Rose Lock - Chapter 44

The two sisters, Gong Yan and Gong Shulan, had not been back long since rushing back from the mountain where they paid respects to the ancestors. As the car drove into the bustling and prosperous Bei Wu Street, there were many people calling out and shouting on the street corners.

Mr. Gong had returned two hours earlier than them.

The two sisters decided to solve the dinner problem at a restaurant and planned to call home to let them know not to save dinner for them. Just after giving the instruction, the person on the other end asked her to get some medicine on the way back.

“Alright, that’s it, I’m hanging up.”

Gong Shulan put down the receiver and returned to her seat. The table was already set with fragrant Western steak. Gong Yan poured a glass of red wine and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Gong Shulan shrugged, “Father said he forgot to pick up the medicine the doctor told him to get, and asked us to stop by Li’s Pharmacy on the way back to get a dose for him.” The old man’s legs weren’t good, and today’s mountain climbing and wading must have strained his muscles and bones, so he should rest well.

After finishing dinner, the two emerged from the restaurant. Li’s Pharmacy happened to be across the street.

Gong Shulan: “I’ll go get the medicine, Sis, you wait for me in the car.”

Gong Yan acknowledged this with a sound and sat in the driver’s seat. The night sky was quiet, pedestrians came and went in front of the restaurant, and the lights were sparse. She took a cigarette out of her bag, lowered her eyes and lit it. Before she had taken a few puffs, her peripheral vision caught sight of two people embracing not far away.

Her phoenix eyes instantly deepened, narrowing in concentration. Lu Nian’s attire was too recognizable, making it hard not to notice. The woman trembling in her arms was slender, with long hair like a waterfall, its bright and soft sheen even allowing her to recall the tactile sensation when she personally washed the head of a certain person who was covered in dirt and grime and brought back. The side profile was intimately familiar.

The Ford car, with its engine turned off, was enveloped by the streetlights in the night.

A spark flickered from the cigarette end, and wisps of smoke drifted out. The slender, jade-like fingers holding the cigarette tube remained still for a long time before finally moving. Gong Yan retracted her gaze, held the cigarette with her red lips, and took a puff.

The back door opened, and Gong Shulan, who had just fetched a dose of medicine from the pharmacy, leaned on the car door and got in, “Got the medicine, let’s go back.”

Gong Yan extinguished the cigarette, started the engine, her eyes slightly lowered, steering the wheel and looking straight ahead, driving past the embracing couple on the street corner.

…

After venting her emotions, Hua Manyi wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, unnaturally retreated from Lu Nian’s embrace, sniffled, and looked at the woman in front of her with embarrassment, “I apologize for my rudeness.”

“Not at all.” Lu Nian smiled, took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, “Here, wipe them.”

Hua Manyi instinctively dodged a little, took the handkerchief, “I’ll do it myself.”

Lu Nian didn’t mind, “That’s fine too.”

Suddenly, Lu Nian remembered something, “Oh right, Yiyi, maybe I can help you find the bodies of your parents.”

The prison guards were impervious to bribery or pleas, and ordinary people could never find out how the people who died in prison were disposed of. But if one had connections, everything would be easier.

“Are you saying someone you know is acquainted with a prison guard?” Hua Manyi asked again, uncertainly.

Lu Nian nodded, “Yes, I’ll take you to see him tomorrow night, perhaps he can help.”

“Really?!” Hua Manyi excitedly grabbed both her hands. It wasn’t until her words fell and Lu Nian’s gaze rested meaningfully on her hands that she sheepishly let go, “I’m sorry, I got too excited.”

“Don’t celebrate too early, whether he can help is still another matter,” Lu Nian reached out and tucked the strands of hair falling down from Hua Manyi’s head behind her ear, “Silly girl.”

The slender fingertips touched her earlobe. The woman in front of her had a gentle and generous voice. Hua Manyi smiled knowingly, slightly lowering her eyes, “Regardless, I still have to thank you. At least you are willing to help me.”

