Chapter 109 Rainy Season - 2 The rain outside is getting heavier and heavier...
The rain outside was getting heavier, washing away not only bird droppings and blood, but also suppressing the stench in the air.
Tang Bufan didn't know how long the rain would last, and this stroll down the mountain didn't bring him much joy. From the moment he entered Wan Bing's residential area and was surrounded by a large crowd, Tang Bufan realized that he had almost lost the freedom to go shopping as an ordinary person.
It wasn't just his face that brought him that; it was also his status as Lu Yi's fiancée.
Looking at the water droplets sliding down the car window, Tang Bufan had given up on going down the mountain for a stroll. He figured it would be more fun to stay in his room, hug Lu Yi, and pet him.
He then decided to go back and see Lu Xiaofeng, and also...
"Wan Yiming, do you know Lu Xiaofeng?" Tang Bufan asked the simple-minded orc with a buzz cut in front of him.
“Uncle Lu? I know him.” Wan Yiming replied while driving: “She married well. Her husband’s family is quite powerful. They live in the inner city. When I came to Taicheng to join the army, my uncle asked me to send him two jars of wine.”
Wan Yiming said with a hint of embarrassment on his face: "He was my mom's elementary school classmate. My mom was quite embarrassed, and so was I, but my uncle insisted, so I sent the wine over. He seemed quite bewildered."
Tang Bufan turned his head and looked at the two jars of wine next to his seat, which were also given by the woman. He had originally been thinking that he could go or not, but now he felt that he might as well go if Yiming didn't know.
"Then give me a ride there, and we'll deliver the wine to him," Tang Bufan said to Wan Yiming. "Just say it was your mother who asked you to deliver it. Your family has moved to Taicheng now, but we're from the same hometown. Maybe you can help with something."
"Huh?" Wan Yiming stammered.
"I heard he's from the resistance faction, and this attack is related to them. I'm going to investigate," Tang Bufan explained, without going into too much detail.
Wan Yiming seemed to understand, but he still obediently turned around and drove Tang Bufan towards Lu Xiaofeng's house in the heavy rain.
Lu Xiaofeng's house was located on the outskirts of the inner city, near the city wall. Because many people were scrubbing the streets with brushes, the car was moving relatively slowly.
The residents of the inner city generally have a high quality of life, and many own cars, but they are all local cars, so they still turn their heads to look when they see Tang Bufan and his group's car.
Tang Bufan guessed that the small gold logo on the front of the car might be the logo of a manufacturer in the underground city, which they had recognized.
After driving for about half an hour, they arrived at Lu Xiaofeng's house, a three-story detached house surrounded by green plants that Tang Bufan couldn't recognize as walls.
The gate to the courtyard was open, and a thin, middle-aged man in his forties was washing the ground in the rain. He was wearing loose clothes that were soaked and clung tightly to his body.
While everyone else's house was bustling with activity, with the elderly and children all wielding brushes, his house was unusually quiet, with only him there. His face, still wet with water droplets, was expressionless, which inexplicably made Tang Bufan feel a little sorry for him.
Tang Bufan remembered his information: his first child with his husband was mentally challenged, so his husband abandoned the child in the wild. When Lu Xiaofeng arrived, the child had been eaten by wild dogs and only a small hand remained. From then on, Lu Xiaofeng and her husband had a falling out.
But the two remained entangled for twenty years and still didn't get a divorce.
Noticing the car stop in front of his yard, Lu Xiaofeng turned his head slightly and looked over. Tang Bufan quickly called to Wan Yiming in front, "Remember what to say. Get out of the car and get the wine for him."
Wan Yiming responded and got out of the car. Their luxury car attracted the attention of other residents in the vicinity, and more people came to watch the spectacle.
Wan Yiming opened the back door again, took out the two jars of wine with one hand each, and walked into the courtyard in the rain.
Tang Bufan couldn't hear the two talking clearly; the rain hitting the glass was too noisy. He was a little worried that Yiming might not be able to say it properly.
But it seems that an agreement has been reached. Lu Xiaofeng led Wan Yiming into the house. Tang Bufan felt that the time was about right, so he pretended to get out of the car for some fresh air, opened the car door and opened his umbrella.
