TSMLI Chapter 29

Shen Zhongxun placed one hand on Lin Chu’s head and with a slight effort tilted her head back, covering most of her body.

Lin Chu swallowed nervously, and when their lips met her breath caught in her throat.

It was pitch black all around, with not a single person in sight. Unlike the feeling under the lights, this time there was a sense of security in the enclosed space shrouded in darkness. The towering exterior walls of the building formed a barrier, blocking the prying eyes of others.

Shen Zhongxun gently lifted Lin Chu’s face, tentatively moving his lips, but received no response. Looking closer he noticed her eyes were wide open, too nervous to even blink. Shen Zhongxun chuckled softly, his fingers tracing her cheek before tilting her head back slightly, capturing her lips in a restrained, tender kiss.

Lin Chu held her breath, and in the stillness she could almost hear her own heart pounding rhythmically. The touch on her lips was warm, and every movement was made with a tender care, as if afraid of startling her.

Lin Chu could not hold on for long. When her ears turned red from holding her breath she finally let out a breath. The air mixed with the other person’s breath rushed over, carrying a sudden force. In the instant she relaxed her lips were swallowed up.

Lin Chu was caught off guard. She groaned and closed her eyes tightly. A strong, unfamiliar scent swept over her. She defensively pressed against Shen Zhongxun’s chest. Her hands were only separated by a thin piece of clothing. The hot, hard touch entangled her hands, and she could not stop it.

The large hand covering Lin Chu’s head slowly slid down, encircling her shoulders and pulling her tightly close. Shen Zhongxun felt Lin Chu was increasingly frail, her shoulders seeming as if they could be crushed with a single pinch, her small body as narrow as a sheet of paper. Even though he was holding her so tightly he still felt an emptiness in his arms. Shen Zhongxun could not help but exert more force, forcing Lin Chu to fall completely into his embrace, the two pressed together so tightly that there was no gap between them.

Shen Zhongxun seemed both hungry and thirsty, lifting Lin Chu’s chin as if swallowing her entire face whole. His tongue plunged deep inside, hooking onto her soft little tongue. His breathing became erratic, rapid like a bomb about to explode in the sweltering summer night. He did not know when or what trigger he would touch, shattering the restless air. Especially when he heard the weak sobs in Lin Chu’s throat Shen Zhongxun’s self-control exploded. He involuntarily pulled her waist closer. Her waist, barely half an arm’s length away, made him afraid that the slightest force would break it.

Lin Chu frowned, panicking as she tried to escape the entanglement in her mouth. But Shen Zhongxun’s breath had already filled every corner of her body aggressively. Lin Chu had nowhere to retreat or escape. The places his tongue touched felt like being electrocuted. Lin Chu gradually went numb and lost consciousness. She could only passively let him entangle her. She could vaguely hear shameful swallowing sounds in her ears. Her blood rushed to her head, and Lin Chu felt hot and dizzy. She was going crazy.

Little did she know that the one holding her tightly in his arms was the one who was truly on the verge of madness.

Shen Zhongxun’s arms tightened around her, his hands around her waist moving involuntarily. Beneath his large hands her waist was perfectly sculpted, its curve perfectly matching his bent fingers. Shen Zhongxun struggled to breathe. The humming air conditioning seemed ineffective against him. Sweat streamed down his forehead. He could not control his strength, his kisses deepening, his embrace tightening, until finally he lifted Lin Chu up, as if trying to overcome the barrier and bring her to his side.

Lin Chu’s muffled cries grew louder. The moment her buttocks left the seat she finally began to resist the pounding. Suddenly a beam of light shot from afar, growing closer and closer, making her tremble. Her fist landed hard on Shen Zhongxun’s shoulder.

Shen Zhongxun finally snapped out of his daze, his grip loosened slightly, and Lin Chu immediately escaped. The car in front of them suddenly appeared in their field of vision, its bright headlights revealing the vehicle hidden in the darkness. In the blink of an eye it whooshed past the corner, taking away the blinding light and mercilessly pulling the two from the darkness back into broad daylight, only to throw them back into the turbulent, scorching night.

Lin Chu blushed from head to toe, her face turning bright red. Enraged she let out a low cry and punched Shen Zhongxun. She then forcefully pushed away Shen Zhongxun, who was leaning toward her again, and hurriedly turned to open the car door.

