Chapter 26
Tongchuan County is a small county with a vast area and a sparse population in the hinterland of Northwest China.
If it weren't for poverty, the local villagers wouldn't have risked being beheaded to seduce people into trafficking drugs. If all the men in Maguan Village hadn't been shot for drug trafficking, leaving their wives and children helpless, it wouldn't have become the infamous "Widow Village."
Nine years ago, Lin Xian was a reporter for the Latest News newspaper. He got the clue about Maguan Village from his father, Lin Zhengfeng, and decided to visit this "widow village."
After the interview, he heard that the local Chengtian Temple was very famous, and he went there excitedly on that midsummer night. However, he did not expect that this county town, which was always dry, would be hit by a sudden rainstorm.
Lin Xian had excellent physical fitness in his youth, having learned martial arts from his father, Lin Zhengfeng, so getting wet in the rain was nothing to him. He even seemed to enjoy walking towards Chengtian Temple in the pouring rain. However, in this place that should have been quiet, he heard the sound of sticks and unbearable insults.
"Doesn't your mother sell you every day? Where's the money? If you can't come up with it, I'll sell you as a lifeline!" "You bastard, you were born by a mother but never raised by one. You think you can run away? I'm going to break your fucking legs today!"
The brutal abuse was especially vague amidst the pounding rain, like a nightmare. Lin Xian, a renowned journalist in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, had heard of countless atrocities, but rarely had he witnessed anything like this.
The heavy rain covered up the sound of his footsteps, and those people didn't notice anyone approaching from behind.
A dim light shone beneath the eaves at the entrance to Chengtian Temple. Lin Xian looked over the shoulder of a thug and saw a figure huddled on the flooded ground, being beaten and kicked. It wasn't some evildoer, just a pale, fragile-looking teenager.
The young man huddled against the wall but did not dodge. His face showed a calm expression, as if the sticks, fists and kicks hitting him had nothing to do with him.
In this situation, running away or resisting would only make things worse.
A surge of rage surged within Lin Xian. He first called 110, unleashing the fighting techniques he had learned from his father since childhood without reservation.
He beat the shit out of those people, and they lay on the ground helpless, waiting for the police to catch them.
Then, he picked up the boy and rushed to the nearest hospital. The boy was about a head shorter than him, and he felt almost weightless in his arms. He made no sound from beginning to end, and he was almost worried that the boy was dying.
Fortunately, it was only a broken rib, some minor skin injuries, and severe malnutrition. As the boy lay unconscious, he observed his face. Although his right eye was bruised, he still had a certain handsomeness to him.
The drip dripped steadily from the IV. By the time the needle was removed, the boy had already fallen asleep. Lin Xian, clad in soaking wet clothes, also fell asleep beside the bed.
At first, the boy was a little aloof. After waking up, he just said "thank you" to him in a hoarse voice and didn't even look at him, as if he had built a wall in his heart.
As an investigative reporter, prying secrets from all sorts of people was Lin Xian's domain. Under his combined soft and hard tactics, the young man quickly lost his resistance and confessed everything.
Lin Xian learned the boy's name was Lu Chengtian, a sophomore at the best high school in Tongchuan. His father had died of drug overdose, and his mother had died in her closet from an overdose. A creditor had coincidentally chased him to his doorstep that rainy night, smashing down the rickety old security door. He was forced to flee until he reached the gates of Chengtian Temple, where the scene Lin Xian witnessed unfolded.
That was the fourth night they met.
Lin Xian was writing on the accompanying bed nearby. Suddenly, the young man whispered in the darkness, "Brother, are you asleep?"
Lin Xian put down his computer, walked over to his bedside, and sat down, asking him what was wrong. The boy struggled to sit up, buried his cold face in his neck, and said abruptly, "I hate her, but I have no family anymore." Warm tears fell on Lin Xian's shoulder, soaking his clothes. The boy cried stubbornly and silently, and Lin Xian patted his shoulder gently, silently accompanying him.
Back then, the arrogant and unrivaled reporter Lin was in the prime of his life, having never experienced the pain of losing a loved one. It wasn't until his father disappeared completely and his mother died suddenly of an illness that he realized the despair and loneliness that young man had felt.
His sympathy and desire to protect Lu Chengtian had been ingrained in him since that night nine years ago. Although he had helped countless people, that young man remained unforgettable.
The gentle peak of the heart monitor gradually rose, emitting a slightly rapid sound. The flying glass and gravel from the explosion seemed to still be before my eyes.
"Lu Chengtian..." In a burst of excruciating pain, Lin Xian woke up calling the name of the boy he used to be.
The blinding white light cut through his fragile retina like a dagger. He wanted to raise his hand to cover his eyes, but when he moved slightly, a warm and strong hand pressed down the IV needle.
