Sun Rain Chapter 49

Shi Meng rarely listened to external evaluations of his work. Facing such a sincere “fan,” he finally understood what it felt like to be trusted and supported.

He somewhat enjoyed this rare, comfortable conversation, though he mostly listened and didn’t speak much. Wei Liangji, having confirmed his worries, was also relieved of his concerns. The two discussed Shi Meng’s work, from his slightly immature early pieces to his later, decadent style.

Wei Liangji chuckled, “They say artistic creation is linked to one’s state of mind and emotions. Mr. Shi’s style gradually became obscure and dark. I thought it was caused by family trivialities, the daily grind. Seeing you today, I realize Mr. Shi is so young. No wonder he can paint with such purity.”

The words were both veiled and clear, just short of stating the fact that Shi Meng had not yet suffered the harsh realities of life, and had nearly destroyed himself physically and mentally over mere love.

Although the other party’s words were only complimentary and not disparaging, Shi Meng couldn’t help but follow the topic and think about that time.

Consequently, he was frequently distracted during the rest of the conversation, to the point that even Wei Liangji noticed his inattention.

Being a man of grace, Wei Liangji proactively said, “If Mr. Shi has other matters to attend to, I will take my leave now.”

Shi Meng snapped back to reality and quickly said, “I’m not… it’s just that the half hour is almost up.”

Recalling the crazy things Fu Xuanliao had said at the door a few days ago, it was hard for Shi Meng not to be wary.

Unexpectedly, Wei Liangji was first stunned when he heard that the young man waiting outside might cause trouble, and then he smiled.

It was the attitude of an elder who had seen through everything but didn’t necessarily approve of how the younger generation handled relationships.

He didn’t comment on the matter, only suggested, “Since you have escaped the place of conflict, Mr. Shi might as well try to discard the past and attempt to start a stable, healthy relationship.”

Fortunately, before the half hour was up, someone else came calling.

It was Pan Jiawei. He had returned early from outside for the appointment, and hadn’t fully grasped the situation himself, only roughly telling Shi Meng, “I just passed the breakfast shop. It was robbed. Even the painting you did for them is gone. The police want you to help with the investigation.”

The incident was sudden, and Shi Meng hurried over.

Wei Liangji had to rush back to Fengcheng, so Shi Meng gave him a ride part of the way.

After getting important information from the conversation between the two men about the painting, Pan Jiawei returned to the breakfast shop and conferred with the proprietress. They agreed that the thief was targeting the painting.

“Losing a few days of business is minor, but losing the painting the artist did for us—that’s a huge loss!” The round-faced, usually amiable proprietress was now distressed. “I should have known not to hang the painting outside. I should have hidden it at home.”

Even with the victim saying this, the police still asked for other details, such as whether any suspicious individuals had been seen recently, or if they had conflicts or grudges with anyone.

The proprietress thought carefully, “No, not at all. We mostly have neighbors and regular customers here. Strangers are rare.”

The surrounding neighbors also testified that the couple running the breakfast shop had been in business for over ten years and were very kind. Furthermore, the neighbors on the entire street were like family, so how could they have made enemies?

Just as the investigation reached a deadlock, Pan Jiawei suddenly interjected, “Speaking of suspicious people, isn’t there one right here?”

Following the direction of his finger, everyone saw Fu Xuanliao, standing not far behind Shi Meng, like a guardian.

The proprietress waved her hand, “Oh, no, that can’t be. That young man is very nice. Earlier, I couldn’t reach, and he helped me hang the painting up.”

Some of the neighbors also found Fu Xuanliao familiar, but they were inevitably suspicious of a sudden outsider.

The police took the onlookers’ opinions and approached Fu Xuanliao, asking him a few questions, including his name, where he was from, what he was doing here, and where he was staying.

“From Fengcheng.”

“Looking for someone.”

“Staying in my car.”

Fu Xuanliao’s answers were simple and direct. Only when asked who he was looking for did he glance at Shi Meng, then quickly look away, as if afraid of causing him trouble. He said, “Looking for a very important person.”

The onlookers began to whisper. It was hard for anyone to trust such a vague and unknown outsider.

However, judging by his clothes and demeanor, he didn’t look like someone who would steal.

Adhering to the principle of “better safe than sorry,” the police continued to question him, “Two hours ago, at 12:30 PM, where were you?”

Twelve o’clock was when the breakfast shop proprietress heard the window being smashed. She had just laid down for a few minutes after a busy morning, and by the time she rushed to the shop in the front yard, she was too late; she didn’t even catch a glimpse of the thief.

This spot happened to be on a road curve, a blind spot for surveillance. The police had just checked the community surveillance room, and the entire empty street had nothing captured in this particular area.

Before Fu Xuanliao could answer, Shi Meng remembered that two and a half hours ago, at noon, he was boiling water in the kitchen and saw Fu Xuanliao eating bread through the window, washing it down with a bottle of mineral water.

It was the kind of instant bread that wasn’t particularly tasty but was convenient and time-saving; you could just tear it open and eat it.

Shi Meng could roughly guess why Fu Xuanliao chose that bread. He had said that every Saturday from now on would be spent accompanying him. So he couldn’t have gone anywhere else, not even for a minute.

However, no one but Shi Meng could prove this for him.

Sure enough, Fu Xuanliao said, “I was on the street.”

The police asked which street, and Fu Xuanliao named the street outside Shi Meng’s house, which was very close to the breakfast shop.

“What were you doing there?” the police pressed.

“Waiting for someone.”

