Sun Rain Chapter 25
byFour years and five months ago, early autumn.
Autumn in Fengcheng was brief. It wasn’t until after the Mid-Autumn Festival that a slight chill permeated the air.
The perfect weather for outdoor fun had turned rainy, making outside activities difficult. The luxurious villa district on the city’s outskirts became the preferred venue for high-society social gatherings.
It was Saturday, and a modern three-story villa with a pool had been rented out to host a large gathering disguised as a charity auction.
The host was the owner of a well-known listed company from a city neighboring Fengcheng. He was currently expanding his business into Fengcheng and negotiating partnerships with several local industry leaders. Therefore, everyone knew that the auction was merely a pretense; the real purpose was to facilitate cooperation and build relationships.
Since they all moved in the same circles, and the newcomer was just starting out, they had to show some respect. Thus, shortly after five in the afternoon, guests arrived in a steady stream. Umbrellas opened in front of the brightly lit mansion, shielding the distinguished guests from the wind and rain as they entered the Decadent Playground of fame and fortune.
The rain intensified around six in the evening.
As he stepped out of the car, Shi Meng was momentarily stunned by the gust of wind and the raindrops blowing into his eyes. He was then nudged and hurried by Shi Sihui, who was also in the back seat. Before the driver could circle around with an umbrella, he stepped out into the chaotic weather.
Once inside, his head and shoulders were nearly soaked. Shi Meng casually patted himself down, then craned his neck, scanning the crowd, hoping to find that person right at the entrance.
Shi Huaiyi had asked him to attend this gathering, saying he wanted to introduce him to several uncles and elders who were long-time family friends of the Shi family. Shi Meng was initially uninterested, but upon hearing that most young people of his generation would also be attending, he decided to come after some deliberation.
Unfortunately, too many guests arrived at that time, and due to the rain, they were all crowded in the entryway adjusting their attire. Shi Meng didn’t see the person he was looking for, but he did run into Shi Huaiyi and Li Bihan, who had arrived in the car ahead of him.
Only two months had passed since Shi Mu’s death. Li Bihan, who had only agreed to leave the house after Shi Huaiyi’s persistent persuasion, wore a plain, light-colored dress today. Her black hair was pinned up, her face lightly powdered, and she wore no eye-catching jewelry.
She had lost a lot of weight recently, and a closer look revealed redness around her eyes, suggesting she hadn’t slept well last night. Shi Meng glanced at her quickly before shifting his gaze downward to the floor.
Shi Huaiyi walked up to him: “Xiao Meng, go inside with your mother first. I ran into an old friend here and need to go next door to catch up with him privately.”
Hearing the word “mother,” Shi Meng’s heart first constricted, then he nervously and discreetly looked up at Li Bihan. Fortunately, she seemed distracted, facing the window and watching the rain, not registering Shi Huaiyi’s words.
“Find a less crowded spot and take your mother to eat something,” Shi Huaiyi continued, sounding worried. “Don’t let her get upset.”
Shi Meng agreed.
However, his presence only ever made Li Bihan uneasy and irritable. As soon as he took a step forward, Li Bihan frowned and stepped back. She instead took the hand of Shi Sihui, who had just returned from the restroom, and without even looking at Shi Meng, turned and entered the venue.
Assuming Shi Sihui would take good care of her, Shi Meng didn’t follow. He stood in the entryway for a few minutes, making sure they had gone inside, before choosing the opposite direction and entering the venue through a different door.
His childhood experiences had taught Shi Meng how to read people, so he wouldn’t push himself onto those who disliked him.
Although he felt there was no need for Li Bihan to hate him—he was self-aware of his position in the Shi family and had no intention of competing for the family fortune—he couldn’t entirely dismiss what Jiang Xue had said.
After all, Li Bihan’s most beloved son was dead, while he, who was unrelated to her, was alive and well. Seeing him caused Li Bihan pain every time. Even if he did nothing, his existence was the original sin.
Thinking of Jiang Xue, Shi Meng found a quiet corner, pulled out his new phone, and called her.
It rang twice before being answered. Jiang Xue’s voice was lazy, as if she had just woken up: “Did you get there?”
“Mhm.” Shi Meng watched the guests coming and going. “There are so many people.”
“You need to learn to adapt. When I make you famous, there will be plenty of occasions like this.”
Shi Meng didn’t respond to that, instead asking, “How are you? Are you still feeling bad?”
“Oh.” Jiang Xue laughed mid-yawn. “Our Mengmeng knows how to care about people now.”
Footsteps and the clinking of cups and bowls could be heard over the phone. Jiang Xue got up and drank some water, her voice clearing up a bit: “I’m fine, don’t worry unnecessarily. It was just a man; the next one will be better behaved.”
Shi Meng didn’t quite believe her.
Two days ago, Jiang Xue had broken off her engagement. Over the few years they were engaged, her fiancé had gone from a penniless nobody to a locally renowned young scientist and entrepreneur. While he certainly put in his own effort, everyone knew how much benefit he had gained from the Jiang family to climb to that position so quickly.
