"Hello?"
"..."
There was no response from the other end. Undeterred, Lianqing called out to him again, "Hello?"
"Hello!" It really was him! Lianqing's blood started burning in her body, at a rapid, uncontrollable speed, almost suffocatingly fast.
"Hello?" The lazy voice startled Lianqing. She recognized the voice as coming from her cousin, and she was woken up.
"Cousin, this is my phone!" Lianqing quickly declared.
"Oh." The phone was put down.
"..."
"How did you know I was looking for you?" Yan Gu's tone was also ambiguous, relaxed and unhurried.
Lianqing really wanted to hang up the phone. If she were home alone, she could guarantee that her cousin wouldn't answer the phone next time he called. But the current situation didn't allow her to be too coy. However, Lianqing still sternly threatened, "Then I'm hanging up!"
"No! I was just kidding. I really came to see you."
"Where's your wife?" Lianqing asked, while playing with the curly downy hair on her lower body.
"She's asleep."
"Is there something you need?" Lianqing asked deliberately.
I'm thinking of you!
Hearing the man's sexy, husky voice, Lian Qing almost gasped for breath. Suppressing her own breath, she slowly hung up the phone.
The Lost Child (Part 8)
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Lianqing began her first real relationship in Shenzhen. It was a purely clandestine affair. Therefore, their relationship was much more exciting and romantic than that of ordinary couples.
They were a perfect couple, driven by a fervent passion and boundless desire. They made love in every corner of the city—in secluded alleys, in park bushes, on stairwell steps, in Yan Gu's Buick—anywhere they could. Even the phone calls from his wife during their lovemaking intensely aroused them. At these times, Yan Gu would thrust while gently answering his wife's questions in a calm voice. Then they would become even more passionate, as if the world were ending and they wanted to experience the most exquisite sensual pleasure in such a limited time. Even at work, Lian Qing would sometimes recall their time together, a dazed expression on her face.
Lianqing was content with their current state; there was no future. He was too old, far too old for Lianqing, a full twelve years her senior. Even when he was too old to walk, Lianqing would still be full of vitality. Their rhythms were out of sync; they could only have the present, and right now, they were perfectly in sync. When Lianqing felt her body overflowing with love for him, she would convince herself that she would find someone more suitable, someone better than him.
Another passionate date, on a rainy day.
Yan Gu was driving his Buick, already quite far from the city. He was still searching, and Lian Qing's body was getting warm; she knew he was looking for a secluded place.
The rain was pouring down, cold and heavy. The car headlights pierced the hazy darkness, creating an eerie atmosphere. The car finally came to a stop.
Enya's "CHINE ROSES" played from the stereo, and the space suddenly felt larger. A cool breeze slowly blew from the air conditioner vents, but it couldn't alleviate the body's heat. Lianqing flipped over and sat on Yan Gu, reaching out to remove his belt. The crisp metallic clang of metal against metal intensely stimulated both of them. Their clothes were hastily ripped off, and Lianqing's proud body leaned back, her youthful, athletic form swaying powerfully under the weight of desire. The halo around her navel gleamed coldly in the night. They made love with all their might, the music echoing in the car, along with the pervasive scent of their bodies, the smell of desire, and… the ever-present, menacing sleeves of death…
A large truck sped by, unaware of the car with its lights off at the turn.
The collision was very violent. The Buick, which was running, overturned and fell into the weeds more than a meter above the road. Lian Qing was thrown out first. She was surprised and fell off Yan Gu. She crashed open the car door that was not closed properly and fell into the weeds. Then the car overturned and landed on half of her body. Blood flowed from her exposed body and was washed away by the rain.
The Lost Child (Part 9)
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The phone rang in the middle of the night, and Hu Ni struggled to wake up from her dream, a dream of bright red, with crimson maple leaves everywhere, both magnificent and despairing.
The phone rang again, and Qiu Ping groaned groggily. Hu Ni picked up the phone; it was probably for Lian Qing. Late-night calls were usually for Lian Qing; perhaps she was sleeping too soundly today.
Hanging up the phone, Hu Ni rushed to Lian Qing's bedroom. The bed was messy and empty, and Lian Qing's beloved teddy bear lay alone on the floor. Hu Ni frantically searched every corner of the room, hoping to find Lian Qing's still-living body, but the room was deathly silent under the moonlight. Lian Qing was truly gone.
"What's wrong?" Qiu Ping asked from behind, her eyes still sleepy.
Hu Ni turned around, her eyes already misty. "Lian Qing... they said something happened to her."
Qiu Ping looked at the messy bed. Lian Qing should have been on the bed before they went to sleep. When did she go out again?
