65.
All the way without words.
When Hai Lian returned to the hotel in Old Yanpie Lane, Fang Tinglan just got off the carriage on the street. Lord Zhenhai went to the countryside to do as the Romans do, and he had already changed into Tisu's attire. He was dressed in a short robe and trousers woven with natural brocade. He stood out from the crowd in Anwana District, like a peaceful and rich flower blooming in the mud. Hai Lian sneered when he saw him: "You dare to dress so well in such a poor place, are you not afraid of being robbed?"
"I want to meet a robber." Fang Tinglan flashed the brand new short gun at his waist, "to see if my marksmanship has deteriorated recently." When he saw Erika behind the young man, his pupils froze slightly, Then he smiled again, "I thought you were just a big success, but I didn't expect you to come back with the spoils of war."
"I don't believe you don't know who he is." Lord Zhenhai had eyeliners all over Jiumeng City before, and he probably knew all the secrets of each family's house.
The man nodded: "Of course I know, it's just a little accident." He stretched out his hand to Hailian, "Can I take a step to talk?"
Hailian looked down at Erica, the boy went straight to the hotel and waited without saying a word.
"What's the matter?"
Fang Tinglan got straight to the point: "I saw my old department today, and I happened to be on the way to help you get rid of the snake."
"How did you solve it?" Hailian was a little surprised.
"It's nothing more than cheating and deceit that you don't like, plus threats and lures." Fang Tinglan looked relaxed, and handed him a secret letter of sealant, "A few red hat merchants would go to his brothel from time to time. Fooling around here, I asked him to help listen to some news, if there is a situation, the doorman should be sent to inform you."
The more thorough Fang Tinglan did it, the more suspicious the look on Hailian's face became. He squeezed the secret letter in his hand, "...you really didn't leave anything behind, so you just gave me all the power?"
"Of course, I have agreed to hand over Jiumeng to you, and I will definitely hand it over to you. As for how you will deal with Xi Snake in the future, and whether he will betray you in the future, it depends on your ability—at least I can guarantee that I will give it to you." The conversation with him today will keep him honest until the end of the year," Fang Tinglan paused slightly when he said this, "and..."
"And what?"
"It's nothing." The man smiled and changed the subject, "Is Reddy a powerful character?"
Hai Lian raised his eyebrows: "It's not very powerful, it was solved without any effort."
"Then what's the matter with your injury?" Fang Tinglan pointed to Hailian's shoulder, from the parted collar, one could vaguely see the snow-white bandage wrapped around the collarbone.
"..." Hailian didn't speak.
"answer me."
"It was just accidentally injured."
"I don't think the gunshot wound was a minor injury."
Hai Lian's eyes widened: "Fang Tinglan—"
"Isn't this obvious? There are almost no people in Jiumeng City who can hurt you with a sharp weapon, so it can only be a firearm." The man's eyes were deep and sharp, "And it was because you were emotionally shaken during the confrontation that you were hit. gun, right?"
"what do you want to say in the end?"
"Give up that childish plan in your heart and send this boy back to his mother. Whatever kind of domineering son he grows up to be has nothing to do with you. You don't need to take him by yourself."
"But I lack an heir."
"If you want an heir, I can help you find countless suitable children, smart, obedient, talented, Dongzhou, Tisu..." Fang Tinglan sighed, feeling a little headache, " Hai Lian, you are just overflowing with sympathy now." Whether he is selfish or self-interested, Fang Tinglan will not be moved by the misery of others, and his instinct is warning him that if a boy like him is allowed to grow up, he will definitely be a bad boy in the future. A big trouble, he even felt that such a potential danger would be better eliminated as soon as possible.
"If I didn't feel overwhelmed with compassion," Hailian raised his head towards him, "you would have died in Yunhai long ago."
Mr. Fang, who has always been eloquent, has nothing to say. He glanced at Erika who was still standing not far away with a guilty conscience. The boy stood alone with his head down. trampled it to death.
Fang Tinglan frowned, opened and closed his lips several times, and finally softened his voice, made a concession to his lover, and only reminded one last sentence: "You better be clear, not every child will be like your sister when she was young." Sensible and well-behaved."
