Legal Violation
Translator: She.Wee
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Chapter 21: Absurd Love Words
Feng Tang’s words were like a thunderbolt, completely stunning Bai Yangyue. What on earth was going on?
His eyes turned red with anger, and Feng Tang instinctively felt he had made a mistake. But he didn’t want to show these inexplicable emotions too obviously…
Sealing Feng Lulin really has the nerve. He’s actually living with a team member? Last time he said he couldn’t find the way—who was he fooling? But something still seemed off. The way Feng Lulin treated him, it didn’t seem fake.
“What meeting the parents? Huh?” Bai Yangyue was bewildered. “I haven’t even dated anyone yet…”
Feng Tang heard this and half woke up, gritting his teeth and turning his face to the side. After a moment of daze, his questioning tone sharpened, “So, where are you going now?”
Bai Yangyue’s gaze was drawn to his face, too startled to speak.
After a moment of chaos in his thoughts, Bai Yangyue’s intelligence suddenly kicked in. Without answering the question, he hurriedly explained, “I really… There’s nothing between Feng Lulin and me! I just came to stay for a few days. I’ll move out tomorrow! No, I’ll move out tonight, leave without a moment’s delay.”
Feng Tang added, “Without looking back.”
Bai Yangyue continued, “In big strides.”
Feng Tang said again, “Fine, with the river flowing east.”
Bai Yangyue: “By all means, I’ll leave.”
Feng Tang slapped the front hood of his car, “Does he not allow you to leave?!”
After slapping it, he looked at his reddened palm and closed his eyes. Damn… My hand really hurts.
“No, no, I was just going along with it,” Bai Yangyue relaxed and started to speak nonsense without thinking, continuing to make up stories. “Feng Lulin can’t wait for me to leave. I can’t even pay the rent, I’m freeloading off him, eating his food, using his stuff, I actually feel quite embarrassed. But I take out the trash every day, and I wash the dishes too…”
Feng Tang suddenly asked, “Do you wash his clothes?”
“Yes… No, no, not that.” Bai Yangyue detected the jealousy and immediately corrected himself, shaking his head and sighing. Luck is not on my side.
Thinking it over, he added unnecessarily, “Feng Lulin likes cleanliness.”
Seeing Bai Yangyue still in his police uniform, with dirty sweat on his forehead, Feng Tang guessed he must have come back to pick up something rather than just left the house.
Standing there looking at him, Feng Tang repeated, “Where are you going now?”
“I’m going to the First Hospital. One of my teammates broke his leg.” Bai Yangyue sniffed, feeling like he was in trouble. “About Feng Lulin , I think I can still salvage it…”
“No need, I’ll go have a word with Feng Lulin myself.” Feng Tang found his car keys and twirled them, nodding towards Bai Yangyue, “Get in the car.”
Bai Yangyue was stunned, “Huh?”
“I’ll take you to the hospital. Don’t ride your bike. You look exhausted, your face is pale, you might collapse on the way, and someone would be worried.”
Feng Tang finished, feeling he might have overstepped. This was just a case of irrational jealousy; why drag others into it?
“Who would worry about me?” Bai Yangyue naively asked, “Isn’t falling off the bike a common occurrence? We often feel like we’re about to fly off the next second while riding!”
“Alright, alright…”
Feng Tang opened the car door wide and, seeing Bai Yangyue still standing there, laughed, “Get in the car already, why are you standing there? I know your captain, what’s wrong with helping out his teammate?”
Wearing his police uniform, Bai Yangyue remained cautious, “But, this isn’t on your way…”
“It is.” Feng Tang replied, taking the bag of daily necessities from Bai Yangyue’s hand and peeking inside, sighing, “You guys really have it tough.”
Bai Yangyue then noticed the car plate and was stunned, swallowing hard, “This car isn’t an ordinary car…”
Feng Lulin has such impressive friends! Amazing!
Bai Yangyue and his peers started working at the grassroots level after graduation and rarely saw high-ranking officials, especially not with such an “ostentatious” license plate. The sequence of numbers and the first letter seemed to announce the owner’s identity. This car was only driven by “those people” in rumors. Bai Yangyue remembered stories of previous leaders and immediately felt the car was sacred.
Given Feng Tang’s high profile in recent years, people in the city’s system should recognize him, but Bai Yangyue, being new and often absent-minded, only had a vague impression. He looked at Feng Tang and pulled a coat over his police uniform, nervously sitting up straight.
Feng Tang noticed Bai Yangyue’s nervousness with a sidelong glance and smiled, saying nonchalantly, “I know what you’re thinking.”
