CH 14

Chapter 14 – Baby

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Following behind with the disabled girl on his back, Su Qin helped Li Chuan carry his bag. Not knowing what was in the man’s backpack as it was quite heavy.

Mountain paths, especially the rocky area, were not easy to tread and bears were often reported roaming around, so the villagers rarely go over there. Many places there had no paths with overgrown brambles that required people to stride over.

Su Qin’s injury was not serious at first but the wound got deeper and deeper after getting scraped by the twigs.

Just when everyone was worn out and couldn’t go on anymore, a bare mountain cliff towering into the clouds blocked their path that even one with flying skill could not have climbed up.

Illuminating the cliff with the flashlight, Meng Sisi gasped with her arms akimbo, “Such a tall mountain, we may not be able to cross over even in a flying plane ah!”

“This way.” Leading the way, Su Qin stopped in front of a big rock and pushed it to reveal a half-person-tall hole.

Lowering her body, she got in first to show everyone the way.

Since the cave mouth was very narrow, Li Chuan, who is very tall, bumped on the wall several times. The inner cave gradually widened the deeper one entered and constant water flowing sound was inside. With the illumination of several flashlights, the cave brightened up at once and the white rocky walls were enchanting.

The cave was very big and there was a small river which for whatever reason the water was sky blue. The rapid flow of water gathered at the other cave entrance formed a downwards cliff cascade.

Meng Sisi was astonished by the white rocky walls and the blue flowing water inside the cave. Nature is such a superlative craftsman. The view here was really … unseen before and beautiful.

Though Lin Xiaoyin has been to many places and has seen many beautiful scenery, the view here has also left her stunned.

“Wu … “

Zhang Er’wa, who had been tied up in the cave for many days, was awakened by them and his face was filled with horror seeing these girls who he abducted and sold here.

Wen Mei saw him first. Dropping the bedding in her hands, she walked towards him and kicked him hard on his face. Meng Sisi also came to beat him up. When she was tired, she squatted down in place and spoke gaspingly, “You just wait, wait to eat a lifetime prison’s meals! I will definitely make your life worse than death!”

As the little girl spoke, she picked up some pebbles and smashed him in the face.

Being gagged, Zhang Er’wa could not speak and only grunted. His head was badly bruised, but he would not die.

Su Qin spread the bedding on the floor and together with Li Chuan, they placed the disabled girl down and covered her with a quilt, so that she could not catch a chill.

Li Chuan glanced at Su Qin when she went to wash her face by the edge of the water.

Her face was hardly bare since it was covered in herbs and wrapped with a scarf these few days.

Taking the scarf off, Su Qin put it in the water to wet it then wrung it out to wipe the herbs off her face.

The rash and bruises on her face had faded with only a scabbed scar across her cheek, waiting to be healed. But even so, it did not affect her beauty.

It wasn’t until she washed her face clean that Lin Xiaoyin could see she was actually a 14 or 15 year old girl. She thought this girl was about her age, but seeing her now, she was just a child.

Lin Xiaoyin, who had been silent all the way, asked, “How long are we going to hide here?”

“We will hide until the police come looking for us.” Wen Mei said to her while spreading out the bedding on the ground, “If you want to use the quilt tonight, come over and help.”

Lin Xiaoyin pursed her lips and went over to help spread out the bedding.

She is probably the oldest amongst these girls. As a graduate and to actually get angry with a junior high school student, she inevitably felt mocked thinking about it.

She turned her face to steal a glance at Li Chuan, but found him looking at the little girl washing her face over there.

The makeshift beds were done.

Wen Mei asked Su Qin, “Su-su, how do we sleep tonight?”

“Cramming together.”

Meng Sisi glanced at Li Chuan and coughed lightly, “There are only three quilts and we can only use them together, so … what about Teacher Li?”

With a good temperament, good looks and a good sense of propriety, it was in fact okay to squeeze next to Li Chuan. But the problem was that … Teacher Li was just too outstanding who instead caused the girls to feel bashful and not quite dare to approach him.

“I’ll sleep next to Teacher Li.” Getting up, Su Qin wiped her hair with the wet cloth and turned to look at Li Chuan, “Teacher Li, you won’t mind?”

Li Chuan shook his head with tenderness in eyes, indicating that he didn’t mind.

Not saying anything, Lin Xiaoyin didn’t feel quite good. On one hand, she felt she shouldn’t be jealous of a little girl but on the other hand, she thought this girl was not that simple.

With the flashlight inserted in the gap of the rocky wall, the lighting inside the cave was not very bright and the light beam happened to shine in Su Qin’s direction.

The girl’s appearance was quite exquisite with rosy lips and white teeth. Her draping black hair hung down to her waist with ingenious her black eyes and skin as white as the spring snow. Although this 15-year-old girl is not fully grown, her attractive aura and beauty has already developed.

This was the first time Meng Sisi and Wen Mei saw her true face after spending so many days together.

Meng Sisi exclaimed ‘Wow’, “Sister Su Qin, your skin is so fair ah.”

Fairness covers hundreds of ugliness. Su Qin is naturally fair-skinned. Even at the age of 30, her skin was still clearly white and baby soft.

Su Qin is very beautiful, and Li Chuan doesn’t deny this.

After rescuing Su Qin in his previous lifetime, it was many years later before they crossed paths again. At that time, Su Qin had set up a tailoring shop outside their neighborhood that specialized in altering clothes.

Her craftsmanship was good and was widely renowned.

Li Chuan had a suit, which was a gift from his grandmother that he was reluctant to throw away and would wear on the anniversary of his grandmother’s death.

But that year, Li Chuan’s suit was deliberately damaged by his little cousin. Hearing the lady boss of the tailoring shop downstairs had good skills, he went to seek her out.

