Chapter 49 Chapter 49 I have to go back to school on Sunday afternoon.

We have to go back to school on Sunday afternoon, change clothes and gather for evening roll call.

When Huo Zhongshan sent Fang Shimian to the school gate, he saw the second son of the Zhao family walking out of the school and offering his hand to help Fang Shimian carry his things.

Two young boys of similar age and stature stood together and talked.

Fang Shimian turned around and waved to him, and Zhao You also raised his head and looked at him, with an unfriendly look.

After the two entered the school, Huo Zhongshan slowly withdrew his gaze and told the driver to leave.

Not threatening, a little too young.

*

After this, there was more than a month of police training.

During the police training, you have to hand in your cell phone, and you can only get it from the team leader after the training at 6 o'clock every day.

Fang Shimian often fell asleep while talking to Huo Zhongshan, and when he woke up in the morning, his phone was already turned off.

They stood at attention under the scorching sun, undertook various physical trainings, learned tactics, teamwork, grappling and fighting, and marching in formation, while constantly turning left and right and marching in step.

Repetitive, boring, and tasteless.

The instructor of their team is a serving police officer on the front line. He usually doesn’t talk much, but every time he starts talking, someone is in trouble.

He often said, "The honor of the police force is more important than life. If you choose this path, you should not be afraid of hardship, and you are not allowed to retreat."

No one could get preferential treatment from him.

Among the six people in the dormitory, Fang Shimian is the thinnest and looks the most fragile.

Originally, his roommates had already assigned who would carry him for the 100-meter sprint if he suddenly fainted.

In the first few days of the police training, Fang Shimian would occasionally be made fun of in this way by his classmates.

He has a good temper and never gets angry. When everyone laughs, he laughs along, seemingly completely unaware of the malice and jealousy hidden in some words.

Such frankness and magnanimity make some people with ulterior motives feel ashamed.

But then again, Fang Shimian really wasn't pretending anything, he really didn't notice anything at all.

People are obviously more tolerant towards good-looking people. Fang Shimian is very handsome, not to mention that he has such a good temper. Within two days, he quickly integrated into the group and got along well with the people around him.

Many times, Fang Shimian may not be the smartest one, but he is definitely the toughest and the one who can endure the most hardship.

No one has ever heard Fang Shimian complain. He would only show a very soft smile during his occasional free time when a middle school boy in the team would jump out and shout "I want to be the sword of the Republic", and amid everyone's laughter.

That kind of smile is extremely eye-catching, the kind of smile that is as gentle as jade from a well-educated and elegant gentleman, so gentle that it seems to be able to tolerate everything.

During breaks, Fang Shimian is always surrounded by people.

There was an endless stream of people who were curious about him, who invited him to play games, and who wanted his contact information.

When there are no training tasks at night, the instructors will gather everyone together to perform talents, and sometimes several teams will sing together.

On the large playground with a cool breeze at night, the faces of the young men in dark training uniforms were unclear, and the silver police badges on their hats were shining.

They sat in a circle and listened attentively to the instructor's not-so-vivid tone as he described the police situations he encountered at the grassroots level.

"Don't always look up. Only by lowering your head and bending your waist can you hear and see. Every time you go out on a police call and everything you do is meaningful."

"Don't let those trivialities cover your eyes, and don't betray the people's trust in us."

The expressions on everyone's face became particularly lively again.

Fang Shimian's eyes were particularly bright.

Halfway through the police training, unexpectedly, Fang Shimian not only did not fall behind, but was picked by the instructor as a flag-bearing model in the team because of his standard posture.

It’s not that the instructor favors him, but his movements are neat and beautiful, and everyone is convinced.

Fang Shimian has always been silent. He is used to obeying all the rules and completing his own transformation on the edge of his physical limit.

Now more people in the team have a favorable impression of Fang Shimian, and the jokes about Fang Shimian's frail body have completely disappeared. There are fewer jokes and more respect.

After a month, everyone's hair grew a little longer, and some people found it troublesome and shaved their heads. Only one person in Fang Shimian's dormitory, named Xu Shu, shaved his head.

