Unexpected Incident : Chapter 8

Xiao Teng woke up early again. He was always the first to wake, and he was grateful for that. It kept him from losing all reason in the warm embrace of comfort.

That human pleasure could reach such heights surprised him. It turned out to be such a profound art, a field in this world where he was completely unversed and needed to learn from scratch.

In a sense, Rong Liu was quite “new” to him. He brought him many new, unfamiliar things. Good or bad, they had indeed opened the door to a new world.

Disturbed by the sounds of him getting up, dressing, and washing, the young man’s eyelids moved slightly, then opened. He was a bit dazed for a moment, then finally found focus on his face and smiled: “Morning.”

Xiao Teng said: “Morning.”

The two looked at each other for a few seconds. The young man suddenly propped up his cheek and said: “Was last night a reward?”

Xiao Teng frowned: “What?”

The young man immediately smiled: “Nothing, did you sleep well? Seeing you wake so early.”

Xiao Teng answered: “Not bad.”

Xiao Teng meticulously put on his shirt, fixed his cufflinks, then said: “What do you want to waste time on today?”

Rong Liu laughed heartily: “Let’s have a slow breakfast and let me teach you what wasting time means.”

The restaurant Rong Liu chose had few people. Xiao Teng was satisfied with such quiet. Looking down at the city through the glass, everything was beneath his feet.

The two had breakfast together. Having someone sitting across from him felt quite strange, especially when the other person’s face showed all kinds of silent reactions to the newspaper, as if the newspaper content was being printed on his face.

Because he was forced to have plenty of time to waste, Xiao Teng did not need to rapidly and efficiently scan the useful sections as usual. Instead he could only slowly read those worthless yet oddly addictive entertainment news.

This lifestyle was simply decadent, Xiao Teng thought. It was a demon specifically designed to corrode one’s fighting spirit.

Seeing something interesting, Rong Liu would push it over to share: “Look at this, so stupid, so funny, hahaha…”

“…”

One breakfast stretched into brunch, then nearly into lunch time. They had extravagantly squandered a whole fine morning here like this.

Rong Liu suddenly said seriously: “I need to take a call.”

After going out to finish the call, Rong Liu returned, sat down and smiled: “Dear, you’ve made quite a few enemies.”

Xiao Teng said: “You flatter me.”

“…”

Rong Liu sprayed out a mouthful of tea: “Is that a compliment?”

“Of course,” Xiao Teng said very calmly, “In life, the number of your enemies is directly proportional to the height you stand at.”

“…”

“Do you know what kind of person has the least enemies? The useless common folk at the bottom. Who among those in high positions doesn’t have people who hate them to the bone.”

Rong Liu laughed: “That is true.”

Then Rong Liu said again: “Dear, let’s head back early today.”

Xiao Teng knew what he meant. Someone probably wanted to go after him. Rong Liu had received news temporarily, but it was not certain, not very confident.

Although Xiao Teng had seen this kind of thing plenty of times and had nothing to fear, staying out too long without proper defenses would give others an opening. Better safe than sorry. After all, he was not in T City.

The car moved steadily and slowly. The driver was at the wheel, the bodyguards in the car ahead, and the two leaned back leisurely in the back seat. Rong Liu suddenly exclaimed: “Ah.”

Rong Liu was quite excited: “Look over there, that ice cream vendor.”

Xiao Teng glanced over. A rather unremarkable ice cream truck.

“That tastes amazing! It was my favorite as a child. But back then my health was poor, and I might not get to actually eat it even once a year. Later when I grew up, these ice cream trucks became rare.”

Rong Liu said: “Let me go buy some for you to try.”

Xiao Teng: “…”

He did not even like sweets.

But he did not stop Rong Liu either, only watching the young man get out of the car with light steps.

Rong Liu specifically turned back to remind him: “Stay in the car and don’t get out, wait for me to buy it back for you.”

He looked out the car window at Rong Liu’s back. The young man was only wearing a simple shirt and trousers, which sometimes made him look like a student. It brought to mind those summer afternoons when boys would sneak out of school to buy ice cream for their sweethearts.

