Chapter Twelve (Part 2): Lingering
A neighbor.
It was as though Lu Yin’s ears had been sealed beneath a layer of glass. Those four words carried no weight, distant and unreal. She tried to look in that direction, but the glossy black body of the car reflected the harsh light, making it impossible to keep her eyes open.
The rear window slowly rose, the glass excessively dark and oppressive.
The smile and casualness disappeared from his face. Without a word of explanation, he bent and got into the front passenger seat of that car, as though he really was nothing more than the neighbor he had just called her.
Lu Yin tightened her grip on her backpack strap, watching everything from the corner of her eye. The front passenger window lowered all the way. Someone in the back handed him a cigar, then held out a lighter. He leaned back slightly to accept it, and a few seconds later settled against the back of his seat.
The cigar was several times thicker than a cigarette. He pinched it between his thumb and forefinger, his remaining fingers slightly curled. After exhaling, he tilted his head to avoid the thick cloud of smoke.
Lu Yin did not move. Her gaze drifted for several seconds before shifting inch by inch, finally settling on him. The scar on his forehead was impossible to hide beneath the sunlight. His short, coarse hair was black and thick, the contours of his profile sharp and defined. It was clearly still the same face, yet somehow she found it unfamiliar. But he sat there steadily, and he, the glossy black car, the cigar between his fingers, and that sudden cold expression all seemed to merge into one. It was as though this was how he was supposed to be.
Lu Yin lowered her head.
Before long, the engines started, and the convoy drove away one car after another. From beginning to end, he kept his eyes on the road ahead and did not look back at her even once.
Lu Yin felt hollow inside. For that one second, she had hoped for some kind of response, a glance or a smile. Even if it could not prove anything, it would have been some kind of comfort.
The car merged onto the main road. Lu Qiang held the cigar between his fingers, resting his arm against the open window. A wisp of blue smoke was scattered by the wind. The ember fell onto the back of his hand, and he slowly shook it off. His skin was rough and thick, so he did not feel the pain.
Lu Qiang leaned his head against the seatback. To an outsider, he looked lazy and unrestrained, but his eyes casually flicked toward the rearview mirror, watching the woman with her head lowered, looking dispirited.
The driver pressed the accelerator. Her reflection in the mirror grew smaller and smaller until it became a blurry little dot.
From behind came the sound of a lighter being struck. Lu Qiang withdrew his gaze.
Qiu Zhen lit his own cigarette after lighting Lu Qiang’s, then lowered the window on his side and likewise rested his hand outside it.
Lu Qiang raised his eyes to the rearview mirror. Qiu Zhen’s hair was somewhat long, covering the peak of his right eyebrow. The strands were blown backward by the wind, and he immediately ran a hand through them to smooth them away from his face. Lu Qiang stared for several seconds before their eyes met. Qiu Zhen’s eyes were slightly long at the corners, his irises pitch-black, his eyelids single. There was actually a certain resemblance to Lu Qiang, except that he lacked some of the wear and accumulation of the years.
After looking at each other for several seconds, Qiu Zhen said, “Qiang-ge, when did you get out?”
Lu Qiang said, “Almost half a year ago.”
Qiu Zhen braced his arm against the back of the front seat. His sturdy build was comparable to Lu Qiang’s.
He said, “I’ve been abroad all these years. Some time ago, my dad told me you’d gotten out, but you didn’t go back to ‘Chao Hui,’ and we couldn’t get in touch with you. I only got off the plane the day before yesterday. I came to see you now, so don’t take offense.”
“I don’t.” Lu Qiang watched the rearview mirror and smiled. “Xiao Zhen, you’re getting more and more solid.”
Qiu Zhen said, “Eating American food. Anything that needed filling out, I’ve managed to fill back in.”
“You’re not leaving this time?”
Qiu Zhen glanced to the side. “That depends on how my dad arranges it.”
Qiu Shizu snorted coldly. “Depends on how you behave. If you spend all day doing nothing useful, fooling around with a bunch of men and women, I’ll still send you back out.”
