, it would appear that I was wrong.

    He was not calm, he only ¡®appeared¡¯ calm.

    He held me tightly, as if he was a giant silkworm spinning me into his cocoon. He buried his head in my neck, and his next words came out in a low, and slow tone.

    ¡°You asked me previously if I would be upset if you died. I wouldn¡¯t, because all men will encounter death, so there is nothing to be upset over.¡± His breath gently tickled the side of my neck as he continued, ¡°but, I would become very enraged.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m still alive, how dare you die first?¡±

    He tightened the hug even more, as his voice dropped further, his breathing even.

    ¡°I have always been enduring this boring world, so you must stay and endure it with me, too.¡±

    Jiraiya (translator¡¯s note): AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA SOMEONE HOLD ME AAAAAAAA

 CH 67

    I could feel Sheng Min Ou¡¯s heartbeat through the close proximity of his body. For a short while, as if I was in a trance, it felt like our heartbeats gradually synced up and merged into one.

    After hearing his words, I was caught up in between laughter and tears. I had no objections to enduring the world with him together, but the remaining part of his speech, where we were to spend the rest of our lives together following the incident should have originally been a touching sentiment. However, it somehow came out like coercion ¨C and Sheng Min Ou was probably the only person who could do such a thing.

    Even though I knew he probably didn¡¯t mean it, that there was a 99% chance this wasn¡¯t what he meant, I couldn¡¯t help but think that he had just proposed.

    And I, being the one who had just been proposed to, seemed to have only one answer to give him.

    ¡°I do.¡± I held the hand resting on my waist and promised him without any reservations that I would never die before he did.

    The person behind me didn¡¯t respond for a long time. I waited for a while, only to hear light breathing, before I called out to him twice more, but there was no response.

    I gently broke away from his embrace, and when I looked back, his eyes were closed and his lips were slightly parted. He had actually fallen sound asleep.

    Since I had been admitted to the hospital, it might have been because he had to juggle both responsibilities of caring for myself and running the law firm, as his complexion continued to look bad. His dark circles were always prominent, a permanent shadow on his face as it made him appear exhausted. If he could so easily fall asleep just by talking with me, then how long had he been forcing himself to do what he did?

    I sat beside him and pulled the quilt over his body. He didn¡¯t stir or show any signs of consciousness, as he seemed to be knocked out, so deeply asleep to the point where his eyelashes didn¡¯t even flutter.

    After looking at his resting face for a moment, I gently closed the bedroom door behind me and began organising the pile of cardboard boxes in the living room.

    I took out the clothes I wanted to wear first, as well as other daily necessities.

    After unpacking a few boxes, its contents were strewn everywhere on the floor. When I reached for the fourth box and surveyed the mess of stuff that was piling around me, I suddenly came to the realisation that despite Sheng Min Ou¡¯s place being big, there really wasn¡¯t that much place for me to be able to store my stuff.

    I paused as I stood up and began assessing the size of the kitchen, and even the whole apartment.

    For two grown men, the storage space here was¡­ slightly inadequate.

    I pulled out my phone and started browsing the internet for furniture. My original mobile phone was in the police¡¯s possession as evidence, so the phone I currently had was the model that Sheng Min Ou had bought for me. Other than the fact that it was expensive, there were no other problems to it. Plus¡­ any transactions made here were billed to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s card.

    Before I knew it, I was completely engrossed within the world of online shopping as I had ordered a sofa, a coffee table, a TV cabinet and other types of furniture. When I felt like I had enough, I looked at the time on my phone and three hours had flown by.

    I massaged my sore neck and lay down on the plush carpet as I let out a long breath.

    It felt great, to have a home to return to again.

    Though I¡¯m living now with Sheng Min Ou, it didn¡¯t mean that he would be by my side all day long.

    Mei Teng¡¯s case involved many stakeholders and had severe repercussions. As a senior executive, Xiao Meng¡¯s overt disregard for the law and his actions to resort to illegal means in order to subdue negative press concerning Mei Teng enraged people. He was Xiao Sui Guang¡¯s nephew, so it was inevitable that the public began to make associations and start hypothesising whether this was how the Xiao family had always operated.

    Aside from the mess Xiao Meng had made, Mei Teng pharmaceuticals itself was facing many difficulties. Needless to say, the Therapeutic Goods Administration had launched a formal investigation into the company, but long term patients of the recent allergy drugs had also jointly filed a civil lawsuit against them. Their demands for the compensation amount was terrifyingly high, and if Mei Teng lost, that may spell their withdrawal from the stage of history.

    Qtfc Qe Tl mjwf ab nlrla wf qgfnlberis, tf tjv wfcalbcfv atja atfs kfgf jybea ab rluc j mbcagjma klat Zfl Kfcu, jcv atja atfs tjv gfjmtfv atf olcji rajufr bo atf qgbmfrr. Cii atja atfs kfgf wlrrlcu kjr pera Vtfcu Zlc Ye¡¯r rlucjaegf. Coafg tfjglcu jybea ktja tjv tjqqfcfv ab wf, atfgf kjr cb mtjcmf bo jcs mbbqfgjalbc yfakffc atf akb mbgqbgjalbcr jcswbgf, jr Vtfcu Zlc Ye qgbwqais gfaegcfv j yijcx mbcagjma ab atfw.

    ¡°Should I say thank god you had also been kidnapped? Otherwise, we¡¯d be taking on the mess that is Mei Teng now. Even though they may pay a lucrative amount, this kind of lawsuit is a hard battle to fight and we¡¯d be rebuked for it. If we examined this situation from a long term perspective, with Mei Teng being in this state, I honestly would not know if next year they¡¯d even be able to afford paying the consultancy fee.¡± After speaking, he might have felt that something was amiss, as he quickly added, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say that kidnapping you was the right move for them to do, please don¡¯t tell Laoshi!¡±

    I had to reassure him repeatedly that I wouldn¡¯t snitch on him before he could fully breathe out a sigh of relief.

    Since Sheng Min Ou had lost such a big client being Mei Teng, he had been busily trying to find a substitute elsewhere. He had been especially preoccupied the past few days, often returning home late at night with the scent of alcohol clinging to him. Once he got home, he would simply take a shower and fall asleep right after.

    I knew that he was tired, and I didn¡¯t have the heart to disturb him. However, I was feeling exceedingly bored, so I resorted to playing on my phone and bantering with Wei Shi and the others in the group chat all day long.

    Shen Xiao Shi: What are you eating during the day then? If Lawyer Sheng is this busy then can he still take good care of you? How about you move in with me, at least my mother can make porridge for you.

    Me: No need, my brother has arranged for meals to be delivered to me from a nearby five star restaurant. Someone comes over on the dot every day to drop it off, so I won¡¯t be inconveniencing auntie.

    Wei Shi: Don¡¯t meddle with what the two brothers have decided on. Would Lawyer Sheng ever forget to provide him with a meal?

    Shen Xiao Shi: What¡¯s with that, I¡¯m brothers with Feng ge too, and we¡¯re so tight~ Right, Feng ge?

    Wei Shi: You¡¯re still different to Lawyer Sheng

    Me: Yes, you guys aren¡¯t the same

    Shen Xiao Shi: ?? Whaat, how could you guys do this to me

    Yi Da Zhuang: Guys! Look at how this article turned out!! Today I felt super inspired, I feel like I got it again!

    As I was reading the group chat and laughing to myself, Sheng Min Ou came out of the shower and walked in the bedroom with a green and white can in his hand.

    ¡°What is this?¡± he asked, his eyes cast downwards at me as he stopped in front of me.

    ¡°Lanolin cream, it¡¯s for you to moisturise your hands with.¡± I put down my phone as I pulled his hand towards me for closer inspection.

    Disinfectants really were harsh, it had been more than half a month but the skin around Sheng Min Ou¡¯s nails had still not properly grown back. At the same time, because the newly grown skin was even thinner, it revealed the red capillaries underneath. Every other part of him was a pale white revealing sheens of green, with only the tips of his fingers appearing pink, as if he had dyed it with rouge.

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I asked, taking his hand and gently kissing the joint between his index and middle finger.

    I wanted to flirt further, but Sheng Min Ou abruptly pulled his finger back so that instead I kissed my own hand.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s lanolin cream, I¡¯m able to read English.¡± He replied, tossing the can of lanolin oil into my lap as he continued, ¡°Have you never opened it?¡±

    Now what was this all about?

    I was a little confused as I replied, ¡°You¡¯re right, I haven¡¯t opened it. What¡¯s wrong¡­ is it expired?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you open it and see for yourself.¡±

    After which, Sheng Min Ou ignored me as he circled around the bed to his side and then proceeded to lie down with his back facing me, as he went to sleep.

    My anxiety spiked seeing his attitude as I nervously unscrewed the lid of the lanolin container.

    After removing the lid, I saw that there was a small flat cover inside to prevent its contents from spilling, and within its concave design was exactly enough space to house a folded note.

    I furrowed my eyebrows as I unfolded the note, written on a piece of paper with decorative designs printed, as I found a chibi illustration on it.

    A small chibi figure in armour was holding a sword and shouting ¡°I will eradicate all evil and protect the weak!¡±

    Under his feet was a dragon with spirals for eyes, evidently being the ¡°evil¡± which he spoke of.

    Then there was another chibi who was covered in wounds and had his hands tightly clasped together as he revealed fervent admiration in his eyes. This chibi was saying, ¡°You really are my hero!¡±

    In the corner of the drawing was Mo Qiu¡¯s signature.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I understood why he did it, but why did he have to sneak an illustration of his own underneath a lid of a lanolin cream?! What was wrong with this Mo Qiu guy? Could he not have expressed anything he had to say to me face to face?

    I silently put the lid back on the lanolin cream and glanced back at Sheng Min Ou, whose back was still facing me. I was fretting over this to the point that my stomach was starting to hurt.

    ¡°Ge, this really isn¡¯t on me¡­¡± I followed suit and lay on the bed as I pressed myself behind him and continued, ¡°This is a gift from Mo Qiu after he had returned from his previous trip, and I had just kept it there without ever opening it. I had no idea there was something hidden inside.¡±

    I stretched out one hand in front of him and hugged him over the cover of the quilt as I pressed my forehead to his shoulder, as I continued shifting against him in displays of affection.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, I really have nothing to do with him. Besides, he already has a boyfriend who is a fashion designer. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll show you his Wechat feed¡­¡± This time around when Mo Qiu came to visit me, he had also brought with him the good news of not being single anymore, as his partner was the designer he had met while travelling. He also said that his application to attend a school abroad had been accepted, and next month he would be leaving with his boyfriend to pursue further education overseas.

    I was happy for him after hearing that he was living his best life, but this happiness was genuinely the kind one classmate got after hearing about another classmate doing well, and there weren¡¯t any other mixed feelings in the bag. The sun and moon could bear witness and the heavens and earth could prove it, I¡­ I¡­ I was innocent!

    Naturally, Sheng Min Ou wasn¡¯t asleep yet, but he also wasn¡¯t going to turn around to face me just yet.

    ¡°I know he likes you.¡±

    I was pressed up against Sheng Min Ou¡¯s shoulder, so whenever he spoke, my body would tremble slightly alongside his.

    ¡°Like I said¡­¡±

    I was about to persist in clarifying further when I heard Sheng Min Ou continue, ¡°Or should I say, I know that he previously liked you. You were his hero, his knight in shining armour, the warm-hearted, passionate and ebullient youth. He longed for you, adored you and admired you. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that you two reunited too late, he might have once again fallen for you.¡±

    I was stunned, having never thought of this possibility before.

    However, none of this mattered. I didn¡¯t care about who liked me, and I didn¡¯t care whether these people still liked me or not.

    Why would other people have anything to do with me? I only cared about Sheng Min Ou, and I would never fall in love with anyone else.

    ¡°But I like you. It¡¯s you who I long for, admire and adore.¡± I inhaled the refreshing scent of his shower gel as I pressed my cheek against his back, ¡°No one would ever be able to snatch me away from your side. My heart would not allow it.¡±

    He made no comment on my remark as he said, ¡°Continue.¡±

    Huh?

    ¡°Continue with your saccharine speech.¡±

    I had no idea what he meant by that, and whether there was some other hidden meaning within his words. However, when have I ever not followed one of his commands? After hearing his words, I immediately racked my brains for phrases of sweet talk as I gently coughed before I began to recite my words in blazing passion. ¡°I like you, like the way stars would circle the moon, like the way sunflowers look towards the sun, like the way the desert yearns for drops of water. In front of others, I am invincible, but only with you do I become weak and vulnerable. Just like Prince Rupert¡¯s drops, you¡­ are the little tail that could shatter my whole being.¡± After finishing I even found what I said funny, as I couldn¡¯t help but gently chuckle at my words.

    ¡°A little tail?¡± He probably also found it funny as he repeated the words in a weird tone. He didn¡¯t ask me to continue further and also dropped the subject of the unfortunate lanolin cream, ¡°This time you put more effort in compared to your usual old-fashioned pick up lines.¡±

    I knew he wasn¡¯t angry anymore, so I allowed myself a sigh of relief inwardly before complaining, ¡°I¡¯ve always put a lot of effort in. Besides, when have my pick up lines been old-fashioned?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou however ignored me as he turned a deaf ear to my questions, and seemingly fell into deep sleep in an instant.

    I knew he was awake, but I couldn¡¯t do anything about him. I was angered but I also wanted to laugh as I got up to turn off the lights, before cuddling up next to him as I went to sleep.

    Within two days, Sheng Min Ou left for a meeting that was held in another city. For one week, there would only be me at home.

    Though I felt a bit lonely, I thought I could put this time to good use and redecorate the place, thinking that he would get a surprise when he came back.

    The furniture hadn¡¯t arrived, but when I went downstairs to throw out the trash I instead found a cat.

    It was orange, emaciated, and judging by the appearance of the kitten, it looked exactly the same as the one Qi Yang had killed back then.

 CH 68

    The kitten was too small a thing, it was perhaps only one or two months old. It stood its ground, observing me from a distance as it stayed cautious and wary.

    I threw away the trash and remained where I was for a while, looking at the kitten before I attempted to get closer to it. It appeared to be startled by my movements, as at once it lowered its body and retreated in alarm.

    ¡°Over here, come here.¡± I said as I crouched down, attempting to minimise the threat of my presence. ¡°Kitty, come here.¡±

    The tiny, orange kitten stared timidly at me, traces of curiosity and terror reflected in its almond eyes.

    The kitten was dirty all over, with black soil stuck to its pink nose tip, just like every other inch of its body.

    I had previously heard my father mentioning that cats were fastidious animals and looked after their hygiene scrupulously. Once stray cats appeared dirty, it meant that their survival was already such a problem for them that they had no excess energy to look after themselves. This also signalled that the cat wasn¡¯t too far from death.

    In addition, the temperature had dropped recently, and this was such a small kitten, it had probably just been weaned. Without its mother, it may not be able to survive this winter.

    If I turned around and left it here, there was a high chance that tomorrow I¡¯d be seeing its corpse lying by the trash can.

    There were many strays in this world, with many of them being in pitiful situations. It was impossible for me to rescue every one of them, but this one was different. Not only did this cat look like the one from many years back, it had also appeared under Sheng Min Ou¡¯s apartment block, and I had chanced upon it.

    In Wuxia stories, if the protagonist were to achieve great things, then he must suffer tribulations and hardships to meet his fate.

    This kitten here looked like an ¡®old friend¡¯, it was currently homeless and was abandoned by its mother. It ticked all the boxes for a main character backstory. Therefore, I would be the fate it encounters, and become the hidden master that would assist with its rebirth.

    ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll give you a good meal to fill your belly, and then we¡¯ll find a good family for you. Won¡¯t it be much better than you traversing the streets having only one meal in your belly without a guaranteed one later? Think about it.¡±

    The little orange cat didn¡¯t turn around to flee immediately, as it confronted me quietly for a moment. Perhaps it had felt that I wasn¡¯t a threat, as it gradually shifted closer towards me.

    The kitten was still timid as it gingerly sniffed my fingertips. If I even moved a little bit, it would dash away like a frightened rabbit, only returning when I became still again, and so this cycle would repeat.

    ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t be scared, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to eat you or anything.¡± I said, waiting patiently for the kitten to completely trust me. It was only when the kitten began to nudge itself against my palm that I smoothed my fingers gently down its clumped fur, before I firmly grasped fate by the back of its neck.

    Kittens around this age still retained its memory of being carried around by the mother cat by the scruff of their neck, so they generally wouldn¡¯t put up a fight. I therefore took it home, and as soon as I got back I headed to the shower and closed its door behind me.

    Facing this unfamiliar environment, the kitten raised its guard against me again as it shrank into a corner, and began to hiss at me.

    This behaviour was not like the previous orange cat at all, that one was nowhere as mean. It was soft and plump, and when it saw Sheng Min Ou it would start vying for his affection, revealing its belly and meowing in the process.

    I closed the glass shower door and pulled out some frozen chicken wings from the refrigerator that I had bought not long ago. After boiling them in plain water, I rinsed them in cold water and tore the chicken wings to strips before placing them in small plates and delivering it to the kitten.

    ¡°I originally was going to eat these chicken wings myself, so you¡¯ve really lucked out here.¡± After being placed on a liquid diet for a month, I now even had dreams of eating hotpot, and I constantly drooled whenever I passed a fried chicken store.

    Initially, I planned to take advantage of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s absence in these few days to secretly get my hands on some meat and fish. However, it turned out that what wasn¡¯t mine would never be, as halfway through a Cheng Yao Jin appeared and I ended up not having a single bite at all.

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    I then pinged @Shen Xiao Shi in our four person group chat, and told him to post an adoption notice on the pawn shop¡¯s account to see if anyone was interested in adopting a cat.

    Shen Xiao Shi requested for me to send some pictures of the kitten for him. I filled up a bowl with some water and placed it on the floor of the bathroom as I conveniently snapped a picture of the kitten devouring the chicken pieces.

    ¡°¡­¡± Shen Xiao Shi was silent for a while.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t just a really big mouse? It¡¯s way too dirty, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    I contemplated the photo for a while, before I forced out a defence on behalf of the tiny orange kitten, ¡°It¡¯s just not very photogenic, if you look at its features it¡¯s actually quite beautiful¡­¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi expressed his doubts, ¡°Feng Ge, how about you take the kitten to a pet shop tomorrow to have it bathed? With its current appearance, there will be no one who wants to adopt it. We should know best, given that we work in this industry. These days, no matter what people fancy, the first thing they pay attention to is how it looks. Not to mention what we¡¯re listing here is a kitten, a living creature that will need to be cared for for at least the next ten years, right?¡±

    I thought about what he said and agreed, so I had him pause on listing the cat for adoption, as I began to search for my nearest pet store.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s apartment was in an excellent location, with all kinds of shops around him ranging from restaurants to clothing boutiques. Within five hundred metres was a large shopping mall, and on one street was a pet care centre, a pet beauty salon, and a veterinary hospital, all in close proximity.

    Early the next morning, I took the kitten with me to the veterinary hospital for a check-up. The vet took a look at it and said that other than a mild case of cat moss and malnutrition, there were no other issues.

    The doctor suggested that I vaccinate the kitten and deworm it. He was a professional, and I was a layman at this matter, so evidently I followed his advice.

    After receiving the vaccination, the kitten became even more frightened, as it shrank in my backpack and shivered intermittently. I touched its small head, and it looked up at me as it meowed softly. Having witnessed the breakdown of trust between us two last night, I thought we wouldn¡¯t be back to our initial relationship for a while, so I didn¡¯t expect for it to start showing affection towards me so quickly again. Considering this, the kitten had a pretty cute and naive character.

    I took the prescribed medicine and nutritional cans with me as I brought the kitten to the pet shop next. As the kitten had just been vaccinated, it couldn¡¯t be bathed for the next seven days. Therefore, I requested for the staff member to only trim off the knots on its fur and apply the prescribed ointments to the kitten.

    After receiving a trim, the kitten¡¯s bones which were protruding under its skin were more clearly visible. I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was because the kitten was cold or because it was afraid, but it had been shaking this whole time. The staff member brought me a blanket to wrap around the kitten, and also recommended a beginner kit for new cat owners, which contained cat litter, cat food, and a cat potty.

    I bought it all, then selected two more pet bowls and a cat bed that looked especially soft. In the end, I headed home with a kitten and bags of various sizes.

    After a busy day, I had just taken a breather when the delivery person for the furniture I had bought called again to confirm a time with me, as he said the delivery would be made early tomorrow morning.

    Human beings were both tenacious and fragile creatures, it had only been one month, but all that remained of the gunshot wound in my abdomen was a fresh, pale red scar. However, after all, I had just been through a major operation, and though it looked like all was recovered on the outside, my stamina on the inside couldn¡¯t bounce back instantaneously the same way. Once I felt fatigued, I was more prone to sweating due to my physical debility.

    During the day I helped move the furniture, and at night I would shovel the kitten¡¯s litter and feed it medicine. By day two, I couldn¡¯t keep up with this routine anymore as I laid in bed, unable to get up with my head incessantly spinning.

    I heard a pitiful cry from the kitten in the bathroom and I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was running out of water or food, so I forced myself to get up from the newly bought king bed, passing the now transformed living room as I came to the bathroom.

    The kitten sat behind the glass shower door, and when it saw me, it started meowing even louder.

    My heart softened for a moment as I opened the shower door, with the intention of having it get some exercise in the bathroom.

    However, the kitten had premeditated its next move as it quickly sprang out through the crack of the door, passing under my legs as it bolted towards the bathroom door and disappeared in front of my eyes.

    My eyes widened, flabbergasted by the turn of events.

    In the past, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s house only had a few things, so that cats aside, even if it was a fly I would still be able to spot them clearly. However, ever since I had moved in, the style of this residence had become more messy, with growing corners of parts. The kitten was tiny, so if it was intent on playing hide and seek with me, then I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    ¡°Kitty, come out, it¡¯s time to eat¡­¡± I called, squatting on the ground, as I opened a can of nutritious food, and tapped the spoon against the body of the can in an attempt to draw it out.

    I repeatedly ducked down and pressed myself low to the floor to look beneath the sofas, behind the curtain, and I had even moved the coffee table and some cabinets to look behind them. Yet, there was no trace of the kitten.

    My head became increasingly dizzy, and just when I was about to let it have its freedom, not caring about whether it was going to come out of its hiding spot or not as I planned to go back to bed and sleep, I heard the sound of someone trying to open the door.

    The fingerprint was successfully verified by the electronic door lock, and a mechanical female voice replied saying ¡°the door is now unlocked¡±. In the next second, the door was slowly pushed open.

    I spotted him and instantaneously shoved the cans of kitten food under the coffee table the second Sheng Min Ou had entered the room.

