Chapter 23 : The Price of Silence

The morning light wiped the sky clean. The person on the bed was fast asleep, leaving only silence in the room.

Péi Wanyi put on her suit jacket, straightened her sleeves and collar, and tied up her hair in front of the full-length mirror.

It was already past six. She glanced at the person curled up under the covers on the bed and turned to leave.

The door opened and closed softly. The sound of footsteps faded away.

The person, half-asleep, opened her eyes, turned over, and fell back into an exhausted dream.

Péi Wanyi took an hour to go home, shower, change clothes, and grab her work luggage before heading out just in time.

The driver was already waiting outside the courtyard gate and opened the car door for her.

Péi Wanyi got in the car, took out her phone, put on her Bluetooth headset, and started checking work emails and replying to messages.

After finishing up, she finally spoke up. “Brother Li, what’s the deal with my dad’s S580?”

The driver glanced at the rearview mirror and replied cautiously,
“It seems he bought it from a friend. It had some problems. Mr. Péi didn’t want to bother with the hassle, so he just gave it to Miss Fang.”

Hearing that name, Péi Wanyi curled her lip.

She lost interest in the topic. The driver, seeing her expression, said no more.

A few minutes later, as if remembering something else, she asked without even looking up,
“When is Péi Mingyang coming back?”

The driver, looking at the road ahead, replied with some uncertainty,
“If there are no surprises, it should be next month. Mr. Péi is already handling his onboarding process.”

Péi Wanyi’s tone was cold. “Got it. Arrange the apartment for him then. He can use my electric car.”

“Okay,” the driver agreed.

It was still early when they arrived at the airport. Péi Wanyi took her luggage, went through the fast track for security, and after checking her emails in the lounge for a while, she boarded the plane directly.

A few minutes before takeoff and losing connection, Péi Wanyi thought for a moment and still opened that chat window, leaving a message for the other person:
[“Made you breakfast. Remember to eat it.”]

After sending the message, she put her phone away, pulled down the sunshade, and put on an eye mask to rest.

It was impossible to sleep on the plane, but she could at least recharge a little.

It was already past two in the afternoon when Jiang Yanlin woke up.

She was so tired she didn’t even want to cook. She ordered takeout before getting out of bed to wash up. It wasn’t until she came out of the bathroom that she saw the breakfast left on the dining table.

Honestly, for someone like Jiang Yanlin, this kind of behavior was a huge “Red Flag.”

But she looked at it for a few seconds, then picked it up, put it in the microwave to heat, and made herself a cup of Thai red tea.

There were only a few tea bags left in the tin.

The takeout couldn’t be canceled after the delivery time had passed, so Jiang Yanlin simply put it in the fridge to have for dinner.

After dealing with her daily chores and finally sitting down at her desk, Jiang Yanlin began to reply to messages one by one.

Work, friends, unimportant people could wait.

But as she scrolled through her chats, she still clicked on the one with El and sent him a message: [“Been busy the last two days. How’s the restaurant?”]

He didn’t reply immediately; he was probably busy.

Jiang Yanlin didn’t mind and focused on her work.

She had almost finished the promotional work for those few commercial orders and could post them one by one during prime time. But the dress review would have to be postponed for a few days.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yanlin picked up the lighted mirror next to her and looked at her neck.
—It looked like a dog had chewed on it.

The sight of it annoyed her, so she put the mirror down and pretended it didn’t exist.

Péi Wanyi must have done a lot of strength training. Her finger strength and grip were astonishing, probably beyond what most men could achieve.

This was the first time Jiang Yanlin had encountered this type. She couldn’t help but reflect on the reason and finally realized it was because her taste had been relatively fixed in the past. The people she ended up in bed with were either the obedient type like Xiao You or the gentle type like Qining.

But Jiang Yanlin also had to admit that even this version of Péi Wanyi was quite delicious.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yanlin finally replied to the morning’s message.

[“It was delicious, thank you.”]

Whether it was breakfast or dinner.

After sending it, Jiang Yanlin didn’t expect a reply. After all, she was on a business trip and probably wouldn’t be seen for three to five days.

As for whether she would want to continue eating after three to five days, Jiang Yanlin couldn’t say for sure.

