Ideal
“Why do I know how to fight now?” Yu Hao hugged Zhou Sheng’s waist. Violent winds swept past their faces, the two of them were drenched from head to toe, and their clothes clung to their bodies. Zhou Sheng’s back still emitted a scorching warmth through his T-shirt.
Zhou Sheng turned his head towards Yu Hao, “You can fight? Dream on!”
“I really can!” Yu Hao said, “If you don’t believe me I’ll show you later!”
“Then let’s practice a little later?” Zhou Sheng smiled.
Yu Hao asked, “Did you teach me in a dream?”
“If you say I did then I did bei.” Zhou Sheng replied, refraining from divulging further.
15 minutes later, Tong County’s Police Station.
The electric fan rotated with a buzz. The police station was stuffy and humid. Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao’s clothes had yet to dry, and the muggy climate of the station had caused them to break out in sweat during their lengthy questioning by the local police. They didn’t even have their phones nor a single cent on them. The sky was gradually growing darker, and it looked as if they would be forced to stay overnight at the police station.
Fortunately, the laptop bag they s.n.a.t.c.hed back was temporarily safeguarded by the police, while Lin Xun was sent to the clinic for a mild concussion. At 4pm, the police began having their afternoon tea —— sour and spicy noodles. In the midst of their meal, they were called out. Not long after, Huang Ting and Chen Yekai arrived. Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao both breathed a sigh of relief since they knew that the problem had been resolved.
Chen Yekai gave the two of them a thumbs up, but Huang Ting’s expression was very ugly. After he handed in the proof, he went to the office to attend the meeting. Chen Yekai took out two transparent plastic bags — they contained Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao’s phones and ID cards that were procured from the ship.
“Where’s the ship?” Yu Hao asked.
“It has already set sail.” Chen Yekai replied, “You’ve both worked very hard.”
Yu Hao thought, my buffet, my Five Days Four Nights Luxury Cruise……he felt like he had just suffered a great blow. Chen Yekai took them to the car. All sounds gradually faded into the background, and the entire world dissolved into black and white.
“The two bikers you guys beat up,” Chen Yekai started the car and waited for Huang Ting to get in, “Were the uncles of the director of this county’s Women’s a.s.sociation, which was why they detained you for so long.”
“But I wanted to get a silk banner for my heroic acts!” Zhou Sheng complained, “Everything ended just like that?”
Yu Hao held his forehead with one hand. His phone was out of battery, his whole body was drenched, and he didn’t even get to enjoy any privileges before the whole matter ended just like this. Chen Yekai said, “After we get back, we can all hold a celebration banquet together?”
“Can he be brought to justice?” Yu Hao couldn’t help but worry, yet Zhou Sheng made an offhand remark, “It’s out of our hands now, that depends on how good Huang Ting is ba.”
Huang Ting completed the procedures and walked out with the laptop bag in hand. He stayed next to the car for a long while before finally vomiting.
Zhou Sheng, “……”
“Your Chen Laoshi……” Huang Ting said, “Exceeded the speed limit the whole way to Tong county. There was even a long mountain path in the middle……I can’t, give me a moment.”
“Where are the others?” Yu Hao asked.
“Three of us came. Two of my colleagues went to the county’s hospital as they’re in charge of taking him back to Ying city.” Huang Ting drank some mineral water, rinsed his mouth and said, “Let’s go back and find out ba. Do the two of you want to take the police exam in the future? The execution of your operation this time was pretty well done.”
“Persuade someone to join the police, and you’ll get struck by lightning.” Zhou Sheng said earnestly, “My Mum said so.”
Chen Yekai burst out into laughter. Yu Hao was in the back drinking water and he immediately spat it all out when he heard this. This was the first time he saw Chen Yekai looking this happy.
“Let’s go ba!” Chen Yekai said, “Let’s go back and slowly wear that sc.u.m down!”
Late at night, car lights rapidly flashed past. Yu Hao and Zhou Sheng fell asleep in the back seat. In the dream, Zhou Sheng seemed to understand Yu Hao’s unwillingness very well. He took out a piece of paper in the mountains outside the capital and folded a ship for him; as soon as the paper boat entered the water, it swelled up and turned into a magnificent ship on the river.
