Orange Storm chapter 22
Okay
After Fang Xing finished speaking, there was a long silence. Jiang Zhijin wasn’t in a hurry. He turned and went into the kitchen. When he came out, he had a can of cola in his hand, which he handed to Fang Xing.
Fang Xing thanked him, pulled the tab, took a sip, and held the can in his hand.
“My parents were quite busy when I was a child. At that time, their careers were just starting, flying here and there for business trips. Sometimes they would stay directly at the company or on the construction site for several days without coming home.”
His voice was low and hoarse. His tone sounded normal, but he would pause from time to time. Jiang Zhijin wasn’t in a hurry. He sat cross-legged on the sofa, holding a beer can, quietly waiting for him to continue.
“Later, when I was about eleven or twelve, the company was more stable. Many people in the construction business know about the cost consulting company called Hengyun. There’s a female boss named Zhou Ling, and she’s really capable.”
Talking about his mother, Fang Xing paused for a moment and repeated, “My mom is really amazing. At the beginning, with no business, she went to negotiate with each company. For bidding, she almost didn’t sleep for several consecutive days. If there were issues, she went to the construction site herself, staying there for meals and accommodations. Many people said she was even more hardworking than men.”
In the construction industry, women usually have to work much harder than men to establish themselves.
“My dad and mom were college classmates. Compared to my mom, my dad was more academic. Although the company was under both their names, he was not really interested in business. He took on part-time teaching positions at several schools, teaching professional courses and training for construction licenses.”
After saying this, there was another long silence.
The cola in Fang Xing’s hand was just taken out of the refrigerator, and small droplets of water condensed on the can, wetting his hand. He placed the cola on the coffee table, leaned back, and looked at the ceiling.
“That woman… she was his student. According to her, they’ve been together for seven or eight years.”
“They have a son who is almost six years old. I heard that the woman calls him An’an, but I didn’t ask for the full name—my mom had no idea. She was too busy, and Fang Chenglin was also busy. Seeing each other once a week was considered good.”
Fang Xing smiled and said, “Actually, this could have been kept a secret for a longer time. But this year, the child was diagnosed with acute leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Fang Chenglin and that woman are not a match. Perhaps in a panic, they came to my house.”
Jiang Zhijin stared at Fang Xing. After a moment, he cursed, “Fuck.”
Fang Xing, who was initially in a complex mood, chuckled a few times when he heard the curse. He still leaned on the sofa, but turned his head to look at Jiang Zhijin and said, “You should have said this curse in front of Fang Chenglin today.”
“If I had known earlier, I would have cursed him when we met today.” Jiang Zhijin looked at Fang Xing and asked, “And then?”
“Then my mom found out because I wasn’t at home at the time. Eventually the woman came to the school to find me, and then the whole school knew.”
After saying this, Fang Xing chuckled self-deprecatingly, “No, not just the whole school. I even saw it on a gossip public account—anyway, it was chaotic during that time, and I don’t remember much.”
Jiang Zhijin finally understood the reason for Fang Xing’s transfer. He finished the last sip of beer, unsure of where to offer suitable advice to Fang Xing. After hesitating for a moment, he finally asked, “Zhou Ling doesn’t plan to get a divorce?”
“No,” Fang Xing sighed deeply.
He still remembered coming home to see a mess, Fang Chenglin lying alone on the living room sofa, covering his face, not knowing if he was sleeping. Zhou Ling locked herself in the study until after ten in the evening. She was still wearing the black suit skirt she had worn to work that day, her makeup smudged from crying, but her expression and tone remained as calm as ever.
“If you want a divorce, sign the agreement. Don’t even think about the company, the house, the car, or a penny in the account. Leave cleanly and never let me see you again.”
She said, “Dream on if you want to divorce and use money to support your mistress and illegitimate child.”
Fang Chenglin didn’t agree. The woman had no job, and every aspect, from hospitalization to chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, and later recovery, required money. He was willing to provide only the minimum funds needed for the surgery and future recovery, giving the rest to Zhou Ling. But Zhou Ling didn’t relent.
She was clear in her love and hatred, and her desire for revenge was as strong as her career ambition. Initially, Fang Chenglin hardly cared about anything, and the company’s shares and all the properties were still in both their names. Now Zhou Ling wanted him to leave with nothing, or else they could drag it out and see who could outlast the other.
