In Ye Jin's more than 30 years of smooth sailing life, except for the heart-wrenching betrayal she encountered in her first relationship, no words could hit her as hard as they did now.
She remained frozen in place, with one foot already outside the door. She then had to hold onto the door frame to steady herself, closing her eyes to steady her shaky mind before slowly asking, "——What did you say?"
Ye Kai passed by her and paused for a moment: "Have a drink."
Then he walked out of the study and into the living room separated by a wall.
The inverted petal crystal lamp was lit up, and Ye Kai opened the orange saddle leather wine cabinet and took out a bottle of Karuizawa whiskey. Ye Jin walked in quietly, and Ye Kai did not look back at her. He took out the clear ice from the ice bucket. The slightly cool liquid looked like gold under the light, and was gently poured into the crystal glass.
Ye Jin took the wine glass he handed over with an expressionless face.
"You're not right. At least when it comes to whiskey, I prefer Karuizawa to Macallan." The smile on Ye Kai's face was very faint, almost nonexistent, but perhaps because of his eyes, Ye Jin always felt that he was in a good mood.
Macallan is Chen Youhan’s favorite whisky brand.
"Try it?" Ye Kai raised his eyebrows, and the ice cubes made pleasant collision sounds as he moved.
He was waiting for Ye Jin to toast with him.
The two crystal glasses finally clinked together under the light. Ye Jin took a sip and said calmly, "Who are you kidding? Karuizawa imports barley from Scotland, which is the same variety used by Macallan."
Ye Kai couldn't help but laugh: "Golden Promise, the name of that barley, Golden Promise."
People who don't drink often may not be able to get used to the flavor of Karuizawa. It has a stronger peat flavor, a heavier texture, and is more Scottish than Scotch whisky. Ye Jin really couldn't get used to it, and frowned after taking two sips.
Ye Kai leaned against the wine cabinet, crossed his long legs, folded one arm across his chest, and held the wine glass in a skillful and relaxed posture. "I bought it for 690,000 in March. To be honest, when the auction hammer fell, I was thinking about the scene of drinking with him one day."
Ye Jin had nothing to say, enduring the bitterness on the tip of his tongue: "You have never been able to compete with him."
Ye Kai glanced at her and said, "What does it mean to fight for your dignity? Do you have to torture each other to the point where they would rather die than live? Or do you want to fight for your dignity by suppressing the surging love in your heart and the desire to go to him, and say insincerely that you just don't forgive him?"
Ye Jin opened her lips but ultimately said nothing.
"You can't live so muddled, especially when you are stubborn and tough, you need to be smarter. You said that there are many traps in the adult world, but I think there is only one biggest trap, and that is--" Ye Kai curled the corners of his lips and looked back at her with a smile: "You are smart but don't know it, you are immersed in the illusion that you are omnipotent and you stubbornly and hopelessly talk to yourself."
"...Are you teaching me?" Ye Jin was puzzled and looked at Ye Kai almost as a stranger.
"You taught me a lot of truths, and I only say this in return." Ye Kai raised his head and finished the wine in the glass. The stretched curve of his neck and the rolling Adam's apple had a distant and fatal attraction under the light.
Ye Jin thought inappropriately that he was too much influenced by Chen Youhan.
"Brother Youhan and I were rear-ended. He still loves me, and that fact is obvious at a glance. But as you guessed, I was already trying to move on, so I didn't give him any chance. Later, when I went to Yunnan for research, what a coincidence - it was such a coincidence that he was there too. Do you know how to get to a place like that?"
Seeing Ye Jin shook her head, he curled his lips and continued, "Planes, buses, vans, tractors, and walking, you can't even find it on Google Maps. You know, Brother Youhan is also timid. People like him are timid and afraid of gains and losses when facing love, hiding and not daring to let me see through it, but you know, how can you hide your love for someone?"
Ye Jin thought of the cigarette butt that Chen Youhan pressed into his palm.
"But I still didn't give him a chance. I rejected him before he could say it. The reason for my rejection..." Ye Kai lowered his head and smiled before saying, "Because I think he is shameless. How can he act as if nothing happened and ask me to start over now after saying those words two years ago?"
His smile was indescribable. His eyes hidden in the shadows did not smile, and his facial features were so cold. Ye Jin felt stung in the heart. She realized that Ye Kai was laughing at himself with this smile.
Grasping the cup with his fingers, Ye Kai held his breath and was silent for a moment: "What I didn't understand then, I understand now. He told Grandpa everything. Your position in signing the contract with him, all your logic in stopping us, no longer exist. He may still have breached the agreement between you, but he has defused this bomb and is no longer afraid of anything."