“Waiting for whom?”

Almost simultaneously with Fu Xuanliao’s “That’s confidential,” Shi Meng spoke, “He was probably waiting for me.”

The moment the words fell, Shi Meng caught the look of near-joy on Fu Xuanliao’s face.

It was a pity, though, that this joy would soon be shattered.

Because a bold idea had already formed in Shi Meng’s mind—an idea that would achieve the same effect as reporting the crime, and even more.

The police thought he was trying to provide an alibi for Fu Xuanliao, so they turned to him and asked, “Were you with him at 12:30 PM?”

“No,” Shi Meng said. “I arranged to meet him at twelve, but I was delayed and arrived late. By 12:30 PM, he was no longer there.”

Most of what he said was true. He saw Fu Xuanliao through the window at twelve o’clock. By 12:30 PM, he was already sitting at the dining table and wasn’t sure if Fu Xuanliao was still in the original spot.

So this wasn’t a lie, Shi Meng told himself. He was just returning the slander that had been inflicted upon him years ago.

Although Fu Xuanliao was shocked, just as Shi Meng expected. He first froze, then the darkness in his eyes flickered, and the slight smile that had appeared faded, turning into an almost transparent pallor.

He looked at Shi Meng, his gaze direct and open, seemingly questioning.

As for what he was asking, it was a silent language known only to the two of them.

Amidst the rapid, trembling heartbeat, Shi Meng heard a voice in his ear saying: Yes, that’s right, give it back to him, return all that pain to him.

Being framed, bearing the guilt of being a thief, and then being subjected to all kinds of contempt and humiliation… If it were all explained away as fate’s cruelty, it would be too easy. What did all his suffering truly amount to?

It was only now that Shi Meng truly felt a surge of what might be called the pleasure of revenge.

He thought with a sense of exhilaration, If I treat you like this, if I take revenge on you, will you still think well of me? Will you still be willing?

Didn’t you say that anything I give you is acceptable? If I make you experience what I went through back then, will you accept it?

“Mr. Fu, is this true?”

Accompanying the police officer’s question, Fu Xuanliao snapped back to attention, and his breathing returned. He had been holding a long breath, and only after confirming through Shi Meng’s eyes did he slowly release it.

It was only then that he truly understood how much damage his casually dismissed “misunderstanding” had caused Shi Meng.

Moreover, it was a prolonged injury, both physical and mental. How could the so-called empathy, the shared pain, be returned exactly in a few short days and nights?

Amidst the dense, sharp pain, there was also an undeniable bitterness.

It turned out that Shi Meng had never taken any of his efforts seriously, nor had he ever believed him.

Shi Meng only remembered that being with him was incredibly painful, so he had to stay far, far away—first by trying to kill himself, and when that failed, by trying to drown Fu Xuanliao.

It was either death or injury; that was their destiny.

His breathing, connected to his heart, trembled slightly. Fu Xuanliao attributed this reaction to the natural fear of the unknown, having never experienced such a situation before.

He forced himself to look up and meet Shi Meng’s gaze, a final confirmation.

Do you want it to be me?

He saw Shi Meng’s eyes flicker, very briefly—perhaps a momentary wavering that wasn’t firm, or perhaps a flicker of compassion… These things weren’t important right now. In any case, Shi Meng did not shake his head; he did not object.

Fu Xuanliao withdrew his gaze, then faced the police and replied, “Yes, that is correct.”

If you want it to be me, then let it be me.

As long as you are happy, as long as you feel happy, that is enough.

Everyone was astonished, and a chorus of condemnation immediately erupted.

“I didn’t expect it. He looks decent, but he’s a thief.”

“I knew it, these outsiders…”

“I saw him driving a luxury car.”

“He must have stolen it. Maybe the license plate is fake to cover his tracks.”

“How many years do you get for breaking and entering?”

…

After careful consideration, the suspect was temporarily identified. Since there were too many people and too much chatter, the police requested that Fu Xuanliao return to the station for further interrogation.

Before leaving, Fu Xuanliao asked the police for a moment, saying he had something to say.

Seeing him walk toward Shi Meng, the crowd who had witnessed the entire exchange assumed he was about to lose his temper, lash out, or question and insult Shi Meng. After all, he had just been identified by testimony and must be in a terrible mood, his face grim and menacing.

Pan Jiawei was startled, raising his arm in front of Shi Meng as if facing a formidable enemy. “Don’t try anything.”

Fu Xuanliao easily pushed him aside, so simple and crude that it was taken for granted. Before Pan Jiawei could react, Fu Xuanliao was standing in front of Shi Meng.

The subsequent development was something no one had predicted.

Fu Xuanliao stood about a foot away from Shi Meng. Under the watchful eyes of the police and passersby, he slowly took off his coat, shook it out, unfolded it, wrapped his arm around, and placed it on Shi Meng’s shoulders.

Fu Xuanliao was tall, and his coat looked loose on Shi Meng. The lapels gathered, and the thick collar barely covered his slender, pale neck.

His fingertip accidentally brushed Shi Meng’s skin, causing a burning sensation, like being pricked by a thorn.

In contrast, Fu Xuanliao’s face was excessively cold, even chilling, as if all the blood had been drained from his body.

He didn’t say warm words like “It’s cold, wear more.” Afraid of running out of time, he chose the most important things to say: “Please, take good care of my treasure for me.”

Then he added, “I’m sorry, I always break my promises.”

This was the second thing he needed to apologize for.

It won’t happen again… if there is a future.