Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 102
Chapter 102 Unbuttoning with One Hand?
2024-10-13 07:38 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
A little boy with a bandage on his head smiles at the camera. Beside him, an elderly woman with graying temples is packing her things. The frame captures her stiffness and awkwardness in front of the camera, but also her smiling face: “We’ll be discharged soon, and we can go home.”
The scene shifts to a solemn auditorium where many people are receiving awards. They are hailed as the most beautiful heroes who raced against death to save countless lives. Several familiar faces come into view, adorned with red ribbons and flowers, radiating youthful energy—these are the college students You Shulang stopped that night.
You Shulang smiled, tapped twice with two fingers to send a red heart. Then he turned off the screen, got up from his bus seat, and got off at the bus stop near the bar street.
“You’re taking the bus to go to bars, you should save money and spend it wisely.”
Amidst the loud and lively music, You Shulang was being teased by several of his university classmates. He held his wine glass between his long fingers, the liquid inside swaying slightly with the music, and said softly, “If any of you had thought of giving me a ride, I wouldn’t have made the rule of not eating the grass near my nest.”
One of the male classmates waved his hand and said, “I’ll pick you up next time. I’ve had enough of the bitterness of love with women over the years. Why not try some socialist brotherhood?”
You Shulang glanced at him lightly and shook his head: “It’s not just any blade of grass that will do.”
Everyone burst into laughter, while the male classmate looked dejected: “Everyone says it’s okay not to attend class reunions, but I’m just stubborn.”
Bypassing the crowd, a glamorous woman approached You Shulang. The big, wavy hair that had been draped over her shoulders when they dined at a Southeast Asian restaurant half a year ago had now been replaced by long, straight black hair.
“I only realized after returning to China that the mature and glamorous style is no longer in fashion.” She shook her head. “Does it look good?”
You Shulang nodded: “It looks good.”
“I knew you’d give that kind of straight-man answer.” The woman pouted. “Actually, you’re nothing like a gay man, and neither was your ex-boyfriend.”
The ice cubes in the glass clinked gently as You Shulang raised his hand and took a sip of wine.
“Do you know what I wished for in the New Year?” the woman asked.
You Shulang gave him a look, indicating that he was listening.
“I hope to meet a jerk so I can torment him.”
You Shulang sighed softly: “Zhang Shicheng is a good person. He has waited for you for many years.”
The woman tossed her hair and took a long time to answer, “It’s precisely because they’re so good that I can’t bring myself to do it.” She swallowed a mouthful of wine, “Someone like me will ultimately betray everyone, so I’m best suited for scumbags.”
“Then make things clear with Zhang Shicheng, cut ties completely, and stop giving him any hope.”
The woman gave a helpless, bitter smile: “I’ve made up my mind to break up with him so many times, but I just can’t bear to. The more we lack something, the more we hate it. Sometimes we can’t even tell if we hate it or we yearn for it. As for Zhang Shicheng, I can’t bear to let go of him. I’m afraid of hurting him, and I’m also afraid of shattering my dream.”
The music had been playing for a while before You Shulang’s voice came through again: “So you’re just going to keep Zhang Shicheng hanging like this?”
The woman tossed her hair over her shoulder again: “He loves me, so I can keep him hanging on. If he doesn’t love me, what does it matter to him whether I’m a lady or a scumbag?”
The spicy liquid slid down his throat until the glass was empty, then You Shulang whispered softly, “Do you still love it?”
Stepping out of the bar, a gust of evening wind blew, and the effects of the alcohol began to take hold.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to send you anything?” my classmate joked. “Do you think the grass near your nest isn’t good enough?”
You Shulang tilted his head, exhaled smoke, and laughed, “Get lost.”
As the crowd dispersed, he walked along the street, where bars lined both sides, and even in the early hours of the morning, they were full of young men and women.
After shooing away a few people who tried to chat him up, You Shulang walked to a T-junction. To the left was the way home. He stood there for a while, then turned and walked to the right.
Passing by a small, brightly lit supermarket, You Shulang went in and bought a bottle of liquor. It was cheap, high-proof liquor, pungent and spicy. He took three or five sips until the burning sensation in his stomach subsided before heading to the checkout with the bottle.
“Do you need anything else?” the old man tending the shop muttered as usual.
After waiting for a long time without a reply, he pushed up his reading glasses and looked up at the young man who had come to drown his sorrows in the early hours of the morning. He saw that the young man’s face was calm, but his movements were somewhat sluggish. He picked up something from the shelf and pushed it over.
“And this,” the young man said.
Fan Xiao put another layer of tape on the window.
He had injured one hand, making it somewhat inconvenient to use only one hand. After finally finishing, the little warmth he had been wearing under his cotton coat had dissipated.
