Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 84
Chapter 84 Bodhisattva, you are free.
2024-10-13 07:33 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
As You Shulang descended the steps of the pharmaceutical research base, he felt a little unsteady on his feet.
Escaping the air conditioning, the humid heat rushed in, and You Shulang subconsciously took a step back, unable to accept the sudden jump from the warmth of early summer to the unbearable heat of midsummer.
The ground was a little damp, with puddles remaining in the low-lying areas. Had it just rained? You Shulang hadn’t paid attention to the weather outside the window for a long time.
He stayed in the pharmaceutical research building for two months and twenty-three days, during which time he rarely went out.
The process optimization of honeysuckle decoction is not complicated; it only requires improving the quality and efficacy of the medicine preparation while controlling costs.
It sounds easy, but only the project team members can truly understand the hardships and urgency involved. As Huang Qimin’s first assistant, You Shulang had an immense burden to bear in completing an almost impossible workload within three months.
Research teams look at academic qualifications, seniority, and the quality and quantity of published papers, so You Shulang’s status as the first assistant was not initially widely recognized.
Despite having no advantages, You Shulang became a key figure in driving the overall progress of the project in its later stages. In addition to his tireless efforts day and night, everyone had to admit the importance of his talent and aptitude.
In addition, You Shulang’s interpersonal skills and sincerity allowed him to handle all matters in an orderly manner, enabling the project to proceed rapidly without any interference or obstacles. The project is now essentially complete and has entered the data compilation, submission, and evaluation phase.
Although it had just rained, it was still very hot. You Shulang stood in front of the building for a while, unsure of where to go. Old Zhou said he would take his child to the amusement park for a day of fun after the project ended; Little Li was eagerly anticipating his girlfriend’s birthday celebration; Tian Xiaotian was determined to eat three big bowls of her mother’s handmade noodles after the project was over; even Huang Qimin was sighing with longing for his old dog…
Only Yu Shulang hesitated when asked what he most wanted to do after the project ended.
Previously, what he did depended on what Fan Xiao wanted him to do.
Fan Xiao hasn’t appeared for a long time. Ever since the two of them made a three-month appointment in the office, and You Shulang moved from Fan Xiao’s apartment to the R&D base that day, they haven’t seen each other again.
At first, You Shulang was worried that Fan Xiao might cause some trouble. But later, in the midst of working day and night, the name and the person of Fan Xiao were gradually forgotten.
As the project drew to a close, You Shulang’s heart pounded with each passing day. He wondered what crazy and absurd thing Fan Xiao would do next, and he was even afraid that if he stepped out of the door, he would see Fan Xiao waiting there.
“Brother You, what are you thinking about? I’m asking you, what are you going to do after the project is over?”
“Sleep, sleep for three days and three nights,” he replied with a smile.
Standing outside the pharmaceutical research building, You Shulang did not see Fan Xiao. He breathed a sigh of relief and walked out of the park along the narrow shadow under the eaves.
This was the outskirts of the city, and there weren’t many cars on the road. A few minutes later, a black cab soliciting passengers stopped in front of You Shulang, and the driver craned his neck and asked: “Want a ride?”
You Shulang paused for a moment, then nodded, opened the passenger door, got in, and gave a nearby address.
My first step after getting off the bus landed in a clump of mud. This old neighborhood, barely better than a shantytown, had inadequate sanitation.
After finding a relatively clean spot to stand, You Shulang took out his phone and sent a WeChat message.
The name displayed above the dialog box is Bai Ting. She lives here. You Shulang once gave her a ride here, and he vaguely remembers that it was from this location.
“Bai Ting, are you free? I’m passing by your place. If it’s not too much of a bother, how about we grab a bite together?”
It’s five o’clock in the afternoon. Bai Ting should be awake by now. She lives a life completely opposite to that of normal people, sleeping during the day and being active at night.
Bai Ting escaped an arranged marriage from a remote mountain village. Her family used her to exchange for her younger brother’s marriage and future, receiving a huge dowry, and then betrothed her to a notorious old lecher who was about to die.
Bai Ting escaped and nearly got caught twice during her travels to various places. She reported the incident to the police, and her father and brother were also detained. However, they remained incorrigible after their release. They spent all the money for the bride price and always tried to drag people back to pay off their debts.
Bai Ting lacked education and skills, and because of her beauty, she was repeatedly harassed. In the end, penniless, she became a hostess in a brothel.
You Shulang once tried to help Bai Ting find a proper job, but Bai Ting refused.
“Once I got used to it, I wasn’t as resistant as I was at first. I want to earn more money, buy a house and a car, and I don’t want to rely on others for a living anymore.” Even now, You Shulang still remembers the sadness and stubbornness in her eyes, “Only with money can you be powerful and control your own destiny.”
