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Chapter 124:Countless voices and laughter rang in his mind.
“Inside that gambling den—those gambling dogs are no longer considered human, anyway, there’s no hope of repentance, we can use them as an example.” Huo Niansheng said, “Scare the remaining few, make them identify the mastermind behind the scenes; don’t let it end up with witnesses retracting their statements.”
“I also agree with this, you can rest assured, there’s pressure on the police side as well, and they’re also afraid of public opinion.”
“Their social connections should also be investigated, parents, children, wives, there are always a few people in the world who care.”
“These small-scale bullying gangs, committing new crimes while serving their sentences, belong to those who show no remorse, their nature is even more despicable.” Lawyer Zhu said, “Legally, they definitely need heavy sentencing, they can’t run away. They’re not all solid within their group, I believe someone will loosen their lips sooner or later.”
Huo Niansheng hung up the phone, his expression indifferent. At this moment, he had just arrived downstairs, and stopped by the lawn, suddenly turning back to look upstairs.
The inpatient building is a six-story building, and the window belonging to Chen Wengang’s ward is still shining with a soft white light.
Since not every room is occupied, many rooms are dark, those with lights on in the darkness, are like twinkling stars.
That starry sky lingered in Huo Niansheng’s pupils for a long time, reflecting on his face a tenderness and compassion that he himself had not noticed.
In fact, it’s not that Huo Niansheng doesn’t want to visit every day, nor is it that he doesn’t want to spend more time with the other person.
Rather than saying he doesn’t want to go himself, it’s more accurate to say that Chen Wengang doesn’t actually need him.
Saving is a noble-sounding word, filled with self-satisfaction. Not every person who is willing to take him in deserves his gratitude. Huo Niansheng didn’t think about those unnecessary things when he picked him up. He picked him up like a stray cat, one that had been abused, looking at it carefully, full of caution, and needing treatment, rest, and a safe space.
All of this is more than just needing an unfamiliar person to be around.
Chen Wengang stayed in the hospital for a little over a month in total.
When he was discharged, autumn had ended completely, and the weather forecast predicted the arrival of cold air.
He was effectively homeless, so he had no choice but to move back to Huo Niansheng’s apartment in Yunding Tower.
On the day of discharge, Huo Niansheng went to pick him up.
The driver, Lao Li, and Amanda helped pack up. Chen Wengang had actually packed everything in advance, neatly arranged in the corner of the hospital room, just needing the driver to move them downstairs. Huo Niansheng stood by the window with his hands in his pockets, always looking out where he used to gaze.
As he pondered this, he suddenly turned around. Chen Wengang was quietly sitting on the edge of the bed.
Sensing the gaze, Chen Wengang looked up at him, returning a questioning look.
For a moment, an indescribable emotion surged in Huo Niansheng’s heart, like a flurry of snow on a winter day, fluttering in an instant.
Actually, snow is rarely seen in this city. It was during his days abroad, when he traveled around the world, sometimes for business, in cities with higher latitudes, in Switzerland, in Finland, and in Snow City, that he saw such scenes.
Huo Niansheng reminisced, back then when he left, the world was vast, leaving the child in his memories far behind.
And then, in the blink of an eye, somehow the other person truly grew up.
But not everyone’s growth has to be accompanied by painful lessons and sacrifices.
Amanda came in with the discharge papers, sensing a slightly different atmosphere. Huo Niansheng said, “Let’s go.”
Chen Wengang followed him back, and when they reached the apartment, Huo Niansheng suddenly asked again, “Can you manage alone?”
Chen Wengang paused, hesitantly asking him, “You’re still not staying here, are you?” with an unclear meaning.
Huo Niansheng smiled and asked back, “Do you want me to stay here, or do you not want to see me?”
Chen Wengang misunderstood the purpose of his question, he didn’t understand that Huo Niansheng was soliciting his opinion.