Fang Shimian planned to stay for a while before leaving. In order to avoid looking like a hairy chestnut, the people in the dormitory bought razors to shave their sideburns.

Fang Shimian was the last one to be pushed. He thought it was great and smiled foolishly in front of the mirror for a long time. In the evening, he took a picture with his mobile phone and sent it to Huo Zhongshan.

The last day of the police training was a grand performance. Fang Shimian was actually a little nervous. There were three standard-bearers leading a square formation, and Fang Shimian was the one carrying the flag in the middle. If he didn't walk well, it would be very obvious.

During the rehearsal, he touched the brightly colored flags and suddenly wanted to call Huo Zhongshan to hear his voice.

I don’t know when I developed this habit, but I always feel at ease only when I hear that familiar voice.

Of course, calling now is definitely out of the question.

After the rehearsal, everyone took their seats. The leaders sitting in the rows in the center of the audience were introduced one by one by the host on the stage. Fang Shimian's group was in the second row. He stood straight, but when his eyes fell on one of the leaders on the stage, he was obviously stunned.

This face...why does it look familiar?

Soon, the man was introduced by the host.

The youngest first-level police inspector, deputy director of the Pingxu District Public Security Bureau of Haishi City, and director of the Economic Crime Investigation College of Haishi Police College - Huo Yue.

The man sat firmly in a high seat, wearing a standard light blue shirt and shoulder straps of a first-class police inspector. The mature and handsome man stood up calmly and saluted neatly with a solemn expression.

Fang Shimian heard the very quiet discussions around him.

It’s really him, I’m not mistaken.

After the introduction, several leaders in the first row spoke briefly and the performance officially began.

After the first few small groups holding badges and flags passed by, it was Fang Shimian and his team's turn to prepare on the track.

When taking that first step, a lot of emotions are left behind.

Fang Shimian wore the clothes he had longed for, held their team's flag, and walked with steady, majestic steps. He looked very impressive, and the drones and cameras all focused on this team.

The young man on the big screen was handsome and heroic, with a straight posture. Although he appeared for a moment, he was eye-catching enough.

These people of course also include Huo Yue on the stage.

Huo Jun told Fang Shimian that he had enrolled in the police academy.

Huo Yue actually didn't take it to heart. Every year, there were countless descendants of the Huo family entering the public security system. As long as Huo Zhongshan didn't tell him about this in person, he would just pretend he didn't know.

But this kid looks very pious, with such bright eyes, such pride and joy, it doesn't seem like he is here to enjoy the shade of the tree, but rather he really likes this profession.

With a resounding voice and silently boiling, every step closer to his ideal makes this young man shine.

So tall and so beautiful.

Attractive enough.

When I first stepped into the police academy, was my gaze as determined?

It’s been so long, I can’t remember clearly.

After Fang Shimian led the team off the runway, the serious instructor finally smiled at everyone and said a few words for good performance for the first time.

He didn't praise anyone in particular, but everyone could see that he was satisfied with Shi Mian.

After the police training, Fang Shimian received a certificate for being one of the top ten model soldiers.

On the day he took it home, Huo Zhongshan asked someone to frame the certificate, originally intending to put it in the living room.

But it would not look good if the living room was empty, so after thinking about it, he took Fang Shimian to the third floor.

The moment the elevator door opened, all the lights on the third floor lit up.

It's an exhibition hall, and an entire floor is filled with airplane models made of building blocks.

Fang Shimian was very familiar with that kind of building blocks. It was the kind that Qin Liu asked him to build last time. It seemed to be custom-made, with fine parts without any trademarks.

Fang Shimian looked around and liked every plane. There were many types, including large passenger planes and the most common were fighter jets. They were all very beautiful. It was hard to imagine how much time the owner had spent here.

Looking at the display cabinets that still had a lot of empty spaces, Fang Shimian's heart moved. Just as he turned around to say something, Huo Zhongshan took out the small airplane model that Fang Shimian had built at the time and chuckled, "Find a display cabinet you like to put it in."

"Brother, did you put all these together?" Fang Shimian asked while carefully selecting his own display cabinet.

"Yeah." Huo Zhongshan said in a calm voice, "To kill time."

