The Long Night - Chapter 46

Yan Liao wasn’t surprised by them coming out. They still went to eat barbecue together during the holiday. They all chatted and laughed happily, just like before.

That was the last time the four of them were together.

After a long, continuous autumn rain, there was a rare clear morning. The thin sunlight poured down through the gaps in the leaves. Light and shadows flickered. Large white clouds passed by in an orderly fashion, like fat-headed fish.

Two people were running on the side of the road. They started from the community gate and ran past a noodle shop, a post office, a wedding dress shop, and a bank. When they ran the first lap, some of the shops hadn’t opened yet. When they came back on the second lap, they could see some of the familiar owners standing at their doors, raising their hands and smiling as they greeted them.

The two usually ran three to five kilometers and then walked back slowly. By this time, it was completely bright, and there were more pedestrians on the road.

They hadn’t gone out when it was raining a few days ago. As long as they rested for one day, it would be very difficult to start again.

“I’m so tired,” Yan Liao panted, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Why do we have to run every day? Will we get eggs and peanut oil if we run for a month?”

The tai chi enthusiasts downstairs had such an activity, so many elderly people got up early every day to join the tai chi league. Yan Liao tirelessly urged Tang Shaocheng to have a friendly chat with his peers.

“It won’t be tiring if you keep running every day,” Tang Shaocheng told him patiently. “I just want you to experience the mental state that running brings you.”

He always said this. Yan Liao found him nagging and pulled on his sleeve.

“Okay—I got it, Dad.”

He dragged out his voice to express his complaint, but it sounded a lot like flirting. Tang Shaocheng chuckled and hugged his waist and squeezed it a few times. He imitated his tone. “Okay, baby.”

Yu Xing hadn’t been doing well recently. Ge Dong-lin suggested that he see a psychologist.

“Many people see one now. It’s nothing. You can use my name to register.”

Yu Xing refused. If he was photographed by the paparazzi seeing a psychologist, it would be no different from him “having a mental problem.” Everything he had now was unstable and fragile, like a Jenga tower with its foundation removed. He couldn’t handle the impact of any negative news.

He always felt more and more uneasy.

Everything he had now was because Qin Yun-qi was willing to support him. If one day Qin Yun-qi didn’t like him anymore, he would have to go back to his old life. The dim and ambiguous bar, where he stood on the stage and sang, and the constant catcalls and laughter from the audience. Men and women would roll up cash and stuff it into the waistband of his underwear.

He couldn’t pretend to be noble in front of Qin Yun-qi. He couldn’t say that they were in a free and equal relationship. He couldn’t openly admit that he was the so-called “method actor, talented singer” written in the press releases… When Qin Yun-qi took him to see the director and the executive producer, he could only lower his head and say thank you.

If he left Qin Yun-qi, he would have to go back to where he came from.

The subconscious fear turned into a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from in the middle of the night.

He and Qin Yun-qi hadn’t seen each other for a month, thirty days.

The last time he saw him was in the news headlines. Yu Xing clicked on the video and saw Qin Yun-qi attending a forum for outstanding young entrepreneurs. The tall and handsome man in a business suit was arm-in-arm with an elegant female companion. The two of them looked like a match made in heaven, and even the media described them that way.

The overwhelming announcements weren’t taken down. It was content that the Qin Group had tacitly approved.

Yu Xing rarely dared to look at the camera these days. He even rarely looked in the mirror. An unspeakable feeling of inferiority made him afraid to face himself. Even when he showered, he waited until the steam had completely covered the mirror before he slowly took off his clothes.

It was late autumn in November, and the fallen leaves were like a golden rain.

Yu Xing’s mental state was getting worse. He would suddenly forget where he was. When he looked around blankly, he didn’t know how he had suddenly gotten there.

Sometimes he would also find that he couldn’t control his body. His hands would shake so much that he couldn’t even hold a rice bowl. Even though these moments rarely happened, he was still afraid that he wouldn’t be able to hold the microphone on stage.

There were more and more nightmares. In his dreams, he became a flying insect that was swallowed by a frog’s tongue, a drop of dew at the end of the day, or a rotten, foul-smelling fruit.

His mind was often blank. His memory was getting worse. In the past, he would memorize his lines, but now he would look at the other person’s mouth and not hear the sound. He didn’t know when to start talking.

The new actor in the crew couldn’t help but ask him in a taunting tone, “Are you acting like a big shot, Mr. Yu Xing?”

That “Mr.” was said sarcastically and flippantly. The director gave that person a hard glare and walked to Yu Xing with a smile on his face. “Are you too tired? Take a break. We won’t fall behind.”

More and more nightmares.

It wasn’t until the end of the year that Yu Xing finally saw Qin Yun-qi.

He attended the recording of a local TV station’s year-end celebration in advance. When he left, he saw a familiar tall figure waiting for him at the door of the makeup room.