With a casual toss of tape and a tucked-in hand to his chest, Fan Xiao walked through the medicine chests piled up in the warehouse and to a simple wooden bed propped up in the corner.
Because the small heater was on, a warm, orange-yellow current emanated from it. Fan Xiao sat on the bed with his hands very close to the heater, and the bandages wrapped around his hands were also reflected in the bright color.
Suddenly, the sound of a vehicle approaching came from outside the warehouse. The wheels rolled on the sand and gravel, and the sound was especially clear at night.
This place was remote; outsiders rarely came except for loading and unloading goods. Fan Xiao pondered for a moment, then grabbed a stick from the corner and got up to walk towards the door. The warehouse was long and narrow. Before he reached the door, he heard a car outside stop, followed by the sound of a car door closing.
The car’s taillights and the taxi’s distinctive roof light were reflected on the frost-covered windows. As the car started moving again, the two red lights slid across the glass and gradually disappeared.
Footsteps are easily heard on gravelly surfaces.
Footsteps approached slowly, stopping outside the door without knocking. After waiting a while, Fan Xiao lost patience. He used his injured hand to unlatch the door and pushed it open a crack.
The warm light from inside the house shone unobstructed on the gravel floor, and there was no one in front of the door.
Just as Fan Xiao was about to make a further move, he heard a very faint voice: “It’s me.”
You Shulang leaned against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers, glanced at the stick in Fan Xiao’s hand, and raised an eyebrow: “Quite alert.”
Fan Xiao stood frozen in the cold wind for a full minute, until You Shulang threw away his cigarette, stubbed it out with his foot, and asked him, “Aren’t you going to invite me in for a seat?”
As You Shulang stepped aside to make way, his shoulder brushed against Fan Xiao’s chest as he entered, leaving a slight tingling sensation.
The warehouse was messy. You Shulang walked through it, occasionally stopping to look at the information on the medicine boxes and casually asking some sales questions.
Fan Xiao followed at a distance, replying slowly and simply, often just a word or two. You Shulang didn’t seem to mind, as if the question itself was insignificant.
“Sleep here?”
Having reached the end, You Shulang turned to look at Fan Xiao in front of the wooden bed.
Fan Xiao, a bit slow to react, took a moment to realize what You Shulang was asking. He propped the stick in his hand against the corner of the wall and replied casually, “I don’t usually sleep here. It’s too cold, I can’t stand it. The people on duty at the warehouse have gone home for the New Year these past few days, and we can’t find any temporary workers, so I’ve come to stay for a few days.”
He pulled over a chair and placed it next to You Shulang, only to see him lift the hem of his coat and sit on the wooden bed.
Then, as if belatedly realizing something, she asked, “Is it alright to sit on the bed?”
Fan Xiao didn’t say anything, but sat down in the chair, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning over to warm himself by the small heater.
You Shulang glanced at his bandaged hand: “Did you get injured while saving that child?”
Fan Xiao hummed in agreement, then quickly looked up and explained, “This time I’m really hurt, I’m not lying to you.”
You Shulang curled his lips and looked at the dazzling orange-yellow light, asking, “Why don’t you ask me what I’m here for?”
Fan Xiao turned his hand over and whispered, “I dare not ask.”
What do you think?
Fan Xiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he gave a wry smile: “Let’s settle this score.”
You Shulang nodded: “I do want to ask about the Changling incident. Do you think it was a form of atonement?”
“At that time… you weren’t in a good mood. I went to your mother’s grave with you, and I heard what you said.”
“You’re following me?”
“I’m worried about you.” Before You Shulang could finish speaking, Fan Xiao spoke in a low voice, but quickly looked away. “I’m afraid you’ll try to kill yourself.” His voice trembled. “I’m terrified.”
He wiped his face with his good hand: “You know what happened next. You might not believe it, but I wasn’t thinking about atoning for my sins. I just hoped that you could do what you love and live a bright and fulfilling life.”
A proud expression slowly gathered on Fan Xiao’s face. Through the bright orange light, he looked at You Shulang and said, “Later I realized that you are awesome and can live a dazzling life without any wealth, shares, or status. As long as… I disappear from your life.”
You Shulang’s throat was dry, and Xiao Taiyang and Fan Xiao’s gazes were too intense.
“I can’t take those shares.”
Fan Xiao sighed softly, “I knew you were here to tell me this.” He pulled up the chair for Xiao Taiyang before continuing, “I’m on my own now and I earn enough to cover my expenses. If you don’t want those shares, leave them to Tiantian. I’ll never have any more children in my life. I saved Tiantian, and whether he likes it or not, I’ll treat him like my own child.”
Upon hearing this, You Shulang lowered his eyes and remained silent for a while before unexpectedly agreeing: “Then I’ll keep it for Tiantian for now.”
