Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 1
Chapter 1 You Have Deviated from the Course
2024-10-13 07:07 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
Bang! A rear-end collision!
When You Shulang recovered from his confusion, the navigation on his phone was still prompting him: “You have deviated from the route. Please turn around at a suitable location and replan your route.”
He unbuckled his seatbelt, bent down to pick up his phone, and the stretch caused a slight tightness and pain in his chest. He pressed his hand against his bones, and it seemed the injury wasn’t serious.
He pushed open the car door and got out, a cool morning breeze rushing towards him. You Shulang looked at the car in front that had been rear-ended, his eyes paused, and he frowned slightly.
I won the lottery! A luxury car.
He strode towards the car in front of him. Midway, he glanced at the detached bumper and dented rear end, quickly assessing in his mind whether his car insurance could fully cover the damage to the luxury car.
He was usually emotionally stable, but now he was feeling somewhat agitated. However, the responsibility lay with him, and he couldn’t blame anyone else. He had already rehearsed the worst-case scenario during those few steps and had roughly considered how to deal with it.
Walking to the car, You Shulang gently knocked on the driver’s side window. The dark window blocked his view, and the morning light shining on the glass did not bring the expected brightness. Instead, the reflected light coldly cut through the air and You Shulang’s apologetic gaze.
The car window didn’t roll down immediately, and the way You Shulang, who was 180 centimeters tall, was bent over caused him a slight pain in his chest. His self-restraint prevented him from peeking into the car through the windshield, but he was also worried that the driver might be injured in the impact.
As he raised his hand again to tap the window, it slowly rolled down. A wave of warmth poured out of the car, mingling and intertwining with the cool morning breeze before merging into one.
As the car window slowly rolled down, You Shulang saw a man’s face. His first impression was that he was handsome. His features were strong and deep, his facial lines were clean and sharp, and his skin, while not fair, had a light tan that gave him a calm and healthy look.
You Shulang was slightly taken aback, not because of the man’s unexpectedly superior appearance, but because of the sudden, chaotic, and unsettling feeling that arose in his heart.
Having served as the office director for four years, You Shulang believed he had the ability to judge people by their appearance.
But his first impression of the person in front of him was contradictory.
He had a sharp, intimidating face, yet he had a pair of gentle eyes.
The man’s fine bangs partially obscured his eyebrows, his eyes were deep and his expression gentle. His hair was gently caressed by the morning breeze, moving naturally and smoothly in the wind, which suddenly reminded You Shulang of “a clear breeze and a bright moon”.
At this moment, the man smiled, his eyes gentle and kind, and said with a good temper, “We were in a car accident, weren’t we?”
You Shulang then realized what had happened and said with deep regret, “I was distracted while driving and rear-ended your car. It’s my fault, and I’m very sorry.”
The man got out of the car, his face showing concern: “Are you hurt?”
The man’s height surprised You Shulang slightly. He was not short, but the man in front of him was obviously more than half a head taller than him.
He had been standing very close to the car, leaving little space for the man to step on after getting off. As a result, the two of them were now only a fist’s width apart. You Shulang felt a bit uncomfortable as the man’s heat emanated from his skin.
He subtly stepped back half a step, creating a comfortable social distance between them, and politely replied, “I’m fine. Are you alright? If you feel unwell, please go to the hospital for a check-up.”
The man’s expression softened: “I’m not injured either.”
“Then let us take a look at your car,” You Shulang said earnestly. “Since the rear-end collision was entirely my fault, I will compensate you for all your losses.”
“The car isn’t important, as long as no one was injured in the accident.” The man showed no annoyance, and even spoke with understanding. “I just returned to the country and don’t know how to handle traffic accidents like this. Is there anything I can do to help you?”
You Shulang breathed a sigh of relief; at least the man in front of him wasn’t difficult to deal with. His apology deepened because of his earlier misjudgment: “I need to notify the traffic police and the insurance company now so they can determine liability and collect evidence. This might take up a little of your time.”
The man nodded: “It’s alright, the scenery around here is quite nice.”
You Shulang looked around. He had missed the road sign while answering the phone and had taken the wrong turn, ending up on a country road. All around him were farmlands, offering no scenic views. His gaze returned to the man, where he saw glittering starlight in his eyes.
You Shulang lowered his eyes and smiled, sincerely saying “Thank you.”
