Chapter Sixteen (Part 2): Heaven, Hell
Over the course of a cigarette, he slowly turned his head back. Everyone at the table was somewhat subdued. Kun Dong sat the farthest away, fiddling with the chopsticks in his hands. He was a big man who usually had no particular hobbies and lived for eating. Even he was no longer moving his chopsticks now. He raised his head to look around, then lowered it again.
Lu Qiang smiled, relit the stove, and added another plate of beef. He tossed in some shrimp balls and lettuce as well. Before long, another layer of hazy mist covered the glass.
He called out, “Stop sitting there staring blankly. Hurry up and eat. Kun Dong, all the meat's yours.”
Lu Qiang also picked some into his own bowl. “That was so long ago.” He glanced toward the restroom. “Just watch what you say and don't go spouting nonsense about it, and we're good.”
Da Long was the first to speak. “Of course not.”
He picked up his chopsticks and fished around in the pot.
Once someone started eating, the others followed.
The atmosphere eased within a few minutes.
Lu Qiang filled his glass, set the bottle in the middle, and let them pour for themselves. He asked Da Long, “You moved somewhere recently?”
Da Long answered, “Aquatic-product transportation isn't easy to do. My crappy truck's equipment isn't up to par. In winter I'm afraid of the cold, in summer I'm afraid of the heat, and the capacity is small too. Making a trip to another province isn't worth it at all.”
“What are you doing for work now?”
He said, “I found a logistics company. It’s over by the Qianjinmen Wholesale Market, and I deliver goods to the businesses along the Binhai route.”
Genzi cut in, “Is it a good route? If it is, I’ll run it with you too.”
Da Long crossed one leg over the other, looking utterly unconcerned. “It’s not a bad route, except there’s someone up top holding me down and never giving me any work.” He spat the words out. “There’s this guy called Junzi. He’s been around a long time and thinks being a little leader means he can bully newcomers. He gives me fewer deliveries, so I earn less than everyone else.”
Kun Dong laughed. “That means he wants you to give him a gift.”
“Bullshit.” Da Long glared. “I can’t stand the sight of him. I’ve wanted to beat him up for ages. He should ask around about who I used to run with. One good beating and they’d all be flat on the ground calling me Grandpa.”
Lu Qiang rested the tip of his chopsticks against the tabletop and looked at him from under lowered lids. “Who you used to run with?”
Da Long gave an embarrassed little laugh and quickly changed his wording. “That depends on who I used to hang around with. Didn’t you ask who Qiang Ge is?”
Lu Qiang smiled. “Your Qiang Ge is guarding the gate now.” He raised his wrist and tapped Da Long with the tip of his chopsticks. “You’d better behave. You used to run with the black society, and now you’re yelling about beating people up and killing them all day long.”
“Hehe, Qiang-ge, I was just saying it. Why are you taking it seriously?” Da Long did not dare argue back and lowered his head to stuff another bite of food into his mouth.
Genzi picked up the conversation. “Ge, are you really planning to stay there and work?”
Lu Qiang paused, his eyes fixed on some point without moving. “For now.”
Genzi grinned. “Heh, having a sister-in-law really does make a difference. Ge, you never used to say that.”
Lu Qiang glanced at him. “What did I used to say?”
“I can’t remember the exact words. Anyway, it was something like, there’s nothing wrong with working as a security guard.”
Lu Qiang gave a soft snort of laughter and did not respond.
Da Long perked up and started teasing Genzi. “You’d know just by thinking with your ass. Before, our boss was a bachelor, and whether he earned more or less, he had no trouble with food or clothes and nothing to worry about. Now he’s got a little sister-in-law, and she’s such a gentle beauty, soft as water. How could our boss bear to let her suffer any grievances with him?”
He put on a shameless grin and asked, “Hehe, isn’t that right, Boss?”
Lu Qiang laughed in exasperation and pointed at him. “You’re going to get yourself into trouble with that mouth of yours someday.”
The other two laughed along. Da Long said, “Well, sister-in-law isn’t here. Qiang-ge, what do you want to do in the future?”
