Hailing deserted city

Chapter 8

"Bad mood……"

(Is it because of what happened with President Ling this morning?)

Tao Rujiu sighed.

"How did you find out?"

Hua Kai pulled a silver phone directly from her pocket.

(Mr. Ling bought this for me, saying I can send him a message if I need anything.)

"He treats you very well." Tao Rujiu said this without any other meaning, simply comparing it to her own miserable fate of being ridiculed. However, the listener took it to heart, and Hua Kai quietly blushed.

(I'm disabled, so if something happens to me, it might be quite troublesome for President Ling to handle.)

"Being unable to speak doesn't mean you're disabled." Tao Rujiu looked at the boy in front of her, unable to bear to label him with those two words. "Your inability to speak doesn't hinder our communication at all, so you're not incomplete, much less disabled, hmm?"

Understanding his good intentions, Hua Kai smiled and nodded.

(Shall I leave you my number too?)

The two exchanged phone numbers and "talked" silently for a while. Around 11 o'clock, Qin Hua drove back to his room, leaving Tao Rujiu alone, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Perhaps it will be another sleepless night.

Just as he was about to turn on his computer again, his phone suddenly beeped with an urgent text message notification.

It was developed from flowers.

(Tao Tao, Da Afu is making a lot of noise outside my window. Can I sleep here tonight?)

Five minutes later, Qin Huakai stood outside the door carrying a bamboo mat and bedding. Tao Rujiu quickly took the things from him and placed them on the table, while also moving his own pillow and bedding, laying newspaper on the floor as a makeshift mat. Huakai tried to stop him, but Tao Rujiu quickly finished tidying up and said to him:

"You're the one helping me, how could I let you sleep on the floor?"

Hua Kai originally wanted to sleep in the same bed with Tao Rujiu, but it wasn't convenient to say anything at this moment, so she could only nod.

Perhaps two people together really don't have nightmares. Tao Rujiu slept very soundly that night. However, the cement floor was unusually cold at night. When she woke up, Tao Rujiu had involuntarily wrapped herself up like a rice dumpling.

After that day, Hua Kai moved into Tao Rujiu's house to spend the night. Sometimes Xiao Li would come over to join in the fun, and he would bring Zheng Qinglong along. The four of them would play cards until nearly eleven o'clock, and then they would go back to their rooms to sleep. Master Lü strictly forbade the members of the opera troupe from moving around after eleven o'clock. It was said that the consequences of being caught by him were no less than being haunted by a vengeful ghost.

Without the worry of nightmares at night, the folk art experience in Hailing City suddenly became incredibly wonderful. Tao Rujiu even learned some Kunqu opera excerpts from Master Lü, and Xiao Li pointed to his headdresses and said that he must choose an auspicious day to dress Tao Rujiu up as a little maid and tease her.

Since the last incident involving the "lunatic" and the "little brat with hardly any meat on his bones," Ling Li hadn't spoken to Tao Rujiu. In fact, due to signal issues, Tao Rujiu had been deliberately ignoring his phone for the past few days. Because of this, he hadn't noticed that the cabin had been almost entirely without signal late at night for the past few days.

On the morning of the sixth day, Ling Li actually arrived in Hailing City again.

The case in Xiyao Bay finally came to a conclusion after four days of negotiations. Ling Li, having completed his mission, was in no hurry to return. Every summer, he would reserve about a month for a vacation. Compared to other members of the family, this wasn't the longest. However, the vacation destinations he chose were absolutely unique.

It is the outskirts of Xiyao, a desolate rather than beautiful Hailing City.

Besides Hailing City, there is a small fishing village on Hailing Island, guarding a small beach. Everyone assumes that it is the only beach on Hailing Island, but that is not the case. On the other side of the island, in a lush, tree-lined corner hidden from Hailing City, lies an even smaller, but exceptionally beautiful, place.

The sleek holiday villas are cleverly hidden in the shade by the sea.

When Tao Rujiu saw Ling Li again, the man was still wearing a floral shirt and brown sunglasses, his short golden-brown hair fluttering in the sea breeze.

"Hey," he said to Tao Rujiu, stubbing out his cigarette.

