We Are Filthy, Born From Mud - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Yes, She Changes. She is Moving.

The sky outside the window was as black as charcoal, and cold rain poured down in torrents, cutting through the sultry heat of the summer day. It was chilly and damp.

Zong Yougu lay on the floor, her entire body freezing. She lay flat on her back in a pool of blood in the living room, a thick, iron-colored liquid flowing from her neck. Her expensive suit jacket was soaked with blood, and her champagne-colored shirt was matted with clotted gore. Zong Yougu felt weak and cold; with every breath, she inhaled the pungent scent of blood.

Propping herself up against a chair, she forced her body to rise. Her knuckles turned white from the effort, and her fingers trembled slightly. Gritting her teeth, Zong Yougu forced herself into the cramped, narrow bathroom.

A stream of white water cascaded down. Zong Yougu scooped up handfuls of water, splashing it haphazardly onto her wound. The intense stinging stimulated her nerves, sending bouts of pain through her brain. Water droplets ran down her neck and landed on her eyelashes; her face was deathly pale.

She looked up, staring fixedly into the mirror. This was her own face, but it was also Zong Liangu’s face. How could Zong Liangu treat her like this?

Fortunately, Liangu hadn’t gotten away unscathed either. It wasn’t only Zong Liangu who had improved; Zong Yougu had also learned a great deal from her. For instance, how to be on guard, how to parry, and… how to counterattack.

The moment Zong Liangu had struck with the blade, Zong Yougu had agilely crouched to dodge. Pushing off the wall with her foot, she used the momentum to successfully dodge behind Zong Liangu. Zong Yougu attempted to seize the knife from behind, but Zong Liangu clearly didn’t give her the chance.

Taking advantage of the gap as Zong Liangu turned around, Zong Yougu steadied her footing and reached forward. Just as her fingertips were about to grasp Zong Liangu’s wrist, she saw a smirk on Liangu’s face. Without moving her body an inch, Zong Liangu simply tilted the angle of the blade; the tip sliced all the way from Zong Yougu’s arm to her throat, dragging a long, blood-red line.

The piercing pain drained Zong Yougu’s strength. She staggered a few steps, her face pale, and fell straight forward. Even in pain, she fell toward Zong Liangu.

It was this very action that threw Zong Liangu into a panic. Seeing the wound on Zong Yougu, Zong Liangu felt a phantom pain herself; she instinctively reached out to steady Yougu. Just as she had made up her mind, she became hesitant again in that single moment.

Seizing this opportunity, Zong Yougu endured the agonizing pain and snatched the knife. Holding the small utility knife in her hand, she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and thrust backward with a reverse grip.

Cold light and blood-red hue reflected each other; pain and excitement walked hand in hand. The tip of the blade sank into Zong Liangu’s shoulder blade.

Zong Liangu didn’t make a sound. Her breathing remained steady. Enduring the excruciating pain, she swung her arm forcefully, slamming Zong Yougu to the ground. Zong Yougu had no strength to move, only leaning slanted against the wall.

Seeing that Zong Yougu was no longer moving, Zong Liangu pursed her lips. She couldn’t say what she felt in her heart. Irritation, panic, anxiety—in short, she wasn’t happy at all. She pulled open her collar, hurriedly bent over the sink, and washed the wounds on her body haphazardly. She didn’t look at Zong Yougu again; she simply threw on a jacket, picked up her bag, and left in a hurry.

Zong Yougu, with her eyes half-closed, saw everything. She didn’t say a word.

Another handful of fresh water splashed onto her cheeks. Zong Yougu felt an unprecedented sense of absurdity, which completely dragged her out of her memories. Reaching out, the cold touch of the mirror’s surface came from her fingertips. It was her own arrogance and selfishness that made her loathe herself.

Tears fell along with the water droplets. Before Zong Liangu came, she had touched the mirror countless times. She loved herself and wished to see herself every moment. That was why she had placed so many mirrors in the room. She had always known very clearly that, besides herself, she could not accept anyone else.

That was why she had been so happy when Zong Liangu appeared. Now, even Zong Liangu had left. She knew Zong Liangu wasn’t just acting out of spite; perhaps Liangu would never come back for the rest of her life.

What was she to do then? It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality. She had already enjoyed the pleasure of Zong Liangu’s company, so how could she adapt to a time without her?

Slap—

Zong Yougu gave herself a slap. The stinging on her face and the burning sensation of the wound hit her simultaneously, and her body began to shake violently. She couldn’t accept that Zong Liangu had abandoned her, so she would just consider it as Zong Yougu abandoning Zong Liangu.

She, Zong Yougu, wasn’t bad herself. Without Zong Liangu, she could still do anything. Because she was perfect; she was a piece of smooth, beautiful jade that didn’t need anyone else to make up for her flaws. She could do better than Zong Liangu; she could surpass Zong Liangu in any way.

At two in the morning, Hu Yinghua received a call from Zong Yougu. Hu Yinghua grumbled and cursed while fumbling for her phone. However, her face quickly adjusted to a smile.

“Sister Yougu, is there something wrong so late?”

“Xiao Hua, come over immediately. Help me move.”

“Now? Sister Yougu, it’s two o’clock. Can we do it tomorrow?” Hu Yinghua looked at her wrinkled pajamas with distress and at her warm bed with longing.