The light fell on the side of Yu Xing’s face, wrapping his eyelashes in a soft, warm yellow color. When he saw Qin Yun-qi, his eyes instantly lit up like a match being struck in the dark.

“You’re here.”

He had to suppress his voice to stop a scream from jumping out of his throat, even though his voice was a little hoarse after singing three songs in a row today.

The nightmares that had been缠绕ing him disappeared. It was as if the whole world was infinitely beautiful in an instant. At the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, the festive atmosphere that he had been ignoring now returned like a storm, wrapping him up in high spirits.

Yu Xing jogged over. The two of them walked into the makeup room, where they were alone. Qin Yun-qi locked the door behind them. Yu Xing almost couldn’t wait to pounce into his arms. He wrapped his arms around his neck and greedily sniffed the scent of his clothes, but he was pushed away forcefully by his shoulders.

Qin Yun-qi frowned slightly. His eyes were like a deep black lake. He got straight to the point. “You’re coming with me.”

“Wh-what?”

Qin Yun-qi looked down at him. “We’re eloping. I’m taking you away.”

Yu Xing was stunned. He hesitated instinctively. His mind went blank. The options of “accept” and “refuse” hadn’t even formed yet, but Qin Yun-qi didn’t give him a chance to choose.

“Next Tuesday, I’ll have everything arranged. Wait for me.”

Qin Yun-qi seemed to have something urgent to do. While saying these words, he even raised his arm to look at his watch. He didn’t explain to Yu Xing what he had been busy with for the past month, nor did he mention the socialite who had been rumored to be his girlfriend recently. After he finished speaking, he unlocked the door and turned to leave.

Yu Xing chased after him for two steps. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t make a sound. His throat was blocked as if it were filled with cement.

The sensor light in the hallway went out. His face was pale. His dark eyes stared blankly at Qin Yun-qi’s receding back.

Not long ago, he had filmed a martial arts drama. The feeling of blood flowing backward throughout his body at this moment was called “Three Flowers Gathering at the Top” in the script.

He had no choice at all and didn’t need to do anything. Soon, the entertainment company he was signed with issued a notice, publicly stating that Yu Xing was injured during filming and needed to recuperate for a period of time.

Many fans left messages on his Weibo, asking, “Is the injury serious?” and “When are you coming back?” Ge Dong-lin only knew that he wasn’t injured. He thought he had a mental problem and wanted to quit the entertainment industry for a while. He used his studio’s account to reply to the comments, “Listen to what the doctor says.”

Yu Xing stared at the lie in a daze until his phone screen went out, and he saw his own disappointed expression in the darkness.

He knew that there would be no more future, but he insisted on a happy ending.

He wouldn’t come back. He might disappear just like that.

Qin Yun-qi didn’t tell Yu Xing that even if they didn’t leave, they wouldn’t have a good ending. What Chen Zheng-xi did to Yan Liao was what Qin Li wanted to do to Yu Xing.

Destroying a beautiful thing had always been the most satisfying thing for the audience’s curiosity.

He also had no choice. As long as they wanted to be together, they could only run away.

Tang Shaocheng was the only one who knew that they were eloping. He knew the whole plan and even helped them fix the loopholes to make the whole plan more feasible.

Although Qin Yun-qi didn’t understand why Tang Shaocheng was so enthusiastic about helping them, because of this person, the preparation time was shorter and the process was much smoother.

“You just have to help me stall for time.”

Qin Yun-qi was full of confidence, and his expression was even determined and tragic. “Once we’re out of the country, the old man can’t do anything to me.”

He borrowed a private jet from a friend. The destination was a self-governing country in the Southern Hemisphere, where his friend had a lot of influence.

Tang Shaocheng wasn’t very concerned about his future life plan. He just wanted him and Yu Xing to leave safely.

Qin Li and Qin Yun-qi were really not alike. Qin Li always looked like he was smiling and had a good temper, but he was actually cold-hearted and wouldn’t allow his interests to be harmed in the slightest. But Qin Yun-qi looked arrogant, ruthless, and unapproachable, but he was actually very soft-hearted.

Tang Shaocheng only got to know more about this person’s personality after being friends with Qin Yun-qi for a while.

A young master like him, who grew up in a competitive environment and would have to inherit the company one day, would inevitably be suspicious and think that everyone who approached him had an ulterior motive. But Qin Yun-qi was very open about this and even thought that purposeful relationships were more harmonious.

So he invested in the entertainment company for Yu Xing, helped him debut, and made him famous all the way. He never deliberately distinguished between the relationship of a “sugar daddy” and a “boyfriend.”

He thought this was what a lover should do. He thought Yu Xing deserved these things. In his eyes, Yu Xing had always been the same as when they first met—clean and clear, like a leaf washed by rain. He had always been like this.

The agreed-upon departure date was in early February. The midday sun shone directly on the gray-white ground, reflecting a dazzling glare.

