Four
The sky has neither moonlight nor starlight
In just a few short sentences, she does not know how many times she has read it, nor how many times she has wondered what he wants to say to her
He paused for a moment, then touched the bruise on his jaw and replied nonchalantly: "In my father's view, power must not only be seized through violence but also maintained through violence"
She closed her eyes in despair
She also silently gazed at him in the darkness, his sharply defined outline, slightly pursed thin lips, and those deep, affectionate black eyes, as clear as they were five years ago
She was so tired that she did not want to move, so she closed her eyes again, found the most comfortable position in his arms, and continued to sleep
A tear slid down from the corner of her eye
Over the years, she has layered her emotions, sealing them within the cold defenses of her heart, making it impenetrable. Yet, it was just a kiss; the fortress she had built for herself collapsed in an instant, and only then did she see the longing that had never waned.
By the time she regained her consciousness, her arms had unconsciously wrapped around the back of his neck, her chest pressed tightly against his solid torso, and her teeth had already parted, with her tongue actively welcoming his advance
His movements paused for just a moment, and then continued again. The teasing of lips and tongue transformed into the grinding between teeth, clearly painful, yet she longed for a deeper pain to fill the emptiness that arose within her body
By the time she awoke from her drunken stupor, the east was already brightening. Zheng Wei was soundly asleep, holding her close, their bare skin touching, smooth and slightly warm, just like every other morning she had woken up. The only difference was that, in addition to feeling utterly weak, her head was pounding as if it might split open. Fortunately, her bones were still intact, not shattered into pieces by him.
There is also the boy she has a crush on, who appears with a radiant sunshine no matter the season, be it spring, summer, autumn, or winter
Long, long after, she still could not understand why, clearly, she had purely rescued the unfortunate young man from the depths of suffering, yet his family regarded it as "elopement". How did it lead him to an even more dire situation?
He gently uttered an "mm", lifted her face, and his fingertips delicately traced the corners of her eyes and the edges of her brows, as well as her slightly flushed cheeks
In her dreams, she is still at the age of budding romance, her beloved father is still alive. Although he often works late into the night, no matter how late he returns, he always tucks the blankets tightly for her and Jianjie. Her mother has not remarried; although she frequently nags her about not studying hard enough or complains about her hair shedding everywhere, her face is always adorned with a smile. Jianjie's legs are also uninjured; she remains the excellent, confident, and beautiful girl she has always been. Although she has a bit of pride and stubbornness, it does not diminish her charm. Her mother has not remarried; although she frequently nags her about not studying hard enough or complains about her hair shedding everywhere, her face is always adorned with a smile. Jianjie's legs are also uninjured; she remains the excellent, confident, and beautiful girl she has always been. Although she has a bit of pride and stubbornness, it does not diminish her charm.
Once she entered the bedroom, she was directly thrown onto the bed, immediately becoming trapped between the soft quilt and his body. She struggled to open her eyes, watching the man above her, his lips wandering along her neck, igniting a trail of flames. She clutched the soft silk quilt beneath her tightly, her suppressed gasps still escaping from her throat, creating an ambiguous echo in the silent room.
In late autumn, the ginkgo leaves in the campus have fallen to the ground.
If only, upon waking from the dream, it were still five years ago, their sweet first night together, how wonderful that would be
A sudden chill swept over her heated skin, and as she awoke in shivers, he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom
Well, she admitted that she had lured a good family's young man to run away from home, which was indeed a bit inappropriate, but she simply did not have the courage to carry it out
Zheng Wei's body, poised and ready, closely aligned with hers, and her call was filled with the seductive allure of invitation
At that time, dreams were always lofty, and the road home was always short
The desires that had been hidden for many years, once ignited, became uncontrollable. She was completely lost in the moment, her trembling hand reaching for his collar, unbuttoning it, one by one. His hand, which was supporting the back of her head, also fell onto her shoulder, and with a tearing sound, her favorite dress split apart, the tattered fabric sliding off her body, no longer able to conceal her every inch of skin
In spring, the sky is very blue, and the air is filled with the fragrance of gardenias. The roller coaster soars into the air, and she screams while gripping his arm. Her hair tie slips off during the descent, and her waist-length hair spreads out like a black mist, captivating his eyes... and also enchanting her heart.
... ...
In early summer, the willow trees by the street are sprouting tender green buds, swaying gently in the breeze. Passing by the ice cream shop, she treats him to a cone of ice cream. As they enjoy the excessively sweet ice cream, they walk under the sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the willow trees
After returning home, she filled her diary with his name—Wei—and the admiration she had always wanted to express but could never bring herself to say
Glares more intense than sunlight shot over, flushing her cheeks. She sat down silently with her head lowered, making a great effort to prevent the corners of her mouth from twitching with laughter.
Later, he really ran away from home and lived in her grandmother's old house, which was drafty all over. She brought various board games to keep him company, and they agreed that if she lost, she would leave. However, she didn't lose a single game that night. They had planned to watch the sunrise together, but she accidentally fell asleep.
All the way, his vehicle sped along rapidly, the wind that was left behind rushed past her ears, threatening to sweep her away at any moment. She attempted several times to hold tightly onto his waist, her hand quietly reaching to his side, only to retract it softly again
She is truly drunk; otherwise, she would never shed a single tear in front of him
... ...
