Chapter 6
They returned to the Rong residence by rickshaw. Rong Xiang invited Fu Jingyuan in, but Fu Jingyuan politely declined, as he had never liked such imposing gray buildings. However, he did get the Rong residence's phone number, and the two agreed to meet again sometime.
When Fu Jingyuan returned home, it was already completely dark.
He lived alone in a large apartment building. This was actually a special perk the newspaper provided him—because of his outstanding work ability and the fact that he hadn't willingly come to the Manchurian branch. His daily work involved collecting local newspapers, selecting valuable news, embellishing it, and mailing it to the head office in Beiping. Because of his excellent writing skills, his work was quite easy. His superiors at the branch knew he was being remotely controlled by the head office, but they never interfered.
The Fu family, tracing their lineage, actually originated as bandits. By the time of Fu Jingyuan's father, they had long since laundered their wealth and become local tyrants. He was an anomaly in the Fu family, inexplicably gifted in academics, to the point that it would have been a waste not to study abroad. As a result, he was indeed influenced by democratic ideals, and upon returning, he refused to join his elder brother in politics, instead taking a job at a newspaper on his own initiative. In reality, he wasn't as aloof as he appeared; for example, his elder brother would send him money every now and then, because the newspaper salary was simply not enough for his extravagant lifestyle.
Having worked as a journalist for a year, he had developed a certain professional sensitivity. For example, he was quite inclined to record his strange encounter tonight in a satirical tone and publish it in the newspaper—he hadn't thought of a title yet, but the fact that the Rong family heir was able to leisurely go to the cinema to watch a comedy film so soon after the deaths of his father, brother, and sister-in-law was enough to make a story.
Of course, it was just a thought. It wasn't worth offending someone like Rong Xiang. Speaking of the name, Fu Jingyuan couldn't help but smile; such a refined man, yet his name sounded like that of a nouveau riche. Rong-Xiang—very auspicious, but utterly devoid of any poetic quality.
Ah… the most interesting thing was his eyes, misty and slightly watery, gazing at him with such affection, even though it was their first meeting. Fu Jingyuan was worldly-wise and knew that some people were like that—seducing others with their eyes, completely unaware of it.
That night, Fu Jingyuan felt as if he were dreaming. He took a shower in a daze and then went to bed with all sorts of random thoughts.
The next morning, he received a call from Rongxiang. It felt like a dream.
"Hello, is this Jingyuan?" Rongxiang's voice sounded somewhat unfamiliar over the phone. Actually, it was unfamiliar to begin with, since they had only met once.
"It's me. Oh... Good morning, Mr. Rong."
Good morning. Do you have anything planned for you today?
Fu Jingyuan's brain immediately started working at lightning speed: "Nothing's wrong, what's the matter?"
Rong Xiang chuckled softly, the first time Fu Jingyuan had ever heard him laugh: "Thank you for bringing me back yesterday. If you have time today, I'd like to see you."
"You're welcome, you're welcome. Um... when shall we meet?"
Rongxiang mentioned a place name, which turned out to be the largest theater in the area. Fu Jingyuan wasn't particularly interested in Peking Opera, but what did it matter? He immediately agreed.
After hanging up the phone, he thought happily, "This is almost like a date."
The date was at six o'clock in the evening. Fu Jingyuan lingered in front of the full-length mirror for a long time, making sure he was absolutely dressed before leaving. He was meticulous about timing, arriving at the theater entrance exactly at six. As he was about to walk inside, he suddenly heard someone cough behind him. Strangely enough, the theater entrance was bustling with people and noisy in the evening, yet he could hear that soft cough. A thought struck him, and he turned around to see Rong Xiang standing three steps away, dressed in a gray suit, a very common young master's attire. However, he had a felt hat perched askew on his head, adding a touch of playfulness.
Fu Jingyuan couldn't help but smile: "What a coincidence, we both arrived right on time. Not too early, not too late."
"No, not exactly." Rong Xiang walked over, his expression one of restrained joy: "I arrived seven minutes early and have been waiting for you."
"Why don't we go in first? Standing is tiring," Fu Jingyuan complained, beaming with delight, as if the two were old friends. But upon closer inspection, he noticed a tall boy following closely behind Rong Xiang. The boy—who could also be considered a man—was about the same height as Rong Xiang, dressed in a black suit, his face expressionless, head bowed, seemingly trying to blend into the background.
