Chapter 128: Regret

Chapter 128: Regret

Rarely did Duan Jiyang lose control of his emotions to such an extent, his expression once terrifying. If not for the hospital setting, Lu Yan would have already thrown a punch. He frowned and scolded, "What's wrong with you? Let go!"

Having been in countless fights since childhood, who knew how he had sustained the injury on his shoulder.

Little did Duan Jiyang know that a storm was brewing within him. He recalled the young boy who had saved him from drowning when he was ten. That boy had the same wound on his right shoulder when he left, in the exact same spot.

Lu Yan's frowning face overlapped with the image of the spirited youth in his memory. In contrast, Lu Bing was silent and gentle, representing the opposite extreme.

How could this be? How could this be?

Duan Jiyang was so panicked that his fingertips trembled. Didn't that boy say his name was Lu Bing? When he confirmed it with Lu Bing, he never denied it. How did things turn out like this?!

Seeing that he wouldn't let go, Lu Yan forcefully shook him off. Duan Jiyang stumbled back two steps, his complexion ghastly as if he had suffered a significant blow. His mental state was visibly dazed.

Rubbing his shoulder, which had turned blue from being gripped, Lu Yan looked at him with a frown. "What's wrong with you?"

Duan Jiyang stared intently at Lu Yan, his chest heaving. Suddenly, he asked, "Can you swim?"

Without much thought, Lu Yan replied, "So what if I can?"

Duan Jiyang's voice was hoarse. "And Lu Bing?"

Lu Yan answered, "He's afraid of water."

Lu Bing had always been in poor health since birth. His name was even chosen by a fortune-teller, who said he lacked water in his destiny. After much deliberation, they settled on the character 'Bing' (ice). Although Lu Bing's destiny lacked water, he couldn't touch water; he was a complete landlubber.

Lu Yan's voice, though close, sounded as if it had penetrated countless layers of clouds, ringing loudly in Duan Jiyang's ears. He didn't even remember what he had said, only realizing that the bodyguards had already sent Lu Yan home.

At that moment, Lu Bing had just finished his dialysis and was sitting on the balcony basking in the sun. He held a design magazine in his hands but couldn't concentrate on reading it. He thought about his budding studio and the awards he had received over the years, wondering why fate had dealt him kidney failure.

Even Lu Yan, the good-for-nothing, could live a decent life.

Lu Bing knew these thoughts were inappropriate, but jealousy and resentment gnawed at his heart like termites hiding in the cracks of a wall. By the time he realized it, his entire being had been eroded beyond recognition.

Lowering his gaze, his expression turned gloomy, clearly visible in the shadows cast by the window. Standing at the ward's entrance, Duan Jiyang belatedly realized that the Lu Bing before him might not be as pure and flawless as he had imagined. He was human, capable of envy and harboring dark sides...

Duan Jiyang's footsteps were light as he entered the ward, causing Lu Bing to only notice him when he was already behind him. Startled, he quickly regained his composure. "Jiyang, why are you here? Have the compatibility tests been completed? What are the results?"

Unable to control himself, he tightened his grip on the magazine, inadvertently revealing his nervousness.

Duan Jiyang casually pulled a chair and sat opposite him. His expression resembled the sea before a storm, seemingly calm but seething beneath the surface. "Not yet. The results will be available in a few days."

Disappointed, Lu Bing still managed a smile. "It's alright. It's not urgent anyway."

Duan Jiyang's gaze fell on his right shoulder, probing deeper than ever before. As lovers, they had naturally had intimate moments, and Duan Jiyang remembered clearly that Lu Bing had no scars on his back. At the time, he hadn't given it much thought, assuming it had healed.

But the wound he had sustained when he fell into the river hadn't healed completely, leaving a deep scar. How could Lu Bing have recovered without any trace?

Some things shouldn't be scrutinized too closely; upon closer inspection, they revealed nothing but flaws.

Duan Jiyang was so enraged that he didn't know how to vent. All he wanted to ask was:

"Why?"

Confused by this abrupt question, Lu Bing paused. "Why what?"

Duan Jiyang slowly raised his eyes to meet Lu Bing's. Under the fading sunlight, his eyes were bloodshot, and he asked through gritted teeth, "The person who saved me from the river wasn't you, was it? It was Lu Yan, wasn't it?"

They had never gotten along since childhood. When Lu Yan left, hearing that Duan Jiyang was going to report him, he deliberately left Lu Bing's name to frame him. Such a simple truth, Duan Jiyang cursed himself for not realizing it sooner.

