Black Widow
"boom!"
Bai Luo stood there stiffly, his mind blank.
The drug dealers have found Chang Liu?
She had no time to consider the seriousness of the situation and hastily stumbled into hailing a late-night taxi.
"Master, hurry up, go to the city hospital."
The wind outside the window was blowing wildly, sending fallen leaves flying all over the city. Bai Luo seemed lost in thought, his eyes fixed on the single light on the skyscraper.
Just now, when I passed by the neon alley of the millennium, I could faintly hear the anxious sound of sirens.
She didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just a fight between some street thugs.
Fortunately, she did not meddle in other people's business. If he really was the drug lord's minion, the consequences would be disastrous.
The white building of the Municipal Hospital was brightly lit. Bai Luo scanned the QR code and paid.
The nurse on duty at the inpatient department's front desk was filling out reports at her desk, and the smell of disinfectant was floating in the air.
"Hello, could you please help me find Chang Liu's ward number?"
The nurse raised her eyes, her eyes behind the lenses revealing professional fatigue.
"Are you a family member or a friend?"
Bai Luo's throat tightened and he was silent for half a second.
"I'm his sister."
After all, he is her older brother.
The nurse nodded, and the blue light from the computer screen made the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes flicker.
"Chang Liu, right? Third floor VIP area, Ward 303."
After a pause, he added.
"But visiting hours are almost over tonight, only half an hour left. If you go up, you may need to check in with the nurse on duty."
Bai Luo felt relieved, the depression in his chest was relieved, and he thanked him repeatedly.
"Thank you! Thank you! I'll go up right away."
On the third floor, a long and quiet corridor with cool colors, misty rain streaks fell on the glass windows.
The girl, with a worried look on her face, walked hurriedly. She rushed into Ward 303, breathing heavily.
Chang Liu, who was lying on the hospital bed, jumped in fright.
"So worried about me?"
"What's going on?"
Bai Luo went straight to the point. Looking at the bruised and battered face of the man on the bed, he gathered his thoughts.
Chang Liu didn't care about the wounds on his body, big or small. He crossed his legs casually, changed the subject casually, and smiled.
"Do you really want to stay?"
In the dark night sky, the icy moonlight penetrates the hazy glass and falls on the girl who is covered in wetness.
“That’s always the answer.”
The guttural sound shattered the sound of rain, so clear, so firm.
The fireworks and sounds of the tides of Hangzhou and Hong Kong have long been ingrained in our blood.
She never thought of leaving for a moment.
At sixteen, I suddenly lost the haven of home. I felt like I had no place to belong.
In the vast sea of people, she drifted alone, stumbling and confused.
She never thought about getting married, let alone having a family.
But the appearance of Bo Xi made her feel the warmth of home.
The shabby rental house was small, but it was filled with love that was about to overflow.
Let the barren land bloom with an everlasting spring.
How could she bear to leave?
Even if we don't have to sleep under the same roof day and night.
After all, the young man was too flamboyant and too passionate.
＿＿
The old city is damp year after year, and the musty smell of rain lingers year after year. The night roads I walked during my freshman and sophomore years moistened the bluestone and darkened the moss.
The cold wind blew across the faded camouflage uniforms on the balcony, and the faint jasmine scent dissipated, wetting the delicate fireworks.
Due to the passage of the typhoon last night, the community arranged for property staff to check the water pipes one by one to prevent hidden dangers such as leaks or bursts.
It was seven o'clock in the morning, and Bai Luo, who rarely stayed in bed on the weekend, was drowsy.
A series of intermittent knocks on the door penetrated the morning mist, disturbing her sweet dream like an uninvited guest.
Still half asleep, he impatiently put on his shoes, got out of bed and opened the door.
The tube-shaped building in Yanyu Lane and the Millennium Building in Nanfeng Lane are very different in style.
The building is rectangular in shape and compactly arranged, with a long corridor running through it and densely packed doors on both sides.
As the mottled door opened, scorching sunlight poured in, blinding Bai Luo so much that he couldn't open his eyes.
One hand was holding the door frame, and the other hand was pounding his head with a fist.
