Еxtra Сhарtеr 9
Yаn An actuаllу took sеveral sесоnds аnd thе сonteхt of the situation to reаlizе what Zhеng You’аn mеаnt.
Silеncе, а lоng silеnсe.
Аfter the silenсе cаme the outburst.
Аs Yan An fliрped оvеr аnd рinnеd hеr dоwn, Zheng You’аn рalеd in shосk, raising hеr hands tо blоck him, onlу tо havе her wrists caught аnd pressed аbоvе her hеad.
“Zheng You’аn!”
Не spоkе wоrd bу wоrd, tеeth grittеd, his аnger with nоwherе to go, оnly lеаking thrоugh in his tonе.
“Dо уоu have anу idea that saying sоmething like that is just аsking for…”
Hе cоuldn’t bring himsеlf to sаy the last word to Zheng You’an.
But Zheng You’an understood perfectly well.
“Let go of me!” Zheng You’an struggled briefly but couldn’t break free. “What do you think you’re doing! If you—if you force yourself on me, that’s marital rape!”
“So you do know what kind of relationship we have?”
Yan An tightened his grip on her wrists.
In the quiet night, only their uneven breaths remained.
Some things, once they happen for the first time, whatever follows becomes natural.
Especially since the two were husband and wife, licensed and legitimate—more reasonable than anything.
And in this marriage, Zheng You’an knew she was the one who had “married up.”
She tilted her head slightly and said, “Fine, go ahead. But I’m sick, so my voice might not sound very good.”
Yan An: “…”
“Zheng You’an, did you leave your brain in Africa and forget to bring it back?”
Yan An threw her hands aside and lay back on the other side of the bed, letting out a long sigh.
“I’m human. I’m not so beastly as to take advantage of someone who’s sick.”
Zheng You’an wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, turning her back to him. After a long while, she let out a soft “Oh.”
For the next few seconds, neither spoke.
But just as Zheng You’an was wondering whether she should move to another room to sleep, she felt the warmth beside her approaching again. Then, Yan An took her wrist once more, gently rubbing it for a moment before suddenly starting to feel her collarbone… then moving up her neck…
Though Zheng You’an began to tremble all over, she didn’t move or resist, only saying calmly, “So you’ve decided to stop being human after all?”
The movement stopped abruptly. Yan An let out a heavy sigh, as if trying hard to suppress his anger.
“Zheng You’an—” He closed his eyes briefly. “Get up. We’re going to the hospital. You have a fever.”
It was only after lying down to calm himself that Yan An remembered—when he had grabbed Zheng You’an’s wrist earlier, her temperature hadn’t felt right.
So he reached out again to check. Indeed, she felt a bit warm.
Her collarbone, her neck… the temperature wasn’t right.
By the time they left the hospital, it was already three in the morning. An ambulance rushed by, sirens blaring, lights flashing, vehicles coming and going as they raced against death.
Yan An finished a cigarette, rolled up the car window, shutting out the urgency outside.
He glanced calmly at Zheng You’an in the passenger seat.
“You didn’t even know you had a fever?”
Zheng You’an lowered her head, picking at her nails, and replied with feigned nonchalance, “Oh, I didn’t really notice.”
Back home, Yan An turned on the lights and said, “Get some rest early.”
Zheng You’an kept her head down as she went upstairs, with Yan An following behind.
When they reached the bedroom door, she turned and met Yan An’s gaze.
Though she didn’t speak, Yan An understood exactly what she meant.
“You—”
Forget it. No point getting angry with someone who’s sick.
“I’ll sleep in the guest room.”
Only after Yan An turned and walked away did Zheng You’an lean against the door and whisper softly, “Brother Yan An, thank you for tonight.”Yan An didn't even look back, tossing out a "You're welcome" before entering the guest bedroom.
But lying in bed, he wasn't calm at all.
The thought of the look in Zheng You'an's eyes when she had just refused to let him into the room made him feel uncomfortable all over.