“It’s getting late. Shall I drive you back, and we meet again tomorrow night?” Lu Nian suggested.

“Okay.”

At the steps of the Gong family mansion, Hua Manyi asked Lu Nian to stop, bade her farewell, and told her to be careful on the road. After they parted, Hua Manyi turned around and entered the house. She nodded to a servant, who recognized her and let her in without saying much.

Hua Manyi navigated by memory. This mansion was, after all, someone else’s territory, and she, an outsider, felt out of place. As she walked, she calculated that she still had some money, enough to rent a place outside.

She bypassed the rockery, walked through an archway, and just as she stepped onto the covered walkway, Hua Manyi stopped in her tracks.

In a pavilion around the corner sat a woman, and across from her was an old man showing his age. A Roman chess set lay on a round table made of processed logs, and the two were playing a game.

“Yan’er, it’s your turn.” Old Master Gong happily took a puff from his pipe, his laugh hearty and unrestrained.

Gong Yan reluctantly moved a piece.

“Hey, who are you? How did you get in here?” Old Master Gong’s peripheral vision caught Hua Manyi on the covered walkway, and his eyes narrowed.

Hearing the question, Hua Manyi stood rooted to the spot, feeling awkward, “I…”

“Father, this is Hua Manyi, she’s my person.”

A familiar voice sounded. Hua Manyi’s gaze fell upon the face of “Mother Gong,” whom she hadn’t seen for over half a month, her red lips still as cold and alluring.

“Your person?” Old Master Gong raised an eyebrow, hinting at something, “Doesn’t look very old, child, come over and let me have a look.”

Hua Manyi pursed her lips and came forward, greeting him obediently, “Hello, Grandpa Gong.”

Her gaze shifted to Mother Gong, and Hua Manyi calmly called out, “Mother Gong.”

“Hey, little girl, where is your home? Where are your parents from?” Old Master Gong took a drag from his pipe, his interest piqued.

Before Hua Manyi could say anything, Gong Yan spoke first, “Father, if there’s nothing else, you should go back to your room and rest. She’s just a young girl who came from Haicheng to visit relatives.”

Old Master Gong leaned on the rattan chair, his gaze meaningful as it drifted between Gong Yan and Hua Manyi. He took the pipe away, exhaled a wisp of light smoke, patted his knee, and stood up, “Alright, I’ll go back and rest then. Yan’er, remember to prepare a room for her and treat her well.”

“No need, Grandpa Gong, I won’t trouble Mother Gong tonight. I can stay outside for a night, and I’ll have to return to Haicheng in a couple of days, so there’s really no need for all that trouble.” Hua Manyi waved her hand to decline.

“Trouble? What trouble? It’s not trouble. Little girl, just stay. Is our Gong family going to make things difficult for you?” Old Master Gong’s face darkened, disapproving of her suggestion, “That’s settled. Stay here. I’m going back to my room now.”

Hua Manyi was intimidated by Old Master Gong’s change in expression. She glanced at Mother Gong, only to find the same expression as Old Master Gong on her face, her gaze fixed on her. Her thin lips were tightly pressed together in silence, and Hua Manyi couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Hua Manyi bit her lower lip. Since the other party was so insistent, she had no choice but to agree to stay.

After Old Master Gong left, only she and Mother Gong remained in the pavilion. It was April, and the weather was hot, but thankfully, there was a pond not far from the pavilion, with pink lotus flowers in bloom, bringing a refreshing coolness amidst the sound of cicadas and birds.

“Mother Gong, long time no see. Thank you for what you did today…” Hua Manyi genuinely smiled, her eyes clear and calm, “I apologize for the trouble tonight. If nothing unexpected happens, I’ll be returning to Haicheng in two days.”

“Am I chasing you away?” Gong Yan stood up, her expression not very pleasant, and walked straight toward her room, “Follow me.”

