My apologies for the delayed update. I was unwell, but I am now slowly recovering.

A big many thanks to Ashley and Olena for your support! ? Lots of love to my readers. ? Happy reading! ?

Chapter 41: Pleasure Of An Affair

She didn’t know what Zhong Yu Bai was thinking at the moment, perhaps regretting hastily giving himself to her, causing a situation that was beyond control, disrupting the elegant state he had been handling with ease, ruining his graceful strategies.

In any case, with his eyes obscured, at the moment when she tilted her head up and their gazes met, Ji Zhen Tang saw in his eyes a deep abyss deeper than usual, so deep that it was impossible to fathom.

However, all her guesses about him were just guesses.

In Ji Zhen Tang’s mind, what came to her was an inappropriate sentence, enough to instantly kill the ambiguity: “Those who play with fire will eventually be burned.”

This was something Zhong Heng had said to her a long time ago, a heavy warning.

Though the warning still echoed in her ears, even so, thinking about it was still quite thrilling.

She smiled satisfactorily, revealing a few teeth.

A few raindrops fell diagonally onto his shoulder, adding color to the hidden sensuality.

Zhong Yu Bai’s body reddened, leaving a vivid lipstick mark where she had kissed him.

It was deliberately left by her.

He wiped away a few drops of rain that had intruded beyond boundaries on his shoulder, then adjusted his waistband, put on his shirt, all in one fluid motion.

But he didn’t wipe away that lipstick mark.

It wasn’t forgotten; he clearly chose not to.

“Why are you smiling?” He looked at her, his low magnetic voice regaining some rationality.

Naturally, she was laughing at him willingly playing the role of a defeated general in a game where he was not willing to admit defeat.

Ji Zhen Tang couldn’t stop laughing, didn’t respond, then saw him lift a corner of his belt with his finger, looking at her with deep meaning in his eyes.

A tooth mark, showing traces of stubbornness and unwillingness to yield, clearly imprinted on his expensive leather.

Revealing the greed and dissatisfaction in her mind just now.

“Ah, how did this happen?” She panicked, holding her face in her hands, then looked at him pitifully, “Your belt must be very expensive, I can’t afford to compensate for it.”

Zhong Yu Bai chuckled.

Unexpectedly, her first thought was this.

“Then compensate with something else,” he said lightly, fastening his buttons, his tone casual, and he didn’t really mean for her to compensate for anything.

But Ji Zhen Tang insisted on emphasizing, “Selling art, not selling oneself.”

Zhong Yu Bai, seemingly oblivious, when he rose, his actions revealed a momentary confusion in his thoughts. This was evident in the fact that although he took out the cigarette case, he toyed with it for a moment before setting it aside. For the next two seconds, he pondered what to do to appear more composed, then proceeded to retrieve her masterpiece from the bedside table.

Holding a corner of the drawing paper, Zhong Yu Bai pretended to appreciate the few lines on it. He didn’t understand art, but for a second or two, as he stared at the paper, he tried to calm his mind.

“How is the drawing?” Despite the crudeness of the artwork, she asked nonchalantly, her face showing no hint of embarrassment or anxiety.

“Just classify it as abstract,” Zhong Yu Bai replied with a laugh.

She lunged forward, grabbing the last button he was about to fasten. “Why button them all up?”

Zhong Yu Bai glanced at her. “If you don’t draw properly, what else can you expect?”

He pointed and tapped her forehead. “Troublemaker.”

She smiled, her eyes twinkling as she looked up at him. “I wasn’t born like this, who spoiled me?”

Zhong Yu Bai showed a hint of resignation, saying, “I spoiled you, so I’ll bear it.”

He gestured towards the bathroom. “That’s it for today. Go take a bath, don’t catch a cold.”

His finger lightly touched her bare shoulder, his fingertip gently caressing her soft skin, checking her temperature.

Ji Zhen Tang said, “I didn’t bring clothes, give me yours.”

When she emerged, she was wearing his blue silk pajamas and pants, and she collapsed onto the bed. Zhong Yu Bai followed suit, coming out wearing a bathrobe with moisture still lingering on his body. He glanced at her securely dressed figure and asked, “Is there any gossip at school?”

Ji Zhen Tang closed her eyes for a moment, her mind still blank. She blurted out without thinking, then realized a few seconds later that she had lied to him in the car earlier. She suddenly opened her eyes, her freshly washed wet eyes staring at him, “No, I lied to you.”

Zhong Yu Bai looked at her puzzled.

