132 The Fall

A gentleman can sit with a woman without succumbing to temptation, but unfortunately, I am no gentleman.

One of us was in the prime of youth, the other at a predatory age. When we were huddled together in bed late at night, we were like dry tinder meeting a raging fire; we ignited instantly. As for the consequences, they were long forgotten. After several rounds of madness, only a sense of desolation remained.

At the third watch, Sister Yang put on her clothes and said to me, "I'm sorry, I drank too much last night." I replied, "Don't say it. We are both adults; we must take responsibility for our own actions."

Sister Yang smiled charmingly and said, "If you can think that way, Feng, then I am at ease. I am going upstairs to check on Xiaoya now."

I nodded and said, "Yes, I will go to the warehouse to see if that thief has returned."

"Be careful," Sister Yang said. She kissed my cheek, seemingly still longing for more, before heading upstairs.

I dressed, grabbed an iron rod, and went out. In front of the factory building, I scanned the surroundings but found nothing unusual. I walked up to the warehouse gate and saw that the padlock showed no signs of tampering, leading me to believe the thief hadn't returned after fleeing the previous night.

I left the warehouse, circled the factory grounds once more, and finding everything in order, stepped into a corner by the perimeter wall to relieve myself before heading back.

I opened the villa door to find Sister Yang waiting for me on the living room sofa. She asked with concern, "Feng, how is the warehouse?"

"Don't worry," I said. "Everything is normal. The thief hasn't come back." Sister Yang patted her chest and sighed, "That's good. I was worried he might return."

"As the old saying goes, there is nothing to fear like a thief who has his eyes on you," I remarked. "I am also worried that he won't give up and might try again."

"What should we do then?" Sister Yang asked anxiously. I replied, "I can't think of a good solution right now. Let's wait until daybreak."

Thinking it was only a little past three, I decided to go back to sleep. I yawned and said, "There's nothing else to do, I'm going to get some more sleep."

As I walked into the room next door, Sister Yang followed. Her intentions were crystal clear. I couldn't help but ask, "What about Xiaoya?"

Sister Yang's face flushed. "She's fine, she's fast asleep." With that, she jumped onto the bed and leaned against me.

I don't know how many men in this world can withstand the temptation of a beautiful woman, but I certainly could not. I soon fell into Sister Yang's embrace.

Since the damage was already done, one time was no different from ten. Besides, I had already left Sister Li, so this could hardly be called cheating.

We remained entangled until dawn. The next day, Sister Yang rose early, while I slept in until late, finally waking to the breakfast she had already prepared.

Having taken a woman’s body and eaten her food, I felt compelled to help her. I inspected the area around the factory and found clear footprints in a corner of the wall where someone had climbed. It was obvious the thief had used this spot to both enter and escape.

I had already surveyed the perimeter and realized this was the most vulnerable point, located in a blind spot for the security cameras. It was no wonder the thief had chosen it.

Seeing me examining the wall, Sister Yang walked over and asked, "Feng, did you find any clues?"

I pointed to the footprints. "Look at those marks. The thief must have come in through here last night!" Sister Yang nodded, looking uneasy. "Feng, I'm a bit scared. Why don't you just work at my factory? We've already reached this point, anyway."

"Don't be afraid," I said. "I will make that thief pay the price so he won't dare target this place again."

"Do you have a good plan?" she asked.

"Let's set a trap," I replied.

Sister Yang paused, confused. "What kind of trap? And how do we set it?"

"It's simple. I'll bury two animal traps here, right on his path. That should catch the guy when he tries to come through."

Sister Yang hesitated. "Will that really work?"

I smiled. "It's easy enough to find out. But ordinary traps have openings that are too small; they'll need some special modifications."

"Can you do that?" she asked doubtfully.

"It shouldn't be a problem," I said with a laugh.

I felt particularly grateful then for the care the senior warden had shown me during my time inside, when she had arranged for me to learn mechanical skills like lathe operation and bench work. She had told me, "You're still young; having a trade will make it easier to find work when you get out."

Of course, I had only learned the basics back then, and my skills were nowhere near those of a master machinist, but I understood the mechanical principles and could operate lathes, drill presses, and other equipment.

Sister Yang's factory was, in fact, a machine shop equipped with such tools. I drove her car out to buy the necessary materials and then got to work in the shop. Watching me operate the machinery, Sister Yang looked surprised. "You know how to do this, too?"

"I know the simple stuff," I said. "I can't handle complex products."

After a few hours of busy work, two animal traps were complete. I tested them briefly; they were powerful, with sharp iron teeth that could bite deep into wood.

I dug pits along the thief's likely path, buried the traps, and covered them with branches and withered grass to disguise them so that no flaws were visible.

Sister Yang was watching with Xiaoya nearby, so I told her to keep an eye on the girl and ensure she didn't come near the area.

Xiaoya, being very sensible, nodded. "Uncle Feng, I know you're doing this to deal with bad people. I won't come over here."

Having seen how easily the iron teeth could sink into wood, she understood the danger. Sometimes, children are no less intelligent than adults.

By the time I finished setting the trap, it was already past two in the afternoon. Seeing that my clothes were dirty and disheveled, Sister Yang said, "Feng, go take a shower. I'll take Xiaoya and go buy you a few sets of clothes."

I didn't refuse. When I finished my shower, Sister Yang had returned with the clothes.

I changed into the new outfit and noticed a message on my phone from Fatty. "Feng, what are you doing? If you're free, let's get together. Iron Head and I are waiting for you."