Rose Lock - Chapter 53

Hua Manyi closed her eyes again, but inexplicably, the scene of her lying on Madam Gong’s bed at the Gong family mansion popped up in her mind. Then, in a flash, it became a scene of her and Madam Gong completely entwined, shaking the bed curtains slightly. Her legs were tangled with Madam Gong’s, and she rested on the soft quilt, just as soft as she was now.

Perhaps the scene was too wild and unrestrained, Hua Manyi was startled awake and drove the images out of her mind.

However, this situation persisted for several days. Her morning dreams became increasingly bizarre. Sometimes she fantasized about being in a car, sometimes under the quiet, deserted dance floor of a ballroom.

Hua Manyi felt shame and guilt for these fantasies, and for several consecutive days, she dared not look Madam Gong in the eye when they met.

Meanwhile, thanks to Lu Nian’s powerful assistance, Song Shichang suffered a humiliating defeat.

Gong Yan (Madam Gong) secured an appointment with Dr. Warnerson, who would be available the following Monday. So, Madam Gong went to find Hua Manyi, using the previous gunshot wound as an excuse to take her for a check-up. But to her surprise, the other party was completely uncooperative and seemed to dislike her. Every time Gong Yan tried to talk to her, Hua Manyi would retreat to her room and send Xiao Xiao to relay messages.

Yet, as soon as night fell, if Hua Manyi was drunk, her mouth became sweeter than anything.

Gong Yan felt for the first time that life was unbearable. “Yiyi, come out, let’s have a good talk. What’s wrong with you lately?”

Hua Manyi heard the “Yiyi.” She didn’t know when Madam Gong started calling her Yiyi; she used to call her Manyi coldly.

“Madam Gong, I don’t feel well and don’t want to talk,” Hua Manyi casually brushed her off with an excuse. When the sounds outside stopped, she opened the door, intending to go downstairs to get some alcohol to drown her sorrows.

Unexpectedly, as she turned around, she ran right into Madam Gong standing next to the doorway. Startled, a look of shame for being caught flushed over her face. “Madam Gong, I…”

“Hua Manyi, is this what you meant by not feeling well?” Gong Yan sized her up, her voice cold and mocking.

Finally, having no choice, Hua Manyi had to get into her car to see Dr. Warnerson.

In the clinic, Gong Yan saw the rose tattoo on Hua Manyi’s right shoulder. In the previous nights, all her attention had been drawn to Hua Manyi’s other features, and only now did she notice the delicate rose tattooed over the gun wound. However, as there were outsiders present, she only glanced at it twice and said nothing.

After asking a few questions, Dr. Warnerson nodded and said there was nothing serious, advising her to rest well for a few days, as lack of energy could cause dizziness.

“Can I go back now?” Hua Manyi buttoned her clothes, keeping Dr. Warnerson’s words in mind. She stood before Gong Yan, looking weary, trying hard to ignore the shame caused by her dreams.

“Do you want to grab a bite to eat? I hear Chen’s Roast Duck is quite good.” After bidding farewell to Dr. Warnerson, Gong Yan saw her looking dejected, assuming she had caught a chill last night. Naturally, she reached out and placed her hand on Hua Manyi’s forehead. “You’re a bit warm, Yiyi. Remember to wear more clothes at night these days.”

Hua Manyi froze in place, wanting to step back, but then realized the gesture might look like she was hiding something. So, she stayed still, lowered her eyes, and felt the warmth of the woman’s hand on her forehead, her eyelashes trembling.

Maybe she was truly sick, or perhaps insane. Even in broad daylight like this, because of Madam Gong’s intimate gesture, she actually associated this hand with stroking her cheek, cupping her face as a focal point, and forcefully kissing her.

A flush spread from her earlobes. Hua Manyi was jolted by the ridiculous fantasy in her mind and instinctively slapped Madam Gong’s hand away without thinking.

With a sharp ‘slap’, the hand stopped mid-air. Hua Manyi looked awkwardly at Gong Yan, not knowing how to explain. “Madam Gong… I… I didn’t mean to.”

