Chapter 25: Holding Flowers on a Rainy Night
Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!
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Five years ago, January 7th.
Private hospital.
Chu Feng opened his eyes to the sight of a snow-white ceiling, with the smell of disinfectant in the air.
“Why am I… in the hospital?”
“You drank too much last night, I was afraid you had alcohol poisoning.”
Xie Shiyu sat by the bedside, holding a sharp knife, peeling an apple for him.
Chu Feng watched as Xie Shiyu skillfully peeled the apple, the silver blade slicing through it effortlessly. The thin apple peel obediently fell off, layer by layer, forming a complete apple fruit, while a string of unbroken apple peel fell into Xie Shiyu’s palm.
“Did I drink… that much?”
Chu Feng sat up in bed, holding his head, trying to remember. He couldn’t recall anything after he escorted his female colleagues home downstairs. His memory was completely fragmented.
Xie Shiyu didn’t say anything, remaining silent. He cut the peeled apple into small pieces with precise strokes. The sound of the knife cutting through the fruit echoed crisply in the quiet ward.
Chu Feng watched Xie Shiyu’s actions with a sense of unease. Somehow, he suddenly felt something strange.
When a normal person cuts an apple for a patient, it exudes warmth and kindness, but the same action performed by Xie Shiyu seemed eerie. Perhaps it was because Xie Shiyu’s knife skills were too proficient, as if he had practiced deliberately. When he peeled the apple, it was reminiscent of a villain in a horror movie peeling human skin, and when he cut the fruit, it was as if he was dissecting a corpse.
“Why are you staring at me?” Xie Shiyu glanced at Chu Feng with a slight smile, then leaned down to kiss his forehead gently.
“Didn’t see me all night, miss your husband already?”
Chu Feng rolled his eyes at him and turned away, burying himself in the bed.
“No good morning kiss for me?” Xie Shiyu kneeled on the bed, smiling, and reached out to turn Chu Feng’s face towards him.
He leaned in close, and Chu Feng, lying on the bed, pushed away Xie Shiyu who was on top of him. “Get up.”
“I’ll get up if you give me a morning kiss.”
“Don’t be silly. What if the doctor comes in?”
Just as Chu Feng finished speaking, he heard a cough.
Cough, cough.
The doctor walked in.
Chu Feng gave Xie Shiyu a sideways glance, feeling embarrassed, and shrunk into the bed, pretending to be asleep.
Xie Shiyu got up from the bed slowly and looked at the doctor.
The doctor said, “No major issues, just rest for a while and if there are no adverse reactions, you can go home.”
After the doctor left, Chu Feng opened his eyes and glared at Xie Shiyu.
“Give me a kiss.” Xie Shiyu smiled and leaned his face towards Chu Feng.
Chu Feng pinched Xie Shiyu’s cheek, then turned his head to make sure there was really no one in the ward. He reached out and hooked his hand around Xie Shiyu’s neck, quickly kissing his cheek.
“Good morning.”
Chu Feng was about to retreat under the covers when suddenly he was pressed down by Xie Shiyu. Xie Shiyu held his chin and kissed him fiercely.
Everything happened too suddenly, and Chu Feng was completely unprepared. Xie Shiyu’s actions were unusually aggressive. The gentle morning kiss had turned into a passionate French kiss in an instant. Chu Feng’s hands were firmly held down, unable to struggle, and he could only open his mouth, his breath being taken away. He almost thought Xie Shiyu was going to take him right there.
“Stop… stop it…”
Chu Feng struggled to free one hand and knocked on Xie Shiyu’s broad back forcefully. “Let’s… go home and… do this…”
Xie Shiyu suddenly stopped, releasing him. The previous aggressiveness vanished in an instant, as if he had just wanted a morning kiss. He picked up a small bowl and looked at Chu Feng with tender eyes.
“Have an apple.”
The peeled and dismembered apple was placed into a bowl, piece by piece, with a toothpick inserted into each one, then handed to Chu Feng.
Chu Feng felt a strange sensation, but as he looked at Xie Shiyu’s charming smile, the bright sunlight outside the window, and tasted the sweet fruit in his mouth, gradually, he felt that he might have been overthinking things.