BOOM!

To Lu Bing, these words were like a bolt from the blue, plunging him into icy depths. His face instantly drained of color, and he hastily tried to explain, but his lips quivered, unable to form a coherent sentence. "You...you..."

He wanted to ask how Duan Jiyang found out, to deny everything, but under the man's piercing gaze that saw through all, he felt as if an invisible hand was choking him, making it hard to breathe.

Seeing Lu Bing's guilty demeanor, Duan Jiyang understood the situation. The last shred of hope in his heart shattered. He grabbed Lu Bing's neck, his eyes filled with shock and hatred. "Why did you lie to me?! Lu Bing, why did you lie to me?!"

Choked by his grip, Lu Bing couldn't speak, tears streaming down his cheeks. He struggled to say, "I...I didn't...didn't do it on purpose..."

Back then, how vibrant and full of spirit Duan Jiyang was. Who wouldn't be attracted to someone like him? Lu Bing was no exception.

In the upper echelons of society, Lu Bing was merely one of the least noticeable figures. Yet, Duan Jiyang favored him, elevating the status of the Lu family in the process. Everyone treated him with respect and adoration, all because of the Duan family's influence.

Lu Bing had lost his mother at a young age, and Lu Wanshan paid little attention to him. He couldn't resist the allure of being the center of attention, nor could he resist the advances of his beloved.

However, Duan Jiyang didn't want to hear Lu Bing's explanations. He felt that the affection he had cherished for so long was nothing more than a farce. Lu Bing's supposed purity and nobility had transformed into hypocrisy and cunning. When Duan Jiyang loved someone, he could elevate them to the heavens, but now that he no longer cared, they were worse than the dust on the roadside. He accused fiercely,

"Not on purpose?! I asked you so many times, did you ever try to explain? For years, you took credit for Lu Yan's actions, treating me like a fool. Did it make you happy? Was it satisfying?!"

Lu Bing frantically shook his head. "No! No!"

Duan Jiyang laughed coldly. "No? You know the truth in your heart! You told me you weren't valued at home, that Lu Yan bullied you every day. But in reality, you stole everything from Lu Yan. How much of what you said was true?!"

"I introduced you to influential people to help you stand tall in the Lu family. I invested money in your studio to help you achieve your dreams. I waited for you like a fool in City A, hoping you would return. I even pressured Lu Yan to donate a kidney for you! Lu Bing, who gave you the audacity to play me like this?!"

Duan Jiyang's expression was twisted, feeling that he had loved the wrong person for so many years, pouring his heart and soul into a futile endeavor. Yet, Lu Bing's illness now restrained him from venting his anger. Finally, he gritted his teeth and spat out,

"Lu Bing, if you want to live, you'd better not appear in front of me again. The sight of you disgusts me!"

After saying this, Duan Jiyang turned around and walked away. Sensing his revulsion, Lu Bing almost crawled to embrace his waist, crying out, "Jiyang! Jiyang, listen to my explanation! I really didn't mean to! Apart from that incident, I've never hidden anything from you. Haven't we been fine for all these years? I'll marry you, okay? I won't leave City A anymore. Whatever you say goes..."

Now, even speaking to him was repulsive to Duan Jiyang. Hearing this, he looked at him coldly. "Marry you? Do you think I would marry a liar? Take care of yourself. Don't come looking for me again!"

Duan Jiyang ruthlessly shook off Lu Bing's hand and strode out of the ward. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching accusation echoed from behind, "You actually liked Lu Yan all along, didn't you?!"

Hearing this, Duan Jiyang paused. Finally, he uttered in a heavy voice, "So what if I did?"

At this moment, both of them tore off the masks they had worn for so long. The pure and gentle one became hysterical, while the deeply devoted one turned cold and heartless, their ugliness too much even for them to bear.

"Rumble—!"

Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed outside, as if trying to tear through the sky. The first rain of autumn fell slowly, the pitter-patter of raindrops blurring the scene outside as they hit the windows, the chill seeping into their bones.

Following Duan Jiyang's instructions, the two bodyguards drove Lu Yan back home. The windshield wipers swiped back and forth, but they couldn't clear the relentless downpour.

Lu Yan sat in the backseat, only to realize after some time that his phone had run out of battery and shut down. He kicked the seat in front of him and asked the icy-faced bodyguard, "Hey, do you have a charging cable?"

