Before arriving in Xuncheng, Fu Xuanliao visited the Shi family.
During the day, the trial of the case orchestrated by Shi Sihui was held, but the victim was not present. Fortunately, the prosecution was responsible, and the victim's family member, Li Bihan, had hired a lawyer to assist her. The trial proceeded smoothly, and the verdict delivered in court was in line with expectations.
Shi Sihui did not appeal again. She was handcuffed and had her back to the audience. She did not turn her head to look at them when she left.
Fu Xuanliao knew that Li Bihan had cried. Sending her daughter to prison to seek justice for her son was something that not every mother could bear.
After the event, he offered to drive Li Bihan home. In the car, he told her about his plan to go to Xuncheng to find Shi Meng. Although she didn't agree, she didn't object either.
“Mengmeng left Fengcheng probably because she wanted to be alone.” Now that he had found out where Shi Meng was, Li Bihan knew she couldn’t stop him. She only said, “I’m such a failure as a mother. I don’t even know what kind of feelings he has for you now. But I am still a mother. I only hope that my child is doing well. Please, if you are truly sincere to him, go along with him and don’t make him sad anymore. If you still have even the slightest hesitation, don’t disturb his heart anymore.”
Fu Xuanliao solemnly agreed.
Upon arriving at the Shi family home, with permission, Fu Xuanliao and the aunt went upstairs to Shi Meng's room to see if there was anything they could bring him.
As soon as I entered the house, I heard a commotion coming from downstairs.
It turned out that Shi Huaiyi had returned. He had been overwhelmed by the divorce case recently, and when he heard that Shi Sihui had been sentenced to prison, he was furious. When he got home, he started arguing with Li Bihan.
"Sihui is in jail, are you satisfied now? If you hadn't insisted on taking Mengmeng's shares, none of this would have happened?"
“I admit I made mistakes, but Shi Huaiyi, put your hand on your heart and think about it, if it weren’t for you back then…”
"You accepted it back then, why are you bringing up old grievances now?"
"With things having come to this point, do you really bear no responsibility at all?"
"I'm doing this for the family! Humph, Mengmeng is so immature, he won't even let his own sister go. If only he hadn't cooperated with the prosecution or said something nice..."
"Why should he speak up for the people who hurt him?" Fu Xuanliao came downstairs. "Everything is being done according to legal procedures. Please do not obstruct judicial fairness."
Seemingly surprised to find outsiders in the house, Shi Huaiyi was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "You're all acting all high and mighty now, teaming up against me. Have you forgotten that you also played a part in pushing Mengmeng to the brink of despair?"
One sentence left Fu Xuanliao speechless.
Before leaving, Fu Xuanliao went up to the top floor attic and stood for a while by the window where Shi Meng often sat.
The housekeeper came in and asked him to bring some food for Shi Meng: "It was prepared with Madam; it's all the Second Young Master's favorite food."
Fu Xuanliao took the paper bag and responded softly.
The aunt didn't leave immediately, but followed his gaze to the windowsill in the attic.
“Every Saturday before, the second young master would sit here,” she said with a smile. “He would say he wasn’t waiting for anyone, but his eyes would keep glancing outwards, as if he thought he was hiding well.”
According to his aunt's description, Fu Xuanliao recalled the image of Shi Meng sitting by the window, her head pressed against the glass. Seemingly nonchalant, she was actually listening intently to every sound outside, especially when she heard a car approaching. She would immediately crane her neck to look at the end of the road, and if it was that familiar car, her beautiful eyes would suddenly light up.
Now that everything has settled down, this loss is all the more heartbreaking.
Seemingly sensing Fu Xuanliao's pain, the aunt said gently, "I've watched the second young master grow up. His feelings for you didn't just accumulate in a day or two. If you still have regrets, instead of feeling remorseful, you should take action. After all, time flies so fast, and it's autumn again in the blink of an eye."
Fu Xuanliao then roused himself and set off for Xuncheng.
He received a call on the way, and upon hearing that he had already set off, Gao Lecheng exclaimed in surprise, "Wasn't he still at the courthouse during the day? Is he in such a hurry?"
“Yes,” Fu Xuanliao said, “Time is precious.”
Gao Lecheng did not comment on this, but made one request: "If your Ice Beauty asks about it, don't blame me. Jiang Xue didn't tell me a word about his whereabouts."
Fu Xuanliao felt that his question was unnecessary: "I went through a lot of trouble to find out it myself, why should the credit be given to the two of you?"
He desperately wanted Shi Meng to know how much he had done, as it was all proof that he loved Shi Meng.
"Hey, that's some good intentions," Gao Lecheng laughed. "Then I wish our CEO Fu a successful trip and that he wins the heart of his beauty!"
