Bad Blood - Chapter 3

The project “Prestige Mountain Residence” is located in the southeast corner of Zhan City, bordered by vast oxygen-rich forests in the front and backed by Jiu Mountain. The low-density high-rise buildings share a circular garden terrace among four families, with the terrace overlooking the detached area where a club is situated. It is said that if you stand on the top floor of the club and listen closely, you can hear the monks chanting from Shanyin Temple on Jiu Mountain.

The tutoring location Zhang Miaomiao introduced to Ding Ke is in the high-rise area. When Ding Ke arrived in the afternoon, she was led to the terrace by a nanny and handed a cup of Tai Ping Hou Kui¹, waiting for the female master to interview her.

Soon, the female master arrived at the tea bar in a silk home outfit, her presence commanding attention. She sat down, evenly applying essence on her face while flipping through Ding Ke’s resume and comparing it to her, “You really are a top student, and indeed very pretty.”

Ding Ke politely curved her lips in response.

“Miaomiao should have told you, our child is transitioning to high school and is struggling with homework. My husband and I are usually busy and can’t help much. I hope you can focus on tutoring his homework and addressing any leftover classroom issues.”

“I understand.”

The female master nodded, “Let’s settle it then, three hours on Saturdays and Sundays. You can choose the time that suits you. As for the salary, feel free to tell me your thoughts.”

“Three hundred an hour.”

The female master was momentarily taken aback, not because Ding Ke’s demand was excessive, but because she was quite straightforward. Seeing her serene appearance, she had assumed Ding Ke might be somewhat timid.

“Alright,” the female master agreed readily, “Let’s start today if possible. My son will be up soon.”

“Sure,” Ding Ke agreed, considering the taxi fare was over eighty, and it would be similar going back, starting today would be beneficial.

The female master clapped her hands, “Then join us for lunch.”

Ding Ke replied, “I’ve already eaten. You can give me his homework, and I’ll look at it here.”

The female master nodded, “That works.” She took a few steps and turned back, “Oh, I don’t know what his homework is. Maybe we should wait until he wakes up.” She pointed to the other end of the terrace, “There’s a gym and café ahead, you can explore.”

“I know the homework for ninth grade. Just bring me his books.”

The female master felt a bit embarrassed, not even knowing where her son’s backpack was, “I’ll take you to get it.”

Ding Ke understood, “Alright.”

As they entered indoors, they encountered the male master who had just woken up.

The male master’s sleepy eyes were well hidden behind his nearsighted glasses, but Ding Ke could still sense his gaze sizing her up.

With the backpack in hand, Ding Ke returned to the terrace. The tea bar was empty on weekends, possibly because there were vacant homes in the residential area.

The tea bar displayed various types of wood, engraved with names like Rosewood and Thujasutchuenensis.

She sniffed them, finding them not as fragrant.

Fraud.

Below the wood was a metal tray piled with volcanic stones, their dense holes made her scalp tingle, prompting her to turn towards the mountain, facing the detached houses spiraling around the hillside.

Zhang Miaomiao mentioned each house started at sixty million.

While she admired the mountain scenery, someone inside was admiring her through the glass.

The female master received a work call and had to leave for a meeting, hurriedly dressing without saying a word to Ding Ke, unaware of her husband’s inappropriate gaze towards their son’s tutor. She reminded him, “Remember to pay Teacher Ding, three hundred an hour.”

The male master agreed perfunctorily, his gaze never wavering.

A southwest wind blew, lifting the corner of Ding Ke’s collar and sneaking into her neckline, chilling her spine, causing her to instinctively shrug.

With that, the male master couldn’t sit still any longer.

He changed clothes and came out, holding a bottle of wine in one hand, a decanter and ice bucket in the other, with a corkscrew on the ice.

Ding Ke turned her head, puzzled by the scene but stood up out of courtesy.

The male master even swapped his black-framed glasses for metal frames.

Ding Ke suspected his intentions, which he confirmed in the next moment, “My wife said Teacher Ding just started college. Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Yes,” Ding Ke lied.

The male master laughed heartily, seemingly more satisfied with this answer. He didn’t engage her much, and after these two sentences, he began rolling up his sleeves to open the wine.

Ding Ke gradually moved towards the railing, recalling the female master’s mention of a café ahead, suggesting she go buy a coffee.

The male master suddenly put down the wine bottle and walked towards her, “You want coffee? We have a machine at home.”

