Yin Zhongtian raised his hand but couldn’t bring it down, wanting to say something but unable to speak. He finally let go and staggered out of my home. I wanted to touch his shoulder one last time, to tell him everything would pass, but I hesitated, fearing he would find me disgusting.
As his slightly swaying back disappeared from view, I collapsed powerlessly to the ground. My cold hand covered my burning cheek, slightly alleviating the pain. What should I do? What about Yin Zhongtian? How would I face my parents? How could I explain? Would my father’s health suffer from the shock? And Ye Zhengchen—how would I face him?
Too many questions plagued me, and I longed to ask Ye Zhengchen: “Shixiong, would you say we’re adulterers?”
An autumn breeze blew in, chilling me to the bone. I got up, closed the window, and pulled the curtain halfway. My hand froze as I noticed a white SUV parked by the street lamp below.
After hesitating for a long time, I picked up my phone and texted Ye Zhengchen: [Where are you?] He replied instantly: [At a nightclub, chatting with a beautiful woman.] I looked at the car downstairs again and replied: [Have fun. Won’t disturb you.]
A few minutes later, he replied: [What are you doing?] [Looking at the scenery, the view downstairs is nice.] He replied with: […] I laughed, covering my face and wincing in pain. Another message came: [I want to see you, now.] Touching the swelling on my face, I replied: [I don’t want to see you, now.] After waiting for a long time, Ye Zhengchen didn’t reply again. Dejected, I put down my phone and went to the bathroom to look at my face. My right cheek was severely swollen, with five purple-blue fingerprints. I lifted my hair, revealing a half-inch bloody wound on my forehead. I wiped it with tissues, but the blood continued to seep out. If Ye Zhengchen saw my face like this, I wondered what he would think.
The doorbell rang. I thought Yin Zhongtian had returned and quickly ran to the door, looking through the peephole. A figure stood outside – wearing black jeans and a black shirt, exuding an air of sexiness. I scratched the hair on my forehead, covering the side of my face, and opened the door. Ye Zhengchen smiled and said, “If you want to see me, just say so…” When he saw my face clearly, his smile froze!
Author’s note: Finally broke up, wiping sweat, clapping hands! I can leave with peace of mind… I’m going to Guilin for a meeting, don’t miss me too much.
If you must miss me, write your thoughts below, and I’ll check when I return. I might be gone for half a month; not sure if the hotel has internet.
Lingering Hatred… I forced a calm smile and stepped aside to let Ye Zhengchen in, but he pulled me back, brushing aside the hair on my forehead to reveal my wounds.
“Who? Who did this?” His voice was a loud roar, triggering the sound-controlled lights on several floors.
Ye Zhengchen was usually good at controlling his emotions, but now his fury was evident, with swollen veins on his forehead and clenched fists.
Hearing footsteps on the stairwell, I remembered most residents were my colleagues, so I quickly grabbed his hand, pulled him inside, and locked the door.
“It was Yin Zhongtian!” he said menacingly, as if he wanted to tear Yin Zhongtian apart.
Worried that Ye Zhengchen might confront him in his rage, I instinctively covered my face. “He was just drunk, a momentary impulse…”
” He did this to you, and you’re still defending him?” Ye Zhengchen’s knuckles twisted, making a crackling sound.
I forgot that Ye Zhengchen studied psychology.
My desperate protection and worry couldn’t escape his perception. I changed my approach, laughing self-mockingly, “If you were him, knowing I had an affair with another man, what would you do? You’d probably strangle me, right?”
He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “If I could bear to, I would have strangled you ten thousand times already!”
It felt like being stabbed in the heart. Yes, he always showed reluctance to hurt me, not even willing to scold me, but I had been cruel to him. I had hit him and left scars, even causing him pain when I left him bleeding at the Japanese airport. What probably hurt him most was the diamond ring on my finger that dug into his palm.
Thinking carefully, I realized how cruel I had been. He helped me save Yin Zhongtian while I distanced myself from him in front of Yin. Ye Zhengchen was a proud man, yet he still looked at me and smiled despite my actions.
“Do you want to strangle me now? I promise not to resist,” I asked. He shook his head, picked me up, and placed me on the sofa, gently lifting my face to examine the wound on my forehead. “Do you have a first-aid kit?”
“In the cabinet in the bedroom,” I replied. He retrieved the kit, dressed my wound with gauze, and wrapped some ice in a towel to gently press on my swollen face.
The extreme cold pricked my fragile nerves, and I suddenly burst out laughing, unable to stop. It was truly ridiculous. Yin Zhongtian slapped me, and now Ye Zhengchen was helping me treat the wounds.
“What are you laughing at?” Ye Zhengchen asked, puzzled.
I covered the wound that hurt from laughing. “Senior, would you say we’re like adulterers?”
“No.” He shot me a cold glance. “I never agreed to break up.”
Was there even a need to say “breakup”? If a man was determined to be unreasonable, what could you do?
“In my heart, you’ve always been my girlfriend.”
“Even though I have a fiancé?” I asked.
“Darling,” Ye Zhengchen stroked my long hair as he used to. “Leave him.”
The floor lamp cast shadows on Ye Zhengchen’s face, making every detail clear to me. I had embedded all my memories in amber. Even if years passed, not a single moment would fade. I really didn’t want to refuse him or my own desires. “Even if I don’t want to leave him, he won’t want me anymore.”
Ye Zhengchen turned slightly, his suppressed laughter looking adorable in the shadows.
“You’ve achieved your goal. Go ahead and laugh,” I said.
“No need to pretend in front of me.” He no longer concealed it, laughing satisfiedly.
I should have realized he was Ye Zhengchen, a man with profound motives. He wouldn’t force me to bed without a plan; he calculated the moment the truth would emerge, knowing Yin Zhongtian could never forgive me. He anticipated that I would inevitably return to him.
Sometimes, when a man is too clever, it becomes a tragedy for a woman. “Do you hate me?” he asked, stunning me with his question.
Hate? Perhaps a little. I hated that he deceived me three years ago and returned to turn my life upside down. I detested that he stole Yin Zhongtian’s fiancée at his lowest, pushing him to despair. But all of this was in the past—what difference would hate make now?
If possible, I’d prefer to find a way to help Yin Zhongtian minimize his suffering. Hesitating, I tugged at Ye Zhengchen’s sleeve. “Senior brother?”
He brushed away my hand. “What do you want to ask me now? Go ahead.”
Looking at his indifferent face, I shamelessly asked, “Is there any way to get Zhongtian back to work at the municipal government?”
Without hesitation, he answered, “Yes.”
“What method?” I sat up straight, eager for his response.
Ye Zhengchen gently lifted my chin, a playful smile forming. “Marry me!”
Author’s note: It’s been a while since I wrote, and I’m a bit out of practice. I’ll update a bit to whet everyone’s appetite, and I’m checking references. What kind of intimacy should I include this weekend? What do you all think the girl should answer?
