TSDT - 8

After queuing and passing security, Jiang Ying needed to scan a QR code to pass through the turnstile. She couldn’t find her phone in her jacket pocket, thinking she might have misremembered and put it in her bag. She then turned her handbag inside out.

When you’re in a bad mood, things always happen to make you feel worse. Jiang Ying was experiencing this now. She stared at the bottom of her bag for a while before accepting the fact that her phone had been stolen.

How could she be so careless? Her phone was in her pocket, and she walked all the way without paying attention, despite so many people around.

She checked her bag; everything else was there, only the phone in her jacket pocket was gone.

She didn’t have any cash on her. Jiang Ying took out her bank card, preparing to go out and find an ATM to withdraw some cash.

With a wooden expression, she exited the security check and returned the way she came. Just as she was about to get on the escalator, someone firmly grabbed her hand.

Meng Jingshu stared intently at her, his dark eyes filled with undisguised emotion. He was angry and resentful, having prepared many words to argue with her, but seeing her downcast and disheartened, he couldn’t say a word.

His chest heaved. He composed himself for a moment, then simply asked, “Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

Jiang Ying stared at the ground: “My phone’s gone.”

People came and went in the subway station. The two of them stood still in the middle of the path, out of sync with the flow, countless people bypassing them as if avoiding two stubborn roadblocks.

Perhaps it was expected, Meng Jingshu’s tone was no longer as harsh, whether from relief or resignation.

“I’ll give you a ride. Are you coming?”

Jiang Ying quietly hummed an “mm-hm.”

No one spoke throughout the journey.

Jiang Ying didn’t say where she lived, and Meng Jingshu didn’t ask. At a red light, he turned to look at her, but she didn’t react, leaning against the seat back, gazing expressionlessly out the window.

The car drove into Dongming Jiayuan. Meng Jingshu parked and went upstairs. Jiang Ying silently followed him.

After closing the door, Meng Jingshu bent down to get her slippers and couldn’t help but tease her lightly, “I thought you wouldn’t come in, you were so tough just now.”

Jiang Ying’s face was already taut. If he hadn’t said anything, it would have been fine, but his words, even as a joke, sounded like mockery to her, a stinging sarcasm.

Her eyes turned red as she glared at him, and tears simply streamed down her face.

“...” Meng Jingshu offered her a tissue and said softly, “Why are you crying? It’s just a lost phone. I’ll get you a new one tomorrow.”

Jiang Ying didn’t want to appear too weak. She wiped her tears and angrily retorted, “You don’t know anything!”

Meng Jingshu: “...”

Alright, at least she wasn’t completely despondent.

It had to be said, a woman’s tears were indeed a lethal weapon against men. Her crying made Meng Jingshu not even want to argue with her about her attitude.

After a moment, seeing that she wasn’t crying anymore, Meng Jingshu said, “Stay here tonight. Tomorrow I’ll go with you to buy a phone, then take you home, okay?”

Jiang Ying had let out her frustration and calmed down considerably. She said with a nasal voice, “Thank you, I’m troubling you.”

Meng Jingshu chuckled, “That’s a new one. I’m not used to hearing that.”

Jiang Ying came out of the shower, and Meng Jingshu made her a cup of milk.

“Drink some, it’s calming.”

“...Oh.”

Before she even finished her milk, he brought over a tablet and a laptop, like a preschool teacher offering toys to comfort a child. “Play if you’re bored. The password is xrst11.”

Jiang Ying genuinely couldn’t get mad at him anymore. She said sincerely, “Thank you.”

Meng Jingshu gave an indifferent smile and then asked, “They’re asking in the group if you arrived. How should I reply?”

Jiang Ying then remembered that. Huang Yanfei might be worried if she couldn’t reach her.

She said, “Just tell them my phone got lost and you’ve already dropped me off at home.”

Meng Jingshu handed her his phone: “You reply yourself.”

Jiang Ying: “...”

Is he that lazy?

She held the phone and slowly typed: Person delivered. Her phone is lost, probably can’t reply.

He watched from the side and questioned, “Do I sound that stiff when I talk?”

Jiang Ying: “In the group chat, wasn’t it?”

Meng Jingshu made no commitment.

After she finished her milk, he collected the cup and put it in the sink, then went back to his own room.

Jiang Ying watched a boring comedy movie at 1.5x speed. When she saw it was almost midnight, she decided to go to the bathroom and wash her face, then come back to sleep.

