This sentence stabbed at the heart, causing the pounding heart to explode.
"Dirty", that word carried too much weight.
The typing slowed down, and a few words were written over and over again.
She was hurt, and so was she.
Perhaps it was because the phone screen was too dry, or perhaps it was because she hadn't decided what to reply for a long time. Her fingers, tired from several rounds of typing, began to ache slightly.
Gu Siyu: [Throw away the things, I don't want them.]
Huo Junxian: [There are jewelry inside.]
What Gu Siyu left in the villa was not insignificant. Her clothes occupied half of Huo Junxian's wardrobe, and the chaotic collection of gold and silver jewelry dominated Huo Junxian's entire jewelry cabinet.
Whatever she wanted, Huo Junxian bought for her.
Altogether, the total value exceeded a million.
It would be a pity to throw them away.
Gu Siyu: [Donate them to children in mountainous areas.]
They thought the things that felt dirty might be the only gifts those unseen people would receive in their lifetime.
Huo Junxian: [I'll send the things to the specified place. You can go pick them up yourself.]
After Gu Siyu replied with an okay, there were no more messages from the other side.
Originally, she wouldn't reply to Huo Junxian's messages because the word "dirty" touched her deeply, making her chest uncomfortable. Finally, she sent a reply back.
She could understand why Huo Junxian said "dirty." After all, she herself was dirty, but she couldn't accept that description.
Because with each word from one person, she spent a sleepless night, feeling uncomfortable in her chest, with no place to vent and feeling very sad and upset.
After sending the message, Huo Junxian started packing things. Once a message was sent out, it couldn't be taken back. She knew what she had said and couldn't understand why she felt that Gu Siyu was dirty.
She wore Gu Siyu's clothes, slept in Gu Siyu's bed, and tried to capture every breath of Gu Siyu. If Gu Siyu was dirty, then she must have been born in the mud as well.
She began to pack things, preparing to put them in boxes. Actually, she didn't want to touch them at all. If she packed now, it would destroy the traces of another person living here, making it difficult for her in the future.
Where did she get the confidence to think that forcing Gu Siyu this way would make her come out immediately? But she couldn't help but cross the line to prove her own importance...
She placed Gu Siyu's clothes on the bed, and her jewelry on the floor. Huo Junxian liked to keep everything neat and tidy, but this was the messiest moment of her life.
For the first time, she felt like a pervert, being so greedy for someone's scent. She found the home surveillance footage, watching the night Gu Siyu left. Gu Siyu lay on the floor, tossing and turning, looking at her room every time she opened her eyes.
Clearly reluctant, but left so thoroughly.
After leaving the yard, Gu Siyu never came back.
Huo Junxian raised her hand, looking at the back of it, then pressed her lips against it to kiss. This was the last place Gu Siyu had touched before leaving. At that time, she was baking in the kitchen, and cream fell on the back of her hand. Gu Siyu saw it and came over to hold her hand, licking the cream off.
Then, Gu Siyu mischievously teased her on the side.
·
In the following years, every day repeated.
Huo Junxian waited, she waited with all her strength, lurking.
As long as Gu Siyu went to get things, she would ensure that Gu Siyu could never escape in this lifetime.
Sometimes she couldn't wait and would suddenly feel lost, as if she had stepped on a crack in the world, falling into an abyss from which she couldn't climb out.
Previously, Huo Junxian never attended gatherings, unwilling to engage in any activities, quietly living in her own house. Now, as long as there was a gathering where she could interact with others, she would attend, meet many people, and inquire about Gu Siyu's news.
Sometimes she would wonder if she had done too much. Gu Siyu knew she hadn't given up, so she hadn't appeared.
She used her resources to investigate and discovered something terrifying. Gu Siyu seemed to have disappeared completely, with no records of that name whatsoever. Even her name and identity information had been erased.
As she delved deeper, people in her social circle began to mock her, saying she was deceived by her husband's lover. Even the identity information of the other woman was fake. She was laughed at for being the most ridiculous person in the world.
But she didn't care. She would definitely catch Gu Siyu and make her compensate for all the empty days.
Others asked, "What do you want to do after catching her?"
She said, "Tie her up, restrain her legs, and make her stay by my side all the time."
People around her laughed at her, their mouths splitting open as if they had heard something particularly funny. They looked menacing.
Huo Junxian thought that if Gu Siyu were there, she would definitely get angry and beat these people down until they begged for mercy.
Huo Junxian didn't stop these people from laughing. The louder they laughed, the more people would remember this incident, and the greater the chance of finding Gu Siyu. At that time, she would eliminate each of these people, making them pay the price.
Thinking like this, she saw the daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, who had just entered, sneakily looking at her. The two of them calmly locked eyes.