After turning on the car’s air conditioner, Feng Tang continued, “The name is Feng. Like ‘where the wind blows.'”
Bai Yangyue was confused, “So where does the wind blow?”
Feng Tang replied, “Wherever it wants.”
Bai Yangyue’s heart skipped a beat, and he calmly said, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Feng. I’m Bai Yangyue, a member of the city’s traffic police fourth squad, a local. Twenty, in my twenties.”
“How old exactly?” Feng Tang laughed, “Are you afraid of being called young?”
Bai Yangyue turned to look out the window, uneasy, “Just, in my twenties.”
“Yang as in looking up, Yue as in the moon. When I was born—no, when my mom was giving birth, my dad was looking up at the moon. He wanted a daughter, thinking he needed to ask Chang’e. Then I was born a son, so I’m called Bai Yangyue.”
Listening to this child’s sudden additional explanation, Feng Tang almost laughed himself into a traffic accident.
Feng Tang questioned, “Isn’t your dad’s surname Bai?”
“My mom’s surname is Bai.” Bai Yangyue sighed but didn’t want to dwell on it. He remembered Feng Tang’s name and mustered the courage to compliment, “Hey… your name sounds really nice. What’s the meaning?”
“Awesome.”
Feng Tang grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the console, bit off the cap, and loudly declared, “Majestic.”
The two chatted along the way, talking about many things that would give Feng Lulin a headache. After a ten-minute drive to the First Hospital, Bai Yangyue had made Feng Tang laugh non-stop, their interaction surprisingly harmonious.
Feng Tang parked the car and stayed inside smoking. He opened the window a crack and exhaled outside.
He watched Bai Yangyue go in but didn’t follow.
In the city, day and night, people come and go, but the hospital entrance always made him reflect on life and death.
Feng Tang got out of the car, stood by a vendor selling cherries, and observed the people around the hospital building, feeling things shouldn’t be this way. Over the years, he had come to the hospital many times and was always relieved that the children’s hospital was separate from the others.
Occasionally, when he saw cartoon balloons accidentally released by sick children flying over the hospital, Feng Tang would feel a pang of sadness for a few seconds.
Feng Tang stood for a while, finished his cigarette, and stubbed it out in the trash can. He was determined to quit smoking.
Every time he came to the hospital, he had these few thoughts… Take good care of Mrs. Liu, help He Qing drink less, let Lan Zhou travel less for work, and smoke less himself. Now there might be one more.
Feng Tang hoped that a strikingly handsome traffic cop could stay far from the dangers of the road…
And get a little closer to him.
But today’s score with that person hadn’t been settled yet. Although Xiao Bai had explained a few things clearly, Feng Tang was too astute to believe it; he knew it was made up. Feng Tang rarely trusted anyone, but once he did, he gave them his complete trust. He was waiting for Feng Lulin to come clean.
After Xiao Bai finished his shift, he returned to the team, sitting at his seat and giving Feng Lulin a mysterious look.
Naturally, Feng Lulin noticed this gaze and directly asked, “Is something written on my face?”
“No, it’s not,” Bai Yang Yue almost cried in despair, not knowing if what he said to Feng Tang would match his version to Feng Lulin. He decided to act first.
Bai Yang Yue beckoned to Feng Lulin. The latter was leaning against a metal cabinet, tying his tactical belt.
After a few calls from Xiao Bai, Feng Lulin nodded and said to wait a moment, prioritizing his appearance. He had to fasten the belt first.
Bai Yang Yue whispered, “Hey… Captain Lin, it’s about Feng Tang.”
Seeing his sneaky look, Feng Lulin was stunned and instinctively felt that whatever Bai Yang Yue had to say about Feng Tang wasn’t good.
Feng Lulin yawned, fastened his belt, and raised an eyebrow, “Hurry up, spill it.”
Captain Lin’s tone carried authority, making the people around look up.
Feeling the pressure, Bai Yang Yue decided to go all out, “Captain Lin, let’s go to the backyard to talk!”
Qiao Ce was fixing a computer nearby and said from under the desk, “Xiao Bai, did you burn Captain Lin’s fancy motorcycle?”
“Xiao Bai, did you steal Captain Lin’s wife?”
“Hahaha, Xiao Bai! When Captain Lin raises his hand, remember to run! He’s ruthless, hey, last year’s combat competition, he left me in pain for days just to win the championship…”
Bai Yang Yue turned pale with fright while Feng Lulin laughed heartily and shouted, “Everyone, get back to work! No chatting!”
Stealing a wife, what nonsense… Feng Lulin’s eyebrows twitched, feeling like even his eyelids were jumping. He scanned the traffic police unit, and everyone quickly returned to their work.