He hooked his little finger against his forehead. “Haven’t thought about it.”
“How about we start some kind of business?”
Lu Qiang pressed his lips together without answering. After a moment, he glanced toward the bathroom and only then remembered that she had gone in quite a while ago and still had not come out. Lu Qiang shifted his chair back. “I’m going to take a piss. You guys drink.”
From the main hall, a long corridor stretched inward, with private rooms of various sizes on either side. Some had their doors thrown wide open, while others were tightly shut. Lu Qiang casually glanced over and spotted someone he knew. His gaze did not linger, and he walked straight ahead.
The restroom was at the end of the corridor. Beside it was a recessed window. He walked past it, then took several steps back. His reflection appeared in the glass. The person standing with her back to him turned her head and looked at him.
Lu Qiang went straight inside to relieve himself. When he came out, his hand was still adjusting his belt.
The person beside the window was still there, still standing with her back to him as she talked on the phone.
The corridor was filled with a clamor of voices. She opened one of the windows and leaned her head out slightly. The deserted night outside was much quieter than inside.
The weather had grown bitterly cold. The tip of her nose was red from the cold, and a breeze in the night gently lifted the ends of her hair on either side.
Lu Qiang wrapped his arms around her from behind and lowered his head to breathe in the scent of her hair. She was speaking in the dialect of her hometown, soft and delicate Wu dialect speech, and he could not understand more than a few sentences, but her tones were especially fine and gentle. Lu Qiang had been drinking, and in his hazy state he lowered his eyes and nuzzled her with his nose.
Lu Yin rolled her eyes at him crossly.
Lu Qiang smiled. Taking advantage of their difference in height, he rested his chin directly on top of her head, though he still had to hunch slightly. He closed his eyes and stayed pressed against her back, with no intention of hurrying her.
Lu Yin, however, felt somewhat uncomfortable. Into the phone, she said, “Let’s hang up for now, Uncle.”
An elderly man’s voice came from the other end. “Take care of yourself while you’re out there. Come back when you have time. We’ll hang up now.”
Lu Yin agreed. Before she could hang up, her aunt’s voice drifted over leisurely, concerned. “Yinyin is busy. It’s fine, you don’t have to keep making her come back. The house is small, and I’m afraid she won’t be used to staying here...”
Lu Yin smiled and ended the call.
Lu Qiang rubbed against the tip of her ear. “Calling home?”
“Mhm.” Lu Yin’s ear tickled, and she ducked away slightly. “Uncle called just now.”
He closed the window in front of them, and the noise immediately filled their ears again. He brought his arm around in front of her and drew her into his embrace. Lu Yin immediately felt her body warm again.
He asked, “What did you talk about?”
Lu Yin said, “New Year’s Day is in a few days. He asked whether I’d have a holiday and wanted me to go back and stay for a few days.”
Lu Qiang opened his eyes. “What did you say?”
She smiled and asked, “Guess.”
His eyes closed again, and Lu Qiang replied indifferently, “I’ve got nothing better to do than worry about it. Go back or don’t, it’s up to you.” She gave a little snort, and he continued, “From the sound of it, they were just being polite.”
“I know.” Lu Yin rested her head slightly against his chest. “My aunt can’t stand having me around, but she did raise me for more than ten years. The house is small, and my younger brother and sister are still in school. I’m not going back to cause them trouble. I just miss my uncle a little.”
“Then go back for New Year?”
Lu Yin looked out the window. “Mhm.”
The two of them stood by the window without moving for a while. Someone came out of the private room beside them. She was not dressed in her usual neat style. Her black hair fell over her shoulders, her face wore light makeup, and a long sweater paired with leather pants, along with leather shoes with heels several centimeters high, made her figure look tall and slender.
She slipped on her coat and called toward the back, “Wait for me by the entrance. I’m going to the bathroom.”
She jogged a few steps. Out of the corner of her eye, she happened to glance toward the window, and she stopped short. She had had some alcohol at the dinner gathering,
Her eyes were not quite clear, but she could make out a large, broad-shouldered man standing with his back to her in that direction, his back straight and his hair cut very short. With just one glance, she recognized who it was.
