Love Notebook of a Reclusive Beautiful Boy - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Fang Ma smiled, “He’s left, won’t he be back in two days? Let’s go, A-Yu, let’s go practice piano.”

Jiang Sheng walked to the side of the road. He thought that if he couldn’t see Du Yu, he would feel better.

But he found that he was wrong.

It was useless; it was of no use at all.

His whole mind was repeating that scene; Jiang Sheng’s head felt like it was going crazy from thinking about it.

A passing taxi driver stopped, “Sir, are you hailing a taxi?”

Jiang Sheng’s thoughts, which had been lost in deep contemplation, were only then called back to reality, “Hailing a taxi.”

He pulled open the car door, “Go to Jinrui Hospital.”

He rolled down the car window. Driven by the speed, the wind speed was incredibly fast. He leaned his head against the window, the cold wind slapping his face. Cars rushed past him one by one on the road, taking away his thoughts that were as tangled as hemp. Being a bit colder seemed to make it easier for a person to sober up.

Jinrui Hospital was not too far away; it didn’t take long to arrive.

Just as Jiang Sheng got off the taxi, Song Jiahao called him, “The thing you wanted is ready. Do you want me to personally deliver it to you at the Du family’s house?”

Speaking to the end, he laughed somewhat meaningfully. Song Jiahao had been eyeing the Du family for a long time; he hadn’t experienced the life of a rich person, and he always wanted to find an opportunity to go into the Du house to see it.

“No need, I’m outside.”

Jiang Sheng said, glancing at his watch, “Eleven o’clock, let’s meet at the usual place.”

“Oh, why aren’t you at the Du family’s? Didn’t you already sell yourself to the Du family?”

Song Jiahao was idling in his office, in a good mood to tease him.

Jiang Sheng couldn’t be bothered to engage him, “Hanging up.”

After reporting his ID number and mobile phone number, he entered the hospital.

The head nurse led him, saying as they walked, “Last time Dr. Shao changed the medicine for your mother, the fifty thousand you deposited is almost used up. Remember to bring money next time.”

As they reached the door, they saw Sister Xia rushing out as if she were fleeing for her life. Her hair was messy, and the moment she saw Jiang Sheng, she hurriedly said, “Mr. Jiang, you, you’ve come.”

Jiang Sheng frowned slightly, “What happened?”

Sister Xia smoothed her hair, her breath not quite steady, “It’s Sister Yan, Sister Yan is having another episode.”

“Why did she have another episode?” the young nurse on the side asked.

Sister Xia was frightened and flustered, “I don’t know either. Just now I went to get some water and was just about to feed her, when suddenly she grabbed my hair and wouldn’t let go no matter what. If I hadn’t taken advantage of her being distracted and her grip loosening a bit, I wouldn’t have been able to escape.”

She tidied her hair, probably because it was too painful; while doing so, she made gasping sounds of pain.

Sister Xia had been taking care of Yu Chengyan for so long, and this was the first time she had attacked Sister Xia like this, which Sister Xia couldn’t accept for a moment.

“Are you okay?” Jiang Sheng asked, looking at Sister Xia.

Although Sister Xia was in pain, seeing Jiang Sheng ask her like that, she still politely said, “It’s nothing major, just losing a few more strands of hair, it’s not an issue.”

Seeing her gasp in pain, Jiang Sheng said, “You follow the nurse to check if you’re okay, and go back to rest this afternoon.”

Sister Xia, who had her head lowered while tidying her hair, paused, looked up and said, “If I go back to rest, what will happen to Sister Yan?”

She was an honest person who left home at thirteen to work in Jinhang. She had cleaned toilets, crawled through sewers, and worked as a cleaner in dance halls; she had done all the dirty and tiring work. She had no relatives in Jinhang and only rented a single room in the slums.

Since she started taking care of Yu Chengyan, she hadn’t gone back there much.