Suffering always changes us beyond recognition.
A few months ago, on the rooftop of the municipal building, Fan Xiao threatened You Shulang by saying he would leak Bai Ting’s information to her family. Bai Ting had helped You Shulang, and Fan Xiao knew You Shulang’s character and bottom line well, convinced that he would never implicate an innocent and unfortunate woman.
Standing in the sunlight, You Shulang smiled bitterly. Fan Xiao truly understood him and firmly grasped his Achilles’ heel.
He looked down at his phone. Bai Ting didn’t reply. He tried dialing a number, but the phone was off.
You Shulang sighed inwardly, wondering where to go and what to do next.
He walked a few steps in a dry spot and then heard someone calling him.
“Hey, you there? Aren’t you Bai Ting’s friend?”
You Shulang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young woman dressed in flamboyant clothes. In this dilapidated neighborhood, she was wearing extremely high heels and had a lot of wavy hair, attracting countless disdainful glances, both overt and covert.
You Shulang guessed that she might be Bai Ting’s roommate, as he had heard Bai Ting mention her before.
“Hello, my name is You Shulang, I’m Bai Ting’s friend. Isn’t she home?”
Ignoring the unfriendly stares, You Shulang walked up to the woman and politely inquired.
“You don’t know where she is either? I was just about to ask you.” As the woman jumped over the puddle, she swayed slightly. You Shulang reached out to help her and heard a series of clicking sounds, tinged with a hint of “immorality.”
He ignored her, his mind preoccupied with the woman’s words: “What’s wrong with Bai Ting?”
“I don’t know either.” The woman steadied herself, looking somewhat anxious. “After receiving a phone call the day before yesterday, she seemed a bit unsettled. I asked her, but she wouldn’t say. After work that day, she didn’t come home with me, and I haven’t been able to contact her since.”
You Shulang’s expression gradually turned serious: “Have you asked her other friends? Does no one know her whereabouts?”
“Bai Ting doesn’t have many friends. She’s a bit… well, people say behind her back that she’s aloof, putting on airs even though she’s selling herself. But I know she just doesn’t want to get too involved.”
“Has she shown any other unusual behavior these past two days?” You Shulang asked again.
The woman was silent for a moment, then let out a soft “ah”.
“The day before yesterday, a man came to see her. Right after she received the call, he booked a huge private room and asked her to be alone. But the man left after only a short while. He ordered drinks worth about 10,000 yuan, but didn’t touch them. The company gave Bai Ting double commission. The girls all said she was lucky. In just half an hour, without being harassed, she made such a big profit.”
Under the blazing sun, You Shulang felt his fingertips slowly losing their warmth. He asked with difficulty, “What kind of man?”
“He’s very tall and handsome, and he looks very refined.”
“Any distinguishing features?”
The girl pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly: “There’s nothing particularly special about him, except for one strange thing: he’s wearing long sleeves even in this hot weather, as if he’s afraid of the cold.”
The distance from fingertips to heart is indeed not far; in just a moment, it turns completely cold.
You Shulang never expected that Fan Xiao would resort to the same old tricks again, trying to use Bai Ting to control him as the project was about to end!
The blazing sun evaporated the watermarks on the ground in just over ten minutes, but it was powerless against the chill on You Shulang’s face; it couldn’t dry it or melt it…
Fan Xiao pushed open the door and casually tossed his briefcase onto the cabinet in the entryway. Without turning on the light, he went to his usual spot to change his shoes, then groped his way to the refrigerator, opened the door, and took out a bottle of ice water.
A light clicked behind him, and Fan Xiao turned around abruptly. By the light from the refrigerator, he saw You Shulang sitting on the sofa in the living room.
Overjoyed, he hurriedly turned on the wall lamp, stumbled over to You Shulang, and rushed over to hug him tightly.
“Shulang, you’re back!” He buried his face in the crook of You Shulang’s neck, like a fledgling bird that had fallen from its nest and found its way home again. “Why didn’t you let me pick you up? It’s so hot.”
“It’s so hot, why is Mr. Fan wearing long sleeves?”
You Shulang’s face was expressionless, and his words were devoid of warmth, but Fan Xiao was completely oblivious. He was still immersed in the joy of You Shulang’s initiative to return, and subconsciously replied, “It’s still a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings.”
After saying that, she felt she had wasted time, that talking about these random things had delayed her from kissing You Shulang.
With one hand supporting You Shulang’s cheek, his kiss was somewhat impatient, but just as their lips touched, You Shulang put a cigarette in his mouth.
The man, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, exuded a cold calm, unmoved by Fan Xiao’s eagerness.
