Chapter 24

Fang Shimian was momentarily stunned, and it took him a while to realize that Huo Zhongshan was referring to the “you” he had just used in his speech.

They had eaten together, he had called him “brother,” and they had exchanged contact information. Using formal language at this point did seem a bit odd, like he was being sarcastic…

Fang Shimian didn’t do it on purpose; it just slipped out naturally. He quickly explained, “I’m not used to it.”

Huo Zhongshan finished what he was doing and handed the phone back to Fang Shimian, seemingly not bothered by it. He slightly curled his lips, “You’ll get used to it over time.”

Fang Shimian nodded, and the scene of Huo Zhongshan buttoning his shirt flashed in his mind again, making him acknowledge once more that Huo Zhongshan was a good person.

But… Fang Shimian suddenly caught onto the strange feeling that had been lingering in his heart, “Can I ask a question?”

Huo Zhongshan: “Go ahead.”

“I… someone like me, and you…” Fang Shimian didn’t know how to express it, and after a long time, he couldn’t form a complete question, feeling a bit anxious.

“I used to live in the military compound for a while, in the building opposite your house. You used to call me brother when you were little.” Huo Zhongshan lightly ruffled the young man’s hair, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, “I guess you could say we’ve reunited.”

Hearing this, Fang Shimian felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He never expected such an answer. It felt like the calmness earlier was just an illusion, a facade meant to destroy him, and the painful and oppressive memories of childhood surged like a flood, threatening to overwhelm him.

“How long… until the surveillance room?” Fang Shimian’s voice trembled, and he clenched his hands so tightly that he almost crushed them to stop the tears from falling, the little bit of hope in his heart completely shattered.

So that’s how it was, so it was… pitiful.

Suddenly, his hand was held, warmth transmitted through the skin, but Fang Shimian felt pain. Huo Zhongshan’s voice came to his ears, “So cold.”

Both hands were held in someone else’s, and Fang Shimian heard Huo Zhongshan sigh, “You were so cute when you were little, why don’t you like to talk now that you’ve grown up?”

With tears in his eyes, Fang Shimian suddenly looked up at Huo Zhongshan. The man had somehow already sat beside him, and his handsome face seemed genuinely puzzled, “When I left there, you were still very young, in kindergarten, so it’s normal that you don’t remember me.”

“Kindergarten?” Hot tears rolled uncontrollably down as his inner defenses crumbled. Fang Shimian wanted to pull his hand away to wipe his tears, but a warm, dry hand gently wiped away the salty tears for him.

“When you were little, you used to run after me, calling me brother so obediently. It was unforgettable.” Huo Zhongshan’s voice was low, with a hint of a gentle smile.

Fang Shimian looked at Huo Zhongshan, gradually calming down. He thought, so he hadn’t seen him, so it wasn’t pity.

“Once, you even fell, and your aunt dropped the fruit she was holding to quickly pick you up and comfort you, apples rolling everywhere.” Huo Zhongshan released Fang Shimian’s now warm hand and simply pulled him into his arms.

Fang Shimian stared blankly at him, his gaze empty and confused. After a few seconds, he relaxed and leaned into Huo Zhongshan’s warm, solid embrace, whispering, “Is that so?”

After that, Fang Shimian began to tremble and sob slightly. He didn’t make any sound, just a few barely audible sobs.

Huo Zhongshan placed a soft silk handkerchief in Fang Shimian’s hand, not saying anything more, just gently patting the young man’s back.

Once he had completely calmed down, Fang Shimian clutched the crumpled handkerchief, slowly sitting up, feeling embarrassed, especially when he saw Huo Zhongshan calmly dealing with the shirt he had wet, his shame reaching its peak.

“I… I got you dirty, I’m sorry.” Fang Shimian spoke with a bit of a nasal tone, his eyes red and swollen, looking very fragile.

Huo Zhongshan appeared indifferent, “It doesn’t matter.”

He asked, “Is the assignment for two days?”

Fang Shimian nodded without any defense, “Yes, today and tomorrow.”

They were almost at their destination.

Huo Zhongshan nodded lightly, glanced at his phone, and said, “I’ll drop you off at the entrance of the residential area. Someone will take you to the property manager’s office. You can help organize files this afternoon.”

Isn’t the surveillance room short of people? Although this question flashed through Fang Shimian’s mind, he still agreed. He was there to help out with odd jobs anyway, and it didn’t matter what he did. Besides, the new residential area wasn’t even occupied yet, so the surveillance room didn’t really need two people.

