On the first day of the new year, before they'd even felt the weather, the worst had happened.
Cheng Tiandao felt that he shouldn't have gone out today.
First, he called out Lao Qi, and after a brief meeting they got separated and the other had an accident. Then in the hospital, he heard his son say something that almost gave him a heart attack.
He was beside himself, shocked and confused.
The atmosphere in the car was stale.
Lu Shenxing hung his left arm, half-squinting as he smoked, the white smoke slowly rising into the air. The expression on his face was a little hazy, only his knitted eyebrows could be discerned.
"Lao Qi, he's still young, he hasn't made many friends. He doesn't know what liking someone is like, that is, he is young. It'll be fine in two days." Cheng Tiandao looked at the road ahead, holding the steering wheel with sweaty hands, he said, "Don't take him seriously."
Lu Shenxing pinched the cigarette between his fingers, "I won't."
Hearing the answer from the back seat, Cheng Tiandao sighed with relief. What he said just now wasn't true at all. He knew his son wasn't such a frivolous and casual person that would confess arbitrarily, but he said nothing.
That was why it was so serious. Cheng Tiandao sighed. He didn't want his son to leave him, but now that this kind of thing happened, his son must go. He must go as soon as possible.
Fang Wen, who was playing with her daughter at home, saw Cheng Tiandao come back with a blank face, and asked, "Xiao Zi came back just now, he didn't look right, why are you like this too? Was it Lao Qi..."
"Lao Qi just hurt his arm." Cheng Tiandao left her with this sentence and went upstairs.
"Hey, shoes! Change your shoes!" Fang Wen felt helpless, her face full of doubts. " with both of them like that you wouldn't think they were celebrating just last night..."
Cheng Zi was sitting at his desk in his room. The hot water next to him had already cooled. He heard the door lock turn behind him, followed by footsteps and a heavy sigh.
"How long?"
Cheng Zi didn't look back, "Can't remember."
"What do you like about your uncle?" Cheng Tiandao had had two wives in his life. The first was an arrangement between his parents, he got married without even seeing her. The second, Fang Wen, was introduced to him by a friend.
In a marriage 'like' was just a word or even a relationship it was often very insignificant.
"Just a feeling." Cheng Ziqing closed his eyes, he couldn't say when he discovered it. When he stays with that man, he had this sense of familiarity, as if they had known each other in a previous life.
Cheng Tiandao had lived to this age, but he really didn't know what that feeling was, "Your Dad has been thinking about it. It doesn't matter if you like men, but it cannot be your uncle."
Cheng Zi said calmly, "I'm not your biological son, I have no relation to him."
"As long as you call me Dad, he will always be your uncle!" After shouting Cheng Tiandao sobered up and his voice slowed down, "Erzi, do you know what I'm saying?"
Cheng Zi was silent.
"When you go abroad, you should work hard over there." Cheng Tiandao said.
Cheng Zi raised his eyes and turned to look at the man in front of him who had nurtured him for twenty years.
"Don't look at me like that." Cheng Tiandao felt uncomfortable, as if he had become a villainous father-in-law who pulled apart the mandarin ducks. "I asked for you. Your uncle only thinks of you as a nephew, nothing more than that."
The corners of Cheng Zi's lips tightened for a few minutes, showing a sharp arc, but after a moment, he let go, and said softly, "I see."
"The momentary feeling will pass." Cheng Tian said earnestly, "Erzi, you're still young, if you go out and take a look, you'll find that there are many other fish in the sea."
Cheng Zi bowed his head, not saying a word. The tense contour of his jaw, made him look like he was resisting.
"Think about it yourself." Cheng Tiandao closed the door behind him.
Cheng Zi sat in the chair for a long time. He opened the drawer and took out a sketchbook, rubbing his fingers against it a few times. Then he found a pencil and finished drawing the half-realised image, pulled out his backpack and stuffed the book inside.
Throwing himself onto his bed, Cheng Zi raised his hands and pillowed his head on his arms to look at the white ceiling in a daze. He'd kept the secret in his heart, never intending to say it but unexpectedly, after today's events caused them to come out, he felt much more relaxed.
He'd known the end result since the beginning, but still...he was disappointed.
On the sixth, Cheng Tiandao didn't come to see him off. He stood on the balcony watching his son leave with his suitcase, the lonely figure walking further and further, until he disappeared around the corner.
Fang Wen who came over said, "Why are you crying? It's not like Xiao Zi is not coming back."
Cheng Tiandao reached up to wipe away the tears from the corner of his eyes.
"If you're so reluctant, why did you let him go?" Fang Wen couldn't understand what her lover's plan was. He spent most of his life thinking about that child, but in the end sent him abroad at the first chance.
