Seizing Dreams

Ch57 – Lin Xun

15 minutes later, Chen Yekai, Zhou Sheng, and Yu Hao were in front of the five-star hotel’s garden lobby, with a table filled with food in front of them.

Yu Hao, “There’s so much to eat for breakfast!”

Zhou Sheng, “It costs 168 yuan per person after all. Eat ba, don’t hold back, just treat it as a gesture of generosity at his expense.”

Yu Hao, “You still remember that…”

Chen Yekai only took a cup of coffee and looked down at his phone quietly. Yu Hao knew that he was reading Ryuusei’s letter. Finally, Chen Yekai put his phone down, rubbed his face, and finally looked a bit more energetic.

“I’m sorry.” Chen Yekai said, “For causing you guys so much trouble. It was all my fault; that was too dangerous.”

Zhou Sheng casually replied, “It was a misjudgment on our part too, can’t blame you for that.”

For Zhou Sheng, this was the most serious and potentially perilous miscalculation that he has ever made. They had not anticipated that Lin Xun would wield so much power in Chen Yekai’s dream, and certainly not to the extent that he could suppress the sun in his conscious world. In the end, they were nearly defeated by Lin Xun and barely escaped with their lives. Fortunately, the three had joined forces and together, they overcame the many obstacles that they had faced. But this incident also added a very real precedent for both of them.

“Now that I think about it.” Zhou Sheng said to Yu Hao, “My Dad’s and Mum’s dreams are nothing in comparison.”

“Oh yeah!” Yu Hao snapped out of his reverie; compared to Chen Yekai’s Chichén Itzá, Shi Ni’s lighthouse and the Great Wall all seemed like a tutorial mode for newbies.

“There will be countless things to overcome in the future.” Chen Yekai looked out the restaurant’s window. The sunlight spilled onto the hotel’s garden, “But I’ve already been reborn. Even though I was confined within a shell, I still thought that I was the king of the infinite universe.”

Yu Hao began laughing, and Zhou Sheng said, “Think about what to do next ba? Laozi’s eligibility for the cycling race hasn’t been settled yet.”

Chen Yekai suddenly became much more invigorated. He took his phone out and said, “Leave it to me. If the two of you……need me to do anything, just let me know?”

“You don’t have to do anything.” Zhou Sheng said, “Just answer a few of my questions. From the first day we met, you’ve always helped us like it was your duty to do so. So don’t treat us like outsiders.”

“I know.” The corners of Chen Yekai’s lips curved up slightly, and he said while lost in thought, “Okay, I won’t treat you guys that way.”

Zhou Sheng signalled to Yu Hao, which meant ‘What do you want to ask? Ask your questions first?’

Yu Hao waited until the waiters had cleared their plates. He took a sip of his coffee and thought for a moment before saying, “I don’t have anything in particular that I want to ask. But I think, Ryuusei had something he wanted me to convey to you.”

Chen Yekai’s eyebrows rose slightly. Zhou Sheng said, “Since it’s something Ryuusei said, then the two of you should talk about it in private when you’re free ba.”

Chen Yekai suddenly said, “Okay. I also have something I want to explain clearly to Yu Hao.”

“Un.” Zhou Sheng answered, satisfied.

Yu Hao, “???”

“Then, Zhou Sheng, what do you want to ask?” Chen Yekai asked.

“I’m thinking about how to express my doubts.” Zhou Sheng said, “We’ve already clarified a lot of things that happened in the past, but Kaikai, do you have anything else you need to apologise for? Aside from having your psychological state meddled with by Lin Xun.”

Yu Hao, “???”

“Yes.” Chen Yekai nodded, “Lin Xun’s psychological manipulations significantly affected me, which caused me to……make a lot of misguided decisions. Let’s start from the beginning ba, including what we had talked about……I think, that would help clear things up for you both. We’ll need to start from……let me think about it, that period when we decided to return to the country. Lin Laoshi……Lin Xun and Liang Laoshi’s marriage has always been very problematic.”

Chen Yekai first came to know Lin Xun through one of his father’s friend’s when he went to study in New Yorks; the general idea was that Lin Xun would look out for him a bit. Very quickly, this professor couple formed a favourable impression of Chen Yekai. After all, amongst the younger generation, Chen Yekai was considered quite outstanding.

