We Are Filthy, Born From Mud - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Yes, They Fit. Let the Future be the Future…

When Qi Fang’s call came, Zong Yougu and Zong Liangu were out for a walk.

Zong Liangu was still wearing a mask, still hiding all her features, even changing her gait. Previously, they hadn’t felt it, but since Zong Yougu and Zong Liangu had swapped identities several times, she realized just how uncomfortable it was. How stifling it was to wear a mask and a hat in this weather. To see the world only through the gaps between the brim and the mask—it could make one’s mood turn terrible.

Zong Yougu felt a trace of bitterness in her heart; she felt the injustice on Zong Liangu’s behalf. Reaching out to brush away a strand of hair stuck to Liangu’s face, she said, “You don’t need to be so on edge.”

Zong Liangu gave no reaction, as if she hadn’t heard the words.

Zong Yougu felt uneasy; she suffered for Zong Liangu. She suddenly pulled Zong Liangu into a hug.

“Hey! You’re a public figure now. What if we get caught?” Zong Liangu pushed her away as if she’d been electrocuted.

Zong Yougu clung back and said, “If we’re caught, we’re caught. I don’t care about others. All I care about is myself, and you.”

Zong Liangu wanted to push her away again. Just then, the phone in Zong Yougu’s pocket began to vibrate. Initially, Yougu ignored the call. But the phone continued to ring, the buzzing interrupting their play, so she finally picked it up.

“Who is it?” Zong Liangu asked.

Qi Fang’s name flashed on the screen.

“Qi Fang.”

“Why is she calling at this time? Did something happen?”

“I don’t know.”

As she spoke, Zong Yougu answered the call. “Sister Qi Fang? I’m resting. Yes, I’m free.”

Zong Yougu turned on the speakerphone so Zong Liangu could hear as well.

“Yougu, listen to me.” There was a trace of imperceptible excitement in Qi Fang’s voice.

“Mm.”

“The Feburary Orchid Awards just announced their nomination list. Your name is on it.”

The February Orchid is an award specifically established for young actors. Its nominations and elections are famously fair in the industry. They don’t look at fame or backing; as long as the acting is good, a nomination is possible. Therefore, for young actors, the significance of this award is immense.

Zong Yougu froze. Both she and Zong Liangu stared at the phone; no one spoke. Especially Zong Yougu—she felt her breathing become coarse. The pain generated in her throat with every inhale and exhale made her feel exhilarated.

Zong Liangu’s hand patted her chest lightly, following her breathing. Yougu grasped Liangu’s hand, her thumb gently stroking each of Liangu’s joints.

“Sister Qi Fang, which role was nominated?”

Zong Yougu’s voice remained steady. Only she and Zong Liangu knew how excited she was right now.

“It’s Yu Yulai, the character you played in A Guide to Student Socialization.”

Zong Yougu nodded. This was within her expectations. The timing of this role had been perfect. It coincided with the collaboration between Zong Yougu and Zong Liangu, and happened to catch them both in peak form. The character itself was wonderful—able to evoke resonance while leaving plenty of room for interpretation.

Even though Zong Yougu had always shouted about moving upward and standing at the top, when she learned she was nominated, she still felt a sense of unreality. The surrounding scenery became blurred and distorted; she could hear nothing. All she could see was Zong Liangu in front of her, and all she could hear was her own heartbeat.

Although it was only a nomination and the final result wasn’t out yet, Zong Yougu was still overjoyed. This certainly wouldn’t be the end; she and Zong Liangu could do even better. They were so perfect; they deserved to be seen by everyone; they deserved to be loved by everyone.

Zong Liangu took the phone and hung up for Zong Yougu. She flicked Yougu’s forehead with her index finger.

“Stunned by the good news? Have you come back to your senses?”

Zong Yougu covered her head and said nothing, just laughing—laughing incessantly. Her hair sparkled in the sunlight, and her eyes were as bright as precious gems. Opening her arms, she hugged Zong Liangu again, her face nuzzling the other’s neck, eyes closed in silence. She was still smiling, her breath spraying against Zong Liangu’s skin.

“It’s so good to have you. It’s so good to have you.”

As Zong Yougu spoke, she moved in for a sticky, lingering kiss. The cloying kisses extended from Zong Liangu’s cheek to the space between her brows.

“You’re crazy. We’re still outside.”

Zong Yougu finally snapped out of it. She nodded, her smile never fading: “Yes, yes! Let’s go home first, go home first! Zong Liangu, it’s so good to have you. Without you, I wouldn’t have succeeded so quickly. Without you, nothing could have gone so smoothly.”

“Sounds like cheating,” Zong Liangu quipped, though she didn’t refute it.

“You are me and I am you. How can that be cheating?”

Zong Yougu’s arms hung around Zong Liangu’s neck again. Every two steps, she would lean in to nuzzle her. Zong Yougu leaned her entire weight against Zong Liangu’s shoulder, her footsteps light and erratic. Zong Liangu felt as if she were carrying a drunkard. A drunkard would be better, actually; at least a drunkard wouldn’t be this hands-on.

Finally, they reached home. Once back in familiar territory, Zong Yougu became even more intense.

“Liangu, do you know? I have no reason not to like you! Let me tell you this: from the moment I was born, I was destined to only love myself. I won’t fall in love with anyone except myself. No ‘why’—it’s because I’m selfish, because I can only understand myself.”

Zong Liangu was about to say something, but Zong Yougu interrupted her. Yougu burst into laughter, laughing like a mischievous child, like a kid tickled by a cartoon.

