(7 Fresh Coins) Chapter 6 (Part 1) The Time I Left You
This was no time for anything romantic or suggestive. Based on her only previous experience of "bathing together," she knew that if she wanted a "proper bath," she definitely shouldn't be with Si Qiang. Xu Qi felt a sense of unease and instinctively moved to the side.
Si Qiang keenly sensed his "guardianness," turned her head and smiled at him: "I won't do anything... hurry up and finish washing and rest." She said softly, and he slowly turned his back.
His attitude startled Xu Qi, who then felt guilty. His reaction might have hurt her. After all, Si Qiang hadn't continued, and now to doubt him was rather inappropriate. Thinking this, Xu Qi turned to look at the man's back. Suddenly, he noticed several red scars that had appeared abruptly on the large expanse of fair skin, clearly recent.
Xu Qi frowned and blurted out, "How did you get these injuries?"
When Si Qiang was by his side before, she would sometimes get injured protecting him and Xu Yi, or while completing missions. After all, in that kind of work, it was impossible to escape unscathed every time. Although he always asked her to protect herself as much as possible, the girl still often disregarded her own safety. If it was because of her status back then, now that she's the young master of the Fuqing Gang, she's not on the front lines, so where did these injuries come from?
Upon hearing this, Si Qiang remained silent for a few seconds before replying in a relaxed tone, "It's alright, it's already healed."
"That's not what I'm asking." Xu Qi's face darkened. He reached out and turned his shoulder, looking directly into his eyes. "Why are you injured?"
"..." Si Qiang lowered her eyes and did not answer.
Seeing that he remained silent, Xu Qi was about to press him for an answer when she suddenly remembered something else. Her heart sank, and she suppressed the unease surging within her as she continued to ask him, "Also, you haven't told me yet whether you've been taking drugs."
Si Qiang shuddered, knowing that this man would not give up unless he explained things clearly. He looked up and met the man's somewhat anxious gaze, and smiled sadly: "If I could, I really wouldn't want you to know."
Xu Qi pursed her lips, her brows furrowed, and waited quietly for him to continue.
“But I don’t want to lie to you.” Si Qiang slowly turned her head again, her voice becoming somewhat hollow. “When I first came back, I couldn’t stand being alone. Because it was too unbearable, I would go to find marijuana, and when my mind went blank, I would feel much better. You know, if I wanted, I would never lack these things.”
The Fuqing Gang is, after all, a criminal organization, and their activities are mostly lucrative enough to land them in jail for life, including drug trafficking. Si Qiang chose marijuana, which is relatively less harmful, but that doesn't negate the fact that he had broken down to the point of needing such a substance.
Upon hearing this, Xu Qi's face darkened, his fists clenched tightly as he desperately suppressed his barely contained rage. The fact that Si Qiang had smoked marijuana infuriated him—although marijuana is touted as a psychotropic drug and not addictive, excessive use can actually lead to psychological dependence, making it impossible to quit. The long-term health risks of such behavior are unimaginable.
“But after living like this for a while, I couldn’t take it anymore. Because after each blank period, what followed was emptiness and even more intense pain, so I quit again.” Si Qiang gave a bitter smile and continued with a touch of self-mockery, “Although it’s not very serious, it still left some aftereffects. When I get emotional, I sometimes lose control—I need external force to break that state.”
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Qi finally couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed his shoulder, gritting his teeth as he said, "Damn it, do you even know what you've done? I really want to pry open your brain and see what's inside!"
The pressure from his grip aggravated the not-yet-fully-healed wounds on his back, causing Si Qiang to wince slightly in pain, but he kept his head down, refusing to speak again. He knew he was being cowardly, and he knew that if he spoke, Xu Qi would definitely be angry, and might even look down on him... but he didn't want to hide anything from Xu Qi as he was now.
From the moment he saw the tattoo on the other man's thigh, he knew he could never escape Xu Qi's grasp. Loving him so painfully, yet in his near despair, he suddenly saw this—he finally understood that no matter how ruthless Xu Qi seemed, he still cared for Si Qiang. He had lost the last shred of strength to resist a man who had hurt him, and perhaps would continue to hurt him, yet still loved him.
Author's Note:
Marijuana and stuff...sigh, it's no good.
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