Suddenly, his wrist loosened, and a sound amplified countless times in the darkness knocked open the door to his long-sealed heart, instantly pulling Fu Xuanliao into the torrent of the past, reminding him of a scene that was extremely similar to the present.
Four years ago, in the summer, Maple City experienced a brief plum rain season.
The weather outside was sweltering, but the ward remained eerily quiet, both because of the constant stream of critical condition notices arriving. Fu Xuanliao had rushed back from abroad, canceling all gatherings and social engagements, and stood motionless like a statue outside the ward.
"We've called in everyone who can do bone marrow matching, but we can't find a match in the bone marrow registry." Shi Huaiyi patted Fu Xuanliao's shoulder resignedly. "Spend some of his last days with him and try to cheer him up."
During visiting hours that day, Shi Mu, lying in her hospital bed, said, "I regret it."
His voice was very soft, so Fu Xuanliao had to lean closer to listen.
"I was too cowardly." Shi Mu's face was pale and her voice was weak. "Every day since you left, I have regretted it."
Fearing that he might waste his energy by talking too much, Fu Xuanliao replied, "I know, I know everything."
It's no secret in the industry that the heir of the Shi family is afflicted with a serious illness and doesn't have much time left. With Fu Xuanliao's return to China, the past has been thoroughly unearthed.
The Shi and Fu families have been on good terms for many years and have a close relationship. Their descendants are also of similar age. Only by joining forces can they achieve mutual benefit. Some people in the industry once predicted that the two families would definitely get married.
Unexpectedly, the matchmaker found the right match but paired the wrong one. Fu Xuanliao, the only son of the Fu family, ignored the eldest daughter of the Shi family and instead fell in love with the young master of the Shi family.
The childhood friendship forged through growing up hand in hand, the inseparable classmates... Rumor has it that Fu Xuanliao gave up studying abroad, and Shi Mu skipped two grades, all so that they could be together.
From some point onwards, everyone assumed that the two were a couple. Later, Fu Xuanliao went abroad to study without a word, and everyone just assumed that Young Master Fu was preparing to inherit the family business. The two were forced into a long-distance relationship.
Mu smiled weakly at this point: "They only guessed half right."
At that time, they were both teenagers, still naive about relationships. The surging crowd pushed them into the spotlight, exposing them to the sunlight. Social pressure, parental disapproval, and uncertainty about the future easily destroyed this fragile relationship.
Shi Mu was the first to back down. He rejected Fu Xuanliao's advances and ignored Fu Xuanliao's coming out, which disheartened Fu Xuanliao, who then agreed to the family's arrangements.
At the time, he thought that being apart for a while would be better for everyone, but fate played a trick on him. When he came back, Shi Mu was about to leave.
"It's all my fault." Perhaps it's true that people on their deathbeds love to reflect on themselves, and no one mentioned it, but Shi Mu still wouldn't let go of himself. "If I had been braver back then, maybe everything would have been different."
The disease struck with overwhelming force, leaving no time for reflection or looking back.
Fu Xuanliao wanted to seize the last moment to fulfill his wish. Through various contacts, he learned that a painting competition held every four years was about to start. Shi Mu had always wanted to win a prize in the competition and had been actively preparing before being hospitalized.
Logically, there should have been plenty of time, and the entries should have been mostly completed. However, when Fu Xuanliao asked Shi Mu, the latter smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said he wouldn't participate.
Only after Fu Xuanliao pressed him repeatedly did he learn that his work, which he had spent many days and nights working on, had been stolen.
“It’s not plagiarism, it’s outright robbery.” Shi Mu’s mother, Li Bihan, wiped away her tears. “Your uncle favors that bastard and said he would give him a share of the shares. He’s become so arrogant and lawless at home that he’s capable of such underhanded things.”
Upon hearing the word "bastard," Fu Xuanliao was first stunned, then immediately remembered that there was indeed such a person in the Shi family.
That person also grew up in Shijiazhuang since childhood, but he was like a shadow, his footsteps were silent, and his breathing was lighter than the wind.