Huo Junxian walked over and sat with her, smiling as she said, "If you see her, please be sure to tell me. I really want to find her."
"I'll do my best." Qi Yuanhan nodded and clinked glasses with her.
...
Around mid-May, Gu Siyu received a message. Huo Junxian only gave her an address, indicating that her things were there, and she needed to go pick them up if she wanted.
They didn't say much else, and their contact was cut off. As time passed, she never heard any news of Huo Junxian desperately looking for her throughout the city, but she kept hearing the word "dirty" as if it had become a disease in her ears.
After waiting for a long time with no external signs, Gu Siyu began to think she was overthinking. Huo Junxian had probably given up on her, but she still believed that Huo Junxian would come to catch her. She had overestimated herself.
A few months later, Gu Siyu went out for a trip. She took a taxi to retrieve the stored items. The person in charge had called her several times during this period, saying that if she didn't come to pick up the things soon, they would have to dispose of them.
Gu Siyu transferred the storage fees online several times, procrastinating until the season changed from summer to another before she finally decided to go out.
Gu Siyu only had a motorcycle, and with so many items, it was impossible for her to carry them all. She originally wanted to ask Ye Qinghe to help her move, but Ye Qinghe had her own things to do, and the two of them had hardly spoken since June.
Recently, Ye Qinghe picked up a stray cat. She treated it like a treasure, and sometimes when she went out, she would ask her to help feed it. Gu Siyu had seen it a few times, a small palm-sized cat, small and delicate. At first, Ye Qinghe kept it in a shoebox, and she was reminded of Teddy and the bird, not wanting to see it. But at the same time, she felt sorry for the little cat.
At the storage place, Gu Siyu paid the money and went straight to find the administrator. Her things were packed in sturdy plastic boxes. The items inside were not casually thrown in; each item was neatly packed in packaging bags and boxes, stacked neatly inside.
The administrator asked if she wanted to check, but Gu Siyu shook her head. Even if she checked, she wouldn't know what was missing, let alone ask Huo Junxian to return them.
Gu Siyu signed her name with the pen the administrator gave her and asked for help with the moving. She had rented a car, but the trunk couldn't fit everything, so they had to move some of the boxes into the car. It was nearly ten boxes.
The administrator, panting, said, "The lady who came to deliver things that day drove here herself. She was quite generous. A few of us administrators helped her carry things down, and she just sat in the car, looking at us. Her eyes were especially sad, as if moving things was akin to cutting her flesh."
"Oh..." Gu Siyu's lips moved slightly, she lowered her gaze, hesitated for a moment, and still asked, "Did she say anything?"
"No, after we brought the things down, she watched us seal the boxes and drove away." The administrator said.
Gu Siyu nodded and transferred the moving fee.
The weather today was relatively good, with white clouds scattered across the sky, and the sun hung high. Gu Siyu parked the car downstairs, wearing blue denim overalls for the convenience of moving things, and her hair was tied up high.
Gu Siyu went up and down to move her things. All the boxes were placed at the door. She was sweating heavily, and her arms no longer felt like her own. She reached out to pinch the tense muscles. In the last trip, she found a little gadget in the car. Leaning against the car, she looked at it—the collar she had taken from Huo Junxian at the beginning. Technically, it should belong to Huo Junxian.
Wearing down the patterns on the surface with her fingertip, feeling the three words "Huo Junxian," she suddenly heard the sound of a car. She quickly stuffed the collar into her pocket, vigilantly looked back, and found it was Ye Qinghe's car.
Ye Qinghe brought a woman back. She personally opened the car door for the woman, and she kept a certain distance from Ye Qinghe when she got out of the car.
Gu Siyu quickly recognized who the person was. She had a strong impression of this woman. She had eavesdropped on her phone call before. This woman seemed to be helping her husband with a project, and she mentioned using any means necessary. Gu Siyu frowned, not having a good impression of this woman.
She waited on the first floor for a while before taking the elevator. Ye Qinghe and the woman came in together. The three of them entered the elevator. Gu Siyu listened to their conversation and sneakily observed the woman. Ye Qinghe talked to the woman with great enthusiasm, but the woman responded in a calm manner.
Ye Qinghe didn't know what this woman was plotting.
After a moment of contemplation, Gu Siyu forced a smile and took the initiative to greet them. She asked, "Wow, did you go buy cat food? Can I come to your house to see the cat?"
The woman glanced at her, and Ye Qinghe shook her head, rejecting her first. She said, "No, not today. We have something to do."
Gu Siyu shifted her gaze to the woman and asked, "Who is this sister?"
Without waiting for the woman to speak, Ye Qinghe smiled, a happy expression on her face as she said, "She's the mother of the kitten."
Gu Siyu understood, "Oh, so the little cat is yours."
