Chapter 43#
Lu Muchi felt puzzled.
What 100,000 yuan commodity?
After a long time, perhaps ten seconds, or perhaps a few minutes, he finally remembered.
After Yan Heqing rejected him, he approached Yan Heqing’s foster parents, offering a price they could never earn in their lifetime. In Yan Heqing’s absence, both parties completed the transaction for his “ownership”.
Before Yan Heqing signed the contract, he casually gave Yan Heqing’s foster parents 100,000 yuan as a deposit.
And this was only a few months ago.
Lu Muchi had long forgotten.
His black eyes widened slightly.
Suddenly, the sensor light dimmed, and the stairwell plunged into darkness. He instantly couldn’t see Yan Heqing’s expression clearly.
Mottled and fragmented skylight seeped in through the window cracks, outlining only the boy’s tall and thin blurred silhouette.
Lu Muchi swallowed unconsciously.
“I…” He opened his mouth, his throat terribly dry. After uttering one word, he couldn’t speak anymore.
He couldn’t defend himself.
Every word Yan Heqing said was true.
At that time, he indeed only regarded Yan Heqing as a commodity, a substitute for Lin Fengzhi.
But that was in the past.
It was different now.
He distinguished very clearly that Yan Heqing and Lin Fengzhi were two completely different people.
To him, Yan Heqing was no longer a commodity, but someone he wanted to understand deeply.
Lu Muchi clenched his hands.
He understood.
His past playfulness had deeply hurt Yan Heqing, planting a thorn in Yan Heqing’s heart.
To start over with Yan Heqing, he had to pull out that thorn.
Lu Muchi took a few steps down the stairs and stopped in front of Yan Heqing.
He was six centimeters taller than Yan Heqing. Lowering his head slightly, now that he was closer, he finally saw Yan Heqing’s face clearly.
The boy’s face was covered with a faint light. Those two pools of light brown eyes were brighter and more beautiful than any moonlight he had ever seen.
Lu Muchi suddenly had the urge to kiss him. Before his brain could react, he uncontrollably lowered his head and leaned towards Yan Heqing.
Yan Heqing watched coldly. The moment Lu Muchi leaned in, he took a step back, a flash of disgust passing through his eyes.
Lu Muchi suddenly sobered up.
He stiffened for a moment, then stood straight again and squeezed his palms. “Let’s go.”
The sensor light turned on in response to the sound.
Orange light fell on Yan Heqing’s eyebrows and eyes, still indifferent, as if the disgust just now was just Lu Muchi’s illusion.
Yan Heqing’s voice was very faint, “Where to?”
Lu Muchi went downstairs first. As he passed by, his voice was low and deep, “To take back that 100,000 that makes you unhappy.”
After walking a few steps, there was movement behind him, but it was getting further away from him. Lu Muchi stopped again. He looked back; Yan Heqing was going upstairs. Lu Muchi was a bit surprised, “You’re not going?”
Did he misunderstand? Did Yan Heqing not want that 100,000 back?
Yan Heqing stopped at the door. He didn’t look back, taking out his key to open the door. His steady voice betrayed no emotion, “I wasn’t present before, and there’s no need to be now.”
Turning the key, the lock made a slight sound. The door opened, and Yan Heqing suddenly looked back. Orange light fell into his eyes, flowing with a glaze-like brilliance, “Goodnight.”
Yan Heqing entered the room and softly closed the door.
Lu Muchi stood frozen on the spot, his ears constantly echoing the cool, slightly nasal “Goodnight”.
“Crazy.”
Lu Muchi swallowed his saliva and turned mechanically to go downstairs.
He actually…
Two incredibly ordinary words, yet he felt incredibly happy.
Those few dozen steps, Lu Muchi walked for almost ten minutes. Once out of the unit building, he rushed eagerly to the parking spot. He couldn’t wait a moment longer; he wanted to pull out the thorn in Yan Heqing’s heart and start over with him!
The car started, and Lu Muchi drove away like lightning.
On the third floor, Yan Heqing put down the curtains, walked back to the coffee table with a calm expression, took out the new inner wear and pants from the paper bag, and carried them into the bathroom to wash.
He used soap powder. Pouring it into the water, the soap powder slowly dissolved without creating bubbles. Yan Heqing soaked the light and dark clothes separately in basins, then dried his hands and left the bathroom. He changed into a new set of clothes, grabbed a hat and mask, and went out.
