393: 7.83 Shovel Talk

7.83 Shovel Talk

Horrifying, inhuman screeches continued to drift out of the basement door. It would be utterly appalling if everyone here had not gotten used to such a thing.  2

And all the time, Moshe was waiting outside, sitting on a folded chair with his legs crossed and listening with a somber look on his face. He only stepped away to make a phone call and aside from that, all he did was wait with that indecipherable look on his face.

Around half an hour after he made the call, a group of men arrived at the basecamp, gave him a respectful bow before lining up on the wall beside him. Lu Yizhou noticed that most of them were much older, around Ezra's age or more, most likely those who had been working for The Void even before Moshe took over the mantle. 

The whole proceeding felt strangely sacred and solemn, thus Lu Yizhou did nothing but stand by Moshe's side. Whenever Moshe felt tired, he would lean against Lu Yizhou's torso and close his eyes for a few minutes, only the barest tilt of head that was so inconspicuous that no one noticed it. After that, he would straighten up once again and offer his hand a squeeze. Lu Yizhou squeezed back equally, if not much harder, wishing he could take the shadow of fatigue away from Moshe's clouded eyes.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes gradually shifted to hours. Cruz's scream grew hoarse, weaker and weaker until nothing remained but silence. 

[666: Host, Cruz is— all of the bugs are finally cleared from this world.]

It was near 2 am by the time the door swung open once again to reveal the thin figure of Ezra. 

He was staggering on his feet, blood splattered across his clothes and skin. In the span of one night, his cheeks had sunken deep. He looked thin, so haggard and exhausted as if he had aged a decade… yet his eyes shone bright. It was the brightest Lu Yizhou had ever seen of him, as though the dark shadow chasing after him had finally been liberated. What remained was nothing other than… relief.

Moshe stood up, drawing Ezra's attention to him. The latter paused as he eyed Moshe warily. Not the kind of wary that screamed murder, but the curious kind of wary. 

"Why…?" He asked with a hoarse voice. One word that contained so many questions; why haven't you killed me? Why are you doing this? Why are you still here?

Moshe did not answer. From Lu Yizhou's position, he could not see the man's expression. But Lu Yizhou hadn't just known Moshe for a day or two. The lines on his shoulders were more tense than usual and his fists were loosely clenched. He was restless.

He started to take calm and measured steps toward Ezra, slow enough so that the latter knew that he meant no harm, to pat him twice on the shoulder. Maybe it was a consolation, apology or it could also be encouragement… but Moshe said nothing to explain his action. Instead, he directly turned away and left, leaving a stunned Ezra behind. 

Soon after, the men, who had arrived due to Moshe's summon, straightened up and offered Ezra a solemn bow in unison, one that was oozing with genuine remorse and sincere wishes. 

"You…" Ezra choked out. "You guys are from that time…"

Ezra did not cry as he tortured Cruz, he did not cry as he heard Cruz's plea or the rambles of regret and apology that spilled forth his lips prior to his death, he did not cry even as Cruz breathed his last and he finally completed his revenge. 

But now though, when he looked at these people who took part in the mission to dissolve the scandal, lowering their heads to him eight years later… tears finally slid down Ezra's cheek. One drop, two drops… In the next second, he burst out into tears and wept, venting the last vestiges of pain and grief that had accompanied him for years.

Lu Yizhou took in everything with a heavy look. Was it because he also had a daughter? Was that why he began to be able to sympathize with others? This had not happened to him before. He had thought that the word 'sympathy' did not exist in his dictionary. To think that there would come a day when he finally felt bad for a stranger… He let out a sigh and finally turned away to catch up with Moshe.

He found Moshe in his office, standing with his back to Lu Yizhou. For some reason, Lu Yizhou's heart gave a twinge of pain and before he knew it, he had gathered Moshe in an embrace, hugging him tightly from behind. No words of comfort needed to be said between them, only silent accompaniment and solid presence of warmth.

Moshe sagged almost immediately against him, leaning his back heavily against Lu Yizhou's chest with a sigh. "I wish I could say sorry…" He started in a quiet voice that revealed a hint of vulnerability. "But if I could turn back time, I would still make the same choices as I have done that year. I don't want to make excuses… but that was the best decision I could have made to save myself, to save The Void from crumbling down. Letting Ezra exact his revenge on Cruz… can I call it a long overdue compensation?"

Lu Yizhou let out a quiet hum to show that he was listening and the circle of his arms tightened a bit, wishing he could squeeze Moshe smaller so he could hide the man in his embrace forever. Moshe seemed to like the sturdy hug because his body relaxed even more. He was leaning his whole weight into Lu Yizhou now. 

Lu Yizhou ached to think how this man could only let his true self show in the desolate comfort of his private space, far from where everyone could see. How did it feel to shoulder such a heavy burden for years, all by himself? It was no wonder that Moshe was so tired. 

Even something small like this, to hug him, to be a body to lean on when he needed it… Lu Yizhou wished he could give everything he had to relieve a small portion of Moshe's burden. 

