Cruel Romance

It was late.

Zuo Zhen heard two knocks on his door. He had always been a light sleeper and immediately got up, “Who’s there?”

At the door he heard Auntie Wang’s awkward reply, “Er Ye, that lady….”

Zuo Zhen opened the door, rubbing his face with exhaustion, “What’s wrong with her?”

Auntie Wang replied softly, “She keeps crying.”

“What?” Zuo Zhen was stunned. Jin Xiu was terrible, behaving drunkenly.

But, when he pushed open Jin Xiu’s door, he realized that was no the choice. She had not even awoken, drunk before consciousness, Auntie Wang had already wiped her down and changed her into loose fitting clothes, it looked to be Auntie Wang’s own clothing. She was on her side all curled up, eyes closed, talking discernibly in her sleep, he could not understand what she was saying. Drops of tears fell from within her lashes, flowing down her pale face. Her lashes were long and curled like two small fans, forming two light shadows under her eyes.

“She’s quite pitiful, I can’t seem to wake her.” Auntie Wang looked on worried, “Is she having a nightmare?”

Zuo Zhen leaned over and puckered his brow. “You didn’t cook the hangover tea for her to drink?”

Auntie Wang replied, “I did, but she couldn’t keep it down.”

“I have some hangover pills in the cabinet, go take them over.” Zuo Zhen lifted up Jin Xiu’s head, realizing that her hair was damp.

Exactly what had caused her to cry even in her dreams? Zuo Zhen silently pondered, what did she dream of, her deceased parents, hometown miles away, Ming Zhu who was unwilling to take her in, customers who had humiliated her, or the person she admired, Xiang Ying Dong?

After feeding her medicine, Zuo Zhen left Jin Xiu lying on the bed and said to Auntie Wang, “You may leave, I’ll accompany her here.”

“Oh,” Auntie Wang agreed as she left, worriedly taking a glance back before she walked out the door.

****************

The night was as dark as ink, the light dimly emanating.

Zuo Zhen sat on the bed, his thoughts a mess. Lying beside him, Jin Xiu fidgeted, laying her hand on his leg. Under the light, her hand was snow white and smooth. Lightly glowing.

“What’s wrong, you feel unwell?” Zuo Zhen sighed as he leaned over to ask.

Jin Xiu opened her eyes but her gaze couldn’t seem to focus, looking blankly into space. That jade like hand, moved from Zuo Zhen’s thigh to his waist, like a shivering cat, shifting herself into his arms. Perhaps feeling the warmth of his chest, her other hand felt its way into his top, holding on to his firm shoulders.

“Jin Xiu?” Zuo Zhen hoarsely called out her name, his breath quickening.

Jin Xiu, with her eyes slightly closed, lied in his arms. Zuo Zhen heard her low voice, “You don’t like me, why…am I not beautiful enough? Am I not popular enough…or, I don’t know how to get on your good side?” Her tone was gentle yet bewitching, along with her delicate breathing.

Zuo Zhen’s eyes dilated, Jin Xiu was…seducing him? On his bed? The maddening thing was, he was actually reacting!

Jin Xiu was in his arms, her breath carrying on the faint smell of liquor, a light fresh scent, her cheeks were flushed, eyes barely open, leaning against his body, unbelievably tender, her unbuttoned collar exposed the smooth skin under her neck, and the sides of her red undergarments to Zuo Zhen’s eyes.

Zuo Zhen felt slightly dizzy. The four corners of the stillness, was filled with the atmosphere of temptation. Jin Xiu’s indecipherable murmurings, restless writhing, was like an electric current coursing through him, causing him to tremble. The waves of desire flooded over him, as Zuo Zhen clenched his teeth.

The blood in his body were torrents surging through him, roaring in his ears, his strength and calmness, mind and consciousness collapsed in this whirlpool of desire. He turned over, and pressed Jin Xiu under him, breathlessly seizing her tenderness and softness.

“Please don’t…Ying Shao…” Jin Xiu murmured in the midst of her deep breathing.

