“I want you to wear a dress for me.”
Bei-huai Lu sat with his long legs bent, leaning against the sofa. His casual remark made Qie Song, who was sitting opposite him, turn pale with shock.
Song bit his lip and met Lu’s gaze. The darkness in Lu’s eyes was filled with a powerful aggression. Gone was any trace of the person who had pretended to be meticulous and caring; even the version of him that had just looked after Song seemed to have vanished.
He was like a predator hiding in the dark that had finally found the perfect conditions for a strike and no longer bothered to hide.
The method of revenge he had chosen was “an eye for an eye.”
Yet, Lu’s current personality was something the original “Qie Song” had caused.
Song slowly let go of the plastic spoon. The bowl of porridge had already been stirred into a watery mess. He lowered his eyes and, after a long moment, spoke with great difficulty: “…I am a boy.”
Wouldn’t it be a better opportunity to just demand a huge amount of money from me? Why on earth does he want me to wear a dress? Sob…
“I know.” Lu’s gaze fell on the tip of Song’s fair, reddening ear. “I want to see it. You said yourself you wanted to compensate me.”
Song felt his heart beating at an absurd speed. “…”
I never imagined it would be something like this!!!
Reason told him that if it were anyone else, he should refuse immediately and call the police. But this person was Bei-huai Lu.
“…Then, if I wear a dress for you, will you forgive me?”
“What do you think?” Lu leaned forward, propping his arms on the table and staring at Song. He knew he had terrified him. “Do you think wearing a dress can make up for the things you did to me before?”
Song bit his lip, suddenly speechless.
It seemed Lu was just doing this to torment him.
To be honest, he didn’t know exactly how far the original “Qie Song” had gone; he only knew from his sister’s descriptions that the original character had been truly cruel to Lu.
“The winter of our first year in junior high was very cold. It was nearly zero degrees. You intentionally threw my shoes into the lake and made me go down to get them. I went.”
“Every winter and summer break, I would finish all your homework for you. But every single time, you would shred the homework I had finished for myself and make me piece it back together. I endured it.”
“The school uniforms are expensive—over 4,000 for a set. I grew very fast these past few years and had to change them almost every semester. But every time I got a new one, you would cut up my shirts. I didn’t want my father to pay for it, so I had to find a way myself. I endured it.”
“You and those other three stripped me naked and locked me in the gym all night. I endured it.”
“Every time you were in a bad mood, you made me act like a dog, kneeling so you could ride on my back. I knelt down.”
“When your shoes were dirty, you told me to kneel and lick them clean in front of all our classmates. I licked them.”
Song’s body trembled. He looked at Lu in shock and met those dark, gloomy eyes. It felt as if he were being strangled. Then he saw Lu prop his arms on the table and lean toward him.
He froze, not daring to move.
The next second, his cheek was pinched. The pain made his eyes sting, but he was forced to lift his head.
“Qie Song, you bullied me for so long.” Lu laughed softly, staring into those beautiful, fear-filled eyes. “Do you think I’ll let you off easily?”
Song’s eyes welled with tears as he grabbed Lu’s wrist, trying to pull away. “It hurts…”
After he spoke, the grip on his cheek tightened.
…He’s angry. This madman.
One moment he was saving him, the next he was acting crazy.
Lu was so big, yet he had been bullied by “Qie Song” for so many years.
But that “Qie Song” was truly a piece of work to humiliate someone like that. Now, he was the one who had to clean up the mess.
“I have to survive, and my father has to live. I couldn’t destroy our lives just for my own sake. As a minor, I didn’t dare cross your family. But things are different now. I’m an adult. I have the ability to make money. I don’t need to depend on the Song family anymore. I don’t necessarily care about this degree, and my father won’t favor you anymore.”
Song’s heart skipped a beat when he heard the last sentence. Looking into Lu’s dark pupils, he realized the man was no longer holding back. He had completely torn away the mask of the caring person he used to be.
Song instinctively thought: Is there no one left who can control Bei-huai Lu?
Enduring the pain in his cheek, he held onto the hand pinching him and looked up slightly. “…I was wrong.”
This sobbed apology echoed in the living room. His voice was pleading, as if it had suppressed his previous anger.
A cold tear dripped onto the back of Lu’s hand, and the large hand pinching Song’s face loosened its grip slightly.