Across the road, Rong Liu held up two ice creams in his hand, grinning broadly and waving at him, the sun shining bright.

Xiao Teng wanted to remind him to be careful crossing the road, when he suddenly saw Rong Liu’s face change dramatically, making a shape as if to shout.

That was the last expression Xiao Teng saw from him.

Xiao Teng heard a thunderous crash. At the same time as that sound, there was a terrifyingly powerful impact from behind. Before he could feel anything, his memory cut out instantly.

When consciousness returned, his vision was still pitch black. Very chaotic, but he knew he was injured. There was a wet sensation on his neck. His first thought was: where was he hurt? The aorta? The main vein?

When he finally managed to open his eyes and could barely observe, he found himself already outside the car. Rong Liu was crouching by the roadside holding him, but the ground still felt very cold.

Xiao Teng felt his hands and feet go cold, but strangely felt no pain. He was uncertain about his injuries, but blood loss was certain, and that was deadly. Rong Liu was desperately pressing on his wound, but blood still gushed out. The blood carried his strength away slowly, and consciousness gradually drifted away from him.

He struggled to hold onto that sliver of clarity with all his might.

The young man’s arms held him tight: “Don’t sleep! Xiao Teng, wait for the ambulance!”

“…”

“Please, don’t sleep!”

“…”

“Please, Xiao Teng!”

He found it strange that his own large body, when held tight by Rong Liu, felt so small.

In his fuzzy remaining impression, he felt that Rong Liu seemed to be crying, because something warm fell on his face.

The surroundings were exceptionally noisy, then finally returned to silence, a darkness.

When consciousness returned to his brain, the first thing Xiao Teng felt was light. Though his eyes were closed, he could sense the bright light through his eyelids. His ears caught faint sounds of people talking, the subtle noise of movement.

After a while, he could finally open his eyes slightly.

His vision blurred, swayed for a moment, then met a pair of pitch black eyes. The pupils in those dark eyes instantly enlarged.

“Ahhh!!!”

Rong Liu’s scream was deafening.

Xiao Teng frowned, weakly saying: “So noisy.”

The young man gripped his hand tightly: “You’re awake? You’re awake!”

Xiao Teng said: “Isn’t that… obvious?!”

The young man howled without any regard for image: “Doctor, doctor!”

“…”

Xiao Teng said: “Shut up.”

The doctor quickly came with nurses. After a tense round of examination and diagnosis, the results were fairly optimistic. After the doctor repeatedly assured Rong Liu that he would not faint again or die suddenly, Xiao Teng was finally able to lie quietly and recuperate.

Someone had driven a truck and rammed into his car from behind, intending to destroy the car and kill him. Fortunately they did not succeed. He was too lucky, missing the aorta by just a hair. The surgery took over six hours, countless stitches in his head and neck, and his back was also badly injured, but his internal organs were largely unharmed.

When Rong Liu recounted the process, his face was filled with gloom, his eyes red, gritting his teeth and still shaking.

In comparison, the person involved was quite calm. Xiao Teng said: “You’re too useless. Shouldn’t you have pushed me and the car aside together like in the movies, then gotten run over yourself?”

Rong Liu burst out laughing.

“Yes yes yes, this humble one failed to rescue you properly.”

Xiao Teng voiced his question: “At that time, you weren’t crying, were you?”

“…”

The young man seemed somewhat embarrassed: “I was scared.”

“Scared of what?” It couldn’t be because he had never seen a car accident scene.

The young man paused: “I was very afraid something would really happen to you. Afraid that if you slept at that time, you would never wake up again.”

Xiao Teng looked at him for a while, then said: “What are you afraid of, of course I’ll be fine.”

“Good people don’t live long. Someone like me is bound to linger for a thousand years.”

Rong Liu laughed: “Dear, you’ve become so humorous.”

“…”

He was not joking, he was speaking from the heart.

His life was very tough. Bad people were usually like that.

Rong Liu put away his smile and said seriously: “At that time, I suddenly realized how terrifying it was that I couldn’t protect you.”

He said earnestly: “I want to protect you.”

