Chapter 47
Xiang Nuo and Zhuang Ke were dumbfounded. As expected of the chairman, he came from a family of wolves and tigers, and he could be ruthless and cruel to himself.
"Sigh, so it's true, we'll never get rich in this lifetime," Zhuang Ke said with a regretful expression.
“We don’t need to get rich this way. Look at these two people over there, aren’t they both richer than us? Look at them, what’s the use of having so much money?” Xiang Nuo looked at the two and felt that they were like a pair of star-crossed lovers in a movie, and was filled with emotion.
Look at Zhuang Ke, grinning foolishly as he twirls the hem of his clothes. What's the use of having so much money? Can you even find someone who's both incredibly intelligent and utterly clueless?
Looking at the two people opposite, one was completely out of it, and the other still retained some consciousness, but was also unable to walk in a straight line.
"What should I do?" Xiang Nuo suddenly realized that she was in a very awkward situation.
"Judge, there's a hotel nearby. You can take us there." With the little sanity he had left, Li Ye quickly analyzed the situation and offered Xiang Nuo a solution.
These words carried a lot of unspoken meaning for Xiang Nuo. She knew she couldn't steal someone else's thunder, so she paid the bill, put one arm around Zhuang Ke, supported Li Ye with the other, and Li Ye half-carried Xu Wanyi. The four of them staggered out of the bar. Such situations were all too common in bars, and almost no one noticed them.
"Are you sure you can handle this?" Xiang Nuo escorted the two into the room and watched as Li Ye placed Xu Wanyi on the bed. Not entirely at ease, she asked another question.
"No problem, thank you Judge Xiang." Li Ye squinted his eyes, dispelling some of the drowsiness.
"Um, about the Economic Crime Investigation Department?"
Xiang Nuo laughed. This man was really infatuated. What time was it? The room was already booked, and he was still thinking about this.
"Don't worry, Attorney Li, what my girlfriend says is what I say. Come find me again when you've sobered up."
Li Ye gave an OK sign, then led Zhuang Ke out and closed the door.
Li Ye only kept a nightlight and a desk lamp on. He staggered over to Xu Wanyi's side, wanting to help her cover herself with the blanket.
Xu Wanyi was truly drunk this time. She felt that the person next to her was extremely familiar, so she desperately moved closer, stretched out her hands and hugged Li Ye tightly, and kept rubbing against her shoulders.
Li Ye was already half-drunk and half-awake. When Xu Wanyi suddenly hugged him, he could only sit on the edge of the bed. In his daze, he couldn't tell what day it was. He felt dizzy and thought that time had suddenly gone back to ten years ago.
"Why did you leave, Li Ye? Tell me, why did you leave back then? Why did you leave me all alone?!" Xu Wanyi suddenly shouted, her voice trembling with tears.
Li Ye's eyes instantly reddened, and she hugged Xu Wanyi tightly. She could hear the deep repression and pain in those words, and her own heart was shattered.
"Wanyi, I'm sorry. I've always wanted to say this to you, but I've never had the chance. Perhaps it's too late to say it now, but I still want to tell you. Just consider it selfish of me."
"Why did you come back? What are you coming back for?" This time, Xu Wanyi's voice was clearly filled with anger.
"I spent ten years, and finally, I was able to live a peaceful and ordinary life. Why won't you let me go?" Xu Wanyi stammered for a long time before she could finally say these words.
Li Ye felt a sense of unease. This world is full of helplessness; one event after another, one coincidence after another, has led to their current ambiguous and unclear relationship. Some things, once they've happened, can't simply disappear without a trace.
“Wanyi…” Li Ye gently kissed Xu Wanyi’s hair. “It’s all my fault. I was too weak back then, and my pride was too strong. I didn’t know what to strive for. But from beginning to end, I have always loved you, and that has never changed.”
Whether Xu Wanyi heard it or not, understood it or not, she rubbed her face against Li Ye's neck without saying a word.
Li Ye hugged her, as if the emptiness of the past ten years had been filled. She gently stroked Xu Wanyi's back, "Why are you still so thin? Whether I'm by your side or not, you have to take good care of yourself."
A tear silently rolled down Xu Wanyi's cheek and onto Li Ye's neck, disappearing into her nape.
Li Ye leaned against the headboard and simply moved Xu Wanyi into his arms. Xu Wanyi curled up and still clung tightly to Li Ye's neck.
In his arms was the lover he had longed for but could not have, the most familiar stranger in the world. This was like a small spark that ignited Li Ye's already chaotic heart.
After a while, Li Ye noticed that Xu Wanyi in her arms was not moving, her hands were gradually relaxing, and her breathing was steady and heavy. She thought that she must have fallen asleep, and her burning heart calmed down a little. She also put away the idea of doing something. She knew that she would not and did not want to lay a hand on Xu Wanyi when she was so drunk.
She sat up slightly, trying to move her legs off the bed behind Xu Wanyi so that she could lie flat and get a good night's sleep. By the time she tiptoed to the floor, she was covered in sweat. For the first time in her life, she felt that being so tall wasn't entirely a good thing.
