The end of a blue duckweed (3)
When she walked out of Jingtai Building, it was already late at night, but there were still reporters outside. As soon as they saw her coming out, they swarmed around her, surrounding her in a circle with all kinds of cameras and microphones pointed at her.
“Miss Lin, Miss Lin, say a few words.”
“Miss Lin, Miss Lin…”
The crowd pushed and shoved each other to get closer to her.
Lin Yan could barely move a step, perhaps because they could see that she had just been crying, her eyes still red. The camera flashes started to flicker uncontrollably, making it impossible to keep her eyes open.
All of a sudden, she couldn’t hear anything, her mind went blank, she broke out in a cold sweat, her hands and feet were shaking. All she could see were the faces of the people around her, their mouths moving but she couldn’t make out what they were saying.
In the midst of her confusion, a strong hand gently grabbed her. Song Yuhang forcefully pulled her out from the crowd, put her arm around her shoulder, and led her away.
When Lin Yan came to her senses and looked up, she saw Song Yuhang, with a furrowed brow, a pained and restrained expression on her face. Finally unable to bear it when the reporters caught up, she turned around and shouted, “Stop chasing, this is the person involved’s privacy. We don’t accept interviews. Not every public figure needs to expose their wounds to others!”
She clenched her fist tightly, her eyes turning red, “If you continue to chase her, I will call the police and arrest you for provocation and causing trouble!”
Lin Yan was stunned, watching their retreating figures, roaring like a child, standing up for her against all the world’s malice. Unable to hold back, she finally curved her lips into a smile.
Song Yuhang turned around and interlocked her fingers with hers, the anger still not fading from her face. “Let’s go.”
Until she managed to squeeze the person into the car, Song Yuhang’s face remained tense, gripping the steering wheel with tightly furrowed brows.
Lin Yan couldn’t help but burst out laughing, pinching her cheek. “Come on, give me a smile. It’s just paparazzi, I really don’t care what they say.”
Song Yuhang turned her face. “Before, was it like this too?”
Lin Yan knew what she was referring to, shrugged nonchalantly, pretending to be relaxed.
“Mm, it’s common, you don’t know how excessive they were before, saying I was fickle, changing my mind all the time…”
Her words trailed off as her voice gradually lowered.
Song Yuhang had been watching her all along, tears slowly welling up in her eyes, her mouth drooping as tears cascaded down like golden beans.
“I’m sorry, I… I didn’t know before… I won’t let you face this alone in the future…”
The resolute and courageous police officer, who appears strong in front of others, seemed to only reveal her weakness and childishness in front of herself.
Lin Yan’s heart was soaked in these tears, her nose starting to feel sour, and she abruptly pulled down her collar.
“Song Yuhang.”
“Yeah?” The police officer sniffed, crying intermittently, perplexed.
Lin Yan gently closed her eyes and offered her lips, “I love you.”
Not to mention confessing, she rarely took the initiative to kiss her. Song Yuhang was suddenly stunned, overwhelmed with emotion, unsure where to put her hands and feet. After a moment, as she was about to withdraw, she turned her shoulder, pulled her in, and kissed her deeply.
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How could someone who has tasted the sweetness easily give up?
Compared to Lin Yan’s earlier brief kiss, Song Yuhang’s was much more passionate.
Lin Yan kept retreating, unable to resist, placing her hands on Song Yuhang’s shoulders and gently pushing her away.
“Um…”
Song Yuhang became even more intense, speaking incoherently, “I… love you too.”
When they finally separated, both of them were breathing heavily. Lin Yan’s face was flushed, her eyes glistening with tears, and the corners of her lips held something suggestive.
Song Yuhang’s breathing suddenly became heavy again, then leaned over once more, with a clear goal in mind. Her actions were direct and simple, reaching out to unbutton Lin Yan’s clothes.
“Lin Yan, I want…”
Lin Yan swung her bag open and slapped away her hands, furious as she scolded, “Get lost, shameless!”
“Oh.” Song Yuhang winced in pain, retracting her hand in grievance. She reluctantly watched as Lin Yan popped open the buttons of her shirt, licking her lips with a tinge of reluctance.
God knows how long it’s been since she last touched her, okay?
She yearned for it even in her dreams.
If Lin Yan continued to resist her touch, she felt like she was going to explode right there.
Tears silently welled up in Song Yuhang’s heart, shifting into gear and driving away.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Lin Yan knew exactly what she was thinking. Her face reddened slightly, and the corners of her lips lifted high.