Xiao Teng: “…”

Xiao Teng said: “Young man, I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice.”

Rong Liu laughed heartily: “That probably isn’t true, I eat quite a lot.”

Rong Liu asked: “Right, should I notify the children later? They would come see you immediately.”

Xiao Teng immediately said: “No need to let them know. Just say I have business to attend to here and need to return later.”

Rong Liu understood: “Are you afraid they’ll worry?”

“No. Even if notified they wouldn’t come see me, it would just add awkwardness.”

Rong Liu burst out laughing: “Is it really that tragic?”

“I’m being serious.” He was not some loving family with fatherly kindness and filial piety.

Rong Liu said: “Dear, you’re so pessimistic.”

“It’s not pessimism, it’s clarity.”

To him, no love was taken for granted, even between family members.

The follow up to this matter was handled by Rong Liu on his behalf, because this river dragon who could not suppress the local snakes could only lie in the hospital wrapped up like a rice dumpling.

After the driver involved in the accident was detained, he put on an innocent and confused act saying he had been drinking and it was unintentional. But playing dumb clearly would not make the matter go away. Whose personal grudge this was, who came up with the idea, who connected the dots, who found the people, who gave the order, Rong Liu checked them off one by one, not letting a single one go.

Xiao Teng himself was somewhat surprised. He knew Rong Liu was not ordinary toward him, but ultimately felt it was small stuff, mostly the playfulness of youth.

But this time Rong Liu was even more ruthless than if he had taken revenge himself. Returning the favor double, killing the chicken to warn the monkey, stirring up a storm throughout the city.

It also amounted to announcing to the world his attitude toward Xiao Teng, the Rong family’s position.

This was a bit too serious, too big a commotion.

What made Xiao Teng slightly more awkward was that the Rong family had no dissatisfaction or different voices about this, nor did they think Rong Liu was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Even Old Master Rong and Madame Rong personally came to the hospital to see him, warmly expressing their utmost concern, and apologies for their inadequate care, and hoping he would not let this incident caused by their negligence affect his friendship with Rong Liu.

Even someone as numb as Xiao Teng could not help feeling his face burn hot.

After all, this was his own enemy he had made, yet it had also brought trouble to the Rong family, nearly putting Rong Liu in danger too.

The Rong family had no need to be so polite, not only cleaning up his mess for him, but even trying to please him in return. In the end it was all for Rong Liu.

It seemed their pampering of Rong Liu knew no bounds. As long as Rong Liu was willing, anything was fine. As long as Rong Liu liked it, everything was good. Rong Liu could be a spoiled brat with a powerful backing.

This spoiled brat Rong Liu’s fuss, although it made some people hate Xiao Teng even more to the bone, made his path become much broader.

Was this a blessing in disguise, that surviving a great disaster meant great fortune to follow?

Xiao Teng sat in a daze on a bench in the shade. The air was filled with the fragrance of grass and flower leaves. Two sparrows chirped on the branch above his head, then dropped a load of bird droppings.

“…”

This vacation had become far too long. Rong Liu refused to let him work at this time, and the doctor had also given strict instructions in this regard.

As a patient, and not on his own turf, his authority and ability to resist were greatly diminished.

This morning when he breathed fire at the doctor and flew into a rage, the other party could actually remain unflinching and righteous. After all, he had Rong Liu backing him up.

And regarding this, Rong Liu always said righteously: “Dear, it’s for your own good. Work is not something to rush. You injured your head. If you don’t recuperate properly, what then? You don’t want to be young and already have after effects, with your head not working right, do you?”

Whether it would cause his head to not work right later, Xiao Teng did not know. But he felt he was already becoming so lazy he was practically a pile of waste material. If this continued he would get dementia.

Just as he was bored and drowsy, suddenly darkness fell before his eyes and a pair of hands covered them.

“…”

“Guess who.”

Xiao Teng said coldly: “Are you an idiot?!”

Setting everything else aside, who else in the world would dare do this to him?

Rong Liu let go, smiling, sitting down beside him and considerately fanning him: “You’ve been out a while, is it hot?”

