Sun Rain Chapter 42
byBefore coming to Xuncheng, Fu Xuanliao made a trip to the Shi family home.
During the day, Shi Sihui’s case, for which she was the mastermind, went to trial. The victim naturally did not attend. Fortunately, the prosecution was diligent, and the victim’s family, Li Bihan, also hired a lawyer to assist. The trial proceeded smoothly, and the verdict announced in court matched expectations.
Shi Sihui did not file an appeal. She stood with her back to the audience, wearing handcuffs, and did not turn her head to look back as she was led away.
Fu Xuanliao knew Li Bihan was crying. Sending her daughter to prison to get justice for her son was not something an ordinary mother could bear.
After the court adjourned, he offered to drive Li Bihan home. In the car, he mentioned his plan to go to Xuncheng to find Shi Meng. Although she did not approve, she did not object either.
“Mengmeng left Fengcheng probably because he wanted some peace and quiet alone.” Since he had already found out Shi Meng’s whereabouts, Li Bihan knew she couldn’t stop him. She only said, “I have failed as a mother, and I don’t know what feelings he holds for you now. But I am still his mother, and I only wish for my child to live well. I beg you, if your feelings for him are genuine, then indulge him a little. Don’t make him sad again. If you have even a trace of hesitation, don’t go and disturb his heart.”
Fu Xuanliao solemnly agreed.
Upon arriving at the Shi residence, with permission, Fu Xuanliao went upstairs to Shi Meng’s room with the housekeeper to see if there was anything they could bring to him.
Just as he entered the room, he heard a commotion downstairs.
It turned out Shi Huaiyi had returned. Recently, he had been overwhelmed by the divorce proceedings, and hearing that Shi Sihui had been sentenced made him furious. He started arguing with Li Bihan as soon as he got home.
“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, search your conscience, if it weren’t for you back then…”
“You accepted it back then, and now you’re bringing up old scores?”
“Now that things have reached this point, do you really bear no responsibility at all?”
“I was doing it for this family! Hmph, Mengmeng is also insensible. He won’t even spare his own sister. If only he hadn’t cooperated with the prosecution or said a few good words…”
“Why should he speak well of the person who harmed him?” Fu Xuanliao came down from upstairs. “Everything is being handled according to legal procedures. Please do not obstruct judicial fairness.”
As if he hadn’t expected an outsider to be in the house, Shi Huaiyi was startled at first, then laughed: “Now you all act so self-righteous, ganging up against me. Have you forgotten that you also played a part in pushing Mengmeng to the brink?”
That single sentence left Fu Xuanliao speechless.
Before leaving, Fu Xuanliao went up to the Attic/Loft and stood by the window where Shi Meng often sat.
The housekeeper came in and asked him to take some food to Shi Meng: “I prepared it with Madam. It’s all the things Young Master Shi likes to eat.”
Fu Xuanliao took the paper bag and gave a low acknowledgment.
The housekeeper didn’t rush off, following his gaze toward the Attic/Loft window.
“Every Saturday, Young Master Shi used to sit here,” she said with a smile. “He’d say he wasn’t waiting for anyone, but his eyes kept glancing outside. He thought he was hiding it well.”
Based on the housekeeper’s description, the image of Shi Meng sitting by the window, his head resting against the glass, appeared in Fu Xuanliao’s mind. He looked careless, but in reality, he was listening intently to every sound outside, especially when he heard a car approaching. He would immediately straighten his neck and look toward the end of the road. If the familiar car appeared, his beautiful eyes would suddenly light up.
In the present moment, with everything settled, this missed opportunity brought a deeper sense of sorrow.
As if sensing Fu Xuanliao’s pain, the housekeeper said gently, “I watched Young Master Shi grow up. His feelings for you didn’t accumulate in a day or two. If there are still regrets, instead of dwelling on remorse, it’s better to take action. After all, time passes so quickly. In the blink of an eye, it’s autumn again.”
Fu Xuanliao then gathered his spirits and set off for Xuncheng.
He received a call on the way. Hearing that he had already left, Gao Lecheng clicked his tongue: “Weren’t you at the courthouse during the day? Are you in that much of a rush?”
“Yes,” Fu Xuanliao said. “Time is precious.”
Gao Lecheng offered no opinion on that, only making one request: “If your ice beauty asks, don’t pin the blame on me. Jiang Xue didn’t tell me a single word about his whereabouts.”
Fu Xuanliao felt he was asking the obvious: “I went to great lengths to find him myself. Why would I give you two the credit?”