After making the phone call, You Shulang went to handle work-related information. He had cut short his vacation to return to China for an impromptu project progress meeting. He had been rushing to catch trains and planes since dawn, but now the accident had occurred less than 15 kilometers from the company. It was clear now that he wouldn’t make it to the meeting, which left him somewhat frustrated.
“Are you cold?”
The man’s voice came from afar. You Shulang looked up and saw the man who had just finished admiring the “scenery” walking towards him. Even as he walked along the country dirt road, his expression remained gentle, and there was no weariness on his face. It seemed that all the complexities of the world never entered his eyes.
Because he was in a hurry, You Shulang didn’t change his clothes after getting off the plane. He was still wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt, which wasn’t particularly cold or warm on a May morning.
He rubbed the exposed skin on his arm and gave a faint reply: “It’s alright.”
Would you mind wearing my clothes for a while?
The man took off his long black trench coat and hung it on his arm, waiting for You Shulang’s decision, displaying both gentlemanly manners and utmost politeness.
Seeing that the man was still wearing a long-sleeved thick coat under his trench coat, You Shulang considered for a moment and then generously accepted the offer: “Then thank you. My clothes are all in my suitcase, and it’s really inconvenient to take them out.”
The man draped the trench coat over You Shulang’s shoulders. The coat was extremely long, almost covering his feet, completely enveloping his body.
As soon as he put on the trench coat, You Shulang regretted it almost immediately. The coat still carried the warmth of a man’s body and the faint scent of woody perfume, and this sensory stimulation made him feel very uncomfortable.
But it would be pretentious to return it.
“Fan Xiao.” The man then extended his hand and smiled, “Stop calling me ‘you’ so formally, it sounds awkward.”
Suppressing the unease in his heart, You Shulang extended his hand and introduced himself: “You Shulang. Although it’s a bit inappropriate to say this in the face of an accident, I still want to say that it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
A gentle smile returned to the man’s face, and he tightened his grip on his clasped hands slightly: “I am just as happy to have met you.”
It was cloudy today, with the sky sometimes bright and sometimes dark. At this moment, the sunlight broke through the clouds and shone directly on the man. You Shulang squinted because of the reflection of the metal pendant around his neck.
“It’s the Four-Faced Buddha.” The man turned to the side to avoid the light. “I grew up in Thailand, and this is the deity we worship.”
As the eye’s stress response gradually subsided, You Shulang could see clearly that the not-so-small pendant was quite different from the four-faced Buddha he had seen while traveling in Thailand. The Buddha’s face did not look compassionate; in fact, it looked a bit fierce.
He looked away at the opportune moment, smiled and said, “It seems we were on the same flight back to China. You also took the wrong route?”
Before the man could answer, You Shulang’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
“Excuse me, I need to take this call,” he said.
It’s Lu Zhen. You Shulang’s lover.
The young man, who had just woken up, was being a little spoiled, still complaining about You Shulang leaving him behind and returning to China early. You Shulang patiently coaxed him for a few moments, his gentle and comforting manner making it impossible to scold him.
After hanging up the phone, the man, who had automatically avoided the conversation but then returned, asked with a smile, “Girlfriend? Mr. You is so gentle.”
You Shulang remained noncommittal, looking at the flashing police lights in the distance, and said, “They’ve finally arrived.”
After handling the relevant matters, You Shulang and Fan Xiao exchanged contact information. Due to the urgency of his work, he left first. As the car drove off, in the rearview mirror, a tall man’s arm was draped with the trench coat he had just returned. His face was gentle, and his smile was kind, like a gentle spring breeze.
He pulled a cigarette case from his pocket, flicked out a cigarette with his long, strong fingers, bit it with his teeth, and put it in his mouth without lighting it.
He casually tossed his expensive trench coat into the nearby field, and patted his free hands together as if disgusted by the filthy dust on the garbage.
Turning around and leaning against the wrecked rear of the car, the sound of a cell phone keypad clicking echoed in the empty space, followed by the whooshing sound of a phone waiting to be connected. But after only a brief ring, the call was quickly answered by the other party.
A low, languid voice rose, its long, cold tone devoid of warmth.
“Lake A68S57, a white Audi, hit me.”
“How bad was the impact?” He raised his arm, his expensive watch sliding down his wrist. “He cost me 38 minutes and 42 seconds.”
Suddenly, the sunlight shone brightly, making the bright yellow Four-Faced Buddha gleam…
