The words dragged from his throat, deep as a bass, seductive and sensual, plucking at heartstrings.

Before the last syllable fell, Miao Jing’s expression turned cold, and she raised her hand to deliver a swift, clean slap to his face.

The slap was crisp and heavy, quick and fierce, carrying both forceful strength and resentment. Her palm and even her arm went numb. This sudden action violently twisted Chen Yi’s face aside, a bright red handprint blooming on his cheek, complementing the knife wound’s bloodstains… There was nothing sensual or ambiguous about it anymore, only awkward embarrassment.

…

The unexpected slap indeed hurt. Chen Yi grimaced, instinctively wanting to touch his stinging face but unable to raise his arm slowly, his whole person dazed and stunned.

Had she… slapped him senseless?

That hint of romantic thoughts instantly vanished like smoke. His handsome face was slightly twisted, rapidly turning blue-black, his chest burning with anger, his gaze dark and gloomy, unconsciously carrying a trace of viciousness.

Damn it!!!

Couldn’t she play by normal rules?

Looking at that stubborn, snow-cold face and those cold, sharp bright eyes before him, and the sudden flush that appeared in Miao Jing’s eyes, the fire in Chen Yi’s eyes extinguished with a hiss. His eyes were half-closed as he ground his back teeth heavily.

The sound of teeth grinding was harsh.

In his entire life, only this person dared treat him this way.

Miao Jing’s expression reached the peak of coldness. She raised the sharp blade, aimed it at his brow, and challenged coldly: “If you missed me so much, why didn’t you contact me for six years? Missing me for so many years didn’t stop you from being intimate with others, and since I’ve been back, I’ve seen plenty of your flirting with women.”

Chen Yi gritted his teeth, then gritted them again, his handsome face tightly drawn, straining until veins showed, feeling a strong urge to kill her.

He snorted heavily, ignoring the sharpness at his brow, and opened his eyes to stare at her coldly: “What was I thinking about? About sleeping with you? Is that all I think about? Yes, I did think about it, but what then? Life doesn’t go on? People don’t live? What else could I hope for? During festivals, can’t I think about the person who used to wait for me to eat? Seeing high school students on the street, can’t I think about that ungrateful brat in her school uniform? Even if we’re not blood-related, we lived together for so many years. I’d burn paper money during Qingming Festival even for a dog I raised until it died. After raising someone with my own hands, can’t I think about other things?”

His tone was very flippant and nonchalant, but somehow carried a subtle trace of bitterness.

On nights filled with countless lights, he would light a cigarette, think of that stubborn girl, remember the days they spent together, collecting scraps, racing cars, living together, experiencing their last moments of wildness, then throw away the cigarette butt, grind it heavily under his foot, and walk toward distant figures.

Chen Yi twisted his face away from her, his Adam’s apple bobbing heavily, the blood on his neck still not stopped, winding down in an awkward scab.

Miao Jing closed her eyes briefly, remained silent for a while, then moved the knife tip down, back to his waist, lightly unfastening the drawstring of his pants.

Chen Yi wasn’t in the mood anymore and didn’t want to continue, moved his leg to push her off.

Her eyes containing flowing light, she asked him softly: “In your eyes, am I a sister? Family? Or a woman you’ve slept with?”

He remained silent for a long time, finally saying in a low voice: “Who knows? The way we lived together was all messed up. If we were real siblings, we wouldn’t have done those things. What do you think of me? Surely not as a real brother.”

It was a deformed and unrestrained relationship during their growth, emotions too complex, both of them in their youth finding it difficult to define their position in each other’s hearts.

Miao Jing’s mood gradually calmed again, her thick lashes lowered as she looked at the knife in her hand, murmuring: “Do you know how I’ve lived these past few years?”

“How did you live?”

