Chapter 26 : A Gambler’s Addiction

This was the tenth day since meeting Jiang Yanlin.

Péi Wanyi pressed her against the sink, holding fast to her every tremble, the hem of her dress lifted for a full three hours.

Her mind, seemingly tireless, roared, manipulating the secretion of some substance, turning the small bathroom into a high-temperature furnace.

In the end, it was impossible to tell if it was breath or water that soaked her black hair.

For a moment, Péi Wanyi felt as if she might just die here.

But still, she didn’t want to stop.

The days and nights in this land were equally dull and tasteless.

Every minute and second of the day was a routine. At night, it was nothing more than a deliberate revelry of lonely people.

The familiar living environment and all the pastimes she once enjoyed were left behind in a place with a dozen-hour time difference. In just half a year, Péi Wanyi could barely remember what her old life felt like.

She only became more and more bored, watching her life slip by, second by second, towards a meaningless future.

Péi Wanyi never denied that getting to know El, and even frequently socializing with A Qiu and the others, was a compromise.

She wasn’t demanding of so-called mutual understanding in her friendships.

In the end, being like-minded was just a form of resource exchange. You have time, I have capital, and vice versa.

So of course, Péi Wanyi knew how many harmless flaws El had.

It was just that, as long as they didn’t affect her, she didn’t pay them any mind.

Jiang Yanlin was far from the first person he had talked about incessantly.

The Korean girl last time, the Canadian-Chinese the time before that, and those players from the Hong Kong circle—he had an unclear relationship with each of them.

Once, when she went to a bar with him, he had even made a move on her after a few drinks.

Péi Wanyi had calmly sobered him up. After that, he had clearly defined their boundaries and distance.

At least on the surface, it seemed that way.

But Jiang Yanlin was a bit different.

From the very first meeting, Péi Wanyi understood why El was so smitten this time.

She was completely different from the common types in their circle.

At first, Péi Wanyi had also misjudged, seeing the allure she exuded as a utilitarian trait for exchanging resources.

But soon, Péi Wanyi admitted that this judgment was at odds with the facts.

Jiang Yanlin was not a very goal-oriented person.

She seemed to do things more as she pleased. Whether or not she became the center of a social gathering depended entirely on her mood and preference.

Her attitude towards El, let alone the onlookers, even El himself knew, could not be called scheming in any way.

It was precisely because she had no need for El that he was so smitten, so unwilling to give up easily.
—In the past, he had encountered too many who were just using each other.

But slowly, Péi Wanyi also gradually discovered that “not revealing her needs” was Jiang Yanlin’s most impenetrable protective coloring.

She probably knew herself how many troubles and temptations a person like her would encounter in society, so she wore layers of armor to block all prying eyes.

If you don’t ask for help, you won’t easily have your weaknesses exploited.

Many people understood this, but few could do it.

And Jiang Yanlin could even use this logic to counter her enemies.
—She didn’t ask for anything from El, but instead gave appropriately.

Normally, mutual help between friends is perfectly reasonable.

But El was her suitor. Before he even had the chance to do anything for her, he already owed her a considerable debt. The delicate balance and equality were thus overturned.

It looked like an equal friendship with give and take, but in reality, it was a dead end.

Péi Wanyi didn’t need a second to judge; she knew very well that El couldn’t catch her.

There was no possibility between them.

But that wasn’t El’s problem—although he had indeed failed repeatedly in relationships.

The real reason was that Jiang Yanlin had no flaws, no weaknesses.

She came and went as she pleased, entirely according to her mood, as free as the wind.
—How can a person catch the wind?

Péi Wanyi thought, the force of her fingertips deepening once again, sliding over every inch of softness and smoothness. The beauty of her curves became even more vivid as her body temperature rose.

The dimness of the RV, the night wind outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the haze in the bathroom—none of it was enough to fill the madness that was growing by the second.

