Chapter 21

“Hello, Mr. Lin. We’re all friends of Xiao Yi,” someone spoke up.

Yu Yin was the first to react, as relying on her drunk best friend was clearly out of the question. She stepped forward and greeted Lin Jinshen.
“Yes, yes, we’re all friends from our university days in the UK. We haven’t seen each other in ages, so we thought we’d catch up.”

“I’m Wu Sidong. Everyone calls me Guess.”

“And I’m Yu Yin, Xiao Yi’s best friend…”

Everyone instinctively introduced themselves one by one. Six faces, each chiming in, creating quite a lively scene.

It must have been even livelier before Lin Jinshen walked in.

He looked at each of them in turn, listened, and nodded. “Nice to meet you all.”

He stepped inside and changed his shoes. His gaze fell on the table, spotting the alcohol. From the redness in Lu Yi’s face and her obviously drunk state, it was clear she’d had quite a bit. Normally, she’d never have said something like that in front of him.

Lu Yi, her head swimming, braced herself against the table. “Why are you home? Weren’t you staying at a hotel after work?”

There was a trace of irritation in her tone. His return had put a damper on things.

“I changed my mind,” Lin Jinshen said as he walked toward her, eyes lingering on her flushed face. “How much did you drink?”

“Not much,” Lu Yi denied, pressing her lips together awkwardly.

Yu Yin interjected, “We were playing games just now. Xiao Yi… she wasn’t very lucky and lost quite a few rounds.”

Yu Yin didn’t have the best impression of Lin Jinshen and had always wanted Lu Yi to choose someone else. But now, standing in front of him, she felt like a mischievous kid caught by a stern adult. Nervously, she stepped up, while the others just stood there.

The dizziness from drinking came in waves. Lu Yi steadied herself and said, “Everyone, let’s wrap things up for today.”

She turned to Wu Sidong and smiled. “Guess, we’ll catch up next time.”

The words were innocent, but to the listener, they had layers of meaning. It sounded as if they planned to meet one-on-one.

Wu Sidong immediately sensed a cold, piercing gaze on him. Dropping his usual playful demeanor, he stiffened and said with uncharacteristic seriousness, “No, no, that’s not it! What she meant was we’ll all meet again, not just the two of us!”

Lin Jinshen’s attention shifted to the luggage by the door—a suitcase and travel bag, clearly belonging to a man.
“Your luggage?”

“Yes…”

“Planning to stay the night?”

“No, no, sir—uh, bro, no! I just got off the plane and haven’t had time to go home, so I brought my luggage here. We’re all leaving soon,” Wu Sidong stammered, flustered enough to start calling him “bro.”

“I see. Fresh off the plane, and you met up with her right away. You must be very close?” Lin Jinshen asked, his tone neutral but pointed.

Lu Yi suddenly chimed in, nodding. “Yes, very close.”

All eyes turned toward her.

Confused by the stares, Lu Yi tilted her head. It was true—they were close friends. She hadn’t said anything wrong.

Wu Sidong covered his face, unwilling to meet Lin Jinshen’s gaze. Meanwhile, the rest of the group alternated between nervousness and barely stifled laughter, enjoying the spectacle.

If the whole room had been guilty of something, Wu Sidong’s offense felt the heaviest.

Yu Yin, on the verge of losing it, bit her lip and thought about the most mortifying moments of her life to suppress her laughter.

“How much has she had to drink?” Lin Jinshen asked, frowning.

“Quite a few drinks. Her tolerance isn’t great, so she’s definitely drunk,” Yu Yin explained. “But don’t worry—Xiao Yi doesn’t get rowdy when she’s drunk. She just talks a bit more than usual and prefers to be by herself.”

“There’s some hangover soup in the kitchen. She should have some. Would you like any?”

“No, we didn’t drink much,” Yu Yin replied quickly.

“Alright.”

Lu Yi suddenly smiled. “Next time, you can all come over when my husband’s not home.”

“…”

Yu Yin desperately wanted to cover her mouth. If Lu Yi remembered these words tomorrow, she might shut herself away from embarrassment.

“She talks nonsense when she’s drunk, Mr. Lin. Please don’t take it seriously.”

“It’s fine,” Lin Jinshen said, walking to the kitchen to heat up the soup.

The group exchanged glances, quickly packing up the table. Empty takeout boxes and trash were gathered with unprecedented speed, and the table was wiped clean with wet wipes.

