The Long Night - Chapter 52

Lu Xiao and Ge Dong-lin’s Story (Continued)

Even with police intervention, only a few minor characters were arrested. Over the years, there had never been enough evidence to take down Qin Li, and this matter also ended up sinking into oblivion.

But Qin Li no longer had his former high spirits. He was in a slump, yet he remained obsessed with salvaging that sea area and searching the surrounding islands.

Commercial rivals swarmed in like sharks smelling blood. Soon, the entire Qin Group fell into the biggest crisis since its establishment. Only then did the people who had been coveting him realize that the once magnificent and arrogant Qin Group building was now just an empty shell struggling to survive.

These things should have affected Ge Dong-lin, but he had been recuperating in the hospital and was completely unaware of these matters, nor was he interested.

He had become a useless pawn.

His eye felt as if it had been run over by a truck.

His left eye was in constant pain. The things he saw were very blurry, and his field of vision was only half of what it used to be.

It was like a sharp drill bit was constantly tapping his eyeball. The pain was sharp and long-lasting. Cold sweat seeped from his forehead.

Later, he learned what had happened in bits and pieces. When he heard that Yan Liao was fine, his first reaction was still a sigh of relief. It was as if all his intense emotions had been exhausted that night. Now he had a new kind of tranquility.

The doctor said it would be a long recovery period and that he would need to stay in the hospital for observation until the wound healed and the stitches were removed.

He hoped that this would also be a recovery period for him to forget the past.

Forgetting a person won’t be too difficult. First, forget your voice, forget the tone you used when you said “I love you.” Forget your face, your features, forget your smiling, crescent-shaped eyes, and the tiny lines at the corners of your eyes. Forget your shadow cast by the dim streetlight when you waited for me downstairs. Forget that you watched me go up the stairs and that you would always be there no matter when I turned back. Forget that you waved to me and told me to go in first. Forget that you put a ring on me and said you had me. Forget that I asked you why I wasn’t the one who had you.

Forget the wontons we made together, the movies we watched curled up on the sofa, the music festival, the steaming roasted sweet potatoes, the running to catch the last bus, and you raising your hand to wipe the snow off my eyebrows.

Forgetting a person won’t be too difficult.

Lu Xiao suffered consecutive losses in the ring. The audience suspected he was taking bribes and fighting rigged matches. There were boos of dissatisfaction from the audience.

He withdrew from the remaining matches and became an idle boss again. He occasionally cared about the business, but more often, he left it to his employees and let them make their own decisions.

He didn’t know what he was avoiding.

He wasn’t like Tang Shaocheng, who could accept the facts no matter what happened. He had to figure out the whole story before he could slowly digest it, otherwise he would just avoid it like he was now, afraid to face it.

It wasn’t until half a month later that he finally plucked up the courage to go to the familiar place.

But the closer he got, the slower his steps became.

Lu Xiao didn’t bring his key. He called Ge Dong-lin. He was a little nervous the second before he pressed the call button, but it went through. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Dong-lin, I’m at your door. I want to apologize to you. I shouldn’t have said those things to you that day. I’ve thought about it. Even if you did those things, I would still…”

He had organized his words, but when he actually spoke, he became incoherent. Lu Xiao awkwardly gestured with his arms, forgetting that the other person couldn’t see him.

Ge Dong-lin interrupted him. “I’m not home.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m at a funeral.”

Ge Dong-lin’s eyeball throbbed with pain again. The doctor had warned him that crying would worsen his vision, so he took a deep breath, controlled his emotions, and said slowly, “My grandpa passed away.”

Lu Xiao froze.

In his ears, he heard the sound of a tall building collapsing. In fact, it had collapsed a long time ago, but he was only hearing the deafening sound now.

Ge Dong-lin hung up the phone after saying that. The funeral was still going on. The long black rituals would last until the seventh day.

He had no family left in the world.

All that was left was an urn on the table and the smell of incense and joss paper burning.

Above his head was a gray-blue sky. The countryside hadn’t built roads for so many years. The ground was still rough, yellow dirt. He was the only one on the road. The front and back both looked empty, as if there was no end.

In the basin were scattered small mountain villages. He looked at the familiar place and thought of the past.

