Chapter 6 (2/2)

“Hmm?”

“After two minutes, the man responsible for collecting discarded household appliances would pa.s.s by in a motorcycle, the train bound for the provincial capital would pa.s.s by, and the freshly baked coconut bread would come out from the oven.” With a agile jump, he leaped out of the window and disappeared into the night.

Shocked, Chen Nian rushed to the window and peered out.

There was an extremely narrow cement ledge beneath the window which was connected to the emergency stairwell. The emergency stairwell was, in turn, right next to the walls that surrounded the steel rolling mill, and an old and dilapidated alley lay beyond the walls.

Without expending much effort, Bei Ye clambered onto the walls and leapt down into the alley before swiftly disappearing into the bread shop located opposite the alley.

The alley was bustling with activity in the evening; tailors, canteens, bread shops, cobblers and various other shops populated the area. A bicycle bell rang out amidst the hustle and bustle of the evening, and Chen Nian could hear a man hollering at the top of his lungs, “Buying and collecting—– Sc.r.a.p Metal!” Further away, Chen Nian managed to spot various railway tracks that led into the distance.

Chen Nian returned to the table and removed the English textbooks from the lids of the packets of instant noodles; upon lifting the lids of the instant noodles, a wave of hot air rushed at her face. Luckily, the noodles weren’t overcooked.

Beep——, the train whistle shrieked shrilly in the evening. Chen Nian raised her head, a gentle smile forming on her lips.

Bei Ye clambered onto the window in one swift motion, pausing momentarily when he saw Chen Nian. Chen Nian was partially illuminated by the glow of the setting sun as she stood by the table, tearing the lids of the instant noodle packets. As the fan rotated from left to right, the wind caused her skirt to alternately fly and deflate on various occasions, her slim figure evident beneath the thin, white material.

Bei Ye felt small flames of desire shooting up his chest from the area beneath his belly. His throat itching with thick desire, he helped himself through the window and swiftly pulled the curtains shut. Within seconds, the room grew dimmer.

Chen Nian raised her head, slowly speaking up, “The noodles are, still……hot.”

Bei Ye pa.s.sed the freshly toasted bread to her, “Eat this first. Especially when it’s hot.”

Chen Nian bit into the bread. It was soft and fluffy, and the scent of fresh milk engulfed her. Chen Nian’s body stiffened suddenly – Bei Ye’s hand had slipped under her skirt, and was gradually sliding up her inner thigh.

Chen Nian turned her head to look at Bei Ye, her gaze colliding with Bei Ye’s stare. As his hands continued their offending movements beneath her skirt, he asked in a low voice, “Are you afraid?”

Chen Nian stood on tip-toe in an attempt to avoid his touch, but his unrelenting fingers followed her ever movement. Trembling, she stared at him unblinkingly, confusion and fear pertinent in her wide eyes.

The train continued rumbling past outside the window, its speed causing the air to shudder and the earth to tremble.

“Why did you come back with me if you were afraid?” With a slight amount of force, he nearly carried her with his single, offending hand. With a muted whimper, Chen Nian continued investing all her energies into supporting her tip-toed position.

Bei Ye insisted, “Did you think it through before coming back with me?”

Chen Nian shook her head vigorously. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead, dampening her forelocks and causing them to transform into small and tiny curls.

She desired protection, but she hadn’t expected Bei Ye’s price for offering such protection.

Chen Nian’s legs began to tremble from over-exertion, and her body started to sway from side to side. The minute her legs gave way and she rocked back onto her heels, Bei Ye withdrew his offending hand.

Chen Nian remained rooted at her spot, waves of helplessness was.h.i.+ng over her. She was angered and annoyed with her own cowardice and rash nature. Burning with feelings of shame, she finally gathered her thoughts and replied in a low voice, “I’ll be……making a mo…..move then.”

Narrowing his eyes, Bei Ye used his fork and tapped on the instant noodle packets forcefully, “Eat before you leave.”

