tear

In the blink of an eye, the year has passed and it is almost time for Zhou Min’s birth date registered on his personal information. However, before that, Zhou Qiting’s birthday comes first.

Coincidentally, both dates are in the late winter month, only a few days apart.

Zhou Min was somewhat dissatisfied with this.

"Many children in orphanages have estimated birth dates. Maybe my real birth date is earlier than yours."

Therefore, Zhou Min couldn't call her "sister".

Zhou Qiting didn't care about it. She was just teasing Zhou Min to relieve the inexplicable depression in her heart.

The two were born on similar dates and had similar heights, but had completely different destinies. Zhou Min's life even took a turn for the worse because of his interaction with her.

Whenever Zhou Qiting thought of this, he couldn't feel good.

Zhou Min naturally noticed the subtle changes in the mood of the person in front of him, but he didn't understand why she felt depressed.

Was it because of the irresistible birthday party? Or was it because Zhou Min refused Zhou Qiting's request for her to attend?

No matter what the reason was, Zhou Min had no way to solve it, especially the latter, which Zhou Min could not agree to no matter what.

She knew that if she attended, Zhou Qiting would naturally have a way to make the negative news that followed disappear completely, but rumors could not be completely blocked by power alone.

In the cloakroom, Zhou Min stared quietly at Zhou Qiting from behind. She was shrouded in a warm halo in the mirror, and every inch of the fabric of her dress seemed to be soaked in moonlight, a kind of otherworldly white.

Zhou Min didn't want to have any negative impact on Zhou Qiting because of his own reasons, and he didn't want to damage her image in the slightest.

In response to this, Zhou Min, who would never compromise on this aspect, chose to compromise on another aspect, but still attempted to bargain.

Her fingertips slid across the delicate satin fabric, gently and attentively smoothing out an inconspicuous wrinkle. While doing so, she deliberately left a question for Zhou Qiting to ask: "It's not impossible for me to call you 'sister'..."

Zhou Qiting's attention was indeed diverted, and she became a little interested. Instead of looking directly at Zhou Min through the mirror, she turned around and looked at her with a barely perceptible inquiry in her eyes.

"What are the conditions?"

The close distance made their breaths inevitably intertwined. Zhou Min's pupils trembled for a moment, but soon returned to normal.

After a period of time, she had become more and more skilled at enduring it. It was just breathing, a small temptation, and she could resist it.

Zhou Min's hands were clenched so tightly behind his back that they hurt, but his voice was unusually steady: "Only if you don't drink too much tonight."

Consuming alcohol is not conducive to wound recovery.

Although more than a month has passed and Zhou Yiting's wound has been healed after the stitches were removed and the surface of the wound is covered with new skin, she still needs to try to avoid traction and continue to pay attention to her diet.

Tonight is Zhou Qiting's birthday party. Due to the intentional information blockade, outsiders don't know that Zhou Qiting was injured, so they will definitely toast her.

Taking this into consideration, Zhou Min knew that drinking might be inevitable, so he did not ask Zhou Qiting to stop drinking, but asked her to drink less.

What Zhou Min didn't know was that with Zhou Qiting's status and position, she could completely choose not to do anything she didn't want to do.

When Zhou Qiting heard her mention this, he didn't explain it. Instead, he leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear, and whispered seductively, "Then you come with me, okay? If you watch over me, I'll drink less."

The negotiation ultimately failed due to Zhou Min's missed heartbeat and his half-step back.

Zhou Qiting did not show any dissatisfaction with Zhou Min's insistence. Instead, he gently kissed her on the cheek, then said goodbye to her and went to the banquet venue alone.

After Zhou Yiting left, the huge room seemed to be drained of all sounds, and the passage of time became less clear.

Zhou Min sank into the sofa. The deepening dusk seeped into the room like ink, blending with the neon lights that diffused in from the low altitude outside the floor-to-ceiling windows into a hazy light and shadow.

After an unknown amount of time, a thought lit up like a firefly in Zhou Min's silent mind.

She remembered the birthday gift she had prepared for Zhou Yiting not long ago.

