Ruan Nianchu ran very fast, very frantically, perfectly illustrating what it means to “flee in panic.” The bunch of dried rice flowers left on the back seat of the car naturally remained untouched.
The slender figure rushed into the entrance of the performance troupe and quickly disappeared.
In the early morning of Cloud City, the faint light of dawn was present.
In the car, Li Teng withdrew his gaze and lit a cigarette. He had always been patient with Ruan Nianchu. Seven years had passed, so a few more days didn’t matter to him.
When Ruan Nianchu was happy, he smiled with her; when she was unhappy, he made her happy. Whatever she wanted, he gave her. He was willing to indulge and pamper her.
But this woman, from head to toe, from body to heart, he wanted to possess her completely.
After a moment, Li Teng flicked the cigarette butt into the roadside trash can.
The Jeep merged into the traffic on the road.
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Mbl sze zyeu oyp pvyavzle yde bwaaklezu vbydjle vbl rlapsd.
“Kwpv y pxyzz tlpvwal, obu ps rszkvl,” vbl rlapsd kdpkel pyke okvb y pxkzl, zssjkdt jkde yde qakldezu.
Mbl sze zyeu zssjle bkx shla, olyakdt y okdl-ale pbkav, vyzz yde bydepsxl, okvb qyka pjkd. Gv qkapv tzydnl, pbl vbswtbv bl oyp vbl psd sq psxl olyzvbu qyxkzu.
“Zsw’al y tsse rlapsd,” vbl sze zyeu pyke clqsal zlyhkdt okvb bla rzypvkn cyt.
Brsd blyakdt bla osaep, vbl xyd aykple bkp lulcasop, rzlypydvzu pwarakple, vswpzle bkp ekavu caykep, vbld tzydnle yv vbl osxyd pkvvkdt kd vbl ryppldtla plyv yde pyke vakwxrbydvzu, “Pke usw blya vbyv, Eypby? Mbl sze zyeu raykple xl yp y tsse rlapsd.”
Eypby okrle bla pwdtzypplp, y bkdv sq xsnjlau kd bla clywvkqwz lulp. “Xb, usw yal.”
“Tso yx R dsv?” Pwyd Iwd vswnble bkp dspl yde takddle, “Rd vbkp osaze, vblal yald’v xydu tsse rlsrzl zkjl xl obs alprlnv vbl lzelazu.”
“Bad people, if they can become good again by doing one good deed, then the world would be too peaceful,” Washa’s Chinese pronunciation wasn’t quite standard, so her speech was a bit slow.
Duan Kun’s interest was piqued. He wrinkled his nose and took a few deep breaths, seriously pondering for a moment before shaking his head. “That won’t work. If the world becomes too peaceful, we won’t have any business to do. If we have no business, then won’t we be out of luck? It’s better to be bad.”
Washa put her sunglasses back on. “Did the person you recognized just now leave an impression?”
She looked up, pointing in the direction of the performance troupe’s entrance, her tone cool. “The woman who got out of Lee’s car just now is named Ruan Nianchu. She’s Lee’s woman.”
“I remember,” Duan Kun stretched his neck, still wearing that smile. “They’re a lovey-dovey couple, their relationship seems pretty good. But Washa, I don’t understand why the boss wants to settle the score with Li. Wouldn’t it be easier to just take him out when the opportunity arises? Why all the trouble?”
Instead of answering, Washa countered, “What do you think is the most painful thing for a person?”
Duan Kun scratched his head. “Death?”
“Idiot. Once a person dies, they feel nothing, so how can it be painful?”
“Then what is it?”
“Hatred.”
Duan Kun couldn’t wrap his head around this idea no matter how hard he thought, so he had to ask, “So when do we make our move?”
“Doing anything in Cloud City is inconvenient,” Washa’s red lips curved beneath her sunglasses. “Ruan Nianchu’s performance troupe will be heading to the border city next month. Fool, we’ll wait for them there.”
Duan Kun chuckled. “You’re so smart, of course whatever you say goes.”
As the days passed, the time for the condolence performance drew nearer. Ruan Nianchu had to focus on rehearsals while also dealing with Li Teng’s sudden change of heart, which left her feeling exhausted.
Tired in body and mind.
He would be cold as ice one moment, hot as fire the next. He would agree to break up freely one moment, then say he’s been missing her for seven years the next, contradicting himself to the point of being incomprehensible. Accepting him was proving to be quite difficult.
In reality, the mishap at the rest stop, where he did everything to protect and defend her, had already made her forgive the recent incident of forced kissing. She adjusted her mindset, removing his identity as a former boyfriend and redefining him as “an old friend who once saved her life.”
Never in her wildest dreams did she expect what would happen next.
The usually aloof Li Teng had undergone a complete transformation, becoming her fervent pursuer. Honestly, Ruan Nianchu felt like she was living a nightmare.
