The Eighth Orange

The night wind on the mountain was colder than in the concrete jungle of the city by more than a little. Wearing only a slip dress, Shen Qiancheng hugged her arms and kicked the offending tree beside her with a sharp thud. The cold made her nose tingle and her scalp prickle.

The night sky over the mountains was indeed beautiful—stars twinkling as if mocking her.

Minutes ago, Shen Qiancheng had walked to the foot of the mountain and remembered the station's operating hours: the last bus left at four in the afternoon.

There was no way to hail a taxi in this wilderness, so she had to wait here until dawn.

So what if she did? Even if she died, she wouldn't return to the village. Even if she died, she never wanted to see Liao Xue's disobedient expression again. She would take the earliest bus and leave, without a trace of hesitation.

"Miss Shen?"

Shen Qiancheng instinctively turned around and, sure enough, saw Liao Xue—wearing that white dress, fragile and delicate, standing in the wind.

Hmph. Just because she came looking for him, did he have to go back?

Liao Xue clenched her fingers and said, "Let's go back."

All her life, she had been making everyone angry. Perhaps her very existence was enough to provoke ire. She had always lived in trepidation, afraid to stir up trouble or offend anyone.

Shen Qiancheng must have been furious beyond measure—otherwise, why would she rage through the night waiting for a bus rather than listen to her explanation?

She had no confidence that she could make Shen Qiancheng forgive her and come back with her. She had caused trouble for everyone again, made someone else angry because of her.

She had never been able to do anything right...

The night wind howled lonely, threading between the two standing face to face—one with her chin raised, looking down from above; the other with her head lowered, guilty and wronged. The wind didn't know what had happened, curiously tousling their hair.

Liao Xue regretted asking the moment the words left her lips. Why would Shen Qiancheng agree?

"Alright."

Shen Qiancheng stared at Liao Xue's receding eyes, her nose aching more than before. Her heart beat in rhythm with her breath, and she didn't know why she had agreed.

Liao Xue jerked her head up, as if a sun that shouldn't appear at night had risen in her eyes—so dazzling that Shen Qiancheng couldn't bear to look, and regretted agreeing even more.

On the way back, neither spoke—one afraid that saying too much would make Shen Qiancheng change her mind, the other contemplating her chances of backing out now.

They walked in silence back to the Village Chief's house.

Once inside, they switched on the light. Liao Xue hurried to the kitchen to warm up the food, then carried it into the room.

Liao Xue carefully broached the subject: "I'm sorry, Miss Shen."

Shen Qiancheng raised an eyebrow. "What are you apologizing for? What did you do wrong? Just because you deliberately didn't wear the clothes I gave you—no big deal."

Liao Xue quickly explained, "I didn't dislike them."

Shen Qiancheng shook her head. "So you just don't like them, huh? Well, well. You said you'd listen to me alone, promised so nicely, but then—obey in public, defy in private!"

Liao Xue pinpointed the crux of the problem and immediately promised, "I'll only listen to you from now on. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do."

Shen Qiancheng said indignantly, "That's what you should have been doing all along."

After a warm meal, Shen Qiancheng finally felt the chill less biting. Seeing Liao Xue wiping the table in that white dress, she frowned and said, "Throw away that dress. I'll watch you do it."

Liao Xue had already tasted the bitterness of defying Shen Qiancheng, so she didn't dare say anything.

As the dress was tossed into the trash can, a satisfied smile appeared on Shen Qiancheng's face, and she couldn't help but praise, "Good girl. You're obedient now. Go take a shower."

Receiving the order, Liao Xue got up to bathe. Shen Qiancheng took out her phone and scanned the headlines of mainstream media, even flipping through entertainment tabloids—not a single mention of Su Zeye.

What was going on? Had someone suppressed the news?

Frowning, Shen Qiancheng grew uneasy. She unlocked her other phone system and sent a message to a number.

After doing that, she realized Liao Xue had been in the shower for half an hour.

The Village Chief's house was one of the few in Liao Family Village with a solar water heater, but even so, hot water was limited.

Shen Qiancheng regretted coming back.

She went to the bathroom door. Water could be heard inside; Liao Xue was still in there.

Shen Qiancheng knocked. "Hurry up. I need to shower too."

She didn't put much force into the knock, but the door swung open.

Steam blurred her vision. Under the showerhead was a gaunt back.

Shen Qiancheng saw shocking bruises—red, purple, blue, mixed together like the sunset she had seen that evening.

Liao Xue was bracing herself against the wall to wash her back. Her upper arm was mottled purple. Every time she raised her hand to wash her shoulder and back, it was as if she'd been struck; she bit her lower lip, the pain causing her to rise onto her tiptoes.

The showerhead rested on its holder. Liao Xue didn't dare move much, twisting her body to meet the stream of water.

A sliver of cool air snaked in, making Liao Xue's back chill and her whole body tremble. Then a warm layer pressed against her back.

"Why are you taking so long?"

Liao Xue's heart leaped; a scream almost escaped her lips.

How did Miss Shen get in? She wasn't wearing anything...

Shen Qiancheng noticed Liao Xue's blush and knew she was embarrassed again. She said in exasperation, "We're both women. What's there to be afraid of?"

Liao Xue was stiff, not daring to move, all her senses concentrated on her back. A hand's fingertips were examining her shoulder blades, ribs, and the whole back. The water continued to run. Liao Xue summoned her courage and asked, "Miss Shen, what's wrong?"

Shen Qiancheng looked at the back, where there wasn't an inch of unbroken skin, and was furious again. "Did that madwoman—your mother—do this to you?"