He was much thinner and smaller than his peers, always quietly following behind them, huddled in a corner as if he had nowhere else to go. He wouldn't say anything when asked what he was doing, his big, clear eyes staring intently at people, making them feel uncomfortable, yet they couldn't bear to chase him away.
At first, Fu Xuanliao couldn't connect the painting thief with the child who had such a low profile. It wasn't until he found the school's art studio and wanted to ask if it was true that he saw the boy named Shi Meng jump up, spread his arms to block the easel, and look at him with a wary expression.
In the years since Fu Xuanliao left, the child has grown up quickly. The once short, thin, and sickly child has now grown tall and slender, and his features have matured, making him more and more delicate and beautiful.
However, the character "沐" was clearly written in the lower right corner of the painting. Fu Xuanliao had known Shi Mu for many years, so he would not mistake his handwriting.
At that time, Fu Xuanliao still regarded Shi Meng as a child: "It was impolite to snatch things from your older brother when you were a child, but if you still snatch things now, you'll go to jail."
I thought Shi Meng would be intimidated, but he became even more arrogant: "He's the one who should go to jail, not me."
Later, things took an unexpected turn. Shi Meng actually used the stolen painting to participate in the competition and successfully entered the finals. If it weren't for Fu Xuanliao's interference and obstruction, he probably could have achieved a good ranking with that painting.
However, that's all we can do; it's no longer possible to reclaim the authorship rights.
“He’s loved imitating my style since he was little. Now that the painting is in his hands, there’s no point in saying anything,” Shi Mu said helplessly. “Oh well, he’s still my brother after all. Let him be.”
Although he said he didn't care, Fu Xuanliao could see Shi Mu's pain and torment. He often stared blankly out the window, and was depressed in his last few days on earth, his life force draining away from him at an extremely rapid pace.
Ultimately, it couldn't hold out until the cool autumn breeze arrived.
Only on his deathbed did Shi Mu reveal the truth: "That painting... was painted for you. I painted it stroke by stroke, thinking of you."
"Don't forget me..." In the last few minutes of her life, Shi Mu, barely clinging to Fu Xuanliao's hand, repeatedly murmured, "Don't forget me, don't forget me, okay?"
Because he couldn't forget her, Fu Xuanliao, unwilling to give up, sought out Shi Meng again after Shi Mu's burial.
“He was your brother, and that was the last painting he left behind.” Fu Xuanliao said, forcing back her grief. “He was so good to you… Give me his painting.”
Upon hearing this, Shi Meng first stared blankly, then instead of feeling guilty, he laughed: "He's dead, he's dead, isn't he?"
Fu Xuanliao had never seen him laugh like that before—unrestrained and cruel. He laughed and then choked up, tears streaming down his face.
"It's mine, and no one is allowed to take it away." He hugged the painting tightly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Fu Xuanliao. "It's all mine... mine."
Then, everything took a sharp turn for the worse.
When the Fu family ran into trouble, Shi Huai offered to help in exchange for a ten-year contract. Only when he signed his name did Fu Xuanliao realize that Shi Meng wanted more than just that painting.
He was far more terrifying than I had imagined; the quiet, follower-around-the-back child I once was was long gone.
Perhaps that was just a disguise, an illusion. He was always greedy and insatiable, wanting to possess everything that Shi Mu had ever had.
Fu Xuanliao was merely a toy that Shi Meng had his eye on, because Shi Mu had once possessed his love, so Shi Meng wanted to have him too.
So the beginning of this relationship had nothing to do with love—this is what Fu Xuanliao told himself as he pulled himself out of his memories and gripped Shi Meng's vulnerable neck.
But what's the use? The person is gone, and the deed is done; all the struggle and calculation now is futile.
In the end, Fu Xuanliao let go, sparing the deeply sinful yet unrepentant person before him.
He had long been disappointed in this inherently selfish and vicious person.
The sudden rush of air into his throat caused Shi Meng to cough incessantly, and his limp body slowly slid down the wall. Even so, he still clung to Fu Xuanliao's wrist and refused to let go.
This time it was Fu Xuanliao's turn to laugh. He twitched the corner of his mouth and whispered, "Shi Meng, don't go crazy."
Even the simple act of pulling his hand away seemed to exhaust him; Fu Xuanliao felt utterly worn out.