Zhou Min stood up almost subconsciously, leaving his unreasonable depressed mood behind, and walked towards the study.

-

I have already received Zhou Min's promise that he will "never leave you again", so why do I still feel unsatisfied?

In the underground garage, Zhou Qiting asked the driver to leave first, while he continued to sit in the car with the smell of alcohol from the banquet, silently digesting the unclear emotions in his heart.

During the period of injury, Zhou Min's meticulous care and considerate companionship made Zhou Qiting feel that everything was so wonderful.

It was so good that she began to feel anxious, fearing that everything before her would disappear the moment she opened her eyes, just like the rare beautiful dreams she had in the past.

If only I could imprison the beautiful dream.

This was just Zhou Yiting's thought when he woke up from dreams in the past, but now it is interspersed in these warm daily lives. In contrast, he seems dark and morbid.

The reason why Zhou Qiting wanted Zhou Min and herself to attend this banquet was not only because she wanted to let her know how much he valued her and let her be more confident in her own importance, but also because of a deeper reason that she could not tell her.

Zhou Qiting wanted to use the eyes of the world to make Zhou Min completely branded with the label of Zhou Qiting.

She didn't care about worldly prejudices, nor did she care about the insignificant losses caused by her reputation. She just wanted people to remember Zhou Min when they mentioned Zhou Qiting, and think of Zhou Qiting when they mentioned Zhou Min, so that the two people's names would be more deeply entangled than just the same surname, and never separated.

She knew that if she had been more resolute and softer in tone, Zhou Min would have been unable to withstand her onslaught and would have agreed to her unreasonable request.

But Zhou Qiting also knew that this was wrong. Even if she did not feel guilty towards Zhou Min, she should not let Zhou Min do anything against her wishes again.

That's why she was just testing the waters and didn't force it.

Even if I am unwilling.

Driven by that unwillingness, she picked up the wine glass that she could have ignored, but when the rim of the glass touched her lower lip, she remembered Zhou Min's advice to her.

Boring.

Since she had already shown up, after informing her mother, Zhou Qiting, who had not drunk a drop of alcohol, left the dinner early on the grounds of feeling unwell.

It would be more fun to go back and tease the "sister" who is a few days younger than me.

Zhou Qiting calmed down before opening the car door and getting out, walking towards the elevator at a leisurely pace.

However, when she opened the door, the usual bright lights were not there. The entrance was dim, with only a few wall lamps in the distance casting hazy shadows.

Zhou Yiting followed the light and came to the living room, where he saw the familiar figure on the sofa.

Zhou Min was slumped in the sofa, his neatly dressed silhouette looking exceptionally quiet in the dim light.

On the coffee table in front of the sofa stood an almost empty goblet, with some dark red wine still remaining at the bottom.

This person had told her to drink less before leaving, but ended up drinking at home? Zhou Qiting's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she slowly walked over to Zhou Min.

Zhou Min turned around when he heard footsteps. The warm yellow lights around him followed Zhou Qiting's approach, casting soft light and shadow on Zhou Min's face.

When Zhou Yiting got closer, she discovered that the pair of eyes that were usually clear now seemed to be covered with a layer of mist, tinged with a slightly drunken blur, and were looking at her through the opaque light of the water.

Zhou Yiting felt as if her heart was gently bumped. Without any hesitation, she leaned closer and sat lightly on Zhou Min's legs. One hand gently wrapped around her neck, and the other hand held her face. The palm of her hand felt the hot skin, and her thumb gently stroked her cheek.

"Why are you drinking alone?" Zhou Qiting's voice was very soft, with an imperceptible heartache.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Qiting saw that Zhou Min's already rosy cheeks seemed to be even redder.

Zhou Min did not answer her question. He raised his hand and held her hand on his cheek, then slowly moved it down along the side of her neck to the first button of her shirt collar.

"Do you want to open it and see?" It was clearly a questioning tone, but when Zhou Yiting heard it, the voice was so low and hoarse that it sounded like a subtle invitation, inviting her to open the gift prepared for her.

