Chapter 59: Since Falling in Love with You, a Tangled Curve Has Emerged on My Palm

When someone loves so deeply, they always leave traces within their body. The curve that had just become entangled seemed sealed by moonlight, transforming into the lines of her palm.

As he leapt, he thought to himself—this must be from sleep deprivation; impulsiveness is the devil. But when his lips met Yu Zhi Mei’s, his thoughts cleared. Why pretend? Dou Yu had already disappeared from this house for days. To have maintained such propriety until now was the limit of his gentlemanly behavior. Hadn’t he ridden roller coasters, filmed short videos, pretended to fix cars, and even learned drifting—all to pursue her?

He felt a bit relieved that he’d brushed his teeth. By this hour, hunger from skipping dinner had risen to his throat. Yet the way Yu Zhi Mei clung to him felt more like she was pulling him down with her. Lu Lu, startled by the two of them, hurriedly darted up to the attic, while they chased each other up the stairs, leaving evidence of their tussle in the form of scattered clothes and nightgowns. The last time had been somewhat rushed, with Yu Zhi Mei mostly passive. Jian Zhao Wen thought to himself—he was no novice in romance. He needed to teach Yu Zhi Mei the pleasures of lovemaking. She shut the cat outside, and the attic’s moonlight illuminated her like a silver fish. Jian Zhao Wen’s mind went blank except for one word: “Insane.”

“Why so impatient?”

“Because I want you.”

“Is it because friendships have an expiration date?”

“No. From the moment I first saw you, I never thought of you as just a friend. Yu Zhi Mei, you can’t keep pretending anymore. You confessed to me once, and I’ve waited for you ever since—not to hear ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Don’t treat me like this.”

Yu Zhi Mei suddenly smiled. That smile infuriated him: “What’s so funny?”

“What do you want to say?”

“I love you.”

Yu Zhi Mei froze, staring into Jian Zhao Wen’s eyes, tears suddenly spilling from the corners.

“For real?”

“For real.”

“Not to compete with someone for me?”

“What kind of joke is that? It’s always been just the two of us. Who has the right to compete?”

“Not to deceive me and then leave?”

“If you question me again, I’ll get angry. If I didn’t truly love you, I’d jump off this balcony right now. If you think it’s not high enough, I’ll climb to any nearby tall building and jump, shattering into pieces on the spot.”

Yu Zhi Mei pressed her lips against his: “No need for such oaths. Just now—I saw it.”

“What?”

“When you jumped over the balcony, I saw the trace of my heart racing.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Zhi Mei gazed at Jian Zhao Wen’s lips and gently covered them with hers. She was reverent, as if praying to Cupid, and upon contact, the prayer was answered. Jian Zhao Wen tightened his embrace around her, feeling penitent—for not confessing his feelings sooner.

He couldn’t allow her to escape him for even a second. In that instant of love and madness, everything happened in a single touch.

Yu Zhi Mei had long known Jian Zhao Wen’s appeal, clear from their first naked encounter: men with pronounced curves were shaped by training, while those who were lean but not bony were merely bookish scholars. A well-proportioned frame was the key, but the truly intoxicating man had flesh that grew from his bones. His features were larger than his face structure, and the sensuality revealed by his knuckles, Adam’s apple, and lips was the real allure. Their first encounter lasted only two minutes, during which Yu Zhi Mei laughed and smeared something on his lips before kissing him. When he came to his senses, he was driven mad—so wicked, so sinful. The room filled with the scent of green papaya, and the attic window fogged over. Desire seemed unending, his excitement akin to a roller coaster or free-fall ride, his mind pulled up and down, unable to find the rhythm of his breathing. With a dry mouth, he sought her lips again. Simple stimulation and the sensations felt during lovemaking were entirely different. The gentle yet passionate touch of Yu Zhi Mei’s skin moved him deeply. For the first time, he urgently wanted to confirm if this was because she loved him. And Yu Zhi Mei, seemingly an expert, bent her body like a fan, wrapping herself around him like ivy. Lying on his back and hitting the headboard, Jian Zhao Wen couldn’t help but feel something was off—why was he the one hitting the bed?