In the hospital, Hu Ni saw Lian Qing's mangled body through the glass, covered in tubes and wearing an oxygen mask. There they met Yan Gu's wife, Li Lan, whose will was almost shattered; her eyes were vacant, her expression dazed. She had lost her world—the world betrayed by her beloved. Yan Gu's injuries were not serious; he had regained consciousness and was not missing any limbs. However, in less than half an hour, the doctor pronounced Lian Qing dead…
Black terror, everywhere, black terror. The vibrant youth of Lianqing had vanished from this world. Hu Ni couldn't believe it. She slumped helplessly in the hospital corridor. The hospital was eerily quiet in the middle of the night, the white lights casting a cold, harsh glow on the corridor. Qiu Ping hurried over after completing the formalities.
Hu Ni shed soft tears, her mind a chaotic mess.
Lianqing, you are finally completely free. You've finally broken free. Laugh all you want, scream all you want, make love all you want, you're beautiful... beautiful child.
Lianqing's parents arrived the next day, their shock and grief aging them twenty years overnight. Her aunt rushed towards her daughter like a madwoman, screaming and crying a heart-wrenching chorus. Her uncle, who hadn't shed tears in over a decade, uttered hoarse sobs.
Hu Ni stood at a distance, emaciated and barely recognizable, her eyes red and swollen from countless tears. Since her uncle and his family arrived, Qiu Ping and she hadn't been able to get close to Lian Qing. They were sinners; they hadn't taken good care of Lian Qing. Hu Ni could only watch them from afar, her only family in the world.
Before Lianqing was cremated, Hu Ni found an opportunity to place a pad on her right breast. Under the pressure, the saline implant in her right breast ruptured. Lianqing loved beauty; she certainly couldn't accept herself looking like that.
Yan Gu came over, and his aunt hysterically slapped him several times until she was completely exhausted and collapsed on the ground, wailing loudly.
Qiu Ping walked over, silently looked at him with a restrained gaze, and then said, "How could you do this!"
Yan Gu lifted his scarred face and said in a hoarse voice, "I love her very much, really."
Upon hearing this, Hu Ni burst into tears, a muffled sound escaping her throat.
But Lianqing left just like that.
The Lost Child (Part 10)
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Hu Ni hadn't recovered from the pain of Lian Qing's departure. She'd become somewhat neurotic, afraid of Qiu Ping driving, and desperately trying to persuade him to sell the car. She began to wonder why the people around her always seemed to disappear like this. In the middle of the night, Hu Ni would wake up from nightmares, her dreams filled with vivid, poignant red. She could only hold Qiu Ping tightly, her only love. In the darkness, she didn't know how to fight the past or strive for a future.
Qiu Ping was absolutely the most loyal and important lover that fate had arranged for her. He spared no effort to save her from her collapsing will. He took her on outings, introduced her to many friends, and encouraged her to join fitness classes and volunteer activities. He was confident that he could help her get out of that dark, bottomless abyss.
However, by reaching out, Hu Ni could feel the loneliness of the night and the coldness of death.
She was rapidly fading away. She began to hide herself, placing herself in the shadows to conceal her weariness and pain.
But Hu Ni herself knew she couldn't give up. She was not yet thirty, she still had Qiu Ping, she needed to have strength, she needed to fight against the past, and she needed to strive for the future.
Qiu Ping said, "Take a break for a while, don't work anymore. Don't you like writing? Just stay home and do what you enjoy."
Hu Ni insisted on going to work because she was afraid of being alone.
One summer evening, Hu Ni and Qiu Ping went to the airport to pick up Qiu Ping's parents.
The family was happily reunited, but Hu Ni understood that there were some things she would finally have to face.
Everyone avoided mentioning Lianqing's departure, putting on a cheerful facade. The parents' bedroom was formerly the study, and Lianqing's room had been converted into the current study. Those who are alive will try their best to forget their sorrows.
To spend time with her parents, and also because she wasn't performing well at work lately, Hu Ni quit her job. She spends all her time busy at the market and in the kitchen. Hu Ni has already mastered cooking all sorts of different dishes—they're both beautiful and delicious.
When Qiuping returned, the family happily sat together, eating and chatting about topics that interested everyone. Qiuping's father had transformed from a quiet man into a gentle and talkative old man, especially after a glass of wine. But today's casual conversation was clearly based on topics that Qiuping's mother had thought about many times beforehand.
Qiu Ping's mother took the bowl of squid soup that Hu Ni had served her, squinted her eyes which looked even smaller because of her weight gain, and smiled contentedly, saying, "So, why haven't you gotten your marriage certificate yet? Qiu Ping, I'm warning you, you're not allowed to bully Hu Ni. If you do, your father and I won't let you off the hook." After saying that, she looked at this one with loving eyes, then at that one.
Hu Ni put the vegetables she had picked up with her chopsticks into her mouth, but couldn't taste anything. She glanced at Qiu Ping, who paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "We only went to chat because we wanted you guys to come, so it would be more lively for everyone."
"It's not like we're having a ceremony. Let's just do it in the next couple of days. Your dad and I both think it's best if you two get your marriage certificate in the next couple of days. It'll be perfectly legitimate, and it'll be a good deal for Hu Ni."
"Okay!" Qiu Ping answered readily, taking a big bite of a chicken leg, smiling at Hu Ni with his eyes sparkling.
