Summer #15

Don't Turn from Summer (莫负寒夏) by Ding Mo (丁墨)

Chapter 15

The dinner as notified by the manager is set up somewhere near the company, right at the riverside. Mu Hanxia has never been there, but she heard it’s an upscale clubhouse.

Mu Hanxia arrives at dusk. The lights are just turned on at the riverside. In the yard of the clubhouse, trees stand with extended branches. It is classy and serene there.

Mu Hanxia thinks she’s the first one who has arrived and gently pushes open the door to the dinner room. But there’s someone in there already.

Men Gang is sitting by the window smoking. He is wearing a white Polo shirt and a black pair of pants, forming a simple but strong outline. He glances at her with slightly squinting eyes.

Mu Hanxia’s heart jumps a little, but she puts on a smile, “Hi, Manager Meng!”

“Hmm.”

Mu Hanxia finds a chair to sit down. It’s very quiet in the room, with Meng Gang quietly smoking, and Mu Hanxia keeping to herself.

“How’s your work going lately?” He asks.

“Pretty good,” Mu Hanxia smiles a little, “The work goes quite smoothly. I read a lot of materials and have learned a lot.”

“That’s good.”

Silence again.

After a while, Mu Hanxia asks, “Manager Meng, did you have good rests lately? Are you well?”

“I’m fine. I’m not someone whose work and life get affected by personal feelings.”

Mu Hanxia doesn’t dare to say anything else. She lowers her head and pretends not to understand what he’s implying.

Right at the moment, someone knocks on the door and enters the room. It’s Meng Gang’s assistant Xiao Chen. He glances at the two quiet ones in the room and smiles smoothly, “Manager Meng, the guests are almost here.”

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The guests invited by Meng Gang are those from the City’s Industry and Business Bureau. He and the vice director take the most prestigious seats, accompanied by all the others, with Mu Hanxia and Xiao Chen sitting at the lowest-ranked seats, in charge of serving tea and beverage. During casual greetings at the beginning, Meng Gang simply says, “This is Mu Hanxia from our sales department.” Immediately someone jokes, “Ah, Manager Meng is never short of talents. Each time he takes pretty girls out.”

Everybody burst out laughing. Meng Gang also has some smile in his eyes. He says, “Nonsense. I only have Xiao Chen with me all these years. When did I ever bring girls to drink with you? Hanxia, get him three full cups (Note: these are wine cups, normally with a capacity of about 30-60 ml). He should drink them first as a punishment.”

“Sure.” Mu Hanxia also smiles and goes to pour the alcohol into the cups.

Bottles are opened and cups are toasted, the host and the guests are all having a good time.

It’s a first time for Mu Hanxia so she does not dare to say much. She isn’t a girl who takes opportunities to show off, but she is agreeable and sweet enough to keep the harmony of the party. However, very quickly someone starts to invite her for a drink.

“Beautiful girl, since Manager Meng has taken you along, you should have a drink with us, right?”

“Right.” Some others echo.

Mu Hanxia has never touched any white beverage. So she hastily declines with smiles and peers toward Manager Meng.

Meng Gang has drunk quite a lot. He lights up a cigarette and leans back in the chair. His face red, eyes dark and bright.

“Drink just a cup, to show your sincerity.”

“Sure, Manager Meng.” Mu Hanxia takes up a cup and drains it with someone.

“Wow, so obedient to Manager Meng?” Someone laughs.

Mu Hanxia’s heart quivers a little, and she replies with a smile, “Of course I have to obey the boss.”

Meng Gang just wears his casual smile as usual.

After she sits down again, Mu Hanxia feels her throat and stomach are both spicy hot, and her head seems to start to feel dizzy.

Today they must let the guests drink to their heart’s contend. During the dinner, Meng Gang goes into the bathroom and throw up twice in there. Mu hanxia helps him to the bathroom once. He just bends over the washbasin and vomits quietly with the door shut behind them. It’s the first time Mu Hanxia saw him like this. She is quiet for a moment and steps up to gently stroke his back.

He doesn’t move, just letting her stoke. His back broad and hard.

After a while, he turns on the faucet, rinses his face and washed his mouth. Then he look up at her.

Mu Hanxia puts down her hand.

It is a little dim in the bathroom. His eyes are bloodshot and he smells badly of alcohol.

He suddenly grabs her hand.

Mu Hanxia stiffens up all over. She lowers her voice, “Manager Meng...”

But he doesn’t do anything, and just stares at her very intensely.

Mu Hanxia lowers her head.

After a moment, he lets go of her hand, “Let’s go back in.”

“OK.”

He pulls the door open. Outside is a full house of customers enjoying themselves with drinks.

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The dinner ends at a little past ten. Meng Gang has drunk too much. He leans against the sofa unconsciously. Mu Hanxia, together with Xiao Chen, says good-bye to the guests downstairs.

Xiao Chen says, “You go upstairs first to look after Manager Meng. I’m going to get the car.”

Mu Hanxia hesitates, but Xia Chen is firm, “Hurry up. Don't let any accident happen to Manager.”

Mu Hanxia has no choice but to go back upstairs.

The night is deep. The dishes and cups have been cleared away. The window is open, the wind from the river lightens up the smell of cigarette and alcohol in the room.

Eyes shut and hand on the forehead, Meng Gang sits there very still. Mu Hanxia stands with some distance between them.

“Mu Hanxia?” He murmurs, his voice hoarse.

“Yes, it’s me.” Mu Hanxia walks over and pours him a hot cup of water, “Manager Meng, have some hot water.”

Meng Gand does not take the water. Mu Hanxia puts it down and is just about to leave, when she is grabbed at the waist and stumbles onto his lap.