Qiu Zhen secretly frowned and answered with a series of noncommittal sounds. Then he casually asked Lu Qiang, “Qiang-ge, who was that person standing beside you just now?”
The fingers Lu Qiang was using to flick away his ash paused. He suddenly looked toward the rearview mirror. Those eyes were full of interest, bright with curiosity. After all, Qiu Zhen was several years younger and did not yet know how to restrain or disguise himself. One look was enough to expose him. Six years had passed, but in truth, he had not changed at all.
Lu Qiang’s gaze remained cold and expressionless. “A neighbor from the compound.”
“Are you close?”
“Not close.”
“Then you could help me... Damn...” He muttered a curse under his breath and covered the back of his head. “Why’d you hit me?”
Qiu Shizu said viciously, “Your old bad habits are acting up again. Haven’t you learned your lesson even after suffering for it?”
“Can you stop bringing up that rotten business all the time? Just listening to it tires me out.” Qiu Zhen was annoyed, but he did not dare openly talk back. He only muttered, “I didn’t even ask anything.”
The rest of the journey was quiet.
The car stopped in the underground parking lot of ‘Chao Hui.’ Lu Qiang followed Qiu Shizu into the elevator and went upstairs. It was not business hours, and the place was empty. Several cleaners were clearing away the mess left from the previous night.
The intoxicating smell of cigarettes, alcohol, and perfume still lingered in the air.
Qiu Shizu led the way. He waved a hand backward, and someone immediately went over to clear the area.
At the center of the main hall was the dance floor. Going around the side, there was a long corridor stretching all the way through. At the end was an elevator that could take them directly to the eighteenth floor.
A burst of hurried footsteps sounded. Leather shoes struck the gleaming floor, while the crystal chandeliers overhead radiated dazzling light. The interior walls, wrapped in colored glass and metal, were ostentatious and luxurious. The entire lobby was resplendent in gold and splendor.
Lu Qiang followed behind everyone else and raised his eyes for a glance. This had once been his territory, but after being renovated, he barely recognized it. Six years without setting foot here, and both people and things had changed. He unexpectedly felt a trace of relief mixed with melancholy.
They sat down in a spacious area. Qiu Shizu crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in his chair. Someone beside him handed over a cigarette and a lighter. Only after lighting it did he look toward Lu Qiang.
Lu Qiang was still wearing his security guard trousers and undershirt, with those old cloth shoes on his feet. He had left in such a hurry that he had not put on a jacket.
Qiu Shizu looked him up and down. “Cold? I’ll have someone take you to change into a set of clothes first?”
“No need.” Lu Qiang leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “Boss Qiu, I’ll have to leave in a little while. I didn’t ask for leave over there.”
His sharp old eyes looked at him through his glasses. He smiled, his thoughts unreadable. “This ‘Chao Hui’ belongs to you. Where else are you going?”
Lu Qiang lowered his head and smiled.
Qiu Shizu said, “A-Sheng gave you trouble last night?” Lu Qiang said nothing. He continued, “He’s always liked going against you. Clearly he was never as good as you, but he refused to accept it. While you were gone all these years, he’s been helping me run ‘Chao Hui.’ When he saw you come out, he was afraid his position would be threatened, so he acted impulsively and did something stupid.”
Lu Qiang said, “I don’t blame him.”
“I took a whip to him. He’s still kneeling in the back right now.”
Lu Qiang smiled. “There was no need for that, Boss Qiu. Don’t get angry.”
Qiu Shizu took two puffs of his cigarette and crushed it out in the ashtray before saying, “The last time we met was too rushed. The newly opened entertainment complex was just finishing up and taking in equipment, so I didn’t have time to take care of you...” He paused. “Half a year has been enough time for you to catch your breath. We need people now. Besides, I’m thinking of having Xiao Zhen take over, and he’ll need support.”
Qiu Zhen, sitting beside them, added, “Qiang-ge, come back and help me. We’ve been together all these years. You’re the only one I trust.”
Lu Qiang kept his head lowered and remained silent for a long time.