He was eager for Shi Meng to know how much he had done; these were all proofs of his love for Shi Meng.
“Hey, that’s good awareness,” Gao Lecheng laughed. “Then I wish our CEO Fu a smooth journey and success in winning the beauty back!”
Winning the beauty back was too much to hope for; just seeing him would be lucky.
With less than fifty minutes until Saturday, Fu Xuanliao, feeling anxious, knocked on the door again, his voice completely lacking confidence: “Are you still sleeping? If you’re not sleeping…”
Fu Xuanliao had been rushing on the way, but once he arrived and clearly knew Shi Meng was just on the other side of the door, fear sprouted in his heart.
He wanted to say, if you’re not sleeping, I’ll keep you company, but afraid of startling Shi Meng, he changed it at the last minute: “If you’re not sleeping, come out and look at the stars.”
The autumn sky was clear blue, and the night sky was bright and clean. A few scattered stars blinked, seemingly watching the two people in this small corner of the earth from afar.
Unfortunately, the response Fu Xuanliao received was the sound of retreating footsteps and the light upstairs being extinguished.
He stared up for a long time, and after confirming Shi Meng was asleep, Fu Xuanliao sighed softly.
Although it was expected, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
Looking at the dark window, he said in a very low voice, “Sleep well. Don’t have nightmares.”
Shi Meng slept relatively soundly in the latter half of the night. When he opened his eyes, it was already bright. While brushing his teeth, he looked at his messy hair in the mirror and began to wonder if he had dreamed last night.
He dreamed that person came and said he would spend Saturday with him.
This was too bizarre. That person clearly hated Saturdays and had never initiated anything.
Shi Meng went downstairs, toasted two slices of bread, and ate a quick breakfast with beef jerky and milk. He put on his coat and opened the door.
No one. Shi Meng breathed a sigh of relief.
Standing at the doorway, as if guided by something, he looked up at the sky, squinting against the blinding light.
He couldn’t see anything.
Because the sun was out, the stars had to hide.
In the morning, Shi Meng went out to shop as usual.
There was a supermarket nearby. The selection wasn’t complete, but the produce was fresh. Jiang Xue had checked this before they moved, telling him he could shop there for convenience.
It was a ten-minute walk. When he entered the supermarket, he saw a group of elderly uncles and aunties queuing to buy discounted pork.
Shi Meng was just passing by. He greeted a neighboring auntie in the line and was immediately pulled into the queue by the arm.
“It’s several yuan cheaper, you’d lose out if you don’t buy it,” said Auntie Pan. “If you can’t cook, mince it for dumplings. It’s better than eating bread all the time.”
The familiar elderly men and women in front and behind him nodded in agreement.
Looking down at the sliced bread in his shopping basket, Shi Meng pursed his lips. Since he was here, he might as well stay, and he settled into the line.
Auntie Pan was the neighbor next door. She was warm and straightforward. When Shi Meng first moved in, she knocked on his door with freshly baked pork buns to welcome him.
Jiang Xue’s house here was indeed meant for retirement. Most of the residents nearby were middle-aged or elderly. Retirement life was easy and simple—eating and washing clothes during the day, and dancing in the square or playing chess in the evening.
The slow pace of leisurely life made Shi Meng slow down too, which was directly reflected in his willingness to spend time buying discounted items. He would never have done such a thing before.
The line moved slowly, so Shi Meng took out the notebook and pen from his pocket and practiced sketching with his left hand.
Auntie Pan leaned over to look. He uncomfortably twisted away, only to hear a clear laugh: “You draw quite well! Why are you hiding it and not letting me see?”
Shi Meng found it hard to explain his peculiar habits and vaguely replied, “I’m not used to my left hand.”
“Speaking of which, what happened to your right hand?” Auntie Pan took the opportunity to ask what she was curious about. “How did you get hurt?”
The sudden mention of his right hand injury made Shi Meng instinctively shiver.
He hated rainy days and was extremely unwilling to recall the events of that day, so he didn’t answer directly, only saying he fell down.
“A Bone Fracture?” Auntie Pan looked at the bandage on his hand, her brows furrowing. “A painter’s hands are precious. You must be careful in the future.”
This reminder made Shi Meng recall the months he lived at the Fu family home. That gentle woman named Jiang Rong also cherished his painting hands, not letting him handle sharp objects or do heavy work. When she saw he was bitten by a cat, she immediately made him get the vaccine.
In fact, Shi Meng didn’t care about these things. He painted because he liked it. As for whether he painted well or how much so-called value it could bring, it was never up to outsiders to decide.
