TSDT - 45

The night was deep and quiet.

Too quiet.

Unlike the commercial apartment building Jiang Ying rented, Dongming Jiayuan was relatively secluded. The residential area was far from the bustling streets, and the landscaped gardens filtered out noise. At night, with the doors and windows closed, it was almost silent enough to hear a pin drop, save for the occasional howling north wind.

On the two-meter bed, the two lay stiffly.

Neither could quickly mend the emotional wounds caused by the argument. A temporary estrangement was inevitable. It was just a matter of who would break first; they were both waiting.

Meng Jingshu’s years of nonchalance in relationships put him at a disadvantage now. He was quite unfamiliar with how to handle such problems. It wasn’t that he was too proud to humble himself; he simply didn’t know what the right thing to do was, fearing that any misstep would worsen the situation.

Jiang Ying, however, was different. She could utter hundreds of apologies and explanations, express all sorts of flowery endearments and promises. At worst, she could, like last time, simply and roughly provoke his desires. She had a thousand ways to please him.

But she didn’t want to.

Times had changed, and they had finally come together. If it was more than just living for the moment, if it was more than just desire, if he wanted more, then her expectations of him would be different.

It was fine if she was always happy, but as soon as she encountered even a tiny bit of dissatisfaction, she couldn’t help but become sharp-tongued. To Jiang Ying, Meng Jingshu was not just a “man she liked”; he was a sweet yet melancholic memory, a long stretch of years, and also a part of herself she had once desperately tried to cut off. She couldn’t pretend the past didn’t exist. But ultimately, the past was just her own stubbornness, her own willfulness, a solo performance. Even if she was hurt, she had chosen it herself, so what did it have to do with him?

She shouldn’t be so petty. She hated self-pity.

Jiang Ying sighed sadly, and whispered, “Good night.”

She broke the barrier first, and Meng Jingshu immediately moved closer. The deliberate distance was truly unbearable.

The feeling of being embraced was already imprinted on her body; Jiang Ying found it hard to resist. But a thorn lingered in her heart. She knew she shouldn’t dwell on it, yet she wasn’t willing to let it go easily.

Her contradiction turned into silent resentment, aimed at the person beside her.

“Don’t be angry anymore, okay?”

He only ever said this.

But she was still angry.

She didn’t speak, staying in his embrace but still keeping her back to him. Like a silent accusation.

After a moment of silence, Meng Jingshu directly turned her over and urgently kissed her lips. Jiang Ying quickly turned her face away, her entire body screaming non-cooperation.

But once she was in his arms, where could she hide? His body pressed down on her, making her unable to move. His palm also held her head, and he kissed her again.

Jiang Ying pressed her hands against his chest, wanting to push him away, but he kissed her even harder, seizing her tongue, roaming in her mouth. He mastered the boundary between gentleness and force, and she, lacking backbone, became dazed.

She discovered a helpless truth—this rough provocation worked just as effectively on her.

His body grew hot, and everything became utterly natural.

She panted heavily, pulling at his hair as if to vent. The subtle pain intensified his wantonness.

Jiang Ying bit her lip, tears streaming uncontrollably.

After they had cleaned up, Meng Jingshu held her tightly again.

It seemed that ever since the first time she came to his house, he would hold her afterward, kissing or caressing her, never neglecting her.

Jiang Ying couldn’t suppress the sour, swollen feeling in her heart, and he patiently wiped away her tears.

“Don’t cry anymore...” He kissed her heavy eyelids. “I didn’t mean to treat you badly... I missed you so much, that’s why I came back early. I didn’t intend to argue with you. Don’t be angry anymore, okay?”

Jiang Ying huddled into his embrace: “I didn’t want to argue with you either... I really just forgot to wear the ring; don’t always think I do things on purpose...”

Her voice was so hoarse that Meng Jingshu felt his heart being kneaded into a pulp.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” He stroked her soft hair, constantly kissing her.

Jiang Ying slowly stopped crying, and whispered, “No need to apologize, I was also wrong. My attitude was very bad.”

Meng Jingshu said, “Then I was wrong first.”

Jiang Ying was stunned.

He continued, “From now on, wear the ring properly. If you need to take it off, remember to put it back on afterward, okay?” He paused slightly, then said seriously, “I care about it a lot.”

Jiang Ying hugged him and said, “Okay.”

Her voice was muffled against his chest, soft: “I always feel like, when I’m with you, I become very unlike myself.”

Sometimes infatuated, sometimes sharp-tongued.

Meng Jingshu sighed softly, “Me too.”

Jiang Ying said, “I’ve become bad, you haven’t.”

Meng Jingshu shook his head. “You’re very good.”

He kissed her again.

After all that, Jiang Ying was so sleepy she could barely stay awake. After kissing him for a while, she drifted off to sleep.

Meng Jingshu stroked her back repeatedly, his lips pressed against her forehead. Even holding her, he still missed her; even merging with her body, his heart still fluttered. He didn’t know what to do.

He was tired too. He closed his eyes, his consciousness blurring, still thinking of her. Wanting to hold on to her tightly.

At some point, he whispered her name.

She woke with a start.

The person before her had closed eyes, a tightly furrowed brow, unsure if he was awake or sleep-talking.

“I love you, Jiang Ying.”

Is that so? How much?

“I love you,” he repeated, his voice vibrating from his chest. As if needing no response, this was his own devout vow.

Her eyes welled up.

This sentence... she had waited for it for too long.

So long that now, suddenly receiving it, she could no longer distinguish between joy and sorrow.