The guard came out holding instant noodles and saw Yan Heqing leaving the residential complex.
Yan Heqing used to work night shifts at a bar and would occasionally go out late at night and return in the morning. The guard had bumped into him several times and was used to it.
He lifted the lid of the instant noodles, steam rising up. He shook his head and sighed, “Making money day and night at such a young age, so sensible.”
Yan Heqing walked to the roadside. It was too late; he waited in the cold wind for almost ten minutes before hailing a taxi.
Getting into the back seat, the driver started the car and asked, “Where to?”
Yan Heqing sat firmly and gave the address of the Yan family home.
Lu Muchi had been to Yan Heqing’s foster parents’ house a few times and knew the way. He arrived downstairs at the Yan family’s place before ten o’clock.
Most people in this community were locals. With the New Year approaching, at this time, lights were on in thousands of homes. Occasionally, sounds of TV, mahjong shuffling, and children’s laughter could be heard.
The car stopped directly at the entrance of the unit building. Lu Muchi got out but didn’t move. He glanced at the rearview mirror; sure enough, a car had stopped not far behind him.
He took out a cigarette, lit it, and held it in his mouth. He took his phone and made a call. After saying a few sentences, the car parked behind opened its doors, and two tall, strong men ran quickly towards him.
“Young Master Lu.”
The two bodyguards bowed their heads respectfully.
Lu Muchi didn’t lose his temper this time. He took out the cigarette and slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke. “Second floor, left unit, the family named Yan. I want my 100,000 yuan back. Tonight, every single cent must be recovered.”
The two bodyguards said yes and ran into the unit building with quick reactions.
Yan Shengbing hadn’t been back for several days. Zhao Huilin went out after dinner. At this moment, only Yan Feng was at home in the Yan family. He turned off the lights and watched an adult movie in his room.
He stared closely at the white bodies on the screen, his body squirming incessantly.
Just as he was about to release, someone knocked on the door.
Yan Feng thought Yan Shengbing was back. Yan Shengbing often didn’t bring keys and would knock on the door when he came back drunk in the middle of the night, which was annoying. But before, Yan Heqing would open the door, so he didn’t have to move.
Yan Feng reluctantly pressed pause and crawled out of the quilt. He had gained weight recently, and the fat all over his body shook. His room had air conditioning and was very warm. He went out to open the door wearing short sleeves, but as soon as he opened the door, he shivered from the cold.
Zhao Huilin was afraid Yan Heqing would benefit from it, so she didn’t install air conditioning in the living room.
The knocking continued. Yan Feng went back to his room to grab a jacket, put it on, and then came out yawning, pretending to have just woken up to open the door.
The door opened. Yan Feng’s “Dad” was just forming on his lips when it got stuck in his throat.
It was two tall strange men. Yan Feng was fat and not tall, only reaching the bodyguards’ chests. He was a bit scared and his voice became much quieter, “Uncles, who are you looking for?”
The bodyguard, whose height almost reached the top of the door, looked inside and saw no one else. “Is your surname Yan?”
Yan Feng gripped the door handle tightly, wanting to close the door but daring not to. “Mm.”
The bodyguard asked again, “Where are your parents?”
“Not here.”
The bodyguard walked straight into the house. “Call them. Tell them to come back immediately.”
Yan Feng didn’t dare to say a second word. He ran back to his room, lifted the quilt to get his phone, his hands shaking as he exited the video and dialed Zhao Huilin’s number directly.
——
“Why can’t I sue now?” Zhao Huilin looked uncomprehending. “Why can’t I sue? I raised Yan Heqing for 13 years, and he ran away just like that. No matter which court this goes to, I’m in the right!”
The lawyer was speechless. “Your adopted son is only 18, just became an adult, and is still studying. You and your husband are both in your prime and can earn money. You haven’t lost the ability to live, so you haven’t reached the stage of needing alimony.”
Zhao Huilin was dissatisfied. “It wasn’t easy raising him, dealing with shit and piss. I don’t care about the law, just write it for me. After the New Year, I want to sue Yan Heqing!”
The lawyer took out a contract. “Suing is fine, but let’s be clear first, I’m not confident of winning. You have to pay half the legal fees upfront.”
Hearing about money, Zhao Huilin felt a pinch.