When the man first proposed breaking the engagement, Jiang Xue was devastated. One day, she got drunk and sat on the roadside crying. When Shi Meng arrived, it was raining, and tears and rainwater mixed on her face.
Recalling the situation, Shi Meng felt a lingering fear: “I’ll leave early and come find you.”
“Why would you find me? I’m perfectly fine alone,” Jiang Xue said. “You rarely go out; have fun. Didn’t you say that guy named Fu would be there?”
Reminded, Shi Meng’s eyes began to search the crowd again: “Yes, he should be coming.”
“Tsk, you forget your sister when you have a man.” Jiang Xue teased. “Didn’t you say it’s hard to see him? Why don’t you take advantage of this chance for a drunken fling? Announce your relationship publicly in front of everyone, and he won’t be able to run away.”
Shi Meng was stunned for a moment after hearing this: “Is that okay?”
Jiang Xue burst into uncontrollable laughter on the phone: “Oh, my dear ancestor, you actually believe a joke?”
The longer he stayed in the environment of clinking glasses and socializing, the more uncomfortable Shi Meng felt.
About seven years ago, during a school-organized winter camp, he was ostracized by the other students. No one informed him when the group returned to camp, causing him to get lost in the mountains. Although he was eventually rescued by that person, the incident left him with a fear of dense crowds.
The host of the gathering had hired a band, and the soothing string music was the only thing that offered any relaxation. Shi Meng tried his best to block out the noisy laughter and chatter, focusing on the rhythmic music behind him.
Suddenly, a muffled boom exploded in his ear. Shi Meng turned to look out the window behind him. Autumn thunder had struck, and the dark sky looked like it had been punctured. The rain was torrential, drumming against the glass with a startling sound.
The interior was like a giant greenhouse, and the smiling, chatting people were completely unaffected. Shi Meng watched Shi Huaiyi navigate the many people coming forward to toast him, with Li Bihan forcing a smile to accompany him. The rumbling thunder poured into his ears, and Shi Meng felt suffocated, desperately wanting to leave.
He walked away from the center of the venue and climbed the wooden staircase to the second floor.
As he passed through the dimly lit corridor, he bumped into Shi Sihui at the corner. She was hurrying, and upon seeing his face, she sighed and patted her chest: “You scared me to death! What are you doing up here?”
Shi Meng had only come for some peace and quiet, and the collision had startled him too. He took half a step back and stammered, “It’s noisy downstairs, I…”
Shi Sihui seemed anxious to get somewhere and didn’t have time to listen to him. She interrupted: “Did you see Young Master Fu?”
Shi Meng froze, looking up at her.
“Fu Xuanliao, the one who was good friends with Shi Mu and used to come to our house often,” Shi Sihui added, assuming he didn’t remember.
In reality, how could Shi Meng forget Fu Xuanliao? He had come here precisely for Fu Xuanliao.
He had no choice but to answer truthfully: “No, I haven’t seen him.”
“He’s not downstairs?”
Shi Meng, who had just come from the first floor, thought for a moment: “I don’t know.”
Shi Sihui glared at him, seemingly annoyed by his dull uselessness. She tossed out, “Never mind, I’ll look myself,” and hurried away, holding up her overly long skirt.
Silence returned to the surroundings. Shi Meng exhaled the stale air trapped in his chest. He stayed put for a while, and only when he heard footsteps approaching the stairs again did he continue upward to the top floor Attic/Loft.
Although the top floor of the villa had a pitched roof, the ceiling wasn’t cramped, and the space was comparable to the floors below. Rooms lined both sides of the wide hallway. The overhead lights came on automatically. The doors to the rooms were left ajar, allowing guests who were drunk and needed rest, or those who required private conversation, to use them as private rooms.
However, the party downstairs was lively, and likely no one was heading to this secluded spot right now. Shi Meng pushed open the door on the far right, stepped inside, and reached up to find the light switch. Suddenly, a hand clamped onto his shoulder, followed by a powerful tug. Before he could react, his entire body was slammed against the wall.
Fu Xuanliao had become alert the moment he heard approaching footsteps.
He hadn’t wanted to attend this kind of social event, but his family company was facing difficulties and urgently needed help from old colleagues and friends. His father was currently out raising money, and his mother was devastated and bedridden. As the only son of the Fu family, he had to step up, take charge, and lead the family through the crisis.
He had prepared himself mentally before coming, arriving early and humbling himself before the elders, drinking glass after glass of wine, and spouting endless pleasantries. He had managed to convince a few people to agree to discuss things further later.
It was at this moment that he suddenly felt something was wrong with his body.
First, his palms grew hot and sweat beaded on his forehead. Then his legs felt weak, his breathing uneven. When all the heat in his body rushed to his lower abdomen, he realized the gravity of the situation.
