Dangerous Liaisons - Chapter 24

Blindfolded and with her hands tied behind her back, Chu Yu was thrown into a jeep. After a bumpy ride, they returned to the gold mining site.

By the time they arrived, the sky had already brightened. The thick, blood-red clouds that had been pressing down on the sky had dispersed, replaced by a heavy fog rolling in from the river, enveloping the entire area.

The main road of the gold mining site was littered with gray figures lying motionless. In the dense fog, it was hard to make out details, but as the jeep approached, someone ran to open the gate. Chu Yu’s blindfold was removed, and she suddenly felt a sense of dread.

Those lying on the ground… they looked like corpses.

Lu Zimo wasn’t tied up. He sat in the front seat of the jeep. Chu Yu sat in the back, a man beside her holding a gun to her side. She could only see Lu Zimo’s back, not his expression. The air was thick with tension, leaving her speechless.

“Quite a few dead.”

The man who had spoken first in the cave jumped out of the jeep, kicking one of the corpses. He looked up at Lu Zimo and grinned, “Lu, how much money can you really make from this gold mining site? Why bother with this?”

Lu Zimo didn’t respond. The man looked down at his feet, frowned, and surveyed the area. He pulled up the skirt of a nearby female corpse to wipe the blood off his shoes, “So many dead bodies. In this weather, they’ll start stinking by noon, won’t they?”

The man pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Lu Zimo, who accepted it silently. Someone lit it for him, and Lu Zimo took a drag, his eyes downcast, not looking up, “Lama, what do you want?”

Lama grinned, glancing at Chu Yu in the back seat, “I didn’t want much at first, but it seems I got lucky. I stumbled upon a bargaining chip no one else knew about. Can we talk terms now?”

“You want Renault’s goods?”

Lu Zimo’s smile was faint, and he didn’t look at Chu Yu. “Lama, if Renault couldn’t handle it, do you think you can?”

“I’m not afraid of biting off more than I can chew.”

Lama walked around the jeep to the back seat, suddenly grabbing Chu Yu and yanking her out. Caught off guard, Chu Yu lost her balance and fell hard to the ground. She let out a muffled groan but quickly bit her lip, refusing to show weakness in this situation.

Lama lifted Chu Yu’s chin, forcing her to look up at Lu Zimo, “Lu, can this woman be used to negotiate some terms with you?!”

Lu Zimo took a drag from his cigarette, his eyes still downcast, not speaking. Chu Yu looked at him. His face was as cold as ice. Lu Zimo appeared calm, but the vein at his temple was throbbing.

“Lu, you’re a man.”

Lama smirked, “I heard that on Renault’s boat, Gina fired two shots—one to the leg, one to the chest—and you didn’t even flinch.”

As he spoke, Lama yanked Chu Yu to her feet and dragged her backward. Chu Yu stumbled, forced to retreat to the center of the road. Underfoot, she occasionally stepped on something soft. She didn’t look down. Around them, the ground was littered with corpses, silent, congealed with dark red blood, their wolf-like eyes still staring at a world they could no longer see.

“Lu, you’re a smart man.”

Lama grabbed Chu Yu’s hair, forcing her head back. He pulled out a dagger from his waist and pressed it against her cheek, slowly dragging the sharp blade downward. The cold steel glinted, as if a little more pressure would cut into her flesh.

Lama leaned close to Chu Yu’s ear, biting her earlobe, satisfied to see her stiffen instantly, “Gina didn’t dare kill this woman in that situation. Whether it was real or not, if she died, Renault would have truly lost his leverage. Renault was a fool. Gina’s a woman.” Lama’s laugh was icy, “To test her importance to you, it should have been a man, don’t you think?!”

As he spoke, the tip of the dagger moved to Chu Yu’s chest, and with a slight push, her shirt tore open, revealing her delicate, pale bre*sts, trembling in the air like frightened rabbits suddenly freed from their confines. Instantly, the men in the jeep were captivated.

Lu Zimo remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the cigarette slowly burning between his fingers. But deep in his eyes, something ignited, spreading like wildfire. Lama smirked, nodding to the men in the jeep, “If you think this isn’t enough, I have another gift for you.”

A man jumped out of the jeep, stomped his feet, and then walked over the corpses toward the riverside house, whistling.

The wooden door opened, and two men dragged out an unconscious figure, throwing him at Chu Yu’s feet. Lama twisted his neck, stepping on the man’s face as he looked at Lu Zimo, “What do you think of this gift?”

Chu Yu suppressed her trembling. The man on the ground was barely recognizable, covered in blood, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly broken. His face was swollen, one eye horrifically bruised and bulging from its socket. But his build and general features made her recognize him—Bayu.

“Everyone says you, Lu Zimo, have no weaknesses. I got lucky and found this man and this woman.” Lama laughed, “You can take your time to think. I’ll give you plenty of time.”

