Chapter 28: Trap
A lot of things were left unsaid. Tang Feng didn’t think his words would have much of an effect on Gino but it would at least allow the man to reflect clearly on the past and leave Fiennes’ shadow behind as quickly as possible. He was certain Gino would one day leave his memories of Fiennes in the past, he only hoped that it would happen sooner.
He was willing to become friends with Gino, but anything more and it was better to leave it.
“How come there weren’t as many people who confessed to me in my previous life?” Tang Feng thought as he dressed in front of a mirror.
He’d had no scenes to film the last few days so he’d had time to focus on other things. Yesterday, Little Annie called to invite him over to her house. He couldn’t go last time because he was visiting Fiennes’ grave so if he rejected her again, he might really hurt the little girl’s feelings. Tang Feng couldn’t bear to be so cruel to a cute, innocent child and he had a few days off, so he readily accepted.
Annie’s home in Philadelphia was only two hours from Tang Feng’s apartment. Tang Feng planned to go over there today, stay the night, and then take a coach back the next morning.
“Your previous life? It sounds like you didn’t feel very welcome in your previous life, you were over the moon at Lu Tian Chen’s confession, my pitiful darling.” There was no one who could speak so smoothly in such a frivolous tone but Charles. The man was wearing light gray lounge wear and while leaning against the doorjamb. Who knew when he’d come over; compared to Lu Tian Chen, Charles was the real idler.
“That’s right, before I fell into the water, there weren’t many people wanting me.” As he finished dressing, Tang Feng walked to the bedside to put on his watch and check the time. It was 8 AM. He could make it to Little Annie’s before lunch.
“It seems I’m the one who really discovered your charm, darling.”
“Oh, thank you.” Taking out the box of delicate desserts he bought yesterday from the drawer as a visitor’s gift, Tang Feng headed for the doorway. When he shifted sideways to pass by Charles, the latter pulled at his arm.
“I really like kids.” Charles stated while smiling brilliantly, “Especially cute little girls.”
Why did his expression look so sinister to Tang Feng?
“What a creepy uncle.” Tang Feng shook his head and freed himself from Charles’ grasp to go downstairs.
Seeing Lu Tian Chen, who was sitting at the table reading the newspaper, Tang Feng asked “I’m going to Little Annie’s house for two days, are you coming?”
Charles followed behind him and coldly sneered.
Lu Tian Chen peered over the newspapers and indifferently replied, “I dislike children.”
♦
“Do you really like little girls?” Lu Tian Chen asked while sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed.
“No, I hate children.” Charles sat in a similar pose beside Lu Tian Chen. They were both looking outside at Tang Feng who was playing water guns with Annie through the French window. They couldn’t really understand what was so fun about a dumb, stubborn kid. Not only did kids at four or five years old not listen to anything, most of them became little devils after being spoiled by their parents.
Lu Tian Chen didn’t like children because he lacked the patience to play and communicate with them.
Charles didn’t like children because kids shouting and screaming and jumping around resembled sparrows, making him annoyed.
That’s why neither of them paid attention to the little girl who resembling a western doll. Instead, they were watching Tang Feng, whose hair and shirt had been soaked by the water gun.
“I didn’t think you would come. Didn’t you have a drinking party to attend?” Charles asked while looking over at his old friend beside him.
“Don’t you also have business to discuss these days?” Lu Tian Chen’s gaze shifted from Tang Feng to Little Annie beside him. He narrowed his eyes. “I think this Annie is a bit familiar.”
“Is she your secret daughter?” Charles cracked a bad joke indifferently. “Doesn’t she look more like your child? Look at her russet hair, she looks exactly like you.”
Outside the window, Tang Feng waved at the two men sitting inside the house, beckoning Charles and Lu Tian Chen to come out and play. The two men waved back, shook their heads and silently smiled in accordance with each other, expressing that they’d rather sit indoors.
If they weren’t worried about Tang Feng, they wouldn’t have come here to play with some kid.
Charles’ ringing phone caught Lu Tian Chen’s attention.
“Safety first.” Charles smiled as he unlocked his phone. Upon their arrival at Little Annie’s house, by coach a little while ago, he’d took down the name of Annie’s father and address to look into the girl’s origins.
What a wonderful occupational habit. No matter where he was, he was used to investigating the identities of strangers.
After skimming through the email’s contents, Charles calmly put his phone away and looked outside at Little Annie. Smiling, he unenthusiastically said, “No problems.”
♦
“Boss, they’ve left.” The man said in a lowered voice.
“Is the young lady playing happily?” On the other end of the line, Albert’s deep, distinctive voice came through. It sounded rich, like a Shakespearean play narrator.
“Young Lady Annie and Mister Tang Feng are playing very happily together.” The man reported honestly. No matter how smart or precocious a child was, their playful nature remained unchanged.
“That’s good.”
“Boss, should we take action?” The man asked.
“No, it’s all good. I hope there is a trace of me in his growth process, but I don’t wish to prematurely pluck an under ripe fruit. Let Annie stay in touch with Tang Feng.”
