Chapter Thirty-Two: Ruan Ying

The King of Serpents

Sha Ler left Foshan, sitting in a car headed for Guangzhou, gradually moving away from the city. From time to time, he glanced back at the vanishing skyline, but there was no longer any confusion in his eyes. Instead, the boy’s face bore a composure and calmness that seemed well beyond his years.

“Sis, thank you for making me a man.”

A woman is a furnace, forging a man, turning iron into steel. Li Ying was no ordinary woman, but once she became Sha Ler’s woman, the raging flames of that furnace burned away his immaturity and rough edges. And in the final moment, a dousing of cold water tempered him, giving him his strength.

Perhaps he was a machete for cutting through mountains, perhaps a hoe for breaking new ground, perhaps an axe for splitting stone. Though his blade had yet to be honed, and he did not yet shine with brilliance, as long as he endured the grind, his day to dazzle would surely come.

Beside him sat a young female worker, not bad-looking. But Sha Ler’s gaze was no longer what it used to be. Her clothes seemed nice and bright, but their quality revealed them as cheap market goods. Such market wares were the choice of working girls; they cared little for quality, only for a pretty outward appearance.

Of course, they had no means to seek quality. Not only them—even the female college students struggled to pursue a life of comfort and taste. A single outfit could cost them several months, even half a year’s wages. So, in pursuit of ease and quality, many pretty college girls chose to become the mistresses or kept women of the rich and powerful, trading their bodies for a chance at a better life.

Thinking of Li Ying, his heart ached.

Money is a wonderful thing. Looking at the working girl beside him, he thought of Zhou Wenli, the girl who had stolen his first kiss. If she were here now, and knew he was already a millionaire, if he wanted her to undress and join him in bed, she would not hesitate for even half a minute.

“Hello…”

The working girl greeted him with a smile. Sha Ler smiled back.

“My name’s Ruan Ying. Are you a university student?”

Judging by Sha Ler’s appearance, she thought he didn’t look like the usual laborers. It was now hard to spot any trace of the earth on him. In the two months at Jiahao Company, he’d hardly seen the sun; the tan and grime had been washed away, and his clothes were clearly of a different sort.

“No… I’m just like you, a worker. Name’s Sha Ler.”

“Really… Are you at a factory or just doing odd jobs?”

The girl perked up. His answer drew her closer, and his striking looks excited her.

“I was at a company, just quit.”

“You must have made good money… dressed so well. So, would you be willing to join a factory now?”

Ruan Ying, who had at first sat a little apart, now drew closer, pressing against him.

“What kind of factory? Is the pay good?”

“Garment factory. Of course, the pay is good. If you work hard, you can make over a thousand a month.” Ruan Ying smiled sweetly. “I know someone there, can get you in… You could learn pattern cutting, and if you become a master, you could make over two thousand. Want to go? We… we could go together.”

Sha Ler looked at Ruan Ying with a calm smile. He could feel clearly that this girl had fallen for him—more precisely, for his looks and clothes. If he said yes, she would be his. He smiled, then suddenly put his arm around her shoulders. The girl did not resist, instead snuggling into his embrace.

“Sha Ler… Tell me, would you?”

Ruan Ying’s face flushed. Nestled in his arms, she felt both blissful and eager for him to agree. In that moment, they seemed like lovers who had been together for a long time. Sha Ler smiled, then leaned to her ear and whispered softly.

“If you’re willing to sleep with me, I’ll go to the factory with you.”

“You… scoundrel…”

Ruan Ying’s face turned crimson. She tried to break free from his arms, but he kept her close. Seeing her ears turn red, he grinned in triumph and gently kissed her earlobe. That touch made her shudder; not only did she stop struggling, she rested her upper body across his knees.

“What’s wrong… not willing?”

Sha Ler grinned wickedly. Ruan Ying bared her teeth and bit his thigh hard. Sha Ler sucked in a breath, not daring to cry out with so many people on the bus. Ruan Ying let go, raised her flushed face.

“If you keep talking like that, I’ll take a chunk out of you.”

Sha Ler stopped teasing her, but the whole exchange amused him. He had completely outgrown his awkwardness; he was no longer the boy who blushed at the sight of a woman. Desire blazed within him, and with Ruan Ying sprawled across his knees, when she noticed the sudden tent in his trousers, her face flushed even deeper.

Bad boys win a woman’s heart. It sounds like nonsense, but it’s often true, especially among the young—girls are always drawn to the rebellious ones. Sha Ler’s “badness” only deepened Ruan Ying’s infatuation.

Still, Sha Ler did not tease her further. He let her sit upright, though she still clung tightly to his arm.

“Ruan Ying, how old are you?”

“Eighteen… And you?”

“I’m a year older than you.”

In the countryside, ages are often counted as nominal years. If she said eighteen, she was likely seventeen, not much younger than Sha Ler, who intentionally added a year.

“Then you’re my big brother… Brother Sha Ler, do you like me?”

She spoke softly, only he could hear. Sha Ler nodded lightly. But did he really like her? Would he marry her? No, he shook his head. Ruan Ying was pretty, and seemed pure-hearted, but he only felt a mild fondness for her, not love.

In truth, love meant little to him. In the countryside, love was unimportant—life mattered more. Men and women came together to have children, to support each other through hard times.

But he was no longer a naïve boy. Though he did not yet know what he wanted or how to get it, there was one thing he was sure of—he harbored a burning determination. He had to succeed, to become someone others could not look down upon. He wanted to be as powerful and commanding as Boss Hong.

When he thought of women, Li Ying was always the first to come to mind. Yet whenever she appeared in his thoughts, he would shake his head, trying to dispel her shadow.

They chatted and laughed, and before long, they arrived in Guangzhou. Sha Ler carried his bag, Ruan Ying dragged a large suitcase. The crowds were thick, so Sha Ler had to help her with her luggage.

When Ruan Ying got off, and it was time to part, she suddenly hugged Sha Ler’s waist and laid her head on his chest. She was shorter than him, and had to look up to see his face.

“Sha Ler, come to the factory with me.”

“No.” Sha Ler hugged her shoulders, knowing she had truly fallen for him. “I want to enjoy Guangzhou for a few days. Do you want to come with me?”

As he said it, he was wondering if he would really get together with her. “No… you’d do something bad.”

“You’re that afraid I’d do something bad? Am I really so bad?” Sha Ler laughed, giving her a playful slap on the hip. “Come on, where are you going? I’ll put you on the bus.”

“I… I’m headed to Huangpu.”

Sha Ler walked Ruan Ying to the bus stop. Neither knew exactly where to catch the bus, but Sha Ler was not afraid to ask. Soon they reached the right place. People crowded everywhere, and amid the sea of faces, Ruan Ying clung tightly to his arm.

The bus arrived, and people began to board. Ruan Ying was about to get on, but suddenly stepped away from the line.

“Brother Sha Ler… I… I want to stay with you.”

Sha Ler looked at her in surprise, then smiled.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll do something bad?”

“Do as you wish…” Ruan Ying’s face was flushed as if drunk, her neck red as wine. “I just want to stay with you, no matter what you do… do to me.”

The bus left, and the crowd dispersed, leaving only the two of them standing there. Ruan Ying held him tightly around the waist, refusing to let go.