Reservoir Dogs chapter 28
Stalking
Over the weekend, Liu Xia arranged with Xiao Zhou to visit the cemetery, and Xiao Ping also came along.
Jiang Chengyuan still had to go to the law firm that day. After sending him off, Xiao Zhou went to buy two bottles of white liquor.
His father, Xiao Zhenhua didn’t have many hobbies, but he liked to have a sip. He once drank so much at a company annual party that he ended up with stomach bleeding. After his hospital discharge, Liu Xia kept a close watch on him. He was only allowed a small glass before bed each day to satisfy his craving.
When Xiao Zhou was little, Xiao Zhenhua liked to hold him in his arms and dip chopsticks in the liquor to touch his lips. Liu Xia would scold him for turning their son into a little drunkard, and Xiao Zhenhua would rock his legs, laughing, saying, “If you can’t drink, you have no future. I’ll train him to drink nine ounces. We can’t lack a bit of drinking culture in this household, can we?” Liu Xia would roll her eyes, annoyed at him for bringing his work culture home and talking to their child like that.
Once, while the family was having a meal, Xiao Zhou secretly mimicked his father’s actions and dipped a bit for Xiao Ping, thinking that sharing good things was a nice gesture. As a result, Xiao Ping, who was allergic to alcohol, broke out in red rashes all over his body, scaring Xiao Zhou into tears, and they ended up going to the hospital overnight.
Liu Xia couldn’t bear to scold her eldest son, so she vented her anger on Xiao Zhenhua, confiscating all his alcohol. Later, Xiao Zhou occasionally got up at night and would see Xiao Zhenhua unable to sleep, pacing back and forth in the living room, sighing and smacking his lips, craving a drink.
In early summer, the suburban cemetery was shaded by dense trees, with few people around, making it very quiet.
Xiao Zhenhua was buried in the lower right corner of the park, in a double tomb made of pure black granite, solemn and cold. The adjacent photo slot was empty, reserved by Liu Xia for herself.
“Dad,” Xiao Zhou squatted down, looking at the photo on the tombstone, lowered his eyes, and poured a glass of wine in front of the grave, “I’m out.”
“You don’t have to abstain from alcohol now. If you want something to drink, just send me a dream, and I’ll bring it to you.” He spoke softly, his eyes moist, “Just remember to come see me, I miss you a lot.”
If he had known earlier that the money for his surgery was his father’s compensation, he would rather not have this kind of freedom. This life was shackled by heavy chains, and every step, every breath, was surrounded and oppressed by guilt, impossible to escape.
In the desolate cemetery, two solidified electronic flames glowed faintly.
Now they didn’t allow burning things or inserting incense sticks to prevent fires; they used red electronic candles instead.
Xiao Zhou quietly watched that little light, which would keep burning like an eternal flame. If this brightness never went out, Xiao Zhenhua would always be by his side, how wonderful that would be.
Liu Xia laid out the dishes she had cooked, talking in bits and pieces about family matters as she arranged them.
The two brothers stepped aside, letting their parents talk alone.
A small river ran through the cemetery, flanked by pine and willow trees. The water wasn’t very clean, with a layer of green algae on the surface.
Xiao Zhou stood by the riverbank. With the river and trees and few people around, the air here was cool, not as stuffy as in the city, making breathing more comfortable.
Xiao Ping stood behind him. It was their first meeting since Xiao Ping’s emotional outburst. The scars on Xiao Ping’s face had faded, but he still moved awkwardly, limping.
Xiao Zhou could understand his resentment and anger. They had a good relationship before. Xiao Zhou always had a strong sense of being an older brother, partly because Liu Xia had taught him from a young age to take care of and protect his younger brother. Xiao Ping, being a premature baby, was often sick and had to be on an IV drip every few days. Even at school, his small stature made him an easy target for bullying, which only fueled Xiao Zhou’s protective instincts as an older brother.
Perhaps his tendency to meddle, his impulsive bravery, and his readiness to fight for justice were cultivated from his habit of being an older brother from a young age.
Leaning against a willow tree, Xiao Zhou wanted to talk to Xiao Ping. But he was too clumsy and cautious in handling the mix of guilt and familial concern, hesitating and not knowing how to start.
Because he cared too much, he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
In the end, it was Xiao Ping who looked at him and awkwardly asked, “Do you have any money? Can you lend me some?”
