Antidote - - - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

After Chen Qing hung up, Cheng Ke stood still holding his phone staring into nothing for a long while, before coming out of his reverie and placing it on the bedside.

Though it took much effort each time he tried to talk to Chen Qing, hoping to end the conversation after a sentence or two… this time he didn’t want Chen Qing to hang up.

That’s because if he did, Cheng Ke would have to continue facing the Jiang Yuduo curled on the mattress.

Jiang Yuduo should have returned to normal. Just that Cheng Ke had no way of knowing whether he would strike again, or how strong he’d be if he did.

Truthfully, from the moment he knew Jiang Yuduo, every so often he’d think this guy was unhinged, but he didn’t delve too deeply. Excluding the fact that he didn’t know Jiang Yuduo well enough to dig so deep, he probably also subconsciously felt positive about him.

Whether the sense of positivity arose from Jiang Yuduo personally, or because Cheng Ke was in the midst of a big change in his life, he definitely felt it was there.

Now, abruptly facing such a side of Jiang Yuduo, Cheng Ke felt at a loss of what to do.

He stood on the bedside, watching Jiang Yuduo lying quietly within the bedsheet, not sure of what to say, whether to just stand there, or to unwrap the bedsheet to examine his hand.

After standing for a while, his right shoulder started to ache where Jiang Yuduo had bitten him.

He walked to the closet and opened the door, pulling out the full length mirror, but with the mirror facing him, his first line of vision was still aimed towards Jiang Yuduo on the bed. Seeing that he didn’t move, before he proceeded to check his shoulder and saw blood seeping through the white T-shirt.

Jiang Yuduo was indeed vicious with his bite. Tearing his collar down, he saw three round punctures that were already swelling.

But compared to the bite, the punch to his face bothered him more.

It was too obvious.

The corner under his right eye was red, swollen, and beginning to bruise.

Cheng Ke sighed, closed the closet door and eyed Jiang Yuduo another time, before heading to the kitchen.

The fridge didn’t have ice, but it did have yoghurt. Cheng Ke took out one cup and pressed it against his eye. He didn’t return to the bedroom but sat on the sofa in the living room staring into nothing.

Chen Qing arrived rather quickly. Within half an hour, the doorbell rang, yet while heading to get the door, in Cheng Ke’s mind he felt that it still took too long.

“Third Bro!” The moment a gap opened from the door, Chen Qing’s voice squeezed through, “You alright?”

Jiang Yuduo, who was in the bedroom, didn’t answer.

“Jaeger, are you alr-” Chen Qing took in Cheng Ke’s face after entering, halted, and lowered his voice immediately, “What happened to your eye?… Does it hurt? Should we get someone to look at it? I drove here.”

“Check on your bro first…” Cheng Ke pointed towards the bedroom.

He was slightly worried that Chen Qing would freak out at seeing Jiang Yuduo rolled up like a Peking Duck roll. However, when Cheng Ke walked back into the bedroom, he found Jiang Yuduo had crawled out of the bedsheet and was sitting on the edge of the bed looking nothing out of the ordinary, aside from his slightly messy hair.

“Third Bro?” Chen Qing walked over, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Jiang Yuduo supported his left wrist with his right hand.

“His wrist is likely dislocated,” Cheng Ke looked at Jiang Yuduo, “Just now, I… might have used too much force.”

Chen Qing looked down to his hand, “Dislocated?”

“Yeah.” Jiang Yuduo responded.

“Without waiting for Cheng Ke to suggest going to a clinic to have it checked, he grabbed his left hand with his right and gave a violent pull.

“You!” Cheng Ke turned his head away, feeling second-hand pain in his wrist just from witnessing this.

He knew Jiang Yuduo was just fixing his dislocated joint, but watching his self-help tug of the wrist compared to a professional tenderly reattaching of a joint still gave him whiplash.

In the dim light he saw Chen Qing seemingly more calm than he was, standing still in front of Jiang Yuduo to watch him fix his hand.

