Boom!!
Thunder cracked across the sky as a deluge descended on the city, racing toward the mountain with terrifying speed.
The hand in the pit clenched and strained, the soil around it collapsing inwards. A dark shape emerged, crawling out of the earth.
Covered in dirt, blood and grime, he stood slowly, as if nothing had happened.
His back arched like a drawn bow, scanning the surroundings with mechanical precision, smooth and deliberate.
Finally, his gaze settled on the pale mint candy lying in the pit, stark against the dark, muddied earth.
Bending, bending further, his pale arm descended, crimson blood trailing like a ribbon wrapping around his fingers.
Chi Jianqing’s hand hovered delicately over the candy, picking it up before the blood could touch its pale blue surface.
The candy snapped under his fingertips with a sharp crack, crumbling into rough fragments against his calloused skin. A subtle, distinct scent cut through the air, separate from the earthy and metallic smells of soil and blood.
A faint, refreshing mint aroma filled his mind.
He closed his eyes and Yu Lang’s striking, unforgettable face burned itself into his vision. Every time he blinked, the image replayed like a recorded scene:
Yu Lang, tongue coiled around a mint, leaning forward, offering himself, seeking affection.
A faint, dry chuckle escaped Chi Jianqing’s lips, almost mechanical, almost detached.
He turned his head, the stiff movement of his neck producing rough clicks. His gaze finally rested on the spade still embedded in the pit.
He pulled it free, grasped it firmly and walked onto the road.
Dragging the spade behind him, it scraped across the concrete with a harsh, grating sound, like fingernails on a chalkboard, sharp and unpleasant.
The air was thick with the scent of rain approaching, a warning of the storm to come. Rain had already begun at the city’s base.
Yu Lang raced home, the wind and rain whipping past and pulled under the corrugated roof of his parking shelter. He stuffed a hand into his leather jacket pocket, retrieving a mint candy from the tin and popped it into his mouth.
He hated rain, hated the bitter, wet taste that clogged his nose and made his whole body feel damp, sticky and constrained. Only by biting the mint and inhaling deeply could he push through the filth and muddiness that the rain brought.
He removed his helmet, leaned against the bike, one hand resting on the handlebars, the other reaching for his phone.
A flicker in his peripheral vision caught him, an unfriendly group approaching. He lifted a leg, ready to escape into the rain but before he could turn, a metal rod pressed against the middle of his spine.
Yu Lang smiled faintly and raised both hands in surrender.
The thugs shoved him into the crowd and seeing his compliance, let go of their weapons. One of them simply said, “Boss wants to see you.”
“Okay, lead me to him.”
Yu Lang nodded and was hauled into a van.
Squeezed in the center, surrounded by hostile and calculating eyes, he scanned for the leader. While waiting at a red light, he pulled the mint tin from his pocket and slammed it down hard on the man’s head.
Bang!!
A dent formed instantly. No blood but the man yelped, clutching his head in agony.
Seeing their leader struck, the other thugs shouted and drew weapons, ready to attack Yu Lang.
He turned his cold gaze on their leader, holding up the tin with a taut wrist, a silent warning.
The tension inside the van was suffocating, like a balloon on the verge of bursting, thickening the air, inducing panic and fear.
Some hesitated, some roared in anger.
The tires screeched suddenly, the vehicle jolting violently, shattering the tension like a balloon bursting.
The driver rolled down the window and yelled at the man standing in front of the van: “Are you insane?! Standing in the middle of the road at night like that?”
The tin clanged against the metal.
Yu Lang’s pupils dilated in shock, his gaze rapidly darting away, holding his breath.
What the hell…? How had he climbed out of the pit? How could he have caught up so fast?
The fresh red on Chi Jianqing’s forehead resembled a tattoo. Across his side profile, it formed mysterious lines, like ritualistic or religious markings, blurred by the rain, as if etched into human skin over time.
His lowered hand still gripped the spade tightly. Rain droplets splashed across the metal, scattering fleeting streaks of silver light.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
This translator has expenses. Coffee is one of them.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Dead HusbandChapter 2 · Ghost ChaseChapter 3 · I’ve been fooled againChapter 4 · I need lots and lots of loveChapter 5 · I’ll kill you!^^Chapter 6 · Haha, really!Chapter 7 · This is what it means to be love-struck.Chapter 8 · We meet again, my loveChapter 9 · The little snakeChapter 10 · I’ve been fooled againChapter 11 · The daily routine of sasaeng fans following othersChapter 12 · Inferiority complexChapter 13 · It hurtsChapter 14 · Want to go out? Sure!Chapter 15 · Damn it!Chapter 16 · My wife hitting me is a reward for meChapter 17 · Licking sweatChapter 18 · The vinegar was friedChapter 19 · What a clever tactic, Chi Jianqing!Chapter 20 · Loving me is a very painful thing.Chapter 21 · The words may be rough, but the principle is soundChapter 22 · It wasn’t just two hitsChapter 23 · Turns out I’m not 3, I’m 1!Chapter 24 · Easy To CoaxChapter 25 · Confessing loveChapter 26 · DearChapter 27 · Honey, it felt so good when you scolded me.Chapter 28 · Let’s go after tearing off the human skinChapter 29 Part 1 · Honey, I caught you!Chapter 29 Part 2 · Honey, I caught you!Chapter 30 · Little Blind CrippleChapter 31 · How could I give up? I’ve given you my heart.Chapter 32 · The gloomy CEOChapter 33 · X-harassmentChapter 34 · Little third wheelChapter 35 · I am Chi JianqingChapter 36 · I am his husband, and you are?Chapter 37 · CarChapter 38 · Broken carChapter 39 · I want to kiss youChapter 40 · Silly babyChapter 41 · Chop off hands and feetChapter 42 · Ships and DeathChapter 43 · Chi Jianqing participated in the battle royale and finally obtained a ticket to meet Yu Lang.Chapter 44 · You bastard, get out of here!Chapter 45 · Bad cats can only be forced to love.Chapter 46 · Circle the fox’s tail and rub it back and forthChapter 47 · It hurts so muchChapter 48 · The Second World EndedChapter 49 · Brainless and grumpyChapter 50 · I don’t like you anymoreChapter 51 · I haven’t thought of a title yetChapter 52 · You smell so good, let me hug you and pet youChapter 53 · A big dog bit a kitten’s muzzleChapter 54 · Captive canariesChapter 55 · Male Ghost StrikesChapter 56 · I told you to be quiet!Chapter 57 · I have decided to bestow upon you the title of my wife.Chapter 58 · We’re talking about loveChapter 59 · I really, really like you!Chapter 60 · I want to eat your noodlesChapter 61 · Don’t abandon your puppy!Chapter 62 · What a blissful ending!Chapter 63 · Extra 1Chapter 64 · Extra 2Chapter 65 · Extra 3