Chapter 18: The Affairs of a Mortal World (4)
The night was deep, and the surroundings were quiet.
The silence next door was because the person had fallen asleep again.
But here, it was one person's sudden quietness that forced the other to follow suit.
"I'll do it myself," his voice sounded somewhat strange.
The carefully constructed persona—built through cultivated manners, education, and billiard skills—suddenly gave way to a peculiar emotion in this smallest room on the east side of the apartment: a sense of melancholy, an unresolved feeling, and something else that words couldn't quite capture.
He tore open a bandage, estimated the length again, then crumpled the half-opened strip into a ball and tossed it into the wastebasket.
Better to use gauze—just to avoid touching it.
He unfolded the medical gauze, measured it against his leg, wrapped it around once—too thin—so he added another layer.
After wrapping it, he realized he had forgotten the scissors, and she noticed too.
"Wait, I'll get them," Yin Guo said, then tiptoed out with her phone in hand.
She didn’t turn on the light, using her phone’s bright flashlight instead to find a pair of scissors before returning. Lin Yiyang had already tied the gauze and took the scissors to finish up. After using them, he deliberately placed them against the wall to prevent Yin Guo from stepping on them.
"Sleepy? Want to talk for a bit?" he asked.
"Not sleepy," Yin Guo replied, pulling over a square cushion to sit on the floor, hugging her knees in front of him.
Lin Yiyang’s legs were too long, and the low couch beneath him didn’t give him enough room to stretch, so he extended them on either side of her, resting his arms on his own knees. This way, she ended up sitting between his legs, facing him directly.
"My family’s small. My parents are gone, and I have a younger brother who got married last year."
"That early?" The brother must be younger than him—getting married so soon was unusual.
Lin Yiyang’s focus was on the first part, noticing that Yin Guo didn’t seem surprised, which made him suspect Meng Xiaodong must have mentioned something. Staring into her eyes, he said, "My brother is several years younger than me. After our parents died, he was adopted by relatives who had no children of their own. They raised him as their own, so he’s had a good life. When he got married, I gave him some money, but he sent it all back—didn’t want to trouble me."
"Then he treats you well."
He nodded. "So, my family background is thin, but at least there aren’t many burdens to worry about."
Yin Guo hummed in acknowledgment.
This awkward self-introduction felt off—like they were in some kind of matchmaking scenario, laying out family backgrounds.
They had gone through a similar conversation on the subway before, and she remembered it vividly.
Sure enough, Lin Yiyang’s next words were: "If there’s anything you want to know, just ask anytime."
But this time, it was different from their subway chat.
After speaking, he kept looking at her.
She shook her head. "No, nothing to ask."
A few seconds of silence passed.
He couldn’t keep staring at her, so he glanced around the room instead. The white porcelain lamp belonged to the landlord, while the pink bedsheets and covers… must have been brought by her personally. A silver laptop sat beneath the lamp.
Alright, time to go.
Lin Yiyang felt that if the two of them stayed alone in the same room any longer, it would be a waste of the late-night, hushed conversation not to let something happen. Resolute, he pressed his hands against the floor, stood up, gathered the scissors, gauze, and stack of bandages, and left her room.
Just as he placed the items in the plastic cabinet, the door behind him opened again.
He turned to look.Yin Guo guiltily pointed toward the bathroom and silently walked in that direction. After closing the door, she still wasn’t fully present. She had actually come to wash her face—after a sleepless night, her skin felt oily, and freshening up would make resting more comfortable. As she lathered her face with foam, she strained her ears to listen outside. He should be going to bed now, right?
Wait a little longer. Just two more minutes.
So she scrubbed her left cheek, then her right, rinsed off, and finally reopened the door, flicking off the light as she stepped out.
The moment she crossed the threshold, she saw him waiting for her outside the bathroom and nearly screamed. Thankfully, years of competitive experience had honed her nerves, and she managed to stifle the sound before it escaped her throat.
“You’re still not sleeping?” She leaned against the doorframe, thinking that if she kept whispering like this, she might as well apply for a job as a spy.
The man before her didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer.
He lowered his head and caught the faint scent of her forehead—probably from the face wash. She must’ve washed her face in the middle of the night.
Yin Guo instinctively pressed back, only to find herself flush against the doorframe.
He kept watching her.
Her lips pressed together nervously. “Do you… want to go to my room?”
“What for?” he asked.
“So we can talk louder,” she whispered. “Better than here.”
Wu Wei’s room was right next to the bathroom—if he came out, it’d be terrifying.
