Chapter Twenty-One (Part 1): The Rightful Outcome
Wu Qiong shut herself inside the cramped space, bracing her palm against the door. She stood there in a daze for a while, then let her forehead fall weakly onto the back of her hand.
She was not wearing much. She had just returned from the island, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and long pants underneath, with a beige trench coat over them. Her shoes were only light flats, unable to keep out Zhangzhou's damp chill. A stream of cold air shot up from the soles of her feet to her calves, and she shuddered along with it.
Feeling as though she could no longer hold herself up, Wu Qiong abruptly lifted her head and took several steps backward before dropping heavily onto the closed toilet lid.
There was no color in her face. Her eyes were dull and bewildered, and she was still cold. In the end, she lifted both feet off the ground, bent her knees, and hugged herself tightly.
The door of the stall next to hers bumped lightly. Someone came in talking on the phone. Wu Qiong turned her head slightly. Not deliberately, she simply couldn't help overhearing a few words. The other person talked and laughed at the same time, speaking of the ordinary things of an ordinary life, yet it made her feel envious. A few minutes later, the sound of a toilet flushing rang out. Then the door bumped again, the sound of heels receded, and no one was there anymore. It was dead silent, like an empty city.
Wu Qiong suddenly felt a wave of panic. She clenched both hands tightly, as though she had remembered something, then fumbled around on herself for a cigarette and bit it between her lips. A flame sprang up. Just as she brought it close to the cigarette tip, she abruptly stopped, her thumb gradually loosening. She brought the cigarette to her nose, closed her eyes, and tried hard to inhale its scent. The smell of the tobacco leaves steadied her somewhat. Only after a long while did she finally lower her chin back onto her knees.
She did not know how long she had been sitting in the stall when a cleaner shouted from outside.
She jolted and opened her eyes.
After waiting a moment, the cleaner knocked on the stall door. “Is there a Miss Wu inside?”
Wu Qiong stared blankly for a moment before answering.
The cleaner said, “There’s a gentleman outside who asked me to come in and check on you.”
Her hand trembled uncontrollably. After several seconds, she finally pulled the door open and stepped out.
Qiu Zhen was no longer where he had been before. He was waiting around the corner by the elevator, leaning against the wall at an angle. His eyes seemed to have no focus, drifting lightly toward the distance.
Wu Qiong walked to his side with a cold expression.
He toyed with his phone. After a while, his gaze finally found its focus. “You’re out?”
“...Mm.”
He lowered his head to look at her, his tone languid. “I thought you’d fallen in there. I was just about to call the police.”
Wu Qiong clenched her fists and kept her head lowered without saying a word.
He straightened up and put away his phone. “Let’s go.”
“Wait.”
He stopped. “What?”
“I kept my promise and went with you this time... shouldn’t you keep yours too and give those things back to me?”
The corner of Qiu Zhen's lips curled up. “But I didn't enjoy myself,” he said, pointing at her. “Having to face this dead person's face all day has completely ruined my appetite.”
Wu Qiong gritted her teeth. “What exactly do you want?”
He turned around, hooked an arm around her waist, and led her outside. “Want me to take you home?” Wu Qiong struggled free with all her strength. His arm tightened. “There’s a new hotel near Keji City. They’ve hired a Thai chef, and they even have a sauna. What day are you free next week? I’ll come pick you up.”
Wu Qiong's back went rigid as he dragged and half-carried her all the way out of the airport terminal. Qiu Zhen's driver was waiting by the roadside. He opened the rear door and moved to put her inside.
Wu Qiong braced herself against the car door. “Tell me, what will it take for you to finally stop?”
Her voice was icy, and her eyes seemed to hold a poisoned blade, wanting to cut him into a thousand pieces. The temperature outside was low, and that look made Qiu Zhen feel completely cold from the inside out.
He drew a slow, almost inaudible breath and raised his eyes toward the distance, his gaze dim and lifeless. After only a few seconds of adjustment, he gave a faint, indifferent smile, withdrew both hands into his pockets, and lifted the corners of his eyes frivolously. “Accompany me one more time.”
Wu Qiong's breathing faltered slightly. “Don't push your luck.”
Qiu Zhen spread both hands and gave a casual little gesture. Unlike Lu Qiang, his knuckles were distinct, his fingers long and slender, the rounded pads of his fingers curving into gentle arcs. His hands were very attractive.
