episode 69
9:00 AM, Don Mueang District, Thailand.
Blinding white light refracted in a crooked manner through the narrow gaps into the dim room, where red cloth with gold patterns and prayer flags hung high on the wall.
In the very center of the talisman is an image of the Yin God, a black-bodied infant sitting cross-legged on the offering table, its two vermilion eyes wide open, its body covered with white runes, and a crooked horn spiraling out from its head, half of its body covered by a dark cloth.
The altar was a multi-tiered wooden structure with long, black candles burning at both ends, the scarlet flames twisting and swaying excitedly.
The mummified corpse and brown earthenware jars containing corpse oil, ashes, and bone fragments were displayed, each jar marked with mysterious runes indicating its origin. Daggers engraved with scriptures lay side by side with metal needles, summoning bells, and hemp ropes. Bright red blood of an unknown creature sloshed in a silver bowl, while strong liquor, raw meat, and cigarettes knelt as offerings before the statue of the Yin God.
On the floor directly in front of the altar was a pentagram array, with a doll placed at the center of the array for casting spells.
Shifting my gaze further to the side, I was struck by the sight of an entire wall covered with lifeless, large-headed photos! The facial features of these large heads were violently delineated with bright red runes, creating an eerie and unsettling effect.
The stench of decay permeated the air, making one feel uneasy and nauseous.
Whether it was psychological or these things really had a bewitching effect, He Xun felt dizzy as soon as he stepped in, as if a pair of kaleidoscopes were tied to his eyes.
This is the studio of Ajarn, which was strongly recommended by An Si Miao's manager.
Before entering, He Xun walked around the street and found that the amulet vendor from yesterday hadn't lied to him. There were indeed a lot of amulet shops and black-clad Ajarns' studios here. This alley, with its damp atmosphere, was also located in the most remote part of Bangkok.
Yes, that's right, he understands the reasoning.
But why is it that this street is located precisely behind a legitimate temple?!
You're all about the thrill, right?
So that's how rebellious you are, right?
You do the things that Buddha forbids you to do, don't you?
Whether you're from East Asia, Southeast Asia, or the metaphysics community, everyone goes through a rebellious phase of adolescence in addition to growing pains, right?
Just as I was pondering this, suddenly, thump! thump-thump! The sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs rang out, followed by the sound of voices—
"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?" (Thai)
A deep, husky male voice, tinged with mystery by the sticky Thai pronunciation, rang out, naturally startling He Xun, who was deep in thought.
Those who know the master are Thai and speak Thai, but those who don't might think someone just appeared while chanting spells.
This is too much of a crime, too much of a crime.
He Xun muttered to himself, then turned his head.
A short, middle-aged man came down the stairs. He was wearing a black, tight-fitting vest, and his bark-yellow arms and thighs were exposed to the air. He was not particularly strong, but he had a small mustache around his mouth, high cheekbones, and sharp, eagle-like eyes that narrowed, revealing a fierce look.
He Xun shifted his gaze from the rubber flip-flops on the other person's feet, subtly pinching the heart-shaped amulet he had bought at another store before entering, steadying himself, and forcing a pale smile.
The master crossed his arms and looked him up and down with a hostile expression, as if he wanted to see a hole through him.
He Xun took out his phone from his pocket, opened a translation app, typed in a string of text, translated it into Thai, and then held up the phone for his driver to hear.
When you're out in the world, you give yourself your own identity.
He Xun plays a struggling 18th-tier celebrity who is down on his luck in both love and career. Desperate, he comes here to find a master to perform a shamanic ritual.
After hearing this, the master's wary expression relaxed slightly, but for some reason, his old face still didn't warm up. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the man's collar, chasing him out.
"It can't be done without a source of goods." (Thai)
Leaving behind this nonsensical remark, the master slammed the door shut without a second thought, leaving He Xun bewildered in the wind.
Just then, a sudden downpour of large raindrops began to pelt down.
He Xun, whose head was completely uncovered: "..."
He wiped his face silently.
Now look what happened, he's completely disheveled in the wind and rain.
No wonder online travel guides all say you must carry an umbrella when traveling to Southeast Asian countries, because you never know when the weather might suddenly give you a good shower.
He Xun took a deep breath, and was about to knock on the door again to try and get his hands on the door, when a sinister voice drifted out from the narrow crack in the door: "Kid, don't be stupid." (Thai)
He Xun: "......"
