Chapter 4
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Sui Yang had very few dreams, but within twenty-four hours of his nephew forgetting his LEGO bunny at his house, the toy suddenly began speaking. During that time, he had three or four different dreams.
He had a terrible nightmare of walking on a tightrope, with an endless sea of bubbling, muddy water beneath his feet.
He had a dream that purely consisted of memories. On a rainy night, Xie Min, dressed in a black coat, got into a car from a street in Yuhai. His secretary, Chi Yuan, held an umbrella for him.
He had a completely black dream without any visuals. In the dream, he heard fragments of conversations where Xie Min had spoken to him before. The words weren’t too intense, just some scattered everyday talks that he could still remember.
For example, “Pass me the pen,” “Where are you going after class,” “But I want to pick you up,” and “I’ll eat anything.”
Then the plane landed, and Sui Yang woke up. He immediately looked down and saw the pink plastic LEGO bunny resting in his hand, warmed by his body temperature.
Sui Yang’s intoxication had almost faded away, but he still had a slight headache.
Actually, Sui Yang didn’t lose control when he drank too much. Tonight, he wasn’t drunk either. He just wanted to get Xie Min’s attention, so he ignored the occasion and used the influence of alcohol to provoke the little bunny in his hand.
The plane stopped near the jet bridge. Outside the porthole, the night at Yuhai Airport was calm and dark.
Sui Yang picked up the little bunny, gazing at its exaggerated and confident face. He gently twisted the bunny’s legs.
The bunny appeared lifeless and remained silent. However, its legs were like springs, kicking him lightly but firmly, and then retracting. The force of the kick was similar to when Xie Min got angry and pushed him before. It wasn’t really painful but somewhat uncomfortable.
He felt relieved and placed the little bunny back into his pocket.
Since it was a private short trip, Sui Yang cleared his schedule and didn’t bring any subordinates. He carried a travel bag and walked off the plane.
Jiang Ci wore a gray sports hoodie, with his hands in his pockets, waiting for him at the exit. Whether it was an illusion or not, Sui Yang felt that Jiang Ci seemed a bit down.
Sui Yang called out to him with a slight smile.
“I saw you on the news tonight. My dad was insanely jealous. He scolded me throughout dinner.”
“It’s just luck. We just built a new production line, so it was suitable for arranging inspections.”
The two of them headed towards the airport parking lot. Jiang Ci mentioned his vibrant nightlife and late sleeping habits. At this hour, his night had just begun. He invited Sui Yang for a late-night meal and more drinks, but Sui Yang politely declined.
Firstly, it was really late, and Sui Yang felt embarrassed to trouble Jiang Ci. Secondly, the little bunny had been in his pocket the entire day.
The two of them exchanged a few words. Sui Yang noticed that Jiang Ci was indeed absent-minded, as if he had something on his mind. As they reached the parking level, the place became less crowded, and Jiang Ci couldn’t hold it in any longer. He said, “Sui Yang, about Xie Min, I don’t know if you’ve heard.”
“No,” Sui Yang felt something move in his pocket and calmly asked, “What happened to him?”
“He…” Jiang Ci hesitated, looking around, and said, “Let’s talk in the car.”
Once they were inside the car, Jiang Ci didn’t immediately continue the previous topic. He seemed lost in thought. He silently drove out of the parking garage and went some distance before mentioning Xie Min again.
“I told you before, right? Xie Min invited me to play squash, but he stood me up,” he said in a low voice. Jiang Ci had an outgoing personality. In Sui Yang’s impression, he had never seen him look so down.
“At first, Xie Min’s assistant, Chi Yuan, told me that he was in a meeting. When I couldn’t reach Xie Min on his private phone, I called Chi Yuan, and he said he had urgent business and was very busy. But Xie Min isn’t the kind of person who would stand me up and not contact me for days. I started to worry.”
The car was dimly lit, so Sui Yang turned his head to observe Jiang Ci. Jiang Ci’s eyes were fixed on the road ahead, with a furrow between his eyebrows. “This afternoon, a friend in the news industry told me that Xie Min seemed to have been in a car accident.
“They said he’s in the hospital. The surgery was successful, and his injuries aren’t too severe, but he hasn’t regained consciousness. Many people know about it, and the news is spreading fast. That’s why I dared to tell you.”
“Is someone suppressing the news?” Sui Yang asked.
“Should be his family,” Jiang Ci paused slightly and vaguely said, “Afraid of affecting the stock price, they don’t want it to be public.”
Sui Yang made a “Hmm” sound and put his hand into his pocket, touching the plastic LEGO bunny.
The LEGO bunny remained still, not responding to his touch, immediately making Sui Yang feel like a bad classmate from his student days who would distract the diligent and attentive student.
“Anyway, after hearing about it, I called Chi Yuan directly and asked if Xie Min was in the hospital. Since I’m close to Xie Min, Chi Yuan admitted that he’s currently staying at Renshan Hospital. It happened on the way to the squash court,” Jiang Ci said, then suddenly paused.
There was no music playing in the car. Sui Yang patiently waited for half a minute until Jiang Ci, somewhat frustrated, said, “I’ve been regretting all afternoon and evening. If I had said I was busy when Xie Min invited me to play, would he have avoided this accident?”
Sui Yang contemplated whether he should offer some comfort, but before he could speak, the LEGO bunny he was holding suddenly moved, poking his finger as if urging him to say something. So Sui Yang gently held the bunny’s front leg and reassured Jiang Ci, “The accident has already happened, there’s no need to dwell on it too much.”
“I know,” Jiang Ci remained silent for a while, driving the car, before saying, “But I still blame myself.”