Having worked for so long, this was the first time she had encountered such a good person as Jiang Sheng. She had feelings for Jiang Sheng and Yu Chengyan, and she was truly and sincerely grateful to Jiang Sheng. Knowing that Jiang Sheng was busy with work, she knew that if she left, there would be no one to look after Yu Chengyan.

Jiang Sheng said, “It’s fine, I’ll stay, you go back.”

Sister Xia knew he was doing it for her own good—they were both good people. Jiang Sheng thought for her, so she naturally thought for Jiang Sheng.

“Mr. Jiang, you’re overthinking it. I’m really okay. Sister Yan, Sister Yan didn’t use much strength. I’m old, I don’t handle pain well, but it really is nothing big. I’ll still stay this afternoon, you go and do your work.”

Jiang Sheng didn’t say much more to her and turned his head to the nurse on the side, “Please take her to get her injury checked.”

The nurse also happened to need to tell Dr. Shao about this matter, so she said to Sister Xia, “Whether you think it’s okay doesn’t matter; you need a medical report. Let’s go.”

Saying this, she took Sister Xia away.

Jiang Sheng looked inside through the door window. Yu Chengyan was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hair a bit messy—probably from the struggle with Sister Xia just now. She was lowering her head without a word, as if she were picking at her fingernails.

Jiang Sheng walked in and closed the door behind him.

On the floor, there was a broken bowl, and porridge was spilled all over.

He slowly sat on the chair by the bed. Yu Chengyan’s expression was trance-like, dazed, with her head lowered, as if she hadn’t noticed he had arrived.

This was the fifth year of Yu Chengyan’s illness. Compared to when he was twenty, the kind of collapse he felt when he first learned the news and came to the hospital to see her, he was now completely calm.

The most unpredictable thing in a person’s life is an accident. Life is a long, long road, and an accident is a giant boulder rolling down from a hillside—either it crushes a person to death, or it breaks the road.

What he needed to do was to accept the accident. The accident had already happened; he couldn’t change it. Fate is a hollow, powerful force, and no one can resist it.

Jiang Sheng looked at Yu Chengyan’s face. Last time he had only caught a glimpse through the door window, and he hadn’t expected that she had aged so much.

Actually, it wasn’t the passing of time that made one old; it was the demons of illness on her body that were forcing her to age rapidly. What she was defeated by was the illness, never the years.

“Mom.”

Jiang Sheng looked at Yu Chengyan and called out softly. His voice was very low, not as if it came from his throat, but as if it came from his heart.

Yu Chengyan was brought back to reality by this call. Seeing Jiang Sheng’s face, her dazed eyes suddenly changed. She violently grabbed Jiang Sheng’s wrist and, regardless of anything else, lowered her head and bit down.

As if she were seeing an enemy, she also used all her strength in grabbing his hand. She bit down hard, and before long, blood-red marks were left behind.

Jiang Sheng was silent, letting her bite like this.

Fresh blood slowly dripped onto the floor along his wrist. Jiang Sheng didn’t move, and Yu Chengyan didn’t loosen her jaw. The piece of flesh on his wrist looked as if it were going to be bitten off alive.

Sister Xia finished her check-up and saw this scene.

She was so scared she rushed over, “Mr. Jiang, what are you doing!”

After saying this, she tried to persuade Yu Chengyan to loosen her grip, “Sister Yan, Sister Yan, this is Jiang Sheng! It’s your son, hurry and let go, Sister Yan.”

This wasn’t the first time Yu Chengyan had done this; the time before last was the same, she bit Jiang Sheng’s arm.

Yu Chengyan didn’t listen to a word, still biting him with all her might.

Sister Xia looked at the bloody mess on Jiang Sheng’s wrist, and she was anxious too. There was no way around it; once Yu Chengyan had an episode, she wouldn’t listen to anyone. She could only soothe Yu Chengyan from the side, “This is Jiang Sheng, Sister Yan, Jiang Sheng. Didn’t you nag just two days ago about wanting to buy him a new school bag?”

