Chapter 293. New Beginning

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TN:- 2 chapters!! No sorry, deliberately hang you guys.😜

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After the dragon disappeared, a torrential downpour began to fall from the sky. Everyone sprinted up the mountain against the stinging rain, desperate to see how it would all end.

Between Fan Jialuo and Lin Nianci, who truly emerged victorious, and who met a dramatic end? For whom did this rain fall? And from whom did that suddenly grown dragon draw its power…?

A series of questions weighed heavily on everyone’s minds, causing them great anxiety. Abbot Changjing, however, seemed to sense something amiss, his steps unusually heavy. He knew that just moments ago, a God had visited this world, only to vanish without a trace. He had sacrificed himself to feed the dragon, summoning a rain brimming with spiritual qi and blessings, nourishing this world riddled with wounds.

The person who would do such a thing is definitely not Lin Nianci.

If it wasn’t her, then the answer is self-evident.

Such an obvious fact——if Abbot Changjing could have foreseen it, how could Song Rui not? Entering the blown-out basement, his heart stopped dead. The man he wanted, the gentlest guy he’d ever known, was long gone. All that was left was Lin Nianci’s cooling corpse.

She lay in the raindrops, the bloodstains on her body gradually washed away, revealing a smiling face. She was gone, once and for all. But she died peacefully and happily.

She ultimately gave back everything she had taken from the world.

What about Fan Jialuo?

Song Rui couldn’t help but think of the things he had once said. He said that gods were like scabies; he said that as long as he existed, there would be no gods in this world; he said that the true gods would give back everything they had to all living beings in the world……

He had spoken so many words, yet looking back now, every single sentence that condemned the gods was actually a sentence passed upon himself. To save the world, he had to become a god, yet to save the world, he also had to destroy them.

He killed himself twice, just so that everyone in the world could live.

Song Rui’s mind could no longer recall any details of the past. He searched for a long time but couldn’t find any trace of Fan Jialuo. Finally, he knelt down, his eyes red, and murmured, “Liar, you’ve been lying all along. You knew your fate all along, didn’t you?”

Xu Yiyang stood amidst the rain-soaked ruins, wailing uncontrollably. He vaguely understood that his Gege would never return.

Meng Zhong hired a construction team to clean up the dilapidated old residence and search for Fan Jialuo. Abbot Changjing stood in the rain and prayed to the heavens.

Yet the other cultivators paced around Lin Nianci’s body, searching relentlessly. Their sole purpose was to find the two jade pendants, the keys to ascending to godhood.

“Fool. Benefactor Fan will certainly not leave behind such a scourge to the world.” Abbot Changjing shook his head, a tearful smile of relief on his face.

Only someone like Teacher Fan would think of solving the problem at its source, regardless of the consequences, and be fearless even at the cost of his life. He had promised Xuan Yangzi that he would protect this world, and now he had done so.

The cultivators, who had been frantically tearing through the ruins, suddenly froze with bewildered expressions. One after another, they emerged from the debris, asking in utter confusion, “What am I doing here?”

“A dragon vein has surfaced, and we’re just here to see what’s going on.”

“Oh, right. Well, since the dragon vein is already gone, we might as well head out too. Nothing out of the ordinary here.”

In a mere half hour, they had completely forgotten Fan Jialuo’s existence and found plausible explanations for everything that had happened. This was Fan Jialuo’s divine power cleansing the traces he left in this world.

Not only the cultivators, but even the spiritualists and Abbot Changjing felt the profound sorrow in their hearts gradually subside, giving way to a bewildered stillness

“Let’s go, let’s go. The dragon has already entered the abyss. Let’s hurry back. The rain is so heavy, and it’s so cold outside.” Zhu Xiya said, her voice trembling as she wrapped her wet coat tighter around herself.

Yuan Zhongzhou nodded, then walked away, glancing back every few steps. He felt as if he had forgotten something important.

Meng Zhong’s expression shifted from frantic anxiety to calm composure. He stopped trying to move the rubble and logs in search of Teacher Fan, and instead took out his walkie-talkie to tell the bureau that the Fan family’s old residence had fallen into disrepair, the roof had collapsed, but there was nothing serious.

