Chapter 10
After dinner, Zhou Yanming invited me upstairs to see his astronomical telescope.
The night sky, freshly washed by rain, was unusually clear.
Under his guidance, I saw a whole new kind of scenery.
As I focused on the view, I suddenly realized how close the sound by my ear was.
I glanced sideways – Zhou Yanming’s face was very near, close enough that if I leaned in just a little, we’d touch.
He had a faint scent.
“What perfume do you use?” I suddenly asked.
“Why do you want to know?”
“It smells nice.”
Zhou Yanming was quiet for a moment.
Only then did I realize that complimenting someone’s scent might sound a bit flirtatious.
I was about to protest, but my eyes landed on Zhou Yanming’s lips – they had such a beautiful shape.
The words that came out changed: “Your lips look very kissable.”
Zhou Yanming met my gaze.
“Wen Yuan,” he said, “we haven’t had any alcohol tonight.”
?
The next second, he leaned in, and the moment his lips touched mine, my mind felt like fireworks going off.
For a moment, I lost the ability to think.
But that feeling was so wonderful.
Zhou Yanming pulled away from my lips for a moment. He looked at me, as if he wanted to say something.
I leaned in again.
This time, neither of us spoke.
On this balcony, the only sounds were the ambient noises from outside and the sound of our kiss.
Two sober adults shared a muddled kiss in the dark.
The sudden vibration of my phone brought me back to my senses for a moment.
I looked at my phone. The caller ID: Li Qingyi.
“I’ll take this call.” I didn’t look at Zhou Yanming, nor did I notice his gaze following me.
Li Qingyi spoke in a subdued voice: “Yuanyuan, do you think men always get distant after marriage?”
“He doesn’t even hold me when we sleep anymore.”
Beside me, Zhou Yanming’s phone suddenly vibrated too, and a flood of messages popped up all at once.
He frowned, picked up his phone, and after a moment, turned it to show me.
Xu Shaoting:
“Heavens above, married for two months, half a month on honeymoon, and since we got back I’ve been working overtime.”
“I was so tired last night I fell asleep while she was showering.”
“Now my wife says I don’t love her as much as before we got married, I swear I’m innocent!”
“…”
Li Qingyi: “Men really don’t cherish what they’ve got once they have it.”
I tried to say, “Is it possible he’s just been busy and tired lately? Maybe try caring about his work?”
Li Qingyi paused: “Really?”
Me: “It’s possible.”
“Yuanyuan, why are you speaking up for Xu Shaoting now?” Li Qingyi’s attention shifted. “Have you finally changed your opinion of him?”
“…”
What, am I supposed to encourage divorce?
The call lasted over ten minutes. When I came back to myself, Zhou Yanming had already replied to his messages and set his phone aside.
He hadn’t locked the screen. I wasn’t trying to snoop, but as my eyes swept past, I saw Zhou Yanming’s reply to his childhood friend:
“If that doesn’t work, take a pill.”
Xu Shaoting sent several long voice messages, each dozens of seconds, but Zhou Yanming didn’t even open them – he probably already guessed what they were about.
Seeing me looking at him, Zhou Yanming said, “I don’t need medicine.”
“…”
Who asked?