Shen Zhongxun grasped her shoulders and easily turned her back. Ignoring Lin Chu’s struggles he pulled her into his arms again and said in a low, hoarse voice, “Are you angry?”

Lin Chu pushed him away with red eyes, feeling so ashamed that she wanted to find a sandpit to bury herself. The thought of that car with its lights on driving by while they were doing this kind of thing inside made her heart pound with fear, anger, and resentment.

Lin Chu said angrily, “You’re disgusting! Let me go!”

Shen Zhongxun pressed his face against hers and carefully kissed her cheek. Lin Chu immediately turned her head away and grabbed his arm, forcing him to let go.

Shen Zhongxun said in a low voice, “Don’t be angry. I couldn’t help it.” He pressed Lin Chu’s head down and said, “Hit me a couple of times. Don’t be angry.”

When Lin Chu heard the word “hit me” her mind went blank, as if some relationship was being forced to change, and she had no say in the matter.

Shen Zhongxun looked down at her, his nose filled with her gentle breath. He was satisfied and said, “I’m sorry. I scared you. How about you tell your mother? You can put those blind dates on hold. I’m here for you now.”

He still remembered this point, which made Lin Chu so angry that she wanted to smash the car.

Lin Chu returned to her apartment building, her face flushed, and got out of the car without saying goodbye. She went back to her bedroom and blew in the air conditioning for a while, but her face still felt like it was on fire. She now harbored hatred for Shen Zhongxun, a hatred that had haunted her all night. If she were a knife she would have torn Shen Zhongxun to pieces, but she could not quite put her finger on what it was that she hated.

Shen Zhongxun, however, understood better than she did. The two had lost their senses in the car, and Lin Chu, caught in the act, naturally felt utterly humiliated and was understandably furious. He was equally embarrassed. Before the car lights came on he had already noticed a certain change in his body. Former propriety was thrown to the wind. Shen Zhongxun reflected on himself, spending the entire night facing the ceiling, his mind a blur of memories filled only with Lin Chu’s sweet scent. His attempt at self-reflection failed.

The next day he arrived at Guanjin Garden at the appointed time. After waiting for a while he saw Lin Chu come out of the building. He immediately opened the car door, but Lin Chu only glared at him fiercely and quickly ran toward the gate of the community.

Shen Zhongxun was taken aback, then gave a barely perceptible smile before quickly chasing after her.

Lin Chu was no match for him, and he caught her in just a few steps. Shen Zhongxun glanced at her face and knew she was blushing again, which made him feel even more sorry for her. He did not mention yesterday at all and only said, “I’ll take you to class. Don’t rush around by yourself, or you’ll get heatstroke.”

Lin Chu lowered her head and fidgeted for a while, hesitating whether to continue being coy. If she forgave him so quickly would she not be too easy? But if she continued to be angry, what would she be angry about? She had clearly given her permission last night, so she should at least share the responsibility.

Shen Zhongxun did not give her time to think and pulled her back into the car. Lin Chu blew on the cold air and immediately came back to her senses. She sat up straight and decided to let things take their course and stop worrying about it.

Both of them thickened their skin and acted as if nothing had happened. They traveled along the way, stopping and starting, and it took them quite a while to arrive at the training institution near Nanhu. Shen Zhongxun, with his face covered in bruises, escorted Lin Chu into the lobby of the building and said, “Focus on your class. I’ll pick you up after class, and we’ll have dinner together tonight.”

Lin Chu stared at his face and hesitated before saying, “Why don’t you go back and rest? I’ll just have something simple to eat tonight.”

Shen Zhongxun said, “No, we have to go on a date!”

Lin Chu could not help but chuckle, suppressing the smile on her lips, and said, “It doesn’t have to be a date like this. We can take it slow. You should focus on healing the injury on your face first, otherwise it won’t be good for you to go to work.”

She spent a lot of time persuading Shen Zhongxun to reschedule the date for next week. This would allow Shen Zhongxun to recover properly, and Lin Chu would also have enough time to fully recover from her injury. Otherwise she felt uneasy.

