Ye Zhenshu made herself a cup of cold medicine and put Liang Hao, her best friend, on speakerphone.
“I heard Qi Wenwan’s back. They’re having a get-together at the club tonight, and He Zhinian’s there too.” Liang Hao sounded curious. “Are you really okay with that?”
Ye Zhenshu drank the medicine, her voice thick with congestion. She wasn’t particularly interested in what Liang Hao was talking about.
“If that’s all, I’m hanging up.”
Liang Hao paused on the other end. Ye Zhenshu ended the call.
Marrying He Zhinian had been an accident.
He Zhinian had a woman he loved but could never have: Qi Wenwan.
People said Ye Zhenshu’s arrival had torn the two of them apart.
She always felt He Zhinian didn’t like her—might even hate her a little.
They’d lived together for three months, but had never once consummated their marriage.
Ye Zhenshu never asked about any of his affairs, either. That was their arrangement, and she thought things were fine this way.
Winter had come to Nancheng a little earlier than usual this year. Around this time every year, she caught a cold.
This year was no exception.
Only this time, it had hit hard—worse, it seemed, than any of her colds in previous years.
She went into the guest bedroom and fell asleep as soon as she got into bed.
In the middle of the night, a strange noise woke her.
If she wasn’t mistaken, He Zhinian was back.
Ye Zhenshu had no intention of paying it any mind. He often drank at social engagements, and Qi Wenwan had just returned, too.
Still, she’d thought He Zhinian wouldn’t come home.
Before long, the sound of running water came from the kitchen, accompanied by the crash of breaking dishes.
Ye Zhenshu was fully awake now.
She raised her heavy eyelids, sleep still lingering at the corners of her eyes, and slowly sat up. Just as she was about to close the door, she heard something hit the floor again.
After a long moment’s thought, Ye Zhenshu put on her slippers and decided to go out and check.
She was worried an intruder might have gotten in—or that He Zhinian was so drunk he couldn’t be left alone.
The living room lights were on, illuminating the entire spacious apartment. But from the shoe cabinet to the kitchen, everything was a mess.
His coat and shoes lay scattered across the floor, strewn from the entrance toward the kitchen. Water was still running from the faucet at the kitchen island.
He Zhinian was standing in front of the refrigerator, gulping ice water.
His tie hung haphazardly around his neck, and two buttons dangled undone, barely concealing his bare skin.
Perhaps he’d just splashed water on his face. Droplets ran down the strands of his tousled, side-parted hair, soaking his white shirt.
She didn’t dare look for long.
He Zhinian always had the air of an ascetic Buddha[1]In Chinese romance fiction, describing a man as Buddha-like often emphasizes his emotional detachment, self-restraint, and apparent indifference to romantic or physical desire. It does not … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3723233_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3723233_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, his features cool and his manner colder still.
Even when she spoke to him, he was a man of few words.
She hadn’t imagined that a man like him could have such a body beneath his clothes.
The faint V-shaped lines of his lower abdomen showed through his soaked white shirt, bringing a flush to her cheeks.
When Ye Zhenshu came out of the bedroom, He Zhinian had just finished the whole bottle of water. He gripped the empty bottle in his hand, crushing the plastic with a crinkling sound.
Veins stood out along his tense forearm, while the Buddhist prayer beads[2]Known as fozhu in Chinese, these beads are traditionally used to count Buddhist prayers or mantra recitations. They may also be worn as a symbol of spiritual practice, discipline, or personal … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3723233_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3723233_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); around his wrist seemed to restrain him, as if keeping a beast from breaking through its bounds.
A moment later, she gently turned off the faucet. The only sound left in the apartment was He Zhinian’s uneven breathing.
He Zhinian braced one hand against the refrigerator door and glanced at her, his eyes bloodshot.
Ye Zhenshu clutched the hem of her clothes, her feet in cotton slippers inching sideways.
Her lips parted. “I’ll make you some hangover soup[3]In Chinese households, soups and other drinks are sometimes prepared as traditional home remedies after alcohol consumption. Their ingredients vary, and their effectiveness is not medically … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3723233_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3723233_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });”
He Zhinian was a man who kept his emotions firmly in check. He never lost control—not even when he married Ye Zhenshu, a woman he’d never spent any time with before.
