Chapter 3 Provoking "That was her pinching."
It was the first night on the cruise ship, and anticipation and enthusiasm were at their peak. Song Luoyun sat by the window in the lobby, drinking alone.
She was in a bad mood. A series of upsetting things had happened recently: her mother's betrayal, her suitor's coercion, and setbacks in her studies. These were all magnified after she drank, and she couldn't process them. Fortunately, she was still able to cry.
Just then, she saw people passing by outside the window.
They moved in a pyramid-like formation, the man at the head exuding an air of superiority. He stood under the spotlight, which was drawn solely to him. His black suit hugged his broad shoulders and narrow waist, the cuffs neatly locked, yet stretched taut. An elder beside him fawned with a smile, but he remained indifferent, simply raising his hand slightly to clear a path for him.
She stared blankly, her eyes filled with envy, and the thought that flashed through her mind was: such a person would not have the troubles that bother her.
Her eyes lowered, and when she looked up again, she caught the man's gaze.
The moment their eyes met, her breath caught in her throat. She seemed to see a smile in his eyes that belonged only to her, with a seductive rhythm. By the time she came to her senses, the man had already walked forward as if nothing had happened, while she was left in a state of turmoil.
Her eyes followed him anxiously until he disappeared at the end of the corridor. She then downed the wine on the table and hurriedly ran out, but the group had already left.
Unfortunately, she was in the midst of her most extravagant and decadent period.
On the luxurious cruise ship, everywhere was filled with highly saturated colors, even the sea surface was crystal clear under the moonlight. She was an ordinary person, and in such an environment, her spirit gradually became restless.
She stood on the deck for a while, when she suddenly heard a commotion behind her. When she turned around, she saw the man again. He spotted her in the crowd at a glance.
Song Luoyun's heart was pounding. She turned her back, not daring to look again. When she realized that the crowd behind her had dispersed, she turned around. The light was blocked, and the man was actually standing next to her.
"Why are you standing here?" he said, his tone excessively gentle.
Overwhelmed by this concern, Song Luoyun whispered, "I'm just... getting some fresh air."
"If you're cold, come inside. You'll catch a chill here," the man said.
Song Luoyun nodded, not even knowing what to say.
She heard a rustling sound and clutched the hem of her clothes. She saw him take off his coat, leaving only a white shirt that barely covered his muscular physique.
"Do you need it?" He handed her the clothes.
She shook her head, her voice very soft: "No, thank you."
He smiled gently, moved closer to her, and draped his coat over her back.
He left without looking back, leaving behind the scent of his clothes—a cool, acrid ambergris fragrance, like a damp hand gently pinching her soul, tenderly strangling it.
Her soul was gone, and she remained like his follower, watching him until he left. Then, shamefully, she sneaked into the elevator and stared at the constantly changing number that stopped at the 8th floor.
She stood there for a while before finally deciding to follow him, only to discover that this was not a public recreation area, but his private space.
But she had already arrived. It was quiet and dark here, with only the faint sound of heavy metal coming from downstairs. The shadows were cast by the moonlight and seemed ready to vanish at any moment.
"What's wrong?" The male voice behind her startled her.
Song Luoyun turned to the side. The man was in the bedroom. His tie, which he had been wearing properly, was now undone, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. His sleeves were rolled up, and he was holding a wine glass, leaning casually against the sofa.
"I was just passing by," Song Luoyun said quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know this was your room."
"It's alright, don't be so formal." Fu Huaizhi always maintained a polite demeanor and said softly, "Since you're here, how about we have a drink?"
Perhaps it was his status or his overly gentlemanly manners that made Song Luoyun lower her guard and follow him. He pulled out a chair for her and covered her legs with a blanket. There was no skin-to-skin contact, but the feel of the blanket still made her shiver.
He poured two glasses of wine, handing her the smaller one. She was already dizzy, and after a few sips, she had no idea what she was doing.
Fu Huaizhi often looked at her.