Zuo Zhen froze. He lifted up his head slowly, red in his eyes, beads of sweat rolling off his forehead. Just now…just now, whose name did Jin Xiu call out? The woman in his arms, actually called out for another man so clearly! He was shocked, in a state of disbelief as he looked at Jin Xiu’s pretty face, his heart sinking rapidly, dragging with it a burning pain in his chest.

He used all his determination to lift himself up, his breath still rising up in a frenzy.

He knew very well that Jin Xiu liked Ying Dong, and he was the one who hand delivered her into Bai Le Men, letting her endure humiliation and sell her smiles, in exchange for a chance to get closer to Ying Dong.What was wrong with him just now? What clouded him mind? All these years, he had many women but he didn’t remember any that could course him to lose control like that!

Zuo Zhen walked into the bathroom, turned on the cold water and drenched himself. He desperately needed this piercing cold, to calm his desire and anger. What left him even more indignant was that he could not seem to restrain is body or feelings. Just an ignorant brat from the streets, her heart completely void of his existence, how dare she have control over his mood?

Had she poisoned him, or was he under a spell, to obliterate what he was most proud of, his reason and calmness!

All along, to safeguard himself from betrayal, he was used to constantly taking precautions, even when in a deep sleep, or drunk, or the most indulgent moment, he was already protecting that last bit of alertness, never completely losing himself.

If Jin Xiu was the first chess piece his opponents had placed beside him, during that moment of weakness, he would have died more than ten times over.

But, but just thinking of how gentle and stubborn she was, how fragile and prideful, thinking how helpless and lost she looked standing int he rain, her nervousness and shyness during her first dance at Bai Le Men, recalling the intriguing tranquility as she played the flute under the moonlit sky, how weak and embarrassed she was when she was grabbed by the hair and forced to drink, thinking of her pitiful tears, and her irresistible allure as she laid in his arms…Zuo Zhen suddenly closed his eyes.

Even if he was unwilling to admit, even if he tried his best to deny, he could not hide throbbing of his heart.

Even if he was possessed, it was now too late to back out.

******************

It was late.

Zuo Zhen heard two knocks on his door. He had always been a light sleeper and immediately got up, “Who’s there?”

At the door he heard Auntie Wang’s awkward reply, “Er Ye, that lady….”

Zuo Zhen opened the door, rubbing his face with exhaustion, “What’s wrong with her?”

Auntie Wang replied softly, “She keeps crying.”

“What?” Zuo Zhen was stunned. Jin Xiu was terrible, behaving drunkenly.

But, when he pushed open Jin Xiu’s door, he realized that was no the choice. She had not even awoken, drunk before consciousness, Auntie Wang had already wiped her down and changed her into loose fitting clothes, it looked to be Auntie Wang’s own clothing. She was on her side all curled up, eyes closed, talking discernibly in her sleep, he could not understand what she was saying. Drops of tears fell from within her lashes, flowing down her pale face. Her lashes were long and curled like two small fans, forming two light shadows under her eyes.

“She’s quite pitiful, I can’t seem to wake her.” Auntie Wang looked on worried, “Is she having a nightmare?”

Zuo Zhen leaned over and puckered his brow. “You didn’t cook the hangover tea for her to drink?”

Auntie Wang replied, “I did, but she couldn’t keep it down.”

“I have some hangover pills in the cabinet, go take them over.” Zuo Zhen lifted up Jin Xiu’s head, realizing that her hair was damp.

Exactly what had caused her to cry even in her dreams? Zuo Zhen silently pondered, what did she dream of, her deceased parents, hometown miles away, Ming Zhu who was unwilling to take her in, customers who had humiliated her, or the person she admired, Xiang Ying Dong?

After feeding her medicine, Zuo Zhen left Jin Xiu lying on the bed and said to Auntie Wang, “You may leave, I’ll accompany her here.”

“Oh,” Auntie Wang agreed as she left, worriedly taking a glance back before she walked out the door.

****************

The night was as dark as ink, the light dimly emanating.

