Antidote - - - Chapter 10

Chapter 10 」

Cheng Ke walked away from the wall and back onto the street. The noisy crowd remained at the wall.

He didn’t know what happened to Jiang Yu Duo and his gang of followers. He thought about hanging around to see the conclusion but after a few seconds of standing around, he remembered what Jiang Yu Duo said.

Nobody took themselves seriously.

Cheng Ke didn’t know if that nobody included him.

He suddenly lost interest and turned around to walk back slowly towards the supermarket.

He walked a few steps and turned around to look at the road that Jiang Yu Duo disappeared on. The change in perspective made him realize that it wasn’t a road at all, just an alley between a building and a wall. It was so dark that if he hadn’t known Jiang Yu Duo used it, he wouldn’t have realized there was a path there.

Jiang Yu Duo must be a native-born bully to have in his mind a map of the local streets useful for fleeing.

Everyone has something like that in their brain. It may not be maps, it could be flowcharts for specialized skills.

For example, Cheng Ke would have loved to have a household skill chart in his brain right now.

All the steps for doing chores and the respective tools needed.

He stood frustratedly in front of the supermarket shelf filled with mops and felt the world was out to get him.

A mop. Just a mop. Why are there so many types and styles?

He thought he knew about mops before. Even though someone else took care of cleaning the house and he never had to do anything, but he knew there were flat mops and string mops.

Now he realized that even flat mops were separated into round and rectangular shapes and the string mops could be spin mops that came with a bucket or those that you just wrung out.

And they were all made of different materials.

Something that should be straightforward suddenly became very complicated.

In the end he chose a flat headed mop because it looked like it could cover the largest surface area and the sponge could also scrape the water away from the floor. It should be a good choice.

After he hauled the mop home, he decided to take advantage of his drunken impulsiveness and mop up the floor.

Just do it.

He wetted the mop, scraped off the excess water, and began mopping.

He barely covered two square meters before pausing and looking at the conglomeration of dust bunnies and fur. Cheng Ke thought he miscalculated and should have bought a broom as well.

He hadn’t realized how much dirt there was on the floor before he started mopping.

How was it that the more he mopped, the dirtier it became?

And the landlord hadn’t even provided a broom!

What if the water heater and the shove were new, there was no mop!

He frowned as he remembered the landlord who fought with a gash on his head and then called himself worthless than a dog.

Whatever, just get it over with.

After an hour, a sweaty and tired Cheng Ke walked into the bathroom.

He did finish mopping, though he had no idea how effective it was. All he knew was that the hardwood floor was soaked by water.

This mop didn’t work. If he scraped off the water, it was like dust sweeper. If he didn’t scrape off the water, it flooded the floor. He could only force himself to ignore it. In the end, because he didn’t have gloves and also refused to remove the random dirt pills sticking to the bottom of the mop, he threw away the mopping pad after just using it twice. After all, the mop came with a replacement.

He shed his clothes and stood underneath the hot water spray. For someone who hasn’t worked a day in his life, mopping was like a fighting a battle and he felt exhausted.

After the bath, he looked at the injury on his waist in the mirror. It looked like it was about to scab and compared Jiang Yu Duo’s head wound, which bled hours after the injury, his wound was doing pretty well.

Cheng Ke didn’t look at the time after his bath. He simply collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep. Despite all his efforts, he couldn’t get get the comforter and its cover to align, so he just decided to kick the cover off the bed.

When he woke, he had no idea when he’d tossed the pillowcase onto the floor as well.

He may as well not use them. If the comforter or the pillow got dirty, he could always just wash them. He knew there was a washing machine on the balcony.

He stayed on the bed dazedly for ten minutes before slowly making his way off it.

He had no idea how to start adjusting to the new life. As a result, his mind wandered while he washed up.

In the living room, his cell rang for a long time before Cheng Ke heard it. He went over and picked it up. It was Liu Tiancheng.

He sighed and answered, “Hello?”