Ding Ke watched him approach, with nowhere left to retreat, she anxiously looked around, finding no one, swallowing a mouthful of air, she sternly reminded, “My classmate Zhang Miaomiao knows I’m here for an interview. Her family lives here too, her dad works at the Land Bureau, next to the police station.”

The male master remained unfazed, instead smiling, “Do you know why I allowed you to interview?”

Ding Ke gripped the railing, her palms turning pale blue.

The male master pulled a lanyard from his pocket, dangling his practice certificate in front of her, “I’m a lawyer, so as a law student, you’re eligible to interview.”

Ding Ke’s heart stirred.

The male master hung the display item on her small ear, “I could’ve waited, let you attend a few more classes,” he smirked, shaking his head, “But you’re too mischievous, digging into my heart. So, to be clear, if you stay with me, I’ll give you twenty thousand a month…”

“Screech-”

Suddenly, the sound of a roller door’s misaligned wheels being forcibly pulled echoed.

The male master frowned and turned, instantly blacking out, crashing to the right, sliding half a meter. When he felt the left side of his head swell with pain, blood had already pooled on the ground.

Li Mujin hadn’t even finished dressing, his shirt only buttoned three times, the wind blowing the flaps, revealing his chest line and collarbone with each heavy breath.

The antique-looking English double-barrel shotgun in his hand was stained with the male master’s blood, exposing it as the weapon that had knocked him down.

The male master finally reacted, “Ah-ah-help-anyone-”

He shouted while clutching his bleeding head, squirming on the ground like a worm cut in half.

Li Mujin crouched down, pressing the gunstock against his left cheek with force, eliciting a long howl, then kicked him in the chest, “Keep the twenty thousand to buy yourself some paper to burn.”

His voice was ice cold.

After the male master wailed in agony, Li Mujin seemed to have finished his business, his eyes shot towards Ding Ke gripping the railing, reaching out to grab her arm and pull her away.

Ding Ke couldn’t match his strength, dragged all the way to the car.

He opened the car door with one hand, tossed her into the back seat. She immediately pulled the inner handle, but he was faster, locking the door instantly.

She gritted her teeth, “Let me out!” Her anger strained her voice, making her fierce.

Li Mujin ignored her, driving fast, reaching the hillside detached house in minutes, getting out and using the same wild, brute force to drag her out.

But this time, she refused to follow, clinging to the door handle with hands stretched like purple sweet potatoes.

He paused.

She thought he had given up, but before she could relax, he unexpectedly picked her up, ignoring her desperate struggle in his arms, biting his neck and shoulders, leaving bruised and broken skin, yet still carrying her upstairs.

The elevator in the detached house arrived, Li Mujin carried her towards the two Burmese jade doors, kicking them open.

Faced with seven or eight pairs of eyes, Ding Ke froze, forgetting to struggle.

Li Mujin placed her down amidst some fearful, puzzled, angry, and aggrieved gazes, walked through the lounge, opened the curtains with a remote, then turned on the lights, the nightclub atmosphere vanished instantly.

Someone had organized a housewarming party, celebrating his successful escape from his father’s control, arriving in the fervent city of Zhan.

He never refused such parties, enjoying seeing human nature exposed under the influence of alcohol and desire, the more unbearable the better.

Provided he didn’t find Ding Ke cornered at the terrace railing.

Just adjusting the focus on the astronomical telescope, he saw the scene, immediately kicking off the DJ console, the dynamic music abruptly stopped. Then he strode to the toy room, among the three walls of shotgun collections, picked a double-barrel, the gunstock was engraved, blood would quickly spread, filling the pattern. Then, unsurprisingly, he brought Ding Ke back.

Standing at the window now, the curtains fully open, he faced the light, back to the people, sunlight crafted a feathered garment around him, unable to hide his raging anger, it burst from his oppressive silhouette, burning into their hearts.

Shu Rui sat on the sofa, staring at Ding Ke’s face identical to the past Ding Ke, holding his wine glass without moving. Suddenly overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

Whether she was or not, with such a face, such a name, she was destined to follow in her predecessor’s footsteps, becoming Li Mujin’s little pet.

Li Mujin remained silent, no one dared to speak.

Ding Ke knew no one here, for her, it wasn’t much better than the male master’s place earlier, just one den of thieves to another, this leader clearly had violent tendencies.

She turned, a button already pulled off, just stuck in the buttonhole, bounced out, hopping to the crowd.

She covered her neckline, then searched for her button at their feet.

