chapter 94

Chapter 94: Chocolate - Eyes are organs of desire.

After Lou Yingjie's death, He Guan and Lou Dongzang left the island to attend to his belongings at the main house.

The cargo ship that once stood proudly in the distance now swayed gently in the sea, looking like an ownerless object, its purpose lost without people.

That ship was the means by which Lou Yingjie transported "supplies" to the island.

The last time Lou Dongzang visited the main house, he hadn’t noticed certain details. Now, his gaze constantly moved, as if trying to engrave every building into his memory.

Many of the house's servants were dismissed; Lou Dongzang preferred fewer people around, retaining only the chef and the housekeeper.

He sent copies of the will to his siblings. Their satisfaction was evident from the lack of follow-up calls. Only Lou Qiu called, offering to help with the belongings, but Lou Dongzang declined.

She had her children to look after, and Lou Dongzang didn't want to burden her further. Besides, he wasn't visually impaired anymore and was more than capable of managing things on his own.

He Guan led the way to the room where Lou Yingjie often resided, noticing the absence of the Siamese cat named Chocolate.

"Where's Chocolate? I haven't seen him lounging around today," He Guan inquired.

Lou Dongzang replied, "Chocolate loves to nap in the garden. He's probably there."

"I'll go find him later then."

"Alright."

Lou Dongzang was the first to open the door.

Upon entry, He Guan detected an odd scent, reminiscent of recent death.

He had noticed the same smell when he conversed with Lou Yingjie at the hospital; it was all too familiar, causing him to frown instinctively.

Lou Dongzang stood frozen at the door.

Peering over his shoulder, He Guan spotted Chocolate, the Siamese cat, lying still on a chair. Contrary to its usual lively demeanor, its belly remained motionless.

No need to search any further.

He Guan approached and gently stroked the cat's head.

The body was rigid, making the touch feel like stroking a furry, cold stone.

He Guan noticed a box of chocolates nearby. Prying open the cat's mouth, he saw remnants of chocolate.

Chocolate, the cat, had consumed two pieces and died here.

Together, they took Chocolate to an animal hospital, asking if an autopsy could determine the time of death. The vet assured them it wasn't necessary – he could tell just by examining the cat.

After inspecting Chocolate, the vet provided an accurate timeline.

The competence of the doctor was uncertain, but given the hospital's reputation, his words likely held truth.

He Guan calculated, and it coincided with the day of Lou Yingjie's death.

They didn't hold the funeral at the main house. Instead, Lou Yingjie was buried by a cliffside near the sea on the island.

Over three thousand islanders attended the ceremony. As dusk approached, the vast crowd, standing in somber reverence, gradually dispersed.

That evening, looking at an air transport crate, He Guan asked, "Where should we bury Chocolate?"

"In the garden," Lou Dongzang contemplated. "It was my mother's cat. She loved the garden. After her passing, Chocolate frequently visited on its own."

"Alright."

They buried Chocolate in the garden, crafting a beautiful handmade tombstone. Atop it, they placed its favorite cat food, treats, and catnip.

How Chocolate became aware of Lou Yingjie's death remained a mystery, as was the source of the chocolates. All the servants in the house had been strictly prohibited from gifting chocolates, even their preferences were inquired upon hiring.

After burying Chocolate, they began to sort through Lou Yingjie's belongings.

Lou Yingjie left behind a vast array of items. Lou Dongzang started with the possessions in the main house. Half a month later, Li Lanling called, offering to ship over the items from the distant island.

Accepting the offer, Lou Dongzang received several wooden crates the next day, delivered to the entrance of the main house, where the servants transferred them to Lou Yingjie's room.

With He Guan back at work and Lou Dongzang occupied with organizing the belongings, they opted to stay in Lou Dongzang's room at the main house.

Upon opening the sixth crate, Lou Dongzang found a voice recorder.

He connected the recorder to the computer and found an mp4 file labeled "The Final Day."

Lou Dongzang listened intently, without speeding up the playback.

That evening, when He Guan returned and emerged from a shower, he noticed Lou Dongzang's somber expression. "What's wrong? Why the gloom?"

Fresh from his shower, He Guan's warmth contrasted sharply with the cold aura surrounding Lou Dongzang.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lou Dongzang's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Tell you what?" He Guan responded, opening a can of grape soda and lounging beside the table. "Is there something I've kept from you?"

"You never spoke about your parents."

He Guan seemed a bit taken aback, "Oh... that... I just thought... Wait, how did you find out?"

Lou Dongzang pointed to the voice recorder, "While organizing my father's belongings, I found he had recorded all conversations from his last day."

"I didn't..." He Guan's eyes fixed on the recorder. He tried to find words to explain.

"If my father hadn't left me this, when were you planning to tell me?"

Approaching He Guan, Lou Dongzang concluded, "You never intended to."