Tan Wei was delighted. She lifted her leg and was about to come over. “Lu Qiang?”
He did not move when he heard her call. He raised his eyes and saw her reflection through the window. After a moment, he turned around, still holding Lu Yin in his arms.
Only when Tan Wei came closer did she see that there was a woman standing in front of him. Her features were delicate and elegant, her figure petite and shapely, and she barely reached his chest. She was nestled tightly against him, their posture unmistakably intimate.
Tan Wei smiled awkwardly. His build was so imposing that he had blocked the person in front of him, and she simply had not seen her. Her gaze involuntarily turned toward the woman again. Her hair was loose, falling smoothly against her cheeks, with a lock of hair at the crown twisted together and sticking up slightly in disarray. Her eyes were clear and bright, her nose delicate and her lips small, giving her an indescribably soft and endearing appearance.
She knew at once who she was.
Lu Qiang spoke first. “Officer Tan, what a coincidence.”
Tan Wei came back to herself and stopped a short distance away. She suppressed the excitement in her voice and deliberately composed herself. “It looked like you. I came out to eat with my master and some colleagues. Do you have friends here?”
She glanced at Lu Yin. Lu Yin felt somewhat uncomfortable and pulled his arm away, standing properly beside him.
Lu Qiang said, “I’m here eating with friends too.”
“And this is?” she asked with a smile. “Won’t you introduce her?”
Lu Qiang put an arm around the shoulder of the person beside him. “Lu Yin.” No further explanation was necessary. His gesture was enough to make everything clear.
Lu Yin smiled and nodded at her.
Tan Wei took the initiative to extend her hand. “My name is Tan Wei. I’m with the Criminal Investigation Division of Honghua District Public Security Bureau.” She lifted her chin slightly, carrying a faintly condescending air as she introduced herself.
Lu Yin stepped forward and shook her hand, her smile perfectly measured. “Hello.”
“Hello,” Tan Wei said. “Lu Qiang and I are old friends, in a way. We’ve known each other for almost seven or eight years. I first dealt with him back when he was at ‘Chao Hui.’¹ He had just graduated then and was always thinking about catching him out, and we ended up having quite a few funny incidents. Later, he went to Xiaoya Prison. I often went there for work, so I saw him a few more times, and then...” She suddenly stopped, drew a breath, and hurriedly looked at Lu Qiang. “I can say this, right?”
Lu Qiang looked at her for a moment, then laughed. “What’s there that you can’t say? Officer Tan even saved me while I was in prison. You could say she’s half a benefactor of mine.” The last sentence was directed at Lu Yin.
After hearing that, Lu Yin nodded kindly to her. But another thought had already occurred to her. From their conversation, she could tell what their relationship had been like before. Lu Qiang had teased her that Tan Wei was an old flame, and she had dwelled on it for quite some time. Now, it seemed that was not the case at all.
Lu Yin looked at Lu Qiang and could not help pressing her lips together in a smile.
Tan Wei, however, was stunned. She had known everything, something she had not anticipated. All she could do was stiffly say, “It was my job. Anyone else would have done the same.”
Lu Qiang said, “That proves you’re a good police officer.”
She did not feel particularly happy at the praise. Looking at the two people in front of her, the man tall and powerfully built, the woman sweetly dependent at his side, they were clearly not being especially intimate, yet there was an inexplicable thread of ambiguity connecting them, so natural and self-evident. The more she looked, the more perfectly matched they seemed.
The atmosphere turned awkward for a moment. She slipped her hand into her pocket and pressed her lips tightly together.
With nothing more to say, Lu Qiang said, “We won’t keep Officer Tan. We’ll be going first.”
“...Goodbye.” Tan Wei reacted a moment too late.
Lu Qiang did not look at her. He had already led Lu Yin outside, his large palm briefly covering the top of her head before sliding down to lightly support her back. The two of them were saying something to each other, and soon disappeared around the corner.
They returned to the table and ate a few more bites. It was getting late, so after saying their goodbyes, they went their separate ways.
