Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Qiao Jiusheng mocked him. âYou must have written very poorly in your previous exams.â
Fang Yusheng said, âI studied in England. Our essays there are not as perverted as yours.â
Qiao Jiusheng recalled the time when she was studying and writing essays. She had come up with random things. âAt that time, our essays needed 8,000 words. How could we write so many words? I remember that we had an essay that required us to write 1200 words about our mothers.â
She smiled and said, âI finished it in a sentence.â
âHow did you write it?â
âMy mother was very beautiful and had a fierce temper. Her legs were very white when she wore a dress, and she was very strong when she hit people.â
Fang Yusheng waited but did not hear anything else. He finally looked at her. âAre you done?â
Qiao Jiusheng shook her head and said, âThereâs another sentence.â
âHm?â
âI love my mother.â
Fang Yusheng was silent for a while, his expression complicated.
After the two of them ended their conversation, they looked up at the sunset in the west. The sun, which was as yellow as a goose egg, was getting lower and lower, and the scenery was getting more and more beautiful. Qiao Jiusheng was hesitating if she should take a photo to prove that she had come to the Northern Field Slope when she heard the sound of the zipper opening.
She turned around and lowered her head. She saw Fang Yusheng pick up his leather bag and pour out all the money inside.
In an instant, pink bills with Grandpa Maoâs face filled Qiao Jiushengâs vision.
Qiao Jiusheng could not look away.
So what if the sunset was beautiful? It was still not as beautiful as Grandpa Mao.
Fang Yusheng said, âIâm in a bad mood.â Seeing Qiao Jiushengâs puzzled expression, he explained, âIâll feel better watching the sunset and counting money.â
Qiao Jiusheng was speechless.
Fang Yusheng picked up a stack of brand new yuan.
He weighed it in his hand and said, âIn this world, weâre afraid of our weights being too heavy and our wallets being too light.â Fang Yusheng touched the pink notes lovingly. His eyes were really gentle. He really loved money. Money could make him happy.
Qiao Jiusheng felt a chill down her spine when she saw his gaze on the money.
Fang Yusheng looked up from the money and said to Qiao Jiusheng, âIn this world, youâre the best-looking person. The person who is on the dollar bills is the second best-looking.â
Qiao Jiusheng held her forehead with her hand, feeling a little tired.
âYou can count the money. Iâll watch the sunset.â
âOkay.â
Qiao Jiusheng turned around and faced the sunset, sitting side by side with Fang Yusheng.
The sun gradually set. Beside her ears was the sound of Fang Yusheng counting the money, as well as his chanting that sounded like a curse.
He quickly counted 200,000 yuan.
At this moment, the sun had yet to completely sink.
Fang Yusheng looked up at the sunset and said, âIâll count again.â
He still felt terrible.
Even counting money could not calm his sadness.
Qiao Jiushengâs gaze shifted away from the horizon where the sun was setting in the distance. She lowered her head and looked at Fang Yusheng, who was counting money. She could not help but shout, âYusheng, if youâre really feeling unwell, call and ask them. Donât hold it in. Iâll be worried if you continue like this.â
Fang Yusheng stopped.
He turned his head to look at Qiao Jiusheng. His deep and beautiful green eyes actually became weak and timid at this moment. He said softly, âIâm⦠a little afraid.â
âWhat are you afraid of?â
âI was afraid her explanation would disappoint me.â
âIf you donât ask, how do you know?â Qiao Jiusheng grabbed Fang Yushengâs hand. She looked at him encouragingly and said to him, âYusheng, call Lisa and ask. Why did she abandon you and pretend to be dead? Why did she hide all these years? Why is Chi Baoguang your father?â
Fang Yusheng could see genuine concern and encouragement in Qiao Jiushengâs eyes.
He fell silent.
âYusheng, donât be afraid. No matter how bad the outcome is, it wonât be worse than it is now.â With that said, Qiao Jiusheng took out a ball of paper from her pocket and handed it to Fang Yusheng. She said, âLisa left this for me before she left.â
Fang Yusheng opened the note and saw a landline number.
He suddenly stood up, and his eyes became fearless. âYouâre right. No matter how bad it is, it wonât be worse than now.â Even if she abandoned him, she was still alive, and this was something worth being happy about.
Fang Yusheng took out his phone from his pocket and dialed Lisaâs number without hesitation.
The call was picked up almost immediately.
No one spoke on the other end.
Strangely, Fang Yusheng knew who was answering the call.
âWhereâs Lisa?â he asked.
Chi Baoguang said, âItâs Mom.â
âLisa,â Fang Yusheng said. âWeâve always called each other by name.â
Chi Baoguangâs voice was cold and hard as he corrected him. âThis is China. Donât be like a foreigner. Call her Mom.â
Fang Yusheng held his forehead and said, âGive Lisa the phone or Iâll hang up.â
âCall her Mom.â Chi Baoguang was especially persistent and seemed a little stubborn.
Fang Yusheng had been domineering for more than thirty years. Today, he finally met his match.
He had to take the initiative to step back. âGive my mother my phone.â
âYes.â Chi Baoguang put down the phone. He did not hang up and went to call Lisa.
After a while, Lisa answered the phone.
âYusheng?â Lisa called his name carefully.
Fang Yusheng was silent for a moment before saying mockingly, âYou still know that my name is Yusheng.â
Lisa was about to say something when she heard Fang Yusheng say, âYou brought me to this world. You gave me this name. Since you brought me to this world, why did you abandon me?â
On the other end, Lisa fell silent as well.
Without hearing her speak, Fang Yusheng thought that she was looking for an excuse to avoid him.
He looked down at the steep slope below him. Suddenly he said, âIâm on the northern slope. Itâs pretty steep here, Mom. Think about it before you answer.â
Behind her, Qiao Jiusheng heard this and looked up at Fang Yusheng, who was holding a lollipop. She looked a little surprised but found it funny. What was this? A threat?
Lisa was shocked by these words.
She seemed to be afraid that Fang Yusheng would take things too hard and said, âYusheng, my child, Mom had no choice. During that period of time when you went to America to study, there were always people who came to find trouble with me and wanted something from me. They werenât like ordinary people. They even threatened to kill you if I didnât hand over the thing.â
âDo you remember? When you were studying in America, you went out for a gathering with your friend one night. You said that there was an explosion in the restaurant where you were eating. You almostâ¦â Lisa covered her mouth with her hand, and her eyes widened. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her heart before saying,â I initially thought that it was an accident, but the next day, those people sent a video. It was the scene of you escaping from the restaurant. â
âYusheng, theyâre really not threatening me. That was a tragedy they deliberately created to kill you.â
âI really had no choice. I could only fake my death..â