***
“How are you feeling now?”
On the way home, Xie Shiyu opened the passenger door of the BMW, letting Chu Feng sit inside. Xie Shiyu leaned in to fasten his seatbelt.
“Do you feel any headache?”
Chu Feng shook his head. He felt fine now, without any adverse effects from the alcohol.
“Why did you drive the BMW today?” Chu Feng glanced around the car interior. “Don’t you prefer the Porsche?”
When they were kids, they used to watch Conan on TV, and the image of the Black Organization’s Gin driving a black Porsche 356A, speeding through the night wind, left an indelible impression on their young minds. Porsche was the first car brand they knew, much more sentimental than a BMW.
“I sent the Porsche in for repairs.” Xie Shiyu recalled the scene of crashing into the Mercedes last night with indifference. “The front bumper got scratched.”
“Oh.”
Chu Feng didn’t ask any further.
The BMW sped along the road, the sound of the wheels rubbing against the asphalt became a background noise outside the window.
Inside the car, silence prevailed.
Chu Feng didn’t speak; he felt a bit uneasy.
There were over a hundred unread WeChat messages and forty to fifty missed calls from Xie Shiyu on his phone. The bright red message notifications were glaring, marked in the upper right corner of each app, reminding him of how crazy Xie Shiyu had been trying to reach him last night.
“Does your company often go out for drinks?” Xie Shiyu asked.
“….en, this is the first time they’ve called me out for it.”
“Always at places like the one last night?”
Chu Feng also felt that the Golden Goblet Hotel was a bit chaotic. “Probably… yeah.”
Xie Shiyu remained silent and continued driving.
Chu Feng sensed that he was a bit angry. Putting himself in Xie Shiyu’s shoes, if Xie Shiyu went out drinking, didn’t come home, didn’t answer calls or messages, and Chu Feng found him in some questionable bar, possibly suffering from alcohol poisoning, Chu Feng imagined he would be furious too.
“Are you… angry?” Chu Feng asked.
Xie Shiyu chuckled. “Why would I be angry?”
Chu Feng thought for a moment. “I didn’t tell you I was going out for drinks and didn’t come back.”
—-Chu Feng received a call from his supervisor at that time because he wanted to pick up those female colleagues and take them home. It wasn’t safe for the girls to stay out so late and be pressured into drinking. He didn’t think too much about it, just figuring that he’d come back after dropping off a few girls, so it shouldn’t take too long.
But once he got into the drinking session, he couldn’t leave. The KTV private room was too noisy, and he didn’t receive any calls or messages from Xie Shiyu. Chu Feng could imagine that Xie Shiyu must have been frantic at the time.
“Otherwise, once this project is over, I’ll resign,” Chu Feng said. “After all, we’re not short of money.”
—Indeed, there were quite a few social engagements in the company. Chu Feng thought about it. With his introverted personality, even if he were to get promoted after the project, smoothly taking over Supervisor Wang’s position, he would still have to deal with Mr. Li, Mr. Huang, Mr. Liu, and others in the future. He would inevitably have to go out drinking again.
Chu Feng really didn’t like the atmosphere at the drinking table. If he quit his job and stayed at home, he wouldn’t have to go anywhere, and no one could force him to drink again. He owned three properties under his name, given to him by his parents. The rental income from them was enough to support both him and Xie Shiyu every month, especially considering Xie Shiyu still had his company.
He calculated the idea of resigning in his mind, and as he thought about it, he felt a little reluctant.
Although he wasn’t short of money, Chu Feng had been unhappy with their supervisor for a long time. Even if he wanted to resign, he would have to first get promoted and push out the supervisor before resigning.
If he resigned now, that promotion opportunity would be given to Supervisor Wang for nothing. But he also didn’t want to anger Xie Shiyu. Moreover, he didn’t really need that salary increase. Why bother for the sake of a little pride, making his married life unhappy? Chu Feng was a bit conflicted. If he really resigned and stayed at home, Xie Shiyu should be very happy. Every time he went out, Xie Shiyu was nervous like the parents of a three-year-old who had gone missing.
“Why do you want to quit your job?”
Chu Feng was surprised by Xie Shiyu’s sudden question.