    Sheng Min Ou was carrying his suitcase, and when he looked up and saw the furnishings in the room, he was stunned and furrowed his brows slightly.

    ¡°Ge, how come you came back earlier than expected?¡±

    I used his account to purchase all these things, so it was impossible for him to not know, but knowing is one thing and seeing is another.

    ¡°The prosecutor in charge of Xiao Meng¡¯s case asked us to meet him in his office tomorrow, I sent you a message earlier.¡± He changed his shoes and entered the room, placing his suitcase at the entrance, and began inspecting every change that had taken place. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it?¡±

    I replied, ¡°I took a nap in the afternoon, so I didn¡¯t notice it.¡±

    I stood up with a smirk and introduced him to the new items one by one, ¡°Ge, look, you can sit and sleep on this sofa, and there¡¯s also storage space here. There¡¯s also this coffee table, where you can also store things, this is a TV cabinet¡­ the TV will come after a few days. I bought a 72-inch one, so in the future we can watch movies together on the sofa¡­¡±

    Likely due to the fact that Sheng Min Ou¡¯s apartment was a big place, despite only having two bedrooms in the flat, each part of the place had ample space, and this was especially the case with the living room. I hadn¡¯t touched his original set up with the punching bag, as I split the living room into two areas. One part was for Sheng Min Ou to box, and the other was an area for entertainment and to chill. Even with these two distinct areas, the place still didn¡¯t feel crowded.

    ¡°I also bought a new bed and a bookshelf, which I placed in the bedroom. That way, we can read together on the bed before going to sleep.¡± I placed my hands anxiously behind my back and twisted my fingers, worrying about how I could break the news to him regarding the kitten.

    I had a persistent feeling that he wouldn¡¯t like the kitten. Not only because of his obsession with cleanliness, but also because¡­ it resembled the cat from back then too much, the cat that had made him lose control.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou made a simple comment, then untied his tie and went into the bedroom, as if to change his clothes.

    I rushed into the bathroom in a hurry, stuffing all the cat bowls and the cat potty into the cabinet under the sink. Then, I rinsed the shower tiles with water, in hopes that Sheng Min Ou wouldn¡¯t be able to catch anything amiss.

    ¡°Lu Feng, come here.¡±

    I had just covered up evidence of the crime when Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice came from the bedroom.

    ¡°Coming!¡± I replied. Without thinking too much, I got up and rushed over, but when I saw the situation in the room, I stopped and stared at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s feet as if I were a ghost.

    The tiny orange kitten, the same little bastard that I had been searching for this whole time that obstinately refused to come out, was currently circling Sheng Min Ou¡¯s feet and meowing. I could hear that purring in his throat from a mile away.

    Was Sheng Min Ou a silvervine in his previous life? Why was he so popular with cats?

    ¡°What¡¯s this? A guinea pig you raised?¡± Sheng Min Ou raised his foot, with the small kitten going up and down with it.

    I was already feeling the heat, but when I was nervous, it felt even hotter, as sweat dripped from my forehead.

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s a little stray cat I found.¡± I wiped the sweat on my forehead and gently approached Sheng Min Ou, intending to catch the kitten while it wasn¡¯t paying attention, ¡°Ge, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be giving it away soon, however¡­ let me catch it first!¡±

    As soon as I pounced, the kitten leapt away and disappeared again, and I, due to all the momentum I had, fell into Sheng Min Ou¡¯s arms.

    I couldn¡¯t do it anymore, my head just felt so dizzy.

    Sheng Min Ou held me up and firmly supported my weight.

    Perhaps he noticed my complexion seemed off, as he leaned up close and pressed his forehead against mine. I began breathing heavily as I closed my eyes slightly, my eyelids even feeling hot.

    As Sheng Min Ou backed away, he tutted softly before remarking, ¡°You have a fever.¡±

    All of a sudden, I felt as if my whole body had become lighter. I opened my eyes to find that I was being carried bridal style by Sheng Min Ou.

    In a few strides, he had already reached the bed as he placed me down on it, his features looking still as ever, without any signs of exertion or redness. One could have never been able to tell that he had just carried a man weighing fifty something kilograms over.

    On the other hand, I felt so faint that I hadn¡¯t even been able to even catch a cat.

    Sheng Min Ou went out before coming in again, this time with a mercury thermometer which I had no idea where he had gotten it from.

    He disinfected it, before shaking off the current temperature on it and then held it near my mouth, ¡°Open up.¡±

    I pulled his sleeve, saying, ¡°That kitten¡­¡±

    He narrowed his eyes as he responded, ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself a second time.¡±

    I obediently opened my mouth to hold the thermometer under my tongue, and didn¡¯t say another word.

 CH 69

    I once wanted to have a puppy. This was when I was about seven years old, so I had just started first grade.

    We lived in a more remote area back then. Surrounding us were ample wastelands and abandoned heaps. There was also a dog, perhaps it had once belonged to one of the construction workers who had previously worked here. However, once the construction was completed, the workers left but the dog remained. It had bred generations since, and though survival was difficult, some of these dogs still remained friendly to humans, whilst others slowly regained their feral side. My mother had always cautioned against approaching the dogs, from fear of being bitten by them.

    The elementary school I attended was fairly close to where I lived. When I was in first grade, Sheng Min Ou was in fifth grade, so we had a period of overlap where we were both attending the same school. During that time, we would walk home together after school.

    Boys younger than ten were usually at the peak of their mischief. Following the usual route to get home would mean that we should have bypassed the abandoned lots, and followed the main road back. However, doing so was effectively taking a huge detour and would have added five additional minutes to our commute time. So, when I passed the abandoned lot and noticed a gap in the blue tin fence, I had a bold idea to weave straight through there.

    Sheng Min Ou naturally disagreed. Since we were young, he had rarely agreed with any of my suggestions.

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go in.¡±

    We stood near the gap in the fence, as conflict brewed between us.

    ¡°But I want to go in¡­¡± I said, taking a glance inside the fence, and then at Sheng Min Ou, whose face was sullen, ¡°How about you take the main road to go home, and I¡¯ll go in here. Let¡¯s see who gets home first, yeah?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou furrowed his eyebrows, traces of impatience flickering in his eyes, ¡°I already told you, you can¡¯t go in.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t as whipped when I was younger, so I didn¡¯t always listen to everything Sheng Min Ou said.

    I knew he didn¡¯t want me to go in, but humans all had a slight adventurous spirit in them.  So, like a boat with its sails billowing as it soared into the ocean, I stepped within the little opening without even looking back, as if I had not heard his warning.

    ¡°That¡¯s settled then, ge, I¡¯ll definitely be faster than you!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t easy to navigate the path within the ruins, as the abandoned lot hadn¡¯t yet had cement poured over the ground. The ground was a dirt floor that was uneven and bumpy, but this was exactly what I, an ¡®adventurer¡¯, had a taste for. I was sprinting across the dirt plains, my arms wide open as I faced the breeze, my joy echoing that of a deer which was stepping on blades of green grass for the first time.

    Then, it was at this time that I heard a young, weak cry.

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    I stopped at once and looked towards the source of the sound.

    It took me longer to get home than expected, and when I got to the door, Sheng Min Ou was already waiting there. His complexion did not look great, and after seeing me, he turned around and went upstairs without saying a word.

    ¡°Ge ge, wait for me.¡± I called out, quickly following behind with my school bag heavy on my shoulders, when suddenly a small bark came from inside.

    Sheng Min Ou, who was walking in front, came to an abrupt stop. I grabbed the straps of my backpack and became nervous.

    He turned around and his gaze fell to the bag behind my back, ¡°What was that sound?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything¡­¡± I replied.

    As if the puppy was on a mission to rebel against me, I hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when this time, a louder cry came from the backpack, accompanied by an uncomfortable whimper.

    Under Sheng Min Ou¡¯s pointed gaze, that had now seen through my whole plot, I pouted slightly before placing my backpack down and taking out the little puppy I picked up from the ruins.

    The little guy had yellow fur all over, with a slightly dirtied face and tail. However, it was unmistakably a little dirt puppy.

    ¡°Ge ge, isn¡¯t it cute? Can we take it home and raise it?¡± I lifted the puppy up and approached Sheng Min Ou, my expression crafted in hopes of appeasing him.

    Sheng Min Ou took another step up the staircase in disgust, walking away from me and the puppy in my hand.

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    The rest was history, and it turns out that no matter how much my mother cherished me, it still wasn¡¯t enough to overcome the presence of a dirty, stray and possibly parasite ridden little puppy.

    When she got home and discovered the puppy, she practically screamed at me to throw it out. I got into a heated argument with her and locked myself in my room with the puppy, crying my heart out.

    A little later, my dad came back. After getting an understanding of the general situation and where the conflict was at, he knocked on my door, suggesting that I should go out to eat first.

    My father has always been a reasonable man. I heard his suggestion and thought there was more to it than just eating, so I hurriedly wiped away my tears and opened the door.

    The atmosphere during dinner was stifled throughout, and everyone seemed to be in no mood for chit chat. When we were about to finish our meals, my father picked up some rice as he said to my mother, ¡°Since Xiao Feng likes the puppy, why don¡¯t we just let it stay and adopt it?¡±

    I don¡¯t know which part of this sentence provoked my mother, as her expression suddenly darkened. She slammed down her chopsticks and retorted without holding back, ¡°Adopt adopt adopt! You just want to adopt everything! But have you ever considered my feelings? You¡¯re trying to play the good guy here, we can all do that. But do you have the energy and the financial ability to carry through this decision? How well off do you think we are? Are we millionaires? We¡¯re just a working class family, it¡¯s hard enough for us to take care of two children already and you still want a dog?¡± She appeared to be talking about the dog, but her words also seemed not to be, ¡°Besides, you should know that I detest animals that shed. I get a headache just by looking at cats and dogs. Perhaps if it was a bird, I would¡¯ve been able to accept it. However, a dog ¨C that I absolutely will not allow!¡±

    My dad¡¯s expression also turned sour, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to raise it, then just say that. Why must you speak in this way and hurt the kids.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hurting their feelings? So I¡¯m the bad person now, yeah? I don¡¯t have a heart, right!¡±

    I was terrified by the intensifying argument between my parents, with their faces flushed red and their screams reverberating. They were like two strangers I had never seen before.

    ¡°Stop arguing!¡± I yelled. I felt horrible inside, as my features crumpled before wailing sobs escaped me. At once, my involvement made the scene even more chaotic.

    My dad was still recovering his breath, and was slightly brought back to his senses by my crying, as he tried to use a calm voice to get Sheng Min Ou to take me back into my room to do my homework.

    Sheng Min Ou responded with an ¡°Okay¡±, before grabbing my hand as he led me back into my room.

    As soon as he closed the door, the dining room exploded with even fiercer shouts, mainly coming from my mother. It was oppressive, frustrated and laced with fury.

    I scooped up the puppy that was sleeping in the corner and sat on the bed, my tears silently gliding down my face. I already had a hunch that I might not be able to keep this little guy.

    ¡°Put the dog down, and get your homework out.¡±

    My room was slightly bigger, so in addition to having a bed and a wardrobe, there was also room for a study desk. Whenever we did our homework, Sheng Min Ou would come to my room to do it together with me. That way, if I didn¡¯t understand anything I could ask him straight away.  For my entire time during primary school, Sheng Min Ou had basically tutored me on all the schoolwork, so it had spared a lot of time and effort off my parents.

    ¡°I don¡¯t wannaaa¡­¡± Before I turned ten, I was a very stubborn character and I was rather arrogant from all the dolting affections I received. It was only when my father passed away, and our family faced drastic changes that this trait of mine was successfully suppressed. Later, if I did remain stubborn, it was all over matters concerning Sheng Min Ou.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s patience was limited, so regardless of my refusal, he reached out to grab the puppy in my arms.

    The puppy was frightened in response, or perhaps it had sensed Sheng Min Ou¡¯s dislike for it, as amidst the chaos it bit Sheng Min Ou¡¯s palm.

    Sheng Min Ou quickly took back his hand, the side of his palm close to his pinky having two clear bloody scratches from the puppy¡¯s teeth. It didn¡¯t look too serious, but it was still enough to have me worried.

    ¡°Ge ge, how do you feel?¡± I dropped the puppy and frantically rushed forward to check Sheng Min Ou¡¯s wound.

    Sheng Min Ou held his wrist in his hand, his gaze lowered as he stared at his wound, dripping pearls of blood. His features were devoid of any expression.

    I blew gently at his wound as I asked him again, ¡°Ge ge, does it hurt?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t seem to hear my question as he stayed still for a long time.

    At the same time, outside the room there came the sound of my parents fighting again, accompanied by the sound of my mum smashing a bowl to the ground.

    ¡°What do you think of our home as? A stray adoption centre? Fine, if you want to keep it, then keep it. I¡¯ll leave. I can see that I can¡¯t afford to make my case here, but at least I can leave!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you¡­¡±

    ¡°Who wants to argue with you?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou suddenly moved as he dismissed me and walked towards the bedside table, ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    I was stunned for a second before hurriedly coming to his side, ¡°Ge, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Sheng Min Ou took a few tissues and pressed them to his wound. The bright red colour quickly blossomed on the surface of the tissue. He didn¡¯t seem to find it too painful, as he didn¡¯t even frown before he stepped past me and towards the door.

    ¡°One stray animal at home is enough.¡± He said, whispering it in my ear as he passed me.

    I looked back in astonishment, at that time, I wasn¡¯t quite able to grasp what he meant. Later, when I grew up and understood his words, I realised I had missed yet another crucial opportunity to comfort him.

    Sheng Min Ou opened the door and walked towards our parents, who were still out of breath, as he told them that he had been bitten by the puppy.

    My dad became very nervous when he heard this, and immediately said that he would take him for an injection.

    ¡°Look at this, it¡¯s biting people even when it¡¯s a puppy, so who knows what will happen when it grows up? You can¡¯t domesticate these types of dogs.¡± My mum said, taking this opportunity to sneer at the situation.

    My dad ignored her as he went into their room with a straight face, taking some money and the  keys, and then took Sheng Min Ou to the hospital.

    They didn¡¯t come back until late at night. As soon as I heard the sound of the key being inserted into the lock, I opened the door for them. When I saw Sheng Min Ou, I quietly called out a ¡°ge¡± to him, but he didn¡¯t even look at me as he walked straight to his room.

    My dad locked the door and glanced in the direction of the master bedroom, which was quiet, and then asked me why I hadn¡¯t slept yet.

    ¡°I wanted to wait for you guys to come back¡­¡± I replied, as I stared at the ground nervously.

    My dad sighed, as he took me to my room, and asked me to show him the puppy.

    I took the puppy out from under the study desk, as I stroked its head and said, ¡°I felt sorry for it, it ¡­ it wagged its tail at me, and I couldn¡¯t find its mother nearby, so I brought it back.¡±

    My father pulled me towards his side as I sat down on the bed next to him. He spoke again in a gentle tone that suggested he was open to further discussion, ¡°Dad knows that you are a kind and good boy, but right now mum isn¡¯t agreeing to adopting a dog. Your brother was also just bitten by it. Dad has given it some thought, and I think that it may not be suitable for it to stay in our house.¡±

    I was already prepared for things to come to this, so I didn¡¯t continue being stubborn as I nodded lightly and muttered, ¡°En¡­¡±

    My dad patted my head and continued, ¡°Dad¡¯s workplace just happens to be short of a guard dog. So, tomorrow, dad will bring it with me and we¡¯ll keep it there in the future. How does this sound?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    My dad took the puppy from my hands and brought it outside to feed it some leftovers. Then, he took some old clothes and fashioned them into a temporary bed in the bathroom for the puppy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have it stay here for the night.¡± My dad said, as he stood up and urged me to go back to my room and get some sleep.

    When I passed by Sheng Min Ou¡¯s door, I paused in my footsteps and stared intently at his closed door for a second. However, I didn¡¯t muster enough courage to go and knock on it, as I ended up returning to my own room and closing my door too.

    The next day, the puppy was taken to my father¡¯s workplace. Sheng Min Ou had a high fever due to the side effects of the vaccine, so he was absent from school and had to rest at home.

    From then on, my dream to have a pet was effectively over.

    When I opened my eyes, the world in front of me seemed to be spinning. My ears were also buzzing, and there was a layer of perspiration covering my body.

    I heard the sounds of pages being turned beside me and turned my head slightly to see Sheng Min Ou leaning against the headboard and reading a law book specialising in some field.

    I looked at him for a while and called out to him, ¡°Ge¡­¡± My voice was hoarse and came out like a croak.

    Sheng Min Ou stopped halfway through turning a page as he looked at me.

    ¡°Do you want some water?¡±

    I shook my head and hurriedly explained to him, ¡°That kitten, I¡¯ll find someone else to adopt it, and I won¡¯t keep it for long.¡±

    His expression didn¡¯t change at all because of what I said, as he looked at me for a while before refocusing his attention on the book.

    ¡°Whatever you decide.¡±

    I reached out my hand from under the quilt and gently tugged at his sleeve.

    ¡°I only need you.¡±

    He looked at the page in front of him, appearing to be reading it, but also looking as if he wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Are you thinking that I can¡¯t stand to live in the same space as a cat, or are you afraid that I will hurt it?¡±

    I tugged at his sleeve even harder, applying enough force to almost rip his hand off the book.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t want it¡­..¡± I stared at the part of his face which was peeking out from behind his book, as I chuckled and said, ¡°I just want you.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t speak for a long time, and also didn¡¯t turn the page.

    ¡°Ge, can you give me a kiss?¡± I still tugged at his sleeve, like I was a sick child, as I purposely acted cute in front of him.

    After a while, as if there was nothing he could do with me, he turned the book upside down, bent over, and placed a kiss on my lips.

    I grabbed his arm, and just as I was about to kiss him back, he backed away without any lingering trace.

    ¡°You still have a slight fever, so you¡¯d better sleep a little longer.¡±

    He picked up the book again, and there was no sign of him wanting to continue with our affection earlier. I pursed my mouth, leaned towards him, and buried my face on his waist.

    I hugged him as I replied, ¡°Then accompany me.¡±

 CH 70

    Xiao Meng caused such an unprecedented mess that despite Xiao Sui Guang doing his best to create distance, Xiao Meng himself still had Xiao blood flowing in his veins, so him being convicted of such a grave crime would do Mei Teng no favours. Therefore, Xiao Sui Guang ultimately couldn¡¯t leave him to lie in his own grave.

    Before Sheng Min Ou had established his own law firm, Mei Teng had been partnering with another law firm in Qing Wan. The contract between the two later expired and was not renewed as Xiao Sui Guang was planning to sign a new contract with Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm instead. The process of drafting a new contract between the two companies had almost been completed when the whole Xiao Meng fiasco had occurred. Negotiations between the two companies completely fell through, leaving Xiao Sui Guang no choice but to reach out to the previous law firm again. He promised that if they were able to win Xiao Meng¡¯s lawsuit and reduce the impact the case had on the company, he would sign a ten-year long contract with them.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Mei Teng might not even have enough to cover the legal fees?¡± I asked. We were on the way to the courthouse, and Wu Yi and I conversed on how things were progressing, while Sheng Min Ou was quietly on his mobile phone handling work related affairs.

    ¡°A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. For Jin Tai law firm, profit comes above all else. If there¡¯s money involved, they¡¯ll take any case. I assume there was an advance payment given.¡± Wu Yi explained, turning at a green light and taking the car through the gates of the courthouse. ¡°Jin Tai¡¯s Chen Shun Lai is a jackal among wild beasts, a great white among sharks, so beware of him.¡±

    ¡°Is he that amazing?¡± I glanced at Sheng Min Ou, who was focused on sending emails, and deliberately asked, ¡°He¡¯s better than my brother?¡±

    Wu Yi was instantly stuck, ¡°Uh¡­ you can¡¯t really make comparisons like this within the legal field. It¡¯s not like we have different gradings and hierarchies here, right? Laoshi hasn¡¯t been a trial lawyer for long, so how well known he is is going to be different when compared to a lawyer who has represented many clients in many cases. This is a totally normal thing.¡±

    I nodded as I responded, ¡°So Chen Shun Lai is better than my brother.¡±

    Wu Yi froze again, his voice quieter this time as he replied, ¡°He is the type of person who would be name dropped in textbook examples¡­¡±

    Since he was a textbook-level figure, then there would be a lot to learn just from listening to his defence. Wu Yi parted ways with us outside of the courthouse as he left for the public gallery whilst Sheng Min Ou and I came to the waiting room as we waited to be summoned.

    In the waiting room, Yi Da Zhuang had already taken his seat. He had a computer in his arms and was typing intermittently, the pauses in his rhythm accompanied by a frown in his face.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, as I kicked his foot.

    Yi Da Zhuang suddenly came back to his senses as he closed his computer and greeted us, ¡°Feng ge, Lawyer Sheng, you guys are here. I¡¯m not doing anything, just writing up some drafts. I¡¯ve been thinking all day and I¡¯ve only got five hundred words. I¡¯m fretting so much I¡¯m going to go bald.¡±

    The seats in the waiting room were set up as rows, resembling park benches. I sat down next to Yi Da Zhuang, and leaned against the back of the bench as I stretched.

    ¡°No wonder, I felt like recently you¡¯ve been looking more haggard, turns out it¡¯s because you¡¯re becoming bald.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang was startled, and hurriedly took out his phone to check his reflection as he fiddled with his bangs.

    ¡°Am I really losing hair?¡±

    I laughed inwardly and didn¡¯t answer him.

    Perhaps it was because he didn¡¯t want to squeeze in with us, but Sheng Min Ou chose to sit in front of me instead of sitting with us.

    Yi Da Zhuang was still absorbed in looking at his reflection, so I leaned forward and rested my arms on the back of his bench, as I tilted my head and whispered in his ear, ¡°Ge, is this the first time you¡¯ve been seated here before? Are you nervous?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou finished replying to the last email he had and then put away his phone, as he brought his arms up in a circle motion as he leaned back.

    ¡°It¡¯s not me who should be nervous.¡±

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    Yi Da Zhuang stood up nervously and ran his hands over his clothes as he walked out through the door.

    After the door was closed again, I leaned in close and pressed my ear against the door, trying to make out what was happening on the other side. However, I could only hear muffled voices.

    ¡°Did you hear anything?¡± Sheng Min Ou asked from behind me.

    I turned back, indignant, and took my seat next to him as I responded, ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t hear anything.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou stared directly at the doors leading to the courtroom, as if his vision could penetrate the solid wooden panels of the door and see everything which occurred beyond it.