“Awake?” Liu Tiancheng asked on the other end.

“Just now.” Cheng Ke walked over to the kitchen, opened the fridge and took out a can of milk. He wanted to pour it out only to realize that he didn’t have any cups.

Liu Tiancheng continued, “Did you leave early yesterday? I didn’t see anyone at your table when I got out.”

“Mmhmm, left as soon as I finished eating.” Cheng Ke drank a few sips directly from the can and discovered that this milk wasn’t as delicious as the type he had at home. It was also so cold that it made him shiver.

But he didn’t remember what brand of milk they drank at him. He never seemed to pay attention to the packaging.

“You were really a rude to Yi yesterday, he’s your younger brother after all.” Liu Tiancheng sighed. “He was upset the entire meal and stayed pretty quiet.”

Cheng Ke answered, “He’s usually quiet.”

Cheng Yi wasn’t a big talker. Since childhood, he said more words with Cheng Yi during their arguments than during regular chats.

Liu Tiancheng laughed and said, “When we got together before he wasn’t this – ”3

“How many meals did you have with him before?” Cheng Ke interrupted. “The last time you ate with him was something like a year ago, wasn’t it?”

“Hey, you, what’s there to be upset about?” Liu Tiancheng felt a little awkward.

Cheng Ke hadn’t wanted to be upset with Liu Tiancheng, but he couldn’t just let it go. More than half of the people he saw yesterday eating with Cheng Yi were his former friends. Their relationship with Cheng Yi was more distant than his with Xu Ding and that included Liu Tiancheng. Now Liu Tiancheng’s “I’m actually friends with both of you” attitude pissed Cheng Ke off.

“I got up on the wrong side of the bed.” Cheng Ke said.

“Didn’t sleep well last night?” Liu Tiancheng laughed it off. “Did you go out afterwards?”

“No.” Cheng Ke put the milk back in the fridge. It was too cold, so cold that he felt like throwing up.

“Nothing? I saw your… friends,” Liu Tiancheng said, “they didn’t look like… are they new friends?”

“Mmhmm,” Cheng Ke made a sound of agreement.

“It’s surprising to see you with people like them.” Liu Tiancheng laughed.

“I can get along with anyone.” Cheng Ke said. “Some of the people I hung out with before aren’t even as nice as they are.”

Liu Tiancheng sighed, “I forgive you, you’re in a foul mood lately.”

“Was there anything you wanted?” Cheng Ke asked.

“Can’t I call you without needing anything?” Liu Tiancheng asked. “We used to talk a lot.”

“Things are different now.” Cheng Ke answered. “I’m busy.”

“With what?” Liu Tiancheng asked immediately.

“Busy going to the supermarket for a cup.” Cheng Ke answered.

“What?” Cheng Ke paused, unsure how to respond.

“Gotta go.” Cheng Ke hung up the phone.

He had planned on staying phone today. Though he didn’t want to think about it, he really should figure out what to do next.

He had some money, though this was different from before when he didn’t need to worry about money at all. He suddenly realized that there was a limit to the amount of money available to him and it wasn’t much according to his old standards, but enough to not have to worry about regular expenses.

His “what to do” was more about figuring how not to live like he did before.

He used to do whatever he wanted and quit whenever he wanted. Every time Xu Ding asked him to collaborate, they’d sign a contract and he’d pay. He used to think that was boring since he was just in it for the fun.

Now that he thought about it, his collaborations with Xu Ding were probably the least useless things he had done as a useless punk.

He sighed, stood up, and walked around the room. Since he had to go to the supermarket and buy cups, he might as well see what else he needed to buy so that he wouldn’t have to go out again.

By the time he left, he could only remember to toss in a broom.

He randomly picked up a glass cup and an ugly red plastic broom from the market.

When he carried them home, he sighed and realized he should have bought a shoe rack. Even though he didn’t have as many shoes as he did before, there were three pairs counting his slippers. They looked bad just piling by the door.

