We Are Filthy, Born From Mud - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Yes, She is Overly Cautious.

Looking at the faintly brightening sky, Zong Liangu wiped the sweat from her brow, ready to go home.

She looked at her sweaty hands and smiled with a sense of accomplishment. She walked home with long strides.

Her footsteps were light; the building’s sound-activated lights did not turn on.

A person wearing a hoodie, similar to hers, rushed past her. She raised an eyebrow in surprise. This area was the old city, mostly inhabited by retired elderly people. She hadn’t expected to encounter someone rushing to work at this hour.

However, it was none of her business, and she didn’t pay it much mind.

She continued walking upstairs.

When she reached the door, she stopped, standing cautiously at the entrance.

The doormat was clearly not where it was when she left. Her left hand slid into her pocket, skillfully gripping the utility knife hidden inside.

Whether Zong Yougu had snuck out behind her back or someone had broken into her home, she would act without hesitation. She never found this troublesome, and she hadn’t had a fight in a while—she was feeling restless.

The utility knife blade was quietly pushed out inside her pocket. Zong Liangu’s entire body was tense, her blood excitedly rushing throughout her.

She cautiously entered the password and opened the door. The metal-sheened door slowly swung open.

Zong Liangu first glanced around carefully, finding nothing unusual indoors.

She quickly turned to close the door. The house was quiet; she could only hear her own breathing.

She looked around. The furniture was exactly as she had left it. The position of the cups, the placement of the chairs—nothing had been moved. She relaxed slightly but maintained necessary vigilance.

She looked at the bedroom door and pressed the handle. The door was still locked.

Perhaps a late-returning neighbor accidentally moved the doormat?

Zong Liangu smiled. She was too tense. Her past life had turned her into a frightened bird.

There’s no need for that now.

This place was comfortable, this place was beautiful. She liked it here.

Click—

The bedroom door opened. There was no light on inside; it was pitch black.

Everything seemed normal, except she couldn’t hear the steady breathing that belonged to Zong Yougu.

She frowned tightly, flicking the switch. The room flooded with light.

The pale light illuminated the entire bedroom. Everything was normal, except Zong Yougu was nowhere to be seen in the messy covers.

Zong Liangu pursed her lips, looking around.

Her heart still beat steadily. The more critical the situation, the calmer she became—an instinct corrected through hundreds of operations.

She controlled her breathing and took light steps.

The room wasn’t big; there weren’t many places to hide. Only the wardrobe and under the bed.

Zong Liangu opened the wardrobe, but no one was inside. She bent down, and there was still no one under the bed.

Frowning deeply, she was in a foul mood. The utility knife blade was pushed back and forth with a click-clack sound.

A glance caught the slightly fluttering curtain. She realized the window was open.

This was the sixth floor. It was highly unlikely Zong Yougu had escaped through the window, unless she was trying to kill herself.

Zong Liangu reached out to pull back the curtain. The moment she touched the fabric, the curtain was pulled aside with a whoosh.

“Are you looking for me?”

Zong Yougu was sitting on the windowsill, her legs swinging back and forth outside the window.

She turned and blinked, her eyes scanning Zong Liangu, seeming very happy.

“If you want to die, I can help you.”

Zong Liangu didn’t flinch from Zong Yougu’s gaze. Her voice was somewhat cold.

Zong Yougu ignored Zong Liangu’s mockery. She reached out toward the outside, seemingly trying to catch something in the wind. Her hair fluttered beside her cheek.

After a while, she turned back: “Tell me, if I die, will I go to your world?”

“You?” Zong Liangu sneered.

“Your side must be much better than here. I truly want to go over right now and leave all the messes for you.”

Zong Yougu’s hand became restless again, stroking Zong Liangu’s cheek, her thumb circling on Zong Liangu’s lips.

“You don’t know a good thing when you have it,” Zong Liangu smacked the wandering hand away.

As she spoke, she swiftly scooped Zong Yougu up from the windowsill.

But Zong Yougu struggled, and the two of them tumbled to the floor.

Before Zong Liangu could react, Zong Yougu was lying on top of her.

“You can’t bear to lose me, can you? Were you worried I might fall down?”

“How could that be? It’s just that falling to your death draws too much attention. If you must die, do it discreetly. If you fell, I wouldn’t be able to use your identity…”

Zong Yougu brought her face closer. She seemed to be feeling the other person’s breath with her cheek.

“You’re right. You are me, and I am you. I guess you’re not living so well either, so I don’t want to go there,” Zong Yougu saw Zong Liangu open her mouth, so she quickly covered it with her hand, preventing Zong Liangu from refuting her.

