Offense - Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Just before dawn, it suddenly began to rain outside. The soft patter of the rain tapped against the windowpane, and through the heavy curtains, it had a soothing, hypnotic quality.
But Lian Wan woke up very early.
The bedding was astonishingly soft. She lay on her side, listening quietly to the sound of the rain, a gentle trickling in her ear, like a string of dripping beads that stretched time into infinity. Slowly, the sky began to lighten, and everything in the room took on a blurry outline. It was an unfamiliar room, the air conditioning was on, making it dry and pleasant. On the nightstand sat an extinguished aromatherapy diffuser, and the air was filled with a mixed, sweet fragrance. A woman's arm was draped over her waist, a distinctly tender touch.
She was pressed against her, the distance too close. Zhou Yanqian's breath rose and fell in time with the rain beside Lian Wan's ear, just as fine and light, as if afraid of startling something.
Lian Wan listened quietly, her eyes open in the darkness. Only then did she belatedly realize that her eyes and limbs were a little sore, and her waist felt as if it had lost all its strength. Yet she didn't feel tired; instead, there was a sense of relaxation, like one feels after recovering from a serious illness.
It was also as if she were waking from a long dream.
And so, she was submerged in this soft darkness. She didn't know how much time had passed, but the sky outside gradually, gradually brightened. The rain seemed to have stopped too, making the quiet in the room even quieter. The warm breath by her ear that brushed against her skin was also winding its way downward, like a gentle caress from a hand.
Suddenly, Lian Wan felt a little fortunate, fortunate that she was the only one awake at this moment.
She lowered her head to look at the woman in her arms and kissed her with the utmost care.
Not long after, the sky was fully bright, and birds chirped outside the window. The phone on the nightstand lit up, vibrating silently. Lian Wan glanced at the number displayed, propped herself up, and reached for it. The blanket slipped off, revealing several overlapping bite marks on her shoulder.
The number was familiar; it was the Vehicle Team's landline. She didn't answer, simply silencing it before opening the group chat.
Early in the morning, the drivers' group chat was already bustling. Long voice messages and short videos flooded the screen, all invariably featuring the rumbling of a driver's cab, empty streets, or the sound of machinery operating in a factory, interspersed with a few coarse, early-morning curses. It took a lot of scrolling up for Lian Wan to finally see the @everyone notifications from last night that she had missed.
The notified departure time was already very close. Someone in the group had @'d her individually again.
Be there soon.
After sending the message, Lian Wan shifted her leg. The bed immediately quivered sensitively, as fast as ripples spreading across water, circle by circle. She was startled, afraid of waking Zhou Yanqian, and carefully moved her arms and legs away. But as their bare skin briefly touched and then pulled apart, that fleeting intimacy couldn't quench her thirst; instead, it stirred her longing. Lian Wan grew reluctant to leave, afraid Zhou Yanqian wouldn't know she was going. Torn, she leaned down, wanting to touch her face, but couldn't stop herself from kissing her.
The woman's lips were soft, warm, and unconsciously open to her, easily conquered. Yet Zhou Yanqian's eyes were closed, her expression one of peaceful sleep. Lian Wan kissed her again and again, and her eyes began to sting once more. Everything before her felt too much like a dream. It seemed only when Zhou Yanqian opened her eyes and smiled at her could the dream finally feel real.
The morning light was radiant. This secret hope was rewarded when she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Zhou Yanqian was waking up; the room was just too quiet. It amplified the sound of her murmur.
Lian Wan secretly curved her lips into a smile.
She pretended not to know, sitting on the edge of the bed to pick up the clothes scattered on the floor.
The rug beside the bed was covered in tissues they had tossed down last night. The clothes were further away. As she reached for them, she felt a sharp ache in her arm.
As she was pulling on her pants, the woman behind her finally wrapped herself around her. She wasn't fully awake yet, her voice small and muffled, her emotions indiscernible. Her fingers, however, took the initiative to grasp the hand Lian Wan was using to pull up her zipper. "Where are you going?"
Lian Wan didn't answer right away. Her ear was bitten, a sensation that was both painful and wet, and the woman's soft lips followed, pressing against her. "Don't go…"
She murmured coquettishly while restlessly rubbing against Lian Wan's back, muttering to herself, "So sleepy… What time is it? Why are you up so early…"
Lian Wan's breathing hitched. It took her a moment to find her voice, which, after a night of silence, was so hoarse it sounded foreign to her. She swallowed before saying, "I have to take a run."
She took Zhou Yanqian's hand in her own and calmly turned her head. "It's still early. You should sleep a little longer."
Zhou Yanqian's hair was a mess. In the morning light, her face was pale, but her lips were a deep red. Lian Wan knew exactly why, and couldn't help but hug her, only to be held tightly in return.
"I don't want you to go," Zhou Yanqian said.
Her gaze gradually cleared, and her eyes roamed boldly over Lian Wan's face, like a lioness surveying her territory.
Lian Wan, completely unaware, lowered her head to soothe her, and was met with a kiss on the side of her face.
After one night, an unspoken intimacy seemed to have grown between them. Zhou Yanqian clung to Lian Wan, refusing to let go. After some pulling and tugging, Lian Wan pressed her back down into the blankets and kissed her forehead. "Alright, I'm leaving."
Lian Wan herself didn't realize how gentle her voice was when she said that.
The person who had always been so reserved suddenly drew close. Those slightly weary eyes lowered, the pupils a moist, deep black, holding a kind of focused affection. Zhou Yanqian could see her own reflection in them. She froze, subconsciously closing her eyes, feeling the warmth of those lips as they descended, searing hot. This sudden enlightenment was exquisitely moving. Zhou Yanqian clutched the blanket, her body trembling from the kiss. When she opened her eyes again, they were glistening with moisture.
