Chapter 54
The ghost is pressing on your sleep, and you suspect your cheap brother is the cause?
Shen Tingzhou read the title twice and finally clicked on it.
The host did not give any specific details, but everyone in the building reminded the host unanimously:
[Don’t drink milk at night, no matter who gives it to you. ]
[Yes, you can catch real ghosts by not drinking milk. It is proven to be effective. ]
[Can these bastards change their tactics? Milk, milk, milk again. I’m really fed up with it.]
Shen Tingzhou was full of questions. Why were they all talking about milk? Was there something wrong with the milk?
Soon the host came out to reply: [Got it, if there really is that ghost, just wait for me to catch him! ]
【Original Poster, Dog Training Literature welcomes you.】
[I like the kind of people who have soft words but sharp hearts. If you need it, I can give you a tutorial.]
[As expected, the flower district is not bad. I have only one word for the OP: fuck.]
Everyone in the thread was giving advice to the original poster. Shen Tingzhou took a quick look and the more he looked, the more he felt something was wrong, so he left the forum.
After browsing the forum, Shen Tingzhou watched twice the funny video of an orange cat standing in front of a feeding machine and scratching the machine with its claws, and then put down his phone and went to sleep.
The next morning, Shen Tingzhou received a call from the post office courier, saying that there was a letter for him.
The only one who can write letters these days is Fu Huaifei, but housekeeper Xiao Sang is going to study, so Fu Huaifei probably has no mood to write letters now.
Shen Tingzhou went downstairs puzzled and signed for the letter from the courier.
The mailing address was a certain men's prison. Zhou Zitan had been in this prison for more than a month. The only person left there to serve his sentence was one person -
Lu Yuan.
Shen Tingzhou returned home and opened the letter, and it turned out to be written to him by Lu Yuan.
The letter was very long, taking up two pages, but the content was very empty, even a bit like a diary, like the diary that elementary school students are required to write every day by their teachers.
Shen Tingzhou scanned the entire article, and a paragraph at the end of Lu Yuan's article caught his attention:
Suddenly I want to read Edgar Allan Poe's The Gold Bug. Can you bring it to me when you come to visit me? I remember the happy time we spent together in the library deciphering codes. If you can bring this book to me, it means you have forgiven me.
Shen Tingzhou had never spent time in the library with Lu Yuan to read The Golden Beetle, but he had indeed read the novel.
"The Gold Bug" is the first novel to crack codes through mind games.
Shen Tingzhou looked at the diary of accounts written by Lu Yuan and his brows slowly furrowed.
On October 7th, it was raining and there was a hardworking ant in the playground where we were having fun.
On October 19, the sun was out and I communicated with my family.
November 1st, there are stars, and I bought a note with a cat pattern on it from the prison store. I thought you might like it.
On November 24, the sun was shining, and I read a passage in the Bible. I really liked a sentence in it: Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. I still want to say sorry to you, and I hope you don't blame me.
December……
A whole page is filled with this kind of diary-like record.
Shen Tingzhou stared at the numbers, got up and went to the study to find "The Golden Beetle", and found the chapter where the protagonist Legrand and his friends cracked the code of the parchment scroll.
It took Shen Tingzhou more than half an hour to circle what Lu Yuan really wanted to say to him with a pen.
Looking at the line of words, Shen Tingzhou's eyebrows jumped, and he took the letter to find Xu Xun.
Xu Xun took the letter handed over by Shen Tingzhou, and a hint of coldness flashed across his eyes.
The butler came over and took a look——
【Come see me on December 25th, otherwise I will contact my family and kill the cat.】
The family that Lu Yuan mentioned definitely does not refer to real family, but the people who are hired with money to harm stray cats outside.
Xu Xun immediately understood the purpose of coming to Shen Tingzhou, "Don't worry, I'll let Awen check it out."
Ah Wen is the housekeeper's nephew and a very good computer expert. He can identify the suspect of cat killing through the flow of Lu Yuan's account.
The housekeeper took out his cell phone and went outside to make a call.
This was the first time Shen Tingzhou was so angry that he didn't even drive the car today. His hands were still shaking.
Xu Xun held his hand and said, "Don't worry."
Shen Tingzhou looked up and saw Xu Xun's gentle and calm eyes, and his heart suddenly dropped.
The housekeeper called back and said to Shen Tingzhou, "Doctor Shen, for your safety, you should move in for the next two days."
Shen Tingzhou was stunned, and he clearly felt the hand on the back of his hand tighten.
