Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 39
Chapter 39 A Kiss to Settle the Debt
2024-10-13 07:19 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
“I haven’t been to the beach in 19 years.”
Only one wall lamp was on in the room, which Fan Xiao had left for You Shulang.
The dim light cast a hazy, warm glow on his pupils. Fan Xiao sank into the sofa, his expression lost and weary.
“I was 7 years old when the Indonesian tsunami struck. You know, that tsunami killed a lot of people.”
You Shulang’s eyelids drooped sharply, his eyes filled with shock. The Indonesian tsunami that Fan Xiao mentioned occurred 19 years ago and was known as the most devastating tsunami in history, claiming the lives of nearly 300,000 people.
Unexpectedly, Fan Xiao was a survivor of that catastrophe!
“Warm water or beer?” You Shulang asked after a moment of silence.
Fan Xiao forced a smile: “Beer.”
The beer in the hotel’s mini-fridge emitted a rich, malty aroma, subtly stirring the heavy atmosphere in the room.
Fan Xiao took a sip of beer, his eyes blank: “My whole family was on vacation on an island at the time. On a whim, we decided to visit the local market. I still remember the smell of hot, sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves at the market.”
Her moist, sticky lips slowly parted: “So much so that many years later, the aroma of sticky rice would linger before every terrible nightmare.”
“But I didn’t dream just now, yet I smelled that scent again. I hid myself in the darkness, as if I had returned to when I was seven years old, huddled with my mother, trembling with fear.”
Fan Xiao pressed his temple with his finger: “Sorry, did I scare you?”
You Shulang shook his head. He sat next to Fan Xiao, holding a beer of the same brand in his hand, exhaling the same aroma of beer, as if he could empathize with him.
At times like these, no words of comfort are needed. You Shulang reached out and loosened two buttons under Fan Xiao’s throat. He had gotten used to doing this kind of thing these days.
Fan Xiao’s gaze followed, and under the dim light, it was somewhat sickly and menacing.
“You Shulang,” his voice was a little hoarse, “would you lend a helping hand to protect others in that situation?”
You Shulang met his gaze, thought for a moment, and then replied, “I don’t know. In a life-or-death situation, no one can guarantee what choice they will make.”
“What if it were your spouse and children?”
You Shulang was slightly taken aback, but then replied, “I will not abandon them.”
A gaze met You Shulang’s eyes, deep and enigmatic. The gaze lingered for a long time, so long that You Shulang began to secretly examine whether his answer had inadvertently hurt Fan Xiao.
Finally turning his gaze away, Fan Xiao took a swig of beer, leaned back on the sofa, and said softly, “I knew Director You was a good person.”
His knee tilted slightly, slowly rubbing against You Shulang’s leg, making light but firm contact.
The slight friction through the fabric of his pants made You Shulang a little uncomfortable, but he refrained from moving. Physical contact can sometimes be a comfort to the soul; even the slightest touch of body heat can be a source of solace.
“Fortunately, you and your mother escaped unharmed.”
“She is dead.”
“!!!”
“The waves rose higher and higher, like a wall. People screamed and scattered for their lives. She and I rushed into a two-story house. At the end of the corridor was a storeroom with no windows and a wooden door that could not keep out the water.”
“The water level rose higher and higher, quickly submerging her calves, thighs, and chest. At first, she carried me on her back, and then she let me sit on her shoulders, but by then she could no longer stand steadily in the water. Finally, she used all her strength to pile all the clutter in the house into the corner so that I could stand on it.”
Fan Xiao took a sip of wine, and the mist on the bottle condensed into water droplets, which slowly slid down the side of the bottle, like someone’s tears.
“Most of the debris was rotten wood, which couldn’t possibly support the weight of two people. I watched her slowly sink to the surface. Her last words to me were…”
“Live on.”
The beer bottle slammed heavily onto the coffee table, foam rising to the surface. Fan Xiao suddenly screamed hoarsely, “Live! Why did she want me to live? Is death a painful thing? Living is!”
His eyes were filled with a frenzied red: “My mother died! She died right before my eyes! The room was so dark, and I only had one box of matches! Later, when the matches ran out, I couldn’t see the face in the water anymore!”