The two training sessions were held close together, and the location was simply a matter of moving from one classroom to another. The huge training institution was bustling with noise, with crowds of people coming and going. Some were registering, and some were being interviewed, all of which took place on Saturday.

Lin Chu focused intently on her lessons, her two notebooks filled with dense writing. She did not chat with her classmates, concentrating solely on her own tasks. During breaks, while the other students huddled together chatting and laughing, she and a few others went to the teacher to ask questions, gathering all the necessary information, from certification exams to the job market.

After class, as the sun was setting, Lin Chu grabbed a quick bite nearby, then went to the supermarket and bought a bunch of food. She slowly boarded the bus and reported her training progress to her mother, who then said, “You said that last time, but you have a history of cheating. I’ve thought about it again, and I’m not sure I can believe you. You might have just been lying to me, letting you get away with it again. This won’t do!”

Lin Chu said helplessly, “Why would I lie to you about this? I get nothing out of it!”

“Should I go ask him?”

Upon hearing this Lin Chu hurriedly said, “Don’t ask! I’ll be very embarrassed if you go and ask about something like this!”

After thinking about it Lin’s mother realized that it made sense. When a man and woman are dating the woman should be more proud and not let the man look down on her.

Lin’s mother, holding an umbrella, walked across the path and earnestly taught Lin Chu how to interact with people. She glanced up and saw a car parked in the open space next to the building. Shen Zhongxun closed the car door, picked up a shopping bag from the supermarket, and walked into the building. In a quick glance Lin’s mother clearly saw the bruises on his face.

Lin’s mother opened her mouth in surprise, and a number of thoughts immediately popped into her head. Doubts began to take root in her heart, and she turned her attention to the man’s character, saying, “A reliable man must be mature and steady. Only teenagers would do something like fighting!”

Lin Chu was confused and just nodded repeatedly. Lin’s mother slowly went up to the third floor, still muttering to herself. She did not tell Lin Chu about seeing Shen Zhongxun, but planned to come here often in the future to observe him secretly.

At night Lin Chu was curled up in bed doing her homework, with an American TV series playing on her laptop. She was multitasking, her eyes fixed on the questions while her ears listened to the dialogue of the actors in the show. The beep beep sounded six times. Lin Chu bit her pen to recall the steps and slowly opened QQ. There were only two words in the message box: video.

Lin Chu frowned, but before she could reply the video request had already been sent.

On the screen Shen Zhongxun had changed into a white shirt and was sitting somewhere with a wall in the background. The bruises on his face had faded somewhat in the camera footage.

“What are you doing?” The voice sounded a little different.

Lin Chu held up the notebook and said, “I’m learning accounting.”

Shen Zhongxun smiled, picked up a folder, and said, “I need to work.”

Lin Chu said “Oh,” and then asked, “Is there nothing else?”

“It’s okay.” Lin Chu was about to say to turn off the video when Shen Zhongxun said, “Then you can continue studying. The video will stay on.”

Lin Chu glared at him. “Isn’t that enough?”

Shen Zhongxun said in a low voice, “Keep it on. It won’t affect your studies.”

Although Lin Chu felt strange she did not refuse. She leaned against the headboard and continued reading her book, occasionally stealing a glance at the screen. She saw Shen Zhongxun concentrating on processing the documents in his hands, without looking up or glancing at them. Lin Chu muttered something and gradually calmed down as well.

Time slowly slips by, books are turned softly, the sound of the air conditioner sometimes bursts and sometimes falls silent. The night in Nanjiang City is filled with neon lights, and every corner is staging a drama of surprises outside the monotony of life. Families reunite or separate, lovers break up or kiss, there are joys and sorrows in the hospital, and there are idle disputes on the streets. The planes at the highest point cannot see the drama below. Separated by mountains, roads, peaks and high walls, this city that makes people laugh and cry is both blocked and drawn together. No one knows what surprise will come next.

Lin Chu finally closed the book. As soon as she looked up she met Shen Zhongxun’s gaze, which he could not avoid in time. Lin Chu’s heart skipped a beat, and she smiled and said, “I’m done. I’m going to sleep!”

Shen Zhongxun nodded and softly said, “Good night.”

Life is wonderful.

Lin Chu has a job, a place to live, food, motivation to move forward, and a future she can look forward to.