She said, “I have a lot of bad thoughts and paranoid delusions. One comment from others can spiral into a hundred negative possibilities.”

He lay down beside her, gently stroking her cheek, and said softly, “Other people can go to hell.”

Ji Zhen Tang asked, “What would you do if you were in my shoes?”

Zhong Yu Bai remained calm, “I’ve long been portrayed in rumors as a hundred different bad characters.”

…Almost forgot, it’s true.

He was a member of the mafia!

She laughed, “I thought people who talk too much would be ordered to be executed by you, and those who remain are tight-lipped, daring not to speak.”

He didn’t laugh, his expression serious as if discussing business, “If something troubles you, I’ll handle it.”

Just like dealing with that Zhao guy.

He was always a person caught up in turmoil, but he didn’t mind. But he had promised to protect her fragile heart, so Zhong Yu Bai said so.

Suddenly she worried, “Speaking of which, I’m quite worried. Will Zhao Siqi’s father retaliate against you?”

Zhong Yu Bai lightly traced her lip line with his fingertip, enjoying this moment of tranquil affection. He casually explained the bleak ending of this story, “He’s left the country, won’t come back.”

He was concise, not elaborating on the details, few words to give her a peace of mind.

But Ji Zhen Tang’s eyes froze, speechless for a while.

Zhong Yu Bai’s honesty towards her was also evident in the fact that he never denied being a bad person.

She mysteriously opened her mouth, and at the same time, suddenly lifted the blanket, causing a surge of cold waves that engulfed them both in darkness.

She chuckled mischievously, “Do you want to see my luminous watch?”

Zhong Yu Bai was suddenly covered by the cotton quilt, but he remained calm, still supporting his chin with his hand, maintaining this calm posture, and gently, without a word, smirked.

Then, her shoulder pressed heavily against him.

Seeing him remain silent, Ji Zhen Tang seemed anxious and asked, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Guess what it means?”

Zhong Yu Bai lay beneath her.

Ji Zhen Tang straddled him, her palms resting on his chest.

Hearing him ask one question after another, “What does it mean?”

Ji Zhen Tang knelt at his waist, crawling forward, not quite lying down, still supporting herself with her palms, measuring the distance.

It was too dark under the covers, she couldn’t see anything, but when she lowered her head, she kissed his stubbled jawline. She then slightly lifted her chin and lowered her voice, “What I mean is, do you want to sleep with me?”

“…”

“…”

Zhong Yu Bai fell silent.

Five or six seconds later, she started to feel a bit panicked.

It was when he didn’t speak that she felt the most anxious, as if she had fallen into his palm, feeling like a pawn being toyed with, not knowing how the next move would unfold. Ji Zhen Tang quickly swallowed and tried to defuse the situation herself, “Just kidding, it’s just a joke.”

Shortly after, Zhong Yu Bai chuckled.

His finally speaking made her feel a bit better.

So she leaned down again, relieved, and kissed the corner of his mouth, telling him a small happy thing, “But I really do have a watch today, do you want to see?”

Ji Zhen Tang lifted her left hand, wanting to place her watch in Zhong Yu Bai’s palm for him to feel.

But he suddenly grasped her hand, and with a slight force, even though she was on top, she was firmly held in place.

“…” She suddenly became short of breath.

It seemed like he had strong night vision; he didn’t need her to lead the way. In the confined, lightless space, he held her wrist, precisely pressing her watch dial with his slender fingers, gently rubbing it now and then.

Zhong Yu Bai said, “Watches need to be looked at, and people need to sleep.”

In that instant, Ji Zhen Tang felt as if she had been scalded, every nerve in her body, sensitive and sharp, was triggered, putting her on high alert.

The man, however, appeared calm and unruffled.

Because her hand was pressed against his chest, maintaining the posture of constantly detecting his heartbeat, but his composure made all her observations seem unnecessary.

The blanket was lifted off once again by her.

“Phew—” Ji Zhen Tang changed the subject, pretending not to hear, using her fingers to fan her hot face, “It’s so stuffy.”

She glanced at the man beside her, who was calm and composed, his bathrobe collar slanting down due to her recent prank.

Zhong Yu Bai smiled and then what he did was straighten his clothes, unhurriedly.

“What about the watch?” he asked.

“Oh!” prompted by him, Ji Zhen Tang remembered what she was talking about just now. She lifted the long sleeve covering her wrist to show him the birthday gift Ji Huan had sent over.

A 33mm Cartier blue balloon watch with a white strap and a rose gold dial.