As they filed out, Wu Sidong rolled his suitcase and politely bid Lin Jinshen farewell.

“Drive safe. Don’t drink and drive. And take it slow,” Lin Jinshen reminded them.

“Of course!”

Once outside, they piled into the elevator.

“Doesn’t he sound just like a parent lecturing their kids before they leave?” someone remarked.

“No wonder it felt so familiar!” another laughed.

“Are we really leaving Xiao Yi alone with him?” Wu Sidong asked. Everyone knew that Lu Yi’s drunken honesty was unmatched—she could say the most shocking things without a second thought.

“She’ll be fine. Mr. Lin seems pretty caring,” someone said. “He even heated up hangover soup for her. He doesn’t seem so bad.”

“Guess, why don’t you stay? You already brought your luggage—it’s no big deal to crash there for the night,” someone teased.

“Shut up!” Wu Sidong switched to English, hurling insults while lifting his shirt sleeve to show his goosebumps. “They haven’t gone down since he looked at me!”

The group dissolved into laughter.

—

Lin Jinshen ladled the soup into a white porcelain bowl, feeling the weight of his situation. A sick man now tasked with taking care of a drunkard.

When he brought the soup to the dining area, the table was spotless, though the smell of hot pot lingered.

Lu Yi wasn’t at the table. She was sitting on the floor by the floor-to-ceiling window, hugging Puff and staring out at the night view. The scene looked peaceful and heartwarming—one woman and one cat.

Just as Yu Yin had said, Lu Yi got chatty when drunk but also enjoyed her solitude.

“Lu Yi, come drink the hangover soup.”

She didn’t respond.

Suppressing his irritation, Lin Jinshen walked over. Puff, sensing his presence, became anxious and burrowed deeper into Lu Yi’s arms. Unfortunately, its chubby body made it impossible to hide.

Failing to conceal itself, the cat shrank back, wide-eyed, and stared at him warily.

“Don’t worry, it’s okay,” Lu Yi murmured softly to Puff, comforting it. She turned and met Lin Jinshen’s gaze, her own calm and steady.

“Come drink the soup,” he repeated.

“Can I not drink it?” she asked softly. She didn’t want to move right now. When sober, she would accommodate others. But tonight, she wanted to follow her own feelings.

“No,” Lin Jinshen replied coldly, his gaze unyielding.

“But I don’t want to get up,” she said, perfectly content in her current spot.

The night view was beautiful. The city lights scattered across the darkness resembled fireworks that would never fade.

Lin Jinshen’s furrowed brows relaxed slightly. He compromised, saying, “I’ll bring it over to you.”

“Really?”

“Thank you.”

Lu Yi smiled faintly, her soft and gentle expression striking directly at the heart.

He brought over the sobering soup, which had been allowed to cool for easy drinking. She sipped it slowly while he waited patiently. Once she drank as much as she could, he set the bowl aside, but she wrinkled her nose at the odd taste.

“It’s awful,” Lu Yi sighed, clutching the bowl but refusing to drink more.

“Is alcohol better?” he asked.

Lu Yi earnestly compared the two, nodding. Yes, alcohol was better. She enjoyed the tipsy sensation, as though her body and soul had separated. Their gathering earlier had been warm and lively, reminiscent of the rainy days in England when they would drink to excess and sleep through the afternoon.

It was unfortunate someone had come home early.

She set the bowl of sobering soup down on the floor beside her and asked, “Why did you come back?”

Her tone was accusatory—almost like asking, “Why did you have to come back?”

Leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, Lin Jinshen tilted his head, looking down at her. “Lu Yi, are you saying you didn’t want me to come home?”

“Yes,” she affirmed without any hesitation. She spoke without pretense because it was the simple truth.

Lin Jinshen’s dark eyes clouded as he asked, “If that’s the case, why did you text me?”

“What text?”

“You asked if I would be home tonight.”

Lu Yi furrowed her brows in confusion. “I needed to know if you were coming back. You said I could have friends over when you weren’t home.”

It sounded as if she were saying tonight’s situation wasn’t her fault—it was his.

He had gone back on his word. He said he wouldn’t return, yet here he was.

Drunk as she was, her emotions were laid bare, raw and unapologetic.

Lin Jinshen crouched down, leveling their gazes. He asked, “So, Lu Yi, you don’t want me to come home?”