"I'm here to enjoy my vacation, and I won't be giving you an interview."

Faced with the man's arrogance, Tao Rujiu simply nodded slightly and casually put his arm around Hua Kai beside him.

"Thanks to Mr. Tuoling, I have found a better entry point."

"The experience of a disabled boy growing up in an ancient-style city." -- Although she had not yet officially obtained Huakai's consent, Tao Rujiu had already made this decision in her heart.

Qin Huakai was unaware that Tao Rujiu was using him as a shield. He simply smiled at Ling Li and used sign language to say that he and Tao Rujiu were already good friends.

"If the flower blooms with its own consent, that would be the best."

Tao Rujiu's judgment was correct; as long as the matter involved the blooming of flowers, Ling Li would no longer make things difficult. This discovery allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief, but also stirred up a strange, inexplicable bitterness in his heart.

Ling Li arrived on a Tuesday, which was also the troupe's usual day off. Everyone was preparing to go to Xiyao City to buy some things. Since Hua Kai couldn't speak, the things he needed were usually listed and brought back by Xiao Li and others. But today, Ling Li insisted on taking him to the market himself.

"Anyway, I'm already on vacation, and I'm just bored anyway."

Hua Kai knew she couldn't go against Ling Li's wishes, so she nodded and made a gesture.

(Let Tao Tao come along too.)

Ling Li shook his head without saying a word. He also responded in sign language.

(I don't like this person, I won't take them.)

(But I like Tao Tao.) It's rare for Hua Kai to stick to his plan even once, (and I also want to go out and play with him.)

Although Tao Rujiu didn't understand what the two were talking about, he was quite surprised that Ling Li also knew sign language. Would a dignified CEO really go to the trouble of learning sign language for a mute boy in one of his companies?

And judging from the level of proficiency, it must be something they use frequently.

By the time he realized what was happening, the sharp, sand-yellow BMW had already stopped in front of him. Qin Hua was sitting in the passenger seat next to Ling Li.

"Don't just stand there, Mr. Tao, get in the car."

A sharp urging. Tao Rujiu's seat was still in the back, just like last time. The difference was that this time, even the view in front of him was blocked by Hua Kai's silhouette. The air conditioning was on, and the smell of leather and car air freshener mingled together, making the young man quickly regret eating breakfast. Just as he was about to be swallowed by dizziness, the right-side window automatically rolled down, and a slightly salty sea breeze rushed in.

She looked up and thanked him softly. Tao Rujiu saw in the rearview mirror that his face was still sharp and expressionless. On the other side, Qin Huakai turned his head and smiled.

Tao Rujiu then remembered that Ling Li had told him last time not to let others sit in the passenger seat. Now it seemed that the position was not truly inviolable, but was just reserved for specific people.

What kind of special relationship does Huakai have with Lingli?

Unable to understand, he simply ignored the two people in the front row and lay down in the spacious back seat. The sky outside was a clear blue, and Tao Rujiu felt the sea breeze on his face, temporarily forgetting that he was an unwanted and superfluous presence. He wearily closed his eyes.

After a while, he was surprised to find that he had actually taken a nap in the car.

He opened his eyes and sat up. The car had stopped in a place that looked like a free market. The doors were wide open, and the two front seats were empty. Tao Rujiu looked out the window and saw Ling Li sitting on a flower bed next to him, smoking.

"President Ling...where is Hua Kai?"

The sharp finger, still holding a cigarette, pointed to a spot not far away.

"He went to check on some things. He was worried about leaving you alone, so he asked me to wait for you to wake up."

Tao Rujiu said "Oh" and got out of the car. Ling Li stubbed out his cigarette, locked the car, and they walked together toward the market. The young man initially had no intention of talking, but Ling Li, gazing at the figure of Hua Kai in the distance, asked the first question:

"You've gotten along quite well with the opera troupe these past few days, haven't you?"

"Yes."

Tao Rujiu answered truthfully, "Perhaps everyone values the people introduced by General Manager Ling. Not only the opera troupe members, but all the employees are very kind."

"The flowers seem to like you too."

"I like him very much too."

At this point, Tao Rujiu deliberately emphasized his words.