He looked at Xie Shiyu in astonishment, expecting him to be very supportive of his suggestion.
Turning the steering wheel to the right, Xie Shiyu casually said, “Hasn’t your Supervisor always been treating you strangely? If you quit, he’ll be over the moon.”
“How do you know that my Supervisor…” Chu Feng was a little surprised. He had never complained about work to Xie Shiyu at home, and Xie Shiyu had been busy with his company lately. They hadn’t even had a long conversation.
“Do you think I’m too busy with business to care about your affairs?”
Xie Shiyu smiled, the sunlight casting warm shadows on his profile, highlighting his high nose and deep-set eyes. His slightly brown eyes resembled warm amber.
“Chu Feng, you’re always my top priority.”
Outside the car window, the scenery along the road kept retreating.
Chu Feng turned his head away, looking out at the receding scenery, his face slightly red as he murmured, “We’ve been married for several years and you’re still saying such cheesy things.”
Xie Shiyu turned to look at Chu Feng’s reddening ear tips and teased him, “After being married for so many years, you still get shy hearing sweet words?”
“…” Chu Feng felt his face getting even hotter.
The car was getting closer to home.
“So, you don’t want me to quit?” Chu Feng asked.
Xie Shiyu looked puzzled. “Why do you think I want you to quit?”
“You often say…” Chu Feng paused. “That you want to keep me at home and not let me go anywhere.”
“When did I say that?” Xie Shiyu chuckled.
“In bed.”
“….” Xie Shiyu laughed. “Dear, can you take what’s said in bed seriously?”
“Oh. So when you say you love me in bed, it’s not serious either?”
Xie Shiyu glanced at Chu Feng. “Wait until we get home tonight, and I’ll show you how serious I am.”
The BMW pulled into the parking lot of the residential area.
As Xie Shiyu stopped the car and was about to open the door for Chu Feng, Chu Feng had already gotten out by himself.
“I’m not physically disabled. I can open it myself.” Chu Feng stood by the door, staring at Xie Shiyu. “About me drinking… are you really not angry?”
“I’m really not.” Xie Shiyu smiled gently, his eyes softening. “Chu Feng, if you’re tired of work and want to quit, I have no objections. But if you’re leaving the company because you think I’ll be angry, then there’s no need. It’s normal to have some social engagements and drink a little at work.”
—What’s not normal is not you.
Chu Feng carefully observed Xie Shiyu. He remembered that online tutorials taught him that when a girlfriend says “I’m not angry,” she’s actually very angry. He scrutinized Xie Shiyu’s expression, pondering for a moment, and it seemed like he really wasn’t angry.
Xie Shiyu ruffled Chu Feng’s hair, smiling at him. “Don’t overthink it. Go upstairs, there’s lean meat and preserved egg congee in the rice cooker, remember to eat.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll come back early tonight.”
“Isn’t your company busy today?”
“Even if it is, we have to balance work and rest.” Xie Shiyu sat back in the driver’s seat, rolled down the window, reached out to hold Chu Feng’s hand outside the car, drew a circle with his finger, and whispered, “Work during the day, do you at night.”
Chu Feng blushed and shook off his hand, turning to go upstairs.
Behind him, Xie Shiyu chuckled twice before driving away.
Back at home, Chu Feng opened the rice cooker and scooped himself a bowl of the congee Xie Shiyu made. He sat at the dining table, eating spoonful by spoonful. The warm congee was just the right temperature, comforting his stomach.
After eating his fill, Chu Feng laid down to rest. He hadn’t expected Xie Shiyu to be so… accommodating this time, nor did he throw a tantrum at him. Chu Feng remembered Xie Shiyu in high school who would throw tantrums. Thinking about it, this was probably the result of years of settling down.
—Xie Shiyu now is as gentle and considerate as a normal person.
Chu Feng always felt something was odd, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. If he thought about it again, he remembered what Xie Shiyu said when he left: “Don’t overthink it.”
The congee warmed his stomach, and as Chu Feng laid in bed, he stopped thinking about this and that, his mind gradually emptying, and drowsiness enveloped him…
The matter of drinking was settled like this.
The former Chu Feng knew nothing and continued his normal work life.