"Let's go home," he quietly said.

Moshe huffed out a soft chuckle. "Right… let's go home."

When Moshe had regained his bearings, they walked out side by side, their fingers brushing against each other yet not quite touching. When they passed through the corner that led to the basement, they could still hear the remnants of Ezra's cries. 

Along the journey, Moshe leaned his head against Lu Yizhou's shoulder with his eyes shut. But Lu Yizhou knew that he wasn't sleeping albeit he had no idea what was currently running in Moshe's mind. 

Kaede, who was driving the car, peeked at them through the rearview mirror once in a while. He seemed to have a few questions to ask but Lu Yizhou's attention was wholly focused on Moshe, unable to be divided even if the sky crashed down on him. 

He wrapped his arm around Moshe and tried to offer more warmth to his icy cold body. In return, Moshe burrowed himself deeper into Lu Yizhou's embrace and tucked his face into Lu Yizhou's neck, inhaling his scent. 

That's how they spent the whole trip; snuggling into each other to draw warmth like a pair of shivering animals.

When they arrived at Moshe's mansion, it was already the wee hours in the morning. As soon as the car door opened, Moshe was back to being the impenetrable, invincible, smiling Moshe. Not even a hint of weakness could be found on his face as he listened to the customary report of his men while he was away.

Lu Yizhou was completely content with watching from the sidelines but then Kaede suddenly approached him, saying tentatively, "I just want to say… thank you for saving Boss' life earlier. If not for you…" He pressed his lips together, upset. 

Lu Yizhou's jaws ticked at the sudden reminder. He still had lingering fear whenever he thought back to the previous incident. If he had not noticed the strange glint in Ezra's eyes, if he had not moved fast to knock the gun away… what would have happened to Moshe now? 

He might be able to sympathize with Ezra but it did not mean he could forgive what the man had done. Calculation started to form in his mind but his voice was placid when he replied, "It was what I was supposed to do."

"Listen," Kaede suddenly turned serious. "I have been by Boss' side for more than a decade but never had I witnessed him treat anyone else like how he treats you. I think… I think you're special to him. I can see how he… trusts and relies on you. A lot."

Lu Yizhou blinked, not expecting Kaede to breach upon such a topic. 

By the twisted look Kaede was putting, it seemed like the man shared the same sentiments. He looked as though his teeth were going to fall out soon if he had to say one more word. He raked his fingers through his hair and blurted out with a frustrated air. "What I mean to say is… you'd better treat him right or else… or else I am going to put you through my most excruciating poison! I swear you will die a horrible death!"

Lu Yizhou's brows almost rose to his hairline by now. What was this…? Was Kaede giving him a shovel talk right now? Lu Yizhou had no idea whether to laugh or cry. This was the first time Lu Yizhou had ever gone through a shovel talk. But the knowledge that this happened because Kaede cared for Moshe's well-being was enough to put a faint smile on his face. 

"Thank you for caring so much for Moshe." Before Kaede could give a protest — because what the fuck? Why did this man say it like he was the one who owned Moshe and not the other way around? And the way he said it like it was the most natural thing in the world??? — Lu Yizhou added, "But no need to worry. If there comes a day when I mistreat him, then I will drink the poison myself."

Kaede was rendered speechless by that bold declaration. "...Alright." He had forgotten they were two equally insane people. 

Just in time, Moshe concluded his business and approached them. "What are you two talking about?" He asked casually even though the gaze he sent Kaede was razor sharp. A silent warning. 

Kaede straightened his back as shivers ran down his spine, flustered. "N—Nothing, I… We are—Err…"

"We are just discussing what is the better menu to eat for breakfast tomorrow," Lu Yizhou supplied helpfully. 

"Yes, yes, yes!" Kaede latched onto it like a starving beast. "That's right! We were debating which one is better between porridge, noodles and bread! Which one do you like the most, Boss?" He showed a flattering smile. 

Moshe eyed the two of them doubtfully but in the end, he merely harrumphed. "I do not eat breakfast." After saying that, he turned away to walk in the general direction of his private wings. 

Lu Yizhou exchanged a glance with Kaede before catching up with Moshe. Anyone could tell that Lu Yizhou was bullshitting when he blurted out that sentence earlier but if Moshe did not even question it… maybe he was more tired than Lu Yizhou had expected. 

Silently, he trailed behind Moshe even as the man strolled toward his room — his private bedroom that Lu Yizhou had never gone in before. 

Lu Yizhou paused in the doorway, hesitant. All this time, their playground had been limited to Moshe's black room. Moshe was weirdly principled in separating his alone time and entertainment time. Being inside Moshe's bedroom felt… kinda intimate somehow. It wasn't like Lu Yizhou minded but what did Moshe want? Did he simply forget to dismiss Lu Yizhou or… 

Before Lu Yizhou could come up with anything, Moshe beckoned him in without even turning around. "What are you doing there? Come in and lock the door behind you." 

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