Countless direct entries, countless ascents to the peak, all felt like drinking poison to quench a thirst.

So Péi Wanyi would not tell Jiang Yanlin.
—What kind of thing you have provoked.

Jiang Yanlin’s actions these past few days had long been marked by Péi Wanyi as “provoking.”

…the power of temptation, using it precisely, sometimes restrained, sometimes overt.

From observing, to responding, to forgetting to scrutinize, it was all a very short process for Péi Wanyi.

At first, it was just a bit of novelty in an otherwise dull routine.

…after tasting it, she became addicted like a gambler. In just a moment of distraction, she fell into the boiling pool, sinking continuously.

…s*x.

She no longer raced cars, no longer went to casinos.

She would instinctively avoid trouble, classifying everything as either beneficial or not, living a safe, conservative life.

Keeping herself so far from harmful substances, was it because she was good at quitting?

That’s why Péi Wanyi had always held a grudge against Jiang Yanlin.

For her frivolous seduction and provocation, for her sweet lips and juices, for her calm and composed retreat after getting what she wanted.

The aromatherapy in the bathroom had burned out.

The scent couldn’t cover her own smell—of pleasure, of pain—coming in waves, stealing the oxygen, resonating with a dizzying suffocation.

The person sitting on the sink was like a mermaid pulled from the water, her black hair clinging wetly to her pale body, tangled into messy strands, leaving red marks on her skin.

The person standing in front of her was not in much better shape. On her lips, face, neck, and even her wrist, there were faint bite marks and scratches.

The new shirt she had just bought was ruined again, the buttons scattered on the floor. Half-hidden, there were long scratches from her nails below her collarbone.

Péi Wanyi propped one hand on the sink. Her exhausted brain only found its rhythm of breathing after a long time.

She looked up at Jiang Yanlin, who no longer had the energy to fight, and suddenly laughed.

The sound escaped from her hoarse throat, echoing in the bathroom.

The person, so disheveled that she couldn’t even close her long legs, didn’t even want to give her a reaction.

Péi Wanyi reached out, brushed the wet hair from her face, and asked in a low voice,
“Jiang Yanlin.”

“Is it because you can always get what you want so easily that you’re so smug?”

The restaurant was empty. The projector on the second floor had long been turned off. The downstairs was quiet, the lights dim, with only a single pendant light on in the hallway.

El had left at some point. He had left the key in the most conspicuous place on the bar, visible as soon as one came downstairs.

When Péi Wanyi, having cleaned up and looking somewhat presentable, came downstairs, it was already past two.

The driver was waiting outside. Seeing her come out, he got out of the car and handed her two bags, not asking any questions.

Péi Wanyi thanked him, told him to go home and rest early, then turned to go back inside, locking the glass door behind her.

She saw the key on the bar, casually picked it up and put it in her pocket, then went upstairs with the two bags.

The person who had been tormented for over three hours was still in the bathroom, refusing to come out. Péi Wanyi consciously took on the heavy responsibility of “cleaning up the battlefield,” and went in with the clothes.

Jiang Yanlin was just wiping herself down with a wet wipe. The hot water was still running. She repeatedly wiped away the marks on her body, her hair tied up high, revealing a section of her neck.

Péi Wanyi placed the bag on the sink. Inside were clean clothes, but she couldn’t buy any at this hour, so they were from her own home.

“Change your clothes. I’ll take you home.”

Jiang Yanlin didn’t stand on ceremony with her. She rummaged through the bag, found a white shirt that looked decent, a pair of long pants. There was no underwear, but there was an unopened disposable pair.

Péi Wanyi reached out and turned off the light. “You can change. I’ll wait for you here.”

A rustling sound in the darkness. Not long after, Péi Wanyi heard her slightly hoarse voice:
“Turn on the light.”

Miss Péi obediently did as she was told and turned the light on.

Jiang Yanlin was already dressed. She put her dirty clothes in the empty bag, threw it at Péi Wanyi, and turned to walk out of the bathroom.