Very suitable for a young girl in her twenties.

And quite valuable.

Zhong Yu Bai knew his stuff; with just one look and touch, he estimated its worth.

He said, “From your dad?”

She smiled, nodding happily a few times.

Zhong Yu Bai looked at the smile in her eyes and smiled faintly himself.

Ji Zhen Tang said, “My birthday is coming up soon, and he sent it to me at my school. I’ve grown up all this time, and this is the first time my dad has given me such an expensive gift. It’s quite strange, he has never given me nice things before, nor has he given my mom anything nice, this is the first time.”

Emphasizing twice, it was evident how precious it was.

Zhong Yu Bai thought about it; this matter had nothing to do with him.

He had only met Ji Huan once, so he couldn’t claim to know much about him. But he could tell that this man wore quite a thick mask.

Not the kind of deep scheming to compete with others in wits and courage, but he had his cunning. Like hiding his assets, like his sporadic care for his daughter.

His cunning was not for the purpose of scheming against people; it just subtly revealed a businessman’s selfishness, valuing profit over separation.

“I used to think I was born poorly, but my mom would tell me that I was the product of love.” Ji Zhen Tang played with her new watch affectionately, while saying somewhat sadly, “But besides my mom, no one would tell me that being born is a good thing. I’ve always felt like I’ve never been loved, just drifting through life aimlessly, seldom getting what I want. But now I realize that once you don’t set too long-lasting expectations, you might actually encounter a bit of luck and gain.”

—Not demanding love, sometimes love unexpectedly emerges.

“Perhaps it can’t even be called love,” she smiled bitterly again, “but he indeed used to not care about me. It seems, to have what you want, you shouldn’t care too much.”

After finishing, Ji Zhen Tang looked at her emotional mentor, “Right? It’s like your ‘After a Storm Comes a Calm,’ sharing a similar sentiment.”

Zhong Yu Bai smiled gently, his palm lightly stroking her waist.

There was indulgence in his eyes, and also a relieved comfort for her relief.

He said, “Love isn’t something you seek out.”

Ji Zhen Tang nodded vigorously, applauding his insight.

“My mom understands love, but my dad doesn’t. My dad is too bad. Some of their entanglements make me often think about love, marriage, and even sex. How to rationally prioritize and plan these three things to be less like them, surviving in this world.”

She said earnestly, asking him, “Do you think people can avoid all the risks they bring?”

Zhong Yu Bai pondered over the three words she had spoken: love, marriage, and sex.

Ashamed, he realized he hadn’t really thought deeply about them before.

There was a kind of concern in her eyes, faint and weak, but he saw through it at a glance, the hidden meaning behind the words: to repeat the same mistakes.

The more she thought, the more concerned she became, because she was the number one victim.

Not many people could empathize with her worries.

Looking into her clear eyes, Zhong Yu Bai said, “We definitely can.”

He tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her close, her somewhat stubborn body nestled in his embrace, his palm comforting her until her bones and muscles softened.

Outside, the fine rain misted, the French doors of the balcony not tightly closed. In these quiet minutes of embrace, the faint sound of rain and wind outside fell lightly on their eardrums, accompanied by Zhong Heng’s voice coming from downstairs, “Is he back?”

As soon as Ji Zhen Tang heard his voice, her bones stiffened again, angered. She almost sat up, but Zhong Yu Bai rubbed her shoulders, and she slowly lay back down.

Zhong Yu Bai remained silent, waiting for him to speak.

The response came from Xiao Tao, stuttering, “Um, yes.”

“He brought a woman?” Zhong Heng couldn’t believe it.

“Um, he brought one.” Xiao Tao’s tone was very awkward, as if she wanted to say but dared not.

“What does she look like?”

“Um, she’s… not bad.”

Zhong Heng was a bit speechless, “Ugly is ugly, beautiful is beautiful, what does ‘not bad’ mean? It’s like saying nothing.”

“…” Xiao Tao dared not speak anymore.

Zhong Heng’s temper was not very good, and his questions were quite unreasonable. How could one accurately describe a person’s appearance with words? Zhong Heng wasn’t deliberately venting his anger on Xiao Tao; he was just frustrated.

The following irrelevant dialogue need not be listened to carefully.

Zhong Yu Bai lowered his head and gave her a deep kiss.

Ji Zhen Tang was capturing Zhong Heng’s voice while responding to the passionate kiss.

Her heart thumped, and there was a vague sense of adulterous pleasure.

“I don’t want to meet him,” she said finally.