He gently lifted Yu Zhi Mei onto the bed and pressed himself on top of her. The blanket twisted around their bodies until it finally fell to the floor, where it lay bathed in moonlight. Her frame was delicate, nothing like a girl born in the far north. Her curves were all soft and rounded. She wasn’t particularly skilled at kissing, often playfully biting his lips, yet she couldn’t stay away, frantically seeking his lips whenever she missed them. Like a roller coaster going round and round, the rapids of passion varied in depth. Amidst the ringing in his ears and weightlessness, his breathing became chaotic until they soared skyward.

Holding her in his arms, he felt nothing but gratitude. Just as he was about to roll over and lie down, Yu Zhi Mei suddenly clung tightly to him: “No, stay here.”

Jian Zhao Wen felt himself melting, drenched in sweat, and when he turned his head, he thought he saw stars in the night sky outside the attic. He heard Yu Zhi Mei say: “I love you. Perhaps I won’t ever love anyone else like this in my life.”

“Because I hurt you?”

“No. What kind of love remains in your heart after being hurt? It’s a betrayal of the sincerity you offered, packaged as lifelong regret—meaningless. I want you, and only you. I don’t want you to become someone who hurts me, nor do I want you to become my hero. I don’t want you to set my heart on fire and then disappear. I just want you—Jian Zhao Wen, undefined by labels, free to become whoever you wish to be over time. I can remain fascinated by you forever. And… even if I’m selfish, cruel to others, and go crazy over your lack of love, I still want you to belong only to me. The person you truly love should leave no regrets in life.”

Jian Zhao Wen was speechless, overwhelmed by the boundless emotion brought on by the starlight. Yu Zhi Mei tightened her embrace around his shoulders and sighed softly: “Perhaps I’m asking for too much.”

Jian Zhao Wen brought her hand to his lips and held it tightly: “Let me ask you something.”

“Do you sometimes feel that because you love me, you’re just a little bit humbler than me?”

“Occasionally—when I can’t see you.”

“I’m also jealous of you.”

“Why?”

“Because you live so much like yourself. Not everyone can live as freely as you do. When I’m not as free, seeing you makes me happy. I want you to stay this way. And to remain eternally free, perhaps your life shouldn’t need… me.” Seeing Yu Zhi Mei smile, Jian Zhao Wen was puzzled: “Why are you smiling?”

“We struggle so much in life, yet we hold back because we see so many idealized things in each other.”

The starlight silently approved as they emptied themselves of their emotions. Yu Zhi Mei lay on Jian Zhao Wen, examining her hand through the faint light. When someone loves so deeply, they always leave traces within their body. The curve that had just become entangled seemed sealed by moonlight, transforming into the lines of her palm. Jian Zhao Wen caught her earlobe with his lips. The cat finally nudged open the bedroom door and leapt beside them, as if it sensed the change in the room’s atmosphere. She whispered: “Are we falling?”

“No. We’re indulging.”

“I once thought that once a man and woman reached this point, what followed would be especially terrible.”

“In such a romantic city, what counts as falling?” Jian Zhao Wen gripped Yu Zhi Mei’s fingers: “Everywhere is full of charm. To do nothing would be a waste of life. Every time I pass by the Bund and see the golden buildings, I feel as if Shanghai is holding a luminous wine glass. Tell me—toss aside those troublesome chores and to-dos. Compared to this seductive night, they’re unworthy. Don’t let suffering and pressure sentence you to death. Life is meant to be filled with song and dance.”

Early in the morning, Jian Zhao Wen’s hair stood on end like a sea urchin. Hearing someone pounding on the door downstairs, he opened it to find Brother Ma complaining: “Should we hire a cleaning service together? I can negotiate a discount and get everything done at once. What do you say?”

The doors of apartments 301 and 302 opened simultaneously. Brother Ma saw Jian Zhao Wen emerge from 302 and a stranger from 301, momentarily confused. Jian Zhao Wen, still half-asleep, was bombarded by Xu Heng and Brother Ma: “Why are you coming out of here?”

Yu Zhi Mei slowly poked her head out: “I have a cat at home. I don’t accept housecleaning.”

Jian Zhao Wen ignored Brother Ma’s shock: “Xu Heng, clean up and go home. When I return, I don’t want to see you.” After saying this, Jian Zhao Wen closed the door. Yu Zhi Mei poked his spine and teased: “Jian Zhao Wen, are you filming an American drama?”