It was almost dinnertime when Jiang Yanlin remembered something and sent a message to Chen Yuran: [“What did you call me about the other day?”]

So hesitant. Didn’t she know she was most impatient with that?

Chen Yuran replied quickly: [“Ms. Jiang, are you done with work? Are you free tonight? I’ll treat you to dinner.”]

Jiang Yanlin sighed, already used to her impulsive nature.

[“What time, where.”]

She knew Chen Yuran probably really did have something to discuss, so she finally agreed.

Chen Yuran had booked a place near the Pop Dance club, the same place where she had run into El.

Jiang Yanlin didn’t mind.

It wasn’t until she arrived that night and received a message from her to go to Pop Dance that she had a rough idea of what was going on.

“…Here!”

Chen Yuran was wearing a denim slip dress, her face full of youthful collagen. She looked a little thinner than last time.

Jiang Yanlin looked around. The club wasn’t open yet; it was time for the staff and performers to rest and prepare.

She went to the backstage entrance, waiting for Chen Yuran to reveal her secret.

“Justin, over here!”

Chen Yuran turned her head and called out. Not long after, a tall, thin man came out with a big smile on his face.

He had deep-set features but a very Asian demeanor. Jiang Yanlin thought for a moment; this was most likely the half-American, half-Japanese dancer Chen Yuran had mentioned.

“Hey, you’re Xiao Yu’s friend? Want an autograph?”

Justin still had sweat on his face. He glanced at Jiang Yanlin and then took out a marker with a smile.

Jiang Yanlin glanced at Chen Yuran. The young girl was already a bit embarrassed.

“No, Justin, this is a friend I’m having dinner with tonight.”

She quickly explained.

Only then did Justin realize and laugh heartily.
“Okay, please wait a few minutes. I’ll go change.”

He put the pen in his pocket and turned to go into the backstage dressing room.

After he left, Jiang Yanlin raised an eyebrow and looked at Chen Yuran.

She scratched her cheek and said in a small voice, “Anyway, we just got together a few days ago. I wanted to introduce you.”

Jiang Yanlin wasn’t very surprised, but she thought about saying something and then decided against it.

Justin was quick. After getting ready and changing, he came out looking quite presentable.

The restaurant was a few minutes’ walk away. The three of them went over and arrived just in time for their reservation.

It was a Japanese restaurant. Chen Yuran had rarely booked a small private room, which provided a good environment for conversation.

Justin didn’t speak much Chinese and communicated with Chen Yuran in English throughout the meal. But when he learned that Jiang Yanlin could speak Japanese, he asked in surprise, “Really?”

He said this in Japanese, so Jiang Yanlin had no choice but to reply simply in Japanese, “Just a little.”

Justin looked very happy. “Your accent is very authentic, better than mine. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been to Japan in too many years. I was born in New York and rarely go back.”

He was quite a chatterbox, rattling off a bunch of things without anyone asking.

Chen Yuran didn’t understand these few sentences in Japanese and took a sip of water.

After ordering, Justin said he knew the head chef and was going to tell him their taste preferences, so he got up and left the room.

After he left, Jiang Yanlin wiped her hands with a hot towel and asked casually,
“How long have you been together?”

Chen Yuran was a bit shy. “The last time I called you, we had just gotten together two days ago.”

Jiang Yanlin had only known El for a little over a week, and they had been together for a few days.

“What do you like about him?” she asked nonchalantly.

This topic got Chen Yuran talking.

“He’s very witty, and he’s a great dancer. He’s a teacher in a dance troupe, and he’s good at making me happy. Plus, he can help me practice my spoken English.”

Jiang Yanlin listened without saying anything.

After rattling off a long list of his good points, Chen Yuran hesitated and then said in a small voice, “But there are also things I don’t like.”

Jiang Yanlin looked at her. Before she could say another word, the door to the room was pushed open, and the person who had left returned.

The two of them greeted him as if nothing had happened. He was completely oblivious and sat down to chat with Jiang Yanlin.

“Hey, Jiang, have you been to Japan? How is your accent so authentic?”

Jiang Yanlin glanced at Chen Yuran, who didn’t understand Japanese, smiled, and answered the question.

Justin seemed very interested in the fact that she could speak Japanese. The conversation kept revolving around this topic, and he completely forgot that Chen Yuran, who was sitting next to him, couldn’t understand and couldn’t participate in the conversation.