Fang Shimian put away his small model and hugged Huo Zhongshan with his eyes shining. "Let's build it together next time. I'm the fastest at finding parts. Let's fill up all the display cases on this floor."

Huo Zhongshan was slightly stunned, smiled, touched Fang Shimian's head and said, "Okay."

At night, Fang Shimian rummaged through the luggage that the bodyguards had packed for him from the rental house. He lay on the ground searching for a long time and finally found a black plastic bag in his clothes.

When the bag was opened, there were some messy pieces of paper and some dried and broken flowers. Fang Shimian carefully picked out a piece of torn paper from those pieces of paper.

The paper is old and soft.

There were very faint creases on the paper, and the English handwriting on it was still relatively clear, with some brown marks on the edge. There were words written on it, "Don't cry, don't cry", and then they were crossed out without any order. There was also words written on it, and then it was crossed out again. There were also some ink blobs that were smeared out with a black marker, and were completely invisible.

Only three words on the edge survived.

It says,

Don't cry.

The last word is written very lightly and the spacing is a little far apart, as if it was added after the first two words were written quickly. If you don't look carefully, you can't see it at all.

Why add the last word? Is it to soften the tone of the two-word command?

Fang Shimian actually always kept this piece of paper, and also always had this question in his mind.

The last time Huo Zhongshan mentioned it, he wanted to show it to him, but he felt a little embarrassed. He felt like a bit of a pervert for keeping a piece of paper written by someone else as a treasure for so many years.

When he left home, he took this small black bag with him and put it in his trouser pocket. It followed him through his wanderings and sufferings, and now the day has come when the bag will be returned to its original owner.

When Huo Zhongshan came out of the shower, he saw Fang Shimian lying on the bed, touching a piece of paper with a loving look on his face. He was very cute, like a kitten playing with a ball of wool when its owner was not at home.

When Fang Shimian handed the paper to him like he was presenting a treasure, Huo Zhongshan saw the handwriting on it clearly and was stunned for a long time.

The regrets in time seem to be slowly smoothed out by a gentle hand.

Touching and surprising collide, and the foreshadowing of fate is deafening.

The only time he softened his heart as a teenager, he entangled his beloved in the gap between the buildings.

It seemed as if everything was destined, they were meant to be together.

*

The first year in the police academy is the hardest to endure, and Fang Shimian heard that someone in their academy had dropped out and was repeating a grade.

Everyone always says that getting up at six o'clock every day is worse than going back to high school. They also complain that their university life is not as exciting as on the Internet. They can't just leave whenever they want, and even have to be secretive when dating. They even have to be extra careful when playing with their mobile phones and chatting at night.

But when I put on that outfit, I can't hide the pride on my face.

Fang Shimian's physical fitness was not the best in their dormitory. After Zhao You knew about it, he made an agreement with him to run every night. If he couldn't run five kilometers, he would start from one thousand meters and slowly increase it. Sometimes the two of them would also practice grappling and fighting, and when they were tired, they would sit by the playground and chat.

Occasionally, people from Fang Shimian's dormitory would come along to practice, but the one who appeared most frequently was a big, dark and thin guy.

The big guy is called Xu Shu. He is taciturn and is one of the top students in their department in the physical fitness test. He is close to Fang Shimian. When he is around, Zhao You is in a bad mood.

Xu Shu never participated in activities like chatting and talking. He didn't like talking and just focused on studying and working.

Although they were chatting, most of the time Fang Shimian actually had nothing much to say. He felt that most of his happiest moments were when he was with Huo Zhongshan. It was just that Zhao You didn't like to hear him talk about Huo Zhongshan.

He would show displeasure whenever it was mentioned.

Like a child, Fang Shimian actually thinks it's cute.

Because a long time ago, when he first saw Zhao You at the Zhao family, he was also hard-mouthed but soft-hearted, and liked to throw tantrums.

Most of the time, Fang Shimian was listening to Zhao You.

Zhao You is now highly valued by the school. His college entrance examination scores play a part in the reason, but the most important thing is that Zhao You's family has made great contributions, so the school will of course focus on training him. Zhao You accepts everyone who comes to him, and seems very willing to show his ability. Zhao You is present at many major events.

