I cherish you

  The sorrow and dull pain in his eyes were too obvious, such a melancholic song by Gu Cheng was unprecedented for Zhao Zimo, she was infected by his emotions to the point of almost suffocating.

  She grasped his hand.

  His hands were trembling slightly.

  Zhao Zimo anxiously asked: "Cheng Ge, what's wrong with you?"

  Gu Cheng's song slowly looked at her, his unfocused eyes clearing up under her concerned and anxious gaze.

  He calmed down his emotions.

  "It's nothing." He smiled and dispersed the chilly air on his face, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Will you arrange for this afternoon or shall I?"

  Zhao Zimo couldn't laugh.

  "You arrange," she said, and then seriously added, "But before you arrange, I want to know what happened to you just now."

  He has always been calm and composed, rarely showing his emotions, but even she, who is usually carefree, can see that there's a problem, and it must be a very serious one.

  Gu Cheng's smile faded away, and he silently gazed at her.

  Zhao Zimo waited calmly for an answer.

  After a long silence, Gu Cheng suddenly stood up and went straight into the bedroom.

  Zhao Zimo was inexplicably puzzled: What does he mean? He's concerned about him, but he doesn't take it seriously!

  Gu Cheng's song came out quickly, with a string of keys in his hand.

  Zhao Zimo was almost furious: No need for her concern, going out for a drive?!

  Gu Cheng called out to her: "A Mo, come over here."

  Zhao Zimo hurried over.

  Gu Cheng stood at the door of the room next to his bedroom, which was locked with a very classical copper lock. He turned around and unlocked it with a key.

  The door opened and he went straight in, with Zhao Zimo following closely behind.

  Although it was a warm and sunny afternoon, the room was dark and gloomy, with a musty and chilly atmosphere that hit you in the face.

  Zhao Zimo couldn't help but pause in his tracks, his hands involuntarily clasped together.

  "City Song..."

  Okay, she had a feeling of entering a haunted house, it was kind of scary.

  A "slap" sound echoed, and the white fluorescent light suddenly lit up.

  After his eyes adapted to the intense dazzling light, Zhao Zimo surveyed this cold and gloomy room.

  There are many oil paintings on the wall, including finished products, defective products and semi-finished products...

  It's obviously a painting studio.

  The studio was in a mess, with painting paper and paint scattered all over the floor, several easels lying askew, a large ceramic jar overturned in the corner of the storage cabinet, next to which a pile of lime powder had been spilled, one of the panes of glass set into the storage cabinet had been smashed, leaving shards of various sizes scattered everywhere.

  There was a relatively rare scattering of glass particles in one place, but on the wooden floor there was a large patch of red to black...

  Is it for oil painting pigments, or...

  Zhao Zimo looked at Gu Chengge.

  He stood by the window with brown curtains blocking out the sunlight, his back figure quiet, as if stretching out endless pain.

  "City Song..."

  "When I was three years old..."

  Gu Cheng's song calmly opened his mouth, "A little boy about my age was kidnapped. I saw the woman who kidnapped him shoot him in the head with a gun, and blood flowed from the temple; I saw Fu Qianxiao frantically shooting at that woman, where she fell, blood flowing like a river..."

  Zhao Zimo was shocked.

  At the age of three, which should have been a carefree and innocent time, she was exposed to such bloody scenes.

  However, the wording is exquisite...

  He called Fu Qianxiao by her full name, rather than... mother or mom.

  Furthermore, he used the word "frantically". Bandits tearing tickets, as police opened fire and executed them on the spot can be understood, but "frantically"...

  Why?

  Gu Cheng's song was very calm, calmly continuing: "Ten years later, I was thirteen..."

  Zhao Zimo's thoughts surged like a tide. Could there be something else...

  Gu Cheng's song paused for a moment, his tone flat: "You know that the Qing Dynasty's Qing Yu is the famous anti-drug policewoman Fu Qian Chu, I suppose you also know that Fu Qian Chu was killed by police gunfire as 'the umbrella of drug dealers'."

  Although he had his back to her and couldn't see her, Zhao Zimo still nodded.

  She knew it. Because of Gu Chengxi's sake, she had collected relevant reports about Fu Qinghao before.

  Gu Cheng Ge slowly turned around and walked onto that large patch of unknown color stained red to black.

  He crouched down, his fingers lightly tracing the colored wooden floorboards, before slowly saying: "I was thirteen that year, I witnessed her being beaten to death in this very spot, blood seeping through her white sweater..."

  Zhao Zimo was shocked!

  The red to black color on the floor is not paint, but... dried blood!

