In fact, Shiqing hadn’t left yet. Xie Yucheng angrily dragged her around to every corner of the dance hall.
In the middle of the dance floor, a man had his large hand all over a woman’s butt while biting her ear.
In a dimly lit corner, a woman was pinned against the wall as a man kissed her passionately.
Then they reached the restroom at the back entrance of the dance hall. They hadn’t even gone inside when waves of moaning came from within, enough to make anyone’s face burn with embarrassment. It wasn’t hard to imagine what was happening inside.
Wen Shiqing’s face went from pale to red, then from red to ashen. Her wrist hurt terribly from his grip, and she struggled to make him let go.
The veins on Xie Yucheng’s forehead bulged with anger. He dragged her all the way out through the back entrance.
He couldn’t bear to imagine how many men might be lewdly fantasizing about her if she appeared in a place like this, or how many might take advantage of her while dancing.
A beautiful, graceful, innocent girl had come to a place like this. It was as though a pure flower had been transplanted into a pool of mud. Every breath she took was being tainted by the air around her.
Only after they were far away from the dance hall did he finally release her hand. Pointing toward the dance hall, he said coldly,
“Did you see it clearly? This is the kind of place your classmate brought you to!”
Wen Shiqing’s wrist was already red. Her skin was delicate to begin with, and his rough grip had left the area sore and painful.
“Why can you come here while I can’t?”
She stubbornly lifted her chin. Her slender neck led down to a pair of delicate collarbones, while her low-cut floral dress outlined her graceful figure.
Xie Yucheng saw her arguing back and grabbed her chin, gritting his teeth.
“Because I’m a man. I can protect myself. What about you? If something happens, can you protect yourself? If some man puts his hands on you, or drags you into some alley…”
He couldn’t bring himself to finish.
Looking at her innocent little face, he paused for a second.
“Would you be able to fight him off then?”
His voice was deep and slightly hoarse, as though his throat were burning from anger.
“Brother, are you worried about me?”
The girl’s cherry-red lips parted slightly, her beautiful eyes staring straight into his.
The noisy disco music inside the dance hall was worlds apart from the silent night outside.
Under the dim streetlamp, the darkness stretched endlessly around them, concealing countless emotions that neither of them could put into words.
Xie Yucheng’s breathing stalled.
He looked away. His deep eyes were darker than the night itself.
Suddenly, he couldn’t say a word. It felt as though a thick fish bone were lodged in his throat, neither going up nor down, making him unbearably uncomfortable.
“Go home right now!”
He didn’t answer her question.
Wen Shiqing lowered her head and looked at the tips of her shoes, the corners of her lips lifting into a small smile.
When she raised her head again, she had already returned to that harmless, delicate expression.
“Isn’t Brother going home too? I’m going on a blind date tomorrow. Aren’t you going to help me check him out?”
The corner of Xie Yucheng’s mouth twitched.
He lowered his head and let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“Who you find is none of my business! The sooner you get married and get out of this house, the better. And don’t forget to take your clueless mother with you when you leave.”
A dull ache spread through Wen Shiqing’s heart. Her thumbnail dug deeply into the flesh of her index finger.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and looked up with a stubborn smile.
“Fine. I’ll do exactly as you wish, Brother. I’ll get married as soon as possible. I’ll find a good man. As for my mother and Uncle Xie, they want to live their lives together. That’s none of my business, and it’s none of yours either!”
With that, she hailed a pedicab and climbed inside.
Xie Yucheng stood frozen in place for a long time.
He swallowed, and that metaphorical fish bone seemed to slide down into his stomach, tearing through his insides.
The next morning, Wang Changlin’s leg was suddenly flung aside in his sleep, jolting him awake.
He opened his bleary eyes and saw that Xie Yucheng was already up.
“Where are you going?” he asked sleepily.
The two of them hadn’t returned until late the previous night. They should have slept until the afternoon.
He glanced at the clock.
It was only a little after eight.
“Going home for a while.”
Xie Yucheng pulled on a pair of jeans, put on a striped shirt, then casually ran some of Wang Changlin’s hair wax through his hair.
Wang Changlin exclaimed, “Well, well! The peacock is showing off!”
Xie Yucheng ignored him, opened the door, and walked out.
The secondhand modified Jiefang 141 truck was parked in the factory yard. He had already bought it and signed the contract. It just needed a few more parts replaced before it would be ready.
He opened the door and started the engine. Listening to its low rumble, he ran his hand over the steering wheel.
After a while, he returned to the room and tossed the truck keys onto Wang Changlin.
“Get that Jiefang 141 sorted out as soon as possible. I’ve got work lined up and need to start hauling soon.”
“Damn it, Young Master Xie, can you let me get a decent night’s sleep? I drink with you at night, work on your truck during the day, and every now and then I even have to help you deal with your moods. What am I, your all-purpose companion?”
“Let me ask you something. You just went home a couple of days ago to get your clothes. Why are you going home again now? Is it because of your little sister?”
Xie Yucheng stood in front of the mirror and fixed his tousled hair. He undid two buttons of his shirt, revealing a hint of his solid chest.
“It’s got nothing to do with her. I have something else to take care of.”
Wang Changlin gave him a look that said he saw right through him.
“If you ask me, forget about all the rules. If you like her, just go for it. Why torture yourself every day? The look on your face last night when you saw her at the dance hall was terrifying. You looked like you were about to kill someone. Even that guy who tried to chat her up got scared away.”
Xie Yucheng picked up a small object beside him and threw it at Wang Changlin.
“Are you done yet? I was only worried she’d get into trouble and cause the old man problems.”
“Heh. You love her to death but still refuse to admit it. Just wait until that girl really gets married. You’ll be crying your eyes out. And don’t come crying to me then. I’ll kick you while you’re down and tell you one thing: you deserve it.”
Expressionless, Xie Yucheng put on his watch, grabbed his motorcycle keys, and slammed the door behind him.
Along the roadside, sweet osmanthus and Chinese pistache trees were lush and green. People walking or riding bicycles smiled and nodded at acquaintances as they greeted one another.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yeah.”
“Going to work?”
“Yep.”
Xie Yucheng stopped at the local department store and bought a new thermos. It was silver, made of 304 stainless steel, with gold lettering coating the outside. It looked elegant and simple. He asked the saleswoman to put it in a nice gift bag.
Tomorrow was Xie Guoli’s birthday. He needed to go home, and he couldn’t spend these next few days fooling around outside.
As he passed a pastry shop, he spotted golden-brown honey rolls shining in the display window.
For some reason, he went inside and bought some, hanging the bag from the motorcycle’s handlebars.
Before long, his motorcycle slowly entered the alley.
The first thing he saw was a conspicuous white Santana parked outside his family’s courtyard. The car was spotless and gleaming, looking incredibly impressive.
The alley wasn’t wide, and the car had blocked it almost completely.
Xie Yucheng had no choice but to park his motorcycle beneath a large tree farther away. Carrying the things in his hands, he walked into the courtyard.
The moment he stepped inside, seven or eight pairs of eyes in the main room turned toward him.
Besides the three members of his family, there was also a well-known matchmaker—Auntie Zhang from next door—a middle-aged couple he didn’t recognize, and a young man who looked to be around twenty.