The moonlight was swallowed by thick storm clouds. An icy wind howled along the steep mountain path, stripping away the last traces of warmth from the human body.
Mu Liang did not know why he had come here.
If he remembered correctly, today was December 24th, his lover’s birthday.
He should have been in a spacious and comfortable room. The servants would have decorated the entire villa in a warm and romantic style. Roses of every color would have been arranged with meticulous care and the ribeye steak would have been cooked to perfection, everything exactly as his lover had once liked it.
His lover had always been punctual.
The one who constantly forgot their appointments had always been him.
The Mu Corporation seemed to have an endless stream of meetings and unexpected work. Somehow, everything in the world always appeared to rank above his lover in priority.
Several months ago, he had sat beside his lover’s hospital bed, holding his hand as he made a promise.
From then on, he would be present for every birthday.
This time, he had finally arrived ahead of the agreed time.
The clock in the living room struck twelve.
The sound startled him awake, as though he had emerged from a dream.
The steep cliff and desolate mountain road vanished without a trace.
Standing before him was a refined and handsome young man, smiling shyly.
Time had stopped forever upon him.
His most beautiful years had been sealed within a small black and white photograph.
Only then did Mu Liang suddenly remember.
His lover, Xu Anci, was already dead.
He opened his eyes.
The warm room, the beautiful bouquet of flowers…
It had all been a dream.
He found himself once again standing in the pitch black mountains.
He could not remember why he had come here. He only wandered forward in a daze, step by step, making his way up the mountain.
Sigui Cliff lay in the suburbs of Haishi, only an hour’s drive from the city center. With its refreshing sea breeze and breathtaking scenery, it was a popular destination for both office workers and wealthy families seeking a getaway.
Of course, that was only true on clear and sunny days.
Now it was deep into the night.
Moreover, the once in a century typhoon “Tess” was on the verge of making landfall.
Yet atop the cliff, where no one should have been, a thin and gaunt figure slowly walked forward.
The young man looked to be in his early twenties.
His features were delicate and elegant but he was so thin that he seemed almost emaciated. His phoenix eyes, once exceptionally beautiful, were dark and lifeless. Rainwater gathered upon his long eyelashes like tears that had yet to fall.
“Anci…”
Mu Liang murmured the name and followed after him.
A bolt of lightning split the sky.
The deafening crash shook heaven and earth.
The haze clouding Mu Liang’s mind vanished instantly.
A profound terror surged up from the depths of his heart.
“Anci!” he shouted. “Come back!”
But the young man seemed not to hear him.
Without pause, he continued along the narrow path toward the summit.
“Stop, Anci.”
Mu Liang quickened his pace.
Xu Anci rarely exercised. Occasionally, he would accompany Mu Liang on mountain hikes but before long he would be left breathless from exhaustion.
Yet this time, no matter how desperately Mu Liang chased after him, the figure in white remained forever out of reach.
A dreadful premonition gripped his heart.
At last, Mu Liang remembered.
He had experienced this nightmare before.
It had been on a stormy night exactly like this one.
His lover had walked toward the cliff step by step before his eyes.
His heart rending cries had mixed with the roar of thunder.
Clad in flowing white, he had fallen like a butterfly descending through the storm.
Sigui Cliff was Mu Liang’s place of sorrow.
It was also the burial ground of his beloved.
……
“I’m sorry, Anci…”
His voice trembled.
“I shouldn’t have taken my parents’ hatred out on you. I shouldn’t have toyed with your feelings and deceived you into marrying me. I shouldn’t have…”
His throat tightened.
“I shouldn’t have ignored you. Neglected you. Humiliated you.”
The cries of anguish lodged in his throat, only to be torn apart and scattered by the wind and rain.
The young man heard none of it.
At last, he reached the mountain’s highest point.
Beyond his feet churned the raging ocean, swollen by the storm.
A cry of terror escaped Mu Liang.
His legs gave way beneath him.
He collapsed into the mud and screamed hoarsely,
“It was my fault!”
