(superior)

I lingered at the police station all afternoon, and by the time I got home it was almost dark.

After parking the car and releasing the steering wheel, Fu Xuanliao looked up at his palm, where there was a bloody scratch from when he was cutting the rope on the boat.

The injuries I suffered must have been much more serious than this. The doctor said I could recover to the point where it wouldn't affect my normal life. As for painting, it depends on my future rehabilitation.

He already has so little; if the freedom to paint is also taken away... Fu Xuanliao dares not imagine it.

And Shi Sihui is not the only one responsible for this outcome. Having verbally reprimanded the two elders at the hospital, shouldn't Fu Xuanliao also be held accountable for his own actions?

So whether out of guilt or a desire to make amends, he had to participate in this complicated affair as an outsider. He had personally inflicted so much suffering on Shi Meng, but rather than wallowing in self-pity, Fu Xuanliao believed that what he should do was to do everything in his power to clear Shi Meng's name and fight for what he deserved.

This includes tenderness and trust, as well as the love that should have been readily available to him.

Having resolved a troublesome matter, Fu Xuanliao, who had been working non-stop for several days, thought he could finally get a good night's sleep. However, when he woke up late at night and saw the clock, he realized that he had only slept for two hours.

When I got up, I stared at the empty right side of the bed for a long time. In a daze, I seemed to see someone curled up and hugging me, but when I reached out, I found nothing.

Turning the page of the calendar left by Shi Meng, Fu Xuanliao saw the SAT logo and the prominent red circle, and his eyes felt a slight sting.

Time flies, it's Saturday again.

He went to the kitchen to get a drink of water and passed by the living room, where he saw Jiang Rong sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"You're awake?" Upon seeing Fu Xuanliao, Jiang Rong immediately grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

Fu Xuanliao didn't want to eat, but he didn't refuse Jiang Rong's offer to serve him a bowl of sweet soup.

"I learned it online," Jiang Rong said as she scooped soup with a spoon. "You've been so busy these past few days, and I haven't been able to help you much. It's rare for you to come back, so I thought I'd make you something nice to eat."

Fu Xuanliao didn't answer, staring blankly at the bowl of soup.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Jiang Rong took a porcelain spoon and put it in the bowl: "You don't need to worry about Xiao Meng. I've arranged for someone to send him food and drinks... Actually, when it comes to making soup, your Aunt Li is better at it. Xiao Meng has suffered so much. Once she understands, she will definitely treat him very well."

Fu Xuanliao took the bowl without comment and, standing there, put a mouthful in his mouth.

It's very sweet, but I don't know if Shi Meng will be able to get used to it.

I just don't know if Shi Meng is still willing to accept this belated good news.

While Fu Xuanliao was drinking soup, Jiang Rong took the clothes out of the dryer and sat on the sofa to fold them.

After Shi Meng moved in, the Fu family rarely called the housekeeper over. Jiang Rong also got used to doing housework; being busy was always better than being idle.

Jiang Rong folded a sweater, then lifted it up by the shoulders, saying, "Xuan Liao, look at this sweater, is it yours?"

Fu Xuanliao put down the soup bowl and looked up, recognizing it by its size and style: "Yes. But it seems like I haven't worn it in a long time."

"Yes, I bought this for you several years ago, and I only recently washed it," Jiang Rong asked. "Did you leave it with Xiao Meng before and forget to bring it back?"

This reminded Fu Xuanliao. He recalled that about two months ago, Shi Meng said he was going back to the Shi family home to get some things. That Saturday, Fu Xuanliao drove him there. He remembered that Shi Meng only brought a backpack. When he took a sweater out of the bag, he didn't look closely and just asked Shi Meng with a smile why he was bringing a sweater since the weather was getting hotter.

Now that I think about it, the sweater has been with Shi Meng for a long time. It's probably been taken for his own and kept him company through many lonely nights.