Even with a cigarette in his mouth, his words were clear: “The optimization of the honeysuckle drink process has been completed in the laboratory. The next step is to submit it to the National Review Center for review. The timeframe is hard to predict and will depend on the number of projects submitted at the same time.”
Fan Xiao didn’t take it to heart, simply nodded twice, and risked being burned by the cigarette, tilting his head to kiss You Shulang’s lips.
“Let’s not talk about that. Shulang, Director You, I miss you so much. I don’t know how I got through these past few months.”
You Shulang glanced down at the outside of his thigh, where something hard was pressing against him. Knowing Fan Xiao as he did, this man, driven by lust, couldn’t maintain his rationality for more than three minutes.
“The project is about to end, so you’re thinking of ways to threaten me again, aren’t you?” You Shulang went straight to the point.
“What?” Fan Xiao paused for a moment as his breath hit You Shulang’s face. “I didn’t.”
“You’ve seen Bai Ting?” You Shulang pushed Fan Xiao away from him, rolled his eyes and stared at him directly. “Because Changling Technology no longer has anything to hold over you, you’ve thought of her again?”
Fan Xiao slowly sat up straight, the lingering gaze fading away, leaving only a deep sense of powerlessness.
“You came back just to question me about this, didn’t you? I was just being presumptuous; I thought you… had forgiven me.”
A soft chuckle broke the heavy silence.
“Fan Xiao, if you did what I did to you, would you forgive me?”
“If it were you, I could accept whatever you did to me.”
You Shulang clenched his teeth, his voice sharp: “Never be arrogant. You’ll never know how much it hurts until the bullet hits you.” His expression was almost menacing. “I don’t want to talk to you about love right now. I just want to know if you’ve seen Bai Ting? Where is she now?!”
Fan Xiao pressed his arms on his knees, his back slumped down, and after a long while he propped himself up, calmly and earnestly answering the question, seemingly unrelated.
“You Shulang, do you really not want me anymore?”
The cigarette between his fingers had burned down to the butt, and a small flame remained at the base of You Shulang’s fingers. The man stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray beside him and gave his answer readily: “I’ve said this hundreds and thousands of times. If you want to hear it again, then so be it.”
You Shulang looked at Fan Xiao coldly: “I feel nothing but disgust when I see you now. I don’t know how you got through these past few months, but I have gained an unprecedented sense of ease during these months.”
“Not only do I not want you anymore, I also want to forget you completely, forget all the pain and suffering you brought me, and forget that I ever knew you!”
The room was utterly silent; even breathing was barely audible. If it weren’t for the watch on Fan Xiao’s wrist, which he was vigorously stroking, making a sound, the oppressive silence that had enveloped the room might have continued indefinitely.
“You’ll fall in love with someone else in the future, won’t you?” Fan Xiao’s eyes seemed to hold the desolation of the entire world. “Love him dearly, protect him with all your might, cook for him, put his picture in your room, make him wear gloves while making love with you…”
“Yes.” You Shulang interrupted him, “Fan Xiao, apart from being particularly bad, you really don’t have anything special about you.”
Fan Xiao pulled a cigarette from the pack with trembling hands, as urgently as a drug addict trying to prolong his life.
After taking a few deep breaths, a voice finally rang out amidst the swirling smoke: “I did go to see Bai Ting, hoping she would help me stage a self-inflicted injury, a hero saving a damsel in distress or something. Ideally, I’d get stabbed a few times, so you’d feel sorry for me, soften your heart, be moved by me, and then forgive me.”
Fan Xiao’s jaw twitched slightly from side to side: “But Bai Ting disagreed. I threatened her, saying that if she didn’t cooperate with me, someone would come knocking on her door. She ran away in fright, and I heard she hasn’t been to work for two days.”
He took a deep drag on his cigarette, and coughed as he did so, a smile spreading across his face as he coughed: “You Shulang, you have too many weaknesses. Bai Ting, Huang Qimin, even your troublesome younger brother, they are all your weaknesses!”
A hint of madness crept into his smile: “So what if Bai Ting ran away, your brother is in jail, and Huang Qimin is legally married? Don’t think I can’t do anything to you now. I want to keep you by my side, and even your dead adoptive mother will help me!”
Fan Xiao slowly raised his eyes: “Isn’t she your weakness?”
“You!” You Shulang suddenly stood up, grabbing Fan Xiao’s collar. “She’s already been laid to rest. What do you think you’re doing? Are you even human?!”
“Haven’t I already been a devil in your eyes?!” Fan Xiao flicked away the cigarette in his hand and said coldly, “You Shulang, I want to fuck you now. Do you want to go to bed and wait for me, or should I carry you there?”