Xiao Teng felt grass was about to grow on his head: “I don’t want to sunbathe anymore, let’s go back.”

Rong Liu pushed the wheelchair, slowly moving forward along the stone path. Xiao Teng could actually try to stand up on his own strength, but Rong Liu strongly discouraged it. Rong Liu seemed to quite enjoy these days of pushing him around, which gave Xiao Teng a feeling of being at death’s door.

Rong Liu said: “I often think, when we’re old and you can’t walk anymore, I can push you like this…”

“…”

Could he not use such a cheerful tone when talking about him being old enough to need a wheelchair?

Xiao Teng said: “How do you know I’ll be the one in the wheelchair before you?!”

Rong Liu was quite happy: “Then you can push me!”

“…”

That was not the point.

Rong Liu was still immersed in visions of the future: “Later if I end up in a wheelchair first, then you can push me to go see the sunset or something…”

Xiao Teng said: “Then when we go downhill I let go?”

“Hahahaha…”

Back in the hospital room, Xiao Teng leaned back on the bed and started reading his magazine. Rong Liu sat beside him quite virtuously, peeling apples and grapes.

A crystal clear grape was brought to his lips: “Here~”

Xiao Teng’s hair stood on end in anger: “I have my own hands!”

He was not a quadriplegic!

Rong Liu quickly withdrew his hand in a posture of feeding a fierce tiger, laughing: “Hey, normally there’s no chance, so let me feed you once in a while, it won’t hurt.”

“No need.” Even if his hand was really broken, he would insist on feeding himself.

Rong Liu sighed: “Even like this, you’re not the least bit fragile…”

Xiao Teng said: “You want me to become weak?”

Rong Liu was stunned, then smiled: “That’s not it either.”

After thinking again, he said: “I just like that feeling of becoming someone who can stand alone for you, who can shelter you.”

“…”

Rong Liu smiled: “Don’t you also only like strong people?”

Xiao Teng said: “Of course. In this world only the strong have a voice. What right do the weak have to speak with me.”

Rong Liu suddenly asked: “Then what if, a former strong person, one day due to some force beyond their control, becomes weak?”

Xiao Teng flipped through his magazine unconcernedly: “Then they can only be eliminated.”

Rong Liu smiled, lowering his head to peel another grape that no one would eat.

After recuperating in the hospital for this period, Xiao Teng did not know how to describe it. On one hand he felt this retirement like life was simply terrifying, decadent, corrosive. On the other hand, he faintly sensed he was almost being corroded.

Laziness was truly terrifying!

A life of ease would wear down one’s fighting spirit and aura!

Because not only that attending doctor backed by Rong Liu, but even those little nurses were no longer afraid of him, and often gathered to gossip about him, whispering with flushed cheeks.

He dared not think of the consequences if this continued, so the moment he forcibly obtained discharge permission from the doctor, Xiao Teng hurriedly fled the hospital like an escape.

After being away from T City for over a month, this day Xiao Teng was finally able to return home.

And then, for the first time in his life, he received a warm welcome upon stepping through his own door.

All four children were actually home, even Xiao Pu had not gone out to fool around. Not only that, they had joined forces with the butler and servants to decorate the house in advance, creating a very flashy welcome home backdrop. Upon entering he was first startled by the pop pop pop of confetti cannons spraying paper strips all over his face.

This was done up like a festival. Xiao Teng was at a loss for a few seconds, then composed himself. He was not certain whether this warm welcome was entirely for Rong Liu’s sake, or if there was some part for him too, so he did not flatter himself.

The family had a lively dinner together, and even broke convention by opening a bottle of wine at the table. The atmosphere had a slight freeze when Xiao Teng emphasized that minors were strictly forbidden from alcohol, but overall it was quite cheerful.

His back and waist ached faintly, but this did not affect his straight sitting and standing posture.

After dinner, Xiao Teng went upstairs into his long missed study. Here he could find that solid sense of security. Work and recharging made him feel like he had returned to the world of the living.

After reading for a while, he suddenly heard a light knock on the open door.

Xiao Teng turned his head and saw his son, now grown into a teenager, standing in the doorway.