Jiang Yanlin also seemed to be unaware of this and chatted with him back and forth. The conversation didn’t stop even after all the dishes had been served.

Chen Yuran seemed to have drunk too much water and suddenly said,
“I’m going to the restroom.”

Justin immediately looked at her. “Okay, babe.”

After Chen Yuran left, he looked at Jiang Yanlin and continued their conversation.

Jiang Yanlin smiled and responded, then took the opportunity to ask,
“Xiao Yu is very cute, isn’t she? Many people are after her. I didn’t expect you to be her first boyfriend.”

Justin paused for a moment, then just smiled and didn’t answer.

The next second, he asked again, “What about you, Jiang? Do you have a boyfriend?”

It took a lot of effort for Jiang Yanlin to keep from laughing out loud.

Her phone vibrated. She looked down at the screen and said perfunctorily, “Sorry, I have to check a message.”

“No problem,” Justin said like a gentleman.

Jiang Yanlin unlocked the screen and was not surprised to see a message from Chen Yuran.

[“I don’t even want to eat anymore.”] Her tone was very angry.

Jiang Yanlin typed a sentence and asked, [“How many times has this happened?”]

It certainly wasn’t the first time.

Chen Yuran’s tone was clearly agitated.
[“Every single female friend I’ve introduced him to, he’s added them as friends!”]

Jiang Yanlin couldn’t even be bothered to be surprised and asked directly,
[“Has he asked you to go to a hotel?”]

Chen Yuran hesitated, and for a few seconds, the typing indicator was on.

Finally, she sent a screenshot of her chat history with Justin.

[“He’s been subtly hinting at this topic, but I haven’t agreed. I just got angry with him about this yesterday, and he immediately changed his tune and said it was just a joke and that he wouldn’t force me.”]

Jiang Yanlin felt like sighing.

Silly girl. A little bit of an uncommon “halo” could be a blind spot.

Justin did have some assets, especially his foreign identity, which gave him a get-out-of-jail-free card. Whatever he did or said, he could always say it was a “misunderstanding,” and then continue to test the boundaries next time.

Jiang Yanlin knew what kind of person he was from the moment she saw him.

Just as she was thinking, the person next to her was already getting restless and asked,
“Hey, with all this delicious food, are you just going to let me eat alone?”

Jiang Yanlin looked up and replied with a straight face,
“Xiao Yu said her stomach is upset. Do you want to go buy her some medicine?”

Justin said nonchalantly,
“She’s always like this. She’ll be fine in a little while. You eat first.”

Not even trying to pretend.

Jiang Yanlin glanced at him and said no more.

Chen Yuran soon returned to the room and didn’t say another word to Justin.

He either didn’t notice or didn’t care and just kept talking to Jiang Yanlin, insisting on using Japanese, which Chen Yuran didn’t understand.

Jiang Yanlin looked at Chen Yuran and asked, “Want to go see a lap dance after dinner?”

Justin didn’t understand Chinese, but he understood the last word and immediately asked,
“Lap dance? That’s my specialty. Does either of you want to be my chair?”

As he spoke, he smiled meaningfully, his gaze fixed on Jiang Yanlin.

For a suggestive dance like a lap dance, what it meant to “be a chair” was self-evident.

Jiang Yanlin glanced at Chen Yuran, who was at her breaking point, and said casually,
“I want to be Xiao Yu’s chair.”

Chen Yuran was amused, apparently imagining the scene.

“I wouldn’t dare. Ms. Jiang has too good a figure. I can’t handle it.”

Hearing this, Justin, for some reason, got a shot of adrenaline and enthusiastically suggested,
“Then let’s all three of us do it together. You can both be my chairs.”

The room suddenly fell silent.

Chen Yuran, whose mood had just improved, immediately turned dark and looked at him, unable to hold back any longer.

Justin, who had gone too far, finally realized he had crossed a line and quickly made an excuse to go to the bathroom before she could explode.

As soon as he slipped out of the room, Chen Yuran was shaking with anger. “That’s disgusting. I can’t take it anymore. I’m breaking up with him!”

Jiang Yanlin was not particularly emotional. She just looked at her and said,
“Think it through and then tell me.”