Ye Kai paused, looking at her with a hint of mockery: "You can no longer use those so-called horrific images of 'Grandpa died of anger' to threaten him or me. So, do you understand your defeat clearly?"
After a few minutes, it felt like he had been standing long enough. His legs were tired, and Ye Jin put down the cup and slowly sat down on the sofa, holding the armrest. His usually bright eyes were a little dazed at this moment.
Ye Kai keenly captured her slightest reaction, and continued calmly: "Even so, I still didn't respond to him. He still kept his word and kept the contract and agreement for you. He never said a bad word about you, and never hinted that the root of the problem was you. You asked me why I went to find him again? Because I saw his critical illness notice, and I was scolded by Gu Xiu. I went to see Uncle Chen who almost sent my son away. Uncle Chen said - he was completely stupid back then, and he actually wanted to marry me."
His fingertips trembled uncontrollably. Ye Jin lowered his gaze, then lowered his head, holding his stiff face with his palms.
Ye Kai was indifferent to her outpouring of weakness. "The chances of Chen Youhan and I getting back together are slimmer than the chances of me finding a fossil on Mount Everest. I even wonder if I have overdrawn all my luck and blessings for the rest of my life to get this result."
"Stop talking." Ye Jin pleaded hoarsely, her voice muffled in her wet palms, "You won't."
Ye Kai looked at her expressionlessly.
The ice cubes melted into water in the cup, and the broken ice floated. He subconsciously took another sip, calmed himself, and continued cruelly:
"You think you're very smart, don't you? You think I can't answer those two questions. You don't trust me, nor do you trust Grandpa, let alone Chen Youhan. You are so self-righteous that you think you have found the best solution. You think there can be any kind of true love between a rich and powerful playboy and a high school student. You think that even the deepest emotional injury can be healed if you take a break, and you can happily move on, and you can change to someone else and live your life as if nothing happened."
He gradually became aggressive, "Do you still think you are very kind? You left a way out for Chen Youhan. As long as grandpa dies, he can come after me, love me and beg me again. As for whether it will take ten years, twenty years or thirty years - who the hell cares? Right? Ye Jin, you look up at me and tell me, is it - is it - is it?"
Ye Jin's thin shoulders shuddered uncontrollably at these three heavy words. He took a deep breath, and his pale face finally lifted from his palms.
"yes."
Ye Kai pursed his lips and gave her a half smile coldly.
"What you couldn't do, Chen Youhan did. Now - apologize."
Ye Jin's eyes widened for a moment, and he said stiffly in shock and confusion: "I have already apologized."
"Who the hell cares about your high-handed sorry?" Ye Kai walked towards her step by step, "'You're sorry for the two years that Chen Youhan and I lost'? Chen Youhan's life was worse than death, and I was seriously ill and in pain. Are you sorry? Is it because we are back together that you have the face to be so pretentious and relaxed? He and I - we can be together again, it's a glimmer of hope that we have gained with all our luck and efforts - you, Ye Jin, are saying sorry to me now? If we miss each other, who are you going to say sorry to? Chen Youhan died with guilt because he didn't get emergency treatment, who are you going to say sorry to? Uncle Chen, me, or Chen Youhan's fucking tombstone?!"
Ye Jin shrank back at his fierceness, her feet tensed. However, Ye Kai did not let her go, he even grabbed Ye Jin's slender wrist - "Apologize."
Ye Jin struggled hard, holding back tears and said stubbornly: "Let go! Let go - you hurt me!"
Holding her hand motionless, Ye Kai stared at her with a cold face: "I said - apologize!"
"You're crazy!" Ye Jin looked back with red eyes, "I'm sorry! Are you satisfied? I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm the villain in the TV series, the stumbling block that didn't know what was good for the protagonist's love! It's my fault that you and Chen Youhan almost got into trouble! I'm sorry for you, sorry for your noble love! Is that ok?"
Ye Kai's eyes became darker and darker. The air was quiet. He sneered without saying anything, but only half-curled the corners of his lips before returning to a blank expression. His hands loosened and he stood up straight. Compared with Ye Jin's timid and cautious calmness, he was truly lazy and calm, and even leisurely turned his overly restrictive watch.
"You think you are smart and in control of everything, but I'm sorry, let me tell you the truth - not only grandpa knows, mom also knows that I chose Chen Youhan again. Did mom tell you? Why didn't she tell you? My dear sister, use your intelligence to think carefully, why?"
Ye Jin looked at Ye Kai blankly, his dark eyes were moist and empty.