Xiao Yin said: “Dad.”

“What is it?”

“You had an accident over there, didn’t you?”

“…”

Xiao Teng put down his book: “Rong Liu told you?!”

“No, I guessed.”

Xiao Teng picked up his book again: “It’s not a big deal. Don’t tell them.”

The youth said: “It’s too dangerous, making enemies everywhere like this. There’s no need to be so absolute. You push everyone else to the point of no return, sooner or later they’ll bite back.”

Xiao Teng’s face darkened. Every time he talked with his son, he felt a mix of disappointment that he could not make steel from iron, plus the anger of speaking different languages: “What’s strange about that, the strong naturally have their enemies! Do you want to climb up? This is the price!”

“I don’t think our Xiao family needs to be that strong, that high.”

Xiao Teng gave a cold laugh.

The youth said: “I just want you to at least be safe.”

“…”

After a while, Xiao Teng spat out: “No ambition.”

The youth was used to such rebukes, only smiling and saying: “Your daughters think the same way. Good night, you should rest early too.”

“…”

On this first night home, Xiao Teng actually could not sleep.

Lying in bed, he thought about many things.

Perhaps things he had not cared about, perhaps things he had been self righteous about.

Some matters and some people, he might not understand so well, nor be so right about.

“Dear, you’re spacing out?!”

Xiao Teng came back to himself: “…”

Rong Liu acted like he had discovered a new continent: “Oh my god! You’re actually spacing out!”

“…”

Xiao Teng darkened his face and sat up straight. This must be an aftereffect of that cursed pig raising like life.

“You look so cute when you’re spacing out.”

Xiao Teng said: “Shut up.”

After a while, Xiao Teng suddenly said: “Am I too ruthless?”

Rong Liu looked at him, then smiled: “Yes.”

“…”

Xiao Teng continued: “Is being ruthless bad? Look at those people, cursing me behind my back, hating me so much, yet don’t they still have to crawl on their knees to beg me to do business with them? If I’m not ruthless, the one on the ground would be me! If you’re not ruthless to others, others will be ruthless to you. This is a world where the weak are meat and the strong eat, isn’t it? What competition isn’t a matter of you have it or I have it, you live or I die? If you don’t step on them, how do you make them submit to you, through?”

Rong Liu smiled: “Don’t get excited. That reasoning isn’t wrong. Only, extreme strength invites humiliation, and extreme rigidity is easily broken. Sometimes being a bit softer, backing off a bit, has its benefits.”

“What benefits?” Xiao Teng said coldly, “Would it make me more likable?”

“No no no, I don’t think you need to change yourself to be more likable,” Rong Liu smiled, “It’s just that this has never been a one man show. It takes a group working together to do well. You need more allies, not just the kind bound by interests. Interest based relationships can sometimes be quite fragile…”

Xiao Teng interrupted him: “Interest based relationships are the most stable!”

“Interests are certainly important, but, how to put it, it’s like you have to pay salaries for employees to work for you. But if you want to reach the next level of success, you need them to have more reasons to willingly sell their lives only for you. Just paying bonuses isn’t enough.”

Xiao Teng said irritably: “Let’s not talk about this.”

Rong Liu smiled again: “But dear, no matter what you’re like, I appreciate you just the same.”

“…”

Rong Liu took away the cup before him: “The water’s cold, I’ll make you fresh tea. What would you like?”

Xiao Teng had been somewhat irritable lately, because he did feel he had hit a bottleneck now. His tank like crushing strategy, after pushing to a certain point, did not seem so easy to work anymore.

He of course never thought he was wrong, but he could not help having some slight wavering.

He would want to discuss things with Rong Liu, although he definitely had no intention of accepting any of Rong Liu’s opinions.

But even if it was just venting, or letting off steam. He needed Rong Liu.

There had to be someone to take his fire.

It was truly amazing to think about.

Not too long ago, seeing Rong Liu was like seeing a piece of chewing gum he could not shake off. He wanted to howl to the heavens, deeply feeling what sin had he committed to be entangled with this guy.

And now, he almost felt grateful for having met Rong Liu.