Xu Xun looked at Shen Tingzhou with shining eyes.
Shen Tingzhou's ears seemed to be itchy, and he scratched them uncomfortably without saying a word.
The housekeeper spoke again, "If you find it inconvenient, I will let Wu go over to protect you."
Upon hearing this, Shen Tingzhou said hurriedly, "It's too troublesome. I'd better move here."
Xu Xun pulled Shen Tingzhou's hand and said, "Then go to your house and pack your things."
Seeing Shen Tingzhou lower his head and nod, the housekeeper smiled and went to the front yard to continue tidying up his flowers and plants.
-
Shen Tingzhou didn't take much with him, just a few sets of clothes for changing and some cash for emergencies.
On the way back, Shen Tingzhou glanced at Xu Xun beside him.
Xu Xun seemed to know what he was going to say and said bluntly, "You can't go."
Shen Tingzhou sighed, "To be honest, I'm curious as to why he did this."
In Shen Tingzhou's view, Lu Yuan's resentment was groundless. If he bullied Lu Yuan, he thought it was normal for the other party to hate him for ten, or even twenty or thirty years.
Just because he was better at studying and served as the student union president for two years, Lu Yuan hated him for ten years. This...
Shen Tingzhou couldn't understand.
Xu Xun gave Shen Tingzhou an even more incomprehensible answer, "I like you and want to get your attention."
Shen Tingzhou was silent for a few seconds. "Ah? How could you come up with such an outrageous guess?"
Xu Xun looked at Shen Tingzhou, his eyes deep and heavy, "Is it outrageous?"
Shen Tingzhou felt that it was out of line with the original idea.
Xu Xunchen said coldly: "If he didn't like you, why would he cling to you? Over the years, I don't believe that no one else has offended him, but only you, he remembered it for so long."
Shen Tingzhou opened his mouth and looked at Xu Xun for a few seconds. His original hesitation gradually became firm.
He said, "I decided to go see him this afternoon."
Lu Yuan asked him to meet tomorrow, but Shen Tingzhou didn't want to go along with him.
Although Xu Xun was reluctant to let Shen Tingzhou have any contact with Lu Yuan, he would not ignore Shen Tingzhou's wishes and nodded lightly.
Shen Tingzhou deliberately bumped Xu Xun's shoulder, "Don't worry, Mr. Xu, I won't be influenced by him!"
Xu Xun's eyes had a hint of smile, "I know."
Shen Tingzhou's inner core is very stable. Even though he encountered so many strange people and things, he never lost his composure or collapsed.
After lunch, Xu Xun accompanied Shen Tingzhou to the men's prison.
Lu Yuan was only willing to see Shen Tingzhou alone, and Xu Xun was waiting for him outside.
After not seeing each other for a few months, Lu Yuanqing looked much thinner and seemed to be having a hard time in prison. However, in front of Shen Tingzhou, he remained calm and pulled out a chair to sit down.
There was a thick layer of transparent glass between Shen Tingzhou and Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan picked up the phone, looked at Shen Tingzhou who looked calm outside the glass, and said with a smile: "Long time no see, Mr. President."
Just like the first opening remarks when they met last time, Shen Tingzhou was not in the same mood as last time.
Shen Tingzhou asked calmly, "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Lu Yuan put one hand on the side of his face and curled the corners of his lips. "Nothing, just reminiscing about the past. I've been too bored lately."
Looking at his smiling face, Shen Tingzhou asked, "Do you like me?"
Lu Yuan's smile paused for a moment, as if he didn't understand what Shen Tingzhou meant, and he showed a confused expression.
Shen Tingzhou repeated, "Do you like me?"
Lu Yuan suddenly burst into laughter, attracting the attention of the prison guards. The male prison guard said sternly: "5714, no noise allowed."
Lu Yuan calmed down a bit and looked at Shen Tingzhou with amusement, "What gave you such an illusion?"
Shen Tingzhou actually didn't believe Xu Xun's guess, but that didn't stop him from coming here to squeeze out Lu Yuan.
"We've only known each other for three years in high school, but you've been thinking about me for ten years. Have you ever held a grudge against anyone else for such a long time?"
Lu Yuan smiled, but his eyes were cold, "You think too much."
"I hope I'm just overthinking it, but you've already moved in here, and you still remember to bring the cat to me. If you didn't write to me, I'd almost forget about you, and now you're using this trick to attract my attention. You really shouldn't be so..."
Shen Tingzhou really couldn't say the words "love me".
He could only use his best acting skills to look helpless and shake his head again and again.