When they reached the entrance of the residential area, before the driver opened the door, Fang Shimian suddenly mustered the courage to ask, “Do I… have any other memories from when I was little? Like, the kind you just mentioned…”

Those little things about being loved by his parents.

At that moment, Huo Zhongshan was looking at a message from his assistant. He wasn’t surprised that Fang Shimian would ask this, but rather surprised that he had held back for so long. He thought he might have guessed wrong.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow at noon.” Huo Zhongshan finished replying to the message, turned off his phone, and looked at Fang Shimian, instructing, “Wait for my message tomorrow at noon, and don’t eat a boxed lunch.”

Fang Shimian quickly agreed, his eyes filled with anticipation. After getting out of the car, he stood there for a while, watching the vehicle leave, feeling a bit lost.

“Mr. Fang?”

A gentle female voice snapped Fang Shimian out of his daze.

Fang Shimian turned to see someone in a Mingheng Property uniform smiling at him. He suddenly remembered that Huo Zhongshan had mentioned someone would take him to the office to organize files, so he quickly walked over, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Mr. Fang, you’re too polite. I just arrived as well.” The girl smiled, her hair lifted by the breeze, and she introduced herself briskly, “My surname is Zhou, I’m Manager Li’s secretary. I’ll take you to the office.”

Fang Shimian nodded and followed her. After hesitating for a few seconds, he introduced himself, “I’m a surveillance operator transferred from Qihe Property to help out. I can do anything.”

Secretary Zhou smiled and nodded, “Alright, I understand, Mr. Fang.”

The two of them walked to the office, which was very clean, with the windows wide open, offering a view of the beautiful landscaping outside the property center. The files were all organized and locked in cabinets, with only a few empty folders scattered on the desk.

Secretary Zhou went over to organize the empty folders and put them aside, casually saying, “Manager Li isn’t on the project today. He’s been sent to another project for training. He originally wanted to come and meet you, but he couldn’t, so he sent me instead.”

Fang Shimian found this a bit strange but assumed it was just to prevent the employees sent from outside from getting lost and wasting time, so he didn’t think much of it. “Actually, I could have just asked for directions and found it myself. There’s no need to meet me. My colleague and I found the surveillance room ourselves this morning.”

Secretary Zhou didn’t respond to that, just smiled and said, “This afternoon, please help keep an eye on this office. The files are all organized, so you just need to sit here. If someone enters the wrong office or if a resident comes in, please explain and ask them to leave.”

This job was even more relaxed than the surveillance room because the sign outside clearly stated it was the manager’s office. Who would enter without knowing how to read?

Feeling a bit bored, Fang Shimian wanted to call Ma Liang to ask where he had been assigned in the afternoon, but the voice prompt said the number was out of service.

He must still be in the surveillance room.

On WeChat, Ma Liang had sent a sneaky observation emoji two hours ago. After a simple reply, Fang Shimian turned off his phone.

The afternoon sun was nice, and the office was quiet, with only the occasional bird call. No one came in, and after sitting for a while, Fang Shimian started to feel sleepy. He leaned back in the soft, comfortable office chair, still thinking about what Huo Zhongshan had inadvertently said, and before long, he actually fell asleep.

In his dream, he floated in the compound where he used to live, and as he floated, he suddenly became a child. He deliberately rolled onto the ground, and then he was picked up. His mother’s face was blurry, and her comforting words were inaudible. He cried, but he couldn’t hug back, just lowered his head, watching the ground beneath him turn into flowing gray apples.

When he woke up, it was already past four in the afternoon. Rubbing his eyes, Fang Shimian stood up, looking at the tranquility outside the window, feeling that the pay for this assignment was a bit undeserved since he hadn’t really done anything.

He stood for a while longer, looked around the empty office, then went out to find a cleaning lady to get a cloth and broom, giving the office a simple clean. After tidying up, he sat by the window, lost in thought.

The office door opened, and Ma Liang walked in with a spring in his step, his eyes shining, and he started talking non-stop.

“Man, you missed it today. That guy who told you not to come tomorrow, remember? That big guy, his face turned white, he was so scared he couldn’t even stand, asking around about who you were.” Ma Liang sat in the office chair opposite Fang Shimian, crossing his legs, proudly saying, “He even tried to ask me indirectly, and I just gave him four words: no comment!”

“How about that? Your bro’s got guts, right?”

“Also, that guy is just a security team leader, just promoted from the security team, still in his probation period. I thought he was some big shot, wanting to directly tell our manager to replace us, just because he’s got some muscles. What a big face.”

Fang Shimian didn’t know there was more to it, “They didn’t give you any trouble, did they?”

