Three Years and Three Years

Chapter 19: On the Brink of Death

Outside the window, the sound of firecrackers could be heard, crackling and popping, and it was unclear which household was celebrating.

The two people in this small house were dressed in tattered clothes and looked nothing like themselves. They did not look like they were making love but more like they were going to kill each other.

It’s not clear whether they’re biting or kissing. Jin Yang’s hands were warm, carrying a bit of roughness as they fell on the skin, both cruel and heavy red marks on Zhou Mushi skin.

Jin Yang’s teeth cut through the flesh, bringing out a string of blood beads and arousing the beastly nature in the man’s body.

Originally, Zhou Mushi was afraid, but he stopped being afraid after only a minute. What was there to be afraid of? Even if he died on the bed, what was there to fear?

The remaining glow of the sunset poured in, and Zhou Mushi, with bruised wrists, struggled to get up from the bed. He moved slowly, like a statue painted with oil, and stood by the wardrobe, searching for clothes that could cover his body.

Jin Yang lay on the bed with his eyelids trembling. He thought that Zhou Mushi would at least take a shower, but he didn’t expect that even such a clean person like him would skip that.

He closed his eyes, as if tired of looking at Zhou Mushi for even a second more, ignoring the rustling sounds around him and falling asleep with his head covered.

Zhou Mushi’s legs trembled as he put on his pants and got dressed. He didn’t take anything with him, only his phone, and left the keys on the bedside table before turning to leave.

The room fell silent as if no one had ever been there. Apart from the body trembling continuously under the covers, it indicates that there is another life here.

It has been several days since Zhou Mushi have eaten much or slept well, and after experiencing a brutal sexual encounter , Zhou Mushi walking on the street feeling a bit mentally unstable, but surprisingly, his body is doing well and moving forward one step at a time.

On the side of the road, many storefronts have already started to decorate with festive red lanterns, hanging up good luck banners and posting couplets, preparing for the joyous celebration of the Lunar New Year.

Zhou Mushi was a bit dazed, seeing patches of red. He then realized that it was almost Chinese New Year. Soon it would be time for families to gather and enjoy dumplings together, and he sat quietly on a bench watching the people bustling about, busy buying New Year’s goods. His eyelids felt heavy, making him feel like taking a good nap.

After Zhou Hang had brought Zhou Mushi to his house and given him the keys , Zhou Hang went straight to the airport to fly to Australia. This year, at least, Zhou Mushi could stay at Zhou Hang’s house for a while. Actually, it’s quite nice. The room is warm, the bed is soft, and there’s plenty of simple and easy-to-use food in the fridge, without having to spend too much energy.

After casually hailing a taxi and giving the address, he sat in the back seat.

The driver was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a red sweater with a very friendly smile. On the car was a family photo, showing an ordinary-looking wife and a pair of children, appearing happy, safe, and peaceful.

“Are you a local from Q city?”

Zhou Mushi was not in the mood to talk to anyone, but since the other person spoke first, he couldn’t remain silent.

“No, I’m not.”

“Are you here in Q city to work as well? Although life is prosperous now, we local people still have to work until the eve of the Chinese New Year. Young people like you who are willing to work overtime until this late hour must have a significant other, right?”

Zhou Mushi hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

The driver had the look of an experienced person and chuckled, “Why are you so shy? Uncle has seen many young people. Just by looking at the carefully tied bows on your sweater, I can tell that your significant other must have done it for you. This technique not only keeps you warm but also looks good. You young boys don’t know about this. Besides, if it weren’t for supporting your significant other, who would still be working until this late hour instead of going home early?”

Zhou Mushi was stunned, and he touched the strap on his sweater, feeling a bit complicated.

The driver paid no attention to whether he wanted to talk or not and continued speaking to himself.

“Speaking of which, it’s not easy for young people to work hard nowadays. I’ve been driving a taxi for years and have seen young people who have to go to work the next day after staying up late with clients, and I’ve also seen young people who eat while dragging a big suitcase to catch a flight for a business trip. Speaking of today, at noon there was a young man who looked a few years older than you, dressed not so well, and came out of the train station looking dusty, carefully holding a box with a pendant personally designed and made at a gold shop for his lover. He was on the phone next to me, and it sounded like he was losing a lot of money in business, but he still thought of his wife. How rare!”

Zhou Mushi squeezed out a smile to agree with the taxi driver.

“They say there are more scum men and fewer good men among young people nowadays. I’m even afraid to let my daughter find a partner, hoping that she can find someone like that young man this morning, who won’t mistreat his wife regardless of wealth or poverty. That’s what matters.”

The taxi driver later talked about everything from young actors to Guo Degang, from noodles in Shanxi to fish in Japan. Zhou Mushi couldn’t quite remember, and he stumbled into Zhou Hang’s house.

How nice it was to have an expensive standalone villa!

The soundproof effect is really comfortable. When you pull the curtains of the room, what does the world have to do with you?

He fell asleep quickly and woke up not knowing what time it was. He was awoken by the heat, sweating all over, his throat hurting badly, even feeling uncomfortable just opening his mouth.

Every inch of his body ached as if it had been crushed. Zhou Mushi struggled to sit up from the bed, his cheeks were so hot that he couldn’t stand it, and even a little bit of drool flowed out. The corners of his mouth were uncomfortable from the fever, and without taking his temperature, he knew he had a fever.

Dragging his body, he wanted to go buy some fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory medicine. Just as he opened the door, the sound of firecrackers filled the air, and fireworks bloomed in the pitch-black sky.

The cold wind blew fiercely on Zhou Mushi, who was already hot. He glanced at the time on his phone.

The time jumped from 11:59 to 0:00, it was the Lunar New Year…