Xu Sheng answered two calls in the hospital, one from Lawyer Zhong and one from Tang Hongzhe.
Tang Hongzhe expressed condolences to Xu Sheng.
In addition, the matter that we talked about last time finally came to a suitable time to carry out. He also convinced his father that he wanted to have an interview with Xu Sheng as soon as possible.
Xu Sheng was free at any time, and the two made an appointment at the place where they last met.
On the way to the resort, Xu Keyu's doctor called Jiang Yan again.
The compartment was not spacious enough. Xu Sheng was sitting in the back row and could clearly hear the commotion in Jiang Yan's cell phone receiver.
Jiang Yan listened quietly for a while and then turned his head.
Xu Sheng knew what he meant, stretched out his hand and said, "Give me your phone."
Jiang Yanhe said something to the other person and handed over the phone.
Tang Zhi was beside him, and he probably knew what was going on. He came a little closer and asked softly: "Are you looking for me?"
Xu Sheng glanced at Tang Zhi and found that his expression was actually a little uneasy, but he still took the initiative and asked: "Do you want me to pick it up?"
"No need." Xu Sheng raised his hand and touched Tang Zhi's cheek, comforted him with his eyes, and answered the phone.
Xu Keyu's attending doctor said: "Mr. Xu?"
"It's me," Xu Sheng told the other party, "Has the inspection been completed?"
"There are still two minor examinations left," the doctor said. "The most necessary ones have been completed."
Xu Sheng said "ok" and "give her the phone".
After a few seconds, he heard Xu Keyu crying out of breath and asking "Where is Tang Zhi?"
"Keyu."
Xu Sheng said to her, "It's me", and she became quiet.
But after a few seconds of silence, she started sobbing again and said to Xu Sheng, "Brother, Tang Zhi is missing."
Xu Keyu said it very pitifully, but Xu Sheng could not help but think of the paternity test certificate she had hidden, and the tone in which she mentioned herself in the letter.
It's true that he neglected his sister, but he himself grew up like this.
I don’t know what to do rightly and how to make Xu Keyu healthy.
At that time, he thought that realizing Xu Keyu's wish might make her feel better, but that didn't seem to be the case.
Xu Sheng failed to be a good brother and probably did worse than anyone else.
"What's going on? He disappeared after coming back from the examination," Xu Keyu was still choking on the other end, "Brother, can you help me look for him? I'm so worried about him."
Xu Sheng didn't look at Tang Zhi anymore. Tang Zhi reached for his phone, but he pressed it down. He said to Xu Keyu: "Maybe something happened."
"Impossible," Xu Keyu retorted aggrievedly, "He said he would wait for me."
Xu Sheng remained silent, and she said to Xu Sheng sincerely: "Brother, please help me get him back? I really want to see him."
"Please, brother," Xu Sheng put his hand on the back of Tang Zhi's hand and heard Xu Keyu say sadly, "Please."
Xu Keyu's unreasonable and willful behavior gave Xu Sheng a kind of shallow pain that came from nowhere.
In fact, Xu Keyu doesn't need to say such things. Ever since she was a child, she has always asked him to get the things she wants.
She tried her best to get Tang Zhi to find Xu Sheng's inheritance. As long as she asked, Xu Sheng would take it out without hesitation.
But Tang Zhi couldn't do it, and Xu Sheng couldn't give it to her. Because Tang Zhihui will be very unhappy.
He knew that Tang Zhi was looking at him, so he held Tang Zhi's hand tightly.
"Mr. Xu..." Tang Zhi spoke again in an extremely soft voice. Xu Sheng didn't want to hear his next words, looked at his beautiful eyes, shook his head, and said silently "No need."
"Keyu," Xu Sheng looked away, calmly called her name, and said slowly, "Not this time."
Xu Keyu probably didn't expect that Xu Sheng would reject her directly. He was stunned for a few seconds and asked him sadly: "Why?"