He also has a very good reputation in the college. Department leaders praise him for his calm and smart work style and good popularity. Everyone has a high opinion of him, saying that he is gentle and easy to talk to, but some people say that he is aloof and that this person is very cold and actually not easy to get along with at all.

Zhao You would tell him a lot of things about the academy, which people were easy to get along with and which people were best not to get close to. He said a lot, and occasionally he would fall silent while talking, staring blankly at Fang Shimian.

That look was strange.

He seemed to be hiding part of himself.

Sometimes Fang Shimian didn't quite understand Zhao You's thoughts. After Zhao Shun's accident, Zhao You was not so easy to understand. His grandmother said that he had never visited Zhao Shun and that he still hated his brother.

But Fang Shimian always thought that Zhao You was just afraid or feeling guilty.

He is actually a very soft-hearted person.

But they seemed unable to see it, and only saw the sharp exterior he used to hide his sensitivity.

Zhao You would occasionally talk about the Zhao family. He would lie on the playground, resting his head on his hands, and say, "I just don't understand why they always choose different brands and styles when we can buy the same thing, and let Zhao Shun choose first. I know that they are almost the same, but I don't want the leftovers. Brother Mian, is this request too much?"

"My things are what he left over."

“I have always been the one who was picked out.”

"I don't need them to like me, not at all."

Fang Shimian's emotional sensitivity has always been dull. He didn't know how to answer, so he could only silently tear open the fruit candy hidden in the pocket of his training uniform and stuff it into Zhao You's mouth.

Human emotions are always complicated, like many tangled threads, with no visible source and no end.

*

After the winter training, everyone was packing up and preparing to go home.

As soon as Fang Shimian walked out of the school gate, his suitcase was taken by the bodyguard. The black Maybach parked under the shade of the tree attracted a lot of attention. The bodyguard opened the door, Fang Shimian quickly got in, hugged Huo Zhongshan, and said, "Brother, I miss you so much!"

Huo Zhongshan looked at him steadily and asked casually, "What did you eat in the morning?"

Fang Shi Mian thought for a second, "Rice porridge buns."

"Then why was the picture you sent me of tomato and egg noodles?" Huo Zhongshan calmly looked at the guy in front of him who was obviously feeling guilty.

Fang Shimian touched his head awkwardly and tried to get off Huo Zhongshan, but the pair of veiny hands held his waist tightly.

"…the steamed buns and porridge I ate yesterday."

The boy lowered his head guiltily, with his lips swollen from the spiciness and the aroma of hot pot wafting around his body.

Huo Zhongshan pinched the boy's chin, raised his increasingly delicate and beautiful face, and said in a dignified manner: "Say it again."

Fang Shi Mian wanted to hug Huo Zhongshan, but the hands that pinched his chin clamped his neck, preventing him from getting close. The man had no expression on his face. Fang Shi Mian said honestly, "Brother, I'm sorry, I lied to you. I had a hot pot meal this morning."

After saying that, he held Huo Zhongshan's arm with both hands again, kissed the man's hand obediently, and then looked up to see his reaction.

Unfortunately, the man was as hard as iron and remained unmoved by the change. He continued to ask with a cold face: "Only this time?"

If you are caught, don't try to hide it at all.

Fang Shimian did not answer this time. He just lowered his head and lifted up his trousers, revealing his knee that was injured during winter training. He looked at Huo Zhongshan and said, "Brother, it hurts here."

Fang Shimian was caught off guard when his butt was pinched hard and he almost cried out. He covered the painful area and looked at Huo Zhongshan with an innocent expression.

"Don't do it again. If you do it again, I'll take off my pants and beat you."

When he didn't hear a response, the man lowered his voice and asked, "Did you hear that clearly?"

Fang Shimian bumped his head against Huo Zhongshan's body, closed his eyes and hummed, "I heard it clearly."

The man had a cold face and lowered his head to look at Fang Shimian's bruised knee. He rubbed the edge of the knee with his big hand for a few times, then turned sideways to take out the medical kit in the car, found the medicine for treating bruises and injuries and poured it into his hand. After rubbing it warm, he covered the knee with his palm, and his movements were very careful.

