Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 62
Chapter 62 Showdown
2024-10-13 07:26 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
The loud knocking shattered the tranquility of the room. You Shulang pulled the person clinging to his chest up and said in a hoarse voice, “You’ve been knocking for ages, go open the door.”
Fan Xiao silenced the man’s words with her lips: “Never mind that, just focus on Director You.”
“Perhaps something urgent has happened to the neighbor, Fan Xiao, I’ll go ask.”
You Shulang’s words were intermittent, mixed with the sound of water. After a deep kiss, Fan Xiao muttered a low “Damn it”: “Don’t move, I’ll go.”
He simply slipped on a pair of loose-fitting pants, but you could still tell he had a huge erection. Fan Xiao, his brows furrowed with impatience, opened the bedroom door and went out.
Afraid that he would cause trouble, You Shulang dragged his aching back and put on a bathrobe. Just as he reached the bedroom door, he heard Lu Zhen’s surprised exclamation in a different tone.
“Fan Xiao, what are you doing here?!”
Lu Zhen? You Shulang paused. How did he know Fan Xiao?
Pushing open the door, I saw two people facing off in the entryway.
Lu Zhen’s eyes showed surprise and anger, and his fur stood on end like a stressed little animal.
As for Fan Xiao…
You Shulang’s gaze fell on Fan Xiao, noticing that his back was stiffer than ever before, his right hand was still holding the doorknob, and the veins on the back of his hand were bulging, the dark blue color of which was exceptionally clear.
Subconsciously, You Shulang glanced behind Fan Xiao’s ear. This unconscious, inspection-like action sometimes really annoyed You Shulang.
The veins behind his ears throbbed once more, seemingly faster and more intense. Now, even the neck veins were bulging, as if a once arrogant beast had unexpectedly encountered a formidable foe.
Lu Zhen took a step back, confirmed the house number, and those familiar digits reignited his anger! Almost a head shorter than Fan Xiao, he shoved the tall man in front of the door and roared, “If you have a problem, come at me! Why are you looking for You Shulang! I’ve already returned the gift you gave me; I’ve also given you an IOU for the money I owe you! What are you doing looking for him? We’ve broken up!”
Lu Zhen had suffered a series of blows throughout the night, and now, provoked by the living Fan Xiao, he was consumed by rage and, without thinking, mistook him for a thug who had come to collect a debt.
Fan Xiao was pushed and easily bumped into the shoe cabinet behind him. The crystal photo frame on it swayed back and forth a few times before finally falling to the ground.
The dazzling crystal shattered instantly, its crystal-clear appearance turning into fragments, each tiny piece burying Fan Xiao’s smile in the photo.
Fan Xiao, standing outside the photo, also turned cold. Her intention was to portray herself as a delicate, innocent woman, but she hadn’t expected to shatter her own photo frame.
This is bad luck, he touched the four-faced Buddha on his chest.
“I’m allowed to dump him, but he’s not allowed to leave me.”
“Coo back and then dump them hard.”
Fan Xiao suddenly realized that You Shulang had now been coaxed back and was just one step away from being dumped.
He slowly clenched his fist, telling himself that this was… a perfect opportunity.
Not allowing himself to overthink, Fan Xiao said with a half-smile, “Zhenzhen, why are you here so late?”
The atmosphere inside the room changed abruptly as soon as the word “Zhenzhen” was uttered!
Lu Zhen finally came to his senses! Upon seeing the photos on the ground and Fan Xiao’s shirtless body, his face turned deathly pale!
Lu Zhen’s gaze slowly swept past the man in front of him, and he looked at You Shulang, who was standing by the bedroom door wearing only a bathrobe. He asked tremblingly, “Uncle You, what… what’s going on? Why is Fan Xiao in your house?”
Uncle You? Fan Xiao frowned slightly, then turned his cold gaze to You Shulang and asked in a nonchalant tone, “Yes, Shulang, why would my painting model come knocking on your door in the middle of the night?”
Both of them were blaming each other!
There is a spotlight above where You Shulang stands, a characteristic of old-fashioned decoration, with recessed lights around the perimeter of the ceiling.
The light shone down from above, casting a dazzling glow on his hair, like the occasional ripples on a still lake, a scene of solitude. That lock of hair was Fan Xiao’s lingering affection; he had just kissed the top of that hair again and again, captivated by the scent of the wild rose, both vibrant and melancholic.
The overhead light fell on You Shulang’s eyelashes, casting a deep shadow under his eyes, obscuring the expression in them and making everything about the man ambiguous.
“You two know each other?” You Shulang’s voice still carried a hint of romance, deep and sexy, so pleasant it sent chills down one’s spine.
His slow and deliberate tone, without any haste or anger, surprised Fan Xiao.