"What's going on so early in the morning?"
Very grumpy when waking up.
In the tube-shaped buildings, which are thick with the smell of fireworks, every household has lush green plants. The wind blows the green mint from somewhere, bringing a subtle sense of coolness.
The young man in blue work clothes in the corridor was dazed for a moment.
The original maintenance worker took leave for some reason, and the community had no one to send, so they had to ask Bo Yi to do the job temporarily.
He readily agreed. He checked each household from the fourth floor. The first two were safe and sound.
The third household was Bai Luo’s home.
The girl was wearing a lace nightgown with the straps hanging loosely. Her long, icy-blue hair was disheveled, and her cheeks were flushed with sleep.
Bo Xi rolled his Adam's apple secretly, and his voice became hoarse.
"Check the pipes."
Bai Luo's eyes were blank and he blurted out "Oh".
wrong.
The voice sounds familiar.
Look up.
Across the long daylight, their eyes met.
Bai Luo was stunned.
He paused for half a second and took a quick glance at the fierce-looking boy who didn't look like a plumber at all.
"Are you a plumber?"
She remembered that the last time, it was a middle-aged man in his fifties. How long had it been since he was replaced? A handsome young man?
The summer was long. Bo Yu, lazily carrying his toolbox, asked calmly, his brows etched with a hint of irritation.
"Can't?"
"My water pipes aren't broken, why don't you go somewhere else?"
The rental house was a mess, with bags of instant noodles and snacks from last night scattered on the table.
She wasn't used to having men enter her personal space. Besides, he had just been... violent towards her last night.
"If it breaks down, I'll find a plumber myself."
A negotiating tone and a soft tone.
No one can refuse.
But he was born with a stubborn nature and remained unmoved, like a stubborn shadow.
"This is a routine inspection and every household needs to be checked."
“…”
A bit difficult.
"As you please."
The listless figure threw down a few words like a broken jar and went straight back to the bedroom to catch up on some sleep.
At that time, Bai Luo was suffering from moderate depression and had been pathologically sleepy for the entire morning.
He was completely oblivious to the fact that Bo Qi had been busy for two hours. A crack had appeared at the kitchen water pipe joint and a new pipe was urgently needed.
The interface was complex and awkward to operate, so it took a lot of effort to remove the old pipe. The new pipe was slightly off in size, so I had to go to the hardware store again to buy the right fittings.
When installing new pipes, he carefully examined each joint and repeatedly rubbed the threads with his fingers until he was sure that they fit perfectly.
As I left, I glanced at the small balcony. The oversized camouflage uniform, too large for a girl, fluttered in the thin, lush summer air.
Tsk.
Four years have passed.
Seeing my high school military training uniform again.
What a coincidence...
The sixteen-year-old boy grew up in love. The strict family rules of the Shang family taught him the principles of conduct.
On the afternoon of the final day of his freshman year military training, which happened to be extremely cold, he jumped off the podium.
His eyes rolled lazily.
My pupils touched a small figure out of focus in front of a row of old bungalows at the edge of the playground.
The tiles of the dilapidated bungalow were crumbling. He didn't have time to think and rushed to the edge of the playground.
He stretched out his arms and pulled the person into his embrace, as if crushing the panic in his chest.
The next moment.
"Bang!"
The brick-red tiles were shattered.
In seconds, gray rain poured down.
The broken tiles scraped against his arm, leaving a thin scratch.
The rain stained my skin red. The stinging pain pierced through my usual indifference.
As if possessed by a ghost, he took off his military training uniform and covered the frightened girl's head with it.
A reckless and fearless young man who lives a flamboyant life, living passionately and recklessly.
No matter how bad a person is, he should know his limits.
Youth is a violent rain that cannot extinguish the fire in the eyes.
＿＿
A cold wind blew away the memories.
Bai Luo walked alone in the stormy night like a zombie. His eyelids were covered by the cold sound of the rain.
"Xiao Zhaozhao, believe me. He's worth it."
Those were the last words Chang Liu said when she left the hospital, burning and stinging.