As for why he brought this sweater over after moving to the Fu family home... Fu Xuanliao also wanted to ask himself why he preferred to wander outside rather than go home back then.

Just because the contract couldn't be terminated, is it necessary to be so stubborn?

There are a few bottles of wine that Meng bought last time that haven't been finished yet, in the refrigerator.

“That kid is so stubborn. He won’t listen to any of my advice. He’s determined to be with you.” Jiang Rong closed the refrigerator door and turned around. “You’re no better. You’re determined to avoid him and that you can’t live with him.”

Fu Xuanliao paused for a moment while washing the dishes: "Then why didn't you try to persuade me?"

“You’re my son, how could I not understand you? The more I tell you to go east, the more you insist on going west,” Jiang Rong said helplessly. “After you came back from abroad, I mentioned terminating your contract to you. At first, you were very resistant and kept making excuses to avoid it. At that time, I realized that you didn’t actually want to terminate it, but later…”

Later, Fu Xuanliao discovered that Shi Meng's feelings for him were not simply possessiveness. He began to feel afraid, afraid of being attracted, afraid of not being able to reciprocate, and afraid of not being able to control his increasingly swayed heart.

What he hated was not his inability to terminate the contract, but being trapped between past promises and the constraints of reality, his own inner struggle to resist even though he had made a choice.

Jiang Rong also felt it was a pity that Shi Meng's painting for Fu Xuanliao was burned.

She led Fu Xuanliao to the room that had been used as Shi Meng's studio: "You haven't been inside Shi Meng's house in the past few months."

"If you don't want to sleep yet, go in and take a look. Maybe you can find the answer inside."

With the overhead light on, the room was as bright as day.

After Fu Xuanliao went in, he gently closed the door, as if afraid of disturbing the creatures sleeping soundly inside.

The furnishings inside were simpler than expected: a table, a chair, and an easel. Paints were neatly stacked in boxes, brushes were in brush holders, finished paintings were rolled up and piled on the table, and unfinished paintings were covered with a dust cloth. Fu Xuanliao lifted a corner to look; it was a figure, but only its back was visible.

At the Shi family home, Fu Xuanliao saw that Shi Meng always drew this back view. At the time, he thought it was Shi Meng's creative preference. Now he realized that it was not that he did not want to draw the front view, but that all he could leave for himself was the back view of someone leaving.

Despite this heartless back view, Shi Meng drew one drawing after another, but was never satisfied.

In fact, Fu Xuanliao knew that Shi Meng's paintings were good and that they were recognized by the market, which was enough to demonstrate his ability. Besides, every painting here was so lifelike, even if it was just a bowl of strawberries on a table.

Even strawberries are something Fu Xuanliao loves to eat—Shi Meng has ingrained her love for Fu Xuanliao into her very being, permeating every corner of her being. So much so that now, when Fu Xuanliao finally mustered the courage to face it, she truly realized how foolish she had been.

No wonder he drew such good little mushrooms, but always covered them with his arm so he couldn't see them.

His little mushrooms are still so beautiful; no one is more beautiful than him.

Looking back now, Fu Xuanliao even finds Shi Meng's crazy appearance adorable. Her bright, upturned eyes look at him with two pools of water in them, as if she wants to say something but doesn't, making her seem more aggrieved than angry.

He does feel wronged, but he doesn't know that's what it means to feel wronged.

The person who wronged him dared not face him, and instead kept running away and retreating, making someone as proud as him become as humble as dust when faced with love that he could never obtain.

However, within just a few months of moving here, Shi Meng had already accumulated quite a few paintings.

Fu Xuanliao had previously admitted that Shi Meng painted well, and therefore doubted the authenticity of the painting theft incident, because Shi Meng had no reason to steal it.

So when did you start guessing with the worst possible malice?

Memories rewind to the very beginning, the harshness bordering on torture.

