Chapter 28

Rumor has it that during Meng Zixian's service, his company, E Company, was involved in a lawsuit. A Taliban guerrilla was shot twice in the back and fell to the ground. The American recruit who had shot him ran over and turned him over, revealing the face of a child, no older than sixteen. The sergeant knelt beside him, clutching a cross and wiping his tears. The lieutenant, annoyed by the crying, kicked the recruit and the cross he held to the ground, dragged him to the dying child, ordered him to keep his eyes open, then, in front of him, drew his saber and slit the boy's throat. The recruit returned and sued the lieutenant, along with the Ministry of Defense.

Xiao Jun didn't know the truth of the story. The secrets of the US military's brutality were a fresh and horrifying topic of conversation at the political and business dinners, consumed along with the food and wine.

Meng Zixian walked Xiao Jun to the front yard, and the two of them chatted and laughed again. The wall lamp outside the porch illuminated Meng Zixian's eyes. His pupils were light, almost transparent and clear, and they were completely different from the gloomy eyes under the kitchen chandelier.

Xiao Jun had previously suspected that Meng Zixian was the perverted lieutenant; he was so skilled with a knife and his rank was worthy of his name. Now, standing on the bright cobblestones of the front yard, Xiao Jun laughed at himself for being so confused by such irrelevant gossip.

But Xiao Jun didn't mind giving in. What Meng Zixian could do, others couldn't. So he would go to Wu Ruifeng to clean up the mess. When Meng Zixian invited him to eat beef tomorrow night, Xiao Jun patted his shoulder and agreed.

It was nightfall in New York, but morning had arrived in Hancheng. Meng Zixian had no time to eat, so he turned on his computer to look at the accounts sent by Lou Hetai. Lan Lan was reporting on the video conference, and Meng Zixian listened quietly for the most part, occasionally asking a question.

Probably because Wu Ruifeng didn't dare show up in the company today, Lou Hetai was in a good mood. While holding a meeting, he sent private messages to Meng Zixuan.

"I went to the health care center to see Li Ting today. He woke up last Tuesday and can stay awake for half an hour every day. The doctor said I can talk to him more often, but I shouldn't stimulate him."

Meng Zixuan was slightly surprised. Calculating the time, Li Ting had just opened her eyes a few days before Shen Huan flew to the United States. She had been guarding the patient's bed for a month or two, so how could she fly across the Pacific to attend Evelyn Collins's wedding after he woke up? Shouldn't a canary be kept in its cage?

Meng Zixian asked Lou Hetai if Li Ting understood the company's current situation.

Who dares to tell him, Lou Hetai replied.

Meng Zixuan said I called him.

Lou Hetai said to wait a few days. He could understand now, but the right side of his face was paralyzed, and his speech was slurred. The company's changes were so major that it was difficult to explain them clearly, which only made Lao Li anxious.

Meng Zixuan said, "Okay, I'll fly to Hancheng this weekend."

It was ten o'clock in the evening when Lanlan and I finished looking over the accounts.

Throwing the wet clothes from the washing machine into the dryer, Meng Zixuan wondered if Chen Huan was angry because Li Ting had slept with a female employee at the company. Or maybe not, since it wasn't the first time Li Ting had slept with another woman.

He vacuumed the living room and kitchen, then pulled up the corners of his mouth in a self-deprecating smile. Chen Huan was a selfless woman, so she certainly wouldn't be so cruel to him alone. For the past two months, Li Ting hadn't been able to protect her, so she'd found someone better.

After taking the medicine, Meng Zixuan planned to take a shower. His cough had eased a lot, and he felt that he could resume running tomorrow morning.

As the cold shower poured over him, he began to gasp for air, his heart pounding. He turned off the shower and held onto the wall. The drop in body temperature filled him with an inexplicable fear. He braced his right hand on the tile, his knuckles slightly bent, thinking, "It's too hot, and it's too cold. I should use Xiao Jun's connections to move to a nursing home in Great Neck."

This fear of having a cold hand gripping his heart was a symptom he hadn't experienced in a long time. The loss of control over his body made Meng Zixuan feel uneasy and weak. He didn't know what he would face next. He didn't want to be alone.

He'd been trembling like that on the plane from Kandahar back to Berlin, his unloaded M4 carbine resting on his lap, his head pressed against the trembling seatback. He'd prayed to her, "I'm sorry. Please don't leave me. I'll do anything." But Chen Huan had moved away long before then, leaving him in the Gobi Desert.

His skin felt clammy and cold, his heart racing. He forced himself to take a deep breath and turned the shower back on.

After taking a shower and returning to the bedroom, Meng Zixuan did not turn on the light. He sat down on the edge of the bed, picked up his mobile phone, opened the browser, and typed: morphine withdrawal reaction.

He didn't know the hospital had given him morphine for several days; there was still a box of opioid painkillers in his discharge bag. He ran his finger over the list of symptoms on the screen—nausea, muscle aches, headaches, sweating. Medical malpractice lawyer. Substance abuse helpline. Massachusetts Opioid Detox Center.

