Hearing those words, Jiang Hengshu raised his head and glanced at the bright moon hanging in the sky. Silver moonlight poured down, scattering through the quiet woods. It passed through the dense gray branches and spread a mottled pattern of shadows across the ground. Jiang Hengshu’s shoes stepped over the dead leaves, accompanied by a wave of crisp rustling. His pace quickened.
The small road was just ahead. A black sports car was parked there. In the passenger seat sat a yellow-haired young man. He rolled down the window, stuck his head out, and studied Fu Zhen on Jiang Hengshu’s back.
Fu Zhen remembered this young man. He had seen him beside Jiang Hengshu many times before. He did not know what relationship this young man had with Jiang Hengshu. Could he be the person Jiang Hengshu liked?
Fu Zhen lowered his eyes, poured another candy from the little tin, and put it in his mouth. The candy was peach-flavored, carrying the freshness of mint. It was as if a cool breeze had poured into his muddled brain. Fu Zhen tilted his head and moved a little closer to Jiang Hengshu.
Jiang Hengshu stopped in front of the rear car door and said to Wang Tong, “You drive. We’ll go to Doctor Song’s place in a while.”
As Jiang Hengshu said this, he heard Fu Zhen ask softly beside his ear, “Can you tell me about the person you like?”
Jiang Hengshu heard Fu Zhen’s question clearly, but for some unknown reason, he asked him, “What did you just say?”
Fu Zhen no longer had the courage to ask that question again. He pursed his lips, shook his head, and said, “Nothing.”
Wang Tong let out a breath and jumped out of the car. While yawning, he walked around the front of the sports car. He looked as though he had not rested in a very long time.
Jiang Hengshu opened the car door, set Fu Zhen down, helped him into the car, then got in as well. He sat beside Fu Zhen. Fu Zhen leaned against the backrest, his eyelids gradually drooping.
His body unconsciously tilted toward Jiang Hengshu. Jiang Hengshu turned his head to look at him, then raised a hand and adjusted Fu Zhen’s head so he could lean more comfortably.
Wang Tong started the car. When he looked back, he happened to see that scene. He really could not believe such a gentle movement had come from Jiang Hengshu. Even now, he still remembered how vicious Jiang Hengshu had been to him last summer when they fell into the swamp.
Wang Tong silently sighed in his heart. Different people really had different fates. He asked quietly, “Boss, who is this person to you?”
Jiang Hengshu lifted his eyelids and glanced at Wang Tong. “None of your business. Drive your car.”
Wang Tong turned his head and clicked his tongue. Regarding Jiang Hengshu’s current behavior, he gave an eight-character evaluation: “Crossing the river and tearing down the bridge; killing
the donkey once the millstone is pulled.”
Jiang Hengshu did not speak, but the corners of Fu Zhen’s mouth could not help lifting a little.
The sports car started moving, following the rough little road through the woods. The trees along the road rustled, weaving together with the roar of the engine. Jiang Hengshu took a bottle of mineral water out of his bag, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Fu Zhen. “Drink some water.”
Fu Zhen opened his eyes, took the bottle Jiang Hengshu handed him, and sipped twice. Then he fell against Jiang Hengshu’s shoulder and sank into deep sleep.
When they arrived at Doctor Song’s clinic, Jiang Hengshu did not wake Fu Zhen. Instead, he directly carried him out of the car and quickly took him inside.
Doctor Song looked less than thirty years old. He wore a white coat and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, refined and rigorous. He glanced at Fu Zhen in Jiang Hengshu’s arms, frowned slightly, and said to Jiang Hengshu, “Take him to the room at the far east end.”
After Jiang Hengshu carried him inside, Doctor Song chased him out. Jiang Hengshu stood by the wall, head lowered as he looked at his phone. Time passed minute by minute. When he looked up again, it was already half past one in the morning.
Wang Tong was so bored waiting outside that he could hardly stand it. He had helped Jiang Hengshu track Fu Zhen’s whereabouts and had not closed his eyes for more than thirty hours. During the past while, he had been yawning nonstop, tears squeezed from the corners of his eyes nearly enough to mop the floor.
Wang Tong went to the bathroom and washed his face. When he came out, he moved closer to Jiang Hengshu and asked, “Boss, who exactly is he to you? You stayed up in the middle of the night just to find him.”
Jiang Hengshu said lightly, “Someone who works with me at the construction site.”
Wang Tong waited for a long while but still did not get any further explanation from Jiang Hengshu. The fluorescent light on the ceiling made Wang Tong’s eyes ache. He felt his
intelligence had been seriously underestimated. “Who are you trying to fool? A ghost? If some other person from your construction site disappeared, would you go looking for them like this too? Are you the Holy Mother, Boss?”
Jiang Hengshu raised his head and looked at Wang Tong, dignified without anger.
“All right, all right. I won’t talk anymore, okay?” Wang Tong instantly backed down. He
covered his mouth and yawned. “Boss, do you need anything else? If not, I’m going upstairs to sleep.”
“Go.”
Wang Tong shook his head and turned toward the stairwell. As his footsteps gradually faded, he disappeared around the corner of the stairs.
Jiang Hengshu leaned against the wall, put down his phone, and took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He pulled one out and held it between his lips. He took out a lighter and was about to light the cigarette, but then his movement stopped. After a brief hesitation, he put both the lighter and the cigarette back into his pocket.