Yu Chengyan ignored her, so Sister Xia had to look up and say to Jiang Sheng, “Mr. Jiang, hurry up and say something! Sister Yan is having an episode. If we don’t persuade her, this hand will be ruined. Hurry up and speak!”

The pain on his wrist seemed to have made him numb. Jiang Sheng was silent for a while. He actually knew that persuading her was useless and that he had to wait for her to get better on her own, but he still opened his mouth, his voice low, “Mom, it’s A-Sheng.”

When Yu Chengyan had an episode, she couldn’t listen to anyone’s words. She bit him and refused to let go. That shout drifted away with the wind.

Fortunately, Dr. Shao came over and immediately administered a tranquilizer, letting her fall asleep.

Dr. Shao looked at Jiang Sheng’s hand, “I’ll have a nurse bandage this hand for you in a moment. Next time you encounter a patient having an episode, while ensuring the patient’s safety, you must also protect yourself. Especially in a situation like today, remember that when she is having an episode, you cannot leave her alone; it’s very possible she might engage in self-mutilation or suicidal behavior. You… are you her son? I remember telling you these things the last time you were here. While ensuring the patient’s safety, also protect yourself. Look at your hand, if I had come a moment later, the flesh would be gone.”

Sister Xia was blaming herself from the side, “It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault. I panicked, I even forgot to press the alarm, and I just ran out in a rush.”

The nurse came in to bandage Jiang Sheng’s wound. Sister Xia felt guilty in her heart and kept bowing and apologizing to Jiang Sheng, “Mr. Jiang, this whole thing today is my fault. I forgot what the doctor told me and caused you to get hurt too. I’m truly sorry.”

Jiang Sheng sat by the bed, his tone still flat, “These things can’t be blamed on you. I still have to thank you for taking care of my mother. You’re tired today too, go back and rest. It’ll be fine with me here.”

“No, no, no.” Sister Xia hurriedly said, “It’s better if I stay here. These few strands of hair of mine are nothing. Mr. Jiang is a person who earns a living with his hands; we can’t let anything else go wrong. Besides, the doctor also said that Sister Yan will be fine once she wakes up. Mr. Jiang, you should hurry back today.”

“It’s okay, you…”

Just as they were speaking, Jiang Sheng’s phone rang; it was a call from Song Jiahao.

Jiang Sheng pressed the answer button, and he heard him say, “What are you doing? Where are you? I’ve ordered a table full of dishes, hurry up and get over here.”

“You arrived?”

“Yeah, it’s already eleven-thirty. You wouldn’t want to stand me up, would you?”

Jiang Sheng glanced at Sister Xia and then at the sleeping Yu Chengyan, “Got it.”

Hanging up the phone, he said to Sister Xia, “I’m going out for a moment. You keep an eye on Mom here; call me if anything happens.”

Sister Xia nodded and replied, “Okay, okay, Mr. Jiang, don’t worry. You also must take a good rest when you go back, and this hand must be well cared for. It’s even the right hand that’s injured, it’s truly a disaster.”

The “usual place” Jiang Sheng talked about with Song Jiahao was a small restaurant near Jiang Sheng’s home. When Jiang Sheng was still on the police force, the two of them often came here to eat.

Jiang Sheng opened the door. Song Jiahao was sitting inside eating, and when he saw Jiang Sheng, he smiled, “What have you been doing? You’re so late for our appointment.”

Jiang Sheng sat down, “Where’s the thing?”

Song Jiahao made a tsk-tsk sound, “Heartless.”

While eating meat, he took the photos out of his pocket and handed them to him, “Here, the photos you wanted. Thanks to me and Xiao Deng having an amicable breakup, otherwise, where would I have found this thing for you.”

Jiang Sheng took them.

This was the photo he had promised to give Du Yu—the one of him landing in Jinhang on August 14, 1994. In the photo was a twenty-one-year-old Jiang Sheng, as if he had just escaped from an abyss, his face covered in blood.

