Chapter 71: It’s Truly a Lewd Thing to Have You on My Mind

It was as if a faint melody drifted into her ears—unstructured, offbeat. The sheet music that was Jian Zhaowen played nothing but sensual notes—having him constantly in her mind was truly a lewd thing.

Qiu Nuo was stunned for a second, unable to save face. Her first reaction was to scold Jian Zhaowen: “Did you find yourself a tigress? She said I could fight her one-on-one. Fine, who’s afraid of whom...”

One person after another spiraled out of control. Qiu Nuo swung her arm and slapped Yu Zhi Mei, missing slightly and only hitting her chin, only to be kicked in the chest by Yu Zhi Mei. The two women fought outside the dessert shop, forcing passersby to walk around them on the narrow road. Jian Zhaowen stood between them, accidentally getting poked in the eye, feeling like he was going blind. Amid the chaos, he pulled Yu Zhi Mei close and shouted toward Ma Minmin, who was far away: “Ma Minmin, help me pull them apart!”

Yu Zhi Mei still had control over her legs despite her hands being restrained. Qiu Nuo refused to back down, tears streaming down her face as she swung her bag at her opponent: “Who do you think you are? This house is rented by me—I dated him longer than you did. Are you seriously dating him just because you’re his neighbor?”

“Do I need to repeat myself? People who break up and still insist on reconciliation deserve a beating. If Jian Zhaowen can’t do it, I’ll do it for him.”

Finally, Ma Minmin got hit in the nose by Qiu Nuo’s swinging bag, blood flowing into his mouth: “Damn it, my nose! I’m dying! Someone call an ambulance!”

Yu Zhi Mei held Ma Minmin’s bleeding nose and walked into the dessert shop: “Jian Zhaowen, this is the last time I’m intervening on your behalf. I’ve already told you everything that needed to be said. Hitting a girl isn’t right, but this slap—you can consider it revenge on your behalf. She needs to grow up, and so do you. Stop playing these juvenile games of lingering affection, alright?”

Left alone, Qiu Nuo stood by the roadside with tears in her eyes, trying to hail a taxi. At twenty-six, her spoiled demeanor still made her look like a girl in her early twenties—the kind of youthful immaturity that Shi Rui couldn’t pull off. Jian Zhaowen helped her flag down a cab and opened the door for her: “Go home early. There’s no one here who’s your friend.”

With tears in her eyes, Qiu Nuo climbed into the car and screamed: “Jian Zhaowen, my youth wasted on you is like feeding a dog!”

He Jie burst into uncontrollable laughter as several people stumbled into the shop. Ma Minmin wailed inside Miaolin Dessert Shop, convinced he had a concussion and needed to go to the hospital. Jian Zhaowen soon entered too. He Jie slammed a first aid kit onto the table, pulling out iodine and gauze. Ma Minmin yelled for Jian Zhaowen to call an ambulance and reimburse him for it, though the nosebleed had already stopped. He Jie laughed uproariously: “Ma Minmin, stop being so dramatic. It’s been a while since anyone fought in my shop. Finally, I feel like my bar has some of that old-school Paramount vibe—refreshing!”

Yu Zhi Mei pinched Ma Minmin’s chin, tilting his head upward, and stuffed cotton swabs into his nostrils: “Sorry about the accidental injury. I just can’t stand such vulgar behavior. A good fight will teach her what she can and cannot touch.”

With his nose plugged, Ma Minmin spoke in a muffled voice: “You’re a violent gang leader.”

“Not bad. Back in middle school, fighting over boys and organizing group fights among girls was pretty normal.”

Ma Minmin gave her a thumbs-up: “Impressive. Is Jian Zhaowen too scared to offend her at the company level? Aren’t you worried this fight might ruin Jian Zhaowen’s business?”

“What? Is the world really so childish that everything revolves around relationships?”

Ma Minmin shrank back, knowing she was still angry: “There are plenty of men in the world. I’m single too! Why does it have to be Jian Zhaowen? What’s so great about him? Yu Zhi Mei, are you jealous?”

“Of course I’m jealous. I’m stingy with my feelings. Jian Zhaowen, if you keep indulging in these ordinary love dramas, we’ll break up.”

“Who’s indulging in anything?”

“Then handle it yourself. Did I say I wanted to fight her?” Yu Zhi Mei threw the bloody tissue into the trash: “Everyone talks about protecting girls, but when too many people protect her, she loses sight of boundaries.”

