Chapter 46
"You said it was Gu Xing?" Tang Yuchuan lowered his voice, as if he was holding back his breath.
Tan Jing lowered her eyes, her voice steady, yet weariness etched between the lines: "I think it was him." She paused, gently stroking the scar on her wrist. "Before I cut my wrist that day, I wanted to jump into the sea. For a while, I thought the sea might be my destiny."
She raised her head, her eyes like the reflection of deep water at night, so calm that there were almost no ripples. "Gu Xing found me. He said he knew about my situation and encouraged me to tell you the truth before I died. He said that this would at least give the truth a chance to be revealed, and perhaps even help those innocent girls."
Tang Yuchuan's heart tightened. It turned out that when he thought he was still in control, there were so many dark things he didn't know about. He had always thought he was in control, but now he suddenly realized that he was just a person in the dark, knowing nothing.
"I don't know how he found me," Tan Jing said in a calm voice, "but I don't believe he just wanted to help me. He's the most vindictive and ruthless person. I didn't care before and let him do whatever he wanted."
She paused, her tone becoming softer, as if she were talking to herself: "When I told you that, it wasn't because I was helping others, but because I hated you. I hated that you didn't know anything, and I hated myself for being so cowardly that I didn't dare let you know anything.
She paused, then continued, "It would have been great if I had just thrown everything to you like this earlier."
The words were very light, but they sank into the air like a stone falling into a deep pool.
She suddenly smiled, the curve of her mouth was barely noticeable, but her eyes were smiling.
Tang Yuchuan caught it immediately.
It was not a sad smile, nor a triumphant smile, but more like the surge of the distant sea, quiet and distant, making it impossible to see through her heart in an instant.
"It feels so good to throw it to you," she whispered. "It makes me feel lighter. I don't hate you as much anymore."
Tang Yuchuan looked at her and smiled, his expression more complicated than just relief. "Then leave it all to me."
He liked to see her feel more relaxed, which made her feel more at ease and gave her a little more hope in life. How wonderful!
Tan Jing exhaled lightly, her gaze returning to him: "When did you offend Gu Xing?"
Tang Yuchuan shook his head, frowning slightly: "I don't know, maybe... it was accidental."
Thinking back to the entanglement with Gu Xing over the years, he had always been used to helping them and they had always helped each other.
If he had to say something was an offense, it would be the Gu family matter, the thing he had failed to keep secret from him. But could this matter make Gu Xing so resentful? Tang Yuchuan felt that it was really not to that extent.
He firmly believed that Gu Xing was not a bad person, nor was he a moody person. His strong love and hate had their reasons.
After thinking for a moment, Tang Yuchuan reached for his phone, but then realized that his own phone might not be usable at all, so he said, "Why not just ask him, my phone is not working right now, can I borrow yours?"
Tan Jing nodded and handed the phone to Tang Yuchuan, her fingers lightly touching the back of his hand, the movement was brief but steady.
Tang Yuchuan took the phone and dialed Gu Xing's number.
The call was quickly connected, and the voice on the other end was still steady, with an irresistible coldness: "Hello."
"Gu Xing...it's me." Tang Yuchuan spoke in a low voice, as if holding his breath. "The online revelations...were arranged by you, right?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, and then he slowly said, "It's me."
Tang Yuchuan frowned slightly. "Why? Those girls... some of them don't even want to show up. You know, when I went to apologize, they just wanted to live in peace. What you're doing... is equivalent to hurting them twice. Is it necessary?"
Gu Xing chuckled, his laughter cold and short. "Of course it's necessary. I don't think it's unnecessary. I'm already in so much pain, and they just showed up. What's the big deal? Besides, Brother Yuchuan, how do you know they were forced? I gave them a lot of benefits."
"That's different." Tang Yuchuan frowned. What he gained couldn't make up for what he lost, and no amount of good could make up for the psychological damage. He paused, then asked, "Why?"
Gu Xing's voice on the other end of the phone was low and steady, with almost no fluctuations, but it made Tang Yuchuan's heart tighten: "If you want to find out, come see me."
Tang Yuchuan was startled, his fingers tightly gripping the phone: "See you? Now?"
Gu Xing paused for a few seconds, as if using time to prolong the weight of each word, and replied calmly: "Well, now. Telling you in person is more reliable than phone calls and text messages. I'll send the address to Sister Jing's phone. Don't wait any later."
Tang Yuchuan frowned, feeling that the coldness coming from the other end of the phone was like an invisible rope, pulling him forward.
This was the first time he felt such a strong sense of coldness and uneasiness, probably because he had no way of predicting what Gu Xing wanted to do.
