Reservoir Dogs chapter 94

Why Come Back?

Even soft leather, when worn for too long, would still chafe the skin, especially when pulled forcefully.

Jiang Chengyuan removed the collar from Xiao Zhou’s neck and applied ointment to his injuries with the medicine he had bought.

Xiao Zhou sat on the edge of the bed, confined between Jiang Chengyuan’s legs, and when he lowered his eyes, he could see Jiang Chengyuan’s focused expression as he applied the ointment. This patience and concern used to bring him a sense of tranquil joy, but now it was unbearable.

He felt exhausted, too drained to continue this battle. “Can I stop wearing this? I won’t run away. I still have the ankle shackles, don’t I?”

Jiang Chengyuan’s actions remained gentle. “I know, but if I don’t know where you are, it makes me anxious.”

“Don’t you think this is really messed up?” Xiao Zhou was in pain, feeling that Jiang Chengyuan’s behavior had reached an obsessive level. He used to be more rational than emotional, but now he was like a dormant volcano erupting uncontrollably.

The cooling ointment stung the wounds, and Jiang Chengyuan’s unconscious pressure made it worse. “Didn’t you say you love me? Why can’t you even stay by my side now?”

“I do love you. But if this continues, I’m going to lose my mind.” Xiao Zhou closed his eyes, shrank his neck, almost instinctively avoiding Jiang Chengyuan’s touch. He was confined in this place, not seeing the light of day, with no end in sight, his entire life controlled by Jiang Chengyuan. He didn’t hate Jiang Chengyuan, but he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of fear and unfamiliarity.

When the ointment was finally applied, Jiang Chengyuan put away the small jar and wiped his hands with a tissue.

“I want to see Mom.” Xiao Zhou pleaded softly.

Jiang Chengyuan hesitated slightly but didn’t make things difficult for him in this matter. “Okay, I’ll take you.”

At Xiao Zhou’s urging, they went to the hospital the next day.

Xiao Zhou hadn’t been outside for a long time, but because he was worried about his mother, he didn’t feel much joy or relief along the way.

Liu Xia was in good spirits, and after consulting with the doctor, they learned that her recovery was going well, and her strong body wouldn’t have any major issues. Xiao Zhou breathed a huge sigh of relief. He sat by the bed, peeling an apple for Liu Xia, while Jiang Chengyuan was called away by a phone call. When he returned, he said he had some matters to deal with and told Xiao Zhou to wait for him in the hospital.

Xiao Zhou was stunned for a moment, watched him leave, then turned back to continue peeling the apple. Suddenly, he stood up, eyes wide, his chest heaving as he realized he was free.

Was this a trap? Xiao Zhou felt anxious and paced back and forth in the ward twice. Finally, he decided that even if it was a trap, he had to try. Anyway, Jiang Chengyuan wouldn’t really do anything worse to him; it couldn’t get worse than now.

After saying goodbye to Liu Xia, Xiao Zhou went to the bathroom. The ankle shackles were a problem, so he needed to get rid of them first. He smashed them hard with the toilet lid twice. The sharp edges of the broken ceramic cut his calf, causing some bleeding, but it wasn’t serious. He knew that breaking the shackles would definitely trigger an alarm and alert Jiang Chengyuan, so his time was limited.

Leaving the hospital, he called a cab to the station. Xiao Zhou had thought it through; he planned to leave this place first, giving both of them some time to cool down. He still had some expectations and deep feelings for Jiang Chengyuan, believing that Jiang Chengyuan had just temporarily gone off the deep end. Given time to think clearly, Jiang Chengyuan wouldn’t surely continue down this unreasonable path.

The station hall was crowded with people. Xiao Zhou was grateful that he had brought his ID when he left, otherwise he wouldn’t even be able to buy a ticket. However, as soon as he inserted his ID into the self-service machine, a piercing alarm sounded. Shocked, he stared at the flashing red light, and for a moment, the passing crowd turned to look at him, leaving him frozen in place, at a loss for what to do.

When Jiang Chengyuan appeared, Xiao Zhou looked over and saw that he was still the most noticeable one in the crowded room. Tall, handsome, well-dressed, and calm, Jiang Chengyuan showed no surprise as if everything was within his expectations. He was methodically approaching his trapped prey.

How could it be such a coincidence? Xiao Zhou’s mind was in such disarray that he couldn’t make sense of anything. Suddenly, a thought struck him like lightning.

Buying a subway ticket and getting caught, and now reporting to the police, all happened after showing his ID. Jiang Chengyuan’s control over him was not a personal action but rather an erasure of his social existence. Jiang Chengyuan had imprisoned him, and perhaps this could be completely legal.

