Chapter 9: August 5th

On the simple phone screen, the name of a four-person group chat was displayed—

August Fifth.

Two years ago on August Fifth, the sun blazed like fire.

The air was still, without a trace of wind.

Yu Zhu stepped off the bus, standing beneath the tall shade of a tree at the roadside.

Dappled light filtered through the leaves, scattering across his black shirt.

He rolled his long sleeves up to his forearms, revealing skin white as melting cream, his whole figure radiating a clean, refreshing scent of sunlight.

The boy walked step by step along the sidewalk, carrying with him the bright and beautiful breath of youth, unique to student days.

Golden sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Inside the towering villa, Gu Wanting stood on the second floor, looking down at Yu Zhu as he entered.

Ming Yue sat on the sofa, playing with a white lace dress.

Su Zhi sat beside her, lifting a glass of iced water from the table and taking a sip.

Huo Xin stood next to Su Zhi.

Her retro, elegant princess-cut hair swept across her ear, her hand tugging at the floppy ear of a stuffed rabbit doll.

Dust motes floated.

The house was so quiet one could hear the approaching footsteps.

Gu Wanting heard the steps pause.

Turning away from the window, her striking face curved into a shallow smile as she said:

“Ming Yue, your tutor has arrived.”

Downstairs, amid the deafening cicadas of midsummer, the clear doorbell rang in everyone’s ears.

“Ding dong—”

“Ding dong—”

In the August Fifth group chat.

Before Gu Wanting’s smiling emoji came a picture sent by Ming Yue.

A deep-red embroidered high-waist skirt had been carefully hung in front of an old wooden lattice window.

Time seemed to flow through the fabric, dyeing the skirt red like crushed rose petals.

Golden thread wove patterns hidden beneath the layered crimson waves, shining like sudden flashes of light.

Ming Yue typed:

“My sister’s new dress has arrived.

I spent a long time choosing the color, but in the end, I thought scarlet was best—beautiful and eye-catching.”

“If it were paired with a golden tassel hairpin, it would look even better.

But unfortunately, there isn’t enough time.

If I order it now, it won’t be ready until after New Year.”

“Oh, by the way, do you want to come over and see?”

“My sister really does look beautiful in a dress.”

Su Zhi replied first with a single period, then added:

“Not coming.

I’ll be skiing in Switzerland with my parents.”

Gu Wanting’s message followed:

“After the photos, make sure to change his clothes.”

Aside from Ming Yue, none of them were fond of dressing Yu Zhu in skirts.

This strange “beauty” was a peculiar taste.

Huo Xin did not participate in this round of chat.

Her most recent message had been three months earlier—just a short line:

“Almost suffocated again.

Boring.”

Su Zhi had replied:

“Boring?

Want to try something different?

There’s some medicine in my room.

If you need it, take it yourself.”

Ming Yue added:

“If you dress Sister up, remember to send me pictures.”

Huo Xin never replied.

After that, she never returned to the villa in the suburbs.

“Where is Huo Xin?”

Five minutes after Gu Wanting sent the question, Su Zhi finally answered.

“Xin Xin?

Something happened at her home.

She’s been too busy to be found lately.

Not sure how things are turning out.”

Ming Yue straightened the red dress hanging before her and lazily typed back:

“What happened to her family?”

In truth, the Huo family’s scandal had already made waves across C City, trending for weeks.

Outraged netizens kept forcing the topic to the top of the charts.

The entire internet was ablaze with furious criticism.

Some even questioned C City’s law enforcement.

Under such pressure, the Huo family head had been summoned for “tea” that very day, and all members—including Huo Xin—were placed under travel restrictions.

The two corpses dug up from beneath an abandoned factory had completely exposed the Huo family’s long-buried stains.

Public outrage flared across the nation.

Whether the Huo family could even retreat intact was now in question, let alone recover.

Su Zhi said:

“Not sure.

But my family told me to keep my distance from Xin Xin for now.

Doesn’t look like it’ll end well.”

Even the Su family had to step back.

One could imagine what kind of earthquake was about to shake C City.

Ming Yue, all politeness, typed:

“Such a big mess?

Should we help?”

Gu Wanting typed into the box:

Do you mean kick them while they’re down?

Then, as if remembering Huo Xin was in the chat, she deleted the words one by one.

Re-entered:

“The Huo family’s problems don’t involve Huo Xin alone.

Even if we wanted to help, we could only do so under the family name.

But from the Su family’s stance, things are beyond saving.

We don’t hold power yet.

Even if we wanted to, we’re helpless.”

Behind the polite phrasing, it was nothing more than a cold refusal.

Seeing this, the other two relaxed in front of their screens.

How could they possibly help?

That woman, whose name the boy whispered in his dreams—how could she deserve their help?

Even now, just watching from the sidelines, jealousy burned within them.

Not adding insult to injury was already great mercy for the past two years of acquaintance.

How could they possibly lend a hand?

Ming Yue sprawled bonelessly across the sofa cushions.

Her pink, lacquered nails tapped lightly on the screen, making a crisp, pleasant sound.

“@Huo Xin.

Xin Xin, don’t worry too much.

We may not be able to help with this, but if you need us later, we’ll always be here.”

Su Zhi echoed her with a few words.

Gu Wanting didn’t bother to look.

She turned off the screen, set her phone aside, and sat quietly in the dark.

Pale moonlight filtered through the curtains.

Moonlight, snowlight, the beauty of the world—all fused before her into a picture of perfect harmony.

The sudden anger in Gu Wanting’s chest vanished, leaving her heart as tranquil as if washed by three days of falling snow.

My little dog.

He’s mine.

He belongs to me.

The new silver chain draped across Yu Zhu’s pale, thin collarbone.

His bones jutted like jagged mountains, disappearing into his thin shirt.

Key in hand, Gu Wanting opened the cage under the moonlight.

Her warm fingertips rolled up his shirt bit by bit.

Beneath lay dark-red whip marks, crisscrossing in cruel lines.

Bruises spread wide, the wounds torn so deep they seemed to rip a life apart.

Her lips brushed against the wounds, following the whip marks upward, each kiss as light as a drifting feather.

Beneath the gentle touch, Yu Zhu’s body trembled faintly.

Sensing it, Gu Wanting raised her head, meeting the boy’s clear, vacant eyes.

He was awake.

Gu Wanting covered those eyes with her palm.

His long lashes brushed her skin, sparking tiny jolts of electricity.

“Zhuzhu…”

She bit down on his lips.

The pale lips flushed crimson, stained with wanton color.

Gu Wanting held his eyes covered, leaning close, her breath hot against his ear.

Yu Zhu had no escape, listening to her husky voice, thick with desire.

“You are mine.”

“Zhuzhu…”

“Mm…”

“You are mine.”