He took a deep breath, gripped the phone tighter, and glanced at Tan Jing. She was still standing quietly at the door, her eyes calm and without any fluctuations, but Tang Yuchuan knew that she had seen through the undercurrent lurking in the phone.
Gu Xing did not give any further reasons or explain his motives. He only left that one sentence and an address on the other end of the phone.
Tang Yuchuan put down his phone, his heart heavy. Although various possibilities flashed through his mind, he knew that no matter what, he had to go, to face Gu Xing and the darkness hidden behind it all.
"Let me go with you." Tan Jing looked at the address sent by Gu Xing, her voice light, as if it was just as simple as accompanying him to the supermarket.
Tang Yuchuan looked at Tan Jing, frowning slightly.
"No need." He said softly, his tone restrained. "I don't know what kind of reputation that kid Gu Xing will get. I can go by myself. You go home, or just stay here with me. I don't know what the situation is like outside right now."
Tan Jing shook her head slightly, her eyes firm: "I want to go with you. This matter is related to me, and I also want to know if there is a truth beyond the truth."
Tang Yuchuan's throat moved, wanting to speak to dissuade her, but every reason seemed pale and powerless in the face of the determination in her eyes. He knew that Tan Jing was a very stubborn person and would not change her decision just because of a few words.
Tan Jing seemed to see through his hesitation at once, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly, but the smile was very faint: "Yuchuan, this is my decision. I am not afraid of danger. I know what I am doing and what I want to do."
Tang Yuchuan was silent.
He knew that at this moment, it was no longer a matter of persuasion, but a delicate choice.
He took a deep breath, his fingertips tightly gripping his phone, a wave of inexplicable tension and alertness welling up in his heart. The mottled light and shadow outside the window seemed to indicate that an unknown undercurrent was quietly merging into reality.
"Okay," he whispered, his voice steady but vaguely resolute, "then we'll go together."
Tan Jing nodded slightly, there was no hesitation in her eyes, only cold calmness.
There was an indescribable sense of tension in the air, like a tide slowly pushing them towards an unknown abyss, as if wills were silently intertwined, calmness and undercurrents coexisted, yet all were floating on the same dangerous river.
The white hospital corridor was so quiet that it was almost blinding, and the smell of disinfectant was like a layer of mist, covering all sounds.
Tang Yuchuan sat beside the hospital bed. His shoulder had just been treated for a sulfuric acid burn. The cold dressing stuck to his skin, and the pain was like a needle piercing his muscles, but it was not as great as the worry in his heart. He always felt that although he had made some preparations, he might still have thought things were too simple.
"Brother Yuchuan, you are so useless."
The voice was dry and cold, with a sharpness that could not be ignored.
Tang Yuchuan looked up and saw Gu Xing standing at the door, his shadow elongated by the white light. His figure was like a poisonous snake lurking under the water, quiet and dangerous.
Tang Yuchuan frowned slightly, his voice low but steady: "Gu Xing, why are you here?"
Gu Xing smiled, a light smile, but it was like a cold wind cutting through the ice: "Brother Yuchuan is injured and can't come to the appointment. It can be regarded as force majeure. If you can't come to see me, then I have to come to see you."
He took a few steps closer, his eyes sharp, revealing a hatred that could not be concealed: "Brother Yuchuan, how many times have you been able to help me, but didn't help me?"
Tang Yuchuan narrowed his eyes and breathed slowly: "Help you? You mean...the Gu family's matter?"
Gu Xing's eyes were like black water, calm yet unfathomable. "You are so noble and generous, but you don't understand suffering. Brother Yuchuan, do you know how much I hate you for being like this? Why can you live so easily? Why can't you have everything without curling up in a dark corner and hibernating?"
Tang Yuchuan's eyes were filled with worry. He felt that Gu Xing's condition was not right. It was different from what he saw on weekdays. "Are you okay?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xing suddenly laughed out loud, as if he had heard a funny joke. He probably didn't expect that Tang Yuchuan would still look concerned at him at this time.
He once missed this kind of care, but later, for some reason, he hated it.
But it doesn’t matter anymore. He didn’t come here to talk about this today.
He paused, then continued, "Do you want to know the truth? The truth is very simple. Do you think the abuse from Gu's parents is all I've experienced? Not only that, but also your father's so-called charity projects... They are everything, the reality I have to endure."
Tang Yuchuan's pupils shrank slightly, his mind going blank: Charity project? Gu Xing is a boy, can he do it too?
