Dangerous Liaisons - Chapter 23

Chuyu woke up to find the light in the cave had grown dim. She was still naked, held tightly against the man’s chest. He slept soundly, his breathing steady. The twilight seemed to seep in from outside, wrapping the cave in a faint, dusky glow.

Chuyu propped herself up slightly and looked down at him. The wound on his chest had reopened during their earlier intensity. She reached out, her fingers lightly tracing the line of the injury, feeling the texture of his skin beneath her touch. Some of the blood had dried, leaving a rough, crusted trail where her fingers passed.

A tingling sensation spread across her back as her nerves tingled. The man stirred as she touched him, his hand on her back beginning to move upward, exploring her body. Chuyu lowered her eyes and spoke softly, “You can’t do this again. Your wound needs to be treated.”

“It’s just a flesh wound. Nothing serious.”

Lu Zimo wrapped his arm around Chuyu’s waist, pulling her closer until she was leaning over him. He studied her face intently. “Does it still hurt?”

A softness stirred in her heart. Chuyu shook her head. “Stay still. Let me take care of your wound.”

She felt the pain, but he must have been in pain too, with such a long wound. Did his willingness to endure the pain to hold her reveal something deeper in his heart?

Chuyu dressed and walked over to Lu Zimo, who had also put on his pants. He smiled quietly at her, allowing her to re-stitch the parts of his wound that had torn open. She turned on the desk lamp, its warm orange light illuminating her focused expression.

“Someone from Thailand will be here the day after tomorrow. I’ll leave with them. After I’m gone, Bayu will take you away.”
Chuyu’s hands paused for a moment before she continued. She didn’t look up, but her reaction didn’t escape Lu Zimo. He spoke softly, “I’ll deposit some money under Bayu’s name. You can use it as you wish…”

Chuyu suddenly stood up, but Lu Zimo grabbed her firmly. He looked up at her, his gaze steady. “Do you think I’m insulting you with money?”

Chuyu’s face flushed, but she couldn’t find the words to respond. Lu Zimo continued, his tone serious, “Xiaoyu, remember this. If you want both of us to live safely, you need to accept my arrangements and everything that will happen to me. Since you’ve decided to go this far with me, forget about morals or principles. All you need to do is two things: accept and ignore.”

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The news of the Thai delegation’s arrival seemed to have spread. Lu Zimo no longer hid in the cave and began moving openly around the gold mining site. His reappearance caused the hidden sentries around the site to withdraw. Sophie’s side remained quiet, perhaps suppressed by the Snake. Despite this, the air was thick with tension, a calm before the storm. The mining site appeared normal during the day, but at night, security was tightened, with armed patrols working around the clock.

The undercurrents were turbulent, ready to erupt at any moment.

There were women at the mining site, mostly relatives of the workers. After Lu Zimo’s reappearance, Chuyu’s movements were less restricted, though still under his tight control. During the day, she could see the women from a distance, wearing coarse brown dresses, their long hair tied up, washing clothes or cooking. They were thin, their skin darkened by long exposure to the sun, with hollow eyes and expressionless faces.

But the mining site was dominated by men—strong, bare-chested men with bronzed skin. Gold mining was grueling work. They spent their days knee-deep in water, sifting through sand for tiny grains of gold. They also took turns working in the fields. The land was fertile but wild. Without labor, there would be no food.
The constant physical labor had turned these men into beasts, a stark contrast to their women. However, the work had also taken its toll. Many of them had bad knees and hunched backs. Their skin was leathery, reflecting the sunlight, with veins bulging like tattoos beneath the surface.

They were silent, rarely speaking to each other. Their presence carried a dangerous, bloody aura.

Perhaps to avoid drawing too much attention, Lu Zimo had dressed Chuyu like the other mining women. She wore the same coarse brown dress, her skin darkened with soot, her hair tied up. When he moved around the wooden cabin, she followed. As Chuyu observed the men by the river, Lu Zimo spoke softly behind her, “They’re all murderers.”

Chuyu turned to him in shock. Lu Zimo’s expression was indifferent as he gazed at the river’s shimmering surface. “No one would come to this godforsaken place unless they had no other choice.”

This was likely why the mining site was so heavily guarded. Day and night, armed men patrolled in jeeps or with guard dogs, ensuring no one escaped or smuggled out gold. The relationship between the miners and the site owners was a delicate balance of dependence and hatred.

Lu Zimo had expressed his disdain to Chuyu. These men were criminals. He had pointed out a man with a prominent scar on his face, telling her he was a rapist and murderer who had taken the lives of sixteen young girls before being forced to work here. These men were not human; they were beasts in human skin.

Chuyu remembered Bayu’s words: they were more dangerous than wild wolves.

