Cross the Boundary GL - Chapter 15

The boy who said this was even more ostentatious than Qin Song. Chains clinked and clanked all over him, his hair was dyed a vibrant pineapple yellow, and his trousers were worn so low that the waistband of his underwear was visible, making Li Chu want to help pull them up.

The boy walked up to Qin Song, sizing her up with a cocky, languid gaze. He said with a smirk, “Little psycho, you’ve really changed after all these years, haven’t you?”

Qin Song looked at him as if he were a piece of rotting meat.

Wang Jingyang was a coworker from her early days working part-time. Like all local thugs, he was lazy and good-for-nothing, and he’d whistle at any girl who was even slightly attractive, let alone someone as strikingly beautiful as Qin Song.

During the six months she worked at the bubble tea shop, Qin Song endured being cornered in an alley after work and being harassed relentlessly on the job. The younger her wasn’t as severe as she was now; she simply refused all advances with a cool, detached expression.

Wang Jingyang was the leader of that group of small-time thugs. Being rejected by a woman made him lose face and pride, and a certain kind of “love-turned-to-hate” started to fester.

So, he led the charge, gathering everyone to ostracize Qin Song. They’d throw cockroaches and spiders into the bubble tea she made for customers, put nails in her apron pocket, and wipe her clothes with paper towels covered in some unknown substance, among a series of other dirty tricks.

However, one of the part-time girls didn’t join their pack. She would even walk Qin Song home after work. For a long time, Qin Song genuinely started to believe in human kindness.

Unfortunately, on a rainy day, that girl called and invited her to an amusement park. It was apparently the second day the new park in the city center was open. Qin Song, who never accepted invitations, woke up early and left home.

Without a car, it was over a three-hour journey from her home to the city center. By the time she arrived, the rain was coming down hard. Her umbrella was no match for the typhoon-level downpour, and she was quickly drenched.

Qin Song had counted the time. Four hours, thirty minutes, twenty-five seconds. At the thirty-second mark, the girl appeared with Wang Jingyang and his crew. They stood across the street, pointing at her, their eyes filled with the same mockery and disdain that would feel like needles in her skin in the years to come.

Standing in the heavy rain, she felt no different from a clown being laughed at.

Even though she was young at the time, Qin Song probably already showed signs of her illness. The next day at work, she filled a cup with boiling water and scalded the girl’s hands until they were a bloody mess. She also used a fire to melt the paint off Wang Jingyang’s brand-new motorcycle.

After doing these things, her demeanor was too calm. Not even the arrival of the police caused her a moment of panic.

Wang Jingyang was terrified, and so was the girl. They started calling her a “psycho” behind her back and told the store owner she was mentally unstable and shouldn’t be working there.

Qin Song was told to leave on the third day, without even receiving her last paycheck.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” Wang Jingyang sneered, “Scared?”

Li Chu frowned at his words, her mind in turmoil. She felt instinctively that Qin Song shouldn’t have anything to fear. If she had to be afraid of something, it shouldn’t be a person.

Qin Song wasn’t scared. She slowly pulled out a cigarette and took a drag. The way she exhaled the smoke was as cold as could be.

Wang Jingyang’s surprised expression soon emerged from behind the drifting smoke. He couldn’t remember her ever doing something like this.

Her black hair had been replaced by rebellious, attention-grabbing pink. Her once enviably pale skin was now covered in large tattoos. Add to that the obvious dark circles under her eyes and the cold, glinting silver jewelry piercing her collarbone and ears.

The sense of sickness was too pronounced; she no longer seemed like a regular person. He was already losing eight-tenths of the battle in terms of presence, and the remaining two-tenths was only because Wang Jingyang had a crowd with him.

Qin Song’s “looking at trash” expression successfully enraged the thug. Wang Jingyang exchanged a glance with his companions behind him, then turned back and said, “Did you make up with the amusement park? I don’t think you did. Or why wouldn’t you come out on a rainy day?”