“Do you know? I’ve never understood romance. When I see couples, I find it bizarre. How can people be obsessed with kissing? A kiss is just the churning of two tongues, an exchange of saliva. So many bacteria—it’s disgusting just thinking about it.”

As Zong Yougu spoke, her thumb circled the webbing of Zong Liangu’s hand.

“But meeting you, everything changed. I am obsessed with kissing. I wish I could be stuck to you every moment. Because we are the same person, I have no reason not to love you. Because we are the same person, I can completely understand your feelings. You must believe me—I can fully understand the pain and resentment in your heart. I can completely understand you; only I will find ways to make you better. Everything will get better. I know everything you want. Never leave me.”

Everything would get better. With this thought, Zong Yougu kissed Zong Liangu.

“Mm,” Zong Liangu laughed softly. “Everything will get better.”

“Distracted.” Zong Yougu playfully accused her with a smile. She picked up a glass of water from the side and inverted it.

The cascading water poured entirely over both their heads. Crystalline droplets dripped from their hair to their chins, flowing into the finger-sized hollows of their collarbones. Their thin clothes clung tightly to their skin under the effect of the water, forming ridges like mountain ranges.

“Zong Yougu.” Zong Yougu heard Zong Liangu call her.

“Zong Yougu,” Liangu called again.

Zong Yougu nudged her, but Zong Liangu just smiled and said nothing.

“Zong Yougu.” Zong Liangu just kept saying the other’s name; she said nothing else.

“Zong Yougu, no matter what happens, you must not question my love for you. I have to admit, I love you, I love you. Because I love you, I’ve become indecisive, I’ve become hesitant.”

“You should tell me your feelings. Why don’t you believe I will help you?”

“Because you are selfish. We are both selfish people. You have no reason to help me.”

Zong Yougu continued to press, but Zong Liangu pursed her lips and stopped answering, just laughing along with Yougu—also laughing incessantly.

The heat of July seeped stickily into their outer clothes. It was July—the scorching July of a fiery sun. Why bother looking into the future now? “When the car reaches the mountain, there will be a path; when the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten itself out.”

Who cares about the future? They were both people who lived for the present, never mourning for the future in advance. Words are pale, always failing to express the true intent or speaking against the heart at crucial moments. Then, simply stop talking.

At this moment, their bodies were their best language. Zong Yougu sat on the old stool, and Zong Liangu simply sat on the floor. Liangu’s fingertips climbed over joints, her hand covering the muscle of Yougu’s calf. By profession, she understood human anatomy exceptionally well. She felt the slight twitching of Yougu’s muscles; she touched Yougu just as she touched herself. Her movements were practiced, following the grain of the muscle with perfect pressure.

Zong Yougu laughingly slapped her hand, the contact between palm and back of the hand making a crisp sound. A numbing sting spread from the back of the hand to various parts of the body; the pain vanished, leaving only a tingling itch. Zong Yougu’s hands were still slapping haphazardly, hitting hard. Strike after strike, it rattled her mind, slapped out her inner dissatisfaction, and beat back her stray thoughts.

“Do you love me?” Zong Yougu suddenly asked her.

“Of course,” Zong Liangu answered without hesitation.

“Then will you stay with me forever?”

“Who can say for sure about the future? —”

Before Zong Liangu could finish, Zong Yougu leaned down and kissed her, blocking her mouth, preventing her from continuing. Zong Liangu naturally shut up. They both had the desire for joy; there was no need to spoil the mood now.

The sunlight streaming through the window spread a wide band of light across the old floor. Zong Yougu fell from the chair, half-kneeling in that band of light with Zong Liangu. They clasped each other’s hands, their fingers tightening and tightening again.

Zong Yougu’s head rested on Zong Liangu’s shoulder, intruding into Liangu’s peripheral vision. Zong Liangu couldn’t help but bite Yougu’s shoulder, her sharp canines sinking into the skin.

Zong Yougu gave a muffled groan. She slapped the back of Zong Liangu’s hand and cursed, “Vicious dog.”

Zong Liangu didn’t let go, even biting harder. After a long while, she finally lifted her head slowly: “Congratulations on being nominated for the February Orchid. And congratulations in advance on winning.”

Zong Yougu vaguely sensed something wrong with Zong Liangu, but Liangu gave her no chance to investigate. Liangu’s hand climbed Yougu’s face like a snake, then wrapped around the back of her head, pressing Yougu’s head down. She kissed Yougu, allowing the other no room to struggle. Her tongue churned wickedly, her sharp upper and lower teeth occasionally nipping at the corners of Yougu’s mouth.

Why is it only you who gets to shine so brightly?

If things continued this way, this life would be no different from her last. Zong Liangu couldn’t help but think bitterly to herself. But soon, the corners of her mouth curled up again. She only needed to focus on the pleasure of the moment.

The future is for the future.

In the brief gaps where they lifted their heads to breathe, crystalline saliva stretched and snapped, falling onto each other’s flushed lips. They both had secrets in their hearts, but fortunately, they were both pleasure-seekers.

Intense, rapid stimulation aimed straight for the brain shattered the stray thoughts in their hearts like a violent wave. Friction, licking. Sparks exploded and shattered in their minds. Muscles spasmed involuntarily; they gripped each other’s arms, their spines arching backward like two fully drawn bows.

Zong Liangu’s eyes lost focus for a moment; in that instant, everything was a blur. Zong Yougu was the first thing to reappear in her vision. Before her was an identical face; in the mirror were two identical faces.

They didn’t lack time, and they didn’t lack strength.

Let the future be the future.