Lin Yiyang didn’t respond.
“Or if it’s nothing urgent… we can talk tomorrow,” she murmured. “You’re not leaving first thing in the morning anyway.”
Yin Guo waited for him to speak, but Lin Yiyang remained silent. In the darkness, his gaze traced down from the bridge of her nose to her lips—the same lips that had been struggling to find words.
His breath brushed against them, warm and steady.
Then, suddenly, a phone rang from Wu Wei’s bedroom.
Yin Guo’s heart leaped into her throat. She pushed at Lin Yiyang, but instead of backing off, he kissed her. At first, it was just lips against lips, but soon, he was exploring further.
Every second, she feared Wu Wei would burst out, leaving her no time to process the sudden kiss. Until—Lin Yiyang found her tongue, gently sucking for a moment.
Both of them froze at the same time.
“Yeah, I’m sleeping. Obviously. You know we’re in different time zones, right?” Wu Wei’s groggy voice grumbled from inside.
“Just waiting for Dun Cuo. Yeah.” The voice continued.
……
The sound seemed to drift in and out, as if her eardrums were submerged in water, distorting everything into unreality.
Lin Yiyang’s right hand cradled the back of her head, his fingers unconsciously stroking her soft, long hair. They locked eyes. Yin Guo felt like she was on the verge of a heart attack, biting her lower lip in disbelief. Her legs were weak, her scalp tingled, and her entire body felt off—like she was suffocating.
Lin Yiyang tilted his head, sensing the uneven rhythm of her breathing, and murmured, “Go inside. Quick.”
Finally understanding, Yin Guo released her grip on his athletic jacket and hurried through the living room, nearly tripping over a barstool. Only after locking her bedroom door did she realize her right hand was sore—how hard had she been clutching his clothes? She hadn’t even noticed.
Lin Yiyang stayed where he was, running a hand roughly through his hair before glancing at the small digital clock on the counter.
3:17 a.m.The door to Wu Wei's bedroom opened. He was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open and spotted Lin Yiyang by the bathroom door. Yawning, he said, "Knew you were out here. Grab me a cold coffee. When Zongzong starts scolding, it lasts at least three hours."
With that, Wu Wei turned back and collapsed onto the bed. "Go on, keep scolding. I'm listening," he muttered.
Lin Yiyang wandered around the living room aimlessly before pausing to stare at Yin Guo's bedroom door. Eventually, he did as Wu Wei asked, grabbing two cans of iced coffee before returning to the bedroom.
He tossed one onto the bed and leaned back on the sofa, cracking open his own can with a sharp pop before taking a swig.
The bitter liquid flowed from his mouth down his throat, washing away the lingering taste of her on his tongue. Pulling out his phone, he considered for a moment—she was probably just as unable to sleep as he was.
Wu Wei hit speakerphone and tossed his phone onto the floor between them. Among their closest circle back then, Lin Lin—nicknamed Zongzong—was the only girl. She was now on the other end of the line, delivering a lengthy tirade directed at Lin Yiyang. Wu Wei crouched beside him, nudging him with a meaningful look before whispering, "Since she's scolding you, might as well listen together."
Lin Yiyang didn’t respond, just crossed his legs and reclined against the sofa back. "Turn it down," he said, tilting his head toward the door—someone else was still sleeping.
Lin Lin must have heard, because she cursed loudly on the other end, berating Lin Yiyang for being ungrateful.
Back in the billiard club, Lin Lin had been the prettiest among the guys and girls, but her temper was fiercer than any of the boys'. She and Lin Yiyang were the same age but trained under different coaches. When Lin Yiyang first joined at eight years old, he didn’t compete professionally until thirteen. In between, he’d only entered one junior tournament—performing terribly—before shutting himself away to train. Then, at thirteen, he took the professional championship.
Before that, nobody in the scene had taken him seriously—just some nobody.
Once, while playing at an outside pool hall, Lin Yiyang saw Wu Wei—a scrawny kid with glasses—getting bullied. Without a word, he jumped in, fighting five or six guys alone and coming back bruised. At the time, Lin Lin was the only one at the club, eating lunch. When she heard from the coach that Lin Yiyang had gone for a tetanus shot, she dropped her chopsticks, hopped on her little white bike, and raced off. Halfway there, she grabbed a brick from a construction site, stormed in, and started swinging—a stunning girl walking in and beating up anyone who looked injured. Everyone was stunned—fresh off getting thrashed by Lin Yiyang, now they were facing a madwoman.