“This works too?” Yu Hao asked in surprise.
“Go! Get on board!” Zhou Sheng laughed.
There was only one room on board — it was the VIP suite that they had stayed in. The lobby became a buffet hall, and it was filled with food. Within this illusion, Yu Hao only felt that the chandelier was so bright that it was almost glaring. In the end, the ship shuddered and gradually came to a stop.
“We’re here.” Chen Yekai said, “Wake up.”
Yu Hao was leaning on Zhou Sheng’s shoulder, the two of them in a deep slumber. He opened his eyes in a daze. They had already arrived at the back gate of the college. Huang Ting, who was in the pa.s.senger seat, had disappeared; he had probably left first.
“I need to make a trip down to the hospital to accompany Liang Laoshi.” Chen Yekai said, “Let’s meet again later this week ba, there are still a lot of things to be settled. Liang Laoshi especially prepared gifts of grat.i.tude for the both of you.”
Yu Hao thought, I didn’t get to eat the buffet on the ship, and now I didn’t get to eat the buffet in my dream either. What an ill star I was born under… Eventually, Chen Yekai reminded them, “Final examinations are coming up. Study hard, don’t fail any subjects.”
“What did you want to ask before we set off in the morning?” Zhou Sheng asked Yu Hao.
“Nothing much.” After being tormented for a whole day, Yu Hao no longer wanted to ask, and Zhou Sheng didn’t pursue it either. He just draped his arm over Yu Hao’s shoulder and they returned to their dormitory in this intimate manner.
“Can’t accept it? Can’t accept it na, it’s alright. Once the bicycle race is over, I’ll take you to Australia to play……”
“So d.a.m.n expensive! I haven’t settled my tuition fee for next semester yet.”
“It’s free, a prize for the top three.”
“What?!” Yu Hao shouted loudly, and all the sound controlled lights on the first floor of the dormitory building lit up.
“You didn’t know?! You haven’t been paying any attention to this at all!” Zhou Sheng said, “Then what the h.e.l.l have I been working so hard for?!”
All the sound controlled lights on the dormitory building’s second floor lit up as well. It was a little after 8pm, and there were couples everywhere who were on dates. Yu Hao quickly pulled Zhou Sheng away.
Late that night, Huang Ting sent them a message to inform them of what had happened since: Lin Xun had already been brought back to Ying city for an interrogation. Liang Jinmin was beginning to provide evidence for them, so there was nothing to worry about.
Yu Hao and Zhou Sheng discussed the matter for a long time. Embezzlement of project funds wasn’t a severe charge, but premeditated murder was. However, just Liang Jinmin’s identification of him wasn’t enough; it wouldn’t be effective in convicting Lin Xun, unless Lin Xun admits to it himself. But Lin Xun would never confess his real crime, so from now on they would have to truly engage in bitter psychological warfare.
Ryuusei’s death — that Chen Yekai was most concerned about, and how Lin Xun contrived the car accident after he a.s.saulted Liang Jinmin and made her lose consciousness were all crimes that they had no evidence of. With just Liang Jinmin’s identification of him as a suspect and their lack of evidence, they had no chance of being able to convict Lin Xun of anything.
The sinners are at large; the dead was now buried in the yellow springs; the survivors walked out of a dense fog and are now trying their best to live under the sun.
Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao entered their dreams several times, and Zhou Sheng would always watch the Golden Crow Wheel.
“Whose dream do you want to enter?” Yu Hao asked.
“It’s nothing, it’s not like I can get in anyway.” Zhou Sheng didn’t say much.
Yu Hao knew that he wanted to enter Lin Xun’s dream, and force him to confess everything through seizing his dream back. But Yu Hao felt conflicted from the depths of his heart about “redeeming sinners”. He would prefer to let Lin Xun languish and suffer his punishment rather than redeem him. Compared with Gabriel, who brought enlightenment to all, he preferred to be Uriel, the one who governed Punishment and Wrath.
As they approached the day of their final examinations, Zhou Sheng didn’t offer any further comments on the case. But Yu Hao could tell that he felt dissatisfied, and he himself felt the same. As the CET-4 and CET-6 approached, Zhou Sheng said something out of the norm, “Study ba. Tutor me a little. I’ll pa.s.s the CET-4.”