He treated her like his own sister, taking the initiative to learn about her situation, from her studies to her life, and sometimes even paying attention to her interactions with Fu Zeming.
Song Luoyun was unguarded. He asked her questions, and she answered them. She often felt her cheeks burning from his gaze and only dared to look at him out of the corner of her eye.
Things became uncontrollable from that moment on.
In those fragmented memories of being drunk, Song Luoyun, under the influence of alcohol, fell into his arms. He gentlemanly embraced her, and she greedily enjoyed the warmth of his body.
Gradually, other physical contact began, and she took the initiative first. He didn't refuse, indulging her transgressions with gentle, tender eyes.
Encouraged, she became even more daring and bolder in exploring him.
When memories returned, consciousness awoke amidst turmoil.
The scene before her eyes went from blurry to clear. She saw two hands around her waist, their fingers intertwined, while a soft, furry texture kept rubbing against her legs.
She then realized what she had done.
Her mind went blank for a moment, and she numbly accepted his kisses, which were tinged with her scent. Just as things were about to move on to the next step, she pushed the man away in fear, lowered her head, and dared not face his excessively gloomy expression. She put on her clothes and turned to leave.
Song Luoyun dared not recall this incident at all.
She had never acted so outrageously before, not even when drunk. She was so flustered that she didn't realize she'd left her underwear with him until she got back to the bedroom.
She had considered where the pants would end up; he would probably throw them in the trash, after all, he loathed her. But she never imagined they would be there, clean and tidy.
She dared not imagine what he would do with it in the middle of the night.
He was more extreme than he realized.
Song Luoyun's hair was disheveled, her collar was slightly undone, and she was breathing rapidly as she hurriedly left the 8th floor.
While still shaken, she was also relieved that she had managed to escape unscathed from Fu Huaizhi.
Recalling what happened that night, she was still shaken and gulped down two glasses of cold water.
I only relaxed after making sure the doors and windows were locked.
...
The next day, Song Luoyun woke up to a constant commotion.
The cold medicine she had taken the day before was still lingering in her body, making her feel tired and sleepy. But with the cruise ship about to dock, she didn't have much time to rest.
She got up and drew back the curtains; the glaring sunlight made her close her eyes in pain.
At the same time, her phone rang, and Fu Zeming asked her when she planned to disembark.
Song Luoyun didn't reply until the cruise ship docked: "You guys go first, don't wait for me."
Fu Zeming replied: 【How can that be? There are no taxis here. I drove here, so I'm responsible for taking you back.】
Song Luoyun: [No need, I'm not leaving so soon.]
Fu Zeming persisted: "I'll wait for you. My car is in the parking lot to the right of the dock. No matter how late it is, just let me know, and I'll take you home."
Song Luoyun did not reply.
She could hear the sound of luggage scraping against the ground outside. She stood by the window and looked down. After waiting for twenty minutes, she slowly walked out.
Most people had already left, so she didn't take the elevator. Instead, she carried her luggage down the stairs, took a side path to the gate, and the pier was right in front of her.
But you uncontrollably run into the person you least want to see.
As if he had anticipated that she would take this route, he leaned against the railing and waited patiently, letting the sea breeze flap his trench coat. He only narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on her.
Song Luoyun walked past him and left.
He called out from behind, "Let's go back together."
"No need, Brother Fu," Song Luoyun refused, her demeanor overly flustered. "Someone will take me."
“You probably don’t want to get your things back through him,” Fu Huaizhi said.
Song Luoyun stopped in her tracks and pursed her lips.
Why couldn't she escape him?
His driver was already waiting at the dock. Fu Huaizhi got into the car first, patiently waiting for Song Luoyun to make a decision. She had almost no choice but to follow him.
Fu Zeming's car was parked across the street in his field of vision. He stood in front of the car and waited. When he noticed the car passing by, he stared intently at it.
Subconsciously, Song Luoyun turned her head away, only to see Fu Huaizhi's gloomy eyes.
The next second, her phone rang.
