“Brother A’Hao, slow down a little…”
The young man hugged a small bundle of belongings against his chest. His head felt foggy and his body was unbearably heavy. He stumbled along, barely able to keep his footing as A’Hao dragged him forward.
A’Hao wore a dark, sullen expression as he dragged the young man toward the entrance of the village. The young man’s voice had gradually taken on a tearful, pleading tone but A’Hao’s movements remained somewhat rough. Before the young man could even cry out in pain, a low cough sounded from nearby.
A’Hao stiffly turned his head. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a bodyguard dressed in black standing by the roadside. The man’s fingers rested against his waist, tapping lightly, as though issuing a silent warning.
The corner of A’Hao’s bruised, purplish mouth twitched. He forced himself to be patient and tugged the young man forward. Just as he placed a hand on the young man’s waist, another cough rang out, this one unmistakably carrying a warning.
A’Hao withdrew his hand as though he had been burned, his expression one of utter despair. He cursed inwardly.
Damn the heavens! What the hell is this mess?!
“Brother A’Hao…” The young man’s voice trembled, full of uncertainty. “Did I do something wrong? Brother, please don’t abandon me…”
The young man had not noticed anything unusual around him. His head was growing increasingly heavy and muddled and he had been experiencing a vague sense of discomfort throughout the past few days while helping at the fish stall. Now, that discomfort had become far more pronounced.
Even though he was wearing the jacket A’Hao had given him, the cold still seeped into his body, making him shiver uncontrollably.
Gradually, his strength began to fail him. His leg suddenly gave way and he collapsed onto the ground. A sharp, agonizing pain shot through his ankle.
He couldn’t help but start crying.
Perhaps it really was because he was an idiot but his right ear had always struggled to hear things clearly. A’Hao’s voice drifted in and out of his awareness and the words he heard were things he couldn’t understand.
“Fuck! How was I supposed to know he was Xu Anci? If I’d known he had such a powerful background, I never would’ve picked him up in the first place! Now he’s like a damn piece of chewing gum. I can’t shake him off no matter what I do…”
“Bro, you have no idea. Those people are fucking gangsters! And you still expect me to ask him for money? If I hadn’t played along with them, I’d have lost my life… Who the hell knows what kind of madness possessed a big shot like him, making him come all the way here himself to look for someone?”
A’Hao had originally intended to forcibly haul the young man back to his feet but when he thought of the terrifying bodyguards accompanying that murderous looking man the previous night, as well as the people around him who were watching him with hostile, unblinking eyes, his calf suddenly cramped again.
“Hey, stop crying. Get up already. They’re still waiting for you.”
The young man blinked through his tears and spoke in a small, trembling voice.
“Don’t abandon me. I only have you.”
A’Hao grabbed at his hair in utter frustration, spinning around in circles as he shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Fuck!”
The previous night had been the worst night of his entire life.
He hadn’t even had time to put his clothes back on when several bodyguards had burst through the door and pinned him down. Those men were incredibly strong, practically twisting his thin arms and legs into pretzels. He had thought he’d somehow gotten himself involved with a criminal gang and immediately begun begging for mercy.
He had screamed himself hoarse for what felt like ages yet the legendary big shot hadn’t even shown his face.
Instead, a young man had come over and informed him that he had gotten himself into serious trouble.
The young man they had “taken in,” the one they had casually called an “idiot,” was the spouse of an important person.
“Due to certain stimuli or external trauma, his mental state has become unstable, causing him to develop a pathological dependence on people with whom he would ordinarily never have formed any connection,” the young assistant had explained.
“Therefore, we need your cooperation. You must take the initiative to send him back. You can use whatever method you like. You could say you’re getting married, that you’re moving away, or that you’ve developed a serious illness and no longer have the energy to look after him. As long as you send him back, you’ll receive a generous sum of money.”
The young assistant was dressed in a suit and tie, with a formulaic smile on his face. His gold rimmed glasses gave him a refined, scholarly appearance and he looked so polite and approachable that he seemed like someone who would be easy to reason with.
