Sun Rain Chapter 23
byA less than gentle lovemaking session passed, and Fu Xuanliao took another shower. He tore off the bandage on his hand; the wound had already scabbed over and didn’t hurt, though it didn’t look very good.
Returning to the bedroom and seeing Shi Meng sitting by the headboard drawing, Fu Xuanliao suddenly realized that for over four years, he had been playing the role of a hired companion, meticulously cleaning and tidying himself up before presenting himself on the employer’s bed, selling his services with remarkable dedication.
Perhaps it was precisely because he was so dedicated that the employer was satisfied with the service and couldn’t bear to let him go.
So Fu Xuanliao could only be worse to him, a little worse each time, leaving him nothing to be nostalgic about, allowing himself to withdraw sooner, lest… lest what? Whatever it was, it no longer mattered.
Fu Xuanliao cut off his thoughts and didn’t dwell on it further.
Drawing seemed to be the time Shi Meng looked most normal. His lips were pressed together, his expression serious to the point of sternness, his gaze fixed on the paper, lightly drifting with the movement of the pen tip.
He seemed to be drawing a portrait, using lines to structure a half-body proportion. He appeared dissatisfied with the initial strokes, crumpling three sheets of paper that were only just started.
Fu Xuanliao was curious about what he was drawing. Out of boredom, he stared for a while. Just for a short moment, Shi Meng slowly stopped writing, turned his head, and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Recalling how Shi Meng had avoided letting anyone see his drawings in the resort shuttle last time, Fu Xuanliao scoffed, “You insisted I stay here. The room is only so big, where else do you expect me to look?”
“What I draw is better than his,” Shi Meng said.
Realizing who “his” referred to, Fu Xuanliao let out an irritated snort. “Quite confident.”
In fact, Shi Meng’s drawing was indeed very good, something even his amateur eyes, having studied painting for only a week, could discern. Unfortunately, this guy didn’t cherish his talent and actually resorted to stealing paintings.
But thinking about it, since Shi Meng drew so well, constantly bursting with inspiration and drawing as naturally as eating, why didn’t he just draw his own work? Why steal someone else’s painting for a competition?
Just as the doubt surfaced in his mind, a long “Meow—” was heard.
Both looked toward the source of the sound, seeing the cat curled up in the bed nest, its mouth wide open in a yawn.
This cat hadn’t made a sound since arriving at the Shi family; this was its first vocalization.
As if aware of the two pairs of eyes watching it, the round cat stood up from the nest, shook its fur, then dropped its front legs to the floor, performing an extreme stretch.
Fu Xuanliao always felt complicated about this black and white cat named Mumu. But what bad intentions could a kitten have? Ultimately unable to resist the urge to pet a cat, Fu Xuanliao clapped his hands and called out, “Come here.”
Mumu, having finished stretching, glanced at him, straightened up, shook its fur, and elegantly walked toward the easel with its tail held high. At the appropriate spot, it pushed off its legs and settled securely onto Shi Meng’s lap.
Fu Xuanliao’s outstretched hand grasped empty air. He instantly forgot what he had been thinking about and cursed inwardly, thinking this place was truly unbearable.
This year’s Lunar New Year’s Eve fell on a Friday.
In previous years, the Fu family often spent the holidays abroad. Even when they gathered in the country, there was little festive atmosphere; they would eat a meal and then retreat to their rooms. They were all busy during the week and needed private space.
Thus, these few days, usually the busiest for socializing in the circle, became a time for Fu Xuanliao to slack off. Most of the non-stop calls ringing since yesterday were rejected. He knew without answering that they were mostly invitations to attend parties and gatherings.
After staying at the company to distribute employee benefits and finish his last shift, Gao Lecheng called to invite him for a drink, so Fu Xuanliao headed straight from the company.
This time they weren’t at Heting Club, but a newly opened bar with an artistic decor, playing light rock music. The lighting was hazy and dim, suitable for relaxation and conversation.
“Do you know why I didn’t ask you to Heting Club?” Gao Lecheng immediately complained in a rapid-fire manner upon meeting. “Because that little boy named Xu Zhi is still thinking about you. Every time I go, he subtly asks me about you. I’m a straight man, constantly surrounded by a little boy asking questions—how bad does that look? People might think I’ve turned gay.”
Fu Xuanliao laughed upon hearing this. “Then next time tell him that CEO Fu is also a hired companion and not worth his attention.”
Gao Lecheng looked at his expression, unsure if he was joking. “Isn’t the contract between you and your Ice… oh, no, Young Master Shi about to be terminated?”
“Who knows,” Fu Xuanliao sank into the sofa. The continuous busy days before the New Year had drained his energy. “We haven’t reached a conclusion. We have to get through the New Year first.”
He was referring to his meeting with Li Bihan the day before yesterday. Overall, it wasn’t terrible. Fu Xuanliao expressed his desire to terminate the contract as soon as possible and hoped she would help. Li Bihan also vaguely mentioned areas where she needed his assistance.