Yes, he knew he and Zheng You'an had no emotional foundation, and there had been no marital intimacy in the year before she went abroad.
Although that night was an accident, he hadn't forced her.
So why was she guarding against him like a thief now?
Yan An : An'an, are you asleep?
Zheng You'an had been tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. Hearing her phone vibrate, she thought she finally had a friend who was awake and could listen to her vent.
But when she picked up her phone and looked—
It would have been better if it hadn't vibrated at all.
Naturally, Zheng You'an didn't reply and pretended to be asleep.
In the middle of the night, half-asleep, she felt a cool sensation on her forehead.
Like that night, when Yan An's kiss had landed on her forehead—cold and without warmth, yet lingering.
As if sensing something, Zheng You'an suddenly opened her eyes, and sure enough, Yan An's face appeared before her.
She panicked, "You—"
"Don't speak."
Yan An didn't want to hear her say a word right now. He reached out and pulled the towel from her forehead. "Your fever hasn't broken yet."
Zheng You'an was stunned for a long time, until Yan An rinsed the towel again and placed it back on her forehead.
"Why aren't you asleep?"
"If I had slept, you'd have burned up here today, and I'd be a widower tomorrow."
"Isn't that... a good thing?"
"Zheng You'an?" Yan An leaned down, frowning. "Has the fever made you delirious?"
Zheng You'an felt she might indeed have been made delirious by the fever.
"Ah, maybe so."
Yan An pressed his lips together and said nothing, but then he heard her add, "I shouldn't curse myself."
Yan An: "..."
Yan An finally understood—the mistake of that night was the root of all this.
Now, in Zheng You'an's eyes, he was nothing but a beast.
Zheng You'an didn't know when she fell asleep. When she woke up at noon, Yan An was gone, but the towel on her forehead was still warm.
She propped herself up halfway, looked around, grabbed a robe to put on, and opened the door as stealthily as a thief.
As luck would have it, Yan An was standing right outside the door, holding a cup of coffee.
"Awake?" Yan An lifted his eyelids slightly. "This is your home. You don't need to act like this."
Zheng You'an cleared her throat. "Aren't you going to work today?"
Yan An slid one hand into his pocket and leisurely walked downstairs.
"I am."
Zheng You'an peeked her head out. "Then...?"
Yan An leaned against the railing and looked back at her. "I'm working from home."
"Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Yan An tilted his head. "What's inappropriate about it?"
Seeing Yan An's unapologetic expression, Zheng You'an realized that she, the diplomatic princess, had overstepped. "Nothing inappropriate."
For the next three days, Zheng You'an stayed home to recover, while Yan An continued working from home.
Though he claimed to be working, Zheng You'an felt as if Yan An had been assigned to keep an eye on her.
One evening, while watching TV in the living room, she accidentally kicked the table when she stood up.
It was marble, after all. The pain made her yelp, tears streaming down her face.
Yan An came down from the study upstairs and stood in front of her.
"What happened?"
Zheng You'an pointed at her toe. "It's ruined, ruined."
Yan An picked her up and placed her back on the sofa.
"It's not ruined. The skin isn't even broken."
"My skin is very delicate!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, both of them fell silent.Zheng You'an seemed to have said this once before, but not in this kind of situation—it was that night instead.
Zheng You'an turned her face away, no longer crying or complaining about the pain.
Yan An sat down, silently watching the television.
Let it just stay silent like this.
Zheng You'an thought, silence is the best antidote to awkwardness.
"She really is quite delicate."
"..."
After that day, Zheng You'an's illness seemed to heal at an accelerated pace.
She began to feel restless at home, her heart yearning to escape this strange, confining cage.
"Hey girls? Any parties?"
"I can't stay home any longer."
—"You're back in the country?"
—"When did you return?"
"That's not important. He's been watching over me at home every day, and I'm about to grow mold."
"He's sitting right next to me right now, going through documents, and the TV is still on. Couldn't he have taken whatever he's looking at to the office?"
