Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 88
Chapter 88 Ex
2024-10-13 07:34 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
Fan Xiao actually kept his promise.
Having promised not to disturb You Shulang’s life, he did not show his face from spring to summer.
Sometimes, You Shulang would vaguely feel as if the willow catkins of that morning had never drifted by, and that the man had never plucked a white cotton ball from his shoulder and rubbed it between his fingers.
But this daze is often broken, just like this morning when You Shulang saw that red brick road.
The neighborhood where You Shulang rented was located in a low-lying area, and every time it rained, a lot of rainwater would accumulate. In addition, the roads in the neighborhood had been in disrepair for many years, and were muddy and difficult to walk on.
It’s been rainy a lot this summer, and it rained all night again last night. When I went out this morning, You Shulang was carrying Tiantian and had rolled up his trouser legs.
He lived on the second floor, where there was no elevator. He went down the stairs, greeted his neighbor who was out buying breakfast, and heard him say a few unclear words about “Lei Feng.” You Shulang responded with a smile, not paying any attention.
Pushing open the unit door, I saw a clear sky with fluffy clouds, and the weather was exceptionally nice.
“Huh?” Tian Tian whispered in You Shulang’s ear with a puzzled look, pointing downwards with her little finger.
Looking over, You Shulang noticed a narrow, winding red brick path leading directly to the main gate of the residential complex.
In shallow areas, only one layer of paving was laid, while in deeper areas, two or three layers were added. By following the path, one no longer had to struggle to find a place to step in the puddles and mud.
You Shulang looked around. This old building had three units, but only his unit had a red brick road in front of it. The other two units only had red bricks laid in the deep water, like patches, one by one.
Tian Tian found it novel and kicked his little feet eagerly in You Shulang’s arms. You Shulang put him on the red brick road and bent down to straighten his trouser legs.
“That young man worked half the night in the rain last night.” The murmur reached my ears. “My old man offered him a cigarette and asked if he was moving in. He said no, that the person he liked was living here and he was worried about her coming and going.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, is it because of that girl on the sixth floor? She is indeed good-looking.”
The red brick path was narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass. You Shulang followed behind the bouncy Tiantian, his eyelids lowered, his eyelashes fluttering a few times…
The laboratory was empty before You Shulang stood up from the lab bench.
There’s a gathering today. Yu Shulang’s college classmates are back from abroad, and everyone agreed to get together tonight.
After asking the neighbors to take care of Tian Tian, You Shulang went to the dressing room to change into a suit. It was the same suit he used to wear every day when he was the office director, but now it felt restrictive and uncomfortable.
Facing the full-length mirror, You Shulang buttoned his shirt, reaching down to his throat, when suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, he remembered a remark Fan Xiao had once made.
The man breathed close to his ear, his wet, soft lips brushing against his sensitive skin, deliberately teasing him: “Director You, the more covered you are, the more alluring and exciting you become.”
With a pause in his fingers, You Shulang slowly unbuttoned the button below his throat, revealing his slender neck.
Since it was a female classmate returning to China, we booked a Western restaurant. The restaurant is located on the 40th floor of Tower B of the Twin Towers, a landmark building, and offers panoramic views of the city’s nightscape from the windows.
As the elevator ascended and the numbers climbed, a female classmate with long, wavy hair laughed and complained, “After eating Western food for almost seven or eight years, I still want to eat Western food when I come back. Zhang Shicheng, haven’t you settled your score with me from back then?”
The man called Zhang Shicheng nodded seriously: “I had three girlfriends during college, and they all broke up with me because of you. I’ll hold this grudge for the rest of my life, won’t I?”
“That’s because your love isn’t strong enough.”
“Every time I date someone, you break up with them. But you were so devoted to me, how come you suddenly went abroad for seven years?”
The group consisted of four people, two men and two women. The helplessness and dejection on the female classmate’s face were quickly concealed. She grabbed You Shulang’s arm and pretended to be coquettish: “Shulang, Zhang Shicheng is bullying your woman.”
With a casual smile, You Shulang chimed in half-heartedly, “It’s expensive here, I’ll eat him into bankruptcy for you.”
The elevator doors opened, revealing a circular lobby with two restaurants on either side.
“Huihui, if you don’t want Western food, this place across the street is pretty good, it’s a newly opened Southeast Asian restaurant,” the woman who hadn’t spoken until now suggested. “I wonder if they still have a table without a reservation?”
Across from the Western restaurant, a dazzling replica of a yellow and blue sapphire exudes a fiery, exotic charm. Soft, sentimental music drifts down, gently brushing across the heart like a still lake, creating ripples…
Curry, old movies, heavy curtains, a weekend for two… Fragments of bygone days, clinging to the gentle musical scales, surged in like a tide, instantly engulfing You Shulang…
When he came to his senses, the people in front of him had already entered the restaurant. Zhang Shicheng turned around helplessly and waved to You Shulang.
No reservation was needed, and a few people were seated. The guide politely left, and a waiter handed over the menu.
“How many of you would like to order? Today, the chef’s special is Thai coconut chicken soup.”
That voice… You Shulang suddenly raised his eyes!
It really is Fan Xiao!
Their eyes met again, and they were even more shocked than before.
The tall, muscular man was dressed in traditional Thai clothing, a beige high-necked suit with a front opening, a dark green draped shawl over his shoulders, a gold decorative chain slung across his shoulder, and a matching gemstone belt around his waist.
Unlike the handsome man in a suit and tie, Fan Xiao in front of me was dressed in bright and gorgeous clothes. Although his smile was still gentle, it was hard to hide his noble temperament and a touch of exotic charm.
No one noticed You Shulang’s unusual behavior; all eyes were on Fan Xiao. Even Zhang Shicheng glanced at him a few more times, sighing inwardly that it was hard to win back an old flame, that even a meal could be so captivating that the waiter could steal his soul.
“You know each other?” Zhang Shicheng’s ex-lover followed Fan Xiao’s gaze to You Shulang and drew a line between the two with her finger.
Fan Xiao’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but he remained silent, maintaining a proper distance and waiting for You Shulang to define their relationship.
Fan Xiao weighed the options in his mind: “not a acquaintance” or “just a friend,” trying to figure out which would be easier to accept.
The dining table was by the window, where the streetlights were just coming on. You Shulang, who had recovered from his shock, had an indifferent expression reflected in the curved glass.
Under everyone’s gaze, he looked at Fan Xiao with a calm expression, tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, and said calmly, “I know him, he’s my ex.”