Fan Jialuo’s passing became like smoke driven by the wind to these people, dissolving so thoroughly that it was as if he had never been.

The only two people who could remember him were Xu Yiyang and Song Rui.

At this moment, Song Rui’s bloodshot eyes were fixed on Xu Yiyang’s figure. He suddenly remembered that whoever possessed the jade pendant would leave a small jade pendant inside the body of each person they saved. Could Xu Yiyang, who had been saved by Fan Jialuo, also possess the same thing?

If I get my hands on it, can I use a wish to drag back someone who’s already completely gone?

This thought lingered in Song Rui’s mind, making his gaze increasingly dangerous.

Xu Yiyang seemed to realize something, but instead of being afraid or running away, he looked up and said urgently, “Song Rui Gege, do you have a way to save Gege? Please save him! Please save him quickly!”

“If you save him, you will die.” Song Rui squatted down and grabbed the child’s thin shoulders tightly.

“I’m already dead.” Xu Yiyang said firmly, “I’m not afraid.”

At that moment, Song Rui truly harbored murderous intent, yet he ultimately released Xu Yiyang, stood up, turned his back, and wept in the rain. He suddenly wondered if Fan Jialuo was watching him from the clouds, and whether such a crime could earn his forgiveness.

He absolutely wouldn’t do it. Once he killed Xu Yiyang, Song Rui would never again be the Dr. Song that Fan Jialuo loved. His own filth would never be worthy of Fan Jialuo’s pure light.

Finally, Song Rui stopped struggling, took out the small bottle that Fan Jialuo had given him from his pocket, and fed the scarlet liquid inside to Xu Yiyang. He could smell that the liquid had a strong fishy smell, it must be Fan Jialuo’s blood.

If Fan Jialuo was truly a God, then this was a drop of divine blood.

Xu Yiyang thought this would save his Gege, so he drank it without hesitation. However, in an instant, the sorrow in his eyes disappeared, replaced by confusion and fear. And his stiff, cold body suddenly had breath, heartbeat, and body temperature.

Fan Jialuo saved his life, but also made him forget himself.

Looking at his bewildered child gazing up at him, Song Rui finally broke down in tears.

He held the little child in his arms and asked with immense sorrow, “If even we forget him, who in the world will remember him?”

He trembled with fear at this thought. Only then did he realize that what was more terrifying than loneliness was forever forgetting the precious existence that made him feel lonely.

“Don’t make me forget you! Fan Jialuo, don’t be so cruel!” He pleaded in the rain, holding the child, but it was no use. Those happy memories, those ordinary yet sweet moments, were fading from his mind at an alarming rate.

The eyes of Lu Qiu and the skull that the police dug out of the ruins dissolved silently in the weeping rain. Slowly, gently, every lingering imprint of Fan Jialuo’s presence on this earth was washing away.

Song Rui racked his brains for a way to fight against all of this, and in a flash he remembered a few words that person had once said——

“This is the seed of that demonic Bodhi tree, keep it safe.”

“……who knows it might just grow another me?”

“……only the most evil or the most good in the world can allow it to take root and sprout.”

Song Rui abruptly released Xu Yiyang and stumbled to the still-uncollapsed second-floor bedroom, where he found an oval-shaped seed in the bedside table.

“Meng Zhong, please take care of Yangyang for me. I’ll be back in a few days.” With those words, he rushed into the torrential rain and drove through the night to Xianghuo Village. He found the black lake and buried the seed in the most contaminated patch of soil by the lake.

He knelt on the ground, waiting with extreme tension and anticipation, and then, a second before all his memories vanished, he shook his head with a bitter smile, “Fan Jialuo, you master of deception. It seems you were the greatest liar of us all.”

A promise was made that he would surely return safe and sound, yet in the end, it became an eternal parting, never to meet again, in heaven or on earth.

In the end, even Song Rui forgot everything that had ever been.

He stood up and walked step by step out of the village. When he reached the roadside and got into his car, he looked back one last time, only to find that the dilapidated little mountain village had disappeared into a mysteriously rising black mist.

“What happened?” He murmured in confusion. Then, with a self-mocking smile, he dismissed the thought and drove away.

