No Longer Escaping (ABO) - Chapter 8

Before night fell, Yang Lulong’s swelling had gone down, though her face was still marked with red and blue bruises.

She had just finished washing her soiled clothes and was now hanging them on the clothesline.

Xiao Wen and Zhang Long burst into the house again, nearly scaring Yang Lulong away. She stared at them in astonishment, her hands, which were hanging clothes, frozen.

“Xiao Yang, I’m sorry!” Xiao Wen came before her and bowed deeply. “I’m so, so sorry! I don’t know how to compensate you for hitting you like that. Please accept these.” She brought out a load of wild rabbits and pheasants, no less than seven or eight of them, already skinned and deboned, fur separated from meat.

“Zhang Long!” Hearing the commotion, Wan Niang emerged from her room, calling out Zhang Long’s full name, her anger evident in her voice.

“Huh?” Zhang Long was still confused as to why Wan Niang was calling him when she was already standing in front of him.

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

“Tell me! Why did you hit Yang Lulong?”

“I didn’t… it wasn’t me…” Zhang Long, a big, burly man, could only explain defensively, feeling wronged, in front of the much smaller Wan Niang.

Xiao Wen, seeing the situation, quickly came before Wan Niang and bowed to her, “Wan Niang, I’m sorry! It was me…”

“Hmm?”

Wan Niang hadn’t expected it. Although Yang Lulong was quite thin, Xiao Wen was even shorter and looked thinner than her. How could she have beaten someone so badly? Wan Niang heard Xiao Wen’s confession but still couldn’t believe it, turning 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 felt incredibly wronged.

“Then why did you hit her?”

In Wan Niang’s impression, 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 estrus period, and Xiao Yang just happened to be there. I thought…” As Xiao Wen spoke, she noticed Wan Niang’s expression change and quickly explained on Yang Lulong’s behalf, “It was all a misunderstanding, nothing happened… really…”

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

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

“It’s fine…” Yang Lulong remembered the Wu Yu incident and could understand why they held such strong animosity towards her.

After accepting Xiao Wen’s apology and resolving the misunderstanding, the two said goodbye and left.

“I’ll put these in the kitchen,” Wan Niang said, her tone sounding a little disheartened.

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

Lying on the bed, Yang Lulong tossed and turned, unable to sleep, constantly worried about Wan Niang’s perception of her.

“Whew…” She sighed deeply, threw off the covers, and decided to go outside for a while to clear her head.

Unexpectedly, in the darkness of the night, Wan Niang was also awake, sitting in the small courtyard, gazing absently at the sleeping chicks.

Yang Lulong encountering Sister Fang during her estrus period made Wan Niang feel very uneasy. On one hand, she was afraid of what might have happened if Yang Lulong hadn’t controlled herself and did something to Sister Fang. On the other hand, she hated the animosity she felt towards Sister Fang and hated becoming so petty.

Yang Lulong had originally intended to turn back to her room, but running away like this was not a solution. If she told Wan Niang her true story, Wan Niang would surely believe her, right…?

She also brought a small stool and sat beside Wan Niang.

“You’re not sleeping yet?” Wan Niang looked at her, surprised that she sat beside her.

“Can’t sleep…”

“Me neither…”

“I’m sorry… I lied to you…”

“What?” Yang Lulong’s words made Wan Niang’s heart clench.

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

Hearing her subsequent explanation, Wan Niang breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought it was about Sister Fang…

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

“I… live in a very distant place, and I probably can’t go back, and… honestly, I don’t really want to go back.”

“Then your family?”

“It might sound a bit cold-hearted… I don’t care… I live alone, and we haven’t been in contact for a very long time. Before, my birth mother separated from my father when I was very young. I lived with my father; his work was very busy, he didn’t have time for me, and he rarely came home. Even communication by electric… by mail was rare. Later, he remarried, and the family gained a stepmother and a half-brother. How they treated me, I don’t know how to describe it. It wasn’t bad, but they didn’t really care about me either. I felt like I was dispensable in that home; they never asked about my life, and I never initiated conversations with them. When I was little, I was very awkward. One time, for some reason, I secretly ran outside and didn’t return for a long time. I thought they would be anxious and come look for me, but… night fell, and there was no movement. I was alone outside, a little scared, so I went back. Actually, they didn’t even notice I was gone, or rather, they simply didn’t care if I was there or not. I even sulked, not eating with them for several days, but they still didn’t ask. I understood then that I no longer cared what they thought of me. When I grew up, I moved out and lived alone.”

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

“You’ve always been alone?”

“More or less…”

“Then from now on, you won’t be…”

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

“Thank you…” For the first time, Yang Lulong smiled at Wan Niang. A gentle smile painted her usually gloomy face.

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

Leaving behind a single phrase, “I’m a little sleepy… going to bed now…” she scurried away.

Leaving Yang Lulong alone, startled, accompanied by the faint scent of jasmine…