In a daze, Huo Niansheng looked at him for a moment, picked up his suit jacket, said they would decide later, and left, perhaps going to a nightclub or having other engagements, Chen Wengang wasn’t too sure.
After that, Huo Niansheng didn’t explicitly say whether he would stay or not, anyway, he was the owner, free to come and go. In this apartment in Yunding Tower, Huo Niansheng would come over every one or two days, sometimes staying overnight in the master bedroom, sometimes just coming back to eat and then leaving.
The meals were made by a caregiver—after discharge, Amanda no longer accompanied Chen Wengang, but another person was hired for the apartment, surnamed Wang. It was said that she had rich nursing knowledge and experience, and she also had a nutritionist qualification. She took over the job of taking care of Chen Wengang.
At first, Chen Wengang felt it was unnecessary; he wanted to decline. Hiring a caregiver specifically at home made him feel like a useless person. But he didn’t have a say in this matter; it was Huo Niansheng’s idea, so they hired her. Besides, for this caregiver, Sister Wang, the employer’s home was in a luxury apartment, and she was generously paid, so she was willing to stay.
So, she was responsible for supervising Chen Wengang’s medication intake, devising a nutritional diet, and preparing three meals a day for him.
Like Amanda, she would also report the situation at home to Huo Niansheng, all of which Chen Wengang knew.
After trying it out for two weeks, everything was peaceful.
To be honest, Chen Wengang was a good person to take care of. Caregivers often deal with patients who have lost their ability to take care of themselves, but he was nowhere near that level, nor did he have the quirks and demands of someone difficult to handle, he was as calm as a plant that only needed to be watered regularly.
Even if he heard Wang-jie talking on the phone behind his back, mentioning the “blind guy” she was taking care of, he simply pretended not to hear.
Wang-jie devised a variety of recipes, and posted them on the refrigerator, but they weren’t necessarily followed according to the recipe. When Huo Niansheng came back to eat, the dining table at home was often filled with delicious dishes. If he wasn’t at home, there was a higher chance of having simple meals.
But Chen Wengang wasn’t very particular about what he ate, so he didn’t mind either way.
That night, when Huo Niansheng came in, it was just past 8 o’clock in the evening, but he heard that Chen Wengang had already gone to bed early.
Wang-Jie was in the kitchen. She heard the sound and came out, wiping her hands. A fragrant smell wafted from the kitchen, and the soup was still simmering on the stove.
She asked if the employer wanted her to serve him a bowl, Huo Niansheng said casually as he changed his shoes, no need. She explained why Chen Wengang hadn’t eaten: “Mr. Chen had a little unpleasant encounter at the supermarket today.”
“What’s wrong?” Huo Niansheng’s hand paused as he adjusted his tie.
“It’s nothing much, just encountered two unruly kids who kept calling him ‘One-eyed Dragon’,” she said, “so I saw Mr. Chen wasn’t too happy, had a few words with their parents, and then came back.”
Huo Niansheng responded with an “Oh,” and then asked, “Were you there at that time? What did you say?”
“That’s… kids, they’re straightforward, can’t really argue with them on their level.”
“Alright, so he didn’t eat anything tonight?”
“Mr. Chen said he had no appetite, only ate some fruit.”
Huo Niansheng glanced at her, kicked off his shoes, and placed them neatly by the door.
Observing his expression, and seeing that the soup was almost ready, Wang-Jie turned off the stove and placed the ceramic pot on the induction cooker. Without making any movement, she signaled to Huo Niansheng before heading back to her maid’s room to rest.
Then Huo Niansheng stood for a moment before entering the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out a can of sparkling water, and glanced inside the fridge.
Although it was winter, the refrigerator was stocked with a variety of fruits, both imported and out-of-season.
Other sections stored organic vegetables, and there were also various high-end meats and seafood in the freezer. The refrigerator was always well-stocked, with expensive ingredients readily available. Huo Niansheng was accustomed to living extravagantly, so he spared no expense in providing for someone else.
Chen Wengang went to bed early and woke up early the next day, waking up at six in the morning.
