Chapter Fifteen (Part 3): The Truth
Lu Qiang was forceful and uninhibited. She could barely endure it through the process. After finally getting through it, Lu Yin closed her eyes wearily. In her daze, she heard him say that he wanted to kill someone. Whoever it was, she had no strength to ask.
Yet Lu Qiang was reluctant to withdraw for a long while. Her legs were still raised on either side, the roots of her thighs sore and trembling, like meat nailed to a chopping block, left entirely at his mercy.
Outside, the rain grew heavier and heavier. Raindrops as large as beans pelted against the glass with a pitter-patter. When they had left, they had left a gap for ventilation and had not had time to close it. The cold wind lifted the gauze curtains, carrying a chilly drop that landed on her hand.
Lu Yin’s fingertips trembled. She drew her arm back from the edge of the bed and gently pushed him. “I can’t breathe.”
Lu Qiang’s lips rested against her temple. With his thumb, he rubbed her damp forehead and strands of hair. “Am I pressing on you?”
“...You’re too heavy.”
Lu Qiang kissed her. “Let me stay like this a little longer.”
“I’m cold.”
He glanced to the side. In the pitch-black room, he could only see the gauze curtains billowing and falling. The window had been blown wide open by the wind. Raindrops caught the glow of the streetlights, flickering as they fell onto the windowsill and the nearby floor.
Lu Qiang looked at the person beneath him. Her eyes were lowered, her eyelashes trembling lightly.
His hand moved down, supporting himself with the condom as he withdrew. He rolled over, laid an arm across the top of her head, and sprawled flat on his back.
Lu Yin suddenly felt empty, and for no reason, her heart felt empty too. She immediately curled herself up, turning her back to him. Her toes curled slightly, without even enough strength left to clutch the blanket.
Lu Qiang pulled the blanket up from underneath and wrapped her from head to toe, afraid the wind would blow on her. He wiped the sweat from Lu Yin’s forehead, then turned onto his side and gathered her tightly into his arms. The lines of their bodies fit together, pressed close, and his throat rested just perfectly against the back of her head.
Lu Qiang repeatedly rubbed his lips against the crown of her head, his heart filled to the brim. “...Yinyin.”
Lu Yin answered softly, “Mm.”
“Did I hurt you just now?”
She bit her lip and quietly cursed him. “Beast.”
He laughed. “Wasn’t it pretty good, though?”
Lu Yin said nothing.
“How many times?” he asked.
Her head was still muddled. “...How many times what?”
Lu Qiang whispered two words into her ear. Lu Yin’s face burned again. She bent her elbow and hit him, but with that little bit of strength, it had no effect at all.
His hand tapped lightly at her lower abdomen. “Small and tight. At the beginning, I almost lost it.”
His fingers tapped aimlessly across her lower abdomen. “What are you made of, hmm?” The final syllable vibrated from his Adam’s apple, low and hoarse, making her tremble involuntarily.
His hand slowly climbed upward again. Through the blanket, he squeezed her. “You’re soft everywhere. Feels really good.”
“What about me?” He lifted his head slightly from the pillow. “Satisfied? Yinyin.”
Lu Yin said resentfully, “Shut up. Don’t talk.”
And he really did stop talking. He closed his eyes and held her from behind.
Neither of them got up to close the window. They simply let the cold wind whip the gauze curtains high into the air, watching lightning streak across the sky, suddenly bright as daylight, while dark clouds rolled and rolled, covering the sky and eclipsing the moon.
For a while, the room fell silent. The only sound was the rain striking the window.
Tap, tap. Tap, tap. Tap-tap-tap...
Listening to the rain, Lu Qiang thought of his childhood.
He had always liked rainy days. When he was around five or six, droughts were common in the countryside. One heavy rain was enough to make the villagers happy for several days. He was still too young to understand much, yet he looked forward to the rain just as eagerly as the adults, because once the river rose, his old dad would take him fishing.
More than ten years ago, his old dad was still young. The water had only reached his knees, yet it had already risen past Lu Qiang’s waist.
The river fish after the rain were especially plump and delicious. Sometimes they were crucian carp, sometimes báitiáo, but most often they were carp. Each one was about a chi long, and catching one was enough to feed three people for two meals.
Back then, in his heart, rainy days were even more worth celebrating than the New Year.
Later, after he went to Zhangzhou, he did not return for several years. He had tasted countless rare and exquisite delicacies, yet he never again ate river fish that fresh.
The day he was released from prison, there was a heavy rain.