Even so, he still hoped his right hand could recover to its former state.
Since he was alive, he had to find something to fill the excess time.
Back at his residence, Jiang Xue called to ask what he was having for lunch. Looking at the piece of pork belly he had fought for in a forty-minute queue, Shi Meng said, “Dumplings.”
“Your hand can still make dumplings?” Jiang Xue was overly dramatic. “Put it in the fridge first. I’ll buy you a meat grinder and send it over.”
“I bought one online,” Shi Meng said. “It should arrive soon.”
Jiang Xue was very pleased: “You’re learning fast. I thought you, the primitive man, wouldn’t accept online shopping.”
He placed the pork on the cutting board, adjusting it to an aesthetically pleasing angle. Shi Meng felt the urge to draw it again.
“It’s very convenient, I can accept it,” he told Jiang Xue. “I also bought a new easel, solid wood, very big.”
“How big? Be careful it won’t fit through the door.”
Shi Meng thought for a moment: “It shouldn’t be bigger than me. I can fit through the door.”
Jiang Xue burst into laughter on the phone, saying she had never seen anyone compare the size of an easel to themselves.
Finally, she reminded him: “Don’t forget your follow-up appointment at the hospital this afternoon.”
“Mhm.”
“If, and I mean if, a strange person follows you, don’t be afraid, call the police immediately.”
Shi Meng didn’t ask who the “strange person” specifically referred to, but on the way to the supermarket and back today, he did feel like he was being followed, even hearing footsteps behind him. Since Auntie Pan was with him, and he didn’t want to scare the elderly woman, he didn’t turn around to check or call the police.
In the afternoon, he went out alone, so he had no such reservations.
Leaving the house, he 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 slightly surprised that he wasn’t more surprised.
The other person, however, froze right there, his expression quite dramatic. After a moment, he quickly stepped forward: “Did I scare you?”
It was clearly him who was scared.
Shi Meng didn’t want to talk. After confirming, he turned and continued walking.
When he stopped at the bus stop, the other person seemed to have recovered and took Shi Meng’s attitude as tacit acceptance. Not only did he stop hiding his actions, but he also tried to talk to Shi Meng in a relaxed manner.
“What did you have for lunch? I saw you bought meat. Are you planning to make dumplings?”
“I ordered a bento box from a nearby restaurant today. It tasted pretty good.”
“It’s Saturday today. Is there anywhere you want to go?”
Hearing the keyword “Saturday,” Shi Meng finally reacted a little.
He slowly blinked, thinking, so last night wasn’t a dream.
This seemingly responsive reaction was like a shot of adrenaline, greatly encouraging Fu Xuanliao.
At least Shi Meng didn’t show resistance to his presence.
About ten minutes later, the Route 21 bus pulled up to the stop. Fu Xuanliao followed Shi Meng onto the bus. Fortunately, his phone still had battery, so he could scan the code to pay the fare.
The number of times Fu Xuanliao had taken a bus since childhood was negligible. He was very uncomfortable being on a crowded bus. First, the sudden start of the bus made him lurch forward and almost fall. Then, the smell inside the bus made his face darken a few shades.
But he didn’t flare up. Shi Meng found a seat, and Fu Xuanliao stood in the aisle next to him.
When asked where they were going, Shi Meng still didn’t answer. He tilted his head to look out the window, his cheeks slightly puffed out. It didn’t look like he was deliberately ignoring him, but rather that he wasn’t in the mood to talk because he was uncomfortable sitting.
It did reveal some of his former temperament.
The familiar look softened Fu Xuanliao’s heart. He thought, Little Mushroom is clearly simple and straightforward, disdaining to hide anything. How could he be called overbearing or moody?
Fortunately, he had plenty of time to slowly understand, and slowly replace the continuous rain with sunny memories.
How lucky he was.
Holding the overhead strap with one hand and supporting the back of the seat with the other, 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 leaned down and negotiated with Shi Meng, speaking softly as if sharing a secret. “Or in the future, you can take my car when we go out. You can drive too.”
But today is Saturday, everything is up to you.
Even if it’s not Saturday in the future, wherever you want to go, I will accompany you.
Given Shi Meng’s temper, even if he understood the subtext, he was too lazy to respond.
This bus route was an intercity connection, requiring a transfer midway to reach the destination.
After getting off the bus and seeing the hospital sign, Fu Xuanliao finally understood why Shi Meng had gone out.
Only one or two doctors were on duty in the hospital’s general departments on weekends. After registering, Shi Meng waited twenty minutes before entering the consultation room, and he came out in less than ten minutes.