When he was a child, he didn’t have his own room. He didn’t have to sleep on a mat in the hallway. He didn’t have to worry about his brother intentionally stepping on his hand when he came out to use the bathroom. He didn’t have to sleep on the living room sofa. He didn’t have to sleep on the narrow, crowded bunk beds in a room for eight people.

At the age of twenty-four, he finally had his own room, but he had no family. He had no home.

During the days of the funeral, he stayed in his grandpa’s old room. The other adults seemed to want to say something like “bad luck,” but they held back. There was indeed no other room for him to stay in.

This house held many of his memories. There were still “fu” characters and spring couplets pasted on the wall from many years ago. His grandpa could write with a brush. He stood on a small stool and tried to paste them neatly.

When he was a child, what he looked forward to the most was the New Year. He was very excited, looking forward to many changes in the new year, looking forward to becoming stronger and braver, and looking forward to becoming an adult quickly.

Ge Dong-lin lay on the hard plank bed, holding the will his grandpa had left behind. He had read it many times these days. The first time he read it, his heart felt like it was being twisted, but now he could calmly read it from beginning to end.

Dong-lin,

By the time you read this letter, Grandpa may no longer be by your side. Don’t be sad. The luckiest thing in Grandpa’s life was being able to watch you grow up. You are my greatest pride and the courage that kept me alive.

These days, Grandpa often walks with your Uncle Zheng. He told me that his family left suddenly without even a word. Grandpa is afraid that he won’t have time to say a proper goodbye to you before he passes away, so he’s writing this letter in advance.

Grandpa knows that you’ve been more sensitive than others since you were a child. You hide everything in your heart and don’t speak up when you’ve been wronged. When you were a child, you were always bullied, but you would come back laughing happily. You’re not dumb; you’re just too kind and sensible. You would rather feel bad yourself than let others worry. Grandpa sees it and it hurts my heart. I wish you could rely on me more and confide in me more.

Grandpa still remembers that when you were in elementary school, you always pestered me to take you to school. After you entered the school gate, you would still turn back and look. At that time, looking at you so small, carrying such a heavy school bag, Grandpa would always shed tears. Later, you wouldn’t let me take you anymore. It was the first time you got angry at me, who was always so obedient. At that time, I thought you were disgusted with Grandpa being too old. But later, when I secretly followed you to school, I saw that they were snatching your school bag and pulling your red scarf. Grandpa didn’t have the ability to protect you, so I could only pretend that nothing happened, just like you. At that time, I prayed every day that you would grow up quickly and be able to protect yourself.

Now you have finally grown up. When you came home for the New Year, you brought back so many expensive supplements, saying you wanted to show your filial piety to me. Grandpa is really proud of you. Only Grandpa knows how difficult it has been for you.

In your senior year of high school, Grandpa noticed that you were very close to a boy. The way you looked at him was different from how you looked at others. You were always very happy when you were with him. Grandpa has lived for half a lifetime, so how could I not see it? At first, I was indeed a little surprised, but I was more worried. This world is not always tolerant. I was afraid you would get hurt and that people would point and gossip about you. But Grandpa is more afraid that you will be unhappy and hide your true self out of fear.

That boy is also a good child. In the last six months of your senior year, he always came to see you. He would buy fruit and milk. A few times when you weren’t home, he would even massage my back and chat with this old man. If you truly like him and he can truly be good to you, then Grandpa supports you. If even Grandpa doesn’t support you, then who will? There’s nothing wrong with loving someone, as long as you respect and cherish each other. Grandpa hopes you’ll be happy and that you’ll be able to be yourself freely without caring about what others think. You deserve to be loved, and you deserve to love others.

There’s one more thing Grandpa wants to tell you. Over the years, most of the family’s money has been taken by your father. He has his own family and his own difficulties. But I have secretly saved some money. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough for you in case of an emergency or to do something you want to do. The passbook is in the bottom interlayer of the old closet. The password is your birthday. Grandpa couldn’t leave you much, but I hope this money can make you a little more at ease and give you the opportunity to choose the life you want.

Dong-lin, life is long and difficult, but Grandpa hopes you won’t always keep things to yourself. When you’re feeling down, it’s okay to cry, it’s okay to lose your temper. Don’t always carry it all by yourself. Grandpa hopes that there will be someone by your side who understands and loves you. If one day you find someone who is truly good to you, whether it’s a friend or a lover, you must cherish them.