Zuo Zhen sat on the bed, his thoughts a mess. Lying beside him, Jin Xiu fidgeted, laying her hand on his leg. Under the light, her hand was snow white and smooth. Lightly glowing.

“What’s wrong, you feel unwell?” Zuo Zhen sighed as he leaned over to ask.

Jin Xiu opened her eyes but her gaze couldn’t seem to focus, looking blankly into space. That jade like hand, moved from Zuo Zhen’s thigh to his waist, like a shivering cat, shifting herself into his arms. Perhaps feeling the warmth of his chest, her other hand felt its way into his top, holding on to his firm shoulders.

“Jin Xiu?” Zuo Zhen hoarsely called out her name, his breath quickening.

Jin Xiu, with her eyes slightly closed, lied in his arms. Zuo Zhen heard her low voice, “You don’t like me, why…am I not beautiful enough? Am I not popular enough…or, I don’t know how to get on your good side?” Her tone was gentle yet bewitching, along with her delicate breathing.

Zuo Zhen’s eyes dilated, Jin Xiu was…seducing him? On his bed? The maddening thing was, he was actually reacting!

Jin Xiu was in his arms, her breath carrying on the faint smell of liquor, a light fresh scent, her cheeks were flushed, eyes barely open, leaning against his body, unbelievably tender, her unbuttoned collar exposed the smooth skin under her neck, and the sides of her red undergarments to Zuo Zhen’s eyes.

Zuo Zhen felt slightly dizzy. The four corners of the stillness, was filled with the atmosphere of temptation. Jin Xiu’s indecipherable murmurings, restless writhing, was like an electric current coursing through him, causing him to tremble. The waves of desire flooded over him, as Zuo Zhen clenched his teeth.

The blood in his body were torrents surging through him, roaring in his ears, his strength and calmness, mind and consciousness collapsed in this whirlpool of desire. He turned over, and pressed Jin Xiu under him, breathlessly seizing her tenderness and softness.

“Please don’t…Ying Shao…” Jin Xiu murmured in the midst of her deep breathing.

Zuo Zhen froze. He lifted up his head slowly, red in his eyes, beads of sweat rolling off his forehead. Just now…just now, whose name did Jin Xiu call out? The woman in his arms, actually called out for another man so clearly! He was shocked, in a state of disbelief as he looked at Jin Xiu’s pretty face, his heart sinking rapidly, dragging with it a burning pain in his chest.

He used all his determination to lift himself up, his breath still rising up in a frenzy.

He knew very well that Jin Xiu liked Ying Dong, and he was the one who hand delivered her into Bai Le Men, letting her endure humiliation and sell her smiles, in exchange for a chance to get closer to Ying Dong.What was wrong with him just now? What clouded him mind? All these years, he had many women but he didn’t remember any that could course him to lose control like that!

Zuo Zhen walked into the bathroom, turned on the cold water and drenched himself. He desperately needed this piercing cold, to calm his desire and anger. What left him even more indignant was that he could not seem to restrain is body or feelings. Just an ignorant brat from the streets, her heart completely void of his existence, how dare she have control over his mood?

Had she poisoned him, or was he under a spell, to obliterate what he was most proud of, his reason and calmness!

All along, to safeguard himself from betrayal, he was used to constantly taking precautions, even when in a deep sleep, or drunk, or the most indulgent moment, he was already protecting that last bit of alertness, never completely losing himself.

If Jin Xiu was the first chess piece his opponents had placed beside him, during that moment of weakness, he would have died more than ten times over.

But, but just thinking of how gentle and stubborn she was, how fragile and prideful, thinking how helpless and lost she looked standing int he rain, her nervousness and shyness during her first dance at Bai Le Men, recalling the intriguing tranquility as she played the flute under the moonlit sky, how weak and embarrassed she was when she was grabbed by the hair and forced to drink, thinking of her pitiful tears, and her irresistible allure as she laid in his arms…Zuo Zhen suddenly closed his eyes.

Even if he was unwilling to admit, even if he tried his best to deny, he could not hide throbbing of his heart.

Even if he was possessed, it was now too late to back out.

******************