“In my sophomore year, my mom contacted me, came to see me once, and cried in front of me for a long time. During those years without news, she lived well, but that insurance money was stolen by a man. She had no money and went through a long period of hard times. She said she didn’t intentionally abandon me, she just had no choice. She secretly inquired about me once. By then I was already in high school, studying, getting good grades, still living at home—much better than if I’d stayed with her. Later, when her life got better, she met her current husband. Before returning to her hometown, she came to see me, talked with me a lot, apologized, and was glad to see how I turned out. After that, we kept in touch sporadically, occasionally making phone calls.”

“School life wasn’t bad either. I studied engineering, lots of boys and few girls in the department, got along well with my dormmates, teachers and classmates were all very caring. The school was beautiful and lively, various activities and clubs were fulfilling, and studying wasn’t too hard. Outside of classes, I did internships and part-time jobs, learned about makeup and dressing up, participated in various activities, and met many interesting people and things. I climbed mountains at midnight with friends to watch the sunrise, volunteered at the international convention center, and had coffee with teachers to discuss problems. That life compared to before… was truly worlds apart, completely different… I was like a little fish from a gutter suddenly swimming into the ocean, a vast and brilliant world… No one knew where I came from, no one knew about my past life, it was very relaxing, very free… I loved it…”

As she recalled her past days, looking at him, her lips carried a smile, her eyes floating with joyful light. This brilliant light also infected him, and he stared blankly, his heart slightly sour and sweet, unable to help to grin.

“I saw you won scholarships every year, won some technology competition awards.”

“How did you know?” She smiled and asked back.

“Isn’t it all posted on the school website… What lists and forms, plus news updates, even photos from college activities. You were standing in the crowd, showing your profile, thin and white. People below said you were the department beauty, both pretty and aloof, hard to pursue.” He sighed casually, his tone slightly sour, “I saw you indeed lived well.”

Miao Jing smiled sweetly: “My first boyfriend pursued me for two years. He was especially nice, very sunny and cheerful, and also very caring. I learned for the first time that boys could be like that—very clean and polite, never cursing, well-mannered, knew how to compromise and accommodate, never argued with people, made everything very comfortable.”

The faint smile on Chen Yi’s face became slightly unstable, desperately needing a cigarette to ease his emotions: “Isn’t that good…”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, unable to continue speaking.

Miao Jing moved her body backward slightly, the knife tip continuing downward, unfastening his pants, blinking coquettishly, the thin blade slanting against his body as she revealed a mysterious shallow smile.

Chen Yi’s eyes widened, his heart chilled, his face alternating between pale and green. Was she planning to castrate him? Take revenge?

“Miao Jing… I haven’t done anything to wrong you…”

“How much money do you have now?” Miao Jing tilted her head, asking him very seriously, “After deducting those fixed assets, minus the money needed for the pool hall incident, how many liquid assets do you have?”

He frowned, not knowing what she was planning, calculating nervously: “Seventeen or eighteen thousand yuan.”

“Haven’t planned to save money for marriage?”

“What marriage? Become Chen Libin, raise another Chen Yi? Better to just kill me quickly.” He sneered, “I’m still young, talk about it in ten years.”

Miao Jing examined the dagger in her hand: “I’ve already returned that bank card to you, there’s two hundred thousand yuan I saved in it, consider it my repayment with interest. The card’s PIN hasn’t changed, take out the money and spend it yourself.”

“You’ve only graduated for a few years, where did you get so much money?” His expression was stunned, his tone displeased, “Who told you to put money in there?”

“You said yourself I got scholarships in college, I also worked part-time jobs, and saved some after starting work. I’m giving you all my savings.” Miao Jing’s tone paused, pondered for a moment, then continued calmly, “Chen Yi, remember? I said before, that someday I would pay back all the money I owed you. Thank you for taking me in, raising me, and giving me money for university. From now on, I don’t owe you anything anymore, we’re even, all settled.”

His chest heaved, his breathing agitated: “So you especially came back to repay the debt?”