He thought, perhaps it was because he had never met anyone more suitable to have by his side than Rong Liu.

The fragrance of the tea smoothed out the restless fire in his internal organs. Xiao Teng watched the young man’s back and suddenly said: “Actually I admire you very much.”

Rong Liu was pouring tea. Hearing this, he turned to look at him and smiled: “Oh? Because I’m handsome?”

“…”

Xiao Teng was speechless for a moment, then finally said: “Because you’re very capable.”

The young man was quiet for a moment, his smiling eyes curving: “I know that.”

“Mm.”

“If I weren’t capable, you wouldn’t pay attention to me.”

Xiao Teng glanced at him. The young man smiled faintly, that expression like a joke yet also like seriousness, somewhat casual yet also seeming to hint at something.

Xiao Teng said: “You’re overthinking.”

“Speaking of which, dear,” an invitation card was placed before him, “I got you this.”

Xiao Teng glanced at it and his shoulders shook.

There were indeed many circles he could not squeeze into on his own. Rong Liu not only had ways, but knew what he needed.

Rong Liu smiled: “Dear, I’m so good to you, aren’t you reluctant to leave me?”

“…”

If Rong Liu was willing to be used by him like this, it was like he held a bottomless treasure vault. His expanding ambition was like fire pouring oil.

But, truly bottomless?

He actually felt a trace of hesitation and doubt.

That day Xiao Teng accompanied an elder for tea and chess. After playing haphazardly for a while, he was soon beaten to pieces.

The other said: “Your chess skills still haven’t improved at all.”

Xiao Teng had nothing to say: “…”

He had never had the leisure to study this aspect, purely going through the motions to accommodate people he needed to accommodate.

Old Zhang called him again: “Xiao Teng.”

“Yes.”

Old Zhang was of very high seniority. Toward those more senior than him, he was still respectful.

“Have you considered remarrying?”

Xiao Teng was stunned.

“You’ve been raising the children alone for quite a few years now. A family still needs a woman of the house.”

“…”

Saying such words meant the other party had someone in mind.

Sure enough Old Zhang continued: “I have a young niece, quite excellent in all aspects. If you’re interested, you might as well meet her.”

“…Yes.”

In the evening Rong Liu came to find him again, dressed up tall and handsome: “Dear, let’s have dinner together tonight, there’s a newly opened restaurant…”

Xiao Teng was busy burying himself in documents: “I have something tonight, another day.”

“Oh? You have a dinner engagement tonight?”

Xiao Teng did not look up: “Yes.”

Rong Liu smiled: “Can you take me to the dinner, just to freeload a meal.”

“You can’t come.”

Rong Liu naturally sat down in the chair across from him, picking up a teacup: “Huh? Why, I’m so likable, I could at least be a decoration.”

Xiao Teng looked up: “I’m going on a blind date.”

Rong Liu sprayed out a mouthful of tea, immediately choking and coughing nonstop, coughing until his face was completely red.

Only with difficulty did Rong Liu catch his breath and say: “A blind date?!”

“Yes.”

The young man looked at him, not taking the tissue he offered, only asking him: “Do you need to?”

Xiao Teng said: “This isn’t about needing to or not.”

“Then what is it about?”

Rong Liu rarely pressed so aggressively. Xiao Teng frowned, put down the tissue, and closed the documents before him.

“I’ve been single for a long time. Someone wants to introduce me to someone, this is normal.”

Rong Liu said: “You can refuse.”

Xiao Teng continued frowning: “Why would I refuse?”

Rong Liu laughed: “That is true.”

Then the young man quickly put away the smile on his face: “I won’t let you go.”

Xiao Teng slowly leaned back against his chair, darkening his face as he looked at the young man.

This so called blind date was just socializing to him.

All these years of being single, if he had the will and need to form a new family, why wait until now.

Women were too troublesome, too complex, too alien to understand.

Whether it was that Mrs. Xiao who ran off with her lover, or Aunt Ling who left him, or the three little girls at home with completely different personalities but equally giving him headaches.

These women were already more than enough. He did not want any new female characters entering his life.