But last time Yan Heqing really scared her. Domestic violence, abuse… She ran to ask a small lawyer in the alley, and the small lawyer said there were indeed precedents. She felt the small lawyer wasn’t professional enough, so she contacted another lawyer who was said to specialize in alimony cases.
There was still 4.9 million!
She would never let Yan Heqing enjoy it alone!
Zhao Huilin was about to bargain when her phone rang. Seeing it was Yan Feng, she answered with a beaming smile, “Son…”
Just as she spoke, Yan Feng interrupted her in a whisper, “Mom, come back quickly! Two men are looking for you. I’m scared alone! Come back quickly!”
Zhao Huilin left without even hanging up the phone.
The lawyer put away the contract speechlessly. What kind of person sues for alimony at just over 40?
The lawyer’s home wasn’t far from the Yan family’s. Zhao Huilin ran hurriedly all the way.
Yan Heqing had also just got out of the car. Seeing Zhao Huilin running into the community, he put on his hat and mask, pulled down the brim, and followed unhurriedly.
Yan Feng was Zhao Huilin’s lifeblood. She ran until she was out of breath without stopping, sprinting all the way home.
Entering the house, Yan Feng was clutching his phone, standing obediently against the wall, while two tall men in trench coats sat on the sofa. Zhao Huilin went forward to hug Yan Feng, staring warily at the bodyguards. “What do you want!”
Seeing she was alone, the bodyguard frowned and stood up. “Where’s your man?”
Zhao Huilin said suspiciously, “He’s not here. Are you looking for him?”
“As if you can make decisions.” The other bodyguard looked at his watch frequently, afraid Lu Muchi would get angry waiting. He said straight to the point, “You didn’t get the job done. Spit out my boss’s 100,000 yuan.”
Hearing 100,000 yuan, Zhao Huilin’s heart sank violently. She panicked, “Your boss… is Young Master Lu?”
The bodyguard nodded. Zhao Huilin’s last shred of hope was completely shattered.
That 100,000 yuan was long spent.
She bought herself a bag. Yan Shengbing took tens of thousands saying he was doing business with friends. For the remaining money, the school assigned to their area wasn’t good, and Yan Feng was moving from elementary to junior high next year. She spent a fortune to contact a private junior high school; the registration fee alone was 30,000.
If it were anyone else, Zhao Huilin would have thrown a tantrum and denied it, saying she had no money but one life. But she had seen Lu Muchi’s methods and knew he was someone she couldn’t afford to offend.
She smiled apologetically, “Brothers, have you made a mistake? Young Master Lu likes my son very much. Why would he want the money back?”
The bodyguard grew impatient. “Cut the crap. Young Master Lu has spoken. He wants the 100,000 yuan back today, not a penny less! Otherwise—” He looked around the house. “This house is worth some money. I’ll contact someone to evaluate it right away.”
Hearing about the house, Zhao Huilin’s vision went black. The house was Yan Feng’s last guarantee; it absolutely couldn’t be touched! She gritted her teeth and said, “I’ll pay, I’ll pay!”
Zhao Huilin took out her phone. She had saved a sum of money, which was for Yan Feng’s college tuition. There was 80,000 yuan. Plus the more than 10,000 Yan Heqing paid back, she could scrape together 100,000.
But when she logged into the account, Zhao Huilin was dumbfounded. She leaned in incredulously. The balance showed 0!
What was going on!
Zhao Huilin hurriedly clicked on the details and almost fainted.
During this period, money was withdrawn successively, 8,000 or 10,000 each time. Yesterday, it was all withdrawn.
Only she and Yan Shengbing knew the password and account.
Zhao Huilin bit her lip until it bled. It must be that good-for-nothing, gambling again! No need to think, the money he took earlier for so-called business with friends was also a lie!
Yan Shengbing had gambled away all the money!
Seeing Zhao Huilin’s face change, the bodyguard guessed she definitely had no money. He urged impatiently, “I’ll give you another half hour. If I don’t see the money, sell the house to pay it back!”
Zhao Huilin had no choice but to call Yan Shengbing.
As expected, this dog was drinking again, having gambled away every penny.
Zhao Huilin cursed, finally breaking down in tears. “I told you not to gamble! Now I have no way out. You find 100,000 yuan immediately. I don’t care if you steal or rob, anyway, you can’t touch my son’s house!”
At this time, Yan Heqing walked into the unit building diagonally opposite, looking at Lu Muchi’s car, and removed Lu Muchi from the blacklist.
