***
Bonus chapter! Thank you to Somebody for the donation! ^^
***
The abandoned factory stood in deathly silence, while outside the storm raged - the relentless patter of rain creating an oppressive atmosphere.
In a narrow corner bed within the factory, a figure tossed and turned restlessly.
That figure was Luo Qing.
Luo Qing had always been a light sleeper. The slightest noise would wake him, let alone this incessant drizzle that showed no sign of stopping.
Sleep deprivation left him irritable, his body shifting endlessly beneath the thin blanket.
What made it worse - tomorrow he had a "job" to do.
Calling it a "job" was generous. In truth, it was human trafficking. Luo Qing was part of a trafficking ring.
Though "trafficking ring" wasn't entirely accurate either. They were more of a general crime syndicate - kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking... there was no evil they wouldn't commit.
Luo Qing had originally been in the robbery division, but his frail physique kept causing mishaps during operations. That was how he got transferred to the trafficking unit.
For Luo Qing, this was pure torment.
Not due to any moral qualms - he simply lacked patience and wasn't particularly skilled at deception, making it nearly impossible to complete the "jobs" assigned to him.
Three months since his transfer, and he hadn't completed a single assignment.
Tomorrow was the boss's final deadline.
If he failed again tomorrow, the boss would undoubtedly sell him to *Myanmar.
(T/N: In Chinese crime/thriller fiction, Myanmar is often portrayed as: A hub for organized crime – Due to its border regions being notorious for human trafficking, drug trade, and scam operations. A symbolic "point of no return" – Characters threatened with being "sold to Myanmar" face implied torture, forced labor, or death, playing on real-world fears of the region's lawlessness.)
The thought of the consequences made Luo Qing shudder. Being sold to Myanmar was practically a death sentence - no, worse than death.
With a frustrated sigh, he flipped over again, racking his brain for where he might find a "target" tomorrow.
Perhaps the question was too difficult. He pondered all night without finding an answer, and could only rise the next morning with dark circles under his eyes.
Luo Qing woke relatively early, but someone had risen before him.
The man who saw him emerge froze, eyes glazing over with infatuation and awe, completely stunned.
Had Luo Qing... always looked like this?
Luo Qing didn't resemble your typical criminal. His features were exquisitely delicate. Even with prominent dark circles, they didn't diminish his beauty in the slightest - if anything, they added a touch of fragile vulnerability that made him utterly captivating.
So beautiful it was impossible to look away.
The man was startled awake by Ruan Qing's footsteps. "G-good morning," he stammered.
Members of their criminal gang weren't known for their conscience, principles, or emotional connections. Morning greetings between accomplices were rare occurrences.
Luo Qing, with his reclusive and gloomy disposition—further burdened by the weight of his "assignment"—showed no intention of responding.
He didn't even glance at the man as he walked past, his entire being radiating a dark, oppressive aura.
Luo Qing planned to leave early today to prepare for his "task." He refused to believe he couldn't complete it within a single day.
The man didn’t take Luo Qing’s coldness personally. After all, the boss had made the assignment clear in front of everyone yesterday. He knew exactly what was troubling him.
When your life is on the line, pleasantries hardly matter.
Normally, the man wouldn’t have pressed after being ignored. But something compelled him to follow anyway.
"Need any help?"
"No." Luo Qing’s reply was sharp, his pace quickening as he vanished into the factory.
This time, the man didn’t pursue. He stood still, watching that beautiful figure disappear, his gaze deepening into something unreadable.
It’d be a shame for someone so exquisite to be sold off to Myanmar. Maybe, when the boss was ready to offload him, he could buy him for himself.
Then, Luo Qing wouldn’t be able to refuse him anymore.
The man’s lips curled slightly, his eyes glinting with something terrifying.
***
Luo Qing had no idea what the man was plotting. He drove straight to the busiest district, searching for an opportunity to strike.
The streets teemed with pedestrians—all types, all ages.
Their assignment didn’t specify targets. Anyone of value could be taken.
Still, Luo Qing immediately ruled out men. He couldn’t overpower them; the risk was too high.
That left women and children.
From his car, Luo Qing watched the crowd ebb and flow. Morning turned to noon, noon to afternoon—yet he couldn’t bring himself to choose a mark.
