Chapter 93
Lemonade
Thuong Tung smiles bitterly, now listening to her guidance. He is trying to imagine Pearl's sitting posture, in order to avoid unnecessary contact. Although every single movement is cautious, at times he is still led astray by the darkness, several times losing his way into places that should never be touched.
Pearl suddenly turns her face, biting her lip, struggling not to let herself burst into a charming laugh because of the tingling sensation. She does not want to fall again into that subtle, awkward situation that confuses and embarrasses them both.
After nearly half an hour, and countless "hardships," Thuong Tung finally completes the first stage. He finds it difficult to determine direction, while she stammers—one sentence still understandable, the next becoming blurred—causing him to lose his way again, touching the wrong place.
Each time, he apologizes repeatedly, trying to adjust his breathing, which is now becoming as confused and flustered as hers. At this moment, she only wishes she could vanish instantly.
This is the most difficult task he has ever faced. The second challenge is a million times harder than the first—he is now struggling to unfasten the buttons.
She gives detailed instructions, hoping he can move in the right direction, but he still trembles, as if afraid of pressing the wrong button to trigger a time bomb that will shatter his body.
Countless times, Thuong Tung loses his way on the path to the Isle of Penglai, while their breathing is now becoming even more urgent and burning than when they fell.
Especially when he must come close to help her remove her hands from inside the shirt, the two are closer than ever, the heat soaring to its peak. Sweat is now streaming down their flushed faces.
Seeing Thuong Tung trying to appear calm, she feels even more embarrassed, but in truth, he is just as lost as she is.
Thuong Tung puts the dirty clothes aside, thinking this "torture" has ended, yet her wrists are still tormented by pain in the name of "family." He is about to leave, but she softly says:
- My hands hurt whenever I move. I cannot move them at all.
Thuong Tung is now cheering wildly inside, yet outwardly he frowns, sighing helplessly before this most thrilling "torture" in human history. He returns to continue caring for her. Thuong Tung rinses with water, but whether by accident or intention, the hose sprays directly onto her face.
She cries out loudly, startling him. His eyes widen by reflex, then his eyelids stiffen. His jaw nearly drops in shock. He cannot believe it—her body looked so ordinary when clothed, yet once unclothed, it is even more beautiful than Stone's. In the Prehistoric Kingdom and the world, it is not rare to see such a case: beauties crossing time, challenging the laws of creation, stepping into old age yet still youthful as eighteen or twenty…
But…
Thuong Tung has never seen an elderly woman's curves so fiery and flawless, more perfect than a beauty queen. It is a masterpiece of the world—smooth, silky, flawless—aging has reversed on every centimeter of her body… leading to… any lustful man would believe Pearl is immortal, forever fresh, just as in her youthful years.
Nature has absolutely favored Pearl with a second supreme gift—on both sides of the valley, Endless Clouds Mountains rise high. The god of love is now carefully tending the winding path to the cave of paradise, surrounded by dense primeval forest that has never dried.
Thuong Tung catches sight of those slender, beautiful legs. Long legs tireless, surely yearning for boundless battle—even if fighting all night, the flames of passion would still burn.
His desire for women is so intense, that "weapon" is now shattering all doubt: is this woman, who looks like a twenty-year-old girl, truly already fifty?
The Green-Bearded Demon is suppressing his craving, forcing himself to be polite, to restrain like a gentleman, not letting the tadpoles rushing into his brain commit mistakes. He needs patience to wait for the right moment.
This shy cry is even more bashful than that of a maiden, forcing him to close his eyes, urging him to leave. Thuong Tung rises, turns, and leaves the bathroom. All of this happens within mere seconds, yet the dreams and desires in his heart still cling madly to this masterpiece of the human world, refusing to let go.
No matter how great the price, he must possess that beautiful body. Thuong Tung is now telling himself this, full of determination and desire. Hearing her soft call, he opens his mouth, showing a sly smile. Then he closes his eyes and comes in, scratching his head and ears, muttering an apology:
- I did not mean it…
Pearl's smile at the corner of her lips disappears, clicking her tongue:
- It is because I forced you to close your eyes, so… forget it. Anyway, what you should not have seen has already been seen. Open your eyes, quickly help me dry my body, put on clothes, so I do not catch cold.
