Chapter Four (Part 2): Probing
Rumors were like a virus, spreading wildly through invisible, hidden corners.
Lu Yin felt dejected. When she walked out of the factory building, it was as though she had escaped from a cage, and the feeling of being watched from behind like thorns had finally eased somewhat.
She had not gone far when the footsteps behind her grew closer and closer. Someone called her name.
Lu Yin stopped and turned around, forcing a smile. “Chen Rui.”
Chen Rui jogged a few steps to catch up and walk beside her. The two of them blended into the crowd as they walked out through the factory gates. He glanced at her, seeming to want to say something but hesitating.
After walking for a while, Lu Yin raised her head and said goodbye. “I’m going up ahead to wait for the bus. See you.”
“Wait.” Chen Rui called her back.
“Is something wrong?”
He ran a hand back through his short hair. After pausing for a moment, he finally spoke. “I’m sorry about what happened today.”
Lu Yin smiled. “You didn’t do anything wrong. There’s no need to apologize to me.”
Seeing her smile, Chen Rui relaxed a little. “Actually, you don’t need to care about what those people say. They don’t mean any harm. They’re just bored and like to run their mouths about gossip.”
“I know.”
“Don’t take it too much to heart.”
Lu Yin gave a perfunctory response. “Okay.”
After another few seconds of silence, he lowered his head and looked at her face, finally asking what he had wanted to ask. “You and him… you two really aren’t getting married?”
Lu Yin frowned instinctively. For no reason, irritation rose inside her. She was extremely resistant to people asking about this.
Seeing her expression, Chen Rui hurriedly explained, “I’m not asking out of gossip or curiosity. I’m different from them. I really…”
The words “care about you” had not yet left his mouth when Lu Yin interrupted him. “I don’t really want to discuss this topic.”
She turned her head and glanced to the side. “The bus is here. I’ll go first.”
Chen Rui let out an “Eh,” but Lu Yin did not stop for even half a step. She boarded the approaching bus.
It was a half-hour bus ride from the factory to her home, and Route 655 went there directly. At quitting time, the bus was crowded. Lu Yin moved toward the back and found an empty spot to stand.
The air conditioning was not on. The air inside was hot and stuffy, and she had barely been standing for a while before sweat began running down her cheeks and into her neck.
She held onto the overhead handrail with one hand and wiped away the sweat with the other. Once the bus started moving, the wind outside poured in, but it did little to relieve the heat. It still struck her face with a scorching warmth.
Lu Yin looked outside. The people and roads beyond the window flashed past in a dizzying blur.
She sighed, suddenly feeling that being alive was truly exhausting.
Sometimes, she hated herself, too. She was too sensitive, too concerned with other people’s eyes. She was always timid and hesitant, worrying about this and that, never living for herself for even a moment. Even now, faced with heartbreak and betrayal, she still cared about what other people were saying about her behind her back.
Her thoughts wandered chaotically throughout the journey.
For a while, she thought there was no way she could stay at the factory and that she should seriously consider a way out. Then she thought, perhaps she could swallow her pride and ask Old Du whether there was still an opportunity to go to the VR headquarters. Temporarily leaving might be a good solution.
Just as she was thinking this, the phone in her pocket vibrated. She freed one hand to take it out and saw a notification from a bank. It showed that a sum of money had been transferred into her account: 138,500 yuan, not one cent more, not one cent less.
Lu Yin bit her lip and could not help trembling slightly. She clenched her phone tightly. Two seconds later, it vibrated again. This time it was a call, and she hung up immediately.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Yin typed a few words and sent them over:
“Received.”
The other side did not call again. After a long while, he replied by text with a single word:
“Okay.”
Lu Yin stared at the screen. Her finger moved slightly, and another message immediately popped up.
“Yinyin, I’m sorry. You have to be well.”
That form of address suddenly leaped into her eyes. He had once called her Yinyin in a tender, affectionate tone. She had answered him again and again. Back then, their days had been sweet and happy, so happy that she would wake from her dreams smiling.
