The boy seemed to have been woken up by my shivering. He opened his eyes and sat up. He ruffled his hair and turned his head. Then he noticed me.

  “You’re awake? When did you wake up?”


  I didn’t say anything, and I didn’t dare look at him, clinging to some weak but stupid hope.

  Suddenly, he reached out and touched my face. He rubbed his fingertips over it and then smiled.

  “Why are you crying?”


  He rubbed his wet fingers on the blanket and got off the bed. He picked up the clothes on the floor and mumbled, “What a rough night! Haha!”


  His tone was casual and he sounded like a victor who was extremely proud of himself.

  Just a few hours ago, he had conquered a city. How could he not be proud?

  “Since you’re awake, why don’t you put on some clothes?”


  He threw my clothes at me. Seeing that I was still not reacting, he chuckled and asked, “How long do you plan to sit there like a fool?”


  There was a coldness in his words that I deeply detested.

  It was as if what I thought was enough to cause the heavens to collapse and the earth to shake was nothing in his eyes.

  I smiled stupidly at him, then asked, “Is it dawn?”


  At first, he was confused. Then, he walked to the window and peeked through the curtain. “Yes! The sun’s up!”


  The next second, he drew open the curtain completely.

  I desperately wanted the sunlight to chase away the guilt in my heart, but I found that my heart was cold and wintry, even in the warm sunlight.

  I got out of bed, picked up my clothes from the bed, hugged them in my arms, and headed for the bathroom.

  However, as soon as I had taken a step, I felt an indescribable pain.

  Something warm slid down my thigh.

  He pulled me back, finally looking nervous.

  “Have you gone stupid?”


  I looked at him and shook my head.

  He glanced at my face, then swept his gaze over my body. His eyes immediately noticed something underneath me.

  My shame finally returned and I squeezed my legs close, but he reached out and brushed his finger over my skin.

  “Why are you still bleeding?”


  He suddenly laughed. “Why are you bleeding so much?”


  …


  “Are you injured down there? I couldn’t get in last night and you were moving around, so I had to use some force. Could it be torn?… Should I send you to the hospital to stop the bleeding?”


  …


  “It’s not like I’ve never been with a virgin before, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone bleed so much.”


  My lips trembled fiercely as I clutched my clothes.

  “Why don’t you take a shower first? Clean yourself up before getting dressed.”


  His order was like an imperial edict to me. I walked to the bathroom and stood under the shower head. As I stood there, something sticky seemed to surge out of my body and slide down.

  Under the cover of the water, my tears finally burst out uncontrollably.

  It was already noon when I left the hotel.

  Before he left, he told me his name.

  “Fang Liang.”


  I took the taxi fare he gave me and got onto a cab to Han Xiao’s house.

  I didn’t have the courage to go back to school for class. If I were to go to class in this state, it would have created a stir.

  I was even more afraid to go home. I hadn’t been home all night last night. Going home would mean facing my father or my mother, or of course, Dongyu, and I most certainly would have had to undergo a full trial.

  When I arrived at Han Xiao’s house, I sat on the steps outside her house and waited silently.