He Xun turned around, phone in hand, expressionless.
My heart was wrong, completely wrong.
This person isn't the black-clad Ajarn, this person must be a ghost!!
Although they were turned away, they at least figured out one thing: this shop was definitely not legitimate.
He Xun has spent two lifetimes in the entertainment industry and knows how to acquire Buddhist amulets. As long as you pay enough, they can make not only Buddhist amulets, but even the Leshan Giant Buddha overnight.
So here's the question: why is it that this particular company insists on bringing their own supply of goods before we can do business with them?
Why was it that An Simiao's agent introduced this store through other celebrities, requiring customers to bring their own inventory to operate it?
What does the source of goods this studio needs have to do with celebrities? And why should customers provide them?
He Xun's intuition told him that this matter was definitely not simple, and that he had come to the right place this time.
The rain in Southeast Asia comes quickly and goes even faster; in just a few minutes, the sun shines again.
He Xun pondered for a moment, put his hands in his pockets, took a few steps forward, and stopped only when he reached the side of the studio.
He stared at the uneven walls in silence for a few seconds, then looked around again. In the blink of an eye, he lifted his long legs and climbed onto the roof.
A passerby who happened to be walking through the alley next door: "???"
What was that thing that darted past in a flash?!
The passerby, questioning his existence, rubbed his eyes hard and looked up at the roof, but saw nothing. A gust of wind blew by, and only the surrounding weeds rustled.
He shook his head, looked back several times, and left with a suspicious expression.
He Xun straightened up only after the man disappeared at the end of the street.
It had just rained, and the roof was slippery. He carefully observed the roof's structure, and after much deliberation, he manually pried off a tile based on his memory from his time in the studio.
Because it was a studio rather than a residence, the building was not fully constructed, leaving gaps that allowed He Xun to observe the entire interior of the studio.
Unfortunately, fate was not on their side, and nothing happened that day, nor did any outsiders knock on the door of the black-clad Ajarn.
Fortunately, it didn't rain again that day, so He Xun was able to watch the rooftop vlog of the black-clad Ajarn for a whole day, just like the rubber band zombie in Plants vs. Zombies. Moreover, the place was remote and few people passed by, so He Xun could stand for a while even when his legs went numb from squatting.
......
More than ten hours later, night finally fell. He Xun stretched his sore limbs and prepared to get out of his room.
I have no choice but to download it.
I just can't take it anymore.
The incantation chanted by the black-clad Ajarn was incredibly hypnotic! Several times during the chanting, he almost wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep immediately.
Fortunately, his strong work ethic and integrity kept him in check, and the absurd situation of sleeping on a rooftop in a Southeast Asian country did not occur.
He took a miniature camera out of his pocket and inserted it into a gap in the roof, making sure the camera could capture images of the interior before quietly descending the roof.
The tall, slender figure quickly disappeared around the street corner.
And in the studio.
The black-clad Ajarn, who was sitting cross-legged in front of the altar, opened his eyes and blew out the hypnotic incense on the corner of the table.
He pushed open the studio door and gave the young man a sinister yet amused smile in the direction he had left.
*
He Xun returned to the hotel, took a shower, and changed his clothes.
Mo Shilin returned from work a few minutes after coming out of the bathroom, carrying a dinner in his hand.
Mo Shilin casually tossed the food onto the marble coffee table, loosened his tie with one hand, and strode towards He Xun.
He casually reached out and touched He Xun's hair, which was wet, then gently pinched He Xun's chin and asked in a low voice, "Did you take a shower?"
He wore a silver-gray suit today, his black hair was meticulously styled, and he looked noble and dashing, but his voice was a little hoarse from a day of socializing, and his cold and handsome eyebrows were tinged with weariness.
"Hmm." He Xun turned his head away, gently pushed his arm away, and then lightly stroked his deep brow bone. "Change your clothes first, wearing a suit is uncomfortable."
Mo Shilin hummed in response, but did not move. He simply rested his head against He Xun's neck and casually stroked He Xun's back with his right hand.
A stronger scent of rose perfume mixed with the smell of alcohol filled his nostrils, and He Xun touched his hair with a touch of tenderness: "Are you very tired today?"
“Yeah, back in school I always thought I’d be free after starting my own business.” Mo Shilin mocked, as if lamenting his past naiveté. “But then I found out that even the company I founded wasn’t entirely under my control. You know, He Xun, the year Yuntu did well, my first thought was to prevent Yuntu from going public.”
