"Yan Zi, if you have any difficulty, you must tell me. Don't keep everything to yourself."
"I'll let you know," An Xiaoyan answered softly.
"Yan Zi, let's go eat. My treat." Without waiting for An Xiaoyan's reply, Liu Cheng made a turn and arrived at an upscale western restaurant.
This was An Xiaoyan's first time dining in a western restaurant. When he was in college, his family's financial situation could not him to eat in a place of this kind.
"A medium cooked steak, a medium-well cooked steak, and a bottle of 1982 Lafite."
The waiter took note of the orders, bowed politely and left.
Liu Cheng booked a private room decorated in classical style and with dim yellow lights, highlighting an artistic atmosphere.
Under the illumination of the lights, An Xiaoyan's face looked sallow and that made Liu Cheng feel sad. An Xiaoyan was still An Xiaoyan, but the tormenting prison life had transformed him into a taciturn man. The old An Xiaoyan was a different person, one who would not stare at the rose on the table the whole time without uttering a word.
"Do you like it?"
An Xiaoyan came to his senses and moved his fingers to touch the rose, shaking his head.
It was obvious that An Xiaoyan liked it. However, Liu Cheng noticed the fear in An Xiaoyan's eyes as he shook his head. The old An Xiaoyan would not behave like this.
"Yan Zi, let's talk."
"Um."
"This restaurant has been around for a long time. It used to be my fantasy to dine here one day. Now I'm really happy that I'm able to bring you with me."
"That's good."
Liu Cheng did not know how to continue the conversation. An Xiaoyan appeared to have lost interest in anything, behaving like a melancholy old man who had seen all the vicissitudes of life.
After a while, the waiter knocked on the door with a tray. He put down the food and said, "Please enjoy your meal."
"Try it."
Looking at the knife and fork, An Xiaoyan was at a loss. Liu Cheng noticed his anomaly and said gently, "Follow my steps, first cut with a knife and then eat with a fork."
An Xiaoyan nodded and imitated the steps. The chef's skills were really good. An Xiaoyan had forgotten when was the last time he ate such delicious food. In prison, the inmates were only allowed to have meat once in days or even weeks. Their meals were mainly clear soups.
"Ughh..." An Xiaoyan laid on the table and vomited. Surprised, Liu Cheng immediately put down his utensils and ran over, "Yan Zi, what's wrong?"
An Xiaoyan held on to his stomach and kept vomiting until all the meat he had eaten were purged out.
Liu Cheng touched An Xiaoyan's body and could feel his bony skeleton. An Xiaoyan used to be thin but never skinny.
"Yan Zi, why are you so skinny? You don't have any fat left." The large coat concealed his body shape, and that's why Liu Cheng did not notice any change in his physique at first sight.
"Maybe it's because I haven't had any meat in my stomach for too long, and now I suddenly eat so much that it can't take it," An Xiaoyan reluctantly smiled and told Liu Cheng not to panic.
"Yan Zi, I am terribly sorry. It's all my fault. I will definitely put some weight on you for sure."
An Xiaoyan's cold heart felt a little warmer. At least there was still someone in the world who cared about him, unlike those dark days in the prison.
"Liu Cheng, I'm fine. Keep eating. I'm sorry to dampen your spirits."
"It's my bad. Let's go. Let's go eat somewhere else."
An Xiaoyan waved his hand, "No need, Liu Cheng. I just need some water."
By looking at him, Liu Cheng knew that An Xiaoyan had led a tough life in the prison. However, he did not expect it to be so bad.
"Did something happen to you in there? Weren't you just fine when I last saw you? What changed?"
Recalling everything he had been through in the past year, An Xiaoyan didn't know where to start. Those days, like a series of endless horrible nightmares, were deeply engraved in his mind.
"Liu Cheng, I should go," An Xiaoyan turned around and was ready to leave, but Liu Cheng immediately sprung up and grabbed hold of him.
"Where are you going?"
Where? He did not know, either. He just wanted to get away.
"There's someone I know. I'll go and find him."
Liu Cheng's eyes had a tinge of dismay, "How about you go back with me? I'm living alone now. I'm a little worried about you."
An Xiaoyan refused, not willing to receive a reward without making merit. His college friendship with Liu Cheng led to Liu Cheng's reception during his release, it was worthwhile.
Liu Cheng knew that he could not retain An Xiaoyan. It was without avail to try keeping a person who was determined to go.
"This is my mobile number. Call me if you need anything."
An Xiaoyan nodded, smiled and left.
The city looked so charming at night. An Xiaoyan held on to Liu Cheng's business card, which says "Director of Hua Kang Hospital".
If it were not for the incident that happened four years ago, he should have become a good doctor in a hospital now, too.
————
Gu Jun was in his office reviewing documents when Chen Chen knocked and came in.
"President, An Xiaoyan was picked up by someone else. He already left when we arrived."
Gu Jun put down the document in his hand. He did not expect An Xiaoyan to have any friends left and felt that his punishment for An Xiaoyan was not enough, "Who picked him up?"
Chen Chen was relieved that he had dug out the perosn's information beforehand, because, with the President's personality, he was definitely getting to the bottom of this. "It was a former college classmate of his who's now the director of Hua Kang Hospital. His name is Liu Cheng."
"What did they do after that?"
"They went for a meal, and An Xiaoyan left alone after that."
"Retrieve him," Gu Jun ordered.
"President, really? I don't think it's a good idea."
Gu Jun shot him a cold look, "He alone killed two people. I'm simply asking him to come to atone for his sins. What's wrong with that?"
Chen Chen nodded and proceeded to carry out the order.
An Xiaoyan found himself still wandering on the street. Even the air he breathed gave him a sense of freedom. He looked around to see if anyone was looking for a waiter as he was desperately in need of a job to provide for himself.
Cars drove past him, and he didn't pay attention when someone honked behind him and kept walking until he was suddenly knocked unconscious.
When he woke up, still vaguely feeling the pain, An Xiaoyan found himself blindfolded with his hands and feet all tied up. The surroundings were quiet.
Then he heard footsteps approaching from afar until he sensed a person was standing right in front of him.
"Long time no see."