“Better?” Chen Qing asked after a moment.

“Yeah,” Jiang Yuduo stood up, “Wait for me downstairs.”

Chen Qing eyed Cheng Ke, turned around, and left.

Cheng Ke sensed Jiang Yuduo wanted to say something, to explain, or apologise.

But they stood facing each other for almost a minute, without Jiang Yuduo uttering a word.

Cheng Ke wanted to speak up too, but couldn’t either.

After more awkward silence, Jiang Yuduo stirred and moved around to put on his clothes.

It was at that moment Cheng Ke realised Jiang Yuduo was only wearing a piece of underwear. The fight was probably so overwhelming that he didn’t notice.

Jiang Yuduo finished putting on his clothes, took his phone and poked it a few times. Cheng Ke could hear his own phone ringing in the living room.

“I sent you Chen Qing’s number,” Jiang Yuduo pocketed his phone, “From now on… he will collect rent, and you can call him if anything breaks and needs fixing or replacing.”

“Okay,” Cheng Ke replied.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Jiang Yuduo asked.

Cheng Ke kneaded the swollen corner of his eye, and while it did hurt a bit, he was alright except for his shoulder. He shook his head, “No.”

Jiang Yuduo nodded, stood for two seconds, and walked past him out of the bedroom. The apartment door thudded, and he was gone.

Cheng Ke sighed, sat on the bed staring at the floor.

He should have apologised.

Jiang Yuduo felt a pang of regret after entering the lift.

But an apology didn’t quite cut it.

The worse a situation was, the less impactful the words “sorry” felt.

Since he was young, he hadn’t uttered those words much more than “I trust you”. It just wasn’t his habit, nor within his awareness to do so.

Besides, he had already apologised to Cheng Ke once today.

Saying “sorry” twice in a day…

It sounded as laughable as it was insincere.

Perhaps the most sincere apology was to no longer show up in Cheng Ke’s life.

Chen Qing drove the car to the apartment entrance, and Jiang Yuduo got in.

As soon as he closed the car door, he patted his pocket hoping to find a cigarette, but it was empty. He probably left the packet at Cheng Ke’s place.

“You still have to stabilise your arm, don’t you?” Chen Qing handed him his own lighter and cigarette.

“Yeah,” Jiang Yuduo lit the cigarette, “I’ll handle it after heading back.”

“Will Jaeger’s eye be alright? It looked really swollen to me.”

“Don’t know,” Jiang Yuduo frowned, “Call him to ask when you’re free.”

“Sure,” Chen Qing started the engine and drove towards the gates.

“I gave him your number,” Jiang Yuduo said, “Go collect his rent or whatever else from now on.”

“Alright,” Chen Qing nodded, then thought for a bit before eyeing him. After a moment’s hesitation, he steeled himself and asked, “Hasn’t it been a while since that happened? Mistaking a person for someone else.”

“We were watching a horror film last night,” Jiang Yuduo slid open the sunroof slightly, “Probably got a fright.”

“How bored can the two of you get? Playing charades and watching horror films,” Chen Qing sighed, “having some grilled food or wine would have been so much more relaxing.”

Jiang Yuduo didn’t speak, but lifted his head looking at the open slit of the sunroof.

Chen Qing was rather considerate today. Without saying another word, he drove him home.

After helping Jiang Yuduo secure his wrist with bandages at home, Chen Qing left for work.

Jiang Yuduo stood beside the window, peering out through the curtains.

It really had been a while. Ever since beating up Chen Qing a few years ago, it hadn’t happened again.

Maybe he really shouldn’t watch horror films.

He rarely watched them. In fact, he rarely watched movies at all.

No matter the film, no matter the story, there would always be one or two things— or even completely unrelated things that would, for reasons unbeknownst to him, remind him of snippets from his past.

Horror films were more direct and scary.

No matter what form fear took, it is still fear.

Once fear had struck him, no matter how much he told himself it wasn’t real, his self-assurance was in vain.