The emptiness in her body was real, but the one who had lit the fire had already closed the bedroom door and gone outside. A moment later, Zhou Yanqian heard the outer door make a few sounds as well. The room fell completely silent once more.
She took a breath and buried herself deeper into the blankets.
When Lian Wan stepped outside, a wave of heat hit her. The rain at dawn had done little to cool things down; instead, it had turned the world into a giant steamer, muggy and hot, making even breathing an irritation.
She walked all the way to the vehicle yard. Most of the others had already departed. Wang Zhiqiang was shrunk down in his driver's seat, blasting the air conditioning. When he saw Lian Wan approach, he lowered his window halfway. "Xiao Lian, how come you didn't answer last night when we called?"
Lian Wan turned on the water tank to wash her hands. She was covered in sweat, but her voice was nonchalant. "I had something to do last night."
"Oh." Wang Zhiqiang stared at the top of her head. Lian Wan had her hair in a low ponytail and was dressed all in black—a black t-shirt and black pants, which made her skin look very fair. She was tall, with long arms and legs. Under the stream of water, the sleek lines of her forearms were visible. As he watched, he found himself at a loss for words and added lamely:
"Everyone was there last night, we were just missing you. We wanted to ask you to come hang out."
"I only saw it when I woke up this morning." Lian Wan looked up and smiled at him. "Sorry about that, Brother Wang."
When someone who rarely smiled did, they looked even more striking. How had he never noticed before how well-put-together Lian Wan was? Wang Zhiqiang began to wonder, finding himself thinking that she wasn't bad at all.
"Brother Wang?"
"It's nothing, nothing. We can get together next time, it's all the same," Wang Zhiqiang said, his voice trailing off. He avoided her gaze and rolled the window back up. "It's so hot today. You should get going too. Finish early and go home to rest."
The assignments had been posted in the group chat long ago, each person with a clear time and address, and the requirements were all written out. There weren't many rules in the small town. Lian Wan drove all the way to the entrance of a furniture factory. She didn't come here often. She slipped the gatekeeper a few cigarettes, signed in as a visitor, and went inside.
The workshop was filled with flying sawdust and dust. The people coming and going wore only masks, and some, finding it too hot, had taken off their shirts. They sat bare-chested without masks amidst piles of wood. The warehouse manager led Lian Wan inside, through layers of sweat and sawdust. She was already getting dirty before she even started loading the cargo.
"I'll just drive the truck to the entrance," Lian Wan said. "Or do you have a forklift?"
"We'll do it, we'll do it." The man over there shouted for people, then explained to her, "It's company cargo, don't you worry."
Lian Wan nodded, squinting slightly. The workshop was stuffy and hot, and a layer of sweat had already formed under her mask. She didn't feel much like talking and just followed the forklift carrying the goods.
The truck was parked at the warehouse entrance, its side panel already open, the engine humming. Lian Wan took a few steps back, her ears filled with the shouts of the workers.
The sun blazed high in the sky, its white light dazzling. Someone nearby was swearing, "Fuck your X, it's this hot so early in the morning…" The feeling of irritation was contagious. Lian Wan let out a breath, deciding it was better to go back and wait in the air-conditioned cab.
Usually, she wasn't like this. Even if she wasn't working, she would stand by and wait to lend a hand. Sitting in the cab always felt wrong. At times like these, Lian Wan found herself incomprehensible. The people outside and inside were all doing hard labor; what right did she have to pity others? In reality, no one cared if she was inside or out, but she was conflicted, feeling like a hypocrite. That bit of pity and self-blame gnawed at her heart.
So she would just go outside and stand there, waiting to help.
No other driver was as diligent as she was.
But today, she suddenly felt a sense of release. It was as if she had found herself in a flash under the blazing sun.
She thought calmly, those inside and those outside, everyone is on their own path. It's enough to just do your own part well.
Lian Wan climbed into the driver's seat and closed the door. The truck's air conditioning had been running the whole time. The sudden coolness was like jumping into a pool. Sweat rushed to the surface, and she tore off her mask, grabbed a tissue, and wiped her face haphazardly.
She rested for a good while before reaching for her phone. Because her usual pastimes were so scarce, Lian Wan rarely had any thought for entertainment. Even the act of looking at her phone was a habit she had only developed after meeting Zhou Yanqian.
She lit up the screen and, as expected, saw several unread messages from her pinned contact.
Her body was still slick with sweat. Lian Wan glanced out the window. The cargo being brought out was only about halfway loaded. Loading furniture was noisy, and the sounds from the truck bed clanged behind her.
She lowered her head and tapped her phone.
In the chat, Zhou Yanqian had only sent a few photos.
The photos were dark, and it was too bright outside to see them clearly. Lian Wan pulled down the sun visor and squinted.
A familiar bed, the covers thrown back. A woman leaned against the headboard, looking at the camera from various angles with an open and frank gaze. In a few photos, she had changed her pose several times. In the dim environment under the blackout curtains, the white parts of her skin looked whiter, and the hazy parts, hazier.
Lian Wan's fingers twitched, as if she could, through the screen, once again linger on the places she had touched last night.
In the last photo, the woman looked at the camera, biting her curled index finger. Lian Wan recognized that look. She swallowed, feeling her heart tremble uncontrollably. In the photo, the woman's body curved gracefully, transforming into dense, impenetrable vines that wrapped around her. Lian Wan's mind reeled, as if she too had been caught in that mouth.
Am I your prey? she thought.
She didn't send the message. But just thinking it made Lian Wan want to throw open the truck door and roll around in the blazing sun.
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