Fang Shimian felt comfortable, his brows relaxed, he swung his feet a few times, and then dozed off in the man's arms.

*

On the night before Chinese New Year, Fang Guohong called Fang Shimian and asked him to have the New Year's Eve dinner at Oasis Bay.

At that time, Fang Shimian and Huo Zhongshan were playing with building blocks in the tent on the roof of Yunjin Building. It was snowing outside, the grass was covered with white, the tent was padded with a thick blanket, and the firewood on the side was burning vigorously.

The water in the small pot began to boil. After Huo Zhongshan found the parts, he placed them next to Fang Shimian one by one, then sat up and cooked him the latest flavor of instant noodles.

"I'm not going." Fang Shimian put his cell phone on the carpet, turned on the volume, and lay on the carpet to assemble the helicopter propeller.

"I know you've been admitted to the police academy. Dad hasn't celebrated for you yet. After the New Year, I'll take you to visit your grandfather's old comrades. They..."

"I'm not going."

The voice on the other end got louder, "Fang Shimian, do you think you..."

The call was abruptly hung up.

Fang Shimian looked up and saw that Huo Zhongshan had already set up the small table and brought up some steaming instant noodles.

The man lowered his head and fiddled with his phone nonchalantly, saying, "Eat, and don't make a fuss after you're done."

"I'm not making a fuss, I'm just hungry." Fang Shimian muttered softly, and couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks and start eating.

Huo Zhongshan put Fang Shimian's phone back to its original place and started looking for parts again.

It snowed for several days in Hai City this year, and Fang Shimian built a small snowman on the stairs in the yard.

Because he didn't wear gloves, his hands were frozen like carrots. He was scolded for a long time. When he was taken into the house and applied ointment to prevent frostbite, the big man's face looked better.

For a period of time afterwards, he lost the freedom to wear what he wanted. Every time he went out, he had to be checked by Huo Zhongshan and was only allowed to go out after being wrapped tightly.

On New Year's Eve, Fang Shimian was brought to the small building by Huo Zhongshan again.

The man sent away the servant who came forward and took off Fang Shimian's coat himself.

The housekeeper of the small building lowered his head, pretending not to see.

The back garden of the castle connected to the small building was sealed off by bodyguards, and there were only servants and housekeepers in the small building.

After drinking the juice, Fang Shimian tentatively asked the servants for snacks. Unexpectedly, he was not rejected. Two people carried up two boxes of snacks.

Most of the snacks were in foreign languages. Fang Shimyeon randomly picked a box of chocolates to eat. After eating the sweets, he wanted to eat spicy food.

When Fang Shimian squatted beside the box, he found a pack of turkey noodles like he was looking for treasure and almost jumped up with excitement.

The maid held the pack of instant noodles with a bit of embarrassment, as the food downstairs was already prepared and it was obvious that the owner of the house did not invite this guest to eat noodles.

But she did not hesitate for long, because she saw a hint of gold on the boy's suit cufflinks with the Huo family pattern printed on it.

Soon the turkey noodles were placed in front of Fang Shimian by the servant. Fang Shimian took a big gulp of iced orange juice. Just as he put the noodles into his mouth, he heard heavy footsteps. The servant who had just stood in front of him bowed to the newcomer and left immediately.

Fang Shimian didn't even have to think about who was coming. He looked at the steaming turkey noodles in front of him and felt very sorry for it. Just as he was about to swallow what was in his mouth before speaking, a man's voice sounded from above his head.

"Don't be in a hurry, eat slowly and don't choke." A cold hand pinched his ear lightly, and Fang Shimian swallowed the noodles. Pure water at room temperature was handed to his mouth. Fang Shimian drank it in two gulps, and his eyes were a little tearful from the stinging smell.

The noodles were taken away by the servant. Fang Shimian raised his head, blinked his eyes and said nothing.

Huo Zhongshan was wearing a well-tailored suit, with a hint of coldness brought in from outside. He casually unbuttoned two buttons on his collar and reached out to take the wet tissue on the table to wipe Fang Shimian's mouth.