Thuong Tung timidly obeys, listening carefully. He deliberately avoids the parts that should not be seen, gently wiping, little by little with caution, especially when forced to touch sensitive places. He never lets lustful eyes cloud his reason.
The towel in his hand is only fulfilling its literal duty of wiping, without any abnormal act that could cause misunderstanding. Thuong Tung dresses Pearl in her nightclothes and carries her back to the room. He bows his head again to apologize, and moves the folding bed farther away to avoid embarrassment between them.
Sure enough, she has caught a cold, now bedridden, her limbs weak, unable even to hold bowl and chopsticks while eating. Thuong Tung must feed her food and water… and bathing her has become the thing he most looks forward to.
Although Pearl has prepared herself mentally, each time he wholeheartedly and carefully helps her wash away the dust, her face still flushes red. Each time he "tends" the Isle of Penglai, she feels a wave of confusion.
Gentle and attentive Thuong Tung is now passionately "cleaning" that forbidden labyrinth which exudes alluring fragrance. That scent is now penetrating his nose, teasing his sense of smell that is secretly inhaling the primal aroma, while challenging the instincts of a man.
Thuong Tung is now sorrowfully suppressing his nature. That enchanting sweat-scent is now soaking his body, hot, silently provoking and tempting the Green-Bearded Demon to commit crime. His actions suddenly become somewhat unnatural, creating a thought tinged with dark intent.
She shakes her head, dispelling those improper thoughts. Thuong Tung secretly glances at Pearl, who is now patting her flushed face. He laughs inwardly; she is feeling ashamed for unjustly accusing a gentle, kind, filial man.
He is now happily proceeding, when she suddenly closes her legs slightly, lightly touching his fingers. The stopping is gentle, as if she shows no reaction… still… timely guiding him into that boundary of perception… of "something" that seems to exist yet not exist… not cold and slippery like bath water… but rather…
She says she feels cold, asking him to stop bathing. He does not respond, pretending not to hear that tiny voice, like a mosquito's buzz.
He continues wandering, exploring, at will, until her voice grows slightly louder. Only then does this lustful man finally stop his so-called "noble mission," which is in fact a "game of desire." He dries her body, helps her dress, and carries her back to bed.
December 25
For several days in a row, Thuong Tung is still playing the role of a dutiful child, taking care of her. Every bite of food, every time she falls asleep, the scheduled baths, even changing her sanitary pads. At first, Pearl hopes the illness will quickly end, finishing this ridiculous story, but somehow, now that she is completely recovered, she feels… a trace of wistfulness.
Seeing her absent-minded, Thuong Tung immediately realizes that this woman has been lonely for many years, with no one to accompany her. Now she is gradually getting used to the scent of a man, and also to the silent joy of having someone nearby to confide in and care for her.
He secretly laughs. After she finishes dinner and quietly returns to her room, he pours the powdered medicine from its paper packet into a glass of water, the powder dissolving instantly. He picks up the glass and the empty packet, and comes before her:
- You forgot to take your medicine.
She smiles bitterly in thanks, puts the medicine in her mouth, and drinks the whole glass of water in one breath. Outside, the storm rages, wind and rain pounding against the house. Thuong Tung lies at ease, waiting until around eleven o'clock; he is not in a hurry to seize what is certain to come. He curls his lips into a grin as thunder roars and lightning explodes, each strike frightening her nearly to death. Thuong Tung hears footsteps in the hallway, then urgent knocking at the door. He opens it.
The pervert has felt fortunate, because once Stone has confided that her whole family has always been terrified of thunder, her mother most of all; whenever that dreadful sound has resounded, she has shrunk back, seeking someone close to calm her spirit.
The moment Thuong Tung appears, lightning strikes again like doomsday, and in a state of extreme terror, she suddenly clings to him. Thuong Tung is now feeling her whole body trembling, her face drained of blood, her eyes full of tears of fear.
Pearl raises her head, and Thuong Tung is gazing at her deeply. He holds her tightly, his arms gentle like embracing his own mother. She feels both sorrowful and moved, suddenly ashamed for ever having doubted him. Pearl quickly pushes him away and hides in her room. Thuong Tung walks to a chair ten steps from the bed and sits down:
- I will stay here to watch over you until you sleep.
The late-night disturbance makes her feel somewhat guilty. She hesitates, wanting to return to her own room, but the heavy thunder outside forces her to curl up in bed. Pearl covers her head with the blanket, praying for dawn.