"It's for his own good." Cheng Tiandao sniffed.
Fang Wen took out a handkerchief and put it on his nose, "You're an old man, why are you crying."
Cheng Tiandao's voice buzzed through the handkerchief, "The old man is more vulnerable."
Lu Shenxing was still asleep. His phone vibrated a few times. He felt around for it with his hand, turned it on and saw a text message. It was from an unfamiliar number, only one simple word: treasure.
He threw the phone aside and fell back into bed. Da Zhizi, have a good trip.
From winter to spring, Lu Shenxing occasionally had tea with Cheng Tiandao, and went to his house for dinner, but the brothers avoided that name and topic whether it was consciously or unconsciously.
Women are attentive, and Fang Wen wondered what was going on at first, but soon she found that as long as she mentioned something about him, their expressions became a bit strange. Moreover, after he'd gone to a foreign country, he didn't speak much whenever he called home and always found various excuses to hang up when Lao Qi came up.
Putting all these things together, she felt that she had guessed a possibility.
Saying goodbye to Cheng Tiandao, Lu Shenxing changed his shoes at the entrance, and saw Fang Wen waiting for him in the corner outside the gate, "Dasao."
Fang Wen pulled the hair from her cheek behind her ear, and said for no reason, "Xiao Zi called back yesterday and said that he was doing well. It seems that he has made many friends."
"Dasao, you don't have to be coy." Lu Shenxing had a feeling.
"Then I'll just say it straight." Fang Wen looked directly at Lu Shenxing, "Lao Qi, I know what happened and I want to know your opinion on it."
After a few seconds, Lu Shenxing understood Fang Wen's meaning and said without hesitation, "He's my nephew."
Fang Wen's fine-lined eyes curled, and a relieved smile appeared on her face. She said, "Lao Qi, remember your promise today."
Watching Fang Wen go back, Lu Shenxing had a strange feeling. He didn't know where the feeling came from, only that before he'd even noticed it, it was already unfolding in his heart.
Cheng Zi said that he liked him. Lu Shenxing tidied the cuffs of his coat. Why? This skin bag was far away from the traditional standard of beauty. At most, he had money, but the other party looked down on his money.
Lu Shenxing slipped his hands into his coat pockets and walked to his car, his leather shoes crunching through the dead leaves. He believed everything in this world happened for a reason.
Life still went on. While investing in projects, Lu Shenxing continued his charity work, throwing money into it, and saving public morals.
He wasn't sure when it started but started to find that if he couldn't see that kid with OCD, he suddenly felt that something was missing.
Going to the gym as usual, Lu Shenxing saw a man in the locker room, his brow furrowed, "What are you doing here?"
"So you are the boss of Shengshi." The mixed-race man whistled, admiring Lu Shenxing's well-developed abs, "You're a big celebrity, it's easy to find out what you're doing."
"I remember your name is Ari." Lu Shenxing pulled on his top. "If you don't have something to say, you can go away."
"That kid Luo Yang paid someone to kill me." Ari's expression changed, and he held back an air of resentment.
"You didn't die?" Lu Shenxing scanned the kiss marks on his collarbone and neck, and there was a slight mark on his waist. He'd clearly had a good time.
"I was lucky, damn it. I thought he was a rabbit, I didn't realise he was a rabid dog." Ari's blue eyes filled with irritability, and he scratched his hair hard, "I already know, I won't take your money."
"You're the one playing him." Lu Shenxing remained unfazed, "What does it have to do with me?"
"Didn't you tell me to play with him?" Ari couldn't believe it.
"Who can prove it?" Lu Shenxing sneered.
Ari's face changed drastically. This person gave him cash, and he didn't leave any evidence at the time. He also forgot to record it, he was speechless.
"I hate others threatening me the most." Lu Shenxing patted his face, "What did you say at the beginning? Need I remind you?"
Ari yelled, "****!"
"If I were you, I would either cut my losses and hide abroad or in a remote mountainous area." Lu Shenxing glanced at him, "Or learn from Luo Yang and find someone more powerful than his rich man to be your backer. "
Ari's eyes lit up, he pressed himself against him, raised his knee and rubbed Lu Shenxing's crotch. He blew into Lu Shenxing's ear, "Wouldn't we be good together? My technique is really good, I could stick you off whenever, going for two or three hours is easy."
"You smell of low-quality condoms." Lu Shenxing grabbed his hair in disgust and pulled it backwards, forcing him to raise his head, "This is a warning, don't show up in front of me again."
"Okay, I'm leaving now." Ari begged for mercy, staggering back before reluctantly retreating.
Lu Shenxing stood there, leaning on the door of the locker and took out a cigarette. He should have killed him, just letting him leave might cause trouble in the future.
