Chen Yi let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Does anyone know how vicious you are? That you can be so cutting with your words?"
Miao Jing tilted her chin defiantly, her eyes reflecting the shifting streetlights. "Whether I'm cutting or vicious depends on who I'm dealing with. Some people deserve it, some don't. There's no harm in being a little harsh and venomous when it's warranted."
"After a few years out in the world, you've seen things, learned how things work, and even picked up the art of putting on airs." Chen Yi took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly, his tone teasing. "Not bad, Miao Jing. You've really made something of yourself."
"Certainly more than you have," Miao Jing retorted coldly. "You'd better keep living this kind of life—carefree, doing as you please, until you rot in the dirt."
"You don't seem to be doing so great yourself. Forget the rest, but I really thought you'd be on top of the world, shining bright, snagging some impressive man. Instead, you're just another overworked office drone, stuck with someone like Lu Zhengsi, a clueless fool." He laughed maliciously. "You don't even earn half of what I make. What a waste of those years I spent raising you. Such a fucking waste."
He gritted his teeth, his expression fierce yet amused. "Why isn't there a pill for regret in this world?"
Miao Jing curved her lips into a faint smile. "You seem quite proud of yourself. Seeing firsthand how I live isn't so bad, is it? It just proves you've always been right. You keep living your self-centered life, and I'll live according to my own plans. Let's see who has the last laugh."
Chen Yi was so angered by her words that he let out a sharp laugh, then another. "Isn't that just... fucking hell."
Miao Jing sat perfectly still, her brows and lashes unmoving, her gaze fixed ahead. Her tone was light and detached. "Why the anger? It's not like you haven't fucked before."
The air suddenly grew still, as if everything around them had slowed and magnified—the fine raindrops on the windshield, the flickering, hazy light, the howl of the night wind and passing cars, the suppressed, restrained breathing of the person beside her, and his sharp, handsome profile, frozen in tension.
It was something they had never spoken of, yet never forgotten.
His fingers, resting on the window ledge, twitched. The half-smoked cigarette, still glowing at the tip, silently fell into a puddle by the roadside, emitting one last wisp of smoke before vanishing without a sound.
Chen Yi blinked slowly, his hard, tense face twitching. The corners of his mouth moved as he swallowed his frustration, forcing his lips into a flat line. He remained silent, his expression stern.
After a long while, he finally couldn't hold back. His fingers, gripping the steering wheel, trembled slightly.
"So, you came back to get fucked?" He flashed a cynical, wicked grin. "Well, you'll have to wait in line. There's a queue of girls waiting to climb into my bed."
"Are you talking about me and Lu Zhengsi? There's no need for your concern. The company dorm is quite convenient." Miao Jing's expression was serious and calm, her words cutting. "You should watch out for diseases, though. I have a health checkup voucher here—I'll give it to you. The sooner you get checked, the sooner you can get treated. Don't harm others and yourself."
The man blinked hard, his chest tight with suppressed anger. He pressed his lips together, refusing to speak, his face dark with rage—all because of her.
He slammed the accelerator to the floor, and the car surged forward violently, roaring down the empty road. Miao Jing's body jerked backward from the sudden acceleration. Choking back her discomfort, she tightened her grip on the seatbelt and sat in cold silence.The steering wheel jerked sharply, swerving to the roadside as the car braked abruptly. Tires screeched in a long, piercing wail. Miao Jing lurched forward, but before the seatbelt could pull her back, the person beside her moved with lightning speed. With a soft click of the seatbelt, she was yanked sideways by brute force, collapsing into the passenger seat. A dark, cold face loomed over her menacingly, a large palm pinning her down firmly. Before Miao Jing could catch her breath—
Outside, rain poured in torrents, a relentless downpour under the chilly night wind. In the dim light, she saw a pair of deep, gleaming eyes—icy yet frenzied. The man’s lips crashed down, damp and scorching against her cheek, moving with a ravenous hunger that stole her breath. Her cold hands and feet curled tightly, her heart prickling as if pierced by countless needles, twitching faintly into spasms. She clutched her skirt desperately, gripping it until her knuckles turned white.
Chapter 19: Let’s Go Home and Cook, I’m Hungry
Chen Yi was in his second year of vocational school, attending classes only one or two days a week. The rest of his time was spent in Internet cafes, arcades, pool halls, or racing with other reckless youths late into the night. Lacking discipline since childhood, he had always been wild with such pursuits—even riding a bicycle like a stunt performer. His motorcycle had been pieced together bit by bit, upgraded from a scrapped frame and eventually won from someone else.
Miao Jing was in her third year of junior high, with just two months left until the high school entrance exam. She studied diligently and was naturally among the top students in her graduating class, ranking within the top ten at school. Her photo consistently graced the honor roll, though her personality was somewhat introverted. She moved through her days alone, always in her school uniform—attending classes by day and evening self-study by night, returning home to cook and manage her own life. It was a monotonous and quiet existence.
The two-bedroom apartment was neither spacious nor cramped. Gradually, the belongings left behind by Chen Libin and Wei Mingzhen had disappeared. Of course, the faint trace of warmth from Chen Yi’s mother that Miao Jing had sensed when she first stepped into this home had also quietly faded with time. Only the sparse traces of two half-grown children remained, leaving the house feeling empty, simple, and worn.
Chen Yi would often appear without warning—sometimes knocking on her window in the dead of night to come home, other times she’d wake to find him in the next room. There were also moments when his motorcycle would speed past her on the street after evening self-study, or he’d burst in abruptly during mealtime. Living together wasn’t particularly inconvenient; they had shared a room in childhood and neither had bad habits. They spoke little, each busy with their own affairs in separate rooms, only coming together at mealtimes. Miao Jing had no particular feelings about it, except noticing how much he could eat—his appetite was at least double hers. The milk in the fridge and the rice in the container vanished at an alarming rate. She remembered Chen Libin as tall, slender, and delicate in build, but Chen Yi was broad-shouldered and solid, his presence imposing and intimidating when he stood before her.After meals, Chen Yi would leave some money on the table—never a large amount, sometimes thirty or forty yuan, other times one or two hundred. It usually reflected his financial situation during that period. The money might have come from winning at pool, ten or twenty yuan at a time, or from motorcycle racing prizes. Miao Jing overheard his phone calls and knew he had a group of friends who gathered on suburban winding mountain roads late at night for races. Winners received rewards, often several thousand yuan. But most of that money went toward upgrading his bike and treating his buddies to food and fun. What eventually made its way to Miao Jing was just enough for her to buy some good food.
OpenNovel