Xiao Zhou couldn’t help but start trembling. He was extremely terrified, his spine chilled. He had nowhere to escape to and no reason to run. 

The collar engraved with Jiang Chengyuan’s name, beyond its binding significance, was more a symbol of ownership. He was Jiang Chengyuan’s private property, to be disposed of at his will.

This had been Jiang Chengyuan’s plan from start to finish, to make him completely give up.

He was Jiang Chengyuan’s puppet, his prey, doomed to never escape even in death, only able to exist in dependence.

——

Jiang Chengyuan took Xiao Zhou back. Xiao Zhou didn’t say a word along the way, not even showing any signs of resistance, as if he had resigned himself to his fate. Jiang Chengyuan held his hand in his palm, which was icy cold without a trace of warmth.

…..

After this incident, Xiao Zhou became gloomy and despondent. Jiang Chengyuan seemed to notice his hopelessness and, wanting to console him, didn’t restrain him as much.

Without the restraints, Xiao Zhou had more opportunities to go out.

The first time, Jiang Chengyuan accompanied him. They went to the wonton shop they had visited before, but walking the same path felt entirely different now. The second time, Jiang Chengyuan waited at the street corner, allowing Xiao Zhou to go to the convenience store to buy things and come back. But just as Xiao Zhou stepped into the store, Jiang Chengyuan suddenly chased after him from behind, grabbed his hand, and pulled him away.

Jiang Chengyuan’s palm was wet with cold sweat. Xiao Zhou, being dragged along quickly, thought, so Jiang Chengyuan wasn’t lying before, he truly would panic.

They walked all the way to the community. Only then did Jiang Chengyuan let go of Xiao Zhou’s hand, then slowed his steps, trailing behind. Xiao Zhou was watched all the way home, feeling as if a cold snake was slithering down his back, making him uneasy.

After locking the door, Jiang Chengyuan hugged Xiao Zhou from behind, tightening his hold around his waist, kissing his neck, pressing his face against his hair, and slipping his hand under Xiao Zhou’s shirt to caress him slowly moving up along his chest, pinching his nipple, rubbing it gently.

Xiao Zhou’s body was stiff, allowing Jiang Chengyuan to knead and squeeze him. He was already familiar with Jiang Chengyuan’s touch and intimacy, so he didn’t resist much, even instinctively responding. Yet, rationally, he despised this compliance, always reminding himself of everything Jiang Chengyuan had done.

..

That night, waking up in the middle of the night with no sleepiness, Xiao Zhou stared at the moon through the half-drawn curtains for a while. Careful not to disturb Jiang Chengyuan, he quietly got out of bed, walked barefoot to the living room, fetched a bottle of wine from the cabinet, and took some ice from the freezer. He placed three square ice cubes in a glass, poured the golden liquid over them, and sat on the sofa, aimlessly sipping to pass the long night.

The living room light suddenly came on, and Jiang Chengyuan walked out. Xiao Zhou, already bleary-eyed with drunkenness, looked up at him and smiled, raising his glass. “Want to join me?”

His cheeks were flushed with the warmth of the alcohol, showing a few youthful, handsome features. Jiang Chengyuan silently walked over, sat down, and took the glass from Xiao Zhou, drinking from the spot where his lips had touched.

The bottle emptied quickly. Xiao Zhou, swaying, stood up to get more, but Jiang Chengyuan pulled him back, then got up himself to fetch a couple more bottles.

When they were drinking heavily, Xiao Zhou held a mouthful of wine, leaned over, grabbed Jiang Chengyuan’s neck, and fed it to him.

Just as he wanted to end the kiss, Jiang Chengyuan held his waist, preventing him from retreating, deepening the kiss, stealing the air from his mouth, pressing their bodies tightly together as if wanting to embed him inside, with a fierce, devouring dominance.

Panicked, Xiao Zhou struggled, finally pushing him away a bit to take a breath, confusedly asking, “Weren’t we drinking?”

Jiang Chengyuan’s eyes were deep as he looked at him, released him a bit, and nodded, “Drink.”

Jiang Chengyuan had a good tolerance for alcohol, but even he couldn’t handle such reckless drinking. Xiao Zhou, already drunk and muddled, poured all his pent-up frustration into the drinks, wanting to get so drunk that he didn’t have to think or deal with anything. Soon, the empty bottles were scattered on the floor, and the two of them fell asleep embracing each other.

