- The Sun
“Dong Qin, you’re so warm,” Cui Yun said, hugging her, pressing his face against her back, licking the black vine tattoo on her skin. Dong Qin didn’t speak; she suddenly thought of Lu Tuo, recalling the warmth he exuded. She had always lived in a cold, dark world, devoid of light and water. Lu Tuo’s intrusion was earth-shattering. He became her sun, harsh yet providing light and a kind of hope. And now, the person entangled behind her must have cold blood running through their veins; otherwise, she wouldn’t feel the bone-chilling cold. Each time he got closer, she shivered from the cold. It was terrifying… like the emptiness of falling into an abyss again. “What are you thinking about? Not focusing even at a time like this.” Cui Yun flipped her over, resting his head on her soft breasts, inhaling her scent. Dong Qin said indifferently, “Lu Tuo, I’m thinking about him.” Cui Yun’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he bit her chest. “Thinking about another man when you’re with me, I’ll get angry.” “Oh? You want to hit me?” Men probably all enjoy using violence to force submission. Cui Yun shook his head, “What’s the satisfaction in hitting a woman? I’m not like that pervert Lu Jinghao, nor am I a hot-blooded teenager like Lu. Look, haven’t I been loving you?” He kissed down her chest to her smooth, tender abdomen. “I’m a good man, and a good man conquers a woman with love…” His breath was cold, sending chills down her spine, causing goosebumps. “Love?” She grabbed his hair, stopping him from going further, “Cui Yun, do you know what love is? Perhaps neither of us is even qualified to write the word.” Cui Yun brushed her hand away, licked her thigh, murmuring, “Then let’s say I’m seducing you, seducing you to fall for me. Because I don’t want you to be with Lu.” His fingers teased her already blooming red parts as if caressing a flower. His expression was serious and focused, as if there were treasures hidden inside her body, waiting to be unearthed. Dong Qin twitched, her thoughts drifting into a haze; he always effortlessly pulled her into a vortex of desire. Yet this intimacy seemed to maintain an insurmountable distance, like the poles apart. He pressed himself against her, urgently yet gently, inching his way inside, letting out a sound akin to a sigh. Dong Qin wrapped her legs around his waist, moving with his rhythm. Meteors seemed to fall before her eyes, pleasure escalating, the fireworks of Christmas Eve bursting in her mind in a dazzling display. To say this moment wasn’t joyful, she herself wouldn’t believe it. The desire he brought was like waves of climax, an endless delight. It was thrilling, exhilarating, a cry for survival amidst suffocation, a primal shout for the desire to live in the midst of a storm. Life has no eternal climax. He had warned her, with every extreme joy comes endless emptiness. So, one must pursue it again and again. Perhaps in the pursuit, those who refuse a mundane life shine the brightest, more dazzling than the outcome. But for her, this pursuit was essentially a fall. She had already fallen into the dark abyss for countless hours, her convulsing hands reaching for hope towards an unknown realm. Whatever the result might be, she was unwilling to consider it now. She didn’t want to relive anything from the past. “Ah!” she suddenly cried out, her voice fragmented by his vigorous movements. Cui Yun gripped her slender waist tightly, as if wanting to immerse himself entirely into her warm body, never enough. He bit her shoulder, his disheveled long hair covering her. Dong Qin, using all her strength, opened her arms to embrace him, as if hugging a blazing sun. “Lu Tuo!… Lu Tuo! Lu… Tuo!” Her suppressed voice sounded eerie. Cui Yun shuddered as if, at that moment, the blood in his veins turned to ice, making a teeth-gritting sound. Dong Qin clung to him, burying her head in his chest, tears streaming down his chest. Ah, saying goodbye to everything in the past, it was this painful. Where was her sun at this moment? Cui Yun suddenly pushed her away, staring at her in disbelief. Dong Qin covered her face, silently crying, tears flowing through her fingers without end. His mind buzzed with noise, unable to think of anything related to logic or principle. “Let me tell you what kind of despicable creature a woman is, they’re not worth you breaking both your legs for.” The words from that day still rang clearly in his ears. He had planned so much, done so much, yet couldn’t even get a glance. Zuo Dong Qin, the woman who made him taste defeat throughout his life. At this moment, he was at a loss for what to do with her. Suddenly, the phone rang, the ringtone was a foreign song. Cui Yun, struck by lightning, stared blankly at it. “Солнце мое – взгляни на меня, Моя ладонь превратилась в кулак…” He was stunned. My sun, please look at me, my palm has turned into a fist… Where was her sun? Was his sun right in front of him? “И если есть порох – дай огня.Вот так!” If there’s gunpowder, give me fire! This was truly wonderful! Cui Yun felt an indescribable mix of emotions, a surge of passion, bitterness, anger, and embarrassment… He suddenly got up and grabbed the phone. “Hello—” Lu Tuo, in a tailcoat, holding a colorful cocktail, leaned silently against the floor-to-ceiling window. It was a celebration banquet, a sudden idea from those boring old men in the arms department to gather personnel. The so-called emergency task was just a summary of the designs from the first half of the year for other technicians. He looked at the garden covered in snow outside the window; he had been trapped here for two days. Those old men wouldn’t let him go back no matter what. He knew things weren’t going well, but he couldn’t get away, no matter how anxious he felt. Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder; he turned to see two old men from the arms department smiling at him. “Tuo, let’s toast to your talent.” Mr. Edward raised his whiskey, while Mr. Cao held Chinese baijiu. Lu Tuo, full of impatience, had to put on a smile and deal with them, downing the red and white Blood Mary in one gulp. The pungent smell of vodka, when mixed with tomato juice, unexpectedly softens. Mr. Cao seemed to have had too much to drink; his thick nose turned red, and he patted Lu Tuo’s shoulder, loudly saying, “This kid Lu is our top designer in the organization! The small rocket launcher you improved in the first half of the year has been endlessly praised by everyone! Hey, does that old man Lawrence think he can bully our arms division? He can dream on! I’ve got your back!” Lu Tuo remained silent. Mr. Edward smiled, “How old are you now, sixteen? Still so shy. What’s wrong with being praised? You’ll have plenty more chances in the future! Speaking of top talent, why wasn’t our other ace invited to this banquet?” He turned to ask Mr. Cao, who spread his hands, “You mean Cui Yun? That fox is never seen, only God knows where he might be! Besides, he probably wouldn’t look favorably upon our arms division’s celebration. Humph! He’s been spoiled by Francis, looking down on everyone.” Edward slightly furrowed his brows, “But I heard from Francis that he recently went to Lawrence and borrowed several people. Who knows what mischief he’s up to!” Lu Tuo felt a sharp pain in his heart, suddenly understanding. He urgently asked, “Who did Cui Yun borrow? How could Mr. Lawrence agree to lend people?” That Lawrence was known for being stingy and difficult.
