Many memories are buried in dust. I suddenly felt nostalgic for that low-rise apartment in Osaka, my sincere friends, and the cherry blossom tree blooming outside the balcony, its petals covering the floor.
That year, that season… The petals swayed in the wind and rain, bringing back a love that felt brief yet brilliant. In those three years, he looked forward to time passing quickly, anticipating his freedom, wanting to hold her hand and embrace her, revealing how much he missed her and what he couldn’t say.
However, time would not stop, nor would emotions. Even if he could hold her hand, the words “I miss you” would have long lost their meaning. The doorbell rang, and Ye Zhengchen pulled the curtains, blocking the light outside.
The door opened, and standing at the entrance was Yu Yin, wearing a deep purple cinched short dress, looking elegant and noble.
“Xiao Wu only got two bottles,” he stated flatly, bending down to hand the wine to Yu Yin. His figure stood at the doorway, showing no intention of moving aside.
Yu Yin glanced at the production date and smiled. “Thank you!”
Ye Zhengchen didn’t want to explain to her how much Xiao Wu had struggled to get them. “You’re welcome.”
“Where were you last night?” Yu Yin asked.
“Hotel,” he answered naturally.
“Drinking with friends?”
“Sleeping with a woman.”
The corridor fell silent, even breathing gradually subsiding. After a moment of silence, she laughed softly. “You don’t need to deliberately provoke me.”
“I have no reason to provoke you. I’m telling the truth.”
“With her?” She smiled, a hint of melancholy in her laughter. “Bao Bing?”
“Yes,” he confirmed, not bothering to deny it.
For Ye Zhengchen, fabricating lies was a waste of effort. It was too exhausting. In this lifetime, perhaps Bao Bing was the only woman worth deceiving. Unfortunately, she hated being deceived most.
She could never understand – the more meticulously a man crafts a lie, the more he cares, to the point of fear.
Yu Yin took a deep breath, her tone calm. “I heard the secretary of the deputy mayor of Nanzhou City was arrested for suspected corruption. If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t he her fiancé?”
Ye Zhengchen lowered his head, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt, rolling up his sleeves.
