Li Liping hadn’t noticed his strange behavior, as she was scared half to death herself. She didn’t have the presence of mind to care where soone else was looking, especially not the driver.
An ornant on the dashboard had fallen off during the sudden stop.
In his panic, Liu Youcai moved to pick it up without thinking. However, the ornant had landed in an awkward spot, right in front of Li Liping’s legs. He had just bent over when he realized his mistake. With his head turned to the right, he had a clear view of Li Liping. His entire body was pressed against her legs, his hand reaching past them.
"Ah..."
Startled, Li Liping instinctively clamped her legs together, trapping Liu Youcai’s arm. She released him the instant she realized what she’d done.
Mortified, Li Liping decided to just pick it up for him, but as she bent down, their heads collided. The sharp pain from the bump snapped them both back to their senses.
They both sat up straight, returning to their previous positions. In the end, it was Li Liping who placed the ornant back on the dashboard.
Li Liping cursed silently but didn’t dare say anything.
The two of them remained silent for the rest of the trip to the train station. When they arrived, Liu Youcai said nothing, not even a goodbye. He stopped the car in front of the train station right at 6:55.
"Thank you," Li Liping muttered and got out of the car. Liu Youcai just watched her retreating figure, his thoughts a mystery. As he drove away, he adjusted himself, a look of relief washing over his face as he muttered, "Slut."
When Li Liping t up with Zhang Li, she didn’t ntion anything about Liu Youcai. Zhang Li’s brow furrowed when he heard she had taken a ride in Liu Youcai’s car, but he was quickly distracted by her outfit and didn’t ask any more questions.
Going ho was, after all, a happy occasion.
Since they had earned so money this ti, Zhang Li and his father, Zhang Quan, didn’t hesitate to hail a taxi, spending fifty yuan to go straight ho. Though it was quite a bit more expensive than the bus, the convenience was worth it. After working so hard, they could certainly afford a taxi ride ho.
On the way, Zhang Quan sat in the passenger seat chatting with the driver, mostly boasting about how wonderful the tropolis of Demon City was. The driver had been there before, so the two hit it off, and the car was soon filled with lively conversation.
They paid no attention to the back seat, where Zhang Li, having regained his forr vigor, couldn’t hold back and already had his hands all over Li Liping. Rather than deterring him, the enclosed space only grew his excitent.
When he was finished, the sticky feeling on his hand felt strangely familiar.
Li Liping’s face flushed with both sha and fear. Terrified that Zhang Li would discover the residue belonged to Wang Jian, she deliberately avoided his gaze. Her averted eyes, however, only made Zhang Li think she was being shy. In Zhang Li’s eyes, his wife had always been shy, so this was nothing out of the ordinary.
Zhang Li was overjoyed, relishing the familiar feeling.
"Don’t!" Li Liping couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed his hand and whispered in his ear, "Wait until we get ho."
Through the rearview mirror, Zhang Quan saw his son and daughter-in-law being so intimate and smiled even more broadly. For him, the greatest gain from this trip to Demon City wasn’t the money they’d earned, but the promising signs of improvent in his son’s condition.
When they got out of the taxi at the village entrance, Zhang Li copped one last feel, embarrassing Li Liping terribly in front of all the people milling about.
Once they were ho, Zhang Quan imdiately spoke up. "Since the dicine is having an effect... shouldn’t we talk to Xiao Jian about that other matter?"
Li Liping saw Zhang Li nod in agreent and knew the father and son had finally seen reason. She then recounted what Wang Jian had said. "After you two left for Demon City, Wang Jian spoke to about this. He said he could cure Zhang Li’s illness, and that’s why he didn’t touch . I even made the first move, but he wouldn’t lay a hand on , so..."
Li Liping had made up her mind not to tell them the truth.
Hearing that Wang Jian claid he could cure the illness, Zhang Li remained unconvinced. After exchanging a look with Zhang Quan, he said, "I know Xiao Jian ans well. He’s a good brother. But my condition is already being treated, hehe, so there’s no need to bother him."
Li Liping recalled what Wang Jian had said that morning and added, "Right. After you found the dicine, I went and told Wang Jian about it. He said your illness is a problem with your ridians, and trying to force a cure with toxic dicine will have serious consequences. Every dicine is toxic to so degree, and while he knows so can treat your condition, he said they are far too potent. They would only be effective in the short term. If you keep using them, not only will you not be cured, but you’ll end up completely disabled, with no hope of recovery."
Zhang Quan and Zhang Li exchanged surprised looks. They already knew the dicine was toxic. However, they had no idea it could cause permanent disability. The Alchemist who gave them the prescription had only said it was poisonous and would cause so harm to the body; he never ntioned anything this severe.
But to them, a little poison was a small price to pay for Zhang Li to beco a man again.
Just as Zhang Li was about to say so, Li Liping cut in again. "Wang Jian said his dical skills have improved greatly. Before, he couldn’t guarantee there would be no side effects, so he didn’t make any promises. But now he has a thod that is completely free of them. He said if we trust him, we should let him take a look at the prescription."
Zhang Li suddenly hesitated, and even Zhang Quan grew contemplative. Zhang Quan had gotten the prescription through his connections. The Alchemist was a true master, and they never would have t him if not for an introduction from a boss he knew. The man was considered a miracle worker in Demon City who served only the wealthy elite; his abilities were supposedly extraordinary.
But Wang Jian had sounded so certain. Could there really be a problem with the prescription?
In truth, Zhang Quan and his son were still hesitant about one thing: Wang Jian was just a recent college graduate with a degree in Chinese dicine. How profound could his expertise be? Could he really surpass a celebrated master?
Still, Wang Jian had known the prescription was toxic without even seeing it, which ant he must have so skill. There was no harm in letting him take a look.
So, Zhang Li nodded and said, "I’ll find an opportunity to show Xiao Jian the prescription."
With that settled, Zhang Li said a quick word to his father, then grabbed the blushing Li Liping and pulled her straight toward their bedroom.
Zhang Quan stood in the courtyard and chuckled. He knew exactly what his son was up to, and he couldn’t be happier. He was desperate for them to have a child as soon as possible.
After all, the Lao Zhang Family had been waiting for this mont for far too long.
Following Zhang Li into the room, Li Liping was thrown onto the bed. She watched as he took a small bottle from his bag and tipped out a tiny, pitch-black dicine Pill, no more than five milliters in diater. Li Liping caught an foul, unidentifiable odor from the pill, one that reminded her of the acrid sll of a welding workshop.
But after Zhang Li swallowed the dicine Pill, he seed instantly energized. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes turned fierce.
Li Liping was startled for a mont before he pounced on her.
A single tear slid from the corner of her eye. She threw caution to the wind and, no longer thinking, t his fervent advance.
Their passion was a blaze that exacted a price in blood.
Clothes were flung about the room. On the floor lay the tattered remains of Li Liping’s stockings, torn to shreds by Zhang Li.
In that mont, Li Liping and Zhang Li rediscovered what they once had.
Everything else—all the absurd events of the recent past—no longer mattered to them.
Li Liping felt the change as well. She took a deep breath as her eyes glazed over, lost in the sensation.
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