A’Hao was the sort of person who became aggressive when he sensed weakness. He immediately stiffened his neck and retorted, “Why the hell should I listen to you… Aaaah!”
After a shriek as shrill as a slaughtered pig, the young man smiled amiably and used one hand to set A’Hao’s dislocated arm back into place.
That was when A’Hao understood.
In the face of absolute power, this so called “discussion” left him not even the slightest room for bargaining.
As the young man turned and walked out of the house, the lights from the convoy outside illuminated the courtyard, allowing A’Hao to see the scene clearly.
A man dressed entirely in black, the legendary big shot known for his ruthless decisiveness, someone who could take his life with ease without even needing to lift a finger, was silently kneeling at the entrance of the narrow, cramped little warehouse.
He looked as though he were guarding the most precious treasure in the entire world.
“Fuck! Fucking hell!” A’Hao cried out in despair. “What the hell do you want from me?! If you’re some rich lady’s husband then hurry up and go home to enjoy your luxurious life! Why the hell are you making things difficult for an ordinary guy like me?!”
He raked his fingers through his hair again. Then, suddenly, he remembered something the assistant had said the previous night.
“Hey!”
He nudged the crying young man with the tip of his shoe. The young man’s face was wet with tears, his body still slumped on the ground.
“I’ve got a terminal illness. I won’t live much longer. I won’t be able to look after you anymore.”
As expected, the young man immediately raised his head, worry spreading across his face.
“If you behave and do as I say, I’ll get a sum of money but if you insist on refusing to go, I won’t have money for my treatment and I’ll have no choice but to die.” A’Hao turned the question back on him. “Aren’t you the one who likes Brother A’Hao the most? Don’t you have the heart to watch Brother A’Hao die?”
The young man panicked.
Over the past few days, he had been busy helping at the fish stall but he had also spent a great deal of time thinking about various things. One of those things was death.
A heavy hammer struck the head of a fish. The large fish thrashed and struggled wildly but soon stopped moving. A descaling knife scraped across its body and the fish scales flew through the air, reflecting a dazzling array of colors under the sunlight.
Just like the fish, human beings also died.
To die meant going somewhere very far away, somewhere one could never see the blue sky or the sun again.
That was why life was so precious.
One had to fight with everything they had, sparing no effort, to continue living.
And Brother A’Hao’s life was even more precious.
Because Brother A’Hao was his savior.
Suppressing the sharp pain shooting through his ankle, the young man slowly straightened his body. His expression became resolute.
“I like Brother A’Hao, so… I have to pay for Brother A’Hao’s treatment.”
Jingnan Village was not very large. It took only ten minutes to walk from A’Hao’s house to the entrance of the village.
The young man was helped into a luxurious sedan that looked completely out of place against the backdrop of the dilapidated village. He reached out through the car window and waved at A’Hao.
“Goodbye,” he said softly.
But A’Hao didn’t spare him a single glance. He was urgently speaking with a young man dressed in black, his expression tense and anxious.
“After you get better, will you come and take me back?”
The young man didn’t know that the car windows were soundproofed so effectively that A’Hao couldn’t hear his question.
…..
The car began moving forward.
The young man curled up against the backrest, twisting his body as he tried desperately to look behind him. He kept staring until the figure of the blond haired young man disappeared from view through the rear window.
Only then did he finally wrap his arms around his knees and begin sobbing.
A large, warm hand settled gently on top of his head.
He raised his eyes, only to meet the man’s gaze.
That was when he realized that there was another person sitting in the car with him.
The man had changed into a fresh set of clothes and it was obvious that he had taken the time to tidy himself up. The stubble that had covered his chin the previous night had been shaved away, making him look considerably more composed and refreshed.
However, as the young man’s gaze moved upward, he noticed a large piece of gauze wrapped around the man’s forehead.
That was his handiwork from the previous night.
The weapon had been a hard, salted fish.
