Chapter 16: Ghosts
Dong Ci cut her index finger while she was chopping vegetables. The point of a knife sank into her fingertip.
Luo Nan licked her fingertip and got a metallic taste of blood. “Be careful.”
Finally, they went out and had dinner in a restaurant. Luo Nan said, “Gentlemen should stay away from the kitchen.”
Dong Ci got into the elevator. She was so sleepy that she could hardly keep her eyes open. “I’m so tired. I’m going to go to bed as soon as I get home.”
Luo Nan held Dong Ci’s arm and said, “To hell with the agreement between you and your boss. You are working so hard every day. Why not quit your job and marry me?”
Five months ago, Dong Ci had made an agreement with the boss of Starlight International Travel Agency that she would work for him for another half a year.
“Be patient. The agreement will expire in a month. I like the way we live now.” Dong Ci took out the key and opened the door. “Numerous marriages now end in divorce. As long as we are together and love each other, we don’t have to get married.”NôvelDrama.Org owns this.
“Bah! Don’t talk nonsense. We won’t divorce,” Ronan smiled.
But he knew what Dong Ci said was the truth.
Luo Nan pulled the curtains together. The air-conditioner thrummed and cool air whooshed. He picked up Dong Ci, placed her on the bed, and then took off his pants.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
As desire gradually filled Luo Nan’s eyes, he donned a flirtatious smile and said, “It’s really my lucky day. You said that you wanted to go to bed. So, let’s do it.”
With that he pressed her against the bed and climbed on her. The fire of lust burned inside him and his forehead was oozing sweat. Her delicate face was enveloped by the orange light. Under the hot eyes of Luo Nan, she blushed and said, “Turn off the light. By the way, you should wear a condom.”
Before marriage, the condom could save them some trouble.
“My silly girl, you are so charming in bed. Why don’t we make love with the light on? It must be exciting.” Luo Nan stared hungrily at her naked body.
Dong Ci raised her voice, “Just turn off the lights. We are very familiar with each other, so do our bodies. So, it’s not exciting for me to make love with you under the lights.”
“All right.” Luo Nan reached out to turn off the light. “In exchange, you have to do as I wish tonight.”
“Okay. Turn off the light quickly.” Dong Ci twisted her head sideways and closed her eyes.
The apartment was very quiet. Dong Ci could only hear the sound of their bodies flapping against each other and the chirping of cicadas outside the window. The crescent moon hung in the sky.
Dong Ci slowly opened her eyes and looked back at Luo Nan. He was continuously plunging deep into her body and created a wave of pleasure. His whole body was dripping with sweat. ‘It’s really a hard work but he seemingly indulges in it,’ Dong Ci thought.
The door was closed. There was an indistinct, strangely amorphous shadow in the corner.
Dong Ci fixed her eyes on the shadow and found that it was three women. One of them was holding a little boy in her arms. They moved slowly towards Luo Nan and Dong Ci.
Dong Ci opened her mouth and shouted, “Luo Nan…”
But she failed to go on speaking because Luo Nan suddenly thrust into her and began to stir violently. He smiled, “You promised that you would flatter me in bed tonight…”
Dong Ci let out a groan of pain and enjoyment and shook her head. He grasped both her hands tightly and refused to let her go.
Even in the darkness, Dong Ci could see that the ghosts were in ancient costumes. As they approached, she was startled by their incomplete faces. It was a horrible scene. They didn’t have noses and many irregularly shaped pieces of skin were attached by juicy rotten flesh to their faces. The woman with the little boy in her arms had a snowy neck. The boy rested his head against her shoulder, grabbed her hair and shoved it into his mouth. He swallowed her long black hair and then slowly pulled it out from his stomach. Her hair got wet in his gastric juice and viscous liquid dripped onto the floor.
They reached the bedside and one of the women reached out a skinny, sallow hand.
Luo Nan was working hard for his first orgasm. Soon he achieved it. The gruff gasps came out of his mouth and his body was slowly loosening its clasp on her. Exhausted, he lay down next to her and covered her naked legs with his legs.
Dong Ci turned on the light and found nobody around her except Luo Nan. The three women and the boy had disappeared. The curtains billowed in the breeze. The room was cold and Dong Ci couldn’t help shivering.
“There are ghosts in the room.” Dong Ci wiped her mouth with a tissue.
Luo Nan kissed Dong Ci on the lips and said, “Yes, there are ghosts in the room.”
“Did you also see them?” She got out of the bed and wanted to go to the bathroom.
“Yes. I am one of them, the so-called ‘lecherous ghost’.” Luo Nan lit a cigarette.
Dong Ci stiffened. “I’m scared. Can you accompany me to the bathroom?”
“You are really a coward.” Luo Nan turned up the temperature, walked over and stood naked at the door of the bathroom. “The remote control shows that it’s 20 degrees Celsius, but I feel it’s 10 degrees Celsius. The GREE air-conditioner is of high quality and has a good cooling effect.”
Dong Ci sat on the toilet and raised her voice, “My period is coming. Please give me a sanitary napkin. Hurry up!”
Luo Nan walked into the bathroom and handed some sanitary napkins to her. “Are you okay? Do you feel a pain in your abdomen?”
“Yes. Fortunately, I don’t have to go to work tomorrow.”
Dong Ci turned off the air-conditioner and opened the window. With the light on, she lay down on the bed and rested her head against Luo Nan’s shoulder. “I’m afraid of ghosts.”
“Don’t be afraid. I’m by your side. If the ghosts come, I will throttle them. Now close your eyes, and have a good sleep.” Luo Nan patted Dong Ci gently on the head.
Dong Ci dreamed about rats. In her dream, numerous rats dived into her stomach and bit her entrails. She felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen.
The next morning when she woke up, she found the sheet stained with black blood.
Luo Nan was startled. “You’d better go to the hospital for a check-up. Your menstrual blood has an abnormal color.”
“It must be because I have drunk too much Coke in the past few days. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Go and change your pants. I’m sorry.” Dong Ci looked at Luo Nan with a guilty look on her face because his favorite underpants printed with a pattern of ants had been dyed red by her menstrual blood.
Luo Nan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her words. “I’ve never heard that drinking too much Coke would cause this.”
“Just take a shower with your underpants. In this way you can wash your body and underpants at the same time,” Dong Ci said teasingly.
“It’s a good idea.” Luo Nan took off his underpants and walked towards Dong Ci with a mischievous smile on his face. “You lazy little piggy, get up!” Then he went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Dong Ci threw the bloodstained sheet into the washing machine. Soon the sheet was soaked and metallic smell of blood slowly filled the room.
After breakfast, Luo Nan said, “I’ve got to go to work. What do you going to do today? ”
“I’m going to go shopping with my colleague, Chai Wenxiu.” Dong Ci wrapped her arms around his neck and continued, “Will you miss me?”
“Yes, I will. Do you have enough money to buy what you want? If you run out of money, just call me,” Luo Nan said before going out.
Many years later, Dong Ci still remembered those words and his gentle smile.