In barely more than half a month, everything had changed. Now, when he called her that again, besides heartache, there was also an uncontrollable hatred and disgust. Every memory had become hateful and repulsive.
Lu Yin’s heart suddenly clenched, as though an iron awl had been driven into it. The pain spread to her neck, then all the way to the back of her head. The scene outside the window blurred, becoming brilliant patches of color that she could no longer focus on.
She raised her head, widened her eyes, and desperately tried to hold herself together.
The bus stopped. Lu Yin pushed her way through the crowd and got off. She blinked, and a single drop of water fell to the ground.
At last, the world came back into focus.
Seven years of love could withstand the wearing away of time, but not the erosion of wind and rain. Everything they had shared completely collapsed in the previous moment.
He wanted the house. She wanted the money.
They would go their separate ways, and from then on, they would have nothing to do with each other.
***
The sky gradually darkened. For the latter part of the journey, Lu Yin walked home. She ate dinner at a restaurant outside the residential complex and asked the owner for a bottle of beer while she was there.
Lu Yin was somewhat tipsy. Carrying her backpack, she tottered along in her high heels, her steps unsteady and unable to keep straight. The bad mood from earlier had been dispelled considerably by the alcohol, leaving her inexplicably exhilarated.
When she reached the entrance of the residential complex, Old Li called out to her. “Xiao Lu, you’re back?”
Lu Yin steadied herself and turned her head. “Master Li, you haven’t gone home yet?”
“I’m just about to.” He wiped down the seat of his bicycle with a rag. Remembering something, he called after her again. “You’ve got a package. It arrived this morning… Well, it’s a heavy one.” He called toward the back, “Xiao Lu, give me a hand with this. It’s under the table leg.”
Lu Yin tilted her head at the sound of his voice, only then noticing that there was another person behind him.
The man was sitting on a long bench outside the security booth, seemingly having just come in to take over the shift. He was not wearing a security uniform, dressed instead in black shirt and black trousers. His left foot was slipped into a single old Beijing cloth shoe, while the sole of the other shoe faced upward on the ground. His right heel rested against the edge of the bench as he ate.
When Lu Yin saw the man clearly, her heart jolted, and half her drunkenness vanished instantly.
Lu Qiang gave an “Mm” through his mouth but did not move. His gaze remained fixed on her.
Lu Yin felt extremely uncomfortable under his stare. She shifted one step sideways, using Old Li’s body to block his line of sight, thinking she would come back another day to collect the package.
Old Li frowned and turned his head. “Xiao Lu, what are you thinking about?”
Lu Qiang shifted his gaze. “Let me finish this bite.”
With half a packet of cha tsai beside him, he stuffed the last of the mantou in his hand into his mouth. He spread his hands and looked around for somewhere to wipe them. In the end, he simply rubbed them against his trousers. Then he glanced at Lu Yin once more before going inside to get the package.
Old Li exchanged a few pleasantries with her. Lu Qiang carried the package out.
He looked at Old Li. “It’s not hers.”
Old Li thought his eyes had deceived him. Taking advantage of the package still in Lu Qiang’s hands, he squinted at the label and looked closely. “It’s right. Building 11, Room 302, Lu Yin.”
Lu Qiang said, “She lives on the second floor.”
Lu Yin’s face grew hot. She remembered that day, when she had used a little trick to shake him off.
Old Li said, “You’re new here, so you don’t know yet. Xiao Lu lives on the third floor.”
The corner of Lu Qiang’s mouth moved. He glanced at her, then said again, “Second floor. That’s what she said herself.”
Old Li looked puzzled and muttered, “I repaired her water pipes before. There’s no way I got it wrong!”
Lu Yin smoothed the hair at her temple, her eyes lowered and her gaze drifting uncertainly. By now, the alcohol was rising to her head. Strands of hair danced lightly in the breeze, while her cheeks felt hot and itchy.
She scratched at her head with her hand, smoothed her hair back, then tugged at the hem of her skirt. After a good while, she finally raised her head and gave two dry laughs. “I think I said it wrong that day.”
Old Li looked pleased with himself. “See?”
