Chapter Fourteen is just for learning.
Cheng Yin stood at the door of Jiabo waiting for Li Yaodong. The wound inside her black t-shirt and flat shoes had scabbed over, and she only felt a slight stinging pain when she walked.
Li Yaodong's black Mercedes stopped in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing him wearing sunglasses and sporting fresh stubble on his chin. "Get in," he said, his voice hoarse from a hangover.
The car was filled with the scent of coffee and cologne.
"Where did you sleep last night?" Cheng Yin asked, purely out of curiosity rather than jealousy.
Li Yaodong chuckled lightly: "Checking up on me?"
Cheng Yin shook her head: "Keep it in the book." She took out her phone. "Do you need me to record the accommodation costs?"
Li Yaodong's laughter grew louder, and he abruptly turned the steering wheel onto the coastal highway: "No need. It's a friend's house."
The yacht was larger than Cheng Yin had imagined, its three decks dazzlingly white in the sunlight. When she boarded, she was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, looking like a female teacher who had accidentally wandered into a party among a group of bikini-clad women.
"Sister Cheng!" He Jingwen waved from the deck, "Over here!"
Cheng Yin nodded in acknowledgment, but did not go over. Her foot injury had not yet healed, and the doctor had instructed her not to get it wet.
The yacht slowly pulled away from the dock, the sea breeze carrying a salty, fishy smell. Cheng Yin found a corner to sit down, watching the revelry on the deck gradually heat up.
Champagne, bikinis, tanned skin, and the mixed smells in the air. She thought of the American movies she had watched, and the saying, "Art imitates life, but transcends it."
Cici, wearing a fluorescent pink bikini that barely covered anything, was applying sunscreen to Li Yaodong. Li Yaodong lay on a sun lounger, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses, making it impossible to tell whether he was enjoying himself or just enduring it.
The sea shimmered, and several equally luxurious yachts could be seen in the distance. Her phone had long lost signal, so she simply turned it off and put it in her pocket.
"Won't you have a drink?" Lin Shirong appeared beside him at some point and handed him an orange drink.
Cheng Yin accepted it, thanked her, and took a small sip. The taste was sweet with a hint of bitterness; the alcohol content must be quite high.
"Aren't you afraid I'll drug you?" Lin Shirong pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes behind the lenses scrutinizing him.
Cheng Yin took another sip. "You're still testing me," she said calmly. "Testing how 'important' and 'special' I am to Li Yaodong."
Lin Shirong raised an eyebrow: "And the result?"
"See?" Her voice was completely flat. "I'm worthless. Not the kind of plaything that upper-class people like you would want."
Lin Shirong stared at the scars for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "Miss Cheng, do you know what you resemble?" He took a sip of his drink, "Like that kind of salesperson who deliberately says, 'This stuff is terrible, don't buy it.'"
Cheng Yin buttoned her clothes back up: "Just telling the truth."
"No," Lin Shirong shook his head, "you're using the 'I'm a pile of shit, whoever touches me will stink' approach to refuse everyone's attention."
The sea breeze suddenly picked up, ruffling Cheng Yin's hair. She tucked a strand behind her ear and pondered Lin Shirong's words: "You're right."
Lin Shirong was speechless for a moment, not expecting her to admit it so readily.
Cheng Yin continued, "But this method is very effective, isn't it?"
"It works on normal people." Lin Shirong leaned down, his voice low, "But have you ever seen a real madman? Those who don't value their lives? When they're insane, they'll even stuff shit into their mouths."
Cheng Yin looked up at him: "So who wants to sleep with me?"
Lin Shirong was speechless. He opened his mouth, then suddenly laughed: "Is this how you managed to handle Li Yaodong? Just get to the point, no beating around the bush?"
Cheng Yin nodded.
"He didn't throw you into the sea?"
Cheng Yin calmly replied, "Not yet."
Lin Shirong laughed even louder, drawing sidelong glances from several girls on deck. He wiped away tears of laughter and pulled a room key from his pocket: "The party is for three days and two nights. You can go back to your room and rest first."
Cheng Yin took the room key: "Thank you."
The cabin was much smaller than a hotel suite, but it was fully equipped. Cheng Yin lay on the bed, listening to the hum of the yacht's engine and the sound of waves crashing against the hull.
The ceiling swayed slightly with the yacht, like a giant cradle.
She stepped out of the room, and faint music drifted from the upper deck, but the corridor was deserted.
There were far fewer people on the deck. Several drunk girls were lying by the pool, and He Jingwen was smoking at the bar. Li Yaodong and Cici were nowhere to be seen.