The heavy rain lasted for seven days and seven nights. After the rain stopped, a magnificent rainbow stretched across the entire city, eliciting surprised and admiring glances.

So beautiful! This was the shared feeling of everyone, yet no one remembers the price paid for this beauty——

Three years later, several teenagers carrying backpacks walked on a bumpy, deserted national highway.

One of them complained, “Ding Haohao, didn’t you say that Xianghuo Village is in this area? How come we haven’t seen it after walking for several hours?”

“Legend has it that it’s in this area, but I don’t know exactly where.” A good looking lad said breathlessly.

“Why did you even drag us out here then? The live stream is completely ruined now.” The second person chimed in, grumbling.

Ding Haohao wiped the sweat from his brow and encouraged them, “Let’s walk a little further, maybe it’s just ahead.”

“Damn it, LaoZi’s shoes are almost worn out, LaoZi’s not walking anymore!” His two companions threw down their backpacks, slumped down on the roadside, and refused to move again.

Ding Haohao wanted to persuade them again, but then he saw a thick fog rolling in from ahead, and a tall, slender figure emerged from it, slowly approaching. It was nearly dusk, and the person’s face, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, revealed a breathtaking beauty, like the colorful clouds on the horizon, magnificent and fantastical.

His skin was very fair, but his eyes were darker and deeper than the endless universe. Through his pupils, Ding Haohao could even see a dazzling galaxy.

His outfit was completely covered in dust and grime, yet he still exuded elegance and nobility. With a slight bend at the waist and a smile playing on his lips, his voice was as clear and melodious as a mountain spring, “Hello there, excuse me, is there any chance I could hitch a ride with you?”

Originally intending to continue searching for the Xianghuo Village and complete this horror live stream, Ding Haohao impulsively replied, “Our car is parked at the foot of the mountain. I’ll call my driver and have him come up to pick us up.”

Half an hour later, the three teenagers and the young man who had appeared out of nowhere were sitting in a luxury car, driving back to Beijing.

“My name is Ding Haohao, I’m sixteen years old. What’s your name?” The handsome teenager tried to strike up a conversation with the young man, his eyes glancing at him every now and then, but he didn’t dare to look at him openly. It was simply because the other person was so beautiful, like a spirit that had run out of the mountains.

“My name is Fan Jialuo.”

“You’re absolutely filthy, You’re gonna get Young Master Ding’s car dirty.” One of the teenagers said with disgust.

Another teenager pressed, “What’s your deal? Why the hell are you wandering around a place like this by yourself?”

“The car can be washed if it’s dirty, it’s fine.” Ding Haohao quickly came to the young man’s rescue, but the other party chuckled and said, “I’m a Psychic, ever heard of it?”

“Holy crap, is this true?” The group consisted of people who did horror live streams and were familiar with the term psychics, but they had never seen one in real life.

“I never lie.” Fan Jialuo remained gentle and polite throughout.

“Oh, so can you do reading for us? Come on, let’s give it a shot.”

“Okay, imagine something in your mind and I will read it.”

“Alright, alright, let’s get started!”

The three teenagers stared intently at Fan Jialuo, trying to conjure up some idea.

Fan Jialuo held his hand in front of their faces, sensing their thoughts as he spoke, “Are you thinking about whether you’ll be at the bottom of the class in this exam?”

“Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! You really do know!” The teenager, whose secret had been exposed, clutched his wildly beating heart.

“A face surfaced in your mind, a young girl with long, jet-black hair and big round eyes……”

“Wait, wait! Stop talking!” Another teenager, whose secret had also been exposed, wanted nothing more than to cover Fan Jialuo’s mouth.

They simply couldn’t believe that psychics actually existed in the world!

“You….…” Fan Jialuo’s palm lingered in front of Ding Haohao’s face for a long time, his brows furrowing deeply, “Your heart is consumed by resentment, yet bursting with longing. May I see that photograph? Perhaps I can help you fulfill this wish.”

Ding Haohao instinctively pressed his hand to his shirt pocket, his face full of resistance.

“I might be able to see where she is, but I need a stronger medium, something directly connected to her. You don’t have to show me the picture. Just letting me touch the wallet is enough.” Fan Jialuo said sincerely.