He shrugged. “Go call the police.” Qiu Zhen's voice rose. There was a kind of perverse pleasure in his heart at the thought of them going down to hell together. He gritted his teeth and smiled. “Accuse me of harassment. This time, I'll admit to everything. I absolutely won't run away. But I'm the kind of person who likes to talk nonsense. About that matter...” He paused, then suddenly changed the subject. “I thought Professor Liang was so upright, the kind who couldn't stand even a speck of sand in her eyes. Your father accepted that research funding from Jianchang, so why haven't we seen her display such noble integrity and turn herself in?”
Wu Qiong was trembling with anger. “You should know perfectly well whose trap this was.”
“I don't know.” Qiu Zhen lowered his head lazily and gently lifted her chin with his fingers, taking a comfortable breath. “You really don't need me to take you home?”
Wu Qiong glared fiercely at him.
“Then wait for my call.”
“You bastard Qiu, don't push me too far.” Wu Qiong suddenly grabbed him by the collar, her knuckles turning white.
Qiu Zhen did not break free. He bent slightly with the force of her grip, bringing them closer. He saw her almost feral face and the fierce light blazing in her eyes like fire. His chest tightened, but seeing her break down filled him with a twisted sense of exhilaration.
He smiled. “And what will happen?”
Wu Qiong forced the words through clenched teeth. “We’ll both go down together.”
“Good.” His smile disappeared. “Couldn't ask for more.”
The car roared as it merged onto the main road. Qiu Zhen sank heavily against the back of his seat, breathing with difficulty, as though the force of her grip was still there. He undid two buttons and looked toward the rear. That figure gradually grew smaller, standing sideways and upright, completely motionless.
His heart sank to the lowest point. He did not want to admit it, yet he could not shake the feeling. He fought with himself, pulled out his phone, swiped around randomly, and dialed someone at random. It happened to be the big-breasted girl from last time.
He changed his tone and asked coldly, “Where are you? I'm coming to find you.”
***
Lu Qiang and Lu Yin waited in the waiting area. It took ten minutes after they got into the taxi, and with traffic moving slowly, they gradually made their way out onto the airport roadway.
Lu Yin took off her scarf and lowered her head to wind it around herself. Her eyes inadvertently glanced out the window. The car passed Terminal 1, where many private cars were parked at the entrance. She straightened her body slightly and looked outside more carefully.
Lu Qiang noticed. “What are you looking at?”
She shifted back a little and lightly tapped the glass with her finger. “It’s him.”
Lu Qiang raised his eyes and looked in the direction she pointed. Near the car stood a tall figure and a short one, facing each other in a cold, tense standoff in the biting wind, the situation taut and ready to erupt.
The car was moving fast, and they flashed past the window in an instant. Lu Yin sat back down and turned her head to look at him. He had already withdrawn his gaze, the back of his head resting lightly against the seat.
Lu Yin licked her lips. “I saw that woman earlier.”
He gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment.
“In the airport restroom, she was hiding inside smoking. Later I almost bumped into her, too. She looked a little out of it, even thinner than me. I didn't expect her to be with him.”
Lu Qiang asked, “Tired?”
“Not at all. I slept the whole way.” Lu Yin answered casually. She just had the feeling that the woman was especially familiar, as though she had seen her somewhere before.
“Go out for dinner tonight?”
She thought about it. “Let's make something at home. We'll be passing the market in a bit anyway.” Lu Yin leaned a little closer to him, and Lu Qiang naturally drew her into his arms. She asked, “Do you know that woman?”
He did not want to lie to her, but even less did he want her to know too much about what had happened in the past, so he closed his eyes and rested, pretending he hadn't heard.
Pressed against his chest, Lu Yin tried hard to remember. Suddenly, she recalled that night when the wind and snow had raged. Standing outside the police station, she had seen Tan Wei lead two people out. That day, she had been wearing a red padded coat, her short hair neat and brisk. Under the faint light, it revealed a blurred, gentle set of features.
It was also that night that she learned of the woman's identity from Tan Wei.
***
Life finally returned to the track it had been on before she left. After the New Year, Lu Yin took some annual leave along with additional days off. Her work had piled up like a mountain, and it took more than a month of being busy before she finally had some free time.
She ran into Chen Rui in the corridor. If the two of them had no business to deal with, it was difficult for them to cross paths. Ever since she and Lu Qiang had confirmed their relationship last year, she had openly told Chen Rui. He understood the situation and knew when to back off, and after that, he no longer pursued her.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Rui said he had gotten a girlfriend. They had met through a matchmaking introduction during his vacation. They got along well, their work and family backgrounds were fairly compatible, and they planned to get to know each other more deeply.