His steps toward the upper floor were nearly a stagger. The drug’s effects were swift. Fu Xuanliao walked along the wall, trying to recall whose hands he had accepted drinks from.
However, the physical distress prevented him from thinking rationally. He vaguely remembered only accepting glasses from the servers. Clearly, someone had set a trap and was just waiting for him to fall into it.
He stumbled into a room. To avoid drawing attention, Fu Xuanliao neither closed the door tightly nor turned on the light. Leaning against the wall, he squatted down, taking several deep breaths. Suddenly, he pulled the corner of his mouth into a smile, a mix of self-mockery and absurdity.
Such incidents weren’t uncommon in their circle; after all, some people would resort to shameful means to achieve certain goals or solidify a status. But why would anyone go to such lengths to target him, Fu Xuanliao? Was it for the Fu family’s so-called wealthy title, or did they not believe he only liked men and wanted to personally verify it?
He would investigate these matters later, but for now… Fu Xuanliao pressed his lips together to suppress a sound, then uncontrollably reached down to explore himself.
He dared not imagine the consequences if this scandal were exposed in this setting. He could only try to resolve the situation quickly and pray that no one discovered his whereabouts in the meantime.
Therefore, when he heard regular footsteps, Fu Xuanliao held his breath, listening intently. The moment the person pushed the door open and entered, he exerted all his strength, rushing forward to subdue them.
He pinned the person’s shoulder and covered their mouth with his other hand. The person naturally struggled, but being shorter and weaker than Fu Xuanliao, they were pressed against the wall, unable to move, muffled cries escaping their throat.
When he saw the person’s face clearly in the light filtering from outside the window, Fu Xuanliao exclaimed in surprise: “How is it you?”
Shi Meng was completely bewildered. When the hand covering his mouth and nose released him, he felt dizzy from the strong smell of alcohol emanating from the person in front of him. Before he could answer, he was pinned again by the hand on his shoulder.
“Could it be you?” Fu Xuanliao panted heavily, his eyes filled with suspicion. “Did you drug me?”
The party downstairs was lively; no one would come up here before the third round of drinks. Therefore, the person appearing before him was most likely the one who administered the drug.
Shi Meng seemed not to understand: “Wh-what?”
Fu Xuanliao was desperate for confirmation and rephrased the question: “Are you, are you here for me?”
In fact, Shi Meng recognized the person sooner than the other way around. The moment he heard the person’s ragged breathing, the moment that warm hand landed on his lips, he knew instantly.
Thinking of the purpose of his visit, Shi Meng looked at Fu Xuanliao with hazy eyes and nodded as if possessed: “Y-yes, I am.”
Who else would I come here for but you?
That night, destined to be turbulent, many things underwent a fundamental change.
The door was pushed open, the lights overhead flickered on, exposing the two disheveled figures to countless eyes. That moment seemed to announce the beginning of the universally acknowledged entanglement between Fu Xuanliao and Shi Meng.
Returning to the present, the bright light above the kitchen island, no less intense than the light that night, made Shi Meng instinctively squint.
He wanted to say he didn’t do it, but then he remembered how the already exhausted Fu Xuanliao had desperately pushed him away, even shouting at him with a flushed face to get out. Yet, he had insisted on staying, shamelessly taking the initiative to help Fu Xuanliao relieve himself, leading to that humiliating scene witnessed by so many people…
Shi Meng instantly felt he had lost the right to defend himself.
Moreover, Fu Xuanliao was so convinced, so certain that he was a person who would resort to any means necessary.
Shi Meng was accustomed to being misunderstood. When all passable doors closed before him, he would quickly enter a state of high alert, reflexively returning the damage he received in full.
“Then didn’t you get hard too?” He lifted his face, trying hard not to show fear. “Didn’t you enjoy it?”
Fu Xuanliao was momentarily stunned by the question.
Realizing that Shi Meng was referring not just to that night, but to every sexual encounter since, including the recent one, Fu Xuanliao’s face visibly darkened.
That night was the beginning of their entanglement. Soon after, the Shi family used a contract, under the guise of helping the Fu family overcome their difficulties, to bind Fu Xuanliao. From initial resistance to violent, revenge-fueled sex, their twisted relationship had stumbled along until now.
And the habit of fighting for dominance had been deeply ingrained in their bones over these four years.
Even if they were deceiving themselves, even if they didn’t mean what they said.
“Do you know why I get hard for you, why I enjoy fucking you so much?”
Fu Xuanliao braced one hand on the marble countertop, using the web of his other hand to pinch Shi Meng’s jaw, forcing him to meet his gaze.
Shi Meng already anticipated that the words coming next would be like sharp blades, piercing his heart until it bled profusely. His eyes darted away, and he trembled, wanting to retreat.
It was too late.
“Because you look like Shi Mu,” Fu Xuanliao smiled, yet his eyes were strangely cold. “I couldn’t have him, so I can only fuck you.”
“Is it so obvious that I have to spell it out for you to believe it?”