Qiu Shizu looked at him. Before long, his brows drew together. “Take Xiao Zhen to the new place.” He paused. “That place is absolutely clean. And if you want, you can take charge of the affairs behind ‘Chao Hui.’ A-Sheng will only be responsible for operations.”
Lu Qiang touched his forehead with one hand and still said nothing.
“Qiangzi.” Qiu Shizu leaned back into his chair, his voice lowering. “When did you become so fussy? Is it really that hard to nod? Where’s the decisiveness you used to have?”
Lu Qiang rubbed his hands together. Only after several seconds did he raise his head. “Boss Qiu, it’s enough that you still have Qiangzi in mind. But I can’t take on the entertainment complex again.”
“Why?”
Lu Qiang said, “I went to the public security bureau last night. My legs almost gave out and I nearly couldn’t make it back. I didn’t dare mention a single word about A-Sheng’s business. I was afraid of causing trouble, and afraid of going back in.” He asked for a cigarette from beside him and took several deep drags before saying, “These past few years inside, I wasn’t human, wasn’t a ghost. It was like living through a nightmare. Even now that I’m out, I still have lingering fear. You ask where my decisiveness went? Those damn cops ground every last bit of it away. That place was a washing ground. It didn’t just wash away the past, it stripped away flesh and skin, and washed my spirit and ambition away with it.”
He smoked. “I can’t help Xiao Zhen. All I have left now is this rotten shell, just trying to stay alive.”
After a long silence, Qiu Shizu sighed. “It’s my fault.”
Lu Qiang said, “Without you, there would be no Qiangzi. I’ll never forget this debt of gratitude for the rest of my life.”
***
They sat for a while longer and did not speak of the matter again. They chatted about other things, and Lu Qiang found an excuse to get up and take his leave.
He did not let Qiu Shizu send a car for him. After walking out of the gates of ‘Chao Hui,’ he looked left and right and found the nearest bus stop.
Someone called out from behind him. Lu Qiang turned around. It was Qiu Zhen, who had chased after him. “Qiang-ge.” He jogged across the road. “Let me take you.”
Lu Qiang pointed toward the bus stop sign. “No need. The bus is convenient enough.”
Qiu Zhen rummaged through his pockets, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and offered one to him. “We haven’t seen each other in six years. Let’s find some time to get together.”
Lu Qiang took a drag and did not answer him directly. “Xiao Zhen, do a good job with the entertainment complex. After all, you studied abroad. You’ve got more knowledge in your head than us rough-and-ready guys. Put what you learned into running the business.”
Qiu Zhen said sincerely, “I don’t have the experience, Qiang-ge. I want you to come back.”
“Experience is all forged through endurance.” Lu Qiang patted his shoulder. “It’s only a matter of time. You can do it.”
Qiu Zhen opened his mouth, but Lu Qiang glanced into the distance. “I’ll go first. The bus is here.”
Ignoring his attempts to keep him, Lu Qiang stepped onto the bus.
By noon, the temperature had risen. The bus was stuffy and hot, and Lu Qiang broke out in a thin layer of sweat. The sweat seeped into the wounds on his back, making the burning pain worse. His expression remained unchanged. He gripped the overhead strap with one hand and tugged at the hem of his shirt behind him with the other, fanning himself twice.
When he returned to the guard booth, Tan Wei had already left. A note had been left on the table. Lu Qiang glanced at it, crumpled it into a ball, and casually tossed it into the trash can.
Genzi had already come by once that morning, but he had not seen a single trace of him. In the evening, after hearing about what happened from someone he knew at ‘Chao Hui,’ he abandoned the work in his hands and immediately ran over again.
It happened to be shift-change time. After Lu Qiang finished handing over his duties, he and Genzi sat on the bench outside. Old Li liked a lively crowd and had seen Genzi a few times before. He stood outside and chatted idly with the two of them for a while before going back inside to make himself some tea.
Genzi glanced into the guard booth and asked anxiously, “Ge, how are you? Did Chen Sheng give you trouble? I heard you went to see Boss Qiu today?”
