Chapter Twenty-Two (Part 2): Wu Qiong’s Death
The phone turned once in his hand. He glanced at the screen again, paused for a moment, then answered.
He didn’t speak immediately, the phone pressed to his ear. The other end was unexpectedly silent. Through the receiver came the noise of a street and the fine sound of rain.
After a moment, Lu Qiang spoke first, letting out a low “Hello.”
There were a few more seconds of silence, then it wasn’t Qiu Zhen. “…Qiang-ge, it’s Wu Qiong.”
Lu Qiang fell silent. The other side seemed to feel it was abrupt as well, pausing for several seconds. “Is it convenient for you to come out for a bit?”
He was somewhat surprised. Turning his head, he looked at Lu Yin. She shifted uneasily against the pillow, her eyelashes trembling faintly. Lu Qiang stroked her hair, his palm sliding down to pat her back in a soothing rhythm.
“It’s too late. I’m afraid it’s not very convenient.”
There was no sound from the other end. Lu Qiang kept the phone to his ear for a few seconds more, then lowered it and hung up.
He switched it to vibrate. Immediately another call came in, still from the same number.
Lu Qiang answered, his gaze deepening.
Wu Qiong said, “Qiang-ge, I have a few words I want to say to you.”
He thought for a moment. “Where are you?”
Wu Qiong gave an address. Without saying another word, he cut the call. His movements were very light as he picked up his boxer briefs from the floor by the bed and put them on, then his jeans.
The bedside lamp was turned to its lowest, giving off a warm yellow glow. Lu Qiang fastened his belt, turned his head to glance at the bed. His gaze wavered for a moment, then settled again.
“Did I wake you?”
Lu Yin had her face pressed to the pillow, half prone, the thin blanket only covering her waistline, exposing the undulating curve of her bare back and half the outline of her breast and areola.
Warm light filled her eyes. “No. I haven’t really been sleeping deeply.”
Lu Qiang stood there watching her for a moment, then tossed the clothes in his hand aside and leaned over her. “Then you heard that call just now?”
“Mm.”
Lu Qiang said, “It was Wu Qiong. The girl who was with Qiu Zhen today. She’s on Luzhou Road and wants me to go over. From the way she sounded, something’s not right.” He paused. “I think I should go take a look.”
His voice was low, carrying a trace of something like a question.
Lu Yin turned over lightly, pulling the thin blanket up to cover her chest. “Is it still raining outside?”
Lu Qiang glanced toward the window. The curtains weren’t fully drawn, and fine droplets clung to the glass.
He nodded.
“Then how are you going to get there?”
There was nothing to hide from her. Lu Qiang said, “Since you’re awake, come with me. It might be hard to get a cab in the rain.”
Lu Yin didn’t know the details from before, but a faint intuition told her this wasn’t appropriate. Clearly, the other party didn’t want to see anyone else. Otherwise, she would have stayed that afternoon instead of leaving with Qiu Zhen.
Even though she trusted Lu Qiang enough, today was a special day, and the other party was still a woman. An unavoidable sourness rose in her chest, yet she still said, “I’m too tired. Can you go by yourself?”
“You can just sit in the car.”
She pinched his fingers. “I want to sleep. I can’t muster any energy.”
Lu Qiang clasped her hand in return, his hand hovering above her head for a moment. “Alright then. Sleep. I’ll go take a look and come back soon.”
Lu Yin lowered her eyes and gave a faint nod. “Mm.”
Lu Qiang kissed her shoulder, tucked the blanket around her, switched off the bedside lamp, and slipped out quietly.
He forgot to bring an umbrella. While waiting for the car, he stopped by a convenience store and bought one.
His residence wasn’t close to Luzhou Road. Fortunately, it was night, and the drive only took half an hour.
This was Zhangzhou’s sleepless district. There were several high-end hotels, along with bars and KTVs. Luxury cars lined the roadside. Even in the rain, people coming and going from places of entertainment flowed without end.
Wu Qiong crouched beneath the eaves of a roadside shop. She had her trench coat hood up, covering her brows and eyes. Neon lights from afar cast shifting colors across her face, making her expression unreadable.