Péi Wanyi caught it good-naturedly, scanned the bathroom to make sure nothing was left behind, then turned off the light and walked out.

Jiang Yanlin had already called a car and, with her bag, went downstairs, completely ignoring Péi Wanyi who was still behind her, cleaning up the battlefield, turning off the lights, and locking the door.

She was really too tired. The only thing she wanted to do now was to go home and sleep.

Fortunately, Péi Wanyi was also tactful enough not to bother her. She accompanied her to the car and then served as her free pillow for the whole ride.

When they reached the apartment entrance, Péi Wanyi helped her with her bags and followed her unhurriedly until she saw her to her door.

It was almost three in the morning. Péi Wanyi glanced at her phone, placed the bag at her entrance, and said, “You should sleep. I’ll be going now.”

Jiang Yanlin glanced at her and finally said,
“I can’t be responsible if something happens to you. You can leave in the morning.”

Péi Wanyi let out a laugh and reached out to stroke her hair.

“Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

The move of retreating to advance never gets old.

That night, after washing up, neither of them had the energy to talk. They lay down on the bed and just slept.

Jiang Yanlin seemed exhausted. Not long after, her breathing became steady, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Péi Wanyi’s body was very tired, and her mind was not much better.

But she lay on her side on the bed, unable to find a moment of relaxation for a long time.

In the end, she had to pick up her phone, silently get up, and go out to the balcony.

El hadn’t left her a message, but leaving the key where she could see it was already a tacit understanding between good friends.

Péi Wanyi felt no apology. It was very difficult for that kind of thing to arise in her.

So she didn’t take the initiative to send any messages to El either. It was best to maintain this unspoken understanding.

Scrolling through her messages, Péi Wanyi saw an unexpected name.
—Han Xu.

Counting the time, their last conversation was at the party that day.

He had probably left so unhesitatingly because he thought Mia was there. After that, he hadn’t contacted Péi Wanyi much, only occasionally sending a funny video link to test her attitude.

Péi Wanyi was the same as always with him, replying when she was in the mood, not completely ignoring him.

Today, he had rarely sent a few messages. His tone was a very measured friendly greeting, asking her what she had been busy with.
—Busy sleeping with your former master.

For a moment, Péi Wanyi really wanted to reply to him like that.

But in the end, she just replied briefly in her usual style:
[“Busy with work. You?”]

Contacting her after so long, was he slowly confirming that Mia was not in the country now?

Péi Wanyi was a little curious about what kind of entanglement Han Xu and Mia had, for Mia to say she hated him, and for him to avoid her.

Péi Wanyi really didn’t like Mia. She was very paranoid. One moment she would be calling her “big sister,” and the next she would be treating her as an imaginary rival, doing things behind her back that hurt others without benefiting herself.

But apart from that, Mia was also a very simple-minded person, just like El, unable to hide anything.

Han Xu was different. His impression on everyone was pretty much the same, which meant that everyone only saw the side he wanted them to see.

It wasn’t hard for Péi Wanyi to see such a person. Even she herself was that kind of person.

So, judging others by herself, Péi Wanyi could deduce several possibilities with just a thought.
—He most likely had a fallout with Mia.

Han Xu’s reply came not long after.
[“You’ve been working hard. I’ve also been busy lately. A bunch of things to deal with at the branch office, I haven’t even had time to queue up for my visa yet.”]

He was quite proactive in sharing, and even brought the topic to his visa.

Péi Wanyi knew that Han Xu’s current situation was actually very awkward.

He had been working for a while after graduating with a master’s degree in the United States. By years, he should have already obtained his residency, but his US visa had expired. He couldn’t leave the United States, otherwise he would have to get a new visa to re-enter.

And the OPT (Optional Practical Training) period for his major was only three years. If he didn’t get his work visa within three years, he would have to leave the United States completely, meaning all his years of effort and hard work would be in vain.