"Mommy knows." She murmured again, her pupils suddenly shrinking like needles.
"Yes, she knows--" Ye Kai leaned down again, supporting the back of the sofa with both hands, and confined Ye Jin in the narrow space. "Then why do you think she kept it from you?" His voice was soft, with a cold temptation.
Ye Jin seemed to wake up from a dream, blinked in shock, and then looked up at Ye Kai in panic.
Her Adam's apple rolled, and she tried her best to maintain her shaky calm in this confrontation: "...I don't know."
"You know." Ye Kai narrowed his eyes and stared at Ye Jin with mockery, "Because mom thinks you are too controlling and impulsive, because she thinks your way of handling things will only make things worse, because you are not trustworthy... Sister, grandpa also knows, why did he hide it from you? You are wholeheartedly trying to preserve the dignity and warmth of the Ye family, but in the end, everyone is scared of you and no one trusts you. Do you think mom is on your side? But this time, she didn't object at all, she didn't even plan to tell you about it - how does it feel to be betrayed and deceived? Is it fun?"
Ye Jin's eyes, which already had fine lines, were opened wide as hard as she could. Her lips were trembling, but she couldn't find her voice.
Ye Kai finally stopped forcing her, loosened his hand, and looked at her with pity.
Lighted a cigarette.
I watched through the smoke as she finally collapsed and covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders finally couldn't control the trembling and she let out sobs in a panic from her nose.
The things she cherished most were torn into pieces by him.
Ye Kai brushed off the ash from his cigarette and said calmly and indifferently, "Thank you for leaving him a way out in the contract. Thank you for destroying the contract and giving up the pursuit. But this is not the charity you thought it was, but repentance and stopping at the brink. Now, I want to hear you say sorry. Is it difficult, sister?"
The anger in his voice disappeared, returning to his usual clarity and composure.
Ye Jin bent her legs. Under Ye Kai’s scrutinizing gaze and waiting, she huddled up on the sofa, the corners of her mouth trembling and pouting. She finally broke down and cried: “…I’m sorry, Xiao Kai, it’s my fault…I’m sorry—I’m sorry, sorry, sorry…I’m sorry…”
This was the first time Ye Kai saw Ye Jin cry.
She is the kind of person who would lock herself in the room and cry her heart out no matter how painful it is, and then walk out as if nothing had happened.
Ye Kai approached her, calmed down for a moment, bent down in front of the sofa, and gently held her, who was trembling, in his arms.
"You have no interest in Ningtong's business at all. In the past two years, you have been running around third- and fourth-tier cities to expand the business. Why? You have read all the books you sent me, including The Notebooks of Camus, Carving Time, and The Last Night on Earth. The racket is very good. I have played several games with it and it suits me very well." He paused and heard Ye Jin sobbing. "You have been regretting it all the time. Why are you so stubborn? I know you came to Tsinghua to secretly watch me. That time when I was taking a big class in the lecture hall, you were outside the window and I saw you."
Ye Jin sobbed and shook her head.
Ye Kai smiled lightly. Ye Jin didn't see it. She only heard him say in her ear: "I've taught you to be open-minded and smart. Don't be confused and stubborn. I forgive you. Brother Youhan and I forgive you." After he finished speaking, he belatedly smelled the perfume in Ye Jin's hair. He pressed his lips down and kissed her curly hair just enough, "Don't be silly again."
The door was gently closed, and he left the living room to Ye Jin. He thought his sister was more used to crying in a place where no one could see.
She finished the remaining half of her cigarette by the corridor, and Qu Jia came up. She hesitated to speak: "... Did you have a fight?"
Ye Kai stood up straight, put his arm around Qu Jia's shoulders and went downstairs, "Shh."
Qu Jia blinked and asked with her lips: "Are you crying?"
Ye Kai raised his eyes innocently.
Qu Jia looked back worriedly. Ye Kai gently held the back of her head to make her focus on what was in front of her. He coaxed her gently and skillfully, "Don't look at it. If you do, she'll get angry again tomorrow."
After sending the person to the second floor and settling him down, she received a call from Chen Youhan before she even left the bedroom. Qu Jia was very perceptive and guessed who was on the other end from the subtle changes in Ye Kai's eyes. Her eyelids twitched and she asked indifferently, "Chen Youhan?"
Ye Kai answered the phone in front of her.
"Brother Youhan."
Then Qu Jia rolled his eyes and silently cursed "Jesus".
"Come out and see me."
"Now?" Ye Kai glanced at Qu Jia and calmly walked to the window. The moon-white gauze curtain was lifted, and the yard was empty, with only moths and fountains under the street lights.
