Chapter 33 Physiological Liking

At four o'clock in the afternoon, just past the hottest time of the day, the sun was still high in the sky, baking the asphalt road.

The trees lining the street were tall and lifeless, scorched by the sun. Cars sped by, carrying with them jets of scorching heat.

After waiting in line for more than ten minutes, You Yue opened the car door, and was enveloped in a scent of sunshine.

Cheng Hexi gradually realized that he was no longer as distant as when they first met. Instead, he would quietly wait for her to get off work in the car and would queue up to buy her desserts.

The two dishes she wanted to eat happened to be available today, so You Yue bought two of each, and also bought several other flavors.

Two full paper bags were placed on the center console, and Cheng Hexi was surprised when she saw them.

It's very hot; it can only be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of three days.

She could have easily thrown away the cake she baked herself, but it was You Yue's kind gesture, and she didn't want to waste it.

But it was really too much to eat.

As if sensing the hesitation of those around him, You Yue started the car, glanced at the road conditions, and said in a natural tone, "It's alright, there are two people in our family."

Our family.

This is hardly something a couple in a business marriage would say.

More like family or partners.

Cheng Hexi was surprisingly slow to react. She smiled long after he finished speaking and asked, "Don't you dislike sweets?"

"..." You Yue was silent for a moment, then surprisingly said, "I sometimes crave it too."

-

The art museum was bustling with people, a lively scene.

You Yue turned the steering wheel half a turn to park the car in the parking space, and then with a "click," the passenger seatbelt popped open.

Cheng Hexi put down her phone and then remembered to ask him, "How does the car feel?"

"Not bad." You Yue smiled, turned off the engine, and thanked her.

Thank you for lending him your car.

The G63 has a very pleasing exhaust note, a spacious interior, and excellent visibility, offering a completely different experience from sports cars.

This morning, when leaving home, You Yue deliberately slowed down to wait for Cheng Hexi.

He stood at the door picking out car keys. Cheng Hexi had just changed her clothes and came to the entrance hall. She thought that this young master's life was too extravagant and that he probably suffered from decision paralysis every morning.

Finally, she got the woman's request to drive her G-Class.

Mr. Cheng immediately and generously stated that he could drive it if he wanted, and that the car could be considered joint property of the couple.

So You Yue picked up the car keys and, after many years, touched the steering wheel of a heavy-duty off-road vehicle again.

"You're welcome," Cheng Hexi paused, then added, "Will you drive back too? I have some work to take care of."

He even shook his phone as he spoke.

There was a radio playing randomly in the car, playing R&B the whole way.

Cheng Hexi has been working for the past ten minutes or so.

Hearing this, You Yue gave her a half-smile, seemingly in a good mood, and asked, "Am I a driver today?"

"..." She sighed, "You are my legal husband."

After retorting, Cheng Hexi turned and unlocked the car. Seeing that he didn't move, she looked up and asked, "Shall we get out?"

-

Besides studying astronomy at Oxford, Chi Yu'an is also a well-known astrophotography blogger with nearly five million followers across the internet.

She started traveling all over the world while she was studying at Peking University, photographing nebulae, meteor showers, and auroras.

This starry sky exhibition was organized by her and a well-known painter friend. The tickets were inexpensive, and she and her friend had previously promised on social media that all proceeds would be donated.

After passing through security, Cheng Hexi walked into the exhibition hall and immediately saw the theme of the exhibition.

It's a Latin proverb—

Per aspera ad astra (Through adversity, reach the stars.)

They browsed through the images one by one and saw that a little girl was very interested in the holographic nebula and asked Cheng Hexi if she could help take a picture of her back.

Cheng Hexi patiently took the camera and bent down to help her find the right angle.

Seeing that she was having an inconvenience, You Yue naturally took the bag from her hand.

The air conditioning inside the building wasn't very warm. She was wearing an embroidered white shirt dress and a pair of lustrous pearl earrings.

You Yue was also wearing a white shirt and black trousers.

At first glance, they look like a young couple on a date, dressed in matching outfits.

The tall, long-legged man stood in the exhibition hall, carrying a bag for the person next to him with his ring finger.

The two are a perfect match in appearance and demeanor, and even basic clothes look extraordinary on them. Passersby can't help but glance at them.

Just after finishing browsing the entire exhibition hall, Chi Yu'an sent a message to Cheng Hexi, saying that she was at one more intersection and asking where they were.

Cheng Hexi said she was just about to leave the exhibition hall.

As soon as the two stepped out of the exhibition hall, they spotted a silver-gray sports car turning the corner, signaling, and driving toward a nearby parking space.

The Aston Martin Vanquish has a license plate with consecutive numbers, four high-profile sevens.

Cheng Hexi glanced over and asked You Yue, "President Ying's car?"

You Yue also turned his gaze to the car, not denying it, and asked her, "You know?"

“I saw it last time,” Cheng Hexi said, “at the entrance of ‘Yun Jian’.”

Yunjian is that private restaurant.

"You remembered it after seeing it only once?"

Cheng Hexi glanced at him with amusement: "It's so easy to remember, it's hard not to."

He added, "Didn't you also remember my license plate number after seeing it only once?"

You Yue thought, how could that be the same?

He didn't have the time to pay attention to other people's license plate numbers.

Ying Zeqing usually drives two cars: a Maybach and the Aston Martin in front of us.

I frequent various places in Beijing, and quite a few people recognize these two cars. That's how I lent my most frequently driven car to others...

Cheng Hexi had been curious for a long time. Now that her relationship with You Yue was no longer as unfamiliar as before, she finally spoke up and asked, "These two friends of yours, are they...?"