The United States has always been the most difficult country to get a visa for. If he had chosen Canada back then, he might have already been settled.

Now, the work visa was all about luck in the lottery. His education was already very high, but combined with his overall score, the success rate was probably not even over fifty percent.

The three years were like a countdown, reminding him every minute and second that the uncertain outcome was approaching step by step.

Péi Wanyi had even guessed what Han Xu’s biggest source of anxiety was.
—The new US election was imminent, and the candidate with the highest probability of winning was known for his very strict immigration policies.

Once that old man took office, all those in the United States who had not yet obtained their status would face enormous pressure and increasingly slim hopes.

Under such urgent pressure, it was not surprising that people would make desperate choices.

That’s why Péi Wanyi knew that Jiang Yanlin’s evaluation of Han Xu was not all due to prejudice from their past conflict.

But Péi Wanyi didn’t care about these twists and turns. To her, Han Xu was just a useful contact.

His character was indeed important, but not particularly important.

That’s why she still occasionally replied to his messages, maintaining a not-too-close, not-too-distant acquaintance.

The two chatted for a few sentences, and Han Xu began to try to pull the conversation in a more everyday direction.

[“You’re still up so late. Working overtime?”]
—No, just finished having s*x.

Péi Wanyi leaned against the balcony, boredly typing to deal with him.

After getting some hidden information, some of his intentions and motives became clear at a glance, which was a bit of a pastime.

After beating around the bush for a long time, the other party finally took a tentative step.
[“I didn’t get to hang out with you guys properly last time. I had to leave for something. Next time, it’s on me. I’ll treat you all to a meal. Would you do me the honor?”]

Péi Wanyi let out a laugh and typed,
[“Can I bring other friends?”]

Han Xu was very generous.
[“Anytime. Your friends are my friends.”]

Well, that’s hard to say.

Péi Wanyi was even looking forward to that day.

But she hid this secret amusement so well that no one could detect it.

Han Xu achieved his goal of the invitation. Not long after, he said good night and went offline.

Péi Wanyi, bored, clicked on his social media account and scrolled through his posts.

It was not hard to see that he was a person who carefully packaged himself. He didn’t post frequently, only once every one or two months. It was either visiting an art exhibition or taking a picture of an interesting scenery along the way, which made him seem tasteful without being too pretentious.

It was very much in line with the impression he gave people.

Péi Wanyi didn’t spend more than a few minutes scrolling through his posts.

Unsurprisingly, there was no trace of any particular woman.

Not Jiang Yanlin’s, nor anyone else’s.

Péi Wanyi curled her lip, and with a swipe of her finger, she was about to go back to the top.

As a certain photo was swiped past, something familiar flashed across her retina.

Péi Wanyi paused, scrolled back, and clicked on the photo to take a look.

It was an indoor photo, apparently of him organizing his bookshelf. The caption said he had found some rare old books at a used bookstore and had aired them all out and organized them neatly in the cabinet.

This was to establish an elite persona of being cultured and knowledgeable, which was not strange.

What attracted Péi Wanyi’s attention was the second shelf of the bookshelf, in the far-left corner, there was a small wooden carving.

It was in the shape of an Akita Inu, looking adorable and full of life.

Péi Wanyi’s gaze lingered on this photo for a brief moment. She tapped her finger and switched to another app.

She clicked on her latest follow list, opened the first person’s homepage, and scrolled down.

These posts were even fewer, and it was easy to find the photo she had glanced at before.

Péi Wanyi’s movement stopped.

In the photo on the screen, the shelves were filled with cute wooden carvings, from small animals to desserts, everything imaginable.

That Akita Inu wooden carving was in the palm of the person taking the picture.

The caption was just one sentence:
[“Haul from a friend’s small shop. Ten yuan each, so cheap.”]

Ten yuan each was indeed cheap.

I just don’t know if the international shipping was also that cheap.