He took out his phone and wrote down “shoe rack” in the memo app.

As soon as he finds something missing, he should write it down. At least this way he can make fewer trips.

But by the time he went to the supermarket at night, the only thing on the memo app was the shoe rack and the supermarket didn’t sell any.

In the following days, he kept going back and forth between the supermarket and his home. Every time he realizes something, it was just when he needed it. For example, when he swept the floor he realized he didn’t have a trash can, he found out he had pots but no bowls when he made instant noodles, and discovered that he was missing a clothing rack when he needed to hang his clothes up for drying.

There were also a lot of things that he was used to having but didn’t have right now.

Big things like a computer and small things like an ashtray.

He spent about a month experiencing what it means to live in a fully furnished but still empty apartment.

When the doorbell rang, Cheng Ke was standing in the middle of the living room exclaiming that he finally didn’t have to step out to buy anything today.

He could finally start his new life.

He peeked out from the spyhole and could only see blackness. Someone had blocked it.

But the doorbell kept ringing.

Chen Ke frowned. He first locked the door and then asked, “Who is it?”

The person outside answered simply, “Me.”

The voice sounded familiar but not so familiar that he could tell who it was just by a single word.

“Don’t you have a name?” Cheng Ke questioned.

“Chen Qing.” The person responded.

Cheng Ke realized that yes, this was indeed head honor guard’s voice.

“Why did you block the spyhole?” Cheng ke asked again. He thought this guy must be the knock-off version of Jiang Yu Duo and his paranoia. Cheng Ke didn’t dare to just casually open the door when the spyhole was blocked.

“It’s the rules.” Chen Qing answered.

“What kind of fucking rule is it to knock and block the spyhole?” Cheng Ke had to give it to them.

“It’s not blocked now,” Chen Qing assured, “Hurry and open the door!”

Cheng Ke looked out again from the peephole and found that it was indeed unblocked. There was just Chen Qing in front of the door, stubbornly wearing sunglasses in a hallway without any windows.

He opened the door a crack and looked at Chen Qing. “What’s up?”

“Rent’s due.” Chen Qing demanded.

“….Damn,” Cheng Ke opened the door and let Chen Qing in. He gave the man a thumbs up and exclaimed, “The way you collect rent makes me want to call the police.”

There were no lights on in the room and the curtains were pulled closed. Chen Qing walked into the room and hit himself on the sofa. He then finally took off his sunglasses and explained, “Technically we still have a few days till you hit a month, but the rent agreement says rent’s due on the 28th, so…”

“No problem, electronic transfer okay?” Cheng Ke asked.

“Why would I be here if we could e-transfer?” Chen Qing looked at Cheng Ke as if he were an idiot. “Cash. Qian sis likes cash.”

“Oh.” Cheng Ke picked up his wallet and sighed inwardly that it was a good thing he took out money before. The way Chen Qing was acting, Cheng Ke had no doubts the man would march him to the bank for money.

“Looks like you got a lot of things,” Chen Qing scanned the room, “You even bought an electric chair?”

“Electric…” Cheng Ke didn’t know what to say, “it’s called an electric massage chair.”

“Or simply an electric chair.” Chen Qing retorted.

“Fine.” Cheng Ke nodded and counted out the money for Chen Qing. “Count it.”

Chen Qing didn’t take the money and just looked at Cheng Ke. “Third Bro was right.”

“What?” Cheng Ke inquired.

“You’re a fool.” Chen Qing replied.

Cheng Ke paused in surprise and stayed quiet for a few moments, not knowing what to say. In fact, he didn’t even know what emotions he should feel right now.

Chen Qing explained. “He was the one who rented the apartment to you. Now I’m the one collecting rent and you just hand it over without any hesitation?”

Cheng Ke kept staring at him in silence.

“He told me to come up just now and I asked what I should do if you don’t give me the money.” Chen Qing continued. “Third Bro said you wouldn’t because a fool like you would just hand it over without asking any questions. You really did.”

