The Quagmire of Desire: From Gambling Addict and Village Flower to Movie Queen

Liu Yue's fingers trembled as she unbuttoned her pants, the hem of which had already slipped down to her hips.

Xiao Hui stood by the bed, looking at her kneeling on the hospital bed with her upper body bare and her pants half-down, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"You're crazy," he said.

The sound wasn't loud, but it felt like a bucket of cold water being poured on Liu Yue.

Liu Yue froze for two seconds, then suddenly rolled off the bed and knelt on the ground with a thud, tightly hugging Xiao Hui's legs with both hands.

"Honey, treat me like a bitch, punish me however you want!" she cried, "I want you to hit me! I've just realized I feel good when you hit me, hit me!"

Xiao Hui looked down at her, his eyes cold.

He shook off her hand and turned to walk to the window.

Liu Yue knelt on the ground and refused to get up, her voice hoarse: "I just want to keep you here, I'm willing to do anything."

Xiao Hui had his back to her, and said calmly, "Don't demean yourself."

Liu Yue lay on the ground, her face pressed against the cold floor tiles, tears streaming down her face.

She slowly got up, put on her clothes, and sat on the edge of the bed.

Xiao Hui never looked back.

As night deepened, the only sound in the ward was the dripping of the IV tube.

The heavy breathing of the two echoed in the room, and neither of them spoke.

After a long silence, Liu Yue suddenly spoke up: "Did you never truly like me from the beginning?"

Xiao Hui was silent for a moment, then turned to look at her: "It's not important to talk about those things now."

He spoke calmly, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"You can sleep with whomever you want, and flirt with whomever you want in the future." He paused, "I really mean it, and I am now."

Liu Yue covered her face and cried silently.

She thought Xiao Hui was humiliating her.

Xiao Hui walked to the door and said, "Take good care of yourself. I'm leaving."

Liu Yue suddenly raised her head, jumped off the bed, and blocked the doorway.

"If you leave today, I'll jump out of this window!" She pointed out the window, her eyes resolute. "You have to do it with me!"

Xiao Hui looked at her and sighed, "Don't be silly, this is a hospital. I'll come pick you up when you're better. Don't insist on doing it at home."

Liu Yue was stunned.

She didn't expect Xiaohui to say that.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Okay." Xiao Hui nodded. "Lie back down and get some rest."

Liu Yue finally lay back down on the bed and pulled the blanket over her body.

Xiao Hui opened the door and went out.

After the door closed, the ward became quiet.

Liu Yue lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

She felt a kind of morbid urge to cling to Xiaohui. The more Xiaohui ignored her, the more she wanted to lick him, finding it very stimulating.

She still fantasized about getting better and going home, where she would definitely get Xiaohui to beat her up.

Remembering what Xiaohui had said earlier about being able to talk to whomever she wanted, she suddenly realized that she hadn't replied to Liu Sheng in a long time.

Liu Sheng had previously sent her a photo of a tattoo, on a girl's butt, which looked very sexy and interesting.

She silently thought to herself: Xiao Hui won't care anyway, he won't even notice if I reply.

She picked up her phone and opened WeChat.

Liu Sheng's latest message is still displayed in the chat box; it's a photo of his tattoo.

She replied with two words: Are you there?

The reply came instantly: My darling wife, I miss you so much.

Liu Yue's heart raced a little, and she replied with an emoji.

Liu Sheng sent another photo, still the same tattoo, but this time it was a high-resolution image.

Upon closer inspection, Liu Yue noticed that the tattoo was located slightly above the girl's buttocks; it was a black butterfly with its wings spread, looking very sexy.

She asked curiously, "What is this?"

Liu Sheng said: This is the most popular tattoo among men, on the buttocks. But there are some more exciting tattoos that look better than this, and they are tattooed in other more private places. Next time you come to me, I will take you to get a tattoo.

Liu Yue didn't reply.

She turned off her phone and closed her eyes.

All I can see in my mind is that tattoo.

I don't know how much time passed, but the door was pushed open.

Liu Meiling walked in, carrying a bag of food.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Liu Yue shook her head: "I don't want to eat."

Liu Meiling placed the bag on the bedside table: "Eat something, your health is the most important thing."

Liu Yue sat up and looked out the window: "Sister Meiling, do you think I'm very cheap?"

Liu Meiling paused for a moment, then remained silent.

"I feel like I'm pathetic," Liu Yue said, lowering her head. "But I can't control myself."

Liu Meiling sighed: "Don't think about it too much, just focus on getting better."

She looked out the window; it was already dark.

"Xiaoyan has gone home. I'll stay here with you tonight."

Liu Yue nodded.

Liu Meiling sat down on the edge of the bed and took out her phone to check the time.

It's past eight o'clock.

She hadn't eaten yet and was a little hungry. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back."

Liu Yue hummed in agreement.

Liu Meiling walked out of the ward and headed towards the elevator.

As soon as I turned the corner of the corridor, I heard people arguing at the door of the ward next door.