—"Confinement love?"
"?"
—"Come on, it's A-Chen's birthday tonight anyway. Let's hang out at Mix."
"Alright."
Zheng You'an put down her phone and stole a glance at Yan An.
Yan An's phone had also been buzzing nonstop.
"Someone looking for you?"
Zheng You'an asked.
"Friends," Yan An replied without looking up from the documents in his hands. "No need to worry about it."
"That's not good, is it? I noticed you haven't really gone out much these past few days. Why not go out for some fresh air?"
Yan An's gaze swept over, carrying a hint of scrutiny. "Why?"
"No reason, it's just that I happen to have something to do today too."
Zheng You'an brushed her hair aside. "My friend has a charity project, and I'm going to check it out."
An hour later, Zheng You'an stood by the car door, waving goodbye to Yan An.
"I'll head off first then?"
"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?" Yan An said. "I'm heading out too."
"No need, my driver is already here."
In the car, Zheng You'an took out her makeup bag and touched up her lips with a bold shade of lipstick, adding a sparkling blush to her cheeks.
She unbuttoned her coat, revealing a sexy little dress underneath.
Once she arrived at Mix, Zheng You'an felt she had made the right choice coming today.
Her girlfriends were all dressed to the nines, each more glamorous than the last. The guys they had invited were all from film schools, each more handsome than the other. They shook dice as if dancing, and even she, who wasn't much of a drinker, felt tempted to join in and learn a thing or two.
The atmosphere was intoxicating, filled with glamour and revelry—it was absolutely perfect.
—If only she weren't the only married woman there.
Time and again, she reached out with eager hands, only to pull them back under the weight of that marriage certificate at home.
Watching her girlfriends flirt and exchange glances with the guys, Zheng You'an felt utterly frustrated.
Meanwhile, in a booth on the second floor.
Yan An sat in a corner of the sofa, lightly swirling the glass in his hand but not taking a single sip.
A friend leaned in beside him and chuckled. "What's going on with you? Haven't seen you around lately. Where have you been?"
Yan An replied, "At home, keeping my wife company."
"Huh?" The friend was taken aback. "What?"
"She just returned to the country and was sick for a few days."
That wasn't what surprised the friend—it was the fact that Yan An was actually staying home with his so-called "plastic wife."
Throughout the night, Yan An seemed somewhat distracted.
At some point, the crowd around them had grown, and several unfamiliar faces had appeared.
As soon as eleven o'clock struck, he yawned, once again startling those around him.
"Little Yan, feeling tired?"
Yan An nodded. "A little."Being at home these past few days had made his routine too regular—by eleven o'clock sharp, he was already ushering patients off to bed. With nothing else to do, he naturally ended up going to sleep as well.
After saying this, he sent a message to Zheng You'an.
Yan An : Are you home yet?
[Zheng You'an]: No, still chatting. A few people from the film industry showed up.
He put away his phone and casually glanced downstairs. In a fleeting moment, a woman near the DJ booth looked strangely familiar.
He couldn't help but take a few more glances.
A few seconds later, he walked toward the railing.
"Little Yan, what are you up to?"
A man followed behind him, following his gaze downward until it settled on the female DJ on stage.
"Nothing."
The crowd below was simply too dense—a sea of men and women coming and going. Yan An felt dizzy just looking at them and turned back around.
However, the man who had just spoken had noticed and, ever so thoughtfully, decided to do him a favor.
A few minutes later, a woman with a seductive figure walked over.
"This is Little Yan," the man introduced, pointing at Yan An. "The crown prince of Beihang."
The female DJ raised an eyebrow and extended her hand toward Yan An. "Hello, I've heard so much about you."
Yan An looked up from his phone, glanced at the person in front of him, and slowly extended his hand.
After shaking hands, he didn't say anything, merely glancing at the half-empty glass of wine on the table with little interest.
But this look, in the eyes of the man beside him, took on a different meaning.