Lu Qiang got out of the car, closed his umbrella, and set it upright against the wall beside him.
He lowered his gaze. “What did you want with me?”
Wu Qiong raised her head slightly, still crouching, not standing up. “It’s so late. Thank you for coming.”
Lu Qiang said nothing. He held a cigarette between his lips, cupped one hand around it to light it, then exhaled smoke toward the sky. Lowering his eyes, he saw Wu Qiong looking up at him.
“Can you give me one too?”
Lu Qiang tossed the cigarette pack to her.
Wu Qiong pulled one out. “Fire.”
The lighter was clenched in his hand. He passed it over.
They stood in silence for a while. Lu Qiang finished half a cigarette; she had already lit her second, glancing at him repeatedly, as if wanting to speak but stopping herself.
Lu Qiang spoke first. “It’s this late. Aren’t you going home?”
Wu Qiong said, “Qiu Zhen and I are staying nearby.” She pointed. “That hotel at the end of the street.”
After speaking, her peripheral gaze dropped to his feet.
Lu Qiang did not follow her unspoken wish. He looked at the street, saying nothing.
Wu Qiong pressed her lips together. “The one I saw with you at the mall… is she your girlfriend?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
Wu Qiong’s body stiffened slightly. She asked, as if unintentionally, “You two seem to be doing well. When are you getting married?”
Lu Qiang didn’t think much of it. “We just got the certificate today.”
The fingers holding her cigarette paused by her lips before she drew in again. “Then I’m really sorry, calling you out on such an important day.”
Lu Qiang said, “It’s fine. She knows.”
Wu Qiong’s hand tightened, bending the cigarette. She stood up from the ground; her legs had gone numb from crouching. Leaning against the wall, she took a long while to steady herself. “She’s very beautiful. You’re lucky.”
Lu Qiang didn’t respond. He asked again, “What did you want with me?”
Wu Qiong smiled faintly and finished the last bit of her cigarette. The words she had planned to say no longer held meaning. She almost forgot his rejection that day at the hospital. Six years later, the man who had once secured a place for himself in Zhangzhou had already disappeared. Now he was nothing out of the ordinary, newly married. Why make unreasonable demands and disturb his life?
The faint hope she had secretly held shattered completely. In a way, it finally solidified her earlier decision. God could not be fair to everyone. Such harsh and cruel arrangements had fallen upon her. Now she understood that aside from accepting her fate, she had no other choice.
Wu Qiong stubbed out the cigarette. “Sorry. I actually didn’t have anything important.” She was suddenly unusually calm, her tone as plain as water.
Lu Qiang couldn’t help turning his head. “Didn’t you have something to tell me?”
“No.” She said it firmly. “It’s late. I should go back.”
Lu Qiang wanted to ask more, but she had already stepped forward.
He watched her back, eyes darkening. “I’ll walk you.”
“No need. It’s convenient to walk.” She turned back and held out her hand. “Your cigarettes.”
Lu Qiang lowered his eyes and didn’t take them. “Keep them.”
“Then thank you.” She slipped both hands back into her pockets and stepped forward. The tip of her shoe landed in a puddle, sending up small ripples.
Lu Qiang called her name. She stopped. He handed her the umbrella. “Take it.”
Wu Qiong’s heart tightened. Memories sealed away for so long surged back. What she had once cared about, hated, forgotten. Since meeting again, after all the circling, it felt as if they had returned to the starting point.
Only now did she understand. Perhaps calling him had simply been to see him one last time, to say a proper goodbye.
Her clenched fist slowly loosened as she took the umbrella. “Thank you.”
Lu Qiang nodded.
Wu Qiong opened the umbrella and crossed the street. She turned back one last time, looking at the man standing quietly under the streetlight. Between them lay the curtain of rain, the flow of traffic, an unreachable distance. Soon, they would be separated by life and death.
“Goodbye.” She smiled and waved.
This time, Wu Qiong stepped into the darkness without hesitation.
The umbrella was large, shielding her from wind and rain. Raindrops struck above her head in a pleasant rhythm. For the first time, her heart felt an unprecedented peace.
