Chapter 135: Falling from a Building

Chapter 135: Falling from a Building

"Yang Qin! Open the door! Open it!! Lu Qian, I'm your father at the very least, can you really abandon me? You ungrateful brats!"

Ever since the Lu family's bankruptcy, Lu Wanshan had been embroiled in lawsuits, with all his assets frozen. Standing outside, unkempt and cursing, he pounded on the door so hard that it echoed through the halls—a far cry from his former image as a refined businessman.

Yang Qin sat on the sofa, her expression cold as ice, ignoring Lu Wanshan's tirade outside without opening the door.

Lu Yan endured the morning, feeling a throbbing headache: "I'll have the residential security escort him out."

Fortunately, they lived in a private unit, or else their neighbors would have complained long ago.

Yang Qin didn't approve, her gentle brows furrowed tightly: "What good will that do? Even if you call the police, it's just a domestic dispute. Lu Wanshan has lost all shame. Believe me, he'd lie down at the entrance of the neighborhood and shout to the world about this!"

She tried to hold back her anger but couldn't: "Don't give him any money either. That bastard came last week, and out of respect for our past, I gave him twenty thousand yuan to help him out. But here he is again today, greedier than a snake swallowing an elephant!"

Initially, Yang Qin had wanted a quick divorce and hadn't bothered fighting over property, leaving the Lu family with little. She certainly wouldn't allow Lu Yan to support them financially.

Hearing this, Lu Yan could only sit quietly on the sofa. However, as time passed, the commotion outside didn't subside; instead, it escalated. Lu Wanshan, that old man, seemed to have boundless energy, even dragging Lu Bing into his rant:

"Your own brother is lying in the hospital waiting for you to save him! Lu Yan! Do you have any conscience left? I raised you for so many years, and even if you don't care about me, think about your brother. He needs money for his medical treatment!"

Upon hearing Lu Wanshan's words, Lu Yan realized he hadn't seen Lu Bing for quite some time. After a moment of contemplation, he finally got up to open the door. Yang Qin tried to stop him but was too late.

"Click—!"

The tightly closed door suddenly opened, nearly causing Lu Wanshan, who was pounding on it, to fall flat on his face. Lu Yan quickly shut the door again to prevent the other from barging in, his voice calm:

"Tell me, what do you want?"

Although Lu Wanshan still wore his old brand-name suit and shirt, it was clear he hadn't taken care of himself in a while. His sleeves were wrinkled, his face unshaven, and he reeked of alcohol, resembling a mad drunkard on the street. He pointed at Lu Yan and cursed: "You little beast, you finally decided to open the door, huh?!"

Lu Yan asked nonchalantly, "If I'm a little beast, what does that make you? An old beast?"

Enraged, Lu Wanshan raised his hand to strike him but was kicked in the stomach by Lu Yan, causing him to stumble backward and fall to the ground. Lu Yan hadn't used much force, yet Lu Wanshan rolled around on the floor like a hooligan, clutching his stomach and wailing: "Ouch, you little beast, you dare hit your own father! Yang Qin! Yang Qin! Come out and see what a good son you've raised!"

Lu Yan kicked him again, his voice cold: "Shut up if you don't want to die!"

Perhaps it was the terrifying look in Lu Yan's eyes that made Lu Wanshan fall silent, cowering in fear and not daring to move.

Lu Yan took out his phone, flicked to the contacts screen, and waved it in front of Lu Wanshan, threatening emotionlessly: "Did you borrow high-interest loans from Wang Xiaohu and his gang of thugs? They're currently playing at a bar owned by my friend. Should I call them over?"

At these words, Lu Wanshan was startled, scrambling to his feet instantly. Pointing at Lu Yan while retreating, he spat in fear: "You've forgotten all about our father-son bond! I raised you for over twenty years, and this is how you treat me?!"

Lu Yan laughed coldly: "I'm showing restraint because I remember you raising me. If you don't leave now, I'll call those creditors over. Let's see who's more ruthless."

His sharp gaze left no doubt about the truth behind his words. Lu Wanshan, who had been dodging creditors recently, didn't dare stay any longer. He pressed the elevator button to escape but was interrupted by Lu Yan's sudden question: "Where is Lu Bing living now?"

Lu Wanshan wiped his nose with his sleeve upon hearing this, immediately turning around. With eager eyes, he said: "Are you going to give him money? Why don't you just give it to me, and I'll deliver it for you!"

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow coldly: "Do you want two slaps instead? Where does he live?!"

Lu Wanshan stepped back in fright, stuttering as he gave the address.

Lu Yan looked at him intently, his emotions unreadable. He pulled out his wallet, handing over a stack of cash: "Don't let me see you near my mother again, or I'll beat you every time we meet. Understood?"

Lu Wanshan snatched the money, counting it and muttering about how stingy Lu Yan was. Impatiently, he said he understood before turning to enter the elevator.