A low, hoarse voice whispered in his ear, "Be good, don't move. I'll go turn off the lights."
Then, the room became dark, with only a warm yellow night light on the wall.
Lin Xian finally adjusted to his surroundings. His naked upper body was bandaged, his throat dry and hoarse, and the strong smell of blood was strong. An IV bottle hung on a metal rack to the side, and the cold liquid flowed through a thin rubber tube into every inch of his blood vessels.
A figure in a black suit sat beside him, one hand gently covering his hand that was not receiving the IV. The chill of juniper berries and the medicinal aroma of patchouli were faintly present, along with a faint scent of roses, coming from the withered rose in the man's breast pocket.
The man lowered his head, gently kissed his forehead, and said, "I've thought about it a thousand times in my mind, what would I do if you died. Fortunately, you are still alive. If you didn't wake up shouting someone else's name, I would definitely thank the gods."
Lin Xian chuckled softly, his voice hoarse and weak. "Can someone like you have such feelings? Zhou Mubai, stop acting. All you're thinking about is, if I die, who will take care of your father and brother for you?"
"Don't say that. It hurts me too." Zhou Mubai lowered his eyes sadly, slowly raised the bed a little, tested the temperature of the hot water in the cup with his lips, fed it to Lin Xian, and then gently put the bed down.
"I originally came to pick you up for dinner, but I didn't expect you to be handcuffed with Lu Chengtian, and I didn't expect my brother and others to dare to plant a bomb under the police car. You have been sleeping for a whole day and night, and I am almost going crazy. If the man surnamed Lu was not a policeman, I would have killed him immediately." Zhou Mubai clenched his bandaged left hand, and a trace of bright red blood spread out from the broken wound, like a dark red plum blossom.
Lin Xian said coldly: "If you touch him, I will make you regret it."
"You like that young policeman? Both his parents are dead, his savings plus house and car are not enough to marry a wife, and he is also an extremely boring workaholic. What do you like about him?" Zhou Mubai suddenly moved closer to Lin Xian, his warm breath falling on his neck, looking at him playfully.
"Don't act like a retarded child, okay? I'm not interested in children." Lin Xian tried to turn her head to the side to avoid him, but was forced to give up because of the neck brace. She said calmly, "It's just that we have a connection. I'll keep it for a while."
"Then why did you risk your life to save him when the explosion occurred? Why did you take him to dinner? Why did you stay at his house - did you do it?" Zhou Mubai grabbed his hand unconsciously with force, and the remaining fragrance on his body, with a hint of gloom, penetrated Lin Xian's nose.
Lin Xian couldn't help but frown: "Are you following me?"
"I just don't want what happened to Tunqin to happen again. Even if it does, I hope it's me standing behind you, not that guy named Lu." Zhou Mubai gently stroked the purple veins on the back of Lin Xian's hand with his index finger and continued, "Thankfully, you've been so reliable. You handled the Seven and Eight Cannons as planned. My brother has lost his right-hand man, and things will go more smoothly from now on."
Lin Xian was extremely pale and his voice was weak, but his thoughts were crystal clear. "Judging from Lin Xian's attitude, your brother isn't sure if 'Brother Biao' is a police officer. The only person who could have planted a bomb under the car used by the police during their disguised investigation was one of their own. It seems that Mr. Zhou and your brother have an insider in the police force, and we're just unaware of it."
"Cough, cough, cough--" His throat was hoarse and he coughed violently again, which affected the wound on his shoulder blade that had just been sutured, and a heart-wrenching pain came again.
Zhou Mubai took a sip of water and leaned over to feed him mouth-to-mouth. Lin Xian was wearing a neck brace and could not avoid it, so he could only close his eyes and protest silently.
"What? Lu Chengtian can do it, but I can't?" There was a hint of hostility between Zhou Mubai's deep brows. He didn't care that Lin Xian was still a seriously injured patient lying in bed. He forcibly lifted his chin, pried open his lips and teeth, kissed his lips aggressively, and fed the water into him.
Lin Xian was choked and started coughing heart-wrenchingly again. His brows were furrowed and the water that he didn't drink flowed down his chin. He looked very miserable.
Seeing this, Zhou Mubai smiled with satisfaction: "Ah Xian, after all these years, you are still so beautiful that I can't forget you."
"Zhou Mubai, you are really sick. It's time to see a doctor." Lin Xian calmed down for a while, his eyelashes trembling silently.
He suddenly recalled his time at Columbia University. The blond, blue-eyed senior who used to block his dorm room every day with flowers had his computer and phone hacked by Zhou Mubai, who then posted all his shameful, private photos on the university forum. Unable to withstand the pressure and the scornful stares, the senior ultimately jumped from Columbia's Hamilton Building, dying instantly.