“Yu Zhi Mei, understand this clearly—I showed her basic respect. It wasn’t me indulging her. Even if you and I broke up, I’d still treat you politely—it’s just courtesy and unfinished feelings. Don’t misunderstand. Am I supposed to grovel here while my funding prospects are still uncertain? Do I have a problem... Hey, don’t leave!”

Jian Zhaowen chased Yu Zhi Mei back home. They went upstairs one after the other. Yu Zhi Mei still wore those leather pants, their lines teasing his imagination, but he had to suppress himself from looking because of his anger. When he dated Qiu Nuo, her fiery temper could last for days, giving him headaches every day. But today’s issue had to be resolved immediately. He followed her into Room 302, closing the door behind him. As usual, Yu Zhi Mei drew the curtains, took off her coat, and tidied up the room, completely ignoring Jian Zhaowen. He trailed behind her: “Don’t be mad anymore. I’m not good at comforting people, but I don’t want this to bother us.”

“I didn’t realize you were such a ‘scumbag.’”

“Anyone can say that—except you.”

Who would have thought Yu Zhi Mei would slam him against the wall, causing an instant lump on the back of his head—did she even consider his history of otolithiasis? Irritated, Jian Zhaowen spoke: “If you encounter someone who insists on clinging to you, someone you can’t shake off but also don’t hate entirely, shouldn’t you at least show them basic respect?”

“So I disciplined her.” Yu Zhi Mei stared into his eyes: “What else could I say? Should I tell you to send her back to Beijing? To stay away from her? To insult her until she dares not approach you? I didn’t say a word. But no one dates without caring about their partner’s exes, especially when that ex still loves you. Do you think I’m not afraid?”

“I only love you now—I promise.”

Yu Zhi Mei released him: “Don’t force it. Her coming here isn’t your fault, and I haven’t taken it to heart. If you really like Qiu Nuo, we can remain friends, neighbors, or soulmates. Only ‘that’ relationship—I can let go of it too.”

“I’m not that kind of person. Stop saying such things—it’s excessive.”

“It’s precisely because of this that I can’t put you first in my heart. There will probably be others who come between us in the future. After all, once you succeed in your business, you won’t stay in this old house forever. Maybe there will be other lives... If I truly placed you first, I’d probably go insane. I can’t keep wielding an axe to discipline everyone around you—I have my own life.”

“Shut up.”

“I’m not insecure; I just don’t think it’s worth it. Jian Zhaowen, you can be everyone’s crush, or someone else’s ideal lover. I don’t want to be your puppet. If loving you keeps hurting me, I’ll leave you.”

The words stuck in his throat. Jian Zhaowen pinned her against the wall, raising her arms above her head, his gaze piercing into hers, refusing to close his eyes even as he kissed her. Yu Zhi Mei avoided his burdened gaze, closing her eyes and turning her head to bite his earlobe. She bit down hard, then slid her lips across it, successfully provoking him—how glad she was for Jian Zhaowen’s sensitivity, something he didn’t fully grasp himself. And how glad she was for the tiny bit of confidence she retained, enough to make him surrender. Desire was so insidious, its warmth weak and fleeting, but anger made blood boil. Neither would admit defeat in the room, but one would inevitably collapse first from exhaustion. Sharp tongues entwined in seductive postures, a little effort igniting fires that spread until their entire bodies burned, sweat making them slip against each other. Dirtier, nastier, fiercer—it was the degradation that excited, the recklessness that intoxicated. Fierce beasts crammed into hidden caves, and faint, tuneless melodies seemed to drift into her ears again. The sheet music called Jian Zhaowen played nothing but sensual notes—having him on her mind was truly a lewd thing.

How could Yu Zhi Mei not be afraid? Living next door to Jian Zhaowen felt like a fairy tale romance. But Qiu Nuo’s sudden appearance reminded her that Jian Zhaowen and she weren’t just living quietly in a corner of the city—they were sailing away from the dock. They were evenly matched and boarded the ship together, the graceful dance music began, crowned nobles came to greet them, flirtatious socialites drew closer, and unseen dangers in the deep sea surfaced. The familiar billboard reflected in the water shattered, waves crashing against the shore. A fall wouldn’t hurt much, and love could heal itself. But the days ahead would inevitably bring more stumbles, and as they sailed deeper into the sea, could she ever return to shore? The window framed by the curtains looked small like a sailboat, and thick fog enveloped the night outside. Yu Zhi Mei felt like she was staring at the night sky and the sea through the window.