The name "Fu Zeming" was displayed above.
"I'm hanging up," Fu Huaizhi said, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
Song Luoyun pressed the lock screen; even if it weren't for him, she wouldn't have answered the call here.
The car drove away from the dock at an unusually slow pace. His presence filled the entire space with an overwhelming force. She disliked this irritating contact and tried to open the window, but found that it wouldn't come down no matter what she did.
"Uncle Ping, open the window." A deep male voice appeared.
Song Luoyun pursed her lips as the right-side car window continued to roll down. The strong sea breeze tousled her hair. She opened her mouth and said, "That's enough," only to realize that her voice was excessively hoarse.
The wind outside the window was too strong; the chill of March in Beijing was enough to make my head ache.
She gritted her teeth to resist the cold wind, when suddenly she noticed a hand reaching over to press the button on the window next to her door.
As if unable to bear watching any longer, Fu Huaizhi closed the window for her. He leaned on the armrest with his right hand, his body completely tilted towards her, his head very close to hers, his warm breath intentionally or unintentionally brushing against her collarbone.
The soft fabric hung down, and even though Song Luoyun didn't want to pay attention, she still saw the scene inside: on the bulging muscles, there were several glaring red scars.
She pinched him.
When she feels helpless, she habitually looks for anything she can grab onto, sometimes his body, sometimes his hand.
Then my gaze fell on the hand by the window.
There was a scabbed wound on the web of my hand.
She was the one who pinched him.
Reason told her she couldn't look anymore, but her eyes anxiously roamed over him.
Shouldn't he have traces of other women on him? Why is it only hers that left these marks?
With only a crack left in the window, Fu Huaizhi withdrew one hand and stared at her with an aggressive gaze as he stood up.
He said, "Looking at me like that, do you want to do it again?"
Song Luoyun's body stiffened, her icy hands gripping the handrail as she turned to look out the window.
Neither of them spoke, and an eerie silence descended, leaving no clue as to the purpose of his visit.
He hated her to the core, yet he was powerful and influential, able to sneak into her room at will. He could leave only a warning wound on the corner of her lips, or he could easily choke her right to breathe.
If he took her to his place and only wanted her body, she could lie down and let him vent his desires, and perhaps that would bring the matter to an end.
But if it costs her life...
As Song Luoyun looked at the increasingly detour-oriented road ahead, she unconsciously grabbed her clothes.
We live in a society governed by the rule of law. He still has a future to look forward to. He shouldn't do that, right?
"Miss Song, where do you live?"
The driver's voice shattered that illusion.
Song Luoyun looked ahead. They had already passed through the narrow village road, and what appeared next were towering buildings.
Fortunately, it wasn't what she had imagined.
She replied, "Pingbai Road, Songbai Residential Area."
Songbai Residential Area is an urban village area, surrounded by various entertainment venues, and its security management is usually poor.
As soon as the car turned onto the side road, a group of people who were arguing blocked the middle of the road, some even holding farming tools, and they were pushing and shoving each other.
The car was stuck until the police arrived, at which point more than half an hour had passed. The destination was just a short distance ahead.
"How long have you been staying here?" Fu Huaizhi suddenly asked.
Song Luoyun replied, "Half a year."
"You don't usually live at school?"
"My workplace is far from the school, so I don't live there."
Is this place nearby?
"Closer."
"That's very remote."
"yes."
Fu Huaizhi remained silent, which was unusually unusual. Even when Song Luoyun got out of the car and turned back to politely say, "Thank you, goodbye," he only nodded and said "Mm."
He was as calm as if he had gone to great lengths to find out her home address.
Only after watching the car drive away could Song Luoyun finally relax, her heart pounding the whole way. She turned and walked in the opposite direction the car had gone.
She was actually giving a fake address.
She lives in a place that is located to the east and west of Songbai Community.
After wandering around the neighborhood for a while, I walked to the main road from another direction, hailed a taxi, and went home.
Behind them, the jet-black Maybach returned.