This cliché-filled trip down memory lane earned a round of laughter from the group.

Only Lin Zhiyan, Li Chu, and Qin Song had grim expressions. Qin Song’s expression hadn’t changed at all from start to finish.

Wang Jingyang’s overly lewd gaze lingered on her. After all these years, he still lusted after Qin Song’s beauty. The more he couldn’t have her, the more he wanted her, and this sense of excitement fueled his desire for torment.

“Little psycho, where are you working now? Need me to arrange a good spot for you? You know, keep the good stuff in the family.”

As he said this, his eyes flickered toward Li Chu and Lin Zhiyan, and his gaze became even more greasy.

Lin Zhiyan pulled Li Chu behind her and took off her backpack.

The sightseeing train in the amusement park was on schedule, its tracks lit with cheerful lights, a stark contrast to the tense confrontation in this small corner.

Wang Jingyang turned his eyes back to Qin Song’s face and smiled. “Looks like you’ve made new friends. Be careful, don’t get caught in the rain again.”

Then, he tapped his temple with his finger: “Getting caught in the rain will make you crazy, you know.”

“You f*cking…” Lin Zhiyan’s protectiveness came out of nowhere. Before she had even fully handed the backpack to Li Chu, she stepped forward and delivered two slaps to Wang Jingyang’s face, catching him completely off guard. He froze.

“Watch your mouth! Who are you calling crazy?” If Li Chu hadn’t grabbed her around the waist, her foot would have already connected with Wang Jingyang’s face.

Wang Jingyang’s last bit of self-respect was shattered by the two slaps. He had grown up a bit, though, and didn’t immediately lose his temper. He stood there and sneered, then raised his chin.

The boys behind him, dressed in similarly colorful outfits, quickly moved forward, looking ready for a fight.

“A psycho’s friends are psychos, too,” Wang Jingyang said, touching his face. He looked up and said, “Then let’s take it out on the real culprit.”

In the next second, Qin Song was surrounded. But she still looked at him like he was rotting meat, not even a single eyelash moving.

“What are you doing?!” Li Chu was worried. Afraid that letting go of Lin Zhiyan would cause her to charge in, she could only shout at the crowd, “Don’t bully my friend!”

Wang Jingyang was still smug until a hand grabbed him, almost making him fall.

Qin Song had one arm wrapped around him. The cool ring on her hand pressed against the slightly thin skin of his throat. “Don’t move.”

The emotionless voice sent shivers down his spine, and Wang Jingyang involuntarily got goosebumps, instinctively trying to struggle.

Qin Song’s cold breath brushed against his ear. “Looks like you really want to die.”

Her breath was like a snake, and the warm liquid trickling down his neck felt like a venomous serpent’s tongue. Wang Jingyang shakily raised his hand to feel it. The bloody red color on his palm made him feel faint.

“Are you crazy?!”

Qin Song’s lips curled up slightly. “I thought you already knew.”

She really was crazy. Crazy enough to kill someone, just like the boiling water that had permanently injured Tang Tiantian’s hands years ago.

Realizing this, Wang Jingyang was terrified. Despite having all his strength, it was no match for the sharp ring cutting into his neck.

“I’ll stop! I’ll stop!” he yelled, calling back his companions. “Is that enough? We’ll leave now and never bother you again.”

Qin Song looked up, her expression cold. “No.”

What else did she want? Wang Jingyang’s teeth were chattering. The blood from his neck had reached his chest, and the tingling sensation made his heart stop.

“You must really like the rain.” Qin Song straightened up and glanced at the lawn. In five seconds, the sprinklers would turn on.

With a hard pull, the person in her grasp stumbled forward, tumbling into the grass just as the sprinklers turned on, drenching him completely.

The sprinklers ran for five minutes, and Qin Song stood there for five minutes, seemingly intending to prevent him from escaping.

Wang Jingyang was humiliated in front of everyone. His pineapple-colored hair drooped over his forehead, and his clothes and pants were soaked and dark.