"I don't need him to be so sensible and well-behaved." Hailian doesn't think that a child who has experienced so many changes needs to remain unsophisticated, "and the first rule of the ship on the Heisman is to save those who can be seen." A victim. I am the captain of the Blackfish, and this rule applies wherever I go. Not to mention... "
Before the two could finish their conversation, there was a sudden clatter of horseshoes behind them, and it was Kunji who rushed back from Denning Street. The woman hurriedly ordered the crowd to lift Ding Leshui out of the car, and when she saw Hailian, she didn't even have time to say hello, she just nodded to the two of them, and hurriedly sent the child to the guest room for treatment. In the chaos, something fell out of Ding Leshui's pocket, and Gu Lulu was rolling to Erika's feet, lying with the shriveled worm.
The disheveled hair obscured Erika's expression, and all that was visible was his tightly pursed lips.
"Why are you standing there? Your friend lost something, shouldn't you return it to him?" Hai Lian shouted to him.
Erica's neck stiffened abruptly, and the boy's fingers behind his back tightened and then loosened, and finally stretched out to his feet. He held the thing firmly in his hand, then turned around and ran quickly into the house.
"What's more..." Hai Lian looked at Fang Tinglan, the corners of the young man's mouth curled up, his eyes were clear, "I believe in people's hearts."
Fang Tinglan did not avoid his eyes. After a long time, he slowly opened his lips, "Okay, I believe you."
66.
Ding Leshui was woken up by the shouting of drunks outside the window. The scent of gardenias seemed to be absent, and a few barking dogs were mixed in, which was no different from any noisy night in the mud area. The difference is only in yourself. The boy looked at the strange ceiling in the night, and his memory still stayed in the moment when he was lying in the thatched shed waiting to die, when a beam of light suddenly leaked in from outside.
and after
Later, he had a dream. In the dream, a sister in red came out from the light and took him out of the dead silence.
And then...
Ding Leshui was stunned for a long time, then suddenly he took a deep breath. He twisted his arm lightly, and turned two times back and forth on the bed, until the bed board made a crisp sound, and he just woke up like a dream.
it is true. He had really left that dirty hut.
"What are you fussing about at night?" An impatient voice came vaguely from the side.
Ding Leshui was startled, and looked towards the source of the sound in a panic. There was a bed next to him, and a pair of eyes stared at him angrily at the head of the bed. The moonlight outside the window outlined a blue line on the other's pupils.
"... Erika?" Ding Leshui's throat was silent for a long time, and every word was hoarse.
Erika replied angrily, "It's me." He also turned over to face him, and his bed board creaked. Well now, both of them are even.
"You can really sleep. It's been a few days and you haven't woken up."
"I'm sorry..." the boy apologized subconsciously, and then asked in a low voice, "Where are we?"
Erica curled her lips: "On the territory of the Dongzhou people."
"Dongzhou... People? You mean Brother Hailian, he's back?" Ding Leshui's eyes lit up, "I knew he wouldn't count his words!"
Erica rolled her eyes when she heard her companion yelling.
Ding Leshui was so happy that she remembered to ask Erica, "What about you? Are you going back to Qiyun City to find your mother?"
"I'm not going back. I'm going to be with Dongzhou man, he said he will teach me skills," Erika lowered his eyes, biting the inaudible hatred in his voice, "One day, I will take Jiu Meng All the bad guys in town…”
Ding Leshui didn't hear clearly: "What did you say?"
Erica glared at him: "It's nothing, just shut up and sleep."
Ding Leshui shrank his neck and lay down obediently.
One had slept for too long, and the other was not sleepy at all. Both of them stared dryly at the roof, listening to the rattling of one or two mice above their heads.
"Why didn't you lose that thing?" In the end, Erica couldn't hold her breath and asked sullenly.
"Which...?" Ding Leshui was stunned, and suddenly touched his body, his face turned pale with shock, "Ah! It's gone!"
"It's under your pillow." Erika snorted. "I put it."
Ding Leshui quickly touched the pillow, and sure enough, a small tin soldier was pulled out from underneath. This tin soldier was brand new when he left Shiratori District, but now the original red varnish on his body has long since faded away, and even his resolute eyebrows have become blurred due to repeated rubbing in the past six months. But Ding Leshui held it tightly in his hand as if he had found a treasure.
"You haven't told me why you still carry this shit with you."
"This is not a broken thing," Ding Leshui corrected earnestly, "This is the first toy I received."
"..." Erika was very depressed. At that time, he just threw all the toys into the garbage dump because the servants bought them not to his liking. Only this tattered tin soldier was left, and he saw Ding Leshui beside him Like a poor person who has never seen the world, he just threw it to him.
This also deserves to be called a toy
The boy was upset by Ding Leshui's answer, so he simply put the quilt on his head, "How could I have such a stupid friend as you!"
"I'll give you a better one next time." He added in a low voice.