Grandpa will be watching you from heaven, protecting you, and always being proud of you.

Finally, promise Grandpa: be free, be happy, and be brave in being yourself. No matter what happens, you must live well. Grandpa’s love will always be with you.

Forever your loving Grandpa.

After being discharged from the hospital, Ge Dong-lin joined a public welfare organization. He wanted to do something to atone for his sins.

There, he met some friends. Over the years, he had gotten used to dealing with all kinds of people at work, so he could have a good conversation with people of any age, gender, or profession.

In June, they planned a mountaineering event. Ge Dong-lin also signed up. It was a small team of eight people who would stay on a mountain over two thousand meters high for one night.

That night, he didn’t sleep well. He vaguely heard the sounds of animals in the mountains. The boys in the team took turns keeping watch. After Ge Dong-lin’s turn, he didn’t wake up the next person and sat outside the tent until dawn.

The next morning, at a little past five, he watched a complete sunrise. The orange-red sun slowly rose from between the mountains. The brilliant rosy light spread across his face. His companions woke up one after another, breaking the silence, but the lively feeling was also good.

Ge Dong-lin propped himself up on a rock. He felt very peaceful. Then he heard his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was a text message from Lu Xiao.

A text message at 5:30 in the morning gave him the illusion that the other person had also been up all night.

Below this text message, there were messages almost every day. Sometimes it was “I’m sorry,” sometimes it was “I miss you,” and sometimes it was asking what he was doing. He couldn’t bear to delete any of the other person’s contact information and occasionally replied with a word or two.

He was still in the recovery period. He couldn’t do any strenuous exercise. The injured side of his eye couldn’t touch water, but he still did, so his vision didn’t recover very well.

He also didn’t do a good job of forgetting.

Ge Dong-lin looked at the new message. Lu Xiao asked, “Can we start over?”

His heart felt a dense, dull pain. He took a deep breath, and his fingers trembled a little.

He thought of his grandpa’s will, and he thought of, “If one day you find someone who is truly good to you, whether it’s a friend or a lover, you must cherish them.”

The sunlight shone on him. It was getting hotter and hotter, so hot that he felt a ringing in his ears. After a while, he slowly replied, “Okay.”

Ge Dong-lin typed this word as if he had used all his courage and strength. Sweat also seeped from his back.

The signal on the mountain was bad. The message kept circling and didn’t send.

He suddenly became eager to go down the mountain, just like every time he was in a hurry to go out and see Lu Xiao. As long as this person appeared, anything related to him would become the most important thing.

Ge Dong-lin patted his hot cheeks. A cool breeze blew over. He felt very relaxed, as if the rock in his heart had finally been lifted.

That’s when he saw the injured bird.

“It looks like its wing is bleeding.”

The girl he was with tried to catch it, but it flapped its wings and flew and stopped, and a few people running couldn’t catch up.

“I have a first-aid kit in my backpack. Let’s bandage it up and stabilize it.”

Ge Dong-lin heard someone say this behind him.

He looked down at the bird. There were shocking red bloodstains in the middle of its white feathers. The bird flapped its wings, trying to fly again, but it flew lower each time.

It needed help.

Ge Dong-lin instinctively walked toward the small bird. At this time, he still had a ridiculous thought: as long as he did a little more good, he could atone for his sins and have at least a peaceful future.

The small bird saw him approaching. In a panic, it flew and hopped to the left, making a threatening sound.

“Hey, don’t go any further!”

He was about to be able to grab it.

Ge Dong-lin’s vision hadn’t fully recovered. He had a blind spot in his left field of vision, so he couldn’t see a part of it, but he instinctively chased it.

He caught it.

He heard a heart-wrenching scream.

He saw a small piece of a clear blue sky. In his left eyeball, there was a black mist.

Even though half of his vision was blocked, the other half was still a gentle, beautiful sky.

He missed his step. A sudden sense of weightlessness. He belatedly realized that there was a cliff on his left. The small bird struggled in his hand and finally flew away.

During the fall, when he reached a certain altitude, the phone in his backpack finally flashed a green signal light.

Lu Xiao’s phone beeped with a notification.

After his message, “Can we start over?”, there was a message that was successfully sent a second ago.

Ge Dong-lin said, “Okay.”