He nudged the female DJ beside him. "Go pour a glass of wine for Little Yan."
The female DJ noticed that Yan An seemed rather disinterested and wasn't too keen on the idea. However, as a shareholder of the bar, it was her duty to keep the guests happy—especially someone as prominent as him, who couldn't be offended. So, she quickly put on a smile, picked up the wine decanter, and approached him.
"Little Yan, let me toast you."
Yan An casually clinked his glass with hers, but upon smelling the wine, he lost interest and simply set it aside.
At the same time, the man sat down beside him and said, "Our Miss Baker is single, you know."
Yan An lifted his eyes and glanced at him, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips. "Don't you know I'm married?"
Seeing Yan An smile, the man thought he was hinting at something and waved over the DJ who was standing nearby smoking. "Come keep Little Yan company for a drink."
Everyone knew Yan An's marriage had been sudden, and for over a year since the wedding, the couple had rarely been seen together. The situation was as clear as day to everyone.
The female DJ glanced back at them and walked over with her glass in hand.
But before she could speak, Yan An suddenly stood up, giving the man a cold stare.
"I never intended to humiliate my wife like this."
With that, he grabbed his coat and strode out.
Two seconds later, the man snapped out of his daze, his face alternating between pale and flushed. He hurriedly chased after him.
"Little Yan! Little Yan! Wait, please! That's not what I meant—I just thought you seemed bored! Hey! Hey! Little Yan! Ouch—"
The man unexpectedly crashed into Yan An's back, nearly breaking his nose in the process.
He rubbed his nose, the alcohol hitting him hard as stars danced before his eyes. "Yan... what's wrong? Maybe—"
His voice abruptly cut off when he spotted someone in the middle of the dance floor.
And Yan An's silhouette looked downright chilling.
The man blinked a few times, said nothing more, and quietly retreated.
As the song ended, Zheng You'an patted her chest, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. A young man eagerly handed her a glass of juice.The overhead lights dazzled her eyes, and without looking closely to see who it was, she reached out to take the glass.
Just as her fingers brushed the cup, the juice was snatched away.
"What are you doing?"
Zheng You'an turned around, her lingering glance not yet withdrawn, the smile on her lips freezing on her face.
"Yan... Yan..."
"Shouldn't you call me 'husband'?"
Outside the bar was the Cheng River, and the night wind was strong. Zheng You'an sneezed.
"Cl-close the window."
Yan An took a deep breath, closed the car window, and turned on the heater.
"Charity event?" He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Who are you doing charity for?"
Zheng You'an hung her head, picking at her nails.
"And the film circle." Yan An glanced back at the bar's sign. "Those young guys are from film school, aren't they?"
"I don't know, I didn't ask, I don't know them."
"Then why did I see you having such a good time?"
The two fell silent in the car for a while before Zheng You'an's friend sent her a message.
—"An'an, are you okay?"
—"I saw your husband didn't look too happy earlier. You should explain things to him."
—"What's the big deal? It's just going out for a drink, it's not like we did anything. If your husband hadn't come to the bar, he wouldn't have run into you."
—"Besides, didn't you say you both don't interfere in each other's private lives?"
Right.
Zheng You'an suddenly looked up, wondering why she felt so guilty.
She hadn't done anything wrong.
"What's wrong with me having fun?" Zheng You'an widened her eyes. "Aren't you here at the bar looking for fun too?"
"Me—looking for fun?"
Yan An was momentarily speechless at her words.
What fun was he looking for?
Ever since he got engaged to Zheng You'an, not even a female pigeon had flown near him.
It wasn't that he loved Zheng You'an so much back then, but he felt that since she was the little sister he'd watched grow up, and now she was married to him, even if they didn't have feelings for each other, he couldn't embarrass her.
This circle wasn't exactly small, but it wasn't that big either. If he were involved with any woman, it would end up trending on social media, not to mention making Zheng You'an a laughingstock.
