Cross the Boundary GL - Chapter 7

In her apartment, Qin Song sat in the bathroom with her collar open, hot water pouring over her head, making her hair clump together. She rarely appeared so disheveled in public, but today was an exception.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t been moody or unpredictable before. In the beginning, she had even tried seeing a therapist and taking medication. She went through many doctors, but none of them solved her problems. As time went on, her carefully constructed “comfort zone” became a habit, and social interaction was reduced to a transaction of benefits. She felt trapped in her own circle.

Qin Song was aware of her issues but stubbornly chose to ignore them. Everyone was curious about her scars. The tattoo artist who worked on her arm had asked, and Qin Song remembered how she had rejected his query with a look. If she had to give a reason, it was that she was unwilling to expose her wounds. They were raw and bloody, far more brutal than any piercing.

Her phone, sitting on the sink, dinged once, then several times in a row. Qin Song could tell from the sound alone that it was Li Chu. This was the reason she had broken her routine; Li Chu was relentlessly persistent. Her own attack had been forceful. If she went to Kiss.me tomorrow, she would likely see the fingerprint marks on Li Chu’s face.

Li Chu was like a sudden, bludgeoning force that shattered a delicate balance she had maintained for years. To avoid being controlled by any more emotional turmoil, Qin Song had signed an agreement with her, making it seem like their extraordinary actions were merely for mutual benefit. She needed Li Chu to fulfill her endless desires, and in return, Li Chu could use this to satisfy the contract.

Qin Song turned off the shower and, with wet hands, picked up her phone. Li Chu had sent three photos of Kiss.me’s new neon sign. “I bought a colorful board, you wanna come see?” she wrote, as if nothing had happened.

Qin Song’s mood suddenly and inexplicably became a little more vibrant, mirroring the colorful sign. Scrolling up, she realized she had replied fewer than five times, and two of those were for transfers. Li Chu’s consistent responses were like a floating dandelion, finally landing and taking root.

She moved her fingers, typing a short and simple reply: “Okay.”

On the other end, Li Chu received the message, put down her phone, and stared blankly. After a moment, she picked it up again to confirm it was really Qin Song who had replied. She felt a bit… at a loss. She read the message over and over, trying to find some warmth in the overly simple word, though she knew it was highly unlikely.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, making Li Chu nearly drop it. She looked at the screen. Qin Song had sent another message: “Come down.”

The streets were not deserted in the middle of the night. Although the lights in the alleys were dim, the main road was still alive with a decadent glow.

Qin Song appeared in a long dress with a dark gray jacket draped over her shoulders. With her hands in her pockets, she walked slowly across the crosswalk. A few cars with bright headlights passed by, briefly illuminating her figure.

On the other side of the street, Li Chu rubbed her hands together. The temperature change between day and night was too great, and standing out in the wind was a bit chilly. She had assumed Qin Song was already waiting downstairs, which was why she was dressed so casually.

“Wanna grab a late-night snack?”

Qin Song’s pale skin made her silhouette glow. She looked up and offered a faint, fleeting smile. “Don’t you want to see the neon sign?”

“…” Li Chu thought for a moment. “I’ll do your back piercing tomorrow. Will you eat a late-night snack with me?” she asked, having learned to adopt Qin Song’s transactional way of interacting.

Qin Song glanced at her. “Okay,” she said.

The two walked past an open-air food stall. Qin Song’s pink hair swayed in the wind, the ends brushing her back, revealing a cold, metallic silver ornament on her collarbone—it was unique and exceptionally beautiful. Several men, who were a little drunk, whistled at her.

Li Chu watched her cautiously, and her eyes caught a glimpse of the bar they had passed the day before. “Why don’t we go there?” she suggested. She felt that if they sat anywhere outdoors tonight, Qin Song would surely be harassed. The memory of the police station was still fresh, and Li Chu was afraid of drunken troublemakers.

Qin Song, who had been walking slightly ahead with her long strides, stopped. The shadow of her eyelashes fell into her eyes. “Drink?”

“We can.” Li Chu didn’t mean to actually drink, but since they were there, it seemed a shame not to order a cocktail. She chose one from the menu, her face showing a mix of worry and excitement due to her low tolerance for alcohol.

The food arrived quickly. The utensils were placed near Qin Song, and Li Chu waited for her to pass them over. Instead, she watched as Qin Song’s pale, slender fingers picked up a pair of chopsticks and began to eat from the dish in front of her. Li Chu froze for a moment, then picked up her own utensils.

This was a quiet bar, with slow music and dim lighting, a stark contrast to the extravagance outside. With a few drinks in her system, Li Chu’s courage swelled. She pointed at the person opposite her with her fork. “You don’t really know how to socialize, do you?”

Qin Song’s eyes grew dark and hollow. The slight post-dinner contentment she had felt was replaced by a coldness. In the ten-second silence that followed, she wondered if she had been too lenient.