Don’t go running back to be mistreated and waste your time.

Thinking of all the experiences of the past few days, Chen Yuran couldn’t help but complain,
“I just thought he could help me practice my spoken English. My IELTS score really did improve after I met him, and I haven’t been in a relationship since I started university, so I wanted to give it a try. But I didn’t know he was so disgusting.”

Jiang Yanlin couldn’t help but laugh.

This was just the beginning. Once she left campus, the temptations and scams she would face would be endless, each one more sophisticated than the last.

That’s why Jiang Yanlin never stopped these people from hitting a wall. If you don’t hit it, how will you know you’ll end up with a bloody head?

Seeing her get more and more agitated and determined, Jiang Yanlin nodded, got up, looked at her, and said, “Go wait for me at the coffee shop next door.”

Chen Yuran had a natural trust and admiration for her. Without even asking, she picked up her bag and phone and left.

Jiang Yanlin looked at the untouched food on the table, felt it was a waste, and immediately called a waiter over to pack it up.

While it was being packed, she ordered a few more dishes, all the most expensive ones.

When Justin returned, all he saw were empty plates and a bill waiting for him to pay.

By the time Chen Yuran, waiting in the coffee shop, received the message, twenty minutes had passed.

She opened her phone and saw only one sentence:
[“Send him a message to break up. Block all his other contact information, except for one.”]

Chen Yuran thought for a moment and immediately did as she was told.

Justin found out quickly and immediately sent her a message on the one remaining contact, asking her what was wrong, acting completely innocent, and finally adding, “Babe, let me know when you’ve thought it through.”

Chen Yuran felt a wave of nausea and almost blocked him there too.

But thinking of Jiang Yanlin’s words, she managed to hold back her anger.

Jiang Yanlin, with the packed food, called for a delivery service and sent the whole pile to El, with a note: “No matter how busy you are, you have to eat well.”

After doing all this, she unhurriedly walked towards the Pop Dance club.

From a distance, Jiang Yanlin saw Justin’s back heading back to the club first. She timed it, made a voice call to Chen Yuran, and after it connected, put the phone in her bag.

Sometimes, it’s the lack of a definite answer that makes one waver.

So don’t hesitate. Go find the answer directly. It will save you a lot of torment.

The club was starting to prepare for business. Jiang Yanlin found the backstage area and saw Justin talking closely with a Western-looking girl, their gestures intimate.

When he saw Jiang Yanlin, Justin immediately got up and came over to greet her.

“Hey, Jiang, I thought you had left.”

Jiang Yanlin smiled and asked, “Where’s Xiao Yu? Didn’t she say she was coming to see the show?”

Justin’s expression paused for a moment, then he said with a smile,
“I don’t know. Maybe she really wasn’t feeling well and went home.”

Jiang Yanlin, holding her bag, tucked her hair behind her ear.

Justin, looking at her in the backstage light, suddenly asked,
“Do you have a contact number?”

Jiang Yanlin glanced at him and asked back, “What?”

Justin put on a confident smile, took out his phone, and said,
“Line, Discord, WeChat, or a phone number.”

Jiang Yanlin returned the smile. “None of the above.”

Justin’s expression froze for a moment, but he seemed to have good composure and quickly suppressed it, starting to talk about other things, making small talk.

As they talked, his body slowly moved closer. Jiang Yanlin turned around, looked around, and asked, “How long are you performing here? Aren’t you going back to New York?”

Justin said without hesitation, “I’m not going back. China is great. I can stay here forever for some people.”

Jiang Yanlin saw the Western-looking girl not far away and said casually,
“Is that so? You seem very popular. A lot of girls must like you.”

Justin was flattered and in high spirits.

So he “pressed his advantage” again and asked, “So do you have a boyfriend?”

Jiang Yanlin felt like she was suffering from work-related injuries.

She turned her head, looked at him, and said with a smile,
“I’m not into men.”

After saying that, she didn’t even bother to look at the stunned Justin and turned to leave the backstage area.

It wasn’t until she was out of the club that Jiang Yanlin took the still-connected phone out of her bag and put it to her ear.

“Although I didn’t remind you, you did record it, right?”

Chen Yuran wasn’t that stupid after all and replied with an “um.”