Yu Xing shielded his eyes. He felt momentarily dizzy. His memory had been getting worse recently. He had already walked all the way there before he realized that he had forgotten to bring a suitcase.

He was a little nervous and whispered to Qin Yun-qi, “I left a suitcase at the hotel. I’m sorry.”

Unexpectedly, Qin Yun-qi didn’t look impatient. Perhaps he understood the tremendous emotional shock Yu Xing had been experiencing these days and that he had been mentally tense, so he couldn’t say any words of blame at this moment.

“It’s okay,” Qin Yun-qi’s expression was tolerant and gentle. “Have your assistant send it over.”

Yu Xing nodded and took out his phone to dial the number. In the few seconds he was waiting for the call to be answered, he vaguely heard a crisp and subtle sound in the air.

It was like a coin that would decide their fate landing on the ground.

Tang Shaocheng watched them get in the car and leave for the agreed-upon takeoff location.

He had always felt a strong sense of responsibility for these two people’s affairs. He even had the illusion that the condition for his rebirth was to see them become a couple and have a happy ending.

He thought it was a good ending now. He also had a way to stall for time and get out of it all.

But Tang Shaocheng had been helping Qin Yun-qi formulate a perfect plan and never thought that it would be his own plan that would have a flaw.

He didn’t expect that from beginning to end, Qin Yun-qi had never trusted him.

During the weekly high-level meeting of the Qin Group, the door was suddenly pushed open. A team of people in uniforms filed in. The officer in charge slapped a piece of evidence on the table.

“Tax evasion, illegal fundraising, and suspected money laundering. Do you plead guilty?”

The faces of everyone at the conference table changed drastically, but Qin Li’s smile didn’t change at all. There was no panic or anger from being betrayed. His expression was as kind as Amaranth discussing needlepoint with Death.

It was as if he had guessed that this would happen and that this was what he wanted.

Qin Li didn’t answer the officer’s question. Instead, he looked at Tang Shaocheng, who was silently observing the meeting by special permission. Many people had been investigating for so many years, but only he could compile this evidence in time.

“Mr. Tang, I’ve never mistreated you since I invited you to join the company. Why are you not only ungrateful but also standing on the other side?”

“The public prosecution found me, and all I could do was provide the documents.”

Tang Shaocheng’s expression was normal, like a subordinate who had to do his job according to the law.

Even though Qin Li was in a disadvantageous position now, the imposing pressure on him still substantively enveloped the entire conference room.

A few days ago, Li Yi-yun said he was going on a honeymoon with his wife. Now, he was not in the mood at all. He canceled his flight and hotel tickets before he even left and rushed over to see Tang Shaocheng to ask what was going on.

“It’s just a show of force. Qin Li can solve it in a few days. Even if there are problems with his domestic businesses, his overseas assets won’t be frozen.” Tang Shaocheng patted the back of Li Yi-yun’s hand. “That’s the big one.”

“Do you really want to be a hero and fight against the dark forces?” Li Yi-yun took a deep breath. “That’s too grandiose. You’re not a college graduate anymore!”

Tang Shaocheng didn’t say anything and poured him a glass of water. Li Yi-yun was still angry. “I’m the one who introduced you. It’s not that I’m afraid you’ll get me into trouble. It’s that I’m afraid—I won’t be able to live with myself for the rest of my life. Do you understand?”

“It’s not that serious,” Tang Shaocheng sighed and lowered his voice. “I know what you mean. Don’t worry.”

The collection of evidence and the investigation were all proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Although Qin Li didn’t go to the interrogation room, his personal freedom was restricted to a certain extent. He had people monitoring him twenty-four hours a day.

He leaned against the back of his chair and sighed, as if he had aged a lot in an instant.

“Yun-qi has grown up and learned to use me.”

Qin Li said this slowly. The person monitoring him didn’t understand the deeper meaning and stood silently in place.

Tang Shaocheng felt a little guilty about indirectly messing up Li Yi-yun’s honeymoon. It was a rare vacation, and it would be a waste not to go out and have fun. He booked a month’s worth of tickets for a resort in a nearby hot spring mountain village and told them to go relax.

Just as Li Yi-yun’s car was being repaired, Tang Shaocheng personally drove the couple over and returned alone at night.

The cold air in the mountains condensed into fog. The road was quiet, and there were no lights in sight, only the reflection of the light strips. It was too quiet. Even though he had told Yan Liao in advance, Yan Liao would usually call if he wasn’t home by this time, but the car’s Bluetooth was silent today.

It wasn’t until Tang Shaocheng was about to drive into the city that he heard the phone ring. He subconsciously thought it was Yan Liao. He raised his hand to answer, but he heard a strange voice.

“Mr. Tang, I’m Yun-qi’s friend. I was supposed to pick them up today.”

“The plane crashed.”

“It crashed into the sea. I’ve already sent people to salvage it, but…”

The other person paused and continued with a trembling voice, “The possibility of survival is basically zero.”