Until Cheng Ke walked in front of him he was drowning in fear.

You’re just a mutt, a young mutt now, and an old mutt in the future.

You have a name? I gave you that, and I can just as easily take it away.

Sit! Stand up! Sit! Stand up! Run! Run! Run!

Don’t shut your eyes, don’t look elsewhere, focus on your opponent!

You only have one chance to strike, and if they don’t fall, you will. Don’t give them a chance to rise up…

No matter when, no matter where, there will always be an opponent.

……

Jiang Yuduo stood beside the window, watching the light from outside turn from dim to bright; then to piercingly bright, darken again, and finally fade to a dull orange.

No suspicious shadows, no fishy noises.

Maybe he had become slow. It had been a long time since those days, and the vigilance that was maintained through high pressure and intense training was fading bit by bit.

“It’s alright, you’re all safe from now on, you’re all safe, no one will hurt you guys anymore, no one will hurt you anymore.”

Someone once told him that.

But he could no longer remember who.

He only knew that he couldn’t trust anyone who showed him goodwill. Anything that could lower your guard would lead to the next attack.

But he trusted those words once, trusted them really deeply.

That was because it was what he kept hoping for.

Alas.

All these years, he still couldn’t let go of those people, those memories, and those wounds.

Just like in those days, neither light nor heavy, never fatal, but very painful.

The only change was that he would no longer tell others of his past, nor who those people were. No one would believe him, and he was unwilling to be taken for a nutjob.

From the window, a car was seen stopping in front of the windowsill, then beeping.

This was Chen Qing.

Jiang Yuduo went to open the door.

“I went to that Ting Fook restaurant* to buy a few dishes,” Chen Qing carried two containers inside the house, “these are your favourites.”

(T/N: This restaurant was mentioned as early as chapter 2, but apparently it was just translated into “street vendors” at that time)

“Okay,” Jiang Yuduo nodded.

“Shall I turn on the lights?” Chen Qing asked, hand on the switch.

“Yeah,” Jiang Yuduo sat at the table.

Chen Qing turned the lights on and went over to help him take the food out onto the table, “Eat, I’ll head home first.”

“Okay,” Jiang Yuduo responded.

Chen Qing was an idiot most of the time, but he had always handled the sort of situation they were in right now well, giving Jiang Yuduo enough time to brood.

“The rent collection for apartment three is tomorrow,” Chen Qing said, “Shall I go too?”

“I’ll do it,” Jiang Yuduo said. Cheng Ke’s rent could be collected by Chen Qing, but he’d do this part himself. He didn’t want Lu Qian to worry.

“Alright,” Chen Qing poured him a cup of water, then left.

Jiang Yuduo didn’t have an appetite, despite the lovely fragrance from his favourite dishes.

Nevertheless, he picked up the chopsticks, and ate them all, with a burp at the end.

The phone rang in the living room while Cheng Ke stood looking at the pot in front of the stove, completely reluctant to fetch it.

At that moment, he was despondent while seething. Though he thought cooking porridge would be easy, an hour later all he achieved was a bowl of ricey water.

It was only today that he realised that a kitchen without a rice cooker was incredibly inconvenient. After living by himself for so long all he cooked was this bowl of porridge.

Had he known it’d turn out like this, he’d have ordered takeaway. Oh how he overestimated his own cooking abilities!

The second time the phone rang, he finally turned towards the living room to check it. Surprisingly, the number was Chen Qing’s.

He picked up the phone, “Hello?”

“Jae Bro,” Chen Qing’s voice came from the receiver, “Had dinner?”

Cheng Ke was too tired to correct this new name, and just responded, “No, I’m making it.”

“You’re making dinner?” Chen Qing was flabbergasted, “That’s rather unsafe, right?”

Cheng Ke didn’t speak. He didn’t know whether this “unsafe” meant he was expected to blow up the kitchen or poison himself with the food.