Hua Manyi followed behind, lowering her eyes, completely unaware of the meaning of her words, “That’s not what Manyi meant.”

Gong Yan couldn’t be bothered to argue with her, “Have you had dinner tonight?”

Hua Manyi: “I have.”

Passing through the covered walkway, Gong Yan arrived at a side room and pushed the door open, “With whom? I heard Lai Qiu say you went out this afternoon. What did you do?”

Hua Manyi hesitated, not wanting to publicize the matter of her parents, “With Lu Nian… I just had a meal with Lu Nian today.”

Gong Yan’s lips were cold, “Wash up. You’ll rest here with me tonight.”

“Here? With you, Mother Gong?” Hua Manyi thought she had misheard, slightly surprised.

Gong Yan acted as if she didn’t notice her surprise, gesturing toward the inside with her eyes, “Lai Qiu prepared a tub and hot water. Take a bath while it’s hot. It’s getting late.”

Hua Manyi looked at Mother Gong’s back, which allowed for no questioning. She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn’t want to cause any more trouble for others, so she chose to comply. She took a few pieces of clothing from her small suitcase and went in to bathe.

A screen blocked all views of the interior. The bathroom setup wasn’t the Western style with a shower and bathtub, but the wooden tub commonly used by wealthy families in the old dynasty. The whole tub was full of water, and immersing oneself in it was a novel sensation she had never experienced before.

Hua Manyi scooped up a handful of water and poured it over her arm. It was warm and comforting, and the steam made the air hazy, as if she were soaking in a hot spring bath. Suddenly, she realized that this tub seemed to be Mother Gong’s exclusive private bathing item. Wouldn’t the spot she was sitting in be the exact spot Mother Gong had sat in before?

Hua Manyi was startled by the thought. All her wandering thoughts vanished like smoke, and she quickly got up to wash. She came out not long after cleansing herself.

Wiping her damp hair with a towel, she entered the inner room. Mother Gong was already lying in bed, resting. Hua Manyi looked around, trying to see if there was anywhere else she could sleep.

“What are you looking at?” The woman on the bed suddenly spoke, “Aren’t you getting in? Remember to turn off the light, it hurts my eyes.”

Hua Manyi’s hand paused. It took her a few seconds to process these sentences, realizing that she was being told to sleep with her.

She thought, That’s right. In her eyes, I’m just an adolescent girl, and at most, just a little dancer. Sharing a bed with her would be a very minor thing. She’s not Jiang Yin; that kind of ambiguity and affection between women could never happen between them.

Even if Jiang Yin died, Mother Gong would retreat to the status of an ordinary woman and marry another excellent man. Hua Manyi thought of what Old Madam Gong and the matchmaker had said, and she laughed self-mockingly.

Her unfounded worries were truly ridiculous.

“Alright.” Hua Manyi lowered her eyes, calmly put down the towel, turned off the light, and lay down beside Gong Yan, trying not to touch her. She skillfully pulled the blanket over herself, “Mother Gong, sleep early. I’m going to sleep now.”

The room was completely dark. Hearing this carefree remark, Gong Yan opened her eyes, her gaze deep and intense.

“What are your plans for the future?”

Hua Manyi also opened her eyes. She turned over, facing away from the woman behind her, seemingly contemplating, “I don’t know. Besides, my bond of servitude is still with you, Mother Gong. What plans could I have?”

“What if one day I give you freedom?”

Freedom…

Hua Manyi abruptly clutched the corner of the blanket, a stinging sensation in her eyes, but she quickly returned to her composed, indifferent state, “If I had freedom… Manyi would probably find someone she likes and get married. However, ending up alone is also a possibility.”

“Someone you like… a man?”

In the darkness, the woman behind her seemed to shift slightly, facing her back. Their breaths intertwined. Hua Manyi lowered her eyes. She knew the gaze behind her was fixed on herself.

After the incident with Ian, she somewhat understood that Mother Gong did not want her to step out of line.

“Yes.”

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