The car was parked not far from where they lived, so they walked back. Lu Yin was in a good mood. Along the way was an artificial water channel, its edges covered with fine, scattered ice, while the water in the middle still rippled gently with the current. Across the water, the bright lights and bustle of the city reflected on its surface. When the wind passed over it, the many colors shattered across the water.
He took off his outer coat and wrapped her completely in it. They stood by the river for a while before heading toward the residential compound.
Lu Qiang was working the night shift. He saw her home and took over from Old Li. That night, he slept in the guard booth. The next day, he returned to their place to catch up on sleep. Close to noon, he was woken by a call from Lu Yin. She had bought a great many vegetables nearby and asked him to come outside and help carry them.
The first time Lu Yin came to Lu Qiang’s place, it was somewhat remote and not easy to find. There was only a single, plain brick-and-concrete apartment building, its exterior worn and dilapidated. Garbage was scattered everywhere along the road, and children with runny noses ran about and played outside.
Lu Yin followed him inside. They lived on the first floor. Just inside the door were the kitchen and bathroom, while tables and chairs were placed along the corridor. The room was not large. Against the wall stood a single bed and an old-fashioned writing desk, with a window directly in front of the desk, facing the intersection they had passed on the way in.
After all, this was the home of a single man. It had basically become a place for him to spend the occasional night. He was still somewhat particular and attentive at Lu Yin’s place, but here it was an entirely different scene.
Lu Yin got a headache. She put down the groceries and first went to gather the clothes piled in the corner. There was no washing machine in the house, so he handed a washbasin out from the bathroom.
Lu Qiang came out after showering, wearing only a pair of loose jeans. The button at the front was undone, the two sides hanging freely open, exposing most of the hair below his abdomen. Two inward curves ran from his hip bones all the way into the waistband of his pants. Bare-chested, he rubbed his hair dry. He had just showered, and his whole body was still steaming with heat.
Lu Yin sorted through the clutter. When she reached the desk, she secretly glanced at him and said softly, “You could at least fasten your pants.”
Lu Qiang was unmoved. “I’m letting you look for free. I haven’t even charged you.”
She gritted her teeth and shot back, “How much are you worth? I’ll pay you.”
Lu Qiang gave his hair a few perfunctory wipes and tossed the towel over the back of the chair. “With all the skills I’ve got, I’m priceless.”
“Shameless.”
“What did I even say that’s shameless?” Lu Qiang walked over, cupped her face, and kissed her for a while. He only let go when his breathing had grown slightly ragged.
Lu Yin steadied herself against the writing desk. When she saw his hand rubbing below his hips, she pretended not to notice and turned her gaze away.
Neither of them said anything more. They began tidying the writing desk together. It was covered entirely in trash: crumpled tissues, fast-food containers, and instant-food packets. She swept them all onto the floor in one go, planning to sweep everything up together later.
A corner of something blue showed through the gap between the desk and windowsill. She bent down and pulled it out. It was a paper courier envelope. She turned it over several times. The mailing information on the front had already faded, but in the recipient field, she could vaguely make out a name: Qian Yuanqing.
Lu Yin asked, “Is this yours?”
Lu Qiang’s gaze paused. He gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.
She could not help taking another look. “Is there any use for it anymore?”
“Throw it away.” Lu Qiang took it from her, pulled out the check inside, and handed it to her, then tossed the paper bag onto the floor. “It’s no use.”
Lu Yin was slightly stunned. She looked at the thing in her hand. “This check…”
“It’s void.”
She pressed her lips together, pinching the thin piece of paper between her fingers. Tentatively, she asked, “Who is Qian Yuanqing?”
Lu Qiang picked up the towel from the back of the chair again. His hair was already dry, but he still rubbed it a few times.
After a long silence, Lu Yin thought she was not going to get an answer, but then she heard him say, “My old lady.”
Her movements paused slightly. She could not help tightening her grip on the paper and opening her mouth, but Lu Qiang had already carried the vegetables into the kitchen.
Lu Yin’s gaze lowered. She stared at the paper bag on the floor for a long while before carefully picking it up.
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