He Xun was speechless, but he understood Mo Shilin's feelings perfectly.
From the moment the company went public, its structure was no longer simple. Any decision or project was no longer a one-man show driven by the founder's enthusiasm. It had to cater to the market, shareholder votes, and various external factors that swept him up like a tide, pushing him to that position where he could neither rise nor fall.
It's inevitable that every company's post-IPO practices will eventually deviate from the founder's original vision.
Just like how you need bread in life.
Perhaps this is the price of being human, or being an adult.
"Actually, no one is truly free as long as they are human."
He Xun gave a helpless and sorrowful laugh, then put his arm around Mo Shilin's waist. "In our next life, let's be grass, flowers, or anything else. Just don't be human."
“Okay.” Mo Shilin finally smiled. He looked up and flicked He Xun’s nose. “Then you be the little flower, and I’ll be the tree next to you.”
It will shelter you from the wind and rain.
He Xun could read his subtext and looked at him very seriously, saying, "I can be a tree too."
I will protect you.
Mo Shilin didn't speak again, his dark eyes swirling as he stared at him for a long time before whispering "okay," then unbuttoning his shirt and walking towards the bathroom. "Eat something first. I've already eaten outside, so don't wait for me."
......
When Mo Shilin finished smoking and showering in the bathroom and came out, dinner was indeed untouched.
His young male servant was sitting on the sofa fiddling with something.
The young male servant wore only a loose white T-shirt, his head hanging down, his delicate neck and collarbone appearing cold white under the overhead light.
Mo Shilin clicked his tongue lightly, strode over, and punished He Xun by slipping his hand inside He Xun's clothes, saying unhappily, "Why haven't you eaten yet? Aren't you hungry?"
He Xun was startled, turned around and grabbed Mo Shilin's mischievous hand, his face slightly red with annoyance, and said, "Aren't you tired anymore? Stop being a hooligan, sit down and apply the medicine!"
Under the impatient urging of the young male servant, Mo Shilin finally withdrew his hand, obediently sat down, and waited for the medicine to be applied.
After applying the medicine and waiting for He Xun to put the ointment away, Mo Shilin pulled him into his arms and whispered in his ear, "Aren't you going to ask me how I got hurt?"
He Xun gave a light snort of annoyance and glanced at him sideways: "You'll just tell me if I ask you?"
"uncertain."
"Then my question wasn't asked in vain."
"......"
All right.
really.
"Look at him, he's exhausted."
He Xun shook his head, and in that same position, took out a heart-shaped amulet from his pocket and stuffed it into Mo Shilin's hand. "Here."
"Where did you come from?" Mo Shilin pinched the soft, fluffy heart, then held He Xun's pale, cool hand.
"I bought it." He Xun looked at Tao Xin with satisfaction and said, "Just for peace of mind."
“That’s right, then I’ll carry it with me every day.”
As Mo Shilin was speaking, he inadvertently looked down and suddenly noticed that He Xun's arm was also covered with red and purple patches, which were spread on the snow-white skin, making it look as if he had been abused.
"What happened?" Mo Shilin grabbed He Xun's wrist with a cold face, rolled up He Xun's sleeve to his shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "It wasn't like this yesterday."
"Were you kidnapped and forced to participate in telecom fraud?"
He Xun: "......"
Of course, he wouldn't tell Mo Shilin that he had violently twisted it out on the roof of the black-clad Ajarn's house to keep himself from falling asleep.
He Xun cleared his throat and met Mo Shilin's scrutinizing gaze.
"I bumped my arm on the door frame." He put his arm around Mo Shilin's shoulder and back, his tone light and flirtatious, avoiding the main point. "You know I'm prone to blushing, even a slight touch will make me blush. It looks scary, but it's nothing serious, don't be so nervous."
“Southeast Asia isn’t that safe, so don’t wander around.” Mo Shilin, unusually unmoved by He Xun’s good looks, gave him a look that said, “I don’t believe you.” He frowned seriously, “You can go out, but you’re not allowed to go to remote places. I’ll send you a few bodyguards.”