Fan Xiao was somewhat surprised, but mostly pleased. Seeing You Shulang move slightly, he assumed he was about to leave, so he reached for the truck keys in his pocket, intending to take him home.
Unexpectedly, You Shulang simply pulled out a cigarette, took one out, and asked, “Is it okay to smoke here?”
His gaze shifted to the warehouse management regulations posted on the wall: “Oh, no smoking.”
Returning the cigarette to its case, You Shulang looked up and saw Fan Xiao’s surprised gaze. He beckoned with his hand, his expression a mix of coldness and assertiveness, and said, “It’s cold there, isn’t it? Come and sit down.”
He made some room for Fan Xiao, giving him the area directly in the sunlight, but it seemed like he didn’t make much room. Fan Xiao’s large frame was squeezed in there, leaving only a palm’s width of space between the two of them.
The little sun was indeed very powerful, making Fan Xiao’s heart boil. He grabbed the bed sheet, feeling somewhat helpless.
“Why didn’t you retaliate against Lü Bowen?” You Shulang suddenly asked.
One sentence pulled Fan Xiao out of his daze. He was speechless for a long time before finally telling the truth with a sigh: “I’ve looked into him. He’s a good person… better than me.”
“What if the person isn’t a good person?”
Fan Xiao’s knuckles turned white as he spoke in a deep, slow voice: “If someone is bad, even if you blame me, I’ll still deal with him.”
“Um.”
Huh? You Shulang only uttered a single syllable that wasn’t exactly a reprimand? Fan Xiao stared intently at You Shulang and actually saw a faint smile on his face.
The little sun cast a bright yet gentle light in his eyes, and now, reflected in that light, Fan Xiao said, “Lu Bowen is so wonderful, so aren’t you going to bless us?”
Fan Xiao felt as if his heart had been tugged and then stabbed, leaving him momentarily speechless. He straightened his back and slowly said, “You Shulang, you’ve gone too far.”
“Is it too much for you to give me your blessing? Didn’t you see us kissing?”
Fan Xiao’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “You Shulang, what exactly did you come here for tonight? If you wanted to make me suffer, there was really no need for this. I am guilty, so no one cares about my suffering, and I also feel that I deserve my punishment. But please, can you give me a way out? There was really no need to come all this way to remind me of what happened that night!”
So you were really there on New Year’s Eve?
“Hey! That little idiot set off fireworks and illuminated you all perfectly!” Fan Xiao pulled You Shulang into his arms and threatened in a low voice, “You Shulang, it wasn’t easy for me to get to where I am today. I want to fulfill your wish and make you happy. I’ve endured so much for so long, and I don’t want it all to go to waste. But if you fucking light another fire, I’ll force myself on you today!”
You Shulang looked at Fan Xiao from a very close distance. His hair had grown much longer, looking messy yet dashing; his skin was a shade darker, making him look even healthier and sexier; because he did everything himself, his physique was now stronger and stronger, with full and firm muscles, exuding a strong sense of power. He had lost some of his aristocratic air, but gained a more captivating wildness and unrestrainedness.
There was a half-empty packet of rouge under the pillow on the bed. You Shulang reached out, took one, and put it in his mouth. He pushed Fan Xiao away with one hand, bent down, and lit it on the mini heater. He glanced at the rules and regulations hanging on the wall and said casually, “Sorry for breaking your rules.”
He took a drag of his cigarette, letting the nicotine travel through his body, then looked at the still angry Fan Xiao and asked expressionlessly, “Will you behave from now on?”
Fan Xiao was shocked: “What?”
“I’m asking you if you’ll be good from now on. I asked you before, and you lied to me. Now I’m asking you again, and this is the last time: Fan Xiao, will you be good when you’re with me from now on?”
“I……”
Fan Xiao felt as if he had been hit on the head by a stick standing in the corner, completely losing his ability to think and speak.
“Do you not want to answer, or are you unable to do it?”
A trembling hand suddenly grabbed You Shulang. Fan Xiao spoke rapidly and solemnly: “I will! I will be obedient and well-behaved. I will never lie to you again, never tell a lie, and never use any tricks! Shulang, I promise!”
You Shulang stared at Fan Xiao for a while, then extinguished his cigarette until not a single spark remained. He then pulled a box containing shopping receipts from his pocket and casually tossed it onto the bed.
He patted the trembling hand, rolled his eyes, and said, “Didn’t you want to have sex with me? Can you manage with just one hand?”
Fan Xiao: “!!!”
“You and that Lü…”
“He’s avoiding his romantic entanglements, and so am I.” You Shulang’s hand landed on Fan Xiao’s collar and pulled hard, then he leaned close to the man’s ear and whispered, “Mr. Fan, can’t unbutton your shirt with one hand? Then let me help you?”
“The End” is complete, and there are many sweet side stories. Updated daily, treat it as part of the main story.