He Guan hesitated, finally admitting, "Given the circumstances back then, it seemed unnecessary. Knowing would have only hurt you."

Moreover, considering Lou Dongzang's fragile state, He Guan felt it was better not to cause further distress.

Lou Dongzang knelt on one knee, resting his chin on He Guan's leg. After a silent moment, he said hoarsely, "I should've been the first to know. You should've told me."

"I'm sorry," He Guan gently stroked his hair, "Can we let it go? It's in the past."

"What do you mean by 'I'm sorry'?"

He Guan frowned in confusion, "What did I say wrong this time?"

Lou Dongzang just gazed up at him, not responding.

After pondering for a while, a realization dawned on He Guan. He smiled, saying, "I love you."

Previously, Lou Dongzang had promised He Guan to change "I was wrong" to "I love you."

"Did you go see them afterward?"

"Of course," He Guan responded without hesitation, "But by then they had forgotten me, so taking care of them became quite a challenge. Once, my father mistook me for a thief and nearly stabbed my forehead with a fork."

He finished his last sip of grape soda, crushed the empty can, and slowly drifted into memories.

Lou Dongzang stood up and embraced him. Caught off guard, He Guan laughed as he was lifted, "I have both legs, you know!"

"I wanted to hug. Keep going."

He Guan leaned into him like a koala, slowly journeying into the past.

It had been a while since He Guan revisited these memories, thinking he might have forgotten some details, but now, it all came back crystal clear.

Laid on the bed, he voiced every memory that came to him. Sometimes the words were out of order, but he didn't correct them. He trusted Lou Dongzang to understand.

And Lou Dongzang truly did.

The man who had brought him to bed now sat at the edge, changing into pajamas. Once done, he slid in, offering his arm as a pillow, listening to He Guan's occasional silences and stifled sobs.

At moments when words failed him, He Guan would cover his face with his hand, not wanting to be seen.

But it was in vain, as Lou Dongzang would always gently pull his hand away and tenderly wipe away his tears.

As sad as He Guan felt, the sensation of either tears or saliva on his face made him chuckle, even producing a cute bubble of snot.

Sitting up to grab a tissue, he was pulled back into an embrace. "Why did you stop crying?"

"I've cried enough," He Guan, voice nasally from crying, laughed, "I'm not even sure what's dried on my face now."

"Wait for me."

He stood, heading for the bathroom.

He Guan knew he was going for a towel, but he didn't want Lou Dongzang to leave. So he grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Let's just sleep like this," He Guan pulled him back, rolling into his embrace, "I don't mind, you know."

Lou Dongzang didn't reply but adjusted the air conditioner up two degrees and leaned down to kiss him.

He Guan's mouth, warmed from crying and still tasting faintly of grapes, responded with a gentle and brief kiss.

He fell asleep quickly, possibly exhausted from crying. Only when his breathing became steady did Lou Dongzang gently free his arm, disentangling himself to grab the towel.

He Guan turned, lying flat, showing no signs of waking.

The warm damp towel made no resistance when pressed to He Guan's face, eliciting a muffled murmur from him, indicating a deep sleep.

After wiping his face, Lou Dongzang switched off the main light, leaving only the bedside lamp on.

He wasn't tired, so he just lay next to He Guan, silently studying his face.

He Guan was exceptionally handsome. Amongst a crowd of celebrities, his face stood out. His features were sharp and defined. Asleep beside Lou Dongzang, his eyes closed, he seemed so vulnerable.

Only when Lou Dongzang subconsciously reached out to touch his face did he remember that he could now see.

It wasn't like before, when even lying beside him, all he could do was listen to He Guan's breathing as he drifted to sleep.

By morning, when He Guan would rise and leave, Lou Dongzang found it difficult to hold him back.

He instinctively felt that He Guan prioritized his work highly. Yet now, though it seemed important, it wasn't everything.

How could he get him to take some time for himself, for what he truly loved?

He adored music after all.

Deep in thought, he stayed awake till the late hours of the night.

Those beautiful aqua-blue eyes lingered on the sleeping figure for what felt like an eternity.

Someone once said eyes were the organs of desire. Lou Dongzang couldn't recall; back then, he was blind, sitting at home listening to books, while He Guan was out working.

At that time, he thought the author was speaking nonsense.

Now, he felt that maybe the author had a point.

The desperate times when he yearned to see He Guan but couldn't, the moments now when all he wanted was to keep gazing at him, and the simple contentment of just having him by his side, he finally understood.

This was his desire, his yearning.

He wanted to use these eyes to watch He Guan until the end of his days.

The night in the city was never as pitch black as it was on the island. Lou Dongzang turned off the light, snuggling back next to He Guan, intertwining their legs.

He Guan shifted slightly, accommodating him, his warm breath grazing Lou Dongzang's face.

Drawing closer, Lou Dongzang pressed his cheek against He Guan's and reluctantly closed his eyes.

It was time to sleep.

Goodnight.