A fierce aura emanated from him, and his long-suppressed emotions dragged Fan Xiao into an abyss of madness. The fragments of pain pierced him once again, bringing him back to that nightmare!
“Mom, why do you keep telling me to live! I’ve run out of matches, ฉันอยากไปกับคุณโลกนี้มืดเกินไป (I want to go with you, this world is too dark.) I hate them, I hate everyone!”
“Fan Xiao!” You Shulang grabbed Fan Xiao’s shoulders with both hands. “Look at me, look at me! The tsunami is over, everything is over!”
“You Shulang?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Do you know that?” Fan Xiao’s madness intensified, “I hate you the most right now!”
Suddenly, the man pounced on him and kissed the man in front of him fiercely!
“You…” You Shulang was clearly not expected this to happen. In that moment of shock, Fan Xiao pulled him up and pressed him down hard.
“คนดีวิสุทธิชนขนาดใหญ่ทำ ไมคุณถึงเข้าไปยุ่งกับชีว ิตและความตายของผู้อื่น? (My good bad guy, great saint, why do you interfere in other people’s lives and deaths?)”
You Shulang’s eyes widened, his head suddenly jerked back, and he pressed hard against the man’s chest, shouting sharply, “Fan Xiao, wake up!”
Before the last word was even out of his mouth, Fan Xiao pressed down again.
You Shulang, mindful of his injured hand, dared not use his full strength, but he spoiled Fan Xiao like a wild beast, allowing him to vent his emotions wantonly.
He was held tightly, their bodies pressed together through their clothes, with a strong, powerful arm behind his waist, like an unbreakable prison, as if to imprison him forever.
The kiss was so intense, it seemed to steal his breath away. He gradually found it difficult to breathe, and the sharp anger in his eyes faded as his consciousness blurred.
The man before him, filled with painful despair and unbearable longing, was drawing in his breath and anticipating his response. You Shulang’s heart softened, and he loosened his grip on Fan Xiao’s nape.
As if receiving some signal, Fan Xiao’s kisses became deeper and more intense, sucking and licking, indulging in a wanton way inside and out.
You Shulang’s mind was clear, but his body reacted uncontrollably.
hot.
Her lips, kissed again and again by Fan Xiao, were burning hot, and her bodies, pressed tightly together, were burning hot.
When the man’s hand slipped under his shirt and touched his waist, You Shulang finally snapped out of it. He suddenly reached out and pushed Fan Xiao away with all his might!
The heavy breathing gradually subsided, and the dim light enveloped the two silent figures.
“I’m sorry,” Fan Xiao broke the silence first, “I just…”
“I know,” You Shulang interrupted, “It’s a stress response, I understand.”
He got up and went to the refrigerator, found another bottle of beer, pulled the tab and drank more than half of it in one go. After finishing, he wiped the moisture from the corner of his lips with his thumb: “Last time I offended you when I was drunk and confused. This time you reacted, so we’re even. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”
Fan Xiao slowly leaned back on the sofa, the anger in his eyes hidden by his lowered eyelids. He smiled gently and said, “Fine, you kiss me, I kiss you, and we’ll settle the score.”
The words were flamboyant and explicit, making You Shulang’s face burn with embarrassment. Fortunately, Fan Xiao’s phone rang, saving him from the predicament.
“Hello? Yes, it’s in S City.”
The call was from Shi Lihua, who expressed utter shock at Fan Xiao’s business trip to the coastal city.
Aren’t you afraid of having a relapse?
“It’s already been committed.”
“Holy crap, why does it sound so normal now?”
“Director You is here.”
“What’s the meaning?”
You Shulang was polite, and Fan Xiao went into the bathroom when he answered the phone. Fan Xiao looked at the door and said in a low voice, “I can’t keep running away. Since I’m going to try to take a step forward, I might as well play the victim in front of him.”
The person on the phone started cursing, and Fan Xiao decisively hung up.
He walked to the bathroom door and said through the door, “Shulang, do you know why I insisted on adding your name to the business trip list?”
The door lock was pulled open, and You Shulang leaned against the door frame, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his expression indifferent: “Why?”
“Because…” Fan Xiao’s gaze deepened, “because when I’m afraid, I hope you’ll be there.”