Mu Hanxia feels a slight shiver all over, and her heartbeat begins to speed up. His arm hold her very tightly against him. Their faces are very close and their breaths tangled together.

“Mu Hanxia... look at me.”

Mu Hanxia feels her temples jump voilently, and wants to push him away. But this time his grip is strong and she can’t budge open at all.

“Manager Meng, let go of me...” She pleads in a lowered voice.

All of a sudden, Meng Gang’s lips are pressing down.

Mu Hanxia gets chills in her body but her face and hands are burning hot. His lips are thick and warm with some odor of cigarette and alcohol. She clenches her teeth. But he sucks skillfully and raises a hand to hold her jaw. Mu Hanxia’s mouth parts slightly. Then his tongue slips in and kisses her forcefully.

Mu Hanxia pushes with all her strength but can’t succeed. Instead she get wedged to the sofa, her hands are pinned together by him easily.

After kissing a little more, he lowers his face to kiss her face and ears.

“A girl with no dependence like you, how big is your heart?” He whispers hoarsely, “You don’t want to be mine?”

Mu Hanxia bursts into tears.

“Meng Gang, you let go!” She hollers hoarsely.

Meng Gang quickly covers her mouth. He is really drunk, his eye dark and fierce.

“Still so stubborn? You don’t believe I’d have you done with right here?”

Mu Hanxia goes blank in her mind for an instant. Some strange kind of horror floods over her like the icy tide. Seeing her stop struggling, Meng Gang lowers his lips and kisses her even more violently.

Mu Hanxia’s fingertips shake slightly. She lowers her teeth and bites into his arm. The bite is so fierce that blood gets into her teeth. Meng Gang lets out a cry of pain and his hands let loose of her, but his body still on top of hers. Mu Hanxia feels as if the blood from her whole body has run into her brain. She knows that her strength is no match to his, so she immediately grabs the glass ash tray from the coffee table and hits on his chest with all her might.

This time Meng Gang is hurt. He stifles a groan and leans against the sofa with his hand pressing on his chest. Mu Hanxia quickly gets up and desperately runs to the door.

“Stop!” From the back is Meng Gang’s growl.

How would Mu Hanxia listen? She throws the door open and runs out to escape.

Outside, the yard feels deep and the lights are unchanged as before. Someone is standing at the doorway of a nearby dinner room making phone calls. Everything is quiet.

Tears are still hanging on Mu Hanxia’s cheeks. Her brain is muddled, and her heart in stinging pain.

She stumbles toward the outside, but bumps into the person on the phone.

“What are you doing?” a familiar cool and deep voice.

Mu Hanxia looks up and sees Lin Mochen.

Under the corridor light, he looks handsome in his suit. There’s a smell of alcohol on him, apparently he is here for some socialization.

Mu Hanxia’s tears swell suddenly up again in her eyes. But she tries very hard to hold them back, and replies in a low voice, “Nothing.” And she tries to get past him. But right at the moment, Meng Gang’s voice comes from inside, “Mu Hanxia!”

Mu Hanxia stiffens a little and then starts to walk out quickly. Looking at her, Lin Mochen grabs her arm, “It’s Meng Gang inside?”

Mu Hanxia looks sulky. She wipes off her tears with her hand and says, “I’m fine.”

Lin Mochen fixes his eyes on her for a few seconds, suddenly takes off his suit jacket and covers it on her, “I’ll send you out.”

Mu Hanxia is surprised.

The jacket is lingered with his body heat, it wraps around her and fends her off the slightly cold air in the night. His hand remains on her shoulder. Instead of letting go, he loosely holds her and leads her to the outside.

Tears instantly stream down Mu Hanxia’s face. She lowers her head.

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“I got some things to do and have to leave early. You keep entertaining the guests.” Lin Mochen hangs up his phone and looks up from the rear-view mirror.

Mu Hanxia curls up as a bundle in the back seat, wrapped in his jacket and leaning in one corner. She mumbles, “Thank you, Lin Mochen.”

Lin Mochen says nothing and starts the car.

The cars gets on the highway bridge. All around them are the city lights. Lin Mochen opens the car window and the slow breeze flows in. Mu Hanxia sits straight, gazing out of the window in silence.

“Do you need to call the police?” He asks.

Mu Hanxia is quiet for a while. Then she says, “No.”

After another few moments, she adds, “He didn’t get his way.”

“You are not a stupid woman, why didn’t you know how to protect yourself well?” He says.

“I was too naive.” Mu Hanxia replies, “How could there be so much good luck in the world. In the future I will protect myself well. You say nothing more.”

He gives her a glance, and does say nothing more on the whole way.

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Lin Mochen never imagined Mu Hanxia lives at a place like this. He knows she isn’t rich, but thought at least she comes from a decent family.

Debris, dirt road, wild grasses, old and filthy narrow buildings that seem to be decaying away. The street has no light and is deserted.

There is still some distance to the building where Mu Hanxia lives, but the road is narrow and uneven. So Mu Hanxia says, “Let me get off here. It’s not easy to drive ahead.”

Lin Mochen glances into the dark road ahead, and says, “What’s the way? Keep going straight?”

Mu Hanxia can only reply, “Hmm.”

With the headlight shaking all the way on the bumpy road, the car finally stops under her building.

Lin Mochen parks the car, and with his hands still on the driving wheel, he looks at her from the rear-view mirror. Mu Hanxia takes off the jacket, and says with a shaky smile, “Thank you. I’m...going upstairs.”

“Hmm.”

After she walks into the building, Lin Mochen looks up. The lights on some floors go on, but remains off on other floors. Her footsteps sound especially clear in the ghetto in this deep and quiet night. At last, she stops at the top floor. He hears her take out the keys open the door, and then closes it.

Lin Mochen gazes until the light in her home is lit, then he backs away the car slowly, and leaves.