The tailoring shop had a small storefront, decorated in white which was modern and simple, and not quite like those tailoring shops he had imagined, but rather like a very high-end designing studio.

Propping her chin with one hand, the lady boss was scribbling on a white piece of paper.

The woman’s head was hanging low and her scattered black hair covered half of her face with only the tip of her nose, lips and lower jaw visible. She had a choker on her slender neck and a pearl pendant rested in the hollow of her collarbone.

Noticing someone at the door, Su Qin looked up at him.

Li Chuan met her pair of clear eyes and froze for a moment.

Recognizing him, Su Qin gave him a confident and befitting smile, “Hello Professor Li, long time no see.”

Seeing him dumbfounded, Su Qin laughed and teased, “Professor Li? Did you forget me? Su Qin, the girl you rescued back then.”

“Oh.” Li Chuan handed her the suit jacket in his hand, “Help me take a look, can you mend it?”

Su Qin took the jacket from him and looked at it, “En, can. You wait a moment, I’ll sew it for you.”

The suit was a haute couture that she sewed up stitch by stitch with truly excellent workmanship.

With lowered eyebrows, she threaded the needle and her serious appearance reminded him of a kindly old lady.

Li Chuan looked at the woman carefully.

Dressed in a off-shoulder striped shirt revealing a pair of stunning shoulders, a hint of sexyness filled the room when her shoulder shrugged as she moved.

He thought, should they be considered as fated?

**********

Since that day, Li Chuan would often come to her with torn clothes.

The clothes he brought each time were deliberately torn by cuts. It didn’t matter if it was once or twice but after a long time, Su Qin began feeling sorry for those clothes of his. After all, these clothes were not cheap.

The piece of clothing he brought over was most likely her monthly income.

She finally spoke plainly one day, “Professor Li, you know better than anyone else about my past. If you are trying to pursue me, regretfully, I don’t think I am worthy of you.”

Since his intention was discovered, the single older man, who had never pursued any girl before, was silent for a moment, then turned around and left.

Li Chuan no longer came after that.

Su Qin’s life went on as usual, and also attended those usual blind dates, but those who had learned of her such past would just cease their pursuits.

A month later, Su Qin’s high school teacher introduced her to a university professor, who she originally didn’t want to go meet him up with. She didn’t think those teachers could accept her past. Since it was rude to refuse the teacher’s good intentions, she just forced herself to go.

Except the person she had a blind date with was unexpectedly …. Li Chuan.

In fact, both of them didn’t have any common topic of conversation. The whole blind date was quite awkward but when the two people walked on the greenway after dinner, Li Chuan suddenly confessed to her, “Su Qin, we are really fated. Marry me.”

Su Qin didn’t question if he liked her but merely asked him, “Will you and your family mind about my past?”

“No.”

At that time, Li Chuan had long sever ties with his family and was considered a loner.

Professor Li had a stable career, good looks and a gentle temperament, making him a very suitable husband. On the contrary, half of Su Qin’s life had been rough. Feeling weary, she suddenly wanted to find someone to rely on and to settle down, so she agreed.

Su Qin knew that Li Chuan actually didn’t like her much, but she understood that if she let Professor Li slip away, she would never meet such a good man again.

So, it doesn’t matter even if one spends the remaining years alone after savoring the taste of a best man, right?

People around weren’t optimistic about her and Li Chuan, including herself.

Li Chuan had never said he liked her, nor did he say ‘I like you’ when he confessed. He merely said ‘We are suitable’.

It was only after the wedding she realized that he married her only because at some point, she reminded him of his grandmother. Of course, Li Chuan had also bluntly said that she was good-looking.

It sounded like the two of them just made do with their lives and got what they needed, but Li Chuan was indeed a qualified husband and father after the marriage. Even though Lin Xiaoyin had been after him for many years, he never thought of divorce.

After the marriage, they mutually respected each other and their lives were harmonious too. She became pregnant with their daughter, Baobao, after a year of marriage.

Su Qin was very clear that Professor Li’s feelings for her were never love and after the birth of their daughter, Baobao, there was an unbreakable familial bond between them.

And that kind of familial bond was far beyond romantic love.

Looking back at the previous lifetime, Su Qin’s youth was difficult. Her family forsaken her and her workplace was toxic, but she after all married a perfect husband and had a lovely daughter, which was considered blessed compared to other abducted girls.

Having never experienced a melodramatic romance, probably was her utmost regret.

At wee hours, the girls were all soundly asleep.

Li Chuan slept on the far edge with Su Qin lying behind him and the girl’s breathing was uniformly. The cave was pitch dark, yet he turned sideways and opened his eyes to look at the girl’s face, as if he could see her features.

Li Chuan wanted to hug her very badly, but he couldn’t. After all, she is not his wife now but just a 15-year-old child.

He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes. The girl huddled up and burrowed into his arms. Su Qin’s height is only about 1.6 meters while he is 1.9 meters tall.

The girl curled up in his arms, like a little kitten huddling under the belly of a male lion.

Falling back a little, Li Chuan’s back was exposed outside the quilt.

The girl then moved forward with her head pressing against his sturdy chest, like a little kitten … rubbing against him.

“! !” Li Chuan stiffened and his toes were ramrod taut.

The fine hairs on the man’s body shot up with accelerated heartbeats. He felt the flustered sense of losing his wits and his face was burning red.

Just as he was thinking about how to push the girl away, her leg was then placed directly on his waist while her arm was on his face and was tugging … his ear in passing.

Li Chuan’s heart almost jumped out of his throat when his ear was tugged, “ ….. “

— Baby, please let go. You are still a child.