Half an hour later, Yan Shengbing, reeking of alcohol, ran into the unit building in a hurry carrying a small bag.
A short while later, the two bodyguards came downstairs holding the small bag, walked to Lu Muchi’s car, and handed it in respectfully.
In the darkness, the phone screen lit up.
It was on silent. The caller ID was Lu Muchi.
It only rang for two seconds before cutting off.
Lu Muchi hung up almost instantly. That “Goodnight” echoed in his mind again.
Yan Heqing might be asleep now.
Lu Muchi opened his text messages. He edited it several times before sending it out.
A text message came in—“The money is back. Contact me when you wake up.”
Yan Heqing put the phone back in his pocket. Watching Lu Muchi’s car drive away, he looked up again at the balcony where he had lived for 13 years.
Crying and cursing gradually came out clearly.
“You borrowed from loan sharks! You borrowed again! You’re going to kill me and our son…”
Yan Shengbing was also cursing with a slur, “If I didn’t go to loan sharks, who the fuck would lend you 100,000 yuan immediately! It’s all your fault, you useless woman. My 4.9 million is gone!”
“Blame me?! You stole my money and gambled it all away, and you still blame me! I’ll fight you!”
Then, there were sounds of beating and scolding, and Yan Feng’s crying.
The surrounding neighbors had long avoided this family like the plague; no one came to mediate.
It wasn’t the first time Yan Shengbing borrowed from loan sharks.
Yan Heqing remembered clearly. In his third year of elementary school, Yan Shengbing borrowed 5,000 yuan at a casino, which eventually turned into 200,000. During the New Year, a gang of thugs came to the house to collect the debt. They took everything that could be moved and beat Yan Shengbing severely.
That year, Yan Shengbing and Zhao Huilin fought every day. Several times there was blood. Yan Feng was so scared he wet his pants every day.
The whole house was filled with the smell of Yan Feng’s urine.
Finally, everything that could be sold was sold, and they borrowed money from relatives and friends everywhere to pay it off.
He wondered how much this 100,000 loan shark debt would roll into.
One apartment probably wouldn’t be enough.
Yan Heqing adjusted his mask, turned towards the direction he came from, and melted into the night alone.
Having recovered the 100,000 yuan, Lu Muchi was in a great mood. He even wanted to take the money straight to Yan Heqing’s building, wait downstairs for him to wake up, and hear his first “Good morning”.
However—
Lu Muchi looked down and sniffed his collar. He hadn’t showered for several days while looking for Yan Heqing. He smelled.
The car slowed down. Lu Muchi reluctantly changed direction.
Now that he was starting over with Yan Heqing, he could hear him say good morning and goodnight every day in the future. There was no rush for today.
Although he thought so, Lu Muchi was still very unhappy.
Driving to the community, the security guard saw him and quickly ran over, smiling broadly. “Young Master Lu, the cleaner found a pile of things at your door. You haven’t been home, and we couldn’t reach you, so we put them in the property management office first. When do you have time to pick them up?”
Lu Muchi frowned. “What things?”
“There are photos.” The security guard took out his phone, opened the album, and handed it to Lu Muchi. “Look.”
Lu Muchi glanced at it. At first, he had no impression, until he glimpsed that piece of white ceramic. He understood.
Lin Fengzhi threw them away.
It had happened a few times before. When he made Lin Fengzhi unhappy, Lin Fengzhi would block him and return the gifts he gave.
This time, it was the same trick.
Thinking back to a few days ago, Lin Fengzhi called him. He was frantically looking for Yan Heqing at the time and had no mood to answer the phone.
During this time, he had forgotten about Lin Fengzhi.
He even forgot that Lin Fengzhi liked Lu Lin.
His thoughts were firmly captured by Yan Heqing.
He didn’t know when it started, but the time he spent thinking about Yan Heqing had far exceeded Lin Fengzhi.
The image of the boy squatting in the stairwell petting a wild cat, and walking in the snow holding an umbrella, exchanged back and forth with Lin Fengzhi’s appearance in Lu Muchi’s mind.
A moment later.
Lu Muchi said carelessly, “Throw them away.”
The security guard was very surprised. He heard from the property management that those things were worth several million! He opened his mouth wide. “What did you say?”
“Throw them away. Into the trash can.”
Lu Muchi stepped on the gas and drove away.