He closed the page and clicked on the message, Chen Huan's chat box. He typed: Can I come to you? His finger paused on the screen for a few seconds, and then he pressed send. Half a minute, a minute. His fists clenched and unclenched. The screen went dark, and his face also disappeared into the darkness. The rain beat heavily on the roof. He was about to give up hope. Just like the time in the hospital four months ago, she would reject him. But the screen lit up again. Chen Huan replied: Oh, okay.

Meng Zixuan grabbed his car keys and ran out the door in his slippers. He didn't know why he was so anxious. The rain gathered into small streams along the lawn and driveway. He stepped into the gutter, got in the car, started the engine, and drove to Bayville. The doctor's orders forbade him to drive, but he didn't care.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at the iron gate of Xuan Tao's villa. His headlights illuminated Samuel Levine's Maserati parked at the end of the road. Meng Zixian parked the car in the middle of the road, unconcerned about Samuel asking him why he'd ended up spending the night there. He retrieved the villa's spare key from the passenger glove box, got out, and ran to the porch. Only then did Meng Zixian regain some sobriety from the rain.

He stopped at the door, his hand clutching the key rising and falling at his side. He asked himself why he had made the same mistake again. This was the cycle of drug rehabilitation. He hadn't touched her for a long time, his life was back on track, she was doing well, and then a sudden break made him fall into her again. They reconciled, and everything was so sweet. He began to believe that this would last a lifetime, that they could maintain such a healthy and appropriate relationship. But he couldn't do it. Hatred and a desire for control always prevented him from letting go of the past. They argued, he hurt her, and abandoned her. Shen Huan cried and asked why. He swore never to touch her again, and they were back to square one.

He felt ashamed of his shamelessness and weakness, but a dark voice rang out in the dark corner of his heart. "It's just one night, it doesn't matter. Quitting smoking and drinking is a gradual process. It starts tomorrow, and tomorrow everything between her and me will be over."

Meng Zixuan secretly hoped that Chen Huan would come downstairs, open the door, and take the initiative to welcome him in, turning her into his accomplice and letting her share some of the sins. But the door was still closed, so he inserted the key into the lock, turned the lock, pushed open the door, and stepped onto the spiral staircase leading up the hall.

The next day, Xiao Jun went to Meng Zixian's house for dinner. Sitting in the living room was a woman with long hair and distinct black and white eyes. Meng Zixian introduced her to him as Chen Huan. Xiao Jun was stunned for a second, then a smile spread across his face, and he reached out to shake her hand. Xiao Jun had never met Chen Huan before, and he didn't know why Meng Zixian was sticking up for her. Was it because they had a past, or was he just speaking up for Li Ting? Seeing Chen Huan now, he was more inclined to believe Wu Ruifeng's gossip that she was Meng Zixian's mistress.

Meng Zixuan went to the kitchen to cut beef. Xiao Jun chatted with Shen Huan for a few words.

Because company rumors were circulating that Li Ting was harassing a female subordinate, Xiao Jun only asked whether Chen Huan was visiting the East Coast for tourism or business, and what the weather in Rhode Island was like. He said the previous incidents were all misunderstandings, and that he had already criticized Wu Ruifeng. Chen Huan spoke very little, his voice soft, and when he was silent, he even came across as aloof.

Her left leg was crossed over her right, a white plush slipper dangling from her raised toes. Her slender ankle was bruised and swollen. Xiao Jun glanced at her and then looked away. He hadn't been looking there originally. But the slipper looked like it could fall off at any moment, so he took a closer look.

After a moment of silence, Shen Huan politely asked him to sit for a while, stood up, and limped to the kitchen.

After the meal, Xiao Jun understood why this woman was so popular with Meng Zixian and Li Ting. A person's charm isn't based on appearance. Appearance is reasoned, but charm is inexplicable. Helen of Troy could command a thousand ships to Tenedos simply by showing her eyes. Every time Shen Huan smiled, Meng Zixian couldn't help but stare at her.

Men fought over her, their heads bloodied, and then nailed her to the pillar of shame, letting the public tell her shameful stories. If Chen Huan was willing to smile for him, Xiao Jun thought, he would hide her and not let her get involved in any trouble.

After dinner, Xiao Jun stood up to say goodbye. Meng Zixian saw him off, and Chen Huan also stood up. Meng Zixian asked her to lean on the sofa and raise her feet to apply cold compress.

Xiao Jun and Meng Zixuan chatted for a while about the next arrangements.

After opening the car door and getting in, Xiao Jun thought for a moment, then got out and closed the door. He asked Meng Zixuan if he was serious about Shen Huan.

Meng Zixuan didn't seem surprised. He crossed his arms over his chest and the smile in his eyes disappeared completely.

I heard they were getting a divorce. Xiao Jun said, I won't offend you for a woman, but if you're just playing around, I'll pursue her.