“It was my fault!”
“I promise you! I’ll agree to the divorce, Xu Anci! I surrender! I’ll set you free…”
His voice broke.
“Please… please don’t take another step forward.”
The young man never turned around.
Slowly, he exhaled.
Facing the endless darkness before him, his eyes finally regained a trace of focus.
The corners of his lips lifted.
The smile he wore carried a sense of liberation.
Softly, he murmured,
“I give it all back to you.”
Then he leaned forward.
Like a kite drenched by wind and rain, he fell.
He descended.
He disappeared.
With all his strength, Mu Liang lunged forward, desperately trying to catch the falling figure.
But in the darkness between heaven and earth, there was nothing.
Only the white waves below, crashing endlessly against the shore.
He cried out in alarm and jolted awake from the dream.
His heart pounded like thunder.
It took a long while before he recovered from the sensation of falling.
In the black and white photograph, the young man gazed at him with a faint smile.
Just as in life, he remained quiet and gentle, never fond of speaking.
On the table, the butter atop the steak had cooled and solidified into a pale white layer.
The roses in the vase bloomed weakly, as though stricken with illness.
The minute and hour hands overlapped.
The cheerful chime of the clock rang out.
A brand new day had begun.
The sound of shattering porcelain suddenly echoed through the room.
Water spread across the carpet.
A sharp fragment sliced across his wrist, leaving behind a thin trail of blood.
But it was nowhere near enough.
A shadow passed through Mu Liang’s eyes.
Just as he was about to press harder, a knock sounded at the door.
His assistant’s urgent voice came from outside.
“President Mu! We’ve found Mr. Xu!”
………
Liaohai County, Jingnan Village.
This winter had been exceptionally cold.
Even in March, the sea breeze still carried a piercing chill.
The marketplace was crowded with people, most of them villagers from nearby towns who had come for market day.
A large crowd had gathered around a fish stall.
Business was far better than usual.
The fishmonger, Zhang Jun, grinned so widely that his brown, protruding teeth were almost entirely visible. His hands moved quickly as he gutted fish and scraped away scales.
Laughing, he kicked the young man standing in front of him.
“Idiot! Move faster!”
The young man working at the stall was dressed in a wrinkled gray shirt.
His exposed wrists were red from the cold.
Every so often, he coughed softly, looking weak and listless.
Yet despite his shabby appearance, the people gathered around the stall could not help stealing glances at him.
The reason was simple.
He was extraordinarily handsome.
His skin was pale, standing in stark contrast to the weather beaten villagers of the fishing town.
His features were refined and beautiful, even more striking than those of a movie star.
Unfortunately, a dark red scar stretched from his cheek all the way to the corner of his eye, ruining what would otherwise have been a breathtaking face.
Tilting his head slightly, the young man focused intently on washing a fish stained chopping board.
After being kicked, his body trembled and he hurried to work faster.
Yet despite his efforts, his movements remained somewhat clumsy.
The beautiful eyes that should have sparkled with intelligence lacked vitality.
Instead, they carried a dull and vacant look.
After packaging a cleaned fish, a customer handed over a bright red banknote.
The young man had never seen this kind of money before.
Before he could react, Zhang Jun cursed loudly,
“Idiot! What are you standing there for? Looking for another beating?”
He glared at him.
“Hurry up and give the customer their change! You’re so clumsy. Do you know how much business you’ve already delayed because of your stupidity?”
One of the customers laughed and teased, “A’Jun, where’d you get yourself such a pretty little wife?”
The surrounding crowd immediately burst into laughter.
Zhang Jun shot a glance at the young man, who was fumbling clumsily through the cash pouch in search of change. A smug expression crossed his face, though his words carried a different tone.
“A kid from some distant relatives,” he said. “They sent him here to learn a thing or two about doing business. Tsk, tsk…”
He pointed at his own head and deliberately raised his voice.
“But who would’ve thought? Not only is the kid disfigured, his brain doesn’t work right either.”