Jiang Yanlin was somewhat relieved. “Keep the evidence. You can block his last contact now.”

Chen Yuran’s feelings were complicated, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

But hearing that jerk’s attitude of immediately switching targets without any pressure on the phone, she also felt truly disgusted.

“Thank you, Ms. Jiang. Let me buy you a milk tea.”

Chen Yuran was mostly angry. After all, she had only known him for a few days and had gotten together with him partly out of vanity, with no real feelings involved.

On the contrary, it was Jiang Yanlin, who had helped her with this, that made her feel very bad.

Jiang Yanlin called a car, and when it arrived at the coffee shop, she waved to her.

Chen Yuran came out. The two of them hung up and stood face to face on the side of the road.

“Don’t come here for a while. I checked their official website. The dance troupe will be moving to the next city to perform by the middle of next month at the latest.”

Jiang Yanlin reminded her. Seeing that Chen Yuran was still unhappy, she patted her on the head.

“It’s just one misjudgment. When you can talk about this as a joke, you’ll know he was just a pastime to entertain you.”

Chen Yuran was very moved. She looked up and stared at her for a long time.

Finally, she said softly, “When can I become someone like you?”

Jiang Yanlin let out a laugh.

“When you’re my age.”

Seeing that the car had arrived, Jiang Yanlin casually said goodbye and walked to the car.

Behind her, Chen Yuran suddenly asked,
“I, I haven’t eaten at all. Can I go back with you to eat?”

Bringing different people home for two consecutive nights was a bit too much.

So Jiang Yanlin found an excuse to turn her down, and after comforting her by saying she could message her anytime she was unhappy, she finally felt a little better.

The car had driven far from the intersection, but Jiang Yanlin could still see Chen Yuran standing in the same spot in the rearview mirror.

Young people just crossing the threshold into adulthood are always dazzled by the temptations of the world when they first encounter its other side.

But this curiosity and longing for the world only exist in these years. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Jiang Yanlin looked away, a little tired.

Her life had been getting more and more chaotic lately, always giving her a sense of losing control.

Jiang Yanlin didn’t know if the rising temperature in her blood was due to the fear of losing control or a secret urgency.

She only felt with a clear mind that she was walking into a not-so-gentle night, bit by bit.

The night wind was pulling at her, demanding her surrender.

When the car arrived at her apartment, Jiang Yanlin received another call from Chen Yuran.

She seemed to be in a much better mood. She said she had just told all her female friends who had been added by Justin to be careful.

With this news out, at least Justin wouldn’t be able to trick any new victims before he left.

Seeing her recover so quickly, Jiang Yanlin felt that her time hadn’t been wasted.

“…It’s okay. I’m not angry with you.”

She held the phone to her ear, replying with a light laugh as she walked to the main entrance of the apartment.

Jiang Yanlin took out her key card from her bag. When she looked up, she unexpectedly saw a surprising figure.

Péi Wanyi was wearing a dark gray formal suit, a black shirt, and crisp trousers. Her black hair fell naturally on her shoulders, and she wore a pair of rimless glasses.

She stood there with one hand in her pocket, saying nothing.

Who knows how long she had been watching, how long she had been waiting.

Jiang Yanlin came back to her senses and said to Chen Yuran on the other end of the line,
“I’m home. I’ll hang up now.”

After Chen Yuran replied, she hung up and looked at the person in front of her.

“Where did Miss Péi go on her business trip?”

Leaving in the morning and coming back at night.

As she spoke, Jiang Yanlin swiped her key card and opened the door.

Péi Wanyi looked at her and asked back,
“Does Miss Jiang not like to check her phone when she’s out?”

Jiang Yanlin felt this was a serious accusation. Due to her work, her phone was almost always with her 24/7.

The two of them walked into the apartment building one after another and got into the elevator.

In this brief moment, Jiang Yanlin scrolled through her unread messages and found that Péi Wanyi had sent a message twenty minutes ago, when she was still on the phone with Chen Yuran.

Although she was a little in the wrong, Jiang Yanlin didn’t feel she had any obligation to explain.

So they were silent all the way up. The elevator arrived, and Jiang Yanlin walked out, reaching her apartment door in a few steps.

She opened the door with her fingerprint.