"Isn't that so?" Zheng You'an waved her hand. "Actually, it doesn't matter. Do whatever you want, just don't make it public. I don't really care, but you should at least consider my parents' reputation."
Yan An: "..."
He gripped the steering wheel, wanting to hit the brakes several times but holding back.
A knot of frustration was stuck in his chest.
What had he been doing at home these past few days, acting like a nanny?
Why had he gotten up in the middle of the night to bring her fever down?
With a dark expression, Yan An asked, "You really mean I can do whatever I want?"
"Of course." Zheng You'an turned to look out the window. "I said it before—I won't interfere in your private life. Look at all the camera lenses you've bought me this year, and you even let me use your supplementary card. Of course, I won't go too far."
"Fine."
Yan An uttered a single word, stepped on the gas, and the car sped off.
"Why are you driving so fast?"
Zheng You'an tightened her grip on the seatbelt, her heart nearly jumping out of her throat. "Are you an unofficial F1 driver or something?"
Yan An replied calmly, "F1 isn't a Chinese product. There's no such thing as 'official' or 'unofficial' here."
Zheng You'an: "..."
In less than thirty minutes, with a sharp turn, Yan An backed the car into the first-floor garage.
When Zheng You'an got out of the car, whether it was due to the speed or the alcohol, she felt unsteady on her feet, stumbling toward the elevator.
"You were drinking and driving, weren't you? I'm reporting you!""Sure, so you can go clubbing every night while I'm in prison, right?"
Seeing her unsteady on her feet, Yan An took her hand. "Let's go upstairs."
Zheng You'an grumbled as he pulled her upstairs, stuffed her into the bathroom, and closed the door for her to shower.
"This is just too much. You can go to bars, but I can't?"
She muttered to herself, "Besides, I didn't even do anything. I didn’t even touch that guy’s hand. Not like you—I saw you go through three girlfriends just during my middle school years."
A voice suddenly came from outside the door.
"Little An'an, don’t think I didn’t know about your middle school romance."
"...What are you doing standing outside my bathroom?"
Zheng You'an braced herself against the edge of the bathtub, on high alert. "You... pervert?"
Yan An couldn’t take it anymore and pushed the door open.
The bathroom was brightly lit. Zheng You'an lay in the tub, the water murky with bath salts and scattered with petals, faintly revealing her figure.
Her face was flushed from drinking too much.
Splashed by the water, Zheng You'an shifted toward the corner. "What are you doing?"
"Can you stop treating me like a thief one moment and a pervert the next?" Yan An crossed his arms, looking at Zheng You'an as if without any ill intent. "No matter what, you and I are legally certified husband and wife."
"Then go ask around..." Zheng You'an said, "what normal person hides outside the bathroom to peep at someone showering?"
"I just—" Yan An’s eyes widened. "I wasn’t peeping!"
"So you were just passing by?"
"..."
"See, you can’t explain it." Zheng You'an covered her chest. "Brother Yan An, you’re not Emperor Cheng of Han, and I’m not Zhao Hede. Sneaking around at home to watch your wife shower is really embarrassing. Don’t do it again."
Damn it...
Yan An really wanted to curse.
He was just worried Zheng You'an might slip and fall while showering drunk like last time, and now she was treating him like a pervert.
"What?" Yan An said coldly. "So you do remember you’re my wife?"
He slowly approached the bathtub and glanced down. In the shimmering water, a tantalizing view was faintly visible.
"What’s wrong with me watching you shower openly?"
Zheng You'an slowly hugged her knees, watching Yan An nervously.
"Is that... what you said?"
Five minutes later, Yan An pinned Zheng You'an against the edge of the bathtub, no questions asked.
"Zheng You'an! Don’t you dare act drunk in the bathroom!"
Yan An had entered looking perfectly presentable, but now he was not only drenched but also had a few rose petals stuck to his head.
"Didn’t you want to watch me shower?" She splashed the water wildly. "This is how I shower! Look! Get a good look!"