Ding Haohao ultimately couldn’t resist his inner longing. He took his wallet out of his pocket and handed it over, but his eyes were fixed on Fan Jialuo’s hands, as if afraid that he would open it.

Fan Jialuo did not rummage through the wallet, he simply enclosed it between his hands, closing his eyes to channel his senses.

After about two or three minutes, he returned the wallet to Ding Haohao and sighed, “Let’s talk about it when we get back to Beijing.”

He didn’t convey a single useful message. Ding Haohao was disappointed but secretly relieved. After taking back his wallet, he kept a cold face and didn’t say a word.

The other two teenagers kept asking them what kind of riddle they were playing, but they couldn’t get an answer.

The rest of the journey was incredibly boring. No matter how much the two teenagers pleaded and enticed, Fan Jialuo didn’t demonstrate his psychic abilities again. Upon arriving in Beijing, he had the driver stop at a busy intersection and, with a gentle yet firm tone, made his request, “Ding Haohao and I have things to do. You two go back first.”

“What business do you guys have out here? You didn’t say a word about it during the whole drive!” The two teenagers got out of the car, completely bewildered.

Fan Jialuo slammed the car door shut and ordered, “Take us to the South City District Branch Police Station.”

“What?” Ding Haohao was stunned.

“To the South City District Branch Police Station.” Fan Jialuo’s voice carried an inexplicable power, so the driver drove to the South City District Branch Police Station without even asking any questions.

Fan Jialuo pulled Ding Haohao out of the car and took him to the Criminal Investigation Team. He said to a police officer who came up to them, “We’re here to report a case. His mother has been murdered.”

Ding Haohao, who had originally wanted to come along to see what he was up to, was suddenly struck dumb. He angrily shouted, “What nonsense are you talking about! Your mother is the one who got murdered!”

Fan Jialuo took out his wallet from his pocket, opened it, and took out a photograph from a hidden compartment. He pointed out, “Take a close look at where this photograph was taken. Your subconscious tells me that you are not unfamiliar with this place.”

The photo shows a middle-aged man and woman. The woman is sitting on the man’s lap, while the man has his arm tightly around her waist. They are both looking at the camera with bright smiles. Behind them is a white wall, and there are no other objects to indicate where the photo was taken.

Although Ding Haohao always carried the photo with him, he hated seeing it. At this moment, his eyes were red, and he was glaring at Fan Jialuo with hatred.

Fan Jialuo handed the photo to the responding police officer, saying, “The woman in the photograph was murdered by the man beside her. I saw her corpse, buried in the dirt.”

“Come with me to give your statements!” Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the young police officer quickly led the two people to the meeting room.

However, ten minutes later, he broke down, grabbed his notebook, and ran to the captain’s office, complaining, “I’ve officially run into a lunatic! Some good-looking young guy just came in to report a crime, claiming a woman was murdered by a man and that he saw the man bury the body in the dirt with his own eyes. Took me half an hour of digging to realize his ‘eyewitness testimony’ was just a vision from a channeling! The guy claims he’s a Psychic!”

“Captain Zhuang, can you believe something this bizarre?”

“I’ll go take a look.” Zhuang Zhen stood up with a frown.

They met Meng Zhong on the way, explained the situation, and then the three of them walked together toward the meeting room.

Before they even entered the door, an angry roar came from inside, “How dare you say my mom was murdered! You’re insane! Fine, I’ll tell you the truth, my mom abandoned my dad and me and ran off with this man in the photo. She sent the photo back to my dad, she was trying to show him that she’s a terrible person.”

“Have you caused enough trouble? Can I leave now? I must have lost my mind to actually bring you to the police station!”

“You are completely insane! I should have just driven you straight to the psychiatric ward!”

The door was opened by the teenager, but the exceptionally handsome young man remained calmly seated in his chair, saying in a composed tone, “Bring your technician, Xiao Li, over here. Enlarge the white wall behind the photo. Take a good look. Where was your mother, whom you thought had run away with someone else?”

“Cut it out already! Officer, look, this is just a misunderstanding, my mom’s fine. I’m not reporting anything. Can I walk out of here now?” Ding Haohao said angrily.