Jiang Yanlin slept like the dead, as if she were trying to sleep off all her overdrafted energy.

When she woke up, it was already afternoon. It was a rare rainy day, and the sky was a gloomy gray.

She was alone in the bed. Jiang Yanlin wasn’t very surprised. She got up and went to the bathroom to wash up.

After her brain slowly booted up, she arranged the things she had to do later, one by one. After washing up and coming out of the bathroom, she planned to eat first to replenish her energy.

The dining table was clean. The room was still the same as it was when she left yesterday. Even the disposable slippers she had changed into were not at the entrance.

Jiang Yanlin looked away, not caring.

The deadline for the first draft of the new script was still two months away, which was ample time. But Jiang Yanlin liked to feel productive after a period of idleness, so she had started to rush the progress ahead of time.

Among her several side hustles, the most profitable one was actually not her social media accounts, but the online shop she ran.

But she had hired customer service to manage the shop. Usually, all Jiang Yanlin had to do was to control the product direction and the factory supply, and she barely had to worry about anything else.

As for the rest of her side hustles, they were very casual. When money was offered, she would take it depending on the situation. If not, she would leave it alone.

In the evening, Jiang Yanlin finished her chores and started to check her work messages.

It was then that she saw a message from a middleman she had worked with before, asking her if she was free to take on a new job.

The content was Japanese voice-over, and the price was twenty US dollars per minute.

This kind of price was not common. Jiang Yanlin asked about the deadline and the specific project and learned that it was an international music exhibition to be held locally.

For an international exhibition, people from all over the world would attend. The organizer happened to be a relative of the middleman. To save money, he wanted to outsource the live broadcasts in various languages to online voice actors. After all, it was not complicated. All that was needed was an authentic accent and a pleasant voice.

Seeing that the content was not difficult, Jiang Yanlin accepted it.

She took a pack of Ryukakusan to clear her throat, closed all the doors and windows in the room to block out all the noise, connected the power to the sound card and condenser microphone, and started recording.

Because there wasn’t much to do, and it was all very basic grammar and content, she finished it in almost two takes. She did the audio processing and alignment herself and then sent it to the middleman in a package.

He had always liked her high efficiency and high quality. He quickly gave her a thumbs-up and said he would transfer the money once it was confirmed.

Jiang Yanlin liked this kind of sudden windfall, and it even improved her mood a little.

This good mood only lasted for an hour.

When the delivery guy called, Jiang Yanlin thought he had made a mistake.

She hadn’t shopped online recently, so she shouldn’t have any deliveries.

Usually, no one would send her anything. Even if it was a brand sending samples, Jiang Yanlin would give the address of her online shop’s warehouse. The customer service would screen the quality first, then take a video for her to review. Only those worth sending would be sent to her.

She had just received the last batch a few days ago. It shouldn’t be so soon for another delivery.

But the delivery guy gave her last name and apartment number. Jiang Yanlin had no choice but to let him put it in the delivery locker and then changed clothes to go down and get it.

After getting the delivery and opening it upstairs, Jiang Yanlin didn’t know how to react when she saw what was inside.

She put the things down, picked up her phone, found the person’s profile picture in her contact list, and made a voice call.

The person on the other end answered after a few rings. The background was noisy, and she didn’t know where she was.

“Did you get the delivery?”

Miss Péi asked very naturally.

Jiang Yanlin was very curious. “How did you get my phone number?”

“I asked you this morning, and you told me yourself.”

Someone was chatting and clinking glasses in the background with Péi Wanyi, like some kind of party. Not long after, she walked to a quiet place, and her voice became clearer.

Jiang Yanlin had no memory of this at all.

“Impossible,” she retorted directly.

If she was woken up while sleeping, she would have had a huge fit of anger. It would be strange if she could still speak properly.

Péi Wanyi knew she couldn’t fool her and said with a smile,
“You had an old delivery box you hadn’t thrown away. I was going to help you throw out the trash when I left this morning.”