Sundays are for studying, so Lin Chu got up early to read. After breakfast she picked up her accounting textbook again. She cleaned the house at noon and went to see a movie by herself in the afternoon. When Shen Zhongxun called she lied and said, “I was reading.”

Shen Zhongxun did not disturb her and focused on handling his official duties.

The two video-chatted as usual that night, each busy with their own things without saying a word. During the video call the connection dropped once, and Lin Chu’s portrait remained frozen in place. Shen Zhongxun immediately called to ask, “What happened?”

Lin Chu ran to the living room to turn off the router, then turned it back on, saying, “It’s nothing. The router wasn’t working well. I just turned it on again.” She inwardly cursed Shen Zhongxun, thinking he must have eyes in the back of his head to have noticed her internet was down so quickly, even though he was working the whole time.

The pleasant weekend had to come to an end. Lin Chu slung her shoulder bag over her shoulder and continued her busy morning routine.

With a new round of work assigned the city investment company will hold volunteer activities. In the sweltering heat everyone started running around. Lin Chu also took on a lot of work and was busy day and night.

The sweltering heat is relentless, and everyone in the unit is complaining. However they cannot disobey the orders of their superiors. Customizing volunteer uniforms, designing promotional posters and flyers, and all sorts of other trivial matters have piled up all at once. Even the elusive Xue Quan is tied to the unit. Everyone is working from dawn till dusk, with no free time at all.

Yang Chunbei caught up with Lin Chu in the cafeteria and complained to her about Jiang Jin’s disappearance again. She said mysteriously, “It seems he’s gone ‘undercover’ somewhere again. He only sent me a text message and didn’t say anything else. His phone has been switched off.” After thinking for a moment she added, “By the way, he wants to work at a TV station, and he’s been busy with that before.”

Lin Chu laughed and said, “The TV station should be much stronger than the newspaper.”

Yang Chunbei nodded and then chatted with Lin Chu about the major television stations in Nanjiang City.

Lin Chu did not tell Yang Chunbei that Jiang Jin had previously sent her a text message informing her that he was lurking in an illegal workshop in a suburb of Nanjiang. Lin Chu felt uneasy after reading the text message. She did not want to have any more contact with Jiang Jin, but she could not stop his unilateral actions.

Shen Zhongxun did not mention Jiang Jin’s situation at all, and Lin Chu was not sure if he knew Jiang Jin’s whereabouts. After thinking it over she decided to tell Shen Zhongxun. The person on the other end of the phone just gave a faint “hmm,” seemingly unwilling to hear any news about Jiang Jin from Lin Chu. Lin Chu felt awkward for a moment.

In the middle of the month the volunteer activities finally began. Lin Chu went out with her colleagues to promote the cause, handing out flyers under the scorching sun. More than three hundred volunteers were spread throughout the streets and alleys, and the roadside stalls were crowded with people.

On the other side volunteers from “Zhidi” were providing consultation services for various types of affordable housing to the citizens of Nanjiang. All units under Chengtou were mobilized, and on weekends volunteers were organized to visit nursing homes, orphanages and other places to perform for the elderly. Everyone was busy as a spinning top.

Shen Zhongxun circled the information desk for affordable housing, then called Lin Chu to ask, “Where is it?”

Lin Chu said absentmindedly, “Nursing home… Hey, move that box over there. The food is in there!”

Shen Zhongxun smiled, knowing she was too busy to come, said a few words and then hung up the phone, driving to the nursing home.

From afar the sounds of laughter and chatter could be heard from inside. The volunteers from the city investment company were dressed in uniform. Some were serving food to the elderly, while others were directing the queue in the center of the venue. A photographer was capturing the scene on the side.

Lin Chu stood at the front of the group, straightened her clothes, and then sang loudly. The revolutionary song was stirring and the emotions of the elderly were gradually stirred, and they hummed along with the rhythm.

After singing three songs in a row thunderous applause erupted in the nursing home. Lin Chu waved her hand to fan the crowd, and only after the crowd dispersed did she see Shen Zhongxun standing in the shadows, holding a bottle of water, walking toward her unhurriedly.

