But Miao Jing was truly beautiful, with a face no larger than a palm—pure, well-behaved, and pretty. The group of brothers all coveted her, but due to Chen Yi's cold attitude, no one dared make a move. Occasionally, when they caught sight of Miao Jing, they couldn't help but steal an extra glance. One day, while sitting together playing cards, someone was browsing a porn site on their phone and came across a short video where the actress's face resembled Chen Yi's sister. Hearing their eerie laughter, Chen Yi snatched the phone, his expression shifting from grim to thunderous, and promptly tossed it into the nearby fish tank.
Unable to track down the pervert, Chen Yi quit his job at the nightclub and focused on playing pool in the billiard room of a nightclub for a while. The patrons there came from all walks of life—from troublemaking gangsters to wealthy businessmen and even government officials. They'd chat about business or current affairs in the pool hall. The manager at the time was a retired soccer player who noticed Chen Yi's steady skills and hired him as a playing partner, earning a decent income from tips.
He usually returned home around eleven or twelve at night. Tengcheng's nightlife was lively, with plenty of late-night snack stalls lining the streets. Chen Yi sometimes brought back some supper. If he was a bit earlier, he'd run into Miao Jing just getting home from evening self-study, leisurely pedaling her bicycle with headphones on, engrossed in listening to English. He'd stand by the roadside, stretch out his long leg, and her bike would brake abruptly, lurching forward. She'd jump off the seat in a panic, her eyes sparkling under the streetlights, her lips pouting slightly in annoyance at him blocking her way. This damn girl—he'd almost forgotten her soft, gentle self from years ago. Now, all she knew was to give him cold shoulders and speak with sharp, cutting words, as if he owed her eight million.
"Get off. I'll ride you back."
Miao Jing handed the bicycle over to him. His tall frame settled onto the seat, and the bike creaked, the tires visibly deflating.
Miao Jing frowned slightly. "You're too heavy. You're going to burst the tires."
"What do you know? This is called a fit physique."
She struggled to carry the supper—crayfish and two cans of beer. "Smoking, drinking, and eating late-night snacks—you're asking for a stroke and an early death."
"You little brat, are you cursing me to die early every day? Would it make you feel better if I kicked the bucket?"
"Yes!"
He scowled. "Even if I die, you'll have to wear mourning clothes and weep at my grave."
She was wearing a long white cotton dress. "I'll cry even if you don't die."
Her fair arms wrapped around his waist, her soft fingers resting naturally on his firm abdomen. He couldn't feel her weight on the back seat at all, but there was warmth and pressure against his back. Chen Yi thought Miao Jing was like long, soft seaweed or vines. Honestly, he quite liked that metaphor.
"Want me to get you an electric bike? Save you from pedaling. With those short legs of yours, how long would it take to get home?"
"No, it's too expensive." After a moment's thought, she retorted, "I'm 167 cm. My legs aren't short."
"Tch, ten centimeters of that must be your slender neck. What's there to boast about being 157 cm?"
He mocked her elegant, swan-like neck.
Miao Jing twitched her lips, her expression sour, and moved her fingers, scratching his abdomen with her nails.
"Damn it! Trying to die?!"
Chen Yi shuddered, goosebumps rising all over. The bicycle wobbled, nearly crashing into the curb.
"Miao Jing!!" he snarled. Once the bike stabilized, he suddenly sped up, letting go of the handlebars with both hands to smack her arms.
The two of them started tussling on the bicycle."Ah—don't—"
"Dangerous!"
Performing acrobatics on the midnight streets, Miao Jing still remembered how fast he rode motorcycles. As the bicycle weaved through traffic, her arms tightened around his waist, the body beneath her grip growing increasingly rigid while the sensation against her back softened.
Chen Yi's breathing grew somewhat hurried, slightly scorching, with a faint rising pleasure.
By the time they reached home at eleven, Miao Jing had already showered and retreated to her room. She still needed to review the day's lessons before bed, leaving the house for Chen Yi to tidy up.
After finishing his late-night snack and drinks, he stood under the shower spray. Water cascaded over his narrow waist and abdomen. As he wiped himself with a towel, his eyes suddenly darkened like deep wells. Half-lidded, he reached out, letting the shower stream wash over his handsome features and lean, muscular frame, flowing down his solid chest and taut abs before converging along his powerful thighs. His breathing grew ragged, arm muscles bulging, until finally, with a convulsive swallow and slight bodily stiffness, everything subsided.
Running his hands through his thick buzz cut, he tilted his head back slightly as water droplets danced across his youthful brows. A faint frown hinted at some inner turmoil before he finally exhaled softly against the wall and stepped out with a towel slung over his shoulder.
Lying lazily on his bed, he couldn't resist pulling out a cigarette. Glancing down, he thought bitterly that youthful vigor wasn't always a blessing. No matter how unbearable the frustration, he'd have to endure it—just until the little brat next door left. Good things come to those who wait, and with his vitality, was there any pleasure he couldn't eventually enjoy?
What truly worried him was his own beastly nature. In dreams, that enchanting body would coil around him like a serpent. Holding the smooth, naked form, he'd look up to see a cold, proud face with luminous eyes staring intently at him, soft lips pressing against his Adam's apple as she whispered "brother"... He'd instantly... have to sneak out mid-night to wash his underwear, feeling dead inside.
F**king hell!
Senior year started early with extra classes. Chen Yi suggested Miao Jing board at school, but she refused, saying she couldn't adjust to six-person dorms and preferred having her own space at home. Chen Yi twitched his lips but let it go—it was only one year anyway.
Those two days before school started, Chen Yi felt particularly lighthearted. In his excitement, he took Miao Jing to buy an electric scooter—a Jay Chou endorsed brand—then to the mall for new clothes and shoes. He accompanied her to the salon, instructing Tony to transform her plain hairstyle. Having seen countless glamorous women at nightclubs, he'd developed sharp aesthetic sense. He even called his buddies about "making big moves," though he declined for now citing busyness. Next summer, he'd stir up the underworld again. What were pretty girls worth? He didn't care—he was only nineteen, with plenty of time to sow his wild oats.
So absorbed was he in his reckless phone conversation that he didn't notice Miao Jing's expression growing colder, her cherry lips drooping further. When he turned to speak to her, she—perfectly fine moments before—suddenly turned hostile, lacing her words with sarcastic barbs and veiled stabs.
OpenNovel