I dare not even dream of holding a beauty in my arms; to be able to even see her once would be considered lucky.
With less than fifty minutes left until Saturday, Fu Xuanliao knocked on the door again, her voice lacking confidence: "Are you going to keep sleeping? If not..."
Fu Xuanliao arrived in a flurry of activity, but upon arriving at the destination and clearly knowing that Shi Meng was just a door away, he felt a sense of trepidation.
He wanted to say he would stay with her if she didn't sleep, but he was afraid of scaring her, so he changed it to: "If you don't sleep, come out and look at the stars."
The autumn sky was a clear, deep blue, and the night sky was bright and clear. A few stars twinkled, as if watching over two people in this small corner of the earth from afar.
Unfortunately, Fu Xuanliao was met only with the sound of receding footsteps and the lights going out upstairs.
After staring up at him for a while, and confirming that Shi Meng had fallen asleep, Fu Xuanliao sighed softly.
Although it was expected, I was still somewhat disappointed.
Looking out at the dark window, he said in a low voice, "Sleep well, and don't have nightmares."
Meng slept relatively soundly in the latter half of the night. When he opened his eyes, it was already bright daylight. While brushing his teeth, he looked at his disheveled hair in the mirror and began to wonder if he had a dream last night.
He dreamt that the person came and said they would spend Saturday with him.
This is too bizarre. That person clearly hated Saturday and never took the initiative.
Shi Meng went downstairs, toasted two slices of bread, ate some beef jerky and milk to finish her breakfast, put on her coat and opened the door.
Shi Meng breathed a sigh of relief when no one was around.
Standing at the doorway, as if guided by something, he looked up at the sky, squinting as the light stung his eyes.
I can't see anything anymore.
Because the sun has come out, the stars have to hide.
In the morning, Shi Meng went out to shop as usual.
There's a supermarket nearby, but while the selection isn't complete, the produce is fresh. Jiang Xue had already found out about this before they moved in, so he could go there to buy groceries.
It was a ten-minute walk. When I entered the supermarket, I saw a group of elderly men and women queuing up to buy discounted pork.
Shi Meng was just passing by and greeted the neighbor aunt in the line when she was grabbed by the arm and pulled into the line.
"It's several yuan cheaper, you'd be missing out if you didn't buy it," said Aunt Pan. "If you can't cook, you can chop meat and make steamed buns. It's better than eating bread all the time."
Several familiar elderly men and women nodded in agreement.
Looking down at the sliced bread in her shopping basket, Shi Meng pursed her lips, resigned herself to her fate, and stood in line.
Aunt Pan was the neighbor who lived next door. She was warm and cheerful. When Shi Meng first moved in, she brought her freshly baked meat buns and knocked on the door to welcome her.
Jiang Xue's house is indeed intended for retirement; the surrounding area is mostly inhabited by middle-aged and elderly people. Their retirement life is easy and simple, consisting mainly of eating and doing laundry during the day, and dancing and playing chess in the square at night.
The slow-paced, leisurely lifestyle has also slowed Shi Meng down, which is directly reflected in his willingness to spend time buying discounted items, something he would never have done before.
The group moved slowly, so Shi Meng took out a notebook and pen from his pocket and began sketching with his left hand.
Aunt Pan leaned over to take a look, and he awkwardly turned away. Then he heard a clear laugh: "It's drawn quite well, why are you hiding it from me?"
Shi Meng couldn't explain his peculiar habit, so he vaguely replied, "I'm not used to my left hand."
"Speaking of which, what happened to your right hand?" Aunt Pan asked, taking the opportunity to ask what she was curious about. "How did you get injured?"
When the topic of his right hand injury was suddenly brought up, Shi Meng shuddered reflexively.
He hates rainy days and is extremely reluctant to recall the events of that day, so he didn't give a direct answer, only saying that he tripped and fell.
"A fracture?" Aunt Pan frowned as she looked at the bandage on his hand. "Your hands are precious when you're an artist. You have to be careful in the future."
This reminder reminded Shi Meng of the months he lived in the Fu family's house. The gentle woman named Jiang Rong also pitied his painting hands and didn't let him do heavy work with sharp objects. When she saw that he had been bitten by a cat, she told him to get vaccinated immediately.
In fact, Shi Meng didn't care about these things. He painted because he liked it. As for whether he painted well or not, or how much so-called value it could bring, it was never up to outsiders to decide.
Even so, he still hopes that his right hand can return to its former state.
Since we're alive, we should always find something to fill the extra time.
Back at his lodgings, Jiang Xue called to ask what he wanted for lunch. Looking at the piece of pork belly he had queued for forty minutes to snag, Shi Meng said, "Dumplings."
