In fact, Shiqing hadn’t left at all. Xie Yucheng angrily dragged her through every corner of the dance hall.
At the center of the dance floor, a man’s large hand was groping a woman’s buttocks while his mouth clamped onto her ear.
In a dimly lit corner, a woman was pinned against the wall as a man thrust his tongue into her mouth, kissing her fiercely.
Then there was the restroom at the back door of the dance hall. They hadn’t even gone in when waves of moans drifted out, making one’s face burn red—it wasn’t hard to imagine what was going on inside.
Wen Shiqing’s face shifted from pale to flushed, then from pale to green. Her wrist hurt badly from his grip, and she struggled, trying to make him let go.
Veins throbbed on Xie Yucheng’s forehead. Furious, he dragged and hauled her all the way out through the back door.
He couldn’t bear to imagine how many men would leer at her with filthy thoughts if she stayed here, or how they might take advantage of the dance to grope her.
A pure, delicate girl with a flawless figure, appearing in a place like this, was like a sacred flower transplanted into filthy mud—every breath she took was being tainted by the air.
Only when they were far from the dance hall did he finally release her hand. Pointing back in its direction, he said coldly, “See it clearly now? This is the kind of place your classmates brought you to!”
Wen Shiqing’s wrist had turned red over a wide patch. Her skin was delicate to begin with; grabbed without restraint, it was now red and aching.
“Why is it that you can come here, but I can’t?” she retorted stubbornly. Her slender, swan-like neck framed a beautiful collarbone. The low-cut floral dress outlined her firm, full curves, her waist slim enough to encircle with one hand.
Seeing her talk back, Xie Yucheng reached out and pinched her chin, grinding his teeth as he said, “Because I’m a man—I can protect myself. What about you? If you run into danger, can you protect yourself? If a guy lays hands on you, or drags you into some alley…”
He didn’t finish the sentence. Looking at that innocent little face, he paused for a second. “At that point, would you even be able to fight back?”
His voice was low and hoarse, as if his throat were on fire with anger.
“Big brother… are you worried about me?” The girl’s cherry-red lips parted slightly, her beautiful eyes staring straight into his.
Inside the dance hall, the disco music was loud and deafening, cut off from the quiet night outside—two entirely different worlds.
Under the dim yellow streetlight at this corner, boundless darkness surrounded them, hiding who knew how many emotions that couldn’t be spoken aloud.
Xie Yucheng’s breathing stalled. He looked away, his deep eyes darker than the night. Suddenly, he couldn’t find his voice—his throat felt like it was lodged with a thick fishbone, stuck halfway, making him miserable.
“Go home. Right now,” he said, avoiding her question.
Wen Shiqing lowered her head to look at the tips of her shoes, the corners of her lips lifting in a soft chuckle. When she raised her head again, she’d put on that harmless, gentle expression once more.
“Aren’t you going back too, big brother? I have a blind date tomorrow—won’t you help me check him out?”
The corner of Xie Yucheng’s mouth twitched. He lowered his head and let out a cold scoff, staring at her as he snapped,
“I don’t care what kind of man you find! The sooner you marry out and get the hell out of this house, the better. And when you leave, don’t forget to take your brainless mother with you!”
A dull pain struck Wen Shiqing’s heart. Her thumbnail dug deeply into the flesh of her index finger.
She tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear and looked up, smiling bravely. “Fine. I’ll do as you wish, big brother—I’ll marry early, and I’ll find a good man. As for my mom and Uncle Xie, if they want to live together, that’s none of my business—and none of yours either!”
With that, she waved down a rickshaw, got in, and left.
Xie Yucheng stood frozen in place for a long time. He swallowed, and it felt as though that fishbone had slid down into his gut, scraping his insides raw.
The next day, Wang Changlin was jolted awake from his sleep when someone suddenly yanked his leg. He opened his eyes to see that Xie Yucheng was already up.
“Where are you going?” he asked groggily.
They hadn’t gotten back until late last night—he’d expected to sleep until the afternoon. He glanced at the clock; it was only a little past eight.
“Heading home,” Xie Yucheng said, pulling on his jeans and a striped shirt, grabbing Wang Changlin’s hair wax to casually style his hair.
Wang Changlin exclaimed, “Whoa—peacock spreading his feathers~”
Xie Yucheng ignored him and walked out.
That secondhand, modified Jiefang 141 truck was parked in the factory yard. It had already been bought and the contract signed; only a few parts still needed replacing to be properly set.
He opened the door and started it, listening to the engine’s hum as his hand rested on the steering wheel.
A moment later, he went back inside and tossed the truck keys onto Wang Changlin. “That Jiefang 141—hurry up and get it sorted for me. I’ll be hauling jobs soon.”
“Damn it, Young Master Xie—can’t you let me sleep properly? I drink with you at night, work on your truck during the day, and on top of that I’ve got to help you vent your emotions whenever you feel like it. What am I, a full-service escort?”
Then he added, “Hey, you just went home a couple of days ago to grab clothes. What are you going back for now? Your little sister?”
Standing in front of the mirror, Xie Yucheng tidied his bangs and unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt, faintly revealing his firm chest muscles.
“Has nothing to do with her. Something else.”
Wang Changlin put on an all-knowing look. “If you ask me, to hell with everything—if you like her, just go for it. Is there any point in torturing yourself like this every day? Last night, when you saw her at the dance hall, that look in your eyes was terrifying, like you wanted to kill someone. You scared off every guy who tried to chat her up.”
Xie Yucheng picked up a small object nearby and threw it at him. “Have you said enough? I was just worried she’d get into trouble and cause problems for the old man.”
“Heh. Madly in love and still acting tough. When that girl really gets married, you’ll cry your eyes out. And don’t come crying to me then—I’ll step on you a couple of times and tell you one thing: you deserved it.”
Xie Yucheng put on his watch expressionlessly, grabbed his motorcycle keys, and slammed the door as he left.
By the roadside, sweet osmanthus and golden rain trees were lush and green. People walking or riding bicycles smiled and nodded at acquaintances: “Eaten yet?” “Yeah.” “Heading to work?” “Mm.”
Xie Yucheng went to the local department store and bought a new thermos—silver, made of 304 stainless steel, with gold lettering on the outside. Simple and elegant. He had the clerk pack it in a nice-looking bag.
Tomorrow was Xie Guoli’s birthday. He had to go home; he couldn’t be out fooling around these next couple of days.
Passing a pastry shop, he saw golden, glossy honey buns displayed in the window. On a whim, he went in and bought some, hanging the bag on his motorcycle handle.
Before long, the motorcycle rolled slowly into the alley. What caught his eye was a conspicuous white Santana sedan parked right in front of his courtyard gate, spotless and gleaming, imposing in presence.
The alley was narrow, completely blocked by the car.
Xie Yucheng had no choice but to park his motorcycle under a large tree some distance away, carrying his things as he walked into the courtyard.
As soon as he entered, seven or eight pairs of eyes from the main room—where people were chatting and laughing—turned toward him at once.
Besides the three members of his family, there was a well-known matchmaker, Aunt Zhang from next door, a middle-aged couple he didn’t recognize, and a young man around twenty years old.