Apparently, young people these days don’t like to go to bed early. When she came out, she saw Meng Jingshu smoking in the living room. The lights weren’t on, only a small red glow from his fingertips and a dim silhouette.

Isn’t smoking supposed to refresh you? Smoking this late at night?

However, Jiang Ying had no intention of commenting on others’ habits.

“Hi.” She casually greeted him.

He said, “You’re not sleeping either?”

Jiang Ying: “Going to sleep, just going to the restroom.”

Slowly taking care of her bladder, Jiang Ying splashed water on her face. A few strands of hair on her forehead were wet, and water droplets were sliding down her face. The autumn wind made her skin feel dry and tight.

She looked up into the mirror. She was in an unfamiliar environment, with warm yellow light reflecting on her face. Not yet twenty-five, her skin hadn’t started to age, but her eyes already lacked innocence.

She no longer loved to dream as much.

Late nights were suitable for overthinking. Jiang Ying’s mind wandered, so much so that she was startled by the figure waiting at the door when she opened it.

Jiang Ying: “...What do you want?”

Meng Jingshu: “Talk?”

Jiang Ying: “About what?”

Meng Jingshu said, “Anything.”

The two sat down on the living room sofa, with a floor lamp on.

Jiang Ying wore the oversized T-shirt Meng Jingshu had given her. When she sat down, a section of her fair knees was revealed. She hugged a pillow to her lap.

She said, “Let’s talk.”

Meng Jingshu also seemed unsure of what to say. After a few seconds, he asked her, “Do you want anything to drink?”

Jiang Ying shook her head.

He gazed at her pale, calm face, finally finding an opening.

He asked, “Not angry anymore?”

Jiang Ying was startled, then gently shook her head: “No,” she explained casually, “It’s not really being angry at you.”

Meng Jingshu: “Then tomorrow, after you buy a new phone, unblock me from your Moments.”

“...” Jiang Ying hadn’t expected him to say that and was quite speechless. “There’s nothing good to see anyway.”

Meng Jingshu insisted, “It’s not about whether it’s good to see or not.”

He had added her on WeChat a few days ago, and before he could fully revel in it, he discovered he had been blocked. And to make matters worse, Assistant Liu hadn’t been blocked. This meant she wasn’t selectively blocking groups; she had specifically blocked him. This had been bothering him for days, so much so that he had deliberately not moved for her at the dinner table.

Jiang Ying stopped arguing with him and said, “Fine.”

Meng Jingshu nodded in satisfaction. This matter reminded him of another.

“You and that university boyfriend of yours, did you break up?”

Jiang Ying was utterly confused: “Where did I get a university boyfriend?”

Meng Jingshu was also puzzled: “You didn’t?”

Jiang Ying said, “I only have one ex-boyfriend, the one from the first time we met outside the KTV... We dated for almost a year, probably... cheated on me four months ago. The other woman was that girl with the especially innocent eyes.”

Meng Jingshu twitched his lips: “Coincidentally, my ex-girlfriend also cheated four months ago.”

“...” Jiang Ying was somewhat incredulous, “Then she still bit back at you on Weibo?!”

Meng Jingshu: “You know about that too?”

Jiang Ying lowered her eyelids halfway and glanced at him: “She’s an internet celebrity, our department all knows about it. And you just let her twist the facts?”

They were university classmates, which Meng Jingshu knew.

He chuckled: “It doesn’t matter, anyway, netizens don’t know who I am.”

They had a clear agreement during their relationship not to reveal any of Meng Jingshu’s identity information online or expose his clear photos.

Jiang Ying shrugged: “You’re so magnanimous.”

Meng Jingshu squinted at her: “Did you get revenge on your ex-boyfriend?”

“No need.”

It wasn’t a deep hatred, just a romantic debt, with no substantial loss. Being consumed by thoughts of revenge would only waste her own time and energy.

“Same here.” A few seconds later, Meng Jingshu chuckled again, “It’s really quite a coincidence.”

Two people, coincidentally cheated on around the same time, why did they both look as happy as if they had won the lottery?

Jiang Ying laughed, “Congratulations to us both, want a drink?”

Meng Jingshu raised an eyebrow, his eyes bright: “Drink?”

Jiang Ying had no doubt that if she just nodded, he would immediately go to search the liquor cabinet. She quickly stopped him, “Just kidding, I’m not an alcoholic.”

Jiang Ying reminded Meng Jingshu, and he remembered what he hadn’t had a chance to say before.

He suddenly became serious: “From now on, when you go to a bar, don’t go alone, and especially don’t just drink anything. Last time...”