The living room was spotless and silent; at first, he didn’t know if someone had returned last night.
Suddenly hearing voices, Chen Wengang was on the balcony, smoking by the railing.
Normally, Huo Niansheng wouldn’t get up this early, but today was an exception, which startled Chen Wengang. He turned his head back to look inside, only to see Huo Niansheng wearing pajamas over his clothes, and Wang-jie in front of him looking quite aggrieved. Unable to hear what they were saying through the door.
Huo Niansheng had a somewhat inscrutable expression on his face, and when Chen Wengang opened the glass door, she seemed to see a savior:
“Oh, Xiao Chen, tell the boss how I usually do things, whether I’m dedicated or not, you know…”
Chen Wengang twitched his lips slightly, flicked the ash off his cigarette, and remained silent. When she slacked off, Chen Wengang wasn’t interested in snitching, as for why she suddenly had to leave, he didn’t ask either. Watching coldly from the sidelines, seeming indifferent to the life and deaths of others.
Wang-Jie evidently didn’t want to leave this lucrative and easy job, but she still had to go, giving him a resentful glare as she left.
Chen Wengang had already turned away, continuing to smoke, seemingly unaware of anything.
Wang-Jie packed a travel bag, which took half an hour. Huo Niansheng might have gone back to catch some sleep, and it was another twenty minutes before he came out, grabbed some food from the kitchen, and also came to the balcony: “Why are you up so early.”
Chen Wengang greeted him with a “Good morning.” “I slept early yesterday, didn’t even know you were here; I didn’t hear a thing.”
Recently, a cold wave had passed through, and the temperature suddenly dropped by seven or eight degrees, giving a feeling of freezing cold.
The room was equipped with central air conditioning, maintaining a comfortable and pleasant environment with constant temperature and humidity. However, the balcony was partially open, with cold wind gusting in. Chen Wengang wore a thin sweater over his pajamas, his collar neatly pulled, revealing a section of his long and fair neck.
Enclosed by the railing, he tilted his head back, gazing through the bars at the divided sky, like a trapped bird.
Huo Niansheng took in his silhouette, handing him a croissant.
Chen Wengang took it, teasing, “I told you we didn’t need a caregiver, and then you drove her away.”
Huo Niansheng said, “Do you like eating in and out? If you want her back, it’s not too late.”
Chen Wengang shook his head, flicked the cigarette between his fingers into the ashtray, and took a bite of the croissant. “No need, good or bad, it doesn’t matter.”
He deliberately brought a crystal ashtray to the balcony, apparently a habitual offender. The ashtray was filled with ash and cigarette butts, and as the burning cigarette shortened bit by bit, Huo Niansheng asked, “Didn’t you quit smoking when you were in the hospital? How come you’re smoking again?”
As he spoke, Chen Wengang had already picked it up. Huo Niansheng suddenly reached out, passing it from his hand, and Chen Wengang, realizing his fault, let go. However, Huo Niansheng placed the half-smoked cigarette to his own lips, slightly tilting his head down and deeply inhaling.
Chen Wengang was momentarily stunned, barely able to react. He widened his eyes—
Huo Niansheng pressed the cigarette butt into the crystal ashtray and reached for the back of his head.
For a moment, Chen Wengang didn’t even have the thought of struggling, perhaps because the other’s actions could be considered gentle.
Huo Niansheng lowered his head, his soft lips against his, intertwining and rubbing, the warm touch enveloping him, along with the taste and texture of tobacco. A thunderous explosion seemed to occur in his brain, like fireworks bursting open, colorful and splendid. At that moment, Chen Wengang recalled many scenes of fireworks—carnivals, lantern festivals, beach bonfire parties…
He heard countless voices of people bustling and laughing, then they gradually faded away, disappearing into nothingness.
Chen Wengang was like a puppet on a string, allowing Huo Niansheng to wrap his arms around him.