Lin Chu had never met him in such a public setting before, so when Shen Zhongxun handed her the bottled water she immediately looked around nervously, afraid of being seen by her colleagues. However in public Shen Zhongxun, dressed in a suit and tie, was too conspicuous, and some colleagues recognized him and politely called out, “Manager Shen.”

Shen Zhongxun nodded in response, raised the bottle of mineral water in his hand, and asked, “Not drinking?”

Lin Chu awkwardly took the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip. Her throat instantly felt moist, and she tilted her head back and gulped it down. Shen Zhongxun told her to drink slowly and took out a tissue for her to wipe her sweat.

Lin Chu swallowed the water and said, “No, it wouldn’t be good if my colleagues saw!”

Shen Zhongxun frowned, raised his hand as if to wipe her sweat, and Lin Chu quickly snatched the tissue. Just as she was about to scold him she saw Shen Zhongxun turn around, walk to a box on the side, take out a few bottles of mineral water and a few packs of tissues, and slowly distribute them to Lin Chu’s colleagues.

Everyone enjoyed this treatment, so Lin Chu no longer stood out, and she could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

After the cleanup was completed everyone was exhausted. The ordeal was finally over. Lin Chu was also exhausted. After getting into the car she could not help but complain. “This damn weather! The weather forecast clearly said that the temperature would drop after the middle of the month. It did drop a little, but it only rained once in between, and it didn’t have any effect at all!”

Shen Zhongxun smiled and handed her another bottle of water. Lin Chu stopped talking and started gulping it down. She could not stop feeling hot, and her cheeks were still flushed.

Lin Chu had no appetite and did not want to eat, so Shen Zhongxun took her to eat ice cream. Couples lined up in the dessert shop, and Shen Zhongxun took off his suit jacket and sat with Lin Chu by the window.

Lin Chu scooped up some ice cream and asked him, “You really aren’t going to eat any?”

Shen Zhongxun shook his head, and Lin Chu smiled. “I feel a little better now. Let’s go eat after we finish this!” Although she was not hungry Shen Zhongxun still needed to eat.

Shen Zhongxun seemed to know what she was thinking, and his smile deepened. He did not want Lin Chu to be tired, so after she finished her ice cream he took her to a fast food restaurant next door to eat something casually. After they filled their stomachs, seeing that she really did not have the energy for a “date,” Shen Zhongxun had no choice but to reluctantly send her back to Chuqian.

Lin Chu had not been home for three whole weeks. Today, because of volunteer work, she took leave from her training course and decided to go home while it was still early. Lin’s mother was finally able to see Lin Chu. She went to the market early in the morning to buy a bunch of groceries and told her to be careful on the bus and to keep an eye on her wallet and phone.

Lin Chu kept answering calls while holding her phone, which drew frequent glances from Shen Zhongxun. She could not help but say to her mother, “Alright, alright, I need to change trains now. We’ll talk more when I get home.” Only then did Lin’s mother hang up the phone.

After a long while they finally returned to Chuqian. The sun was setting, and it was already dinnertime. Lin Chu asked Shen Zhongxun to drop her off at the intersection and explained, “If my mom sees you I won’t be able to sleep tonight. She’ll nag me for a whole day and night.”

Shen Zhongxun could imagine the scene Lin Chu described, so he was not upset. He simply took her hand, squeezed it, and said, “Go back and get some rest. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.”

After seeing Lin Chu off Shen Zhongxun slowly drove toward his residence, planning to pick her up early the next day so he could spend more time with her.

When the car arrived outside the residential building Shen Zhongxun noticed that a car was already parked in the usual parking spot. He was puzzled and turned the steering wheel to move the car to the other side of the open space.

As he went upstairs he heard noises coming from upstairs. Lin Chu’s grandparents called out, “Drive slowly and be careful on the road!”

Footsteps came thumping downstairs, and the person replied, “Okay, Grandpa and Grandma, come inside quickly!”

Shen Zhongxun opened the door and glanced back. The man had already turned the corner and was walking at a leisurely pace. He appeared to be over thirty, dressed casually, and wearing glasses, looking quite refined. Upon seeing Shen Zhongxun he smiled and gestured before slowly descending the stairs.

Shen Zhongxun stood there, comparing his face to the old photograph. Time had not left many marks. He was still handsome, but his demeanor had become more composed and reserved. Time was truly amazing.