"After you finish the examination," Xu Sheng said without hesitation, "I will come see you tomorrow and discuss it later."
After Xu Keyu hung up the phone reluctantly, Xu Sheng returned the phone to Jiang Yan and said to Tang Zhi, who was still looking at him, "You don't have to worry about this matter."
Tang Zhi said "Okay" and sat quietly all the way.
When we arrived at the resort, it was almost twelve o'clock.
The Tang family's father and son invited Xu Sheng to dine at the villa and arranged for Tang Zhi, Jiang Yan and the driver to eat at a restaurant outside.
Although Tang Hongzhe's father is old, he is still energetic, but he also likes to recall old things.
After the business talk was over, he talked about the time when he had defied all opinions and provided a loan to Xu Hefu.
"I can't say how much I agree with him," Tang's father said to Xu Sheng, "I heard at that time that he had found a backer in the capital. Even if I don't lend him money, someone else will. It just depends on who gets the news sooner."
After Tang's father said this, he suddenly seemed to realize something. He looked at Xu Shengji and closed his mouth in embarrassment.
Xu Sheng smiled at him: "It doesn't matter, uncle, I know all these things."
Tang's father's expression softened slightly. After a while, he told Xu Sheng: "The past is in the past, don't take it too seriously."
Xu Sheng nodded casually and said "yes".
Tang's father probably still thought that he had touched Xu Sheng's sadness, so he fell silent, and the interview ended in a heavy mood.
Xu Sheng stood up and said goodbye to the Tang family and his son. Tang Hongzhe sent him out.
When he arrived at the gate of the manor, he suddenly asked Xu Sheng as if remembering: "When will we get engaged?"
Xu Sheng paused, thought about it, and told him: "It's uncertain."
Tang Hongzhe showed a little surprise: "What's wrong?"
"That young lady from the Zhao family is pretty," he said. "Don't you like her?"
"It's hard to say whether you like it or not," Xu Sheng said, "I don't want to order it anymore."
Tang Hongzhe looked at her for a while, nodded slightly in agreement, and said, "You have to be cautious about marriage, and you don't have to look at Chairman Xu's face."
The two chatted for a few more words, and Xu Sheng asked him to stay and walked out.
He passed the restaurant where Tang Zhi and the others were dining. There were no customers in the restaurant. The driver was standing alone under a tree not far away. He saw him approaching and immediately said hello to him.
"Where are Tang Zhi and Jiang Yan?" Xu Sheng asked him.
"Mr. Tang said he was too full and went for a walk with Assistant Jiang." The driver said respectfully.
Xu Sheng found it a bit funny and thought that Tang Zhi also had a day when he was too full.
He wanted to take a walk himself, so he didn't ask the driver to call them and walked in the direction of the garden the driver said.
The garden of the manor is not very big. Xu Sheng has been here twice before and knows that there is only one road that can accommodate people, which leads to the suspension bridge connecting to another mountain peak in the east.
The landscaping is beautifully designed, with lush trees that cover the sky.
Although the path is narrow, it is not difficult to walk.
Near the suspension bridge, Xu Sheng heard soft voices.
He walked a few more steps and saw the backs of Tang Zhi and Jiang Yan between the gaps in the trees. The two stood in front of the stone railing beside the suspension bridge, chatting casually while looking at the scenery of the canyon.
Tang Zhi's tone when speaking to Jiang Yan seemed to be more relaxed than when speaking to Xu Sheng, and his speaking speed was also a little faster.
He was secretly smoking again, and Xu Sheng could see orange fire spots between his thin white fingers, and there was also smoke floating upward.
Xu Sheng walked forward again and inevitably overheard their conversation.
"Then you chase him," Tang Zhi said with a smile in his voice, "If it were me, I would chase him."
Jiang Yan said dullly: "How to chase?"
"I can't." Jiang Yan said.
Xu Sheng didn't like eavesdropping, and was about to step forward when he heard Tang Zhi whisper softly: "Then don't listen to me, I haven't chased you either."