Cheng Ke gritted his teeth and stuck the money back in his wallet. He sat down on the sofa and said, “Have Jiang Yu Duo come get the money himself.”

“He’s just downstairs. If you don’t believe me, give him a call.” Chen Qing said.

Cheng Ke quietly took out his phone and dialed Jiang Yu Duo’s number.

“Hello.” Jiang Yu Duo’s voice came through the phone and it was definitely more recognizable than Chen Qing’s.

“I’ll only hand the rent over to you personally.” Cheng Ke said.

“Give it to Chen Qing.” Jiang Yu Duo demanded, “I told him to collect it.”

“No way,” Cheng Ke returned, “What happens if something goes wrong?”

“I’ll take responsibility.” Jiang Yu Duo said, “I’m just downstairs.”

“Then you come up and sign a waiver of responsibilities.” Cheng Ke demanded.

“What is that?” Jiang Yu Duo was confused.

“If Chen Qing runs away with the money,” Cheng Ke explained unhurriedly, “or he gets robbed as soon as he steps out the door, or if the wind blows the money away when he’s handing it to you, I bear no responsibilities.”

“Are you fucking insane?” Jiang Yu Duo was surprised.

“Not insane.” Cheng Ke retorted, “just stupid.”

“Fuck.” Jiang Yu Duo cursed quietly. “What did Chen Qing tell you?”

“Come get the money yourself or come up and sign the waiver.” Cheng Ke hung up as soon as he finished and then looked at Chen Qing.

He just realized that Chen Qing’s face had a lot of injuries.

“What?” Chen Qing asked him.

“Ask your Third Bro.” Cheng Ke went over and turned on the lights in the living room. He made sure that it was indeed wounds on Chen Qing’s face, and pretty bad wounds too. He was probably wearing sunglasses to maintain his image as the overall head honor guard.

“I’ve found out that you” Chen Qing sat down on the chair, “have a temper.”

Cheng Ke said, “You spend all day with Jiang Yu Duo and you say I have a temper?

Your fan boy filter is so thick, can you even see the road?”

“He really doesn’t get angry most of the time.” Chen Qing said.

Cheng Ke had nothing to say to that. He’s only met Jiang Yu Duo a few times, but the only time he didn’t throw a fit the entire way through the meeting was during the meal.

“You’ve not seen him really angry.” Chen Qing probably saw his suspicion and clarified. “If he was really angry, that day you kicked the trash can you’d have died.”

“Screw you,” Cheng Ke couldn’t hold it back, “Have you gotten your IQ tested?”

“Nope.” Chen Qing answered.

Cheng Ke gritted his teeth and fell silent. He really didn’t know what to say.

Cheng Ke stared silently at Chen Qing for a few minutes. The bell rang just as he finished admiring all the bruises on the other man’s face. Chen Qing immediately jumped up and opened the door, “Third Bro, I already told him to give me the money…”

“Are you that bored,” Jiang Yu Duo walked into the room, picked up a chair and sat down to look at Cheng Ke, “to play with me?”

Cheng Ke had organized his thoughts before, but all the words fled the moment he saw Jiang Yu Duo. “Did you… jump off a building?”

The gauze on Jiang Yu Duo’s head was still there after a month and still bleeding.

His face had an additional cut, his right arm was hanging in a sling and his left pant leg rolled up to reveal a splint going from his ankle to his shin.

He never thought he’d see something like this. Even if they were fighting over territory, the fact that a boss was more injured than the head honor guard was hard to swallow.

“It’s all my fault…” Chen Qing stood beside him frowning, looking dejected.

“Don’t be sentimental.” Jiang Yu Duo waved a hand at him. He looked over at Cheng Ke and asked again, “Where’s the money?”

“Receipt.” Cheng Ke demanded.

Chen Qing took out a receipt book and a pen. Just as he was about to start writing, Cheng Ke pointed at Jiang Yu Duo, “whomever is taking the money needs to write it.”

