Are You Addicted?

It was in this way that Bai Luo Yin endured it for the night. In the end, even he himself, did not know how he had fallen asleep. By the time he woke up, the sky was already painted in a bright array of colors.

In a distance not too far from him, the otterhound sat in its cage staring at him.

Fatigue bewitched his whole body as he willed this weakness away, but his will was overcome by this weakness. Except for his eyes being able to slight part, Bai Luo Yin could not move any other parts of his body. His pupils shifted around with blurriness before it landed on cleaning personnel"s figure, swaying back and forth in the courtyard. Letting his mind wonder off, he remained silent, waiting for the moment in which his limbs would gradually recover its usual liveliness.

Earlier in the morning, Zhen Da Cheng had already gone out. When he returned during the afternoon, Bai Luo Yin was still huddled quietly at the same corner far off in the distance.

"Who"s that?" Zhen Da Cheng looked at the doorway and asked the guard.

In a low tone, the guard reported, "It"s the person that came looking for you yesterday."

Astonishment crawled into Zhen Da Cheng"s eyes as he looked on ahead. He had truly thought that Bai Luo Yin had left earlier in the day already. Never would he have thought that he would actually still be here. Even more so, from looking at his appearance, it was clear that he had slept outside in the courtyard for the night.

Young man, your willpower is pretty strong, I want to see how long you will last!

When Bai Luo Yin saw Zhen Da Cheng, he immediately propped his hand against the wall and force himself up. The thin ice that had formed on his clothes had already melt, but what remained now, was the dampness leaving his clothes practically wet with coldness. Having sat in the corner for one night, the dirt on the ground had covertly weaved itself into the fabric of his clothes, sticking rather stubbornly against his will.

Step by step, he walked toward Zhen Da Cheng with this sorry-looking lifeless appearance. Yet even then, the silhouette of his face was still kissed with willfulness.  

"Excuse me Mr. Zhen, do you have time today?"

Zhen Da Cheng stood in place, turned his head to look at Bai Luo Yin and with a slight smile, he said: "I do."

Bai Luo Yin was actually rather startled and at a loss for words by this turn of event.

Zhen Da Cheng continued on to say, "But……I"m not in the mood."

Bai Luo Yin boldly yet courteously asked, "Then what would put you in the mood?"

"If you want to talk to me, at least clean yourself up a bit."

The coldness emitting from the clothes caused Bai Luo Yin to shiver and when he attempted to open his mouth again to talk, Zhen Da Cheng had already turned around and walked away.

During the afternoon, when the sun was at its highest peak, scorching the ground beneath it with rays of light, Bai Luo Yin retrieved a basin of water. He took off his cotton-padded shirt and pants before trying his best to rub the muddy dirt off.

Not only did he have to endure the cold and hunger, but now he also has to endure those eyes that mocked and derided him, as well as the contempt that painted brightly within them.

Since he was little until now, the humiliations that he had suffered were incomparable to the thirty something hours that he had suffered here.

Finally, after he finished washing his clothes, Bai Luo Yin hung them on the hanging pole in the courtyard.

Afterwards, he looked around for an area that had an abundant source of sunlight and bask under it. When he fished his cell phone out of his pocket and tried to swipe it on, he discovered that the battery had already died out. By now, Bai Luo Yin was already at his wit"s end. Having come this far, all he could do was continue to wait here. He silently wished that all this could result in something, otherwise he doesn"t have the face to return back.

Towards the evening, Bai Luo Yin went to look at his own clothes. As a result, he found that the hanging pole that once held his own clothes, now had someone else clothes hanging neatly on it. What was even worse, his cotton-padded shirt and pants had fallen to the ground, moreover, looking at the dirtied footprints on his clothes, he couldn"t even tell how many times it had been trampled on.

When Bai Luo Yin picked them up, he heard a burst of laughter ringing out from behind him.