***
At this moment,
Chu Feng clenched his phone, wishing he could crush the screen.
The PDF file open on the screen was his medical report from five years ago.
It clearly stated that alcohol and GHB, a date rape drug, were detected in his blood. It even suspected that he had inhaled the gas from Rush Poppers, which could relax his muscles and enhance excitement.
Those b*stards dared to drug his drink.
Chu Feng looked at the report on the screen of his phone, his fingers tightening. He wished he could go back in time and beat those four people at the drinking table to death one by one. If he hadn’t gone out that night five years ago, it could have been his female colleagues in the same group who suffered. Those people must have done this kind of thing before, and perhaps previous female employees had been harmed too. And Xie Shiyu actually kept it from him!
Chu Feng opened WeChat and immediately found a girl from his department at the time, sending a message:
“Hi –
Just asking for some information, do you know how our company’s supervisor, Mr. Wang, and Mr. Li are doing now?
Also, did Tianfeng Group, which used to do business with our company, change its name? I couldn’t find anything online. Do you still know Mr. Huang and Mr. Liu from Tianfeng Group?”
The girl on the other side replied with confusion: ???
“Isn’t Tianfeng Group bankrupt four years ago? I remember it was acquired by DG Corporation.”
Chu Feng: …
The girl on the other side immediately reacted: “OMG! Isn’t DG Corporation your husband’s company!”
Chu Feng: …Sorry for bothering you.
On the other side: –
“Chu Feng!! Are you from Versailles or something? Finally got some wealth and already forgetting yourself!”
The girl sent an emoji:
[You’ve betrayed the working class!!]
Chu Feng sent a GIF of a little rabbit packing its luggage and running away in the night: “Got to run, got to run.”
After a while of exchanging banter, the girl mentioned the main topic:
“I don’t know where Mr. Huang and Mr. Liu from Tianfeng Group went. I’m not sure about Mr. Wang either. When you were promoted to supervisor, he was laid off by the company. Later, I heard he got sick.”
Chu Feng: What kind of sickness?
The girl: It seemed to be a stroke.
Chu Feng: What about Mr. Li from our company at the time?
The girl: How could you not know about Mr. Li? It was said that Mr. Li had… some kind of respiratory problem in his lungs. The new Chief Lai who was brought in to replace Mr. Li. That was the first time I saw a female CEO!
Chu Feng remembered that not long after the drinking incident, he heard that someone in the company’s upper management was ill, and a new Chief Lai was transferred over.
Chief Lai was the female CEO, very capable in her work, and didn’t like the whole routine of hosting dinner parties and forcing people to drink. It seemed she particularly liked salmon, and she would often invite everyone out for Japanese buffet dinners, with unlimited servings of salmon sushi.
Chu Feng was low-key and doesn’t care much about gossip. At that time, he didn’t know that the high-ranking company executive who got sick was Mr. Li.
—Mr. Wang, despite being young, suddenly had a stroke, while Mr. Li had always been in good health, but suddenly developed respiratory problems.
A chill suddenly rose in Chu Feng’s heart.
***
Five years ago, January 7th
After dropping Chu Feng off at home, Xie Shiyu didn’t go to the company.
He drove his BMW into the Golden Goblet Hotel.
“Hey! Chief Xie! Why are you here in broad daylight…”
This person was an insider drug seller.
Xie Shiyu smiled at him, as gentle as a spring breeze, very friendly, without any CEO’s airs:
“Do you know Mr. Liu and Mr. Huang from Tianfeng Group?”
“I know, I know! I’m friends with them! And Mr. Li, they all buy from me, including Mr. Wang, the supervisor from their company. Chief Xie, you can rest assured.”
Xie Shiyu asked:
“What do they usually… buy?”
“They buy everything.” The drug dealer took out several bottles and jars, “Like this Spanish Fly, it’s famous in history. This Rush, makes you happy when you inhale it. Obedience water, no matter how virtuous a woman is, she’ll fall after drinking it.” The drug dealer thought for a moment, Xie Shiyu seemed to be gay, so he obsequiously brought out a golden capsule:
“This, have you heard of it? No matter how stubborn someone is, as long as you give them a little, they’ll beg you to have sex every day.”