Really marrying another into the family, not to mention not knowing what kind of drama the four women at home could put on, just the relationship between a stepmother and teenage girls was something he could not handle.

So he had not thought about remarrying.

But Rong Liu’s attitude immediately enraged him.

At his age, how many people dared to use words like “you can’t” to him?

This made him feel like he was catching a glimpse of the sharp claws and teeth beneath Rong Liu’s normally gentle exterior.

Xiao Teng said coldly: “And who do you think you are to me?”

The young man went quiet.

The two looked at each other in silence. The young man suddenly smiled: “I am someone who is, to you, very useful.”

“…”

“That much I didn’t get wrong.”

The sunset glow faded outside the window, the sky gradually darkening. The unlit office became somewhat gloomy.

Xiao Teng pushed back his chair, stood up, and took down the suit jacket hanging nearby: “I have to go to this dinner. Old Zhang arranged it.”

He would not offend those he should not offend over small matters.

Outside the car window the city lights came on, neon flickering, the city nightscape rapidly receding in flowing colors and light.

In the car Xiao Teng spaced out again for a while.

Of course, what Rong Liu could bring him was actually more than what Old Zhang could offer.

But he dared bet that Rong Liu would not fall out with him over this.

This was simply a matter of maximizing benefits.

This dinner was quite perfunctory. The taste of a famous Michelin restaurant was sometimes not that likable either.

Xiao Teng did not remember what this socialite looked like, or even her name. She might have been called OO or XX. She should have been quite beautiful by all rights.

He also did not pay attention to what topics were discussed during the meal. He was not good at conversation, she was reserved, observing proper etiquette was enough. Anyway, a gathering of a gentleman and a lady was roughly like that.

He figured someone like him could not possibly win her favor, and he had no extra thoughts either.

Only he should have been fully focused. In interpersonal relations, concentration was an important quality. If he was going to appear distracted and leave a bad impression, why bother coming?

But he had some difficulty controlling his thoughts, even unable to focus on the meal before him.

Was this another aftereffect of his hospital stay?

Actually sometimes, he was not even sure what he was thinking about.

When dinner ended, Xiao Teng promptly paid the bill, expressing apologies for having urgent matters and being unable to see the lady home. She said it was fine, she had her own car and driver. Xiao Teng did not exchange further pleasantries, immediately getting in the car and telling the driver to head back.

Rong Liu was not home. His bedroom was also empty, the window left open, night wind pouring in and making the curtains flap loudly.

Xiao Teng stood for a while, then turned and strode downstairs, asking the family: “Where’s Rong Liu?”

Xiao Zi tilted up her little head: “Don’t know, Uncle Rong Liu didn’t come back.”

Xiao Teng drove out himself, searching around the city on intuition, and finally he went to the racecourse.

Night had fallen, the wind carried some chill. There was no race at the course, so at this hour it was quite deserted. Besides staff, the only living things were basically the horses. The lights on the grass were on, and he saw the young man’s forlorn figure.

This was an unfamiliar, subtle feeling.

It was not panic. He had never panicked, and he would not now.

Even before seeing Rong Liu, he was still confident that Rong Liu would not really leave.

Only this was a bit like when Xiao Pu was little. Once the family went camping, and he and his ex wife got into an argument, flew into a rage, and each drove off, forgetting Xiao Pu behind. When they discovered it he drove back to find her, and there she was, tiny, sitting alone.

Xiao Teng said behind him: “Are you running away from home?”

The young man did not turn his head: “I just came to see Glory.”

The horse snorted rapidly from its nostrils, slightly irritably eating carrots from Rong Liu’s hand, its body wet. It seemed Rong Liu had been wrestling with it again.

Xiao Teng said: “Let’s go back.”

The young man turned his head and looked at him.

“You’re too greedy, Xiao Teng.”

“…”

“Are you trying to have it both ways? You’re counting on me liking you, right?”

“…”

Xiao Teng did not speak. The two quietly looked at each other for a while. The young man smiled again: “But you’re right. I really can’t leave you because of this.”

“…”

Xiao Teng was silent for a while, then took off his jacket and draped it over Rong Liu’s shoulders.

