Chapter 35: Opposites

That evening, Xie Bo found out that Lin Yiwei didn’t actually dislike him that much.

On the ship under his command, she miraculously reached the shore multiple times, making him appear like an incredibly skilled captain.

“You don’t hate me, Yiyi. Actually, you don’t hate me at all, you’re just pretending.”

This discovery excited Xie Bo.

“No,” she persisted stubbornly, as if admitting it would mean losing something, something she was not willing to give up easily, “you’re just being overly… um… affectionate…”

Xie Bo chuckled, grabbing her hand, tightly connecting with her at the deepest level, repeatedly and recklessly running aground.

Amidst the ship’s death-like collisions, all rationality and thoughts were overturned, leaving only the most primal desire.

Even if doomsday were imminent, it couldn’t separate them by a millimeter.

Her voice echoed in his ears, like the wind, yet also like the rhythmic sounds of the sea waves, causing his sails to swell multiple times.

They were tireless, without an endpoint.

Sometimes they would rest; Xie Bo would light a cigarette, and she would softly lean against his shoulder, telling him not to smoke indoors.

Whenever he wanted to go out, she wouldn’t allow it, holding onto his waist, her slender and soft fingertips tracing the contours of his muscular body.

Xie Bo could only extinguish the cigarette, the air filled with a refreshing and crisp scent of mint. Entangled in this aroma, they exhausted each other to the utmost limit.

From night until daybreak.

At six o’clock, Lin Yiwei dragged her weary body out of bed, pulled open the heavy curtains, allowing the faint dawn light to filter through the thin white curtains into the room.

In the fleeting fragments of light and shadow, she crawled back into bed, curling up in the warm blankets.

Soon after, Xie Bo groggily got out of bed, firmly closing the heavy curtains, plunging the room into complete darkness, like a wild beast lurking in the forest, finding comfort only in the darkness, peacefully falling asleep.

Lin Yiwei, however, didn’t like this darkness; it made her feel uneasy. She grumbled, wanting to get out of bed, but Xie Bo grabbed her wrist, pulling her back, murmuring, “Stay put.”

Lin Yiwei was pulled back into his embrace, restrained from behind. Without any strength to struggle, she felt as soft as a ragdoll, sinking back into deep sleep.

In her dreams, Lin Yiwei felt as if she were being gently caressed by damp feathers, warm and smooth, roaming over every inch of her skin under the wind’s guidance, eventually leading to her destination.

She woke up abruptly, the gentle teasing of the “feathers” causing her to tighten the bedsheets, pulling out layers upon layers of wrinkles.

Wide-eyed in the pitch-black darkness, amidst boundless silence, she could only hear their intertwined breaths, savage and heavy.

She was once again thrown into ecstasy, involuntarily tensing her entire body, continuously falling as if in her mother’s embrace.

She heard his faint laughter, distant as if in a dream, unable to see him, yet he seemed to be everywhere, participating in every uncontrolled breath and heartbeat, his most glorious achievement.

He tirelessly turned her into a stream merging into rivers, murmuring endlessly.

Until the next afternoon, Lin Yiwei, driven by hunger, fully woke up.

The lingering taste of joy filled the room, both beautiful and decadent.

Her fair feet touched the ground, only to see the floor littered with foil and plastic wrap, echoing her own soft and weak body, reminding her of the craziness of their revelry.

She stepped barefoot on the warm wooden floor, opened the heavy door, which was locked.

Returning to the bed, she nudged the still sleeping man, “Baby, I’m hungry.”

Xie Bo slightly awakened, pressing her against his chest, stretching lazily, “I’m hungry too.”

She had never seen this guy so relaxed and lazy before, lying on his chest, she smiled and looked at him, “Can you order takeout here?”

“No, we’re in the mountains.”

“Let me go out and find something to eat then, I can’t open the door.”

“I’ve locked it,” he said confidently, “We agreed on two days together, not a minute less.””…”

“Then get up!”

Finally, half an hour later, the man leisurely got up and dressed.

Lin Yiwei casually put on one of his shirts and a jacket, sitting on the edge of the bed watching him.

He needed to dress with absolute precision, no wrinkles tolerated.

He took out the iron and said to Lin Yiwei, “Help me with this.”

“Baby, I’m your lover, not your maid.”

Xie Bo chuckled, walked over, lifted her collar, and kissed her soft lips, “I just want to wear clothes you’ve handled, just a little help, okay.”