She didn’t mean to reject her concern.

Anxiously waiting for a while, she didn’t meet the cold anger or outburst of the woman in front of her. Instead, she received a faint “Let’s go.”

“Ah? Okay.” Hua Manyi, aware of her guilt, no longer refused Gong Yan’s suggestion and followed her obediently.

Before getting into the car, Gong Yan asked, “Are you hungry? Do you want to go to the restaurant for roast duck, or a French restaurant for Western food?”

Hua Manyi bit her lip and shook her head, “I just had lunch, I’m not hungry.”

The words had barely left her mouth when Hua Manyi caught a glimpse of the tall, slender figure suddenly approaching in her peripheral vision. Her nerves immediately tensed up, and she looked up into Madam Gong’s eyes. “Madam Gong… wh-what’s wrong?”

Gong Yan frowned. Just as she raised her hand, she noticed Hua Manyi’s state of alert, and her face instantly turned serious. “Don’t move.”

Hua Manyi truly didn’t dare to move. Deep down, she was still afraid of this woman’s anger, which felt like the oppression of a superior toward a subordinate. But sometimes, she would also be foolishly and naively fearless, a courage she didn’t even know where it came from.

The diagonal placket of the Qipao had a row of buttons. Hua Manyi remembered clearly that she had buttoned it up when seeing the doctor, but she was stunned now, watching as Gong Yan reached out and placed her hand on her right chest, re-buttoning the one that wasn’t fastened properly.

“Get in the car.”

Hua Manyi looked down at the button, which was secure now. She followed her into the car, saying, “Thank you, Madam Gong.”

The Ford drove past Zhengyuan Street. The Western-style buildings and foreign businesses lining both sides made the road narrow and difficult to pass. High overhead wires were strung, and the streetlights stood still above their heads, watching the bustling street. The trunks of the birch trees were painted white.

The car stopped in front of a perfume shop. When Hua Manyi got out of the car, several ladies and wealthy wives were happily entering and exiting. She looked at Madam Gong, confused about why she had brought her here.

“Come in with me.” Gong Yan glanced at the plaque of the perfume shop and the advertisement next to it.

The perfume shop was spacious, with various perfumes displayed on open shelves. The sample room behind the screen was even more lavishly decorated, and the prices of the perfumes there were several times higher than those in the main hall.

The perfumes here included both ordinary domestic brands and foreign ones, with varying prices. However, the wealthy clearly had a tendency toward admiring foreign goods, while women who were less well-off tended to choose domestic perfumes.

“See any you like?” Gong Yan left the sentence hanging, letting her choose for herself, then turned to chat with the owner. Hua Manyi was going to refuse, but seeing Madam Gong busy talking, she didn’t want to interrupt and quietly walked around the shelves, looking at the perfumes. The perfumes on the outer shelves were clearly priced, but none of the ones inside had prices marked.

Hua Manyi didn’t dare to touch them easily, as they clearly looked expensive.

As she looked around, her eyes were drawn to a familiar bottle of perfume. The bottle was so familiar that it made her feel like she was back at the Hua family, enjoying all kinds of expensive perfumes and the best quality cosmetics as the eldest daughter. The bottle was made of light purple glass, a small one, using a pump to spray the perfume onto the body.

Hua Manyi leaned closer to observe. From the appearance to the details, this perfume was identical to one she used to own. But she didn’t dare to pick it up easily. She only bent down to sniff it, and the familiar and refreshing top note of white pear wafted toward her. Joy appeared in Hua Manyi’s eyes.

However, before she could reach for it, another person snatched it away.

“Miss, this perfume is so suitable for you,” a maid’s voice sounded nearby.

Song Yunrong was wearing a white dress, with her high barrel-curled hair cascading down. White lace gloves adorned her hands, and every movement exuded the poise of a young lady from a wealthy family.

She lowered her head, smelled the perfume, and smiled faintly, her tone full of arrogance. “Huyun, I also think it’s suitable.”