Lama then leaned down, biting Chu Yu’s neck and ear. His hand groped her chest, roughly squeezing her soft flesh, deliberately shaping it in his rough palm. Lama glanced up, watching Lu Zimo’s every move. He was curious to see how far this legendary, emotionless man could endure.

Chu Yu bit her lip until it bled, not making a sound, neither struggling nor resisting, letting the man violate her body. Lama seemed annoyed by her lack of reaction. The dagger cut through the belt of her pants, and his other hand slid down her waist toward her most intimate area.

Suddenly, Lu Zimo stood up. The men around them, who had been watching Lama’s performance, instinctively raised their guns toward him. Lama laughed loudly, lifting his head, his hand slowly withdrawing from Chu Yu’s pants, “Lu, have you made up your mind?”

“You can have Renault’s goods. Give me back my woman.”

Lu Zimo’s voice was calm, betraying no emotion. Lama released Chu Yu, shoving her forward, “Go on, back to him.”

Chu Yu clutched her chest, running a few steps before throwing herself into Lu Zimo’s arms. He held her tightly, his grip almost crushing her arms. Chu Yu buried her face in his chest, noticing how his muscles were as rigid as stone. His heart was pounding violently, and though he appeared calm, a cold, raging fury simmered beneath the surface.

“But Bayu stays with me.”

Lama crouched down, frowning as he examined Bayu’s condition, “I know what kind of man you are, Lu Zimo. I need to keep some insurance for myself, don’t I? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of his injuries. As long as you agree, we can work together.”
Lu Zimo didn’t respond. He scooped Chu Yu into his arms, holding her tightly as he strode toward the wooden house at the end of the mining site. No one stopped them. Lama shouted after him, “I’ll arrange the time for departure!”

In this situation, with Lama holding Bayu hostage, they had no choice. As the sun rose, the thick fog quickly dissipated, revealing the gruesome scene at the mining site. Most of the laborers were dead or injured. Lama’s men roamed the area with guns, finishing off those who were severely wounded. The bodies were piled into a massive heap in the center of the site, doused with gasoline, and set ablaze.

Thick, black smoke billowed into the air, quickly obscuring the shapes of the bodies within. The heat distorted the air, making everything seem to tremble. Lu Zimo held Chu Yu tightly in his arms. Outside, the women from the mining site were gathered near the burning pyre, stripped naked. Lama’s men forced them to the ground, taking turns raping them in full view of everyone.

Lu Zimo covered Chu Yu’s eyes, but he himself stared in that direction. The women, long accustomed to such treatment, endured the humiliation with vacant expressions, their eyes fixed on the sky as one man after another violated them. Lu Zimo suddenly closed the window and pushed Chu Yu onto the desk behind him.

She felt his anger, his indescribable, complex emotions. Lu Zimo cupped her bre*sts, staring at the bruises left by Lama’s fingers. His gaze and touch gradually softened. He looked up at Chu Yu, who was staring back at him, her large eyes filled not with fear or resentment, but with heartache.

Lu Zimo lowered his head, gently licking the bruises on her chest like a wounded animal. At first, Chu Yu could maintain her composure, but soon she gripped his arms, her body tensing as she instinctively offered herself to him more fully. He didn’t give her much time to prepare, parting her legs and thrusting into her abruptly. The dryness and rough penetration made Chu Yu pale with pain, but in that moment, she felt closer to him than ever before.

Lu Zimo was like a thick fog. No matter how close you got, you could never see into his heart. He was completely closed off, even during their most intimate moments. But today, a crack had appeared in his armor. At least for now, Lu Zimo was real.
Real in his rage, real in his anger, real in his pain.

Right now, he needed her body. Perhaps only she could calm him in this state. Lu Zimo ravaged her with fierce intensity. His unease, his anxiety, seemed to transfer to her through their physical connection.

So, he wasn’t a man of marble after all. He had things he cared about. He had things he knew he shouldn’t sacrifice but had to protect.

And it turned out to be her.

Chu Yu wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling him fill her completely. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist, and this movement seemed to encourage him, driving him to even greater ferocity.

“Chu Yu.”

Lu Zimo lowered his head, and as he quickened his pace, Chu Yu bit his shoulder to stifle her moans. The pain from her bite seemed to spur him on, and she felt him swell inside her. A sensation surged from her lower abdomen, rushing to her head and exploding, leaving her dazed. Her body felt compressed to its limit, then suddenly released, all her senses focused on that one point where they were joined.

Lu Zimo couldn’t resist her sudden tightness, and before he could pull away, he spilled deep inside her. For a moment, his mind went blank, followed by a wave of exhaustion, as if all the blood had drained from his body. But the violent, bloodthirsty impulses slowly subsided, fading away.

Lu Zimo looked up at the heavy wooden cabinet against the wall. Behind it was the cave where they had hidden a few days ago. Inside, besides some essential supplies and books, there were weapons.

“Chu Yu.”

Lu Zimo lifted her, looking into her eyes, “Help me.”