“What do you need this for?” Song Jiahao picked up a piece of meat and looked at him, “Missing the past?”

Jiang Sheng didn’t explain and put the photo away.

Song Jiahao tsked and shook his head, pushing the bowl by the table over, “By the way, didn’t you say your bodyguard job has no days off? How do you still have time to come out? Is it…”

Just as he was speaking, his sharp eyes suddenly caught sight of his hand, and he suddenly understood, “You went to see your mother?”

“Yeah.”

Song Jiahao could guess the gist of it, and not knowing what to say, he had to change the subject, “Come, come, come, eat the vegetables. Don’t be polite with me today; it’s rare to be treated to a meal.”

Jiang Sheng was feeling a bit restless. First because of Yu Chengyan, second because of Du Yu. He didn’t eat more than a couple of bites before going out to smoke.

Song Jiahao ate by himself inside for a while, and seeing Jiang Sheng not coming back in, he also went out.

“Oh, wow.”

Song Jiahao looked at the cigarette butts all over the ground and laughed, “Haven’t seen you in such a long time, and your smoking habit has grown. You’ve smoked this many in such a short while?”

He understood Jiang Sheng, smiled, and walked over, “What, something on your mind?”

Jiang Sheng was indeed annoyed. Once he was here, his whole mind was filled with the events of last night. He didn’t know how he could delete the scenes in his head and could only try to numb himself with nicotine.

Seeing him not speaking, Song Jiahao urged him again, “Speak up, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Sheng wanted to tell Song Jiahao. If he didn’t talk to him, he had no one else to talk to.

He wasn’t looking to vent, on the contrary, most of the time he wouldn’t tell others his inner thoughts. He was just at his wit’s end and wanted to ask Song Jiahao what on earth was wrong with him.

But he couldn’t speak.

How could he say it? Say that he dreamt of a man, and he…

He really couldn’t bring himself to say it.

He could only light another cigarette.

Song Jiahao poked him, “I’m asking you, what’s wrong? Not happy working for the Du family?”

“No.”

“The boss of the Du family made things difficult for you?”

“No.”

“Then what is wrong with you?”

“I…” Jiang Sheng deliberated his words, pausing.

Song Jiahao suddenly narrowed his eyes, looked forward, and nudged him with his elbow, “Hey, Brother Jiang, is that your Du family young master?”

“What?”

Jiang Sheng looked in the direction of his gaze. Not far away, Fang Ma and Du Yu were walking over.

Seeing Jiang Sheng, Fang Ma said apologetically, “Mr. Jiang, I’m truly sorry. A-Yu refuses to practice piano at home and refuses to eat. He just stood at the door and insisted on waiting for you to return. I, I had no other choice. This child, when he gets stubborn, no one can do anything about him. I had to ask Mr. Du for your address and bring A-Yu over.”

If she hadn’t looked out the window more carefully just now, she would have almost missed Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng was a bit silent.

Song Jiahao mumbled in his ear, “What’s going on? This Du family young master is your tail, huh? Wherever you go, he goes?”

Seeing Jiang Sheng not speaking, Fang Ma guessed if he was angry and hurriedly apologized again, “I’m truly sorry, Mr. Jiang. If you’re unhappy, I’ll take A-Yu back right now.”

Du Yu slowly walked to Jiang Sheng’s side and reached out to hold him, probably afraid he would get angry. The way he looked at him was somewhat pitiful, “A-Sheng, don’t be unhappy…”

He was grown up now; he even knew when to use vulnerability.

Jiang Sheng’s complexion was deep, but when he looked at Du Yu, he still chose to smile slightly. Jiang Sheng, without a smile, always looked somewhat serious, as if he were angry.

“Why did you run out? Don’t stay at home properly.”

How long had he been gone? Only one morning.