Xiao Zhou was stunned for a moment, thinking of the card Jiang Chengyuan had given him. He hadn’t planned to use it; his salary was already enough.
“What do you need the money for?”
Xiao Ping’s expression turned irritable, “Just tell me if you have it or not.”
Xiao Zhou took the card out of his pocket but remained cautious, “Tell me what you need it for first.”
Only then did Xiao Ping soften his tone, “You know, our family owes a lot of debt. We’ve borrowed from all our relatives and friends. Mom now works two jobs a day and sleeps only four hours. You don’t want Mom to be so tired, right? If we have money, we can pay off some of it. Mom would never ask you, so I’m the one playing the bad guy.”
Xiao Ping’s words hit Xiao Zhou’s soft spot. He hesitated for a moment but still gave him the card.
Xiao Ping looked at the card, “How much is in here?”
Xiao Zhou remembered it was about 200,000 yuan.
“Why so little?” Xiao Ping frowned, “So stingy. Can you get more? That Alpha is so rich, he wouldn’t care about this amount, right?”
Xiao Zhou’s face turned pale at the implied meaning, feeling a bit humiliated. He moved his lips, then asked, “What are you really planning to do?”
Xiao Ping, impatient, replied, “Didn’t I already tell you?”
Xiao Zhou shouted angrily, “Don’t lie to me anymore. Should I go ask Mom?”
For a moment, there was panic on Xiao Ping’s face as his lie was exposed. But he quickly gritted his teeth, his face twisted, and said, “The clothes you’re wearing cost tens of thousands. If it’s so easy for you to get things like this, why are you being so stingy?”
Xiao Zhou looked at Xiao Ping, unable to understand how the child he had cared for could turn out this way.
Xiao Ping was already in his twenties, but still hadn’t grown up, needing to rely on others to survive. He was trapped in self-pity and self-destructive behavior, unable to climb out. But Xiao Zhou couldn’t hit or scold him. He felt guilty and owed him, unable to discipline him with a clear conscience. His heart was filled with pain and frustration, making his ribs ache faintly.
“Just what exactly are you up to?”
Xiao Ping clutched the card, his face turning a pale blue. The bruises on his face looked even more terrifying. After a long pause, he turned away and waved his hand. “It’s nothing, forget it. 200,000 is 200,000. It’s better than nothing.”
After the rituals, Xiao Zhou drove them back.
As he got out of the car, Xiao Zhou watched Xiao Ping supporting Liu Xia as they walked away. Xiao Zhou was still uneasy about the use of the money. It would be a hassle to get Xiao Ping to hand it over, and he didn’t want his mother to find out about this. Moreover, he wanted to understand what Xiao Ping intended to do with the money and what he had become over these years. After thinking for a while, he messaged Jiang Chengyuan, asking him to activate the transaction notifications for the card and forward them to his phone so he could monitor Xiao Ping’s spending. Xiao Zhou didn’t give details, and Jiang Chengyuan didn’t ask; he simply replied with an “okay.”
Jiang Chengyuan’s straightforwardness made him feel a bit uncomfortable. Jiang Chengyuan really didn’t care about such a small amount of money, it was just a casual gesture of charity, yet Xiao Zhou felt an awkwardness stuck in his throat. He had been given 200,000 just for sleeping with him once; such generosity.
The case materials for Zhou Jun were submitted by the police but were rejected by the prosecutor’s office, citing insufficient evidence and unclear circumstances. The detained person was immediately released.
Xiao Zhou learned about this through Sun Xu. Sun Xu was very happy that such a big problem was finally resolved and insisted on treating Xiao Zhou to hot pot.
At the hot pot table, Sun Xu, cooking a piece of beef tripe, sighed and said, “The boss has so many connections. I was so nervous, thinking we’d definitely go to court this time. But the boss went to the prosecutor’s office twice, and I don’t know what he talked about, but half a month later, the case was dismissed.”
The beef tripe only needed 30 seconds to cook, absorbing the spicy broth. Sun Xu found it both spicy and enjoyable.
As Xiao Zhou expected, no one caused trouble, no media reported on it, and no one followed up. The issue that had caused such a stir had now quietly faded away. The memory of the internet is so limited; in less than a month, there were only a few voices left, and Zhou Jun spent money to suppress the heat, causing no ripples.