Xie Shiyu raised an eyebrow: “They buy only these four types?”
“There’s one more.” The drug dealer’s eyes rolled, and he took out a bottle of Viagra, smiling sycophantically, “I’ll tell you the truth, those guys play too much, and often have group gatherings. Their bodies are worn out, so they need it. But I think… Mr. Xie, you don’t need it, do you?”
Xie Shiyu smiled.
“So, Mr. Xie, what do you want to buy?”
“I’ll take all four.”
“Sure, sure!” The drug dealer did the deal, his face full of wrinkles from smiling, “Is it your first time using these drugs, Mr. Xie? In terms of dosage…”
“I know my limits.”
“Okay, okay, Mr. Xie, take care!”
***
In the quiet and dark parking garage, Xie Shiyu leaned against the door of his BMW, quietly lighting a cigarette.
He didn’t smoke it, just held it in his mouth. Xie Shiyu looked down at the four types of drugs in his hand.
After so many years of navigating through society, he had heard of all these drugs and knew their side effects.
Last night, those four people, at least had these four types of drugs on them.
Two of them had already been used on Chu Feng, the Rush to enhance excitement, and the date rape drug GHB.
If he hadn’t come, how many more types of drugs would have been used on Chu Feng?
The No. 0 capsule among them was no different from a drug, highly addictive. Xie Shiyu remembered seeing his father having a drug-induced fit when he was a child, beating his mother like crazy every time he had an attack. His childhood was spent watching his father take drugs and his mother being beaten.
The cigarette, with a flicker of light, burned at the tip, and a wisp of smoke rose.
His father had never taught him anything, but Xie Shiyu had learned a life lesson from his father since he was a child:
There are some people in this world who disdain what you cherish. The more you express how much you cherish it to them, the more they want to destroy it. If you don’t deal with these people thoroughly, your life will be unbearable.
The cigarette was almost burnt out. Xie Shiyu stubbed it out. He got into the car, started the engine, and left the Golden Goblet Hotel.
***
At this moment, Chu Feng made a call to his secretary:
“Hello, can you check something for me? Where are Mr. Liu and Mr. Huang from Tianfeng Group, which our company acquired four years ago?”
“…” There was silence on the other end for a moment, “Chief Chu, don’t you know?”
Chu Feng: ?
“Mr. Liu and Mr. Huang… they passed away five years ago.”
Chu Feng: “What did you say?”
“Five years ago, in the 5.11 Golden Goblet Hotel case, there was a… multi-person party, and they might have overdosed on drugs, so… they died.”
Chu Feng: “What were the causes of death?”
“At the time, there were reports, hold on, let me check.”
[Report: Tianfeng Group executives died from drug overdose at a multi-person party]
Secretary: “Mr. Liu died from acute heart failure, and Mr. Huang died from acute kidney failure. At the time, the media extensively covered the multi-person party, which tarnished Tianfeng Group’s reputation, and the company’s performance continued to decline. Later, it was acquired by our company.”
Chu Feng immediately searched for the 5.11 Jinzun Hotel case. Drugs were involved at that party, resulting in two deaths, causing a sensation in the media. Although the owner of Golden Goblet Hotel had some connections, the case was investigated by the provincial public security department, and the owner, along with the drug dealer in the hotel, was arrested. They also managed to dismantle a small-scale drug production ring.
The warning signs in his heart turned into reality.
Chu Feng adjusted his tone, sounding calm: “Can you also find out about my previous company, a Mr. Li and a Mr. Wang? I’ll send you their names.”
A few minutes later, the diligent secretary sent over detailed information about these two individuals. Chu Feng immediately noticed four words:
Date of Death.
These two individuals were also deceased.
Mr. Li: Died from acute respiratory obstruction and respiratory arrest on April 3rd, five years ago.
April…
Chu Feng recalled, he drank alcohol in January, had the Chinese New Year break in February, returned in March, Mr. Wang was laid off, and he was promoted to supervisor at the end of March. His immediate supervisor was replaced by female CEO, Ms. Lai. April 3rd was a Friday, and they were both newly appointed officials, so they invited everyone out for dinner. Ms. Lai suggested going to a Japanese buffet restaurant that he liked.