"Your hands can still make dumplings?" Jiang Xue exclaimed in surprise. "Put them in the refrigerator first, and I'll buy you a meat grinder and send it to you later."
"I ordered it online," Shi Meng said. "It should arrive soon."
Jiang Xue was very pleased with this: "You're learning pretty fast! I thought you were too much of a caveman to accept online shopping."
Place the pork on the cutting board and adjust it to a beautifully curved angle; Shi Meng felt the urge to draw it again.
“It’s very convenient and acceptable,” he told Jiang Xue. “I also bought a new easel, a solid wood one, and it’s very big.”
"How old are you? Be careful you don't get in the door."
Shi Meng thought for a moment: "He shouldn't be older than me. I can get in."
Jiang Xue laughed so hard she almost choked on her own breath on the phone, saying she'd never seen anyone use themselves as a reference point to compare the size of an easel.
Finally, I reminded him, "Don't forget to go to the hospital for your follow-up check-up this afternoon."
"Um."
"If, and I mean if, a strange person is following you, don't be afraid, just call the police."
Shi Meng didn't ask who the "strange person" was specifically referring to, but he did feel like he was being followed on his way to and from the supermarket today, and he could even hear footsteps behind him. Because Aunt Pan was with him, and he didn't want to frighten the elderly woman, he didn't turn around to check, nor did he call the police.
He went out alone in the afternoon, so he had no more worries.
Stepping out of the house, Shi Meng walked along the sidewalk to the street, and around the corner was the bus stop. When no one was around, Shi Meng suddenly stopped and turned around without warning.
The moment their eyes met, Shi Meng was somewhat surprised that he didn't feel too surprised.
The other person, however, froze on the spot, their expression quite interesting. After a long while, they quickly stepped forward and asked, "Did I scare you?"
He was the one who was clearly frightened.
Shi Meng didn't want to talk. After confirming, he turned around and continued walking forward.
Once they reached the bus stop, the man seemed to have calmed down and took Shi Meng's attitude as tacit agreement. Not only did he stop hiding his actions, but he also tried to strike up a conversation with Shi Meng as easily as possible.
"What did you have for lunch? I saw you bought meat, are you planning to make dumplings?"
"I ordered a bento box at a nearby restaurant today, and it tasted pretty good."
"It's Saturday today, is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
Shi Meng only reacted when he heard the keyword "Saturday".
He blinked slowly, thinking to himself, "So last night wasn't a dream."
This kind of response was like a shot in the arm, greatly encouraging Fu Xuanliao.
At least Shi Meng did not show any resistance to his appearance.
About ten minutes later, bus number 21 stopped at the station, and Fu Xuanliao boarded the bus. Fortunately, his phone still had power, so he could scan the code to pay the fare.
Having only taken the bus a handful of times since childhood, Fu Xuanliao felt very uncomfortable on a crowded bus. First, he was nearly thrown over by the sudden start of the bus, and then the smell inside made his face turn darker.
However, he didn't react in the end. Shi Meng found a seat, and Fu Xuanliao stood in the aisle next to Shi Meng.
When asked where he was going, Shi Meng still didn't answer. He tilted his head and looked out the window, his cheeks slightly puffed out. It didn't seem like he was deliberately ignoring people; rather, it seemed like he was uncomfortable and in no mood to talk to anyone.
He did reveal some of his former temperament.
The familiar appearance softened Fu Xuanliao's heart. He thought, "Little Mushroom is clearly straightforward and doesn't bother to hide anything. What kind of domineering and unpredictable behavior is this?"
Fortunately, he still has plenty of time to slowly understand and gradually replace the continuous rain with memories of sunny days.
How lucky.
With one hand holding the overhead ring and the other supporting himself on the back of the chair, Fu Xuanliao bent down slightly, forming a posture that enveloped Shi Meng.
“We can take a taxi back, it will be more comfortable,” Fu Xuanliao whispered to Shi Mengda, “or you can drive me in the future.”
But today is Saturday, so everything is up to you.
From now on, even if it's not Saturday, I'll go with you wherever you want to go.
Given Shi Meng's temperament, even if he understood the subtext, he wouldn't bother to pay attention.
This bus is an intercity transfer service, requiring a transfer to reach the destination.
After getting off the bus and seeing the hospital sign, Fu Xuanliao finally understood why Shi Meng had gone out.
On weekends, only one or two doctors are on duty in the general departments of the hospital. After registering, Shi Meng waited for 20 minutes before entering the consultation room, and came out in less than 10 minutes.
Fu Xuanliao went up to him: "What did the doctor say? Shouldn't we get an X-ray?"