“Sis, sis, can we go now?” He wiped the water from his face, his expression cowardly and foolish.

Qin Song looked down at him, her left hand calmly turning the ring on her right index finger. Her gaze was condescending, and her tall, thin figure carried a sense of contemptuous oppression.

The sprinklers finally stopped. Some children came over out of curiosity, yelling, “This big brother fell in the water!”

Their shouting attracted adults. Seeing the strange atmosphere, an adult raised their hand to call security.

Li Chu suddenly snapped to her senses, grabbing one person with each hand and running toward an empty area. “Let’s go quickly!”

Due to the height difference, Li Chu’s jog was no different from Qin Song’s long strides. When they reached the entrance of the haunted house, Lin Zhiyan bent over first. “Wait… Slow down, Little Li Chu! I really can’t run anymore!”

Li Chu stopped, embarrassed. Tiny beads of sweat covered her nose, making her look like a freshly washed orange. “Sorry, Sister Zhiyan. I was afraid security would come and kick us out.”

She paused, then looked at Qin Song hesitantly. “Are you okay?”

Her pupils were large and wet, like those of some kind of animal, a rabbit or a lamb or a fawn. The corners of her eyes were red, making her look both pitiable and cute.

Qin Song stopped reaching for a cigarette and glanced at her indifferently. The loud speaker in front of the haunted house was still blaring mechanically, its voice broken and intermittent from what sounded like a power drain.

Her actions were noticed by the two people in front of her. Lin Zhiyan caught her breath and said, “Should we go in? We’re already here…”

She seemed to enjoy saying things that were “go with the flow.” Or perhaps Lin Zhiyan was just a casual person, someone who could casually stick up for someone else even though they had no real relationship.

The only connection they had was Li Chu, and the relationship between Li Chu and her was nothing more than a contract. It couldn’t be simpler.

Qin Song’s distrust of people didn’t start with her job at the bubble tea shop, but it was completely solidified there.

Why would someone with no vested interest in you help you for no reason?

Tang Tiantian had a crush on one of the boys in Wang Jingyang’s crew, which was why they were all in it together, creating all that havoc.

Qin Song only found out about this later. She was in juvie for four months, and Tang Tiantian came to “visit” her with that boy. Her hands, wrapped in bandages like dumplings, didn’t stop her from cursing and yelling with a sharp tongue.

“Are you coming in?” Li Chu’s hair was a mess from running. She took the hair tie Lin Zhiyan offered and tied it up. “But don’t count on me or Sister Zhiyan; she’s a total coward.”

Lin Zhiyan’s face flushed. “No, I’m not! I’m very brave!”

To prove how brave she was, the girl didn’t think twice before pushing aside the curtain and running inside. A moment later, a terrified scream came from inside. Li Chu stomped her foot in frustration. “I told you so!”

She squatted down and followed her in. When she reached the border between darkness and light, she turned back and waved. “Come on!”

The wave was like an invitation, inviting Qin Song into a new circle and a new world, even if it was pitch black ahead.

Qin Song stared at the other person’s overly kind and innocent eyes. She didn’t want to believe anyone was genuine, but her subconscious was trying to convince her otherwise.

Lin Zhiyan helping her deal with Wang Jingyang was not a calculated move, as there was no contract between them.

And Li Chu was doing things that weren’t in their contract, either.

Qin Song wanted to be alone to think, to dissect their motives, but her body moved forward uncontrollably, stepping into the darkness.

Li Chu was terrified, her voice hoarse as she said, “Can you see? Maybe you can hold onto my clothes?”

For a moment, it was unclear what her intentions were.

Qin Song remained silent until a soft, sweaty hand gently brushed against the back of hers, then lightly but firmly grasped one of her fingers.

Li Chu’s voice in the quiet, desolate darkness sounded a bit unreal.

“If you’re scared, you can squeeze my hand really hard.”

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