“Having tried me, can you still be with someone else?”

Yu Zhi Mei sighed: “Why do you sound like Zheng Zeyan?”

“What do you mean? Did you sleep with him?”

“How dare you say that.” Yu Zhi Mei pinched Jian Zhaowen’s chin: “Say another dirty word, and I’ll throw you out the window.”

Jian Zhaowen tightened his grip on Yu Zhi Mei’s face: “From now on, if you’re jealous, you can tell me. If you’re unhappy or uneasy, you can say it too. Don’t bottle everything up and resort to violence or talk of breaking up, understood?” Jian Zhaowen pulled her into his arms, his arm pressing tightly around her, making it hard for her to breathe: “If you act tough again, I’ll deal with you like this next time.”

Naked declarations of love. Yu Zhi Mei, slightly reassured, looked at the window and thought, fine: at least it was better than empty theories. Men who talked too much were often difficult to understand.

Still, she felt the root of the problem hadn’t been resolved.

At noon, Jian Zhaowen sat in a café reviewing documents in front of him, waiting for Zheng Zeyan to appear. Qiu Nuo’s brief disappearance brought peace to his life, allowing him to focus on investment matters. Lei Zheng didn’t have high expectations for Zheng Zeyan but agreed to discuss investments with him. Just before leaving, Lei Zheng received a call and rushed to the hospital—Xiao Xi had thrown a teacup at him, cutting his arm. If this teacup incident stemmed from Lei Zheng inviting Qiu Nuo to Shanghai... Jian Zhaowen felt a chill run down his spine, sensing the fear of being dominated by Yu Zhi Mei.

Today, Jian Zhaowen wore a nude shirt paired with a snakeskin handbag, a limited-edition fisherman’s hat on his head, and carefully accessorized with rings. Since starting the company with Lei Zheng, his style had increasingly caught the attention of other men. Sitting in the café day and night, he received greetings from nearby people, including one man sitting diagonally across from him. On the phone, Zheng Zeyan mentioned user numbers and daily active users, while Jian Zhaowen smiled at strangers in the distance, secretly pleased—all the strangers around him were using the app. Why worry about user numbers? When Zheng Zeyan finally plopped down in front of him, the distant man’s gaze grew more complex.

“Long wait?”

“No, I was just drinking coffee.”

“Let’s get straight to the point. Based on my preliminary calculations, DayNight should raise around 5 to 10 million yuan.”

“That little? Lei Zheng has grand plans—he wants to hire a review team. This budget is barely enough to cover employees for a year.”

“That’s the reality right now. Although your user numbers are decent and UGC content is abundant, with a good upward trend, there’s no clear path to monetization. Without visible profitability, how can investors justify putting in money?”

“Wait for Lei Zheng to arrive. He has a new product system and VIP payment plan. Let him explain the product side.”

“How long until he gets here?”

“You’ll have to wait quite a while. He’s at the hospital—it’s complicated.” Jian Zhaowen twirled his ring: “Why the sudden interest in helping DayNight raise funds?”

“Don’t overthink it. I just want to earn my share.” Zheng Zeyan smiled: “And I’m friends with Yu Zhi Mei.”

“Huh?” So something did happen between these two. Jian Zhaowen felt a pang of unease: “What’s going on between you two?”

“Nothing. Just casual conversation between friends. Don’t take it to heart—some topics are only discussed between friends. But I know she’s been jealous of you lately.”

“People who aren’t jealous must be abnormal.” Jian Zhaowen sniffed: “I only know she cares about me when she’s jealous. Often, she doesn’t confide in me, and I don’t even know how she feels about me—sometimes it takes a ‘fight’ to figure it out.”

Seeing Jian Zhaowen’s expression, Zheng Zeyan remained silent. He never imagined he’d become Jian Zhaowen’s “friend.” Reaching for a wet wipe from the empty table beside him, he noticed a woman chatting with her back to him not far away—it was Ou Jinghe. He stared at her silhouette for a long time. Her brown hair was tied up, revealing her neck and shoulders, adorned with strands of loose hair. Her wide-necked dress, covered in logos, clashed with her hair color, exaggerated like Qing dynasty embroidery—every inch of her signaled that she was doing well. Across from her sat a jovial man, laughing as he stuffed documents back into his bag. If someone truly harbored deep hatred and wanted to escape, there were paths in the world. She always claimed she had nowhere to retreat but never acted on it—it was pure greed. He knew she couldn’t bear to lose, which only made him crave her sincerity even more.