Thinking back, it must have started five years ago with that painting "Flame," followed by the drugging, and then that contract he once considered a disgrace.

For five years, Fu Xuanliao constantly brainwashed himself, using these facts to prove that Shi Meng was a heartless, cold-blooded, and vicious person. He desperately made excuses for himself—Shi Meng stole the painting, Shi Meng was selfish, and Shi Meng did not deserve to be loved.

Now these excuses have been shattered one by one, and in retrospect, very few of the conclusions drawn from the facts have come to light.

Fu Xuanliao's labels for Shi Meng were mostly self-righteous, because at the same time, he was constantly brainwashing himself with another thing—forgetting is equivalent to betrayal, and only by keeping promises can one avoid condemnation and achieve inner peace. Now, the so-called promises, stripped of their veneer, are nothing but naked exploitation, and he has replaced defense with aggression, allowing what was originally beautiful to be given a malicious definition, misunderstood, resented, and despised.

Until the layer of the so-called "malicious" imagination of Shi Meng is peeled away, a clean and transparent heart is discovered inside.

It's all too late, but who's to blame?

Given Fu Xuanliao's vengeful nature, he should have gone to kill them after learning the truth. However, everyone involved in this incident was a victim, and even those who were not seriously injured adopted a victim's posture to beg for forgiveness.

Fu Xuanliao is not a saint, but he will not shirk responsibility either. He hopes that Shi Meng will come to his senses and hate himself, even if he blames all the mistakes on him alone.

After all, love or hate is enough to sustain a relationship.

His only wish now is to continue his relationship with Shi Meng.

Back in the bedroom, as I brushed past the foot of the bed, the suit that Shi Meng had returned accidentally fell to the ground with a thud.

Fu Xuanliao followed the downward-sloping side to the inside pocket of his suit and pulled out a heavy sapphire.

The intact gemstone was crystal clear, and the chain was attached to it. Fu Xuanliao held it in his hand and stared at it for a long time. His eyes were stung by the reflected light, and his heart ached like waves.

After taking a long breath and feeling remorse and self-blame, the belated pain, along with the dizziness from squatting for so long, made Fu Xuanliao's vision go black.

Although this heartache was unfamiliar, he knew very well that it wasn't for himself.

Then it can only be for the little mushroom.

I remember the way his eyes lit up when he received this sapphire. It was just an extravagant piece of jewelry that wasn't for everyday use. He could easily have bought ten such gems, but he wore it everywhere he went, stroking it gently from time to time, truly cherishing it as a unique treasure.

The little mushroom traversed mountains and valleys, braving thorns and brambles, barely basking in the sun, yet enduring so much rain, only to gain nothing in the end. Now, it doesn't even dare to accept a broken gemstone casually given to it by someone else.

Fu Xuanliao recalled that morning at the beach when the police asked Shi Meng what he was trying to achieve by doing this.

What's the point?

He was simply defending his legitimate rights.

He was merely attracted to a cowardly, weak, and stupid human... that's all.

(Down)

This foolish human only realized, after being reminded by others, that he had unknowingly given a response.

In the stillness of the night, Fu Xuanliao lit a cigarette, stood by the window, and watched the flickering flame in his hand and the wisps of white smoke rising.

This pack of cigarettes was left here by Gao Lecheng a long time ago. Fu Xuanliao offered it to Shi Meng, but Shi Meng refused and left it in the bedside table until now.

Fu Xuanliao didn't understand the point of smoking before. If it wasn't for socializing and chatting, why would he stand alone on a high place and inhale this pungent smell?

Now he understands, it's because of longing.

He started to miss her after just one day apart.

With his free hand, he reached for the wallet on the bedside table, opened it, and examined the photos hidden inside closely. The people in the photos were looking at the camera, and Fu Xuanliao rediscovered the feeling of being cared for and favored.

He thought, "Shi Meng quit smoking for me, right? How stupid of me to not dare to think that before?"