Lu Qiang gave a short laugh. “Your information’s pretty quick.”
Genzi awkwardly scratched his head. “Did you get hurt?”
Lu Qiang looked at him. He did not hide it, simply lifting his shirt to show him.
Genzi sucked in a breath. His whole body jolted, as though the injury were on his own body and he could feel the pain too.
“Ge, we’ve got to go to the hospital and get some medicine on that.”
Lu Qiang said, “Don’t make such a fuss. It’s not bleeding or broken. What medicine would I need?”
“Medicine will make it heal faster. It’s going to swell up tomorrow. And it’s still hot. What if it gets inflamed and turns septic inside? You’re the one who’ll suffer.”
He thought about it. “Damn, what a hassle.”
Lu Qiang stood up, but a figure suddenly rushed over and blocked his path. He lowered his eyes to see a soft, pliant body burrowing straight into his chest, followed by a pungent wave of perfume.
The woman wore a tight-fitting skirt that barely covered her hips. Despite it being October, she wore nothing underneath except a pair of flesh-colored stockings. Her red lips were vivid and full, and long, voluminous waves of hair covered half her forehead. She was the woman who had complained about someone setting a fire on the rooftop a long time ago.
The woman’s surname was Zhang.
Lu Qiang blocked her with his arm and mocked, “Miss Zhang, are you feeling unwell?”
Miss Zhang froze. “No?”
“Then stand up straight when you talk.”
“Annoying.” She pinched her voice and pouted, then moved away from his arm and tugged down the hem of her skirt. “Has any package of mine arrived?”
Lu Qiang said, “It’s shift change. Ask Old Li inside.”
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
“You’re really an incompetent security guard.” She traced a finger across Lu Qiang’s chest and gave him a coquettish smile.
She walked toward the guard booth in little high heels, swaying her hips. After only a few steps, she turned her head again. “Oh! The water from my faucet is coming out really weak. I think it might be clogged. When you have time, could you come take a look?”
Lu Qiang gave her a sidelong glance.
She raised her brows. “Number 8. Fourth floor.”
Lu Qiang lifted his chin. “Old Li knows how to handle that.”
He walked outside. Genzi watched the woman’s retreating figure and only came hurrying after him after a long while.
He cleared his throat. “Ge, you just turned her down?”
“You wanted to come?”
“No.” Genzi looked at him. “You weren’t like this before!”
“Like what before?”
Genzi grinned and raised his brows suggestively.
Lu Qiang pretended to hit him. “You little brat.”
***
They laughed and cursed at each other as they walked out.
The main gate of the residential compound was for private cars. Pedestrians used the smaller gate beside it. The gate was not wide, barely enough for two people to pass side by side.
Lu Qiang walked ahead. At the entrance, he paused and first stepped aside to let someone coming in pass. After waiting a few seconds, someone else approached. This time, he did not move.
The person opposite was blocked and stopped in her tracks.
Lu Yin raised her head. Seeing him standing there unharmed, her eyes brightened, and the heart she had kept suspended all day suddenly dropped back into place. Yet looking at that face, she inexplicably grew angry. She opened her mouth, just about to speak, but saw someone else following behind him. The plastic bag in her hand instinctively went behind her back, and she forcibly swallowed her words.
Lu Yin moved one step to the right, trying to go around him. Lu Qiang stepped across and blocked her. She bit her lip and moved left instead, only to walk straight into his chest.
She looked at him, both embarrassed and angry.
Lu Qiang curved his lips. “Miss Lu, which way are you going?”
Lu Yin lowered her eyes and shot him an irritated look. “Left.”
Lu Qiang did not move aside. Unable to get past him, she went right instead. He had not expected her to do that, and he took a step over, suddenly pulling her into his arms.
The laughter above her head was utterly obnoxious. “Can’t tell left from right?”
Lu Yin secretly pinched him, her whole face flushing bright red.
After holding her for a few seconds, someone approached from behind. Lu Qiang released her and stopped teasing her. He shifted to the side and let her pass.
