What made it even more poignant were their adolescent experiences. When talking about those wild yet childish boys and girls, Miao Jing carried an aloof and detached aura that made her admirers hesitate to approach, while Chen Yi had been followed by a crowd of admiring girls since middle school, not to mention the women who later flirted with him—the contrast was stark and striking.
Chen Yi held a cigarette between his lips, the corners of his mouth curling into an ambiguous smile. Truth be told, if she hadn't been at home, he might have indulged in unrestrained behavior without a care. At some point, she had become a different presence in his life, like the transparent string on a kite, tethered to his heart.
With smoke swirling in his mouth, he lazily lowered his head to kiss her, remembering all the worries he'd endured for her over the years. He cursed her as a heartless little brat, transferring the smoke into her mouth and making her hold it, then sucking back the nicotine mixed with her sweetness. Miao Jing frowned delicately and pouted, complaining that he would eventually be poisoned by cigarettes. He replied recklessly that he'd gladly die from the nicotine in her mouth. She pressed her lips tightly, choked by the smoke, coughing into the pillow until he lifted her onto his lap. With a roguish grin, he energetically teased her.
The atmosphere quickly turned sensual. Half-reclining on the bed with pillows propping his head, he took lazy puffs of his cigarette with one hand while gripping Miao Jing's waist with the other. His handsome eyes half-closed, he watched the tantalizing scene before him with drowsy yet burning intensity, exhaling smoke with relaxed pleasure.
Through the haze of pale smoke, Miao Jing brushed the hair from her ear and pressed her slender hand against his firm, flat abdomen. After a few rising and falling motions, she paused with dazed, seductive eyes. He chuckled coolly, mocking her weakness, then thrust his hips and flipped her beneath him, still holding the half-smoked cigarette between his lips.
Fearing the ash might fall on her flawless skin, he pinched the cigarette between his long fingers, his veined wrist resting on the edge of the bed. Supporting himself with one hand, he knelt between her legs, moving rapidly with wild, unrestrained abandon. The cigarette ash scattered as the glowing ember swayed with their rhythm. Between passionate moments, he'd take a drag of the intoxicating nicotine before capturing her sweet lips again—utterly absurd and decadent.
Eventually, the extinguished cigarette dropped straight to the floor, its wisp of smoke like a beautiful dream. Lost in pleasure, he scooped her pliant body into his arms, penetrating her deeply from below. At the moment of climax, he lowered his head to seal her trembling cherry lips, swallowing the shared taste of tobacco.
She loved his domineering strength and roguish tenderness—not the kind that felt suffocatingly gentle. They often couldn't resist bickering or arguing, keeping their emotions from sinking too low or becoming overly immersed, yet still maintaining that heart-fluttering excitement.
Sweet moments passed quickly as their lives settled into a new pattern. Staying up late meant Miao Jing often slept in, the visible marks on her body making her reluctant to go out. Her days were spent napping, reading, watching shows, and tidying the house, waiting for Chen Yi's return in the evenings. He had been leaving early and returning late lately, seemingly very busy, but no matter how late, he always came home. They shared a bed, sleeping curled up together.The situation was indeed tense. Chen Yi wanted to send Miao Jing away early. The police had already set their trap and were closing in. Tengcheng had already witnessed several incidents. First, in the pork supply market, Zhai Fengmao's monopolistic practices had stirred discontent among competitors. Two factions, backed by their respective networks, had clashed several times at slaughterhouses and major supply markets. Then there were the land disputes in real estate development, involving brutal fistfights and armed brawls. The underlying target of these conflicts was Zhang Shi and Zhai Fengmao. Perhaps in the near future, a major confrontation would erupt, and the police would seize this opportunity to round up everyone involved, arresting as many as possible.
In the best-case scenario, they would firmly grasp Zhai Fengmao's weaknesses, uncover the forces and networks behind him, and Chen Yi might then be able to extricate himself unscathed. In the worst case, he would be exposed before the police took action and become a sacrificial pawn.
Since the incident with the police report, Miao Jing had stopped paying much attention to what Chen Yi was doing. Both Zhou Kang'an and Chen Yi had made excuses to brush off the matter in front of her. Now, there was nothing she could do, but seeing him rush around every day, constantly receiving strange phone calls and dealing with inexplicable situations, she still felt a lingering unease.
Chen Yi urged her to pack her bags early and leave as soon as possible, without a hint of reluctance or longing. He never asked her to come back—not for winter or summer breaks, not even to visit him. No matter how intense their nights were, he never spoke any tender words. She was the one who first thanked him, and he accepted her physical gratitude as a matter of course, treating it as an outlet for desire and emotion. She was definitely leaving, for at least four years. Who could predict what would happen after four years? It was better to simply enjoy the physical pleasure for now. As for the complexity of their feelings, they tacitly avoided delving deeper or analyzing it.
After they were done, they would rest in each other's arms and talk about strange topics. He would speak at length, teaching her tips for making friends and living well, urging her to study hard and work diligently. But most of all, he talked about men.
"When you find a boyfriend in the future, always use a condom when having sex. Some men may seem decent on the surface, but they're filthy inside. Don't believe any nonsense about not using protection. So many women in nightlife end up pregnant, and it's always the woman who suffers."
"If a man smokes, pay attention to his cigarettes and lighters. A man with too many lighters is definitely not clean. Don't settle for trash. Men are all dogs. You have to be tougher than them, and then they'll wag their tails behind you. Be discerning about good men too. If they're rich, pay even more attention to their character, or they might sink to unimaginable lows. If they're poor, keep them firmly under your thumb so they can't escape your grasp."
His earnest words sounded like the heartfelt advice of an older brother, but then he would wrap his arms around her waist and bury himself in her soft, sweet body again, thrusting slowly as he leaned down to kiss her cheek amid the wet, sticky sounds. "Damn it... I'm such an animal."
Who else would teach a woman how to pick men while passionately making love to her?
Her chest felt tight, and her eyes grew warm. Resting her head on his arm, she retorted with equal bitterness, telling him to fool around less and avoid other women, warning that contracting AIDS or STDs would make him despised and disgusting. Chen Yi immediately sealed her lips with his. He had no other women. He only had her—just her alone.
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