Huo Niansheng’s movements were not overly eager, he progressed gradually, controlling the rhythm. In that brief moment, Chen Wengang lost some of his ability to think, but his memory function was unusually active. He recalled Zheng Yucheng from several years ago, and that summer night after the birthday party. Under the still-lit colorful lights, hidden confessions and a shy kiss.
The past was vividly clear, as if it had happened yesterday.
Compared to Zheng Yucheng who still hadn’t shed his youthful vigor, Huo Niansheng was a completely different kind of man.
Zheng Yucheng was full of vitality, with an air of inevitability about love. Huo Niansheng was different, he was poised and elusive, precisely controlling the distance he wanted, giving people an instinctive sense of danger.
As if once you fell into his hands, there was no possibility of escape.
Chen Wengang placed both hands on his chest, loosely and tightly, and in the end, he grabbed hold of Huo Niansheng’s clothes.
Until the phone rang annoyingly for the second time, indicating that it wasn’t a nuisance call, and the caller probably had something important to say.
The two abruptly separated. It was Huo Niansheng’s phone that was ringing. He straightened Chen Wengang’s collar and said, “Go inside. It’s cold out here.”
Chen Wengang went into the living room, feeling like he had nowhere to hide.
Only then did he realize that his face was burning as if on fire, and everything that had just happened seemed like a delusion fabricated by his confused mind.
However, the sensation and warmth of the lips and teeth sucking still lingered between them, very real. He turned his head, and Huo Niansheng was still on the balcony talking on the phone, looking calm and even smiling, as if he himself were not included in the romantic scene just now.
Chen Wengang also calmed down, and this kiss, rather than being romantic, was more shocking.
The inner confusion and puzzlement were like a whirlpool growing larger, engulfing him entirely. Zheng Yucheng, his childhood friend, and that confession were perfectly reasonable, but what about someone like Huo Niansheng? What was he doing? Did he know what he was doing?
Chen Wengang lowered his head and saw his sleeve smeared with ash from the ashtray. He brushed it off and pushed open the bathroom door.
Turning on the faucet, a gush of white water rushed out, and he lifted his head to the bright mirror above the sink.
The person inside was looking back at him with one eye.
Huo Niansheng hung up the phone and stayed on the balcony for another half a minute before coming back inside and closing the sliding door.
With no sign of Chen Wengang in his line of sight, Huo Niansheng waited for a moment, only to be greeted by a loud noise, a deafening crash that could be heard on all floors. Just by hearing the sound, one could guess what had been broken. He took a step forward and pulled open the bathroom door.
Chen Wengang was leaning against the sink, and upon seeing Huo Niansheng come in, he let go of the sink and took a step back, his back against the cold tiles.
Directly opposite the sliding door, the originally sleek and radiant mirror now displayed a radial pattern of spiderweb-like cracks.
Most of the mirror pieces were still stuck to the wall with backing glue, while some small fragments had fallen into the sink. They reflected each other, projecting countless Chen Wengangs and countless deformed faces. In the mirror, he wore a look of indifference, as if possessed.
Huo Niansheng tapped the tempered glass with his fingers, indicating that he had come over. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Chen Wengang turned his gaze to him.
He stared at Huo Niansheng for a few seconds, squeezed past him, and turned back to his room.
Even though the house had suffered an inexplicable disaster, Huo Niansheng didn’t show any signs of anger. He just stayed in the bathroom, looking down at the glass shards in the sink, picking up one. His expression remained calm, but in his mind, he could still see Chen Wengang’s expression when he had just looked at him.
Huo Niansheng pushed open the door to the second bedroom, where Chen Wengang was lying in bed wrapped in a blanket, facing the wall.
Huo Niansheng walked over with a medicine kit. “Did you cut your hand?”
Chen Wengang didn’t say anything. After half a minute, he finally sat up and stretched out his hand to show him.
There was a cut under his little finger, and Huo Niansheng wiped it with iodine. He joked, “You’re so sincere, you used your own hand. Were there no other tools in the bathroom?” Chen Wengang still didn’t speak.