Li Teng’s methods of pursuit were neither innovative nor subtle. In fact, they were quite forceful and domineering. Apart from picking her up and dropping her off at work every day, he would send her flowers. She had rejected those flowers several times. Every time she refused, he would say, “The flowers are for you. If you don’t like them, you can throw them away wherever you want.”
She felt sorry for those flowers, so after a few rejections, she reluctantly accepted them.
Now, after several days, dried rice flowers filled her entire windowsill. Whenever Ruan Nianchu’s mother saw those flowers while cleaning the room, she would be delighted and say to Ruan Nianchu, “My daughter, Li Teng is such a good kid. He’s upright, considerate, and romantic. This is the blessing you’ve accumulated from your past life.”
At moments like these, Ruan Nianchu could only force a dry laugh, her face stiff with discomfort.
Fortunately, there was a silver lining in her misfortune.
During a meeting, the deputy troupe leader mentioned that there were several military bases near the border city. With seven performances lined up, everyone was going to have a tough time. So, the troupe leader wrote an application to the higher-ups, requesting three days of free time for everyone after the performances, along with a certain subsidy.
Although the border city wasn’t developed, it boasted beautiful scenery and many natural attractions nearby. The group was ecstatic, and their morale soared instantly.
Ruan Nianchu’s mood also improved slightly.
There were nearly seventy cast and crew members for the performance. A week before departure, the administrative office unified the ticket booking online. The flight was scheduled for the morning of September 2nd.
On the evening of the 1st, after packing her bags, Ruan Nianchu hesitated for a full hour before finally sending a WeChat message to Li Teng. With a pout, she wrote: “I’m leaving for the border city tomorrow.”
His reply came quickly: “I know.”
“ā¦,” she frowned, pausing for a while before typing: “ā¦Is what you said last time about someone trying to harm me and your mission being to protect me true or false?”
With her fear of death being what it was, she couldn’t take such life-threatening matters lightly.
Li Teng replied: “True.”
Ruan Nianchu hesitated: “So, is it dangerous for me to go to the border city?”
Li Teng: “Do you want me to accompany you?”
Ruan Nianchu: “ā¦If that’s the case, can you ease up a bit and stop pursuing me?”
Only two words popped up in the chat box: “Cannot.”
Ruan Nianchu fell silent, tossing her phone aside and lying down to sleep.
In this world, there are only two types of people who are unreasonable: women and Li Teng. The former can drive you crazy, while the latter can make you vomit blood. She might as well sleep it off.
The assembly time set by the performance troupe was 9 a.m., with a 15-minute early arrival requirement. The next morning, Ruan Nianchu grabbed her luggage and headed downstairs.
As she walked out of the community gate, Li Teng’s black Jeep was parked by the roadside.
She paused.
Li Teng then stepped out of the car and walked straight towards her. He glanced down, his gaze sweeping over the suitcase she was holding in her hand, and said without much emotion, “Just this one suitcase?”
“ā¦Um,” Ruan Nianchu nodded, but then realized something was off. She furrowed her brows and said, “Why are you here again? I booked a ride-hailing car, there’s no need for you to specially send me to the airport.”
Li Teng opened the trunk, lifted the suitcase high, and placed it inside with a loud “thud.” Without looking at her, he said casually, “Coincidentally, I’m also going to the airport. Let’s go together.”
Ruan Nianchu’s eyes flickered slightly with confusion as she asked, “You’re going to the airport too? What for?”
He paused, lazily turning his gaze towards her, raising an eyebrow. “Going to the airport but not taking a flight, am I going there for tea?”
“ā¦You’re also going on a trip?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Where to?”
“The border city.”
Ruan Nianchu: “ā¦”
An hour and a half later, Ruan Nianchu and Li Teng boarded the same flight from Cloud City to the border city, and even ended up sitting together.
The other members of the performance troupe were seated at the front of the plane.
To avoid the curious gazes and gossip from her colleagues, Ruan Nianchu had no choice but to sit in the middle of the plane. She was separated from the rest of the troupe by three rows of seats.
The tall and beautiful flight attendant came over to serve them drinks.
Ruan Nianchu ordered a glass of juice, while Li Teng asked for a glass of water.
Silence persisted for a full twenty minutes. Ruan Nianchu took a sip of her juice, unable to resist any longer, she lowered her voice and questioned the person next to her, “When did you book the flight?”
Li Teng drank his water expressionlessly and replied calmly, “A week ago.”
A week ago happened to be the time when their performance troupe collectively booked their tickets. Ruan Nianchu was surprised, “You were already planning to go to the border city with me, so why didn’t you mention it last night? Were you just teasing me?”
Li Teng turned to stare at her without hiding anything, “Yes.”
“ā¦,” Ruan Nianchu was on the verge of going crazy. She took a deep breath, exerting all her strength to restrain herself from cursing him, “What exactly do you want?”
“To protect you.”
“And to play tricks on me?”
“Is there anything else you don’t know?” He leaned closer to her, his voice deep, whispering next to her ear, “Ruan Nianchu, if a man has been thinking about a woman for so many years, what else do you think he wants?”