  She didn't know that he had experienced two such shocking scenes, witnessing his own mother bleeding to death, what a cruel thing!

  It's just...

  "Didn't she die from a gunshot wound at the scene of the drug bust? How could it be in her own home?"

  Gu Cheng stood up and pulled open the curtains: "That anti-drug operation was behind this small district."

  Behind the residential area?

  Zhao Zimo stood up and looked over.

  Isn't it a forest of high-rise buildings there?

  Knowing her doubts, Gu Cheng explained: "At that time it was a piece of ruins."

  He paused for a moment, then continued, "That day, she took the day off to teach me oil painting. Midway through, she received an order to assist in capturing drug traffickers because it was right behind our residential area. After the operation ended, she came back directly. That afternoon, Vice Director Wang personally led people to bring a search warrant, saying that the captured drug trafficker had revealed that she had informed them of the police's actions multiple times and provided them with places to hide drugs. Later..."

  Gu Cheng pointed to a large ceramic vat near the lime powder and said: "Found over 500 grams of ice poison inside this..."

  That day, Gu Cheng's song will never be forgotten.

  It's still spring, the weather is very fine, early in the morning the sun is warm, the wind is clear and the clouds are light, there are two or three small birds chirping happily in the community.

  That day, Gu Cheng got up very early and was in a good mood. Fu Qingxiao came out of the kitchen with breakfast, smiling: "Chengcheng is up, come and have breakfast quickly, today Mom specially took a break to teach you oil painting, hurry up."

  Thirteen-year-old Gu Cheng's age was not great, but his elegant and refined temperament had already begun to show its edge. His words and deeds were always much more calm than those of his peers, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but feel overjoyed, laughing until his whole face seemed to radiate light.

  They spent the whole morning in the studio, with the curtains open and the soft golden sunlight falling on the elegant wooden floor, and the air was filled with fine dust.

  A mother and son sit in the soft, dizzying light to paint, outside the window is a bright spring scene with flowers blooming profusely, while inside the time is quiet and warm, filled with tender affection.

  A wonderful warm time was broken by a phone call.

  Fu Qingzhuo hung up the phone with a guilty look on his face: "Cheng Cheng, headquarters ordered mom to assist in capturing drug traffickers, so..."

  Thirteen-year-old Gu Cheng Ge covered up the loss in his eyes and only asked, "Are you coming back today? If not, I'll go to my grandma's place now."

  "Back, of course back!" Fu Qianxiao solemnly promised, "The drug dealer escaped to the ruins behind our neighborhood, and mom caught him and brought him back."

  "Be careful, Mom."

  Fu Qingzhu immediately returned to the house fully armed, she picked up her gun with an exceptionally elegant and refreshing demeanor. When speaking to him, she was always very gentle. Before leaving, she poked her head into the study room to remind him: "Cheng Cheng, Mom's leaving now, if I don't come back by 12 o'clock, you'll have to solve your own lunch. Also, the master who delivers painting paper and pigment should be coming today, can you sign for it?"

  As expected, around twelve o'clock, the person who delivered the painting paper and pigments came. This person, Gu Cheng Ge had seen a few times, was named Liang Xi Kun, and the painting paper and pigments used by his mother were always provided by him.

  After letting him in, Liang Xikun handed him the receipt while making a phone call. After he signed the receipt, the landline phone in the living room rang.

  "Cheng Cheng, your mom is injured and is in Municipal Hospital."

  He hung up the phone and Liang Xikun was no longer in the living room. He didn't have time to think much, grabbed the key and a handful of money, and went out the door.

  The hospital was not far from the residential area, and he arrived quickly.

  Fu Qingzhuo was only scratched on the arm during the pursuit, and after applying an anti-inflammatory bandage, he was fine. He looked at him in surprise: "Cheng Cheng, how did you get here?"

  Confirming she was unharmed, Gu Cheng let out a sigh of relief in his heart.

  "Your colleague called into the house, is..." Whose voice was it? He was so flustered that he didn't hear clearly for a moment.

  The two returned to the residential area, but found...

  The door was not locked, just slightly ajar.

  Fu Qingxiao laughed at him: "Cheng Cheng, are you really that worried about Mom? You didn't even lock the door and ran out!"

  Gu Cheng didn't say anything, he just remembered to bring the door key!

  But maybe I didn't bring it with me in the chaos.

  After lunch, the two continued painting. However, their peaceful time was disrupted by the doorbell, and no one expected that this time it would be...

  Fu Qingzhuo opened the door and in came colleagues from the police station, led by Deputy Director Wang Jizheng.

