Chapter 10: “Baby”
As noon approached, I’d unconsciously glance at the clock in the bottom right corner of my computer screen, watching the numbers tick by. Once everyone in the office had left, after about five more minutes, Liang Zhiting would appear promptly at the door.
It seemed we had formed an unspoken understanding.
I’d sit waiting at my usual spot; he would take the elevator up to find me.
With this “friendship” bond between us, our daily lunch dates naturally fell into place.
After many such meetings, my courage grew. I could now say a few more words to him without stammering awkwardly, and even occasionally look him straight in the face during conversation.
No matter what, his face was always flawless—without a single blemish. He was like the perfect little clay figure crafted by the goddess Nüwa herself.
I couldn’t distinguish dream from reality. When I was with him, I felt like I was floating—my soul had long since left my body, hovering in the air, leaving behind only an empty shell of a person.
My ghost hovered above Liang Zhiting, so I saw myself facing him. My expression was so transparent and straightforward—the gaze beneath my long bangs was bold and unabashed, revealing my feelings for the one I liked: an unhidden desire, greedy and rushed.
I didn’t know if Liang Zhiting saw through it. He treated me as kindly and gently as ever. Maybe he didn’t realize my feelings. Or maybe he knew all along but didn’t care.
Whenever he hooked his pinky finger, I would willingly follow him.
There was no other corpse as obedient as me in the world.
He was a perfect “corpse driver.”
Until the moment I came back to life again.
Liang Zhiting got a call, and my soul was reluctantly pulled back into my body.
The restaurant was noisy; all my attention was on him. I heard a woman’s sweet, soft voice saying “hubby” on his phone.
It was Liang Zhiting’s fiancée.
He glanced at me, smiled, waved his hand, and went to take the call aside.
What they said, I was not meant to hear.
Across the crowded room, I watched from a distance as Liang Zhiting stood under a decorative tree, laughing happily during the call.
I lowered my eyes and quietly finished the lemon water in my glass.
I even swallowed the ice cubes with a crunch.
I was agitated.
Liang Zhiting soon returned, seeing my drink was finished, ordered another.
It was a cocktail mixed with whiskey, served in a tall glass—the restaurant’s specialty.
I hadn’t tried such fancy drinks before; thinking it was just a normal beverage, I gulped it down. My head started spinning almost immediately.
“You okay?”
Liang Zhiting seemed to ask me.
I looked up; his figure and face in front of me blurred into multiple shadows.
My head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Supporting my sinking head, I shook it—but the dizziness worsened.
He hurriedly apologized, “Sorry, it’s my fault. I didn’t expect you to have such a low tolerance.”
Not your fault—I didn’t expect it either.
My face flushed hot soon after, feeling awful. I pressed an empty glass to my cheek—the cold surface cooled me for two seconds before my own warmth took over again.
Just then, something cool touched my face—more comfortable than the glass. I instinctively rubbed against it.
Soft…
“Feeling better?”
Liang Zhiting’s voice suddenly grew close. When I opened my eyes, he had quietly gotten up from across the table to sit beside me. The cooling object on my face was none other than his palm.
My face felt even hotter.
“No… I’m fine.” The alcohol affected me; my tongue loosened.
His palm was large and soft, kindly cooling my left cheek then the right.
“You’re drunk. You can’t go to work like this. I’ll help you take the afternoon off—you should rest at home.”
My brain slowed to a stop. Hearing this, I nodded. Now whatever Liang Zhiting said was law.
I obeyed him.
“Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”
Oh my… he was going to take me home…
Drunk and dizzy, I was excited. Just as I was about to give my address, I suddenly thought of the things at home that couldn’t be discovered. No, I couldn’t tell him—they’d be found out.
Though I wanted him to take me home, reality wouldn’t allow it.
I could only regretfully say, “No… it’s fine. I can go on my own.” Half-opening my eyes, I forced myself to look at him, “Thank you.”
My eyes closed again. My head sagged, barely supported by his palm.
“Nan Li.”
“Hmm?”
He seemed to brush aside locks of hair falling on my forehead, gently fixing them. His voice was low, “I don’t feel comfortable with you going home alone.”
Liang Zhiting was too gentle. Why did he speak to me that way? I couldn’t hold back any longer. No, no, I must resist. I bit my tongue to stay awake, “N-no, at least not today…”
If I was going to his home, I had to tidy up those hidden things first.
His fingers tickled my face like crawling insects, so itchy.
My eyelashes were bitten. I reached to brush them away, but missed and touched Liang Zhiting’s knuckle instead. He asked, “Nan Li, want to come to my place?”
His words shocked me awake a bit.
To his home? What does that mean…
But only for a second—alcohol flowed through my veins again. I was weak and dizzy. Damn it, my head itched—I was about to grow a brain.
“Here, let me help you.”
He lifted me effortlessly. It seemed he intended to take me somewhere—his home?
I followed him two steps when suddenly came a loud crash—something shattered before me.
A steaming puddle of food and some broken porcelain shards lay on the floor.
“Sorry! Sorry!”
A nervous waiter nearby kept apologizing and tried to help Liang Zhiting wipe off the stains.
I noticed a brown splash on Liang Zhiting’s white shirt.
It was stained.
The waiter was a young girl, probably eighteen or nineteen, very frightened. I thought there was nothing to be afraid of—he wouldn’t get angry. He was always gentle.
But looking at Liang Zhiting’s face, I was surprised to see his brows furrow deeply, a deep crease between them. I’d never seen that look on his face before.
How to put it—this look made his usually gentle face seem harsh and unkind.