Jiang Yanlin rolled her eyes.

She hadn’t thrown it away precisely because the complete phone number was on the box. She couldn’t find her privacy marker, and she was too busy to deal with it, so she had to leave it there.

She never expected that after all her precautions, she would be robbed by a thief in her own home.

“You really know how to treat yourself, buying such an expensive brand.”

Jiang Yanlin glanced at the two pairs of slippers, curled her lip, but in the end, she didn’t think about throwing them out.

Waste is the most shameful thing.

Péi Wanyi’s tone was matter-of-fact. “This is very comfortable, and it arrives the same day. Don’t you think it’s worth the price?”

Jiang Yanlin took out the slippers and placed them at the entrance. She piled the box and the trash together at the entrance, waiting to take them out later.

“What’s so noisy?”

Hearing the noise on the other end of the line, Jiang Yanlin asked casually.

Péi Wanyi let out a laugh. “A bar. Want to come?”

Jiang Yanlin politely declined. She had had enough fun lately.

She felt that this summer had been very restless. Although it was not good to be superstitious, it was better to stay in more often.

“No thanks. You have fun.”

After saying that, Jiang Yanlin hung up the phone.

A text message popped up on her phone, notifying her of a new transfer.

Jiang Yanlin was still happy to see the money, but not as happy as an hour ago.

She put down her phone, pushed the small incident to the back of her mind, and returned to her desk to work.

But after opening the document, she sat there for more than ten minutes without finding a good state to write. Even the opening she had finished yesterday looked bad. In the end, she irritably selected all and deleted it.

The songs in the playlist were changed again and again. Jiang Yanlin was a bit tired of the old songs, so she opened the daily recommendations and randomly clicked on a song by a familiar band.

The cheerful melody seemed to ease some of the summer heat.

Jiang Yanlin calculated her menstrual cycle. As expected, it was late again. No wonder small things would cause her mood to fluctuate.

A cheerful chorus came from the Bluetooth speaker:
“…Just want to follow your footsteps back home, but this ambiguity tells me I can’t.”

Jiang Yanlin paused and looked up at the computer screen. After a moment, she held the mouse and clicked on the lyrics page.

The drumbeat gradually built up, and the lead singer’s voice perfectly matched the rhythm, singing the not-so-unfamiliar lyrics with a certain charm.

“Act normally.

Just afraid of stumbling too much.

What to do? What to do? What to do?

Should I, should I, stop thinking this way?”

Jiang Yanlin listened for a long time. It wasn’t until the whole song had played through once that she remembered to add it to her playlist and then put it on a single-song loop.

With the melody of this song, she opened the document, found a bit of a state, and after her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment, she lightly typed the words.

“—Every story has a chance beginning.

But the face of fate is sometimes hard to see.

It will splash a basin of dog blood in your face when you least expect it.

The beginning of this story has nothing to do with romance.

It is the loneliest flame in the depths of the city’s nightlife.”

“Mavis, I heard you’re not planning to go back there now?”

On the second floor of the club, some people were drinking and chatting, some were playing mindless games. Péi Wanyi sat at the bar, lit a cigarette, and the smoke rings lingered for a long time before dissipating.

Fiona sat down next to her and asked the bartender for another margarita.

Péi Wanyi didn’t pay much attention to her gossipy nature and replied casually,
“That’s the plan for now.”

Fiona teased her, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. The last time was in Quebec, right? If it weren’t for Miles’ birthday today, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have seen this busy person.”

Miles was a Chinese-American, adopted by Americans since he was a child. He was very gentle and a good-natured person who liked to take care of others.

So for his birthday, everyone was willing to put aside their work as much as possible to come.

After all, it wouldn’t be long before he had to go out to sea again, for at least half a year at a time, and it would be hard for everyone to get together again.

Péi Wanyi didn’t reply to her and asked back, “How come everyone is so in sync, all gathered in the country?”