"Where are you?"
“On the hillside.”
Ye Kai couldn't help laughing. Seeing Qu Jia glaring at him fiercely, he had to cough to cover up his mistake before whispering, "Right away."
Qu Jia's face was long: "What do you mean immediately in the middle of the night?"
Ye Kai clutched his phone, a faint smile on his lips: "I'm going to meet my boyfriend right away."
She quickly fled before Qu Jia got angry, thought for a moment, took two steps back, held the door frame and turned around and said, "Good night, Mom. Have a good sleep."
And he was very considerate and closed the door gently.
Qu Jia's face was distorted. What a good sleep! It was uncertain whether she could fall asleep!
The distance from the main entrance of the villa to the carved courtyard door is about fifty meters. Ye Kai walked slowly, then jogged. The night wind blew his black hair. His hair had grown longer, the curls faded, and the wind lifted it into a beautiful arc.
Siyuan Road has a long hillside with red brick buildings shaded by flowers and branches. It is a circle of the rich and noble in Ning City. Ye Kai opened the side door and the security guard greeted him and called him Young Master.
The dark grey Lamborghini SUV was parked on the ramp. Chen Youhan was half-sitting on the hood, his hands in his pockets, a cigarette in his mouth. When he saw Ye Kai, he stretched out his hands and opened his arms.
Ye Kai ran over like a gust of wind, ran into his arms, and bumped into him so hard that he groaned.
"Why are you here?"
She hooked her arm around his neck, looking like a high school girl who ran out in the middle of the night to meet her boyfriend.
Chen Youhan took down the cigarette: "I missed you, so I came to see you."
"Isn't it at the reception?"
"Give me a bunch of business cards. The rooms are all booked."
Ye Kai said "Hmm?" unhappily and squinted at him.
Chen Youhan hugged him tightly and said, "I'm so self-conscious, it's not too much to kiss me, right?"
Ye Kai leaned close to his neck and smelled the perfume on his collar. Chen Youhan couldn't help laughing and whispered in his ear: "It's useless to check like this. I'll teach you."
Then he held Ye Kai's chin and kissed him.
Those who came out of the party didn't drink any alcohol, but those who stayed at home were slightly drunk.
Chen Youhan rubbed his lips with his fingertips, "Did you drink?"
Ye Kai raised his chin: "A little bit."
His posture and height were perfect for kissing, and his eyes seemed to be asking for a kiss, so Chen Youhan couldn't help but kiss him again.
It was almost midnight and everything was quiet except for the chirping of crickets.
He was still wearing his shirt. Chen Youhan held his lower back with the hand holding the cigarette, and helped him straighten his messy collar with one hand. He asked, "Why haven't you showered yet so late?"
Ye Kai said perfunctorily: "...I was busy writing a report and forgot about it."
Chen Youhan looked at him seriously for a few seconds: "Then why did you call me suddenly?"
She said she missed him and came to see him, but she was probably still worried about him.
Ye Kai hadn't thought of a good answer, so he could only kiss him again. Rich people live in seclusion and seclusion, without even people watching. After kissing deeply, he finally heard the sound of an engine on the winding mountain road. Chen Youhan then pushed him away.
When the sports car passed by, all I could see were the two people standing very close to each other in an ambiguous manner, sharing a cigarette that was almost burning out.
"Not going back?" The breath on his ear was hot, and he was suppressing his breathing in the calm.
"No, senior," Ye Kai replied half-seriously, "My mother will ask."
His senior raised an eyebrow with ill intentions and asked, "Is there still a curfew at the age of 20? I'll have to discuss this with Qu Jia some other day."
Qu Jia's helpless and exasperated face flashed before his eyes. Ye Kai had teased Qu Jia enough in the past two days and didn't know what gift to buy to make her happy.
Chen Youhan touched his cheek with her fingertips again, her deep eyes and eyebrows were gentle and serious under the moonlight, and she asked again: "Will you come home with me?"
Ye Kai finally couldn't stand it anymore and agreed.
The engine started, roaring like a wild animal in the night sky. The car turned down the hill, and red and blue lights flashed in the distance, indicating that it was the traffic police on duty. With the car window lowered to the bottom, Chen Youhan rested his elbow on his face, and the colorful neon lights outside the window became the background of his handsome profile.
"Checking for drunk driving," he said lazily.
Ye Kai was slightly startled, thinking that Chen Youhan had come here drunk. He opened his lips, wanting to start a traffic safety education, but then he heard Chen Youhan slowly add the second half of the sentence:
"Officer, I just kissed him."
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