Zhou Qiting's gaze did not follow Zhou Min's movements, but was fixed on Zhou Min's lips opening and closing as he spoke.

During this period, she knew very well that Zhou Min would not agree to her unreasonable demands, so she only kissed him briefly, fearing that excessive tenderness would arouse deeper desires.

But at this moment, she really wanted to savor the taste of the wine that Zhou Min had just taken.

The hand that was resting on the collar was clenched a little tighter, barely bringing Zhou Qiting back to her senses. With great interest, she unbuttoned a button as Zhou Min asked.

The faint golden light under the collar made Zhou Yiting's breathing pause for a moment. Then, her fingertips sank into the collar, hooked the familiar choker, and pulled Zhou Min closer. The hot breath mixed with the fragrance gently fanned his face.

"Are you aware of what you're doing?" Zhou Qiting softly confirmed, the petal-shaped sign engraved with the Chinese character "Zhou" gleaming faintly with golden light beneath his fingertips. "Or rather, are you awake?"

This choker, who once declared that Zhou Min belonged to her, was brought back together with the seriously injured and unconscious Zhou Min.

After Zhou Min left, she took it and the collar that Zhou Min had cut off with his own hands back to her current residence and put it in a drawer in the study. She would only take it out when she missed him unbearably.

Zhou Min must have accidentally caught a glimpse of it when he was accompanying him to the office, and now he has taken the initiative to put it back around his neck.

"I am very clear and awake."

Zhou Min drank just to pour out his heart without reservation: "Zhou Qiting, didn't you say from the beginning that you wanted the most authentic me? From now on, no matter what kind of me I am, I will only belong to you."

"You can do whatever you want to me. You don't have to hold back, because..."

Zhou Min pressed his lips against Zhou Qiting's and sighed softly, "I want the real you, too..."

At first it was just a light touch like a feather brushing past, and then Zhou Qiting hooked Zhou Min's neck almost forcefully, pried open her teeth with the tip of his tongue, and deepened the kiss.

As their lips and tongues intertwined, Zhou Qiting clearly tasted the unique scent of Zhou Min in the mellow aroma of the remaining wine.

The aftertaste spread, and the drunkenness seemed to penetrate into her heart through this kiss.

The halo of the wall lamp cast their overlapping figures on the wall, and time at this moment became sweet and sticky.

The long kiss finally ended until the air in their lungs was almost exhausted. Both of them were panting, their foreheads touching, their breaths intertwined.

There was a glint in Zhou Qiting's eyes. Without waiting for her breath to calm down, she leaned her head closer, and her soft lips brushed Zhou Min's earlobe.

A hot breath of words, mixed with a slight gasp, reached Zhou Min's ears: "Help me... unzip the back..."

Zhou Min's hand was originally resting lightly on Zhou Qiting's waist. After hearing Zhou Qiting's words, his knuckles stiffened slightly. He did not obey her wishes, but moved his palm back, firmly supporting her lower back, and only deepened the embrace.

"Your injury will take some time to heal."

Zhou Qiting was very clear about her physical condition. Her wounds had almost healed, but this person still treated her like fragile porcelain, who could not be bumped or touched.

It's really abominable.

Zhou Yiting leaned closer to Zhou Min, her body relaxed. His gentle breath brushed past her ears, bringing a slight tingling shiver.

"Help me take it off..." The bewitching voice paused, and after Zhou Min's body tensed for a while, he added with a hint of a smile, "I just want to take a shower."

The sofa was still a bit too confined, so Zhou Yiting decided to let her go for the time being.

Zhou Min turned his head slightly, away from the hot breath beside his ear, swallowed softly, then raised his hand and groped almost clumsily for the top of the zipper of his dress and gently pulled it open.

Compared to the cold metal, the exposed skin on the back seemed warm to the touch. Zhou Min's fingertips only touched it for a moment before he withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

Her thoughtfulness rarely stopped there tonight, and she said with a trembling voice: "...You can do the rest by yourself."

Without waiting for an answer, Zhou Min directly supported Zhou Qiting's legs, picked her up steadily, and walked quickly towards the bathroom.

