MFW 4

When Fu Siting was thirteen, he had his first inappropriate thoughts about someone in the clouds in his dream. 

After that day, he felt ashamed and hid for a long time. 

Fu Siting’s mother, Jiang Yueping, married four more times in just over ten years after his father ran away. Apart from her third husband, Mr. Cao, who died in a truck accident, the remaining men were all worse than the last, each more wicked than the last. In his  second year of junior high school, before she developed kidney disease, Jiang Yueping married her fourth husband, a seemingly respectable man before marriage who revealed his true colors as an alcoholic and abusive domestic monster after marriage. 

At that time, Fu Siting was not tall enough and not strong enough, and both he and his mother were often beaten black and blue by the man. But even so, his mother still couldn’t bring herself to leave him. 

When pushed to the limit, she would even yell at her son, her face covered in bruises, 

“Do you think I’m just cheap, enjoying this kind of suffering? Fu Siting, why do you think I’ve been with these scumbags? Isn’t it all for you, all to support you?!” 

“If it weren’t for sending you to school, why would I be struggling like this? I would have hanged myself long ago!” 

“But now, even you’ve learned to look down on me. It seems there isn’t a single good man in the world. I might as well just die now. What’s the point of me living?” 

But all these years have passed, and she’s only ever verbally aggrieved. She constantly says she only cares about money, not love. She says she doesn’t like those men at all, and was only forced into them to support her son. 

But the truth is, those men never gave her any money. 

On the contrary, she was always the one desperately giving money to these scumbags. Whether she was cheated or beaten, as long as the man knelt before her, apologized, bought her flowers, and tried to appease her, she would happily forgive him and continue living with him. 

She didn’t care about money at all, and she didn’t want to die. 

On the contrary, Fu Siting was the one in the family who had truly considered suicide. 

After his huge argument with Jiang Yueping that day, he walked onto the bridge, bruised and battered, staring blankly at the winding river of light below, filled with the bustling traffic. 

For a moment, his hand touched the edge of the bridge. 

The cold iron railings pierced his palms, numbing them and consuming his last shred of reason. His fingers tightened slightly, his body involuntarily leaning forward. For a moment, he suddenly felt that if he gritted his teeth and jumped, it wouldn’t be so difficult. 

But at that very moment, the screen of the shopping mall on the other side of the bridge flashed, displaying a new advertisement. 

Warm light shone down. 

Fu Siting slowly raised his eyes, and what came into view was a huge orange poster. 

Li Fei held a bottle of gold-colored mixed chocolate candies, smiling brightly, his eyes shining. 

It was a smile that could melt everything, even in winter. 

Time seemed to stand still. 

Fu Siting froze, his fingers unconsciously loosening their grip on the railing. 

The whole world seemed to consist only of that bright smiling face. He stood there silently on the bridge for a long time, until his legs went numb and his fingers were frozen. 

… 

All along, it was just these small moments of beauty—a few commercials, a few songs—that occasionally lit up the long, dark night, giving Fu Siting a glimmer of hope to keep going. 

On the rooftop, the sun was setting. 

A few rich second-generation thugs came up, cursing and swearing, to smoke. Their leader, Liang Jun, had been suspended from school for hitting Fu Siting, and the group was already unhappy. Then they heard the school had been pleading for donations for that poor bastard all day, so their mood was understandably low. 

And now, they had run into each other. 

As soon as they got to the rooftop, they saw Fu Siting standing silently in the sunset like a zombie, motionless. 

He remained in a daze until Li Fei’s new song finished playing on the loudspeaker. 

Then he pursed his pale lips and gave a mechanical smile. Perhaps the sunset had reddened his eyes, he raised his sleeve and wiped them slightly. 

Damn, is he crazy? 

One of the underlings couldn’t hold back any longer: “He actually cried? Holy crap, what kind of love-struck fool is this mad dog? He cries just from listening to a song. Is he really in love with that male celebrity? Ha, he should take a good look in the mirror. A toad trying to eat swan meat!” 

Another tall guy walked up to Fu Siting with his arms crossed, raised his chin: “I heard they raised almost 100,000 in just one day. This is a new track for playing the victim. Tsk tsk, money comes so fast, isn’t this easier than being a gigolo?” 

“Yeah, you had a good time scamming Liang yesterday, didn’t you? Didn’t his dad already compensate you? Why are you asking everyone for more today? How much is enough? You’re insatiable, aren’t you? Oh, what’s with that look in your eyes? You still want…” 

Before the tall boy could finish speaking, he was punched in the face. 

On the rooftop, the thinly dressed boy was like a madman, grabbing the boy’s head and slamming it against the ground. Again and again, the remaining five or six people were frightened by his ferocity, and for a moment they even forgot to break up the fight. It wasn’t until the tall boy’s nose started bleeding that the people around him reacted and rushed to pull him away. 

The boy who had been beaten went berserk: “Damn it, you dare, you actually dare… I’ll kill you today!” 

Fu Siting gave a soft “hmm” and picked up a long-handled iron winnowing basket next to him. 

“Here.” 

There are advantages to being seriously ill. 

That is, he no longer needs to care about demerits or scholarships. He no longer needs to care about his future or his fate. 

Fu Siting chuckled softly, thinking that the group of people in front of him were stupid. They clearly knew that he had an incurable disease and that he had little chance of living. Why did they still provoke him? 

“Damn, this kid’s gone mad!”

…

Fu Siting has gone mad. 

His face is twisted and contorted like a demon crawling out of hell. Dragging one leg, he limps and chases after them. 

He really wants to kill them all. Anyway, he has nowhere else to go. Now, it’s worth taking anyone down with him. 

Who told you…who told you to spread rumors, harass, mock, and bully others all day long, leaving no way for anyone to live? 