Then I wondered what Shi Meng was doing now, whether she was having nightmares like me, and whether it would be better to have the lights on.

I was also wondering, since Shi Meng knew that I mistook him for someone else twice, did he know that those two times were actually the turning points when I fell in love?

She clearly cared so much about him, remembering even what clothes he liked to wear, what color umbrella he liked to use, and how he was afraid of the cold. When she saw him, she couldn't help but smile, naively believing that she had controlled her heart.

Even the onlookers could see it. Recalling Shi Sihui's words about "true love" a few hours ago, the hesitant expression on his mother Jiang Rong's face just now, and Gao Lecheng's countless teasing remarks... Fu Xuanliao twitched the corners of his mouth, but there was no smile in his eyes.

No wonder you feel pain.

Being attracted to Shi Meng and having your protective instincts aroused are going with the flow; resisting his love and resisting loving him are going against the current.

He has been going against his conscience.

Fu Xuanliao brought the cigarette to his lips, mimicking Shi Meng's manner, and inhaled through the cigarette, only to be choked and dizzy, unable to see the lights outside the window.

But he still took a puff, then another, letting the thick smoke fill his lungs, torturing himself almost madly.

He closed his eyes, but the scene from his dream was still vivid in his mind—in the darkness, he saw a spark ignite, fall into the overgrown wasteland, and quickly spread like wildfire when the wind blew.

It looked exactly like the scene of burning that painting at sea.

At that moment, the fear and bewilderment of loss overwhelmed his mind, and the dull pain only crept up his spine on this lonely night, causing excruciating pain.

He thought this was retribution, retribution for his stubborn refusal to admit his feelings and for leaving the other person battered and bruised.

In this world, it is truly a matter of what goes around comes around. He had stubbornly burned Shi Meng's painting before, so Shi Meng used another one to make him feel the pain of loss. When the chains binding him were finally broken, and he no longer needed to deceive himself.

Fu Xuanliao's fingers, which were holding the cigarette, began to tremble uncontrollably.

As the shackles were removed one by one and his will crumbled layer by layer, he saw the hidden evidence called love.

They surged in like a rising tide, completely disregarding whether Fu Xuanliao could withstand them, and like thunderclaps from a clear sky, each sound like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting.

This reminded Fu Xuanliao of how he had once compared Shi Meng to a bomb that could explode at any moment.

Now things have exploded, but what's been disrupted isn't his peaceful life, but rather his wildly beating heart.

Unfortunately, all the good times they could have had were wasted on betrayal, harsh words, and confrontation.

Only after everything had come to an end did he discover his love.

How cruel this is.

He took another drag of his cigarette, as if inhaling all the cool air of a late summer evening breeze.

Then he let the cigarette butt burn shorter and shorter in his hand until it burned his skin and turned it a thick, inky black, trying to let the pain overshadow everything else and keep himself awake.

My heart clenched with pain, and the feeling of my wrist being covered by his hand still lingered in my palm.

That was the last time Shi Meng went crazy for him. From the moment Shi Meng pulled his hand away, or even earlier, he could no longer hold on.

Fu Xuanliao was panicked, yet clear-headed enough to think: what to do? The little madman isn't mad anymore.

The little madman used to grab him and declare, "You're mine," whenever she was having a fit.

Now, I'm willing to be yours, do you still want me?

In the latter half of the night, Fu Xuanliao forced himself to sleep for a while, finally managing to regain some energy.

The fact that he coughed so badly proves that the power of tobacco should not be underestimated; at least quitting smoking was the right decision.

Early in the morning, Fu Xuanliao coughed as he packed Shi Meng's change of clothes, planning to take her to the hospital later.

He'd been slacking off these past few days, and the company had a mountain of work waiting for him to handle. He was determined to make a trip to the office today, no matter what. He first arranged for what he could delegate to his subordinates over the phone, planning to show up briefly, finish the important tasks, and then leave. Other matters that needed discussion could be arranged via video conference.