"It's still a little spicy." Fang Shimian opened his mouth and exhaled, casually glancing at the half-drunk glass of iced juice beside him.

When the room temperature pure water was brought to his mouth, Fang Shimian's face wrinkled. He pushed the man's hand away and said, "I don't want this."

"Only this." Huo Zhongshan pinched Shi Mian's face again, "You'll have diarrhea if you eat spicy food and drink cold drinks, so be good."

Fang Shimian had no choice but to drink two more sips of water before being taken downstairs by Huo Zhongshan. He asked, "Are we going home now?"

Huo Zhongshan stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Fang Shimian to come down before holding his hand, "Go back after dinner."

The decoration of this small building is very retro and magnificent. The set of wooden furniture in the living room at the front entrance looks very expensive.

Fang Shimian followed Huo Zhongshan all the way to the restaurant in the small building, where two people were already sitting.

Huo Yue remained silent, and Huo Jun looked down at his phone.

Both brothers were handsome and noble, dressed in the same suits and ties, very formally, and most likely they had just escaped from a banquet in the castle.

Huo Zhongshan sat in the main seat, and Fang Shimian sat in the empty seat to the left of Huo Zhongshan.

Huo Jun sat diagonally to the side of Fang Shimian and smiled at him, while Huo Yue nodded expressionlessly.

While eating, the three brothers talked casually about some insignificant topics. Fang Shimian found it strange that such a big family looked so empty.

After eating, Huo Yue leaned back in his chair and warned Huo Jun casually: "This year's change of leadership is a critical moment for the old man, so don't make any mistakes here. Don't go in and out of those places during this period, and don't bring anyone home. It will be bad if you are photographed."

"No, when did I ever bring anyone back?" Huo Jun was confused by his eldest brother's blow. "Also, when did I have fun in the past two years? Ask my second brother how much Cheng Jia has earned for him in the past two years."

Huo Zhongshan, who was called out, acted completely out of the matter, watching the fire from the other side of the river without saying a word.

Only Huo Yue smiled lightly, "It's just a friendly reminder, don't get too excited."

Huo Jun snorted coldly and glanced at Fang Shimian inconspicuously, looking a little annoyed.

They are all old ghosts.

He is used to harming people secretly.

On the way back, Fang Shimian remembered something. He asked Huo Zhongshan, "Huo Jun's father and brother both chose the path of politics. Why did Huo Jun choose to do business under you?"

"Huo Jun's 'illness' was discovered, and Huo Qiaoyan was worried that his career would be affected, so he kept him away and was planning to get rid of him. But seeing that he had good qualifications, it was a pity to throw him away, so he let him follow us to do business."

In fact, before Huo Jun completely gave up, he was still a good hand at winning people's hearts. When he was a teenager, he was well-known among the younger generations of the Huo family as the Smiling Devil.

He is very careful in his dealings with people in front of them, but he is also ruthless when stabbing people in the back.

Compared to Huo Yue, who was full of idealism and stupidity at the beginning, Huo Jun is obviously more suitable to be a leader who can play with people's hearts.

At that time, many people in the Huo family placed their bets on Huo Jun.

If he really took another path, he might not be worse than his elder brother.

It’s just that the older generation is too cautious and unwilling to take risks for future generations. Huo Jun is young and successful and doesn’t know how to restrain himself. He plays with his life recklessly, and it is only a matter of time before he is eliminated.

"Illness?" Fang Shimian opened his eyes wide. What kind of illness could affect his father's career? Could it be the same kind of thing he had encountered before?

Huo Zhongshan touched the black hair on Fang Shimian's forehead and said nonchalantly, "He needs strong stimulation to get excited, so he has developed some hobbies that cannot be shown to others. In fact, most of the Huo family members have 'diseases', but Huo Jun is one of those who has been diagnosed and has a special identity, so he needs extra attention."

There are no normal people in the Huo family. It all depends on whether the madness is obvious and how well it is hidden.

Fang Shimian leaned on Huo Zhongshan, not knowing what to say for a long time.