Her heart inexplicably skipped a beat at his words, her face slightly flushed as she shifted away. Constrained by the presence of other passengers, she could only speak softly, “There are many people around, don’t mess around.”
He also spoke in a low voice to comply with her, “Will it be better if there are fewer people?”
“ā¦,”
Li Teng lowered his gaze, lightly brushing her hand back with his finger, his tone very calm, “Don’t worry, with so many eyes watching, even if I wanted to mess around, I’d choose the right moment.”
Ruan Nianchu felt as if she had been burned and quickly withdrew her hand, biting her lip and ignoring him.
What kind of pseudo-righteous but truly rogue nerve did she touch? After accumulating years of calmness, her heart was destroyed, leaving nothing behind.
This was simply outrageous.
Going to the base to console was just another way of warming up one’s voice in a different place. In the four years since Ruan Nianchu joined the performance troupe, she had also been to other cities for consolation events, but the border city was her first time.
It was completely different from the bustling Cloud City.
This city was not far from the border, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a lagging economy. The tourism industry was the only pillar industry, although it was not very developed.
However, none of this affected Ruan Nianchu’s favorable impression of the city.
The sky here was as clear as can be, unbelievably azure, and the sunlight exceptionally piercing.
Ruan Nianchu got off the plane and looked up at the sky, smiling. The last time she saw such a beautiful sky was seven years ago in Cambodia, the day she was rescued.
The military district arranged two large buses to pick up the performance troupe and take them to the designated reception hotel.
The next day was the first official consolation performance. It took place at the military base of a certain group army, certain artillery regiment, with the stage simply set up as a square platform on the training ground, speakers on both sides, colored lights on the stands, and simple balloon decorations, making up the entire stage setting for the event.
In the afternoon, a group of actors, under the guidance of the troupe leader and the leadership of the troops, conducted a simple rehearsal.
Unknowingly, night fell.
The soldiers of the artillery regiment finished their day of training, assembled as a whole team, and sat on the ground in preparation to watch the performance.
Due to limited conditions, the troops cleared out several storage rooms near the stage and turned them into dressing rooms and makeup rooms for the performance troupe.
Male actors did their makeup and changed clothes together, while female actors had two rooms, one for makeup and one for changing clothes.
Ruan Nianchu had two performances, a solo and a chorus. Her solo performance of “Cotton Flower” was scheduled as the fifth from the end, while the chorus performance of “Songhua River” was second from the end, with two short dances in between.
The two performances required different costumes.
After finishing her solo, she quickly ran back to the dressing room, removed the large red fluffy skirt, and changed into the light white chiffon skirt for the chorus.
It was already past nine o’clock in the evening, and the sky in the mountains was completely dark, as dark as ink, with stars twinkling like water.
Most of the actors were waiting backstage or touching up their makeup, and everyone was concentrated in the makeup room. The women’s dressing room was empty.
With time running short, Ruan Nianchu hurriedly tried to put on the white chiffon skirt.
At this moment, chaos arose amidst her haste.
As she pulled up the zipper on the back of the white chiffon skirt, it got stuck on her bra.
Ruan Nianchu frowned, trying several times to pull it up or down with all her strength, but it wouldn’t budge, obviously jammed. Unable to see the zipper getting stuck, she became sweaty with anxiety and was about to go to the makeup room to ask for help.
Just as she was about to turn around, she heard the door of the makeup room being opened. Footsteps approached. Firm and powerful.
Ruan Nianchu felt relieved and, preoccupied with pulling the zipper, didn’t turn back but said directly, “The zipper got stuck, can you please help me fix it? Thank you!”
Sure enough, the person walked over, one hand supporting her half-covered waist, and the other pinching the zipper pull.
Ruan Nianchu quickly withdrew her hand.
At the moment their hands touched, she suddenly furrowed her brows. The person’s fingers were slender, with rough and calloused fingertips, covered with a layer of old calluses.
Nowhere near a woman’s hands.
“ā¦” Ruan Nianchu’s heart sank, realizing something in an instant.
The person had already pulled out the stuck fabric. For the performance, she had specially styled her hair into curls, and her thick, black, curly hair cascaded over her shoulders and neck. He reached out, brushed her curls to the side, and his fingers lightly touched her snow-white neck.
With a soft click, the zipper closed most of the way.
The person behind her wrapped his arms around her waist, lowered his head, and gently kissed her exposed neck. His stubble brought a shiver.
“ā¦” Ruan Nianchu froze, her eyelashes trembling, her heartbeats almost reaching their limit. She couldn’t muster the courage to turn around.
Then he grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him.
It was Li Teng.
Ruan Nianchu’s eyes widened in shock, and in just a few seconds, she vaguely saw the deep sea and herself in those black eyes.
“Youā¦”
Before she could finish her sentence, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.
Sansukini: FINALLY! Yay! (ā” į )äŗŗ( į ā”)
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Smooth, sir, and a little creepyā¦ I have mixed feelingsā¦