What lay before him was no longer that small patch of land bounded on every side. The world outside was dazzling and extraordinary. As he looked at the unfamiliar streets and faces, he felt lost and helpless. His vision was clear, yet he had lost his sense of direction.
Genzi parked the car securely. A snow-white figure suddenly appeared outside the car window. She was drenched by the rain, her appearance disheveled, yet her pair of dark eyes was exceptionally pure and clear.
Her skin was fair, her wedding dress pure white. Even on a rainy day, he could see a vast expanse of brightness above her head.
Today, it was raining too.
And the girl lying in his arms had finally become his girl...
***
The room was unnaturally quiet. The man behind her was breathing steadily, as though he had fallen asleep.
Lu Yin turned her head back slightly. “Are you asleep?”
After a long while, “Mm.”
“Aren’t you cold?”
Lu Qiang cleared his throat. “I’m covered in sweat. Just cooling off.”
Lu Yin slowly turned around and lifted a gap in the blanket. “Come in.”
Lu Qiang looked at her in the darkness and obediently slipped beneath the blanket. After being blown by the cold wind for several minutes, his body was actually already cold. The moment he touched Lu Yin, she could not help shivering.
Lu Qiang moved back a little. Only after his body had warmed up did he pull her back into his arms.
Outside the window, wind and rain swayed and surged. Beneath the blanket, they lay together without reserve, like a tiny haven sheltered from the storm, incomparably warm and incomparably secure.
Lu Yin rested against his chest and lazily asked, “What time is it?”
Reaching over her, he took his phone from his pants pocket on the floor. “A little after six.”
Lu Yin was startled. “It’s that late? Aren’t you going to take over Master Li’s shift?”
“I’ll lie down a little longer.”
“He’s going to have something to say about it.”
“It’s fine. I’ll give him two cartons of cigarettes another day.”
With his arms braced on either side of her, he flipped through his phone. Lu Yin raised her head and glanced at it, remembering the phone call that had sounded midway through. “Was that Master Li calling just now?”
“Mm.”
Lu Yin bit her lip. “...Then what are you going to say later?”
“The truth.”
“You dare.” Without thinking, Lu Yin pinched his waist. Lu Qiang, however, shuddered, his body instantly going rigid, as though hundreds upon thousands of ants were crawling wildly across his skin.
Lu Yin immediately realized she had done something wrong and quickly tried to placate him. “I’m sorry.”
Lu Qiang tossed aside his phone and turned her over, smacking her buttocks with loud slaps. “Haven’t you learned your lesson?”
Lu Yin reached an arm behind herself to push him, looking pitiful. “I forgot. I’m really sorry.”
“Too late.”
Lu Qiang gripped her slender waist and came at her from behind this time, successfully drawing a muffled moan from her. He paused, then fine, dense kisses fell across her back and the nape of her neck. Lu Qiang murmured indistinctly, “This time, I’ll make sure you remember it for the rest of your life.”
His words were harsh, but his actions were exceptionally gentle. He took care of her in every way, as though he were an entirely different person from last time.
Lu Yin had another kind of experience this time. Her heart and body felt filled to the brim. For a moment, she could barely hold herself up. Her teeth clenched tightly onto the pillow, sweat pouring like rain, even her fingers trembling.
Her braid had come loose and lay messily to one side. Lu Qiang gently removed her hair tie and smoothed her hair out over the pillow. “Do you believe me?”
Lu Yin froze for half a moment before realizing he was asking about the commotion that evening. “You said you have a lot of money.”
“So you think I wouldn’t stoop to it?”
“...Mm.”
“What if I lied to you?”
Without even thinking, Lu Yin said, “I believe you would never...” The last word was broken apart by his movement. She caught her breath and continued, “But... she said you were being handsy.”
Lu Qiang stopped. “You believe her?”
Lu Yin bit her lip and slowly shook her head.
Lu Qiang kissed her earlobe and whispered close to her, “You little ungrateful thing. If you dare nod, I’ll fucking fuck you to death tonight.”
He turned Lu Yin over and thrust into her again. In the darkness, he looked into her eyes and said softly, “Right now, I can leave you all by yourself.”
His tone was gentle, his voice frighteningly low. Lu Yin’s heart trembled. A surge of emotion rose within her chest, slowly rushing upward, making the tip of her nose sting. She lifted her upper body, wrapped her arms around his neck, and took the initiative to kiss his lips.