The slippers Péi Wanyi had worn had been thrown away. After all, the quality of disposable slippers was just that.

Or perhaps, Jiang Yanlin really hadn’t thought she would come again.

Under Miss Péi’s gaze, Jiang Yanlin took out a new pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet with a straight face.

Péi Wanyi glanced at the slippers in her hand, said nothing, and took them.

For some reason, Jiang Yanlin felt a strange sense of relief.

It must be the pressure of work and the after-effects of not sleeping that made Péi Wanyi seem a bit down tonight.

Jiang Yanlin had no choice but to take out the dinner she had saved for herself, heat it up, plate it, and spend a few extra seconds arranging it nicely. Then she poured Péi Wanyi a glass of lemon water from the thermos.

Hopefully, after dinner, this intimidating-looking great Buddha would leave soon.

Seeing her take the plate and pick up her fork, Jiang Yanlin finally asked,
“So where did you go on your business trip?”

Somewhere so close, to be back so soon.

Péi Wanyi didn’t even lift her eyelids and said casually,
“You sound very disappointed.”

Jiang Yanlin smiled. “Yes, I was hoping you could buy a few bags for me.”

She might as well play along.

Miss Péi propped her head on one hand and looked at her.

“What bags.”

A tone that implied if Jiang Yanlin said it, she would see it tomorrow.
—So scary.

Jiang Yanlin had figured it out. It was best not to go against her right now.

Dog temper.

She rolled her eyes inwardly and immediately changed the subject.
“Why didn’t you go to El’s? I sent him a whole bunch of seafood and Japanese food. It would be a shame not to eat it.”

It would have been better if she hadn’t said that. As soon as she finished, the person in front of her put down her fork.

Jiang Yanlin looked at the takeout she had actually bought at noon on her plate. The comparison was indeed a bit tragic.

One wrong step, and every step is wrong.

Jiang Yanlin almost wanted to shut up.

Péi Wanyi’s fingers tapped lightly on the dining table, unconsciously, yet with a rhythm.

“Miss Jiang is so generous, treating a friend to Japanese food?”

She looked up and asked slowly.

Jiang Yanlin had no intention of taking on the negative title of “generous” and said with a straight face,
“Of course I didn’t pay for it.”

Péi Wanyi said “oh” and then asked along,
“Then who was so generous?”

This was a long story and would have to involve a friend’s terrible experience.

Jiang Yanlin avoided the topic and only said,
“A gathering with friends.”

Péi Wanyi nodded and didn’t ask any more.

She picked up her fork again and slowly ate the dinner that was barely “personally plated.”

She had come over right after getting off the plane, even leaving her luggage in the car. As a result, she was forced to stand guard at the main entrance for twenty minutes, so hungry she was almost out of energy.

At this point, even if Jiang Yanlin had really given her a bowl of instant noodles, Péi Wanyi would have eaten it with gusto.

Seeing that she didn’t seem so down anymore, Jiang Yanlin turned to get some fruit and yogurt from the fridge, washed them, cut them into pieces, and made herself a yogurt bowl.

A small bowl, not much, but adding some oatmeal made it very filling.

She had been sitting all day and hadn’t moved her body, so she leaned against the dining table and ate a mouthful at a time.

Both of them were very quiet when they ate, and their pace was not fast.

Jiang Yanlin was also tired. She had been called out right after finishing work and was forced to participate in a dramatic event. She had looked at the delicious food all night without any appetite, and in the end, El had benefited from it.
—But eating raw food in that state, Jiang Yanlin was really afraid she would throw up.

As she thought, her gaze fell on Péi Wanyi’s face.

Only now did she realize that the person in front of her also looked very tired.

Under the rimless glasses, her bare face was clean and white, but without much color.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you wear glasses.”

Jiang Yanlin was already full and put down her bowl.

Péi Wanyi finished her meal, took two sips of lemon water, wiped her lips with a napkin, and said, “I don’t usually wear them. My vision isn’t that bad.”

Jiang Yanlin felt inexplicably attacked.

She raised an eyebrow and said, “It’s good not to see too clearly. There’s no need to.”

Hearing this, Péi Wanyi looked up at her.

Jiang Yanlin was still wearing the clothes she had gone out in, a nude pink slip dress with a white, sheer, long-sleeved cardigan.