Fu Xuanliao went up to him: “What did the doctor say? Don’t you need an X-ray?”
Shi Meng didn’t speak, only looking down at his right hand, occasionally flexing his palm and finger joints, as if attempting some kind of rehabilitation exercise.
Fu Xuanliao asked, “Are you doing rehab?” He was eager to compensate, eager for Shi Meng to get better, but didn’t know how. “Let me contact someone to see if there is a more professional doctor here. It won’t be too late to start then.”
Shi Meng lightly averted his gaze, his attitude noncommittal, still seeming not to have heard.
They took the bus back again.
This time, both 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 made him sweat profusely, and his lips were pale with pain.
Fu Xuanliao felt distressed and anxious. Afraid that he would injure himself by practicing too much, he took out the throat lozenges he had bought on the road yesterday and asked if he wanted one to take a break.
He thought Shi Meng still wouldn’t pay attention to him, but Shi Meng actually raised his hand and took one from his palm.
Before he could be happy, Fu Xuanliao noticed Shi Meng took it but didn’t open the package. He looked down at his right hand, which still couldn’t make large movements, and held the candy in his left palm, gently clenching his fist.
Realizing belatedly that Shi Meng’s hand was inconvenient, Fu Xuanliao immediately unwrapped one for him.
But Shi Meng didn’t take it again. He turned his head to look out the window, his clenched hand trembling slightly, either from physical exhaustion or because the bus was driving over a bumpy road, causing his body to subtly shake.
Autumn days are short and nights are long. When they left, the sun was high, but by the time they returned to the starting bus stop, the sky was filled with sunset glow.
But quickly, in the time it took to walk from the bus stop to the riverbank, the sunset had mostly faded, and the surroundings darkened.
Shi Meng walked ahead, his footsteps light, mixed with the subtle sound of flowing water.
He still had his hands in his pockets, his silhouette long, his shadow even longer, conveying a sense of inexplicable stubbornness.
It made Fu Xuanliao suddenly realize that although he was mentally prepared, he had thought things were too simple.
Even if everything was smoother than he imagined—Shi Meng wasn’t angry, didn’t resist, and didn’t even chase him away.
But this did not equal acceptance.
Their relationship was distorted from the start, and then one misplaced event followed another, collapsing like a whole set of dominoes. How could it be easily set back on track with just an apology, or a one-sided effort, or a self-proclaimed clever approach?
Shi Meng’s wounds were so deep, yet Fu Xuanliao couldn’t feel the pain for him, and even if he could, Shi Meng wouldn’t need it.
Because…
Just then, Shi Meng, walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned around.
Separated by more than five meters, he finally spoke, uttering his first words to Fu Xuanliao today.
“Are you done confirming?”
“…What?”
“Didn’t you come to confirm whether I can still paint?”
Shi Meng took his bandaged hand out of his pocket and showed it to Fu Xuanliao, along with the candy that had melted in his palm, making it sticky and disgusting.
“Yes, I can’t paint anymore.” His voice was calm, like reading his own verdict. “Not only can I not paint, but I can’t drive, and I can’t even open plastic packaging.”
Fu Xuanliao’s throat tightened: “I didn’t mean…”
He wanted to say, I didn’t mean that, I didn’t come to confirm these things.
Today is Saturday, I just wanted to accompany you.
Shi Meng didn’t give him a chance to refute.
“Are you satisfied?” As if to make up for all the words he hadn’t spoken today, Shi Meng’s breathing quickened slightly, and he answered his own question, “You should be satisfied now.”
A single sentence, lowered in tone, instantly sealed the heart that had just softened with ice and snow, along with the last shred of hope.
Fu Xuanliao felt it plummet rapidly, then crash with a shattering hum.
Because they had always been in an adversarial relationship.
Between enemies, there is no trust, only winning and losing.
And Shi Meng, injured and heartbroken, had already raised the white flag, grinding 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 here to mock him, completely disbelieving that Fu Xuanliao held any goodwill or pity for him.
He didn’t believe it now, and he wouldn’t believe it later.
So whatever Fu Xuanliao did was futile. Shi Meng would only say “I don’t need it,” and: “You won. Let me go.”
Although he heard those words, Fu Xuanliao felt like the loser at this moment.
He had lost completely, disastrously and thoroughly. Even if he surrendered and offered his sincere heart, devoutly expressing his feelings, Shi Meng would only act as if he hadn’t heard, taking none of it seriously.
He was the one who lost.
Lost completely, miserably, and utterly.