Scars of the Past

Yu Qingkong reached out, her hand covering Lin Wanzhao’s, and turned her head slightly. “I’m going now.”

Lin Wanzhao nodded and finally let go, watching her leave.

Once Yu Qingkong reached the bathroom and closed the door, she let out a long, heavy breath and began to undress.

This holiday was veering off track at a speed she hadn’t anticipated. What was even more terrifying was that she didn’t seem to feel any discomfort about it. Originally, she had been quite resistant to such things; hearing about people maintaining “casual” relationships used to feel inconceivable to her. Yet here she was.

And somehow, she actually felt a sense of relief.

As the steam rose in the bathroom, slowly filling the space, Yu Qingkong felt her thoughts slowing down. Suddenly, remembering Chen Lulu’s words, she gripped her own arm tightly.

Girlfriend…

**************************************

After showering, Yu Qingkong walked into the small movie room. On the coffee table in front of the beanbag chairs, several snacks and drinks had already been laid out.

Lin Wanzhao, who was peeling a pecan, looked up and smiled at her. “Finished? Come and sit down.”

“Mhm.” Yu Qingkong nodded, sat down, and looked toward the screen. “Did you find a movie?”

“I originally wanted to watch a crime thriller, but Keke just said there’s a film that’s quite good—it’s a revenge story.” Lin Wanzhao picked up the remote and clicked on a player.

“Revenge?” Yu Qingkong picked up a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip, looking at the screen with a hint of doubt.

“Yeah. It’s about a young girl who survives an attempted assault by a wealthy man, only to be murdered and dismembered afterward. Because her family is poor and the perpetrator is powerful—and good at finding legal loopholes—there was no way for them to get justice. It just went unresolved. Eventually, the girl’s mother kills the perpetrator and everyone who helped him,” Lin Wanzhao turned to look at Yu Qingkong. “Want to watch it?”

However, Yu Qingkong was staring blankly at the screen, her right index finger tapping rhythmically against the back of her left hand. She was miles away.

“Qingkong?” Lin Wanzhao called her name again.

“Mhm?” Yu Qingkong snapped her head back toward her.

“Should we watch this one?” Lin Wanzhao asked for her opinion, remote in hand.

“Oh…” Yu Qingkong nodded. “If you want to watch it, CEO Lin, let’s watch it.”

“Okay.” Lin Wanzhao started the movie and set the remote down. “You seem to be daydreaming a lot today.”

“Do I?”

“Yeah. Even back at the restaurant while waiting for the food. What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” Yu Qingkong looked at her and shook her head before turning back to the screen. “Really, it’s nothing.”

“I feel like you…” Lin Wanzhao studied her, her brow furrowed.

“What?” “Like you have a lot of secrets,” Lin Wanzhao whispered, her eyes lowering as she thought for a moment before looking intensely at her. “That time you had a nightmare… what was it about? Do you know how terrifying you looked? And the scar on your back—how did it really happen? Can you tell me?”

Yu Qingkong froze for a few seconds. Then, she picked up a bag of potato chips, tore it open, and smiled. “You’re overthinking, CEO Lin. Everyone has nightmares—usually just being chased by someone with a knife. As for the scar, it’s a burn. When I was a kid, I got into a fight and was accidentally pushed onto a medicine pot boiling on the stove. That’s how it happened…”

“Is that so…?” Lin Wanzhao looked skeptical.

“Yes.” Yu Qingkong pulled out a ridged chip and popped it into her mouth. Before she’d even finished chewing, she reached for a second one.

“I thought you weren’t the type to like snacks, but it turns out you enjoy them quite a bit.” Lin Wanzhao unwrapped a chocolate and put it in her mouth.

Yu Qingkong’s hand paused. She set the chips aside. “The screen feels a bit far away and the subtitles are a bit blurry. I’m going to go grab my glasses.”

“Alright, go ahead.” Lin Wanzhao watched her leave the room.

*********************************

Leaving the dim room, Yu Qingkong scratched her head and went back to her own bedroom. She found her glasses and put them on.

Feeling inexplicably restless, she paced the room several times. She stopped in front of the vanity mirror and stared at her reflection, only then realizing her hands were trembling.

She reached out with her left hand, gripped her right wrist tightly to force herself to be still, and then rushed into the bathroom—and vomited.

After a long while, she flushed the toilet, stood up, and moved to the sink. She slowly squeezed out some toothpaste and rinsed her mouth.

Knock, knock, knock—

Just as she set the cup down, the door was struck. Yu Qingkong’s head snapped toward the sound. She walked to the door and pulled it open. “CEO Lin, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just noticed you hadn’t come back for ages and you didn’t have your phone, so I came to check on you.” Lin Wanzhao stood in the doorway, scanning her face.

“I’m fine. I was just looking for my glasses, and it took a while to find them.” Yu Qingkong adjusted the frame.

“I see… shall we go back?” “Let’s go.” ***

The movie felt heavy from the start, both in its color palette and its cinematography. Initially, they chatted back and forth, but after twenty minutes, the conversation died out.

Yu Qingkong stared at the screen in silence. Lin Wanzhao, on the other hand, frequently frowned and couldn’t help but curse the antagonist, wishing she could jump into the screen to help the protagonist herself.

Occasionally, Yu Qingkong would glance at her. Seeing how engrossed she was, she would turn back to the screen. During the revenge scenes, Lin Wanzhao’s nerves were so taut that the snacks on the table remained untouched until the end.

As the film concluded and the villain was finally killed, Lin Wanzhao let out a sigh of relief. However, the mother in the story was also arrested.

Lin Wanzhao fell silent for a moment, smoothed her hair, and looked at the time. “It’s quite late. Should we rest?”