It wasn’t that women and children didn’t pass by. But something in him resisted, not even mustering the will to step out and try.
Strange. He was supposed to despise women.
Luo Qing had been abandoned by his own mother. After his father's death, she'd thrown him out onto the streets.
He'd only been six years old.
At six, he had no means to survive. He fought stray dogs for scraps, scavenged through trash bins—until a crime syndicate took him in. Naturally, he became one of them.
His mother's betrayal became the root of his hatred toward women.
Yet today, that visceral disgust toward women and children had vanished. In its place was something else: revulsion.
Not toward their existence, but toward the act of trafficking them.
This made no sense. Just yesterday, he'd still loathed them. Luo Qing felt unnerved by his own hesitation.
If he didn't take them, he would be the one sold.
His logic screamed this truth, yet his hands stayed frozen on the wheel. He couldn't even bring himself to approach a potential target.
It's still early. I'll wait a little longer.
He drove aimlessly through the streets, pretending to scout for opportunities. But as night fell and pedestrians dwindled, his empty car taunted him. Panic clawed at his throat.
Someone had to be sold. If he failed today, the merchandise would be him.
Still, he wavered. The thought of fleeing outright crossed his mind—
But their organization sprawled across every province. There was nowhere in the country he wouldn't be dragged back from.
And then? Death wouldn't come cleanly. They'd make sure nothing remained to bury.
Unless... he fled abroad.
Yet men like him were flagged in every system. Show up at an airport, and he'd be in cuffs before boarding.
Petty crimes might've meant a cell and temporary shelter from the syndicate. But Luo Qing had no such luck.
Useless as he was, he'd still participated. Most jobs were group operations—and he'd been there.
The syndicate's crimes warranted execution. Even for a worthless tagalong.
Kidnapping seemed his only remaining option.
Luo Qing pulled the car over, his gaze settling on a mother and daughter not far away.
The little girl—no more than two years old, still unsteady on her feet—had just tumbled to the ground. Her flustered mother was trying in vain to soothe her.
But the child wailed inconsolably, the pain of her scraped knees overwhelming.
Six in the evening. The street was deserted. An ideal opportunity.
Luo Qing's grip tightened on the steering wheel. Suppressing his revulsion, he stepped out of the car and approached the crying child.
"Do you need help?"
The young mother, still fussing over her daughter, looked up at the unexpectedly melodic voice.
Before her stood a man—so beautiful he put movie stars to shame.
Both mother and child froze mid-motion, the little girl's tears halting abruptly.
So... pretty...
Even at two, the child recognized beauty. She reached chubby arms toward Luo Qing, her words still hiccuping with fading sobs.
"Up-pee! Up-pee!"
As the toddler leaned dangerously forward, the mother—acting on pure instinct—passed her to the stranger without hesitation. No thought for danger. No consideration of risk.
Luo Qing hadn't anticipated this. Before he could react, he held a warm, squirming weight.
The child still carried the milky scent of infancy, her body frighteningly fragile. One wrong move might hurt her.
He stiffened completely, arms locked in terrified paralysis.
Miraculously, the girl stopped crying. Giggling now, she planted a wet, smacking kiss on Luo Qing's cheek, leaving a glistening trail of drool.
"Pwetty!" she declared. "Smell nice!"
The mother finally regained her senses. Blushing crimson at her daughter's shameless behavior, she hastily reclaimed the child.
"S-sorry!" she stammered. "She's never like this with strangers!"
"Ugh, so embarrassing... My daughter never acts like this normally."
But... I’m so jealous she got to kiss him directly. I... I kind of want to kiss him too.
The woman was startled by her own shameless thoughts. Her face flushed even redder as she hugged her daughter, bowed apologetically to Luo Qing, and then hurried away in flustered retreat.
As for Luo Qing, he had frozen the moment the little girl kissed him. Absentmindedly, he touched his cheek where she’d kissed him and simply watched as the mother and daughter walked away.
When the little girl turned back with a grin and waved, saying, "Bye-bye!"—he even found himself automatically waving back and murmuring, "Goodbye."
...Well. Maybe seducing a man would be easier after all.
No memories again, Lord Qing has it hard. Thank you for the chapters!!
ReplyDeleteIm reading this at 4:25 Am, its possible to read all the chapter for 9 hours straight.
ReplyDelete