Gu Xing leaned against the window frame beside the bed, his shoulders slightly tilted, his eyes filled with a dark and profound meaning. "Yes, Brother Yuchuan. Look, how can people who are untainted by the mud understand those of us who have crawled out of the mud? In this circle, there are those who like girls, and naturally there are also those who like boys. Isn't this normal? What's so hard to accept?"
He paused, then continued, "They...are all in the same group. The Gu family! The Tang family!"
He smiled coldly, with a sharp arc at the corner of his mouth: "How else could they be good friends? Why did you come to my house as a guest back then? How did you know me?"
Tang Yuchuan's mind swirled with fragments of information, and his heart felt like it was being weighed down by a heavy stone. He had never imagined that Gu Xing's suffering would be so complex. The abuse and beatings he had endured were already shocking, and he had never imagined that all of this would be entangled with his father's "charity project."
Charity? For a moment, Tang Yuchuan felt that he didn't recognize these two words.
The writing should be dirty.
Gu Xing's eyes remained calm, with an unspeakable depth in them. "Do you think I only hate you? No. I hate the injustice of the world, I hate those smiling faces that pretend to be kind... your father's cruelty, the abuse of Gu's parents, and those who watch with indifference..."
He suddenly took a step closer, breathing lightly and deeply: "Brother Yuchuan, do you think that just because you live in the light, you can ignore all this? You just haven't encountered true darkness and haven't smelled that kind of breath."
Tang Yuchuan's throat moved, trying to digest all this.
Gu Xing stared straight at Tang Yuchuan and suddenly said, "Brother Yuchuan, sulfuric acid was poured on your shoulder. Who do you think did it?"
Tang Yuchuan was silent. He never made malicious assumptions about others. Without evidence, he would not convict anyone based on suspicion.
But Gu Xing didn't seem to want to let it go. He still stared at him, as if waiting for an answer.
"Let's wait for the police to investigate." Tang Yuchuan said in a light tone.
Gu Xing shook his head slightly, a sneer on his face. "No one is seeking revenge on you, and this isn't an ordinary accident. I leaked your whereabouts on a forum and dropped a few hints, and then someone took action. It's just as I expected."
He paused, his gaze deepening. His tone was calm, yet it pierced the heart like a sharp blade. "This isn't revenge from the victims or their families. You're just unlucky enough to be targeted. Someone saw you and felt justice needed to be done, so they took action. He, or should I say, they, don't care about the facts or the consequences. They just want the world to work the way they want it to."
Gu Xing slowly approached, his eyes like dark water beneath the ice: "Brother Yuchuan, do you know? Malice will not stop because of a reason. It does not distinguish between good and evil, strong and weak. It exists only to descend upon the unsuspecting. Today it's your shoulder, tomorrow... who knows?"
"They thought I was wrong and used the wrong way to uphold justice. They were not careless people. Without your guidance, perhaps nothing would have happened." Tang Yuchuan calmly pointed out the loophole in Gu Xing's words.
Tang Yuchuan has always believed that the world is not absolutely fair and does not always act according to reason. But you can make a small effort for the fairness in your heart.
Many people harbor unresolved anger and resentment. When faced with injustice, they seek a scapegoat, projecting their own loss of control and resentment, believing that judging others will cleanse their grievances. However, this hatred and violence are not justified by legitimate causes; they are simply an outburst of emotion, an uncontrolled venting of emotion.
Human emotions can be guided and controlled; malice is sometimes not spontaneous, but triggered by words, actions, or even accidental prompts. A single small lead can plunge an innocent person into a vortex of hatred, leading them to commit irreparable acts.
So, even if someone displays malice toward you, it doesn't mean you have to go along with it. You can choose how to respond. Your actions and choices are the only way to maintain sanity in this chaotic world. Malice can't disappear, but it can be understood, endured, or not perpetuated.
Gu Xing took a step back. He did not respond to Tang Yuchuan's words, but continued his own, "Brother Yuchuan, you have to understand that the world will not treat you well just because you are kind. Not everything has a direct cause and effect, and nameless malice does exist."
His hand touched the place on Tang Yuchuan's shoulder where the sulfuric acid had been splashed, and he pressed it gently.
The pain in his shoulder was like a needle piercing his muscles, but what hurt Tang Yuchuan even more was the coldness and hatred in the eyes of the man in front of him.
He felt heartache, heartache for the pain Gu Xing had gone through, and heartache for his own powerlessness. He felt guilty, guilty that past negligence and compromise might have indirectly led to the current situation. He was also shocked, shocked by the indifference and cruelty of the world, shocked by the darkness lurking in human nature.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes gentle yet firm. "Gu Xing... I understand that malice exists, and I understand that this world has a dark side, but even so, I won't let it change my trust in people. I believe that those who have suffered can choose not to be consumed by hatred."
