Going upstairs and opening the door, a faint smell of smoke lingered in the house. Chen Yi was also home, sitting in his room with his legs crossed, playing video games. Miao Jing, having been exposed to charcoal smoke and grilling fumes all day, went straight to her room to change, tidied up her things, and washed her hair and showered. As she stepped onto the balcony, her footsteps slowed—a brand-new washing machine stood in the corner, while the old washing machine was nowhere to be seen.
Her expression relaxed as she tossed her clothes into the machine, then gathered the dry laundry from the balcony. Holding the pale blue dress draped over her arm, she paused, a faint frown creasing her delicate brows.
The dress felt slightly damp.
The booming sound effects from the video game filled the room. Miao Jing sat quietly on the sofa, folding clothes. She took her own stack back to her room, while Chen Yi’s pile remained on the sofa as usual, waiting for him to retrieve it. When Chen Yi passed by after finishing his game and reached for his clothes, his movements abruptly froze—the dress had been silently tossed into the nearby trash can by Miao Jing.
"Aren’t you going to ask why I don’t want it?" She sat at the dining table, eating with her back to him, yet as if she had eyes on her back, she coolly tossed out the question.
Chen Yi swallowed, his tall frame slouched as he shrugged, licking his dry lips.
"Was the dress washed again? But it was done carelessly. There’s a hint of perfume, and the stitching at the waist has come undone." Miao Jing pushed her chair back and stood up, heading to the kitchen, her voice icy. "Chen Yi, did Tu Li look pretty in my dress?"
He touched his lips, the lingering scent of tobacco strong, feigning calm. "Her clothes got dirty, so she wore it temporarily."
"I asked if she looked pretty? Did it suit her?"
"I’ll buy you a new one." Chen Yi stuffed his hands into his pockets, hunched over, standing lazily at the kitchen doorway. "You can buy it yourself, or I’ll get it for you. Either way."
"No need, it’s just a dress. It’s not worth much." She turned around, a serene, moonlit smile on her face. "Talking about compensation makes it seem distant. How could I possibly accept? I’ve been living here for months without paying a single cent in rent. If anything, I should calculate the rent. I’ve already decided to move to the company this weekend, to free up some private space for the two of you."
"..." His thick brows furrowed deeply, his dark eyes fixed on her, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "This weekend?"
"Yes, the dormitory has already been arranged. It’ll be more convenient for me and Zhengsi to spend time together too."
Miao Jing walked back to her room, retrieved an old bank card, and handed it to him, placing it on the dining table. Tapping the card with her pale fingertips, she said indifferently, "I’ll transfer the rent to this card. Do you still remember this card and its password? Keep it."
This bank card.
Chen Yi’s expression instantly darkened, his gaze turning impatient as he pursed his lips irritably. "Miao Jing. What are you trying to pull?"
"Nothing. I’ve already told you." Miao Jing’s voice carried a hint of impatience too. "The weather’s getting cold, and commuting is inconvenient. I work overtime a lot, so living at the company is more practical."
"Take my car to work." His tone was stiff. "If you were going to move out, why didn’t you just live at the company from the start? Why bother moving back and forth here?"
"I didn’t know before, but I do now." Miao Jing’s lips curled slightly, her delicate features cold as she spoke. "If you’re really that impatient, I can move out tonight and not disturb your fun."
"Suit yourself."
His eyes sharp and piercing, he adopted an indifferent attitude, slamming the door shut with a force that shook loose dust from the frame.Miao Jing indeed turned back to her room to pack her luggage, gathering her frequently worn clothes and daily necessities before tossing them into her suitcase. Before leaving, she called Chen Yi to inform him that the keys would be left in their usual spot, and she had prepaid the utilities. Some larger items remained in the room temporarily, to be collected when she had time. On the other end, Chen Yi’s surroundings were noisy, and he faintly heard a man’s voice near her. Frowning deeply, he impatiently ended the call, his expression growing increasingly somber and his aura turning icy. He gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.
Women were so damn troublesome. Ever since Miao Jing returned to Tengcheng, he hadn’t had a single day of peace—there was always some trivial matter or another. His hand trembled as he gripped the pool cue, and those around him laughed at his miss. Chen Yi simply threw the cue onto the table with a sharp clatter, his mind buzzing. He headed out to a friend’s boxing gym, unleashing a barrage of punches on a sandbag before stepping into the ring. Sweat dripped from his well-defined, gleaming chest muscles until the gym owner finally knocked him to the ground. Drenched in sweat, Chen Yi lay panting on the floor before someone hauled him up.
“What’s wrong with you today? Every punch was pure brute force.”
“Lost a game. Pissed off.”
Someone chuckled, “You can lose too?”
“I’ve lost plenty of games,” Chen Yi replied, shaking a water bottle as he took slow sips, his expression dark. “Nothing much left now.”
The dormitory building for the technical department was slightly better than the one for the workshop staff, typically offering double rooms with private bathrooms, similar to standard hotel rooms. Female employees occupied the upper floors, while male employees stayed on the lower levels. Due to the limited space and storage, many employees opted to rent apartments outside. It was uncommon for someone like Miao Jing to move from home to the company dorms. Her roommate was a female engineer from the procurement center, and after a few interactions, they got along well. Lu Zhengsi lived just a floor or two away, not far at all. Of course, he was delighted she had moved into the dorms—in every way, spending time with Miao Jing was a pleasure.
The company had an activity center with yoga and gym facilities, allowing everyone to play badminton or table tennis after work. The labor union did a decent job in this regard, organizing plenty of sports activities for the young workforce. With her reduced overtime, Miao Jing was often dragged by friends to watch games at the courts, which was better than staying in the office drafting designs. Everyone noticed her closeness to Lu Zhengsi and assumed there was something between them, though nothing was publicly confirmed. Many at the company had tried to pursue Miao Jing, but Lu Zhengsi had quietly fended them all off.
After Miao Jing quietly moved back to the company dorms, she settled in peacefully for a week. Lu Zhengsi spent ample time with her and was fully aware of her social circles and daily habits. However, he was caught off guard when Tu Li called, asking if he knew about the situation between Miao Jing and Chen Yi.
Chen Yi completely ignored Tu Li, who, wounded and prideful, couldn’t bring herself to cling desperately or beg for reconciliation. She could accept him cheating or falling for another woman, but if the other woman was Miao Jing, it felt like swallowing a fly—the two living under the same roof, likely already sharing a bed at night, while maintaining a respectable facade by day. The hypocrisy and sleaziness of it all were utterly nauseating.
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