    ¡°Do you know the difference between a lawyer who goes to court and a lawyer who doesn¡¯t?¡±

    I thought about it carefully, but I couldn¡¯t figure out the answer he wanted, so I could only be honest and shake my head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°The difference is that lawyers who go to court use the courtroom as the stage. The witnesses become props, and they themselves as the protagonist, with the jury as the audience. Your acting must be good enough to evoke genuine emotions to convince the audience that every word you¡¯re saying is the truth.¡±

    No wonder his acting skills were so good, since he was always able to fool me into running circles around him. Turns out it came down to the choice of career.

    ¡°So the excellent lawyers who attend court, all of them have acting skills that can rival the top actors¡­ right?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou seemed to understand the hidden meaning in my words, as he cast a sidelong gaze at me, the corners of his lips curving up slightly.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡±

    Him doing this, acting in a way where it was hard to tell whether he was being provocative or a tease, truly aroused the flames in a man¡¯s heart too easily.

    I approached him slowly, with a clear goal, my target being his beautifully curved lips.

    ¡°There are surveillance cameras here.¡± Sheng Min Ou said, without evading my approach or coming any closer. He raised his eyelids slightly, as he stared at a point behind me.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just¡­ kiss you faster?¡± I responded, placing one hand against the back of the chair as I leaned in to press my lips against the corner of his.

    I didn¡¯t think the kiss was going to escalate, as I placed a few cautious licks in between his lips first. I planned to leave as soon as it started getting good, but when I withdrew Sheng Min Ou gave chase, initiating a full frontal assault. Our tongues intertwined, as he showed no hints of minding the surveillance camera. If it wasn¡¯t because of where we were currently at, things might have really escalated into being a non PG-13 activity.

    Twenty more minutes passed and Yi Da Zhuang was escorted back by the bailiff. He looked out of it, his complexion pale, as if he had gone through a brutal and scrupulous interrogation.

    I saw Yi Da Zhuang return in this state and alarm bells immediately went off in my head. This Chen Shun Lai guy ¨C he was so good that he returned Yi Da Zhuang in this state?

    ¡°Mr. Lu, please come with me.¡± The bailiff asked, politely inviting me to the trial.

    I looked back at Sheng Min Ou, as he lifted his chin in response and said encouragingly, ¡°Go.¡±

    The prosecutor in this case was quite young, and was full of energy. This was exactly the time when one strived to carve a legacy for themselves. Prior to this hearing, he had scheduled many meetings between himself and Sheng Min Ou and myself to go over the details in the case. It was evident that he placed great importance on Xiao Meng¡¯s case.

    However, he was currently sitting on the counsel table with a solemn expression, his forehead drenched in sweat. He had completely lost his earlier air of complacency, instead he seemed to have turned from the hunter who was brimming with confidence to the pitiful prey that was now being hunted.

    There was only one defendant, Xiao Meng, sitting in the dock. After Jin Ya was arrested, he confessed to his crimes. He knew very well that he was not like Xiao Meng, who had an esteemed lawyer defending him. He was so experienced that he had long agreed to a plea deal, and had now turned state¡¯s witness in Xiao Meng¡¯s case.

    Xiao Meng was dressed in a suit, his expression grave. The middle-aged man sitting next to him however appeared much more relaxed. That person was probably his defence lawyer, the textbook-level character Chen Shun Lai.

    ¡°Mr Textbook¡± was about forty years old, who sported a neatly groomed and elegant beard. His temples were just peeking grey, and he had a tall build. Though he didn¡¯t look similar to Sheng Min Ou at all, the feeling they both gave were quite incredibly identical.

    They were both the kind of people who looked dignified and respectable, as if they weren¡¯t a threat at all. However, the moment you finished shaking hands with them and turned around, that¡¯s when they would swing a metal bat at you and strike you in the back of your head.

    I sat down in the witness box, and the prosecutor took a few deep breaths before he got up and walked towards me, as he began to question me.

    ¡°Mr. Lu, can you tell everyone what happened on the evening of October the 9th?¡±

    I nodded as I began to recall the events, ¡°I came home that day and found the house a mess. I thought a thief had broken in and was just about to call the police¡­¡±

    ¡°When you woke up, you found yourself in an unfamiliar environment, and at the same time heard Xiao Meng and the kidnappers conversing, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Following this, the young prosecutor asked a few more questions before he finished with his questioning. He returned to his seat, and the defence attorney was to begin his cross-examination.

    When Chen Shun Lai stood up and walked towards me slowly, I could vaguely seem to see a great white shark swimming towards me with a mouth full of teeth and a tail swinging behind it. I couldn¡¯t help but begin to feel nervous.

    Chen Shun Lai stopped when he was in front of me and asked, ¡°You mentioned that you heard three people talking. At this time, you should have been locked up in another room. How could you be certain that the kidnapper was talking to Mr. Xiao Meng?¡±

    ¡°I recognize Xiao Meng¡¯s voice, besides, they also referred to him as ¡®Xiao¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Did you and Mr. Xiao know each other before?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve met him twice.¡±

    ¡°And if you were to add both those interactions up, would they amount to ten hours?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°So, just by meeting him twice, you were able to determine that the voice you heard belonged to Mr Xiao. It seems like your memory is superb compared to the average person, Mr. Lu.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I replied, gladly accepting his compliment.

    ¡°What did they talk about?¡± Chen Shun Lai asked, continuing with his line of questioning.

    ¡°Jin Ya and the others had screwed up, so Xiao Meng was furious. He berated them and said that they shouldn¡¯t have kidnapped me. Jin Ya reassured Xiao Meng and said that they were all committed to the plot and everyone was in it together now, so they wouldn¡¯t purposely mess up the plan. Then Xiao Meng emphasised that they had to execute things better and be cleaner next time they made a move. He left after saying all that.¡±

    ¡°So there was some sort of conflict brewing between the two kidnappers and their client. Furthermore, throughout your one day and one night in captivity, you had never actually personally seen the man which they referred to as ¡®Xiao¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°While you were beaten, coerced, and shot, aside from the two kidnappers, my client, Mr. Xiao Meng, was not present, and you have no evidence that he knew what was going to happen to you, do you?¡±

    Oh, now I finally understood why the prosecutor and Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s complexions looked so terrible. He knew exactly what he was doing with the way he posed these questions, and he really wasn¡¯t much worse than Sheng Min Ou.

    He was implying to the jury that I hadn¡¯t actually seen Xiao Meng at the crime scene, and that Xiao Meng had no idea what the kidnappers were doing to me. Xiao Meng may have just wanted to retrieve an item, but he didn¡¯t actually participate in the kidnapping incident, nor did he want me to be harmed. Further, the man that had been at that shack might not even be Xiao Meng. After all, I had never actually seen him there.

    Fortunately, Jin Ya hadn¡¯t died in the incident and was still alive. If he was dead, he would probably push all the blame on the two kidnappers and turn himself into a white lotus flower.

    ¡°Mr. Lu, since you have such a good memory, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already forgotten what happened then?¡± Chen Shun Lai asked, seeing that I hadn¡¯t responded to his question.

    His mouth curved into a smile, but there was a knife hidden in that smile of his. I held his gaze and reluctantly responded, ¡°That¡¯s correct, I never saw him at the scene, and I also have no proof that he knew about what happened to me.¡±

    Chen Shun Lai nodded in satisfaction before turning to the judge and saying, ¡°I have nothing more to ask, Your Honour.¡±

    As I was led back to the waiting room, I went in, and managed to catch a glimpse of Sheng Min Ou walking out. I only had a few seconds with him.

    ¡°He¡¯s a great white shark that devours people and their bones whole. Be careful.¡± I whispered into his ear as we passed each other.

    In response, I received an extremely disdainful snort from Sheng Min Ou.

    I turned my head back to look, and beyond the wooden door that was slowly closing, was Sheng Min Ou strolling to the witness stand. He was like a large shark that had caught a whiff of blood, without any fear of getting into an all out brawl with the other predator.

 CH 71

    I inched closer to the door, but despite my numerous attempts I couldn¡¯t make out anything that was happening on the other side, as I was left scratching my head in frustration.

    It was at this point that Yi Da Zhuang came over from behind me and gently patted my shoulder, indicating for me to get out of the way.

    He crouched down and slipped his ultra-thin phone through the crack of the door, before standing up and passing a bluetooth earbud to me.

    As soon as I put one earbud in, all kinds of sounds from the courtroom were instantly clearly transmitted, and I could even hear the distinct sound of a jury or audience member coughing.

    ¡°¡­Can you tell everyone what the kidnapper said to you after you saw him?¡± A voice said, which I recognised belonged to the prosecutor.

    After a short silence, Sheng Min Ou spoke.

    ¡°I took the ransom to the place designated by the kidnappers, and it was there where I saw the first kidnapper, Feng Jin. The first thing he said when he saw me was: ¡®Xiao Meng often speaks of you, you are indeed exceptional,¡¯ and I quote him saying this verbatim.¡±

    ¡°And then, what did you say?¡±

    ¡°I realised that this matter may be related to Xiao Meng, so I asked him whether Xiao Meng had instructed them to carry all of this out, and he did not deny it.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thank you. Your Honor, I have nothing further to ask.¡±

    The judge then announced that the defence would conduct their cross-examination next.

    Chen Shun Lai¡¯s current strategy was to extract Xiao Meng from the kidnapping case. Xiao Meng¡¯s only involvement was to ask Jin Ya and the others to retrieve the evidence from Yi Da Zhuang which was to Mei Teng¡¯s detriment, but he did not instruct them to kidnap anyone. Moreover, he had no knowledge about the kidnapping being carried out. Therefore, any evidence or witnesses who directly identify Xiao Meng¡¯s involvement in the kidnapping case would be questioned by Chen Shun Lai.

    I heard footsteps, followed by Chen Shun Lai asking, ¡°You didn¡¯t actually see Mr. Xiao Meng present at the scene with your own eyes.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°The kidnappers also never mentioned that Mr. Xiao Meng had planned this kidnapping case.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And when you asked him if Xiao Meng had planned all this, he didn¡¯t deny it.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But he didn¡¯t admit it either.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think the kidnapper said that phrase?¡± Chen Shun Lai suddenly lowered his voice as he reiterated, ¡®Xiao Meng often speaks of you, you are indeed exceptional.¡¯¡±

    For no particular reason, as soon as these words came out of his mouth, I felt like he was setting up a trap. The ensuing questioning then confirmed my guess that he did in fact, set up a trap by digging a pit, and was just waiting for Sheng Min Ou to fall into it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, however I would guess that it is as he says, because Xiao Meng indeed mentions my name to them often, that he had paid special attention to my existence.¡±

    Chen Shun Lai spoke faster, as if he had discovered an important breakthrough, ¡°For Mr. Xiao Meng to have paid this much attention to you, could it be that this was because both of you were the leading candidates to be Xiao Sui Guang, Mr. Xiao¡¯s successors? Between the two of you there existed a sort of rivalry, where you two were pitted against each other, correct?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou did not answer immediately, as he replied, ¡°You are implying to the jury that my testimony carries an ulterior motive.¡±

    ¡°Please answer my question, your role is to be a witness right now.¡±

    My palms were a little sweaty, but I didn¡¯t think Sheng Min Ou would fall into the trap so easily.

    ¡°He indeed has seen me as a rival, however, that is a matter of the past. After breaking up with Miss Xiao, I left Mei Teng and therefore, I am effectively no longer in the running to be the successor. Moreover, just two months ago, Mr. Xiao drew up a will which I oversaw as he distributed the properties under his name. Xiao Meng is aware of all of this, so if he truly believed that I was prejudiced against him, then how would he have agreed to Mr Xiao appointing myself as his lawyer and to have full authority in carrying out the will?¡± Sheng Min Ou¡¯s tone carried a trace of indignation, just like any ordinary person would when they were misunderstood. ¡°Of course, after this incident, that will has been rescinded. I have also obtained consent from Mr Xiao, so if it is deemed necessary, matters surrounding the will can be further discussed in court.¡±

    If it is deemed necessary¡­ that was to say, he wasn¡¯t sure himself whether this information would be used, but he still chose to plan ahead for it, and it turned out that this piece he prepared for actually came into play. It felt as if each development, every fork in the road were all within his expectations, and he was also well aware of how everyone would react.

    To be able to secure victory from a thousands miles away, just by strategizing in advance. In addition, personally witnessing the situation unfold wasn¡¯t necessary, if one could simulate the scenarios in their head and thereby control the flow of events. That summary was probably an apt description of what kind of person he was.

    And¡­ although I couldn¡¯t see his expression, I was sure that he would mobilise every cell and every strand of hair in his body to make everyone see him as an honest and credible person.

    Chen Shun Lai wanted to use the past rivalry between Sheng Min Ou and Xiao Meng to imply to the jury that Sheng Min Ou¡¯s testimony was not credible, however, it unexpectedly led to Sheng Min Ou divulging the situation surrounding the will. Through this, he was able to indirectly assert his stance towards Xiao Meng, which was a fair and impartial one, devoid of favouritism.

    It appeared that Chen Shun Lai had dug a pit and was waiting for Sheng Min Ou to fall in, when In fact, Sheng Min Ou had taken advantage of this hole, and instead kicked Chen Shun Lai to the bottom of it.

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    Almost the next second, the door to the waiting area was pushed open, and Sheng Min Ou returned to sit with us.

    ¡°Welcome back.¡± I tilted my face up and smiled at him, ¡°Congratulations on your success in knocking out the great white shark with one flip of your tail.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou pressed his hand on my head and ruffled my hair, not without quite a bit of force.

    ¡°No one told you that witnesses aren¡¯t allowed to listen in on the trial?¡±

    He sat down beside me, stretched out his long legs and crossed his arms around his chest, as he stared once more at the set of wooden doors that were slowly closing.

    I had both hands in my hair as I straightened out the mess and mumbled quietly, ¡°It was Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s idea, none of my business.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou looked back sideways at Yi Da Zhuang who was sitting diagonally behind us, and I heard a rather unnatural cough from behind me, before Sheng Min Ou turned his head around again.

    ¡°Next, the prosecution will call the state¡¯s witness to court. His testimony is very unfavourable to Xiao Meng, and is the most damning out of all the witnesses. However, it is also the easiest to impeach.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Because he is both a witness and an accomplice. Though he has agreed to a plea bargain and no longer attends this trial as one of the accused, human beings all carry inherent flaws. A despicable person won¡¯t suddenly become a noble character just because their prison sentence is reduced, instead they¡¯ll just continue to pin all the blame on someone else instead.¡±

    ¡°So he¡¯s going to lie in court?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou looked at me as he responded, ¡°Rather, Chen Shun Lai definitely would make him lie. That way, he would be able to prove to the jury that the other party is someone who is not an honest and credible witness.¡±

    He guessed right. Jin Ya lied in court about planning a burglary in the past, saying that he was only an accomplice. It was something that happened many years ago, and it had occurred in another city. Jin Ya thought it was okay to say a little lie, but Chen Shun Lai seized this opportunity and threw his credibility into question .

    At that moment, his testimony was no longer trustworthy in the eyes of the jury.

    The prosecutor was furious over this. After the trial, he called Sheng Min Ou into a discussion room alone, and no one knew what they said.

    On the way back, Wu Yi was in the car discussing today¡¯s court trial, as he seemed to have more to say on it.

    ¡°That was spectacular, that pro really showed his expertise today. The rhythm during his questioning was practised as he did it with ease, and apart from the slight slip up when he was questioning Laoshi, in all other places, he was essentially flawless.¡±

    I was a little envious of his spot in the public gallery, which allowed him to listen in on the trial openly as I asked, ¡°Is it too late for me to file for civil compensation now? Can I appear in court as a party in this lawsuit as long as I become a participant in the case?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°According to the law, as long as the crime committed has violated your personal and property rights, then you have the right to participate in this case as a plaintiff to the civil suit, collateral to the criminal proceedings. This way, you are both the victim and a party represented in the lawsuit, so you will be able to enjoy the right to be present during the trial, to conduct an inquiry, to raise a defence and even the right to appeal. Previously, in the case with Luo Zheng Yun, this was how you and Mo Qiu both attended court.¡±

    I leaned back in my chair as I said, ¡°Then I¡¯m going to file a civil lawsuit. He turned my house upside down, and because of him, I even got shot, so I¡¯ll have him compensate me¡­¡± I gave the compensation sum a good thought and came up with a number.

    Wu Yi whistled as he remarked, ¡°Nice, very nice.¡±

    All my medical expenses were paid for by Xiao Sui Guang, and after I was discharged from the hospital, he had sent someone to discuss the issue of compensation with me. He hoped that I could write up a letter of understanding to forgive Xiao Meng for his wrongdoings in this matter.

    No matter how attractive the compensation sum was, I was committed to seeing Xiao Meng, the little bitch in prison so I didn¡¯t agree. Of course, Yi Da Zhuang was also pressuring me with obscenities on the side to not cave in to his request.

    However, things were different now. Now, I was making a reasonable claim as I was fighting to get the compensation I deserved. In doing so, I could also watch a brilliant sequence of events unfold for free, so why would I not do this?

    I immediately flicked Yi Da Zhuang a text message, as I wanted him to file the lawsuit with me. Once he heard that he could watch the trial openly amongst the public, he agreed without hesitation.

    When we got home Sheng Min Ou entered the apartment first, and I was changing out of my shoes when I heard the sound of the kitten meowing. I looked up and saw the little kitten speeding out of the bedroom as it raced to Sheng Min Ou and placed its front paws on him, its meows increasing in intensity as they became louder and louder.

    ¡°You sneaked onto the bed and slept there again?¡± I said, grabbing the kitten by the back of its neck as I placed it back in its crate.

    In order to better treat the kitten¡¯s case of cat moss, I bought a cat crate for it and placed it in the sun during the day for the kitten to bask in its rays and to kill off the bacteria. Then, at night after the sun set I would let it out so it could get some time to freely roam around. However, the kitten was smart and had a mind of its own. Given that cats were made out of liquid, it often committed acts of prison breaking. Even though the kitten could sleep in its crate just fine, it was intent on sleeping on the bed, and it would always pick Sheng Min Ou¡¯s side to sleep on without fail.

    ¡°I¡¯ll change the sheets.¡± I said, sighing as I walked towards the bedroom.

    When I passed the locked room, I stopped and touched the electronic lock on the door as I asked Sheng Min Ou, ¡°Ge, what¡¯s the new password for this?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou was preoccupied by his coffee machine, and responded still with his back to me as he didn¡¯t even turn his head around, ¡°Why?¡±

    He seemed to already know what I was referring to, to the point where he didn¡¯t even have to confirm the subject matter.

    ¡°We can tidy up and clean out everything inside so we can free up the room for other purposes.¡±

    ¡°What other purposes?¡±

    The fragrant aroma of his coffee spread as he turned around. He held a small silver spoon in his hand as he slowly cast circles in the white coffee cup.

    ¡°For example¡­ like a boxing room?¡± I responded, racking my brains for an answer. ¡°There are too many things in the living room now, so it has become an inconvenient place to box. If we had a room dedicated to boxing, then you would probably have more space for your exercises. What do you think, ge?¡±

    He took the spoon out of his strong black coffee and placed it on the tray. He was holding his coffee cup in one hand, and with the other, he brought out his phone as he flipped through it.

    ¡°I¡¯m free this Saturday.¡±

    I waited for him to continue.

    He took a sip of his coffee, put his phone back in his pocket, and looked up at me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll unlock the door then and clean everything up. Afterwards, you can use the room however you want.¡±

    Last time I had accidentally stumbled my way into the secret room, and again accidentally witnessed his most private and repressed thoughts. For him to install a lock on a room in his own apartment meant that this was a place where even he didn¡¯t enter freely. The room guarded his secret, and his pride would not allow me to revisit it again, even though I already knew what was inside.

    ¡°Okay.¡± I responded, taking a step back. I didn¡¯t quite intend on tidying up the room with him together anyways.

    When I went to bed later that night, I laid on a clean bed, my nose filled with the soft and fragrant scent that came with new sheets.

    I stared at the dark ceiling above me, and struggled to fall asleep. This sense of difficulty in falling asleep had now plagued me for a few, continuous nights.

    I thought of the intimate kiss I shared with Sheng Min Ou in the waiting room, as I rolled over and stared at Sheng Min Ou.

    His side profile was a blurred silhouette as I reached out my fingers and traced the outlines of his cheeks, his neck, and his chest in the air. As I trailed downwards, I gently dropped my touch on his skin as my hands ran down his waist and abdomen.

    My fingers left gentle taps on his body, as if his torso was an exquisite piano.

    I leaned closer and whispered in his ear, ¡°Ge¡­.¡±

    He shifted his body, tilted his head, and at the same time caught my hand which was busy messing around.

    ¡°Go to sleep.¡± He said, his voice slightly hoarse in the darkness.

    I chuckled as I backed away and withdrew my hand.

    ¡°I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡±

    Without waiting for Sheng Min Ou to say anything in response, I rolled over deftly and sat on top of him. He instantly opened his eyes and stared at me cooly beneath the dim rays of light spilling from the windows.

    With my hands placed on each side of his body, I leaned over slowly as I asked with utmost sincerity, ¡°Ge, don¡¯t you feel like you¡¯re holding back?¡±

    He remained silent, his arm wrapped around my waist.

    I kissed his chin and then rubbed against his cheek, as my breathing became more hurried.

    I moved his hand so that it was covering the gunshot wound on my left abdomen and whispered to him, ¡°The scab has already fallen off, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    He didn¡¯t move for a long time, as he just ran his fingers back and forth over the patch of newly formed and sensitive skin without doing anything else. I assumed that he would continue to hold back, so my voice came out as if I was trembling, as I gently coaxed him with praises.

    ¡°Ge, you¡¯re the best¡­¡± I pressed myself and rubbed against him as I breathed out, ¡°Please help me here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to die if you hold back any longer, would you really be okay with letting me die?¡±

    ¡°If I died, where would you go to find another adorable younger brother like me again?¡±

    ¡°Ge ge, my good ge ge¡­¡±

    Perhaps he really got annoyed by my antics, as with one forceful push from his hands, Sheng Min Ou shoved me back on the bed and then switched positions so that I was lying down, and he was sitting up instead.

    ¡°I can help you,¡± he said, poking his thumb deep into my mouth as he pried open my teeth and continued slowly, ¡°But you can¡¯t disturb the neighbours.¡±

    Neighbours my ass, he was the only one residing on this whole floor, and the sound insulation between the upper and lower floors was so good that no one would ever complain even if someone was blasting rock music upstairs. He said all this just because he wanted to be mean.

    ¡°En¡­¡± I nodded hurriedly as my response came out indistinct.

    Afterwards, I kept my mouth covered the whole time, even when I had tears coming out from the corners of my eye, or when my saliva trickled through the gaps in my fingers, I never let myself disturb that neighbour from god knows where.

    In the subsequent court trials, given the fact that Yi Da Zhuang and I filed an additional lawsuit, we were able to attend the hearing as parties related to the case and witness the whole process.