Lu Qiang was set off. All his reason collapsed in an instant. The lurking wild wolf awakened, a dark gleam suddenly lighting his eyes. His movements became fierce. A whimper passed between their pressed-together lips, but Lu Qiang refused to let her go.
After a long while, he rose onto his knees and launched into one final assault. Lu Yin did not hold out for long. Her lower abdomen tightened and trembled, her upper body arching upward before falling back down, never to rise again...
Lu Qiang pressed close to her. “We’ll have to replace the bed tomorrow.”
After quite some time, Lu Yin caught her breath. “Why?”
“Too hard.”
She remembered something. “...You didn’t use that.”
“I didn’t do it inside.” He pulled tissues from the bedside table and wiped her lower abdomen for her.
Lu Yin gave a “Tch.” “You’re really petty.”
“I see you’ve gotten pretty damn bold, daring to talk back to me now.”
Lu Yin pursed her lips. She was just about to retort when the bedroom door went knock, knock. She looked at him. “Who could it be this late?”
Lu Qiang tucked her back into the blankets. “Lie down properly. I’ll go see.”
He jumped out of bed and pulled on his trousers before going to open the door. Old Li knocked and found nothing in the way of a response. When he saw the man standing before him bare-chested, sweat gleaming all over his body, he froze for a moment and forgot what he had come to say.
Lu Qiang fastened his pants. “What brought you here?”
Old Li pulled his gaze back from Lu Qiang’s trousers and coughed twice. He was wearing a black raincoat, its hem dripping water, his trouser legs already soaked through. Lu Qiang blocked the doorway, showing no intention of letting him inside.
Old Li’s tone was not particularly pleasant. “Do you know what time it is? I’ve been covering for you for nearly two hours. It’s raining, and my wife keeps urging me to come home.”
“Sorry about that,” Lu Qiang said. “I’ll buy you a drink another day. I’ll cover your night shift next week.”
Only then did Old Li relax a little. “I called you, but you didn’t answer. After what happened tonight, I was worried something might have happened to you two. I thought about it and decided I’d better come over and take a look.”
Lu Qiang said, “Thanks.”
Old Li glanced inside. The room was pitch-black. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah.” Lu Qiang said, “Keep an eye on things for me a little longer. I’ll be there in a moment.”
After seeing Old Li off, Lu Qiang turned on the bedroom light. Lu Yin covered her eyes with the blanket. He closed the window, drew the curtains tightly, then used a mop to give the floor a quick wipe.
He glanced toward the bed. Lu Yin was still hiding beneath the sheets. He tugged at them, but she would not let go.
Through the blanket, Lu Qiang said, “Don’t shower. Just go straight to sleep. I have to go over there.” He touched the top of her head. “Can you manage on your own?”
After a moment, Lu Yin nodded.
“Go to sleep early.”
He put on his shoes, picked up his T-shirt from the floor and pulled it on, preparing to put on his jacket.
“There’s an umbrella in the shoe cabinet by the door.” Her voice was small.
He turned around. At some point, Lu Yin had crawled out. Only her two large eyes were visible above the blanket, blinking again and again, both hands resting beside her face, like a well-behaved, sleepy little kitten.
Lu Qiang bent down and kissed her eyes, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m leaving.”
Lu Yin’s nose stung. She softly answered, “Mm.”
Lu Qiang said, “I’ll come back later and sleep here.”
“The key is on the floor in the hallway.”
“I saw it.” Lu Qiang kissed her on the lips. “Go to sleep.”
Before leaving, he turned off all the lights. In an instant, the room returned to silence.
But this time, she was the only one left.
Lu Yin turned onto her side and pulled the blanket tightly around herself. Her heart felt both desolate and afraid. She was afraid of becoming dependent, afraid of trust, and even more afraid of falling in love.
During the six months after separating from Liu Zecheng, she had thought loneliness was simply the normal state of life. She had forced herself to adapt and forget, and had even been glad that she was slowly moving on.
She did not want to fall into a trap so easily. She had avoided and dodged in every possible way, yet she had still fallen in despite herself.
And this time, whether the trap was deep, whether she would survive, was all in that man’s hands. Nothing was under her control anymore.
Lu Yin’s thoughts ran wild. Her body was utterly exhausted, and she soon fell asleep.
When she woke again, it was already morning.
A clear sky stretched above, white clouds drifting beneath the sunlight. Magpies chattered from the eaves, dogs barked, children cried and fussed. It was a morning brimming with life.
Lu Yin stared fixedly out the window. There was a heavy weight around her waist.
Behind her, his breathing was long and steady.
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