Before turning to leave, he took a deep breath and told Shi Meng, "What is not yours will never belong to you."
A small-scale farce only alarmed two people other than the parties involved.
Gao Lecheng, who had been hiding behind the bar drinking and flirting with girls, rushed over upon hearing the news. He looked at Fu Xuanliao, who came out from inside, with a look of horror: "You didn't... kill him, did you?"
The liquid that slid down the back of his hand cooled in the air and then evaporated. Fu Xuanliao shook his head and remained silent.
Jiang Xue ran in, her high heels clicking, and when she helped Shi Meng out, she glared at Gao Lecheng as if to call him a jinx.
The four split into two groups, none of them wanting to say goodbye to the other.
Once they reached a secluded spot, Jiang Xue unceremoniously ripped open Shi Meng's deliberately raised collar, revealing horrifying purple and blue marks on her snow-white neck from strangulation. Enraged, she was about to confront Fu Xuanliao when Shi Meng grabbed her hand and she heard a faint voice: "Don't go, I'm not in pain, sister, don't go looking for him."
Jiang Xue was furious at his spinelessness. She gritted her teeth and stomped her foot, saying, "Who cares if you're in pain or not? I'll go find a cloth to wrap you up. I was just bragging to someone that you're more beautiful than a painting, and look at how ugly you are now!"
Shi Meng looked up at the glass window. The person inside was as white as paper, withered and emaciated, no different from a dead person.
Perhaps fearing he might feel guilty, Jiang Xue later changed her words: "But you have a good foundation, and the extra line on your neck looks like you're wearing a choker, it looks good."
That's what she said, but after getting some medicinal wine from the hotel staff, Jiang Xue carefully applied it to the wound with a cotton ball. As she applied it, her eyes welled up with tears. Afraid that Shi Meng would see, she turned her head away and muttered, "Treasure, huh... Is this how much he treasures you?"
After the banquet, the painting titled "Flame" was carefully wrapped up in layers of cloth and loaded into Jiang Xue's SUV.
The auction house staff even tied a large red flower to the parchment paper to celebrate the successful transaction.
Jiang Xue couldn't be happy. On the way back with Shi Meng, she complained that the commission was outrageously high. Seeing that Shi Meng was squinting and leaning back in his seat without saying a word, she stopped trying to make conversation and focused on driving.
When they arrived at the gate of the Shi family mansion, Jiang Xue suddenly remembered their conversation from last time as Shi Meng got out of the car: "How have you thought about moving out?"
Shi Meng paused for a moment, then quickly replied in less than two seconds, "No, I'll stay here."
"For that guy surnamed Fu?"
This time, Shi Meng did not answer.
Even without him saying it, Jiang Xue knew that his insistence on staying here was only for Fu Xuanliao's sake.
The only agreement between him and Fu Xuanliao was that if he didn't stay at the Shi family home and not stay under the nose of the person who made the rules for him, it was unknown whether this agreement could be fulfilled smoothly.
He could no longer bear any more uncertainty, so he put a rope around Fu Xuanliao and trapped himself in place, unable to move.
After getting off the car, Shi Meng carried the painting from the back seat and straightened up, holding it in his arms. The cool autumn night breeze that hit him made him shiver.
He hadn't walked more than a few steps when he heard the sound of a car door opening behind him. Jiang Xue leaned out and called out to him, "Is it really him you can't live without?"
The next sentence was spoken even louder: "Couldn't it be someone else?"
The two weren't far apart, so there was no need to shout. Shi Meng said in a very soft voice, "No."
Jiang Xue started to express her disappointment again: "What's so great about him? He's just a bit handsome and has a little money. You're not bad either. You can easily spend ten million. He can't even compete with you."
Shi Meng knew that Jiang Xue was just trying to make him happy.
He turned around amidst the rustling wind, his body covered in wounds, both old and new, and said, "Everything is fine."
Recalling the look in Fu Xuanliao's eyes a few hours earlier, a look that seemed to want to strangle him because of the painting in his arms, Shi Meng raised the corners of his lips slightly and smiled like an ordinary person in love: "Even the way he was so affectionate towards that person... was so beautiful."
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