Xu Sheng's footsteps stopped and Jiang Yan became quiet.
After a while, Jiang Yan asked Tang Zhi: "Is Mr. Xu chasing you?"
Looking at Tang Zhi from Xu Sheng's distance, Tang Zhi will appear thinner.
The mountain breeze blew by, and the T-shirt clung to his waist. His elbows were also white. He turned his face and looked at Jiang Yan with a smile, but the smile was not obvious, just the corners of his lips were curved.
There was no smile in his eyes, as if he just didn't want to change his expression too obviously.
He blinked.
Xu Sheng saw his eyelashes touching together and then separating.
"What does it have to do with him?" He said to Jiang Yan in a very soft voice.
"He's getting married," Tang Zhi said, "and bought a house in MI."
Jiang Yan looked at Tang Zhi and fell silent.
After a while, Jiang Yan said, "Is that so?"
Tang Zhi smoked silently, inhaling the smoke and spitting it out. He finished one cigarette and said nothing.
Jiang Yan also looked a little uneasy. They stood for a moment, and Jiang Yan suddenly asked Tang Zhi, "Do you like him?"
Tang Zhi didn't answer at first.
He put the cigarette butt into an empty soft cigarette case, pinched it, and then said, "Mr. Xu and I are not in a relationship that we like or dislike."
He glanced at Jiang Yan, perhaps reading the expression of incomprehension on Jiang Yan's face, and explained to Jiang Yan, "It's normal."
"I don't like Xu Keyu either," he whispered, "Isn't he also married?"
Xu Sheng first thought that Tang Zhi had smoked a whole pack of cigarettes out of his sight, and then thought that Tang Zhi did not answer Jiang Yan's question directly, but he gave the answer.
Xu Sheng walked back to the villa slowly and carefully. He should wait for Tang Zhi, but he didn't know what attitude he should take towards him.
Xu Sheng saw the driver from afar, but Xu Sheng didn't step forward. He sent a message to Jiang Yan, asking them to go back first, then asked Tang Hongzhe to pick up a car and left.
Xu Sheng drove down the mountain and drove around Bingang aimlessly.
He didn't turn on the stereo, and slowly developed an indescribable strong emotion.
At first Xu Sheng felt that Tang Zhi was lying and looked for some evidence that Tang Zhi liked him.
If it wasn't because he liked Xu Sheng, why did Tang Zhi burn Xu Keyu's letter and appraisal report.
Why did he say that Xu Sheng was his type from the beginning and asked Xu Sheng to kiss him in exchange for registering with Xu Keyu.
Why did I hold Xu Sheng impatiently in the hotel elevator, why did I call Xu Sheng's name in my dream, why did I tell Xu Sheng secrets, lean in Xu Sheng's arms dependently, and give Xu Sheng so many illusions.
Driving on the asphalt road next to the port, Xu Sheng thought again, if Tang Zhi hadn't lied, he hoped Tang Zhi could continue to lie to him.
Just pretend that you can't live without Xu Sheng, and everything will remain as it is.
Xu Sheng couldn't think of the reason why Tang Zhi didn't like him, so he drove seriously and recalled the day he went to Linshi to find Tang Zhi.
He and Jiang Yan stood at the door of Tang Zhi's rental house and knocked on the door. When he saw Tang Zhi for the first time, Xu Sheng was actually thinking, no wonder Xu Keyu was fooled.
Then Xu Sheng discovered that the beginning between him and Tang Zhi was really bad, and there was no truth, goodness or beauty worthy of praise in the whole process.
But Xu Sheng is already twenty-nine years old, and he doesn't want to fall in love at an inappropriate age.
There was no sun at all in the afternoon in Bingang, like black rain falling from the sky, hitting the car windows and the road.
Xu Sheng still wanted to hide Tang Zhi, who didn't like him, or forget him.
Volume 3: Farewell to Innocence