Believe in Chang Liu?
She believed in her older brother from beginning to end.
Anyone who can send her from hell to dawn must have clean hands.
And he, Chang Liu, tore apart his own darkness with his own hands and became the first ray of light at dawn.
He deserves it.
What does it mean?
Is "he" my uncle, or my uncle?
Who is fighting with Chang Liu tonight?
I seem to have the answer in my heart, but I am not sure.
The icy rain drenched my body mercilessly, dulling my skin's sensitivity to autumn.
He was completely unaware of the biting cold.
The buttons of a water-soaked phone become sluggish.
I rubbed the wet touch screen with my fingertips several times before I found the number engraved in my heart.
Connected in one second.
"Zhao Zhao?"
On the other side, Shang Yu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of a villa ten kilometers away, listening to the sound of the cold rain pouring down tonight.
It seemed as if all the rain I had missed in the past five years had fallen tonight, soaking my broken heart.
"Did you fight tonight?"
Bai Luo rushed straight in.
Tell me, you got into a fight.
Tell me quickly.
But in the cracks of the rain that swallowed the world, she clearly heard the man's silent denial.
"No."
Not him.
It's really Bo Yi.
But why did he go to Chang Liu? Why did he fight with him?
Is he injured?
Is the injury serious? Does it hurt?
In the moment when everything was distorted, she heard the man's calm throat again.
"Bo Yi is my half-brother."
"Do you know?"
“Snap!”
The phone fell heavily into the murky water, shattering the light and shadows all over the floor.
In the cold, blue ocean world, her heart felt like it was trapped on an isolated island, surrounded by silence.
Bo Yi is my uncle's younger brother?
How is that possible?
They are obviously two surnames.
Moreover, Shang Yu was seven years older than Bo Yi.
How could they have the same father?
"He probably hates me and Dad."
The broken phone seemed stubborn and dutiful. The man's calm voice was intermittent.
"If I had a choice, I would rather not be a businessman."
"beep!"
The phone was disconnected.
Bai Luo's eyes were filled with tears, like mist that dispersed and then dripped into rain.
Shang Yu and Bo Yi are actually blood relatives, with the same Shang family blood flowing in their veins.
No wonder he asked her to stay away from her uncle.
No wonder the boy who was so unrestrained and unruly in high school became as down-and-out as a mad dog in the alley when we met again.
There is a fateful reason why the favored son of heaven fell from the altar overnight.
But she found it difficult to sort out the complex blood ties.
Shang Yu is seven years older than Bo Xi. Could it be that Bo Xi is an illegitimate child who cannot be seen in public?
Then I thought it was ridiculous.
Before the age of eighteen, the boy clearly grew up in love, reckless and passionate.
Did he know about his background after taking the college entrance examination?
The cold rain burned the shadows.
Bai Luo bent down to pick up the shattered phone. The buttons were insensitive, so he had to poke them hard.
The night wind died down, and the fallen leaves tumbled and tumbled. On the blurry screen, the word "creditor" flashed brightly.
"Hello, the number you dialed is turned off."
A mechanical female voice echoed coldly.
The roar of the rain was so loud that it became silent.
As if unwilling to give up, he kept dialing the number over and over again in vain.
Bai Luo remained motionless, fading into the rainy night. A bloody mist filled the air, like a nightmare.
Growing up is like the blood on the wings when breaking out of the cocoon.
When her father was alive, he always taught her earnestly.
"Don't be too greedy. In life, only by being content can you be happy."
But she was greedy and unwilling to push Bo Qi away again. The boy was so kind and loved her without reservation.
But he and she are separated by a distance of ten thousand rainstorms. But love is never afraid of the gap.
As if he had made some kind of determination, he stumbled and dazed into the ruins of the old city that would never see the light of day.
Even if I get soaked, it doesn’t matter. I have lived in the rain a thousand times.
On the asphalt road at midnight, there were stall owners riding snack carts hurriedly returning home.
The rain dimmed the light and limited our vision. The rusty wheels lost their grip on a slippery slope, sending the rusty little car careening out of control.