It was almost noon the next day when Jiang Chengyuan woke up. The curtains in the living room were not drawn, and the blazing sunlight made his eyelids burn. His brain was still sluggish, and the hangover-induced headache was deep and persistent. He pressed his fist against his brow, trying to block the light, and slowly opened his eyes, sitting up from the sofa. His body felt rusty from sleeping on the soft cushion, each movement causing his joints to creak and ache.

He staggered to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and splashed his face with cold water. Still not fully awake, he decided to take a cold shower, letting the water wake him up completely. Walking out barefoot, he dried himself, put on clothes, and headed to the living room, where he paused at the mess they had made. The spilled wine had stained the carpet, and a thin blanket was carelessly thrown on the sofa. Slowly frowning, he realized something was missing—someone was missing.

Jiang Chengyuan changed his shoes and rushed out, not noticing that he wore them on the wrong feet. While waiting for the elevator, he stared at the red button, his palm clenched tightly, his pale knuckles protruding. His heart was pounding violently, and suddenly he bent over, unable to support himself, pressing his forehead against the wall. His mind was in chaos, not knowing where to go or what to do, his chest felt tight, as if he couldn’t breathe.

Stepping out of the lobby, the sun was scorching like a fireball, causing the ground to emit waves of heat. Jiang Chengyuan’s face was pale, his skin so thin that the blue veins were visible, looking weak and detached from the world, devoid of any warmth.

He didn’t even drive, just walked aimlessly towards the entrance of the residential area. Suddenly, he heard someone shouting his name loudly.

“Jiang Chengyuan!”

Jiang Chengyuan turned sideways and saw a figure running towards him at full speed, rushing into his arms like the wind.

Jiang Chengyuan was stunned, but was quickly pushed aside heavily by the person.

Immediately after, a shiny, cold knife stabbed straight into Xiao Zhou’s back.

The knife barely entered before Xiao Zhou grabbed the attacker’s wrist, the blade slicing open. The attacker gritted his teeth and pushed the knife in a few more inches, but Xiao Zhou twisted the wrist and disarmed him.

Xiao Zhou turned around and kicked the person away, then reached behind his back, gritting his teeth as he pulled out the knife.

Throwing the knife aside, his face turned pale with pain. He barely managed to take a breath before rushing over, grabbing the attacker who was getting up from the ground and delivering a karate chop to the back of their neck, knocking them out. Xiao Zhou checked their breathing to make sure they were alive, then dragged them towards Jiang Chengyuan.

As he got closer, he lifted the person’s face to show Jiang Chengyuan, “Do you know him?”

Jiang Chengyuan didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the blood seeping from Xiao Zhou’s body. Instinctively, he tried to stop the bleeding from Xiao Zhou’s back, but the warm blood kept flowing out, quickly soaking his hand.

Watching the blood flow uncontrollably, Jiang Chengyuan’s lips trembled, and he became flustered, even a bit frantic, “Why did you come back!”

Xiao Zhou’s lips were pale from blood loss. He swayed, barely able to stand, and tossed the person into Jiang Chengyuan’s arms, “Call the police. This guy has been stalking you for a long time.”

Jiang Chengyuan didn’t care about that. He pushed the person to the ground and supported Xiao Zhou. He took off his clothes to bind Xiao Zhou’s wound, wrapping it around his chest and back, his hands shaking as he tied the knot, “Don’t worry about that person. Are you okay? Does it hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Xiao Zhou said softly, feeling dizzy. His dark eyes shone with a soft light, “It’s just a small wound. It didn’t hit any organs.”

Though he said that and believed it, he still fainted from excessive blood loss while being supported by Jiang Chengyuan. Before his vision went dark, he felt a hot tear fall on his face.

In fact, Xiao Zhou had planned to leave that day. He had wanted to leave for a long time, unable to bear going on like this. But when he left the residential area, he noticed a suspicious figure. Initially, he ignored it and continued walking, even stopping at a breakfast shop for fried dough sticks and soy milk. Then he found a cab willing to take him long-distance. As he sat in the cab, watching the passing road signs and pedestrians, the suspicious figure he saw that morning kept haunting his mind. Eventually, he had the driver turn around and go back.

Sitting in the cab, he was extremely anxious and scared. Luckily, he made it back in time.

Once he confirmed that Jiang Chengyuan was safe, Xiao Zhou was relieved.

He knew he owed Jiang Chengyuan. Jiang Chengyuan had saved his life, so he could never allow anything to happen to him. He might feel hopeless and want to leave, but he couldn’t watch someone harm Jiang Chengyuan or see him in danger.

Perhaps they would always be entangled like this, like the mysterious and dangerous deep sea, dragging people down while having a fatal attraction.