Lu Qiang glanced at him, then shifted his gaze back. Seeing the embarrassment on her face, he gave a half-smiling, half-amused “Oh.”
Old Li said, “That makes sense now. Got it all cleared up… Oh, right, I haven’t formally introduced you two!”
Neither of them spoke. Lu Qiang’s eyes were still lowered, following her.
Old Li failed to notice the subtle tension between them. Their silence was as good as consent, so he turned to Lu Yin. “This is the new security guard in our complex. His name is Lu Qiang. He’s from out of town… Just look at his build.”
He raised a hand and patted Lu Qiang on the shoulder, sighing. “We should hire more young people like him. Then the residents will feel safer. An old man like me should start thinking about retirement, too!”
Lu Yin said, “You’ve managed the security here very well.”
Old Li laughed at himself and waved his hand. “Far from it. From now on, if anything happens, just find Xiao Lu. He’s a good man, honest and straightforward. He never complains no matter what work he has to do. He just doesn’t like to talk.”
Lu Yin pressed her lips together and stole a quick glance at him.
The bald patch on the top of his head had already grown a layer of black hair, extremely short and lying close to his scalp. It looked stiff and prickly to the touch. The scar at his temple was half concealed by his sideburns, making it less conspicuous. Much of his former sharpness had been restrained.
In the instant she lowered her head, her eyes swept over his clothes. His short-sleeved shirt was loose and oversized, and very thin. When the wind blew, it still revealed the outline of his sturdy physique. Standing there, he was tall and straight, and purely in terms of appearance, extremely striking.
But because of her first impression of him, even though he was not some irredeemably evil person, Lu Yin still felt that Old Li’s description was somewhat inaccurate.
She did not find him honest and straightforward at all. On the contrary, she always felt an indistinct air of danger about him. The way he looked at her was too direct, too unabashed, carrying a hint of ill intent.
Lu Yin gathered her thoughts. “All right… Master Li, I’ll head back first.”
Old Li said, “This package is too heavy. Let Xiao Lu take it over for you.” He turned to Lu Qiang. “I’ll keep an eye on things for you.”
Lu Yin was startled. “No need to trouble him. I can manage.”
She stepped forward, intending to take the box from his hands.
Lu Qiang did not move.
She supported the bottom of the box and tried to pull it toward herself.
Lu Qiang said, “It’s heavy.”
Lu Yin remained silent and exerted a little more force.
Stubborn temperament. Wouldn’t listen to advice.
The corner of Lu Qiang’s lips curled. After a moment, he released his grip.
The box was far heavier than she had imagined. Caught off guard, she dropped with its weight. Her high heel twisted, and Lu Yin half collapsed onto the box.
“Ow!”
She scrambled frantically to support herself.
A laugh came from above her head, low and hoarse, sounding as though he were in a particularly good mood.
Old Li stepped forward to help her up, not forgetting to scold her. “Can’t take a compliment, can you? And now you’re all flustered and careless.”
Lu Qiang did not argue. There was no one else in his eyes. He watched the little woman clumsily struggle, her cheeks flushed crimson, lips pressed tightly together. She was obviously furious, yet did not dare look into his eyes, merely rolling her eyes lightly toward his feet. There was an innate, slightly coquettish innocence to her appearance.
He bent down, picked up the box, and hoisted it onto his shoulder. It was effortless.
Lu Yin began, “Really…”
“Follow me.”
He was already walking ahead.
Lu Yin stared at his back and ground her teeth. After saying goodbye to Old Li, she hurried after him.
His legs were long and his strides were large. For every one of his steps, Lu Yin had to take three quick ones.
Her building was farther inside the complex, and the small paths wound and twisted. It took seven or eight minutes to walk there.
Lu Yin struggled to keep up, her breathing becoming slightly uneven.
After a few seconds, the person ahead finally realized something. He turned around and stopped. Only after Lu Yin caught up did he start walking again, this time slowing his pace considerably.
They walked side by side, yet somehow it was even more awkward because neither had anything to say. Compared with the few minutes the journey had taken before, this time it seemed extraordinarily long.