He asked the question again.

Lu Yi didn’t answer this time. It felt as though she were being drawn into the unfathomable depths of his eyes—waters so still they were terrifying.

“Without me around, would you be happier, more at ease?” he continued.

“You can spend time with your friends, your cat—anything as long as it doesn’t involve me. Is that what makes you feel comfortable?”

“…”

“Lu Yi, do you hate me?”

His tone was calm as he delivered what felt like an undeniable truth.

His new wife actually disliked being around him.

Realizing this, Lin Jinshen thought he would be indifferent. After all, theirs was a marriage of convenience. Interests came first; emotions were inconsequential. Love was a bonus, but unnecessary. As long as their partnership remained intact, so would their marriage.

If his wife harbored no affection for him—or even resented him—he believed he could respect her boundaries and maintain a cordial distance.

But the feeling he now had wasn’t indifference. It was something much more powerful than mere disappointment.

Lu Yi could sense his shift in mood. He seemed angry, and she began contemplating her answer. It was an interesting one: both yes and no.

She didn’t hate him. If she did, she wouldn’t have married him in the first place.

Lu Yi shook her head. She wanted to say no but doubted he would believe her. Staring into his eyes as he fired one question after another, she leaned forward. One hand braced against the floor, she pressed her lips to his.

It wasn’t a kiss. It was more of a collision—a misjudged distance and force, noses bumping awkwardly, resulting in a clumsy kiss.

Her lips stung slightly, the pain giving way to a faint, electrifying sensation. She pulled back slightly, her breath uneven as she asked, “Do you still think I hate you now?”

Before she could finish speaking, the remaining words were swallowed whole.

Startled, their cat, Puff, let out a sharp meow and leaped from Lu Yi’s lap.

Lin Jinshen seized her lips with precision, like a predator lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike. He leaned in further, his arm encircling her waist as he pressed her backward. In the midst of erratic breaths, Lu Yi found herself turned, her back against the cool glass of the window.

His palm pressed against her damp hand, their fingers interlocking. Their joined hands pressed against the glass, leaving faint marks in their wake.

Lin Jinshen’s thoughts blurred as heat surged to his head. He had wanted to kiss her—ever since he had embraced her moments ago, he had wanted to do this.

He tasted the faint trace of alcohol mingled with fruit, and somehow, it felt intoxicating.

Lu Yi gripped his shirt collar. The warmth radiating from him made her feel like she was melting. Her lips parted under his, her tongue going numb as he kissed her with fervor, leaving no room for resistance.

Clothes were disheveled in the chaos of their kiss. Her jacket slipped down her arms, and the strap of her camisole slid off her shoulder.

It was unclear whether these actions were intentional or accidental. Neither resisted the escalating intimacy.

Lin Jinshen’s fingertips, alternately scorching and icy, traced her spine before settling at the nape of her neck. His hand firmly guided her closer, pressing her against him.

They kissed until breathing became difficult.

When he finally let her go, it was only for a brief second of air before he leaned in again.

It wasn’t enough.

It felt as though he were trying to make up for a month of missed moments. Five minutes a day, for thirty days—that equaled two and a half hours.

Lu Yi didn’t know how long they kissed. She only knew her entire body felt feverish, as though she had come down with a severe cold.

Although they were on a high floor, pressing against the window made her feel as if they might be seen—someone might catch sight of their disheveled state.

They rested their foreheads together, breathing as though they had just finished a marathon. Lu Yi’s lips were swollen and numb. In a low voice, she asked, “Are you still mad?”

It was as if their kiss had been a method to appease his anger.

Lin Jinshen’s dark eyes bore into hers as he hoarsely asked, “Is this how you used to pacify others?”

“No,” Lu Yi replied.

After a pause, she added, “My ex-boyfriend never got mad. Only you do.”

“…”

Lin Jinshen leaned forward again, this time biting her lips—not too hard, but enough to make her feel the punishment.

He released her just before it hurt too much.

Afraid he might bite her again, Lu Yi raised her hand to block his lips. Her fingertips rested on the corner of his mouth, slowly tracing to the center. She found herself captivated by the shape of his lips. Her long lashes lowered, then lifted, her gaze hazy and dazed from the alcohol.

“Lin Jinshen,” she murmured, “do you know? You may speak harshly, but your lips are so soft.”