After the hot pot meal, Xiao Zhou felt uneasy and somewhat absurd.
Sun Xu had to pick up some materials from a certain company, so Xiao Zhou walked back to the office alone from the hot pot restaurant.
Calculating the time, it had been almost half a month since he was marked, and he needed to get the hospital’s test report soon. Then, he and Jiang Chengyuan could go to the clemency court to retrieve his documents and official parole papers, restoring his identity and allowing him to find a proper job.
If Jiang Chengyuan agreed, Xiao Zhou didn’t intend to depend on him for too long. After all, he needed to find his own direction.
But thinking about seeing that doctor again made Xiao Zhou feel a wave of disgust and humiliation.
He couldn’t go through that kind of examination again, and he didn’t know what to do. Because he couldn’t make up his mind, he kept delaying.
Jiang Chengyuan had many social engagements recently. The office wanted to expand, and Lin Shen asked him to bring in some clients. Xiao Zhou mostly didn’t follow him but waited in the car for notifications.
Sometimes he had to cover for him.
Spending all day together, Xiao Zhou would be heavily scented with Jiang Chengyuan’s pheromones. Whenever he appeared, everyone at the table would either be surprised or tease him, but it always allowed Jiang Chengyuan to quickly get away from the drinking table.
Soon, the news that Lawyer Jiang had a steady partner spread in the circle.
The identity of a partner sounded much better than being labeled an omega. Although Xiao Zhou felt it wasn’t quite the truth.
After the case was settled, Zhou Jun hosted a dinner at a luxury hotel in the city to thank Jiang Chengyuan and Ji Yang. Although Xiao Zhou, as the driver, was reluctant, he still went along. Zhou Jun seemed to be in good spirits, energetic and no longer haggard.
It was said that after being released, Zhou Jun lived a disciplined life. Even though he fully inherited Xu Juan’s business, he didn’t splurge like a lottery-winning tycoon. Instead, he was very proper and methodical, commuting between the company and home from nine to five. He didn’t reconnect with his pretty mistress or arrange for her to return to work.
People around him also said that Zhou Jun set up memorial tablets for Xu Juan and the child at home and arranged a grand funeral, wearing a black armband, genuinely portraying the image of a good husband who had lost his wife and child, earning much sympathy.
Such orderly and flawless behavior, showing restraint and deep affection, made Xiao Zhou feel it was hypocritical. Based on what he knew, Zhou Jun didn’t portray such an image.
Anyway, Xiao Zhou was not the protagonist of this dinner. After sitting for a while, he found an excuse to leave, unable to stand Zhou Jun’s sycophantic face. Jiang Chengyuan didn’t stop him and let him go.
After getting back to the car, Xiao Zhou drove leisurely around with the windows down, letting the night wind in.
His hair had grown a bit long, blown back by the wind, with loose bangs sometimes brushing his eyes. He didn’t like such cumbersome length, but Jiang Chengyuan liked it and insisted he not cut it. It seemed there was no choice; everything had to be according to Jiang Chengyuan’s preferences.
Actually, Xiao Zhou had this hairstyle in college. His hair was fine and soft, with bangs just covering his brow bone, looking very young and student-like, quite unlike the fierce, compulsory crew cut in prison.
The car stereo was playing Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose.” Xiao Zhou liked this old song and hummed along softly, tapping his fingers to the rhythm.
After circling around for a bit, he was about to drive back to the hotel when he received a message from Jiang Chengyuan saying he had something to do that night and Xiao Zhou should head back on his own.
The car was already in the parking lot when Xiao Zhou quickly saw Ji Yang’s flashy Porsche drive out. A while later, another car followed, and Xiao Zhou recognized it as Zhou Jun’s car. The two cars went in different directions, so they weren’t planning a joint late-night activity.
Xiao Zhou was about to leave when he noticed something strange under the bright streetlight: the license plate on the second car was fake. The plate was a forged one, appearing an unusual shade of red under the light, and the font was thinner than usual.
Bian, Xiao Zhou’s former cellmate in the omega cell, used to deal in car smuggling and had made fake license plates while serving time as a mechanic. Xiao Zhou had picked up a bit of this skill from him.
Alerted, he hesitated for a moment, driven by both curiosity and a sudden sense of unease, before deciding to follow the car.