I watched her go in and then leave, and then I watched her get on the car.
It followed.
...
Song Luoyun lay exhausted on the bed.
The nightmarish two days have finally come to an end. What should have been a relaxing trip has instead led me into a quagmire due to a moment of impulsiveness.
Remembering something, she got up and rummaged through the things—Fu Huaizhi hadn't returned the things he said he'd given her.
She shouldn't expect him to keep his promise, but fortunately he had no proof that it was hers, nor would he be so bored as to publicize her things.
That should be the end of it.
He's still consumed by anger, which is why he's clinging to her so tightly. But their lives were never meant to intersect; given time, he'll probably forget these unpleasant experiences.
She took the medicine and lay down, drifting in and out of sleep, until a sharp ringing sound rang in her ears, jolting her awake.
It was an alarm clock; she slept soundly until the next day.
I haven't taken a shower yet, my phone isn't charged, and there are several missed calls below the low battery warning, all from the same number, with the contact name "Mom".
I swiped left to clear the messages, plugged my phone in, took a shower, and then went to the office.
Song Luoyun is currently interning at an entertainment media group, but her major has nothing to do with entertainment and film. She studied materials science and engineering, and the minimum qualification for the corresponding job is a master's degree, but she is only a senior undergraduate student. Because she is short of money, she can only find a job that can earn money.
She could only say she was interested in film and television post-production. When she first entered university, she took on many part-time jobs to earn tuition and living expenses, such as distributing flyers or working as a waitress. Later, her high school friend Weng Xue encouraged her to learn some skills to support herself.
Weng Xuexue majored in animation, and according to her, this kind of work was particularly lucrative, and the key was that it didn't discriminate based on academic qualifications; as long as you had a portfolio, you could get paid. So, with her help, Song Luoyun learned basic editing skills and seized every job opportunity over the next three years, barely earning enough to live on during those years.
Song Luoyun felt unwell whenever she thought about these experiences.
Following the normal trajectory, she should now be able to secure a place in a graduate program and receive a scholarship. During this period, she only needs to handle graduation matters, rent an apartment, find an easy short-term job, or prepare for graduate studies at home. At least she won't be under too much pressure.
But all of that was destroyed.
The phone in his pocket vibrated again. Song Luoyun leaned against the subway car, put on his headphones, and closed his eyes wearily.
"Lolo." The female voice in the earpiece was amused, but there was no trace of affection in it. "You're back already, right? How was your trip these past few days?"
"How did you know?" Song Luoyun asked coldly.
"Is this how you talk to your mother?" Zhou Yingshu managed to maintain a smile, but her tone turned slightly cold.
Song Luoyun repeated, "I asked you how you knew?"
She never told her biological mother about her life, and she usually didn't care whether her mother lived or died, unless she needed something from her.
The last time they had a big argument on the phone was because Zhou Yingshu tried to persuade her to marry an older man, calling it a marriage of convenience, but in reality it was just to help her current husband overcome difficulties in his business.
Her daughter, whom she hadn't contacted for several years, suddenly invoked family ties and demanded that she sacrifice herself.
I can't believe she came up with that.
Zhou Yingshu finally lost her patience: "I'm your mother, and I get yelled at for just saying a few words of concern. Even a dog knows how to respect people better than you do."
Perhaps feeling that her tone was too harsh, she softened her attitude and said, "I apologized to you for what happened last time. I didn't think things through and I should have respected your important life decision. Now, Mom is telling you that you can boldly pursue your happiness."
Song Luoyun: "Speak your mind."
"That young master of the Fu family, Fu Zemin, I heard he's quite interested in you, you could..."
Song Luoyun hung up the phone.
I leaned my head against the railing, so annoyed that I didn't want to hear any more sounds.
But the phone notification continued relentlessly, and the person she had rudely hung up on seemed oblivious to her resistance, stubbornly continuing to persuade her.
Mom: [I don't know what you're thinking, but for a family like ours, it's a great honor to have the opportunity to meet the Fu family, especially since he's interested in you.]