It dragged on until the matter of Fang Xing’s transfer was still unresolved. Fang Xing later didn’t want to ask anymore. Zhou Ling’s paranoia and Fang Chenglin’s disgust made him feel a bit breathless, and he had to endure the gossip and stares in school every day, pretending not to be affected.
So he came to Shaojiang.
This was a turning point, a dividing line. In the end, it was a way for him to escape. Sometimes he felt that he was quite weak, but the psychological defense line of a seventeen-eighteen-year-old was just that high. When something beyond the defense line happened, it was easy to collapse.
Fang Xing spoke without restraint, and after thinking for a moment, it seemed there was nothing more to add. He relaxed all over, sinking into the sofa.
Comfortable, Fang Xing thought.
This was the first time he had completely spoken out about his family’s troubles to someone, even Qi Xiang only knew a vague outline. Fang Xing didn’t like confiding in others. One, he felt embarrassed about it, and as a high school student about to come of age, sharing personal matters with others seemed inappropriate. Two, he really didn’t have anyone to talk to.
But on this ordinary evening, he drank two sips of cola, and it all poured out like he was drinking alcohol, all told to Jiang Zhijin.
Really relaxing.
He closed his eyes slightly, and Jiang Zhijin beside him had been silent all along. He didn’t bother, just quietly resting his eyes.
After a while, he felt Jiang Zhijin move next to him. A few seconds later, Jiang Zhijin’s voice sounded in his ear.
“Fang Xing.”
The voice was very close, and Fang Xing Opened his eyes to find that Jiang Zhijin had sat down next to him, leaning back and looking up at him. The distance between the two was very close—when Fang Xing opened his eyes, he could even see Jiang Zhijin’s eyelashes.
Very, very long, casting a small shadow under the light. His eyes were bright, and when focused, they looked like amber.
Fang Xing forgot what he was about to do for a moment, subconsciously responding, “Hmm?”
“Although it may seem like I’m talking without considering your feelings,” Jiang Zhijin said, “but all these things have nothing to do with you.”
“…I thought you were going to advise me on how to tell my mom to divorce or curse my dad together,” Fang Xing said.
“If you need that,” Jiang Zhijin smiled, “but I still want to tell you, this matter has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to think every day about how to advise your mom to divorce, how to get along with your dad, how to face your former classmates, and that child in the hospital. Whether or not to match with him, if it succeeds, whether or not to transplant. No matter what you choose, it seems there will be a sense of guilt…”
He looked at Fang Xing, a bit impatient, but still softened his tone, “Can your mind handle so much?”
Fang Xing was silent for a moment.
He indeed had been thinking about all these things, almost every day while he was still back at home. The frequency was reduced after coming to Shaojiang, but sometimes these thoughts would inevitably resurface.
Jiang Zhijin’s face showed no expression. His tone was far from usual, calm and appropriate, yet it inexplicably carried a convincing power.
“From start to finish, this matter is not your fault. So, no one can demand that you bear the consequences, and no one can morally pressure you. Ignore anyone who tries to use blood ties or anything else to make demands on you; they are not worthy.”
Jiang Ge is quite something.
Fang Xing found it a bit amusing and uncomfortable at the same time.
Although he refused to admit it, since that woman came to find him, he felt afraid.
Why should I be a bone marrow match? Based on what—because we share the same father but different mothers? Did he seek my opinion before being born? Do I want this brother I’ve never met?
But what if he really dies? Because I refuse to be a match.
“You transferred to Shaojiang to study, so just focus on your studies.”
Jiang Zhijin looked at Fang Xing. Both of them were lying on the sofa, and when their eyes met, his voice sounded clear and firm in the quiet living room.
“There are no other messy people around you now, so just look at me.”
Fang Xing remained silent, and there was no movement. Both of them tilted their heads, and their gazes met in the quiet ambiance.
The light wasn’t too bright, with a cold tone, resembling a moon very close by. The movie had already ended, and the ending song was a soothing Russian melody.
Fang Xing didn’t know what he was thinking. His Adam’s apple subconsciously rolled up and down.
“Okay,” he said.