Lu Qiang, however, was perfectly at ease. Carrying the box on his shoulder as though he were out for a stroll, he glanced into the distance.
In the park, a group of people were dancing ballroom-style. Men and women alike were dressed in colorful, eye-catching clothes, twisting their waists and spinning as their skirts flew.
He gave a scoff and brought his gaze back.
“Do you get off work at this time every day?”
“…Huh?”
Lu Yin had been lost in thought. Only after hearing him speak did she turn her head, her eyes somewhat blank. After processing his question, she answered, “Oh… no. I went to eat.”
Lu Qiang looked at her for a moment and muttered with a smile, “So clueless.”
“What?”
He smiled and did not repeat himself. “What did you buy?”
“A crystal chandelier.”
“Bought it online?”
She nodded once.
Lu Qiang said, “This thing weighs quite a bit.”
“Mm,” she replied. Remembering that Old Li had said he did not talk much, a description that seemed wrong on every count, she added perfunctorily, “It’s for three rooms.”
“Renovating the house?”
Her expression darkened, and she pressed her lips together before nodding.
Lu Qiang did not continue with that topic. Instead, he asked, “You know how to use a computer to buy things?”
She did not understand what he meant. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“I don’t.”
Lu Yin looked at him.
Lu Qiang said casually, “I tried learning before, but never got the hang of it. Later, I went inside.”
Lu Yin: “…”
They entered the stairwell. Lu Qiang went up to the third floor in one breath. The light overhead had not been repaired, leaving it so dark that she could not see her hand in front of her face.
Lu Yin followed closely behind. “Thank you. Just put it here. I’ll carry it inside myself.”
Lu Qiang was still carrying it. He said, “Open the door.”
“Really, it’s fine. You’ve already helped me enough!”
His lazy voice came from the darkness. “Relax. I’m not a bad person.”
Her thoughts exposed, Lu Yin hurriedly explained, “I didn’t mean anything by that…”
The words came rushing out. Lu Qiang said nothing.
She opened her mouth, then felt there was no point. After several seconds, the quiet stairwell was filled with the crisp clatter of keys.
She edged forward a few steps and secretly glanced up at Lu Qiang.
Everything before her was pitch-black. He was like some enormous creature concealed within the darkness.
Lu Yin opened the door and stepped back. Lu Qiang went inside, but the lights inside were still off.
There was a hallway immediately upon entering. Lu Qiang turned sideways. “Where’s the light?”
“Behind you.”
He felt around for a long while. “Can’t find it.”
Lu Yin stepped forward and reached out to touch it.
Lu Qiang was blocking the switch. The hallway was narrow to begin with and packed with clutter, while his large frame filled the space, and he showed no intention of moving.
The distance between them narrowed.
Heat radiated from his body toward her. A masculine scent rushed into her nose, mixed with a faint trace of sweat. Strangely, it was not unpleasant.
She raised her eyes slightly and suddenly met his gaze.
A faint light from outside the window reflected in his eyes. His gaze was bright, intense, and focused.
Her heart trembled, and instinctively, she shrank backward.
For a moment, the cramped space was eerily silent. Even the sound of their clothes brushing against each other could be heard clearly.
They stood in the darkness for a while.
Then Lu Qiang suddenly took a step forward.
His arms were broad, his massive frame looming over her. With the box still on his shoulder, he pinned her into the corner.
He suddenly moved closer.
Lu Yin was frightened. She drew her neck in and squeezed her eyes shut.
But Lu Qiang did not continue. His nose hovered beside her ear.
Lu Yin’s entire body went rigid. She held her breath.
Lu Qiang paused. His nostrils flared. Then he lowered his head slightly and sniffed again.
A faint fragrance of alcohol drifted from her body, mingling with her own distinctive scent.
In a hoarse voice, he asked, “You drank?”
Lu Yin opened her eyes, her heart pounding. “Huh?”
“How much?”
“…A little.”
Lu Qiang looked at her for a moment, then glanced into the room. He smiled.
“Your husband isn’t home?”
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