Liao Xue trembled and replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, "Mm."

Shen Qiancheng pressed down on Liao Xue's neck and ordered, "Don't move."

Liao Xue didn't dare move, standing rigidly.

Shen Qiancheng took the showerhead and carefully rinsed Liao Xue's back. The sight was harrowing, and Shen Qiancheng didn't dare scrub, letting the gentle stream wash over it.

"Who bathed you yesterday?"

Liao Xue answered honestly, "Auntie Liao Xi."

"Who?"

"The Village Chief's wife."

"Oh."

Liao Xue sensed a hint of dissatisfaction.

"I'll wash myself from now on..."

The warm stream stopped. Liao Xue hurriedly said, "I... I..."

Shen Qiancheng: "What? Come here. I'll put medicine on you."

Liao Xue didn't dare turn around, still facing the wall.

Shen Qiancheng sighed. "Fine, I'll come to you."

The ointment Shen Qiancheng used was left over from when Shi Jianren had beaten her. It was specially formulated for whip wounds and was also effective on bruises.

Shen Qiancheng thought, "I'm letting this little girl off easy again!"

The slightly cool ointment was scooped out of the jar. She'd been in a rush and forgotten cotton swabs, so she applied it with her fingertips. Warm fingertips, separated by the cool ointment, touched Liao Xue's burning skin, causing her flesh to tremble in waves.

Liao Xue's cheeks flushed. She felt as if Shen Qiancheng's hand was a lit match dancing across her back, every nerve stretched taut, nearly to its limit, on the edge of breaking.

Her breathing was erratic. She struggled to steady it, trying not to show any reaction.

Applying the medicine felt like forever, Liao Xue thought.

As Shen Qiancheng applied the ointment, her anger grew. Her hand pressed harder, and she said in frustration, "She hits you, so why don't you hit back?"

Liao Xue's heart trembled. She said helplessly, "It's no use..."

Shen Qiancheng didn't hear her and continued, "How can you live so spinelessly?"

Shen Qiancheng felt sick when she realized that it was her own doing that Liao Xue's back was like this. For the first time in her life, the word 'guilt' appeared in Shen Qiancheng's dictionary.

After finishing most of the back, Shen Qiancheng put away the cotton swab and said awkwardly, "You can reach the rest yourself. Go out. I need to shower."

Liao Xue awkwardly reached for the towel, wrapped herself tightly, and practically fled the room.

Shen Qiancheng showered quickly and went into the bedroom, where she found Liao Xue lying on the bed in pajamas, her wet hair spread out, big eyes fixed on her.

Shen Qiancheng put on a fierce look. "What are you staring at?"

Liao Xue smiled. "You look nice, Miss Shen."

Shen Qiancheng rolled her eyes, then suddenly noticed Liao Xue's forehead. After a long pause, she said, "I'll cut your hair."

Liao Xue was stunned, unable to keep up with Shen Qiancheng's train of thought.

Shen Qiancheng fetched a pair of scissors. She had long been annoyed by Liao Xue's scorched, messy hair, and while Liao Xue was being obedient, she decided to cut it now.

Liao Xue sat quietly on the stool with Shen Qiancheng's towel wrapped around her neck, watching strands of hair fall one by one in her reflection.

The scissors had just been sharpened and were very smooth. Shen Qiancheng used them easily, finishing in ten minutes.

Shen Qiancheng pulled out a small mirror and, as if presenting treasure, placed it in front of Liao Xue, puffing proudly. "See how pretty I cut it."

Liao Xue looked up. A pale face with no color on the lips, topped with a scarecrow-style haircut, stared back from the mirror.

She couldn't help it. The corners of her mouth twitched, then she pursed them. "Mm, very pretty."

Shen Qiancheng was pleased. She decided: from now on, she'd be a bit nicer to Liao Xue...

"Ahh! Why does the front look like this? Like a dog chewed on it!"

Even after lying down next to Liao Xue, the dog-chewed bangs haunted Shen Qiancheng's mind. Why did she keep failing Liao Xue?

Suddenly, Shen Qiancheng's eyes snapped open. She turned to look at Liao Xue beside her.

Since when did she, Shen Qiancheng, ever reflect on her own actions?

And Liao Xue was Shi Jianren's biological daughter!

To show mercy to an enemy is to be cruel to yourself!

The more she thought, the more frustrated she became. Wasn't she supposed to be tormenting Liao Xue? What was she doing? Feeling sorry for her? Impossible!

Liao Xue had fallen asleep, a smile playing on her lips.

Shen Qiancheng thought bitterly, "She must be having wonderful dreams. I can't sleep, and she dares to dream happily!"

She reached out, instinctively avoiding Liao Xue's injuries, and shook her hard.

Liao Xue stirred awake, her voice soft and sleepy. "What is it, Miss Shen? Do you need to use the toilet?"

She started to get up to look for a flashlight, but Shen Qiancheng pressed her shoulder, keeping her in place. With a stern face hidden in the darkness, she said impatiently, "Get up and go back to sleep!"

Liao Xue was puzzled.

Shen Qiancheng, now feeling justified, added, "I want to drink spring water tomorrow—from the mountain!"

With that, she lay down, turning her back to Liao Xue, and said nothing more.

Better that Liao Xue falls off the mountain, Shen Qiancheng thought viciously. But then she remembered the excellent toothpaste, the warm washing water, the hand-pulled noodles...

She let out a silent sigh and said, "Never mind. Just squeeze a bit more toothpaste. The stuff at the village shop doesn't even foam."