“When I tell you to come, you come. I’m moving right now. I’ll give you both today and tomorrow off. Come now, and I’ll count it as triple pay.”

“Got it, be there soon.” Hu Yinghua flipped over and got out of bed immediately, dressing properly and preparing to set off.

Just as she was about to drive out, she took the car keys and seemed to remember something. Zong Yougu was usually such a fastidious and particular person; she must have a lot of luggage. After thinking for a while, Hu Yinghua rented a large van before heading to Zong Yougu’s residence.

At three in the morning, the surroundings were deathly quiet—so silent it was hair-raising. There were only dim, yellow lights on both sides of the road. Hu Yinghua wasn’t very brave to begin with; she was fine while staying in the car, as the familiar environment gave her a sense of security. As soon as she got out, darkness enveloped her, and she felt chilling winds and a cold shiver down her spine.

When two sharp bird cries pierced the sky, Hu Yinghua was startled, even biting her own tongue. she had no choice but to quicken her pace. There was no one on the small path she was walking; in the distance, there were a few sounds of sweeping, making Hu Yinghua’s heart hair-raised.

Hu Yinghua had always been puzzled as to why Zong Yougu still lived in such a dilapidated place. In the beginning, Zong Yougu was just a minor actor, so living in such an old neighborhood was indeed reasonable. When Hu Yinghua first met her, Zong Yougu already had some fame and her pay had increased; she had more than enough to change to a better house, so there was no need to stay in a dilapidated neighborhood so far from the company.

Now, Zong Yougu was finally moving. This was a good thing for Hu Yinghua; moving to a place with better transportation meant she wouldn’t have to wake up so early every day. Sleeping more meant working less, and less working time was equivalent to earning more. In any case, Zong Yougu moving was roughly equal to her earning more.

Hu Yinghua’s desire for money had already overshadowed her fear of the darkness. She even couldn’t help but laugh out loud as she walked. Having been Zong Yougu’s assistant for so long, this was her first time actually entering the neighborhood to see it.

Hu Yinghua couldn’t help but bob her head and look around. As she walked, she seemed to kick a pile of soft flesh. She was startled. Looking down, she saw a person with disheveled hair sitting on the ground, their face pale, and they seemed to be covered in blood.

Hu Yinghua’s breathing stopped instantly from the fright. After two seconds, she couldn’t help but scream. Just as she was about to open her mouth, it was covered.

“Shut up. Do your business and pretend you didn’t see anything.” A raspy voice sounded in Hu Yinghua’s ear.

Hu Yinghua trembled, but she felt the voice was somewhat familiar. It seemed to be Zong Yougu? The height and build also resembled Zong Yougu. Hu Yinghua was startled by her own thought; why would Zong Yougu be here? What had happened?

She turned her head stiffly. Before she could see the person’s face clearly, the phone in her pocket rang, its cheerful ringtone breaking the terrifying silence of the moment.

“Xiao Hua, when exactly are you coming? I asked you to help, but you’re as slow as a snail. I really shouldn’t have been nice to you. Are you coming or not?”

The cold hand covering her mouth loosened. Hu Yinghua realized the person meant for her to return the call.

“Sister Yougu… I’ll be right there. I’ve already reached the neighborhood entrance… I’m coming right now, immediately.” Hu Yinghua’s voice trembled slightly.

“Oh, then hurry up. I’m waiting for you upstairs. Help me go through things.”

Hu Yinghua listened carefully to Zong Yougu’s requests. She suddenly noticed that Zong Yougu’s voice was also somewhat different from usual—much raspier than normal, with an undetectable exhaustion in her tone. This voice was very familiar, almost identical to the voice of the person just now.

Hu Yinghua felt her heart thumping; she felt her limbs go stiff as if frozen. She plucked up the courage to look back, but the person behind her had already disappeared. Not a trace was left, as if what Hu Yinghua had seen just now was all an illusion.

What exactly was going on? Perhaps it was just a coincidence. Hu Yinghua shook her head, treating everything she had just seen as a hallucination from not having woken up properly.

Zong Yougu’s home was on the sixth floor of an old neighborhood without an elevator. Panting heavily, Hu Yinghua finally climbed up. She knocked on the door, and when it opened, she froze in place.

Because the Zong Yougu who opened the door had blood all over her face, and there was also blood on her throat and neck. It looked like it had been washed, but not thoroughly. Hu Yinghua didn’t dare to speak; she backed away step by step, while Zong Yougu moved forward step by step.

“Sister Yougu, I promise I didn’t see anything,” Hu Yinghua said in desperation.

Zong Yougu, however, burst out laughing, clutching her stomach: “You have too much of an imagination.”

Hu Yinghua gestured toward her neck: “Sister Yougu, what exactly is going on? Should we go to the hospital first?”

“It’s nothing. Just broke up with my partner and had a little fight.” Zong Yougu shrugged her shoulders quite nonchalantly.

Hu Yinghua walked into the room to find a mess on both the floor and the table, with mirror shards scattered everywhere.

“Help me move these down.”

Hu Yinghua was a bit surprised, as Zong Yougu’s luggage consisted of only a small handbag.

“Sister Yougu, where are you moving to?”

“Sky Cloud One.”

This was the best development in the city center, built along the river with an exorbitant price. Yes, she, Zong Yougu, was going to start a brand new life. Luxury, indulgence, and constantly moving upward.