Zhuang Zhen had originally come down here to kick the guy out, but for some unknown reason, the exact moment he laid eyes on the handsome young man, he suddenly changed his mind.

“Where is the photo?” He reached out to the teenager.

Meng Zhong, as if possessed, turned around and shouted, “Xiao Li, Xiao Li, come here and scan a photo!”

The young police officer who had taken the statement was bewildered, not understanding why the two big shots would take a fake case so seriously.

Xiao Li rushed over with his laptop and scanner, and when he saw Fan Jialuo, he was stunned for a moment and muttered, “This person looks so familiar!”

“Cut the crap and scan this photo first.” Zhuang Zhen ordered. Ignoring Ding Haohao’s protests, he yanked the picture out of the wallet and shoved it forward.

“Why are you snatching my things? Are you all fucking crazy? My mom is still alive! She’s a slut, she ran off with someone else, do you understand now?” Ding Haohao roared, crying. The wounds in his heart were being dug out and exposed to the public by these people, driving him almost insane.

“Don’t cry, let’s look at the photo first.” Meng Zhong forcefully pushed him back into the meeting room and pressed him into a chair.

It was truly strange. Although it was their first meeting, Meng Zhong felt an inexplicable surge of trust, as if every word the handsome young man spoke was the truth to him. He simply couldn’t harbor even the slightest doubt towards him and only wanted to follow his instructions.

Zhuang Zhen must have felt the same. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given these stories of the paranormal a single second of his time.

While secretly observing the young man, Xiao Li scanned the photo and then zoomed in on the white wall in the background, displaying it inch by inch on the computer screen.

Fan Jialuo ordered, “Look carefully.”

Ding Haohao turned his head away, opposing him.

Without a second thought, Meng Zhong turned the teenager’s head around and pressed it onto the screen. At that moment, the teenager froze, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at a spot on the white wall.

Xiao Li quickly zoomed in on the area and discovered a crookedly drawn kitten on the white wall, with the words ‘haohao’ written next to it.

Because the kitten was positioned right next to the woman’s head, close to her fluffy black hair, it was difficult to spot. Unless someone zoom in on the photo and look at it frame by frame, no one would notice this detail.

Ding Haohao was stunned.

Fan Jialuo then slowly said, “You should know where this is.”

“This is, this is my old house, the kitten on the wall is one I drew.” All of Ding Haohao’s fury evaporated into a creeping dread, “But when my mom sent that photo over, she said she’d already left for port city with Fang Shushu, and told us not to look for her. Sent along with it were also…… also……”

Ding Haohao’s voice choked up, his mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t continue speaking.

Fan Jialuo closed the photo and spoke for him, “Sent along with it were also several disturbing, explicit videos, all featuring your mother and this man in the photo, correct? I can see her laughing, looking like she’s completely happy, but her heart is weeping inside. She was calling out your name over and over again. I can tell you for sure that she did not do it willingly.”

“Go look for her in this old house, she’s there.” Fan Jialuo said, putting down the photograph and sighing.

“Without concrete evidence, we cannot obtain a search warrant.” The young police officer immediately refused.

“I’ll go get the search warrant from Chief Chen.” Meng Zhong prepared to go personally.

“I’m going to gather the team members.” Zhuang Zhen also left in a hurry.

Young police officer：……

Are you two big shots completely out of your minds?!

After the two left, a loud, boisterous voice came from outside the meeting room, “Xiao Tan, I heard a charlatan has come to the bureau? Let me see——”

Sun Zhengqi peeked through the crack in the door and saw Fan Jialuo’s extremely handsome face. All his mockery stopped abruptly, replaced by a flushed face and a surge of excitement. He didn’t know what he was excited about, but he just felt very happy. Seeing this person made his eyes red and his heart warm. All his doubts turned into firm belief.

“We’ll dispatch the police immediately!” He quickly pulled his head back and ran off. After a while, he ran back, his face flushed, and said, “Hello sir, don’t worry, we will do our best to investigate this case.”

Young police officer ：……

Today is truly bizarre!

Outside the door, chaos reigned, but inside, only Ding Haohao’s sobs could be heard.

Fan Jialuo said gently, “Call your family and ask them to come and keep you company.”

“I’ll call my dad.” Ding Haohao said without hesitation.