As they brushed past each other, Lu Yin elbowed him. “Annoying.”
Lu Qiang’s scalp tingled. Those two words sounded different depending on who said them. From her, they carried a little reproach and a little coquettish petulance. Hearing them in her voice was strangely pleasing.
Her back had gone more than ten meters away before Lu Qiang withdrew his gaze. He felt hot all over, and the wounds began aching faintly again.
Genzi stared in stunned confusion. “Ge, did you just flirt with her?”
Lu Qiang said, “From now on, you’ll have to call her sister-in-law.”
He was dumbfounded. “You two hooked up?”
Lu Qiang loosened his pants and said, “Got a problem?”
“Doesn’t seem like it,” he muttered. “She’s obviously a proper woman, acting like she doesn’t even know you.”
Lu Qiang smacked him on the back of the head. “You saying I’m not proper?”
“Hey! That’s not what I meant.”
Lu Qiang said, “She’s a little mouse, scared out of her wits. Can’t rush her. You have to take it slow.” Before Genzi had fully digested that, he heard him say, “You go back first today. When I have time, Brother will buy you a drink.”
“So you’re not going to the hospital?”
Lu Qiang watched the retreating figure. He had already clearly seen what she was carrying. “No need anymore.”
***
Lu Yin had been home for less than two minutes when she changed her clothes and someone knocked on the door.
She was holding a pent-up anger inside and wanted to ignore it. She endured it for a long while before finally getting up to open the door.
Lu Yin turned and walked inside. Lu Qiang closed the door and immediately gathered her into his arms from behind. Her feet left the ground. She kicked several times in midair, and one slipper flew onto the coffee table.
Lu Qiang caught her neck and nipped at it several times. Lu Yin struggled, but she could not overcome his strength. The biting turned into gentle kisses, their breathing growing heavy, the intoxicating atmosphere in the air becoming increasingly intense.
It was not yet completely dark. The lights were on inside, and the curtains had not been drawn. Anyone looking from the building opposite could see them entangled together clearly.
Lu Yin’s heart pounded, her entire face turning red as a tomato. In her panic, she reached back and pinched him around the waist.
Lu Qiang jolted and threw her away. He steadied his breathing, pointed at her, and said fiercely, “Touch my waist again and I’ll kill you next time.” Even as he spoke harshly, he gently rubbed the top of her head, retrieved the slipper from the coffee table, crouched down, and said, “Lift your foot.”
Lu Yin held onto his shoulder and put her shoe back on. When he stood, she took half a step backward.
Once that impulse had passed, Lu Qiang no longer seemed so dangerous. He turned his head and saw the plastic bag tossed beside the sofa, a large package stuffed full. He curled the corner of his lips, sat down on the sofa, and opened it.
“Bought this for me?”
Lu Yin stubbornly said, “It was on the way.”
He had injuries and originally had not wanted to tell her, but after being caught this morning, there was no point hiding them anymore. He pulled his undershirt straight off over his head. “Come help me put some medicine on it.”
When Lu Yin saw his bare upper body, she was startled despite having been prepared for it.
She had come home late today. On the way, she had passed a pharmacy. After hesitating again and again, she had finally gone inside.
The clerk asked her what she wanted to buy.
She stammered for a long time, unable to describe the specific symptoms, and in the end bought a whole assortment of things and brought them home.
But she had never imagined he would be injured this badly.
Seeing the dazed expression on her face, Lu Qiang called gently, “Come here. What are you standing there spacing out for?”
Only then did Lu Yin walk over and take the cotton ball from his hand. Lu Qiang unscrewed a bottle of medicine. “Disinfect it first.”
He leaned lightly against the sofa and watched the woman in front of him.
Lu Yin gripped the cotton ball tightly, not knowing where to begin. The chest before her rose and fell slightly. A dark bloody welt stretched across the right pectoral muscle, drooping beside the mouth of the great dragon. Its eyes glowed green, its lips bloodthirsty, making her shudder with fear.
