The end of a blue duckweed (4)
On the day the verdict came down, it was just a regular weekend.
Song Yuhang taught her how to cook.
Lin Yan stood in the kitchen, sunlight streaming in through the glass window, her delicate pale fingers pressing down on a carrot. She was following Song Yuhang’s instructions, cutting it meticulously with a kitchen knife.
Used to the thin sharpness of a surgical knife, the kitchen knife felt a bit bulky in her hand and not as easy to handle as she had imagined. Lin Yan’s forehead started to sweat slightly, biting her lip slightly, her eyes reddening with frustration.
Seeing her struggle, Song Yuhang nervously offered.
“Why don’t I just do it, Yanyan?”
Lin Yan raised her head, glaring coldly at her, still a bit annoyed.
“I don’t need your help, I want to learn.”
Song Yuhang sighed, remembering how a few days ago at the Song family’s dinner, she had casually praised the delicious food cooked by Ji Jingxing.
Lin Yan had been fixated on it ever since, not only refusing to let her into the bedroom that night, but also withholding other privileges. And now, when she finally had the chance to take control and push Lin Yan onto the bed, Lin Yan used her same tactics, using scarves and handcuffs to restrain her.
After all, it was her fault to begin with, so Song Yuhang reluctantly half-pushed, half-pulled, unable to voice her bitterness, feeling “unbearably painful.”
After that incident, she thought it was all settled, but little did she know it had just begun.
Song Yuhang watched as the shining blade of the knife glimmered on her delicate fingertips, making her scalp tingle.
She swallowed nervously, “Yanyan, Yanyan, how about I go buy some white mice, rabbits, and pheasants for you to practice on?”
Song Yuhang meant well, but Lin Yan read the hidden message: you’re not suited for this, so let’s just forget about it.
Lin Yan became enraged, the knife slipped, and the carrot on the cutting board flew into the sink.
“Be careful!”
Song Yuhang rushed over in one swift move, grabbing her hand and without hesitation, putting it in her mouth, gently sucking on it.
Her fingertips were enveloped by the warmth of the mouth, not only did it not hurt, but it also brought a strange and wonderful sensation.
Lin Yan looked up at her.
Song Yuhang kept her head down, focused on licking the wound for her. Stray hair strands partially covering her eyes, she looked both anxious and serious, as if she had some serious illness.
“Are you alright?”
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Feeling the gaze of her lover, Song Yuhang finally came back to her senses, released her fingers, didn’t even notice if she had tasted the blood, and was about to get a band-aid for her.
Lin Yan grabbed her, a slight curve forming at the corner of her lips, a proud and teasing expression on her face, with a slightly annoyed tone.
“Come back, no need, I’m not that fragile.”
Song Yuhang was puzzled, “Huh?”
She shook her fair fingers.
“Look closely, no wound. Honestly, didn’t you taste any blood even after licking it yourself? I’m the one who handles knives with precision…?”
Before she could finish her sentence, Song Yuhang had been gazing at her all along.
Her eyes were filled with tenderness and a hint of indescribable heartache.
“Do you really want to learn?”
Lin Yan’s voice gradually lowered, “Hmm…”
Song Yuhang turned around, hugged her waist, and pushed her to the kitchen counter, holding her hands out together to wash them.
Her palms were broad enough to envelop hers.
The dense foam overflowed in the palms, coating both the palm and back of the hand.
A joyful smile gradually appeared at the corner of Lin Yan’s lips.
After the foam was rinsed off her hands, Song Yuhang put the cutting board back in place and took out another cleaned carrot.
Lin Yan grabbed the knife first, and Song Yuhang gently covered her hand with hers, following suit with the other hand.
“Like this, cut from here, it won’t slip easily…”
Song Yuhang taught her hand in hand, explaining and demonstrating with patience, meticulousness, and focus.
Lin Yan was learning very seriously, not lifting her head, cutting one slice after another along the force.
“Is it like this?”
Outside the window, sunflowers were flourishing.
Her fair side profile resembled white jade, with faintly visible veins, except for the prominent teardrop mole at the corner of her eye.
Rather than calling it a teardrop mole, it was more like a scar left from her undercover career.
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Lin Yan had burned it with wire herself.
In order to completely disguise herself as Pei Jinhong, for the success of the mission and her own safety, she had sacrificed too much, including altering her once proud appearance with cosmetic procedures. Despite Song Yuhang repeatedly emphasizing that she didn’t mind these changes, she still had them corrected before being discharged.
At that time, Lin Yan sat on the hospital bed, wearing a blue and white patient gown, smiled faintly, her smile appearing pale and weak.
She said, “I used to really dislike the identity of Lin Yan, and I tried every way to escape from it. This is the only time I have longed so much to live under the sun, to spend my life with you using the name Lin Yan.”
Song Yuhang felt an indescribable heartache, but also respected any decision she made. The surgery was successful, but the burned scar, due to being pierced too deeply at the time and getting infected, was not easy to fade for a while.
As she looked, almost instinctively, she lightly touched it and felt the uneven texture under her fingertips, then opened her mouth.
“Does it hurt?”
Lin Yan thought she was asking about accidentally cutting her finger just now, not lifting her head, “It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
The hand resting on her own back lost its strength.
She looked up in confusion and fell into a pair of light brown pupils.
Ever since returning from her undercover mission, she always looked at her with this kind of gaze.
