Tooth marks

Fang Chuan parked his car three blocks away, then turned off his phone, threw it into the car, walked another block, and took a taxi to the Little Bird Hotel.

The hotel was old; the patterned small tiles were yellowed, cracked, and stained with mud that couldn't be cleaned.

He waited in the room, bored out of his mind, until the minute hand had gone halfway around, when he heard familiar footsteps in the hallway, accompanied by the sound of a cane tapping on the floor.

Fang Chuan opened the door, poked his head out, and smiled.

His boss, Mr. Huang, was wearing his orange hooded jacket.

Mr. Huang owns a hotel and looks down on this run-down room. There's a dilapidated window with a yellowish white curtain that lets in light, and you can even see the occasional shadow of someone passing by outside. The soundproofing is also terrible; you can hear the hawkers shouting on the street clearly.

"Why did you choose this place?"

“You don’t need an ID card in a place like this, and there are no security cameras, so we can’t find anything.” Fang Chuan took off his trench coat and spread it flat on the bed. “Sit on my coat; it’s clean.”

Fang Chuan stood by the bed. Huang Fuda looked at the person in front of him and didn't want to sit down at all. He let go of his crutches and hugged Fang Chuan tightly with both hands.

Fang Chuan paused for a moment, his body stiffening slightly, then smiled and said, "I had a rather private meeting this morning with strict requirements, which is why I was able to take off my watch. I'll have to do it again this afternoon..."

"Where did you go?"

"...I've gone to study the philosophy of life."

Huang Fuda looked down at him, his gaze deep, and said nothing.

Fang Chuan buried his face in Huang Fuda's warm neck and whispered, "Don't be angry. It's not that I don't want to come back. I think about it when I'm asleep, I think about it when I'm awake, I think about it every second. If Teacher Bai hadn't killed my dad, I wouldn't be able to come back for now."

Huang Fuda felt a cool sensation on his neck, nose, and face, and touched them gently; they were still slightly sweaty.

"They say it's food poisoning."

"No. Teacher Bai drugged my dad, and while he was immobilized, she stabbed him 17 times. Finally, she committed suicide in the bathroom..."

Fang Chuan trembled slightly, pushed Huang Fuda aside, and made him sit on his trench coat, saying, "Boss, this is retribution, isn't it?"

"Are you feeling unwell...?"

Fang Chuan shook his head and hid his hands behind his back.

"Why are you always shaking? Are you sick?"

Huang Fuda reached for Fang Chuan's hand, but was immediately pushed away.

"I'm not sick!"

Fang Chuan, his face deathly pale, shouted at Huang Fuda. After shouting, he realized he was wrong, hid his hands behind his back again, and whispered, "I'm just... a little cold."

Huang Fuda looked at him and smiled gently. He patted the bed and gestured for Fang Chuan to sit down.

Fang Chuan looked up at him, then obediently sat down next to Huang Fuda. As soon as he sat down, he was suddenly pushed down.

"What are you hiding from me?"

The person beneath him trembled, remaining silent.

Huang Fuda gripped Fang Chuan's wrist, his palm clearly revealing the bone beneath. He looked down and noticed a scab on the skin there.

Ignoring Fang Chuan's resistance, she rolled up his sleeve, revealing large and small bruises and needle marks on his arm. She then rolled up his other arm, finding the same thing.

Carefully pulling down his sleeve, she touched Fang Chuan's pale face and asked, "Where did our little Fang suffer?"

Fang Chuan gave him a forced smile, "It's all in the past, it's alright."

"Don't you want to talk about it?"

Fang Chuan nodded stiffly.

Seeing this, Huang Fuda lowered his eyes and gently kissed Fang Chuan's forehead, but Fang Chuan suddenly pushed him away.

Huang Fuda froze, stood up, and asked, "You don't want me to touch you?"

"No."

"More than once."

"I really didn't." Fang Chuan sat up and gently hugged Huang Fuda.

Huang Fuda stared at him, then brushed his hand away, turned his head to smoke, and Fang Chuan also lowered his head and said, "She said she would release me once she had completely severed all ties with you, and I agreed. Wait for me a little longer, and when I can leave completely, we'll leave this place together."