She refused to reach out for a long time. Lu Qiang saw what was going through her mind, took hold of her little hand, and slowly placed it over the dragon’s head. He could feel her shrinking away and trying to evade him. Her hand tensed in his palm and trembled slightly.
He looked into her eyes. “Scared?”
Lu Yin pressed her lips together.
He smiled amiably. “What’s there to be afraid of? It’s just a tattoo.” Lu Qiang took the cotton ball from her hand and guided her hand as he gently stroked his own chest. In a hypnotic voice, he said, “Touch it. It recognizes people. It looks fierce, but it’s actually very docile. Especially with my, Lu Qiang’s, woman.”
Lu Yin could not help glancing at him. He held her fingers and guided them inch by inch along every line. The skin beneath her fingers was firm and full, yet carried a scorching heat.
Lu Yin curled her fingers inward, but Lu Qiang did not let go. He pressed her whole hand against it. Beneath her palm, the heartbeat was exceptionally strong.
“It’s not as frightening as you think, and there’s no special story behind it. I was just messing around when I was young and got it on a whim. Everyone was getting these back then. All kinds of designs,” he said with a smile. He leaned close to her ear. “Some people even got tattoos there. I was egged on back then and almost got one myself.”
It took Lu Yin several seconds to understand what he meant, and a rush of blood shot to her head.
Lu Qiang held the back of her head and made as though he were going to press it against his chest. “Want to give it a kiss and get acquainted with it?”
Lu Yin jumped and raised a hand to push against his chest. Before she could even put any strength into it, he had already let go. He had only been teasing her. Lu Yin glared at him angrily and yanked her hand free. Lu Qiang burst into loud laughter, the gloom in his mood swept away completely.
By now, she really was no longer that afraid. She snatched the cotton ball from his hand. “Are you going to let me wipe it or not?”
“Wipe it.” Lu Qiang held back his laughter, sat up straight, and obediently let her clean him.
For a while, there was no conversation in the room. It was strangely quiet.
He did not make a sound throughout the entire process, but a layer of cold sweat slowly gathered across his chest. Lu Yin could not help furrowing her brows.
After she finished cleaning the front, Lu Qiang turned over and lay face-down on the sofa. The marks on his back were even worse than those on the front, and Lu Yin’s hand trembled slightly.
After holding it in for a long while, she finally asked, “How did you get these injuries?”
Lu Qiang closed his eyes and answered casually, “I ran into some thugs last night. They wanted money, and I didn’t give them any.”
Lu Yin pressed her lips together. “Then what about those people this morning?”
“Old clients.”
“What did you do before?”
“Business.”
Not a single word was true, and Lu Yin did not believe him at all.
After a long silence, she said, “How could doing business get you sent to prison?”
This was the second time she had asked him.
Lu Qiang’s eyes suddenly opened. Her movement stopped. He sat up, and Lu Yin was still sitting beside the sofa. He bent one leg and drew her into the space before him.
“Yinyin,” he called to her. “That’s all in the past. I can’t give you the explanation you want. I was a bastard who did bad things back then. Now I want to be an ordinary person.” He stroked her hair. “You’re the first person I’ve ever seriously wanted. If we’re together, I, Lu Qiang, will give you everything good I have. Is that enough?”
Lu Yin lowered her eyelids. “I just feel that we aren’t really suited for each other... Actually, shouldn’t we both calm down and think about it carefully?”
This was the question that had troubled her all day. The scene from that morning kept lingering before her eyes. She did not know anything about his past. Thinking about it calmly, they were simply people from two different worlds. Forcing themselves together might not be the best decision.
Everything fell completely silent, but Lu Qiang did not answer. Instead, he lifted her chin and said, “I can tell. You’ve started to care about me a little.”
Lu Yin’s breath caught, her eyes flickering.
Lu Qiang waggled a finger. “Tell me?”
Lu Yin did not dare look into his eyes.
He spoke softly. “Isn’t that right?”
In the end, Lu Yin gave a small nod.
Lu Qiang gently brushed his lips against her forehead. “Then I’ll pretend you never said what you just said.”
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