This was the person who had bought him, the unfamiliar man he had encountered only once before, the very same stranger whose head he had struck until it bled with a salted fish.
Would this man call him an idiot like everyone else?
Would he hit him over the head with a salted fish?
Would he slap him across the face because he had counted money incorrectly?
The man spoke first.
“My name is Mu Liang.”
Perhaps noticing the young man’s nervousness and resistance, he added, “I’m sorry about last night. I frightened you and that was my fault. I apologize.”
The young man tried hard to recall what had happened.
His memories from the previous night were a chaotic blur and he couldn’t remember many of the details. After thinking carefully for a moment, he replied cautiously, “It’s okay.”
The man named Mu Liang kept staring at him, making the young man feel increasingly uncomfortable. He lowered his head and reached out to touch the leather seat.
The car was exceptionally clean and the back seat was spacious. It had to be very expensive.
The young man carefully shifted his body, occupying only a tiny portion of the seat. He was afraid that the mud and fishy smell clinging to his body would dirty the pristine upholstery.
He had no idea that his small, cautious movements caused the heartache in Mu Liang’s eyes to almost become tangible.
The rural roads were muddy and uneven yet the car moved with remarkable smoothness.
Mu Liang asked, “What’s your name?”
The young man looked a little embarrassed.
“I don’t have a name. They call me an idiot or a fool because I’m stupid.”
“No. You do have a name. From now on, how about I call you Anci?”
Mu Liang’s voice carried a faint tremor, as though he were struggling to keep his emotions under control.
Anci…
The name sounded pleasant to him. It also stirred a strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity, as though someone had once called him by that name in a distant, distant past, their voice gentle and tender.
It took only a few seconds for the young man to accept this new name.
“Who said you’re stupid? If anyone says that to you again, tell me. I’ll teach them a lesson for you!” Mu Liang continued.
Who would’ve thought this man would actually stand up for someone else?
Anci felt a little happy but he couldn’t resist showing off.
“No need! I already have Brother A’Hao. Brother A’Hao is really good to me.”
He began counting off the reasons on his fingers.
“Brother A’Hao never hits me. He never calls me a fool. He even makes delicious noodles for me!”
Anci lifted his eyes.
Whenever he mentioned the person he liked, his eyes shone brightly, as though they were filled with countless stars.
Yet, for some reason, the rims of Mu Liang’s eyes grew increasingly red.
He tried desperately to force a smile but the muscles of his face seemed to have stiffened, refusing to cooperate.
Anci didn’t understand.
The man was clearly smiling.
So why did he look as though he were crying?
Water droplets fell into the bathtub, spreading outward in concentric ripples.
Mu Liang wiped away the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. When he raised his head, he found himself meeting Anci’s curious gaze.
It was no longer the timid, cautious expression he had worn before their separation, nor was it the gentle, reserved demeanor he had displayed when the two of them had first gotten married.
Instead, it was a childlike innocence and naivety that Mu Liang had never seen from him before.
“Are you an old grandpa?” Anci asked.
Mu Liang’s hands froze for a moment as he wrung out the towel.
“Do you think I’m very old?”
Seeing Mu Liang from such a close distance, Anci finally noticed that every feature of his face was nearly flawless. His brows, eyes, nose and lips were all strikingly handsome and there was absolutely nothing about him that resembled an elderly man.
So he honestly shook his head, a trace of confusion appearing in his expression.
“Your hair is white. Only old grandpas have white hair. Santa Claus and Grandpa Liu are both like that.”
Mu Liang hesitated.
“Who is Grandpa Liu?”
“Grandpa Liu lives next door to us. He’s over eighty years old,” Anci explained.
His eyes once again drifted toward Mu Liang’s white hair.
“Can I touch it?”
Mu Liang obediently lowered his head, making it easier for Anci to reach.
A moment later, Anci tugged gently at his hair. Mu Liang felt a slight sting and a single white strand swayed in front of his eyes.