The crowd laughed even harder.
“Got quite the temper, though. Doesn’t like being called an idiot. A couple lashes with a belt and he behaves himself just fine.”
Suddenly, Zhang Jun barked,
“Hey! Idiot, what are you hiding for? If the customer wants to touch you, let him touch you. What, is your ass made of gold?”
The young man struggled free from the hand reaching toward his waist.
In a small voice, he protested,
“I’m not an idiot.”
But his voice was far too soft.
It vanished completely beneath the crowd’s jeering laughter.
As dusk settled over the marketplace, the crowd gradually thinned.
The roadside vendors gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing loudly as they packed away their stalls.
Then a furious shout suddenly rang out.
“Idiot! Look at what you’ve done!”
A bright red banknote was slapped against the young man’s face.
Zhang Jun cursed furiously.
“Where are your eyes? Can’t you tell something this obvious is fake money?”
His face darkened.
“Or are you relying on that brat A’Hao to protect you? Deliberately trying to make trouble for me?”
The more he spoke, the angrier he became.
“What a jinx. A useless money losing burden. Thanks to you, I’ve worked an entire day for nothing.”
Still unsatisfied after venting his anger, he kicked the young man hard in the stomach.
As a fishmonger, Zhang Jun possessed a large frame and astonishing strength.
The young man was sent crashing to the ground.
His frail back slammed into a pile of clutter stacked beside the fish stall.
The pain was so intense that he could not even cry out.
Afterward, Zhang Jun picked several larger denomination bills from a pile of loose change.
He tipped back the wine flask and drained the final mouthfuls.
Then, carrying the empty flask, he staggered toward a liquor shop.
Before leaving, he tossed out a final warning.
“Why aren’t you packing up yet? If anything goes missing, I’ll break your legs!”
Only after Zhang Jun left did an elderly woman nearby finally intervene.
Unable to bear watching any longer, she helped the young man to his feet.
The youth remained seated on the ground, clutching his stomach blankly.
The old woman sighed.
“Oh, child… How can you not even remember where your home is? If your parents saw you suffering like this, their hearts would break.”
Looking at his pale face, she asked gently,
“You’ve been working all day. Have you eaten anything?”
The young man shook his head.
The old woman took a crumpled banknote and pressed it into his palm.
Then she mimed the action of eating.
“Go buy something to eat,” she said. “Otherwise your stomach will hurt.”
The young man tilted his head.
He looked down at the money in his hand, then back at the old woman.
He said nothing.
Instead, he merely stared at her blankly.
The old woman sighed again.
She could not tell whether he had understood her words or not.
……
By the time he returned to Jingnan Village, it was already late at night.
The young man parked the small handcart carrying weights and miscellaneous supplies in the backyard.
Light shone from the tiny brick house.
The dullness in his eyes immediately faded.
A trace of brightness appeared.
Even a hint of excitement.
Brother A’Hao was waiting for him to come home.
He knocked on the door.
When he heard a muffled response from inside, a happy smile spread across his face.
The joy brought a touch of life back to his pale cheeks.
Pushing open the door, he said softly yet cheerfully,
“Brother A’Hao, I’m back.”
After only one day, the room had already become a mess.
Garbage and miscellaneous clutter covered the floor.
The young man bent down and gathered several dirty pieces of clothing lying around.
Then he swept fruit peels and scraps of paper into a pile.
At last, the yellow haired young man sprawled crookedly on the bed finally tore his attention away from the game on his phone.
This was Zhang Hao, the younger brother of fishmonger Zhang Jun and the “Brother A’Hao” the young man spoke of.
Fish scales clung to the young man’s hair and clothes.
Several streaks of grime stained what had once been a clean face.
He looked particularly miserable.
Zhang Hao frowned.
“How’d you end up looking like this? Did my brother hit you again?”
Without waiting for an answer, he continued,
“You’re really stupid. If he hits you, run away.”
He wrinkled his nose.
“You stink like fish.”
