"What's so great about me? I'll change too!" I said with a grin, trying to brush it off.
"You're always like this, how can I get you to take off all your armor?"
"You scoundrel, all you ever think about is taking other girls' clothes off." I was a master of Tai Chi, refusing to take the bait.
"Let me tell you a story," Yin Tianyu suddenly changed the subject, then walked ahead on his own, and I followed him without thinking.
"There is a Buddhist story about a scholar who had arranged to marry his fiancée on a certain day. However, on that day, his fiancée married someone else. The scholar was devastated and fell ill. At this time, a wandering monk passed by and took out a mirror from his robes, telling the scholar to look into it. In the mirror, the scholar saw a vast ocean, and on the beach lay a naked woman who had been murdered. One person passed by, glanced at her, shook his head, and walked on. Another person passed by, took off his clothes, covered the woman's body, and left. A third person passed by, dug a hole, and carefully buried the body. The monk explained, 'The woman's body on the beach was your fiancée in a previous life. You were the second person to pass by, and you gave her a piece of clothing. She fell in love with you in this life to repay that kindness. But the person she ultimately had to repay was the last person who buried her—that person is her current husband.'"
I stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning. This was the first time I'd ever heard such a claim, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was just another fabrication by Yin Tian to fool me. But undeniably, it did offer me a sense of relief—as if I'd found a perfectly legitimate reason for all my previous despicable and absurd behavior—like robbing a bank without getting caught.
"I didn't make this up myself. You can find this Buddhist story online." Yin Tianyu seemed to have eyes in the back of his head.
"Actually, I didn't want you to know I came to the resort. I'm more afraid than you of letting you touch those things you're trying so hard to avoid, and I knew my presence would inevitably lead to that result. So I told myself that it would be enough to just watch you from afar. Until that day, a typhoon suddenly hit. Maybe it was fate, and I'm truly grateful for that. So I told myself again that it would be enough to just be a friend to you. But tonight, I realized that I want much more than I thought. I know that such greed will be punished by heaven sooner or later, but I don't want to hesitate any longer. I've already missed once, and I absolutely cannot allow myself to make the same mistake twice." Yin Tianyu suddenly turned around and looked down at me directly: "Let me prove that I am the one who dug the pit for you in my past life."
Being so moved by a man was an experience I had never had before, but my reason finally managed to stop me from nodding at the last moment: "But the person who gave me a piece of clothing has already left too many scars in my life, and they will never disappear in this lifetime. These are not things you should bear; it's not fair to you." After saying this, I suddenly felt a little sad, though only a little.
Part Two, Chapter Seventeen
"You're wrong. It wasn't him who left these scars on you, it was me. My purpose was simply to draw you closer to me step by step," Yin Tianyu told me, his voice firm and resolute, as if announcing the first cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. I looked up at him. His eyes were clear and bright, reflecting the twinkling stars in the sky. The air around us was still, broken only by the crashing waves, a rhythm that seemed unchanged since time immemorial. My mind began to race. This scene seemed so similar to a recurring dream I had, but the face of the man opposite me had never been so clear in my dreams. Was everything, as Yin Tianyu said, truly predestined? Forget it, I'm so tired, too tired to even think.
"I'm not sure if my decision now will lead to another mistake, but I want to try again while I still have the courage." I closed my eyes with difficulty, and I was so sensitive that Yin Tianyu's hand, which was supporting me, trembled slightly. Then I was pulled into a warm and broad embrace. My heart, which had been pounding anxiously, suddenly found a place to settle down, calming down and beating steadily. Risking being beaten up by Mr. Guo from his coffin, only one sentence kept repeating in my mind: "Rather than being displayed alone for a thousand years, it's better to faint in the arms of a lover for one night."
Because I needed a month to officially leave after submitting my resignation, I had to swallow my pride and stay at A-Lian's house temporarily. This way, I not only had breakfast every day but could also walk to work with A-Lian, and life was quite happy. Due to some trouble in Guangzhou, Yin Tianyu rushed back the next day. He wanted to find me another place to stay before he left, but I flatly refused. From past experience, I know all too well how important it is for two people to have a completely independent world, both spiritually and materially, in a relationship.
Fortunately, Yin Tianyu had long since stopped caring about my stubbornness. In his view, as long as I felt good about myself, that was all that mattered. It was just that I was not used to him calling me several times a day to report his whereabouts: "You don't have to tell me everything. I'm not worried that you'll do anything reckless in Guangzhou."
"But I want you to know exactly what I'm doing every day, and to know where to find me at any time." Yin Tianyu wasn't much more stubborn than me.
A-Lian quickly noticed my change, and I didn't intend to hide it from her. I just genuinely didn't know how to describe Yin Tianyu, so I promised to introduce them to each other next time he came. What made A-Lian happiest was that I finally had a place to stay, and my time at the resort finally had an explanation. Although she seemed to have let it go on the surface, I knew she still believed I was forced to leave because of Ren Xiaoqi, and she held a grudge, always thinking it was all her fault. But just before leaving, I suddenly found love, which finally soothed her deep guilt.