The alcohol’s aftereffects were truly strong. Zheng You'an seemed to have forgotten she was naked, flailing her arms and wreaking havoc in the bathroom.
One moment she was splashing water from the tub, the next she was wielding the showerhead like a firefighter.
Enough was enough.
"Zheng You'an, behave yourself!"
Zheng You'an didn’t hear clearly, stirring the water as she asked, "What did you say? Share what? Prenuptial assets?!"
Yan An couldn’t be bothered to argue and went straight for her.
But Zheng You'an had just showered, and her body was slippery. Yan An didn’t want to grip her too hard, yet this woman seemed unusually strong after her bath, breaking free from his grasp several times.
Back and forth, again and again, in a chaotic mess...A few hours later, Zheng You'an lay in Yan An's arms, eyes wide open, completely sober.
History always repeats itself in eerily similar ways, and fate tirelessly cycles back around.
It seemed she had once again lost control after drinking.
And tonight, she felt even more despairing than the last time.
Because she clearly remembered that she seemed to have said several extremely embarrassing things in a row.
Zheng You'an stared at the ceiling, her heart unable to calm down for a long time.
What exactly were they?
Legal friends with benefits?
That was indeed as legal as it could get—the whole world would applaud for them.
The room was quiet, and Zheng You'an didn't even dare to turn her head, especially since the other person's breathing was so close.
She slowly shifted to the side, bit by bit, and then a little more...
Suddenly, the hand resting on her waist tightened abruptly.
"What excuse are you planning to use today?"
Yan An slowly opened his eyes, posing a soul-searching question to Zheng You'an.
The excuse from last time definitely couldn't be used again—she had admitted it herself.
Zheng You'an decided to retreat in order to advance, shrinking her neck and burying herself in Yan An's embrace.
"I'm going to sleep, Brother Yan An."
Yan An let out a soft "Mm."
"Goodnight."
Only after saying it did he feel that Zheng You'an was acting a bit strange.
Why was she being so obedient?
Come to think of it, Yan An also felt a little strange himself.
Since the two of them got engaged, the number of times they had met was actually fewer than the times he met with friends.
Because of this, many people had already begun speculating about the state of their marriage.
During this period, temptations big and small had come his way, and some even openly disregarded Zheng You'an, blatantly trying to push other women toward him.
Each time, Yan An thought to himself: he couldn't let Zheng You'an be looked down upon by others. After all, she was practically a younger sister he had watched grow up—he couldn't bear it.
—He couldn't let anyone disrespect his wife like that.
After repeating this mental reminder enough times, it seemed to become an established fact.
And his complete psychological shift came from an unexpected night three months ago.
Since they had already consummated their marriage, they might as well make the best of it and stop pretending to be a plastic couple in front of others.
He had never really considered divorce or anything like that anyway.
But that night, he had another strange feeling.
To put it in the words of their CEO circle—this woman was damnably sweet.
But this younger sister, after sleeping with her own husband, ran away faster than anyone else the very next day.
Every time Yan An thought about it, it made his teeth itch.
Fortunately, he had performed well recently, and Zheng You'an had learned to behave.
Feeling much more at ease, Yan An fell asleep quickly.
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room, and Yan An slowly woke up.
He turned his head, wanting to look at the person beside him, but only saw the pristine white bedsheet.
Huh?
Yan An slowly reached out and touched the temperature of the bedsheet.
Fuck.
It was cold.
He had been left in the cold again.
He immediately got up and went out, searching every corner of the villa but finding no trace of Zheng You'an.
Finally returning to the room and picking up his phone, he noticed that Zheng You'an had sent him a WeChat message three hours earlier.
[Zheng You'an]: Brother Yan An, I think I accidentally ruined your clothes last night. I'm going to Europe to buy you an identical one to make it up to you!
Yan An: "..."
He understood now.
It wasn't that he was bad in bed.
It was that he had terrible luck.
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