"And then what about me..."

"...Director Yang might not be what you think. He's been in the Public Security Bureau for so many years, what hasn't he seen?"

"Fang Chuan, why do you never consider my feelings?"

Huang Fuda picked up his crutch from the ground and got up to leave, but was grabbed by the clothes.

"So what do you mean? Do you want to live your whole life hiding? You'll be found out sooner or later." Fang Chuan tightened his grip on his clothes, his voice turning cold. "Or do you want to break up with me?"

"I won't allow it. If we break up, who will you go to? Yun Ge? Oh right, you've already hooked up with him. Who would dare to bully you now? You go to the Yun family every few days with that child. The three of you are like a family, while I don't even have a chance to see you! Now I don't even have the status of your boyfriend anymore. What am I? Tell me, what am I?"

"So it's my fault?" Huang Fuda looked down at him. "If it weren't for that video you filmed, would things have come to this?"

"If I hadn't taken this picture, you would never have been with me!!"

Fang Chuan's hands trembled, his eyes were red, "When you coaxed me that day and asked me to delete the video, I realized that you just wanted to leave, that you didn't really like me at all, that you wanted to leave me to go find Yun Ge, to live the life of the three of you, and then abandon me."

"Fang Chuan!"

Fang Chuan grabbed Huang Fuda's waist, trembling all over, "Impossible, I'm telling you, you're not leaving in this lifetime. So what if Yun Ge? If he really kills me, I'll drag you down with me even if I die. We have to be together forever."

Huang Fuda looked at the head on his waist, feeling helpless and powerless. "I've said it many times, there's nothing between him and me."

"...Everyone says you're his person. What are you to him? Lover? Partner? How could he be so kind as to raise your child and support your company, spending tens of millions without hesitation? He's much better than me, isn't he? I messed up your company, pressured you with this and that, you hate me so much, that's why you treat me like this, right?"

Huang Fuda shook him off and walked towards the door, saying, "Take some time to calm down."

Fang Chuan stood up and rushed over, hugging the person from behind, gritting his teeth as he said, "You're not allowed to leave. Who will you go to after you leave?"

A sharp pain suddenly shot through Huang Fuda's neck, and blood flowed down his neck, only to be licked away by Fang Chuan. A deep tooth mark was left on Huang Fuda's neck. The zipper was pulled down, and a trembling hand eagerly touched his entire body.

"Huang Fuda, did you sleep with him again? While I was getting electrocuted again and again looking at your picture in that godforsaken place, how many times did you meet with him, how many times did you sleep with him? Where did he touch you? Are you going to be fucked to death by someone else again?!"

"That's what you think of me... is that it? I'm despicable, I'll do anything to get what I want, I'd rather strip naked and grab anyone to sleep with, that's what you've always thought of me, right?"

"Wasn't this how you always were? Did I say something wrong? Don't you know how your Cloud Island rose to power? How can you be so shameless, now you're even running after that woman who raped you and killed your brother!"

Huang Fuda was quickly pulled away from the doorway, his cane falling halfway down the road. He was staggered and dragged to the bed, his heart gradually growing cold.

"That's why you've always treated me like this, because I'm cheap, so I deserve to be humiliated."

She slowly looked at Fang Chuan, "...Then why do you keep bothering me? There are plenty of clean people outside, why do you have to put up with this disgusting behavior and pester me every day?"

"I don't find you disgusting..."

"You said it yourself before, that you felt disgusted."

Huang Fuda raised his hand, took off the ring, and said, "Here's your ring back, I don't want it anymore."

"No!"

Fang Chuan grasped the hand with the ring on it, his face pale and sweaty, his whole body trembling, yet his strength was terrifying.

"You can't leave. We promised to be together, and you can't go back on your word."

He kissed the ring on Huang Fuda's hand, his eyes bloodshot. "I was wrong, I said the wrong thing. I shouldn't have doubted you. Don't be angry, I just like you too much."

"Today, today was my fault. Put the ring on properly and don't leave. It's only 11 o'clock. Are you hungry? Let's go get something to eat, okay?"