“us…”
Lu Zhen hesitated for a moment, and Fan Xiao answered for him: “I know him. I asked him to be my painting model once, I think it was just once, I think.”
As he spoke, Fan Xiao left the entryway, found a chair in the living room, sat down, took out a cigarette and held it between his fingers, then checked it again to himself: “That’s how it is in my memory. I invited too many painting models to remember them all.”
As Fan Xiao turned around, Lu Zhen saw several scratch marks on his back, the meaning of which was self-evident! He finally confirmed his guess, his voice becoming sharp and trembling as he pointed at Fan Xiao and asked his former lover, “You… Shu Lang, what were you doing just now?… Sleeping together?”
An unanswered question implies default.
“Was it him who didn’t come out of the bedroom last time?” Lu Zhen almost shouted.
“Yes,” You Shulang answered readily.
“Yes?” Lu Zhen’s pupils suddenly turned bloodshot, almost to the point of madness. “You Shulang, do you know who he is? He is Fan Xiao, the one who hired me as a model, the one who calls me Zhenzhen, the one who keeps giving me gifts, the one who is gentle to me, the one who made me abandon you and cheat on you with him!!”
“There was no infidelity.” Fan Xiao, sitting in the chair, corrected calmly, “Infidelity requires emotional interaction, which was not the case between us.”
Lu Zhen’s smile was bleak: “Yes, no, you were just pretending to make me think you were in love with me. Only when I abandoned everything and made a desperate gamble did you tell me it was all a fucking lie!”
“I admit I was messed with, I deserve it! Fan Xiao, why are you here? What are you up to, you perverted lesbian?!” Lu Zhen’s voice trailed off, dry and hoarse, almost hysterical.
In contrast, Fan Xiao’s words were light and thin.
“Oh, I see.” He chuckled. “Your ex-boyfriend is my current boyfriend, right? Because I rejected your advances, but now I’m with the boyfriend you dumped, so you… are devastated?”
“No! That’s not how it is!” It was clear to the naked eye that Lu Zhen was truly on the verge of collapse. He strode over to You Shulang and grabbed the man’s arm. “Uncle You, don’t listen to his nonsense. It’s my fault, I’m despicable. I broke up with you because of him, but he really is a pervert, a master at manipulating people’s hearts. I don’t know why he played me and then came to provoke you. There must be a connection between them!”
Fan Xiao couldn’t help but twirl the matchbox with his fingers. Under the lamplight, You Shulang had lost his emotional expression and looked as calm as usual. He even reached out and patted Lu Zhen’s shoulder to help him calm down.
The fragile matchbox was slowly crushed by the clenched palm. A smile appeared on his cold expression. Fan Xiao casually pulled up a chair and said gently, “Zhenzhen, sit down and calm down. Once your emotions have subsided, the misunderstanding will be cleared up.”
“Don’t call me Zhenzhen!!”
Lu Zhen was so angry that she wanted to lash out again, but You Shulang pressed her down into a chair and brought her a glass of warm water along with two chocolates: “Lu Zhen, control your emotions. Your lips are pale right now, you must have low blood sugar again. I don’t want you to faint here. I have no obligation or responsibility to take care of you anymore.”
Fan Xiao raised an eyebrow; You Shulang’s ruthlessness towards Lu Zhen made him even happier.
“Fan Xiao,” the next moment, he was called out by You Shulang, “Lu Zhen has anemia and cannot withstand verbal provocation. If he faints here because of your provocation, then you should take on the responsibility of taking care of him. After all… he was once your painting model.”
His tone remained gentle, but his words were extremely impolite. However, it was very effective and successfully shut the two people up.
However, Fan Xiao became unhappy again.
“I’m going to change my clothes,” You Shulang suddenly said. His bathrobe was conservative and covered him up completely, so changing into another one would be redundant.
But he had already turned and walked towards the bedroom. His back was framed in the gaze of the two people behind him, as thin and tall as ever.
Only after the bedroom door was closed did You Shulang, who had come under the pretext of changing clothes, slowly lean against the door. His calm expression could no longer be maintained, and he slid down the cold door to the ground, burying his face in his palms.
Who knows how long he endured under that solitary light? Ever since Fan Xiao called out “Zhenzhen” in the entrance hall, his heart had plummeted into an icy abyss, his blood seemed to have been drained, and his breath stopped in that instant.
He still carried the decadent scent left by Fan Xiao, and the soft flesh on his chest still ached slightly… However, in just a moment, the distance between him and that man went from close to negative, and then to so far that there was an abyss between them!
You Shulang smiled bitterly. It turned out that everything was traceable; he had only been blinded by lust and deceiving himself!