“Heh, you were respectfully invited out by the officials, who would dare to mess with me? They’re all trying to curry favor with me, offering me cigarettes, I couldn’t even refuse. After you left, Mingheng’s people were much more polite to us, they used to look down on us, now they even say thank you.” Ma Liang took out a crumpled loose cigarette from his pocket and sniffed it, “Good stuff.”

“By the way, how do you know those officials? You never mentioned it. If I had known you had connections like that, I would have run out to report it.” Ma Liang rolled the cigarette on the table for a couple of turns before putting it back in his pocket, “Let’s go, we can leave half an hour early since we’re support staff. This place is a bit remote, not sure if it’s easy to get a ride.”

“What did they have you do today? Didn’t even give you a lunch break.”

Fang Shimian stood up and pushed the chair back, not knowing how to explain, so he vaguely said, “Nothing much, just talked about some things and came back.”

“I thought so, someone said they saw you standing with the big boss of Hengshi, and I said it couldn’t be you. If you knew those people, would you be scolded by security for two boxed lunches?” Ma Liang opened the door and walked out.

“But who was that person who came to find you today, so impressive, must be a big shot.”

Fang Shimian opened the ride-hailing app and asked, “Brother Ma, where are you headed?”

“Back to Yunjin, my car’s still there.”

Not long after placing the order, a driver accepted it, which surprised Fang Shimian. He thought it would take a long time like Ma Liang said, “It’s actually pretty easy to get a ride here.”

“Oh right, this area has started operating, so there must be people hailing rides here. We’re heading to the city center, so someone will definitely take the order.” Ma Liang leaned over to look at Fang Shimian’s phone screen, suddenly exclaiming, “Wow, over a hundred for the fare! Will the company reimburse it?”

Fang Shimian shook his head, “I don’t know, they probably will, since there’s no shuttle bus in the afternoon.”

“Wait, cancel it first, I’ll get a couple more people to join, otherwise it’s too expensive.”

Just as they were talking, a business Mercedes drove up in front of them. Fang Shimian checked the ride-hailing app and saw it was a white car, so he pulled Ma Liang aside. Ma Liang was still on the phone trying to gather people, speaking loudly.

The car moved forward a bit, and a driver got out, walked up to Fang Shimian, opened the door for him, and respectfully said, “Mr. Fang, Mr. Huo asked me to take you back.”

“No need, it’s easy to get a ride here.”

The driver continued to smile, “This place is remote, and the road is long. Mr. Huo is really worried.”

Fang Shimian was momentarily distracted by a certain word, hesitated for a moment, looked at Ma Liang who was still trying to gather people, and asked, “Then… can we add one more person?”

The driver smiled, “Of course.”

When Fang Shimian pulled Ma Liang into the car, he was still talking to the person on the other end about the fare. It wasn’t until the car started moving that Ma Liang suddenly realized and hung up the phone, whispering in Fang Shimian’s ear, “Why didn’t you wait for me? I haven’t asked Old Liu and the others yet. Two people pay fifty, four people pay twenty-five to get back, you’re so dumb.”

Fang Shimian also whispered, “It’s okay, I just got a coupon… it’s free.”

Ma Liang was shocked and a bit pleased, looking around the car, only then realizing the spacious and luxurious interior, and couldn’t help but nudge Fang Shimian’s shoulder, “You actually booked a luxury car.”

Fang Shimian awkwardly turned off his phone, “Maybe I accidentally clicked the wrong one.”

“I’m going to take some videos, the driver won’t laugh at me, right? I also have a bit of an official’s treatment now, let my folks see.” Ma Liang started taking selfies with his phone.

When they arrived, Ma Liang got out of the car, still reluctant to leave, and took a photo of the car’s exterior, proudly saying, “This Mercedes actually has this kind of model, I’ll get one of these when I have money.”

As they were walking, having just greeted the security guard on duty, Ma Liang suddenly let out a scream from behind, “Wow, that car’s over a million!”

Fang Shimian paused in his steps. He thought Huo Zhongshan should know his situation and wouldn’t make such a high-profile move, firmly believing Ma Liang had made a mistake.

Ma Liang showed the image recognition result to Fang Shimian, “Buffett S, it even has a price tag of two million.”

Fang Shimian remained calm, “You only took a picture of the side, image recognition isn’t reliable. Last time I took a picture of a stray dog, it insisted it was a fox. Where would you find a fox in the city?”

Ma Liang thought that made sense, so he nodded, “That’s possible, how could such a car be used for picking up passengers?”

The two of them went down to the surveillance room, and in front of Xu Long, Ma Liang didn’t talk much. He sat for two minutes, packed his things, and left, which was unusual because normally he would chat with Xu Long, sharing all the day’s gossip.