“Third Bro’s hand is injured!” Chen Qing glared at him furiously.

“…He’s a lefty.” Cheng Ke said.

Jiang Yu Duo stared at him for a while and then stuck out his hnd towards Chen Qing. Chen Qing put the receipt book and pen in his hands.

“Today I have received from Cheng Ke…” Jiang Yu Duo put the receipt on the table and wrote as he muttered the words.

“Ke as in ke shou [1], not Ke as in cheng ke [2].” Cheng Ke stared at those chicken scratch looking characters.

Jiang Yu Duo raised his head and looked at him.

Cheng Ke sighed and took the pen from Jiang Yu Duo. He wrote down his name on the note pad and wondered, “Don’t you have a copy of my personal ID?”

“Who remembers that?” Jiang Yu Duo took back the pen and erased the Ke, then he wrote a Ge [3], erased that, glanced at the notepad, and finally wrote Ke. “All I did was look at the photo and your age.”

(TN1: Cheng Ke’s name is 程恪

TN2: Cheng Ke’s name has the same pinyin as 乘客 (i.e. passenger). Jiang Yu Duo first wrote the 客 character instead of the 恪 character.

TN3: 格 looks similar to 恪)

Cheng Ke put away the receipt and handed Jiang Yu Duo the money.

And then there came the familiar awkwardness. The three of them looked at each other in silence. Cheng Ke thought that after sharing a meal the other day, they wouldn’t be this awkward and distant with each other, but he guessed he still didn’t know Jiang Yu Duo that well.

He cleared his throat and prepared to usher the guests out the door. Jiang Yu Duo titled his head towards Chen Qing, who opened the door, walked out, and then shut the door again.

“What?” Cheng Ke looked at him.

“That 888 Maybach,” Jiang Yu Duo slowly took out a cigarette with one hand, and then slowly dug out a lighter to light it. “What’s his relationship to you?”

Cheng Ke paused, “That’s my younger brother’s car.”

“What exactly is your problem?” Jiang Yu Duo squinted.

“Me?” Cheng Ke really didn’t understand the connection between the two questions.

“What are you two playing at?” Jiang Yu Duo asked.

“What the damn are you talking about?” Cheng Ke furrowed his brow. “What has the 888 Maybach done to you?”

“The 888 Maybach has been circling around this area today.” Jiang Yu Duo said, “it looped around a few circles, what for? There was a driver, why didn’t he drive it himself? Was he afraid of missing something if he was driving?”

“He brings the chauffeur around everywhere,” Cheng Ke answered resignedly, “he doesn’t have his license!”

Jiang Yu Duo paused, “No license?”

“Yeah, he doesn’t know how to drive.” Cheng Ke sighed. He didn’t have the energy to think about what Jiang Yu Duo was muttering about. He was a little confused about what Cheng Yi was doing, wandering around here.

“Is that really your brother by blood?” Jiang Yu Duo asked.

“Yes, same parents.” Cheng Ke replied.

Jiang Yu Duo looked at him for a moment and then said quietly, “Are you sure you’re not adopted? The difference is pretty big.”

“Get out.” Cheng Ke said in response.

Jiang Yu Duo laughed. After he finished laughing, he took a sip of water from his cup. “Stay away from your younger brother. In ancient times, he’d be the type to murder his real brother for the throne.”

Cheng Ke frowned. While it’s true that he didn’t have the best relationship with Cheng Yi, he still felt uncomfortable at what Jiang Yu Duo said.

“Really. I can tell just by looking at him.” Jiang Yu Duo insisted.

“You know how to tell someone’s fortune by looking at them?” Cheng Ke said. “How great.”

“The number of bad people I’ve seen,” Jiang Yu Duo said, “is more than the number of children you’ve tossed into the wastebasket.”

Cheng Ke didn’t say anything. The emotions in Jiang Yu Duo’s eyes as he said those words made Cheng Ke forget how vulgar the man was being.

解药

(Antidote)

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