Reservoir Dogs chapter 55
The Island
After lying in the hospital for another half month, Xiao Zhou was discharged.
Jiang Chengyuan took him back, and the house was the same as when he had left. After so long, he had almost fully recovered, only feeling some pain in his bones on rainy days, which required a hot compress.
Recently, he used the laptop Jiang Chengyuan gave him to attend online classes, revisiting high school subjects. His foundation was good, and he had plenty of time, so his progress was impressive.
Some of the things that had always weighed on him loosened up, and he felt like he was breathing fresh air, relaxing as he recovered.
He made a schedule for himself, studying vocabulary, attending classes, and doing exercises daily, feeling as if he was back in high school. The familiar, fulfilling days gave him a long-lost sense of stability and freedom, making everything feel worthwhile. He went to bed early and got up early, maintaining a regular routine.
In the mornings, he listened to the BBC while preparing breakfast. Occasionally, in a good mood, he would carefully make a pretty latte art on Jiang Chengyuan’s coffee. He had failed many times, but occasionally he succeeded. The milk foam didn’t always cooperate, with the heart shape often lopsided and looking quite ugly.
The first time, Jiang Chengyuan didn’t even recognize what the white blob on his coffee was and drank it without any reaction. The second time, when the latte art was successful, Jiang Chengyuan raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, which made Xiao Zhou feel pleased.
Their caregiver, Amoline, had also moved in, helping with the household chores. Knowing her background, Xiao Zhou wasn’t as hostile towards her anymore. Jiang Chengyuan was home less often, so it was mostly just the two of them together. Both being quiet by nature, they got along well. Amoline would bake cookies as snacks, and Xiao Zhou helped brush the butter on them a couple of times.
Despite this harmonious and peaceful life, there were still some oddities.
For example, except for that intimate moment in the hospital room, Jiang Chengyuan hadn’t touched him again. Although he would occasionally kiss him, there was one time when the kiss went too far, and the two ended up in a tense standoff, their clothes in disarray, but still, it didn’t go all the way. He sat on Jiang Chengyuan’s lap, naked. Jiang Chengyuan held him close, brought him to release, then placed him on the sofa, covered him with a blanket, and left.
Curled up under the blanket, he was almost bewildered by such chaste behavior.
After a while, Jiang Chengyuan came out as if nothing had happened, now wearing a bathrobe. Xiao Zhou was already curled up, nearly asleep. Jiang Chengyuan let him rest his head on his lap, gently pinching his earlobe, and asked, “Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”
Xiao Zhou forced himself to stay awake and opened his eyes, “No plans.”
“I need to go home for a bit, come with me.”
Xiao Zhou almost thought he misheard, “Home?”
Jiang Chengyuan nodded, “It’s my mother’s birthday. There will be a family gathering for a meal.”
Xiao Zhou frowned. What was the point of him attending such a family event?
Jiang Chengyuan probably understood his thoughts, “My mom has always been worried about my condition, so she wants to meet my omega.”
So Xiao Zhou was a reassurance, which seemed like a reason he couldn’t refuse. “What do I need to prepare?”
Jiang Chengyuan said, “Nothing, I’ll prepare everything for you. You just need to stay there for two days.”
Despite his words, Xiao Zhou still felt a bit anxious when the time came.
He hadn’t expected that the place Jiang Chengyuan was returning to was an island.
They got off the helicopter, still within the country’s borders, but in an unnamed corner of the Pacific. The island stood alone, mountainous in the middle, with coastal plains extending into the sea. From above, the island’s shape resembled a reclining beauty, covered in dense forest, looking like a piece of emerald jade from afar.
After the helicopter landed, someone came to meet them. Xiao Zhou followed Jiang Chengyuan, walking slowly and falling behind. He heard the calls of seagulls and the sound of waves crashing on the shore. He glanced back, seeing the waves rolling in from afar, blending sky and sea into an endless horizon.
He looked at the clear blue water in front of him and felt dizzy.
He had a fear of water, a secret known to very few. Although before the age of ten, he had been part of the school swimming team and even won medals, moving in water as freely as a fish, agile and quick.
But that changed when he was ten. His family went to the countryside, and he joined the village kids at the river. Xiao Ping, still young and reckless, with mediocre swimming skills but great courage, ended up cramping in the middle of the river.
Xiao Zhou went in to save him. Xiao Ping, being two years younger, was strong and panicked, clinging tightly to his rescuer. Xiao Zhou was pulled under multiple times, swallowed a lot of water, and barely managed to push Xiao Ping to the shore before losing strength. A sudden wave engulfed him, and he disappeared.
Other kids called for adults, and a group searched downstream, wading in with ropes tied around their waists. It was the rainy season, the river swelled and flooded, making it difficult even for an adult to stand, let alone a ten-year-old.
They searched from day to night, despairing, thinking he couldn’t have survived, but finally found him washed up on a downstream shallow bank. He had clung to a tree branch in the middle of the river, but it snapped, and he floated with the wood until he reached land.
He was lucky, surviving a river that had claimed many lives.
Despite this, Xiao Zhou never dared to go in the water again. Seeing water made him dizzy; at first, even washing his face took time. After psychological therapy, it got a bit better.
Seeing his brother struggle in the water and experiencing his own near-drowning, the overwhelming waves turning into a recurring nightmare, left him unable to sleep at night. He feared that closing his eyes would bring him back to that river.
“Why did you stop?” Jiang Chengyuan, who had been ahead, came back for him.
Xiao Zhou turned away from the sea and said softly, “It’s my first time seeing the ocean.”
“Do you like it?” Jiang Chengyuan took his hand, holding it firmly, leading him along the path to where a car awaited.
Xiao Zhou couldn’t say. The sea was beautiful, but past experiences hindered his appreciation.
Without waiting for his answer, Jiang Chengyuan continued, “The sunrise here is spectacular. We can go out to see it.”
Jiang’s family villa, modern and luxurious, stood atop the hill.
As the car stopped, a kind elderly woman waited at the door. Jiang Chengyuan released Xiao Zhou’s hand to support her. She must be Jiang’s mother.
Xiao Zhou, reserved around strangers, found Jiang’s mother friendly. After introductions, she took his hand warmly, “Mr. Xiao, how did you meet Chengyuan?”
Xiao Zhou glanced at Jiang Chengyuan, knowing the truth couldn’t be told.
Jiang Chengyuan interjected, “We met when I was giving a lecture at the university.”
“What did Mr. Xiao study? Where is he working now?”
Jiang Chengyuan answered, “He studied architecture, and now he works at a design institute.”
“Why are you always the one talking?” Jiang’s mother scolded Jiang Chengyuan, then turned to Xiao Zhou and said, “Chengyuan is much older than you, but he’s always been particularly stubborn since he was a child. Once he sets his mind on something, no one can persuade him otherwise. He’s very immature and might need you to be more tolerant of him.”
As Jiang’s mother led Xiao Zhou inside, she continued to chatter. Xiao Zhou felt extremely uncomfortable and on edge, but when he turned to look at Jiang Chengyuan, Jiang Chengyuan seemed completely unfazed and not at all embarrassed by his mother revealing his secrets.