Hua Manyi recognized her as a former middle school classmate who often spent time at the broadcasting station. Sometimes her sweet and surprisingly cloying voice could be heard over the school’s loudspeaker, completely unlike her demeanor now.

“Hua Manyi?” Song Yunrong recognized her. Looking at Hua Manyi’s attire, although the Qipao was worn in various ways, and many wealthy wives and ladies wore it, Song Yunrong instantly noticed the air of frivolity about Hua Manyi. She looked good, but rumor had it that her family had fallen on hard times and she was working as a singing and dancing girl at a cabaret.

“You’re here to buy perfume too?” A scornful tone gradually emerged. Song Yunrong scrutinized her without restraint. “The perfumes here are so expensive. Can you afford them? Aren’t you afraid of embarrassing yourself?”

Hua Manyi’s eyes changed. She couldn’t stand Song Yunrong’s attitude, and the anger inside her was fiercely suppressed.

Seeing her reaction, Song Yunrong became even more smug. She leaned closer and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, “Hey, Hua Manyi, I heard you became a prostitute. Is that true—”

The moment the words left her mouth, a slap came down out of nowhere. Before Song Yunrong could react, she felt a gust of wind, followed by a loud ‘slap’ on her right cheek. If her maid, Huyun, hadn’t held her, she might have fallen to the ground. Even so, she stumbled.

Hua Manyi was also startled, watching the scene unfold with her mouth slightly open.

However, Gong Yan didn’t look at her. Instead, she looked down at Song Yunrong condescendingly, slowly wiping her hand with a handkerchief. “Is the cheap girl from the Song family so loose-tongued? Just like that old thief Song Shichang.”

“You—” Song Yunrong covered her face and stared hatefully at the woman in front of her. “Who are you? How dare you hit me?! Do you know my father is—”

Before she could finish, another slap came from below, striking Song Yunrong’s face and instantly swelling it. This time, Song Yunrong finally felt the pain and shrunk back with her maid. “You—you—”

Song Yunrong met Gong Yan’s cold, sharp phoenix eyes and didn’t dare to point her finger anymore. Finally, she shot a look of resentment at Hua Manyi and fled the perfume shop with her maid in disgrace.

“Madam Gong…” Hua Manyi didn’t know how to feel about this dramatic scene. She had thought she could handle the situation well, but when someone was willing to stand up for her, her nose inexplicably felt sore. She only knew that her heart was filled with an unnamable emotion at that moment, both warm and poignant.

It turned out that someone would also step forward for her, without hesitation, when she was insulted as a prostitute or dancing girl, and forcibly branded with unwarranted infamy. This person swiftly silenced the opponent and drove them away.

Hua Manyi watched the woman approaching, her eyes involuntarily reddening. Finally, Gong Yan embraced her, and Hua Manyi naturally leaned into her chest to hide her embarrassment.

“If anyone dares to insult you again, tell me. My people are not allowed to be slandered like this.”

Her people…

Hua Manyi stiffened, sniffled, and her face went slightly pale. Did that mean… the people of Fenghai (the name of Gong Yan’s establishment)? Half of her emotion faded. If the person standing next to her had been Sister Fang or Guan Ling, would Madam Gong have defended them in the same way?

“Wrap up that purple perfume for me,” the woman above her head spoke again. A few seconds later, Madam Gong handed the packaged perfume to her.

Stepping out of Madam Gong’s embrace, Hua Manyi woodenly accepted the expensive perfume. Her mind was a jumbled mess, unable to sort things out. If Madam Gong stood up for her and protected her, it could be argued that she was protecting an employee of Fenghai. But giving her something so expensive—Hua Manyi wondered if Madam Gong would also give such a gift under similar circumstances to others.

And so, as they left the perfume shop, Hua Manyi wavered between feeling grateful and ungrateful. Her mind was sometimes filled with the memory of Madam Gong’s cool and aggressive slap, and other times she questioned her inner thoughts.

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