Fiona was a bit surprised and said,
“You don’t know? Qining came back to the country recently. An international exhibition invited her. Lu Sien probably can’t make it because of his tour, but the rest of us are free, so we came to support Qining. After all, it’s been a year or two since we’ve gotten together. We have to come even if we have to take annual leave.”

It had been a while since Péi Wanyi had heard the name Qining.

She was closer to Miles. They used to have meals together often in Boston. Qining, on the other hand, seemed to fit in, but was actually very indifferent. Like repels like, and Péi Wanyi had not gotten close to her.

Thinking of this, Péi Wanyi casually asked,
“Did Miles also come to China for her?”

These two were quite interesting. They didn’t have time to meet in person when they were together, but now that they were broken up, they had the leisure.

Fiona was a gossip monger. It was not without reason that she and El could be friends.

She lowered her voice and said, “Miles actually has a new partner, that Japanese person from a while ago. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it will last long. I think he still likes Qining very much.”

Speaking of which, Fiona sighed.

“But didn’t Qining turn gay? Miles has already given up. Now they’re just friends.”

Péi Wanyi almost choked on a puff of smoke.
—What is all this?

It had been too long since she had hung out with this circle of people. Péi Wanyi felt that her version needed to download a dozen update packs to sync up.

But she didn’t really care about these messy things. Anyway, it had nothing to do with her.

Thinking of Qining inevitably made her think of Han Xu. The two of them used to be quite close.

Thinking of this, Péi Wanyi casually asked,
“Didn’t Han Xu also come back to the country? He said he was going to throw a party. Are you guys going?”

She said this just to change the subject, not wanting to hear those mindless, dramatic gossips.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, Fiona’s expression became strange.

Péi Wanyi raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

Sure enough, the next second, Fiona leaned closer and said in an even lower voice,
“Don’t you know? Han Xu doesn’t hang out with us anymore.”

Péi Wanyi’s fingers holding the cigarette paused. She asked nonchalantly,
“What happened?”

Fiona didn’t know where to start and could only say whatever came to mind.

“I don’t know the specifics. Maybe it started about a year and a half ago? Han Xu rarely came to our gatherings around that time.”

She thought for a moment and then said, “And last month, there was a big incident. Haven’t you heard? Han Xu and Lin Ke almost got into a fight.”

This time, Péi Wanyi was really a bit surprised.

She connected it to something and asked,
“The ex-girlfriend incident?”

Fiona’s eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly. “Yes, yes, yes. Lin Ke’s ex-girlfriend got together with Han Xu. They’re both ridiculous, to run into each other in this place. The scene was so dramatic.”

Péi Wanyi had never expected that what Jiang Yanlin had said that day was not only true, but had also happened to someone she knew.

She and Han Xu had met through Lin Ke.

That was the most absurd period of Péi Wanyi’s life. Lin Ke was a reckless rich second generation. Their relationship could be described as “bad company.” They would either race cars together all day or spend the whole night in a bar.

Later, Lin Ke got into a car accident while racing and almost lost a leg. His mother, who was far away in China, was furious and canceled all his credit cards, which finally made him behave for a while.

Thinking back, this might not have been a bad thing for him.

After all, at that time, when they raced, they really didn’t care about their lives.

Péi Wanyi did not miss those wasted years at all. Her later estrangement from Lin Ke was an inevitable part of entering reality.

She had also heard about Lin Ke’s recent situation. It seemed he had turned over a new leaf and was working honestly on the West Coast. As for everything else, she knew nothing and didn’t care.

Fiona couldn’t understand Péi Wanyi’s complex feelings at all and said with a gossipy face,
“Lin Ke really saw Han Xu for who he is this time. We were all shocked when we heard about it. Why did he have to go after his good friend’s ex-girlfriend?”

Péi Wanyi thought to herself, that’s because you don’t know he has even more special fetishes.