Shi Meng remained silent, only staring down at his right hand, occasionally bending his knuckles as if trying some kind of rehabilitation exercise.
Fu Xuanliao asked, "Is it rehabilitation?" He was eager to make amends and get Shi Meng better, but he didn't know how. "Let me contact someone here to see if there are any more professional doctors. It's not too late to start then."
Shi Meng casually looked away, her attitude ambiguous, as if she hadn't heard a word.
I'll take the bus back.
This time, both of them had seats, sitting side by side. Fu Xuanliao sat in the aisle seat, watching Shi Meng struggle to move his right hand, bending, stretching, and repeating the simple movements. He was covered in sweat and his lips turned pale from the pain.
Fu Xuanliao felt sorry for him and was worried that he would hurt himself by practicing so much. He took out the throat lozenges he had bought on the way yesterday and asked him if he wanted to eat some and rest.
He thought Shi Meng would still ignore him, but to his surprise, Shi Meng raised his hand and took one from his palm.
Before he could even feel happy, Fu Xuanliao discovered that Shi Meng had taken it without opening the packaging. He looked down at his right hand, which was still unable to make big movements, and gently clenched the candy into a fist in his left hand.
Realizing belatedly that Shi Meng's hand was inconvenient, Fu Xuanliao immediately helped him remove one.
Shi Meng didn't answer the call. He turned his head to look out the window, his clenched fist trembling slightly. It was unclear whether it was due to exhaustion or the bumpy road the bus was traveling on, causing his body to tremble slightly.
In autumn, the days are short and the nights are long. When you go out, the sun is high in the sky, but when you return to the platform where you started, the sky is already covered with the glow of sunset.
But very quickly, in the short time it takes to walk from the platform to the riverbank, the setting sun had already dimmed most of its light, and the surroundings had darkened.
Shi Meng walked ahead, her footsteps very light, mixed with the faint sound of flowing water.
He still had his hands in his pockets, his back was long and slender, and his shadow was even longer, exuding a kind of inexplicable stubbornness.
Fu Xuanliao was suddenly struck by the fact that, although he was mentally prepared, he had still oversimplified the matter.
Even though everything went more smoothly than he had imagined, Shi Meng didn't get angry, didn't resist, and didn't even try to drive him away.
But this does not equate to acceptance.
Their relationship was abnormal from the beginning. Later, one thing went wrong after another, and like dominoes, the whole thing collapsed. It wasn't something that could be easily put back on track with just an apology, a one-sided effort, or a clever but misguided approach.
Shi Meng's wounds were so deep, yet he could not take away Shi Meng's pain. Even if he could, Shi Meng would not need it.
because……
Just then, Shi Meng, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned around.
Standing more than five meters apart, he finally spoke, saying his first words to Fu Xuanliao that day.
"Have you finished confirming?"
"……What?"
"Didn't you come to confirm whether I can draw or not?"
Shi Meng took her bandaged hand out of her pocket and showed it to Fu Xuanliao. The candy that had melted in her palm was sticky and disgusting.
"Yes, you can't draw anymore." The voice was calm, as if reading a verdict to oneself. "Not only can you not draw, but you can't drive, and you can't even open plastic packaging."
Fu Xuanliao's throat tightened: "I didn't..."
He was trying to say, "That's not what I meant. I'm not here to confirm these things."
It's Saturday today, I just want to spend time with you.
Shi Meng did not give him a chance to refute.
"Are you satisfied now?" As if to make up for all the things she hadn't said today, Shi Meng's breathing quickened slightly as she asked and answered herself, "You should be satisfied now."
A single, lowered tone of voice shattered the last vestiges of hope in my heart, freezing it completely.
Fu Xuanliao felt it plummeting rapidly, then with a deafening crash, it emitted a shattering, buzzing sound.
Because they have always been enemies.
Between enemies, there is no trust, only winning and losing.
Having suffered wounds and lost his heart, he had already raised the white flag, crushing his self-respect into dust and scattering it into the sea.
He naturally viewed Fu Xuanliao's pursuit as a victor's celebration.
He thought Fu Xuanliao was there to laugh at him and didn't believe that Fu Xuanliao had any goodwill or pity for him.
I don't believe it now, and I won't believe it in the future.
So no matter what Fu Xuanliao does, it's all in vain. Shi Meng will only say "I don't need it" and "You've won, let me go."
Despite having heard those words, Fu Xuanliao felt like the loser.
Even if you surrender, even if you offer your heartfelt sincerity and sincerely express your feelings, Shi Meng will simply ignore you and not take it seriously at all.
He's the one who lost.
They lost miserably, utterly and completely.
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