I just want to live a normal life. 

I just want to go to school normally, work part-time, and even if I’m poor, I’ll try my best to get through each day. Why won’t you give me any hope? Why? 

Then die. 

Just die together, don’t let anyone live.

He is like a wounded wolf that has gone mad, swaying and twisting, yet still chasing after the group and tearing at them frantically. Several people were beaten bloody by him and ran out of the entire corridor before realizing that there were actually more of them. 

The group finally stopped and rushed forward to grab Fu Siting. The tall leader’s eyes flashed with a ruthless glint: “Throw him over there, kill him!”

Fu Siting’s foot slipped, and he was shoved violently down the stairs. 

His ribs slammed against the steps repeatedly, causing excruciating pain. It felt as if his nose was broken too. He slightly opened his eyes, but everything before him seemed to be stained with blood, only a bright red color.

He lay on his back at the bottom of the stairs, each breath carrying the pungent smell of blood. His body convulsed, gasping for air, but he couldn’t move. 

There were screams and shouts, but they seemed distant, as if muffled by thick glass. 

Fu Siting was sixteen, long accustomed to all kinds of pain and cold. But this time, he felt he might really be dying. 

Actually, it was for the best… 

If he died, those who pushed him would be murderers. 

They were all over sixteen; even minors wouldn’t escape punishment. 

And since he was going to die anyway, it wouldn’t be a loss if these pampered young masters spent a few years in jail. 

His small plush toy fell out of his pocket and landed beside him. He tried to move his fingers, wanting to grab it. 

But he was just a little short. 

He couldn’t reach it. 

In those short sixteen years, that glimmer of light that kept him going was ultimately too distant. It would never truly shine upon him. 

Even the strongest person has a day when they can’t hold on any longer. 

Enough, it’s better this way. 

No more pain, no more hardship, no more struggle 

… 

Fu Siting woke up again. 

His eyes opened slightly, his vision blurred, and he vaguely saw the white hospital ceiling and glaring lights again. 

He was actually still alive. 

How many bones were broken? He didn’t know. Fu Siting’s only consolation was that at least his head wasn’t broken, and he could still think quickly—a few more broken bones were better; the more serious the physical injury, the less likely those people would be able to downplay the matter. 

They accused him of playing the victim to scam money? 

Then this time he would make those parents pay a hefty sum. If they dared not pay, if they dared to try to control everything, he wasn’t afraid. 

At worst, after he was discharged from the hospital, he would go to those families and chop them all up. 

Anyway, he wasn’t afraid of anything now, and he wouldn’t let any of them get away with it. 

“…” 

Suddenly someone reached out and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, as if touching a fragile treasure. 

“Don’t cry, sweetie.” 

Fu Siting froze. The other man’s long, warm fingers asked, “Does something hurt? Or did you have another nightmare?” 

“Fu Siting, wake up. Dreams are the opposite of reality.” 

“I’m here. No one can hurt you. All those things from the past… are in the past. It doesn’t hurt anymore, okay?” 

A warm palm covered his eyes. 

Darkness enveloped him, and Fu Siting’s tense nerves relaxed slightly. The deep male voice speaking to him suppressed the heartache from before and instead carried a hint of amusement. 

He teased him, “Why isn’t my darling talking? Did you really get stupid from the fall?” 

“Fu Siting, look at me. Say something.” 

“Do you remember falling down the stairs? Luckily, it was just soft tissue contusion, a fractured wrist, and a mild concussion.” 

“Don’t tell me it wasn’t just a mild concussion and you become unable to speak?” 

“Don’t scare me.” 

The subtle, cool scent of ink lingered in the air again. The man’s hand gently pinched his cheek, turning his gaze towards him. 

Everything gradually became clear. 

What Fu Siting saw was a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, refined and elegant. 

His hair was combed back, with only a few strands falling across his forehead. A meticulously tailored silver-gray suit clung to his body, exuding an extraordinary air. His dark, jade-colored eyes were deep and serene, like an undissolved inkstone. 

An incandescent light illuminated a corner of his neck, and the obsidian lapel pin gleamed with a deep, warm light, exactly like his eyes. 

…Li Fei. 

For the first time in his life, his heart pounded uncontrollably. 

Thump after thump. It made Fu Siting feel dizzy, his chest aching slightly. 

He wanted to slow his heartbeat, but he couldn’t control it at all. 

The person in front of him shouldn’t be Li Fei… 

Although Fu Siting felt incredibly heavy and his mind was somewhat hazy, he was still basically conscious—Li Fei, like him, was only sixteen years old. 

Sixteen-year-old Li Fei was a serious, refined, and sharp-eyed boy, like an unpolished gem. 

The man before him, though bearing a striking resemblance to Li Fei, was clearly a few years older, with a more reserved, composed, and noble air. He possessed a subtle gentleness, like a precious gemstone polished to conceal its sharpness. 

…Why did such a person exist in the world? 

Fu Siting didn’t understand. 

He had thought that nothing could be more captivating, more unforgettable than the radiant smile in the chocolate candy commercial. 

But he was wrong. 

The noble and elegant man before him resembled Li Fei, yet he was even more… much more… than the aloof young man in his memory. 

Fu Siting didn’t know what he felt at that moment. 

It was as if an invisible hand had gripped his heart. The feeling was unbearable. Strange, bewildered, and heart-pounding, he couldn’t bear it, yet he was at a loss. 

In the end, he could only avert his gaze, purse his lips, and dare not look again. 

***

Author’s Note: 

Li Fei: You’re quite cold after waking up. 

Fu Siting: Who am I? Where am I? 

Fu Siting: The older brother who looks like Li Fei is so handsome… *thump thump thump thump* (Too shocked to remain silent throughout.)