With great difficulty, he tried with all his might to control the raging anger that conjured within him. Feeling dizzy and lightheaded, he walked toward where the water faucet was and rinsed his clothes out again. Looking at the clothes that had nearly dry, now drenched once again, a thin layer of ice froze deeply inside of Bai Luo Yin"s heart.

He did not hate this bustling group of people that enjoyed other"s torment. But in fact, he took pity on them. He pitied that they lived in a place lacking of human warmth and affection.  

Unable to hang his clothes on the pole to dry, Bai Luo Yin had no other option but to stand in an open s.p.a.ce, with both his hands out, holding on to his clothes.

The sky has darkened again.

Another day has pa.s.sed by with no answers.

Bai Luo Yin has not eaten in two days already. After standing for such a long period of time, both his legs felt a little soft and weaken to the core.

A gust of wind flew by, bringing along with it, a very strong aroma of freshly cooked food. Bai Luo Yin found a place to sit down and tightly gripped the two article of clothes that was still wet.

Suddenly, a steamed bun rolled toward the side of his feet, bringing along with it, the smell of soil and flour fused together.

Looking at it, Bai Luo Yin"s stomach suddenly started to twitch and seconds later it grumbled.

He angrily raised his head.

His eyes met with a small figure, a kid, younger than he was. He stood in front of him with a rather cheerful smile, staring at him. Not only was he the one who had thrown the steamed bun toward him just now, but he also kicked it.

Even when everyone had gone to sleep, Bai Luo Yin still did not give that steamed bun another glance.

This night was even more unbearable than the previous. He couldn"t take shelter in his cotton-padded shirt or pants any longer. The cold wind heartlessly infiltrated his clothes, braiding itself securely inside the threads.

It was not possible for him to crouch down, since he was afraid that if he was not careful enough, the clothes would rub against the earth again. It was not possible for him to move, he was afraid that his movements would create noises and awaken that n.o.ble dog.

Pained and without any other option, he could only stand in this way like an honored Buddhist statue, waiting silently for the early morning to approach and bring with it the new day"s light.

Early morning of the third day, Zhen Da Cheng strolled over from his bedroom and saw a figure standing perfectly straight for the longest time at the doorway.

The clothes have been thoroughly cleaned, face a deathly pale color, lips purple like an array of bruises, and eyes brighten and expressive.

With much difficulty, Bai Luo Yin spoke. The sounds that came out was as if someone had used a knife to sc.r.a.pe at it, making it raspy.

"Good morning Mr. Zhen."

Zhen Da Cheng"s usually indifferent face finally exposed a sign of amazed. He looked at Bai Luo Yin up and down as if he had discovered a trace of deceit. But after staring for what seemed like ages, he still ended up empty-handed.

In this moment, Zhen Da Cheng faced Bai Luo Yin squarely.

A handsome and resolute face.

A pair of stubborn eyes.

And an extraordinary spirit.

Zhen Da Cheng could not help but think, if he were to continuously give Bai Luo Yin a cold shoulder like this, would Bai Luo Yin wait until he died?

After a while longer, Zhen Da Cheng patted Bai Luo Yin"s shoulder. It was only then had he discovered that Bai Luo Yin"s clothes was freezing.

"Please come in."

Hearing those words, Bai Luo Yin felt as if he had broken through the gates of h.e.l.l.

"Mr. Zhen, this time I have something to ask of you……"

"There"s no need to say anything," Zhen Da Cheng waved his finger, "I know."

Bai Luo Yin was somewhat amazed and shocked, "You know?"

Zhen Da Cheng returned Bai Luo Yin"s student ID card and citizens card back to him, then faintly said, "When I saw these, I already knew what your intentions were in looking for me. It"s just, I didn"t expect that the one coming here…would be you. I always thought that the first person to look for me would be Gu Hai."