But she had a light-colored silk scarf tied around her neck, hiding the good colors.

The more Péi Wanyi looked at the scarf, the more it bothered her. She suddenly reached out and pulled her, and with a skillful move, pulled her in front of her.

Jiang Yanlin fell unsteadily onto her lap.

The next second, the scarf around her neck was untied without any effort. Her vulnerable skin touched the air, causing a slight shiver.

Just as Jiang Yanlin was about to frown, a slightly cool kiss pressed down.

Her lips were easily parted. The taste of lemon water entered, invading her completely.

The scarf fell to the ground, followed by the white cardigan.

Jiang Yanlin only took a few seconds to recover before retaliating with even more arrogance.

She tore the buttons off Péi Wanyi’s shirt, vented her frustration by pulling off the high-quality suit jacket, and swept aside the black long hair, revealing the same vulnerable whiteness.

Jiang Yanlin kissed her, leaving a trail of marks along the soft curve.

Péi Wanyi felt her vengefulness directly.

But she didn’t care at all.

Those things that couldn’t be haggled over with words, and couldn’t be clarified with words, were best carved with force like this, leaving no room for doubt.

Only then did Péi Wanyi feel that she had truly tasted her.

From her lips, to the beating of her carotid artery, and then to every vulnerable soft spot.

They would be swallowed by her, bitten, and swallowed down.

And the sweetest, most metallic juice would flow from the corners of her mouth.

A great battle that was about to escalate into a violent brawl started at the dining table, went through the living room, the sofa, the hallway, and finally ended on the not-so-soft bed.

Jiang Yanlin’s apartment was very small, with not even a door between the bedroom and the living room, but Péi Wanyi was very satisfied.

In a space where you could see everything at a glance, you couldn’t hide anything.

She pressed the unwilling wrist onto the pillow, leaned down to kiss, nibbled, and tormented her slowly.

Then she slowly lifted it, and with a light yet undeniable force, she entered, holding her in the palm of her hand.

Feeling Jiang Yanlin’s temperature, Péi Wanyi’s voice was low as she laughed in her ear,
“…So much.”

Jiang Yanlin almost crumpled the black shirt into a tattered rag.

She threw her head back, dizzily catching a glimpse of red and white, and without thinking, opened her mouth to bite.

Péi Wanyi hissed. “Be careful. Don’t let me go to the hospital for an injury in a place like this.”

Jiang Yanlin couldn’t be bothered to listen to her nonsense.

She had just been too careless. Seeing her eat so obediently, she thought her hidden illness had eased, but she didn’t expect her to be so insidious.

If she had known, she should have pretended not to know her at the main entrance. Anyway, she couldn’t have gotten in.

“Jiang Yanlin, you’re so cute.”

Péi Wanyi looked at the corners of her reddened eyes and the sounds she was barely holding back, and couldn’t help but kiss her face.

The light kisses moved upward, over the tip of her nose, her eyelids, and finally back to her lips.

The person who was relying on rapid breaths for relief had her only exit blocked, and she soon fell into a shiver, clutching at Péi Wanyi’s collar.

But because the quality was too good, she couldn’t tear it no matter what.

At this moment, both Péi Wanyi and Jiang Yanlin were very regretful.

In the end, thanks to someone not having slept all day, this overwhelming battle ended relatively early.

It took a long time for Jiang Yanlin to recover from the light tremor that wouldn’t stop in her head.

And the person who had had her fun was already wrapped around her chest, sleeping with a steady breath.

Jiang Yanlin tried to pry the arm off her chest, but it wouldn’t budge, so she decisively gave up.

She was really afraid that if she woke her up, she would get another beating.

Taking advantage of this rare moment, Jiang Yanlin’s brain gradually regained its ability to think.

It was too late, but she finally understood that Péi Wanyi was angry.

When did she get angry?
—When she didn’t reply to her message and made her wait for twenty minutes.

Why was she angry?
—Because she didn’t reply to her message and made her wait for twenty minutes.

Honestly, if it were Jiang Yanlin herself, if someone dared to do that to her, she would have already blocked them in her mind.

Péi Wanyi could endure until after dinner. She was truly a ruthless person.