Gu Xing's eyes tightened instantly, and his sneer was like a knife: "You are so high and mighty! You will never understand. The pain you have experienced is not even on the same level as mine!"
Tang Yuchuan's voice was low, yet as steady as a rock: "I know I can't fully empathize with your pain. If possible, I wouldn't want you to suffer this either."
At the moment when the air almost froze, the door of the ward was gently pushed open.
Two policemen walked in, their expressions professional and polite, their eyes fixed only on Tang Yuchuan: "Mr. Tang, we need to understand the circumstances of your being splashed with sulfuric acid. Please cooperate in taking a statement."
Gu Xing was slightly stunned, his brows furrowed, his eyes seemed to see through Tang Yuchuan and see everything.
Tang Yuchuan nodded politely to the policeman and motioned for Gu Xing to go out first: "Gu Xing, please go out for a while."
Gu Xing clenched his hands slightly, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. Then he did not refute, but slowly retreated to the door, his eyes still fixed on Tang Yuchuan.
The record was completed quickly and the police left quickly, leaving the ward in silence.
At the door, Gu Xing had already planned how he would behave when the police took him away. He wanted to be calm and indifferent, at least not to show any fear in front of Tang Yuchuan.
Unexpectedly, the police ignored him when they left.
He returned to the ward, his fingers trembling slightly, his voice low and harsh: "You...didn't you tell me? I thought...I told you everything. Didn't you understand? I was the one who hinted at your injury!"
Tang Yuchuan smiled slightly, his eyes gentle and firm: "Okay, let's just let this matter go."
Gu Xing's heart felt like it was filled with ice water, his voice low and trembling: "Why... don't you hate me? I hate you so much, I've hurt you, why don't you hate me?"
Tang Yuchuan's eyes were gentle, and a little worried. "I just told you that I hope you won't be blinded by hatred. Turning around and picking a fight with you, isn't that inconsistent with what you said? Gu Xing, it's not a bad thing for you to expose the darkness to the public, but as a victim, you should also be considerate of and protect other victims and respect their wishes. Over the years, you've lived for hatred. I understand that hatred has given you the motivation to move forward, but it doesn't make people happy."
He stretched out his palm and gently held Gu Xing's hand, as if he wanted to hold the shadow in Gu Xing's heart: "Gu Xing, everything is different now. You have grown up, and life is starting to get better. My father is dead, Gu's parents are dead, and everyone who hurt you is gone. If you can, live a good life and find happiness, okay?"
Gu Xing was stunned, his eyes trembling. Tang Yuchuan's tenderness surged into his heart like a tide, impacting the defense line of resentment he had built up for a long time.
He had been warmed by this tenderness, and he had also hated this useless tenderness.
He suddenly became afraid of this tenderness, afraid of being soothed by it, and afraid of being seen through by it. He was like a wild beast trapped in a silent cage, wanting to escape, but unable to escape the attraction of that warmth.
Gu Xing took a few steps back. He was trembling slightly, breathing rapidly, and almost ran away.
"Is he okay?" Tan Jing walked in with two bottles of water and happened to see Gu Xing leaving.
Tang Yuchuan looked up at her, frowning slightly, with a hint of worry in his eyes. He didn't quite know Gu Xing's mental state.
He was silent for a moment, then simply and concisely told Tan Jing the truth she wanted to know: "My father wasn't the only one involved in the charity project. Gu's parents were also involved. There might be more victims than just the girls you told me about. There might even be boys."
Tan Jing's eyes flickered slightly, and she immediately realized: "Gu Xing is also a victim?"
Although she used a questioning sentence, her tone was almost affirmative.
Tang Yuchuan nodded slowly, his eyes filled with gentleness and helplessness: "Yes. He has experienced much more than we can imagine."
Tan Jing took a deep breath, gently put down the water bottle, and said in a faint voice: "Thank you for helping me block that just now, otherwise I would have been disfigured."
Tang Yuchuan glanced at her, his voice still gentle: "You came here for me, and you are the one who encountered this because of me. What are you thanking me for?"
The air was still, leaving only the sound of breathing and the gentle friction of the dressing.
The two looked at each other in tacit understanding and silence. Some words did not need to be said.
Tan Jing held the water bottle, her hand trembling slightly, but it felt like she was holding a sense of security.
Tang Yuchuan looked at her, his eyes gentle yet steady, like the light in the deep sea, flowing slowly but able to illuminate the corners in the shadows.
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