“Never mind,” I said coldly, turning away. With each step, my heart sank lower into an invisible darkness.
“She hopes I’ll forgive her,” he said, catching up and blocking my path. “She said it was too dark at the time; your bicycle had no lights, and she couldn’t see…”
I clearly remember my bicycle had its lights on. It’s illegal not to have lights at night, and I was once stopped by a police officer who lectured me for over ten minutes, so I never dare to forget.
I’m uncertain if Yu Yin didn’t see or was finding an excuse to shirk responsibility. What’s important is the relationship between Ye Zhengchen and her.
I turned to him and asked, “So what do you say?”
“I told her to get lost, to go far away.”
I was momentarily speechless. “How can you curse at someone? That’s so ungentlemanly.”
“She almost killed you!” he said, agitated. “Should I smile and say: It’s okay, even if she killed you, it’s fine?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “There are so many women in the world. If I die, just find another one.”
He grabbed my hand, and the blue-white light shone on his black watch strap, revealing the characters: Kiddo.
Later, he asked seriously, “Kiddo, did you really forget to turn on the lights?”
“Yes, I forgot,” I replied. “Senior brother, be gracious and apologize to her.”
“Okay.”
The next day, when Yu Yin came, Ye Zhengchen proactively moved a chair for her.
Yu Yin was stunned and quickly said, “Thank you.”
I winked at him, and he nodded helplessly, squeezing out a somewhat forced smile at Yu Yin: “Sorry, I shouldn’t have blamed you…”
and shouldn’t have said what I said yesterday.”
“It’s okay,” Yu Yin smiled. “I understand, she means too much to you.”
At that moment, I discovered she was truly beautiful—a delicate light gray dress, long brown hair, and an elegant temperament. Her radiant smile was full of charm.
Later, Ye Zhengchen and Yu Yin’s relationship improved; they began chatting occasionally.
After leaving the hospital, I invited Yu Yin to my home for a meal. She carefully observed my space, including my unmade bed and the wall filled with “Zheng” characters.
“These are the times my senior brother tutored me; we were just playing around,” I explained while folding the bed, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“You two must have a great relationship.”
“It’s okay,” I replied casually. “Not as good as you might think. We’ve been together for less than three months.”
“Three months, just the honeymoon period.”
“Yes, once love passes its expiration date, who knows what might happen.”
Yu Yin didn’t respond, just looked at the wall full of “Zheng” characters.
He pointed to another one, light purple with sweet pink floral prints, a typical feminine style. “Don’t you think it’s childish?”
He touched the floral pattern. “A bit, but this pink always reminds me of you, and I have an impulse to sleep on it…”
I blushed, secretly laughing while putting a four-piece set into the shopping cart. In Yu Yin’s bedroom, I rejoiced that Ye Zhengchen no longer liked green; it was too dazzling and piercing.
I contemplated telling Yu Yin that people don’t always stick to a single color and that Ye Zhengchen would change until he found someone who could influence him. Instead, I reminded myself that people are different; Ye Zhengchen and Yu Yin’s boyfriend are not the same.
After touring the bedroom, Yu Yin took me to the study. The bookshelf was almost empty, with only a few Japanese books scattered about, including one titled “Clinical Pathology.”
“Oh? Are you studying medicine?” I asked, curious.
“Yes, I studied clinical medicine in college,” she replied.
“How coincidental; my senior brother also studied clinical…” I began, flipping through “Clinical Pathology,” but quickly closed it and returned it to the shelf.
I took a deep breath and said, “Sorry, I need to use the restroom.”
“Over there,” she pointed to the hallway’s innermost position, and I quickly headed in that direction.
In the bathroom, leaning against the door, my legs trembled. On the right side, a set of men’s toiletries was neatly arranged, with a towel folded beside it—this was also Ye Zhengchen’s habit.
After we lived together, no matter how messy my cosmetics were, the right side of the sink was exclusively his, where he arranged his things neatly, with the towel folded and placed aside.
The handwriting annotated on that book could not be a coincidence. Those powerful strokes were too familiar to me. I washed my face, forcing myself to calm down, then walked out.
Yu Yin stood at the end of the hallway, backlit. Her silhouette reminded me of a Taiwanese model – if I were a man, I would want to conquer her. However, to keep such a woman hidden in a golden room was something only an extraordinary man could do. I told myself that man was not Ye Zhengchen; he did not have that charm.
I spent the afternoon drinking bitter tea with Yu Yin, though I don’t remember our conversation. I only recall the tea’s bitterness, which I suspected she added huang lian to. After returning home, I drank several glasses of water but still tasted the bitterness in my mouth, sitting on the bed and blankly counting the “Zheng” characters on the wall for a long time.
Ye Zhengchen called to say he was coming home for dinner, so I washed my face and busied myself in the kitchen, making several Sichuan dishes he loved and setting the table.
During dinner, I placed a piece of spicy chicken in his bowl, smiling as I said, “I went to Yu Yin’s house for tea today.”
“Oh.” Ye Zhengchen paused, picking up the chicken and slowly chewing.
“Her home is very cozy,” I continued.
He swallowed. “Really? Is it cozier than our home?”
Looking around, I shook my head. “No, her home doesn’t have you…”
Ye Zhengchen suddenly looked up, his eyes deep, then laughed. “Her home doesn’t have you either…”
I laughed, sweetly smiling at him. Ye Zhengchen shouldn’t just be a doctor; with his proud appearance and acting skills, he could succeed in the entertainment industry.
After dinner, I tidied up the room and took a bath, lingering in the tub for over forty minutes. Wrapped in a towel, I emerged to see Ye Zhengchen sitting at the desk, reading. The curtains were already drawn, and the air was filled with a fresh lavender scent, mingled with something faint and unfamiliar.
It was the light scent of J’adore. French perfume is known for being both light and persistent, lingering unnoticeably. I am extremely sensitive to scents. I walked close to him, hugging his waist from behind. He had just bathed, smelling fresh and clean. I glanced at the materials he was reading, recognizing the source of the fragrance. I felt a bit sad; no matter how perfectly Ye Zhengchen concealed everything, a woman would never understand another woman like Yu Yin.
I bit his right neck, startling him, and he quickly dodged. One bite, one dodge, the bite mark deepened, leaving a purple-red trace. He touched it, then pounced, pulling off the towel wrapped around me.
On the bed, disheveled, we engaged in an endless session of panting and moaning, our bodies entangled. I kissed and bit him, wanting to leave marks from another woman on his body. He said my unusual passion overwhelmed him, making him especially gentle. For him, this was passionate lovemaking; for me, it was humiliation. I felt cold throughout. Every time his fingers and tongue touched me, I shivered from the cold.
When his tongue slid into my mouth, I turned my head to avoid it. Each penetration was unbearable pain. I held back tears, struggling not to think, but I couldn’t erase the image of him with Yu Yin, pressing her beneath him. In his final moments of uncontrollable excitement, the sharp impact and dizzying stimulation left me soft and numb.