Yang Qin had been watching through the peephole. Seeing Lu Wanshan leave, she opened the door and emerged, worried: "He won't come back, right?"

Lu Yan patted Yang Qin's shoulder, walking inside with her: "Ignore him. I've already chosen another house and am having it renovated. In a few months, we'll move there, and he won't be able to find us."

Yang Qin felt relieved, then sighed: "Lu Bing is unlucky to have such a father. When I played mahjong with Mrs. Chen the other day, I heard that Lu Wanshan took all of Lu Bing's savings to pay off debts, leaving him nothing. He couldn't even keep his studio running."

Lu Bing's design studio never made a profit, relying solely on investment to survive. With Duan Jiyang's support in the past, it managed to stay afloat, but without external aid, the employees had all left within three days.

Lu Yan vaguely acknowledged this, lost in thought: "We should take care of ourselves."

Lu Yan always assumed that Lu Bing had some money saved, enough to cover medical expenses. He thought Lu Wanshan was exaggerating. But when he visited Lu Bing's current address, he found that his situation was indeed dire, only slightly better than Tang Rufeng's plight.

In the dim, old stairwell, eight households lived together. As Lu Yan hesitated at the door, the elevator went up and down, four elderly men and women entering and exiting. They carried groceries from the market, chatting in their local dialects, making the noise incomprehensible.

Glancing at the door number, Lu Yan was about to knock when the door suddenly creaked open. The first thing he saw was Lu Bing's pale face. It was evident that he was thin, but his body was swollen in places, a stark contrast to his previous appearance.

Both were momentarily stunned, but Lu Bing recovered first, asking with a grim expression: "Why are you here?"

He assumed Lu Yan had come to mock him.

Lu Yan wore a low-key black coat, handsome and mature, a far cry from his former image as a frivolous playboy. Looking around, he found it hard to imagine Lu Bing living here: "Nothing, just checking in. You live here now?"

If there was one person Lu Bing least wanted to see, Lu Yan would be at the top of the list, even ahead of Duan Jiyang. Though they were brothers in name, their circumstances had been vastly different. Lu Bing was a highly praised prodigy, while Lu Yan was just a spoiled wastrel. But fate had turned, and their situations had reversed.

Lu Bing didn't bother hiding anything. He flung the door wide open, revealing the shabby interior. The small eighty-square-meter apartment was sparsely furnished, and due to its poor orientation, sunlight barely penetrated.

"You're just here to laugh at me, aren't you? Go ahead. After all, you're the one who's successful now, and I'm the one who's failed. I have nothing left to fear."

Lu Yan was used to Lu Bing's sarcastic remarks. Unfazed, he spoke calmly: "I came to tell you to stay away from Lu Wanshan. He owes a fortune in gambling debts, and the thugs outside are looking for him everywhere. Be careful not to get caught up in his mess."

Now that Lu Yan ran several bars, he had people backing him, and the thugs wouldn't dare cause trouble for him. But that might not be the case for Lu Bing.

Lu Bing didn't expect Lu Yan to say such things, eyeing him suspiciously: "He's still your biological father. Can you really abandon him?"

Here we go again.

Lu Yan found Lu Bing's self-righteousness headache-inducing. Lifting his eyelids, he smiled mockingly: "Your filial piety is your business. Don't drag me into it. Lu Bing, he's a bottomless pit. Whatever you throw in will be wasted. You've already stumbled once with Duan Jiyang; you can't afford to stumble again with Lu Wanshan."

Though his words were harsh, they were true.

After saying this, Lu Yan took out a card from his pocket and placed it on the only small bookshelf in the room: "I won't come looking for you again. How you choose to live the rest of your life is up to you."

When Lu Yan came of age, Lu Wanshan bought him a 200-square-meter house in the city center. He sold the house a few days ago and deposited all the money into this card. It was enough for Lu Bing to buy a comfortable small house, and even if he found a suitable kidney donor in the future, the surgery would be more than covered. This could be considered as paying them back.

Lu Yan always felt that Lu Bing didn't have to live such a miserable life. Unfortunately, his head was clouded by love, chasing after Duan Jiyang's tail, neglecting his career and wasting his life. If Lu Bing were smart, he should take this money and start anew somewhere else; it wasn't too late for everything.

Of course, if Lu Bing used this money to pay off Lu Wanshan's debts, Lu Yan wouldn't say anything. It was hard to persuade someone who was hell-bent on their path; he had done what he could, and that was enough for his conscience.

In the deep autumn, the leaves turned golden, the sky dimmed, and a fine drizzle fell.

It was said that spring was the beginning of all things, and autumn was the season of fruition. But what many didn't realize was that many stories only began to sprout in the fall, waiting for the next cycle of renewal.