Pearl lies awake, unable to sleep. She complains of thirst. Thuong Tung then says to her to wait a moment. He leaves the room, opens the refrigerator in the kitchen, and mixes a glass of lemonade. He carefully observes the surroundings, and after making sure the coast is clear, he shows a vile, sinister smile, pouring the powder from the small paper packet into the glass of water.
Thuong Tung immediately throws the packet out the window, letting the wind and rain carry it away. He closes the window, waits until the powder is completely dissolved in the water, then calmly returns to the room. Pearl drinks the glass of lemonade dry, yet still cannot quench her thirst.
Her body is now becoming hot and prickling, as her temperature rises the blanket keeps sliding down. She sits up and lies down again, tossing and turning countless times, the lingering heat now more intense than before. Thuong Tung squints and asks:
- You still haven't slept?
Pearl is rubbing her itchy arms hard, the itch spreading with the heat throughout her body:
- I don't understand, why is my body starting to sting and burn again?
Thuong Tung comes closer to check:
- Your skin is red and breaking out in rashes, it must be an allergy. Unfortunately, there is no anti-allergy medicine now…
She frowns:
- Right now it is not only numb and hot, but also unbearably itchy as if bitten by insects.
Seeing her scratching her waist, Thuong Tung begins to massage her. She thanks him. The pain gradually fades, but from the moment he starts massaging, the heat seems to grow more violent, each extra bit of pressure making the heat surge sharply.
She is startled, the heat is now turning into flames, burning her whole body. That flame had long been extinguished, yet now it burns again with the fire of passion, as if in rejuvenation. In terror, she suddenly pushes Thuong Tung away. He asks worriedly:
- Did I hurt you?
She silently shakes her head. Thuong Tung is about to say something, when another thunderclap resounds at the horizon. She shrinks back, yet dares not embrace him again. Thuong Tung takes the initiative to pull her into his arms to comfort her, his hand deliberately patting her back in rhythm.
She is trembling violently, fearing not only the continuous thunder, but even more the scorching heat that is now probing every corner of her body from within. The burning heat slides down her soaked back, turning into currents of electricity.
She struggles again to push Thuong Tung away. Yet he refuses to let go, instead tightening his grip, using the tremors that the medicine is now intensifying to let the currents wander everywhere, completely awakening her "womanly instinct." She feels a current like a heart demon, shattering the long-imprisoned seal.
She shamefully discovers that her heart is not as calm as she imagined. Pearl cannot believe her "instinct" is so strong, now driving her into Thuong Tung's embrace—the man she has always feared to share a house with. At this moment, fear turns into obsession, leaving reason utterly destroyed.
The pitiful woman is going mad in Thuong Tung's arms, while he is secretly laughing with pride.
In complete contrast to the torment of controlling reason and indulging instinct, this time only tears remain, soaking her purplish-blue face. She is filled with anger toward Thuong Tung—this beast is turning her into a plaything like a pig or dog. She hates herself for being tortured by this beast all night, while her reason cannot control her to satisfy that abyss-like desire.
She does not want to admit, yet cannot deny a humiliating fact: a dignified, virtuous woman actually harbors desire so depraved and without limit, just like Thuong Tung's sarcastic praise at the beginning.
All night long, he still behaves gentle and considerate, as if she truly were his wife.
But for the woman who is self-tormenting, believing she should be cast into hell and never reborn, the emotions he considers gentlemanly… are… even more disgusting than the shame of being treated as a plaything. He toys and mocks her until dawn, then finally lets her go.
She quietly goes to the bedroom bathroom to wash away the sticky and filthy fluids on her body. The shower water cleans everything, yet cannot wash away the tears of humiliation brought by heavy sin.
That pain is now scorning and tormenting her deranged mind.
Just because of a moment of losing herself, she let instinct control reason… indulging in that filthy pleasure. At this moment, that nauseating sensation has become a heavy psychological burden. She covers her face in sorrow and cries:
- What should I do?! Children, forgive me!
She returns to the room, seeing Stone and her daughters standing there, suddenly stunned. The descendants seem shocked by the shameful scene in the room. Their once beautiful faces and tender skin are now gray-white like corpses floating in the river. Blazing anger is burning their mad reason, as if they are screaming with tears of humiliation:
- What filthy things are you doing?