After Ma Liang left, Xu Long asked Fang Shimian, “Did that guy get into a fight and run away today?”

“No, maybe he didn’t rest well.”

Xu Long didn’t believe it at all, snorted coldly, and said nothing.

At night, Fang Shimian rarely had insomnia, tossing and turning, thinking about what Huo Zhongshan had said about his childhood. For the first time in his life, he hated his poor memory, unable to clearly remember the time when he was loved.

And maybe it was because of the vividness of Huo Zhongshan’s words, Fang Shimian actually felt a bit of an impression, being lifted high by family, being comforted, just like the child surrounded by family at the gathering that day.

His heart started pounding, and suddenly he had a strong impulse.

He wanted to call his mom.

Just to ask one question, to ask if she was doing well.

Fang Shimian got up and checked the time, nine-thirty, his mom should still be awake.

He opened the window, paced in the living room for a long time, Huo Zhongshan’s words echoing in his ears, he stood still, finally dialing the number he knew by heart.

It rang for a long time, and Fang Shimian’s head slowly drooped.

In the last second, it suddenly connected, and a bit of static came through, a deep male voice asked, “Who is this?”

Fang Shimian, in a panic, glanced at the number, his throat felt like it was blocked with cement, he struggled to speak, “I… I’m looking for Director Zhang.”

There was a sneer on the other end, and after a brief noise, a familiar voice finally came through.

“Hello?”

Before Fang Shimian could say “Mom,” the other side impatiently said, “If you want money, ask your dad, you were awarded to him, don’t call me again.”

The sound of the call being disconnected was like a blade from reality, tearing apart the heart that Fang Shimian had painstakingly warmed.

He had expected it.

The wind blew in through the window, and Fang Shimian put down the phone, only then realizing the cold, his blood felt like it had frozen, cheap tears gathered at his chin and dripped down.

He numbly returned to the bedroom, his cheek touching the pillow, a chill spreading, Fang Shimian reached up to wipe his face, closed his eyes, and sobbed quietly.

When the alarm went off, Fang Shimian felt heavy-headed, very thirsty, and his nasal passages stung when he breathed. He wobbled out of bed, grabbed a bottle of water from the table, and gulped it down, then went to the living room to get his phone and returned to the bedroom.

Seeing the time, it was already past nine, and there was a missed call from Manager Yang. Fang Shimian called back.

“You weren’t there when they called roll today, the bus has already left, are you going to take a taxi yourself?”

Fang Shimian collapsed onto the bed, his mind a bit foggy, he said, “Hello, can I take a day off? I’ll make it up next week.”

The other side quickly approved and even expressed some concern, but Fang Shimian didn’t hear clearly what was said, he just mumbled a couple of times and the phone slipped onto the pillow.

Sleepiness hit again, and Fang Shimian felt cold, curling up under the covers, falling into a deep sleep.

He didn’t know how long had passed, but in his sleep, Fang Shimian heard a constant knocking sound, like a little monk in an ancient temple knocking on a wooden fish, sometimes urgent like a storm, sometimes slow like a gentle drizzle. Fang Shimian remembered many things he thought he had long forgotten.

That day was the announcement of the monthly exam results, and he cried the whole time he was doing homework at the teacher’s house because he hadn’t done well again. The teacher comforted him, saying they had already communicated with his parents that the test was difficult. Zhao Shun sat beside him, holding his hand, secretly wiping tears.

Zhao You was still awkward at that time, glaring at Fang Shimian fiercely, and after the teacher left, he scolded Fang Shimian for being a fool, only knowing how to cry, annoying!

Fang Shimian didn’t dare to dirty his homework, so he kept wiping his tears with his sleeve, his face turning red. Zhao You angrily threw a pack of tissues on the table and ran off.

That day, Grandpa Zhao happened to be home, and after Fang Shimian finished his homework, he took him to see the strange and wonderful pattern books he had in his study. Fang Shimian loved looking at them because Grandpa Zhao was very patient and would tell him the stories behind the patterns and lines.

When it was time to leave, Fang Shimian cried and begged the teacher to let him stay the night, but seeing the teacher’s troubled expression, he immediately said it was okay, his parents would forgive him, telling the teacher not to worry.

After returning home, his backpack was turned inside out, and a picture book with intricate patterns was found.

It was a gift from Grandpa Zhao.

Fang Shimian cried and promised he would do well next time, but his angry parents didn’t care about the promises and fears of a poor child.

Moreover, his dad found some childish, imaginative drawings on a piece of scrap paper.