Zhong Yu Bai lightly brushed the water stains at the corner of her lips with his fingertips. “Today was an accident. We’ll handle it better next time.”

What he meant was, if he had known Zhong Heng would suddenly come back today, he would have made sure to send him away in advance.

“Isn’t his father also not here today?”

Zhong Yu Bai said, “Managing countless affairs daily and traveling frequently throughout the year.”

“Let me help you with some work if you need and you pay for it.”

He smiled faintly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Ji Zhen Tang also smiled as she glanced at him, suddenly turning into a dominant figure, “Are we sharing a bed tonight? Sleeping next to each other would be so thrilling.”

She mentioned sharing a bed casually yet ambiguously. Every time she displayed confidence, it seemed like she was saying: “Who says I can’t flirt?”

If Zhong Yu Bai wanted to make a move, a gentle touch would be enough to knock her down.

She was wearing his pants; how easily the belt could be undone, he knew best.

But his state of mind had to be clear. At this moment, even lying on the same bed, he had to understand her fear of repeating past mistakes.

It was like raising a child; it couldn’t be rushed. The child’s trust had to be nurtured with love.

If he really wanted something, he could resort to coaxing, deceiving, and even dirty tricks, and he didn’t doubt he could get it. But Zhong Yu Bai couldn’t just freely assert dominance in this matter.

Perhaps feeling impatient was a form of defeat.

He said, “There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Let him listen; it’ll be even more exciting.”

Ji Zhen Tang: “…” Two seconds later, she realized his meaning and abruptly turned her face to the other side of the pillow, shouting, “You old pervert.”

Zhong Yu Bai just smiled without saying a word.

Slowly, he tucked her in. “You can sleep, but don’t move around.”

“But I want to move,” she teased, kicking the blanket.

“It’ll cause trouble.”

Zhong Yu Bai turned her face towards him, looking at her with a stern yet warning gaze, conveying the message seriously—it would indeed cause trouble.

Then she settled down, and he pinned her beneath him, preparing to kiss her.

But Ji Zhen Tang took the initiative, straddling his waist. “Today, you’ll be my captive, only to be kissed by me.”

She held his fingers, and her random kisses made him feel ticklish and unable to express his bitterness, like a diligent lover who had to accept it.

The next morning, when Ji Zhen Tang woke up, she found herself sprawled all over the bed. She looked up at the ceiling lamp, feeling disoriented in this unfamiliar environment. Glancing beside her, she found that she was alone on the bed.

“… How did he sleep?”

Feeling guilty, Ji Zhen Tang sat up. She wanted to leave but hesitated, unsure if Zhong Heng was around. After a moment, she pushed aside the curtains of the louvered door and heard the tinkling of musical instruments. It was crisp and clear, flowing from the terrace downstairs. Along with Zhong Yu Bai’s deep, slow voice, the music paused.

“Where’s Brother?” he asked.

“Brother has gone to school,” Zhong Danting’s voice sounded, sounding somewhat aggrieved, “He said my playing is terrible.”

“It sounds good,” Zhong Yu Bai said, “He’s the one with the ear problem.”

The child’s mood improved slightly. “Oh, he’s so mean. I’m really unlucky, always being criticized by him.”

Confirming that Zhong Heng was not around, Ji Zhen Tang peeked out and saw what instrument Zhong Danting was playing.

A harp, that’s what it’s called.

It was the first time she had seen someone learning such an elegant and extraordinary Western instrument, marveling at the children raised by the Zhong family.

As Ji Zhen Tang descended the stairs, Zhong Danting had also been sent to school. She saw Zhong Yu Bai sitting alone there, flipping through a magazine, the verdant banana leaves covering half of his body, a delicate coffee with latte art on the table.

She was reminded of their first meeting; he was standing in the same position, politely responding when she asked about the dining hall.

She also remembered a bit of unpleasantness at the Zhong family’s dining table that day, when she had sworn not to come back while arguing with her aunt.

Unexpectedly, not long after, she could come and go freely in this place, having found refuge and no longer needing to worry about others’ opinions.

With a slight movement in her heart, Ji Zhen Tang hurried over, wanting to hug him and give him a kiss. However, as she hastened her steps, her attention to the path diminished. There was a desk placed on the side of the staircase, which she didn’t notice. Carelessly bumping into it, there was a loud crash as she fell heavily to the ground.

“…”

Ji Zhen Tang gasped for air and quickly righted the table. Fortunately, there were no priceless ceramics on it. There were just some odds and ends scattered on the table.