Lu Shenxing had a problem, once he latched onto an idea he had a hard time letting it go. He sent someone to kill Ari that night, they were very efficient.
In his opinion, this matter was considered over.
A few days later, Lu Shenxing was waiting at the red light at an intersection, when he heard the voice of the system. His first reaction was that the task was completed. But before he could get excited, he saw a list appearing in the void.
Item name: Juhua Ling
Effect: Wet Wet Wet
Price: 1,000 love points
Item name: Hao Lu
Effect: Lube
Price: 1,500 love points
Buy now and save 100 love points when you purchase the package.
Ways to obtain love points: Take missing children home, reward 1001 lp; help the elderly cross the road, reward 2000 lp; provide help to the disabled, reward 1,642 lp...
Lu Shenxing's eyelids jumped after reading the long how to obtain list.
The function of the items were amazing, the prices were even more amazing, why the hell were the products so useless?
"I don't need these."
Lu Shenxing added, buying condoms and lube wouldn't solve all problems.
"Ding, Mr. Lu, are you sure?"
It seemed that he wasn't 100% sure, Lu Shenxing turned the steering wheel and switched lanes. Just in case, it was better to save a little.
He parked the car in the parking lot on the third floor of the mall. Lu Shenxing pushed a shopping cart forward, there were a lot of people in a big mall and there would be many opportunities.
After purposeful wandering, Lu Shenxing saw a three or four-year-old girl picking up beef jerky off the shelf. He patrolled around, but there were no adults around.
"Kid, where is your mother?"
The little girl tilted her head to look, then turned her head away and cried loudly, Lu Shenxing, "..."
"Mama—wah—"
The woman who was chatting with her good sister and walking around heard the familiar cry. She looked behind her and, finding that her child was gone, she hurriedly ran after the cry and saw the upper class looking man next to her child. Swallowing a curse, she quickly picked up the child and kissed her, "Baby it's okay, mum is here."
Lu Shenxing slinked away. After he'd scared a third child into tears, his temples throbbed, did he really look like a scary uncle?
"Da Shu, can you help me pick up the bread on the floor?"
Lu Shenxing looked at the smiling young girl standing in front of him, then looked down, and passed over her miniskirt and slender legs. She'd deliberately thrown the bread just now and waited for him to pick it up.
Once he bent over, the scenery under her miniskirt be in plain view. Normal men would oblige in a heartbeat and whatever happened next would be easy.
"Kid, this uncle doesn't eat tender grass."
The smile on the young girl's face froze, she angrily squatted down, picked up the bread and left.
Lu Shenxing rolled his eyes, was this kid short-sighted? Didn't she realise that it was an adult man she was spreading her legs for?
After hanging around the mall for more than an hour, Lu Shenxing had gained nothing. He found a place on the roadside to squat and smoke. After a while, a rickety old man walked over with difficulty. The plastic bag in his hand suddenly broke open and oranges spilled out across the footpath.
He stubbed out his cigarette and walked over, squeezing out a friendly and kind smile, "Lao Yeye, do you need help?"
The old man stared at Lu Shenxing cautiously, stretching his throat and shouting, "What do you want to do?"
His voice attracted onlookers. Most of them were sympathetic to Lu Shenxing, while others thought they were watching a show.
Lu Shenxing's eyelid twitched, it was hard to be a good person these days.
Having said that, he had already done many charitable activities and donated a huge amount of money to help poor areas. Wasn't that a good deed?
After a few consecutive failures, Lu Shenxing finally learned the trick. He changed his business clothes, and put on an ordinary casual jacket and jeans, and walked down the street. He became an uncle who was down on his luck but still positive.
At Lotte Plaza next to the Drum Gate, Lu Shenxing touched the child sitting alone on the stone steps, "Kid, uncle will take you to find mom, okay?"
The corners of his mouth twitched. Why did he sound like a human trafficker?
Lu Shenxing successfully sent the child to the public security bureau, and learned that the child's parents had reported him missing more than four hours ago. He finally had love points. From then on he found a lost child almost every three or four days. Later, he simply took over a nest of traffickers, and found that those parents could really find all sorts excused to neglect the existence of their children.
Helping the elderly to cross the road was unsuccessful once, but Lu Shenxing often gave up his seat to them.
He accumulated many love points, and could already afford fifty sets of the system package. In addition to the sense of accomplishment, he was also a lot more relaxed.
Once Lu Shenxing sent a pregnant woman who was hit by a taxi to the hospital, and was photographed by passers-by. Some netizens ridiculed that rich people really had a lot of free time but most of them spoke highly of him.
As a result Shengshi Real Estate also received more attention and trust.