Chen Yekai also gradually came to better understand them through his interactions with Lin Xun and his wife. Lin Xun was born to a relatively poor family in China; he dated Liang Jinmin in college, and Liang Jinmin had greatly admired his talent and self-confidence. After they got married, she funded Lin Xun’s research abroad, and she left her hometown and went with him to New York. Within the local Chinese community, Lin Xun and his wife had always portrayed themselves as a loving couple.

But only Chen Yekai knew that in private, Lin Xun’s extramarital affairs were crippling their relationship, and he had many disputes with Liang Jinmin over this. Lin Xun has a really strange hobby — he loved getting involved with married women.

“He harrasses female students?” Zhou Sheng asked in disbelief.

“No.” Chen Yekai said, “The situation was worse than that.”

Lin Xun is extremely smart; he would get complaints if he harassed students. His targets for extramarital affairs were young teaching assistants, lecturers, or wives of postgraduate students in the academic circle. These young people crossed the ocean to come to New York, and after settling down, they applied to the U.S. authorities for permission to reunite with their family, then brought their wives over who were still in the country. During the period of applying for or holding a green card, Lin Xun would look for a suitable opportunity to take advantage of, and after he found a target, he would start an extramarital affair.

Yu Hao was completely dumbstruck.

“That……” Yu Hao couldn’t believe what he had heard at all, “Wouldn’t the other person’s spouse beat him to death?”

“It depends on his methods.” Chen Yekai said helplessly, “Don’t forget what he’s studying.”

Normally, in extramarital affairs, one party desires to hit the other, who’s also willing to endure the hits of their own accord. Lin Xun had both the connections and a shrewd approach, and he was very precise when it came to selecting his targets — he would target the wives of those male scholars who didn’t have that clean of a background themselves. Some of these male scholars might have looked for prostitutes before in the United States, while others had been involved in scandals with students.

And as a well-maintained refined man in his fifties, courting their wives was basically like child’s play.

Those young people themselves had emotional stains — such as cheating on their partners while living in the United States alone, or they didn’t dare to offend Lin Xun……in the end, after Lin Xun finished his extramarital affair, the other party wouldn’t even dare to expose him. After all, if they had an extramarital affair while they were applying for a reunion visa, the immigration bureau would doubt the authenticity of their marriage, and it would likely expose evidence that could be used against them during the examination and approval of immigration procedures.

Liang Jinmin was extremely furious about this. There was a period when she had several significant arguments with Lin Xun, and that was when Chen Yekai discovered that Lin Xun was abusing Liang Jinmin at home.

Chen Yekai was a bit baffled. After all, in his own family, his parents had always had mutual respect for each other and would never raise their voices. The scene of Lin Xun hitting Liang Jinmin left a very deep impression on him.

His first thought was to just report it to the police, but he was stopped by Liang Jinmin. After that, Liang Jinmin talked to him countless times and begged him to not call the police. After all, in the United States, domestic violence was a very serious offence, so Lin Xun would definitely be arrested. Later on, Lin Xun knelt down on his hands and knees and begged Liang Jinmin for forgiveness, which she granted..

“Why didn’t she get a divorce?” Yu Hao asked in disbelief.

“She wouldn’t get a divorce.” Zhou Sheng pulled out a cigarette box and lit a cigarette.

Chen Yekai said, “I’ve asked that very question before too; Liang Laoshi still loves him.”

Zhou Sheng sneered. Chen Yekai said, “Give me one too.”

Zhou Sheng lit a cigarette for Chen Yekai. Chen Yekai said to Yu Hao, “I seldom smoke, let me smoke just one now.”

Under Yu Hao’s supervision, Zhou Sheng rarely smokes nowadays and would only smoke two or three per day now.

“For a long time after that.” Chen Yekai said, “It didn’t happen again……”

Over the next few years, Chen Yekai kept a vigilant eye on Liang Jinmin. Lin Xun hardly laid a finger on her anymore, but Chen Yekai still suspected that Lin Xun would occasionally slap Liang Jinmin or hit her without leaving any marks. But the person involved, Liang Jinmin, was unwilling to give up on their relationship no matter what. Chen Yekai couldn’t help her even if he wanted to.

