Until Then...

Chapter - 58

There is a saying, "Truth will set you free". A person who walks the path in life yielding nothing but the truth, is revered as a virtuous and righteous person, hold in high esteem by those around him. People will trust him for every action he does and every word he says comes from nothing but the truth. If paradise exists after death, isn't it make especially for this type of person?

If so, what about the rest of us?

We live our everyday life, faking and bending the truth to either protect ourselves or to protect those around us. Wading through the muddy waters filled with lies, we are covered in dirt from head to toe. Some, more so than others, for they lie to harm others, and they lie not to protect themselves but for destruction. The rest of us, barely keeping our heads above the dirt with white lies, we lie because we need to survive. We need to live. The world isn't balanced, justice and fairness are the things experienced only in the clouds of mushrooms. So, we lie to get what we want. To make our hollowed lives a little bearable. We are liars. We are sinners and after our deaths, it is highly unlikely that the door to Silver city will open to us.

Yet, we ask the truth, we demand it, and we yearn for it. Like a snake eating its own tail, it is an ironic infinite circle.

But what if this life, this universe we see before our dimmed eyes, itself is a lie? An illusion. A dream. An imaginary reality. What if we are just liars because we are creations inside a lie? What if living or death doesn't exist? Everything we perceive, experience, feel, and sense, are nothing but a plain white lie. What then? Are we still obligated to chase after the truth? Are we required to change our nature? Can we wash our hands of the dirt that stained our flesh and turn it over to truthful lives? Isn't it just a lie itself?

The ride to the hospital was rushed and in complete silence. Secretary Li peeked at the rearview mirror to check on his boss who seemed to be absorbed in staring out of the window with a bored look on his face. He Tian was acting strange. This eerie calmness surrounding him was giving him chills. True that his boss had not always been an easy-to-read person but at least, he expected a few bursts of emotions from hearing his brother miraculously came out of the coma. To think, he was feeling quite proud of himself since he was able to grasp a few emotions from him in past years. He thought they were becoming closer.

What was he expecting? Secretary Li shook his head as he ran a red light, ignoring the angry honks from other cars. Honestly, there really wasn't anyone to blame because this indifferent and mysteriously cold aura was the definition of He Tian. The one he acquainted with in the past year, the mopey, irrational, and weirdly cheerful at times was just...an illusion that was created because of Mo Guan Shan. This unapproachable aura just meant he was being his original self; the one not affected by anything and had no care toward anything or anyone. Secretary Li tightened his grip on the steering wheel and gulped air down his throat nervously. He didn't know whether this was a good or bad thing.

The only words they exchanged were when the car finally parked in front of the hospital entrance and Secretary Li announced that they had arrived, He Tian just replied briefly to acknowledge before he left the car as relaxed and laid back as ever. "Check the perimeter and get in touch with the in-charge doctors to see if we can move him out of here." Secretary Li followed him as he marched into the hospital. "Yes, master. I will see to it." He pressed the elevator button for He Tian and quietly observed his boss who just stood with his hands stuck inside his pants pockets with a blank face. "...Why are you staring at me since before, Secretary Li?" He Tian asked not turning to see the awkward look on his secretary's face. "...um...Nothing. It's just..." "Just what?" Secretary Li silently prayed for the elevator to arrive quickly to avoid confronting him but sadly, the gods weren't listening to his wishes. "...I just thought...you would be happier." He Tian turned to look at him, raising his brow as if to question him. "...I am quite happy with this, secretary Li. You know I have been waiting for Cheng's recovery. This couldn't happen at a better time." The elevator dinged announcing its arrival. He Tian patted Secretary Li's shoulder and smiled before stepping inside, leaving his poor secretary with his mouth hanging.