Lu Shenxing was invited to be interviewed and was presented as a successful person who was caring and knew how to give back to society.
"I'm not a good person." Lu Shenxing crossed his legs, and spoke with a magnetic voice, "I'm just working hard."
"Mr. Cheng is really funny." The host spoke for the audience, "If you aren't a good person, then there are no good people in the world."
Lu Shenxing maintained a mature and stable attitude. He was really not a good person, but no one believed him.
The host smiled and asked, "I believe everyone is as curious as I am. What inspired Mr. Cheng to have this determination?"
Facing the camera, Lu Shenxing curled his lips, his narrow eyes were full of sincerity, "As long as everyone shows a little love."
The audience below responded in unison, "This world will become a beautiful world!"
With music and applause, it was a perfect interview. It earned attention from those who want to start a business and also made Lu Shenxing's high image stronger. He was named an ambassador of love.
Lu Shenxing, who ranked first among golden bachelors, was watched by countless people, and more and more people wanted to climb on his bed.
In June, Lu Shenxing met a close friend in the mountains. He was a young man born and raised in the mountains, with the simplicity and honesty of the people there.
The young man looked at Lu Shenxing with the same gratitude as everyone else, thanking him with every bite.
"Don't thank me." Lu Shenxing waved his hand, he was also doing this for himself.
At the same time, Cheng Tiandao happened to be on a business trip to G city. He thought about going to Lingxian to see how Lao Qi's charity activities were doing, but accidentally saw a man walking with Lao Qi in a county town. Lao Qi said something and the man blushed.
Cheng Tiandao called his son when he got home, thinking that he could both test his son's mind and also let him know that it would be useless to persist.
Due to the time difference, Cheng Zi had just fallen asleep. He heard the voice on the phone and said casually, "Really?"
"Really, that model is not inferior to Luo Yang at all, he looks very pretty." Cheng Tiandao didn't notice anything off, and kept talking, "This time your uncle has finally made a difference."
Cheng Zi said lightly, "Dad, I'm sleepy."
Cheng Tiandao remembered that it was late at night for his son, he blamed himself and said, "Go to sleep."
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Zi sat alone by his bed and stayed up all night.
The conditions in the mountains were bad, Lu Shenxing had stayed there for a few days when a heavy rain trapped him there.
The young man sternly handed him a washed nashi, "Cheng-ge, thank you very much for doing this for our village."
He seemed to have made a major decision, his hands shook as he unbuttoned his clothes, "Cheng, Cheng-ge, come."
Looking at the door of his house, Lu Shenxing squinted his eyes motionless. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't want to go in either physically or mentally. For some reason, he also vaguely felt that the door shouldn't be so wide.
"Cheng-da ge, where are you going?" The young man was still on the ground, blushing redder than blood.
"Need to piss." Lu Shenxing didn't look back.
With the heavy rain outside, Lu Shenxing held his bird and stood in front of the pit as he collected his thoughts. He felt that his emotions were really strange recently. He had this illusion, as if he was looking for someone's shadow in that person.
Lu Shenxing wiped the rain off his face. As soon as he walked back in, he saw the young man hit himself in shame. He squatted down and said, "Cheng, Cheng-ge, I'm sorry, I thought you wanted to..."
"You think too much."
After Lu Shenxing finished speaking, he caught the young man looking relieved out the corner of his eye and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Sleep early."
The young man agreed, gathered up his shabby clothes, opened the door and rushed into the rain.
Lu Shenxing sat on a stool, listening to the sound of rain hitting the window, the rain should stop tomorrow.
He ate two nashi in one breath, then ran to the pit again, came back and took off his wet clothes, picked up the water that was poured on the table and took a sip.
At night, Lu Shenxing felt a little hot for no reason. He panted and closed his eyes, rolled up his clothes and threw them off.
Lu Shenxing had a dream.
There were hands that held him dishonestly, with long slender joints, round fingertips, their palms were wet and hot, teasing him with endless malice, like they were venting his anger.
In a daze, Lu Shenxing felt someone muttering in his ear. He wanted to open his eyes, but every time he seemed to be stopped by some force.
His body sank and breathing became difficult. Lu Shenxing was taken to a door. He stretched out his hand to touch the door frame indiscriminately. The familiar feeling and narrow width spread easily under his fingers, becoming stronger and stronger.
He suddenly trembled, and the door forcibly sucked him in.
Out of instinct, Lu Shenxing couldn't control himself. He was driven by a kind of deep pain that was familiar and seeped from the marrow of his bones. He bounced and poked, and played around, going in from all angles, and came a few times through the door.
A streak of pain suddenly exploded in his mind, and immediately attacked him. Lu Shenxing unconsciously hugged his head and fell to one side, as if something was being opened...