She was really too tired when she got home. Jiang Yanlin really didn’t want to deal with these problems that weren’t hers to bear.

Péi Wanyi hadn’t made an appointment in advance. The fact that she was willing to let her in was already a sign of great patience.

But Péi Wanyi had pretended for so long, only to seize the right moment to retaliate, which also made Jiang Yanlin look at her in a new light.
—The deeper you get to know her, the more “surprises” you find.

The person hugging Jiang Yanlin was already breathing deeply and evenly.

Jiang Yanlin turned her head, looking at the face so close to hers, her focus drifting for a moment.

The initial approach was to “unbox” her and take a look.

Now that Jiang Yanlin had gotten her wish and had untied the ribbon on the gift box, whether to open the box seemed to be just a matter of a thought.

But what was Péi Wanyi’s mindset?

Did she also see her as a fairly well-packaged blind box, and with a collector’s curiosity, wanted to test her depths?

Her thoughts flashed through her mind chaotically, but Jiang Yanlin stopped them in time.
—Why make it sound so romantic? It’s just two lonely desires.

The night was still long. Jiang Yanlin yawned. After confirming that she couldn’t break free from this hand, she simply closed her eyes to rest.

These days, she always had the feeling that she was overdrawing herself, like burning fuel in vain. The hotter the fire, the faster it would burn out.

But Jiang Yanlin thought for a long time and still didn’t understand what the crux of the problem was.

Her friends had once discussed whether it was better to be a happy fool or a suffering wise man.

Jiang Yanlin had laughed at that time. “Anyone who asks this question is already unfortunate.”

One sentence drew the wrath of the crowd.

But sometimes, thinking too much is the source of trouble.

So it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile with the world, and with oneself.

At times like these, Jiang Yanlin couldn’t help but envy Qining.

Someone who lived so arrogantly in her own world was born with so much that she had no time to spare for things that would trap her.

Her family background gave her the confidence to focus on her ideals, her talent and gifts gave her a way to constantly gain a sense of value, and even her knowledge and appearance were just a small part of her halo.

That’s why she could make promises so matter-of-factly.
—You don’t need to worry about anything.

The one who didn’t need to worry about anything was never Jiang Yanlin.

This truth, Qining probably still didn’t understand.

Or perhaps, she didn’t need to understand.

In the latter half of the night, Jiang Yanlin woke up in a daze and finally felt the overly strong restraint on her body disappear.

She let out a sigh of relief, lay for a while longer, and then got up from the bed, casually wrapping a cardigan around her body, preparing to take a bath.

But as she passed through the living room, she keenly smelled a hint of cool smoke.

It was very faint, already dissipating by the window.

Jiang Yanlin turned her head and saw at a glance the person sitting cross-legged in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

The floor-to-ceiling window was wide open. Her hair was loose, and her shirt was casually thrown on, with not even the buttons done.
—Oh, those buttons had been torn off.

Hearing the movement, Péi Wanyi stubbed out her cigarette and waved her hand to disperse the smoke.

“Sorry, I didn’t expect you to wake up so early.”

She said, but her tone was very faint, without any emotion.

Jiang Yanlin wrapped her cardigan tighter and walked to her side.

“Next time you smoke in my house, it’s a two-hundred-yuan fine.”

As she spoke, Jiang Yanlin lightly kicked her.

Péi Wanyi moved aside, put a cushion on the carpet, and let her sit down.

Jiang Yanlin hugged her legs, using her body to block the wind.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Only the phone on the floor kept vibrating. One unanswered call after another was cut off, then another came in.

Jiang Yanlin saw it but pretended not to.

As long as certain topics were not touched, they were still just a clean, physical relationship.

Péi Wanyi turned her head, her gaze sweeping over the red marks on her body that had not yet faded. She couldn’t help but reach out and stroke them, as if admiring her spoils of war.

The touch of warmth against warmth was like a magnet, creating an attraction.

At this second, Jiang Yanlin was finally willing to admit that her body could not refuse Péi Wanyi.

Even in this tired and sleepy late night, she could easily be aroused by the person in front of her.

And then, it was unstoppable.

As she trembled slightly in Péi Wanyi’s embrace, Jiang Yanlin suddenly heard her lower her voice and whisper in her ear,
“What is your relationship with Han Xu?”