The sound of rain stretched on. A smile lingered at the corner of Wu Qiong’s lips.
If there were a next life, she would surely wash away all the dust of this one, and only then be worthy to stand beside him.
Wu Qiong returned home once. She didn’t dare go upstairs, only stood downstairs and looked up. This side faced her parents’ bedroom. The night was deep and heavy; they were already asleep.
She stared at the pitch-black window, not knowing how long she had been standing there. Her neck had grown stiff; she slowly turned it.
The phone in her pocket had already rung several times. To call Lu Qiang, she had been holding Qiu Zhen’s phone the whole time. The screen flickered in the dark, showing her own number.
She picked up. There was a few seconds of silence, then his hurried voice came through. “In the middle of the night, where did you run off to?”
Wu Qiong said nothing.
“I’m asking you. Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”
All she could hear was his heavy breathing on the other end.
After a long moment, Wu Qiong said calmly, “I’m heading back now.”
By the time she reached the hotel room, it was already three in the morning. Qiu Zhen hadn’t slept. Wearing a bathrobe, he lounged halfway back on the sofa. In his hand was a wine glass. The moment he saw her, it was as if he let out a breath of relief, then he returned to his usual expression. His wrist moved slightly, and the dark red liquid in the glass swayed slowly.
The bottle of red wine on the table was empty. His legs were propped on the coffee table as he shot her a tight, harsh glance.
Wu Qiong didn’t take off her trench coat. Her arms were wrapped tightly across her chest. She stood in the middle of the room for a moment, then walked over and sat at the foot of the bed. “It’s so late. Drink less.”
Qiu Zhen set down the glass. “What did you take my phone for?”
Wu Qiong placed it on the bed, lowering her eyes. “Hurry up. I want to sleep.”
Her emotions were still relatively steady, with no obvious signs of anything unusual. Qiu Zhen rose from the sofa and walked over to sit beside her. At that distance, the strong smell of alcohol rushed at her.
Wu Qiong frowned in disgust, tilting her head away, but he forcibly turned it back. “Where did you go?”
She endured it. “Went out to clear my head.”
“In the middle of the night, clearing your head? You think I’m an idiot? I told you not to lie to me.” He grabbed a fistful of Wu Qiong’s hair and yanked it back hard. “Went to see him?”
“Who?”
Qiu Zhen clenched his back teeth, yanking her hair viciously. “You know who I mean.”
Wu Qiong’s chin was forced up, her breathing stalled for a few seconds. “Yes.” Her voice rose.
The line of Qiu Zhen’s jaw tightened. His other hand gripped her chin. “You’ve sunk this low already. Do you even know what shame is?”
Wu Qiong’s lips parted slightly, a distorted laugh slipping from her throat. “Spending every day with a beast like you, what is shame?”
She looked at him provocatively. The smile at the corner of her lips was cutting with sarcasm. That single expression was enough to ignite his anger. Qiu Zhen cursed under his breath. The hand gripping her hair tightened further. He had been drinking, his nerves overstimulated, unable to tolerate even the slightest provocation.
Wu Qiong’s posture was twisted. She shot him a sidelong glance. “What are you angry about? Angry that I went to see him? Or angry that I called you a beast?”
Qiu Zhen stared at her, his eyes bloodshot.
“Aren’t you?” She realized she could no longer hold back. Her hand trembled violently inside her coat.
His gaze turned vicious. Suddenly, he gave a cruel smile. “Seems I can’t bear this accusation for nothing.”
Qiu Zhen released her, then violently tore open her collar along with the inner layer beneath. Fabric ripped apart, exposing her pale shoulder. As she tried to cover her chest, a flash of cold silver light caught his eye, and Qiu Zhen instantly grew alert.
The hatred in her chest was no longer concealed. She pulled out a dagger and suddenly lunged at him. Qiu Zhen reacted quickly, instinctively throwing himself backward.
In a moment of rage, a person’s strength is boundless. Her eyes were split with fury, nearly tearing apart. Half straddling him, she drove the blade toward his face.
Qiu Zhen grabbed her wrist. “Stop, Wu Qiong. Are you insane?”
“I’m going to kill you!” she roared.