“…”

"...If you don't want to eat, then we won't eat. Don't leave, we'll stay until 2 o'clock. It was my fault for not considering your feelings. I can hide it well, and I don't need to see you every day. We can meet occasionally. Really, I won't let anyone find out. Don't go, and don't go looking for anyone else."

Huang Fuda tried to pull his hand away, but couldn't. He looked at Fang Chuan, whose gaze was wandering, and said, "Aren't you tired?"

Fang Chuan's eyebrows furrowed instantly, his lips twitched, and then he forced a smile, "...If you're tired, take a nap. I'll keep you company."

"You know what I mean."

"...You think it's dirty here, don't you? My trench coat is too small, I can't lie down comfortably. Next time, next time I'll find another place, I'll never let you suffer like this again."

Fang Chuan hugged Huang Fuda tightly, burying his head in Huang Fuda's neck, and said in a trembling voice, "I know I was wrong, please give me another chance. I don't know when we'll see each other again, so please don't go. I won't make you angry again."

Huang Fuda's neck was wet, whether from sweat or tears, it was hard to tell. Fang Chuan had lost a lot of weight and was as light as a cat lying on Huang Fuda.

He sighed softly.

"Fang Chuan, I understand you're under a lot of pressure and insecure after coming from that kind of place. I'm a little older than you, so I'll let you have your way this time. But this is the last time."

Fang Chuan quickly agreed and hugged the person even tighter. His body was trembling and his muscles were twitching. Every part of his body, from his fingertips to his scalp, was in pain, but he dared not loosen his grip even slightly.

The autumn wind was strong, blowing through his trench coat onto his sweat-soaked back, sending a shiver down Fang Chuan's spine. He glanced at his phone on the driver's seat, tossed it aside, and drove to the company.

General Manager Wu was waiting for him in her office.

"Where did you go? Why is your phone off?"

Fang Chuan looked out the window at the bare treetops and said, "I was very tired after the meeting and fell asleep in the car. When I woke up, I found that my phone was dead."

When have you ever been able to fall asleep in a car?

Fang Chuan turned his head, squinted, and smiled at Fang's mother, "Don't you know? When I was there, I could fall asleep standing up, but I wouldn't sleep for long. I would be woken up by an electric shock every now and then. I'm used to it. I just came out of there, and I can't change it right away."

General Manager Wu silently lowered his head and waved his hand, "Alright, go ahead. Do a good job on the new project I gave you, and don't mess around anymore. Also, invite Miss Chen to dinner tomorrow."

"You expect me to eat with her while my arms are shaking?" Fang Chuan smiled.

"...You can leave now."

Fang Chuan had no more opportunities to go to the construction site or Huang Fuda's company. The two simply arranged to meet at a secluded spot by the river that evening.

They hid in the shade of several large trees, gazing at each other across the night.

Fang Chuan pinned Huang Fuda against a tree, stood on tiptoe and kissed him. The longer it lasted, the more violently he trembled, until Huang Fuda forcefully tore it off.

Do you make me feel uncomfortable whenever you touch me?

Fang Chuan shook his head, his face pale, and tried to burrow into his boss Huang's arms again.

Huang Fuda dodged, then quickly scribbled on the paper: "You lied to me."

Fang Chuan was still shaking his head when he quickly hugged Huang Fuda, buried his face in the scabbed teeth marks on Huang Fuda's neck, and licked them.

Huang Fuda whispered in Fang Chuan's ear, "It's okay, bite if you feel uncomfortable, it won't hurt."

No sooner had I finished speaking than my neck was tentatively bitten lightly. After the initial pain, a warm tongue licked it, followed by an even harder bite. This continued until blood started to flow from the affected area.

Huang Fuda indulged him, gently stroking Fang Chuan's back. The night breeze caressed the two of them, stirring a corner of their secret, clandestine relationship before slowly settling back down.

The days were far too long, stretching into the distance, with no end in sight and no light in sight. The wind rustled the trees, the sky suddenly brightened for a moment, and soon rain began to fall on the two of them.

Under the sound of rain, Fang Chuan whispered in Huang Fuda's ear, "Will we always be together?"

Huang Fuda's voice was softly swallowed by the rain.

"meeting."