“We’re partners, right? Shouldn’t we be able to get along in a friendly, peaceful way?” Li Chu continued. “I’m not trying to test you. People have to get to know each other a little.” She was about halfway drunk, her eyes shimmering, and two pink blushes blooming on her cheeks.

Qin Song, not wanting to talk to a drunk person, just sat there silently.

“I don’t have any friends or family. If I die one day, can you help me claim my body and give it to Director Hu?” she said, clearly very drunk. Not only did she speak of death so casually, but she also took out a piece of paper from her pocket to give to Qin Song.

“See? This is the address of the orphanage, and Director Hu’s phone number is on it. Please, help me out for the sake of our partnership?” The paper was shaken into a glass of untouched warm water, where the writing quickly dissolved. Qin Song looked up just in time to make out the character “灣” (Wān).

Li Chu stared blankly at the paper sinking to the bottom of the glass. “It’s gone. The only thing in the world I cared about is gone.” She looked regretful and sad. “Never mind. Director Hu is old and can’t handle bad news. You can just find a place to bury me.”

Qin Song placed both hands on the table and said blandly, “Nowadays, it’s only cremation.”

“…”

The rolling ceiling lights landed on Li Chu’s drunken brow. She suddenly burst out laughing. “That’s right! When people are gone, the tea gets cold, and all that’s left is ashes.” When Li Chu laughed, her dimples became very pronounced, one deep and one shallow, and incredibly gentle.

She abruptly stood up and rubbed her face. “I’m going to the bathroom. Don’t you leave, okay? Don’t you dare leave.” She looked back at Qin Song three times, as if afraid she would run away.

After Li Chu left, Qin Song took out a cigarette and lit it. A waiter saw her and brought over an ashtray, placing it next to her hand. The slender cigarette for ladies was half-smoked, half-held. Just as she was stubbing it out in the ashtray, Li Chu stumbled out of the bathroom.

She walked in a wobbly, crooked line. There were other tables in the bar, and one was filled with a group of men and women playing dice. As Li Chu passed them, her swaying body bumped into a man who was standing up to toast. He stumbled, spilling his drink all over himself.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Where did this lunatic come from?” the man cursed.

Li Chu grabbed the edge of a table. “I didn’t mean to,” she said gently, without any aggression. The man squinted, his gaze becoming overtly lewd. “Look at her. Doesn’t she look like one of those girls from the KTV we went to the other day, the ones who come out to drink with you?”

The crowd laughed, watching Li Chu with an air of amusement. Li Chu blinked, not quite understanding what they meant. The man’s greasy gaze became more brazen. “Hey, little sister, sit down and have a drink with me, and I’ll forgive you for getting my clothes dirty.”

“Yeah, King’s clothes are really expensive!” another person chimed in.

“One drink won’t cover it, you’ll have to have seven or eight.”

The looping colored lights passed over Li Chu’s pure white ruffled sleeve and her pupils, which reflected the amused faces of everyone watching. Li Chu’s chest rose and fell sharply. “I’ll pay for your clothes.”

“Tsk, what an ignorant little girl. One night here will get you way more than your clothes are worth.”

Li Chu stubbornly repeated, “I’ll pay for your clothes.”

The man tilted his head back, drank the freshly poured liquor in his hand, and rattled the dice cup on the table. “This is fucking bad luck! You’re giving me attitude. I’m going to mess with you today!”

In the dark corner, Qin Song’s hand paused. She lowered her eyes, dropped the burning cigarette on the floor, and stomped it out. A waiter, seeing her stand up, rushed over with concern. “Miss, are you ready to pay? You have to take the bill to the front desk.”

Qin Song pulled out the bill but walked in a different direction.

At the table, the man was still being aggressive. “My clothes cost a hundred thousand! If you can afford it, you pay!”

Qin Song didn’t spare him a single glance. She unbuttoned the remaining buttons on her jacket one by one. The process was quiet and slow. The flashing lights crossed her well-defined hands again and again. In the shifting light and shadow, Li Chu quietly moved closer, her clammy hands wanting to grab the edge of Qin Song’s jacket.

Qin Song wasn’t used to unnecessary touching, so she moved away, taking one more step closer to the table. With a table full of colorful cups and glasses, Qin Song grabbed four at once and splashed the wine and glass at the man. He was drenched and stunned, with wine dripping from his hair and face, his expression of shock making him look foolish.

As soon as she made a move, everyone who had been sitting stood up, bottles in hand, shoving forward. “What are you doing??”

With the colored lights swirling, Qin Song’s pink hair was swept to one side. The color was soft, but her demeanor was fierce. She was like the needles on her collarbone, ears, and tongue, and the thorns on the roses in a street florist’s shop.

“I paid your bill. Now let’s settle the other one,” Qin Song said, lowering her eyes to straighten the wine-stained sleeve of her jacket. Under everyone’s gaze, she gave a dead, half-smile. “If you’re going to play, let’s play for keeps.”

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