The day Ren Xiaoqi was told to leave was sunny and breezy, but her hysteria left the office almost in ruins. Everyone kept their distance. Yu Lishui, having probably received word early that morning, simply took a day off and disappeared completely. Ren Xiaoqi went on a rampage, making phone calls incessantly or yelling into the phone. I was working outside and couldn't stand the noise any longer, so I went over to close the door for her. But she rushed over, yanked the door open, and yelled at me, "What right do you have to close my door? This is my office! How dare you come here and kick me while I'm down? Do you know who my father is?"
"I'm sorry, I can't answer that question. If you really want to know who your father is, you can go back and ask your mother," I said coldly, expressionless. It's not that I lack compassion, but after what happened on the long-distance bus during the Spring Festival, I vowed never to abuse it.
The glances people gave me from behind were still ambiguous and disdainful, but I remained oblivious, walking with my back straight. The flower delivery project was progressing smoothly, and the venture capital fund had been secured and would be in my Guangzhou account next month. DIDO's investment was no longer a concern, which relieved me. Ever since I agreed to Yin Tianyu's offer, I'd been agonizing over whether or not to establish financial ties with his relatives; now, all that was finally resolved. My handover work was also progressing smoothly; I only had a week left before I could say goodbye to this place completely.
The phone on the table rang, and it was indeed Yin Tianyu: "It's been 25 days, 17 hours and 13 minutes since I left you. I miss you so much, even more than the grilled oysters and mussels on the island, I miss a plate of stir-fried clams with mint leaves."
"Eating an extra pot of Chaozhou porridge at Lao Liu's stall wouldn't even cost fifty yuan!" I felt so bad for myself.
"I'll pick you up after get off work today."
"You've arrived on the island?" I was taken aback.
"Yes."
Although I knew this guy was elusive, it was still quite frightening for him to suddenly appear like this: "You're always so sneaky!"
"Couldn't you at least pretend to be a little surprised? As someone's girlfriend, you should have some basic sense of responsibility."
Honestly, I felt more surprised than happy, so I started to feel a little guilty: "What do you want to eat tonight? I'll cook for you." I finally caught a glimpse of my own sense of responsibility as a girlfriend from the direction of the kitchen.
"Although the offer is very tempting, I have something more special planned for tonight."
"It sounds like you're not planning to tell me what your plans are."
"What, are you afraid I'll sell you?"
"Don't worry, I'll go even if you don't goad me. It's just that we don't know who will betray whom."
"You know what? If I've only ever done one thing right in my life, it's finally winning you over as my lover." Yin Tianyu started rambling on into the phone again, but unfortunately, my stomach couldn't handle such acidic words, and I let out a loud burp.
Yin Tianyu, being quite tactful, didn't show up at the resort but instead arranged to meet me at the pier. To ensure I arrived on time, I told A-Lian after work, and I rushed over without even changing out of my work clothes. From afar, I saw Yin Tianyu standing against the wind at the end of the embankment, his white shirt and trousers fluttering in the wind. A moment of disorientation crossed my mind: "Is it him? Is this the man destined for me?"
"What are you doing? What are you spacing out for?" Yin Tianyu came over and shook my hand.
"No, it's just that your workers are working hard. The ones who are least clean always like to wear white clothes."
"You're lying." Yin Tianyu patted my head casually, but didn't press the matter. Sigh, it always seems like I'm completely exposed in front of him.
He took my hand and led me onto a speedboat moored nearby: "Shall we leave the island?" I asked curiously.
“Yes, not only off the island, but back to Guangzhou.” Yin Tianyu smiled slyly, made a gesture, and the speedboat immediately started moving.
“Back to Guangzhou?!” My eyelids twitched. “But I didn’t bring anything with me, and I haven’t even changed my clothes. I’m still wearing my work clothes.”
"Your casual clothes are worse than your work clothes," Yin Tianyu said bluntly.
"I specifically cleared out my wardrobe to give a very responsible person a chance to shine," I said shamelessly.
"Okay, it's a deal then. From now on, you're not allowed to wear clothes that I didn't buy!" When Yin Tianyu said this, I wondered if I had stepped in poop again, so I immediately retorted, "No way! What if one day you refuse to buy me clothes or spend all your money on other women? Then I'll be left completely naked!"
Part Two, Chapter Eighteen
Yin Tianyu sighed: "From the first time I saw you, you poisoned me. I have no other choice but to keep you for my own use. So I can't enjoy those vixens. I can only leave them all to my son. As for the money to buy you clothes, don't worry. If that day ever comes, I will definitely gouge out the eyes of every man in the world before I go bankrupt, so that you can be naked in front of other men. Hmph, wouldn't I be at a huge loss?"
"Hey, I'm the one being looked at, what are you losing out on?!"
Yin Tianyu put his arm around my shoulders, pressed my head under his chin, and said sadly, "Think about it, if all the men in the world knew Mrs. Yin's measurements, wouldn't I, as Mr. Yin, be at a disadvantage?"