The bodyguard silently pulled out a power bank from his coat pocket and handed it over.

"..."

Well, at least he was prepared.

"Thanks."

Lu Yan took the power bank, found the port, and plugged it into his phone. After about thirty seconds, it finally powered on. But when he looked at it, he was stunned—

That shameless Duan Jiyang actually pulled out his SIM card?!

Veins pulsed on Lu Yan's forehead as he barely held back his temper and asked the two bodyguards in front, "Can either of you lend me your phone to make a call?"

The bodyguard refused, "Sorry, President Duan said we can't let you contact anyone until we get you home."

Damn!

Lu Yan clenched his fists in anger, but then he thought that he could still make a call once he got home. It didn't matter if he waited a few more minutes; after all, he'd been locked up for days. He managed to suppress his anger again.

The SIM card was probably removed today, as there were still records of missed calls and messages from last week. Some were from Yang Qin, and the rest were from Tang Rufeng. There were so many messages that his phone nearly froze.

With nothing else to do in the car, Lu Yan scrolled through the messages and noticed that they stopped two days ago. Tang Rufeng hadn't called since. He frowned subconsciously, unsure if something had been misunderstood or given up. The rain outside was heavy and noisy, causing an inexplicable unease.

It was rush hour, and with the rain, what should've been an hour-long journey took two hours due to traffic. The dark car passed through the garden path, shadows stretching and distorting.

Lu Yan stepped out of the car under his umbrella, not giving the two bodyguards a good look. "I'm home. You two can scram now."

The bodyguards didn't linger and left by getting back into the car.

Lu Yan stood on the steps at the entrance for a moment, hesitating before going inside. He wanted to see Yang Qin, but he didn't want to see Lu Wanshan's old face, and...

And Tang Rufeng. He wondered if the other party had been worried during his disappearance.

Seeing the bodyguards leave, Lu Yan checked his wallet in his pocket, confirming he still had money for a ride. He then turned around in the darkness and headed towards the exit. However, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure under the tree shadow—

It was Tang Rufeng.

Lu Yan paused. He never expected the other party to find him here. Seeing Tang Rufeng drenched in the rain, he was momentarily stunned. Before he could think, his body moved forward. His black umbrella tilted gently, shielding the cold rain above their heads.

Lu Yan asked softly, "Why did you come here?"

He didn't know why he was so calm. Perhaps he didn't want to worry the other party, or perhaps the anger he had been holding for days dissipated the moment he saw Tang Rufeng, as if the rain had washed away his troubles.

Tang Rufeng's eyes seemed red, almost bloodshot against his pale skin, giving off an unhealthy appearance. Hearing Lu Yan's question, he replied hoarsely:

"I was waiting for you..."

He didn't know how long he had been waiting, completely soaked by the rain. This storm came unexpectedly, just like their fateful encounter.

Hearing this, Lu Yan smiled, thinking Tang Rufeng was being silly. With one hand holding the umbrella, he used the other to brush aside the wet strands of hair from Tang Rufeng's face, revealing his cold and stubborn features. His warm fingertips touched Tang Rufeng's cheek, feeling only icy coldness, akin to the temperature of a heart turned to ashes.

"I had some family matters these past two days and couldn't contact you. How is your mother's condition?"

Lu Yan avoided answering, so Tang Rufeng didn't respond either. He lowered his gaze, his slender figure almost swallowed by the darkness. A strand of wet black hair slipped down, making his face appear even sharper:

"Lu Yan, are you willing to go back with me?"

He asked nothing else, only this question, his tone obsessive and unsettling.

Lu Yan fell silent for a moment, the sound of rain surrounding them.

Was he willing to go back? Of course, he was. But he was about to donate a kidney to Lu Bing, and he couldn't tell Tang Rufeng about it. Moreover, for some reason, Duan Jiyang harbored an inexplicable animosity towards Tang Rufeng. Lu Yan feared that getting too close to Tang Rufeng might harm him.

As Duan Jiyang had said, with a flick of his fingers, he could make a poor student lose their footing in City A, and Tang Rufeng's future would be ruined.

Lu Yan switched hands holding the umbrella: "Go back first. I'll find you once I sort out my family issues."

It was unclear whether Tang Rufeng sensed that Lu Yan was lying, but his voice sounded low and muffled: "Do I look a lot like your fiancé?"