    Though Sheng Min Ou had never mentioned it himself, from everything that had occurred I guessed that the young prosecutor may have sought some advice from him on strategizing and preparing for the trial. After all, from previous conversations, it wasn¡¯t difficult to see that the prosecutor greatly appreciated Sheng Min Ou, and they were even alumni from the same school.

    The trial slowly came to a deadlock, dragging out and becoming a tedious affair. Chen Shun Lai was absolutely resolute on Xiao Meng having never stepped foot inside the small cabin, and also having no knowledge of Jin Ya and his accomplices kidnapping Yi Da Zhuang and myself. However, the prosecutor believed that Xiao Meng was involved in the whole ordeal, and was an accomplice himself in the kidnapping case.

    One of the key witnesses on Xiao Meng¡¯s side was Xiao Meng¡¯s girlfriend. She confirmed that on the day I was kidnapped, Xiao Meng was by her side and did not leave all night.

    In the first hearing, the prosecutor cross-examined her and Xiao Meng¡¯s girlfriend swore solemnly that Xiao Meng had been with her the whole time. She provided a crucial alibi for Xiao Meng, and carried herself without guilt under the prosecutor¡¯s intense questioning.

    The prosecutor had no way to deal with her, but in the second trial, he presented a copy of her medical history and proved that the party in question suffered from severe anxiety and required sleeping pills every night to fall asleep.

    He then invited an expert witness to take the stand and asked them whether an individual would be able to notice that someone had left their side for two or three hours after falling into a deep sleep from taking the sleeping pills.

    The expert witnesses responded that, based on their expertise in this area, this possibility was highly likely.

    Then, in the third trial, the prosecutor finally found surveillance footage of Xiao Meng driving out in the middle of the night to a gas station near his house on the night I was kidnapped.

    Although the picture was blurry, Xiao Meng¡¯s car was easily recognizable. It was true that Chen Shun Lai could still cast doubt on the expert witness¡¯ testimony, stating that given they couldn¡¯t be certain, it meant that it could also be true that the party hadn¡¯t fallen into a sleep so deep that they couldn¡¯t even differentiate whether or not the person sleeping by their side had left during the night. However, everyone knew that once the surveillance footage came out, whether the sleeping pills were able to make one completely lose all sense of consciousness no longer mattered. Xiao Meng had lied, and now the jury will no longer trust him, or his little girlfriend again.

    Xiao Meng was identified as the main culprit and was found guilty, as he was sentenced to twenty years in prison. Yi Da Zhuang and I also received our respective compensations, which was not a small amount.

    After the sentence was announced, the judge stated that the court was adjourned for the day. The prosecutor¡¯s expression was beaming with happiness as he stood up and shook hands with Yi Da Zhuang and myself, in stark contrast to the dark clouds gathering on the other side.

    ¡°Good job, good job, everyone¡¯s worked hard.¡±

    Xiao Meng was immediately escorted away, as he maintained his stance, shouting that he was innocent the whole time. Chen Shun Lai walked out of the courtroom alone with a darkened expression, and when faced with the numerous cameras presented by the media, he had already lost the ability to even squeeze out a basic fake smile.

    He had failed, and he had lost to a newly fledged, young prosecutor. This wasn¡¯t just the Battle of Waterloo for his professional career, but also a great, shameful stain in his life.

    I walked out of the court and saw that Sheng Min Ou had stepped out of the waiting room, with both hands in his pockets as he quietly stared at the sorry figure of Chen Shun Lai, who was being shielded by his assistant.

    The first time I saw him, that man was still in high spirits, his back straight as can be. It had only been a few trials since, but it felt like he had aged considerably.

    The prosecutor followed the crowd out of the courtroom and saw Sheng Min Ou as he approached. ¡°Thank you, Mr Sheng.¡± The prosecutor said, extending a hand out to him.

    He didn¡¯t explicitly state why he was expressing his gratitude, so everyone has just regarded this as him thanking Sheng Min Ou for helping convict Xiao Meng, as a witness in the case.

    Sheng Min Ou looked at him, smiled, and reached out to clasp the other¡¯s outstretched hand as he replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    On the way to the parking lot, I became increasingly curious, so when Wu Yi and Yi Da Zhuang were talking amongst themselves and not paying attention, I approached Sheng Min Ou and asked how he would have thought to look through the surveillance footage from the petrol station.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s gaze flicked over to me as he did not deny that it was his idea.

    ¡°It takes more than 100 kilometres to go from Xiao Meng¡¯s house to the wooden cabin in the mountains. I asked the prosecutor to check the fuel level of Xiao Meng¡¯s car and found that there was more than half the fuel tank left.¡±

    I suddenly came to the realisation myself as I replied, ¡°So there was a high chance that he would have departed after fuelling up.¡±

    ¡°It was just a gamble, I didn¡¯t expect to win it.¡± Sheng Min Ou said, his tone relaxed and reflecting a rare cadence of modesty.

    There will never be a shortage of experienced sharks in the shark pool, but they will grow old, forget to stay vigilant, and become conceited believing that they are invincible. In the end, a young, ferocious junior will come for them, and shred them to pieces.

 CH 72

    Two months later I finally returned to the job I loved, with the new year fast approaching,

    During my absence from the pawn shop, Wei Shi had been covering my shifts and worked closely with Shen Xiao Shi. The shop¡¯s sales increased instead of dipping down, and In the last month, it even caught up and surpassed the yearly sales of the other pawn shop.

    ¡°Feng ge, if you don¡¯t come back, Jiang Shan will fall!¡± Liu Yue exclaimed, as she almost pounced on me and pointed at Shen Xiao Shi with her fingers extended, ¡°This traitor, he¡¯s totally forgotten all your guidance earlier, he¡¯s defected to a new master!¡±

    Wei Shi was in a good mood and played along with her antics as he wrapped his arm around Shen Xiao Shi and pulled him to his side.

    ¡°It¡¯s too late now, Xiao Shi is already mine. Accept your fate, if you surrender, I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s face turned steadily more and more red as he began struggling against Wei Shi¡¯s hold, ¡°What¡­what are you saying, what do you mean I¡¯m yours? I¡¯m ¨C I¡¯m innocent, where Feng ge goes, I go!¡±

    Liu Yue clapped her hands, like a pure spectator who didn¡¯t mind at all what chaos she was stirring up.

    ¡°Fight, fight!¡± she chanted.

    I extended a finger and poked it at her forehead, until her whole head tilted back slightly. ¡°You cursed this country since long ago, you -¡±

    Liu Yue¡¯s eyes lit up as she replied, ¡°Beauty?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eunuch.¡±

    Liu Yue rolled her eyes as she returned exasperated to her work station.

    ¡°What a bunch of scummy men who don¡¯t know how to appreciate my beauty.¡±

    Given the end of the year was fast approaching, it was time again to take stock of the inventory. Liu Yue and Shen Xiao Shi were at the front, as Wei Shi and I went to the back to sort out the goods.

    Fortunately as we had already taken stock of what we had and dealt with items that needed to be sold or tossed out previously, this time around the workload wasn¡¯t too bad.

    Wei Shi and I divided the storage space up between us and tallied up the goods in our respective areas. As we were a sizable distance away from each other, the other was often out of our sight as we performed our tasks. When I moved to catalogue items on the bottom shelf, I decided it was easier for me to just sit on the floor and do it. I balanced the ledger on one leg as I sat so it was easier for me to count and log the items.

    It was at this moment that I heard murmurs of a conversation coming from the other shelf, not too far away.

    ¡°How come you¡¯re here?¡± Wei Shi asked, confused.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Feng ge?¡± Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s voice was slightly heavy, as if he wasn¡¯t very happy about something.

    I stopped what I was doing as I carefully listened in.

    ¡°He was here just a second ago, perhaps he left for the bathroom.¡±

    ¡°Perfect timing then¡­¡± Shen Xiao Shi remarked. In the next second, a sudden, loud ¡°bang¡± was heard as Wei Shi groaned in response. The whole commotion scared me for a second, as I secretly looked over and saw what seemed to be Wei Shi, pressed against the shelf by Shen Xiao Shi.

    Shen Xiao Shi was not as tall, but he was still imposing in his demeanour as he placed both hands at the sides of Wei Shi and spat through gritted teeth, ¡°Are you still in contact with that scum?¡±

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    Shen Xiao Shi was evidently furious, as he raised his arm and slammed it on the shelf behind Wei Shi. The iron shelves, meeting such force, shook three times at the impact and let out a series of trembling cries.

    ¡°Wei Shi, you¡¯re fucking asking for it!¡±

    Aside from the drunk incident where the mistake occurred, I had never seen Shen Xiao Shi so riled up. In addition to being angered, there was also a trace of him looking as if he had been wronged.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Wei Shi replied, surprise evident in his voice, ¡°What! Shen Xiao Shi, are you crying?¡±

    He was completely in panic mode now, as he reached out to get a better look at Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s face.

    ¡°Who¡¯s crying? Can¡¯t there be dust in my eyes? Let go of me!¡± Shen Xiao Shi responded as he swung an elbow in his direction and turned to leave. Wei Shi however grabbed him from behind and pulled him back into his arms.

    Wei Shi ensconced him in a tight embrace, as he seeked to soothe Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s emotions.

    ¡°I lied about that, that¡¯s my fault, please don¡¯t be angry. I haven¡¯t been in contact with that person anymore, and it was him who kept harassing me as he constantly changed numbers¡­¡± His voice was soft and low as he continued, ¡°I wasn¡¯t touching anyone.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi initially was still twisting and turning, trying to break free from his arms, but after hearing what he said, he slowly stopped resisting.

    He was still angered, but the object of his vexation had shifted, ¡°He still has the nerve to harass you? Call him out, see if I don¡¯t have him begging on his knees for mercy¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hands dirty for that kind of person, I¡¯ll just go and change my number.¡±

    ¡°En¡­¡± Shen Xiao Shi responded, before he seemed to realise how intimate their current positions were. He started stuttering again as he said, ¡°Let, let go of me. Feng ge is going to come back soon¡­¡±

    ¡°If you let me give you a kiss I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    Me: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯m actually here, you guys! I¡¯ve always been here! Please consider how I am feeling right now!

    Shen Xiao Shi went silent for a moment, and I didn¡¯t know if he was seriously contemplating Wei Shi¡¯s suggestion or not. Sooner or later, this naive boy would be devoured wholly by Wei Shi, without a single crumb left over.

    If I remained like this any longer I was afraid I¡¯d be witnessing everything unfold live, and by then things would become even more awkward. Given that I could still come back from this situation right now, I deliberately knocked down a wallet from the shelf, and then let out a loud yawn, as if I had just woken up from a nap.

    There was a flurry of commotion from Wei Shi¡¯s side, and I waited until they had sorted everything out before walking over.

    Shen Xiao Shi was both surprised and puzzled as he asked, ¡°Feng, Feng ge, have you been here the whole time?¡±

    I covered my mouth and yawned again before replying, ¡°I accidentally fell asleep, what are you guys doing?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s whole face turned red, and he was speechless for a while.

    Wei Shi looked at me as we exchanged glances before he continued with a smile, ¡°Xiao Shi said he wanted to help me tally the goods together.¡±

    I nodded as I responded, ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll leave it to you guys. I¡¯ll head back out.¡± After saying so, I placed the notebook in Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s hand as I quickly walked out of the warehouse.

    As I walked out of the door and felt the fresh air greet me, I took a deep breath, as I felt faint inside, like I had just reincarnated as man again.

    I closed the door for them and returned to my seat. Liu Yue had her earphones on and was watching another newly released melodrama, as her frame trembled as she laughed. She was utterly ignorant of what had just trespassed.

    I heard a stifled sound coming from the warehouse and was afraid that I would once more overhear something that shouldn¡¯t be heard. I hurriedly walked out of the store as if there was a spike in my butt, and planned to smoke a cigarette to calm down.

    It was soon Saturday, and in a state of half consciousness I reached out around me and only found empty space on the other side of the bed. I opened my eyes and saw that Sheng Min Ou was no longer in bed.

    I was still feeling sleepy, so I rolled over and went back to sleep, and I didn¡¯t fully wake up until almost noon.

    I walked out of the bedroom, stretching as I left, and saw at once that the previously locked room opposite us was now wide open and bathed in light. My breathing stilled, as I made my way in with light footsteps, only to find that the inside had had a drastic makeover.

    The curtains were drawn, and the sunlight from the outside beamed into every corner. The letters on the walls and all the bloody words were all gone, replaced by mottled walls and two cardboard boxes neatly placed on the ground.

    I crouched down beside the cardboard box and opened one of them, then picked up the top most letter as I examined it.

    I hadn¡¯t even gotten past a few lines when Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice came from behind.

    ¡°I¡¯ve tidied up this room now, you can use it however you see fit,¡± he said, as he leaned against the door. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his toned forearms.

    I waved the letter in my hand and asked him, ¡°Ge, I¡¯ve always been writing letters to your school. How did you continue to receive these letters after graduation? I¡¯ve never once received a letter that was sent back because it couldn¡¯t be delivered.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou glanced at the letter in my hand and said, ¡°I bribed the guard and had him post them over to me regularly.¡±

    I was taken aback, before I burst out laughing.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it was¡­.¡± I tossed the letter in my hand back into the box and clapped my hands together as I stood up. I walked over to Sheng Min Ou and wrapped my hands around his neck, as I leaned my whole weight on him, ¡°Did you read every letter I sent then?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou stretched out his arms out and placed his hands on my lower back, as he replied with a faint ¡®en¡¯, with no other expression evident on his face.

    ¡°What did you feel after reading the letters?¡±

    I had just thrown this question out in the air, but I didn¡¯t expect for Sheng Min Ou to look at me and genuinely consider his answer, as if he were actually recalling the contents of the letter.

    ¡°I thought that you would hate me, that you would become like the dirt that never saw the sun, the type of person Qi Yang wanted you to be¡­¡± He slowly tightened his hold around my waist as he pulled me into his arms and put his lips to my ear, ¡°but you didn¡¯t. You¡¯re still filled with hope inside, as if you could never be defeated, and even the sun is swayed by you. You have something I don¡¯t have. Sometimes when I look at you, I feel as if you¡¯re the part I¡¯m missing¡­¡±

    I closed my eyes, resting my chin on his shoulder, enjoying the silence we shared in this moment, ¡°So we¡­ were destined to be a couple.¡±

    He heard the words and smiled slightly, but didn¡¯t comment further, as if he had agreed to what I said.

    The sunbeams lit up the room inside, and dispelled all the haze which obscured the place.

    After washing up, Sheng Min Ou and I went out for lunch, as we then headed to a furniture and home design market to buy some materials. After we returned in the afternoon, we rolled up our sleeves as we began planning renovations for the locked room.

    I resealed the two boxes, full of letters that were sent by me as I stuffed them under the bed. They bore witness to the history between Sheng Min Ou and I shared in the past ten years, the marks we left and the bittersweet memories we had.

    They already contained too much of our past, and should no longer hold a place in our future.

    Ge ge,

    How are you doing? You haven¡¯t been answering any of my letters. I¡¯m doing alright myself, I just miss you a lot.

    I remember telling you last spring that a small blade of grass grew in the corner of the prison walls. It would bloom into small, purple flowers, and I found them to be beautiful, so I didn¡¯t pluck them, rather I secretly left them there. When winter came, it withered, and I thought it had died, so I was down for quite some time.

    You probably would never have guessed, but this year when spring came again, the flowers grew back, and it¡¯s growing in the same place.

    Old Huang said that this flower was a manchurian violet, or a ¡®fuji dawn¡¯. It grew in the wild and could be foraged. He suggested that I dig it out and make a salad out of it, but I refused.

    It had fought hard to grow up, enduring two winters and two summers. I didn¡¯t lack that mouthful of salad.

    Ah, I really want to show you this little wild flower. Though it is small and weak, it is beautiful. I don¡¯t know how much longer I can protect it for. I don¡¯t know if next year, in the coming spring, if these purple flowers will bloom once more.

    I¡¯m actually also not sure whether you will even open this letter, or have the patience to read up to this paragraph, but I still want you to know that such a small flower once existed.

    The weather has turned to be a little chillier recently. As I count the years, I guess you would have already graduated and started work already. Make sure to take care of yourself, and to stay warm.

    I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re still mad at me, but regardless, I¡¯m sorry, and I admit to all the mistakes that I¡¯ve made. Please don¡¯t ignore me, please don¡¯t hate me, okay?

    When we got into fights when I was young, I was always the one who admitted to making a mistake first. This time I¡¯ll be doing the same too, so please forgive me, I¡¯ll never do it again.

    Ge ge, please come and visit me. Mum is refusing to tell me anything about you. I haven¡¯t heard anything about you for a long time. Please don¡¯t make me wait like this for any longer, let me know where you are, let me know you¡¯re fine, that would be enough for me.

    Even if you don¡¯t tell me where you are, that¡¯s fine. Even if you just reply a single word back to me, that will be fine too. Please, just don¡¯t make me feel like a fool, as I wait for a reply that might never come.

    I hope to hear from you before the end of spring.

    And here¡¯s to hoping that you will always have an adorable younger brother.

    Lu Feng

    March 20, 20xx

    Jiraiya (translator¡¯s note): We are only one chapter away from the ending of the main series.. omg¡­ But the good news is we still have some more extras to get through! The extras will contain four chapters on Lu Feng and Sheng Min Ou, and then five more in a spin off starring Shen Xiao Shi and Wei Shi.

    See you next chapter for the main story finale!

 CH 73

    As the New Year approached and Yi Da Zhuang received his compensation sum from the kidnapping case, and his pay from the advertisements on his blog posts, he decided to shout all of us to a grand meal. He booked a reservation in the city¡¯s most sumptuous, and most popular¡­. hotpot restaurant.

    After making the reservation, Yi Da Zhuang specifically tagged me in the group and asked me to bring my brother, as he said that he wanted to thank him for saving his life.

    Hot pot restaurant? With Sheng Min Ou?

    Even if Sheng Min Ou could tolerate the rowdy atmosphere of the place, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stand the pungent aroma there¡­

    Yet, when I tentatively informed him about these plans over text, he ended up replying with a simple ¡°Got it.¡± I confirmed and stressed with him again that this was hotpot, the type of meal where multiple people would be eating out of one pot ¨C that kind of hotpot.

    He was probably wondering if there was something wrong with me, as it took him a while before he responded, ¡°I know what hot pot is.¡±

    Alright then, as long as he was aware.

    After a while of receiving treatment, the kitten had gradually grown its fur out into a long coat as it also began to gain some weight and fill out its frame.

    Originally, I wanted to wait for it to grow up for a while longer before giving it away. However, Shen Xiao Shi suddenly mentioned that his mother, after seeing a picture of the kitten, felt a great fondness towards it. Since she had sorted everything out with her new place, and was now missing something to keep her company, he asked me on her behalf to see if she could adopt the kitten from me.

    This arrangement couldn¡¯t have been better. Earlier, Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother had been living with him at his place as the legal proceedings of dividing the property had not been finalised. However, as Shen Xiao Shi was renting his place, there was only one small room to share, which meant it was quite inconvenient for the two of them to live in.

    Fortunately, now that everything had been divided up, Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother no longer had any more ties to the other side and used the money to buy a place near her son¡¯s house. As it was a second hand house, the furniture was already there and after a few days of cleaning and tidying it up, she would be able to move in.

    The kitten being adopted by her meant it would be going to live at a pretty good place.

    The next day, I packed up everything belonging to the kitten and handed it alongside the kitten to Shen Xiao Shi. I detailed the next vaccination time and dietary precautions for him to pay special attention to.

    Shen Xiao Shi carefully noted all this down and reassured me. Once he got home, his Wechat feed had been updated already, filled with photos of his mother holding the kitten in her arms, having the kitten with her as she watched the television, as she did household chores, as she ate and as she slept.

    ¡°I seem to have gotten a younger brother.¡± Shen Xiao Shi captioned.

    I couldn¡¯t hold back my laughter as I showed these pictures to Sheng Min Ou. He glanced at it and stared at Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s mother on the screen and he said, ¡°Ms. Yao has changed a lot.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi told us that his mother was still occasionally awakened by nightmares at night. What happened in the past clearly still impacted her greatly, but things were getting better. Humans were strong and tenacious beings, and even if the progress was infinitesimally slow, time would one day heal all wounds.

    ¡°Because love can change a person.¡± I shifted to lay on Sheng Min Ou, who was currently reading a book and pressed my face to his chest. His calm, yet powerful heartbeats drummed in my ear, as I slowly closed my eyes.

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t push me away, rather he continued to read in this less than comfortable position.

    Listening to the steady, drum-like rhythm below me, I gradually began to fall into a deep sleep. While I was asleep, I seemed to indistinctly sense someone moving me into another position.

    I frowned in dissatisfaction as I rolled over, in search for the source of heat next to me, when I faintly heard a light tsk from above me.

    ¡°Look at you being clingy¡­.¡±

    I muttered something in an attempt to refute this, but I couldn¡¯t open my eyes, so instead I burrowed further into the arms of the person beside me, and refused to let go.

    When I woke up the next day, I saw Sheng Min Ou washing up, while rubbing his shoulders and neck as if it was quite sore. I glanced in the mirror and bit the toothbrush in my mouth as I freed up my hands to help him massage the spot.

    ¡°What happened, did you fall off the pillow?¡±

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    As Yi Da Zhuang reserved a place early, we had a private room to ourselves and a TV to watch.

    The biggest news being aired recently was the matter regarding Mei Teng. The results of the investigation had come out and the company was given a severe fine of hundreds of millions. Mei Teng held a press conference to apologise to the public and Xiao Sui Guang was unable to attend due to reasons concerning his physical health, so he granted full authority for his daughter to handle the matter.

    As Xiao Mo Yu faced great change in the family, she had shed her previous image of being a rich, frivolous second generation heir. Now instead she wore a black formal suit, had very little makeup and donned a simple ponytail. She stood in the middle of a group of executives and spoke clearly, her tone sounding neither inferior nor arrogant, as her words appeared very sincere. I wondered whether there was a PR team who had checked over her speech in advance.

    With Xiao Meng in jail, Xiao Sui Guang had no other choice. From now on, this shaky empire would fall entirely on Xiao Mo Yu¡¯s shoulders.

    Speaking of which, a while ago I thought of telling Zheng Mi Mi the truth, and typed up a long text with several hundred words. However, it turned out that she had already at some point blocked me. Now thinking about it, she probably had found out about everything from Xiao Mo Yu.

    Although I didn¡¯t spend that much time with her, I could tell she was a good person. However, now it would appear that the time I shared with this little shijie had come to an end.