Gu Siyu didn't ask any more questions because Ye Qinghe's floor had arrived. Gu Siyu wasn't one to meddle in other people's affairs, but she genuinely had a bad impression of this woman and was afraid she would use any means to take advantage of Ye Qinghe.
She bit her lip, thinking of reminding Ye Qinghe a bit, but then felt like she was stirring up trouble.
In this internal conflict, they reached the upstairs. Looking at the stacked boxes at the door, Gu Siyu felt a wave of exhaustion. She sat on the floor, leaning against the door.
Lost in thought, she decided to send a message to Ye Qinghe, at least to tell her what she knew. However, when she thought about it, the woman was still at Ye Qinghe's place. If she sent the message, it might be seen.
After taking a break, Gu Siyu opened the door and pushed the boxes inside. It was too tiring to carry them in one by one. With all her effort to push the boxes inside, she closed the door.
The boxes were all piled at the door. Gu Siyu went to pour a glass of water. When she went to the bedroom to get things, the wind from outside blew in, hitting her face warmly.
The person sitting on the chair slowly stood up, opened her arms towards Gu Siyu, and smiled, saying, "Xiaoyu, welcome home."
She smiled with curved eyebrows. Gu Siyu's legs froze on the ground. She stared with wide eyes, unsure if it was an illusion or if she was dreaming.
Subconsciously, Gu Siyu tried to move forward. The person in front of her was smiling warmly, but when she came to her senses, she turned and ran outside. Her legs hit the table as she rushed, and Huo Junxian calmly followed her outside.
The boxes were stacked at the door. Gu Siyu struggled to move them, but the more she moved, the more the door refused to open. She grabbed the door handle and pulled forcefully, almost tearing the lock off. The person behind her rushed up, hugging her waist. The more Gu Siyu struggled, the tighter Huo Junxian hugged her.
"I've caught you," Huo Junxian whispered softly. Although she was restraining herself, her voice trembled, "Do you know how many months have passed? Do you know how many days and nights you owe me? Huh?"
Gu Siyu couldn't speak. Her hurried breathing proved her current state of panic.
Huo Junxian pulled her into the bedroom. Gu Siyu, in a state of chaos, struck back, and Huo Junxian unbuttoned the strap of Gu Siyu's overalls. Gu Siyu turned around and punched Huo Junxian in the corner of her lips.
Huo Junxian licked her lips. She didn't retaliate but just grabbed Gu Siyu's hand. Gu Siyu looked at the red mark at the corner of her lips and said, "Let go, or I'll beat you to death."
Huo Junxian tightened her grip on Gu Siyu's hand. Instead of letting go, she moved closer, and her knee pressed between Gu Siyu's legs. "How can I let go?"
Gu Siyu continued to struggle. She was sure she could overpower Huo Junxian, but Huo Junxian restrained her, and in the struggle, she fell to the ground. She thought Huo Junxian would stop, but instead, Huo Junxian crouched down, grabbing the straps of Gu Siyu's overalls. In the chaotic movements, Huo Junxian skillfully removed the strap.
Gu Siyu lay on the ground, and Huo Junxian forcefully pulled her toward the bedroom. Gu Siyu was dragged along. Feeling frustrated, she kicked Huo Junxian with all her might. Huo Junxian crouched down, and Gu Siyu thought she had come to her senses. However, Huo Junxian pulled out a shackle from her pocket, tied it to Gu Siyu's ankle, and slowly walked toward the bedroom, holding the other end of the thin chain. Afraid she would hurt her, Huo Junxian reached down to embrace her, pamper her, and control her.
In any case, this person wouldn't let go.
"Damn it, Huo Junxian, let go of me."
Gu Siyu gritted her teeth, her throat burning as she struggled. Huo Junxian let her curse without responding.
She stubbornly lay on the floor, unable to grasp anything, even though she was defiant.
Huo Junxian, too tired from the struggle, sat on the edge of the bed, panting. Sweat appeared on her forehead, and she had a smile on her face. Her hand rested on her knee, and her straight black pants showed no wrinkles despite the intense fight moments ago.
The off-white V-neck long-sleeved shirt rose and fell rapidly with her breath. Gu Siyu had run out of strength, and when she finally caught her breath, Huo Junxian, as graceful as ever, seemed like nothing had happened.
Gu Siyu, on the other hand, looked quite disheveled. The strap of her overalls was torn off, and her undershirt seemed to have been trampled on.
She lay on the floor, panting. Her arms were numb, and she tried to stand up by supporting herself with her hands, but she lacked the strength, falling to the ground several times.
Every time she tried to stand up, Huo Junxian pulled her tighter. Huo Junxian dragged her into her arms, first pressing her on her legs and then pressing her onto the bed.