“Yes, boss.”
First, lower his guard, and then slowly, step by step, enjoy the pleasure of the hunt.
♦
FILM: SATAN’S ALLEY
SCENE: 43
DAYTIME, A VILLAGE BY THE CHURCH, OUTDOORS, MONK TANG
The monk, along with some people from the church, went to the village nearby to pick up supplies. Because they had a lot of different items to purchase, they divided up the duties and each went off on their own.
Tang had to buy a few simple, everyday items such as flour. He only ate rice in his hometown and although the old father would also eat rice with him, he would also make him eat some bread. He really liked the soft and tasty food, only now that he eats a lot of it, he began to miss eating rice.
He missed many things, including some people.
Chris had already been gone for half a year and if not for their occasional contact, he would’ve thought that the man with whom he once had intimate moments with was gone from his world.
Tang arrived at the store that sold flour. The store owner already knew him so he no longer had to gesture or write on a piece of paper to buy flour.
After he paid for it, a store worker helped him carry the flour to the cart. The amount of flour the entire church needed was much more than just one bag.
He thought of Chris. The first time he came to the village to buy supplies was together with Chris. The latter taught him how to communicate with the shop owners and how to ride the horse cart. He suddenly began to miss Chris. As time passed, the more he became unable to control his longing for the young and handsome blond man.
This was a sin but he suddenly didn’t care. The days were so dull that he felt suffocated.
“Hi, monk, leave the rough and heavy work to me. Heavens, your hands are so pale and soft that they’re even prettier than Andrew’s young lady’s hands. Monk, since you’re the first person from the East to come here, is it true that people there know how to fly? Oh God, monk, do all the girls there have soft and smooth skin like yours? T-They look really…” The flour store’s worker gulped and extended his coarse palms, wanting to touch the man.
“Tom! Get back to work and stop bothering the monk!” The store owner yelled from the inside. Tom grinned and spat on the ground before he continued to load the bags of flour into the cart.
Tang walked alongside the horse cart to watch. He didn’t like Tom. After Chris left, every time he came here to buy flour, Tom would always stare at him unpleasantly. It might be that Tom had started to say some very crass words into his ears after finding out he couldn’t speak.
The people here were more well-mannered than he imagined but some were also more vulgar.
The difference between Tom and Chris was like the difference between mud soaked with rainwater and white clouds in the sky.
He missed Chris even more.
Chris, when will you come back?
Chris, I already have an answer in my heart.
Chapter 28: Trap
A lot of things were left unsaid. Tang Feng didn’t think his words would have much of an effect on Gino but it would at least allow the man to reflect clearly on the past and leave Fiennes’ shadow behind as quickly as possible. He was certain Gino would one day leave his memories of Fiennes in the past, he only hoped that it would happen sooner.
He was willing to become friends with Gino, but anything more and it was better to leave it.
“How come there weren’t as many people who confessed to me in my previous life?” Tang Feng thought as he dressed in front of a mirror.
He’d had no scenes to film the last few days so he’d had time to focus on other things. Yesterday, Little Annie called to invite him over to her house. He couldn’t go last time because he was visiting Fiennes’ grave so if he rejected her again, he might really hurt the little girl’s feelings. Tang Feng couldn’t bear to be so cruel to a cute, innocent child and he had a few days off, so he readily accepted.
Annie’s home in Philadelphia was only two hours from Tang Feng’s apartment. Tang Feng planned to go over there today, stay the night, and then take a coach back the next morning.
“Your previous life? It sounds like you didn’t feel very welcome in your previous life, you were over the moon at Lu Tian Chen’s confession, my pitiful darling.” There was no one who could speak so smoothly in such a frivolous tone but Charles. The man was wearing light gray lounge wear and while leaning against the doorjamb. Who knew when he’d come over; compared to Lu Tian Chen, Charles was the real idler.
“That’s right, before I fell into the water, there weren’t many people wanting me.” As he finished dressing, Tang Feng walked to the bedside to put on his watch and check the time. It was 8 AM. He could make it to Little Annie’s before lunch.
“It seems I’m the one who really discovered your charm, darling.”
“Oh, thank you.” Taking out the box of delicate desserts he bought yesterday from the drawer as a visitor’s gift, Tang Feng headed for the doorway. When he shifted sideways to pass by Charles, the latter pulled at his arm.
“I really like kids.” Charles stated while smiling brilliantly, “Especially cute little girls.”
Why did his expression look so sinister to Tang Feng?
“What a creepy uncle.” Tang Feng shook his head and freed himself from Charles’ grasp to go downstairs.
Seeing Lu Tian Chen, who was sitting at the table reading the newspaper, Tang Feng asked “I’m going to Little Annie’s house for two days, are you coming?”
Charles followed behind him and coldly sneered.
Lu Tian Chen peered over the newspapers and indifferently replied, “I dislike children.”
♦
“Do you really like little girls?” Lu Tian Chen asked while sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed.