Damn, he’s actually acting cute.

Lin Yiwei wasn’t buying it, “I’m not doing these things.”

“A thousand for each piece.”

Money talks, Lin Yiwei turned around without hesitation and picked up the iron, “Two thousand.”

“Deal,” Xie Bo never haggled with her, “I’ll give you five thousand, iron them and help me put them on.”

Lin Yiwei happily picked up the iron, fiddling with it for a while, “Xie Bo, how do I use this?”

“Never ironed clothes before?”

“I’ve used a cheap one before, not this fancy stuff.”

“I don’t know how to use it either.”

“Then…”

“Seems like you have dreams of making money but no ability to do so.”

Lin Yiwei wasn’t willing to accept that, but she still tried, and steam came out, burning her hand. She screamed and let go of the iron.

Xie Bo grabbed her hand, dragging her to the bathroom to cool down, “Are you a pig?”

The cold water in winter relieved the burning sensation on her fingertips. Lin Yiwei grumbled, “You’re the pig.”

Coming out of the bathroom, Lin Yiwei picked up the iron from the floor, wanting to study it, but Xie Bo wouldn’t let her mess with it anymore.

He hastily put on his clothes, “Okay, no need to iron anymore.”

“No, I want to iron.” She wielded the iron directly at him.

“Killing your husband?”

“It’s killing a lover.” Lin Yiwei corrected with a smile.

Xie Bo brought it upon himself. He searched for the iron’s brand’s usage guide on his phone and, after learning it, patiently taught her, “Add water, wait for the green light for a dozen seconds before using it, hold only the handle, don’t touch anywhere else, watch out for steam, it’s hot.”

Lin Yiwei rummaged through his closet, taking out all his shirts, jackets, and pants, ironing them one by one until there was not a single wrinkle left.

Finally, after counting them, she handed him the payment code.

Xie Bo looked at her helplessly, “Thank you.”

“No need, just pay.”

He reluctantly transferred the money to her. The girl’s eyes narrowed with a smile, “Xie Bo, buy more clothes in the future, I’ll iron them for you every day.”

“Is there a future?”

“Oh, there’s no future,” she shrugged, pretending to be casual as she straightened his collar, “Let’s go out and find something to eat.”

Xie Bo pulled her into his arms, leaning down to kiss her greedily, sucking in all her breath, “Yiyi, I want a future with you.”

“Baby, stop saying such things, I have no expectations for you.”

She wanted to say goodbye to him casually, without any sadness.

He better not hook her.

Lin Yiwei, afraid of lingering any longer, as it was getting dark, pushed him away, and the two walked out of the bedroom.

This villa was truly old, with outdated wooden furniture, exuding a heavy, luxurious yet outdated feel.

Lin Yiwei actually liked old things from the bottom of her heart.

She touched the texture of the cupboard and turned to Xie Bo, “Is this your home?”

“Not really,” Xie Bo told her frankly, “Before my mother passed away, there was a man who took care of her out of gratitude, and this is the house he arranged for her.”

“Not your dad?”

“No,” Xie Bo said in a deep voice, “She was the most popular leading lady in the red-light district back then, many men were fascinated by her, including high-ranking businessmen, even though she was terminally ill.”

Mentioning these, Xie Bo remained calm as if narrating a history unrelated to him.

“Later, when that man passed away, I bought this villa. It’s very secretive, even my father wouldn’t find it.”

Lin Yiwei was clever enough to glean more information from his words—

Why the breakup was so abrupt?

Lin Yiwei was unwilling to get involved in trouble, especially since she had her own mission.

Now that there was a risk, she had to stay away from him.

There was no food at home, so the two drove to a nearby town. The town’s restaurants weren’t upscale, but they had a lively food street.

Xie Bo held her hand, and she let him, walking down the street together, appearing like an ordinary couple, intimate and natural.

Lin Yiwei was dressed casually in his clothes, a hoodie paired with black pants, slightly loose, highlighting her slender figure.

She didn’t wear makeup, always natural, but her skin was flawless, with a healthy natural blush. She casually tied her hair into a loose bun, with a golden chrysanthemum picked from the garden tucked in.

Xie Bo’s gaze couldn’t seem to leave her.The two had a simple barbecue dinner on the food street. Xie Bo didn’t drink any beverages, only water, and insisted on ice-cold water.

Lin Yiwei was completely different from him. She didn’t like ice, only drinking warm water.