The room was dimly lit. Li Ye lowered his head and quietly looked at Xu Wanyi. Her eyes were closed, her long eyelashes casting shadows, and her face was flushed. Ten years had passed, but her face was still etched in Li Ye's heart.
She couldn't resist and kissed him. She thought to herself, just a light kiss, just one.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Whether Xu Wanyi had already woken up or had been awakened by Li Ye's kiss, her lips suddenly met his. Li Ye was startled and was about to lift his head and back away when a pair of hands wrapped around her neck again, holding her in place.
The two, one above and one below, gazed at each other silently, as if time itself had stood still.
She saw that Xu Wanyi's eyes were misty and watery, with affection in the corners of her eyes, giving her a charming and alluring appearance.
Li Ye couldn't resist Xu Wanyi's gaze and demeanor. Whenever Xu Wanyi looked at her like that, she was willing to do anything for her.
Li Ye felt the hand on her neck gradually tightening. She followed the force downwards, tilting her body even more, getting closer and closer to Xu Wanyi. Finally, she couldn't resist and kissed her again.
This time, Xu Wanyi didn't let go of her, and she didn't let go of Xu Wanyi either.
The temperature in the room suddenly rose, and Li Ye's kisses gradually moved downwards. Xu Wanyi couldn't help herself, and soft, delicate sounds finally escaped her throat.
In an instant, it was as if the gates of hell had been opened.
Ten years of repression and separation had clouded their judgment, and they entwined themselves together with all their might, as if nothing could separate them anymore.
Xu Wanyi's long, drawn-out cry echoed in the room, and Li Ye's sweat dripped onto her body, just like those nights in those years.
In the early hours of the morning, Xu Wanyi, who had been tossing and turning all night, finally fell asleep, truly asleep. After tidying up, Li Ye lay down next to her, hugging her from behind, feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat, and his heart seemed to be filled with something again.
There was nothing else in the world she wanted to pursue—she desired nothing more than the person in her arms.
Before long, Li Ye also drifted off to sleep and slept soundly until dawn without any dreams.
When she woke up, she was alone in bed. She reached out and touched the side of her head; it was cold. She didn't know when Xu Wanyi had gotten up or left.
Li Ye sat up, his head feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds, as if he hadn't woken up from a hangover.
She first looked at the head of the bed, then looked around, and then ran to the desk without even putting on her shoes, but found nothing.
Xu Wanyi didn't even leave her a note. What does that mean? Is it tit-for-tat? Because I left once, she has to leave once too. Is that fair?
Li Ye thought for a while, but couldn't figure it out; instead, her head started to throb even more. She stared blankly at the floor, suddenly realizing that she didn't know if Xu Wanyi really wanted to sleep with her, or if she just wanted to find someone to sleep with…
Xu Wanyi woke up very early. After some strenuous exercise, the alcohol in her body was expelled through her sweat.
Li Ye hugged her from behind, one arm around her waist and his hand on her lower abdomen. She took Li Ye's hand and moved her body back closer, feeling the warmth of his body.
Listening to her deep and rhythmic breathing, Xu Wanyi felt at ease for the first time in many years.
She turned to face Li Ye, looking at his slender yet handsome face, and couldn't help but trace his eyebrows, nose, and jawline with her hand, finally placing her fingers gently on his lips.
Only at this moment did she realize that deep down, Li Ye had never left her. But was this really the situation she wanted?
Xu Wanyi was overwhelmed with emotions and lost her composure.
Are you drunk? Yes, I am. Are you completely unconscious? No, not at all.
She didn't know how she got there, nor did she hear Li Ye's long rambling, but she woke up when Li Ye said, "But from beginning to end, I have always loved you, and that has never changed."
She wasn't unaware that Li Ye planned to leave, but the complex emotions she felt wouldn't allow her to let her go.
But now that she's awake, she suddenly doesn't know how to face Li Ye, or how to define their relationship in the future. She's confused.
She used to be so certain of her relationship with Li Ye, but now, while she could confirm their feelings, she couldn't confirm their relationship as she used to. She felt there were too many things she hadn't sorted out: her family, Li Ye's family, and the ten years they hadn't been a part of each other's lives...
Xu Wanyi did not want to make any commitments or define any relationship before she had figured out her true feelings.
Therefore... she couldn't just face Li Ye like this, and besides, she still had too many things to accomplish, and she couldn't let these things hinder her progress at this time.
Delay. This was the last thing she came up with—she believed that Li Ye was no longer the naive young man he was ten years ago, and that he had matured and become more patient, and that some things had come to the surface. She also believed in Li Ye's love for her.
Once everything has settled down, she will reveal her heart to Li Ye without reservation. If Li Ye is still the same at that time, then they may be able to truly start over.
So she gently pulled away from Li Ye's arm, dressed herself in the darkness, and quietly returned to Yunman before dawn.
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