  Wang Jizheng and Fu Qingzhuo were superior and subordinate colleagues, as well as old acquaintances. If they passed by this neighborhood, they would bring their subordinates in to take a break and have a cup of tea together.

  Gu Cheng often lived with his grandmother, but this temporary residence belonging to his mother was only visited when he came to learn painting. Wang Jiabao would also bring his subordinates here to take a break and have a cup of tea, and they had met several times before.

  I thought it would be just like this time too ——

  The door of the painting room was open and voices from outside came in.

  Fu Qingzhao called out: "Director Wang, Captain Jiang, both comrades, come in and take a seat."

  Wang Jizheng with a square head and a big face came in with a serious expression: "Lightning, we didn't come here to drink tea today. Captain Jiang has official business."

  Fu Qingxu's expression turned solemn.

  "After Wang Jian's death, a lean and thin Jiang team leader stepped forward. His small eyes shone with sharpness: 'Captain Fu, we have conducted an emergency interrogation on the drug suspects arrested today. The suspect confessed that Captain Fu had informed them of our plans multiple times and provided them with a place to hide the drugs.' He took out two papers and showed them to her one by one: 'This is the suspension notice, and this is the search warrant. Please cooperate with our work, Captain Fu.'"

  Fu Qing was shocked and stared at Wang Hou in astonishment.

  Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng's song came out of the painting room, and Jiang led two police officers to start searching.

  Wang Jizheng comforted her: "Don't worry, I naturally believe you. However, you see that at the beginning, you indeed infiltrated the 'poisonous web' as an undercover agent and severely attacked the 'Maple City Poisonous Web'. Now someone has accused you of having reached a deal with the poison boss when you were an undercover agent. This problem is too big, even if I believe you, my superior is still the director, can't cover it up alone, and must go through the motions to clear your suspicion. I personally followed you here, just to make sure they don't go too far. Don't worry, with me around, nothing will happen."

  Fu Qing was furious, but Jiang had a search warrant in his hand, and she actually had no way to stop him. So she pulled Gu Chengge who was standing at the door.

  "Cheng Cheng, you go back to your grandma's place for now, Mom can't teach you painting today."

  Gu Cheng Ge refused to leave: "Mom..."

  Fu Qingxiao smiled: "Mom won't be in trouble, don't worry."

  Gu Chengge was only thirteen years old and had just left home with Fu Qingzhou's smile.

  But once he left the residential area, he felt a sense of unease in his heart, so he quickly ran back upstairs.

  As he entered the living room and rushed to the door of the painting studio, all he heard was a "bang" gunshot, and Fu Qingxiao's chest was already covered with a large patch of crimson red, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

  Gu Cheng didn't know how things would evolve to this point, and later Wang Jiuzhong painfully told him: "Your mother hid over 500 grams of ice poison, she wanted to resist, Jiang's team shot her first..."

  ……

  Zhao Zimo's mind was beyond shock, twice, at such a young age he had faced two such bloody scenes, now he didn't go crazy or have psychological distortions, but just became colder, more indifferent, and less emotional, it was truly heaven's blessing.

  She walked up to him, gently wrapped her arms around his waist, leaned her head against his chest and said softly: "Cheng Ge, it's all over now. You have me..."

  After a long time, Gu Cheng finally said: "Yes, now I have you. You are another turning point in my fate."

  "Really?"

  "Uh-huh. I used to have nightmares at night a lot in the past, but now it's very rare."

  "What else?"

  "In the past, I rarely spoke unless necessary, but now... at least today, I've been talking non-stop."

  Zhao Zimo: "......Let's just say it's a change, but it can't be called a turning point in fate."

  Many changes add up together, won't they become a turning point?

  "Then, from now on, I won't be alone anymore, does that count?"

  Zhao Zimo: "......"

  Count it, definitely count it! And she likes the phrase "from now on".

  But why did he think he was lonely in the past? Didn't he have his grandma, his sister Gu Chengxi, and his dad...

  She wanted to ask, but thinking that it would expose his wound and cause him pain, her curiosity dissipated without a trace.

  Gu Cheng's poem: "Am I very selfish and despicable?"

  Zhao Zimo: "What? What? What?"

  "Tell you these bloody things, to take your sympathy."

  Zhao Zimo hummed lightly: "I don't sympathize with you at all."

  Cheng Ge, I'm worried about you.

  There was no sound on top of his head, only his body being held tightly.

  After a long while, Zhao Zimo asked: "This afternoon, do you want to stay quietly in the house by yourself or go out for a walk?"

  "Gu Cheng's song: 'As long as you are here, everything is possible.'"

  That means she doesn't need to leave a quiet space for him!

  "Then let's go out and have some fun together! Let's continue our date."