Anci’s brows furrowed with concern.
“There are so many white hairs. There are as many as the stars in the sky and the fish in the sea… Are you very old? Are you eighty years old?”
“I’m not eighty,” Mu Liang replied. “I’m thirty years old this year, five years older than you. Now, calculate how old you are.”
Anci counted on his fingers but he only had ten fingers. Even after adding Mu Liang’s fingers to the count, there were only twenty in total.
Once an astonishingly brilliant mathematics doctoral student, a young scholar hailed as a once in a century genius in the field of mathematics, was now earnestly counting on his fingers as he worked through an elementary school mathematics problem.
Warm steam continued to rise from the temperature controlled bathtub, filling the bathroom with a hazy mist. The body submerged in the tub was covered in scars, with extensive purple bruising spread across his ribs.
As the soft washcloth brushed over his skin, Anci flinched faintly. A flicker of emotion passed through Mu Liang’s eyes and he raised a hand to wipe away the fragile tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
As Anci gently stroked his eyes, warm droplets of water trickled down onto his eyelids. Mu Liang lifted his gaze, meeting Anci’s shimmering eyes.
“You’re such a good person. Why are you so good to me?”
Because you are my lover. The most innocent person in the entire world, someone who once loved me deeply yet was hurt by my selfishness, narrow mindedness and darkness.
Being with you isn’t because I want to compensate you for the mistakes I made in the past. It’s simply because I love you. Because I want to see you, because I want us to start over, because I want to spend the rest of my life with you, growing old together.
Until recently, at least until last night, Mu Liang had still held on to a naïve and foolish belief.
He had thought that if he confessed his feelings and sincerely laid his heart bare before Anci, he would receive Anci’s forgiveness and if Anci still couldn’t forgive him, then perhaps his genuine remorse and sincerity would at least earn him the slightest bit of sympathy.
But reality had turned out to be so vastly different from what he had imagined.
In that cramped, filthy little shack in the fishing village, the frail young man curled up in a corner was the son of the murderer who had caused his parents’ deaths. He had ended up in such a miserable, wretched state, a person who had been burdened with an original sin from the moment he was born.
Through Mu Liang’s carefully calculated schemes and deliberate indifference, Anci had first been branded with the accusation of academic misconduct, his reputation ruined beyond repair. Later, he had been forced to abandon his studies.
His education, his marriage and his entire life, everything he possessed had been built upon an enormous lie. In the midst of despair and suffering, he had sought a path toward death…
And now, he could barely even maintain a clear, conscious mind.
Mu Liang should have laughed.
He should have been happy, even ecstatic. He should have opened a bottle of celebratory wine and raised a toast to his deceased father.
I succeeded.
Your enemy is dead and I even managed to toy with his only child in the palm of my hand.
But he couldn’t.
His knees had sunk into the mud of their own accord. His voice had become choked with unbearable grief and the blood flowing from his wrists had stained the shirt he hadn’t changed in days a deep red.
He had choked out, “Anci, come home with me.”
He would find the best doctors and use the most expensive medicines. Every stain on Anci’s reputation would be thoroughly cleared away. He had even completed the procedures necessary for Anci to resume his studies.
As long as Anci came back, everything could return to the way it had been.
Anci could go back to school. He could live the life he wanted, build a career in the field that interested him and spend the rest of his years in the manner he chose.
Yet, faced with Mu Liang’s sincere confession and earnest promises, the young man covered in dirt and grime, curled into a small, trembling ball, let out a heart wrenching scream.
Anci was resisting him.
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that Anci had already grown to despise the former Xu Anci, the person who had once loved him so humbly, so desperately and with almost no boundaries at all.
That was why he had taken that step forward with such absolute determination, without the slightest trace of hesitation or regret.
Even after losing his memories, that hatred and disgust, deeply rooted in his very bones, still remained.
The steam rising from the bath blurred Mu Liang’s vision. Anci panicked when he saw his tears and awkwardly reached out to wipe them away.