The hotel Sui Yang booked was in the city center, and the car was heading south along the airport expressway.
There were few cars on the road. All they could see were the rapidly approaching and receding orange-yellow lights on both sides, along with the pitch-black cloudless night sky.
The car fell into silence for a short while when Jiang Ci spoke in a low voice again, “It’s quite embarrassing for me to talk about this. Xie Min doesn’t have many friends, and when something this big happens, I have no one else to turn to. Only you and I can be trusted for sure.”
“Mr. Xie doesn’t have any trouble making friends. Everywhere he goes, he knows people.” Sui Yang knew that Xie Min could hear, but couldn’t resist pointing it out.
The bunny in his hand indeed kicked him restlessly, its tiny claws pressing against Sui Yang’s joints, causing a slightly itchy sensation.
Sui Yang touched the bunny’s ears, hoping to soothe it, but it didn’t have the desired effect. He was forcefully pushed away and heard Jiang Ci saying, “Those people don’t mean it that way. Many people befriend him because they want something in return. Let’s not talk about that. I asked Chi Yuan if I could visit him tomorrow, and he agreed.”
Sui Yang scratched the little bunny and pondered for a moment, forming a plan in his mind. “A’Ci, can I accompany you to the hospital tomorrow?”
Jiang Ci looked at Sui Yang with some surprise, “For real?”
“Is it inappropriate?”
“It’s not that,” Jiang Ci said, “I just didn’t expect you would want to go.”
Sui Yang understood what Jiang Ci meant.
Every time Xie Min was brought up in his conversation with Jiang Ci, he always made up some noble excuses. Though Jiang Ci had noticed his curiosity about Xie Min and sometimes teased him, in Jiang Ci’s eyes, Sui Yang was just an ordinary old classmate who had a past conflict with Xie Min and was now curious about his current situation but had no means of contacting him. After all, Xie Min would never mention Sui Yang to anyone.
“I happen to be free tomorrow,” Sui Yang said, “After all, we were once classmates.”
“Alright,” Jiang Ci didn’t put up any defenses, and without much hesitation, he agreed, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon. I have an appointment with Chi Yuan at three o’clock. Is that okay?”
After getting Sui Yang’s agreement, he then changed the topic, “President Sui, why did you suddenly come back this time? Is there something important?”
“Nothing major,” Sui Yang told him the prearranged reason, “I came to buy a property that our family sold before. The real estate agent said the landlord finally showed some interest, although reluctantly. So I made an appointment with him to negotiate in person.”
The situation of Sui Yang’s family was well-known among their old classmates. Jiang Ci was no exception. He didn’t ask any unnecessary questions and simply said, “Oh,” expressing his wishes for Sui Yang’s successful property purchase.
Jiang Ci dropped off Sui Yang at the hotel and then left.
Sui Yang checked in and carried his luggage to the room.
He had been working all day and traveling continuously, so he should have felt exhausted. However, when he took out the little bunny and placed it on the desk, Sui Yang realized he couldn’t find even a trace of fatigue.
The real world seemed to become vibrant and colorful with the presence of this little bunny, filling him with excitement and an accelerated heartbeat.
He leaned closer to the pink, smooth LEGO rabbit on the desk and called out to it, “Xiao Tu.”
“Can you stop acting crazy?” The little bunny jumped up, staring at him with big eyes, as if it were angry.
The LEGO bunny lacked the characteristics of a living being but could produce speaking sounds. Sui Yang still had doubts deep down, thinking he might have gone crazy due to excessive repression, leading to mental issues—it wasn’t entirely impossible.
However, the little bunny continued to leap in front of him and confidently said, “Be more normal!”
“Alright,” Sui Yang decided to compromise with the supernatural event once again and said, “Xie Min.”
The little bunny fell silent, tapping its hind legs on the table a few times. Its eyes didn’t blink, fixed rigidly on the smooth pink plastic, resembling a clumsy mechanical toy.
“I’ll go take a shower first,” Sui Yang said to it, “Do you want me to wash you too?”
“Get lost,” Xie Min replied simply. As Sui Yang was about to turn away, Xie Min called him again, “Sui Yang.”
There was a hint of hesitation in his voice. Sui Yang lowered his head, and Xie Min said, “Did you make up the story about buying back the house just to fool Jiang Ci?”
Sui Yang was taken aback but told him the truth, “No.”
“Was it the one I visited?”
“Yes.”
“Why negotiate on your own?” The little bunny tilted its head, “Was the landlord demanding a great price?”
“No,” Sui Yang explained to him, “I needed money urgently before, so I sold it. The current landlord paid the full amount without negotiating the price down, which was a big help for us. Later on, I wanted to buy the house back at a higher price, but their child is studying nearby, and they didn’t want to sell. I didn’t want to push them. Last year, their child went to college, and they wanted to move to a newer neighborhood. Finally, they loosened their grip, but they are still hesitant because they don’t lack money. I thought negotiating in person would show more sincerity.”
Sui Yang had never mentioned the details of this house to anyone, not even his mother knew the specific situation.
But the one asking was Xie Min. Despite the ugly ending to their relationship, Sui Yang was convinced that Xie Min knew about these things, that Xie Min would listen. So he explained it in full detail.
The LEGO bunny listened docilely as he spoke and softly asked, “It’s been ten years. Did they renovate it?”
“Hmm, they completely renovated it as soon as they bought it.”
“So it’s different from before.”
Sui Yang didn’t say anything. He gently touched Xie Min’s chilly and small elongated ears and asked, “Can I go take a shower now?”
“Alright, go ahead,” Xie Min permitted, hopping a few times on the table without a single worry.
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