Feng Lulin moved the fan to blow on Qiao Ce’s sweaty face, “Old Qiao, keep an eye on things for me. I’ll go to the backyard with Xiao Bai, we’ll be back soon.”
“Alright, you’re not using the fan anymore?” Qiao Ce was busy with the computer.
Feng Lulin tugged at his collar, “A bit cold-hearted.”
Inexplicably.
So, under the shade in the backyard, staring at a row of police motorcycles, Feng Lulin listened to Bai Yang Yue’s account of events. He nodded thoughtfully, feeling Bai Yang Yue’s version was quite objective.
But the problem was he shouldn’t have lied to Feng Tang. Feng Lulin felt a mess inside, so he sent Bai Yang Yue back inside and found a corner to stand, staring at the mottled marks on the wall, lost in thought.
To be honest, saying it didn’t hurt would be a lie. Feng Lulin wasn’t stupid; he understood what unilateral deception meant in love. He came to this city hiding his identity to help Feng Wan Gang, starting from the grassroots. He hadn’t considered that he would truly experience the meaning of “home” with Feng Tang.
They both started “playing” at first… gradually taking it seriously.
Feng Tang’s eyes were big and bright, with deep double eyelid folds. Initially, his gaze was lazy and sleepy, now gradually becoming clear, occasionally showing hints of affection, making Feng Lulin’s iron heart tremble.
Feng Tang’s entire being, Feng Lulin couldn’t handle those eyes, clear yet confused, mirroring his attitude toward life, lucid yet bewildered.
Feng Lulin wasn’t one to procrastinate. He took out his phone and called Feng Tang. It rang a few times before it was picked up.
“You still remember to call me?” Feng Tang’s voice was a bit hoarse, like he had a cold.
“Bai Yang Yue told me everything.”
Feng Lulin stopped there. He couldn’t cover up with more lies this time; he needed to see Feng Tang’s reaction. This was a game of who could let go first. Feng Lulin couldn’t explain without Feng Wan Gang’s approval; he had to keep it secret for now.
However, hearing Feng Tang’s slightly hoarse voice, he couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have a cold?”
“None of your business,” Feng Tang retorted, “Does your chief know about your love affairs within the team? I’ll report you!”
He might have misunderstood, but he didn’t want to ask. He needed to vent to feel better; his sharp tongue wouldn’t change. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, wanting to shove the ginseng he’d been chewing daily into Feng Lulin’s nose.
“Report all you want.”
Feng Lulin suppressed a laugh; you want to date our chief’s son, do you know that?
Feng Tang continued, “What’s your unit’s hotline number? Tell me! Or I’ll call the mayor’s office. No, I can’t say anything recklessly. I’ll call Shao Jin Cheng! He deals with young people. What love conquers all, I’ll break up a pair of wild ducks; you dare deceive me…”
“122.”
Feng Lulin recited Feng Tang’s phone number, “Or, call this number. He’s my future boyfriend, talk to him directly.”
Feng Tang: “…”
Feng Lulin: “If you don’t call, I will.”
“Stop flirting, I’m not buying it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean,” Feng Tang nearly laughed in anger, “I don’t mean anything.”
He hung up and buried his phone under him.
I mean nothing, we’re meaningless if we continue like this.
Wrapped in blankets, he should have been comfortable, but it felt like he was being stabbed… He was both angry and amused at himself. When he mentioned “wild ducks,” he could feel Feng Lulin’s breath stop for a moment.
Feng Tang pinched his arm, feeling ridiculously childish.
If they could continue, they would; if not, it was over…
If not, let’s date. Deal? He silently added this thought.
He now understood the once incomprehensible “reasoning.” In love, whom could he reason with? It was all about feelings. He liked Feng Lulin and couldn’t cut it off easily.
Feng Tang was never one to endure being wronged.
“From 8 PM to 11 PM, the temperature will stay at 16 degrees Celsius. South wind level 3, cloudy turning overcast, high flu incidence. Citizens, please avoid long stays in air-conditioned rooms…”
The wind outside was strong, the rustling of leaves by the moat seemed to be brought in, the sycamore trees outside were noisy. The sandstorm made it sound like someone was knocking on the window.
The broadcaster’s voice became sharp and piercing, raising goosebumps on Feng Tang’s ears. He thought no wonder he had a dream of a woman speaking to him quickly, too fast to understand…
“Click.”
Feng Tang reached out from under the blanket and turned off the radio. Half-asleep, he squinted at the newly changed bed curtains, yawning. Today they were crab shell gray. His mood inexplicably soured.