"Looking for Brother Dong?" Lin Shirong appeared out of nowhere, holding a glass of ice water.
Cheng Yin took the water glass: "Mmm."
"At 210," Lin Shirong said meaningfully, "and Cici."
Cheng Yin finished her iced water and handed the glass back to him: "Can you take me there?"
Lin Shirong raised an eyebrow: "You want to...?"
"Observe," Cheng Yin said. "Learn."
The door to room 210 was closed, but the soundproofing was clearly not very good.
Before I even got close, I heard Cici's exaggerated scream, followed by the rhythmic creaking of the mattress.
Cheng Yin stood outside the door, her ear pressed against the door panel.
Lin Shirong leaned against the opposite wall, observing her expression with interest: "Eavesdropping isn't a good habit."
Cheng Yin suddenly said, "The rhythm is very steady, once per second, but the force is great." Her voice was as calm as if she were discussing the weather.
Lin Shirong raised an eyebrow: "You're analyzing this?" He made an ambiguous gesture: "You and him..."
"We didn't sleep together," Cheng Yin said, pressing her ear back against the door. "I was just studying."
Cheng Yin continued listening. Two-thirds of Cici's cries were performances, changing tone every fifteen seconds, as if coordinating with something... Could it be Li Yaodong's instructions?
What should we study?
"His preferences. Debts always have to be repaid. It's reasonable to find out the creditor's preferences in advance."
Lin Shirong's expression became complex. He stared at Cheng Yin for a long time: "You're a really strange woman. Both intelligent and foolish, both lucid and insane."
Is this a compliment?
"It's observation," Lin Shirong mimicked her tone.
The sounds in the room reached a climax, with Cici's screams almost piercing eardrums, followed by a brief silence with only muffled talking and the sound of the shower water.
Cheng Yin straightened up: "It's over." She turned to Lin Shirong, "Thank you for showing me the way."
"That's it? You're just going to listen and then leave?"
Cheng Yin nodded: "The data has been collected enough."
"Your attitude is more likely to arouse a man's desire to conquer than any attempt to play hard to get."
Cheng Yin thought for a moment: "Is this your personal opinion, or a common male mentality?"
Lin Shirong shook his head: "You really are..."
During dinner, Li Yaodong saw Cheng Yin and Lin Shirong sitting together, and his eyes flickered slightly. He walked over, exuding a refreshing scent after his shower.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, his gaze shifting between the two of them.
Before Lin Shirong could speak, Cheng Yin replied, "We were discussing your sexual preferences."
Lin Shirong almost choked on his own saliva.
Li Yaodong raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement: "The conclusion is?"
"Cici's calling you that sounds so fake," Cheng Yin said bluntly. "You don't like the other person being too proactive. From behind is your preferred position, probably because you can control the depth and angle."
The restaurant fell silent instantly. Even the drunken party animals in the distance stopped their commotion and looked this way.
Cici's face flushed red and then turned pale, while Li Yaodong remained expressionless, with only a slight twitch in the corner of his eye betraying his emotions.
"Anything else?" Li Yaodong's voice was soft, carrying a dangerous undertone.
Cheng Yin thought for a moment: "About fifteen minutes. Considering Ms. Cici's preparation beforehand, this time is shorter than average." She paused, "It's probably because you've been under a lot of work pressure lately."
A deathly silence.
Then Lin Shirong finally couldn't hold back and burst into a thunderous laugh. He laughed until tears streamed down his face, and he slammed his fist on the table.
Cici ran away in shame and anger. Li Yaodong stood there, staring at Cheng Yin for a long time, and then suddenly smiled.
The smile was faint, but genuine.
"High pressure, huh?" he repeated, turning to walk towards the bar. "So, what are your thoughts?"
Cheng Yin looked up and said, "More civilized than I imagined." It wasn't like he had said before that they played very aggressively and that people would die.
"Brother Dong," Lin Shirong quickly composed himself to salvage the situation, "would you like to bring Miss Cheng along for diving tomorrow?"
Li Yaodong then shifted his gaze from Cheng Yin: "She has a foot injury."
"That's so boring," muttered a girl in a pink bikini. "I can't stay in my room for three days straight, can I?"
Cheng Yin put down her soup spoon: "I can help with the bookkeeping."
A burst of laughter erupted in the restaurant.
Li Yaodong's gaze swept over everyone: "What are you laughing at? She's definitely better at accounting than you all."
The laughter stopped immediately. The girls looked at each other, not daring to refute.
He Jingwen suddenly raised his glass: "Come on, come on, work hard, and play even harder!" He then winked at Cheng Yin, "Accountant Cheng, remember to balance work and rest."
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