You Yue turned his head to look at her: "Hmm?"

The two looked at each other, he smiled, and gestured for Cheng Hexi to continue.

"They're not like lovers, but they're not just ordinary friends either."

After giving a brief description, Cheng Hexi thought for a moment and concluded: "More like... unrequited love?"

"You figured it out a long time ago?"

Based on You Yue's understanding of her, she wouldn't gossip with him as soon as she noticed something was amiss.

"Pretty much," she said. "It's not hard to tell."

You Yue looked at her quietly for a few seconds: "You're smarter than Chi Yu'an."

Not so slow.

Cheng Hexi knew that she had guessed correctly.

In this mundane world, anyone can fall in love.

Perhaps they are mutually in love and will be united forever. Or perhaps they will endure sweet torment, destined for eternal damnation.

-

Upon seeing them, Chi Yu'an gave them a bright smile, first calling her "cousin-in-law," and then going to greet You Yue.

Cheng Hexi thought she was really cute, and as usual, she said some polite things and praised the works that had just been exhibited.

It wasn't entirely just politeness; Cheng Hexi genuinely admired her talent.

A dimple appeared on Chi Yu'an's cheek. Without any modesty, she thanked her generously.

She personally participated in the curation, putting in a great deal of effort, and even wrote down the time, place, and her thoughts on each of the works by hand.

Rational yet emotional, that's rare.

Chi Yu'an then noticed the bag in You Yue's hand, widened his eyes, and joked, "I never thought my cousin would be carrying a lady's bag one day."

You Yue ignored her, but Cheng Hexi, who rarely carried a bag, realized that her bag was still in You Yue's hands. Feeling embarrassed that someone had brought it up, she wanted to take it back and carry it herself.

You Yue didn't give it to her, but continued to carry it for her.

Cheng Hexi thought this was also a manifestation of his gentlemanly manners, so she didn't insist any further.

They had originally planned to have dinner together, but Chi Yu'an had a professor from Peking University who wanted to come over, so she couldn't make it and felt very apologetic.

Cheng Hexi didn't think it was a big deal and told her that there would be plenty of time and opportunities later, and they could make an appointment anytime.

She and Cheng Hexi got along well and decided to give them a ride, so they walked together toward the car.

When he saw that You Yue was driving a Mercedes-Benz G-Class today, he exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't you not drive this car for ten years? Have you recently fallen in love with it again?"

You Yue casually hummed in agreement and said, "I've fallen in love with it again."

Cheng Hexi, unaware of the story between You Yue and the G-Wagon, smiled and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Chi Yu'an glanced at You Yue, and seeing that he didn't stop her, she started telling Cheng Hexi about what had happened before.

"I heard this from my grandma; my cousin never told me..."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Hexi glanced at You Yue, her eyes revealing a hint of curiosity and teasing.

You Yue got his driver's license when he was eighteen, before he had even finished high school.

My grandfather was still alive then, and on the day You Yue got his license, he gave him a magnificent black G500.

It's really cool, and 18-year-old You Yue really likes it.

However, he was never a calm and steady person, and he was young and impetuous at the time. After only a few days of driving, he smashed the front of the car and the front bumper.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Neither of the two elderly people in the family paid attention to the car, but they were both terrified by him.

Afterwards, Youyue was ordered to stop driving large off-road vehicles.

After Grandpa got angry, he bought him a Porsche.

He hasn't driven that car since that day.

-

Chi Yu'an kept calling her "cousin-in-law," and Cheng Hexi was still curious whether Chi Yu'an knew that her marriage to You Yue was a loveless union.

Just then, You Yue suddenly took her hand.

Cheng Hexi was now familiar with the feel and temperature of his hand, and let him hold her hand.

It's been so hot lately, it even feels a bit warm when we hold hands. She couldn't help but wonder, didn't You Yue feel the same way?

However, she realized something clearly last night.

When they first got their marriage certificate, she always felt that You Yue's appearance and figure perfectly matched her aesthetic.

Dark complexion, peach blossom eyes, high nose bridge, thin lips.

The muscle definition is pleasing to the eye, even the feel of it is...

The same is probably true for Youyue.

They never kissed outside the bed, but in bed, the man kissed her so roughly that he wanted to swell her lips.

In a moment of passion and infatuation, the two were deeply attracted to each other.

A clear physiological attraction.

-

After Chi Yu'an left, they got into the car.

Cheng Hexi recalled his eighteenth year and that G500, and asked, "How did the accident happen back then?"

Eleven years have passed since this incident, and You Yue still remembers it, but hasn't mentioned it in a long time.

"I had just driven out of the villa area when a small dog suddenly ran into the road. I tried to avoid it, so I turned the steering wheel and crashed into the guardrail on the side of the road."

It also broke a tree.

"I'm fine, and the puppy is fine too."

Looking back now, it really wasn't that serious, but it really terrified the two elderly people at the time. He felt guilty for a long time and even became more restrained.

Cheng Hexi was most afraid of car accidents, and she thought to herself, thankfully he was safe.

I feel lucky for Youyue, who is eighteen years old.

The two got into the car, and before she had even fastened her seatbelt, her phone suddenly rang in the quiet car.

The caller ID showed He Chongguang.

Cheng Hexi was puzzled and frowned slightly.

You Yue watched her answer the phone, intending to wait until she fastened her seatbelt before starting the car.

In those few seconds, Cheng Hexi's expression changed drastically after hearing what the other person said.

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Author's Note: After get off work, I transform into an octopus, frantically typing away. Sometimes I don't even finish writing by 9 PM. [pat on the head]

I still love you all. Thank you for your support and understanding. [Please!]