Rong Liu was also covered in sweat. In the night wind, his neck felt icy cold.

Xiao Teng said: “The wind is strong here, let’s talk somewhere else.”

Rong Liu did not move: “What you said is right, this is a world where the weak are meat and the strong eat. I have no way with you.”

“…”

Rong Liu smiled: “Because I lost from the very beginning.”

In a relationship, the one who falls in love first is the weak one, the loser.

“I’ve thought many times, when you come to find me, what posture I should strike, how many ways I should make things difficult for you.”

“…”

“But the moment I see you, I forgive you.”

“…”

“Tell me, how can I win like this?”

“…”

The young man murmured: “What’s the point then.”

He looked into the young man’s eyes. In those dark pupils, his own blurry reflection was mirrored.

Xiao Teng said: “Let’s go back. You’ll get sick like this.”

On the way back, Rong Liu had already started coughing, sneezing nonstop, snot coming in streams, using up all the tissues in the car. Xiao Teng was quite helpless.

Seeing how serious it was, before they even got home Xiao Teng had already instructed someone to send for Old Doctor Su. The old doctor came through the night, just in time to meet him bringing Rong Liu home with a runny nose and tears. After understanding the whole story, the usually gentle and refined kind old man scolded the two of them thoroughly this time.

“This is self inflicted. At your age, knowing full well what condition your body is in, yet being so willful! If you don’t want to live properly, why waste my effort?”

Xiao Teng was also scolded until drenched in dog’s blood, but said nothing, only apologizing while taking the scolding. By the third round of scolding, the prescription was finally written out.

Patiently enduring the scolding, then respectfully seeing the person off. Given Xiao Teng’s temper, being able to do this much without exploding on the spot was practically a miracle against heaven. So the whole family looked at him like they had seen a ghost possess him.

Returning to face the culprit lying in bed, Xiao Teng only had two forceful words: “Take your medicine.”

Rong Liu coughed for a while, drank down a large bowl of maliciously full medicine soup, then curled back under the covers. After lying for a while, he suddenly said: “Will you still go on blind dates in the future?”

Xiao Teng: “…”

“Actually why go, I don’t think you can meet a suitable woman.”

“…”

What a thing to say.

“I can’t even imagine what type you would like, or what type would like you.”

Xiao Teng had nothing to say: “…”

“If you want someone to keep you company, why not choose me,” Rong Liu said, “What they can do, I can do too.”

“…”

In certain aspects, that was not the same thing at all!

“What they can give you, I can give you too.”

Xiao Teng looked at him.

Rong Liu met his gaze without flinching, smiling: “At least while I’m still useful to you, don’t go on blind dates.”

“…”

“Or else I won’t stay here.”

The two looked at each other. In the long silence, Xiao Teng finally wanted to say something, when Rong Liu suddenly sneezed, and a long stream of snot ran down.

“…”

The young man said: “Excuse me.”

“…”

Xiao Teng wiped his nose with a handkerchief: “With poor health, don’t go running around in the wind.”

The room fell quiet again. Rong Liu looked at the ceiling thoughtfully.

Xiao Teng said expressionlessly: “Do you still need to hear a story to fall asleep.”

Rong Liu laughed: “That’s right.”

Xiao Teng found a fairy tale picture book that Xiao Zi had used before, and numbly started turning pages.

Rong Liu half sat half lay beside him, listening to him read that dreadful fairy tale.

This time it was the story of the little mermaid.

Xiao Teng read dryly: “She thought, so this is how it is, every step is like walking on steel blades. Every step toward love is walking on steel blades. Yet the way she walked was so beautiful, like a dance… a dance on steel blades…”

He felt the young man gradually lean on his shoulder, slowly emitting steady breathing. His skin had the heat of a sick person.

“He heard her heart shattering, like glass shattering into countless tiny sharp fragments, shooting into every corner of her body…”

The picture book was finished. Xiao Teng let him slowly lie back on the bed and covered him with a blanket. There were some fine beads of sweat on the young man’s forehead, and he wiped them away bit by bit with his thumb.