Jian Zhao Wen’s eyes remained fixed on Yu Zhi Mei, flames flickering within. Yu Zhi Mei, of course, hadn’t forgotten what she was wearing. She waited for him to speak. Jian Zhao Wen seemed to have lost his ability to talk: “Do you want to clean? I’ll pay for the hourly fee.”

“Are you buying sex?”

“Of course not. Do… do you want to come again?”

In the minds of ordinary people, coders were extremely shy. But coding was only a small part of his skillset. Behind closed doors, this man was far beyond what outsiders could imagine. Yu Zhi Mei teased him, saying his skills in bed could fool girls only because of his looks. Refusing to admit defeat, he undid her bra clasp with one hand, his tricks of biting lips and blowing into ears practiced to perfection. His speed in finding sensitive spots on others was worthy of an algorithm genius. But what algorithms couldn’t predict was pure chance. No matter how skilled Jian Zhao Wen was, he was always terrified when Yu Zhi Mei rode her motorcycle—and she didn’t just ride motorcycles. As she pinned him down, Jian Zhao Wen clearly saw her triumphant gaze, followed by her nostrils flaring, and then he was enveloped in warmth—she had flipped him over. So fast to mount the ride? According to Jian Zhao Wen’s calculations, girls who didn’t drive and preferred missionary positions could only give him the joy of a little bird clinging to him. Panicked, he didn’t dare say he wanted to surrender. The curtains half-covered the window, and the draft blew from south to north. Yu Zhi Mei covered his eyes and pushed him toward the window. Before he could react, Jian Zhao Wen, disoriented in broad daylight and only a step away from the dazzling world, swallowed all his words deep in his throat.

“Master Jian, what are you doing? The cleaning is done. Should I help clean 301?”

Her fingers loosened, and the voice came from the window. Jian Zhao Wen’s door was wide open. If he called out now, his actions would be fully exposed. Yu Zhi Mei mischievously laughed: “Go ahead, tell him you’re here with me.”

Jian Zhao Wen could only clear his throat softly and shout loudly toward the window: “Give me five minutes!”

Embarrassing, utterly embarrassing. Despite the thrilling morning, Jian Zhao Wen showered, opened the door to 301, and sat on the terrace to cool off, feeling as if he’d been violated. Yu Zhi Mei emerged in a knee-length T-shirt, and Lu Lu peeked out from behind the iron railing, as if watching a show. The sound of the cleaning lady’s work was loud, and Jian Zhao Wen’s smile betrayed his guilt: “I didn’t expect you to be so good…”

“A lesson for the young.”

“Come on, I’m actually a year older than you.” Jian Zhao Wen, sitting cross-legged in canvas shoes, excitedly raised his head, almost cheering.

“Is that so, little student?”

“Too impressive. Even the services in Dongguan aren’t this good.”

“Well, not quite. Those professionals really have expertise.”

“In my lifetime, I’ve truly experienced the collapse of faith for the first time. How did you learn all this?”

“Talent, I guess.”

“I don’t believe it.”

Yu Zhi Mei was surprisingly candid: “Girls aren’t as dirty-minded as you think. But there are some toys.” She stuck out her tongue: “I’ve never thought this was something we couldn’t talk about.” Turning to leave, she said: “I still have to work overtime. See you.”

Suddenly, Jian Zhao Wen pulled Yu Zhi Mei tightly into his arms: “Wait. After all this, are we officially boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“Huh?”

“We’ve gotten so close, practically negative distance. Shouldn’t we count as a couple?”

“Mm.”

“Why are you shy now? You pushed me so hard just now, and now you’re shy?”

“Jian Zhao Wen, do you even know how to talk?”

“No. From this moment on, I’m your boyfriend. After sleeping with me, I’m sticking to you.”

Yu Zhi Mei, unable to escape his grasp, sighed: “Fine, I agree. Let me go. Everyone’s waiting for me to leave, and I’m running late.”

PS: Long wait! Though it’s past midnight, please consider this as published on the 16th… If you like my story, welcome to add it to your favorites and vote for recommendations. It’s late, but I’m still waiting for everyone to chat!