“Your father and your stepmother both know about this.” Fan Jialuo dropped a bombshell.

Ding Haohao’s breathing stopped.

The young police officer was speechless. He had never seen anyone more insane than Fan Jialuo.

“Impossible……” Ding Haohao hurriedly denied.

Fan Jialuo interrupted him, “Call your Jiujiu.”

The mention of his Jiujiu drove the fear right out of Ding Haohao’s mind. Waving his hands dismissively, he choked out, “No, no, no, he won’t help me. He’s the kind of guy who disowns his own family on a whim.”

“You have the surname Ding, just like your mother, so you are a member of the Ding family. He won’t abandon you.”

“But back then, when my dad sent those videos, he flat out said he didn’t have a Jiejie anymore. He’s never publicly accepted me. Going to him is just humiliating myself.” Ding Haohao choked on his words, crying bitterly once more.

Everyone thought she was a terrible person, including her closest relatives. Nobody wanted to admit she even existed. Consequently, they took their anger out on her son too, choosing to cast him aside and forget he was ever there.

Ding Haohao desperately wanted to find his mom and ask her why she had done such a thing. But if none of that was true, who could he turn to for all the anger, hatred, and resentment he had accumulated over the years?

If dad knew the truth……

Ding Haohao dared not think any further, and cried even more uncontrollably.

Fan Jialuo took his phone, found the word ‘Jiujiu’ in the contacts, and dialed the number.

“I thought I told you not to bother me unless something is actually wrong.” A cold voice came from the speakerphone, making Ding Haohao not even dare to cry out loud, and could only bite his lip and endure it.

The young police officer handed him a pack of tissues, his eyes full of sympathy.

Fan Jialuo asked gently, “Ding Yu?”

“Who?” The cold voice trembled slightly.

“I am Fan Jialuo. Ding Haohao is currently at the South City District Branch Police Station and needs to be taken care of. Get over here right away.”

“Fan Jialuo? Doesn’t ring a bell.” Ding Yu’s words sounded impolite, but his tone was clearly urgent and respectful, “I’ll be right there, please wait a moment. Fan Kaixuan, do you know Fan Jialuo? He said he’s at the South City District Branch Police Station, with Ding Haohao.”

“I don’t know him, but the name feels incredibly familiar. We’re heading over right now.”

Fan Jialuo interrupted their conversation. He returned the phone to the teenager and comforted him, “Don’t worry, your Jiujiu will take good care of you from now on.”

“He won’t, he doesn’t want to acknowledge me.”

Rather than being proven right, Ding Haohao was utterly humiliated by the turnaround. Ding Yu arrived at lightning speed, bowing low to Fan Jialuo multiple times as he declared with profound respect, “Rest assured, I will take care of this child from now on. I will definitely investigate the matter that happened in his family thoroughly.”

“Mr. Fan, do we know each other?” Fan Kaixuan, standing to the side, was full of doubt, but also with barely suppressed joy.

“We probably knew each other in a past life.” Fan Jialuo chuckled, which brought tears to the eyes of both Ding Yu and Fan Kaixuan.

“I bet we were really good friends in our past lives, because seeing you makes us feel so close to you. Thank you for helping Haohao. We’ll take good care of him, don’t worry.” Ding Yu pressed down on his nephew’s head and ordered, “Hurry up and thank Mr. Fan.”

“Thank you, Mr. Fan.” Ding Haohao stood there completely shell-shocked, watching his Jiujiu turn into a total brown-noser in the blink of an eye.

The young police officer, looking exasperated, said, “Hey, aren’t you guys getting a little too into it? The truth of the case hasn’t even been determined yet!”

He had barely finished speaking when Zhen called, “Body is located. It was buried in the yard. Patch through to Forensic Doctor Zhou and get him here immediately.”

The young police officer looked at Fan Jialuo in disbelief before saying to Ding Haohao, “Your mother’s body has been found.”

Ding Haohao fainted on the spot, but Ding Yu and Fan Kaixuan never doubted the outcome. ——

At the same time, Song Rui was standing in the entryway carrying a briefcase.

Song DaBo said with dissatisfaction, “Why didn’t you bring Yangyang back?”