Lu Yuan's face darkened. "I thought you knew I hated homosexuality."
Shen Tingzhou was shocked, "You are still in the closet, you love me but don't know it, Xiaolu."
Lu Yuan frowned slightly and said sarcastically, "Shen Yu, it's a pity that you don't become a screenwriter."
"You used to call me Shen Tingzhou, but now you call me Shen Yu. Do you really have to differentiate yourself from others?"
Shen Tingzhou suddenly realized that he was also quite good at drinking.
Once this switch was turned on, Shen Tingzhou couldn't stop. "No wonder when you were sitting at the same table with me, you complained that I was too noisy when talking to others. It turns out you were jealous! Oh my God, Xiaolu, you really shouldn't be so..."
Lu Yuan's eyes twitched twice, "Did you take the wrong medicine today?"
Shen Tingzhou immediately leaned forward and said, "You don't have to worry about me so much. I'm in good health recently."
Lu Yuan: …
Shen Tingzhou sighed: "You should reform yourself in there and stop thinking about me all the time."
Seeing that Shen Tingzhou was about to leave, Lu Yuan's tone turned cold, "Don't act like a madman like Zhou Zitan."
Shen Tingzhou: He even figured out who I was imitating. He loves me so much... No.
Lu Yuan lowered his voice, "I think you want to receive the express delivery I sent you."
As for what he would send by express delivery, Shen Tingzhou knew it very well.
Shen Tingzhou said calmly, "You don't have to send it. I came here today to tell you that I have moved and will no longer live in the original place. Please don't write to me in the future."
陸源重新笑起來，仔細觀察着沈亭州每個表情，“怎麽，怕了？”
沈亭州沒順着陸源的話回答，反而逆向問他，“怎麽，你怕了？怕找不到我，會得相思病？”
陸源目光微沉，“你這是跟誰學的？油嘴滑舌。”
沈亭州心道：這還不是被你逼的！
沈亭州嘴上：“陸源，我以前還是挺喜歡你的。”
陸源瞳仁一顫，咬牙道：“你個死同性戀。”
沈亭州：……
也确實沒說錯，他現在是加入了同性的隊伍中。
沈亭州微笑，“現在都什麽年代了，法律都開放同性婚姻。小陸吶，喜歡男人不丢人，你也別老端着了，現在沒人會笑話。”
陸源似乎對同性戀深惡痛絕，“我跟你們可不一樣。”
看他排斥抵觸的樣子，忍不住讓沈亭州懷疑，陸源是不是因為他喜歡同性，才這樣針對他的？
但沒認識許殉之前，沈亭州可沒彎過，就算陸源是極度厭同人群，也不該盯上他。
沈亭州：“你的意思我已經清楚了，我的态度還是咱倆沒戲，你不是我喜歡的類型。”
見陸源臉色難看起來，皮一下很開心的沈醫生笑了。
他重新說，“你的意思我已經很清楚了，我今天是想告訴你，這是我第一次來看你，也是最後一次。”
陸源沉沉地看着沈亭州，剛要開口說什麽就被沈亭州打斷了。
“實話告訴你吧，我跟你一樣也是一個假面人，什麽溫和善良，關心同學，那都是我裝出來的，喜歡貓也是人設，所以你的威脅對我壓根不起作用。”
沈亭州擺出一副“你愛殺多少就殺多少，我不在乎”的樣子。
說完，沈亭州把電話挂了，沒給陸源說話的機會。
陸源明顯有點惱，指着電話讓沈亭州接。
沈亭州站起來，冷漠地看着急躁的陸源，什麽都沒說，轉身離開了。
身後的陸源猛敲玻璃，沈亭州并沒有回頭，直接走出了監獄。