“Should I bring some over?” Chen Qing asked, “I just went over to Ting Fook to buy some food and gave some to Third Bro. There’s still a lot left.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Cheng Ke said quickly, “I’m already done.”

“Weren’t you making it?” Chen Qing asked.

“Yeah, and now it’s done.” Cheng Ke answered.

“…Oh, that’s quite fast,” Chen Qing mused, “Then, just curious, how is your injury? Can you see alright?”

Though the punch didn’t connect with his eye, Cheng Ke still blinked subconsciously, then tested it by looked around, before replying, “My sight’s fine.”

“Shouldn’t you get it checked at the hospital?” Chen Qing didn’t sound too convinced, “This kind of situation…Third Bro must have punched hard.”

When Chen Qing mentioned Jiang Yuduo, Cheng Ke hesitated, “How about you bring the food over anyway.”

“Huh?”

“I have some wine here,” Cheng Ke said, “Let’s eat together.”

Chen Qing took ages before replying, “What are you up to?”

“…What can I be up to?” Cheng Ke said.

It took another moment’s silence before Chen Qing answered, “Alright, I’ll head over right now.”

Cheng Ke poured away half the water from his ricey water, placed the pot back on the stove and continued to cook. Perhaps when the water dried he could get a pot of rice?

But Chen Qing’s first words upon arriving shattered his hopes.

“You’re such a blueblood,” Chen Qing sighed as he turned off the stove, “it wouldn’t become cooked rice even if you got on your knees and begged.”

“Oh.” Cheng Ke sighed as well.

“I have rice, three boxes of it,” Chen Qing said, “enough to eat.”

Cheng Ke, slightly upset, took a few plates to the living room and doled out the food Chen Qing brought onto the plates.

“How particular,” Chen Qing sat, “Isn’t it the same eating from the lunchbox?”

“Easier on the eyes,” Cheng Ke placed a bottle of red wine on the table, “Are you used to drinking this? I don’t have white wine here.”

“It’s all the same,” Chen Qing poured two glasses, “in fact, if it’s white I daren’t drive after.”

“You can’t drive after drinking this either.” Cheng Ke looked at him.

“I’ll be fine.” Chen Qing said, “Including those years of licenseless driving, I’ve spent ages being a driver.”

“This is drink driving.” Cheng Ke pressed down on his glass.

“Goddammit,” Chen Qing looked at him, and finally waved his hand after a while, “Fine, fine, I won’t drink.”

“You can hail a taxi tonight after drinking,” Cheng Ke said, “And fetch your car tomorrow.”

Chen Qing didn’t speak, and looked like he was having a fierce internal struggle between wanting to drink and not wanting to fetch his car the next day.

“How about this,” Cheng Ke thought for a moment, “Give me your address, I’ll drive it back tomorrow.”

Since he didn’t call Chen Qing over just to drink wind and have dinner…

“That works!” Chen Qing slapped his thigh, then looked at him, “You have a license?”

“I got an A2 license,” Cheng Ke said.

“Shit, what are you doing with a license for trucks?” Chen Qing was astonished.

“It was fun to learn,” Cheng Ke said.

“Well that’s true…” Chen Qing placed the car keys on the table, “Be careful when you drive, this car is a client’s. It was just spray painted yesterday.”

“Okay.” Cheng Ke nodded.

Chen Qing took the glass and drank a sip of wine, then took a piece of rib and chewed on it.

Cheng Ke was debating how to ease into his topic of conversation, when Chen Qing looked at him and smiled, “I know why you brought me here today.”

“Yeah?” Cheng Ke eyed him.

“If it weren’t to ask me about Third Bro,’ Cheng Qing said, “You’d never have invited me over to have dinner. Not in this lifetime.”

“Don’t say that with such certainty.” Cheng Ke said.

“It is just that certain,” Chen Qing said, “I don’t mean anything by it. You and I, we’re different people. You don’t say it cause you’re cultured and courteous, but deep inside you definitely look down on me. You and Third bro, you’re different people too.