A four- or five-year-old child pounced on Tang Bufan's lap, his body soaking wet, and looked up at the fair-skinned and elegant Tang Bufan with bright eyes.
"Brother, hug me~"
Tang Bufan smiled, not minding that he had gotten wet, and reached out to pat his little head.
"Madam, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." A young woman hurriedly came over and took her child away, her eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. From the way she looked at Tang Bufan, she must have recognized him.
"It's alright, the child is very cute," Tang Bufan said gently, then opened his umbrella and pretended to stroll into the small courtyard with its gate wide open.
Besides the greenery used as walls, Lu Xiaofeng's family also planted a large banyan tree. Tang Bufan looked up while holding an umbrella and saw that the banyan tree had already sprouted tender leaves, and the rain was pattering on it.
When he looked down again, he saw the thin, middle-aged man standing under the eaves, quietly watching him. His eyes were somewhat gloomy, but he couldn't be said to dislike him.
Tang Bufan felt a chill run down his spine as he met his gaze in the rain.
"Uncle Lu, this is Mrs. Tang. I'm acting as her bodyguard now." Wan Yiming came out of the kitchen, his hand no longer holding any wine.
“I know him.” Lu Xiaofeng didn’t show the same awe as the others towards Tang Bufan. He said to Tang Bufan calmly, “I know why you came to find me.”
Tang Bufan was taken aback when he heard this, and then he saw Lu Xiaofeng turn around and go upstairs to the second floor.
Tang Bufan stood in the courtyard, holding an umbrella, unsure whether to go in or leave.
He then instructed Wan Yiming, "Help me paint the yard."
While the other houses were almost completely painted, Lu Xiaofeng's house still hadn't finished painting the walls.
Wan Yiming responded honestly and immediately picked up the long-handled brush that Lu Xiaofeng had put down and began to diligently brush the yard in the rain.
Tang Bufan held up his umbrella and walked around a bit more. He saw Lu Xiaofeng and her husband's wedding photo hanging on the wall in the living room. It had turned yellowish from the passage of time.
He looked up at the second floor again, and at the end of the corridor hung several pieces of clothing with thick ropes. Most of them were orcish. Although they were a bit old, they were very clean and had marks of being torn by hand.
Lu Xiaofeng came downstairs in his slippers, and Tang Bufan looked away.
He held a letter in his hand, slightly covering it with his arm, and stepped into the rain, walking briskly to Tang Bufan.
"Here you go." Lu Xiaofeng handed the letter to Tang Bufan.
Tang Bufan's heart raced as he met Lu Xiaofeng's expressionless face, feeling the slight chill of the rain.
He was dazed for a moment before calming down, reaching out to take the letter, and putting it into the pocket of his coat.
No wonder even Wan Yiming's mother, whom he hadn't contacted for twenty years, knew that Lu Xiaofeng had joined the resistance faction; this man made no attempt to hide it.
"Thank you." Tang Bufan thanked him politely, but did not immediately turn back to the car. Instead, he glanced again at the living room with the wedding photos hanging on the wall.
His standing still puzzled Lu Xiaofeng. The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment in the rain, intending to go to the corner of the yard to get another brush.
Tang Bufan suddenly asked, "Where is your husband?"
Lu Xiaofeng stopped in his tracks, about to answer, when Tang Bufan added, "You belong to the resistance faction, I can arrest your husband."
Lu Xiaofeng's gaze turned cold, and his eyes turned malicious as he looked at Tang Bufan.
“I thought you were too,” Lu Xiaofeng finally spoke, his voice deep.
Tang Bufan held up his umbrella and thought for a moment before admitting, "I am indeed the same."
Wan Yiming, who was silently farming the ground nearby, felt a lot of pressure and felt that he had overheard an inappropriate conversation.
"Don't worry, it's just to scare you. I won't harm your husband." Tang Bufan gave Lu Xiaofeng a friendly smile: "It's just to test you."
He was certain that Lu Xiaofeng loved her husband. If the wedding photo in the living room was something her husband was unwilling to take down, then the clothes hanging on the second floor were also full of Lu Xiaofeng's love.