“Does an apology mean I have to forgive you?”
Song sensed the emotion in Lu’s tone and thought it was best not to provoke him further. For now, he had to go along with it.
“Please don’t be angry, okay? I’ll wear it.”
Lu looked down at Song, who had suddenly started crying. He noticed Song was starting to feel unwell again; his face was as pale as snow. Song looked up at him while holding his hand, his wet eyes full of apology and looking utterly pitiful.
Silence followed for a moment.
A faint numbness of excitement stirred in Lu’s heart, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Cry a little more, and I’ll let go.
Just a little more.
The room fell into a sudden silence after the commotion.
The breakfast on the coffee table began to grow cold.
Lu didn’t move from where he sat on the floor against the sofa. His long arms were propped on his knees as he stared at the rusted iron door in front of him, thinking deeply.
Pink? Or blue?
A crop top? Or a camisole?
Which one would make him cry more easily?
Song sat on the sofa, rubbing his aching cheek and waiting for the tightness in his chest to fade. He watched the silent, brooding Lu.
He thought for a long time but couldn’t figure out how to comfort him.
He wasn’t good at comforting people, but he had to do his best to calm the anger Lu had stored up for so long.
Lu was already thinking about not depending on the Song family and wanting revenge. That was fine, of course, but if Song chose to let go, the plot might fall apart, and he wouldn’t know how to handle it then.
What he had to do now was keep Lu by his side, make him accept “Qie Song’s” apology, and help him let go of the hatred. Once Lu regained his true identity and everything that belonged to him, only then could Song make a clean exit.
Without living in constant fear.
The clock on the wall moved forward bit by bit; the room was quiet enough to hear the ticking.
Song looked to the side and saw Lu remained in the same position, sitting on the floor with his head down. His breathing was slightly heavy, and the aura of despondence around him was terrifying.
Forget it, let’s comfort this big guy who has suffered so much to save his father.
His self-esteem must be bruised.
He took a quiet, deep breath, reached out, and gave a small tug on the sleeve of Lu’s arm.
It was a very light movement.
Lu, who was long accustomed to taking care of people, felt it immediately. He turned his eyes and met Song’s peaceful, gentle gaze. The personality change, which was almost a total break from the past, made him frown.
“I’ll wear it.”
Song leaned down slightly, propping his hands on his legs as he moved closer to Lu. He spoke in a soft, coaxing whisper: “I’ll wear it for you. Please don’t be angry anymore, okay?”
The words were very soft, almost like he was acting spoiled.
The sofa faced an old window with a gold-colored frame. The summer morning sunlight poured into the room.
The boy leaning in had slightly curved brows. His glass-clear eyes reflected the other person’s image. The sunlight, filtered by the window frame, fell on his pale face, outlining his delicate features. There was a sense of…
A fragility that looked like it might be swallowed by the sunlight.
As if he would break with a single pinch.
Song saw that Lu didn’t speak, but he felt that the pressure coming from him wasn’t as heavy as before. He thought to himself: Could it be that this guy is someone who responds to kindness but not force?
If wearing a dress could fix things, it was better than getting hit.
“Wear a camisole.”
Song’s expression froze. “…” What?
Knock, knock, knock—
“Young Master, are you in Bei-huai’s house? We need to go to school.”
The sound was like a life-saving straw for Song. However, he stood up too quickly; his vision went black, and he sat back down hard. When he recovered, his arm was being held. As his vision cleared, he met Lu’s deep gaze.
“Do you like pink or blue? A camisole or a crop top?” Lu asked again.
Song: “…” Don’t ask so seriously, okay? I really want to find a hole to crawl into right now.
He really wanted to escape.
He gave a polite, strained smile: “I’ve asked for leave for you. Stay home and rest since your fever just broke. I’m going to school now. We’ll talk more tonight.”
Run!!
After standing up, he saw Lu’s hand on his knee clench into a fist. A chill ran down his back instantly. Terrified, he turned to leave. Before opening the door, he said, “Whatever color you like is fine!”
Then, with a “bang,” he shut the door.
He practically fled.
Lu looked at the closed door and was silent for a while. In his mind, the image of the boy looking like a startled kitten appeared. The corner of his mouth curved into a downward smile.
But as soon as he realized he was smiling, he stopped.
Smile?
What am I smiling for?