The older woman was well-maintained, without wrinkles when she smiled. “Just those unsavory family matters, making you laugh.” Her voice was gentle, but the content she spoke of was somewhat cruel. “The share of the Shi family that rightfully belongs to Mu Mu, I, as his mother, must help him retrieve it.”
He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but reflecting on it later, Fu Xuanliao realized he was subconsciously feeling sorry for Shi Meng.
A huge, magnificent family, with both parents alive, yet he didn’t know who would stab him in the back, leaving him with nothing overnight.
Although it wasn’t that exaggerated—after all, Shi Meng could draw. A little inquiry would reveal that his artwork was quite popular. Even without the Shi family shares, he could live very well on his own.
Having realized this, Fu Xuanliao felt he was being unnecessarily idle. He hadn’t even sorted out his own affairs yet he was worrying about Shi Meng, and he had even postponed the cooperation proposal Li Bihan had put on the table, saying he needed more time to consider.
Fu Xuanliao told himself this had nothing to do with Shi Meng, but was out of respect for Shi Huaiyi. After all, he had received considerable support from Shi Huaiyi over the past two years. While the contract superficially bound him, in reality, it helped him establish a firm footing in Fengcheng. Agreeing to cooperate with Li Bihan and her daughter wouldn’t damage the Shi family’s interests, but it would ultimately go against Shi Huaiyi’s wishes.
Speaking of Shi Huaiyi’s wishes… Fu Xuanliao frowned, falling into another train of thought.
Thinking that multiple people offered multiple perspectives, he asked Gao Lecheng, “What reasons could a father have for suddenly being exceptionally good to a son he previously ignored?”
Gao Lecheng had been drinking, and his thoughts were quite unrestrained. “A sudden pang of conscience, an outburst of paternal instinct, or maybe he feels he doesn’t have much time left and wants his son to take care of him in old age and bury him.”
Fu Xuanliao clicked his tongue. “Stop talking nonsense.”
However, this question was too far outside his realm of experience. Gao Lecheng propped his head up, thought for a long time, yawned, and mumbled, “Then maybe he accidentally discovered the son is his biological child and feels guilty? That’s how it always plays out on TV, right?”
Gao Lecheng usually talked nonsense, and when drunk, he spoke even more wildly.
On the drive taking him home, Fu Xuanliao couldn’t stand his incessant chatter and tossed a packet of tissues into the back seat. Unexpectedly, the guy, hit on the head, didn’t stop but instead started crying while clutching the tissue.
“Xue, I was so good to you, why won’t you let me be your man?”
Fu Xuanliao felt disgusted but couldn’t resist teasing him. “Still haven’t won her over?”
Gao Lecheng lamented, “Yeah, she thinks I have too much relationship history and says I don’t uphold ‘male virtue’.”
Fu Xuanliao chuckled. “You two are birds of a feather.”
“I… I won’t go fooling around anymore.”
“Do you believe that yourself?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t I? People change, you know.”
After several back-and-forth exchanges of meaningless chatter, the road ahead curved toward Heting Club. He hadn’t planned to stop, but a casual glance caught sight of someone standing by the entrance.
Tall and thin, wearing a white down jacket, with a hat obscuring his face. Fu Xuanliao was about to look closer when a sedan drove past from the right-turn lane, blocking his view. The light turned green, so he turned back to driving.
After dropping Gao Lecheng off, he drove back past Changning Road. The one person at the Heting Club entrance had become two.
He didn’t recognize the newcomer, but the person he hadn’t seen clearly earlier had taken off their hat, and he recognized them: it was Shi Meng. No wonder he looked familiar.
The two seemed to be talking, or perhaps the unfamiliar person was unilaterally speaking, as Shi Meng kept trying to move away, hunching his shoulders, not daring to meet the person’s eyes.
Realizing it was just past midnight and already Saturday, Fu Xuanliao’s eyelid twitched, and he quickly sped away from the scene.
Turning onto another road, his speed gradually slowed.
Many questions flashed through his mind. Fu Xuanliao first recalled that Shi Meng was extremely shy; as a child, he would hide under the table when strangers came over.
Slapping the steering wheel, Fu Xuanliao cursed himself for being a meddler while looking for a place to make a U-turn.
By the time the car stopped at Heting Club and he opened the door to get out, the two people had become three, and the scene was even more chaotic.
The first to spot Fu Xuanliao was a waiter from Heting Club, who looked somewhat familiar. Fu Xuanliao only remembered his surname was Xu.
Xu Zhi was stunned for a moment, then scurried over, his face instantly flushing red. “CEO Fu, why are you here at this hour?”
Seeing that Fu Xuanliao ignored him and walked straight ahead, stopping in front of the two people, Xu Zhi quickly followed, proactively explaining the situation. “These two guests were arguing at the entrance, and the Supervisor sent me out to check.”
As he spoke, he looked back and forth between Fu Xuanliao and Shi Meng, trying to figure out if they were genuinely affectionate or merely pretending.