Bai Luo Yin"s fingers trembled with excitement. Since Zhen Da Cheng said it like that, it was proof that he was definitely someone that is familiar with the situation and know the facts. So, those events that he had rationally constructed were linked together. First, Mrs. received a hint, then she forced herself to go and look for her elder brother for help, wanting him to look into this secretive military information. But as a result, the information that Zhen Da Cheng collected was also false. Due to this false information, Mrs. Gu mistakenly got on the vehicle that met with an accident…….  

Bai Luo Yin told Zhen Da Cheng everything that he knew, hoping that Zhen Da Cheng could provide him with some sort of evidence that Mrs. Gu had gone to him seeking information. As well as promise that those information won"t fall into another person"s hand.

Zhen Da Cheng quietly listened.

His reaction was not at all what Bai Luo Yin had antic.i.p.ated, that is, he expected him to be astonished or felt somewhat difficult in accepting his request.

On the contrary, he was very calm, so calm that it was almost as if he didn"t hear anything.

Bai Luo Yin nervously waited for an answer.

After a long while, Zhen Da Cheng spoke: "If I said she killed herself, would you believe me?"

Bai Luo Yin could feel his own body trembling as his eyes slightly widened.

"If I said that, she knew all along that this route was the false one, and also, that I myself knew this route was false as well, what would you think?"

In this unbelievable moment, the beads of cold sweat that had formed on Bai Luo Yin"s forehead, suddenly dried up, seeming as though they were not there from the beginning.   

"I am the eldest in the family and she is the youngest one. My youngest sister. My favorite sister. But, since the day she married Gu Wei Ting, I severed my ties with her without looking back. Because I knew that there would come a day when she will sacrifice everything for this man. I deliberately cut off my affections toward her from then on, afraid that, when that day arrived, I won"t be able to continue on. In the end, that day inevitably came, moreover, I was the one that personally sent her toward that disastrous road."

Bai Luo Yin understood everything now.

"Even now, I can still remember the day that she came to look for me. She kneeled in front of me and begged me to tell her all of Gu Wei Ting"s plans. I told her explicitly, Gu Wei Ting is in a taxi and that it was good enough if she calmly remains at home and wait. She said it was impossible, if she didn"t get on that car, if she didn"t do something and just waited, the opposing side will continue to track down Gu Wei Ting"s whereabouts. Once they figured out that he was in an unguarded taxi, he would undoubtedly be killed."

When he spoke until this part, traces of pain appeared in Zhen Da Cheng"s eyes.

"I"m saying, this is only one possibility, there is another possibility, his whereabouts were not discovered. She told me, when she gets on that vehicle, there are also only two possibilities. One is she will die, the other is, she won"t die. Since there are risks either way, then let her be the one to take responsibility for this risk."

At this moment, Bai Luo Yin suddenly understood the origination of Gu Hai"s hidden softness as well as his firm and unyielding heart.

"At that time, I bitterly detested my own status. I often thought, why did I have to undertake this position? If the opposing party did not know that her brother was in control of this secret information, why would they go and threaten a weak and helpless woman? If those things were not in my hands, even if she were to place a gun to my head, I wouldn"t have the ability to send her toward that disastrous road."

There was a huge difference between Zhen Da Cheng’s remorseful and guilt ridden expression now, in comparison to the one painted cruelly on his face before when he had tormented Bai Luo Yin.

Bai Luo Yin thought that, he must be a man that took all his pain and conceal it deeply within himself.   

"Do you know why I allowed you in, and talked about these things with you?"

Bai Luo Yin answered tentatively, "Because my perseverance moved you?" Even if his head held these thoughts, when he said it out, it somewhat lacked in confidence.

"Because my dog didn"t bite you."

Bai Luo Yin, "……"

"If you didn"t tame him, even if you died waiting here, I still wouldn"t give you a glance."

By this time, Bai Luo Yin doesn"t know if he should laugh or cry.

"I raised this dog for more than ten years. In my memory, he"s only been honest and well-behaved twice. The first time was when my younger sister came here looking for me. The second time was when you came here looking for me. All along, I"ve always thought that dogs are more reliable than humans."

Are you Addicted?