He comforted him again, “It’s okay, don’t think too much about it. You can fix it with plastic surgery later.”
Finally, Chen Wengang reacted to this statement. He smiled bitterly and said, “That’s not the problem.”
Huo Niansheng asked, “Then what’s the problem?”
Chen Wengang withdrew his gaze. He had never been a mean person, let alone losing his temper or arguing with others. At this moment, he was engulfed in a self-loathing emotion, feeling deeply defeated. He wished Huo Niansheng would frown and question him about what happened.
Huo Niansheng covered him with the blanket again. “Don’t worry about it, just lie down for a while.”
As he left, he closed the door behind him. Chen Wengang lay on the pillow, feeling like he had a lump in his stomach, experiencing both heartburn and nausea.
His mind was in chaos, and the blossoming fireworks and the lively sounds returned. The music of the carousel, the bustling bargaining, the electronic dance music with young men and women cheering in the background—they all lingered in his ears, circling around endlessly.
Those scenes no longer brought him joy; they became boring and meaningless.
Turning over, whether he admitted it or not, when Huo Niansheng kissed him just now, it did give him a dim sense of joy from being liked and pursued. Now, only this person could give him a glimmer of hope. He had made a lot of mental preparations, sometimes thinking his courage was enough, but reality would repeatedly crush him, making his fantasies seem worthless.
Wang-Jie, who was responsible for the housework, left, and there was no one to cook lunch. The bathroom had become a mess.
But dealing with it wasn’t a big deal, and Huo Niansheng didn’t bother his assistant. He made a phone call, and half an hour later, a chef arrived to handle the ingredients, setting up a table with cold and hot dishes.
Then he knocked on the door of the second bedroom again. “Can I come in?”
Chen Wengang heard his voice and sat up, straightening his hair. “The door isn’t locked.”
Huo Niansheng entered, simply saying, “Are you hungry? Come out and eat.”
Chen Wengang, unsure if he had slept or just laid there for hours with his hair in a mess, used his hand to fix it and apologized with a hoarse voice, slowly moving his legs off the bed. “I didn’t mean to lash out at you just now. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
He spoke stiffly and awkwardly, his words somewhat mumbled, like a primary school student being taught how to formally apologize for the first time.
Huo Niansheng smiled. “You startled me a bit.” Chen Wengang looked up at him, leaning against the door, still using a teasing tone. “If you don’t want the mirror, then forget about it. As long as no one gets hurt, it’s fine. Let’s eat.”
Huo Niansheng showed magnanimity, tolerating Chen Wengang’s unfounded outburst—someone tormented by illness would inevitably develop a strange temper over time, which was understandable. The two sat at the dining table to eat, and neither of them mentioned the incident again.
By evening, Huo Niansheng went out again.
Only the bathroom still maintained the scene of a crime.
In fact, workers had come in the afternoon to clean up the mess and remove the broken mirror. However, they didn’t replace it with a new one. Later, when Chen Wengang went to the bathroom, all he saw was the bare wall.
He himself couldn’t adapt to it, but he was the one who inexplicably destroyed it and had no right to ask anything.
Two days later, a concave decorative painting replaced the empty space above the sink. It depicted a bouquet of blooming lilies.
The painting was beautiful, but it looked out of place as a decoration above the sink, appearing somewhat ridiculous. No one’s home would be decorated like this. However, after this incident, the parts of the apartment that could reflect light were visibly reduced.
Before, on the opposite side of the shoe-changing stool in the foyer, the shoe cabinet was faced with smooth metal plates, and the liquor cabinet doors were made of reflective glass.
These things that could reflect one’s image gradually disappeared from the house without notice.
The remaining two or three mirrors were installed inside the closet in the cloakroom and could only be seen when opened.
Chen Wengang knew that Huo Niansheng had misunderstood something. He wasn’t simply afraid of seeing his own reflection. His resistance came from deeper issues, such as the fear of the unknown future and the impossibility of having intimate relationships again.