These people didn’t know her status, still polite, not making things difficult, each one stepping aside.

Li Mujin turned, seeing them, but felt they were impolite, picked up a cue stick, walked over, poking their chests with the tip from afar, pushing them back.

His mastery of the cue stick made his movements light, effortless, like those shotguns, all toys he handled with ease.

In no time, the group retreated far away.

Ding Ke didn’t look at him, found the button and left.

He wouldn’t let her go, the cue stick blocked her path.

When Ding Ke pushed the cue stick, the button fell again, her eyes followed, watching it bounce to Li Mujin’s feet. She went to pick it up, he stepped on it with his toe.

She was about to get angry, glaring at him.

The onlookers couldn’t understand Li Mujin, holding their breath.

Shu Rui knew too well how insane this psychopath Li Mujin was, a walking corpse for two years, finally finding amusement again.

He smirked, took a sip of wine, closed his eyes, savoring the craftsmanship of this sip.

Li Mujin finally moved his toe.

Ding Ke picked up the button, squatting too long brought dizziness, not fully standing, she leaned forward, falling into Li Mujin’s arms.

Li Mujin didn’t catch her, she fell rather awkwardly.

But her loose hair swept across his arm, like dandelion seeds intimately touching his skin, reminding him of days and nights two years ago.

This hand had stroked her hair, embraced her waist, pinched her tender white skin leaving red marks, wiped away the sad light in her eyes.

He truly missed it.

Someone sneered, thinking they understood, even laughed, another mocked, “Playing hard to get? Looks like resisting, actions are all seduction.”

Before finishing, Li Mujin’s gaze swept over.

They froze, collectively standing still.

Li Mujin didn’t raise his head, maintaining his stance facing Ding Ke, only lifting his eyes.

Shu Rui saw, frowned, knowing this expression meant he was about to explode, immediately stood to drive these people out.

Ding Ke didn’t hesitate to leave with them, after two steps, Li Mujin pulled her back, pressed her against the sofa’s spine, their breaths confined to a finger’s width.

No one left, Ding Ke cursed, “Let me go!”

Li Mujin’s eyes slowly opened and closed, his lips slowly curled, fingertips lightly touching her eyelashes, “Louder, I can’t hear.”

“You’re sick! Li Mujin! Let me go!” Ding Ke’s calm face began showing anxious blush.

Li Mujin frowned slightly, Ding Ke didn’t call him by name, she had her preferred nicknames, scumbag, bastard, demon…

He didn’t release her, moved closer, lips brushing hers, hand lightly touching her cheek, “Who are you?”

Ding Ke’s hands couldn’t move, she bit his lip, drawing blood, thinking he’d instinctively let go, but he didn’t fear pain, didn’t fear blood, “Don’t care!”

“Not speaking properly won’t achieve your goal, Ke,” Li Mujin’s hand slid down her cheek, suddenly pinching her chin.

Ding Ke paused, realizing, “You’re holding me because I’m called Ding Ke. How many more Ding Kes do you want to harm?”

Li Mujin understood, she knew his name, knew his case, seen his face. She thought he was holding her because of the name, not because of their identical faces.

So, she only knew she shared a name with his Ding Ke, unaware their appearances were the same?

Is that it?

His hand continued downward, grasping her hand, pinching her fingertips, whispering in her ear, “Soon you’ll know if you are.”

Ding Ke had too many of his marks, any could expose her lie.

“Who I am has nothing to do with you! I called an ambulance in your car, reported to the police, if you don’t let me go, I guarantee you’ll face charges of assaulting women again!”

Li Mujin couldn’t be bothered to listen, her threat wasn’t as serious as saying she’d bite her tongue to death.

“I’m not joking!” Ding Ke didn’t give up struggling.

Li Mujin ignored her, his hand already at her shirt hem.

Ding Ke grew increasingly tense, twisting more violently, her palm lines glistening with sweat.

Li Mujin lifted her shirt hem.

“Ah-”

A cry of despair.

She thought she was about to meet her end here, Li Mujin stopped.

Li Mujin stared at her abdomen for a long time, losing all interest, leaving her, walking upstairs expressionless.

His Ke had a small cat paw-shaped burn scar on her abdomen.

This person did not.

Footnote:

1. Tai Ping Hou Kui(太平猴魁):A famous variety of Chinese green tea, originating from the Huangshan region in Anhui Province. It is known for its unique flat and elongated leaves, floral aroma, and smooth, refreshing taste.