The moonlight was hazy, and the evening breeze in the mountains made the branches shake like clawing, ghostly figures.
Cheng Yuxuan placed the white roses he was holding in front of Xia Zhu's grave, kneeling on one knee on the ground. He slowly reached out toward the cold gravestone, but when his hand was about to touch it, he froze in mid-air and then withdrew his hand.
Looking at the black-and-white photo on the gravestone, that familiar smiling face seemed as if it was from the previous day.
He recalled the dark, inhumane time he spent on that cargo ship years ago, where a cold scalpel cut into his back, carving out chunks of flesh, pushing both his physical and psychological state to the edge of despair. Despite the overwhelming hatred, it was this smiling face that kept him struggling in pain, strengthening his resolve to live on.
Xia Zhu would never know the feelings Cheng Yuxuan had when he returned to the country two years ago to see her. It was like stepping out of an abyss, step by step, toward the long-awaited light.
He knew she was filled with someone else, with no extra space for him, but it didn't matter. Time would eventually blur everything and prove everything. If Gao Ning was Xia Zhu's white moonlight, then Xia Zhu was his white moonlight as well.
Loving someone is not something that can be rationalized. Cheng Yuxuan understood that Xia Zhu was a romantic, and he comprehended her obsession. Even when Xia Zhu resolutely left after Gao Ning's return, he never blamed her. He was only angry because Xia Zhu didn't get to see her grandmother for the last time.
There's a line in "Sword Comes": "Just as the mountain remains when the water flows away, the person I like can go far, but I will only continue to like them."
The light unexpectedly found in the darkness must eventually be returned to the moon once dawn arrives.
In the end, he had been torturing himself. Since he couldn't have her, let her pursue her own happiness. He endured the Gao family's hardships and hoped to give her a good home. He persisted in making things difficult without allowing the termination of her contract because he wanted to keep her at the company, not to end her acting career lightly.
But this goodwill without a proper identity was hard for her to understand in the short term, and time did not give her a chance.
Cheng Yuxuan stood up, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.
Perhaps, Xia Zhu would become a scar in his heart that he could never erase.
In the silent, eerie graveyard, he lit cigarette after cigarette. The cigarette butts flickered in the darkness. Throughout it all, Cheng Yuxuan said nothing, remembering the scene where Xia Zhu wanted to hug him for a final goodbye but was coldly rejected. His heart was still filled with regret. If the realms of life and death could communicate, he would gently hug her and give her a proper farewell.
Not far away, Lao Si, leaning against a tree, suddenly said, "It's been more than half an hour. He seems… a bit sad. This is how he was when the brothers died before."
Lao Wu added, "She was his ex-wife after all. Do you think he'll cry?"
Lao Si thought of his deceased wife and said solemnly, "I didn't cry at that time... not because I can't cry."
Lao Wu glanced at him, paused, and then, on a whim, created a WeChat group with the brothers except Cheng Yuxuan, including Xiao Qing. He then took a photo of Cheng Yuxuan and sent it to the group.
Lao Wu: "Big brother is visiting his ex-wife's grave. I bet ten shots, he will cry."
Lao San: "You're really lacking in virtue! I bet ten punches, he won't cry. Big brother still loves his wife now, it's a heart thing…"
Lao Er: "I agree with Lao Wu. Big brother is sentimental. He loved her so much before, he will definitely cry."
Lao Si: "I'm betting two cuts, he won't cry."
Lao Er: "Kick Lao Si out, we won't play high-level games."
Xiao Qing: "???"
Lao San: "Xiao Qing, you can place your bet. If you lose, I'll take it for you."
More than ten minutes later, Cheng Yuxuan finished his last cigarette, crushed the cigarette pack in his hand, and kicked the cigarette butts aside. After bowing deeply to Xia Zhu's gravestone, he walked down the mountain.
At the gatehouse, the old man warmly greeted him, smiling awkwardly, "Heading back?"
Cheng Yuxuan didn't want to respond. After walking out the iron gate, he felt mischievous again, turned around to look at the old man who was about to lock the door, and said with a sinister smile, "Old man, since it's still early, go ahead and spend the money I just gave you. Once dawn comes, it will turn into our money, and you won't be able to spend it."
The moonlight cast a pale, eerie glow on that sinister face. The old man's eyes widened, and his back felt a chill...
Cheng Yuxuan couldn't help but laugh. When he reached the parking lot, Lao Wu and Lao Si blocked him under a streetlight again.
"What's up?" Cheng Yuxuan asked suspiciously.
The two carefully examined his face. Lao Wu sighed, lowered his head, and returned to the car.
Lao Si blinked and lightly pursed his lips.
Cheng Yuxuan: "Did you two go crazy?"
Lao Si didn't respond, calmly got into the car, and stared at Lao Wu without blinking. "Where to poke?"
Lao Wu swallowed, "We didn't bring you to play…"
Lao Si thought for a moment, then held his rear neck and pressed his head onto the steering wheel, while his other hand mercilessly flicked his head.
"F*ck! Pu Pu Cheng! Enough already! Ah!! You perverted b*st*rd!"
Confused, Cheng Yuxuan shook his head and muttered, "Crazy," thinking that the two were probably betting on something meaningless again. His brothers used to be so bored in Mexico. He couldn't be bothered and opened the car door to get in, driving out of the parking lot ahead of time.
The large parking lot was left with only the imposing Raptor. The vehicle was shaking continuously, and a foreigner's passionate "f*ck" could be vaguely heard. If someone who didn't know the situation saw it, they might think of something else.
After a while, the two brothers in the car finally quieted down. Lao Wu, holding his red and swollen forehead, with tears in his eyes, shouted at Lao Si, "Pu Pu Cheng! You flicked me twelve times! Two extra!"
Lao Si said calmly, "Are you planning to get back at me?"
Lao Wu: "…"
He was planning to, but didn't have the courage.
"Let's go! At big brother's speed, can you catch up?" Lao Wu said resentfully.
Lao Si didn't say anything more. Just as he was about to start the car, a sharp screeching sound of brakes was heard! Almost simultaneously, a series of gunshots tore through the quiet night sky! "Bang bang bang bang!"
The brothers were startled. Lao Si quickly started the car and chased after the sounds.
In the gatehouse, the old man had just picked up a small wine cup when the sudden gunfire startled him. He lost his grip, and the cup fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Fuming, he said, "These young people are so immoral! Not only did they scare this old man in the middle of the night, but what kind of firecrackers are they setting off? Aren't they afraid of disturbing the ancestors of this mountain?"
The Raptor descended the mountain road, turning the first corner. In the glaring headlights, Cheng Yuxuan's GTR was seen parked across the road, with two Humvees blocking the way. The gunmen in the vehicles were firing at the GTR with all their might!