Qiu Zhen was shocked out of his wits. In that instant of panic, the tip of the blade nearly pierced his eyeball. He flipped over with all his strength, pinning her beneath him. Applying force to her hand, the dagger shifted slightly off course, lying crosswise between them.
Her face was terrifying, both hands gripping the dagger tightly. Qiu Zhen was horrified. “Qiongqiong!” He tried to soften his voice. “Don’t act rashly. If there’s something to say, we can sit down and talk it through.”
She had already descended into madness and couldn’t hear anything anymore. Her knee drove up brutally, striking him hard in the groin.
Qiu Zhen let out a muffled groan and jerked his body upward. His chest pressed against her cheek. Wu Qiong twisted and flipped, struggling toward the direction of the floor. The two of them tangled together and rolled off the bed.
All he felt was her body pinned beneath him, a dull thud, and then a faint, unfamiliar cracking sound. Suddenly, there was no more movement beneath him. In an instant, the room fell into a strange, suffocating silence.
Still shaken, hot breath flared from his nostrils. A warm, wet sensation gradually spread across his chest. A chill of terror rose in him. He suddenly jerked up from her and fell back onto the floor.
Wu Qiong lay there completely still.
Around her neck, the horizontal dagger was shocking to the eye, already buried seven or eight tenths into the flesh. Dark red blood continuously welled out along the blade.
Her pupils were dilated, and her limbs were twitching in rapid spasms.
Qiu Zhen let out a furious roar and tore off his bathrobe to press against her wound.
Her gaze was unfocused. From her throat came a rasping “heh heh” sound.
Veins bulged across Qiu Zhen’s temples. “Qiongqiong?” His lips trembled as he called her name again and again. His hands were stiff; he had never been this panicked in his life. In just a few seconds, the snow-white bathrobe was rapidly soaked through with blood.
Qiu Zhen was struck as if by lightning. He pulled his hands away from her neck and ripped off the bathrobe. His hands were covered in bright red blood. Trembling, he cupped her face. “Qiongqiong, don’t… hold on…”
He scrambled on all fours to the edge of the bed and dialed three digits on his phone. The screen showed it was connecting. His thumb moved, then he suddenly hung up as if by instinct, throwing the phone far away like it was a burning object.
Wu Qiong lay there in a strange, twisted posture. The spasms were no longer as frequent. Her nerves twitched intermittently, once in a while.
He lunged over and scooped up the blood on the floor, pressing it desperately toward her wound, no regard for anything else. His vision blurred with a misty haze, and her face slowly became indistinct.
Qiu Zhen wiped his eyes with his arm. She lay quietly in a pool of blood, her body covered in filth. He scrambled in panic, a twisted howl spilling from his throat, desperately wishing for even the slightest response—if only she would suddenly spring up and drive that dagger into his body.
But everything was already too late.
The liquid in his hands had gone cold. The room was filled with a thick, sweet, metallic stench. The girl no longer had any breath. Her eyes were still slightly open, and a single tear-like drop slowly slid from the corner of her eye. In the end, she had chosen this extreme and radical way to end everything.
***
At dawn, faint light from the window fell onto her pale face.
Qiu Zhen jolted as if struck. He stumbled and crawled into the bathroom, where he had already been sitting blankly for two hours. In a frantic panic, he washed the blood from his hands, threw on his clothes, grabbed his phone, and fled the room as if running for his life.
The continuous day-and-night drizzle had finally stopped. The streets were washed clean, with only a few scattered pedestrians and passing cars.
He had no direction. After driving for half an hour, his gaze drifted to his phone.
In his panic, he tapped the screen and accidentally opened the call log. His eyes scanned it—and froze. The last call shown was to Lu Qiang, at 1:03 a.m.
He had thought she was speaking in anger. But she had really gone to see Lu Qiang.
Qiu Zhen’s mind was in chaos. He couldn’t make sense of anything anymore and had no capacity to think about anything else.
He dialed a number.
It was picked up quickly on the other end.
After a long silence, Qiu Zhen murmured, almost choking on the words: “Dad… I killed someone.”
No comments:
Post a Comment