“Step on it, I’m tired and want to get home early.”
Song Yuhang’s eyes lit up, a playful mood on, and she stepped on the gas pedal, speeding off.
“Alright, Miss Lin said it, so be it. If she says don’t touch, then I won’t touch. If she says touch… hehehe!”
Lin Yan blushed, raising her bag. “Who said I…”
Song Yuhang dodged to the side, hands firmly on the wheel, lips curving into a wide grin. “Hey hey hey, driving here, heading home to have some fun, heading home to have some fun, right?”
As for how to have “fun” at home, that was definitely up to her to decide.
Upon opening the door, Song Yuhang pushed her inside, locked the room behind them, and haphazardly placed the things she was holding on the coffee table, causing the sofa to sink slightly.
Lin Yan nudged her shoulder, “Um… Let’s go take a shower first.”
Song Yuhang took off her coat, teeth undoing the buttons of her shirt, and lifted her hands above her head.
Lin Yan felt a weightlessness as she was lifted up.
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“Let’s shower together.”
The shower head splattered hot water, two pairs of bare feet on the floor, the bathroom’s heater warming up, quickly causing steam to fog up the glass window.
Lin Yan’s originally pale face turned as red as if she were bleeding, burying her head in Song Yuhang’s neck, fingers gripping her arm tightly.
Song Yuhang freed a hand to pinch the back of her neck, “Can’t stand up?”
“Mm…” a soft hum like a cat.
Song Yuhang felt her heart melting, the bathtub next to them filling up with water. She turned around, lifting Lin Yan up in her arms.
Just when Lin Yan thought this long tug-of-war was finally coming to an end, she was suddenly placed into the bathtub.
Her long lashes trembled, leaning against the edge of the tub, looking somewhat ecstatic.
With a long reach, Song Yuhang pulled her into her arms.
Lin Yan lazily raised her eyes, “What are you doing?”
Besides her neck, it seemed she had found a new source of amusement.
Song Yuhang kneaded the hollow of Lin Yan’s waist, where there was a dip with a small waist groove, hoarsely saying, “It’s still early, let’s soak a bit more.”
Her palms were rough and calloused, causing goosebumps to quickly rise wherever they touched.
Lin Yan shivered all over, lightly biting her lip, her rational mind telling her to refuse, “Song—”
Before she could finish speaking, her lips were sealed.
Ripples appeared on the water’s surface.
Water droplets slid down the glass door of the bathroom.
On the floor were two pairs of neatly arranged slippers.
Song Yuhang said, “Less talking, more action.”
As Lin Yan was being carried to the bed again, she felt completely drained. The loss of water made her throat parched and unbearable. Song Yuhang poured a cup of warm water and offered it to her lips, feeding her small sips.
After she gulped down most of the cup of water, Song Yuhang took the glass from her hand, brought a hairdryer, and started blow-drying her hair.
Lin Yan lay on the pillow, the warm air making her drowsy, her fingers unconsciously hooking onto the hem of her clothes.
“I’m sorry, I’ve spent most of the money and didn’t leave any for you.”
Song Yuhang focused on blowing dry the slightly damp strands of hair in her hand, occasionally massaging her scalp.
“It’s okay, I can earn money on my own.”
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“But…” Lin Yan bit her lip slightly.
The two billion yuan that Lin Youyuan originally left for her was probably intended for her to use the money to revive the Lin family business. With the business thriving, the employees’ salaries could be paid, and Lin Yan would have enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of her life. However, what he did not expect was that Lin Yan took drastic action. She took the money, but dissolved the company. Not only did she not get a single penny, but also suffered some losses. After all, the money distributed was only a small portion at that time. More funds from various branches would be transferred over these days.
Others may not understand the reason for her actions, but Song Yuhang did. She touched her head gently.
“Money is a double-edged sword. It can motivate people to work harder, but it can also lead to moral downfall. Instead of having immense wealth, I hope you can be a happy ordinary person.”
The sound of the hairdryer stopped, and Lin Yan felt warm all over. She turned over and snuggled under the blanket, her voice slightly drowsy.
“But… I haven’t bought you a large house, luxury car, diamond ring…”
Song Yuhang’s eyes welled up, dimmed the bedside lamp, and hugged her from behind.
“One person is worth more than all the riches in the world.”
“Number 0378, someone is here to see you.” The iron gate clanged open. Zheng Chengrui did not expect anyone to visit him at this point.
He had trimmed his hair and appeared thinner. He numbly got up and followed the prison guard as they walked out.
