Devil or Angel (GL) - Chapter 12

“What do you want? I waited for you here on purpose today — luckily I didn’t miss you. I’ve never been humiliated like yesterday in my life. I want you to pay for what you did.” After she said that, the woman gave an order. Four or five men beside her stepped forward toward Yiyang.

Although Yiyang had learned taekwondo at university, there were too many of them and she was outnumbered. In the end she couldn’t hold them off; they beat her so she didn’t even have a chance to strike back. Their punches landed hard, bone-on-flesh, and she fell to the ground in pain, bl00d slowly trickling from the corner of her mouth.

“Alright, that’s enough—stop!” The woman, seeing she had pretty much satisfied her grudge, signaled them to stop. If someone actually died, that would be bad.

The woman watched the pained figure on the ground with great satisfaction, waved away her helpers, then clicked her high heels and strode up to Yiyang. She crouched down and slapped her face.

“Zhang Yiyang, you look down on people just because you’re rich. I, Wang Yan, am not someone to be messed with! If you’ve got the guts, go call the police and see who suffers. Imagine the fallout if people find out the scion of a listed company got into a fight at LES Bar—what kind of scandal would that make?”

Hearing that, Yiyang spat a mouthful of bl00d, tasting metallic and bitter, at the woman’s feet. Then she staggered to her feet and, smiling despite the pain, said, “Everyone must take responsibility for their actions. Today I’ll just treat it as getting scratched by a rabid stray cat.”

“Good! Zhang Yiyang, you’ve got nerve! I heard your mother jumped off a building and killed herself when you were little, and your father doesn’t care about you — no wonder you’re so badly brought up, heartless. Don’t think that acting like some carefree rich boy and flirting everywhere hides the emptiness inside you…”

“Shut up!” Yiyang snapped, going berserk. She grabbed the woman’s throat and shoved her against the wall.

“See? Did I hit a sore spot? What use is looking handsome and having money? People like you will never know how to love someone properly in this life; I pity you…” Coughing, the woman’s taunts only made Yiyang angrier, and she tightened her grip.

At the bar entrance people came and went; when they heard noises they glanced toward the two women by the door. Under the weak streetlight the close, intimate posture looked like a couple being affectionate, so they only watched out of curiosity and walked away without intervening.

In reality, Yiyang, enduring the pain in her hands and body, squeezed the woman’s neck until she coughed and gasped. Only then did Yiyang slowly let go. “I won’t bother you about today. Don’t let me see you again.”

The woman, finally catching her breath, leaned against the wall and walked away, cursing, “Zhang Yiyang, you sure are ruthless. I must have been cursed to have approached you yesterday—what a blind mistake to flirt with someone like you…”

As the woman’s insults faded into the distance, Yiyang wiped the bl00d from her mouth with the back of her hand, glanced down at herself. Her once-white shirt was covered in dirt and speckled with bl00d.

She took out her phone and checked her face in the light — it was a wreck. She looked utterly disheveled; if she went home like this, the housekeeper would be frightened out of her wits.

But she didn’t want to go to the hospital. She was afraid: the smell of disinfectant would remind her of her mother’s death in the hospital — the smell and the doctors’ grave expressions were something she’d never forget. She’d rather endure the pain and sit in the car until later, when everyone was asleep, before going home.

However, the housekeeper Liu Ma had been waiting in the living room for over half an hour and had been frantic, calling repeatedly. The blinking phone felt like a hot potato in Yiyang’s hand; she didn’t know whether to answer. After it rang for a long time she finally picked up.

Before she could speak, a sharp voice came over the line: “Yang-yang, where have you been? Didn’t you just go to pick up a car? You’re gone so long—don’t tell me you went into a bar again! You never listen…”

Liu Ma was exasperated, feeling like she had failed to rein in a stubborn child. She had no biological children and had long treated Yiyang like her own daughter, but the girl never heeded advice and was driving her mad.

Listening to the other end rattle off, Yiyang forced her aching mouth to open and speak slowly and deliberately: “It’s not what you think…I didn’t go drinking. There was some traffic on the way. I’ll be back soon…go to bed first.”