Meng Xiaodong had to drag her out, and even he got punched—she thought he was one of the punks.
Later, someone asked Lin Lin if she’d known she was beating up a bunch of troublemakers. Wasn’t she scared? Her legendary reply: "The tough fear the reckless, and the reckless fear the crazy." She didn’t care about her own life—she feared no one.
Before that incident, nobody knew the billiard club had two unknown kids: Lin Yiyang and Lin Lin.
Afterward, everyone knew East New City had its "Twin Lins"—one guy, one girl, both gorgeous, both ruthless.
...
Listening to the woman’s voice on the phone, Lin Yiyang couldn’t help but smile. Every old friend he’d seen or heard from this time was exactly the same at heart—still the same stubborn, fiery souls.
Wu Wei turned the volume down and sat on the floor beside the sofa, hugging his knees as he sipped his iced coffee and kept listening.
Lin Yiyang looked at his phone screen.
Lin: Did we wake you?Yin Guo replied instantly.
Red Fish: Can't really hear you.
Lin: :)
Red Fish: Not sleeping yet?
Lin: Waiting for dawn.
Red Fish: Why?
Why indeed? He just couldn't sleep.
Given how hyperactive his brain was, he'd definitely be up till sunrise. He'd probably pass out on the train tomorrow. Choosing to start a relationship during his busiest period was truly testing his physical limits.
Yin Guo lay sideways on the bed, the only light in the room coming from her phone screen.
Lin Yiyang didn't reply immediately.
She tapped his profile picture, found the remark field, and considered changing his display name. What should she change it to? After some thought, she decided against it.
Little Guo: Didn't get it?
Lin: Got it.
Little Guo: Then why no reply?
Lin: What to reply? Why wait till dawn?
Little Guo: Mm.
Lin: Can't sleep.
Soon followed by three more words.
Lin: Because of you.
Yin Guo rested her chin on the soft pink cotton quilt, staring at those last two messages before burying her face in it. Her mind kept replaying the feeling of their kiss outside the bathroom. She'd been so nervous the entire time—afraid of being seen, afraid of being heard—most of it had been overwhelmingly intense...
She couldn't dwell on it anymore.
All night, she'd been in this bedroom while he was in another just beyond the living room.
Neither slept. Yin Guo managed a ten-minute doze before dawn, then woke again.
She was actually exhausted, her thoughts disjointed, but just couldn't sleep deeply. No wonder Zheng Yi had said that in the early stages of a relationship, you could go without food or sleep—it was like being on stimulants. She believed it now.
At daybreak, 6:20 AM, another message from him appeared.
Lin: If you're awake, come out. I'm in the living room.
Yin Guo scrambled up, opened the bedside drawer, and checked herself in a mirror. Not bad—just a bit tired from lack of sleep, but her hair wasn't a complete mess.
When she stepped out, the living room was bathed in morning light, unlike the night before.
Lin Yiyang was making coffee, still waking up. When he noticed her, his gaze settled on her.
He motioned for her to join him at the counter. Men weathered sleepless nights better than women—aside from slight redness in his eyes, he looked much the same as before last night, just a bit worn out, leaning casually against the counter.
"Sleep well?" he asked hoarsely.
"Mm," she lied.
Lin Yiyang pointed to a bag of beans nearby: "Try these. Won't take long."
Yin Guo recognized the packaging—it was from the same shop where she'd bought coffee beans for Zheng Yi last time. But it hadn't been here yesterday. Leaning against his arm, she picked up the bag—it looked freshly opened. "When did you get these?"
"Yesterday. Took a detour on the way back," he said.
From the train station to that shop, then to the apartment—that was more than just a slight detour.
It was like that time he'd gone to Flushing to gamble on pool, first making a huge detour to have coffee with her near NYU. Yin Guo cradled the bag of beans.
Gurgle, gurgle—brown liquid foamed up.
The coffee had brewed until the oils bubbled over. He turned down the heat, planning to let it brew another half minute. Noticing Yin Guo still holding the beans while watching him, he bent down and opened the bottom drawer to show her.There are a few more packs over there, with different flavors, all bought for her to try: "If you don't mind the trouble, give them a try when you have time."
Yin Guo was even more touched, pressing her lips together as she looked at him.
Lin Yiyang glanced at his wristwatch, calculating the time to turn off the heat: "Stop staring at me."
Even as he told her not to look at him, he turned his head to gaze at her and murmured in a low voice, "I'm already holding back."
I didn't kiss you the moment you walked over.
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