Lu Yin was genuinely happy for him, yet couldn't help sighing at how quickly time had passed. A name suddenly surfaced in her mind. When Chen Rui had first begun to develop feelings for her, she and Liu Zecheng had just broken up. Back then, she had thought that apart from him, she would never again meet someone she truly loved. Even if she did, surely no relationship could ever compare with how deeply she had loved him.
In the blink of an eye, a year had passed. There was already another person by her side, and those initial thoughts had quietly changed without her even realizing it.
Lu Yin smiled and walked to the end of the corridor, where she pushed open the window. Outside, the treetops swayed constantly. She reached out and touched them with her finger. The branches were already tinged with green. The spring breeze was warm and gentle, and it was an entirely new year.
She breathed softly and stood there for a moment before sending Lu Qiang a message.
Lu Qiang was on the day shift today, and his work was as usual.
Old Li's daughter had given birth, so the couple were busy looking after her and had resigned early to move to another province. Several people had gradually left the residential compound's property management staff as well. There was not much meaning to this job. Now that he was no longer alone, Lu Qiang had already begun making plans for the future and had started thinking about other ways to make money.
The security booth had temporarily hired a newcomer, a kid from the countryside who was ten years younger than Lu Qiang. He was simple and honest, and he was conscientious and competent at work.
Lu Qiang was living at Lu Yin's place, while he had already paid three years' rent on the house at the market, so he simply transferred the lease to the kid at a cheap rate. The kid was deeply grateful and called him “Dage” at every turn. Whenever there was heavy or tiring work, he was always the first to volunteer.
That day, he changed shifts with Lu Qiang on time. Lu Qiang and Lu Yin had arranged to eat out.
A new shopping mall had opened on Qufu Road. It was five stories tall, with a mid-to-high-end level of consumption. The restaurants were on the top floor. After eating, the two of them made their way down one floor at a time. The fourth floor sold bedding, kitchenware, and tableware. They wandered casually through several shops, but the numbers on the price tags were enough to make one's jaw drop.
Lu Yin looked at him and blinked mischievously.
Lu Qiang asked, “Want to buy something?”
She shook her head. “Just looking. It's too expensive.”
“It's not like we can't afford it.”
“Even if we can afford it, there's no need. Besides, there's nothing the house is missing. No matter how nicely we furnish it, it's not our own house.”
Lu Qiang raised an eyebrow. “Are you hinting at something?”
Lu Yin tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, her cheeks flushing. “You're reading too much into it. That's not what I meant.” She paused, then made herself clear. “Even if we buy a house in the future, we'll each pay half. I won't let you pay for it yourself.”
He liked this topic. Teasing her, he said, “Are you beating around the bush to bring up marriage with me?”
Half of Lu Yin's thoughts had been seen through. She muttered, “You brought it up before, back home.”
“What?”
She bit her lip. “I'm not getting any younger.”
This time he heard her. “What's the rush? I'm much older than you.”
Lu Yin's fingertips moved slightly. She couldn't think of anything to say. Along with her embarrassment came irritation at how flippant and casual his tone was. A little dejected, a little disappointed, she turned her head slightly. For a moment, she no longer felt like talking.
The two of them left the shopping mall. Lu Yin walked somewhat uncooperatively, and Lu Qiang had to use a little force to pull her into his arms.
Night fell. The stars overhead seemed dimmed, while the city lights dazzled brilliantly, reflected across their faces and obscuring their natural coloring.
They walked slowly along the street.
Lu Qiang asked, “Do you know what was in that bag my mom gave you?”
“No.”
“The household registration booklet.”
Lu Yin froze.
Lu Qiang said, “Don't overthink it. You're not the one who should be worried.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have no education, no job, things weren't good for me in the past, and I have a criminal record. No matter how you look at it, I'm not good enough for you.” He kissed her beside the temple. “I was the one who shamelessly clung to you until I got you, so I'm the one who should be worried.”
Lu Yin pressed her lips together. There was no obvious change in his emotions as he said this. Then, without missing a beat, he asked, “When are we going to get the marriage certificate first?”
“...Huh?”
Lu Qiang said, “My son should at least have a legitimate status.”
Lu Yin didn't understand. “Where did this son come from?”
Lu Qiang smiled. “At the rate we're going, it'll happen soon enough.”
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