    When the dishes were all served, Shen Xiao Shi poured drinks for each of us. He didn¡¯t sit back down, as he bowed to me and Yi Da Zhuang with a cup in his hand and a rather serious expression on his face.

    Yi Da Zhuang and I looked at each other, and given everything that had occurred, we simply stood up and returned the gesture.

    ¡°Today, as your brother, I have something to confess.¡±

    I looked at Wei Shi, and judging by how he looked like he was totally uninvolved with the situation, and was just casually eating peanuts, I had an idea of what was coming.

    But Yi Da Zhuang was still very clueless as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s with your expression¡­ what happened?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi downed the juice in his cup in one gulp and announced boldly, ¡°I¡¯m seeing San Ge!¡±

    Following this statement, in the next second apart from the sound of the TV broadcasting news and the sound of the soup base being boiled, there was only the sound of Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s shocked gasps.

    ¡°Hold on a second¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t grasp what had been said at all as he continued, ¡°When you say you¡¯re seeing him, do you mean it in the way I¡¯m thinking right now?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi responded directly with his actions.

    Yes, it was indeed what he was thinking ¨C as Shen Xiao Shi leaned down and placed a loud kiss on the corner of Wei Shi¡¯s lips.

    ¡°My god!¡± Yi Da Zhuang gasped again, as he looked at Wei Shi and the other. His gaze then fell on me as he asked, ¡°You, why aren¡¯t you surprised at all?¡±

    The time when I was surprised had long passed, so now this news didn¡¯t even stir up a ripple on the surface of my calm.

    ¡°Because I already knew of this.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang¡¯s hand shook hearing my words, and some contents of his drink spilt out of the cup.

    ¡°What? You already knew?¡± He said, his voice trembling. ¡°Fuck, a brother is now a sister-in-law, I¡­ I just woke up, I¡¯m feeling a little dizzy.¡±

    Since this was the case already, I decided to seize the occasion and lifted my cup up to toast the three people present as I announced that I also had something to say.

    Yi Da Zhuang lifted a hand to his chest as he exclaimed, ¡°You also have something to say?¡±

    I smiled at him as I said, ¡°I¡¯m also seeing my brother.¡± With that, I downed the beer in my glass.

    Yi Da Zhuang almost couldn¡¯t recover his breath as his legs gave way and he fell into the chair.

    Shen Xiao Shi looked at me in confusion for a while before finally saying, ¡°Feng ge, you too?¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence.¡±

    He scratched his head as he sat down, and frowned aftering seeing Wei Shi still eating peanuts on the side as he asked, ¡°How come you¡¯re not surprised at all? Were you in the know already?¡±

    Wei Shi finally paused his movements with his chopsticks as he coughed lightly and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve known for just slightly longer than you.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi considered this and said, ¡°No wonder¡­ I felt like something was weird between them two when they were playing truth or dare.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang began wailing, as if the kingdom had fallen apart and the world had collapsed.

    ¡°In the end, it turns out I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s really single¡­ how could you guys be like this!¡±

    When Sheng Min Ou was led into our room by the waiter, Yi Da Zhuang had already somewhat come to terms with the reality of things. We hadn¡¯t begun eating yet when he got to his feet and raised his glass to Sheng Min Ou.

    ¡°Lawyer Sheng, from now on, Feng ge will be in your care.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou raised an eyebrow, but because he was going to drive later, he only drank the tea in his cup.

    The meal itself was quite enjoyable, however as three quarters of the group did just come out of the closet together, Yi Da Zhuang needed time to process this and so things were somewhat awkward.

    I was worried that Sheng Min Ou might feel uncomfortable, so I kept picking up food for him. It was easy to lose track of how much food I was getting and putting into his bowl, as in the next second his bowl was almost overflowing with various dishes to eat. However, Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t stop me, as he slowly ate everything I gave him, bit by bit.

    I wanted to see if he would continue and just eat everything I gave him, given that he wasn¡¯t refusing, so I deliberately dipped more pieces of meat into the hotpot soup base and placed them in his bowl. I noticed that his frown gradually deepened as he ate, and when I was about to place a fish ball into his bowl, he finally stopped me in the act.

    ¡°You eat it.¡±

    I snickered as I bit the fish ball and replied, ¡°Okay.¡±

    In a few hours, it will be the new year. After we had almost finished eating, Shen Xiao Shi jumped up to liven up the atmosphere and asked everyone to make a New Year¡¯s wish.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first. My wish is for my family, friends, those that I like and those that like me to all be healthy and to stay safe.¡± After finishing, he passed on his pair of chopsticks, which was acting as a microphone, and passed it in front of Wei Shi. ¡°To this gentleman here, what would your wish be?¡±

    Wei Shi thought about this for a while before saying, ¡°To stay away from scums and to make lots of money. In addition, I hope my little lover can take more initiative.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s cheeks flushed all of a sudden, as he quickly ran over to Yi Da Zhuang whilst still holding out his chopsticks.

    ¡°I hope to not be single soon and to find a girlfriend.¡± Yi Da Zhuang clasped his hands together and bowed to the sky, as he emphasised loudly, ¡°I said girlfriend, girlfriend. Emphasis on the fact that she¡¯s a woman!¡±

    The ¡®microphone¡¯ was quickly passed over to me, and I actually didn¡¯t have many more wishes that were left unfulfilled. I glanced at Sheng Min Ou, and managed to scrape together one.

    ¡°Then¡­ I hope my brother¡¯s wishes will all come true.¡±

    Yi Da Zhuang clicked his tongue and shook his head.

    Sheng Min Ou looked over and glanced at me for a second, before finally speaking as Shen Xiao Shi urged him on in the background, ¡°It¡¯ll be good for things to just stay the same as they are right now.¡±

    This really was a simple and plain wish, one that was very much in line with what I wanted.

    I echoed, ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll be good for things to just stay as they are.¡±

    After finishing dinner and saying goodbye to each other, I walked side by side with Sheng Min Ou to the parking lot, and suddenly felt a drop of something cold fall on my nose.

    I stopped in my footsteps and looked up to the sky. Under the dim yellow light, small snowflakes continued to fall from the sky.

    It was snowing¡­¡­

    I held out my hands and caught the falling snowflakes, and soon after I had a small pool of water in the palms of my hands.

    When I looked at Sheng Min Ou again, I found that he had walked a short distance out.

    He was wearing a light beige coloured wool coat, and he already resembled a long-legged supermodel from a magazine just by looking at his back.

    It was this same image of his back that had been the object of my attention for a long, long time. Ever since my birth, it was like I had always been staring at his back, chasing after him and striving to catch up to him. I had attempted to employ several methods to keep him close, hoping that he would stop in his footsteps for me.

    However, now¡­

    ¡°Ge!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou stopped in his steps and looked back at me. His chiselled profile under the light was so faultless it made him appear like he was a breathing sculpture.

    Now however, I no longer had to helplessly watch him walk further and further away from me, to no avail. I could call out to him and reach him, I could even have him stop for me.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s snowing.¡± I said, as I ran up to him and grabbed his arm.

    Sheng Min Ou looked up at the sky, and his breath came out as a white fog when he spoke.

    ¡°With snowfall comes prosperity, it seems like next year will be a good year.¡±

    I took his hand in mine and placed ours in his coat pocket. The wind was cold, but our hands were warm. We continued walking forward, letting the snow fall onto our shoulders, like a layer of frost.

    With him around, every year would be a good one.

    ¡°Happy new year.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s low voice suddenly sounded in my ear and I was taken aback for a moment as I turned to look at him. His gaze remained fixed in front of us, his eyelashes slightly lowered.

    After I got over my initial surprise I let out an easy laugh.

    ¡°En, happy new year.¡±

    [Main story ¨C end]

 CH 74

    When I was outside Qing Wan City¡¯s Second Children¡¯s Home, I dialed Wei Shi¡¯s number.

    ¡°I¡¯m right outside, yes, could you call the Director and have her tell the guard to let me through?¡±

    The truck¡¯s engine was switched off as it remained parked outside. A short while later, a middle-aged woman in her fifties walked out from a building not far away. She was slightly overweight and styled her hair in curls. She waved at me with a smile on her face, then walked into the guard booth, and soon the gates slowly opened to the side. I restarted the vehicle and drove through the gate with a truck full of cardboard boxes before I parked in front of the building.

    I leapt out of the driver¡¯s seat, and the middle-aged woman followed the truck as she ran towards me.

    ¡°Are you Xiao Lu? Thank you, thank you, please thank Boss Wei for me, it¡¯s the new year and he¡¯s still out here making deliveries for us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what we should be doing. After Chu Qi, we¡¯d be open for business anyways. Besides, the earlier we can get these clothes delivered, the earlier the children can start wearing them. Director Qian, do we just leave these at the door?¡± I walked to the back of the vehicle and dropped down the tray at the back of the truck, as I moved the large cardboard boxes one by one to the ground.

    ¡°Oh, no no, there¡¯s no need for you to unload all of this. You¡¯ve already had to come all this way to deliver these boxes during the new year. Leave the rest of it to us staff members.¡± She had just finished speaking when several people came out of the building one after another as they began to transport the boxes on the ground and in the truck into the building.

    Two days ago, the pawn shop had a new intake of items, which was roughly a thousand pieces of kids apparel. This was as the owner of a kids store had decided to close down, due to poor business results and wanted to switch over to a different market. However, he still had a large inventory of stock, which worried him to no end. When he saw the pawn shop, he came in and asked if he could sell the items he had on hand at a lower price, due to the pressure it placed on his inventory.

    To be honest, I turned him down at first. The pawn shop wasn¡¯t a Goodwill¡¯s, so it wasn¡¯t like we could just accept everything, let alone buy everything we came across. However, Wei Shi happened to be there as well, and told me to wait for a second as he went out to make a phone call, and then came back to say that he¡¯d take all the articles of clothing.

    As he had now found a place to rid all his stock, the boss¡¯ expression naturally bloomed into one of delight as he packaged up the dozens of cardboard boxes and had them all sent over that day, for fear that we would renege on our deal.

    I also was trying to figure out what had come over Wei Shi, as I asked him how he was going to sell all this kids apparel.

    Wei Shi replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already connected us with the buyer. Qing Wan City¡¯s Second Children¡¯s Home, it¡¯ll be a good place for these items to go to.¡±

    It turned out that a few days ago, Wei Shi was scrolling through his WeChat feed when he had seen a post from a staff member of the children¡¯s home asking around for shops that would be selling children¡¯s apparel at a cheap price, as they wanted to give the kids a surprise during the new year. At first, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, as he simply liked the post and scrolled on, but as it turned out things just happened to work out, as thousands of kids¡¯ apparel items chanced upon his door. When he left earlier to make a phone call, he was dialing the children¡¯s home and was asking them if they still needed clothes. When the other side heard this, they immediately said that they would take it, so Wei Shi accepted the deal over here, and decided to not take any cut of profit as the middleman, instead choosing to put in time and money of his own as he delivered the items to them.

    ¡°I have thousands of people added on WeChat from all sorts of trades and backgrounds around the world. Each minute, there would be new posts populating the feed, so the fact that I had encountered their post asking for kids clothing was probably fate.¡± Wei Shi said, ¡°I¡¯ll just count this one as being a good person and doing a good deed.¡±

    For the sake of this fate which brought the two events together, Liu Yue, Shen Xiao Shi and I spent two days checking all of the items, and we were so tired by the end of it that we could see stars in front of our eyes. No wonder it was hard work selling all these clothes.

    The style was truthfully a bit outdated, and the fabric wasn¡¯t particularly soft or fitting either.  Fortunately, the material used was still solid, so there wouldn¡¯t be any problems with staying warm.

    After confirming a time on when to meet with the children¡¯s home, Wei Shi rented a light truck, packed the things on and then had me deliver them there.

    After moving all the boxes with the staff for quite some time, I had finally emptied it all from the back of the truck. Director Qian invited me in to take a break, have a cup of tea, and if I was willing, have a quick tour around the children¡¯s home.

    At that point, I was feeling quite thirsty, so I readily agreed.

    I followed in Director Qian¡¯s footsteps up the staircases to the third floor and then along the corridor, before finally arriving at her office.

    There were several classrooms on both sides of the corridor, and each of them had a dozen or so children aged between four and five, with most of them being girls.

    I was curious and so were they, as they peeked at me. I smiled at them, and they blinked  before returning with smiles of their own.

    Glgfmabg Hljc ibbxfv yjmx ab klacfrr atlr rmfcf jcv lcagbvemfv atf mijrr qglnjafis ab wf, ¡°Ktfrf jgf beg ¡®rwjii rqgbear¡¯ mijrrfr, jii qgfrmtbbi mtlivgfc ecvfg atf juf bo olnf jgf tfgf.¡±

    Qtfc kf kjixfv lcab tfg boolmf, rtf jrxfv wf ab rla vbkc olgra, atfc qeiifv bea j ybz bo afj ifjnfr ogbw atf mjylcfa jcv wjvf wf j meq bo afj.

    I politely accepted it from her and thanked her.

    ¡°Most of the children here were abandoned, some because they are ill, and others because they have some kind of disability. Those who are healthy and can be adopted usually are adopted before the age of three.¡± Director Qian sat down on the sofa opposite me and smiled with a hint of wistfulness and reluctance, ¡°This year marks my 30th year of working in this children¡¯s home, and next year I will be retiring. How should I put it? Before I leave I want to do a bit more for these children, and give them as many chances to experience the warmth of other people as possible.¡±

    Which of the children were the most naughty, which were particularly sensible, and which were especially smart, she knew them all by heart, and it was evident that she cared about the children a lot.

    After having our cup of tea, she offered to walk with me out of the premises and to also take me on a tour.

    When I got up, I accidentally caught a glimpse of an old, yellowed and faded photo printed to about A3 size, hanging on the wall behind the seat. In the photo were children ranging from three, four years old to those in their teens. They were arranged from front to back according to their height and filled in several rows. The last row was full of adults, with some just standing by themselves, whilst others had their hands full with another young child in their arms. They stood in front of a building, which was exactly Qing Wan City¡¯s Second Children¡¯s Home.

    ¡°I took this picture when I first came to the children¡¯s home. I¡¯ve kept it on the wall behind myself due to how special it was. When I retire next year, I plan to take another picture like this, so that there is a beginning and an end.¡± Director Qian explained, as she saw me paying attention to the photo, and enthusiastically pointed to where she stood.

    On the edge of the last row, a thin and small figure stood, with two braids in her hair, looking to be in her early twenties.

    ¡°Director Qian was beautiful in her youth.¡± I said, flattering her as I quickly scanned the whole photo, before my sight suddenly became fixed on a three-year-old boy in the front row.

    The photo had already become slightly blurry, but it couldn¡¯t mask the boy¡¯s exquisite beauty. Amidst a crowd of children that hadn¡¯t even grown into their features, his existence stood out greatly.

    ¡°This boy¡­¡± My finger pointed at his face as I asked Director Qian, ¡°He was also abandoned?¡±

    The little boy¡¯s facial features were remarkably similar to Sheng Min Ou, and the maturity in his eyes being far beyond his peers was also in line with what he was like during his childhood. There were dozens of children¡¯s homes in Qing Wan, so there was no way that things just happened to be so coincidental, right?

    I hadn¡¯t specifically asked Sheng Min Ou about what happened before he was three years old. When I was a child, I even was slightly against mentioning the time he had spent when he wasn¡¯t part of our family. I always felt that if I brought it up or asked about it, it would be like reminding him that we weren¡¯t actually bonded by blood. Now that I was older, I wouldn¡¯t have such naive thoughts, but I had still never really considered asking him about his earliest days, so I had no idea which children¡¯s home he came from.

    ¡°Oh, this boy. Are you asking because you¡¯re surprised that there are parents out there who could so callously abandon such a beautiful child?¡± Director Qian¡¯s memory was unexpectedly clear as she explained, ¡°I remember him, he was the first child under my care to be adopted. He was adopted by a couple who had been unsuccessful in trying to conceive a child for many years.¡±

    I opened my mouth, my throat becoming a little dry as I got inexplicably nervous, ¡°Do you still remember his name?¡±

    ¡°Hm, I can¡¯t quite remember his name.¡± Director Qian squinted her eyes as she searched her memories for a while, ¡°All I remember is that his name was quite nice, I think it was related to some sort of bird. The husband of the couple adopting him remarked that it was a wonderful name, I¡¯m not sure if they ended up changing it in the end.¡±

    Hearing this, I was already 80% sure that this was Sheng Min Ou. After all, his appearance, age, and name all matched up.

    I glided a fingertip across the boy¡¯s cheek and asked the question that anyone would ask if they saw this photo, and also the one that had been buried deep in my heart for many years.

    ¡°Why was he abandoned?¡±

    Director Qian remained silent for a while before replying, ¡°There usually is a reason for most of the orphans which have been abandoned here. Most of them usually have some sort of illness, but for some children, there seems to be no overt reason, and he was one of these cases.  When he was sent to the children¡¯s home, his body was covered all over in injuries, and he wouldn¡¯t cry or laugh, he wouldn¡¯t even speak. I don¡¯t know who it was that hurt him, but if it were his parents, then they were no better than monsters.¡±

    My heart tensed, as I looked once again at the little boy in the photo who stared at the camera, his face devoid of expression.

    ¡°He was injured all over?¡±

    ¡°He was, his body was covered in shades of purple and green, some were from pinches and others looked like he had been beaten with a stick. At first we thought he might have mental issues or autism, but after coming here for about three months he slowly began to talk. I remember that day when I was dressing him and tying his shoelaces, he suddenly said ¡®thank you¡¯ to me. You have no idea how excited I was. I rushed to the Director¡¯s office with him in my arms and told him to say it again.¡± Director Qian smiled, her eyes full of nostalgia, ¡°Turns out that he not only had no intellectual problems, rather he turned out to be exceptionally smart. I have no idea how his parents could bear to abandon him here, seeing that he was such a good child. Fortunately, he later found an adoptive family and finally had family members that loved him, that would probably be the silver lining throughout all of his misfortunes.¡±

    It was him, a hundred percent confirmed. This boy was Sheng Min Ou.

    I absent-mindedly followed Director Qian around the entire children¡¯s home, and then she personally escorted me to the gates before thanking me again and then waving goodbye.

    I went home after returning the truck and it was still early, so I sat on the sofa watching TV for a while, but I ended up accidentally falling asleep.

    When I woke up again, my vision was hazy as I caught a blurry figure next to me, bending over as they picked up the remote next to my hand and turned down the volume.

    When he returned the remote control, I grabbed his wrist and refused to let him go.

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s back was still bent as his gaze flickered down at me. His eyes were dark, cold and abstruse, a constant that had never changed much from his childhood to now.

    ¡°Kiss me and I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    He stared at me quietly, without speaking, as if he didn¡¯t intend to make a move.

    It depended on his mood at the time, and on the situation at hand. He wasn¡¯t going to always meet all of my requests.

    Though he didn¡¯t say it explicitly, but based on my understanding of him, I guessed that he thought that unconditionally acquiescing to my various demands would lead to my requests escalating and myself becoming more like a cheeky child in need of a scolding.

    In a way, he wasn¡¯t wrong in his thinking.

    However, I didn¡¯t have a personality that would easily be discouraged. As they say, if the hill will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the hill.

    I tugged gently on his hand and Sheng Min Ou lost his balance as one knee landed on the sofa. I quickly leaned up and kissed him loudly on the lips.

    ¡°Ge, I missed you so much.¡± I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung on to him.

    Sheng Min Ou had no choice but to reach out to support my back, while his other hand rested on the back of the sofa.

    ¡°We met just this morning.¡± He replied, a while after hearing what I said.

    ¡°A day of absence is like the passing of three autumns, in this regard, we almost haven¡¯t seen each other for at least one autumn.¡± As I thought of Director Qian¡¯s words in the afternoon, I felt uneasy, as if there were needles prickling in my heart.

    Whether it was the unknown abuse he received before the age of three, or the treatment he received after being adopted by our family afterwards, Sheng Min Ou had never really experienced a good life, which would explain why he was so weary towards this world.

    So it was fortunate that he still has me, and we still have each other.

    ¡°Ge, do you remember anything that happened before you were three?¡±

    ¡°Not much.¡± He seemed to find this a bit odd as he followed it up with, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer as I hugged him even tighter and asked, ¡°Then have you ever thought about finding your biological parents?¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± he replied, his response coming even faster this time, as if this was a question that didn¡¯t require any thought.

    I was relieved hearing this, because if his biological parents were powerless in protecting him, and instead only harmed him, then it would be better if he never found them. Just having me by his side was enough.

    I fell down again and he let go of my back as instead supported himself by placing both arms to either side of my body, enveloping me completely under his frame.

    ¡°Ge, I have a very wrong idea.¡± I said, raising my hand as I stroked his face.

    He looked down at me, as he appeared to have no intention to get up anytime soon.

    ¡°Then keep the thought at the bottom of your heart and never say it aloud.¡±

    I pursed my lips as I pretended not to hear him.

    ¡°I want to thank the people who sent you to the children¡¯s home, for whatever reason, because if they hadn¡¯t done that, we would never have met, and you wouldn¡¯t have been my ¡®brother¡¯.¡± I looked him straight in the eyes, and used my softest voice as I continued, ¡°I will never betray you, and I will never leave you, I will love you more than anyone, and I need your love more than anyone. You are my brother, and you are my lover for all of eternity, you are my all, my everything.¡±

    Men may say one thing and mean another, but they will never tire of sweet talk. Even though Sheng Min Ou seemed to dislike my cheesy pick up lines on the surface, he actually loved it when I pulled this on him.

    For a few seconds, he seemed to be shocked by my romantic words, and he didn¡¯t respond for a while. Afterwards, he looked down, his gaze sweeping past my lips, as he lowered his body and leaned in.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    He didn¡¯t always respond to my asks, but if I could make him happy, then he wouldn¡¯t shy away from fulfilling these requests as a way of rewarding me.

    The difficulty in achieving this was asserted so boldly by him too.

    I chuckled quietly as I tenderly met his kiss. The two of us rolled onto the sofa together, and the next time we got up again, it was already late at night.

    Jiraiya (translator): I love this chapter soo muchhhhh and this is 100% lu feng

 CH 75

    The popularity of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s law firm had exploded in popularity since last year, and as the new year ended client requests began to pour in and the amount of requests he received to represent a lawsuit was unending. Naturally, it was impossible for him to accept all of them, so he meticulously went through the cases and only picked those that piqued his interest, as he readied himself for another busy year.

    At around the same time, I became busy too.

    To run a pawn shop, one must acquire a diverse range of skills and become proficient at it, a kind of achievement which cannot be acquired overnight. The ability to identify various pieces of jewellery, watches, and brand-name bags only made up the foundation of what was required, and it demanded continuous learning afterwards. Considering that as a civilisation, we would not be progressing backwards, instead only advancing; if one could not face the status quo and keep up with these changes, then they would be left far behind.