The element of “alcohol” held ambiguous memories between them. “Last time” was an even more unspoken word. Jiang Ying’s eyes immediately became unsteady when she heard it.

Meng Jingshu naturally thought of it too, and after a pause, he said in a low voice, “Just be careful.”

Jiang Ying’s ear tips flushed slightly: “...I know.”

The balcony door was open, and the cold wind silently seeped in. “Cold dew doesn’t touch the feet,” Jiang Ying’s bare legs shivered slightly and she subtly curled them up, hiding them under the pillow.

Silence amplifies every detail.

Meng Jingshu looked at her feet; the red nail polish made her skin appear exceptionally white.

He asked, “Cold?”

Jiang Ying: “A little.”

He said, “Let’s go back to the room.”

The master bedroom was at the end of the hallway. The two walked together to the guest room door.

Jiang Ying leaned against the door, softly saying to him, “Then... good—”

The word “night” hadn’t left her lips when he suddenly interrupted her.

He asked, “Do you want me to get you a thicker blanket?”

“Huh?” Jiang Ying looked back a little slowly. The one on the bed was indeed a bit thin now. “Okay.”

Meng Jingshu followed her into the room, rummaged through the closet, and pulled out a thick quilt. His bony, strong hands gripped both ends of the quilt, snapping it open. The soft silk quilt shook in the air, then slowly descended, spreading flat on the bed.

Jiang Ying sat on the edge of the bed, pinching a corner in her hand, and said to him with a smile, “It’s very warm.”

Meng Jingshu was looking down at her. His clothes were too loose on her, making her appear small. Her hair cascaded softly over her shoulders, looking very gentle. Her face was clean, her eyes clear, and she loved to talk and laugh, just like before.

Jiang Ying tilted her face slightly to meet his gaze. For a moment, neither of them spoke. His eyes were excessively dark. Jiang Ying saw herself in them, as if submerged in a deep sea.

She was captivated, yet unwilling to succumb.

She asked, “Aren’t you leaving?”

He gazed at her, his eyes warm: “Can I?”

Can he?

Why ask her?

When he agreed to drive her, when he went to the subway station to find her, when he took her home, what was he thinking?

Otherwise, why did she go home with him, chat in the middle of the night, and allow him into her room?

Jiang Ying took off her shoes, burrowed under the covers, and mumbled, “Then you close the door.”

He was truly like a Pandora’s box; once opened, one absurdity followed another.

But who ever stipulated that life must be strictly serious, that absurdity was a sin?

She trusted her feelings.

Zebian entered autumn, and the night temperatures were low. Sometimes, if she didn’t close the balcony door tightly, she would wake up freezing in the middle of the night. Now that she had someone to embrace, why not?

This time, there was no alcohol to enhance the mood, nor the frenzy of drunkenness. They were completely sober and restrained, tentatively probing each other little by little. Meng Jingshu was recalling that night, remembering where her passionate switch was. Ultimately, he instinctively wanted to pursue the combined pleasure of both parties. In a game for two, how could only one be invested?

Jiang Ying’s hands were pinned to her sides, his deep breaths sounded in her ears, and his chest seemed to move closer and further away before her eyes. This suppressed posture easily brought a sense of invasion, especially when the other person was patient enough, even a wall of iron could crumble. She felt herself retreating bit by bit.

But she didn’t want to lose.

Gritting her teeth and suppressing herself, she lifted her face to kiss him, kissing his Adam’s apple as it moved, kissing his sharp jawline, kissing his slightly rough tattoo, sucking and biting as if to release something.

They were using their bodies to please each other, yet neither wanted the other to know they had been pleased.

Meng Jingshu felt his throat extremely dry and parched. He squeezed the lower part of Jiang Ying’s face, pressing his thumb against the corner of her lips, preventing her from causing further mischief. Her eyes seemed to be veiled with water, and her warm breath exhaled onto his hand, carrying a faint milky scent amidst the dampness.

He let out a hoarse groan from his throat.

The next moment, they kissed fiercely. Jiang Ying couldn’t bear it and hugged him tightly.

Meng Jingshu suddenly lifted her off the bed. They sat up. The silk quilt lay discarded to one side, its purpose lost.

Jiang Ying’s entire body tensed and trembled, her forehead pressed tightly against his shoulder.

“Do you like this?” he asked.

Jiang Ying didn’t make a sound, only gripping his fingers harder.

“Don’t hold back,” Meng Jingshu kissed her again, “Make a sound, it sounds good.”