Song Yuhang’s eyes spoke volumes, full of vast seas and stars, overflowing with love in every move Lin Yan made.
She always had the illusion that no matter what she asked her to do, even if it meant death, she would willingly do it.
Lin Yan’s heart was filled with joy, yet at the same time, she felt a secret panic.
How could she ever deserve such love and care?
Isn’t it said that a good horse matches a good saddle, that a nanny can only match a security guard?
A person covered in mud like herself actually doesn’t deserve such grand and sincere love.
Their eyes met.
Song Yuhang understood her thoughts.
Nothing could escape her gaze.
She gently touched the raised scar, her voice soft and slightly hoarse.
“Lin Yan, let’s get married. I want to give you a home.”
A home enough to make her forget all current unstable thoughts, the sense of ceremony was secondary.
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She wanted to give her a sense of security, to stop those eyes from being startled, from suffering, from crying, from panic, from feeling inferior.
She deserved the best that this world had to offer.
The sliced carrot rolled onto the floor.
Lin Yan didn’t respond for a while, her eyes turning red, and she opened her mouth.
Song Yuhang nervously watched her every expression and movement.
“I…” she barely uttered a monosyllable.
The television buzzed, the light morning music replaced by live news.
“Recently, the High People’s Court of Binhai Province publicly sentenced the former Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee, and Director of the Public Security Department, Zhao Junfeng, in a black crime case. The defendant, Zhao Junfeng, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for crimes including bribery, sheltering and conniving with criminal organizations, and abuse of power, among ten charges. He was deprived of political rights for life and all illegally obtained personal property was confiscated. Zhao Junfeng expressed compliance with the judgment and waived his right to appeal in court.”
The TV screen showed a bright-mouthed female host, and his photo along with a video played.
An elderly man, with white hair and bent posture, clad in prisoner’s clothing, made a public apology before the camera.
Song Yuhang’s hand supporting Lin Yan’s waist slowly slipped down.
The female host took a news script from the table, raised her head, and passionately expressed her indignation.
“The former Director of the Binhai Province Drug Enforcement Bureau, Hu Senji, the Deputy Captain of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Binhai Province Public Security Department, Nie Bin, the Deputy Director of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau, Li Wei, and the Technician of the Cyber Security Team of the Technical Investigation Department of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau, Zheng Chengrui, among ten others, were sentenced to life imprisonment or up to fifteen years in prison.”
“With this, the largest ever black crime case since the establishment of Binhai Province has been cracked, with 256 individuals, including members of criminal organizations, sentenced. Their leader, Lin Jueshui, was sentenced to immediate execution and deprived of political rights for life.”
It turns out the mole wasn’t just one “person,” but many.
No wonder she had been searching for the truth fruitlessly for so many years.
Until this moment, Lin Yan finally felt a sense of closure.
Her eyes burned, she slightly raised her head, and tears began to fall.
Song Yuhang embraced her, and Lin Yan trembled slightly in her arms, biting her lip to stifle her sobs.
She gently stroked the back of her head, her eyes filled with a hint of sadness, looking at the sunflowers outside, then kissed her forehead.
“It’s okay, cry if you want to, it’s good to let it out.”
“Why cry… I should… smile.”
She buried her face in her embrace, a smile on her lips, trying to cheer herself up, but tears welled up more and more, eventually holding her tightly and crying heartbreakingly.
After the verdict was announced, Zhao Junfeng was transferred to the Binhai Province prison to officially serve his sentence.
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Song Yuhang accompanied her mentor’s mother to visit him.
The two of them anxiously waited outside the door.
“Zhao Junfeng, someone is here to see you.”
The iron gate creaked open, and an elderly man with gray hair, hunched back, and wearing a “zebra suit” walked out.
He suddenly raised his head, saw them, his body trembling slightly, lips quivering, handcuffs on his wrists, and then turned to walk away.
“Can’t see, can’t see…”
He repeated the words.
Before Song Yuhang could react, her mentor’s mother had already rushed forward, pounding on the glass window.
“Old Zhao, Old Zhao…”
The faint and feeble call finally came through the loudspeaker.
Zhao Junfeng stopped in his tracks, still not turning back.
“Go back…”
He struggled to speak, then turned to walk away.
Song Yuhang also took a step closer. “Mentor…”
As the words left her mouth, she gritted her teeth and quickly changed her tone. “Your sentence has been handed down, and we don’t know if there will be a chance to see you again in the future.”
The old woman also leaned against the glass, watching his retreating figure, unable to hold back her tears.
The sound of sobbing seemed to be a condemnation towards him.
Zhao Junfeng clenched his hands tightly, his knuckles turning red, eventually pulling the handcuffs inward and tucking them into his sleeve. He then turned around and locked eyes with his loved one through the window.
The old woman covered her mouth, tears streaming down freely.
Song Yuhang supported her, gently patting her back to comfort her.
Zhao Junfeng walked slowly, his steps unsteady, and slowly reached the window, his fingers touching it as if trying to reach her white hair.
Perhaps due to lack of rest in recent days, his eyes were red, and his voice was hoarse.
“Go back, take care of yourself, take your medicine on time, and go for regular check-ups.”
“Did you receive the clothes that Yuhang asked me to bring for you last time? If you need anything else, let me know, I’ll bring it for you next time.”
Zhao Junfeng smiled, causing the handcuffs on his wrist to clatter with movement.