At that time, Chen Yekai felt very conflicted. Lin Xun had guided him and treated him like his own son, yet he had a rather dark side to him as well……

“You won’t understand that kind of feeling.” Chen Yekai said.

“I understand.” Zhou Sheng answered, “It’s like if your Dad would hit your Mum all the time, but you can still feel that he cares about you a lot when he faces you.”

Chen Yekai said helplessly, “Yes. Aside from that, I still felt elements of hero-worship towards him. He’s very learned and treats his work very……seriously. He’s accomplished both in terms of his knowledge and his field, yet he’s a scholar who has abandoned morality and is practically a demon now.”

Lin Xun was Chen Yekai’s life mentor; aside from the knowledge in their field, he also taught him the guiding principles of life — including in regard to feelings, friends, society, family etc., these were all things that Chen Yekai had never learnt from his father who was a barrister. After all, in a barrister’s eyes, there were only rules. To them, society was just a huge, ruthless machine.

Yet Lin Xun’s nature in this respect has always been peerless; Chen Yekai unquestioningly deferred to him in a professional context, yet his morality infuriated him. Fortunately, Chen Yekai never heard so much as a whisper about Lin Xun’s extramarital affairs after that, but after a period of stability, the incident with Ryuusei occurred.

Lin Xun always did his utmost when it came to this incident, and even though his persuasion was to no avail, he had ultimately respected Chen Yekai’s decision.

“I was very grateful to Lin Laoshi for that.” Chen Yekai said, “At that time, I didn’t notice any abnormalities.”

“Then you graduated.” Yu Hao said.

“Yes.” Chen Yekai nodded.

After he obtained his master’s degree, Chen Yekai muddled through life for an entire year. He tried to bury himself into his work as a kind of remedy. However, the stress nearly caused him to collapse. Liang Jinmin persuaded him to return to Columbia to help, so Chen Yekai would occasionally go back and forth between the company and college.

Over the years, the conflict between Liang Jinmin and Lin Xun escalated once again — but it wasn’t over domestic violence. Lin Xun had an affair with the wife of a small-time lecturer. This time, their conflict was a bit more serious; Liang Jinmin finally couldn’t bear it any longer and decided to divorce Lin Xun. The two of them fought until the world was turned upside down. The other party in the affair began threatening to expose Lin Xun’s obscene affairs and to sue him.

Lin Xun earnestly pleaded for Liang Jinmin’s forgiveness. After their negotiation, Liang Jinmin hoped that Lin Xun would return to the country and bid farewell to this kind of rotten life, change his environment, and start anew. Coincidentally, Liang Jinmin’s mother was aging, so she also wished to return to the country so she could visit her mother more often and stay by her side. If Lin Xun wasn’t willing, then they could just get a divorce ba.

Eventually, Lin Xun gave in and promised that from then on, he would devote himself to his wife.

So that’s what happened……Yu Hao finally understood now.

Chen Yekai said, “Liang Laoshi asked me if I wanted to return. It just so happens that there was a very generous Talent Recruitment plan in central China. One of their friends in the United States introduced Dean Ning to Lin Laoshi. Ying city was situated near Liang Laoshi’s home, and I happened to be a transfer student in high school there and had studied in Ying city for a year, so I thought, ok then. Afterwards, I completed the procedures and reported to the college first. I thought that when I started, I wouldn’t try to complicate things for myself; apply for the position of a form teacher, relax a little, prepare for my project, and continue my doctorate with Lin Laoshi……”

“No wonder the Dean is so courteous towards you.” Zhou Sheng said.

“Because the college is relying on an academic powerhouse like Lin Laoshi.” Chen Yekai extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray, “And I’m the student he’s most proud of. It’s just using one’s position to bully others ma, what is Xue Long worth? Even the Dean’s office and the League Committee must be polite when they speak to a form teacher like me.”

Yu Hao didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. Chen Yekai said, “But the status of a dog like me depends on my owner. See, now that Lin Laoshi is beginning to target me, the Dean definitely wouldn’t defend me.”

“It should be the climax of the story next ba.” Zhou Sheng said.

“Un.” Chen Yekai said, You can roughly guess it based on the events that had happened in the past.”

Yu Hao asked, “He started another extramarital affair after returning to the country?”

“It’s easier to change mountains and rivers, than to alter one’s character.” Chen Yekai said, “Yes.”