That evening, he also called Xie Shiyu:
“Going out for dinner tonight, I might be home late.”
“Oh, that’s fine,” Xie Shiyu on the other end of the line asked, “Where are you eating?”
“A Japanese restaurant recommended by Ms. Lai,” Chu Feng said, “Oh, it seems that someone in the company’s upper management is sick and a new CEO, Ms. Lai, has taken over.”
“Sick?” Xie Shiyu chuckled on the phone, sounding very pleased, “Is it serious?”
“I don’t know either, maybe just for recuperation. Otherwise, such a high position wouldn’t be given to someone else.”
Xie Shiyu murmured, “Drinking?”
“Drank some Japanese sake. If you don’t want to drink, you can have juice too. Ms. Lai herself doesn’t like to drink much.”
The colleagues were all very happy today. This Japanese buffet restaurant was quite expensive. Supervisor Chu and CEO Lai treated everyone to dinner, and the cheerful colleagues cheered, saying they would continue to sing karaoke later!
Listening to the noise of his colleagues in the background, Chu Feng smiled helplessly and said to Xie Shiyu, “We might… go sing karaoke later. If it gets too late, you can go to sleep first.”
“It’s okay, I’ll wait for you,” Xie Shiyu’s voice was gentle on the other end of the phone, “Have fun.”
***
At this moment.
Chu Feng opened the last file among the four, the information about Supervisor Wang:
Resigned on March 27th five years ago, had a stroke on March 29th, admitted to the hospital for emergency treatment, hospitalized for several months, died on November 16th.
— November 16th, the day Xie Shiyu held flowers on a rainy night.
Chu Feng looked at the notes he had sorted out, the secret of the role [Dr. Xie] was completely revealed:
RP, RushPoppers, volatile odor inhaled for excitement, combined with “Viagra”, causing stroke and death.
Supervisor Wang, stroke on March 29th, death on November 16th.
G…, GHB, date rape drug, overdose, respiratory arrest and death.
Mr. Li, April 3rd, respiratory obstruction, death.
0, Number 0 capsule, drug, died of heart failure.
Mr. Liu, 5.11 Golden Goblet Hotel drug case, acute heart failure, death.
Fly, Spanish Fly, cantharidin, highly toxic, acute kidney failure and death.
Mr. Huang, 5.11 Golden Goblet Hotel drug case, acute kidney failure, death.
Among these four people, the first one to fall ill was Supervisor Wang, and the last one to die was also Supervisor Wang. That evening, the first one to call him out was Supervisor Wang.
And on the day when all four of them had died, five years ago on November 16th, Xie Shiyu, wearing a spotless white coat, held a bouquet of purple baby’s breath and stood next to his company, waiting for him.
The dim streetlights, the cool night rain, with Xie Shiyu holding Chu Feng’s hand, holding up the umbrella to shield them from the wind and rain, enveloping Chu Feng in a warm little world. They walked home together.
Chu Feng sat at the dining table at home, with a cocoa chiffon cake carefully baked by Xie Shiyu in the oven, filling the house with a sweet and warm aroma.
At that time, Chu Feng asked Xie Shiyu if today was a special anniversary.
Xie Shiyu didn’t answer him, just smiled and said, “A celebration.”
The cocoa chiffon cake was placed between them, and Xie Shiyu scooped up a bite with a small silver spoon. “Here, open your mouth.”
Chu Feng: “I can feed myself.”
Xie Shiyu: “Today, your husband wants to feed you. Come on, open your mouth. Ah…”
Chu Feng couldn’t resist him, so he obediently opened his mouth. Ah… gulp, he ate it. The soft cake, paired with the slightly bitter-sweet cocoa, exploded into an exquisite enjoyment on his taste buds.
“Is it delicious?” Xie Shiyu asked with a smile in his eyes.
“Mmm!” Chu Feng continued to open his mouth, waiting obediently for his husband to feed him.
With a laugh, Xie Shiyu scooped up another large spoonful of cocoa chiffon cake and handed it over…
In the dim light of night, on the glass dining table, the purple baby breaths that Xie Shiyu gave to Chu Feng was placed in a vase, quietly blooming.
Purple baby breaths, the language of flowers: Guarding you with eternal love.
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