    Both my career and relationships were tracking along well now, and I had nothing else to do in my spare time, so I decided to take a gemology certification exam to enrich my knowledge and understanding of the subject. This took up most of my time for two months, and though I lived under the same roof with Sheng Min Ou, as we both had things that kept us occupied, it was a rare occurrence for us to bump into each other. Often, when he came back I would already be asleep, or when he left in the mornings I wouldn¡¯t be awake yet. Under these circumstances, I even developed a feeling that we were in some sort of long distance relationship.

    When I finally finished the exam, I felt slightly dazed the second I walked out of the examination hall. I fished out my phone and saw that my last message with Sheng Min Ou was from three days ago.

    The last text was from him, when he was asking me about when my exam was, and I hadn¡¯t replied to him.

    Seeing this, I immediately felt like something was off.

    This sense of something feeling ¡°off¡± was hard to describe. It was a feeling born from part intuition and part from a sense of impending danger. It was mysterious, perplexing, and unable to be captured through words.

    I first sent a tentative text message to Sheng Min Ou, as I asked what he was up to, and waited for ten minutes without a response. I decided to then send another message to Wu Yi, as I asked him if they were currently in a meeting.

    No, but Laoshi is currently meeting with a guest. Are you looking for him?

    Wu Yi¡¯s reply was pretty instant in comparison.

    The examination hall wasn¡¯t far from the city, so I hailed a taxi and headed directly for Jin Shang law firm.

    When I entered, Wu Yi was in the middle of chatting and laughing with the receptionist. Seeing my arrival, he appeared to be a little surprised, and subconsciously glanced at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office a few times.

    I greeted the receptionist at the front desk and also took a look at Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office. Seeing that it appeared to be occupied, I headed to another room in wait.

    Not long after sitting down, Wu Yi poked a head in and entered the room as he asked with a low voice, ¡°Do you know who Laoshi is meeting?¡±

    I found him to be acting rather strangely so I replied doubtfully, ¡°Who is my brother meeting with?¡±

    ¡°The client in this case is Qiao Lei, a talented and beautiful 16-year-old girl.¡±

    I frowned slightly as I replied, ¡°¡­So?¡±

    Cases that were high profile attracted more attention and therefore more controversy. This to Sheng Min Ou was a rather unconventional challenge, and one of the few things he enjoyed in life.

    This case was no exception. The client, Qiao Lei, can be described as the type of person that the media loved reporting on most. She was beautiful, young, rich, and had an extraordinarily high IQ. Though she was only sixteen years old, she had already completed all of her courses in university and had founded her own software company. Her net worth was worth hundreds of millions at a very young age.

    Being such a gifted child, and the epitome of ¡°the neighbours child¡°, she should have been able to continue following the script of the mary sue character she received, and lived a life without worries. However, because of her troublesome parents, she had no choice now but to initiate a lawsuit to defend her rights.

    As Qiao Lei was underage, her assets still needed to be managed by her parents. Yet, compared to her extraordinary gifts, her parents could only be described as average, the type of commoner that was plentiful on any street. They were short sighted and were tempted by money. They were lured by the various promises assured to them, and were tricked into selling a large amount of the company¡¯s stocks behind their daughter¡¯s back. When Qiao Lei found out, it was already too late, and she no longer had complete control of the company.

    Seeing that much of her hard work was now in vain, Qiao Lei could only take her parents to court on the grounds of them violating the personal property rights of a minor, in order to make the contract void.

    In the vast crowd of options, Qiao Lei chose Sheng Min Ou to be her attorney, and Sheng Min Ou did not disappoint her. The judge had made their decision three days ago and Qiao Lei¡¯s parents had lost the lawsuit. The contract to transfer stock ownership was voided, and Qiao Lei¡¯s parents also lost their custody of Qiao Lei.

    Ktf mjrf kjr kbc delmxis, geatifrris, jcv jmmegjafis. Pa kjr fzfmeafv yfjealoeiis fcbeut obg la ab yf j mjrf raevs lc jcs ifuji wjafglji. Snfc Qe Tl rjlv atja joafg atlr mjrf, Vtfcu Zlc Ye kbeiv jirb yf mbcrlvfgfv j afzaybbx ifnfi oluegf.

    Ugfnlberis, P tjv atbeuta atja joafg ws fzjw olclrtfv, P kbeiv cffv ab tjnf j qgbqfg mfifygjalbc klat Vtfcu Zlc Ye. Qf mbeiv tjnf j mjcvifiluta vlccfg, bg milwy ab atf abq bo j wbecajlc jcv jvwlgf atf cluta rmfcfgs ogbw atfgf. Pa kbeiv yf kbcvfgoeiis gbwjcalm, jcv flatfg kjs la kbeiv tjnf ab wjxf eq obg jii bo atf joofmalbc atja kjr wlrrfv lc atf qjra akb wbcatr.

    Now though, I wasn¡¯t after the candlelight dinners or night views on top of mountains anymore. As long as Sheng Min Ou and I shared some passionate moments, that was good enough for me.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have any sense of crisis at all?¡± Wu Yi asked, as he frowned and continued to speak in a quiet voice, ¡°This young, beautiful girl is not a simple character. She is intellectually mature beyond her age, she¡¯s pretty, her IQ is 140 and she seems to have a very good impression of laoshi. Do you know why she¡¯s here today? She came to personally hand us all thank you gifts, she had prepared something small for everyone, and she gave laoshi a bouquet of flowers ¡ªroses.¡±

    My eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°Roses?¡±

    Wu Yi nodded as he elaborated, ¡°The red roses were lovely and just in bloom. Laoshi accepted the flowers, and then the two entered the office together. It¡¯s been a long time since then, and they still have yet to come out. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sit still.¡±

    Even if I wanted to sit still and wait, I could no longer do so after the mood had been ruined by this inept strategic advisor of mine.

    I walked straight out of the room, rather imperceptibly fixed two strands of hair and straightened my clothes. Then I knocked on the door of Sheng Min Ou¡¯s office.

    The room was silent for a moment, before Sheng Min Ou¡¯s voice responded.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    I reached out for the handle and opened the door with a smile on my face. As soon as I did so, my eyes landed on the bunch of roses, as red as blood, on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s desk.

    My smile became a little stiff, and upon second glance, I saw a delicate and beautiful girl sitting opposite Sheng Min Ou across his desk.

    The girl¡¯s hair was long, straight and ebony black, scattered like a waterfall on the back of her chair. Her limbs were lithe and slender, and her skin very pale. Though she was only sixteen years old, her eyes showed a maturity exceeding her age. She tilted her head back slightly as her gaze landed on me, her eyes filled with evident displeasure. It was hard to believe that someone with such a captivating gaze could be a minor.

    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were meeting guests,¡± I said. Despite my words, I didn¡¯t show any sign of withdrawing from the room, as I maintained the position I was in.

    The young girl uncrossed her long legs as she sneered and responded, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re apologetic about walking in.¡±

    I really wasn¡¯t.

    I smiled and said nothing in response.

    Qiao Lei rolled her eyes at me before looking back at Sheng Min Ou as she asked, ¡°I have one final question, don¡¯t you ever think that this world is very boring? I rarely find individuals who can keep up with my thinking as I¡¯m constantly surrounded by stupid people. Dealing with them tires me out both physically and mentally. Don¡¯t you feel like this too?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou leaned against the back of the chair and didn¡¯t spare me a single glance. He stared at the young girl and didn¡¯t take long to think about the question she posed before responding with the following two words:

    ¡°I do.¡± After which, he gave no further response.

    Qiao Lei was stunned for a while, before realising that Sheng Min Ou had already answered her question. His response was concise and powerful, very much an answer that was characteristic of him as a person.

    Her expression was one of slight astonishment, before a smile appeared on her face.

    ¡°As long as you do too, that¡¯s good enough. I¡¯m relieved to know that I¡¯m not alone in suffering like this.¡± She stood up, straightened the folds on her short skirt, then walked out with her black leather shoes, brushing past me without ever turning her head back.

    I retracted my gaze as I closed the door and walked over to sit where Qiao Lei had sat before. I glanced at the striking red roses on the table before throwing out the question, despite knowing what had occurred, ¡°Seems like someone gifted you roses.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t spare a single glance at me before he picked up the roses and tossed them into the trash can on the side, without any sense of hesitation or pity.

    I suppressed the urge to smile as I coughed lightly and commented, ¡°Why did you throw it away, that¡¯s such a waste.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou opened a paper file and began to review its contents as he responded without raising his head, ¡°If you want it, you can take it.¡±

    What would I do with these roses, use them as an offering for the heavens?

    I dragged my chair behind me as I approached Sheng Min Ou¡¯s desk and placed both my hands on his desk as I leaned in towards him. Even as I looked at Sheng Min Ou like this for a while, he still did not raise his head up, as if he didn¡¯t care about my existence at all, or as if my presence was simply nothing to him.

    ¡°Ge, I¡¯ve finished my exam, shall we go to the mountain tops tonight to stargaze?¡± I suggested to Sheng Min Ou, in a tone that was eager to please.

    He was silent for a long time, but the pen he held in his hands moved fluidly without stopping, and on average it only took him two minutes to sign off a document.

    I felt rather apprehensive, and just as I was about to say something again, Sheng Min Ou spoke, ¡°Why should I go to the top of the mountain with you to see the stars?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ to celebrate, a celebration of you winning your case, and also to celebrate the fact that I¡¯m done with my exams now and I don¡¯t have to study anymore.¡± My will to survive was at its highest now, so regardless of whether or not he was actually angry, I decided to admit to my mistake first, ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy in the past two months and consequently I neglected and ignored your feelings. I used to give you instant replies to the texts you sent, but this time I didn¡¯t reply for a whole three days, that should have never happened!¡±

    For a moment, I felt that this scene, with me expressing myself in this tone, was the splitting image of those scumbag guys who go through the motions of ¡°getting the girl and then not cherishing them¡±.

    If I thought about it carefully, in front of Sheng Min Ou I had always behaved in a flippant manner, so perhaps he had always regarded me as one of those butterflies that flutter around to various different beautiful flowers.

    ¡°You drive.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s response was so abrupt that I had to think about it for a full few seconds before I came to the realisation that he had just agreed to my suggestion of going to the mountain tops tonight.

    While I was secretly relieved at this, I also became excited at the prospect of tonight¡¯s plans as my eyes curved alongside my grin, ¡°Great, great, then I¡¯ll wait for you to get off work.¡±

    I said I would wait and ended up waiting until nine p.m that night. As I waited for him, I ended up knocking out directly on the sofa, before I was finally woken up by Sheng Min Ou.

    There was no one else in the law firm, and Sheng Min Ou was the last one there. I seriously suspected that this was one of the punishments he had for me, because I didn¡¯t believe that with his efficiency he would have so many documents piled up for him to review.

    We drove away from the city and made our way up the mountain roads. Before long, we had reached the top of the mountain.

    We parked the car next to the observation deck and the two of us got out of the car.

    I had caught wind of this observation deck by accident from an old magazine that I was flipping through, and it was hailed as one of the top 10 hidden gem date spots for couples in Qing Wan city.

    Whether it was a top 10 date spot was one thing, but the claim was true in that this spot really was a hidden gem. I have been living in Qing Wan city for twenty something years and I had never heard of this place before. Presently, the moon was bright in the sky and there was a gentle breeze. The weather was just right, and surprisingly it was deserted here, so how credible was the editor¡¯s claim of this being an amazing date spot?

    Fortunately though, despite it being deserted, the view wasn¡¯t bad. The city at night had faintly formed a cluster of light in the distance, and the sky was full of stars above. Each star was clearly discernible, and without light pollution, the night looked particularly deep and blue.

    Ppa-

    Sheng Min Ou leaned against the hood of the sports car and lit a cigarette.

    I moved closer to him and also leaned in beside him, as I carefully remarked, ¡°Ge, that pretty girl from today ¨C does she want to go after you?¡±

    Sheng Min Ou held the cigarette in his fingers and turned his head to look at me, before slowly spitting out a haze of white smoke, which snaked its way to the depths of my heart and blurred the sight in my eyes.

    ¡°Worried?¡± He replied, as he approached me slowly, the corners of his lips raising slightly.

    ¡°En.¡± I responded in a low voice, as I moved to kiss him, but just as I lifted my chin, he seemed to have anticipated this possibility as he leaned back and avoided me.

    His gaze was then directed towards the vast night scene ahead, as if he never noticed what my intentions were.

    ¡°She gave me red roses not because she likes me, but because she herself liked red roses. Her act of cutting off her parents did not cause her any pain, and she long since had intentions of seeking me out, but she was missing a reason to come. The reason for her visit today was not to thank me, but to ask for life advice.¡± Sheng Min Ou remarked rather detachedly. ¡°She asked me how she could suppress her innate impulses.¡±

    He rested one hand on the hood, and I didn¡¯t know why, but after hearing his words, my heart tightened, as I moved subconsciously to clasp his hand firmly.

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­what¡¯s her condition?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a high-functioning sociopath.¡±

    I drew a sharp breath as I asked, ¡°How did you answer her question?¡±

    At this point, Sheng Min Ou told me everything.

    ¡°I told her that if she wants to have the whole world as her enemy, then she should go ahead and let her innate impulses run loose. However, if she still wanted to coexist peacefully with everyone else on this earth, then she would have to suppress part of her urges, and follow the rules established in this world. This didn¡¯t apply for just her, but for everyone on this earth.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her that boxing works too?¡± I suggested, jokingly.

    He glanced at me, and I immediately stopped laughing, not daring to repeat my actions again.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s situation is different, so what works for me might not necessarily work for her. Therefore, I didn¡¯t assume that my suggestion would be of any help to her.¡± He replied coolly, ¡°Rather than consulting me, she would be better off consulting a psychologist instead.¡±

    Luckily Qiao Lei was not interested in him, otherwise her affectionate heart would have been shattered into pieces, into so many shards that it would have been impossible to piece back up again.

    ¡°Then¡­ why don¡¯t you have her try falling in love, perhaps then she might be able to find a reason to not become an enemy of the world.¡±

    Sheng Min Ou was silent for a while after hearing the words, before he turned to look at me. At this time, a gust of wind picked up and dispersed the smell of cigarettes around him, as well as making him half squint in response.

    He parted his lips slightly, and the syllables rolled out his throat, low and alluring.

    ¡°Good idea.¡±

    Beneath the stars and with the moon luminous in the sky, I didn¡¯t give him another chance to escape from me as I pressed my lips against his without warning. This time, he didn¡¯t hide from me anymore, as he parted his lips in anticipation of me, his hand free of the cigarette pressing into the back of my head as he kissed me harder.

    The more we kissed, the more fierce he was, and halfway through the kiss, he pulled me away by tugging at my hair, as he completely revealed his true colours.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you pay more attention to other things compared to me.¡± He said coldly, with slight pants in his voice, ¡°I also hate it when you don¡¯t reply to my messages.¡±

    I hissed, and before I could answer, he bit my lower lip before leaning in and becoming entangled with me again.

    I tasted blood in my mouth, so it was likely that Sheng Min Ou had bitten me, but I didn¡¯t have time to care. I licked the roof of his mouth in a pleasing manner, in an attempt to placate him, but instead he met me with an even more fervent kiss.

    Qiao Lei may never understand how Sheng Min Ou was able to achieve the feat of suppressing his true nature, and she may also never understand why she was clearly smarter than those around her, but lived a life more tiring than anyone else.

    It was quite a dispiriting thought to entertain in detail, but if one day she did come to a realisation, then I would truly be happy for her.

 CH 76

    Wu Yi had always known that the man who appeared arrogant, and behaved as if there was a perpetual barrier separating him and whoever he was with, harboured someone who was a special existence in his heart.

    At that time, he had just graduated and started work at Mei Teng Pharmaceuticals. Due to his excellent grades at school, he was assigned to be Sheng Min Ou¡¯s assistant, despite being a complete novice. As such, he gained valuable experience from tasks that juniors typically wouldn¡¯t have been responsible for at all. This role was a great learning experience for him, and he felt eternally grateful that Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t task him with just serving tea, or pouring water, or sending and filing documents during that time. This experience therefore spurred him to develop quickly, so he was truly appreciative towards Sheng Min Ou. Thus, though the two did not have a large age difference, he still respected Sheng Min Ou as a teacher and referred to him as Laoshi.

    In his second year at Mei Teng, Wu Yi recalled it was a Christmas eve ¨C the weather was beginning to turn cold, and the company was filled with a festive atmosphere, with red and green stickers being placed everywhere. Before Wu Yi got off work, he received a call from Sheng Min Ou, who asked for him to receive a package on his behalf, and said that the delivery man was already waiting at the company¡¯s entrance.

    Hearing this, Wu Yi grabbed his company pass and left hurriedly downstairs. The weather then was horrible, with it raining perpetually, leaving people feeling cold and wet. When he paid the delivery man and received a regular sized parcel in return, he felt as if the box¡¯s structure was going to fall apart at any second, with the only thing holding it together being the tape.

    Given their department was an integral part of the company and dealt with confidential information, employees would have to swipe their company card to exit or enter the premises. Wu Yi therefore held the parcel with one hand, swiped his company card with the other, and in that short time frame, something fell out with a swoosh from the cracks of the cardboard box.

    He cursed inwardly as he bent over to pick it up, only to find that the object which had fell out were all letters. They had been sent in a long and narrow brown kraft paper envelope, complete with stamps and postmarks, and had not yet been opened. Wu Yi took a look at the package and estimated that there were at least twenty or thirty letters in the parcel.

    Do people use parcels these days to deliver letters? Did letters really command so little respect now?

    Sheng Min Ou received immense trust from Xiao Sui Guang due to his thoroughness in carrying out tasks and his exceptional ability in fulfilling his role. Within the department, this status and prestige was cemented even further, as his words were essentially final. Wu Yi therefore didn¡¯t dare to rummage through Sheng Min Ou¡¯s things, as he only quizzically noted what had happened. He picked up the remaining letters on the ground, before then leaning against the door to let himself in.

    The envelopes had been stained with water, and the words began to bleed slightly. Wu Yi took a tissue as he dabbed at the dampness, attempting to rid some of it. As he was doing so, he noticed that the handwriting on the envelopes looked the same, and guessed that it was sent by the same person. However, rather strangely, the address was directed to a well-known university in Qing Wan city, and the mailing address¡­was from Qing Wan city¡¯s first prison.

    A letter sent from jail? Wu Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he didn¡¯t dare to look at it again. He filed the letters neatly, found a firm paper bag, and left them on Sheng Min Ou¡¯s desk.

    Sheng Min Ou returned a few days later, and Wu Yi proactively updated him on the various tasks he had been handling whilst he had been away. He then let Sheng Min Ou know that the letters were left on his desk, but because of the dreadful weather, water had stained the envelopes, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it affected its contents too.

    Sheng Min Ou had a jacket slung over his forearm, and was initially striding towards his office when he suddenly stopped in his footsteps after hearing Wu Yi¡¯s words, and directed a subtly displeased look at him.

    ¡°You opened my parcel?¡±

    Wu Yi met his icy gaze, and felt as if he had been shocked as he hurriedly shook his head and explained, ¡°No, no, it was because the cardboard box had been soaked by the rainwater and became flimsy, so the letters inside slipped out. I only organised the letters again and placed them in a new paper bag, I never read what was written in them!¡±

    Sheng Min Ou¡¯s expression softened a little, as he thanked him, and entered the office.

    Qe Tl rfmgfais ygfjatfv j rlut bo gfilfo. C wbwfca jub, tf ofia jr lo tf kjr jybea ab ygfjx bea lcab j rkfja bc tlr yjmx. Lf qbxfv j tfjv bea ogbw yftlcv tlr mbwqeafg, jcv rfmgfais ibbxfv ja Vtfcu Zlc Ye¡¯r boolmf, bcis ab rff atf ajii jcv rafgc wjc rajcvlcu ys tlr vfrx, tfrlajcais ajxlcu bea j ifaafg ogbw atf qjqfg yju, jr tf rajgfv ja la obg j ibcu alwf klatbea wjxlcu jcbatfg wbnf.

    Wu Yi was even more puzzled. He had never seen Sheng Min Ou act like this before. What was the relationship between the sender of these letters and his laoshi?

    In Wu Yi¡¯s mind, Sheng Min Ou behaved like he commanded the power of thunderbolts and the speed of lightning ¨C he was resolute and decisive, and it was like nothing could affect him, and nothing could stop him. His determination was unparalleled, and he was so good that Wu Yi even wondered whether he was a robot which Mei Teng had programmed, otherwise it would be hard to explain his astonishing decisiveness.

    Whether Sheng Min Ou eventually opened the letter or not, Wu Yi wouldn¡¯t know, because in the next second, Sheng Min Ou¡¯s glass windows changed from being transparent to becoming frosted. Apart from seeing a blur of a figure inside, Wu Yi couldn¡¯t make out anything else.

    This little incident happened and passed, and Wu Yi didn¡¯t take it to heart, as he quickly put it behind him and stopped thinking about it.

    Just like that, a few years passed, and Wu Yi left Mei Teng with Sheng Min Ou, becoming a partner at Jin Shang law firm, as he began a new chapter in his life. He had already forgotten about those letters as it became a bygone fragment stored in the corner of his memory. However, he would never imagine that by coincidence, or perhaps, by a predetermined fate, the questions that were born in his mind back then would be answered many years later.

    When he met Lu Feng for the first time, Wu Yi did not recall the name at all, as he only thought that the other party was rather strange, claiming to be laoshi¡¯s younger brother, as he sent red roses and cards declaring his love when the law firm first opened. His actions were rather unorthodox, and his laoshi also didn¡¯t appear to be rather enthusiastic when seeing him, even appearing slightly averse at the sight of him.

    Wu Yi guessed that between the two brothers, their relationship was not a harmonious one, but after all, this was a private affair between the two of them, so it was none of his business to assume things.

    Later, a client of their law firm, a popular artist under Xing Hao Entertainment, was suspected of committing a crime and was brought to court. Wu Yi, as the assistant lawyer, was in charge of the case together with Sheng Min Ou. In Wu Yi¡¯s opinion, though this case was a bit troublesome, it wasn¡¯t a difficult fight. To his surprise however, laoshi¡¯s younger brother also appeared in the public gallery, so it appeared that he was friends with the victim.

    This caught Wu Yi off guard. He wanted to gauge what his laoshi was thinking several times, but he never knew how to ask the question.

    And this case, which shouldn¡¯t have been too difficult, took a strange, and rapid turn after Lu Feng appeared, catching Wu Yi, and the entire law firm off guard.