You Shulang suddenly swung his fist, hitting Fan Xiao hard in the face. He shoved Fan Xiao against the opposite wall, grabbed him by the neck, and said sternly, “Fan Xiao, you are indeed a devil, but do devils have no weaknesses?!”
He took his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it.
“Look at these! They’re evidence of your crimes!”
As I swiped my thumb across the page, the text scrolled upwards: “Fan Xiao, you are suspected of multiple economic crimes, including falsifying accounts, evading taxes, and bribing Thai officials while in Thailand. Any one of these offenses is enough to land you in jail for several years!”
“And these too.” You Shulang switched pages. “These are the criminal evidences of Fan Yu’s embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds. No wonder he’s been trying to get his hands on the things on your computer. Does he already know that you have something on him?”
With a light touch of the finger, another screen appeared: “This is evidence of your elder brother’s crimes in using illegal means to suppress your sister-in-law’s father’s company in order to coerce her.”
“And there’s more!” You Shulang tightened his grip again, making Fan Xiao’s breathing quicken. “And this is evidence of your father’s crimes! He was manufacturing and selling counterfeit medicine in Thailand! It’s medicine! It’s a matter of life and death!”
Fan Xiao’s face was flushed from lack of oxygen, and he asked with difficulty, “What are you going to do?”
“What do you mean?” You Shulang’s eyes slowly welled up with tears. He held up his phone, his thumb hovering over it. “Now, with just a tap of my finger, evidence of your crimes, including those of your entire family, will be sent to the Thai law enforcement and judicial departments, as well as to various well-known media outlets within Thailand!”
Fan Xiao’s face darkened: “You really want to do this?”
You Shulang was momentarily lost in thought, a dull ache washing over him: “Fan Xiao, I once wanted to give you the best of everything. I would do my best to help you with anything I could.”
“I feel that you are a gift from God, a compensation for my pity. You made me feel that I am no longer alone, and gave me a close relationship that I cherish, not physical intimacy, but the kind of deep connection that I hold dear, an emotion that I can’t sever or let go of.”
Despair instantly filled the air, and You Shulang screamed for the first time, his voice hoarse: “When I was little, I envied other kids for having candy. When I met you, I thought I’d finally get to eat that candy too. But the ridiculous thing is, all the candy I ate was poisoned! Fan Xiao, do you know how I felt when I heard you belittling and insulting me behind my back? Do you know how I felt when you called Lu Zhen ‘Zhenzhen’? Do you know what you were thinking when you cornered me on the rooftop?!”
“I wonder if I could escape this monster by jumping off that cliff?!” Tears streamed down his cheeks as You Shulang wiped them away with his shoulder. “I haven’t shed a tear since I was four, because I know tears are the most useless thing; they can’t solve anything. But Fan Xiao, I’m a complete mess now. All the beliefs I’ve painstakingly built up over the years seem to be wrong. I don’t even know where to go from here?!”
“Meeting you is not a gift from heaven, but a punishment! It’s bad enough that I’m being punished, but you also have to bring other people along!” The faint light from the phone screen stood between the two of them, like an unbreakable barrier.
You Shulang pressed hard on Fan Xiao’s Adam’s apple: “President Fan, how does it feel to be threatened?”
“Not good.” Fan Xiao forced a smile. “These are all the dirt I found on them, which I planned to use to blackmail them later. I never expected to be the one to suffer the consequences.”
“After all, we used to have feelings for each other. Director You, you have such a soft heart, how could you bear to send me to jail?”
Fan Xiao glanced at the phone, then gently wiped away the tears on You Shulang’s face: “Shulang, I am your gift, and I am your punishment. I will not let you leave me!”
You Shulang’s hand holding the phone trembled slightly: “Don’t force me.”
Fan Xiao’s eyes were slightly red, his obsession bordering on fanaticism: “I’ve forced you so many times, and every time I’ve won, Director You, why don’t you just accept your fate?”
The veins on his hand gripping the phone bulged, and his thumb moved to the send button.
So much love, so much hate, intertwined, rushed in like scenes from a movie. The smiling, playful, and gentle Fan Xiao, and the sinister, cold, and crazy Fan Xiao, mingled together, frequently switching in front of You Shulang, using the same face to make different expressions and say different things…
You Shulang is on the verge of collapse!
A long, slender hand rested on the back of You Shulang’s head, first ruffling his hair, then pulling him closer.
Fan Xiao leaned in and kissed You Shulang.
“พระโพธิสัตว์ ข้าจะไถ่บาป เจ้าเป็นอิสระ (Bodhisattva, I will atone for your sins and you will be free.)”
With a final, suppressed murmur, Fan Xiao pressed his thumb onto You Shulang’s finger and sent the email!