Surprised by the question, Lu Yan didn't understand why Tang Rufeng suddenly asked this. Like before, he smiled and ruffled Tang Rufeng's hair, then pulled him into a hug. Tang Rufeng's body was cold and trembling. Instead of calming down upon contact with Lu Yan's warmth, he shook even more violently. Lu Yan assumed he was just cold and hugged him tighter: "I don't have a fiancé. Even if I did, it's already broken off. You're you, no resemblance. Listen, go back and study well. I'll come find you soon."

Despite holding the umbrella, Lu Yan's coat shoulder was inexplicably wet. Perhaps he didn't even notice that his words sounded like those used to placate a child, hiding an unnoticeable intention of parting.

Tang Rufeng remained silent, eerily quiet. Just as Lu Yan began to wonder if his excuse was too weak, Tang Rufeng slowly lifted his head from his embrace. His eyes were so red, his expression so pitiful, as if he was about to cry, yet he forced a smile: "Really?"

Lu Yan kissed him gently: "I won't lie to you."

After saying this, he placed the umbrella handle into Tang Rufeng's icy palm and then took off his coat to drape it over him: "Let's go. I'll take you home so you don't catch a cold."

The rain grew heavier, showing no signs of stopping.

Tang Rufeng asked, "What about you?"

Lu Yan smiled: "I'll send you back first, then return to the old house."

He originally wanted to take Tang Rufeng upstairs to change clothes, but he was afraid of encountering Lu Wanshan. That would lead to another complicated situation, so it was better to just send Tang Rufeng back.

Tang Rufeng shook his head. "I'll just hail a ride on the roadside."

Lu Yan disagreed. "It's dark. I'll send you off."

Tang Rufeng only smiled, his eyes reddening, his voice trembling. "I'm going to the hospital. If you were to send me, it wouldn't be easy to explain if my mother saw us."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan paused, about to suggest sending him to the hospital entrance. But in the next second, Tang Rufeng tightly embraced his waist. He held so close, as if this was their final parting, reluctant even to share the air, wanting to monopolize it all: "Lu Yan, I..."

Tang Rufeng's lips quivered, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't utter a word. Tears streamed down his cheeks, blending with the rain, icy and devoid of warmth, carrying an indescribable bitterness.

Lu Yan thought he would say: I don't want to be apart from you.

But Tang Rufeng closed his eyes silently, whispering lowly, "Lu Yan, I truly hate myself..."

He hated too many things, too many people. But like the drizzling rain in the night, all the bitterness flowed back into his heart. Tang Rufeng became the vessel for all his hatred.

Lu Yan furrowed his brows. "Tang Rufeng?"

Suddenly, Tang Rufeng thrust the umbrella back into Lu Yan's hands, slowly retreating step by step. Amidst the noisy curtain of rain, he said:

"Lu Yan, I'm heading back."

Instinctively, Lu Yan wanted to chase after him, but Tang Rufeng had already turned resolutely, running into the darkness. He had stood in the rain for half the night, seemingly just to see Lu Yan once. The chill crept in from all sides, impossible to escape.

It wasn't until much later that Lu Yan learned that Tang Rufeng's mother had passed away the night before. She had accidentally tumbled down the stairs while strolling in the convalescent home, hitting her head fatally, and died despite medical efforts.

On that rainy autumn night, everything Tang Rufeng had fought so hard to protect seemed to crumble overnight. Lu Yan didn't know what the other had experienced during that time, whom he had met, or what words he had heard. All he knew was that Tang Rufeng vanished without a trace, unreachable no matter how he tried, even the rented house now empty.

When they met again, it was at a banquet, long after.

The once quiet and handsome youth had shed his innocence, becoming cold and unpredictable. Dressed impeccably in a suit, he moved effortlessly among business tycoons and political elites, seeming perfectly at ease. His eyes were faintly lowered, indifferent, as if he was born to stand on the stage of fame and fortune, under the spotlight.

And by then, the people around him no longer called him "Tang Rufeng," but "Duan Rufeng," "Second Master Duan." Whenever mentioned, there was three parts awe, six parts admiration, and one part disdain.

They awed at his skillful means, reducing his nominal older brother to a shadow of his former self, leaving him no chance of revival.

They admired his young age, yet managing the vast company with order, holding the majority of core power in his hands.

They looked down upon him, despite bearing the surname Duan, being a bastard son brought back by Duan Jianfeng. No matter how capable, his status could never rise above the surface.

Lu Yan still didn't understand what had led to all this, only knowing that the gears of fate began to turn slowly, leading them onto vastly different paths in life.