“Don’t you find it disgusting?”
The young man immediately nodded.
“Mhm, mhm.”
Lowering his head, he carefully sniffed his sleeves and clothes.
His brows furrowed slightly.
“It smells bad,” he whispered.
Then he picked up his wash basin and headed outside.
Zhang Hao chuckled inwardly.
This idiot was surprisingly clean for someone like him.
Casually, he opened the coin pouch the young man had brought back.
Aside from several one yuan notes, there was only a single ten yuan bill left.
The wrinkled note had been carefully smoothed out and tucked neatly into a separate compartment.
Zhang Hao irritably scratched his hair.
The payment QR code belonged to his older brother.
Zhang Jun’s temper was explosive and he spent his days drunk.
Zhang Hao didn’t dare ask him for money.
But online games required money.
Equipment upgrades required money.
The only way he could fund his gaming habit was by secretly stealing some of the cash earned from selling fish.
A little over ten yuan was barely enough to rent a computer at an internet café.
As for buying equipment, it wasn’t nearly enough.
——–
The bathing area was outside.
A’Hao said he was dirty and refused to let him use the bathroom.
So he carried water outside and wiped himself clean.
But before long, his hands and exposed skin began to ache intensely.
Uncontrollable shivers ran through his body.
At least Brother A’Hao wouldn’t think he was dirty anymore.
Holding the basin, he returned indoors trembling.
Just in time to see A’Hao slipping the wrinkled ten yuan note into his pocket.
The young man immediately grabbed A’Hao’s hand.
Using gestures, he mimicked eating.
“Eat,” he said softly. “Buy food.”
A’Hao impatiently shook him off.
A new round of battle was about to begin on his phone.
“Get lost, get lost, get lost. Can’t you see I’m busy?”
Yet the fool failed to take the hint.
Looking especially aggrieved, he shuffled closer again.
“My stomach hurts,” he said slowly.
“You need money to buy food.”
A grown man acting like a three year old child.
Zhang Hao lifted his head, ready to mock him further.
But suddenly he froze.
The words died in his throat.
The young man’s skin had regained its fair complexion after washing.
The cold water had left his flesh flushed red.
Instead of looking pitiful, however, it carried an oddly alluring quality.
Through the loose collar of his shirt, the graceful lines of his body could be faintly seen.
The room was dimly lit.
Yet even so, the young man’s elegant nose bridge and deep set eyes stood out clearly.
His bone structure was so exceptionally beautiful that it almost made people forget the terrifying scar on his face.
Slowly, Zhang Hao lowered his phone.
His hand crept toward the young man’s lower back.
Drawing the still shivering youth closer into his embrace, he smiled.
“Does our little fool like Brother A’Hao?”
The young man nodded.
Then shook his head.
“I’m not an idiot,” he said softly.
Zhang Hao laughed.
“Fine. You’re not an idiot.”
His voice grew gentler.
“Then tell me, are you happy whenever you see your brother?”
The young man nodded vigorously.
“Brother A’Hao treats me very well.”
“He doesn’t hit me.”
“He doesn’t call me an idiot.”
“I like Brother A’Hao.”
What a fool.
Zhang Hao almost laughed out loud.
“Since Brother A’Hao treats you so well…”
His hand tightened around the youth’s waist.
“Would you like to do some happy things with your brother?”
The young man frowned.
Tilting his head, he pondered seriously.
His expression was filled with confusion.
Zhang Hao quickly lost patience.
He stood up abruptly.
Grabbing the young man’s arm, he reached for the loose shirt hanging from his shoulders.
Suddenly, however, the young man began struggling violently.
Something about Zhang Hao’s actions seemed to awaken a buried and horrifying memory.
In panic, he clutched desperately at his shirt, which had nearly been torn open during the struggle.
Then, summoning all his strength, he shoved the man restraining him away.
Ignoring the curses shouted behind him, he fled blindly out the door.
There was a small storage shed behind the house where salted fish and other catches were kept.