"Gu Siyu." Huo Junxian held her down, biting her teeth and glaring into her eyes. She used whatever she could find to bind her, especially skillful. Huo Junxian took the collar from Gu Siyu's pocket, and Gu Siyu tried to resist. However, Huo Junxian grabbed it and circled it around her wrists, tightening it forcefully.
Gu Siyu's face turned red. She had spent the whole day moving things, and her hands had long lost their strength. She lay on the bed, refusing to admit defeat, threatening Huo Junxian with her mouth, "You are forcing me, do you know that?!"
"Well, I won't force you then," Huo Junxian was quite reasonable. She propped herself up above Gu Siyu, her long hair falling gently. Lightly brushing against Gu Siyu's face, she said, "Just tell me now that you won't leave me. Say you love me and will stay by my side forever. Keep saying it until I'm happy, then I'll let you go. How about that?"
She pressed down a little, and Gu Siyu's hands were pushed under the blanket. Huo Junxian moved closer, aiming to kiss Gu Siyu's lips. Gu Siyu turned her head, trying to avoid it. However, Huo Junxian persisted, forcefully pressing her lips against Gu Siyu's, warm and fervent. She was easy to negotiate with, as long as Gu Siyu coaxed her a little.
"Really," Huo Junxian, true to her word, kissed Gu Siyu on the corner of her eyes.
Eagerly coaxing Gu Siyu, she said, "Do you know how long it's been? I almost went crazy looking for you. Comfort me, or I might really go insane."
In fact, she was already going mad.
Gu Siyu realized she had no strength left. It seemed Huo Junxian had planned this well, allowing her to use up all her energy moving things today and then capturing her at this moment.
It would be disastrous to confront her directly now; Huo Junxian was clearly not in a normal state.
Gu Siyu gritted her teeth, her throat burning. Unable to speak, Huo Junxian's kisses fell densely, opening another strap, "Gu Siyu, I missed you so much."
The wind blew in through the tightly closed window, causing the curtains to flutter and the person on the bed to tightly grip the pillow, tears falling onto it. She also understood that not speaking would only deepen the pressure from Huo Junxian.
"I... don't..."
"Not what?" Huo Junxian bit her ear, her hand tightly grasping her wrist along with the iron chain that bound her, pressing it all in her hand, making her spit out each word.
After waiting for a while and seeing her not speak, Huo Junxian called out word by word, "I... won't... leave... you. Say it as you follow me."
"I... won't... leave..."
"Good girl," Huo Junxian kissed away her tears, whispering bone-chilling sweet words in her ear. "It's been months since we last met, and I missed you so much."
If it were someone else, these words would be excessively cheesy, but when Huo Junxian said them, it felt like gnawing on a bone. She leaned over and kissed Gu Siyu's shoulder, then slowly bit down, leaving a deep bite mark, and moved on to other places.
Gu Siyu's face was pressed against the pillow, her upper lip dry, the tiny bit of moisture transferred to the pillow. Huo Junxian leaned in to kiss her lips, breathing falling on her nose, kissing, parting, parting, then continuing to kiss. She turned Gu Siyu over, wrapped her waist tightly, and Gu Siyu couldn't resist her.
Gu Siyu felt embarrassed and bit her lip, trying to resist.
Her legs were numb, muscles tense.
"I... love... you..." Huo Junxian continued to instruct.
Gu Siyu tightly bit her lips.
"Alright, hmm."
"Say it."
The building was silent, everyone immersed in the night, their voices swallowed by the ink-black darkness.
Downstairs, people were casually discussing how to raise cats.
Little did they know, upstairs, someone was meowing like a cat.
---
"You bastard, you bitch!" Gu Siyu cursed.
She lifted her leg and kicked Huo Junxian, putting all her strength into her leg, kicking Huo Junxian off the bed. Huo Junxian's knees knocked against the ground, and it took great effort for her to grab Gu Siyu's ankle. She forcefully bent it upward, making Gu Siyu feel like her hips were being torn open, painfully squinting her eyes, eyes moist.
Huo Junxian said softly, "I gave you a chance."
What followed was a string of tooth-gritting insults, accompanied by uncontrollable moans of pain.
"I was wrong, I won't leave you."
"I just have a foul mouth."
"It's true."
"F*** your mom!"
"Don't, don't... F***."
-------------------
Author's note:
Warning: Tomorrow, things will change.
It's not that Xiao Gu has become weaker; it's just that her physical strength has been depleted first. Running a few times has also gained her experience. At this point, forcing it won't end well. She's still very smart.
This chapter overlaps with "Moonlight Kisses Red Roses," and there will be more overlap in the future. However, the content is not much, so you can read both together for a slightly different feeling.
Translator's note: Damn! Gu Siyu really seems like a dog raised by Huo Junxian. Sigh... I don't know how to feel or what to say anymore.
TO BE CONTINUE...