It was past eight; they didn’t call him for dinner, probably thinking he was too tired. Feng Tang got up, washed in the bathroom, then returned to bed, his feet icy cold.
It was nearly summer, so why was it still so cold? Feng Tang lifted the blanket, about to get up, when he heard his phone vibrating.
It kept vibrating, seemingly lost in the bedding maze. Feng Tang hoped it was Feng Lulin calling, frantically searching for it, almost falling off the bed. Finally, he found the nearly dead phone at the foot of the bed and answered—
“Hello?”
“It’s me,” Feng Lulin seemed to be out of breath, the wind loud beside him, “Come to the balcony.”
Feng Tang tossed the phone aside, ears full of the man’s slightly damp voice. Again, in such a situation.
He was both angry and happy, torn apart.
Instinctively, Feng Tang’s actions outpaced his thoughts. Excited, he got out of bed, ran to pull open the curtains, and pushed the sliding door open…
He stood alone on the balcony. No one else.
Still groggy from sleep, he stared at the hands climbing the balcony’s edge. Only the fingers were visible, struggling to hold on, veins bulging.
His heart skipped a beat…
Before he could shout, the hands disappeared, leaving only ten fingerprints.
“Feng Lulin?”
Feng Tang snapped awake, running to the edge, seeing only the magnolia tree in the front yard. Through the leaves, he glimpsed the grape swing, not yet bearing fruit.
Circling the balcony, he called cautiously, “Feng Lulin?”
Feng Tang abruptly woke up and ran to the balcony, looking down. All he could see was the crown of the magnolia tree in his front yard. Through the gaps in the branches, he vaguely saw the grapevine swing set, which hadn’t borne fruit yet.
He walked around the balcony once and carefully called out, “Feng Lulin?”
There was no response. Feng Tang grew anxious, thinking he might as well risk it all. Regardless of whether anyone was home, he propped himself up on his elbows, ready to climb over and see if someone had really fallen.
Just as Feng Tang exerted force to climb over the railing, he opened his mouth to shout, “Feng—”
The two extremely ambiguous sounds were abruptly cut off, swallowed back down his throat.
The man behind him was very strong, almost dragging him down from the balcony railing. Feng Tang wasn’t short and had some weight, but he was so soft he trembled.
Feng Lulin lost his balance and staggered back, crashing hard against the wall. Feng Tang’s sharp back pressed into him, causing him to stifle a groan.
The two of them lay in a heap on the balcony floor, one trying to escape, the other trying to catch, completely immobilized. Their breaths mixed, and the tension grew intense, almost to the point of breaking into a fight!
Feng Lulin half-lay, his long legs spread out on the tile floor, with Feng Tang half-lying on top of him. Their legs entangled, making movement impossible. Feng Tang tried to get up, but his waist and abdomen were tightly restrained by Feng Lulin, making it impossible to exert any strength.
Suddenly, there was a strange noise outside. Feng Lulin instinctively rolled over to shield them from the howling wind.
A fallen leaf got caught in his hair… tucked behind his ear, it added a touch of softness to his stern face.
Feng Tang was moved for half a second by this look, but the next second, he blushed and pushed him, “Let go!”
Feng Lulin said nothing, just like a beast. He arched over Feng Tang, holding him tightly.
“Let go,” Feng Tang repeated, trying to negotiate under the circumstances, “You let go of me first…”
Feng Lulin still didn’t loosen his grip, his voice hoarse from the wind, “No.”
Feng Tang bit his lip, “Are you crazy…”
He was held so tightly that he could even feel the man’s Adam’s apple constantly moving.
“Stop messing around! I really thought you fell!” Feng Tang lay there angrily, pointing at the railing, “Stand over there. If I don’t push you down today, my last name isn’t Feng.”
“You can want whatever you want, do whatever you want,” Feng Lulin said slowly, “But those things you said about ‘not interested’ and ‘don’t want to play,’ I won’t accept them.”
“I…” Feng Tang choked up, feeling Feng Lulin’s discomfort.
He almost immediately gave up resisting, his strength waning, and he slid down against Feng Lulin’s body.
Feng Tang ended up lying beside Feng Lulin, resting in the crook of his arm.
Feng Tang said, “That’s not what I meant.”
Feng Lulin suddenly spoke, “I’m sorry.”
Feng Tang was confused, “Why are you apologizing again?”
“So far, only twice,” Feng Lulin said, closing his eyes, “Both times, it was serious.”
Feng Tang remembered the last “I’m wrong” was when he said Feng Lulin was too harsh… This time, let’s assume it’s because he was too playful. Thinking of this, he looked up at Feng Lulin’s sharp jawline, realizing that in the night, his silhouette appeared even more striking than in daylight.
