She glanced at me lightly, with a subtle smile. “Welcome again,” I bowed deeply. I thought she wouldn’t come back, but unexpectedly, she came once or twice almost every week. Buying daily necessities and food, she also selected a few men’s items, carefully considering her choices. Sometimes, she even studied the instructions or consulted me about certain products. As time passed, we became familiar.
Through observation and conversation, I learned that her name was Yu Yin. She had just arrived in Japan a month ago and rented a traditional small house nearby with a man who was often busy, only able to accompany her to shop once or twice a month. Unfamiliar with Osaka, she would buy whatever she could at our convenience store.
One time, she invited me: “Bo Bing, when are you free to come sit at my place?”
“Me?” I was surprised as I didn’t think we were that close.
“Yes, you’re my only friend in Japan.”
Just as I was about to respond, the convenience store door chime rang, and I looked up to see Ye Zhengchen walk in.
I thought he might be stunned by the beautiful woman before him and had forgotten my existence, but unexpectedly, he turned his gaze to me.
“You’re here?” Happiness spread across my face as I smiled and said, “Wait a moment for me, Li Kai has something to do and will come a bit later.”
“No problem.” He walked towards me with a calm smile. “No rush.”
Yu Yin glanced at Ye Zhengchen, and they exchanged a brief look before shifting their gaze away.
Out of a slight feminine intuition, I observed their expressions—bland and cold, with no spark between them.
“Your boyfriend?” Yu Yin asked with a laugh. “He’s so handsome!”
Embarrassed, my face grew warm. “This is my boyfriend, Ye Zhengchen,” I introduced.
I then introduced her to Ye Zhengchen. “She’s Yu Yin, also Chinese. She lives nearby and is a regular customer at our store.”
Ye Zhengchen slightly bowed to her, unusually polite. “Hello!”
“Hello!” Yu Yin replied with a polite smile, extending her hand.
Ye Zhengchen touched her fingertips and immediately let go, as proper as could be.
I was very satisfied!
After falling in love with him, I realized it was different from what I thought. He did puzzling things, such as:
He often stood me up, turned off his phone, and made me wait in a coffee shop for an hour, then claimed he didn’t remember making plans with me.
Another time, he promised to take me out, only to cancel minutes later.
He seemed mentally fatigued, easily startled awake from dreams. When he woke, he would hold me tightly and kiss me fiercely.
Lingling warned, “This seems like a sign of a third party. Be careful.”
I said: “No way. If he had another woman, he would definitely tell me!”
I believed him, always believed!
Sunset, evening. In the misty bathroom, a faint lavender fragrance lingered. I lay in the bathtub, letting warm water wash over my naked body, easing subtle muscle aches.
Ye Zhengchen sat on the edge, lifting my leg and scooping bath salts into his palm. He gently massaged my calves, which had been standing for six hours.
Watching him, with his lowered brow and gentle smile, as the scrub particles dissolved under his touch, I felt every aching muscle relax. Trading three sexual encounters for such enjoyment was worth it!
As he massaged, his hot palm shifted from rub to caress, warm currents invading my rationality.
“Hey!” I kicked him. “Be professional. Don’t take advantage of me.”
He shook his head and began pressing my acupoints. A sharp pain shot up my calf.
“Ah!” I couldn’t help but scream.
He looked at me tenderly, sighed softly, and placed a hot towel on my leg, pressing on my acupoints.
“Sweetie…” he called, his voice slightly hoarse. “Quit your job. Such high work intensity can lead to bone diseases.”
“If I quit, how will I pay my tuition?”
“I’ll help with next semester’s tuition. Just stop working.”
I rested my arm on the bathtub’s edge and threw him a flirtatious glance. “Sorry, this girl only sells her art, not her body!”
He looked up with a mocking smile. “With that little ‘skill’, you think you can sell your art?”
I almost spit blood in anger.
He glanced at me, amused. “Fortunately, you have some innate advantages…”
“You?!” I angrily splashed water at him, soaking his shirt, which revealed his six-pack abs.
I suspected those abs were developed in women’s beds, but I later learned his good physique was from the gym.
I want to take the opportunity to discuss my research topic with Professor Fujii, whom I rarely get to meet.
“Professor, do you have a moment?
I’m encountering significant difficulties with my research project and would like to discuss them with you.”
As soon as he heard about the topic, the professor’s dull gray “dead fish eyes” suddenly lit up. “Certainly.”
For an hour, I explained the challenges I had faced over the past six months, particularly that these cancer cells divide extremely quickly and have a very low survival rate, making growth in simulated living environments impossible. I also mentioned my extensive research into cultivation methods, none of which were suitable.
After listening carefully, the professor asked detailed questions, which I answered thoroughly. I even suspected these cells could not form spores within the human body. The professor looked satisfied, praising my careful observation and innovative thinking.
“But I can’t find any relevant information. Continuing blindly would waste time and resources,” I added a compliment. “Professor, you are so knowledgeable. Could you provide insights about these cells’ characteristics?”
He thought for a long time before going into the inner room. After a while, he brought out a few pages and handed them to me. “This is part of a doctoral dissertation that describes the cell characteristics observed during research. You can refer to it; it should be helpful.”
When I took the materials, he solemnly patted them. “This project is still in the research stage. We haven’t published it and don’t plan to make it public for now. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I understand,” I said. “I will keep it confidential.”
“Not for me, but for our research laboratory.”
I nodded seriously, secretly thinking: These Japanese are so cunning, discovering something new and locking it away, probably aiming for some award.
It was past three in the afternoon when I left the professor’s office. I first went to the convenience store to thank the owner and quit my job.
Ye Zhengchen said he had something to do and wouldn’t be home for dinner. I was too lazy to cook, so I casually ate some snacks and began to study the materials carefully.
I read the few pages several times but remained puzzled. The materials indicated that these cells are suitable for forming at 25-30 degrees Celsius, suggesting they cannot form spores in living human bodies. So how could they cause cancer mutations?
As soon as Ye Zhengchen returned, I pulled him to my desk. “Senior brother, please help me look at this. These cancer cells are so strange.”
Ye Zhengchen took a look at the materials and asked, “What kind of bacteria is this?”
“A cancer cell. The associate professor said it’s skin cancer.”
But I’ve checked various skin cancer materials, and it doesn’t seem like any of them…
These important things were actually hidden from me! Fortunately, my boyfriend is knowledgeable; otherwise, I wouldn’t even know how I died. “Senior brother, aren’t you studying clinical medicine? How do you know so much about bacteria?” I was about to express my admiration for him when he glanced at his watch and said casually, “Fourteen hours. Well, you now owe me fourteen more classes…”