"Hua Kai has been sleeping in my room these past few days to keep me company. The reason I haven't left Hailing City is indeed inseparable from his help."

What was the point of saying these things? Even Tao Rujiu himself couldn't understand it. He just intuitively felt that Lingli didn't like to hear these things.

As it turned out, Ling Li was indeed very unhappy, and he simply stopped and stood in the center of the market.

"So if I say today or tomorrow that Hailing City will no longer accept any interviews, what are you going to do, reporter Tao?"

Tao Rujiu also stopped and looked at him.

"You want to get rid of me?"

"We're not rushing you, we're asking for your cooperation with the park's operations. Typhoons are frequent in the summer, and the park cannot guarantee reporter Tao's personal safety."

"It's okay, I have insurance."

Taking a deep breath, Tao Rujiu looked directly into the eyes behind the sharp sunglasses for the first time.

"There will be more material when the typhoon comes, and I won't leave until I finish my interviews and write the article."

"That's fine too."

He gave a sharp, cold laugh. "But you'll have to buy tickets, one day at a time."

"I have a press pass and can get in for free."

"Please leave Hailing City before the park closes each day."

"Then I'll wait for you, Mr. Ling, to personally see me off at the gate."

The last veneer of harmony was slowly being peeled away, and Tao Rujiu's face flushed with excitement. He wasn't good at arguing or confronting people, but even if he tried to calm down, the other person wouldn't give up so easily.

Ling Li suddenly leaned in and grabbed Tao Rujiu's wrist.

Do you believe I'll get someone to beat you up?

The forceful blow left a sharp pain in her wrist, and the man's actions suddenly brought back the nightmare of the first night for Tao Rujiu. Those large, bony hands that had simultaneously seized both her and Hua Kai.

"No……"

He shouted briefly, slapping away a sharp hand with a crisp sound and exaggerated movements, attracting the attention of many passersby.

Ling Li clearly hadn't anticipated Tao Rujiu's overreaction. He watched as the young man shook off his hand, took a large step back, his face quickly turning pale, his lips trembling, and his eyes behind his glasses even turning somewhat red.

"you……"

He even began to suspect that Tao Rujiu might have been threatened in this way before, or even subjected to violence, which explained his strong reaction.

I just wanted to scare him.

Turning around casually, Hua Kai noticed two people standing not far away with strange expressions. When he approached, full of doubt, both Ling Li and Tao Rujiu had already returned to their normal demeanor. Hua Kai used sign language to ask Ling Li, who simply replied coldly, "It's nothing."

However, the observant Hua Kai still noticed that for most of the time afterward, Ling Li was subtly observing Tao Rujiu, as if he were pondering a mystery.

To Tao Rujiu's surprise, Hua Kai ended up buying mostly seafood at the market. It was funny, really, because although Hailing City was built on an island, fresh seafood was rarely available during the fishing moratorium. The residents of the nearby fishing villages had mostly switched to selling souvenirs because of the film studio. Thus, the seafood at Xiyao Market gradually became the most anticipated feast for the opera troupe each week.

Sure enough, almost everyone who returned to Cuiying Pavilion was carrying black plastic bags from the seafood market. Master Lü, who stayed behind, had already filled the two large vats under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard with seawater. Everyone guessed the habits of the seafood and put them into the two vats to keep them. The seafood that had already been killed was put directly into the refrigerator of the small shop in front.

Watching the large pieces of conch fall from the bag into the jar, splashing water, Da Afu and Xiao Li smiled blissfully, one on each side.

Chapter 016

The opera troupe had a small gas stove, which they didn't usually use. They only cooked seafood around this time of week. Fresh seafood is best eaten raw with scallion oil, and the chef was Uncle Tan, who played the male lead, and Brother Zhang, who played the female lead. These two had each played Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei, so they were jokingly called the "husband-and-wife team."

"Palace maid, bring me the giant shovel. I will cook with my concubine."

Someone sang while laughing.

That evening, apart from Wang Baihu, who was on a date with his girlfriend, everyone in the opera troupe, along with Tao Rujiu and Ling Li, sat in the second courtyard. Four square tables were pushed together, set with bowls, plates, chopsticks, and spoons, creating a festive atmosphere.