Lu Yan didn't go home. Seeing that it was still early, he headed straight for the bar. The front desk attendant greeted him and pointed upstairs, saying, "Boss, President Duan is waiting for you in the private room."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan paused. "How long has he been here?"

The attendant replied, "Not long, about twenty minutes..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Lu Yan turn around and rush upstairs hurriedly, as if afraid of keeping the other party waiting.

Most of the time, the private rooms in bars were dimly lit. Lu Yan pushed the door open and before he could see his surroundings clearly, the next moment his eyes were covered from behind. Immediately afterward, he heard the muffled sound of the door closing.

In the darkness, one's senses were infinitely amplified. At that instant, Lu Yan seemed to hear the sound of his own heartbeat. He asked in a low voice, "Tang Rufeng?"

The person behind him hummed in response, then let go of his hands. Tang Rufeng hugged Lu Yan from behind and slowly tightened his arms, almost pressing most of his weight onto him. He deliberately asked, "Why didn't you guess anyone else?"

Lu Yan didn't mention that this private room was specially reserved for him, and no one but Tang Rufeng could enter. "It's not even dark yet, how did you come over? Aren't you afraid of being discovered?"

Tang Rufeng rested his chin on Lu Yan's shoulder, idly playing with the buttons on his coat, his eyes lazily squinting like a cat's. "The old man is hospitalized, and Duan Jiyang has disappeared somewhere. No one is watching me."

Lu Yan thought about it and realized that everyone in the Duan family was preoccupied with their own affairs. There probably wasn't anyone idle enough to keep an eye on the two of them. "Then why are you running to the bar? The private room is too stuffy. Come on, I'll take you somewhere else."

After saying this, Lu Yan pulled Tang Rufeng out of the private room, circled around, and went straight to the bar's rooftop. There happened to be deck chairs and sun umbrellas up there, and the glass canopy above was decorated with countless tiny colored lights.

As twilight approached, the distant sky was a deep blue, with countless skyscrapers rising up, witnessing the prosperity and transformation of this city against the backdrop of night.

Standing on the rooftop, Tang Rufeng strained to look far away, trying to find the dilapidated residential building where he once lived. However, all he could see were the skyscrapers in the CBD central area; there was no trace left of what it used to be.

Tang Rufeng reached out and traced the shapes of those skyscrapers with his fingertips in mid-air. Suddenly, he asked in a dazed voice, "Lu Yan, will we always be together?"

He had witnessed the moon's transformations and seen skyscrapers collapse. Everything around him was changing; nothing remained constant forever, especially not beings like humans, driven forward by fate.

Tang Rufeng had asked this question before, and Lu Yan had given him an affirmative answer. Now, when asked again, his answer remained unchanged, but with a bit more certainty than before.

"Of course we will."

Afraid that Tang Rufeng wouldn't believe him, Lu Yan directly pulled him to the edge of the rooftop. The height of seven or eight floors made one dizzy, the night wind blew fiercely, making his clothes flutter. Only Lu Yan's half-smiling voice was exceptionally clear:

"If I ever lie to you in the future, just drag me down from here, and we'll die together. Even King Yama won't be able to separate us."

Although Lu Yan's words sounded like a joke, they hid half of his sincerity. People were too fickle, as if only death could bring peace of mind. Although he didn't think he would part ways with Tang Rufeng, if he really did something to wrong him in the future, dying together might not be a bad ending.

Tang Rufeng asked softly, "Really?"

In the thick of the night, he stood behind Lu Yan. His gentle voice formed a stark contrast with his dark, deep eyes, causing an inexplicable chill.

"Of course it's true."

Just as Lu Yan was about to turn around, a buzzing warning suddenly sounded in his ear. Then, a powerful force struck him from behind, and half of his body fell over the edge of the rooftop. The wind whistled, and he felt a strong sense of weightlessness, as if he would plummet like a kite cut loose at any moment.

"Warning! Warning! A glitch has appeared in the worldview program! The resentful spirit from the previous life has returned! Please be careful, host! The system is working hard to repair it!"

Hearing this, Lu Yan stared in shock and struggled to turn his head to look behind him. He saw that Tang Rufeng's expression had somehow become grim and determined, with a hint of abnormal crimson in his eyes. He pressed Lu Yan tightly against the edge of the rooftop, hot tears streaming down his face, and whispered hoarsely, "You lied to me... You lied to me..."

"You promised to be with me forever, so why are you going to marry Duan Jiyang? I don't ask for anything, I don't want anything. I just want to live a good life with my mother. Why won't you let me be?!!!"

Tang Rufeng's voice gradually became hysterical, his expression like that of a madman. In the end, he leaned close to Lu Yan, grabbed his collar, and suddenly lowered his voice to utter a sentence: "Let's die together..."

He was so serious, yet so desperate, even the smile at the corner of his mouth sent chills down one's spine:

"Lu Yan, let's die together..."

It was the Tang Rufeng from the previous life, whom he had wronged.