The bedroom door opened again, and You Shulang changed into a plain two-piece set of pajamas. He also brought a shirt for Fan Xiao, tossed it onto the man, and casually instructed, “Put it on.”
Fan Xiao glanced at You Shulang’s expression before putting on his clothes. In his eyes, You Shulang seemed perfectly normal, calmly handling the chaotic situation as if he were dealing with someone else’s business. Fan Xiao didn’t expect You Shulang to be hysterical—that was almost impossible—but the man showed no sign of panic or pain.
Does she not care about me at all? Fan Xiao’s displeasure deepened.
Seeing Fan Xiao put on his clothes, You Shulang also pulled up a chair and sat down, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far from the two of them.
“I have a few questions,” he said slowly. “You may choose not to answer, but those who do not answer, please leave my room.”
“Go ahead and ask, Uncle You,” Lu Zhen responded readily.
“Uncle my ass!” Fan Xiao cursed lazily, drawing out the words, “A three-year-old kid, calling me ‘uncle’ all the time.”
You Shulang gave Fan Xiao a warning look, then said to Lu Zhen, “Change your address, it’s not appropriate to call you that anymore.”
Lu Zhen looked aggrieved, but didn’t argue further.
You Shulang lit a cigarette, held it between his teeth, and asked in a low voice, “Lu Zhen, how did Fan Xiao find you to be a model?”
Upon hearing this, Fan Xiao was startled.
Lu Zhen obediently replied, “My agent informed me. I didn’t want to agree at first because I had other engagements. My agent said to put everything else aside because this job pays more.”
“They specifically asked you to be a model?” You Shulang asked again.
“Yes, you specifically named me.”
You Shulang nodded without judging, then turned to Fan Xiao and asked, “Did you give Lu Zhen a gift?”
“I did send them to express my gratitude to Lu Zhen. They were just small gifts, nothing expensive,” Fan Xiao replied frankly.
“Did you give me the crown?”
You Shulang glanced at Fan Xiao and was indeed taken aback when he saw him.
“I gave it to him. I went to their company to discuss shooting an advertisement and happened to see Lu Zhen being bullied. We’re all friends, so I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. You know, it was a trade-off, so the organizer gave that crown to Lu Zhen.”
“That day, when Lu Zhen came here to pick up the painting, you heard his voice in the room. Didn’t you recognize it as your friend’s?” You Shulang pressed.
Fan Xiao suddenly felt that the room was a bit hot, and his back was slightly sweaty.
Knowing that saying too much would only lead to mistakes, he gave the simplest answer: “I didn’t hear it.”
Holding the cigarette between his middle and index fingers, You Shulang skillfully flicked the cigarette butt with his thumb, and the ash fell like a sudden tear.
“Lu Zhen, I remember you received a phone call the day you picked up the painting. Who called you?”
You Shulang vividly remembered that phone call. Just one ringtone was enough to turn Lu Zhen’s sorrow into joy, and he left in a hurry. You Shulang guessed at the time that the caller must have been Lu Zhen’s new lover.
“Ah!” Lu Zhen jumped up. “It was Fan Xiao who called me. I thought he wanted to ask me out, so I left in a hurry.”
His eyelids suddenly lifted, and You Shulang’s gaze toward Fan Xiao was as sharp as a cold blade.
After a few seconds of silence, Fan Xiao said, “I really don’t know, Lu Zhen. Did you answer the phone when I called you?”
“…No, the call was disconnected before it even connected.”
“It must have been an accident, an unintentional act.”
“Fan Xiao, you’re lying!” Lu Zhen couldn’t take it anymore. “You said the gifts you gave me were just ordinary ones, that you were just helping me out of a difficult situation. I can tell the difference between normal interaction and flirtatious advances!”
Fan Xiao clicked his tongue, his contempt evident: “You’re still at the age where you love to dream.”
You Shulang stopped the two from arguing in time and asked, “When was the last time you saw each other?”
“It’s been a long time,” Fan Xiao replied absentmindedly.
Lu Zhen added: “On November 4th, I canceled an important engagement to see you. You had been in a meeting out of town, and coincidentally, you had to come back just when I was at work. I lost a lot of money to see you, and now that I think about it, it really wasn’t worth it!”
“Attending a meeting out of town?” You Shulang murmured to himself. After a moment’s thought, he took a drag of his cigarette, tilted his head back, and exhaled. Looking at the billowing smoke in front of him, he chuckled helplessly.
“What’s Lu Zhen’s contact name in your phone? It should be ‘lu’, right?” You Shulang and Fan Xiao returned from a seminar in S City. At the airport, Fan Xiao had received a call from Lu. “Is it exciting to answer my ex-boyfriend’s call in front of me?”