At this time, if he really felt that he was interested in Lu Chengtian, then Lu Chengtian's fate could be imagined.
Lin Xian took a few deep breaths, a searing pain lingering in his chest. He stared directly into Zhou Mu's snake-like, deep green eyes and said calmly, "I deliberately approached Lu Chengtian because he's still useful to us. I'm guiding him step by step through our original plan. You have your revenge plan, and I have mine. Don't forget, when we made the agreement, we were just using each other."
Zhou Mubai looked thoughtful as he continued, "The USB drive I placed in the fish's gills has already alerted the police to Zhou Xinzhang. It's only a matter of time before they find evidence of Zhou Xinzhang's drug trafficking organization. Although Lin Xian escaped this time, you've eliminated Qi Tiao and Ba Tong. I've done enough for you. It's best if you don't interfere with my plans."
"Ah Xian, sometimes I really can't understand what you want after doing all this. Compared to the president of the Columbia University Student Union back then, you're completely different now, but I still like you so much." Zhou Mubai reached out and stroked Lin Xian's bleeding lips, whispering in his ear, "If possible, I also hope that in your heart, our relationship is more than just a mutual use."
"Instead of thinking about those useless things, you should think about how to get rid of Lin Xian. He knows too much about this matter. It would be fine if he was caught by the police, but if he ran away, it would be very disadvantageous for you and me." Lin Xian seemed tired, closed his eyes, and his voice became lower and lower.
Zhou Mubai chuckled softly, his voice was deep and mellow, yet it sent a chill down one's spine.
He kissed Lin Xian's brow in a gentlemanly manner and said slowly, "Do you think a fake who imitates you in every way can fly away from under my nose?"
"Did you catch him?" The drowsiness brought by the drug was swept away, and Lin Xian opened his eyes and looked at Zhou Mubai.
"How could I let go of something my eldest brother loves so much and it's so useful?" Zhou Mubai smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't let him die so easily. He's better off alive than dead."
"I got it. I'm going to sleep. Please turn off the lights." Lin Xian felt pain all over his body. He seemed to be really tired and slowly closed his eyes.
Zhou Mubai seemed a little disappointed as he lay down on the accompanying bed beside him and reached out to turn off the light.
In the pure darkness, Lin Xian felt the pain all over his body, and his thoughts became clearer. During the explosion, Lu Chengtian was indeed protected by him, so he should be fine...
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At this moment, Lu Chengtian was lying in the city bureau's designated hospital, and the people who came to visit him gradually dispersed. Zhao Yiqing and others wanted to stay to keep watch, but he firmly sent them away.
As the heart monitor's steady rhythm played, he licked the tip of his tongue, which had been bitten by Lin Xian. The kiss, tinged with alcohol, was clean and cold, yet undoubtedly abrupt. At the scene of the sudden explosion, Lin Xian subconsciously shielded him in the nick of time, but why?
He wasn't so narcissistic as to think Lin Xian liked him. That subconscious action might have been Lin Xian's overly protective nature. And that seemingly passionate kiss in the KTV seemed more like simply feeding him alcohol.
One bite is not enough, I want another one.
Galan incense is highly addictive and hallucinogenic. But after drinking the wine, he gradually regained consciousness. There must be something in the wine.
He suddenly thought of the conversation between the two of them while they were having dinner in the peng boat.
At that time, he asked Lin Xian: "There is an antidote for drugs? It sounds incredible."
Lin Xian spread his hands and said, "I'm just offering a thought. After all, when drug trafficking gangs sell drugs, they need to let the other party inspect the goods. However, many dealers don't use drugs themselves, they only harm others. Therefore, it is entirely reasonable to assume that they have ways to avoid accidental inhalation."
If it is said that Lin Xian obtained the drug maker's formula and the antidote at the same time while undercover in Myanmar, then it would make perfect sense.
For the first time, Lu Chengtian felt that Lin Xian's figure, which was always hidden in the fog, began to have a clear outline.
Thinking about it further, he felt a splitting headache. Being struck by the blast's airflow at close range, although Lin Xian shielded him from the damage caused by the debris, the tinnitus, the persistent dizziness, and the ruptured capillaries in his lungs all screamed out in pain.
How is he?
Lu Chengtian stroked the ebony pendant on his chest, recalling every detail of Lin Xian between the burning, painful breaths. At the explosion scene, Lin Xian's warm, firm embrace overlapped with the embrace from nine years ago, and the sound of rain and explosions filled the world.
"Lin Xian, no matter whether you are a god or a devil, I will peel off your skin and see your heart clearly." He said silently to the void.
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