看到站在門口等他的許殉，沈亭州心裏暖烘烘的，然後放輕腳步，悄然朝他靠過去。
等走到許殉身後，沈亭州正打算吓他，對方忽然轉過頭，反倒吓了沈亭州一跳。
許殉上前一步，低頭輕輕在沈亭州額頭碰了一下，“早聽到你的動靜了。”
沈亭州笑了起來，好吧，是他幼稚了。
許殉沒問沈亭州跟陸源說了什麽，牽起他的手說，“回去吧。”
沈亭州有種吃了一口蜜的感覺，點點頭，跟許殉一塊上了車。
開車正準備走時，一輛豪車越過他們的車，然後停到了監獄門口。
車門打開，走出一個青年，穿着淺色的呢絨大衣，裏面是一件高領黑色毛衫，眉眼英俊。
沈亭州記憶力驚人，一眼就認出對方的身份。
沈亭州指着窗外的人問身旁的許殉，“這是不是你弟弟？”
許殉從倒車鏡看了一眼，嗯了一聲，“是許政。”
之前沈亭州陪許殉參加了一次家庭性質的聚會，宴會上許殉的叔叔還被女伴暴打了一頓。
發起宴會的人，就是許殉的堂姑，也是許政的親媽。
沈亭州還以為許殉會跟對方打聲招呼，沒想到看了一眼他就轉過了頭。
沈亭州沒說什麽，正要收回視線，監獄的鐵門重新打開，從裏面走出一個穿着潮服的青年，但衣服的款式是五六年前流行的。
青年跟陸源一樣剃着板寸，眼角微垂，神色冷漠，是模特圈很流行的厭世臉。
看到青年出來，許政叫他，“紀硯。”
叫紀硯的青年看都沒看許政，從許殉車旁繞行。
許政臉色沉下來，“你別不識好歹，你還以為自己是五年前那個紀家的小少爺？”
這話一出，一股很沖，也很熟悉的味道直沖沈亭州的腦門。
紀硯掀了一下眼皮，睨了一眼許政。
許政拉開副駕駛車門，冷聲道：“上車！”
紀硯左右看了一眼，最後問許政，“來接我的？”
許政目光頓時有些複雜，語氣不自覺緩和下來，“上車吧。”
紀硯走了過去，看了一眼許政開過來的車，“新出的車？車型看起來不錯，只是可惜……”
他看向許政，語氣惋惜，“可惜給你這種人渣開了。”
說完他朝許政臉上吐了一口口水，表情厭惡至極。
許政臉色發青，見紀硯要走，他一把抓住紀硯的手，狠戾道：“你信不信，我一句話就能讓你在這裏混不下去！”
這下沈亭州終于确定了，是渣攻的味道，還是那種天涼王破的渣攻。
沈亭州皺眉問，“你弟弟怎麽這樣？”
上次見面的時候，他對許政感官還不錯，畢竟他是那次聚會裏少數表現對許殉病情關心的人。
許殉撇清關系，“所以我沒跟他打招呼。”
饒是沈亭州正在生氣，也被許殉這話逗笑了，立刻稱贊，“你最好了。”
許殉心道，我還可以再好一點。
他摁下車笛，對正在跟許政拉扯的紀硯說，“上車。”
看過來的許政一愣，“哥？？”
紀硯趁機甩開他的手，厭惡道：“滾開，髒了我出獄的空氣。”
撂下這句話，紀硯快步上了許殉的車。
-
路上，車廂內一片平靜。
紀硯坐在後座一角，沉默地看着窗外倒退的景物，顏色偏淡的唇繃成一條直線。
沈亭州看了他一眼，這氣色，用中醫的話來說就是氣血不足，沈亭州懷疑他有低血糖的毛病。
車開到市中心，許殉才開口，“你在哪裏下？”
紀硯看着車窗外陌生的高樓大廈，舔了一下幹澀的唇，“就前面的道口吧。”
許殉沒再說話，到了前面的路口停了下來。
紀硯低着眼睛，“謝謝旬哥。”
等人離開後，沈亭州驚訝地看向許殉，“你們認識？”
許殉說，“他追了許政很多年，在家裏的宴會上見過幾次。”
難怪許殉一喊，紀硯就上車了，原來如此。
沈亭州又問，“那你弟弟不喜歡他？”
許殉搖頭，“不知道，好像是談過一段時間，後來又冒出一個人，許政跟他拉扯不清的，紀硯坐牢就是因為開車撞了那個人。”
短短一句話，信息量好大！
沈亭州：“那個人去世了？”
許殉：“沒有，但一條腿截肢了，現在許政應該是跟他在一起了。”
又是複雜的三角戀。
不知道是不是視網膜效應，沈亭州發現最近的三角戀好多，每一對的關系都錯綜複雜。
沈亭州沒再多想，跟着許殉回了家。
管家把沈亭州的房間安排了許殉卧室旁邊，床單被褥已經換成新的，還在房間擺了一束花。
是栀子花，上面插着一個卡片。
沈亭州走過去，拿出卡片看了一眼上面的字，表情有點微妙。
許殉問，“怎麽了？”
沈亭州把卡片遞給他，許殉看了一眼，上面寫——贈亭州，落款是許鼠鼠。
這是揶揄他倆上次去管家房間的事。
之前沈亭州沒多想，現在回想起來管家以前那些似是而非的話，原來管家是磕他跟許殉cp的第一人。
這次許殉沒再說管家無聊，低頭嗅了嗅花，“很香。”
看着許殉掩在花束的俊朗側臉，沈亭州折了一支送他，“那，這朵給你帶回房間。”
許殉接過花，低頭順勢吻住了沈亭州的唇。
沈亭州眼睫顫了顫，許殉又吻在他發顫的眼皮上。
手機突然響了起來，許殉雖然有些不滿，但還是後退一步，讓沈亭州接電話。
沈亭州摸了摸發燙的耳朵，走到窗旁給電話那邊的人講了幾句。
他的表情逐漸嚴肅，“好，我知道了，我這就過去。”
許殉看過來，沈亭州轉身對他說，“我得出去辦點事。”
許殉望着沈亭州，仿佛一個剛成婚就要獨守空房的小可憐。
沈亭州忍不住心軟，“我很快回來。”
說完在許殉在唇角親了一下，許殉這才重新露出笑意。
-
沈亭州開車去了一家酒吧。
這個時間點酒吧生意清冷，沈亭州穿過舞池，一個穿着制服的領班走過來。
“您就是粉爺的男朋友吧？”
“……是男性朋友。”
領班看了一眼沈亭州，周子探在通訊錄給沈亭州備注的稱呼是，最愛我的沈醫生。
如果不是這麽一個暧昧的備注，領班不會給沈亭州打電話讓他過來接人。
雖然不知道他倆到底什麽關系，但人都來了，領班只好帶沈亭州去了周子探的包廂。
周子探已經睡着了，左手淌着血，玻璃渣碎了一地。
領班趕忙解釋，“是他自己砸的，我們都不敢碰他。”
沈亭州深吸了一口氣，讓對方幫他拿藥過來。
周子探喝的有點多，迷迷瞪瞪睜開眼，看到蹲在他面前的沈亭州，還以為自己在做夢。