Du Yu held him, his eyes like the moon reflected on the sea on a quiet night, so bright they could easily steal his gaze away. He looked at Jiang Sheng, his voice pleasant, but his words were full of entanglement, “Missing A-Sheng…”

In Jiang Sheng’s heart, it felt like there was a monk beating a wooden fish. As soon as those words came out, that monk was inside his heart, constantly beating the wooden fish, over and over again, until his ears were filled with nothing but sound—he couldn’t distinguish if it was the sound of the wooden fish or his own heartbeat.

Du Yu didn’t have as many twists and turns in his heart as Jiang Sheng. He just missed Jiang Sheng and wanted to see him, so he said it straight out.

In terms of emotions, he was more honest than Jiang Sheng.

“Missing me?”

Jiang Sheng asked intentionally, but deliberately pretended to be indifferent.

He wanted to hear what kind of nice words Du Yu would say to him.

Since when did Jiang Sheng become so childish? He clearly knew that he just wanted to see him, yet he insisted on wanting him to say something more.

What else did he want him to say?

Jiang Sheng dared not think too much.

Du Yu didn’t have much of a reaction and nodded slightly, “A-Sheng, go home…”

Song Jiahao laughed on the side, “Hey, Brother Jiang, when did you grow a tail?”

Jiang Sheng turned his face, “What?”

Song Jiahao raised his chin slightly, pointing at Du Yu, “Your little tail.”

Jiang Sheng couldn’t be bothered with him. Fang Ma smiled and said, “A-Yu has been waiting for you at home. I told him many times that you wouldn’t be back for a few days, but he wouldn’t listen. I see he’s only better now that he’s seen you.”

Jiang Sheng’s tone was serious, “Just call me next time. Don’t take him wandering around; it’s very chaotic outside.”

Jinhang was indeed chaotic now. Not only had the robber who caused trouble last time not been caught, but another murder case had been added.

If Jiang Sheng wasn’t by Du Yu’s side and something happened on the road, Jiang Sheng didn’t dare to imagine the consequences.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Fang Ma smiled, “Mr. Jiang still thinks things through. Then, do you want A-Yu to stay here with you, or…”

Or return to the Du family together… She was embarrassed to say these words, after all, Jiang Sheng had just taken leave.

Jiang Sheng looked at Du Yu and rubbed his head, “A-Yu, be obedient and go home with Fang Ma first. I will go back tomorrow.”

“No.” Du Yu held his wrist with his other hand, “A-Yu wants to go with A-Sheng…”

As he said this, he gently leaned his head against Jiang Sheng’s shoulder, simply unwilling to leave.

Jiang Sheng couldn’t win against him, so he had to say to Fang Ma, “You go back first. I’ll send him back later.”

Entrusting him to Jiang Sheng, Fang Ma was naturally much more at ease.

She nodded with a smile, “Alright, then I’ll head back first.”

“Hmm.”

Fang Ma got into the car, and it drove far away.

Jiang Sheng looked at Du Yu, who was still leaning on him, “Alright, A-Yu, not going back.”

Only then did Du Yu lift his head, smiling cutely, “Not going back…”

“Yeah.” Seeing him smile so happily, Jiang Sheng was also happy, but what he couldn’t shake off was his contradictory psychology. He wanted to reach out and touch him, but couldn’t even lift his hand, so he could only smile slightly and say, “How many times have I told you? Next time when I’m not here, you must eat.”

With Jiang Sheng, Du Yu’s mood was cheerful, and he obediently answered him, “A-Yu will eat…”

Song Jiahao was an expert in the field of romance and made a tsk-tsk sound, “Brother Jiang, why do I feel like your little tail looks a bit weird?”

Jiang Sheng was laughing with Du Yu and turned his face to ask, “Where is it weird?”

Song Jiahao replied, “Everywhere is weird.”

Saying this, he observed Jiang Sheng, “Looking at you this way, I think you’re pretty weird too.”

“How am I weird?”

Song Jiahao looked at him, his gaze gradually becoming scrutinizing, “Are you in love?”