He had heard from colleagues’ gossip a couple of days ago that Young Master Fu’s agreement with the Shi family was about to be terminated. Although Xu Zhi didn’t know the specifics of the agreement, he figured it must involve this Young Master Shi. Perhaps now was a good time for him to make his move.
However, before Xu Zhi could figure anything out, the unfamiliar young man spoke first. “Senior Fu, why are you here?”
Fu Xuanliao was taken aback by the address “Senior” and spared a glance for the man, frowning, still unable to recall him.
“I’m Zhang Hao, one year below you. We studied painting together for a few days, in the art room at Third High School’s comprehensive building. Remember?”
With this reminder, Fu Xuanliao finally had a vague impression. “Oh, I see.”
His attitude was not warm, clearly indicating no desire for further conversation.
Zhang Hao awkwardly followed Fu Xuanliao’s gaze to the person standing opposite him, then resumed the argument that had been interrupted.
“Senior Fu, please judge this for us. Isn’t this Shi Mu? Among the few of us who studied painting back then, he was the only one who stayed, and he was very good.” Zhang Hao pointed at Shi Meng. “It’s rare to run into a classmate walking on the street, but he insists he’s not!”
Hearing the name Shi Mu from an unfamiliar person, Fu Xuanliao was momentarily lost in thought, then looked at Shi Meng, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
“Oh? Let me see.” Fu Xuanliao leaned forward, pretending to observe. “Do you think you are?”
The question sounded nonsensical to outsiders, but Shi Meng seemed genuinely to be pondering it.
After a long moment, he looked up and met Fu Xuanliao’s gaze, tossing the question back. “Do you wish I were?”
When they returned to the car, Zhang Hao followed, trying to ingratiate himself.
“So Senior Fu is a regular at Heting Club. I should come often too, maybe we’ll run into each other more.”
Xu Zhi also followed, shyly telling Fu Xuanliao that Heting Club would be open during the Spring Festival, the implication of his words obvious.
Zhang Hao looked back and forth between the handsome boy outside the car and the even more handsome boy inside, quickly abandoning his previous speculation and grouping the two together. He looked straight ahead and said, “Well, Senior Fu, you’re busy. Call the number on my business card when you have time. Drinking, playing Tiles—anything, I’m available 24 hours a day.”
Fu Xuanliao gave a vague “Mm,” unsure who he was responding to.
As he started the car, he suddenly remembered something. He raised his chin toward Shi Meng in the passenger seat, but spoke to Zhang Hao outside. “And this one, he stayed too.”
Without waiting for Zhang Hao to react, he rolled up the window and drove away.
After driving away from Changning Road, when Heting Club was no longer visible in the rearview mirror, Fu Xuanliao began to regret the impulse that had made him bring Shi Meng into the car a few minutes ago.
The frustration in his heart made Fu Xuanliao feel hot and restless. He reached out to lower the temperature, but stopped halfway, remembering something. When he withdrew his hand, his expression was terrible, as if he had swallowed two pounds of dynamite that had fizzled out inside him, unable to be vented.
“Where are we going?” he asked irritably.
Shi Meng thought for a moment. “Wherever you go, I’ll go.”
“You really came looking for me?” Fu Xuanliao was both annoyed and amused. “Specifically timing it for midnight on Saturday?”
Shi Meng nodded first, then shook his head. “Today is not just Saturday, it’s the first day of the New Year.” Saying this, he turned to look at the driver. “Happy New Year.”
Much later, when Fu Xuanliao recalled the Spring Festival of that year, the first image that flashed in his mind was the deep blue sky, the flickering lights within it, and the way Shi Meng looked at him.
A wisp of white filtered through the dense blue, a fragile white, and his smile was faint, so faint that it seemed he could easily be wiped from the picture with a wave of the hand.
In that instant, a fear of impending loss suddenly rose in his heart, a fear thousands of times greater than the fear he felt when he received that picture of him on the verge of falling.
But this feeling lacked a source and was too fleeting, so brief that before he could fully grasp it, it vanished like fireworks scattering in the distant sky.
At this moment, the only thought that registered in his mind, filtered through the image and fed back by his brain, was: They were nothing alike.
Shi Meng was unlike anyone, not even like the person Fu Xuanliao had always assumed him to be.
As for what he was truly like, it was indescribable, impossible to articulate.
Fu Xuanliao moved his gaze away as if fleeing, replied with “Happy New Year,” and then turned up the volume of the car stereo, letting the music drown out the sounds that shouldn’t be emanating from his chest.
A clear male voice sang softly—
Loneliness also exudes lingering fragrance
So this is what it feels like to be moved
The song cut off abruptly, switched to the next track by the driver—
I advise you to return soon
You say you don’t want to return
Only asking me to hold you
Shi Meng didn’t really understand Cantonese songs.
He stretched his body in this hard-won moment of warmth. The unhealed bruises on his shoulder pressed against the seat back, causing a dull ache, yet he quietly leaned closer toward the driver’s seat.
Then, looking out the window through the glass, he thought, trying to cover up his true feelings, that another year had passed.