Star-Crossed Lovers: The Ex-Convict and the White Rabbit - Chapter 8 - Somewhere Good

Chapter 8 – Somewhere Good

Lu Qiang watched the woman flee from his rearview mirror.

She was wearing a tight mermaid-line white dress, slim and simple with no cumbersome decoration. To show off her figure, a belt was tied tightly around the waist, cinching her waistline and raising the curve of her hips in a tactful and elegant manner. The skirt portion of the dress was weighed down by the rain. She clumsily bent and lifted the hem, stumbling back.

When the traffic light changed, Genzi stepped on the accelerator. Lu Qiang supported his elbow on the window frame, squinting at the rearview mirror with the hand with the cigarette against his lips.

The woman in white’s figure distorted from the raindrops running down the mirror became more and more blurry.

Gradually drifting further and further away. He didn’t look away until the car turned at an intersection.

Lu Qiang licked his lips. In just those few seconds, he seemed to remember who she was.

***

The rain lasted through the afternoon, but that didn’t stop Lu Qiang’s welcome banquet from happening.

It wasn’t until the evening that the rain subsided. The air was exceptionally fresh, sweeping away the heat in the day.

They ate at a dumpling restaurant.

It was located in an alley, had a deep courtyard which was illuminated by red lanterns on both sides of the entrance. It was a very ordinary location, shouting and cursing could be heard from all sides.

The table was filled with beer bottles and Erguotou1 [javascript:void(0)]A strong, colourless liquor distilled from sorghum produced in China, so-called because it is distilled twice. Several people were already slumped over from the alcohol. Only Genzi and Kundong were left to accompany him, albeit on the verge of collapsing themselves

Lu Qiang, shirtless like someone without a care in the world, brought his left foot onto the stool

He stuffed two dumplings into his mouth, squinting around the table, and sneered, “These good-for-nothings.”

Kundong clinked his bottle with his, blew into it and downed half the bottle of beer. He slurred, “Brother Qiang, from today onwards… we can once again follow you. I’ve longed for this day for so many years, waiting for you to make a comeback. For this, we must walk on the road to…”

Before he could finish talking, a bang sounded. Kundong was so surprised he spilled some beer onto the table.

Lu Qiang chuckled.

Only Genzi remained somewhat sober on this table.

“Success.” He patted Kundong’s head and looked at Lu Qiang, “I don’t care what others say. Brother, I’ll be under your care from now on. You have to take me with you no matter what.”

While Lu Qiang was locked up these past few years, the brothers under him had found a new way of life. With no one to support them, they slowly distanced themselves from the underground world. They now owned small businesses, some doing rentals, the skilled ones doing electric repairs and the scammers going into multi-level marketing.

Without wielding knives and fighting for money every day, they barely survived on their income, but at least life was now steady and comfortable.

Lu Qiang scratched his bald head, “You asked me today whether I would join Boss Qiu.”

Genzi said, “Ah, yes.”

“I won’t.”

Genzi was shocked, “Why, Brother?”

Lu Qiang took a shot of white wine and sucked his teeth, the hot liquid slid down his esophagus and made his body tingle. He didn’t answer but asked instead, “How are you all doing now?”

“… Getting by.” Genzi paused for two seconds, pondering, and continued, “Money doesn’t come as fast so we have to keep track every time we spend.”

Lu Qiang ate two more dumplings, gobbled them up and said, “While I was inside the past few years, other than the short period in the beginning when some people looked for trouble and I had to fight a few times, I worked during the day and slept at night. No matter how hard the mattress was, I would doze off the moment my back hit the bed.”

Genzi was sensible and knew what he was trying to say, “Brother, what are you going to do now, then?”

“Didn’t they find me some work already?”

Genzi let out an exaggerated “Ah? Just that?”

“Problem?” Lu Qiang narrowed his eyes at him.

“No…” Genzi laughed dryly, “That’s great.”

It was already late at night. Kundong had already slept and woken up a few times. He drove the others back.

Lu Qiang had nowhere to go and was temporarily staying at Genzi’s.

The two walked instead of driving back. The cool night breeze sobered them up almost completely.

Men, if they weren’t talking about money, they were talking about women.

Genzi said, “Brother Qiang, then you don’t have a woman inside right?”

Lu Qiang glanced sideways at him, “What do you think?”

“Then you haven’t done it for a few years?”

Lu Qiang didn’t reply.

Genzi whispered stealthily, “Brother, I’ll take you somewhere good.”

“Not going.”

Lu Qiang spat out his toothpick. The leaves on the roadside were glistening from the rain and the potholes were still filled with rainwater, constantly reflecting the bright colors of the metropolis.

A person popped in his head, delicate and soft, dainty and vulnerable. He was itching to have her in his arms and dote on her.

Lu Qiang shook off his thoughts and asked after a long time, “Where is it?”

“What?”

Ten minutes later, they found themselves in a secluded alley that was bustling in the nightlife. Both sides of the road were filled with colorful flashing signs, a lewd atmosphere against the night after the rain.

Genzi was in his home ground.

Lu Qiang asked, “Come often?”

“Heh… sometimes. I’m only here for a fix.”

Lu Qiang laughed and scolded, “You brat, don’t lose your kidneys.”