When he said nothing, Ye Zhenshu picked up his coat and shoes from the floor and put them back where they belonged.
He Zhinian’s gaze followed her as she moved, an unfathomable darkness in his eyes.
Only after she’d finished did she go into the kitchen to make him some hangover soup.
But He Zhinian followed her in and, without warning, pulled her into his arms.
Ye Zhenshu stiffened. Her heart suddenly raced, and she hardly dared breathe.
“He Zhinian…”
She called his name softly.
He didn’t answer. The air around them was so silent it felt suffocating.
He smelled faintly of alcohol, but didn’t look drunk.
“He Zhinian, you’ve got the wrong person…” Her voice trembled.
He Zhinian was indifferent to everyone, even in matters of the heart. Qi Wenwan was the sole exception.
She’d once seen He Zhinian late at night, staring at a photo of Qi Wenwan on his phone.
When he woke up tomorrow, he’d definitely regret this!
“He—”
She didn’t get to finish. He Zhinian crushed the rest of her words between their lips.
Ye Zhenshu’s eyes flew wide open.
He must have mistaken her for someone else!
Why else would he do this to her?
Why hadn’t He Zhinian gone to find Qi Wenwan elsewhere? Why had he come all the way back from the club?!
He Zhinian must have eaten something that didn’t agree with him.
At that moment, He Zhinian’s phone on the sofa kept buzzing nonstop.
He Zhinian was deaf to it.
No one would have guessed that the usually placid He Zhinian could be so wild now.
Ye Zhenshu tugged at his hand, trying to break free, but the Buddhist beads around his wrist became tangled in her hair.
During their first month together, Ye Zhenshu had tried hard to play the part of a good partner in front of him.
He Zhinian had seemed like an emotionless machine, doing everything by the book and never so much as smiling.
Only later did she learn that Qi Wenwan was the one in his heart.
Ye Zhenshu wasn’t the type to cling on at all costs. She’d secretly gone to see Qi Wenwan.
She really was beautiful, just like her name: gentle and graceful[4]The Chinese name Wenwan also means “gentle and graceful,” describing a mild, refined, and elegant manner. The narration makes a direct connection between Qi Wenwan’s name and her … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3723233_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3723233_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Ye Zhenshu even thought He Zhinian and Qi Wenwan were a better match. She had no idea why they’d separated.
Her marriage to He Zhinian rested on nothing more than a childish marriage agreement. There wasn’t much feeling between them.
Until tonight, treating each other with courtesy had seemed like a good enough choice.
In fact, before all this, she had no impression of He Zhinian whatsoever.
Of course, if He Zhinian chose to leave, she wouldn’t stop him.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the north wind chased the heavy snow, trapping it in its grasp and ruthlessly tormenting it.
The north wind was relentless; the fine snow had nowhere to hide.
After howling for half the night, the wind finally fell silent. The first snow came to a stop, and the world grew frighteningly quiet. Even each breath seemed edged with ice.
*
When He Zhinian woke, Ye Zhenshu was still asleep.
It was already light out. She lay face down on the elegant gray bed. Between her scattered strands of hair, the fresh red marks on her shoulder were still faintly visible.
He Zhinian was fully dressed. His ink-black eyes rested on her, then, after a moment, shifted to the broken Buddhist beads on the bedside table.
He’d put those beads on when he and Ye Zhenshu registered their marriage[5]In mainland China, a marriage is legally established through registration with the civil authorities. The couple receives a marriage certificate, and a wedding ceremony is not required for legal … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3723233_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3723233_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Now she’d broken them, and one bead was still missing.
The restraint he’d maintained for less than three months had been overcome by desire the moment the beads fell.
He Zhinian knew what he’d done last night, and he’d heard everything Ye Zhenshu said to him.
But his body had proved stronger than his mind. He’d been able to hold himself back at first.
It was only when Ye Zhenshu offered to make him hangover soup that, as if in a trance, he pulled her into his arms—and then he couldn’t stop.
His mind was still a mess. Last night, he’d crossed a line.
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