The stall owner's face was distorted and the blaring of the horn pierced the damp and cold air.
Bai Luo rushed forward, completely oblivious to the danger lurking behind her. The food truck lost control and flipped over, its metal frame wedged into her back.
She stumbled forward and fell heavily onto the wet pavement.
He huddled in the bloody mess, the stall owner's panicked cries echoing in his ears.
"Girl, are you okay?"
I opened my eyes hazily and saw a snack cart tilted a few steps away, with garbage and food mixed together and scattered all over the ground.
The broken glass scratched his palm, leaving it bleeding. The blood was scarlet, like the drizzling rain in the south of the Yangtze River. Blood was like rain, rain was like fog.
She didn't want to fall in the rubble.
Mom, please don't abandon Zhaozhao in the cold night.
She will be obedient.
The disheveled figure staggered and swayed, walking in the puddles with one foot deep and one foot shallow.
But the world ahead seemed to be engulfed by fog, and I had lost all direction.
She seemed to be trapped again in the muddy and rainy night of 2008. The drug lord's hideous face could not be shaken off from her nightmares.
"Girl, wait for me."
The fifty-year-old stall owner behind her was afraid that she would cause the frail girl to get sick and waste her prime youth.
But she was running like a madman, stumbling and falling. The old lady was old and ill, and after a while she was out of breath and unable to keep up.
"Girl, don't run away."
"I can't catch up with you."
The world rained endlessly on her, and she and the rainstorm were prisoners of each other.
I thought I had traveled back to my eleven-year-old self, with drug dealers chasing me relentlessly.
She didn't want to become a puppet in the hands of drug dealers, living a life worse than death, with no light of day forever.
She must escape, otherwise tonight will be her burial day.
The absurdity of life is that there is no redemption and no escape.
But there was a glimmer of hope in the silent darkness.
Those who managed to escape from the clutches of drug dealers captured a ray of light tonight.
A single light on the fourth floor of the Millennium Building in Nanfeng Lane.
Bo Yi is at home.
Even if the cold butterfly has lost its wings, it will still dance in the rainstorm.
*
Darkness drowns the dawn.
Bo Yu returned to the rental house from the hospital. He was soaked, dilapidated, and as if he had no bones, he slumped on the mottled sofa.
Just now when Bai Luo rushed into Ward 303, he turned left from the deserted corridor.
In the cold corridor with mottled light and shadow, only his solitary figure embraces loneliness.
The girl's worried expression was all reflected in his eyes.
Are you that worried about him?
Did you know that after he beat up Chang Liu, you would start to hate him again?
In her heart, he will always be a loser.
It is a supporting role on the stage and a distorted reflection in the mirror.
A dark night-like loneliness enveloped him.
He sneered at himself, laughing at his own stupidity and self-conceit.
Laugh at your own foolish obsession.
In the damp rented house, the mold in the corners exudes a sinister quality. A thin wisp of smoke bites at the thin cigarette, the ash hanging precariously.
The unextinguished cigarette butts burn through countless dawns.
There is a dark scab on the cold white bone of the little finger of the left hand.
It was the moment when the girl said that she liked Chang Liu very much, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.
Caused by hot cigarette ash residue.
But it made him sober up for a moment.
Girls never liked him.
Everything is his fantasy, directed and acted by himself.
The wind rustled, and the bitter smell of cigarette smoke drifted everywhere. There was a scar on his left hand that was invisible to his fingerprints.
Illness leads to love. I sink into it without regrets.
"boom!"
The thunder outside the window was hysterical.
Tsk.
Why aren’t you back yet at this late hour?
Do I have to take care of Chang Liuyi in the hospital all night?
Jealousy coursed through my veins. Worry finally took over.
I went back to the bedroom and grabbed a thin sweatshirt. As I returned to the living room, Sui Sui whimpered in the cat's bed.
I collided with the creaking sound of the worn door panel.
Bo Xi was stunned.
The girl stood at the entrance, wet and dirty. She looked pitiful.
The sound of rain has a heartbeat.
He clearly heard a sob.
"Hug me, okay?"
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