Chen Yekai came over to report first, and after he dealt with Yu Hao’s affairs, Lin Xun and Liang Jinmin returned to the country on New Year’s. But Lin Xun was up to his old tricks; his target this time was the wife of his high school classmate who lived in the neighbouring city. They dated twice in private and were discovered by Liang Jinmin the second time. Another quarrel erupted between the couple, and after that, Lin Xun began to perform all kinds of martial arts at home. He didn’t dare act so excessively when they were in the United States because he would be imprisoned. But here, no one would care if he hit his wife in the country, and even if it was reported to the police, it would just be dealt with as a family’s private affairs. After the police came over to persuade them a little, they would return like nothing had happened.

Lin Xun had been stifling an insidious breath in the United States for nearly ten years, and now he could revel in this change of circumstance and finally not hold back from beating his wife.

“After he beat Shimu,” Chen Yekai said, “For a period of time, he would slap himself and weep bitterly, and kneel down in front of Shimu to apologise to her……”

Zhou Sheng said in disbelief, “That guy is seriously evil to the extreme.”

Yu Hao couldn’t comprehend what Zhou Sheng meant, but Chen Yekai said, “Yes, even you can tell that he’s just acting. His kneeling, tears, begging for forgiveness, were all just acts used to fool Shimu.”

Yu Hao, “……”

Yu Hao suddenly felt like his entire life had been turned on its head in a moment. Chen Yekai said, “According to my understanding of him, he must have regarded this process as a kind of game, like a cat-and-mouse game. Shimu was manipulated by him, and through his performance, he would obtain Shimu’s forgiveness, then hit her again, then beg for her forgiveness, before hitting her again……it’s a never-ending cycle. Perhaps, Lin Laoshi found it very interesting, and only a demon……would do that.”

A sense of dread suddenly arose in Yu Hao’s heart.

Chen Yekai continued, “I tried everything I could. Divorce was the only option, but I had no evidence. I wanted to take Shimu to get her injuries examined, but Shimu refused me. If the one involved isn’t willing to cooperate with me, then I could only hate myself for not being able to do anything. I asked Huang Ting for help and invited Shimu out, but on the very last day, Shimu changed her mind again. This happened time and time again……and I couldn’t let Lin Xun know of the actions I took in private. He understands me too well. Sometimes, with just a few conversations, he would be able to guess what I was thinking.”

“It was very difficult.” Chen Yekai said, “But shortly after Yu Hao went on stage, Shimu suddenly relented to my requests.”

“Me?” Yu Hao asked, baffled.

Chen Yekai nodded and said, “She said that that song and the you who sang it reminded her of Ryuusei, and also reminded her of the days she spent in the United States. We chatted for a long time that day, and we inevitably ended up talking about you……she didn’t know why her life turned out this way. She forgave him time and time again, yet she would get hurt over and over again as well. She didn’t believe in any so-called fate, but she no longer had the courage to find any kind of excuse for her life. In short, she finally decided to get a divorce.”

Getting a divorce would be very cumbersome. Aside from getting a divorce, Liang Jinmin also decided that she couldn’t let Lin Xun indulge himself as he pleased any longer. Before meeting Chen Yekai, she tried to gather evidence of the extramarital affairs Lin Xun always had until now.

As a result, through GPS-tracking records on his Apple account, Liang Jinmin inadvertently found out that four years ago, Lin Xun had visited a cafe near Chen Yekai’s house.

That day, Liang Jinmin presented the pieces of evidence one by one to Chen Yekai. When she mentioned that, Chen Yekai didn’t know why he suddenly remembered something three days before his graduation defence. After Ryuusei was diagnosed with depression, he barely took a step out of the house, yet he had uncharacteristically gone out that day, and after he returned, he had even gotten a gift for Chen Yekai, a……

“Napoleon cake.” Yu Hao said.

“Yes.” Chen Yekai said calmly, “I asked him where he went and who he met. He said that he just went to Central Park to bask in the sun. Liang Laoshi asked me, if Lin Xun went to my house that day to look for me, or if he had arranged to meet someone else. I might not remember other days, but I have a very deep impression of that day. Lin Xun wasn’t in the laboratory. He must have met up with Ryuusei. It’s just that afterwards, Ryuusei didn’t mention it to me.”

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