He almost wanted to take a knife and make a small cut, letting a little blood to add a vermilion mark on his chest.
Seeing Feng Tang remain silent, Feng Lulin added, “I made a very, very big mistake.”
Feng Tang thought he was still talking about pretending to fall. He patted Feng Lulin’s chest, touching an old scar near the collarbone, and suddenly felt a tug on his own heart.
He whispered, “I’m trying very hard to forgive you.”
Feng Lulin chuckled, knowing that Feng Tang didn’t understand what he was really referring to. He just added, “Then you have to remember what you said today.”
“A gentleman’s word is his bond,” Feng Tang said, becoming more talkative in the darkness, “No matter how many horses chase, they can’t catch up.”
Feng Lulin said, “What horse? Whatever you say, I’ll chase it myself.”
He lowered his head, feeling cold. Feng Tang was lying on him, eyes closed, unusually well-behaved, almost asleep. Feng Lulin propped himself up on his elbows, about to take off his clothes when Feng Tang opened his eyes and said he wasn’t cold.
Feng Lulin looked down at him. Their eyes met, sparks flew.
Feng Lulin asked, “Are you still going to push me?”
“Yes.”
Feng Tang defiantly met his gaze, and the air thickened again.
Feng Lulin smiled, his lips curling up, “Then I’ll climb back up.”
“No need to climb,” Feng Tang turned over, reaching to hug him, “I’ll just jump with you.”
Feng Lulin’s throat tightened, suddenly understanding what it meant to feel a lump in his throat and heat in his eyes. He hugged Feng Tang back, using his cold lips to gently kiss his forehead, all his promises and words of love trapped inside.
He couldn’t say anything more.
Feng Tang was still naive but didn’t want to argue anymore.
Feng Tang had a cold, so Feng Lulin didn’t dare let him lie down too long. He helped him sit up and went inside to get thick clothes. Feng Tang didn’t want to go in, so he grabbed two cans of soda from the mini fridge, downing one in a gulp, feeling refreshed.
He recalled the suffocating feeling of being completely restrained by Feng Lulin earlier, muttering, “You’re really good at fighting.”
“I learned in military school… I’ll teach you a few simple moves.”
Feng Lulin said, standing up to pull Feng Tang into his arms, then roughly teaching him a few moves. Feng Tang clearly saw he was just fooling around and glared, “Is this self-defense?”
“Sort of,” Feng Lulin said, “Close combat requires…”
He finished, pressing Feng Tang’s waist and abdomen, pulling him closer. Feng Lulin continued in his ear, “Closer.”
Feng Tang’s ears itched unbearably.
He laughed, humming a few notes, trying to hide his “half-numb” feeling, then reversed the hold, catching Feng Lulin off guard. He hadn’t even had time to feel smug when Feng Lulin grabbed his wrist, flipped him over, and held his neck, pressing a knee to his thigh, firmly grasping his shoulder.
Feng Lulin smelled the fragrance behind his ear, panting heavily, and said—
“I’m still more effective. You should take me along in the future.”
Feng Tang didn’t agree or disagree, just went along with Feng Lulin’s movements, sliding softly to the floor. The rain hadn’t started yet, and the cold tiles on the balcony were covered by a rug Feng Lulin had dragged over.
He lay comfortably, enjoying the “outdoor feel.”
Feng Lulin turned over, reached out to brush his eyelashes, and asked if he wanted a blanket.
Feng Tang rolled his eyes, saying you want to lie on top of me.
Feng Lulin didn’t nod, just looked at him, his eyes trembling. He casually pulled a small velvet blanket from the living room sofa, spreading it over Feng Tang, wrapping him like a roll of pork…
Feng Tang muffled, “So hot! Why aren’t you covering up?”
Feng Lulin clearly had nothing covering him but still said, “Because I’m also hot.”
He reached out, holding Feng Tang tighter. The warmth of their bodies was indeed cozy.
Feng Tang’s posture was quite submissive, like a drowning person clinging to driftwood. Even though both of them were lying like lunatics on the dark balcony, sprawling…
Facing the fierce wind, feeling the impending storm.
It was very dark all around, and the balcony light wasn’t on. In the Feng family’s villa, Feng Tang’s bedroom window faced the river, with no buildings obstructing the view.
Though they couldn’t see anything, only the unlit crystal chandelier on the ceiling, they lay there, feeling like they were on a deserted island, watching the tides rise and fall.
They were two “young masters” different from the ordinary world; also, two lives of “decadence and dreams” with nowhere to settle.
Interesting plot