No Longer Escaping (ABO) - Chapter 8

Before night fell, Yang Lulong’s swelling had subsided, leaving only patches of red and blue on her face.

She had just washed her soiled clothes and was now hanging them on the clothesline to dry.

Xiao Wen and Zhang Long rushed into the house again in a flurry. They almost scared Yang Lulong away. She looked at them in astonishment, her hand holding the clothesline frozen in place.

“Xiao Yang, I’m sorry!” Xiao Wen came up to her and gave a deep bow. “I’m so sorry! I beat you up like that, I don’t even know how to compensate you. Please accept these.” She produced a string laden with wild rabbits and pheasants, at least seven or eight of them, already skinned and cleaned, the pelts separate from the meat.

“Zhang Long!” Wan Niang, who had heard the commotion, came out of the room, calling Zhang Long by his full name, the anger in her voice evident.

“Huh?” Zhang Long hadn’t yet understood why Wan Niang was calling him like that when she was already in front of him.

Wan Niang, who was half a head shorter than him, was looking up at him angrily. It was a little unnerving.

“Speak! Why did you hit Yang Lulong?”

“I didn’t… it wasn’t me…” Zhang Long, a burly man, could only explain himself with a wronged expression when facing Wan Niang, who was so much smaller than him.

Seeing the situation, Xiao Wen quickly came in front of Wan Niang and bowed deeply to her. “Wan Niang, I’m sorry! It was me…”

“Hmm?”

Wan Niang hadn’t expected that although Yang Lulong was quite thin, Xiao Wen was even shorter and looked thinner. How could she have beaten someone up like that? Although Wan Niang heard what Xiao Wen said, she still didn’t believe it and turned to look at Zhang Long with a questioning gaze.

“It really wasn’t me… I, Zhang Long, take responsibility for my actions. You know what kind of person I am, Wan Niang,” Zhang Long said, feeling very wronged.

“Then why did you hit her?”

In her memory, Xiao Wen had always been a cheerful person, not someone who would resort to violence.

“It was all a misunderstanding… Sister Fang was in her rutting period, and Xiao Yang happened to be there. I thought…” As Xiao Wen spoke, she noticed Wan Niang’s expression was off, so she quickly explained to Wan Niang on Yang Lulong’s behalf, “It was a misunderstanding, nothing happened… really…”

Yang Lulong, standing to the side, suddenly met Wan Niang’s gaze and immediately shook her head, indicating that she really hadn’t done anything.

“These wild birds are my apology. I just hope you won’t take it to heart, Xiao Yang… I really didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay…” Remembering the matter of Wu Yu, Yang Lulong could understand why they had been so hostile towards her.

Accepting Xiao Wen’s apology, the misunderstanding was resolved, and the two said goodbye and left.

“I’ll put these in the kitchen,” Wan Niang said, her tone sounding somewhat disappointed.

Yang Lulong heard the meaning in her tone, worried that her image in Wan Niang’s heart would be greatly diminished, yet she didn’t know how to explain herself.

Lying in bed, Yang Lulong tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, constantly worrying about Wan Niang’s opinion of her.

“Sigh…” She sighed deeply, threw back the quilt, and decided to go outside for a while to clear her head.

Unexpectedly, Wan Niang wasn’t asleep either in the dark night. She was sitting in the small courtyard, gazing intently at the sleeping chicks.

Yang Lulong’s encounter with Sister Fang during her rutting period had left a bad taste in her mouth. On one hand, she was afraid of what might have happened if Yang Lulong hadn’t controlled herself and had done something to Sister Fang. On the other hand, she hated the hostility she felt towards Sister Fang and disliked her own petty nature.

Yang Lulong had originally intended to turn around and go back to her room, but she knew that avoiding it wasn’t a solution. If she told Wan Niang her true experiences, she should believe her, right…?

She also moved a small stool and sat down beside Wan Niang.

“Aren’t you asleep yet?” Wan Niang looked at her in surprise as she sat down beside her.

“Can’t sleep…”

“Me neither…”

“I’m sorry… I lied to you…”

“What?” Wan Niang’s heart tightened at Yang Lulong’s words.

“I didn’t lose my memory. I remember who I am, and I remember where I live, but… whether I remember or not doesn’t matter anymore.”

Hearing her subsequent explanation, Wan Niang felt relieved. She had thought it was about Sister Fang’s incident…

“What do you mean by that?” She patiently listened to Yang Lulong’s self-narration.

“I… live in a very far place, I probably can’t go back, and… to be honest, I don’t really want to go back either.”

“What about your family?”

“This might sound a bit cold-blooded… I don’t care… I live alone, we haven’t been in contact for a long time. Before, my biological mother separated from my father when I was very young. I lived with my father, but his work was very busy, he didn’t have time to care for me, and he rarely came home, even letters… communication was rare. Later, he remarried, and there was a stepmother and a half-brother in the family. They treated me, I don’t know how to put it, not badly, but they also didn’t really care about me. I felt like I was dispensable in that family. They never asked about my life, and I wouldn’t actively communicate with them. When I was little, I was very awkward. Once, I don’t know how, I secretly ran outside and didn’t go back for a long time. I thought they would be worried and come looking for me, but… it got dark, and there was no sound. I was alone outside, a little scared, and went back. Actually, they hadn’t even noticed I was gone, or rather, they didn’t care if I was there or not. I even stubbornly refused to eat with them for several days in a row, but they still ignored me. I understood that I no longer cared what they thought of me. After I grew up, I moved out and lived alone.”

Wan Niang quietly listened to her recount her past. She wanted to reach out and comfort her bowed head but then withdrew her hand.

“You’ve always been alone?”

“More or less…”

“Then from now on, you’re not…”

Yang Lulong raised her eyes and looked at Wan Niang. Under the moonlight, her features weren’t very clear, hazy and indistinct, but she could feel that gentleness.

“Thank you…” For the first time, Yang Lulong showed Wan Niang a smile. A gentle smile painted her melancholy face.

For some reason, Wan Niang felt a little shy, her cheeks slightly flushed. Afraid that Yang Lulong would see her blushing, she quickly fled.

Leaving behind the words, “I’m a little sleepy… going to bed first…” she scurried away.

Leaving Yang Lulong alone in the same spot, bewildered, accompanied by the faint fragrance of jasmine…