But Liu Ma wouldn’t relent and insisted on waiting up. This couldn’t go on — hiding things today would only postpone discovery until tomorrow. The injury would eventually be noticed. With a heavy heart, Yiyang started the engine and drove home.

When she parked at the house and tiptoed in, she looked around and saw the housekeeper sitting upright on the living room sofa — she had heard no return and was standing to walk to the door. Yiyang turned her back on her, listening to the footsteps approaching.

“Yang-yang, why are you turning your back on me?” Liu Ma asked.

“Uh, nothing, hehe. I’m back. It’s late — you should sleep.” Yiyang glanced up at the stairs and prepared to sprint up.

But just after she started to move, Liu Ma quickly grabbed her hand. Her grasp hit a wound where the skin had been rubbed off, and Yiyang cried out in pain.

At that cry Liu Ma looked more closely and then released her hand. The wound was nearly dry and crusted with bl00d; her white T-shirt had dirt and bl00d stains. Alarmed, Liu Ma turned her around.

She nearly burst into tears at the sight: the young miss’s face was bruised and swollen, and her mouth looked torn. Yiyang knew this reaction would come, and immediately tried to soothe her: “I’m fine — I just tripped and fell.”

“Would falling look like this? Don’t fool this old woman. Come on, we must go to the hospital!”

“I won’t go to the hospital. You know I can’t stand the smell of disinfectant!”

“You can’t avoid hospitals for your whole life because of some childhood trauma. What if one day I’m in the hospital and you don’t come to see me?”

“Well…that’s different. Anyway, it’s just a small wound. It’ll be fine with some ointment.”

“You’re not a doctor—how can you be sure it’s nothing? There could be internal injuries. What if there are complications later?”

“Oh my, my housekeeper really knows a lot. You even know that!”

“It’s not knowledge — it’s common sense. And if I lack common sense, I at least watch TV often!”

“Okay, you’re our household manager—much obliged!”

“But there’s one problem: I know the theory, I just don’t know how to do it in practice!”

“Ah, forget what I said before…”

Just as Liu Ma was at a loss, help arrived. Zhiyu, having finished her shower and unable to find her hairdryer — and not daring to rummage through things on the table — intended to ask Liu Ma. Coming downstairs they bumped into each other.

Seeing the younger person up front with a wounded face, Zhiyu asked anxiously, “What happened? Is something wrong? You were fine a moment ago.”

“Nothing to do with you!” Yiyang brushed past, acting aloof. Zhiyu looked at her back and then asked Liu Ma, who shook her head, indicating she knew nothing.

Liu Ma then helped Zhiyu find her hairdryer before going to Yiyang’s room. There she found Yiyang sitting alone at the dressing table, carefully applying ointment while wincing in pain.

“Let me do it,” Liu Ma said, taking the ointment and gently applying it, afraid she might hurt her. As she applied it she sighed — this young miss never gave her peace.

“Liu Ma, why are you sighing? You’ll age faster if you do!” Yiyang teased.

“Even if I age faster, it’s because of you!” Liu Ma replied.

“Then my sin will be great…ow!” That comment tugged at Yiyang’s torn mouth and sent a fresh wave of pain.

“Feel pain now? Then stop being such a smart mouth!”

Yiyang fell silent and endured the pain as Liu Ma finished the face dressing and moved on to the hand. Liu Ma opened Yiyang’s palm and recoiled: “Your hand is all scraped. Do we need to disinfect and bandage it? Otherwise it might get infected.”

“You really do know a lot, don’t you?” Yiyang said.

“I don’t have knowledge, but I have common sense. No common sense, then at least watch TV!”

“All right, well done, our house manager!”

“But there’s one problem — I know the principle, I don’t know how to actually do it!”

“Ah, forget I said that earlier…”

Just then Zhiyu, having finished drying her hair, hesitated at the doorway, knocked, and entered. “Is there anything I can help with?” she asked.

“No…”

Before Yiyang could finish refusing, Liu Ma cut in: “Zhiyu, do you know how to disinfect and bandage?”

“I do. I learned it when I studied abroad.”

“That’s perfect. Please help her with the wound on her hand. I can’t do it and I can’t bear to look at it.”