"Once we get the marriage certificate, we can plan to have a child. I can retire next year, and I'll help you take care of the child then." Qiu Ping's mother was beaming with excitement, and two rosy clouds floated on her cheeks.
"Your mother is so desperate to have a grandson!" Qiu Ping's father teased his wife with a laugh.
"You don't want to? You're so envious when you see other people's grandchildren! Don't talk about me."
Hu Ni glanced at Qiu Ping, who gave her a look, remaining very calm, and then smiled and said, "It's still early, still early!"
"It's getting late. Do you want Hu Ni to have an even harder time in the future?"
"Stop talking, Mom, let's eat. We'll make plans later."
Hu Ni chewed the celery in her mouth crisply, but couldn't discern any taste.
After dinner, the family sat around the TV, flipping through some uninteresting programs, chatting idly while chewing on fruit that Hu Ni had already peeled and pitted.
The atmosphere was joyful and harmonious, but Hu Ni, being in the midst of it, felt unusually heavy.
It's time to explain things to Qiu Ping's parents. As for the outcome, let's leave it to fate.
However, Hu Ni didn't speak until the elderly couple went back to their room to rest. She really didn't want to spoil such a beautiful atmosphere.
"Qiuping, you should tell your parents." Lying in bed, Hu Ni said softly.
"No!" Qiu Ping sat up. "I don't want to take any risks. Let's not tell them about this."
"But... Qiuping, we can't deceive them. We can't do it."
"...There will be a way to solve this later. Don't talk about it now. If it really doesn't work, we can adopt a child. It's okay."
"Qiuping..."
"Stop talking, Hu Ni, don't say anything, promise me, don't say anything, let them stay happy as they are now."
Hu Ni fell silent as she plummeted into the darkness, and even Qiu Ping was unsure of her fate.
Qiu Ping's snoring gradually rose. He loved her, and because of that love, he had every reason to let go, so he fell asleep peacefully. Tomorrow's problems could be solved tomorrow. But Hu Ni couldn't do that, because the problem lay with her, because they were both very traditional people. But Hu Ni wanted a happy life; she clung tightly to the beautiful and splendid happiness, to her Qiu Ping, the man who connected her past and future, and she simply didn't want to let go. If they didn't say anything, they could just be happy like this. If all else failed, like Qiu Ping said, they could adopt a child. Perhaps, in a couple of years, science would advance to the point where women wouldn't need to carry a child themselves. There's in-vitro fertilization now, isn't there? Perhaps they could have an IVF baby, Qiu Ping's own child…
Under the blue moonlight, Hu Ni slowly rose, walked to the windowsill, and looked at the stars twinkling coldly in the deep blue sky. The orchids on the balcony had already bloomed, exceptionally beautiful and alluring in the night.
The Lost Child (Part 11)
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However, some things simply cannot be ignored, especially at times like these.
The two men in the house were already asleep when Qiu Ping's mother called Hu Ni to a stop. Hu Ni remembered the look in Qiu Ping's eyes when he entered the room; he was telling her not to mention that matter. Hu Ni secretly resolved not to mention it, never to mention it again.
Bathed in the warm orange light, Qiu Ping's mother, nourished by happiness, looked especially kind, her round, plump face radiating heartfelt joy. She pulled Hu Ni to sit beside her, took out a jewelry box, opened it, and inside was a jade pendant, crystal clear, its emerald green so vibrant it seemed as if it were about to drip with the purest water in the world. An unbearable weight pressed down on Hu Ni.
“Hu Ni, I don’t have anything good to give you for your wedding. This jade pendant was left to me by your father’s mother when we got married. It’s not very useful, it’s just a token.”
"Mom, you should keep it." Hu Ni didn't dare to reach out.
"Here you go, Hu Ni. From now on, we're all family. I've always seen how close you and Qiu Ping are since you were little. You're both good kids. Your dad and I are so happy to know you're together..." The voice was low and soft, swirling around her ear and filling the room. It gently crushed Hu Ni's resolve little by little.
"Mom, there's something we've been wanting to tell you, but we've never dared to..."
The same gentle words plunged Qiu Ping's mother's blissful world into a deep abyss. Her face, still glistening with oil, lost its peaceful and joyful expression, replaced by utter shock, a shattered shock.
Before she could finish speaking, Qiu Ping's mother slowly stood up and went into her room. The door closed gently, and the soft sound made Hu Ni tremble.
Hu Ni sat blankly on the sofa, slowly burying her head in her knees, pulling at her hair with her slender fingers. She wasn't someone who could bring happiness to others...
"Hu Ni!"
Hu Ni looked up and saw Qiu Ping standing in front of her; he had been worried the whole time. He quickly searched her face, his heartbreaking eyes scanning her face, his features so graceful and delicate, as he looked down at her. Hu Ni hugged him; she simply couldn't bear to give up this man.
He lowered his head and stroked her hair, asking softly, "What's wrong? Hu Ni, tell me."