c23 (1/2)
昨天 by 風弄 Chapter 23
Yesterday by Feng Nong.
Time is counting down. I treat YuJiang's patient tenderness with a sorrowful expression in my eyes, and weep silenty, waiting for ShuTing's rescue. Every several days I would receive a slip of paper in my palm, day by day a burning pain in my heart. ------------
”My older sister is making the preparations” -----------
”Please get ready” -------------
”Plan to immediately go to the airport after leaving Rong mansion” ...............
Looking at YuJiang leisurely tying his necktie at my bedside, I ask:
”YuJiang, if I were to disappear one day, what would you do?” What a stupid question, simply unconsciously alerting the enemy. Maybe at the bottom of my heart, I hope that he would find out, wake up with a start, and once again examine closely, before cutting off my way out. YuJiang looks at me reflected in the mirror.
”It depends on how you disappear.”
”O?” He turns around and smiles saying:
”If it is because someone abducts you, I would definitely save you, even to the ends of the earth.”
”What if it is not?”
”ShengSheng ........” He walks towards me, his face suddenly threatening. Frightened, I shrink back but it's already too late, I'm in his arms. He murmurs in my ear: ”Don't tell me you're actually willing to part with me? How can you be willing? A deep laughter reverberates in my ear. I hate him. I hate his self-a.s.suredness, I hate his self-conceit. But what I hate the most is that I have feelings, so much so that today I'm completely shattered, simply asking for humiliation.
ShuTing comes again after a few days, he is already a frequent visitor of the Rong mansion. After chatting for a moment, he gets ready to leave with a smile. He smiles brilliantly, even seeming to carry a bright glimmering hope, winking at me. The slip of paper in my palm carries these words -------------
”Peninsula tomorrow” Again in the bathtub, I take the slip of paper in my palm and tilt my head back and swallow it down. I never knew that, as it turns out, even a piece of paper can be so bitter. So bitter that I almost start to cry.
I couldn't sleep that night. I stare wide-eyed at YuJiang. I carefully observe his lips, his brows, the profile of his nose, and also that scar on his forehead. YuJiang has his eyes closed, his even breaths one by one lightly blowing on my face. I strain my ears and hear the rhythm of his heartbeat. The night is very quiet, I can clearly hear the sound of the night breeze stroking the treetops. I want to caress his face but it looks like I'm too much of a coward, afraid that once I reach out my hand, I would lose the strength to stop myself from crying.
I silently say: YuJiang, if you wake up right now, and beg me not to leave you, I will forget ShuTing's plan, and stay as your little bird. I wait wide-eyed the whole night. He doesn't wake.
That morning, I close my eyes and listen to YuJiang get up from the bed. I receive a kiss on the forehead, and another warm moist kiss on my face. He raises my hand and places several gentle kisses on my fingers. It's an early morning routine but this time I can't take it. I turn my body, pulling firmly at YuJiang who was on his way to change his clothes.
”What about the lips?” I ask mischievously. He smiles and lowers his head. Startled, I turn my head away abruptly, refusing his approach. YuJiang stops for a moment, before leaving a kiss on my ear, and laughs on his way out. My heart is confused and alarmed. I hate it. I glance at the mirror and receive a huge shock. In the mirror is a dispirited and downcast person, looking just like an abandoned wife, is that really me? I sit by the window and look at YuJiang's car get further away, downing three cups of coffee in a row. I ring the bell, thinking of asking the maid bring up a fourth cup. ZhouHeng knocks on the door and enters:
”Mr. Huang, drinking too much coffee is not good for your health.” I nod my head, and put down the cup, calmly and composedly:
”OK, I won't drink anymore. ZhouHeng, I want to go out for lunch.”
”Alright, I'll go prepare the car.” Just before leaving, I turn around to take one last look at the room. I say:
”ZhouHeng, change the phone tomorrow. I don't like this one.”
”Yes, what type of phone does Mr. Huang like?” I sneer:
”One that is not bugged, and also not connected to a special young lady.” ZhouHeng smartly keeps his mouth shut and follows me downstairs.
I know nothing of ShuTing's plan. I should be anxious and uneasy but I actually feel nothing. Things have already come to this, success or failure is already destined, there is no use in panicking. Maybe it wouldn't matter if it succeeds or not, I still won't be able to struggle free from this spider web, shouldering all this suffering walking all the way to the end of the world.
The usual seat, the usual red wine and steak. I have already said a hundred times that the steak here cannot compare to that of Rong mansion, but I would still order it. What a terrifying feeling. Don't even mention other people, even my own heart doesn't listen to my orders, how can this not be terrifying?
ShuTing arrives quickly, pretending that it is a chance encounter, waving his hand from afar with a gleam in his eyes. He turns his head and whispers a few words to his friends and walks towards me.
”ShengSheng, what a coincidence. We just met yesterday, how come I'm running into you again today?” These happy and excited words were said for the benefit of ZhouHeng who was sitting by my side: ”The last time you treated me to lunch, how about I return the favor this time?” I say:
”Treat me? I've been mistreated by someone, don't even talk about good wine or good dishes, I wasn't even allowed to drink one more cup of coffee. Today, this meal, you'd better be careful that I don't eat you penniless.” ZhouHeng's expression reveals a little awkwardness. ShuTing smiles frankly and sits down. When the dishes are served, I randomly pick up some, and put it in my mouth. Just when I was wondering how ShuTing will deal with ZhouHeng, my stomach suddenly experiences a sharp pain. The pain came so suddenly that I immediately lost my ability to think coherently. ”Wu .......... ” I gasp softly, covering my stomach and collapsing on the table. Drops of sweat as big as soybeans form on my forehead. ZhouHeng is extremely alert, he immediately jumps up and squats by my side to examine my condition. ShuTing is stunned:
”ShengSheng, what's wrong?” He comes over. ”Stomach pain? Stick out your tongue and let me have a look.” He is a doctor, ZhouHeng who only knows how to inject sedatives is forced to stand aside. ShuTing gives me a quick examination, and his expression immediately darkens. He turns to ZhouHeng and yells: ”Milk! Quickly get milk, call the ambulance.” My condition must be extremely unsightly because ZhouHeng's face was most frightening. The bodyguards that have long ago gathered around are running helter-skelter in search of milk. After being forced to drink a gla.s.s of milk, I cough repeatedly, throwing up in the process. I fall weakly into ShuTing's arms, the pain not decreasing in the slightest. I curl up into a ball and start to convulse uncontrollably. ”He's seizing.” ShuTing anxiously asks: ”Where is the ambulance?” He cranes his neck to take a look. Looking at his behavior, even though I'm in intense pain, I still feel like laughing a little.
The ambulance finally arrives. ShuTing shows urgency in helping the paramedics by carrying me sideways into the ambulance. ZhouHeng follows behind wanting to come up but is blocked by ShuTing grabbing the door. ShuTing rapidly says:
”Mr. Zhou, ShengSheng's symptoms is consistent with poisoning, please inform his relatives. Also, we need to immediately collect the things that he just ate, it may be of use later.” ZhouHeng was startled. ShuTing reacted quickly and immediately closed the door. The ambulance whizzes away.
Inside the deafening ambulance, ShuTing reveals a successful smile, and drips a few drops into my mouth. It's very effective, the pain immediately disappears.