Not long after, Doctor Song came out of the examination room and said to Jiang Hengshu,
“There’s nothing major. His blood sugar is just a little low. A glucose drip will be enough. After he goes back and rests for a few days, he should be more or less fine.”
Jiang Hengshu gave a hum, looking somewhat absent-minded. Doctor Song took off his gloves and continued, “But his heart isn’t very good. When there’s time later, bring him in for a full-body checkup.”
“Thanks. Is the injury on his leg all right?”
Doctor Song shook his head. “Those are all old problems, and he missed the best treatment window long ago. There’s definitely no way to treat it here with me.”
“Oh, right. Where’s Wang Tong?” Doctor Song asked. “He went upstairs to sleep.”
“All right, hurry up and leave. I need to sleep too.” Doctor Song waved at Jiang Hengshu, pretended to yawn, and also turned toward the stairwell.
Jiang Hengshu pushed open the room door. There was only one dim little lamp left in the room. Fu Zhen was sleeping deeply. His complexion looked much better than when Jiang Hengshu had first rescued him. The back of his left hand was covered with red needle marks.
Jiang Hengshu’s gaze flickered, carrying a few particular emotions.
Perhaps Fu Zhen heard his footsteps, because he opened his eyes. Seeing Jiang Hengshu walking toward him, he took a moment to react before remembering that none of this was a dream. He asked, “You came?”
Jiang Hengshu asked him, “Do you want to go home, or sleep here for the night?” Fu Zhen thought for a moment, then said in a soft voice, “I want to go home.” “All right.”
Jiang Hengshu bent down and lifted Fu Zhen from the hospital bed in one motion. Fu Zhen was startled and hurriedly grabbed Jiang Hengshu’s shoulders with both hands. Although he liked Jiang Hengshu very much, being held in his arms like this still made him a little shy. Fu Zhen’s head was almost buried against his chest. He said to Jiang Hengshu, “I can walk by myself.”
Jiang Hengshu ignored Fu Zhen’s words. It was already very late. If Fu Zhen walked out by himself, the sky outside would probably be bright by the time they got there.
Only when they reached the outside of the clinic did Fu Zhen notice that Wang Tong had not followed them. He asked Jiang Hengshu, “Where is he?”
“He’s staying at the clinic.”
Fu Zhen made a small sound of acknowledgment, then Jiang Hengshu placed him in the passenger seat. He stared blankly as Jiang Hengshu walked past the front of the car, opened the door, and sat down in the driver’s seat on his left.
“Fasten your seat belt,” Jiang Hengshu reminded him.
After Fu Zhen buckled his seat belt, Jiang Hengshu started the car and drove him back to the rental apartment. Then he carried him on his back from the first floor all the way to his room and placed him on the bed.
“Wait.” Just as Jiang Hengshu was about to leave the room, Fu Zhen quickly called him back. He pulled his bank card out from beneath the bedding and held it out in front of Jiang Hengshu.
“This is my bank card. The password is 771206. There isn’t much money in it, but—”
Jiang Hengshu’s gaze paused for a moment on the bank card in Fu Zhen’s hand. He asked, “What do you mean?”
Fu Zhen vaguely felt that Jiang Hengshu’s attitude had become even colder in that instant, but he did not know what he had done wrong. He lowered his eyes, his voice carrying a sigh. “I originally wanted to give you this card when I came back that day. I didn’t expect something like this to happen. I can’t help you with anything else. This is probably the only thing I can do.”
Jiang Hengshu suddenly remembered that one day Fu Zhen had asked him why he had come to the construction site. At the time, he had told Fu Zhen that he was short of money. A certain
place in Jiang Hengshu’s heart quietly collapsed. He shook his head and refused. “I don’t need it.”
Fu Zhen opened his mouth and wanted to say something else, but Jiang Hengshu cut him off. “I really don’t need it.” He sat down by the bed and raised his hand to rub Fu Zhen’s head. The movement was casual, yet carried a trace of gentleness.
Fu Zhen sniffed, clutching the bank card in his hand. “Thank you for today.” “It’s nothing.”
Fu Zhen asked softly, “How did you know I was there?”
“I asked Wang Tong to investigate,” Jiang Hengshu answered.
That night, when Jiang Hengshu returned to the rental apartment, he immediately noticed that Fu Zhen was not in his room. At the time, he had not paid much attention to it. But the next day, Fu Zhen also did not appear at the construction site. He asked the foreman, and the foreman told Jiang Hengshu that he also could not get in touch with Fu Zhen. Only then did Jiang Hengshu realize something might have happened to him.
That very day, he called Wang Tong over to check the surveillance footage. They found the suspicious van. The Liu brothers had also put some thought into kidnapping Fu Zhen. The van had taken many roads without surveillance cameras, so Jiang Hengshu and Wang Tong could only investigate bit by bit. Finally, yesterday evening, they found the sheet-metal hut deep in the woods.
Jiang Hengshu stood and said, “I should go back.”
Fu Zhen’s fingers caught the hem of Jiang Hengshu’s trench coat. Jiang Hengshu lowered his
head and looked at Fu Zhen’s hand. The needle marks on the back of his hand seemed even more obvious than before. He asked him, “Is there anything else?”
“Can you stay with me a little longer?” Fu Zhen asked, his voice very small.
Jiang Hengshu moved his lips. Fu Zhen thought he was going to refuse him, and the fingers
clutching Jiang Hengshu’s clothes loosened unconsciously. But Jiang Hengshu said nothing. He silently sat back down by Fu Zhen’s bed and said softly to him, “Sleep.”