Though she stayed close to Lu Zimo and dressed like the other women, Chuyu felt their eyes on her. Their gazes were predatory, as if they were mentally violating her. She began to fear them, avoiding places where they could see her.
Lu Zimo’s wound didn’t worsen. During the day, he wore loose dark shirts that hid the bandages, showing no sign of discomfort. In fact, he seemed to disregard his injury entirely. He drove, rode horses, made love, drank, and smoked as usual.

Once the floodgates of desire were opened, they couldn’t be closed. His self-control around her had vanished, replaced by an overwhelming hunger. He consumed her body as if trying to devour her. In just two days, her body was covered in his marks.

Lu Zimo was rough. In the heat of passion, he often left small bruises on her pale skin. After their encounters, her body was a map of his passion, the marks stark against her fair complexion.

Chuyu lost herself in his embrace, surrendering to the pleasure their bodies could bring. His intensity was almost too much for her, but the pain gradually gave way to pleasure. Her joy depended on him, and his joy seemed to depend on her, the woman he ravaged in his arms.

They were intertwined, their bodies and souls merging in the night, the day, any moment they were alone.

This feeling carried a hint of despair. Chuyu stopped questioning his feelings for her. There was too much about him she couldn’t understand or bear. Emotions couldn’t conquer everything. Perhaps all she could do was accept or ignore.

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Time passed quickly. Early on the third morning, Lu Zimo was awakened by the ringing of a satellite phone. He answered briefly, his expression darkening. After hanging up, he stood silently by the desk for a long time before turning to Chuyu.

It was time. Chuyu looked up at him. This parting might be their last. She didn’t know if he would survive their next meeting.

“I have to go.”

Lu Zimo’s words were brief.

Chuyu nodded, smiling faintly. “Go ahead.”

Lu Zimo grabbed his jacket and leaned down to kiss her. His lips were rough and dry, pressing lightly against hers. His deep eyes gazed into hers. “Wait here for Bayu.”

After Lu Zimo left, Chuyu began to pack. She didn’t want to wear the long dress anymore; it was too cumbersome. She cut off part of Lu Zimo’s jeans and tied them around her waist with a belt. She kept the brown shirt, smearing more soot on her skin. She fashioned a makeshift holster from a piece of cloth and tucked the gun Bayu had given her inside.

The gun was heavy. She held it, the cold metal a reminder of its deadly power. Lu Zimo had taught her how to use it. Such a powerful weapon was surprisingly simple to operate. Just pull the trigger, and life or death was decided in an instant.

Footsteps approached. Chuyu tucked the gun into her waistband. She had become strangely calm about these things. She expected Bayu, but it was Lu Zimo. His expression was grim. “We need to leave. Now.”

His sudden return and his tone sent a chill through her. Chuyu followed him out of the cave. The weather had turned. The sun was gone, replaced by dark clouds that loomed low, casting an eerie red hue over the landscape. The wind howled, making the trees sway like waves.

Amid the rustling leaves, there were occasional gunshots, muffled by the rolling thunder. Lu Zimo grabbed Chuyu’s hand, pulling her low as they moved away from the main path, using the trees for cover as they climbed the mountain.

They disappeared into the dense forest. Chuyu glanced back. The mining site’s central road was barricaded with sandbags, the guards using submachine guns to hold off an attack.

In that brief glance, Chuyu saw a pack of wolves. Their eyes were no longer human, filled with greed, bloodlust, and murder.

Lu Zimo moved quickly, leading her through the untamed forest. The branches and thorns scratched her skin. The sky grew darker, the clouds pressing down as the wind carried the scent of rain.

“What’s happening?”

Chuyu kept pace with Lu Zimo. His expression remained grim. “The miners are revolting.”

He had mentioned it before. The workers were pushed to their limits, but few left with gold. Many died from exhaustion or were beaten to death for stealing. When someone incited trouble, it often led to bloodshed. But his expression suggested this was more serious.

Lu Zimo didn’t elaborate. The gunfire below faded, but the thunder above grew louder, the sky occasionally lit by flashes of lightning.

The rain came suddenly, pouring down in sheets. They were drenched in seconds. The heavy drops were almost suffocating. Lu Zimo turned to her, shouting over the rain and thunder, “Just a little longer.”

She understood. The rain would wash away their tracks and scent. This was their best chance to escape.

They trudged through the mud for what felt like hours. The rain grew fiercer, the sky darker, as if nature itself was preparing for a massacre.

Lu Zimo wiped the water from his face and looked at the sky. He squeezed Chuyu’s hand. “Follow me.”

He led her through the forest with ease, soon finding a cave. They slipped through a narrow crevice into a small, dry space. The floor was covered with straw, and there were supplies stored inside.

This was clearly one of their hideouts. But to their surprise, there were already men inside. Lu Zimo quickly pulled Chuyu behind him, his hand on his gun. But the men inside had already raised their weapons, their leader smirking as he stood up, dusting off his pants.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Lu.”