Zhou Sheng was exceptionally serious this semester, and rarely skipped cla.s.s. Aside from attending cla.s.ses, he spent most of his time training on a bicycle in the simulation room. On Sat.u.r.days, he would go train at the racecourse downtown. Yu Hao tutored Zhou Sheng and Fu Liqun in English in the evenings, and once in awhile Zhou Sheng would even teach him Higher Mathematics. Yu Hao spent practically all of his remaining free time on the part-time translation work that Chen Yekai had introduced to him. There were so many reports of human crimes and cases caused by psychological problems that Yu Hao began feeling a bit disillusioned about life.
Is this world really that dark? Then what about my surroundings? Yu Hao was completely immersed in the innumerable atrocious criminal records that he was reading.
“Lin Xun has been detained!” One day, after Fu Liqun returned to the dormitory, he brought with him the latest news in the college, “Embezzlement of project funds, he’s that bold? Embezzlement right after he arrived?”
Yu Hao had already learned from Huang Ting that Lin Xun was temporarily detained for the embezzlement of project funds and would be prosecuted for it. But there was still no progress for the murder case. Meanwhile, the college helped Lin Xun apply for bail pending his trial.
“He still wants a bail pending trial?” Yu Hao uttered in disbelief, “It can’t be ba?!”
Fu Liqun sighed, “There’s no conclusion regarding the domestic violence case. Evil people really don’t get their retribution.”
Yu Hao had already finished translating half of his reports, and his head spun for a moment. He should be able to submit the scripts within the stipulated time limit, but after he heard this news, he couldn’t feel the slightest bit happy.
Zhou Sheng returned to the dormitory drenched in sweat. Today, the first heat wave hit Ying city. He was bare chested and only wore a pair of skin-tight cycling pants. His hair was so drenched in sweat that it all stuck up like a hedgehog’s, and he went straight into the bathroom to take a bath.
Fu Liqun said, “Zhou Sheng! Do you know about Lin Xun?”
“I saw him!” Zhou Sheng answered from the bathroom.
Yu Hao, “……”
Zhou Sheng was obviously in a bad mood today. Yu Hao motioned to Fu Liqun to not mention it anymore. Everyone knew that Zhou Sheng really disliked Lin Xun, and the matter regarding Lin Xun’s domestic abuse of Liang Jinmin had gradually spread too. There were some who said that Lin Xun cooked up imaginary charges to frame Chen Yekai and had forced Chen Yekai away as well. This week, Lin Xun returned to the college with a low profile, yet the rumours were still animatedly discussed throughout the entire college for a while.
Yu Hao thought that Lin Xun’s case would probably be given a suspended sentence, and he might even think of ways to take revenge against him and Zhou Sheng.
“Yu Hao!” Zhou Sheng shouted from the bathroom.
Yu Hao responded, turning his head, and Zhou Sheng said, “Come over for awhile.”
Yu Hao asked, “To take your underwear?”
Zhou Sheng didn’t answer, so Yu Hao stood up and went over. The bathroom door was half open, while Zhou Sheng’s upper body was exposed and revealed his back that was covered in droplets of water. His cold water shower gave his body a slight chill that a.s.saulted Yu Hao’s face.
“Liang Laoshi wants to see us.” Zhou Sheng said, “She asked us out for dinner tomorrow.”
On the second day of Lin Xun’s bail, Liang Jinmin finally invited them out.
Yu Hao asked, “Are you going?”
“I need to make a trip to the organising committee.” Zhou Sheng said, “They want the players to have a meeting tonight to introduce the topography of the race course and the rules we have to take note of, so I’m not going. You go ba, listen to what she has to say.”
As he spoke, Zhou Sheng put on a pair of sports pants without wearing any underwear, “Wear some expensive clothes when you go.”
Yu Hao took a T-shirt and handed it to Zhou Sheng. Zhou Sheng put it on with a dazed expression, and his hair was wet. Yu Hao dried his hair for him. Zhou Sheng wanted to take the towel, but Yu Hao didn’t give it to him. Zhou Sheng lit up a cigarette and sat on a chair in the balcony as he entered a trance.
Yu Hao asked, “What about Lin Xun?”