“No, I hate children.” Charles sat in a similar pose beside Lu Tian Chen. They were both looking outside at Tang Feng who was playing water guns with Annie through the French window. They couldn’t really understand what was so fun about a dumb, stubborn kid. Not only did kids at four or five years old not listen to anything, most of them became little devils after being spoiled by their parents.
Lu Tian Chen didn’t like children because he lacked the patience to play and communicate with them.
Charles didn’t like children because kids shouting and screaming and jumping around resembled sparrows, making him annoyed.
That’s why neither of them paid attention to the little girl who resembling a western doll. Instead, they were watching Tang Feng, whose hair and shirt had been soaked by the water gun.
“I didn’t think you would come. Didn’t you have a drinking party to attend?” Charles asked while looking over at his old friend beside him.
“Don’t you also have business to discuss these days?” Lu Tian Chen’s gaze shifted from Tang Feng to Little Annie beside him. He narrowed his eyes. “I think this Annie is a bit familiar.”
“Is she your secret daughter?” Charles cracked a bad joke indifferently. “Doesn’t she look more like your child? Look at her russet hair, she looks exactly like you.”
Outside the window, Tang Feng waved at the two men sitting inside the house, beckoning Charles and Lu Tian Chen to come out and play. The two men waved back, shook their heads and silently smiled in accordance with each other, expressing that they’d rather sit indoors.
If they weren’t worried about Tang Feng, they wouldn’t have come here to play with some kid.
Charles’ ringing phone caught Lu Tian Chen’s attention.
“Safety first.” Charles smiled as he unlocked his phone. Upon their arrival at Little Annie’s house, by coach a little while ago, he’d took down the name of Annie’s father and address to look into the girl’s origins.
What a wonderful occupational habit. No matter where he was, he was used to investigating the identities of strangers.
After skimming through the email’s contents, Charles calmly put his phone away and looked outside at Little Annie. Smiling, he unenthusiastically said, “No problems.”
♦
“Boss, they’ve left.” The man said in a lowered voice.
“Is the young lady playing happily?” On the other end of the line, Albert’s deep, distinctive voice came through. It sounded rich, like a Shakespearean play narrator.
“Young Lady Annie and Mister Tang Feng are playing very happily together.” The man reported honestly. No matter how smart or precocious a child was, their playful nature remained unchanged.
“That’s good.”
“Boss, should we take action?” The man asked.
“No, it’s all good. I hope there is a trace of me in his growth process, but I don’t wish to prematurely pluck an under ripe fruit. Let Annie stay in touch with Tang Feng.”
“Yes, boss.”
First, lower his guard, and then slowly, step by step, enjoy the pleasure of the hunt.
♦
FILM: SATAN’S ALLEY
SCENE: 43
DAYTIME, A VILLAGE BY THE CHURCH, OUTDOORS, MONK TANG
The monk, along with some people from the church, went to the village nearby to pick up supplies. Because they had a lot of different items to purchase, they divided up the duties and each went off on their own.
Tang had to buy a few simple, everyday items such as flour. He only ate rice in his hometown and although the old father would also eat rice with him, he would also make him eat some bread. He really liked the soft and tasty food, only now that he eats a lot of it, he began to miss eating rice.
He missed many things, including some people.
Chris had already been gone for half a year and if not for their occasional contact, he would’ve thought that the man with whom he once had intimate moments with was gone from his world.
Tang arrived at the store that sold flour. The store owner already knew him so he no longer had to gesture or write on a piece of paper to buy flour.
After he paid for it, a store worker helped him carry the flour to the cart. The amount of flour the entire church needed was much more than just one bag.
He thought of Chris. The first time he came to the village to buy supplies was together with Chris. The latter taught him how to communicate with the shop owners and how to ride the horse cart. He suddenly began to miss Chris. As time passed, the more he became unable to control his longing for the young and handsome blond man.
This was a sin but he suddenly didn’t care. The days were so dull that he felt suffocated.
“Hi, monk, leave the rough and heavy work to me. Heavens, your hands are so pale and soft that they’re even prettier than Andrew’s young lady’s hands. Monk, since you’re the first person from the East to come here, is it true that people there know how to fly? Oh God, monk, do all the girls there have soft and smooth skin like yours? T-They look really…” The flour store’s worker gulped and extended his coarse palms, wanting to touch the man.
“Tom! Get back to work and stop bothering the monk!” The store owner yelled from the inside. Tom grinned and spat on the ground before he continued to load the bags of flour into the cart.
Tang walked alongside the horse cart to watch. He didn’t like Tom. After Chris left, every time he came here to buy flour, Tom would always stare at him unpleasantly. It might be that Tom had started to say some very crass words into his ears after finding out he couldn’t speak.
The people here were more well-mannered than he imagined but some were also more vulgar.
The difference between Tom and Chris was like the difference between mud soaked with rainwater and white clouds in the sky.
He missed Chris even more.
Chris, when will you come back?
Chris, I already have an answer in my heart.