“Yes, I finally managed to save this much, and because of Sen Ye’s matter, I had a chance to come back.” Miao Jing’s tone was slightly sarcastic, with a cold smile, “You don’t need to keep impatiently telling me to leave. Keep the money well, I have my arrangements. When it’s time to leave, I’ll naturally go. After this time, I promise I’ll never return to Teng City in this life, never appear before you again, never have any relationship with you again.”

“Fine!! You’re something! Great!!”

Chen Yi closed his eyes fiercely, saying nothing more, his body sprawled, lying heartbroken on the hospital bed, his heart spreading with a prolonged sour pain, like needle pricks.

Every time, she could precisely strike his pain points.

The single hospital room was quiet for a while.

“Chen Yi.” The voice calling him suddenly became gentle and light.

His face is ashen, he played dead and didn’t speak.

She might as well just stab him to death.

There was a rustling sound on his body, soft boneless hands gently caressing. His body stiffened heavily, unable to get excited about this sudden pleasure, but his body was responding automatically.

“One last time?” She bent down, her soft fragrant body close to his, “Chen Yi? I often think about the old days too…”

Very gentle and slow, spirit and desire, love and resentment, all seemed to dissolve at this moment. She took the lead, he opened his dark eyes, the hospital bed’s space was limited, and their clothes were not fully undone, but the restraint was in the perfect state.

Their clothes tangled messily together, she lay on his chest, and he kissed her sweaty forehead: “Is that all the strength you have?”

Miao Jing’s eyes were hazy and tired, resting in his arms, breathing softly, finally lazily getting up, arranging her dress, and going to the bathroom to clean up.

Coming out of the bathroom, she was again that calm Miao Jing, walking to the hospital bed, under his silent gaze opening a drawer, taking out a cigarette pack, slowly lighting one, and putting it in Chen Yi’s mouth.

His first cigarette since the incident, Chen Yi clumsily held it, slowly taking a drag.

Not having smoked for a long time, smoking again, the cigarette was bitter, astringent, choking.

He frowned, smoking this cigarette in silence.

Miao Jing’s fingers combing through her long hair, suddenly remembered something, turned back to look at him: “Oh right, I have something in my phone I want you to hear.”

“What thing?”

She placed the phone on the chair and played that recording.

A slightly fuzzy voice with static echoed in the hospital room—it was the previous conversation between Zhou Kang’an and him, the two of them talking about the pool hall fire, Zhai Fengmao’s escape, and Chen Yi’s plan to go to Yunnan again.

Chen Yi bit the cigarette, his body frozen for a long time, not even noticing when ash fell on him.

Damn it…

Miao Jing.

Good move!

The slender figure leaned by the window, arms crossed, eyes calm and deep, expression composed as she looked at him.

“Is this why you disappeared, Chen Yi?” She stood by the window asking him softly, smiling gently, “Shortly after I left, in a conflict in Teng City, Bo Zi’s leg was crippled, you lost contact with me, that nightclub was shut down, you completely disappeared for two years and four months, in Yunnan? Related to that hidden Boss Zhai? Do you suspect the pool hall fire was revenge against you? Yunnan, Myanmar, Golden Triangle, these places must be related to drugs and guns. That year I reported to the police that you were using drugs, and heard your phone call, Zhou Kang’an contacted me, and he helped me later, and comforted me after you disappeared. He’s a detective, has a relationship with you, yet doesn’t arrest you… Chen Yi, have you done some things for the police?”

Chen Yi’s brows furrowed tightly, his expression awkward as he remained silent.

“I don’t want to understand any more details, nor want to completely know the cause and effect, everything is meaningless. But if I release this recording, wouldn’t you be finished?”

Her gaze looked at her softly, containing deep meaning.

“Miao Jing, you…” He was stunned, “You’re really… too crazy.”

She shrugged her shoulders and came over to pack her things, her tone very calm: “I’ll make a call, have Bo Zi come keep you company.”