Zong Liangu suddenly noticed a red handprint on the other person’s face. Judging by the direction, it must have been inflicted by herself. Looking closer, the other person’s eyes seemed a bit swollen.

Zong Liangu chuckled lightly: “You cried just now.”

“Yes,” Zong Yougu started laughing, her laughter growing louder. “The thought that I’ll only be able to hide behind you from now on made my tears flow involuntarily. I’m terrified, I’m scared, I’m horrified…”

“These days won’t last long,” Zong Liangu’s mouth curved slightly. Completely unaffected by Zong Yougu’s mockery, she continued, “I will adapt to this place very soon. You will soon become useless, and you will find genuine liberation.”

Zong Yougu remained sprawled on Zong Liangu. She bent down, blew a breath into Zong Liangu’s ear again, and said, “It seems no one told you during your growth that pride is not a good quality, and excessive arrogance only leads to failure.

It seems your side is incredibly blissful.”

Zong Liangu didn’t want to waste any more words on her. Not arguing with a person who was about to die was her virtue.

With a slight, skillful move, Zong Yougu was flipped onto the floor.

Zong Liangu quickly stood up, disdainfully nudged Zong Yougu with the back of her foot, snorted lightly, and turned to leave.

She closed the bedroom door again and rested by lying facedown on the dining table.

She was accustomed to sleeping on her stomach because this awkward posture prevented her from sleeping too deeply and losing necessary vigilance.

However, perhaps because she had been too comfortable recently, she slept very soundly and had a long-lost dream about her childhood.

Aside from having different names, her growth trajectory was almost identical to Zong Yougu’s.

According to the director of the orphanage, when she was sent there, the name “Zong” was sewn onto her swaddling clothes. This surname was rare, and the director had to check a dictionary to confirm it was a surname.

The names of the children in the orphanage were usually simple.

Take Zhang Yinyang, for example; her name was given because nearby residents brought two sheep when she arrived at the orphanage.

Zong Liangu was the same. She arrived in August, when large rice paddies were waiting to be harvested, the golden rice fields bringing comfort to the eyes.

So, the director waved her hand and settled on the name “Liangu”.

Liangu, Liangu. The director hoped she would never worry about food and drink in her life and would be as vital as a rice crop.

Zhang Yinyang was her shadow. Whatever Zong Liangu did, Zhang Yinyang would imitate her like a copycat.

But despite this, they ended up on two completely opposite paths.

Zong Yougu became a killer, while Zhang Yinyang passed the exam and became a police officer.

Wait, there should have been one more person who liked to be with her in the past, but Zong Liangu couldn’t recall who it was. That person should have been a little younger than Zong Liangu, about the same age as Zhang Yinyang. That person seemed somewhat afraid of Zong Liangu, preferring to follow behind Zhang Yinyang.

Who was it?

Zong Liangu, in her dream, just couldn’t remember.

“Liangu, Liangu, are we setting up our stall today?” Zhang Yinyang asked her.

Besides necessary cultural education, the orphanage also taught them essential skills to adapt to society.

Zong Liangu was best at making egg pancakes and would set up a stall outside to earn money during holidays.

“Yes,” Zong Liangu rubbed Zhang Yinyang’s head. “Hey, how about I secretly make two for you two first?”

Then came a burst of noise and excitement as the two little ones jumped up and down happily.

Zong Liangu grew tall quickly. She only saw the tops of two bobbing heads when she looked down.

Her sleep was always short. She woke up quickly.

The dream left her feeling a bit distracted. She stared blankly at the constantly flickering fluorescent light.

If she had been more honest, if she had been kinder, perhaps she would have lived a life like theirs. In the sunlight, surrounded by many friends, living a happy and ordinary life.

But where are all the ‘ifs’?

It was her own lack of integrity that pushed her into the dark, unspeakable corners.

Whether in the past or now, she could only rely on herself.

She forcefully patted her forehead. She felt this was completely unlike herself. Perhaps coming here made her sentimental?

She gave a self-mocking smile.

Her fingers fiddled with the glass cup on the table. Frowning, she began to think about her future.

Her filming for the last two days was over. The company hadn’t assigned her any other shooting tasks, and even the advertising shoot she had previously accepted was transferred to another artist under the company.

She sighed, blinking hard.

The phone rang.

Assistant 17: Sister Yougu, the company has approved two days of leave for you. Please rest well these two days. I will pick you up after the vacation. The company has arranged training for you.

Assistant 17: Oh, and Sister Qinghe has resigned. I’m forwarding the contact information for your new agent.

A new agent? It seems this world still operates on some logic.