At least Tang Bufan would not wash clothes for someone he hates, much less carefully smooth them out with his hands. Given his personality, he would rather endure the pressure of madness than not kill the other person and reclaim his freedom.
Just like how he killed Wolf Uncle.
Tang Bufan felt that Lu Xiaofeng was a similar person to him.
Lu Xiaofeng's expression shifted between light and shadow, unsure of Tang Bufan's thoughts: "What do you want to ask me?"
"I won't ask you anything." Tang Bufan looked at him calmly: "I just want to give you a suggestion. If you really love someone, you don't have to let hatred and resentment drag you down for the rest of your life, only to die with regret and unable to close your eyes. You can try asking your husband if he would like to go on a journey with you."
Lu Xiaofeng was stunned, while Tang Bufan smiled slightly at him: "I come from the wilderness. I have seen many wandering beastmen outside, including many deformed and not very smart children. Although life is a bit hard, their parents raise them very seriously because the world is vast and they don't have to worry about being criticized."
Lu Xiaofeng opened his eyes slightly. He was soaked by the rain, and his eyes gradually reddened. Tang Bufan nodded slightly to him: "These are just my own words, take them with a grain of salt. Goodbye."
After he finished speaking, he turned and left with his umbrella. Wan Yiming quickly bowed politely to Lu Xiaofeng, put down the brush in his hand, and chased after Tang Bufan.
Lu Xiaofeng stood quietly alone in the courtyard, still somewhat dazed, Tang Bufan's words echoing in his mind.
Tang Bufan got into the car, and Wan Yiming nervously turned the key, glancing at Tang Bufan through the rearview mirror.
“Uncle Lu’s husband should be busy repairing the city wall.” Wan Yiming said to Tang Bufan, “The outer wall of District 678 has collapsed, and we only have a six-month window before the autumn beast tide to repair it.”
“I know.” Tang Bufan had guessed. He looked at the rain-soaked outside and sighed. “It’s just that seeing him trapped in his obsession, I couldn’t help but say those things. I used to be like him, unable to let go of my dead child, stubbornly doing things that hurt myself and my loved ones.”
Lu Yi had expressed her love for him a long time ago, but Tang Bufan deliberately ignored it, making Lu Yi sad for so long for nothing.
Tang Bufan remembered that Wan Yiming's mother had said that Lu Xiaofeng had become pregnant several more times, but he had managed to abort them all because he was afraid to have another child with problems.
Then they were fed to the dogs.
Taicheng does not allow the raising of deformed or mentally challenged children, especially the latter. Mental challenge means strong animalistic instincts, and Taicheng has a high population density. A mentally challenged beastman is undoubtedly a huge threat to the city's security. No one wants to live next to a mad beastman, even if that mad beastman is chained up.
Lu Xiaofeng's husband was right to throw away the child. Taicheng couldn't tolerate that child, and Tang Bufan could understand Lu Xiaofeng's hatred. The only way to break the deadlock was to leave Taicheng and go outside.
As for how to choose, that's up to the couple; they're both in their forties and still managed to catch the last train to have a child.
After calming down, Tang Bufan finally made up his mind and took out the slightly damp letter from his pocket.
The letter was given to him by Zero. Tang Bufan was certain that since Wan Bing and Wan Yiming had been by his side for so long, it was normal for Zero to find out that Lu Xiaofeng had a connection with the Wan family.
What a terrifying man! Even from a thousand miles away, he could figure out Wan Bing's personality and determine that he was likely to come into contact with Lu Xiaofeng.
Tang Bufan gritted his teeth inwardly. The feeling of having one's actions predicted was both unpleasant and terrifying.
The envelope was normal, with a sender and recipient, and a postmarked stamp. Tang Bufan looked at it; he didn't recognize the sender, and the recipient was neither him nor Lu Xiaofeng. It must have passed through many layers of hands before reaching Lu Xiaofeng.
Looking at the envelope alone, there was nothing unusual about it. If Lu Xiaofeng hadn't handed it to him personally, Tang Bufan would have thought it was someone else's letter.
Carefully tear open the edge of the envelope; inside is just a thin piece of paper, which you fold in half.
Tang Bufan took a deep breath, slowly opened the striped plain paper, and on it was a question:
Does your heart still belong to humanity?
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