After all, people in Southeast Asia are known for their wild nature, and the kidnapping and fraud cases in northern Myanmar have been making headlines in recent years. There is a high possibility that foreigners will be kidnapped. So, to be on the safe side, before flying to Thailand, Mo Shilin had already arranged for his assistant to have a local Thai bodyguard team accompany him at all times.
He Xun was aware of the situation in Southeast Asia, so he wasn't surprised. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You hired mercenaries?"
Mo Shilin nodded and took out his phone to make arrangements, but He Xun stopped him.
"No, I don't want to." He Xun blinked her almond-shaped eyes, her eyelashes fluttering like a talking doll, her eyes glistening as she stared at him, as if they were about to overflow with tears. "Fine, I won't go out to play anymore."
Mo Shilin said coldly, "No."
"Please," He Xun said, looking at him pleadingly.
Mo Shilin closed his eyes, attempting to struggle: "You..."
"Please." He Xun's eyes looked even more pitiful, and her pale pink lips were starting to pout. "Please?"
"......"
here we go again.
here we go again.
Whenever something happens, she tries to seduce him like this.
Wait, why did he say "again"? Did He Xun always act like this to him before he lost his memory?
After a long standoff, Mo Shilin finally put down his phone and gave a playful smile: "Okay."
He Xun was indeed pleased and smiled as he gave her a "friend card": "You're so nice."
Mo Shilin chuckled and slapped He Xun's butt: "Then how about a nice guy carries you to sleep?"
"good."
As soon as He Xun stood up, his smile vanished, and he meticulously sent a message to his assistant on his phone—
"Have two people secretly follow He Xun, and make sure nothing happens to him."
......
Turn off the lights and get into bed.
The air conditioning in the room was on full blast, and sinking into the soft bed made it easy to relax.
He Xun pulled up the soft, thin blanket and closed his eyes, but he immediately sensed that the person next to him was becoming restless.
A pair of slender hands, calloused from the skin, reached in.
He Xun couldn't take it anymore and turned around, but in the darkness he could only see the man's blurry outline.
He pushed Mo Shilin's hand away and whispered, "No more... go to sleep..."
He rarely used his full strength against Mo Shilin, so when they were in bed, he always seemed to be playing hard to get.
Hearing He Xun's almost seductive voice, Mo Shilin's eyes darkened further. His Adam's apple bobbed violently as he grabbed He Xun's wrist, flipped him over, and pinned He Xun down on his body.
"I promised you I wouldn't arrange bodyguards for you, so shouldn't I get some compensation?" Mo Shilin leaned down, his hot breath spraying on He Xun's sensitive earlobe, and said something wickedly. "Hmm?"
"You..." He Xun felt a little dizzy, and his voice suddenly changed, making people feel weak all over, "No!"
His throat was dry, and he looked pleadingly at the man on top of him, gritting his teeth: "Mo Shilin! Don't do anything stupid."
Mo Shilin remained silent, watching as He Xun's face gradually turned crimson and his breathing became increasingly rapid, before finally taking pity on him and letting him go.
He smiled slightly, gently kissed He Xun's cheek, and pulled him into his arms: "Okay, I won't touch you anymore, go to sleep."
He Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief. After squatting on the roof all day, he quickly snuggled into Mo Shilin's arms and fell asleep.
Soft breaths came from his arms, but Mo Shilin still hadn't closed his eyes.
He stared at the bruises on his arm left by electroconvulsive therapy, smiled after a while, and gently stroked He Xun's lips.
What's a little injury?
How could such a unique treasure as He Xun be obtained so easily?
Thinking of this, his eyes darkened, and he gripped He Xun's hand tightly, interlocking their fingers.
*
The third day in Bangkok.
After quickly finishing his breakfast, He Xun put on his mask again and jumped onto the roof of the black-clad Ajarn's studio.
He put away the miniature camera and had just adjusted his posture when he heard a conversation, neither too loud nor too soft, carried by the wind from below into his eardrums.
He Xun's expression hardened, and he strode forward, using the protruding brick as a support to scan the area below.
—A woman wearing black sunglasses and a rose-colored long dress is exchanging pleasantries with the menacing black-clad Ajarn who turned him away the day before yesterday.
Several tall men followed behind the woman.
After a few words, the woman quickly took off her sunglasses.
Its movements are elegant, its posture languid, like a noble Persian cat.
He Xun narrowed his almond-shaped eyes, his gaze sweeping sharply over the woman's delicate features, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
It was both reasonable and unexpected.
It was her!
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