When Yan Zhen returned home, it was almost midnight. Aunt Cui had long since gone to bed, but the living room light was still on for her. She changed her shoes, and Chocolate, hearing the noise from the entryway, sleepily padded over to rub against her legs. She bent down, petted Chocolate, and coaxed him back to sleep before heading upstairs to her room.
A sticky feeling between her thighs prompted Yan Zhen to take a shower. She discovered that besides the kiss marks on her inner thighs, there were even faint bite marks.
"Does he think he's a dog? So fond of biting…" she muttered to herself, wiping at the marks with a towel. As she wiped, her ears began to burn.
After her shower and drying her hair, she lay on the bed, scrolling through her phone. Hearing the curtains rustling in the wind, she got up to close the window. Pulling back the curtains, she glanced outside and saw, to her surprise, that Chen Huaixu hadn't left yet.
His black car was parked at the gate of the villa. He was leaning against it, smoking, the tip of his cigarette glowing intermittently in the darkness. His gaze seemed fixed on her room. Seeing her pull back the curtains and the light still on inside, he sent her a message.
[Why aren't you asleep yet?]
Yan Zhen retorted, "Shouldn't I be asking you that? Why haven't you left?"
Chen Huaixu replied, "Soon."
Yet, he remained there, showing no sign of moving. Neither of them moved, locked in a silent standoff. Finally, Chen Huaixu gave in, straightening up and waving at her gently.
Then, her phone rang. Chen Huaixu's voice, carried on the night breeze, sounded unusually soft. "I'm leaving for Z City the day after tomorrow for a business trip. It'll be about a week."
Yan Zhen didn't know how to respond. Her fingers unconsciously pleated the curtains. After a long pause, she softly replied, "Oh."
He paused, then asked in a low voice, "Will you miss me?"
His voice was so soft, as if it would be carried away by the wind.
But before Yan Zhen could answer, he continued, as if the question had been a figment of her imagination. "I'm going. Goodnight."
The car quickly drove off into the night, disappearing along the winding mountain road. Yan Zhen drew the curtains, feeling inexplicably flustered.
She paced her room for a while, deciding to go downstairs for a drink. Just as she opened her door, she ran into Yan Zhao, emerging from his study.
Surprised, Yan Zhen asked, "What time is it? Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"Work," Yan Zhao replied casually. Then, he changed the subject. "That classmate who brought you home… is he quite wealthy? That car looks familiar."
Panicked, she asked, "You saw him?"
"The car was parked in front of our house for so long. If he hadn't left soon, I was going to call security."
Yan Zhen mumbled, "Maybe his car broke down."
"Really? That's quite unfortunate." Yan Zhao didn't press her, turning to open his own door. Just as he was about to go in, he glanced back at Yan Zhen, who was still standing there. "Aren't you going to bed?"
"I can't sleep." She followed him into his room. "I'll play some games in your room."
"Yan Zhen, I have to work tomorrow."
"You sleep, I'll play."