Mom: [One day you'll understand that your pride and arrogance are useless in the face of money and power. I hope you won't disappoint me.]
She learned this rhetoric from her current husband.
She wasn't like this before. She used to support everything she did. She even told her that people should have principles and never compromise their principles for money.
She has succeeded, but her own mother has forgotten.
The train arrived at the station, and Song Luoyun boarded the shuttle bus from the subway station to the park. The entertainment company she worked for was Hengyu, a subsidiary of a top-tier global internet group. The workplace was at the headquarters, and she had heard many people say that this was the most desirable work environment. Before starting the job, she also thought so, but after entering the workplace, she found that the trivial matters in the workplace were far more complicated than professional knowledge.
Just like now, she has just entered the company, put her things on her workstation, and turned on her computer.
The department head walked by, sporting his unsettling smile, and said to her, "Xiao Luo's back at the company? Have you met any rich kids these past few days?"
When Fu Zeming invited her to the cruise party last time, she was at the company. Someone saw her WeChat chat history on her computer and it started circulating in the company.
She didn't see any hidden meaning in the party, but people at the company seemed particularly interested, implicitly equating her with a gold digger or a social climber.
Song Luoyun continued to deal with the matters at hand: "Director Liu, I only rested for two days, and I don't think I need to report on my activities outside of working hours."
Liu Junsheng, instead, leaned back, rested his hand on the desk, and looked at the others, saying, "I heard our Xiao Luo is quite something; she went to President Fu's party." Then, turning to Song Luoyun, he said, "Such a great opportunity, why not take this chance to meet more people and hurry up and get the wedding done?"
There are always people like this in the company, whose eyes seem to be coated with a sticky film of oil, who always like to put on airs of being successful people, and whose tone is full of discrimination against women.
Song Luoyun said calmly, "Please don't judge me with such vulgar eyes."
“What’s so vulgar about this? These young girls nowadays, they can’t even stand a few words of advice.” Liu Junsheng continued, “I’m doing this for your own good. Older women are like leftovers. If you don’t hurry up and make your move, no one will want you.”
Song Luoyun found it amusing: "I don't rely on men to support me."
Liu Junsheng suddenly laughed, and several male colleagues around him inexplicably joined in. Song Luoyun felt increasingly uncomfortable, but in the workplace, she could only swallow her anger and turn her head away, pretending not to hear.
The smoky atmosphere finally dissipated, and the office returned to a rare tranquility. Song Luoyun finished her tasks and was busy until lunch break. When she went out to pick up her takeout, the office was filled with noise—it was finally time for gossip.
Song Luoyun noticed this and deliberately took the takeout box to the tea room, which was a cramped and stuffy place, not the best place to eat.
Nevertheless, some people still followed her.
"I heard you went to President Fu's private party? Was it fun?" Cai Nian asked bluntly, moving the food and table closer to her, trying to appear friendly.
“It was just a normal party,” Song Luoyun said.
"Hiss, only you would think it's ordinary. Everyone in the past had their own agenda." Cai Nian's shrewdness was written all over his face. "So, did you have many new experiences? Did you meet President Fu in person?"
"Mmm." Song Luoyun took a sip of soup.
"Is he super handsome? I heard he has a very muscular physique and a friendly personality, is that true?"
“…I don’t know,” Song Luoyun said. “I’m not familiar with him.”
“That’s true, how would we get a chance to get in touch with him?” Cai Nian said. “How did you get involved?”
“A friend took me there,” Song Luoyun replied indifferently.
"Your rich kid friend?"
"Um."
"It's good to have many friends, but I don't have any friends like that."
Song Luoyun didn't want to talk.
Cai Nian could see that she clearly had a problem with her, but she didn't care. She didn't like this person either, and she only started talking to her to achieve her own goals.
Recalling the gossip she had been hearing these past few days, she couldn't contain her interest and continued, "Did you see President Fu's fiancée?"
A note from the author:
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