    After the first hearing, everyone had felt pretty good, and they were making every effort to prepare for the second trial, when news broke that there was a second victim, and that this second victim was related to Sheng Min Ou.

    According to the law, conflict of interests were not allowed in a case, and Xing Hao Entertainment had no choice but to remove Sheng Min Ou as their representative lawyer, as they seeked out another attorney instead.

    Wu Yi¡¯s head buzzed as soon as he received the news, as Lu Feng¡¯s young and handsome face flashed before his eyes. Though it was not confirmed, it was obvious to Wu Yi that the new victim was, undoubtedly, Lu Feng.

    When Sheng Min Ou heard of this, his expression immediately darkened, to the point where Wu Yi didn¡¯t dare to mention this incident at all. Everyone in the law firm kept their mouths shut when it came to this, and even the most careless and thoughtless girl at the front desk could feel that something was wrong.

    Later, because of Luo Zheng Yun¡¯s death, the case ended abruptly, and this terrifying atmosphere gradually disappeared. A high profile, popular incident would rarely be in the spotlight for longer than three weeks, and no matter how popular Luo Zheng Yun was, he was no exception to this fate. For him, it didn¡¯t take three weeks, rather within a week, it was as if the general public had forgotten about this matter as they shifted their attention into a new series of hot topics.

    Wu Yi was also making a coffee one day and writing up a case summary when he suddenly had an epiphany in his mind, as he recalled the stormy afternoon, the day when he received a parcel for Sheng Min Ou, where all the letters were sent from the first prison.

    Wasn¡¯t that where Lu Feng used to serve his sentence?

    He immediately let out a soft cry, as all the pieces seemed to finally come together.

    That special existence, that one person who had laoshi become so hesitant and conflicted over, turned out to be Lu Feng.

    They truly were a strange pair of brothers. Wu Yi was an only child, so he found it difficult to understand this kind of complicated brotherly bond. He thought that perhaps in the eyes of Sheng Min Ou who excelled, it was shameful to have a younger brother who was a murderer, and that he was too disappointed in Lu Feng, which resulted in him approaching the letters with such hesitancy.

    Wu Yi came up with his own reasons for Sheng Min Ou¡¯s feelings towards Lu Feng, seeing it as Sheng Min Ou being disappointed at the fact that Lu Feng had gone down such a path. As for Lu Feng, he had spent ten years in jail, and now that he was released from prison, he felt ashamed towards his family, so that would explain his behaviour, which was so eager to please.

    Wu Yi had never doubted the purity of the feelings between the brothers until that one day, when reality clubbed him in the head¡­

    That day, he had a toothache, and he had been hesitating on whether he should go to the doctor or attend work. In the end, he chose to focus on work. Thinking about it now, God already gave him a sign, but he had foolishly ignored it, not knowing it was to help him avoid a disaster.

    Their law firm had always ordered lunch from the restaurant downstairs. It was located close to them, and they also delivered the food quickly. That day, Lu Feng had come to the law firm, and Wu Yi didn¡¯t think much about it. He saw that the door to Sheng Min Ou¡¯s wasn¡¯t shut fully, so thought that they weren¡¯t talking about any serious matter, and therefore knocked on the door with the lunch boxes in his hand.

    The door was already slightly open, so without Wu Yi using much force, the door slowly parted.

    He had just announced that their lunch had arrived, when in the next second he saw the scene in the room, and the word ¡°fuck¡± escaped his mouth.

    Sheng Min Ou, the teacher he had always respected, had his tie pulled by Lu Feng as he bit down on his mouth. The pair kissed so deeply that it was hard for the two of them to untangle themselves, and Sheng Min Ou even had his fingers in Lu Feng¡¯s hair.

    They were all adults here, so naturally Wu Yi understood what this type of intimacy indicated.

    All of Wu Yi¡¯s questions were suddenly completely answered at this moment. Behind Sheng Min Ou¡¯s complicated and conflicted actions, were the hidden feelings of an elder brother towards his younger brother, or should he say, it was more than just a brotherly feeling.

    Wu Yi¡¯s worldview was thrown into question at that moment as his pupils widened in witnessing the immoral display of love in front of him. Wu Yi¡¯s eloquence as a lawyer was nowhere to be found in his state of panic, as he could only stare at the two in shock.

    The pair in question noticed his arrival and quickly separated from each other. Sheng Min Ou began to straighten out his tie detachedly, without any semblance of embarrassment at being caught, Lu Feng was a little surprised, but he simply touched his nose, but rather than appearing annoyed, he appeared delighted at the disaster that had just occurred.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going first, you guys enjoy your lunch.¡± Lu Feng seemed to suppress a smile, his lips flushed and slightly swollen. As he passed by Wu Yi, he deliberately remarked, ¡°My brother and I are not related by blood.¡± After which, he left Wu Yi with a friendly pat on the shoulder.

    Wu Yi still had a blank expression on his face, as he met Lu Feng with a similar dazed look, ¡°Ah¡­ huh?¡±

    With that explanation, the taboo feeling of what he just witnessed seemed to go down¡­ by not a single bit! That didn¡¯t help at all, okay?!

    After that, whatever Lu Feng said to him, he didn¡¯t recall a thing. His brain was still dealing with the information he had just received, and was having a hard time operating at the moment. It was only after Lu Feng left, and Sheng Min Ou saw him still standing stupidly at the door that he asked him with a frown, ¡°Are you going to come in, or leave¡±, that snapped Wu Yi back to his senses as he quickly placed the lunch boxes he was holding in his hand down on the table.

    ¡°That, I¡¯m sorry laoshi¡­ I didn¡¯t see anything just now, I won¡¯t say anything about it, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Wu Yi said, feeling a sense of unease and regretting severely at his choice of not going to see the dentist in the morning.

    Sheng Min Ou looked up at him from behind his computer, before his gaze quickly returned to the screen. He appeared to be rather casual in the aftermath of what had just happened, as if he didn¡¯t mind that Wu Yi had just witnessed everything.

    ¡°Why are you apologising if you didn¡¯t do anything wrong?¡±

    Wu Yi was even thinking of leaving, when he almost choked hearing this question, as he froze awkwardly and didn¡¯t know how to respond..

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡±

    Sheng Min Ou didn¡¯t lift his head as he responded, ¡°It¡¯s exactly as what you saw just then. You may leave now.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Close the door for me please.¡±

    Wu Yi felt as if he had just been granted amnesty, as he replied with repeated yesses, and left the office as if making a grand escape.

    Since then, though the two people he had witnessed were not afraid of the gossip themselves, Wu Yi still kept his promise, and did not reveal the true nature of their relationship to anyone else.

    Even when he played Truth or Dare and was tested by a lie detector, he never let up.

 CH 77

    To put it nicely, when Shen Xiao Shi when he was a minor, he might be called a juvie. However, if we were to put it another way, he was a lout.

    He didn¡¯t have a good relationship with his family and spent his entire day wandering about, eating whatever there was to eat and sleeping wherever was available to house him. He had done all sorts of jobs, from washing cars, to moving furniture or scrubbing dishes at a restaurant. When he had nothing to do, he hopped from one internet cafe to another. On one day he might join a multiplayer game with a friend, and the next he would go grab a midnight snack with a different mate.

    Though he made a lot of friends, the internet cafe was often crowded with people, with friends coming and going. Sometimes, Shen Xiao Shi wouldn¡¯t even recall the other person¡¯s name, as they would just grab one meal together and not come into contact again.

    When he was seventeen, he found a job in a bar, where he helped to move things at the back and washed cups in the kitchen. He appeared to be an exceptionally well behaved and quiet child, so for him to be at a place where people of all different backgrounds converged, even if he didn¡¯t go looking for trouble, trouble would come to find him.

    However, fortunately, he was not someone others could take advantage of easily. Whether it was a customer or a colleague who intended to bully him, if it was a problem that could be solved with fists, he would never waste that energy on words. He would make it hurt, make them cry, and show them how what a mistake it was for them to mess with Shen xiao ye.

    He gradually built up a reputation for his ability to fight and word began spreading. Though it was inevitable that occasionally he would still bump into people who had no idea who they were messing with, most people were scared to get on his bad side. No one knew what the bar owner was thinking, but instead of letting go of a personality like Shen Xiao Shi who attracted trouble, Shen Xiao Shi was promoted to becoming a security guard, as he became responsible in overseeing the day to day operations of the bar.

    Occasionally, there would be drunk guests in the bar causing trouble, and Shen Xiao Shi would be called to prevent them from breaking things in the store.

    Shen Xiao Shi was young and had a slender build, so he was able to slip into the crowd with ease. He possessed an agility in his movements and others were never able to catch him. With his nimble actions and punishing punches, just one of him was enough to suppress ten adversaries, so it was no problem for Shen Xiao Shi to beat all of them up and kick them to the curb.

    Shen Xiao Shi was quite satisfied with his life. Seeing that he was about to turn eighteen, he figured that though he couldn¡¯t have a big celebration, he could probably still afford to shout a few friends to a meal. There wouldn¡¯t be any delicacies on the table, but he could afford skewers and hotpot.

    However, despite having this thought, Shen Xiao Shi flipped through his phone to no avail, as he found there were no such friends he could really invite and call out.

    Just as he was beginning to feel discouraged over it, a friend who he used to game with at the internet cafe popped up out of the blue and asked how he was doing recently.

    Shen Xiao Shi was short of friends, so when that friend showed a semblance of care, he immediately felt a sense of warmth and began chatting with him. Half an hour later, Shen Xiao Shi invited him to his birthday party, and the other readily agreed. That friend then asked Shen Xiao Shi to help in a fight, and Shen Xiao Shi also heartily agreed to this request with the same enthusiasm.

    That friend was only one year older than Shen Xiao Shi, and he was young and vigorous. Whilst playing an online game, someone else had stolen the final kill for the boss and he had expended valuable equipment and resources in the fight. That friend couldn¡¯t come to terms with this, so said quite a few nasty things, and it culminated into waging a fight in real life.

    The person he provoked wasn¡¯t much older than him, so he was equally as impulsive, and in the heat of the moment, he agreed to the fight. So the two of them agreed on a time and would resort to fists in deciding who would win and who would lose.

    From Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s experience, most likely whoever was assembled was just going to talk big and pretend to get into a brawl. In the end, it would just be a battle of whoever was louder, until the passersby couldn¡¯t ignore the commotion anymore and called the police, and that would be the end of that.

    Early in the morning, Shen Xiao Shi departed wearing a simple hoodie, with both his hands in his pocket. He arrived at the designated meet up spot, his breath fogging in the air as he assumed it would be over soon.

    However, he had no idea that this decision was one that would take his life on a different course, and a pivotal one at that.

    That¡¯s what they call: Racing through the spring breeze on a powerful horseback, only to fall into a ditch.

    When the two sides first met it began with a bunch of insults, with Shen Xiao Shi remaining at the back and thinking about what he wanted to eat later. It was later when the crowd started getting restless, and Shen Xiao Shi saw someone take out a stainless steel pipe that he felt like something wasn¡¯t right.

    He began to push forward with the intention of being a peacemaker, as he planned to call for both sides to calm down and not be impulsive. They were in broad daylight and in public eyes, so if someone did get injured then it would end up badly for everyone involved.

    He had only managed to push halfway to the front when all of a sudden there was a furious roar, and instantly the crowd reacted like when cold water is poured into hot oil ¨C in an explosion.

    Shen Xiao Shi avoided the frenzied crowd and the stray punches as he knew that today¡¯s incident had gone out of control. He aimed to slip out, unwilling to be involved in this mess as he wanted to completely remove himself from the incident. Then, suddenly there was a grunt by his side, as someone toppled down, blood trickling from their palm as they clutched at the left side of their chest.

    The boy who stabbed him looked to only be fifteen or sixteen. His face paled, as he stood there seemingly in a daze, clutching to the fruit knife with a plastic handle tightly in his hand, his whole body shaking.

    There was about to be a fatality.

    Shen Xiao Shi rushed up to support the man, as he pressed a hand tightly on his wound.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s injured, someone¡¯s injured, stop the fighting!¡± he bellowed, his vocal chords aching.

    The teenager who had committed the stabbing began backing away in fear, as he repeated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±

    It was then at this moment that the sound of the siren pierced through the air, and the crowd, who previously had been so overcome by anger that they weren¡¯t able to take in anyone¡¯s advice, now seemed to collectively regain their wits as they dispersed in a flash.

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s friend bolted the fastest, vanishing without saying anything to anyone.

    The young teenager who had stabbed the man remained, looking out of it still, and only seemed to come to again after he saw the police arrive. However, by then it was too late to escape as he was grabbed by the arm and swiftly pressed to the ground.

    Another policeman came to Shen Xiao Shi and the others and glanced at the seriously wounded man before shaking his head as he relayed the situation on the walkie-talkie and requested for an ambulance.

    ¡°What happened? What¡¯s your relationship with the injured person?¡± He asked Shen Xiao Shi.

    Shen Xiao Shi was only seventeen years old, and in the face of the policeman¡¯s interrogation, swallowed nervously at his questions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know him¡­¡­¡±

    Lfjglcu atlr, atf batfg qjgas gjlrfv tlr fsfygbkr: ¡°Tbe vbc¡¯a xcbk tlw?¡±

    Ktf ybs ktb kjr qlccfv ab atf ugbecv revvfcis rageuuifv, jcv rffwfv ab olcv atf fcfgus jr tf yfmjwf vfafgwlcfv ab vgju Vtfc Wljb Vtl vbkc klat tlw. Lf gjlrfv tlr cfmx jcv rmgfjwfv, ¡°Lf kjr klat wf! Lf jirb qijsfv j qjga lc atlr!!¡±

    The policeman looked at him, then looked back at Shen Xiao Shi, his expression becoming serious.

    ¡°Is he telling the truth?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi felt a sudden shock, and started getting a feeling that perhaps, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold his eighteenth birthday banquet after all.

    In the end, the victim of the stabbing had to undergo an operation, which resulted in their spleen being removed, and it was constituted as a serious injury. All those who participated in the fight that day were taken back to the police station for interrogation, and no matter what role they played, they all faced consequences. Those with money opted to pay monetary compensation, and those who couldn¡¯t afford it were sent to jail instead.

    The teenager who had stabbed the victim was only fifteen years old, and his family were able to afford compensating the victim as they received the family¡¯s forgiveness. His final sentence ended up being less severe than what Shen Xiao Shi received.

    Shen Xiao Shi went to join in on the fun, he didn¡¯t lay a single hand on anyone that day, and was sentenced to four years of prison in the end.

    When the official sentence was announced, he had just turned eighteen years old as he entered Qing Wan City¡¯s First Prison where he served his time..

    When he first entered, as he couldn¡¯t figure out how he became involved and labelled as a criminal, his character became twisted at his most rebellious age. Usually, he would look like any other person, gentle and harmless, but he exploded at the slightest trigger, and when he did, he was like a rabid dog, unable to be stopped by anyone.

    He felt that he was different from the others inside: they were all vicious criminals but he wasn¡¯t, he was a good guy.

    For a long while ¨C for roughly a month he would ignore everyone, even his cellmate, as he didn¡¯t interact with anyone.

    This would all change in the span of one night, in the large, shared bathhouse of the prison.

    Shen Xiao Shi was an innocent-looking, pale skinned youth, and his body hair hadn¡¯t even all grown out completely. His appearance was fresh faced and at the same time rather docile looking, as if at the first sign of hurt he would the tears on his face would fall like raindrops on a pear blossom. The prisoners who hadn¡¯t had any release for a long time eyed him hungrily like wolves, almost drooling at the prospect of him.

    They wanted to turn Shen Xiao Shi into a ¡°woman¡± to vent their ugly desires, and they schemed meticulously as they planned to make a move at the public baths, when it was most convenient for them.

    Shen Xiao Shi was aware of the danger earlier on and didn¡¯t feel afraid, however, his opponents were plentiful in numbers, and they weren¡¯t like the average citizen, who weren¡¯t as well versed in fighting. He was held down forcibly by multiple people as they pressed down hard on his hands and feet, and his mouth was covered. It looked as if he had lost, when suddenly, in the corner amidst the mist, a young man¡¯s voice rang out in the air.

    ¡°Hey, he¡¯s a kid from our cell, don¡¯t touch him.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi struggled to lift his head as his eyes looked towards the source of the sound and fell on his cellmate, the man named Lu Feng. He slowly turned off the shower head, as he walked over.

    One of the people who had Shen Xiao Shi pressed down snarled at him, ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt. We know San ge protects you, so as a nod to him we won¡¯t touch you. However, this one ¨C San ge didn¡¯t say he would cover for.¡±

    Hearing this, Lu Feng tousled his wet hair, as the corners of his mouth twitched, his smile taking on a ruffian look, ¡°I need Wei Shi to protect me? Why don¡¯t you guys take a proper look, I¡¯ve been here since I was eighteen, when did Wei Shi come in? I need him to cover for me?¡± He threw down the wet towel on his body as it hit the floor hard with a thud as he continued, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop with the chit chat. I¡¯ll ask you all again, you¡¯re not planning to stop, are you?¡±

    The leader of the assembled gang was not someone who was easy to deal with, and his gaze turned treacherous as it roamed up and down Lu Feng. He replied back, ¡°If you insist on meddling, then don¡¯t blame us later if we don¡¯t go easy on you.¡±

    The rest of them, due to being on guard against Lu Feng, had temporarily loosened in their hold over Shen Xiao Shi. Shen Xiao Shi seized this opportunity as he suddenly struggled, rolling and finding himself kicking one of them in the crotch, as the man screamed and fell to the ground.

    Lu Feng took a few steps forward, and delivered a punch to the prisoner on the nose, as he joined the battle.

    With two against five, though they were down on numbers, and the location in which they fought being even more disadvantageous, they didn¡¯t find themselves losing at all. The prison guards broke through and whistled as they waved their batons to separate the fight. When they saw that Lu Feng and Shen Xiao Shi came out rather unscathed, but the other group donned patches of green and purple on their faces, they were a little confused for a while.

    Later, everyone involved in the fight was locked up in a solitary cell, and Shen Xiao Shi was no exception. However he and Lu Feng were both only locked up for only 24 hours, whilst the other prisoners who were the instigators were locked up for a whole three days and three nights before they were released.

    After he and Lu Feng came out, they were told to write a letter of guarantee of a thousand words, so they both returned to the cell to arduously fill up the word count.

    Before long, the cell door opened, and several others who participated in recreational activities returned. When they saw Lu Feng, they all took the initiative to say hello to him. The last person to enter was a tall and well built man, his muscular frame being marked by a garish Guanyin bodhisattva tattoo. The Guanyin on his arm looked markedly different from the ones he saw in temples, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, her face beautiful in a bewitching way.

    And the man himself had thick eyebrows and large eyes, the typical look of someone from northern China. His appearance was firm set and upright, being the polar opposite to Shen Xiao Shi.

    As soon as he came in and saw Lu Feng, he didn¡¯t say a word as he sat beside the two of them before he raised his chin and started, ¡°Go on, what happened?¡±

    Though Shen Xiao Shi had only been here for a month and didn¡¯t know anyone, he knew that this man was Wei Shi, the ¡°boss¡± of their cell. Lu Feng recounted the whole story to Wei Shi, who said nothing after hearing it. After two days had passed rather uneventfully and those people were released out of solitary, no one knew what he said to them, but afterwards no one dared to touch Shen Xiao Shi again.

    Though the way they looked at him still made him uncomfortable, but it was like there was a sharp sword pressed against the back of their necks, inhibiting them from acting rashly.

    At the same time, due to Lu Feng stepping in and helping him earlier, it caused a fundamental shift in how Shen Xiao Shi regarded his cellmates, as he no longer covered himself in spikes and began to accept the kindness given to him from others.

    Looking back at it, it was strange. Lu Feng was the one who had rescued Shen Xiao Shi, but gradually, it was him and Wei Shi that got closer.

    It wasn¡¯t that there was anything wrong with Lu Feng either. It was due to the fact that Shen Xiao Shi had lost his father since he was a child, and later his stepfather was easily irritable, with his mother being an easy pushover. Given this, he was never really exposed to any older males who could be regarded as a decent role model.

    Wei Shi was a whole ten years older than him, and usually paid extra attention in taking care of him. As time passed, these feelings he had were projected onto Wei Shi in an act of transference. Every time he interacted with Wei Shi and received a ruffling of his hair or a word of praise, he would develop an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, as if he was recovering parts of his childhood from the other party.

    ¡°San ge, does everyone call you the third brother because you¡¯re the third oldest at home?¡±

    After having dinner and watching the news program, the prisoners were all let back into their cells. Around this time, everyone received two hours of free time, so those that wanted to read read, those that wanted to exercise did that, and there were also quite a few people who did nothing but blank out into space.

    Shen Xiao Shi sat on the ground with his knees in his arms. He didn¡¯t like to read, nor did he like exercising, so he could only harass Wei Shi.

    Wei Shi was wearing a small tank top, his arms clearly exposed. As he did his push-ups, lifting his body up and down, his biceps also swelled and contracted, his power pulsing eminently in his presence.

    He had almost done a hundred push-ups, but his breath still remained steady.

    ¡°Ah? Oh, yeah, I also have an elder brother and an older sister.¡± He said, as he sat up and finished his exercise for the night, his tanned skin covered with a sheen layer of sweat, his face appearing extraordinarily rosy.

    ¡°That¡¯s so good, I just have a younger brother, and we¡¯re not really tight.¡± Shen Xiao Shi looked at Lu Feng who was writing a letter at the desk, and asked loudly, ¡°Feng ge, do you have any siblings?¡±

    Lu Feng stopped writing for a second, then turned around. ¡°I have an older brother.¡± He said, his expression carrying a hint of pride, ¡°He¡¯s super smart, and really handsome.¡±

    Judging by Lu Feng¡¯s appearance, his brother should also be good looking. Shen Xiao Shi didn¡¯t doubt his words, and felt even more envious in his heart. He had always been jealous of those who had fathers and older brothers.

    Growing up, he had always been told that a boy should protect his mother and take care of his younger brother. He had to be like a man, to hide his tears and swallow any hardships.

    For the first fourteen years, he had resolutely followed these principles. When his mother wept helplessly, he leapt in front of her without hesitation, and took the raining blows from his stepfather. When his younger brother cried in fear, he acted as a reliable older brother, providing  him with comfort and thinking of ways to make him laugh.

    However, as he turned fifteen, on an evening when the sky was basked with the afterglow of the setting sun, he suddenly decided he didn¡¯t want to live like this anymore.

    He would also tire, he would also want someone to share the burden with him, and he would also envy the sons and younger brothers who were taken care of ¨C so he fled.

    His choice to run away from home was the result of his utmost disappointment in his mother, but even moreso it was to escape the depressing family environment he was in. He couldn¡¯t take it any longer, and he didn¡¯t want to be that ¡®pillar¡¯ that held everything together anymore.