She turned her head and was stunned for a moment.

The man standing at the door was none other than her coach, Zhang Ming.

Coach Zhang, wearing a white polo shirt, looked helpless as he spoke to the woman in front of him.

The woman had an ordinary appearance, was dressed fashionably, and had long curly hair. She was pointing her finger at Coach Zhang and yelling at him.

"I told you to be a lousy coach, and you can't even pay me! What will my mom do?"

Coach Zhang lowered his voice: "Your brother isn't dead, is he? How much money have I spent? How much mess have I cleaned up for your family? Isn't the 200,000 yuan I gave you enough for medical expenses?"

"Two hundred thousand is nothing!"

"Your mother isn't my mother," Coach Zhang said firmly.

The woman got even angrier and slammed her hand on the wall: "Fine, Zhang Ming, now you're settling scores with me, huh? What did you say when you were pursuing me? Now that my mother is in the hospital, you're telling me your mother isn't my mother?"

"I did not mean that......"

"That's exactly what you mean!" The woman became increasingly agitated. "You useless piece of trash, how much do you make a month as a lousy coach? I'm so unlucky to be with you!"

Coach Zhang gritted his teeth, his face turning bright red.

"Have you said enough?"

"Haven't you said enough!" The woman pointed at his nose. "Let me tell you, if anything happens to my mother, you just wait!"

After saying that, she pushed Coach Zhang aside, slammed the door, and walked out.

Liu Meiling stood not far away, watching her angrily disappear at the end of the corridor.

Coach Zhang stood at the door, sighed, and lowered his head without saying a word.

Liu Meiling thought for a moment, then walked over and greeted him, "Brother Zhang?"

Coach Zhang looked up, saw it was her, and felt a little embarrassed.

"Meiling? What are you doing here?"

"My friend is in the hospital, so I'm here to keep her company." Liu Meiling smiled. "What are you doing here?"

Coach Zhang gave a wry smile: "My wife's mother is in the hospital, so I came to visit."

"Was that your wife just now?"

"Hmm." Coach Zhang nodded. "Sorry to have made you laugh."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Liu Meiling waved her hand. "Every family has its own problems."

Coach Zhang leaned against the wall, took out a cigarette to smoke, then put it back.

"She's never cared about the family," he said in a low voice. "I don't know what she's doing outside all day, and she's always scolding me for being useless."

Liu Meiling looked at him, unsure of what to say.

Coach Zhang looked up, forcing a smile: "Never mind her. How about you? How's your learning going?"

"It's alright, I had someone to teach me the theory test," Liu Meiling smiled. "It's just that I'm still a beginner, and I'm not very good at reversing into a parking space yet."

"That's easy, I'll teach you properly next time," Coach Zhang said. "I guarantee you'll learn it in two days."

"Thank you, Brother Zhang."

Coach Zhang checked the time: "You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"I was just about to go out to buy it."

"I haven't eaten either," Coach Zhang said. "How about we eat together? There's a pretty good barbecue place downstairs."

Liu Meiling thought for a moment and said, "Okay, let's go."

The two walked side by side toward the elevator.

After the elevator doors opened, Liu Meiling pressed the button for the first floor.

There were only the two of them in the elevator, and the atmosphere was a bit ambiguous.

Coach Zhang said, "I'll teach you well tomorrow for the second part of the driving test."

Liu Meiling smiled at him and said, "Then I'll be waiting."

The elevator reached the first floor, and the two stepped out and walked towards the hospital entrance.

Outside the hospital is a small street with dim streetlights and a few small restaurants along the roadside.

Coach Zhang pointed to a barbecue restaurant ahead: "This one, it tastes pretty good."

"OK."

The two went into the barbecue restaurant and found a seat by the window.

Coach Zhang opened the menu: "What would you like to eat?"

"You order, I'm easy to please," Liu Meiling said with a smile. "This is my first time here, I don't know what's good to eat."

Coach Zhang ordered a bunch of kebabs and two bottles of beer, then handed the menu to the waiter.

"Don't tell anyone about what happened today," he said, a little embarrassed. "Family scandals shouldn't be aired in public."

"Don't worry, I won't tell," Liu Meiling smiled. "We're all adults; everyone has their share of troubles, right?"

Coach Zhang looked at her with a somewhat complicated expression.

"Meiling, you're such a kind person."

Liu Meiling was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Brother Zhang, I'm embarrassed by what you're saying."

The two chatted as the skewers were served one after another.

Coach Zhang opened two bottles of beer and handed one to Liu Meiling: "Here, have a drink."

"it is good."

The two clinked glasses and each took a big gulp.

Liu Meiling was eating her skewers with her head down, her eyes glancing unintentionally out the window.

Then she froze.

She saw a familiar woman walking across the street, her arm around a man's, laughing hysterically.

The woman was wearing a sundress, her high heels clicking loudly, and half of her body was pressed against the man.

Liu Meiling rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

The woman was none other than Coach Zhang's wife, who had just stormed out of the room.