Cheng Ke didn’t respond.

“But you wouldn’t look down on him,” Chen Qing said, “He’s different from us, technically, just that we happened to come across each other.

Cheng Ke smiled. Guess Chen Qing wasn’t an idiot all the time.

“So you can be straightforward, us from the streets, we don’t beat around the bush,” Chen Qing said, “But I can’t guarantee how much I can say.”

“Is Jiang Yuduo always like that?” Cheng Ke asked.

“Like how? Beating someone suddenly?” Chen Qing frowned, “Didn’t I mention already? It’s been years since he did that. He only beat me once before.”

“He beat you?” Cheng Ke asked.

“Yeah,” Chen Qing nodded, “No idea what he was thinking that day, I thought he was playing with his phone and tapped him, then got hit, but he stopped after a few punches.”

Cheng Ke recalled Jiang Yuduo’s arm slamming onto the mattress that morning. If he didn’t hadn’t paused like that…

“He does this.. But why?” Cheng Ke asked again.

Chen Qing eyed him without speaking and stuffed his face with food.

“I got beaten up by him first thing this morning,” Cheng Ke recalled, “I at least deserve to know why, right?”

“What is there to know,” Chen Qing sighed, “He’s tensed every day… worried about danger if he let his guard down, lashing out when he gets too nervous.”

Cheng Ke didn’t speak. Chen Qing’s explanation was not wrong, but also didn’t feel quite right.

“What kind of danger?” Cheng Ke asked, “Is it related to when he was a kid?”

Chen Qing raised his head, “He told you about when he was a kid?”

“A passing remark or two,” Cheng Ke said, “Nothing detailed.”

Chen Qing stared at him for a while, “Then I can’t say much either.”

“You know a lot?” Cheng Ke probed further.

“How long have I known him for?” Chen Qing said, “I knew him ever since he came here.”

Cheng Ke poured him a full glass of wine, “Then when he was little…”

“I won’t tell you,” Chen Qing said, “Really, stop asking, I won’t even say a word.”

Cheng Ke sighed again, and it was a while before he continued, “Who are “they”? Does he suspect he’s being stalked?”

“Suspect?” Chen Qing frowned, “What do you mean, suspect? He is being followed!”

Cheng Ke was startled. Someone was really stalking Jiang Yuduo?

He always felt Jiang Yuduo was rather paranoid about this. Perhaps he misjudged him?

“Have you seen them?” Cheng Ke asked, “Those people stalking him?”

Chen Qing looked him over, picked up a piece of rib with his chopsticks, and entered a reverie as he chewed. When he finally swallowed the rib, he answered, “No.”

Cheng Ke was bemused again.

“As you know, people like me, aren’t made for places like these,” Chen Qing said, “If it weren’t for Third Bro, I wouldn’t know how many times I would have been assaulted, I can’t sense any danger at all.”

“If you’ve never seen anyone following him,” Cheng Ke asked, “Why do you believe he’s being stalked?”

“Are you an idiot?” Chen Qing stared at him.

“…Probably.” Cheng Ke was at a loss at being accused of that by Cheng Qing, of all people.

“The injuries on his body! Didn’t you see them?” Chen Qing continued to stare at him, “Every time he sensed something wrong, he would come out with injuries! Haven’t you seen them? Who else dares to trouble him relentlessly? What kind of people are capable of injuring him so easily?”

Cheng Ke was silent for a while, “Have you seen him get hurt?”

“What a pointless question, of course.” Chen Qing.

“Have you seen those stalkers with injuries?” Cheng Ke asked further.

“No,” Chen Qing said impatiently, “I already said I haven’t seen those peo- no, what are you trying to say?”

“I’m trying to say…” Cheng Ke gritted his teeth, “Is Jiang Yuduo having mental problems?”

“What the fuck?” Chen Qing looked at him, and after a while slammed his chopsticks, “Sounds to me like you’re the one who’s nuts! Completely nuts!”