“Brother A’Hao said I look like your wife.”
“Don’t cry… I’m really grateful that you’re paying for Brother A’Hao’s treatment. So I’ll try my best to pretend to be your wife and repay your kindness.”
The young man looked at him earnestly.
The youthful awkwardness he had once possessed had faded from his appearance yet, at this moment, those dim eyes gradually overlapped with a pair of eyes buried deep within Mu Liang’s memories, merging with an image from the past.
Eighteen year old Xu Anci stood before him.
“You were willing to support me and give me the opportunity to receive such an excellent education. I’m truly grateful.. but I’m sorry. The gap between us is simply too wide. Whether it’s our finances or our social standing, the difference in our social classes is something we cannot overcome. I’m sorry but I can’t accept your confession… However, I can work for you to repay your kindness.”
The Xu Anci in his memories possessed a scholarly air. When his benefactor had suddenly confessed his feelings, the young man had been so startled that he had taken two steps backward. His fair cheeks had flushed a bright red.
Although the youth had been reserved and shy, there had been an unmistakable pride and steadfastness in his eyes.
Not like the person standing before him now.
This Anci was frail and devoid of vitality. His lips were pale, his eyes no longer held their former liveliness and all that remained was a trembling, cautious helplessness.
It’s all my fault.
Mu Liang thought about how cruel he had been. How he had killed the Xu Anci who loved him so deeply, only to try to piece him back together into his former self with useless remorse and belated sincerity.
Anci didn’t understand why this person had so many melancholic thoughts while simply helping him take a bath.
Earlier that day, he had spent a long time sitting in the car. The man named Mu Liang had repeatedly tried to find different topics to strike up conversations with him.
At first, Anci had felt both resistant and afraid. Eventually, however, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
When he woke up, his head was resting on Mu Liang’s thigh.
There was a strange tenderness in Mu Liang’s eyes. The gauze wrapped around his forehead had seeped through with blood. It must have hurt terribly yet Mu Liang hadn’t become angry with him for striking him with a salted fish.
Because of that, Anci was no longer afraid of him.
…..
Wrapped in a thick bath towel, Anci wandered around the enormous villa.
The sprawling house had numerous rooms and there were plenty of servants as well. Six or seven, perhaps? Anci couldn’t remember the exact number.
There was only one servant he could remember clearly: a girl with a sweet smile and tiny freckles scattered across her face.
The girl had introduced herself as Xiao Yuan. She said she had come to work as a servant there to support herself while pursuing her studies.
“This is the bathroom and this is the flower room. There are all kinds of flowers and plants here throughout the year. It’s the most comfortable place to read!”
Anci cooperatively let out a soft, “Wow.”
The temperature and humidity inside the flower room were maintained at levels that were exceptionally comfortable for the human body. Countless rare and precious flowers and exotic plants bloomed in a harmonious array of colors, creating a sight that was extraordinarily pleasing to the eye.
Yet, for some reason, Anci felt that the place looked familiar.
It was as though, sometime in the distant past, he had been the owner of this very room. He could almost picture himself lazily reclining in a rattan chair on a certain afternoon, quietly reading a book…
“Meow…”
A cat’s cry suddenly rang out.
Anci raised his head.
Outside the glass walls of the flower room stood a small orange cat. He didn’t know when it had arrived but it was now curiously observing him.
“His name is Momo,” the girl explained. “He belongs to the neighbors. After they moved away, they left him behind but you have to be careful. This cat scratches people and…”
“President Mu is severely allergic to cat fur, so we always feed Momo outside. We wouldn’t dare bring him into the house.”
Momo licked his fur, then lazily stretched out his body, extending his limbs in a long, leisurely stretch. His golden orange coat shimmered beneath the fading light of the setting sun.
Anci thought that he didn’t look like a cat who would bite people.
The cat was beautiful.
The girl gazed at Anci’s profile and spoke softly.
“The name Momo was given to him by Mr. Xu.”