“He wants to go to summer camp.” Song Rui changed into slippers and walked into the hall expressionlessly.

He didn’t know why he had adopted an orphan, nor why his relationship with his uncle had suddenly improved, nor what the dark room in the house was for. He would spend some time in the dark room every day, looking at the empty walls, always feeling that it would look nicer if some photos were hung on them.

But whose photo should be displayed?

Song Rui tried hanging up Xu Yiyang’s, his family’s, and his own things, but in the end, he took them all down and smashed them on the ground. A surge of anger would inexplicably rise in his heart, and the word would repeatedly pop into his head——liar.

But who was he angry at? Who was he yelling at?

He couldn’t understand it, and gradually felt that his life was becoming barren, pale, and lifeless.

He slumped onto the sofa, his face etched with exhaustion and an indescribable loneliness.

Song DaBo glanced at him and said earnestly, “You’re getting old, it’s time to find a partner. Even if you like men, I won’t object, as long as you’re happy.”

“Who said I like men?” Song Rui was stunned.

Song DaBo was also stunned, “Nobody, I just suddenly felt that way.”

“I don’t like men, and of course, I don’t like women either.” Song Rui had barely finished speaking when he received a call from Meng Zhong, who asked abruptly, “Does the name Fan Jialuo sound familiar? We’ve received a very strange case today, would you like to come and take a look?”

The name Fan Jialuo struck Song Rui’s ears like a sudden thunderclap, leaving his mind reeling.

Slipping into his shoes in a rush, he raced out toward the parking lot, completely deaf to Song DaBo’s frantic shouts behind him.

Half an hour later, he pushed open the door to the meeting room and saw the young man surrounded by Ding Yu, Fan Kaixuan, Liao Fang, and Hu Wenwen. He was really handsome, his dark eyes were as captivating as the endless night sky.

He turned his head and looked over, a slight smile playing on his crimson lips, which captivated Song Rui, stealing his breath, his heartbeat, and even his very soul.

Song Rui stood at the door, not daring to move, as if afraid of startling him away.

But the man simply stood up and said with a smile, “Dr. Song, long time no see.”

“We’ve never even met. What do you mean, ‘long time no see’?” Song Rui questioned, dissecting his exact words.

“We’ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on. I’m actually hoping to apply as a consultant for the South City District Branch. I wonder if that would be possible?” Fan Jialuo replied with a smile.

“Possible, possible, absolutely possible!” Before Song Rui could even speak, Liao Fang and Hu Wenwen eagerly agreed.

“I am currently homeless. I wonder if Dr. Song could take me in temporarily?” Fan Jialuo asked again.

This time, even more people rushed to answer.

Liao Fang raised her hand, “Teacher Fan, come stay at my house!”

Hu Wenwen, “Stay at my house, my house is spacious!”

Ding Yu and Fan Kaixuan, “Our home is in Fanghua Garden, a villa area.”

Song Rui couldn’t listen anymore. He pushed past these people, grabbed Fan Jialuo’s slender wrist, and pulled him out.

Fan Jialuo followed him obediently, a smile always playing on his lips.

“Don’t you really remember me?” He asked in a low voice after getting into the car.

Song Rui handed over the bottled water in his hand and ordered, “Drink it.”

Fan Jialuo opened the bottle and took a sip, nearly spitting it out at the end. His features twisted into a tight knot as he let out a long sigh and gasped, “So bitter!”

“This is what waiting without hope tastes like.” Song Rui stared straight ahead, his tone icy.

Fan Jialuo smiled with delight, “Dr. Song, I knew it. Even if the whole world forgets me, you will remember me. I did not break my promise. I have crawled back from hell as we agreed.”

Song Rui’s eyes slowly reddened, and his voice was extremely hoarse, “It wasn’t until the moment I laid eyes on you that I finally remembered. I genuinely believed you lied to me.”

“I never lie.” Fan Jialuo leaned over and hugged his slightly trembling body.

“Are you leaving again this time?” Song Rui asked anxiously.

“I’m never leaving again. Feel it, I’m a normal person now.” Fan Jialuo handed him his hand.

And so, their two warm hands clasped tightly together, never to let go. As long as they had each other, every day to come would be a new beginning for them……

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