In short, the focus recently has been entirely on Shi Meng. First, to take good care of Shi Meng; second, to monitor the progress of the police; and third... Fu Xuanliao dared not think further.

Shi Meng made such a decisive move, letting go as she pleased and disappearing without a trace. Now, blind self-confidence is clearly not the way to go.

Thinking of the bet Shi Sihui made with him at the police station yesterday, Fu Xuanliao's heart sank.

Forgiveness is easier said than done. He used to think that Shi Meng's tearful appearance was a sign of repentance, but now he realized that it was actually himself who should be repenting.

Just making up for past mistakes requires all your efforts, and it also depends on whether the person involved is willing to do so.

Fu Xuanliao made a self-deprecating joke amidst his bitterness—"You were such a good little mushroom who had eyes and heart full of you, and you drove her away. Now you regret it and want to win her back. If God doesn't make things difficult for you, who else will He make things difficult for?"

After packing my things, I was about to leave the room when I glanced around and saw a few paintbrushes on the bookshelf to the right of my desk.

Recalling how he had been upset about these pens when he came here for Shi Meng's birthday last year, Fu Xuanliao's tense expression relaxed slightly, and he soon smiled.

He walked over, reached out and grabbed all the pens, then took them out.

He threw it into the trash can without hesitation, with a loud thud. If the sound last night guided him to confront his inner self, this sound now reminded him to say goodbye to the past.

He closed the trash can lid, sealing away his youthful, hazy feelings of affection and misplaced attraction to Shi Mu.

It sounds cold-hearted, but Fu Xuanliao admitted that he had once felt a similar affection for Shi Mu. However, for a long time, his heart had been quietly revealing everything about Shi Mu. Because his heart was too small; with Shi Mu already inside, there was no room for anything else.

Especially after learning that Shi Mu had done such outrageous things and told such vile lies, the little bit of guilt she had for "betraying" was completely dispelled.

Fu Xuanliao never intended to excuse himself by saying he had misjudged someone. He thought, "Let's just say I've changed my mind. Let's just say I've fallen for someone else. I've lived for the Fu family and for others for so long, it's time for me to be selfish for once."

Shi Meng gave him her purest heart, and he wanted to return a similarly pure heart to Shi Meng.

This was something he owed money to, and something he willingly gave away.

It all depends on when Shi Meng is willing to take a look.

Judging from the current situation, it seems unlikely. During Shi Meng's hospitalization, Jiang Xue stayed by his side every step of the way. Not only Fu Xuanliao, but even Li Bihan was unable to see him again.

They did consider forcibly breaking in, but ultimately didn't want to disturb his recovery and rest, so everyone waited, and more than a week passed.

That day, Fu Xuanliao called Officer Chen to inquire about the progress of the case. Officer Chen said that since Shi Sihui's family had not continued to obstruct the investigation, the prosecution had officially intervened and was interviewing the victim to understand the details of the incident. The prosecution would be indicted soon.

Upon learning that the meeting was scheduled for this afternoon, Fu Xuanliao swerved and headed straight back to the hospital after leaving. However, he found the inpatient ward empty; the nurses said the patient in that room had just been discharged.

Fu Xuanliao knew Shi Meng was deliberately avoiding him, but he never expected him to go this far. On the way to the procuratorate, he was both scared and angry. He was scared that Shi Meng would just run away, and angry that he hadn't kept a close enough eye on him, that he could lose him like this.

Fortunately, he was fast on his feet, and after parking his car at the procuratorate, he went straight inside.

Without an appointment, he could only wait downstairs. Unable to wait any longer, he ran upstairs and looked through each consultation room but couldn't find anyone. After being reminded, he planned to go to the public prosecution office, but was stopped by the staff and not allowed to enter.

Fu Xuanliao was explaining to the other party that his friend was inside when he suddenly caught sight of two people appearing in the direction of the stairs.

