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

The grayish-white wisp on the horizon grew brighter, but the fog didn't dissipate, sticking to our bodies in a sticky, clinging manner.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling walked along the dirt road until their feet ached. Their shoes were new, with thin soles that hurt terribly.

"How much further until we reach the main road?" Sun Xiaoyan asked breathlessly, her throat dry.

Liu Meiling was also exhausted. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "I don't know, let's just keep walking. We'll get there eventually."

When the two of them slipped out of the card room, they were filled with a sense of determination, feeling that once they left that awful place, better days were ahead.

But now, that energy has been worn away by the long dirt road and the increasingly heavy packages.

The sun rose, blazing hotly.

Sweat soaked through her shirt, clinging tightly to her body and outlining her full curves.

As noon approached, the two were too tired to walk any further, so they found a rock by the roadside and sat down.

Liu Meiling took out her cloth bag, which contained only two dry, hard steamed buns. The two of them shared them and choked, stretching their necks out in frustration.

"The water's all gone." Sun Xiaoyan licked her chapped lips.

"We'll talk about it when we get to town." Liu Meiling popped the last crumbs of bread into her mouth.

Just as I was resting, I heard the sputtering sound of an engine behind me.

A dilapidated blue van wobbled along, its body covered in mud.

The truck pulled up beside them, slowed down, and stopped.

The driver's side window rolled down, and a head popped out. It was a man in his forties, with dark skin and a smile on his face.

"Hey ladies, where are you going on foot in this sweltering heat?" The driver's eyes swept over Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling, lingering for a few seconds, especially on their sweat-soaked chests and trousers.

Sun Xiaoyan instinctively crossed her legs and remained silent.

Liu Meiling stood up, dusted herself off, swayed over, and forced a smile: "Brother, we're going to the provincial capital, can we get a ride? I'll pay you."

The driver chuckled, "What a coincidence! I'm also going to the provincial capital to pick up some goods. It's on my way! Get in, it's not about the money, just some company on the road!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Meiling laughed and turned to wink at Sun Xiaoyan: "Xiaoyan, hurry, a car is here!"

Sun Xiaoyan felt a little uneasy; the driver's smile was a bit too enthusiastic.

But looking at the endless dirt road and her blistered feet, she gritted her teeth and stood up, carrying her package.

"Well... thank you, big brother."

"No need to thank me, get in, get in!" The driver jumped out of the car and opened the back door for them.

The carriage was piled with miscellaneous cardboard boxes and sacks, emitting a mixed smell of engine oil and dust.

The space was small, and the two squeezed in, barely managing to find a place to sit.

"Hold on tight!" The driver slammed the car door shut and locked it from the outside.

The carriage suddenly darkened, with only a few rays of light filtering through the gaps in the carriage panels.

The truck started moving again, bumping violently.

Sun Xiaoyan hugged her knees, huddled in a corner. Liu Meiling peered out through the gaps in the carriage.

The car drove for about an hour and a half, and the road became more and more remote. There were wastelands and woods on both sides of the road, and no signs of human habitation.

Suddenly, the car slowly came to a stop.

"Why did it stop?" Liu Meiling asked.

There was no answer from outside. After a while, the sound of the latch being pulled open came from the rear cargo door.

The door opened, and blinding light shone in.

The driver stood at the door, backlit, so his expression was not visible.

"Hey girl, let me check if the cargo in the back is properly secured, so it doesn't get scattered." As he spoke, he stepped into the carriage, closed the door behind him, and even plugged the latch in from the inside.

The carriage suddenly became even darker.

Sun Xiaoyan's heart skipped a beat, and she shrank even further into the corner.

The driver didn't check what the goods were. He turned around, facing the two of them, and the honest smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a lewd grin.

"Ladies, I can't let you ride for free." He rubbed his hands together and slowly approached. "You'll have to pay for the fare with something else."

"What...what do you want to do?" Sun Xiaoyan's voice trembled.

"What do you mean, 'Do you want me to do this'?" The driver lunged forward, grabbing Sun Xiaoyan's arm and reaching for her chest with his other hand. "What are you pretending to be innocent for? Dressed like this, riding in a man's car, don't you have any self-awareness?"

Sun Xiaoyan screamed and struggled desperately: "Let me go! Meiling! Meiling!"

Liu Meiling was also terrified and rushed over to shove the driver, yelling, "Let her go! We'll give you money! We'll give you money!"

The driver was very strong; he shoved Liu Meiling aside and slammed her against the cardboard box next to him.

"Money? I don't want money right now!" He panted heavily, roughly tearing at the buttons of Sun Xiaoyan's shirt. "Be good, make me happy, and when we get to the provincial capital, I'll find you a good job—easy and lucrative, much better than your life in the countryside!"

Sun Xiaoyan's tears welled up instantly. She kicked and struggled, but the man's body pressed down on her like a wall.

The sound of tearing fabric was particularly clear in the cramped carriage.

After being thrown aside, Liu Meiling slammed into the side of the carriage, her head spinning.

She watched the driver pinning Sun Xiaoyan down, saw Sun Xiaoyan's desperate face, and heard that familiar, nauseating panting and tearing sound.

She suddenly remembered the back room of the chess and card room, Guo Daqiang, Brother Wang, and Brother Li.

It seems... not much different.

The driver freed one hand to grab Liu Meiling.

Liu Meiling tried to dodge, but failed and was pulled over.

The man's rough hands gripped her chin, his hot breath close to her lips: "You too! Don't push your luck! Serve well, and you'll get your share!"

Liu Meiling's body stiffened, and she felt a wave of nausea.

But the man's other hand had already slipped inside her clothes and was kneading her forcefully.

Amidst the pain, there was a strangely familiar, arousing sensation.

She remembered what the driver had just said: "I'll find you a good job when we get to the provincial capital."

Her resistance gradually weakened.

The carriage was swaying, accompanied by the deep roar of the engine, suppressed sobs, and heavy breathing.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Everything came to a standstill.

The driver pulled up his pants, smacked his lips, took two bottles of mineral water and several plastic bags of steamed buns from the driver's seat, and tossed them down beside them.

"Eat and drink something. Be careful, you still have a long way to go." He spoke casually, as if nothing had happened. "Once we get to the provincial capital, I'll keep my word."

After saying that, he opened the truck door, jumped down, and returned to the driver's seat.

Soon, the truck was back on the road, bumping along.

Sun Xiaoyan huddled in the corner, her clothes torn and disheveled, her body aching all over.

She hugged her knees, buried her face in them, and tears streamed down her face silently, her shoulders trembling.

Liu Meiling slowly sat up, silently fastened the buttons on her torn clothes, and tidied her hair.

She picked up a bottle of water, unscrewed it, took a big gulp, then picked up a steamed bun and took a bite.

The steamed bun was very dry, and she chewed it slowly.

After a while, she moved next to Sun Xiaoyan and handed her another bottle of water and a steamed bun.

"Xiaoyan, have something to eat."

Sun Xiaoyan didn't move.

Liu Meiling put her things next to her, then moved back to the gap in the carriage and peered out.

The wilderness receded rapidly, and in the distance, the sky gradually darkened.

At the edge of the horizon, a blurry, dazzling array of lights began to glow faintly.

That's the provincial capital.

Liu Meiling stared at the lights, her eyes vacant, yet carrying something indescribable.

Inside the carriage, there was only the noise of the engine and Sun Xiaoyan's barely suppressed, faint sobs.