“Same old.” Zhou Sheng said, “Don’t be afraid of any revenge he might take; at most we’ll just have to drop out of this school. I’ll take you away and we can go somewhere else to study.”
Yu Hao said, “He’s not that bold.”
“He wouldn’t go that far ba.” Fu Liqun was unaware of how they had besieged Lin Xun, “Lin Xun doesn’t like you for sure, but isn’t that quite trivial?”
Zhou Sheng responded with an “un” and didn’t say anything more. He looked at Yu Hao, “Go ba, change into something better and wax your hair a little.”
Yu Hao could only say, “Okay then.”
“There aren’t any instant noodles left in the dorm…Young Madam, are you attending a banquet?!” Fu Liqun asked, “Bring me some……”
“Ai!” Zhou Sheng immediately sat upright with a reproachful gaze. Fu Liqun realised that he had made a blunder and immediately shut up. Yu Hao was opening the wardrobe to look for clothes and hadn’t heard the first half of Fu Liqun’s sentence, “I’ll remember to bring some food back for you!”
“No need!” When Fu Liqun met Zhou Sheng’s infuriated gaze, he knew that he was really angry now. He had been careless when he spoke, so he immediately turned meek.
Yu Hao went to wax his hair in front of the mirror. Fu Liqun quickly helped him curry some favour, while Zhou Sheng casually observed Yu Hao from the side. Yu Hao asked, “Is this okay?”
“Go ba, I’ll buy the instant noodles on my way back.” Zhou Sheng put out his cigarette and said calmly, “Little fox looks pretty handsome.”
Their dinner venue was at the top floor of the tallest building in Ying city — a very high-end j.a.panese restaurant. Yu Hao thought to himself that it was fortunate Zhou Sheng had reminded him, so he was wearing the best clothes he owned. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t even be able to make it through the entrance. He went in and reported the number of the private room. He thought that Chen Yekai would have come as well, but he was unexpectedly absent.
Aside from Liang Jinmin, there was another middle-aged woman wearing plain clothes who was treating him to dinner too. Liang Jinmin didn’t wear sungla.s.ses today. She had light make-up on and was wearing a beautiful pearl necklace.
“Yu Hao.” Liang Jinmin smiled, then got up and hugged Yu Hao.
This was Yu Hao’s first time formally speaking with Liang Jinmin face to face. When he saw how enthusiastic she was, he really wasn’t very used to it. The other middle-aged woman stood up and shook hands with Yu Hao. Liang Jinmin introduced, “She’s w.a.n.g Hongyan.”
“h.e.l.lo, w.a.n.g Laoshi.” Yu Hao thought, why do I feel like I’ve seen that name somewhere before? Then he uttered an “ah” and immediately said, “You’re……you’re……”
“Remember now?” w.a.n.g Hongyan smiled, “I’ve always been waiting for your call, but never received it. Ai——you must have forgotten me by now!”
Yu Hao hurriedly apologised. w.a.n.g Hongyan was the NPC’s representative who pa.s.sed him her name card before Shi Ni left!
“Zhou Sheng told me.” Liang Jinmin said, “I’ll invite him out again next time. Yu Hao, what do you prefer to eat?”
Yu Hao quickly said, “Anything is fine, I’m not picky.”
Liang Jinmin ordered some dishes, and the j.a.panese food here was extremely exquisite. The three of them chatted idly for awhile. w.a.n.g Hongyan’s attire didn’t seem as luxurious as Liang Jinmin’s, yet she still had a very elegant demeanour. She expressed an unusual amount of concern and praise for him, while on the contrary, Liang Jinmin spoke little.
Yu Hao was asked so many questions that it was as if he was meeting an enthusiastic parent on a blind date. w.a.n.g Hongyan asked about his grades, his hobbies, how he has been getting along with the students in his school, and when she asked him about his parents, Liang Jinmin said, “That’s enough, Hongyan, are you trying to marry your daughter off?”
w.a.n.g Hongyan laughed and joked, “Now that you mention it, I really do like that idea. This young man is so handsome.”
Yu Hao thought, please no! He thought in his heart that Liang Jinmin probably knew about his family situation, so she helped him out with appropriate timing. He tossed Liang Jinmin a grateful glance that Liang Jinmin returned with a gentle smile.