The people coming down from upstairs were Shi Meng and Jiang Xue.

Shi Meng had just been discharged from the hospital and was still a little unsteady on her feet, but she insisted on using her left hand to support herself as she walked up the stairs.

He walked very carefully, looking down intently at the steps, until a pair of leather-shoe-clad feet came into view ahead, and he realized he had bumped into someone.

Their eyes met, and Fu Xuanliao stood there calmly, simply looking at him.

Shi Meng seemed to have lost weight again; her long sleeves almost covered the back of her hands, with a section of her right hand wrapped in gauze showing. I wondered how well she was recovering inside.

His hair had grown quite a bit, and a thin layer of bangs covered his eyebrows, making his eyes appear even larger, but they were empty inside, devoid of the expectations and desires of the past, and without any trace of Fu Xuanliao.

This caused Fu Xuanliao's already shaky heart to sink even further, sinking even lower.

Jiang Xue pulled Shi Meng away, intending to go around him: "Let's go, ignore him."

Shi Meng didn't follow her, saying, "Wait a minute."

Jiang Xue had no choice but to step aside and wait for them to finish speaking.

After a few seconds of silence, Fu Xuanliao spoke, afraid of being abrupt: "The case... I mean the case that Shi Sihui was the mastermind, is it going smoothly?"

Shi Meng took a moment to process before nodding, "Mm."

After a while, he added, "Thank you."

Even without being told, Fu Xuanliao knew that he was thanking the police for the kidnapping case at sea, where the Fu family used their connections to prevent the police from pursuing the matter.

However, Fu Xuanliao knew perfectly well that this was not kidnapping, so he couldn't say "you're welcome," and just hummed in agreement, saying that it was the proper thing to do.

The two spoke casually in an unprecedentedly normal manner, so calmly that Fu Xuanliao almost thought the matter was over.

They've argued, kissed, clung to each other, shed tears, and hurt each other. Although Fu Xuanliao didn't intend to shirk responsibility, so many twists of fate and cruel jokes couldn't leave him to bear the consequences alone.

Like every gambler clinging to a gambler's hope, he pinned his hopes on turning the tide and starting afresh from this point.

"Why didn't you tell me you were being discharged?" Fu Xuanliao asked.

Shi Meng did not answer.

Fu Xuanliao took it as a tacit agreement, steadied his breathing, and continued, "Then... let's go home."

This time, Shi Meng reacted, taking a step back and dodging Fu Xuanliao's hand just as it was about to touch him.

He didn't respond to Fu Xuanliao's words, but said, "I don't want the things I left at your house anymore, throw them away."

He spoke slowly, each word clear and forceful, which made it all the more apparent that Shi Meng's previous composure was all feigned calmness, while his current composure was completely devoid of emotional fluctuation.

Fu Xuanliao's inability to break through a kind of calm.

So he couldn't find a way to deal with it and stood there dumbfounded for a while, until he walked two or three meters to his side and suddenly stopped.

Upon witnessing Meng turn back, Fu Xuanliao's eyes revealed a joy akin to finding something lost. He went to greet him, saying, "I..."

There was a lot he wanted to say, but what he most wanted Shi Meng to know first was—I was wrong, please don't be angry.

Even if you don't want to forgive me right now, please don't be angry or punish yourself. You're such a good person, no one should make you angry.

But Shi Meng didn't give him a chance.

Shi Meng took out a stack of hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and handed them over.

Fu Xuanliao was staring blankly at the money, whose purpose he didn't know, when he heard Shi Meng say, "It was in your suit pocket; I misappropriated it before."

The money was used to buy a knife, rope, a lighter, and the fare to the beach.

Everything was in preparation for that grand farewell.

Therefore, Shi Meng felt there was no need to waste words, so he simply stuffed the money back into Fu Xuanliao's hand and said in a very soft voice, "We're even now."