Duan Cheng sat waiting for him on the other side of the wall.
The prison guard unlocked his handcuffs as Zheng Chengrui sat down. Then, they put on the handcuffs and ankle cuffs. Dressed in dark blue prison clothes with blue and white stripes on the back, it was often jokingly referred to as the “zebra suit” by the detectives. The color difference between this outfit and the police’s dark blue uniform was like night and day.
Duan Cheng looked at him, feeling a bit unfamiliar. He stared at the spot on Zheng Chengrui’s chest where a police badge should have been worn, but said nothing.
Zheng Chengrui was surprisingly calm. “You’re here.”
Duan Cheng replied indifferently, lifting his gaze to look at the stubble that had grown on Zheng Chengrui’s chin. His face now faintly showed traces of the handsome and refined features of the past, but his complexion lacked the previous rosy hue due to the poorer food in the detention center.
“You’ve lost weight.”
Zheng Chengrui smiled slightly, still as honest as before. “I haven’t been snacking, so naturally I’ve lost weight.”
Duan Cheng took out a plastic bag from below and handed it to the prison guard standing nearby for inspection.
“You can’t bring in any food, and it’s almost autumn. I’ve brought you some warm clothes and daily necessities.”
Through a transparent glass partition, Zheng Chengrui watched as the prison guard placed the large plastic bag on the table and thoroughly inspected it, feeling through every item, including the layers of clothes inside.
He shifted his gaze back, observing the increasingly mature features of the young man in front of him.
“Thank you. Are you and Fang Xin?”
At the mention of Fang Xin, Duan Cheng also smiled.
“I’ve introduced her to my parents, and they really like her. It’s just her parents who haven’t agreed yet.”
“That’s great. I wish you both a harmonious and everlasting marriage in advance.”
His sentence had not been handed down yet, but given the multiple charges, it was unlikely to be lenient. He just wondered if it would…
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At this thought, Duan Cheng’s eyes welled up, and he slightly turned his body to the side.
Zheng Chengrui, slightly older than him, had grown indifferent to such matters since he embarked on this path, long prepared for the ruin of his reputation.
He simply said, “Go back, live a good life with Fang Xin, and don’t come here again.”
Given his particularly serious charges, it was not good for him to frequent this place.
Duan Cheng lifted his head, his eyes red as he asked, “Do you regret it?”
Zheng Chengrui seemed surprised by the question, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly shook his head.
“The most important thing for a person is to always look forward, how can one always be looking back.”
Duan Cheng seemed to have anticipated his response, slightly curling his lips, turning his head to smile, with red eyes still.
Visiting time was almost up, and the guards started urging them.
He pulled out a photo from his jacket pocket, passed it through the crack at the bottom of the glass.
“Sister Lin asked me to give this to you, found it at Pei Jinhong’s house.”
It was a yellowed black and white photo, torn halfway, leaving only a little girl with braided hair smiling sweetly, standing quietly.
The girl’s hand was slightly raised, probably trying to pull a family member, but the other half was missing.
The cold and numb expression on Zheng Chengrui’s face finally showed a crack as his hand holding the photo began to tremble.
His lips quivered, he glanced at Duan Cheng, then back at the little girl in the photo, shaking more intensely.
Duan Cheng stood up, with a hint of pity and regret in his eyes.
“You say you have no regrets, but do you know, you sold the information to Lin Ge, who then informed the Supreme Lord. It almost got Lin Sister killed, and it also led to your…”
He propped his hand against the glass, seeming reluctant to continue, closing his eyes slightly as his fingertips clenched into a fist.
“If it weren’t for… she could still be alive.”
Trembling all over while holding the photo, Zheng Chengrui shook uncontrollably. Even those who had seen him getting arrested and imprisoned had never seen him with red eyes. He tried to stand up, but was held back by the interrogation chair, unable to break free, his wrists grinding on the table.
Two burly prison guards rushed over to restrain him, pressing him back down, his head hitting the table.
With his eyes wide open, Zheng Chengrui’s glasses fell off, tears streaming down his cheeks and dripping onto the table.
A sound akin to a wild beast’s roar escaped his mouth.
Duan Cheng couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He loosened his tightly clenched fist from the glass and turned away.
Behind him came the sounds of a man wailing, crying in desperation.
Even as he walked out of the detention center gate, Duan Cheng felt dazed. The cries seemed to linger in his ears, impossible to shake off.
He stepped into the mud puddle and finally noticed that it had started raining outside, though he didn’t know when it had begun.