They have known each other for a long time, yet she has never inquired about his family matters, nor has he ever brought them up, which is why she has never understood why he is often beaten
The long-awaited school dismissal time has arrived, and the students rush out of the school in a hurry, while Jingjie stays behind for extra tutoring and does not return home with them
Seemingly unwilling to give her a chance to resist, Zheng Wei held her head with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist. His hot lips and tongue, infused with a strong masculine scent, brushed against her breathless, rosy lips. The forceful invasion came like a sudden storm, overwhelming her completely, leaving her with no escape.
From then on, the fragments of memory could no longer be pieced together
She asked him which university he would like to apply to in the future
His lips descended once more, enveloping her with a painful kind of hatred, kissing her to the brink of suffocation. Instinctively, she wanted to push him away, but he kissed her even more aggressively, his hands firmly pinning her wrists above her head, leaving her no chance to escape
Moreover, there is the small note he gave her, tucked inside the movie ticket— "At 6:00 PM, I will be waiting for you at the cinema entrance. I have something to tell you."
The flimsy bra was stripped away, his kiss landed on her chest, the moist tip of his tongue brushed over the most sensitive spot, she trembled all over, her vividly painted nails dug straight into his forearm.
But she did not expect that his kiss would come like a thousand-layered giant wave, suddenly crashing in, leaving her no time for even a symbolic resistance, and she was swept into an unseen abyss, losing all sense of perception
Perhaps it was the effect of alcohol, or perhaps it was because they had not been so close for a long time, but his kiss was more indulgent and passionate than ever before, with their entwined lips and tongues leaving her no chance to catch her breath
... ...
The bedroom light was off, and only the faint lights from a few houses outside blurred her vision.
Then, her tears flowed like water breaching a dam, impossible to contain any longer, cascading in strands, soaking his fingertips
Isn't it the one sentence she most wants to hear—"I like you"
Five years, five years, as if it were a nightmare
Have you ever thought about resistance
That year, she was only thirteen, at the age of budding emotions. To have a crush on someone can be intoxicating; she even washed and hung a strip of fabric torn from his T-shirt on the wind chime by the window. Every time the wind chime rang in the breeze, she would gaze at the fluttering white strip, her heart racing as she repeatedly recalled—his flustered expression as he hurriedly tore off a strip of fabric to wrap around her injured knee, his brows almost knitting together in concern.
She said: I want to audition for the ballet company
After being blown by the cold wind all the way, she finally could not calm down and said: "The old society has been overthrown for so long, how can you still be living in such dire straits?"
Facing the streetlight abandoned by the car window, she saw that the bruises on his jaw had faded significantly; although they had lightened, they still appeared striking in her eyes
The rain outside has been continuous for several days, falling without pause
In front of the imposing middle school gate, a plump hand adorned with a glittering gold watch rested on Jian Ru's shoulder. "Jian Ru, our car is parked over there; I can give you a ride home on the way."
She missed that appointment and never saw him again until many years later when they unexpectedly reunited, beginning a beautiful yet brief romance
... ...
However, fate played a cruel joke on her; just as she was eagerly anticipating her first date with him, her family fell apart, and her world suddenly collapsed
Upon returning home, she put down her backpack and ran to inquire about the military academy from her neighbor, who had attended one. The neighbor informed her that the management at the military academy is quite strict, with designated times for waking up and going to bed. There is daily high-intensity military training, no leisure cultural activities, and one is not allowed to go out freely. Even on weekends, one must request leave to go out, resulting in a complete lack of personal freedom
Resisting? He looked at her with considerable interest: "How to resist?"
In a flash, a rickety bicycle rattled past her, and the rider, Zheng Wei, extended his long legs to the ground, bringing the bicycle to a halt in front of her after tracing a half-circle.
... ...
In the suffocating dizziness, she could only feel his palm, hot against her waist, just like the beating heart in her chest
Against the light, she could not see his face clearly, only feeling that his voice was handsome: "Are you going home? I can take you part of the way."
Some say that the sun cannot be seen in dreams, yet she dreamed of being enveloped in sunlight, or rather, it was a memory shrouded in sunlight
Unfortunately, fate played a cruel joke on her
If it were truly a dream, how wonderful it would be
She took his silence as agreement and began to plan for his future. "My grandmother has an old house that has been vacant since her passing; you can live there."
In fact, from the moment she stepped through the door, she had no intention of escaping. She knew that the man before her had undergone years of formal military training, was physically fit, and possessed skills that surpassed his physique. Even if she exerted all her strength, it would only be a futile struggle. She never engaged in foolish acts that would be a waste of effort.
Thinking that it would be difficult to see him again in the future, she felt a slight sense of loss. However, upon hearing that romantic relationships were not allowed in the military academy and that there were very few girls, she realized that it would be hard to find a girlfriend while studying at the military academy, which eased her feelings of disappointment.
She tugged at a strand of hair pressed down by that chubby hand, accidentally pulling out a few strands, which was quite painful
She tried hard and finally came up with what she thought was a clever but misguided idea. "Why not run away from home?"
In the cold winter, the bus slowly traveled along the road covered with a thin layer of snow. She tilted her head up and quietly glanced at him standing beside her. Compared to his impeccable and exquisite features, she preferred the feeling he exuded; it was hard to describe what kind of feeling it was, but every time she saw him, her heart would feel a warmth.
He asked her: What about you
He said he wanted to attend a military academy because once he joined the army, everyone would call him "Political Commissar" instead of "Brother Wei". At that time, she still did not know what "Brother Wei" meant, but she thought that title sounded quite imposing
He fell silent