She fixed the table and hurriedly began to pick up the scattered items.

Zhong Yu Bai also heard the commotion and stepped over.

He was dressed casually today, in a light and relaxed manner, with a beige shirt and khaki pants, giving him a clean and youthful appearance.

With gentle movements, Zhong Yu Bai bent down to tidy up the messy floor.

The only thing that got damaged—

Ji Zhen Tang’s finger landed on a photo frame, and as she lifted the wooden frame’s support, the shattered glass instantly spilled all over the floor.

“… I’m sorry, is this an important photo?”

She asked, glancing at the old photo, now chaotic due to the glass shards.

The photo was taken at home during a festival, featuring two teenage boys. She immediately recognized Zhong Heng; he looked no different from his childhood self. The other boy beside Zhong Heng resembled him, but slightly older, wearing thin-framed glasses, giving off an educated and gentle vibe, with a teacher-like demeanor.

Ji Zhen Tang only looked at it for four or five seconds, not paying much attention, before Zhong Yu Bai took the photo frame away from her.

“Hey,” she was about to say she wanted to look at it a bit longer.

But she saw him take the photo out of the frame, without any sentimentality, and fold it in half before tossing it into the trash can.

He handled it casually, as if throwing out trash, resolving it in just five seconds.

But can a photo be considered trash?

Ji Zhen Tang looked at him incredulously, wanting to say that this doesn’t seem to be yours, right?

But then she thought, he is the head of the household; he can drive away whoever he wants, let alone deal with a photo.

So she suppressed her urge to say more.

Zhong Yu Bai threw away the photo, squatting down to pick up the glass shards barehanded.

“Don’t do that, you’ll get hurt. Let someone sweep it up for you.”

There weren’t many pieces of glass, just a few small ones, but Zhong Yu Bai ignored her. After he finished picking them up, he gently scattered them, and in that moment when the glass shards fell into the trash can, Ji Zhen Tang saw the blood dripping from his cut fingertip.

“Your hand is really cut. Let Xiao Tao find a band-aid for you!” she said, looking around to find where Xiao Tao was.

“No need.”

Zhong Yu Bai didn’t even furrow his eyebrows, as if he wasn’t the one injured. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket, lightly dabbing away the blood that didn’t hurt or itch.

His composure made Ji Zhen Tang’s concern seem exaggerated.

While wiping the blood, he casually asked, “What do you want for your birthday?”

Ji Zhen Tang was surprised, still not fully focused from the minor disturbance. “What did you say?”

Zhong Yu Bai said plainly, “Since you don’t like jewelry, there must be something else you want. I wanted to know in advance, so I don’t buy something you won’t like.”

Before she could respond, Ji Zhen Tang took the band-aid from Xiao Tao and asked, “Who is the person beside Zhong Heng?”

Zhong Yu Bai took the band-aid and covered the wound simply, replying, “Zhong Yu, his brother, my second brother’s son.”

“I’ve never met him,” she said, frowning deeply, as if seeing a photo was a big deal.

“He’s studying abroad.”

Suddenly, Ji Zhen Tang asked, “Do you hate him?”

He was somewhat surprised by her question, then smiled slightly. “What is hate?”

Not long ago, he had asked similar questions. When she mentioned enemies, he asked what an enemy was.

Such questions were profound.

He didn’t give a straightforward answer, perhaps because he genuinely couldn’t, or perhaps he was using this indirect approach regarding the matter.

Ji Zhen Tang didn’t want to argue with him. “If you don’t hate him, why did you throw away his photo?”

“Because it’s unnecessary.”

“… ” A very decisive answer, leaving no room for argument, seemingly ending further questioning.

Ji Zhen Tang was momentarily stunned, standing still. After a while, she slowly regained her composure and went to support the table she bumped into. “I… I was just a little curious, why you never voluntarily tell me these things?”

The man stood against the light, calm and composed, elegant and poised. There was no hint of restraint in discussing hatred or enemies, only straightforward answers to her questions: “Talking about it won’t help. I just want to make you happy.”

Although he never evaded or concealed, he always seemed to have deep thoughts.

The answer was clear: he didn’t want her to be burdened by the complexities of his family affairs.

Indeed, these shouldn’t be her concerns.

As he said, as long as she was happy, it was enough.

Ji Zhen Tang also thought so. There was no need to anticipate happiness too far ahead. She had said this yesterday. Since that’s the case, why bother with his past and grudges?

“What do you want for your birthday?” Zhong Yu Bai lightly brought up the topic again, softly asking her once more.

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