Péi Wanyi didn’t want to make any comments about Han Xu’s “desperate measures.”

He was indeed too anxious. Even with the election imminent, he shouldn’t have lost his composure and gone after someone close to him.

Or perhaps, he had pressures that outsiders didn’t know about.

But that was his own business. For whatever actions he took, he had to bear the consequences, unless he had the ability to never be found out.
—And the facts now proved that he didn’t have that ability.

Thinking of this person inevitably made her think of Jiang Yanlin.

Péi Wanyi stubbed out her cigarette, asked the bartender for another glass of brandy, and drank it in one gulp.

The liquid slid over the cut on her lip, causing a familiar stinging pain.

Fiona’s thoughts were very jumpy. She had already started talking about where to hold the next gathering, and that it had to be at a time when Qining was free.

Péi Wanyi didn’t pay much attention. It was uncertain whether she would go or not.

It was just that the days in the country were really boring, so she didn’t directly refuse and planned to see how it went.

“By the way, doesn’t El have a new partner? Why doesn’t he bring her out?”

Fiona leaned against the bar and said idly.

This time, Péi Wanyi really had no interest in drinking.

She just smiled and said, “I don’t know. I’m going to the restroom.”

Fiona was just asking casually. She nodded, and her attention shifted to the people next to her.

They had started playing UNO over there, with bets and prizes. She was immediately interested and ran over to watch.

Péi Wanyi didn’t go to the restroom but walked straight out.

Miles happened to be on the phone outside the door. Seeing her come out, he smiled and asked,
“Mavis, are you leaving?”

She patted his shoulder and wished him a happy birthday again.

Miles said in a low voice to the person on the other end of the line, “Okay, we’ll talk about this after you’re done.”

He hung up, turned to walk Péi Wanyi downstairs. They chatted for a few sentences along the way, still as familiar as before.

It had been a while since Péi Wanyi had seen him, and she found that he had lost a lot of weight and was much more mature than before.

Not like when he had just broken up with Qining, when he was depressed all day and had impulsively wanted to quit his job to find her several times.

At that time, Péi Wanyi had stopped him with just one sentence:
“It’s been three years. You actually know very well that she doesn’t love you at all. Otherwise, why wouldn’t she even care when you brought up breaking up?”

Miles’ family was very ordinary. In those years, his adoptive parents were in poor health, and he couldn’t go anywhere to take care of them. But his so-called partner had never been considerate of him, not even once having the thought of coming to see him.

Péi Wanyi, as an observer, knew that their online relationship was in name only and might not even be called a romantic relationship.

Later one day, at two in the morning, Miles called Péi Wanyi out for a drink. Even though it was just the two of them, he refused to say a word the whole time.

It was also a midsummer. The two of them sat on a basketball court, letting the wind blow on them. It wasn’t until all the wine they had bought was gone that he sniffled and said a few heartfelt words to Péi Wanyi.

“She won’t pause her work for me. I can understand that, because she’s a person who has dedicated her life to music.

I’m not a priority in her life. I’m behind her career, hobbies, family, and friends, and maybe even further behind. I’ve accepted all of that.

I know her heart is like a block of ice. No matter how hard I try, I can’t warm it up. At least I can comfort myself by saying that she treats everyone else the same way.”

A pile of empty wine bottles lay at Miles’ feet, scattered and in disarray, just like him at that time.

Péi Wanyi didn’t comfort him, just waited for him to vent, even though it wouldn’t make things any better.

She didn’t dislike people like Miles. At least he was sincere and had helped her to the best of his ability.

The night wind was very cool. Miles drank a lot, but he couldn’t get drunk enough to be unconscious. Instead, he stared silently into the distance for a long time.

Finally, he lowered his head, wiped his face, and then muttered to himself,
“But she could fly for over ten hours, back and forth, in just a few days of a postponed performance, for someone else.”

“Mavis, you tell me, what does that count as?”