I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Liang Zhiting still looked gentle but said to the waitress, “It’s fine; I’ll clean it up myself. You continue.”
I thought—alcohol really is a wicked thing. It was messing with my eyes.
He helped me settle back at the table and went alone to the restroom.
I lay on the table, waking up a bit—feeling less dizzy. Liang Zhiting hadn’t returned yet, so I got up to find him.
At the bathroom door, Liang Zhiting stood with his back to me, washing the stains on his clothes under the running faucet. He scrubbed for a long time, but a large patch of dirt remained.
Looks like it wouldn’t come out.
“Tsk.”
Just as I was about to enter, I heard him click his tongue. The water noise couldn’t hide it.
That familiar crease appeared again, right in the center of his brow.
I stopped in my tracks.
For some reason, I couldn’t step forward.
Alcohol was messing with my vision again.
I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes hard, trying to clear the disturbance.
Liang Zhiting noticed me first, shut off the faucet, and asked, “Why did you come here?”
I lowered my hand; my view was blurry. I intended to put my glasses on but worried that then I’d see that crease on his face, so I didn’t. I gripped my glasses tightly.
“You haven’t… come back in a while.”
All I could see was his blurred silhouette by the sink, his face tilted upward. I replied facing his direction.
“That stain’s hard to wash out. Looks like this shirt is ruined.” He paused, then approached. I heard his footsteps. “But that girl didn’t do it on purpose. Forget it.”
He stopped in front of me, cupped my face with both hands, lifting it. “Are you feeling better?”
His touch made my fingers tremble; my face felt hot again. “Much better. Not so dizzy.”
“That’s good. I need to go home and change clothes myself, you…”
Ringing interrupted him—his phone.
He answered; I heard that familiar female voice.
“I just got home, brought you a gift. When will you be back?” I barely caught her words.
Then Liang Zhiting’s laughter: “Okay, I’m coming right away.”
After ending the call, he said, “Sorry, I have to go first. I’ll call a ride for you—take a taxi home.”
He was going back to his fiancée; she was waiting at home.
Though I was burning with jealousy and wanted to cling to him and stop him, I feared that my clinginess would annoy him. So I pretended to be considerate, declining, “No need…I can go on my own.”
“Okay. I’ll go then. Goodbye, Nan Li.”
Every time he left, he said goodbye properly.
I smelled the faint perfume on him fading away. Impulsively, I called after him, “Wait… wait a moment.”
“What is it?”
I bit my lip, mustering courage. “What perfume do you wear?”
Having learned the brand he favored, I took leave from work and went home earlier.
When I turned the key and opened the door, I thought the hallway would be empty, but instead, I saw my doll standing obediently inside, waiting.
I was startled.
I get home at six in the evening, so it was already night. Today I came back early—it was only two in the afternoon—and it was already waiting at the door. Had it heard me coming upstairs? Was it really that clever?
I felt favored and removed my shoes quickly, throwing myself at it and hugging its neck with a kiss.
After a while, I noticed it stood at the exact same spot as when it saw me off that morning. A bold thought came to mind—was it standing by the door the entire day? From morning till now, just waiting for me?
A wild guess, but highly likely.
I loved it even more.
Drunk, I collapsed onto the bed wanting to sleep, and it lay beside me, arms around my waist as usual.
I turned on the TV, playing another romance movie.
Among the bold and suggestive lines, my drowsiness vanished. Unable to sleep, I began rambling to it about my day with Liang Zhiting.
Towards the end, when I described our parting, I held its face and said, “I’ll buy you perfume—the same kind he uses. Then you’ll carry his scent and be even more like him.”
My lips brushed its ear softly as I whispered, “And I’ll love you even more.”
I lowered my head to kiss it. Suddenly, its arms around my waist tightened sharply, like iron bands squeezing harder and harder, compressing the air in my chest until breathing became difficult.
I had to tilt my head back to breathe and tried to pry its arms off. “What’s wrong with you? Loosen up!”
But it didn’t ease at all. Panic seized me.
I feared it might crush me in two and snap me in bed.
“Damn it! Let go!”
I struggled with all my strength, but its arms didn’t budge. The pain around my waist grew intense, threatening tears. Terrified, I realized I couldn’t overpower it anymore.
Why, why wouldn’t it obey?
I reached behind its ear, aiming to press the switch to turn it off. But just as my finger touched, it leaned its head back out of reach.
Now utterly trapped, I had no time to wonder if it was deliberate or accidental. I only wanted escape. Desperately, no commands worked. Sweat poured down my back as I trembled, calling its name: “A-Ting!”
My voice trembled.
No use. Still no use. What to do, what to do…
The onscreen lovers continued their sweet whispers.
Suddenly, an idea struck me. My voice hoarse, I called out, “Husband.” Not just that—I kissed its face and lips again and again, begging, “It hurts. Please loosen your grip a little. It hurts so much.”
I thought it had no effect, but next moment, the arms gripping my waist actually relaxed a bit—I could breathe normally again.
Just as I sighed in relief and tried to slip out of its embrace, a strange, low, rough voice sounded suddenly, like sandpaper being rubbed. Harsh and clear, it echoed in my ears:
“Baby.”
A chill ran from my feet to the crown of my head. My hair stood on end, goosebumps rising. I shivered and stared unbelievingly at the doll.
Its lips moved, and in its glassy pupils reflected my pale, drawn face.
It leaned in, pressing its face closely against mine, rubbing me gently in a small, intimate motion. Then it called me again, this time more clearly:
“Baby.”
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