One hundred fifteen

Page (1/3)

“I want you,” he said, lowering her onto the sofa and kissing her.

“Don’t…”

“You’ll be mine sooner or later. If you truly want to be with me, then why not? Unless everything you said was a lie, and you were only trying to placate me…”

“Yichen, I really do want to be with you. But… please don’t be so willful, all right? I’ve already… wronged him enough. I… I’m in so much pain. Could you…” Xia Yuwei spoke haltingly between his relentless kisses.

Lu Yichen had been kissing her neck in an act of selfish insistence, but when he heard her say that she was in pain, he stopped. He looked at her, his expression unreadable, then put his arms around her and helped her sit up.

“Yuwei, you have to be strong. I don’t want to pressure you, but seeing you like this makes me uneasy. Do you understand?”

Xia Yuwei nodded quickly. “I understand. I really do.”

“You really understand? What exactly do you understand?”

Xia Yuwei answered seriously, “I understand that since I’ve already made my decision, I should have the courage to face the consequences. Otherwise, I’ll only suffer more later. Isn’t that right? I understand all of it.”

“I swear to you—I swear I’ll explain everything to him. No matter what the consequences are, I’ll tell him everything.” Xia Yuwei gently brushed her fingers over Lu Yichen’s tightly furrowed brows, as though she believed she could soothe his unease that way.

“Then do you have the courage to call him now and tell him your decision?” Her words sounded convincing, but whether she would actually have the courage when the moment came was another matter.

Perhaps this was the tragedy of being a well-behaved girl. Still, for someone as obedient as her to decide to break through every obstacle and be with him was, all in all, something that made him happy. Yet as long as she remained another man’s fiancée, his happiness could never be certain or complete.

“I…” Xia Yuwei was rendered speechless. She lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze, but a moment later she summoned her courage and looked up at him.

“After you leave, I’ll call him. Then I’ll call you and tell you what happened. If you stay here, I’ll feel guilty.” Without realizing it, her delicate brows had drawn together.

“Yuwei, I don’t like my woman being entangled with another man.” Lu Yichen kissed the center of her brows, then her lashes, murmuring softly. He was not Ye Lifeng; he had never learned how to hide his feelings. He only knew that he could not continue indulging her cowardice. Pressuring her would cause her pain, but cutting through the confusion swiftly would be better for everyone.

Page (1/3)

Page (2/3)

******************************************************************************

Alone in the darkness, Xia Yuwei sat with her phone in her hands, turning it over and over as she wondered what she should say. What should her first words be? How would he react? Would he be furious with her? But she had to tell him. She had to…

After sitting on the sofa for a full hour, she finally decided to make the call. Just then, however, her phone rang before she could dial. When she saw the name on the screen, her heart skipped a beat.

—“Your Loving Feng”

…

Xia Yuwei had no idea when Ye Lifeng had changed the name displayed for him in her phone. It was proof enough that he knew who had called at noon. And yet he said nothing. He could actually pretend that he knew nothing at all…

…

She stared blankly as the phone rang twice before pressing the answer button. She had been about to call him anyway, hadn’t she? If he wanted to curse her, then so be it. Everything was her fault. She was the one in the wrong. He had every right to berate her.

“Lifeng…” She addressed him directly by name.

“Hmm. Yuwei.” Ye Lifeng’s voice was deep. “Did you eat properly tonight? You’re such a picky eater. I imagine you probably didn’t eat much.”

“Lifeng…” Hearing his words filled Xia Yuwei with conflicting emotions. If he loved anyone else in the world, any other girl would have fallen hopelessly in love with him and considered herself the happiest woman alive. But she alone had no fate to enjoy his love. That was all.

“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself. I’ve already eaten.”

After a pause, she desperately reminded herself not to sink into such sorrow. Drawing a deep breath, she closed her eyes and said, “Lifeng, I want to tell you about a decision I’ve made. Please forgive me. I—”

“Yuwei!” Ye Lifeng interrupted her. “Yuwei, whatever you want to say, it would be better if we discussed it in person. Some things can’t be explained clearly over the phone, can they?”

“…”

The courage Xia Yuwei had struggled to summon was suddenly broken, and she felt somewhat deflated. But when she thought about it, what he said made sense. She exhaled softly and opened her eyes.

“All right, then. Where are you? I’ll come to you!”

Tonight, she had resolved to settle this matter once and for all. Otherwise, she would not sleep a wink.

Page (2/3)

Page (3/3)

“I told you I’m downstairs. Do you believe me?”

“What? Really?” Xia Yuwei rose from the sofa and walked barefoot to the window, looking down toward the street.

“Heh. When have I ever lied to you? Come down.” Ye Lifeng gave a soft laugh over the phone, his voice calm and even.

He had not left. He had never left. When he returned, he had seen Lu Yichen’s car downstairs. It was only a little over an hour ago that Lu Yichen had come down, gotten into his car, and driven away. Ye Lifeng had sat in his own car for more than an hour before calling Xia Yuwei.

******************************************************************************

Xia Yuwei changed her clothes because, while combing her hair in front of the mirror, she had discovered plum-blossom-shaped kiss marks on her neck. She had no choice but to put on a red high-neck sweater with a black wool skirt.

After going downstairs, she searched the outdoor parking lot for Ye Lifeng’s black car. When she spotted it, she walked toward it.

The window was open. From a distance, Xia Yuwei could see Ye Lifeng sitting in the driver’s seat, one hand resting on the steering wheel and the other holding a cigarette. The car was thick with smoke. The ashtray was overflowing with cigarette butts.

“Lifeng,” she called.

Until then, she had never known that he smoked.

Ye Lifeng turned his head and curved his lips into a smile. Without saying a word, he simply opened the door and let her in.

From the moment they met, through the time he started the car and drove onto the road, Ye Lifeng did not say a single word.

The atmosphere was tense. After an unknown length of time, Xia Yuwei looked out the window and suddenly realized that the car was traveling along a road she had never taken before. There were very few pedestrians or vehicles along the roadside.

“Lifeng, where are we going?”

Page (3/3)