But this was hard to explain, and even he himself couldn’t understand it.
Life had to go on. After this incident, Huo Niansheng hired a new caretaker.
This time, the woman, Ms. Meng, in her fifties, was not a professional caregiver, but she had a better temper than the previous one and was more efficient in her work. Overall, she seemed more suitable. Her only flaw was her nagging. If Chen Wengang didn’t like to go out, she would constantly persuade him not to stay at home all the time.
Sometimes, she would go to the supermarket and take young people with her, or she would make time to accompany him for a walk in the park.
If Chen Wengang really didn’t want to go out, this tug-of-war process could last a long time until he compromised.
But on the other hand, if she didn’t make an effort like this, Chen Wengang might really stay at home for ten days or half a month without going out.
He locked himself in his room, creating his own prison. After all, whenever he went out, wherever he went, he would encounter strange looks. But not going out wasn’t just because of this reason; more importantly, he was afraid of encountering strangers coming towards him.
Sometimes Chen Wengang felt dazed, as if the world had turned into another restless appearance in his eyes. Every person in the crowd seemed to hide another face with a sinister expression. He couldn’t tell which one would suddenly become violent and bring disaster upon him.
Eventually, Ms. Meng won this invisible war through her efforts.
He didn’t know what she had told the employer, or even convinced Huo Niansheng, to start taking Chen Wengang out. There was one Friday when he suddenly asked Chen Wengang to change clothes, and they went to a French restaurant for dinner. After that, it became a habit or routine arrangement.
Basically, every weekend, Huo Niansheng would take Chen Wengang to a restaurant to eat, and Chen Wengang accepted it. He was willing to go out with Huo Niansheng, eat and drink, but they never crossed any boundaries between them again.
Maintaining this frequency, it was soon the end of the year.
Christmas was approaching, followed by the New Year, and the streets were bustling with excitement.
The arrival of Black Friday brought a frenzy of shopping to the stores, and all the restaurants were crowded. Huo Niansheng had booked a table at a high-end restaurant on the top floor of a department store, but he had left his wallet in the car. He patted Chen Wengang on the shoulder and asked him to go up first.
The hotpot restaurant downstairs was extremely crowded, with queue numbers reaching three hundred. Chen Wengang wore a mask and walked past the long line of people, heading to the restaurant upstairs. This place operated on a members-only reservation system, so it wasn’t crowded, with only thirty tables available.
But even so, there was still a chance that he would encounter someone he didn’t want to see.
Zheng Yucheng was the first to notice him. He was sitting opposite Zheng Baoqiu.
The two siblings were out for a meal for some reason, and as Chen Wengang followed the waiter inside, they collided head-on. Zheng Yucheng reacted first, dropping his chopsticks and rushing to Chen Wengang’s side.
Zheng Yucheng was shocked as if struck by lightning, his face displaying disbelief as he stared fixedly at the right side of Chen Wengang’s face.
Chen Wengang furrowed his brows, unable to speak in time, while Zheng Baoqiu let out a sharp cry of surprise.
Zheng Yucheng reached out and forcefully removed Chen Wengang’s mask without permission.
The waiter was also startled, emitting a gasp of horror. Zheng Baoqiu wanted to approach as well but was separated by the table. The scene became chaotic for a moment, and Chen Wengang felt embarrassed. He put the mask back on and rebuked Zheng Yucheng, “What’s wrong with you?”
Zheng Yucheng finally found his voice, “How did this happen to you?”
Chen Wengang said coldly, “I’ve been disfigured. So what? Haven’t you ever seen anything like this before?”
Zheng Yucheng was extremely horrified, “I only heard that you were injured a little! How could it turn out like this?”
Zheng Baoqiu looked worried and froze in place, not daring to act rashly in the tense atmosphere. If Huo Niansheng hadn’t hurriedly arrived, the situation might have been difficult to defuse. He appeared as if from nowhere, separating Zheng Yucheng and persuading Zheng Baoqiu to leave.