During the process, Zhou Qiting did not forget to hook her arm around Zhou Min's neck and breathe slowly, and her charming voice gently seduced her in her ear: "Do you want to take a shower together?"

Zhou Min couldn't say no at this moment, not because she was attracted by the proposal, but because she gritted her teeth and endured the vague itch. She went to the bathroom, put the man down, and left as if escaping.

When Zhou Qiting returned to the bedroom, her body wet and smelling fresh after a bath, she found that Zhou Min had changed his shirt into pajamas and was sitting upright on the edge of the bed.

There was only one bedside lamp in the room, and the light bathed the room in a gentle warm yellow. The necklace on Zhou Min's neck was no longer blocked by the collar, and her eyes were lowered, making her look unusually quiet and obedient in the halo.

Hearing the voice, Zhou Min raised his eyes, his gaze clear after countless deep breaths.

Zhou Qiting walked slowly towards the bed with a faint smile on his lips. The moment his figure enveloped Zhou Min, he pushed her defenseless onto the bed and straddled her body with his knees.

Zhou Qiting held Zhou Min's shoulders and sat astride her. The last trace of smile on his face had disappeared, replaced by a condescending look as if he was examining his prey.

Their bodies sank into the bed due to the sudden push, but Zhou Min's thoughts were faster than his reaction - they were too close to the edge of the bed and there was a risk of falling backwards.

She immediately raised her hands, trying to hold onto Zhou Qiting's legs. However, before her fingertips touched the fabric of her nightgown, she heard a cold command: "Don't touch me."

Zhou Min's outstretched hand suddenly stopped, his fingertips curled slightly, and finally he could only retract it weakly, falling on the bed sheet beside him.

She looked up at the person on her body. There was no familiar warmth in Zhou Qiting's eyes, which clearly reflected her obedience at the moment.

Her throat rolled up and down unconsciously, and a secret excitement was quietly climbing up her spine.

But Zhou Min knew that such emotions were inappropriate. She suppressed the throbbing in her heart and said in a trembling voice, "Your injury..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhou Qiting cut him off coldly: "None of your business."

Then, the corners of his lips curved up again, but it was a cold smile: "All you have to do is watch carefully."

"Zhou Min, do you know how much I've missed you sometimes over the past three years?"

Zhou Min didn't know and didn't dare to know. When she was stammering and couldn't say anything, Zhou Qiting took the initiative to reveal the answer to Zhou Min.

Her fingertips hooked the waistband of her nightgown and ripped it open bit by bit at an almost torturous speed.

The silk laces rubbed against the fabric, making a slight rustling sound, which was infinitely amplified in the silent room at this moment, and was so clear that it made Zhou Min's heart tremble.

The laces were completely pulled out and hung softly in the palm of his hand. Zhou Qiting casually wrapped his fingers around them and played with them, his eyes always looking straight at Zhou Min, as if admiring the other's expression which was gradually tensing up due to his actions.

Just when Zhou Min thought he was going to be tied up by Zhou Qiting again, she threw the laces aside, leaned down slightly, and asked in a joking tone: "What are you looking at?"

The close action made Zhou Min's eyes hurriedly withdraw from Zhou Qiting's playful gaze, and he had to fall on her neckline which was open due to the loss of restraint.

Zhou Qiting's fingertips stayed where Zhou Min's gaze fell, and she pulled aside the half-covering cloth.

"Are you looking here?" The ending tone rose slightly, making the question sound a little surprised.

It was clearly an intentional inducement, but Zhou Qiting still asked knowingly. However, Zhou Min just couldn't take his eyes off her and was involuntarily led by her into the abyss of desire.

…

That tear, with its weight that could not be ignored, created a tiny gap in Zhou Yiting's heart. The surging tide of emotions completely broke through the dam and swallowed her up in an instant.

"Zhou Min..."

Zhou Qiting sighed emotionally as she uttered the name that she had silently recited in her heart over the past three years when she missed him. Her fingertips were still buried in the trembling warmth. She released the hand from around his neck, leaned in close, and carefully kissed away the tears from the corners of Zhou Min's eyes.

“…So good.”