Rong Xiang naturally wouldn't introduce Xiao Meng to Fu Jingyuan. He chatted and laughed with Fu Jingyuan the whole way, which made Fu Jingyuan somewhat confused, wondering if this boy in black was really one of Rong Xiang's men. It wasn't until the two sat down and the boy stood far to the side that he was certain.
The world is in turmoil these days; these people always have someone with them when they go out. That's what they see; who knows where the unseen ones are lurking. Thinking of this, Fu Jingyuan suddenly felt a sense of unease.
"There are a lot of people here today, all here to see Liu Fengqing. I heard he's very famous in the Guanzhong region, is that right?" Rong Xiang asked while looking at the program.
"Liu Fengqing is still relatively inexperienced; she's a rising star. I heard she's being heavily promoted by Commander Wu," Fu Jingyuan replied casually, glancing at Rong Xiang. He saw Rong Xiang stretch out his arm, pick up a large piece of rice candy from the candy dish on the corner of the table, and stuff it into his mouth. While chewing, he kept his mouth tightly closed, only his cheeks puffed out, like a child grabbing a snack and stuffing too much into his mouth, making it impossible for his tongue and teeth to move. Fu Jingyuan couldn't help but chuckle. He subconsciously took the candy dish and broke all the rice candy in half. Noticing Rong Xiang's surprised look, he placed the dish in front of him: "Isn't it much easier to eat like this? Your mouth isn't big, yet you can swallow such a big piece of candy all at once."
Rong Xiang stared wide-eyed at Fu Jingyuan. He had already swallowed the candy in his mouth, but he didn't say anything. After staring at him for a while, he turned his head forward and said, "You are quite thoughtful."
Fu Jingyuan changed the subject: "You like watching plays?"
Rongxiang shook his head: "So-so. What about you?"
Fu Jingyuan asked, somewhat puzzled, "Then why did you invite me to the theater?"
Rongxiang frowned and glanced at him: "So where should we go? I'm not a female student, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go for a walk in the park with you, would it?"
Fu Jingyuan remained silent for a long while after hearing this. Rong Xiang had clearly spoken the truth without realizing it: his purpose in coming here was simply to see him, nothing more.
The flowers in his heart bloomed layer by layer. Fu Jingyuan stared at the stage, a surge of emotions welling up within him like a turbulent undercurrent. He had once thought Rong Xiang would be a cunning and calculating man, but the person beside him now was nothing more than an innocent young man.
At least for now, he was as clear as a shallow spring.
The sound of gongs and drums rang out on the stage, signaling the start of the grand performance.
Two complete novice actors occupied prime seats in the theater. When Liu Fengqing began to sing, a deafening roar of applause erupted throughout the theater, startling Rong Xiang. Fu Jingyuan, however, remained impassive, gently pulling Rong Xiang's drooping right hand.
Rongxiang's hands were soft and his skin was delicate. It was hard to tell if they were male or female when you held them. He slowly kneaded and caressed them, but suddenly noticed that there was a thin layer of calluses on the first joint of the index finger and the web between the thumb and index finger.
This hand is used to handling guns.
Fu Jingyuan glanced at him discreetly. He was looking down slightly, intently at the plate of rice candy. The corners of his mouth were upturned, clearly showing a smile. From this angle, one could see his straight nose, full cheeks, and long eyelashes drooping down, making him look like a Western boy.
Such a wonderful person should live in a world of candy and flowers, loved by everyone. He lives in a Spanish-style villa with a large lawn in front, and a large dog dozing in the gatehouse. During holidays, his friends drive up and invite him to go on trips. He lives a life of wealth, leisure, and happiness... forever carefree... Fu Jingyuan tapped his forehead, knowing he was indulging in romantic delusions again.
After the theater performance ended, Rongxiang stood up and casually withdrew his hand.
I'll take you home today.
Fu Jingyuan also stood up: "It's still early, why don't we go eat first, and then you can come to my house for a while - anyway, I'm quite bored going home alone."
Rongxiang hesitated for a moment, but then agreed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