“Last question.” w.a.n.g Hongyan said, “Yu Hao, what do you intend to do after graduation?”
“My freshman year’s not over yet.” Yu Hao said, “I haven’t thought that far.”
Liang Jinmin teased, “You’re trying to snare a talent already?”
“You should at least have an ideal ba?”
“Ideal……” Yu Hao had never considered it before, but for some reason, he suddenly said at this time, “I hope to emit light that can illuminate dark places ba?” After experiencing the past two events, he began feeling like the light from a firefly — the light he could emit was truly too dim.
Liang Jinmin said, “Yu Hao, you’re a really great person.”
“No no.” Yu Hao quickly said, “It should be Zhou Sheng, he’s the most amazing one. Although he’s a little……ruffian-like, a bit sloppy, and always acts on impulse, but I think that he’s as dazzling as the sun.”
Liang Jinmin said, “Then I imagine you as the moon. You can’t look straight at the sun, but you can at the moon.”
Yu Hao smiled, “It can only reflect the light of the sun.”
w.a.n.g Hongyan was a little surprised that Yu Hao would actually give her such an answer. But for Yu Hao himself, this vague and strange idea only emerged from the bottom of his heart tonight.
w.a.n.g Hongyan said, “That’s very difficult, but it’s very worth it to pursue as well.”
Liang Jinmin said, “But unfortunately, there’s too much evil that we are powerless to prosecute — even society can’t manage to.”
“So that’s it?” Yu Hao knew that Liang Jinmin was talking about Lin Xun.
Liang Jinmin was slightly taken aback. She stared at Yu Hao earnestly and seemed like she wanted to say something, yet held back.
“Not exactly.” w.a.n.g Hongyan said, “Yu Hao, I took the liberty to come meet you today because I hoped that you could do me a favour. I was wondering if you could help me sort out some details regarding your understanding of Shi Ni’s case. Of course, all of the names will be hidden, and your signature will be included. It’ll be used as the basis of my proposal.”
“Certainly.” Yu Hao said, “I’ll write it out for you once I get back.”
“Consider it first.” w.a.n.g Hongyan picked up her bag and said, “It’s not urgent. I’m sorry, I still have another appointment, so I have to take my leave now.”
Liang Jinmin said, “Get Xiao Kai to send you over? He’ll be here in awhile.”
“It’s okay.” w.a.n.g Hongyan, “I’ll hail a cab.”
Yu Hao quickly got up to send her off, yet w.a.n.g Hongyan waved her hand and left.
Only he and Liang Jinmin remained as they faced each other. After a short moment of silence, Liang Jinmin suddenly said, “Thank you, Yu Hao. I’d like to hear your true thoughts.”
“What?” Yu Hao asked, baffled, while getting nervous at the same time. He thought, it can’t be ba, I only brought you out of your subconscious, we didn’t even meet each other ah. We got seen through just like that??
“Didn’t Nicky tell you?” On the contrary, Liang Jinmin was a little surprised, then realisation dawned upon her and she explained, “Right now, we can’t do anything to Lin Xun, so it’s very likely that he’ll continue to hold his post in the college. I understand Dean Ning Yu’s thoughts very well, and I don’t plan on saying anything either. Embezzlement of project funds…would only get us so far.”
“Nicky’s Alma mater, Zhongshan University, has also offered me a contract as they want to add another course to their curriculum. But since they didn’t invite Lin Laoshi at that time, and I had decided to follow him to Ying city, I rejected their offer in the end. Now, I’ve decided to take up a post there and take charge of some graduate students who study anthropology. And Nicky will be applying to be a doctoral candidate under one of my friends.”
Yu Hao, “Congratulations!”
Liang Jinmin smiled and explained, “But Lin Xun would definitely bide his time and take revenge against you two. What I was hoping for was to help arrange a transfer for you guys, or for the two of you to retake your college entrance examination. The faculty in this college isn’t that strong after all. Nicky is willing to pay for your undergraduate course fees……”
Yu Hao, “!!!”
Liang Jinmin, “Ryuusei was my favourite student. Nicky has always felt very lonely after he lost him, and I’m glad that he has a friend like you.”
“That……he may need a new life and a lover who can accompany him for life.” Yu Hao smiled, “It’s just that, I don’t think that person will be me.”
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