Chen Wengang, intentionally or unintentionally, hid behind him.
“You move aside, I have something to say.” But Zheng Yucheng was too agitated to listen and continued, “Wengang—”
Guests turned their heads to watch the commotion, and Huo Niansheng pushed Zheng Yucheng aside again, saying, “Do you only feel happy when you’re photographed?”
Zheng Baoqiu realized what was happening first, stopped eating, and dragged her brother home. Suppressing her doubts, she gestured to Huo Niansheng to postpone their call. The waiter also snapped out of it and pulled away their chairs.
Huo Niansheng sat down as if nothing had happened and ordered as usual. Chen Wengang sat across from him.
Soon, dishes were served one by one, but the atmosphere was disrupted, and the meal was tasteless.
Chen Wengang played with the salad on his plate with his fork, and Huo Niansheng handed him the pepper shaker, asking, “Do you want some?”
Chen Wengang subconsciously took it and remained silent as he turned the bottle upside down, sprinkling pepper onto his plate.
Huo Niansheng chuckled, “What’s wrong? Feeling sad?”
Chen Wengang paused for two seconds before responding, “Sorry, I zoned out. What did you just say?”
Huo Niansheng placed his fork beside the plate and stopped eating, lifting his cup to drink water. “I didn’t say anything.”
Chen Wengang sighed inwardly with his head bowed.
In fact, he heard clearly, but he was afraid this person would start preaching about how foolish it was to be so obsessed with a man. But by now, there was no need for any more lessons, as he had learned his lesson. Seeing Zheng Yucheng again, Chen Wengang found it laughable.
Zheng Yucheng’s shocked face looked like that of an idiot, and the thought of his expression even sparked a hint of impatience in Chen Wengang.
Just now, hiding behind Huo Niansheng, Chen Wengang realized upon closer inspection that his childhood friend, Zheng Yucheng, might not be as familiar as he thought. Like a ridiculous clown, Zheng Yucheng was making a fuss, and to Chen Wengang, he seemed very unfamiliar.
But he deliberately avoided thinking about Zheng Baoqiu, who was also present, and went straight to the bedroom when they returned to the apartment.
Huo Niansheng followed him, changing his shoes at the entrance.
The two of them remained silent on the way home, and the silence continued until they reached the apartment. Fortunately, Huo Niansheng was used to the unpredictable moods of his cohabitant. When Chen Wengang returned to his room, Huo Niansheng walked to the bar, opened the liquor cabinet, and answered a call from his cousin.
Chen Wengang pushed the door slightly ajar and heard Huo Niansheng’s voice dealing with Zheng Baoqiu in the living room.
Huo Niansheng spoke softly, and Chen Wengang couldn’t hear clearly from the distance. He seemed relaxed, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.
Chen Wengang originally intended to go to the bathroom but decided to forego washing up upon hearing the conversation. He lay back on the bed, feeling exhausted as soon as his head touched the pillow, and soon drifted off to sleep. However, he often slept poorly, unable to distinguish between hallucinations and dreams in his semi-conscious state.
That day, Chen Wengang didn’t have a nightmare, but it wasn’t a pleasant dream either. It was more like a straightforward retrospective, with sensory experiences—smelling the seafood aroma of the market, seeing exaggerated kelp hanging on clotheslines, street vendors making sugar figurines, an ice cream cart playing music, someone playing the harmonica, and a teacher teaching children to sing. Outside the pavilion, along the ancient road, with lush greenery…
Chen Wengang suddenly woke up, and even the voices of children singing seemed to echo vividly in his ears.
They sang repeatedly without stopping, as if someone had pressed the repeat button, from heavenly sounds to distorted buzzing, outside the pavilion, along the ancient road, with lush greenery…
Huo Niansheng was about to go to bed, having taken a shower and dried his hair. As he came out of the bathroom, he heard a knock at the door.
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