Their taste in food was also very different. She loved spicy food, but he preferred bland food, without any chili.

Lin Yiwei loved pomegranates, but Xie Bo found them too troublesome to eat.

They were completely incompatible in their lifestyles, just like their identities, worlds apart.

After dinner, they went to buy fruits. Lin Yiwei insisted on buying pomegranates, while Xie Bo suggested trying some imported cherries. Lin Yiwei said she couldn’t afford them, so Xie Bo offered to pay.

“Is having money a big deal?”

She rolled her eyes and stubbornly said, “From this moment on, cherries are my least favorite fruit!”

In the fruit supermarket, Xie Bo picked up a box of cherries and put it in his pocket, smiling, “You’re just throwing a tantrum.”

“I think you have a serious problem with comprehension.” Lin Yiwei picked up the box of cherries from his pocket, “I just don’t like these big cherries.”

“I do.”

“As long as I’m here, you can’t like them.” Lin Yiwei pulled Xie Bo away from the cherry shelf, “I want pomegranates, buy me pomegranates! Hurry!”

“No,” Xie Bo became stubborn, “I’m not buying them, even if you die.”

“Then I’ll buy them myself.”

“Your money is mine too.”

“Very funny, Xie Bo.”

The two argued in the fruit shop for half an hour and still couldn’t reach a compromise. Both of them had a bit of extreme control, wanting the other to accept their favorite fruits, unwilling to compromise.

In the end, they didn’t buy cherries or pomegranates, but Lin Yiwei gave Xie Bo a few slaps.

She always hit him.

Although the blows were not painful, they left him feeling frustrated. Passing by a roadside fruit stall, Lin Yiwei still bought a few pomegranates, because there were no cherries for sale. She returned to the villa with a triumphant smile as if she had won.

However, Xie Bo’s evaluation of the situation was simple— “Childish.”

Late at night, Lin Yiwei soaked in the bathtub while Xie Bo walked in.

A pile of red pomegranates formed a small mountain, and he sat by the edge of the tub, patiently feeding her one pomegranate seed at a time, chatting casually with her about their past.

“I didn’t start menstruating until ninth grade.”

“I was aware of sexuality in third grade.”

“What’s the comparison in that!! I had malnutrition as a child!”

Xie Bo paused, then pushed a pomegranate seed into her mouth, “Now that you have money, eat well.”

“No need for you to remind me, I’ll definitely feast every meal.”

In fact, she wouldn’t. Lin Yiwei didn’t spend a single penny of the money Xie Bo gave her, still as thrifty as ever.

“Tell me, what’s your purpose in getting close to Chi Xiyu?” Xie Bo suddenly changed the subject.

Lin Yiwei hugged her knees, fingers playing with the foam, nonsense, “To get close to you, I love you so much.”

“Stop…”

“Xie Bo.”

He stopped swearing, using a bath sponge to scrub her back, “Lin Yiwei, no matter what you’re up to, don’t stand against me.”

Lin Yiwei remained silent for a few seconds, then asked, “If standing against Chi Xiyu means being your enemy, right?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll ruthlessly deal with all enemies and obstacles?”

“Yes, so run as far as you can.”

Xie Bo pulled her out of the bathtub. In the bathroom, the two were in an intense confrontation, he pinned her against the wall by her hair.

Lin Yiwei left teeth marks all over his body.

…

Afterward, Xie Bo cleaned her body, holding her while watching TV without saying a word. He went to the balcony to smoke halfway through and came back with a hint of mint on him.

Lin Yiwei felt he was a bit lonely.

Late at night, the two continued tirelessly until the dawn of the next day, with a faint light appearing on the distant horizon.

Six o’clock.

Lin Yiwei got dressed, pulled open the heavy curtains, letting the dawn flood into the room.

In the pale blue light, she looked down at the man sleeping below.

His facial contours were indeed beautiful, the superior bone structure giving him such an elegant profile, with dense black eyelashes under the eye sockets, and thin lips pressed together reservedly.

Xie Bo was like a proud beast, unwilling to be watched while sleeping.Lin Yiwei became his exception.

She turned and opened the door, leaving it unlocked from that moment on. He no longer “locked” her in.

Regaining her freedom.

Lin Yiwei gently closed the door behind her and left.

Xie Bo opened his eyes, feeling the endless emptiness in the room.

He was long accustomed to solitude, so being alone was nothing.

But the only thing that made him feel uncomfortable was…

She didn’t kiss him before leaving….