“沈醫生？”
沈亭州擡起頭，“是我。”
周子探擡起右手捂到眼睛上，聲音含糊不清，“沈醫生，原來我真的不姓周。”
沈亭州上藥的動作一頓。
周子探跟周之衷的關系很一般，這麽多年他從來沒有叫過對方父親，周之衷也不曾關懷過他。
But when he inadvertently realized that he was not his son, Zhou Zitan still felt confused.
Zhou Zitan murmured to himself: "Tell me, why did my own mother throw me at his door? Didn't she know that I was not his child and that he would not want me at all?"
Shen Tingzhou bandaged Zhou Zitan's wound and said in a gentle voice, "Maybe... she doesn't know that you are not Mr. Zhou's child. She thinks you are."
Zhou Zitan didn't say anything for a while, and when he spoke again he comforted himself.
"It doesn't matter. My mother is He Ranjie anyway. It doesn't matter whether I'm Zhou Zizhong's son or not. It doesn't matter what the woman who gave birth to me thinks, whether it's Doctor Shen or not."
He raised his head and looked at Shen Tingzhou expectantly.
Shen Tingzhou affirmed: "Of course!"
Zhou Zitan lay back down again, feeling a little aggrieved, "But my brother doesn't like me."
Shen Tingzhou: "He is still young and doesn't understand."
Zhou Zitan: "But he likes Jiang Ji."
Shen Tingzhou: "So he is ignorant."
You like someone but you also want to bully him/her. Is there a normal person who can do such a thing?
Zhou Zitan asked again, "What about you, Doctor Shen?"
Shen Tingzhou looked at him in confusion and said, "I will always remember that you helped me to get revenge when I was in trouble. Of course, this is illegal. Don't do this again in the future."
Zhou Zitan muttered, "You look like my mother. My mother always says that to me."
Shen Tingzhou: ...
Zhou Zitan closed his eyes again in a daze, and at this moment there was a knock on the door.
Shen Tingzhou looked towards the door and said, "Come in."
A young man in a white shirt and a black vest came over with cleaning tools in his hands. When he saw Shen Tingzhou, he was slightly startled.
Shen Tingzhou was also a little surprised. It was Ji Yan, whom he had just seen two hours ago.
As he and Ji Yan looked at each other, a noisy sound came from outside.
Soon the foreman came over and asked Ji Yan, "Did you offend anyone?"
Ji Yan asked calmly, "What's wrong?"
The foreman didn't explain, but said directly: "Pack your things and leave. We can't accommodate a big Buddha like you here."