Enduring the soreness all over my body, I got out of bed, put on a sleep robe, and went into the bathroom. After showering, I dug out the cake ingredients I’d bought and carefully followed the instructions to make a small cake.
After baking, I found a pack of birthday candles I’d “incidentally” picked up at a hundred-yen store.
Ye Zhengchen came out of the shower as I was busy whipping cream. He hugged me from behind, deeply inhaling the milky fragrance of the cake.
“Darling, marry me in three years,” he said half-seriously.
My heart trembled.
In three years, he would be free.
Was this a promise?
I was afraid of disappointment, so I dared not have any expectations.
I pretended not to care and gave him a glance. “There are plenty of men who want to marry me, get in line!”
“Stop bragging! Twenty-three and still a virgin, only I wouldn’t mind you…”
“You!” My face turned completely red. He looked smug again. He pulled my index finger into the cream, then slowly wrapped his tongue around it, sucking off the cream.
“So sweet!” he mumbled, leaning close. “I want to spread it all over your body…” A tingling sensation spread from my fingertips throughout my body, and my face grew even redder. He was just a beast disguised in a wolf’s clothing.
Under Ye Zhengchen’s demand, I switched shifts and rummaged through the wardrobe, finally finding a high-necked knit sweater to cover my bruises.
After a simple wash, I didn’t wear makeup but applied jelly-colored lip gloss to cover my swelling lips. However, before I could get out of the car, he had already licked the lip gloss clean!
He held my hand walking into a small Chinese restaurant, cramped with over twenty people. I tried to pull my hand back several times, but failed. Our relationship was publicly revealed under everyone’s matter-of-fact expressions.
Brother Feng winked at Ye Zhengchen, commenting on my high-necked sweater: “Oh! Settled?” Ye Zhengchen responded with a knowing look, and everyone understood. To these experienced individuals, the sweater clearly indicated something.
Li Kai was preoccupied with the menu, while I tried to gauge Qin Xue’s expression, but she kept her head down, hiding her emotions behind her lowered eyelashes. Was it pity, anger at my lack of resolve, or a sense of betrayal?
The food, authentic Cantonese cuisine, was just served when Ye Zhengchen’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, noting it was from an Osaka area code. Unfamiliar with the number, he answered in Japanese, “Hello!” A woman’s voice wished him a happy birthday, but his reaction made me uncomfortable. He quickly covered the phone and stood up to walk outside.
Stirring my iced cola, I felt my heart sink like a stone into the dark vortex. From the first day I met him, I knew what kind of person he was, and after falling in love with him, I understood even more.
I’d told myself a thousand times not to care, but how could I not care? After all, love isn’t just said with words.
He couldn’t remember how many times he ran red lights or drove against traffic, but he miraculously sped to the restaurant Ye Zhengchen mentioned during rush hour.
In the private dining room, besides Ye Zhengchen, there were several friends who had grown up together. Everyone was already seated, with only the spot next to Ye Zhengchen left empty. The food was prepared, and no one had touched their chopsticks, waiting for him.
As soon as Zheng Wei saw Ye Zhengchen, his anger surged. He walked up and threw a punch with nine-tenths of his strength. Ye Zhengchen didn’t dodge, and his shoulder took the full blow. After hitting him, he added, “You still have the face to come back? You should have died out there!”
Ye Zhengchen laughed silently, accustomed to such treatment. Zheng Wei and Ye Zhengchen were childhood friends, sharing many experiences together. A year after graduating from college, Ye Zhengchen said his father agreed to let him continue his studies, wanting to pursue a medical doctorate for fun. From then on, he disappeared without a trace, and his phone was never turned on.
Since then, Zheng Wei had a habit of keeping his phone on 24 hours a day, just so Ye Zhengchen could contact him anytime.
Ye Zhengchen was truly shameless, calling without asking what Zheng Wei was doing or if he had time. He would say, “I’m back, arrange a good place, and we won’t stop drinking until we’re drunk!”
Zheng Wei would curse him out, but after enough cursing, he would drop even his most important work to find an authentic Sichuan restaurant and drink with Ye Zhengchen until they were wasted.
Today was no different.
Zheng Wei sat down and immediately downed three shots of baijiu with Ye Zhengchen, feeling great.
“Why are you free today to gather everyone?” Zheng Wei asked.
“It’s not me treating,” Ye Zhengchen said boldly. “Wu Ge didn’t notify me about his wedding, so I’m giving him a chance to make up for the banquet.”
“You’ve got some nerve saying that!” Wu Ge slammed down his wine glass. “I called you half a year in advance, and you never turned on your phone! I haven’t slept a wink in the past six months, just hoping you’d turn on your phone and make up for the gift money!”
“Gift money?” Ye Zhengchen understood immediately. “Tell me, what of mine have you been thinking about so much that you can’t sleep?”
Wu Ge’s eyes lit up. “Do I need to ask? Your license plate!”
Everyone gasped: Damn, he really knew how to ask for something. That license plate couldn’t be bought at any price.
Just driving around China meant no traffic cop would dare to stop him!
“Fine!” Ye Zhengchen was generous. “Just take my car and save the paperwork!”
“Then I won’t be polite.”
This reminded Zheng Wei to say, “To prevent me from not finding you when I get married, pay the gift money first, so I won’t keep thinking about it.”
Ye Zhengchen glared at him. “If you can’t find me, don’t get married! Get married only when you find me!”
Zheng Wei was speechless. How could there be such a difference between bros?
In less than an hour, several bottles of special baijiu were emptied. Everyone was slightly drunk and sharing anecdotes. Ye Zhengchen listened absent-mindedly, occasionally glancing at his watch.
“Are you in a hurry?” Zheng Wei asked, moving closer.
“No,” he said, lowering his wrist. He ordered dan dan noodles but pushed the bowl aside after one bite, seemingly unimpressed.
Zheng Wei studied his unusual friend and noticed the half-exposed wallet in his trouser pocket. It was old, with worn edges and discoloration.
This wallet was a gift from Zheng Wei when Ye Zhengchen was admitted to medical school. It had been seven years, and for someone as wasteful as Ye Zhengchen, keeping the same wallet was a miracle.
His heart warmed as he casually pulled the wallet from Ye Zhengchen’s pocket and opened it. Inside, he found a photo of a girl taken secretly.
She stood sideways on a bridge, gazing at mountains covered in red leaves. Her brown curly hair blew in the wind, and her clear blue eyes captured attention. Zheng Wei always appreciated women based on their physique.
The girl wore a short skirt in a Japanese-Korean style, complemented by a beige trench coat. The wind outlined her curves, and black stockings accentuated her slender legs. After admiring her body, Zheng Wei noted her attractive, naturally radiant face with refined features.
“This girl is great! Introduce her to me!” he said flirtatiously.
“Get lost!” Ye Zhengchen slapped away his finger from the photo and snatched back the wallet. “She’s my girlfriend.”
Instantly, the lively drinking table fell silent, and Wu Ge’s joke hung mid-sentence. Everyone’s gaze turned to Ye Zhengchen, astonished at his unexpected declaration.
To clarify, Zheng Wei asked again, “What did you say? She’s your… girlfriend?”