“There’s……no need……” Chen Nian started. However, upon seeing Bei Ye’s facial expression gradually darken with every word that she spoke, Chen Nian finally relented and sat beside the table.

As Chen Nian ate rather slowly, Bei Ye completed his meal much faster than she did. Taking out his pack of cigarettes, Bei Ye withdrew to the window and sat on the window sill for his smoke.

When Chen Nian finished her meal, she tidied the place before facing Bei Ye, “I’m……done.”

Bei Ye swiftly extinguished his cigarette b.u.t.t. Hopping off the window sill, Bei Ye started to show Chen Nian the way out.

As they exited the shutters, Chen Nian mustered her final ounce of dignity and a.s.serted, “I’ll go……home my…….myself.”

Bei Ye let out a short laugh. However, the absence of any laughing intent was extremely evident from his laughter, “Really?”

As his laugh was slightly cruel, Chen Nian decided to keep mum. Both of them knew that Chen Nian did not have the courage to independently walk out of the steel rolling mill in the darkness of the night.

The weather seemed as though it was about to change, with the night wind being unexpectedly chilly.

Chen Nian sat on the motorcycle, her body s.h.i.+vering in the cold. The journey seemed to be extraordinarily long. Both Chen Nian and Bei Ye did not say a single word during the entire journey, and Bei Ye did not turn to look at her when the motorcycle stopped at the red traffic light.

When Chen Nian arrived at the entrance of her home, the slight breeze had evolved into a huge gust of wind, causing the leaves to rustle in protest. Chen Nian removed her helmet and returned it to Bei Ye.

Bei Ye responded with a single sentence. “We’re quits.”

Although he phrased it as a sentence, there was a slight trace of uncertainty in his voice.

Pressing her lips together as tightly as she could, Chen Nian nodded her head.

Bei Ye: “Speak up.”

Chen Nian: “We were……quits…….long ago.”

Bei Ye turned his head to glance at her, his eyes filled with an air of desolation; however, he quickly returned to looking ahead, and within seconds, he had already ignited the engine of his motorcycle, his solitary figure disappearing in the darkness of the night.

At that precise moment, huge droplets of rain started pouring from the sky, forcefully falling onto Chen Nian’s head. It had begun to rain. Chen Nian could no longer make out Bei Ye’s shadowy figure amidst the rain, and his red taillights rapidly disappeared as he turned a corner.

The rain grew heavier.

Ah, the rainy season is about to arrive.

Chen Nian’s phone rang just as she ran into the stairwell. It was Zeng Hao – she must have managed to escape from the toilet. Clicking on the “Answer” b.u.t.ton, she placed the phone beside her ear. Chen Nian froze on the spot. The raindrops were pelting from the rooftop, causing small clumps of mud to splatter onto her leg. A chill shot up Chen Nian’s spine.

“You……You told them……that I spilled the…….beans to you?” Chen Nian grit her teeth angrily in the raging wind. Angered, betrayed and confused, her stutter worsened involuntarily, “But you pro……promised me! You promised……not to…….drag me into……this!!”

Chen Nian hung up.

Guilty, Chen Nian turned back, only to see the vast rain the dark and eerie alley.

All of a sudden, Chen Nian rushed up the stairs in a frenzy and speedily grabbed her keys from within her bag. Chen Nian was unable to see clearly as the stairwell was rather dark, and was unable to insert the key into the keyhole despite numerous attempts. Her feelings of fear grew tenfold.

Hands trembling, Chen Nian’s keys fell onto the floor.

As Chen Nian squat down to retrieve her keys, she caught a glimpse of a muted glow from the dark corner of the stairwell. It was a cigarette b.u.t.t.

Frozen, Chen Nian turned back stiffly, only to find herself face to face with a pair of cold and cruel eyes.

Wei Cai flicked the ash from her cigarette before rising from the floor and facing Chen Nian.