Ever since arriving in Jingnan Village, A’Hao had given him bedding and blankets.
At night, this was where he slept.
Now he curled himself into a tight ball.
His arms wrapped around his body.
He was terrified.
He didn’t understand why Brother A’Hao had suddenly behaved that way.
Brother A’Hao had been kind to him.
He had taken him in.
Given him a place to stay.
Even cooked noodles for him before.
He truly wanted Brother A’Hao to be happy.
And yet…
For some reason…
He had still pushed him away.
Quiet sobs escaped him.
Then suddenly he heard a distant rumbling sound outside.
Anci knew what it was.
The sound of a car engine.
Whenever A’Hao watched war movies, someone always died after that sound appeared.
The terrifying engine noise, an omen of death, finally ceased.
Then came countless hurried footsteps.
Bright beams of light shone through the drafty little shack from every direction.
The glare hurt his eyes.
Someone was shouting loudly.
More and more flashlights appeared.
The brightness became unbearable.
The footsteps drew closer.
Closer.
Then,
Bang!
The door was smashed open.
A group of people rushed inside.
They weren’t Zhang Hao.
Nor were they villagers.
Every one of them was tall and powerfully built.
They wore black jackets.
Just like the ruthless villains who killed without blinking in television dramas.
The man leading them strode toward him against the light.
The young man could not make out his face.
All he could see was that the man was exceptionally tall.
This man must have killed many people.
Anci thought so instinctively.
The shadow of the killer loomed over him.
He curled up tighter, desperately trying to make himself smaller.
But the man refused to leave him alone.
Half kneeling before him, he reached out and grasped his shoulders.
It hurt.
Forced by the man’s grip, Anci lifted his head.
The newcomer was astonishingly handsome.
Even more handsome than the movie stars on television.
Though dark stubble covered his jaw and bloodshot veins filled his eyes, he still didn’t appear sloppy.
“Anci!”
The man called out a name.
Then suddenly tears streamed down his face.
His tears were like a silent storm.
They fell onto the young man’s face.
Onto his hair.
Anci tasted one.
It was bitter.
“I’m taking you home.”
The man’s hands were scorching hot.
So hot that they hurt his wrist.
Instinctively, he struggled.
But the man only held him tighter.
“But I don’t know you!”
The young man twisted desperately.
The man’s arms felt like iron shackles.
He wasn’t hurting him.
Yet Anci hated the feeling.
More than that, he hated the scent clinging to the man’s body.
Just smelling it filled him with wave after wave of sorrow.
Like a rising tide swallowing the shore.
He began coughing uncontrollably.
Pain twisted through his lungs and chest.
“What happened?”
The man’s expression changed.
“Are you hurt?”
His gaze dropped to Anci’s waist.
During the struggle, his clothes had shifted aside.
Against porcelain white skin spread shocking purple bruises.
“Damn it.”
The man’s eyes closed briefly.
Grinding his teeth, he cursed under his breath.
Then he reached toward the injuries.
But the already terrified young man suddenly let out a piercing scream.
Scrambling backward on hands and knees, he retreated into the corner once more.
A ragged quilt, with cotton stuffing spilling from its seams, was clutched before him like a shield.
“Brother A’Hao…”
His voice broke into frightened sobs.
But no one came to save him.
In his panic, his hands searched blindly across the floor.
Without even looking, he grabbed whatever he could find.
His fingers closed around something hard.
Then, as the man approached him again, he swung it with all his strength.
The object slammed into the man’s head.
A muffled groan escaped him.
Pain flashed across his face.
Bright red blood trickled from his hairline.
Slowly, he sank to his knees.
His eyes were filled with grief and unbearable sorrow.
Then he spoke.
“Anci…”
His voice trembled.
“I’m your lover. Have you forgotten me?”
Clutching the hard salted fish in both hands, the young man shrank back and burst into tears.
“Go away! I don’t know you!”
Hello! This is Liew! I hope you all enjoy this novel! 🧡