Fan Xiao crossed his legs, and his toes, which had been swaying slightly, suddenly pointed. He subconsciously reached for his phone, only to find that You Shulang had taken it out of his pocket.
“Lu Zhen, make a call to Fan Xiao.”
“good!”
“Shulang, don’t you trust me?” Fan Xiao sat up straight and questioned, “You didn’t trust me about Xue Baotian last time, and you’re doing the same thing this time. Am I not worthy of your trust, or are you just making unfounded accusations and suffering from delusions?”
You Shulang and Fan Xiao stood on opposite sides, their gazes meeting in the air, one gloomy, the other fierce, their eyes locked in an invisible entanglement and tearing. They had exchanged countless glances before, tender, passionate, and affectionate, but it all seemed like yesterday, just now, yet now it felt like a lifetime ago.
Lu Zhen’s phone rang simultaneously, the ringtone and vibration sounding at the same time, drawing the attention of all three.
Several Chinese characters popped up on the screen: “Chinese Model 1”.
You Shulang: “…”
Lu Zhen: “!!!”
In the silence, Fan Xiao slowly stood up and squatted down in front of You Shulang, looking up at him with deep sorrow in his eyes: “Do you know what I saved your contact as?”
He picked up You Shulang’s phone and dialed his own number. After a moment of silence, the phone rang, and two words appeared on the deep screen.
Light.
“You Shulang, I don’t love light, but I love you. I regarded you as the ray of light in my life that could drive away the darkness. I regarded you as my salvation and my faith. But in the end, you never believed in me!”
“Perhaps you never loved me at all. While I considered you my lover to spend my whole life with, you were always looking for so-called ‘proof’ that I was lying to you, and you were prepared to leave me at any time.”
The light in Fan Xiao’s eyes seemed to shatter into a thousand pieces: “You Shulang, I love you, but I’m tired too. I can’t stand being doubted again and again by the person I love, being interrogated like a criminal. I want to grovel at your feet, but I don’t want to be a sinner. Let’s… break up.”
Looking at You Shulang, Fan Xiao spoke each word as if weeping, while Shi Lihua’s teasing voice echoed in his ears.
“Win him back and then dump him ruthlessly?” A month ago, Shi Lihua asked with a grin, “How are you going to dump You Shulang ruthlessly? Tell him everything you did? Let him know that you never liked him at all?”
Fan Xiao remembers shaking his head at the time: “A man as mentally strong as You Shulang would never hold back any love for you once he knew you had never loved him.”
“Only by making him regret, make him sad, and make him feel that he has let you down, that someone who loves him deeply has been greatly hurt because of him, will he soften his heart, keep thinking about it, and live in repentance.”
“This is how you truly dump him.”
By this time, Fan Xiao had retrieved his phone and stood up. He glanced at You Shulang one last time before taking a difficult step towards the door.
As Fan Xiao placed his hand on the door, he found himself trembling. Every cell in his body was screaming that he didn’t want to leave the room. Even his eyes began to sting, and an unknown liquid began to gather, more and more, heavier and heavier, threatening to burst out of his eyes and gush out.
You should be happy, cheer up! Fan Xiao, you won! You won against that fool, that bodhisattva, that kind person who doesn’t understand suffering, that fraudster who uses “hope” to persuade people to “be strong”!
Be happy already! Please, be happy, Fan Xiao! He commanded himself repeatedly.
But it was all in vain!
He raised his head, trying to force back the heavy liquid, but it was too embarrassing. Before this attempt failed, Fan Xiao pushed open the door.
“President Fan.” You Shulang suddenly spoke up, changing his form of address. He let out a laugh from his chest, flicked his cigarette ash, and said in a somewhat cold tone, “You’re putting on a show too much. It’s gone a bit too far.”
Fan Xiao frowned slightly, turned his back, wiped away his tears, and then looked at You Shulang again: “Shulang, what do you mean?”
You Shulang’s voice was soft and weak, with a hint of weariness and languor: “What I mean is that President Fan is a good actor, but not good enough. What he said just now was a bit insincere and not enough to move the judges and the audience.”
“Shulang, you’re not one to be sarcastic or cryptic. Explain yourself clearly.”
You Shulang smiled, his expression indifferent: “I’m not good at being sarcastic, so let’s get straight to the point. Mr. Fan, take a look at the first message on your phone.”
Fan Xiao hesitated for a moment before swiping the screen, finding the green icon, and clicking on it. The first message was from Shi Lihua, but Fan Xiao hadn’t contacted him recently.
With a gentle tap, the list unfolded. A glance swept over it, and Fan Xiao instinctively took a step back!
He suddenly looked up in You Shulang’s direction and found that the man was also staring at him, his eyes no longer cold, but filled with deep…sadness.
