Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Love is Ruthless (2)

The old man hurried for a while and then put the two girls down onto the ground. They had arrived at a cemetery. Cheng Ying’s face was pale white, while Lu Wushuang’s face was swollen and red. Cheng Ying said, “Old grandpa, we need to go home, we don’t want to play anymore!”

The strange man stared at her without flinching. Cheng Ying saw that his eyes revealed a sorrow, a lonely aura, and filled her with pity. She gently said, “If you’ve got no one to play with; then wait by the lake again tomorrow and I’ll peel lotus for you to eat again.”

The strange man sighed and said, “Yes, it has been ten years, I’ve had no one for company within these last ten years.” His eyes were still exuding an ominous light. He then fiercely said, “Where’s Yuanjun? Where do you live?”

Cheng Ying heard his serious voice, and became frightened. Quietly she said, “I, I? I don’t know.”

The man grabbed her arm, shook her a few times. His voice sunk, “Where’s Yuanjun?”

Cheng Ying was scared and wanted to cry, tears rolled from her eyes. Yet she didn’t cry.

The old man clenched his teeth. “Cry, cry. You won’t cry? Hmm, you were like this ten years ago. I won’t let you marry him. You said you couldn’t bear to leave me, so why did you leave with him. You said you were touched by my kindness, leaving me would leave you heartbroken. Ha! Those are all deceiving words! If you are really hurt, why don’t you cry?”

He held onto Cheng Ying fiercely. Cheng Ying had been pale due to fright but still the tears wouldn’t come. The man shook her again. Cheng Ying clenched her teeth and said to herself “I won’t cry, I won’t cry!”

The strange man said, “You won’t even cry one tear for me, not even one. What use is my life now?” He suddenly let go of Cheng Ying, bent his legs, crouched, and thrust himself into a tombstone causing a crashing sound. He lay on the ground unconscious.

Lu Wushuang said, “Cousin, quickly escape” and grabbed hold of Cheng Ying’s hand, turned and ran. Cheng Ying hurried a few steps, but as she saw the strange man lying with blood on his head, her heart couldn’t stand it and said, “Old grandpa is dead”. Lu Wushuang said, “Now he’s dead, won’t he turn into a ghost?”

Cheng Ying gulped, scared that he would turn into a ghost, scared that he would suddenly wake up, and remembered the mad words he was saying. She saw his head covered in blood and felt pity, she comforted herself, by saying, “Old grandpa is not a ghost, I’m not scared, he won’t blame me”. She slowly walked towards the old man. “Grandpa, are you hurt?”

The man let out a groan. Cheng Ying got a bit braver, and tended to his wounds with a handkerchief. But the force of the collision was great, so the wound on his head was very severe. The handkerchief was soaked in blood. She used her left hand to press hard on the wound and after a while the bleeding stopped. The man began to open his eyes, and saw Cheng Ying by his side. “Why did you save me? Why don’t you let me die?” As Cheng Ying saw he had awakened, her spirits raised and said softly “Does your head hurt?” The strange man shook his head. “My head doesn’t hurt, my heart hurts.” Cheng Ying thought this was strange thinking, “There is a large wound on his head, yet while his head doesn’t hurt, his heart does.” She thought no more of this as she untied her waistband and gave it to the man to tie his wound.

The man took a breath and sat up. “You agreed not to see me ever again; we are going to part now. You won’t shed a single tear for me?”

Cheng Ying heard his words were full of sorrow; saw his head full of blood, eyes earnest, and couldn’t help but be filled with sorrow and two drops of tears emerged. As the man saw the tears, his face changed to a more joyful expression, but at the same time a mournful sound came out. Cheng Ying saw his sobs, her own tears like drops of pearls, rolled down her cheeks, then reached out and hugged his neck. Lu Wushuang saw how these two strangers are sobbing together, and wanted to laugh. She couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out in a laugh.

The strange man heard this, and said to the sky, “The words that came out of your mouth said you won’t leave me, but as you grow older you will forget the things you’ve said; just remember the little white face. You laugh with real joy!” He looked down at Cheng Ying. “Yes, yes, you are Yuan, my little Yuan. I won’t let you leave, I won’t let you leave with the little white face”, as he held tightly onto Cheng Ying. Lu Wushuang saw he had become deeply disturbed and didn’t dare to laugh again.

“Yuan, I’ve finally found you. Let’s go home, from now on you will follow father.” Cheng Ying said, “Old grandpa, my father died a long time ago.” The strange man said, “I know, I know. I’m your stepfather, you don’t recognize me?” Ying shook her head. “I don’t have a stepfather.”

The strange man gave a howl, and pushed Ying away. “Yuan, you don’t even recognize step father?” Ying said, “Old grandpa, my name is Cheng Ying, not your Yuan.”

“You’re not Ah Yuan? You are not Ah Yuan?” he was expressionless for half an hour. “Hmm, around twenty years ago Ah Yuan was your age. Now Yuan has grown up and doesn’t need father anymore. The only thing in your heart is Lu Zhanyuan, that swine.”

Wushuang sighed knowingly; “Lu Zhanyuan?”

The man asked, “You know him, don’t you?? She shook her head smiling, “I just recognized that man is my uncle.” The man’s complexion changed to a vengeful colour. He grabbed hold of Wushuang and asked, “Where is that swine? Lead me to him.”

Though Wushuang is scared inside, she put on a smile and said, “My uncle lives close by. You really want to find him?”

“Yes, yes. I’ve been searching for him for three days, so I could settle my debt with that swine. Little girl lead me to him and old grandpa won’t trouble you.” As he said this, his voice changed tone from angry to gentle and released his grasp. She used her right hand to touch her sore left arm.

“You really hurt me. I don’t know where he lives anymore.” The man’s eyebrows rose, as if he was about to go mad again, but thought it is not right to force the little girl, and put on a clown like smile. He put his hand in his sleeve and said, “It was grandpa’s fault. You don’t have to follow me. Grandpa has some sweets for you.” He reached around his sleeve but couldn’t find any sweets. Wushuang smiled and clapped.

“You don’t have any sweets, aren’t you ashamed to lie? Alright, my uncle lives near here.” She pointed to two faraway giant trees. “It’s near there.”

The man reached out his long arm and carried the girls underneath his armpits again, and hurriedly flew towards the two trees. He followed the path in front, until there is a small obstruction but cleared it in a leap. In a flash, the three of them were by the two trees. The strange man dropped the two girls, and saw two grand tombs below the trees. On the tombstone was written: “Here lies the grave of Lu Zhanyuan.” On another was written” “Here lies the wife of Lu.” The grass around the path to the tombs was knee deep, indicating that the tombs had been here a long time.