Unrelated to studies, it was ironclad evidence of his declining grades.

A surge of anger finally found a reasonable outlet, and a torrent of humiliating scolding was hurled at the terrified child. After a painful session of crying and begging for mercy, the child’s weakness was the last straw that ignited the nerves, and Fang Shimian was dragged downstairs by his parents, limping.

“If you don’t want to study, then don’t!”

When the well-preserved books were consumed by the raging fire, Fang Shimian screamed to put it out, he wailed and begged, but his small body couldn’t even break through his dad’s arms. When he tried to bite, the intense pain from his face and head plunged him into despairing fear.

He saw the crimson flames, saw the cold, stern eyes of his parents, saw many familiar classmates, friends, uncles, and aunts in the yard whispering.

Neighbors were used to seeing Fang Shimian get beaten, but such a brutal scene was too damaging for a child. Although they didn’t want to get involved in these family matters, they still stepped in to stop the violence that almost killed Fang Shimian.

When the house returned to calm, and Fang Shimian was allowed to go back to his room to sleep, he didn’t dare close his eyes all night, afraid that the devouring flames would come with the vengeful spirits of those books to burn him alive.

Afraid of really not being able to study.

Afraid of the coldness in his dad’s eyes and the disappointment on his mom’s face.

The next day, he was called to school by his mom, his backpack filled with Zhu Ze’s old books.

He walked out of the house, saw Zhu Ze’s concerned expression, Zhu Ze still hugged him, asked if he was still in pain, everything returned to how it was, but he couldn’t even cry anymore.

The scene shifted again, to a call that couldn’t get through.

Beep-beep-beep-beep-

In the dream, the knocking sound suddenly stopped, the heat from the flames dissipated, but Fang Shimian suddenly woke up, opening his eyes to meet Huo Zhongshan’s calm gaze.

His vision was still a bit blurry, and Fang Shimian blinked.

Huo Zhongshan didn’t speak to him, turning his head to talk quietly with the doctor in a white coat beside him.

Only then did Fang Shimian notice that there were two doctors in his small bedroom. He wanted to sit up, but he had no strength, he looked at Huo Zhongshan, wanting to ask something and express his gratitude, but before he could act, a wave of irresistible drowsiness hit him. He wanted to close his eyes for a moment before asking, but as soon as he closed them, he fell back into the void of darkness.

At that moment, as Huo Zhongshan was talking to the doctor, the little bit of anger he felt because this kid didn’t take care of himself was suddenly extinguished.

The boy, drowsy under the covers, waking up with red, swollen eyes from a dream, silently looking at him with such dependent, lingering eyes, then falling back into a deep sleep.

A slight electric current flowed through his heart, the tingling sensation spreading throughout his body, softening a part of his emotional space.

After the two doctors finished explaining everything, they left. Huo Zhongshan stood quietly by the bed, looking down at the boy sleeping restlessly, his pale skin covered in fine sweat, his brows slightly furrowed, his lips trembling slightly, a very endearing sight.

Huo Zhongshan turned off the bedroom light but didn’t leave, instead standing in the dark for a long time, his gaze deep and silent, as if making some decision, his eyes obscure and unclear.

Fang Shimian didn’t sleep for long this time, he was drenched in sweat, and after taking some special medicine, although his body was still sore, he regained his energy. He opened his phone to reply to Xu Long’s message, but was surprised to see a message from Zhu Ze, asking how he was feeling and saying he would come to see him after the meeting.

Sitting up in a daze, he felt like he had forgotten something important, but couldn’t quite remember.

The bedroom lights were off, and although the lighting here wasn’t great, the afternoon sun still illuminated a small part of the room. Fang Shimian got up, sat for a while, then went to the wardrobe to grab a sleeveless T-shirt, opened the bedroom door, and slipped into the narrow hallway to the bathroom to take a shower.

Fang Shimian showered quickly this time because halfway through, he felt a bit lightheaded, his head heavy and feet light. He was already experienced with this situation, so he decisively pushed open the thin wooden bathroom door, letting the cold air in, the fresh air clearing his muddled brain, preventing him from falling inside.

He casually put on the long, old T-shirt and walked out, originally planning to squat by the wall next to the toilet to rest for a while before going to the bedroom to get clothes, but suddenly he noticed someone sitting in the living room.

At that moment, Fang Shimian’s hair almost stood on end.

He was wearing nothing but a large, ill-fitting old T-shirt.

Not even…

And at this moment, sitting on the sofa, looking down at his emails, was Huo Zhongshan, who clearly saw him too.

That dignified, silent gaze, the composed demeanor of someone in a high position, like a blazing fire burning him through.