    ¡°That must be great.¡± Shen Xiao Shi rested his chin, feeling a wash of sadness within, ¡°I wish I had an elder brother.¡±

    Wei Shi lifted his tank top to wipe the sweat off his face in a rather casual manner, and then directed a smile to him, flashing two rows of white teeth.

    ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying right now, Lu Feng and I are not qualified to be your older brothers, huh?¡± He raised his dark eyebrows, ¡°You call us ¡®ge¡¯ on the outside, but inside you¡¯re thinking who the hell are you guys?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi dropped his hands as he walked to meet him face to face in two steps, his face appearing exceptionally earnest, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be my brother¡­¡±

    Wei Shi was stunned for a moment, as he stared at the boy¡¯s youthful and pale face. He felt like his heart was suddenly pinched by a rabbit¡¯s tail, as it felt suddenly numb and itchy.

    This kid, with his naturally titillating words, was going to be the end of him.

    Wei Shi liked men, especially handsome and strong men. Though Shen Xiao Shi was not his type, this didn¡¯t prevent his heart from skipping a beat at this moment.

    However, in the next second, the newly formed charm was completely shattered by Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s words.

    ¡°I want you to be my dad.¡±

    Wei Shi¡¯s face was blank for a moment, as he felt a little dazed, the numb and itchy touch instantly turning hot, becoming fire born from the friction, before it finally culminated into a curse as he blurted, ¡°Shit, Shen Xiao Shi, you¡¯re fucked.¡± Though he had shaved his head and might appear to not be as young, it wasn¡¯t so bad that he would want to have him as a father right? At this age, he had no intention of admitting a godson.

    Meanwhile Shen Xiao Shi looked as if he had finally succeeded in his plot, as he wrapped both hands across his own torso and lay on the ground, kicking his feet in the air as he laughed uncontrollably.

    Wei Shi saw him laugh like this, and slowly his anger subsided. He regarded the whole affair as a little kid pulling a prank, as he didn¡¯t take it seriously and shook his head, climbing into bed to sleep instead.

    Except Shen Xiao Shi wasn¡¯t joking. If he could, he wished his father was someone like Wei Shi. Strong, mature, reliable, and if the sky came falling down, it would be him who would bear its weight first. In front of him, he could be a real child, without needing to force himself to grow up and become a ¡°man¡± who didn¡¯t shed blood or tears.

    Later, a private detective who specialised in investigating extramarital affairs joined their cell. He had a lot of bizarre stories to tell, and Shen Xiao Shi heard a lot of curious gossip from him. As the newcomer had a small and thin frame, everyone referred to him as ¡°Monkey¡±.

    Shen Xiao Shi originally thought that every day during the four years he would have to spend in this cell would pass excruciatingly slowly, in such a way that he would prefer death over this, but he never would have expected to make such close friends. Therefore, he actually felt like this whole ordeal was actually a blessing in disguise.

    However, there was no such thing as a gathering that did not end with everyone dispersing. Wei Shi was the first to leave the prison, followed by Yi Da Zhuang, and then Shen Xiao Shi.

    The night before he left, Shen Xiao Shi could hardly fall asleep. He was excited to welcome his new life, but was also worried about Lu Feng who would continue to remain behind bars.

    Lu Feng¡¯s mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness not long ago, and for the past few days Lu Feng had been feeling perpetually down, as he didn¡¯t even send that many letters anymore. If he could, Shen Xiao Shi really wouldn¡¯t have wanted to leave at this time.

    Unfortunately, he had no say in this matter.

    Early the next morning, the guards opened the electronic door and had him follow behind. Before leaving, he gave Lu Feng a big hug, and promised that in a year, when Lu Feng was released from prison, he would definitely come to pick him up.

    ¡°Go.¡± Lu Feng said, as he patted him on the back. His face appeared a little tired, but his smile was very sincere.

    Shen Xiao Shi slowly walked out of the cell, gave him one last look, waved his hand, and then left with the prison guard.

    When he came in, he had nothing with him. When he left, Shen Xiao Shi still had nothing in his possessions, other than a new set of clothes which were sent to him by Wei Shi, as he walked to the gate.

    When the big iron gate, covered with barbed wires slowly opened from both sides, a black SUV appeared in Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s field of vision, along with Wei Shi who was wearing sunglasses and leaning against the door.

    Wei Shi was a very practical person. When he was inside, every month the prisoners would receive a haircut, and since everyone had a desire to look good, usually the prisoners would not ask for the barber to shave all their hair off. At most, they would ask for a buzz cut. However, Wei Shi wasn¡¯t like the others, he asked for a clean shave, one that left him looking like a monk.

    When paired with the Guanyin tattoo on his arm, the first time Yi Da Zhuang entered their cell his first question to Wei Shi was if he believed in Buddhism.

    Now that he was out of prison, he seemed to have forfeited the practice of shaving his head. However, he didn¡¯t leave his hair growing for too long either, as he opted for a buzzcut, the type of haircut that seemed to only look good on particular faces.

    Fortunately, he had a standard head shape and strong facial features. When he wore his sunglasses and showed off his tattooed arms, he gave off a cool aura, like he was a hired mercenary who was about to go to the Sahara to perform a secret mission, and so he easily withstood the test of the buzzcut.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, your older brother will take you to eat something delicious.¡± Wei Shi said, as he saw Shen Xiao Shi coming out and embraced him in a powerful hug. He then patted him a few times, imparting vigorous slaps on his back.

    Shen Xiao Shi smelled the smoke on his jacket, and felt oddly relieved.

    ¡°San ge, from now on, I ride with you.¡±

    After Wei Shi was released from prison, he quickly utilised his business talents and tapped into  his vast network of connections as he emptied his savings and opened a pawn shop in the bustling city centre.

    Shen Xiao Shi hadn¡¯t studied seriously since he was a child, but as soon as he came out, he was sent to take a three-month class and developed skills to appraise various luxury items, and even took the test to become formally certified.

    Though he did not have a high level of education, he was smart, young and eager to learn. He managed to pass several certifications smoothly, and not only that, under the guidance of Wei Shi, he managed the pawn shop well as it operated prosperously and their WeChat page gathered over five thousand friends in just one year.

    Seeing that Lu Feng was about to be released from prison soon, Wei Shi felt that the time was right, and so he spent all his savings once more to open a second pawn shop, and transferred Shen Xiao Shi to help Lu Feng run the second branch together.

    Shen Xiao Shi sometimes wondered how there could be someone like Wei Shi in this world. Not only did he pay to send him and Lu Feng to develop their skills, but he also opened another shop specifically so that they could all have a stable job. Further, if any of his friends had an accident, he would go to help without another word.

    Shen Xiao Shi wasn¡¯t old, but he wasn¡¯t young either. If he really thought about it, almost a quarter of his life has passed. He had met so many people throughout, but he had only met one such ¡°Wei Shi¡±.

    Wei Shi¡¯s kindness made Shen Xiao Shi particularly cherish this eldest brother, this friend of his.

    He thought that they would have such a relationship for the rest of their lives. They weren¡¯t tied by blood, but somehow they were closer than brothers.

    However, he could have never thought that this relationship was so fragile, so fragile that a little alcohol, a little drunkenness, could completely subvert it.

    The messy fragments of his memory were accompanied by a kiss that was pungent with the smell of alcohol and scorched breaths. The recollection of the touch beneath his hand made Shen Xiao Shi wake up with a start every time, as if needles were piercing his mind. He was scared to continue down this line of thought, and he didn¡¯t want to either.

    After the ordeal with his mother, he seemed to be betrayed again.

    This angered him, as he felt consumed with a monstrous rage. The ire burned through his reason, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he first thought darted to where he stored his kitchen knife at home, as his mind was occupied wholly with the plan of chopping up Wei Shi, the damned pervert. He was so vexed that he completely forgot that he didn¡¯t even cook, so such a thing like a kitchen knife didn¡¯t even exist in his home.

    At the same time, Wei Shi also woke up, and though he didn¡¯t feel the danger yet, he had a hand resting on his forehead, his expression darkened, as if he was currently dealing with a mighty hangover.

    Then, he froze suddenly, as he dropped his hand and traced his eyes along the outlines of the messy bed sheets, before they landed on Shen Xiao Shi.

    He didn¡¯t know whether Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s eyes were red from the hangover or from his anger, but they were so bloodshot that Wei Shi¡¯s heart, which was already panicked, fell into even greater disarray.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Wei Shi¡¯s voice was hoarse, as the seconds stretched out, leaving him at a loss for words.

    Shen Xiao Shi stared at him firmly, his words leaping out of his mouth, his tone unprecedentedly cold.

    ¡°Wei Shi, are you gay?¡±

    The man stared at him blankly, his expression turning even more ashen than when he first woke up.

 CH 78

    Trigger warning: Sexual assault

    Wei Shi recalled what had happened last night, that chaotic, and messed up night.

    After they had broken apart from Lu Feng and Yi Da Zhuang after dinner, he hoisted the drunk Shen Xiao Shi back to his rented flat. He had consumed roughly the same amount, if not more alcohol than Shen Xiao Shi, and therefore staggered too as they headed up the stairs. As such, Wei Shi had to dedicate one arm to be wrapped around Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s waist, whilst his other hand gripped the railing. After a great amount of effort, he was finally able to deliver Shen Xiao Shi safely to his bed.

    Due to his mother¡¯s lawsuit, Shen Xiao Shi had been in a low mood for quite some time. His house was becoming so disorderly that soon it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk around the place. After Wei Shi placed Shen Xiao Shi down, he suddenly felt thirsty, as he was just about to stand and go to the kitchen for a cup of water when something caught beneath his feet, leading him to trip and fall directly on top of Shen Xiao Shi.

    Shen Xiao Shi had already passed out, but started to rouse from the state upon being crushed under Wei Shi¡¯s body weight. His eyes fluttered open in confusion, as dissatisfied murmurs escaped from his mouth.

    ¡°It hurts¡­¡± He whined, his voice nasal and coming out almost pitiful, as his brows were knitted tight.

    Wei Shi was also quite drunk at this stage and thought he had really crushed him. He hurriedly tugged at Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s clothes and muttered, ¡°Where does it hurt? Let me take a look¡­¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi pulled up his T-shirt, like a kid who presented their injuries to an adult in a bid for pity and affection, as he pressed his palm to his sternum and whispered, ¡°It hurts here.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s skin was porcelain, his bones slender. He was young and his features were even more delicate. He was twenty already, but somehow he exuded an aura of youth, one untainted by the realities of the world, a sense of innocence. Shen Xiao Shi was a stark contrast to Wei Shi¡¯s usual type.

    Wei Shi has always liked men who were formidable, sexy, and similar to him. They wouldn¡¯t act coquettishly, they wouldn¡¯t be clingy, and they most definitely wouldn¡¯t be like Shen Xiao Shi right now, staring at him with bright, wet eyes and whispering to him in a small voice that he was in pain.

    As if he had been possessed, and under the influence of alcohol, Wei Shi¡¯s mind was a mess as instinct took over. The breaths he exhaled was scorching hot, his body feverish, and his large palms scorching to the touch.

    His palm closed around the back of Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s hand, as he inched forward. Their breaths mingled together as there was now an almost imperceptible gap between the two.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Wei Shi said, as he rubbed Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s chest for him and asked, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±

    Neither of them realised how suggestive their posture and words were at the moment.

    ¡°En, it¡¯s alright now¡­¡± Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s gaze was hazy, and he appeared completely defenceless, as he suddenly burped at Wei Shi and giggled. The dimples on his cheeks deepend at times and disappeared at others, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. ¡±

    Wei Shi¡¯s breath seemed to have stilled, and his palms became even hotter, as if they could light up in flames at any moment. The fire ran along the path where their bodies came in contact with each other, then to his chest, and then to an even more fatal place, causing Wei Shi to go into a trance.

    He hadn¡¯t been with anyone for several years, and his ex had hurt him so badly that he became tired at the prospect of love. He didn¡¯t know whether it was because he had been abstinent for too long, so that he couldn¡¯t resist temptation, even when it came in the form of such a slight flame. One thing led to another, and without thinking, he lowered his head and kissed Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s smiling, rosy lips.

    There was a trace of fragrant alcohol in the softness of his lips, and it was unlike any other pair of lips he had kissed before. Wei Shi fell into a deeper addiction, and his mind became more and more unclear.

    He recalled that he kissed Shen Xiao Shi, and Shen Xiao Shi might have been a little stunned, as one of his hands was on Wei Shi¡¯s shoulder, grabbing the fabric of his clothes there, as he whimpered, his throaty noises like those of a small animal, pitiful and adorable at the same time. This led Wei Shi further down the slippery slope, as once again, he lost control of his thoughts and actions as he guided Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s hand downwards¡­ and took further advantage of him.

    Wei Shi finished recalling the events of that night and found that he really couldn¡¯t face Shen Xiao Shi anymore. He wondered if he really was possessed by some dirty thing last night, otherwise how could he have done such a bastardly thing?

    Lf kjcafv ab jqbibulrf ab Vtfc Wljb Vtl, yea tf tjv cb lvfj tbk tf rtbeiv yfulc. Cccbsjcmf jcv ogeragjalbc kfgf cba fcbeut ab mjqaegf ktja tf ofia ja atf wbwfca.

    Vfflcu atja Qfl Vtl vlvc¡¯a jcrkfg obg j ibcu alwf, Vtfc Wljb Vtl gfqfjifv tlwrfio, tlr abcf wbgf rfglber atlr alwf, ¡°Ccrkfg wf, jgf sbe, bg jgf sbe cba?¡±

    Because of his appearance, Shen Xiao Shi was regularly harassed when he had worked at the bar. Later on, he had almost been raped by the other inmates in prison. Therefore, it would be an apt description to say that he detested gay people.

    They were all perverted.

    These people had not given him any good memories, so he felt no fault for generalising the entire group.

    Ever since he had known Wei Shi, Wei Shi had never betrayed any inclination of liking men. Even if Shen Xiao Shi was only wearing briefs in the summer and eating watermelon right in front of him, Wei Shi¡¯s expression never changed. However, now that he gave it some more thought, Wei Shi didn¡¯t seem to have any girlfriends either. How could it be normal for a man like him to not have any women hanging by his side?

    Besides, a straight man, no matter how drunk he was, wouldn¡¯t mess up the difference between a man and a woman, right?

    Shen Xiao Shi scrutinised Wei Shi closely, not missing any change of expression displayed on his face. His gaze was sharp, as if it could cut, and for a second even Wei Shi, a veteran, found it hard to maintain his composure under it.

    Truthfully, he had been met with plenty of gazes like this. From his parents, from his brothers and sisters, from people he knew and people he didn¡¯t. Their gazes were filled with disgust, antipathy and a sense of vigilance.

    What was coming would always come for him. Wei Shi never considered being closeted for the rest of his life, however he also never imagined that Shen Xiao Shi would find out under these circumstances. It was the worst case scenario.

    The two stared at each other for a long time, Wei Shi¡¯s eyes were dry as he blinked, and only then did he reply with one word under Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s pressing gaze.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi appeared to be stunned in response to Wei Shi¡¯s confession, like a TV with poor connection that couldn¡¯t process and respond accordingly to the information that was being transmitted.

    Though deep down he had already been 90% sure this was the case, he still wanted Wei Shi to confirm that miraculous 10% chance he was holding out for. It was to the point that if Wei Shi, even now, chose to deceive him with a clumsy lie, he would still run along with it and pretend he was none the wiser.

    ¡°I was born liking men.¡± Wei Shi continued, taking advantage of Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s stunned silence. ¡°Because of this, I¡¯m no longer in contact with my family anymore. I didn¡¯t want to hide it from you, but people like me are used to hiding our true selves, and I never found a good opportunity to talk about it. I¡¯m sorry for last night, that was my fault.¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi said nothing, as he looked away, got out of bed, put on his shoes, and smoothed out the creases in his clothes.

    His brows were furrowed, as he looked to be deeply preoccupied in his thoughts.

    Seeing him like this, Wei Shi stopped talking, as he lowered his head and did up his buttons silently.

    ¡°I treated you like a brother, but you wanted to sleep with me this whole time?¡±

    Wei Shi looked up and saw Shen Xiao Shi standing beside the bed, looking at him with a calm gaze, though his eyes were burning with a dim fire.

    He was like a flammable carton of gunpowder, where even the slightest trigger or confrontation would lead to an explosion where even the last of Wei Shi¡¯s bones would disintegrate into nothing.

    Wei Shi took two steps towards him, in an effort to explain the situation, ¡°Xiao Shi, I really didn¡¯t think that way¡­¡±

    As if he was hiding from a potential source of infection, Shen Xiao Shi took two steps back, as he suddenly called out, ¡°Don¡¯t get any closer!¡±

    Wei Shi stopped immediately as he raised both his hands up and stopped in his approach.

    ¡°I need some time to calm down, I don¡¯t want to see you right now.¡± Shen Xiao Shi¡¯s feelings were currently a mess, as he turned around and rushed out the door, and then disappeared down the stairs at breakneck speed.

    It was only when Shen Xiao Shi inhaled the crisp, fresh air outside and was dazzled by the sunlight that he felt a sense of reality returning to him.

    Turns out, it was not a dream.

    Fuck, why did he have to run away, when he was the one who lived there?

    Shen Xiao Shi took a deep breath as he sat down on the steps in front of the building. He had been under a lot of pressure recently, but now he also has to deal with the fact that Wei Shi belonged to the group of people he disliked the most, and he felt crushed by that fact.

    How could it be that everything unfortunate was happening to him¡­

    He sat on the steps for a while, and Wei Shi called him several times in between, as well as sending him a text message. He hung up on all of the calls, before he saw one coming from Lu Feng.

    This time, he didn¡¯t hang up and picked it up instead. Lu Feng was calling to ask him where he was, and he answered honestly. Lu Feng then followed up by asking if anything had happened. Shen Xiao Shi wasn¡¯t brazen enough to recount what had happened the night prior, so he instead asked Lu Feng if he remembered what he said that day when he saved Shen Xiao Shi at the bathhouse.

    ¡°What?¡± Lu Feng replied, sounding slightly lost.

    ¡°Inside the cells, it¡¯s common to see things happening between one man and another. Some of them were willing, others were forced to do things against their will. When you rescued me, I actually said these words to you verbatim, ¡®Thanks for stepping in, but if you saved me because you wanted to sleep with me, then I¡¯ll beat you up like I did with the rest of them.¡¯¡±

    This was the first thing he said to Lu Feng after they left solitary confinement. Lu Feng¡¯s expression was flat for a second before he finally responded by saying, ¡°For someone your age, you sure do have a lot of thoughts.¡± Given back then Shen Xiao Shi was still quite young, Lu Feng didn¡¯t take what he said personally.

    After Shen Xiao Shi mentioned this incident again though, Lu Feng recalled the whole conversation and asked why he was suddenly bringing this up again.

    Shen Xiao Shi gripped his phone tightly, as he heard hurried footsteps descending from the staircases from behind him.

    ¡°I just wanted to reiterate to you my stance towards people who are gay. It¡¯s fine for them to go for other people, but if they want to screw me, then I guarantee, I¡¯d beat that bastard up. If something really does end up happening, I hope you don¡¯t blame me.¡±

    Lu Feng heard this and at once became anxious as he asked, ¡°Xiao Shi, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi pursed his lips a few times, but ended up saying nothing in response. At the same time, the iron door behind him was pushed open, and Wei Shi who went looking downstairs had found him.

    Shen Xiao Shi stood up from the ground as he turned back to look at Wei Shi.

    Wei Shi was a man tall in stature, and had always been a formidable, stalwart and strong presence. He never showed a side of him that looked panicked, as Shen Xiao Shi saw now.

    It was as if ever since Wei Shi became ¡°gay¡±, everything had changed.

    He hated the Wei Shi that was like this.

    ¡°Xiao Shi, hear me out, I really¡­¡±

    Wei Shi made a futile attempt to defend himself and Shen Xiao Shi didn¡¯t even bother to listen, as ultimately this carton of gunpowder still exploded. He landed a devastating punch to Wei Shi¡¯s face as his phone flew from his grip as a result of the force, landing in a heap of grass nearby.

    Wei Shi staggered a few steps and crashed into the iron gate behind him. His face was tilted to one side as a result of the punch, and his teeth had cut into his lips as blood trickled out.

    He wiped the corner of his lips and eyed the bright red specks on the back of his hand, as he faced Shen Xiao Shi, who appeared now like an irreconcilable enemy, as the futility of this situation weighed down on him even further. ¡°Xiao Shi, listen to me, I really¡­¡±

    Shen Xiao Shi interrupted him again as he stormed over, ¡°Fuck you, I treated you as if you were a brother to me, but what did you see me as?¡±

    If Wei Shi was serious about fighting, then no matter how good Shen Xiao Shi was he would still not be able to defend himself against one of Wei Shi¡¯s punches or kicks. However, Wei Shi knew that he was in the wrong, so he didn¡¯t retaliate, instead he threw up the basic, necessary defensive stances. At the same time, he continued to talk to Shen Xiao Shi, in an effort to placate him, hoping that the two of them would be able to calm down and have a proper conversation instead.

    However, Shen Xiao Shi at this point in time clearly had lost all sense of reason. He had been deceived, and was furious at being betrayed by someone he had trusted, as he found himself abandoned by words adequate enough to express his feelings.

    ¡°You liar!¡± After a violent confrotnation, Shen Xiao Shi grabbed Wei Shi¡¯s collar, panting as he cursed, ¡°I trusted you so fucking much, but you treat me like this?¡± He pushed Wei Shi against the iron gate, but because of the height difference, even if he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, he still wasn¡¯t able to lift Wei Shi up.

    Wei Shi really did not know how to make up for his mistake, so he could only keep apologising.

    Shen Xiao Shi appeared to be fatigued to his core, as he dropped his head on his fist, which clutched Wei Shi¡¯s collar, as his body trembled faintly in the silence.

    Wei Shi raised his hand, unsure of whether or not he should touch him, ¡°Xiao Shi¡­¡±

    Wei Shi called his name worriedly, and wanted to ask if he was crying.

    Shen Xiao Shi lowered his head, sniffed, and suddenly raised his head to look at Wei Shi, his eyes red rimmed, but absent of tears.

    ¡°I hate you.¡± He said, voice full of venom, as he let go of Wei Shi, ¡°From now on, never appear in front of me again, otherwise, don¡¯t blame me if I treat you poorly. Now get out of my way.¡±

    For a split second, with the beating of his heart came a pain which felt a thousand times worse than the pain from the wound on his face.

    In his whole life, he had heard many cruel words directed at him, with a handful of people threatening to kill his whole family. However, none of them had quite hurt as much as this soft ¡°I hate you¡±.