“Okay.” Yu Qingkong stood up with her water bottle and waited for Lin.

Once Lin Wanzhao gathered her phone cable and left the room, Yu Qingkong walked alongside her.

“That was hard to watch,” Lin Wanzhao said as they walked.

“Mhm?”

“I don’t know how to explain it… it’s just uncomfortable. Villains like that… if only we could get rid of them forever.” Lin sighed, her brow still pinched.

“We can hope,” Yu Qingkong nodded, taking off her glasses and fiddling with them in her hands. “But similar things actually happen quite often in reality. Not even far away—it’s happened to me.”

Lin Wanzhao froze. She looked at the hands fiddling with the glasses, then at Yu’s downcast face. Her thoughts collided in a chaotic jumble.

“When I was ten, my family was just starting to do well. My dad leased some land to grow fruit, and it was going well. Around that time, he met a friend named Pei Chengming. He was a wealthy man who acted like a brother to my father.” Yu Qingkong kept snapping the hinges of her glasses back and forth.

Lin Wanzhao walked beside her, silent, occasionally glancing at her profile.

“Pei Chengming was very good to us. He helped my dad a lot, brought expensive gifts, stayed for dinner, helped me with my studies, and donated books to my school. We all liked him.” Yu Qingkong stepped up a stair but stumbled.

Lin Wanzhao quickly grabbed her arm to steady her.

“He always said he liked me because I was smart, had good grades, and looked good. But I was small; I didn’t think anything of it. Who doesn’t find it happy to be liked by an elder…?” Yu Qingkong continued walking mechanically.

“Qingkong…” Lin Wanzhao didn’t know what to say, so she just gripped her hand tighter.

“After more than a year, one time…” Yu stopped and sighed. “My parents were out, and Ting-jie and Xiaoxiao were away too. I was in the courtyard doing my homework when Pei Chengming arrived, saying he wanted to help me with a problem.”

Yu Qingkong’s voice was quiet and steady, devoid of any major emotional peaks. Lin Wanzhao bit her lip hard.

“Then, while he was explaining, he put his arm around my waist and told me he had liked me for a long time. No—he said he loved me. He tried to kiss me. I realized something was wrong and fought back. I slapped him, bit his hand, kicked him, and ran inside to lock the door.” Yu’s grip on her glasses tightened until her knuckles were white.

“He stayed outside, kicking the door and shouting for me to come out. One moment he was cursing me, threatening to kill my whole family with a knife if I told anyone, and the next he was repeating ‘I love you’ like a madman.” Yu closed her eyes and let out a soft breath.

Lin Wanzhao reached out and patted her back.

“Eventually, he kicked the door open. Even though he was old and fat and not as fast as me, he was much bigger and stronger. I was beaten quite badly while fighting him. Then, he grabbed the heavy ceramic pot we used to boil medicine and used it to threaten me. He told me if I didn’t ‘behave,’ he’d pour the boiling liquid over me. I was terrified, but I still wouldn’t listen, so…”

Yu Qingkong reached up and touched her back shoulder. “That’s how this happened.”

Lin Wanzhao was speechless. So that was the ‘accident.’ She had wondered what kind of accident could leave such a mark.

“Qingkong.” Lin Wanzhao held her arm, her gaze falling on Yu’s thin shoulders.

“I wasn’t… he didn’t get what he wanted, but it was a narrow escape. When he realized I wouldn’t give in, he flew into a rage and seemed ready to kill me. Just then, my dad and my aunt returned. They got into a fight. During the struggle, Pei Chengming hit my aunt in the head with a club. Then he had a heart attack and died.” Yu closed her eyes again. “My aunt never woke up. She’s been in a vegetative state ever since. Because of me.”

“No,” Lin Wanzhao shook her head, clutching her arm. “It was because of Pei Chengming. It was his fault!”

“Mhm… after that, his wife didn’t believe our story. Even after the court ruled that he got what he deserved, she wouldn’t let it go. She started a vendetta. My father’s land was destroyed, and we fell into deep debt.” Yu shook her head and stopped talking.

Lin Wanzhao was completely stunned.

“That’s also why my parents occasionally ask if I have someone I like and tell me to seize the chance for happiness, but they never force marriage or take me to blind dates.” Yu Qingkong managed a bitter smile.

“That bastard Pei Chengming…” Lin Wanzhao gritted her teeth, staring at the floor.

“CEO Lin.” Yu Qingkong called her softly.

“Yes?” Yu Qingkong swallowed, her dry lips parting as she looked straight into Lin’s eyes. “It’s been so long. I can forget these things, right?”

Yu’s eyes were bloodshot, yet not a single tear fell. In that moment of eye contact, Lin Wanzhao felt as if her heart had been pierced by shards of glass.

“You will. You will forget.” Lin Wanzhao nodded immediately.

“But…” Yu tilted her head. “Why do I still dream about it? And lately, the dreams are getting more frequent. Even last night… why…?”

“You won’t dream of it anymore. Not ever.” Lin Wanzhao squeezed her wrist. Fearing she might break her glasses and hurt herself, Lin took them gently from her hand.

The Yu Qingkong standing before her looked fragile and exhausted, despite the faint smile she wore.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I suddenly told you all that…” Yu rubbed her nose. She had never told anyone before. “It’s strange. Can you forget it, CEO Lin?”

Lin Wanzhao watched her for a long time. Then, she suddenly reached out, pulled her into a tight embrace, and pressed her hand against Yu’s back.

Feeling Yu Qingkong’s body trembling, Lin Wanzhao found it hard to breathe herself.

Yu Qingkong closed her eyes and slowly buried her head in Lin’s shoulder.