Fang Yi first took Fan Xiaojuan back to her dormitory, and then drove Chu Yang back to her rented place. When they arrived downstairs, Chu Yang saw that Fang Yi had turned off the car, and it seemed that he was planning to go upstairs with her.
Seeing the undisguised surprise on Chu Yang's face, Fang Yi laughed and said, "What are you looking at? You're allowed to come and inspect the hygiene of my place, but I'm not allowed to go up and take a look?"
Chu Yang didn't really have an excuse to stop him from going up, so he had no choice but to get out of the car and obediently lead the way. Fang Yi followed Chu Yang up to the top floor and frowned when he saw the messy stairwell: "Why is it so messy?"
"It's alright, it's not too chaotic. Don't compare this to where you live."
Fang Yi then asked, "Is it safe for you to live here alone?"
Chu Yang took out his key, opened the door, and turned back to reply, "It's safe for now."
The apartment was a very small one-bedroom unit, with a living room, a bedroom, a tiny kitchen, and a miniature bathroom. Fang Yi, being tall and with a long stride, quickly walked around the two and a half rooms. Seeing that the bathroom was so small that it could barely allow a person to turn around, he couldn't help but ask, "How do I take a shower here?"
Chu Yang knew he was used to living in spacious places, and he was already annoyed by the faint frown on Chu Yang's face. He shouted irritably, "Stand up and wash! Don't you have eyes? There's a showerhead up there. Small has its advantages! Don't you understand?"
Fang Yi said "Oh," and then repeated, "There are younger ones..." He suddenly stopped, then burst out laughing. Chu Yang was a little confused by his laughter, so he reached out and patted him on the back, asking, "What are you laughing at?"
Fang Yi suppressed a laugh and turned around, glancing strangely at Chu Yang's chest without saying a word. Chu Yang pulled him away from the bathroom door and looked into the bathroom as well, wondering what was so funny. It was just a little small! After taking a look, he suddenly realized what Fang Yi was laughing at. Chu Yang's face flushed red, and he quickly pulled down the underwear that was hanging there, turning back to glare at Fang Yi resentfully.
Fang Yi suppressed a laugh and said seriously, "Hmm, that's right. Being small has its advantages. You don't need wires to support you. You're small enough, so I'm probably still an A?"
"You scoundrel!" Chu Yang cursed angrily, shoving Fang Yi aside as he hurriedly walked into the bedroom, opening a drawer in the wardrobe and stuffing his underwear inside.
Fang Yi followed him in, and seeing Chu Yang's red face and thick neck, he chuckled and said, "I'm not teasing you anymore. Go find me some pajamas, I'm going to take a shower."
As soon as he said that, Chu Yang was a little stunned. After a moment of stiffness, he asked, "You're going to sleep here?"
"Hmm!" Fang Yi nodded and said casually, "Anyway, I'll be alone when I go back to my place. Your place may be a bit small, but it's clean and tidy. The bed looks pretty big too, so it'll be fine for the two of us to sleep there."
“But—you—” Chu Yang felt that he was speaking a little incoherently.
Fang Yi crossed his arms and squinted at Chu Yang: "What, are you scared?"
Chu Yang couldn't figure out what Fang Yi was planning, but he didn't want to show weakness, so he gritted his teeth and said, "What do I have to be afraid of! I'm just asking."
Fang Yi chuckled softly, "That's good. Anyway, it's not like we've slept together before. Shall you shower first or should I?"
Chu Yang didn't know how to respond. She stared straight at Fang Yi, whose smile gradually faded. He quietly returned her gaze, his expression complex. Chu Yang thought, "He might be serious now. He said not to use me, but tonight he still used me to put on an act in front of He Yiqian. He must be angry."
Chu Yangqiang smiled and said, "Go ahead, I just showered this morning, no need."
Fang Yi grinned at Chu Yang, then turned and went into the bathroom.
The sound of water coming from the bathroom struck Chu Yang's heart haphazardly. It was chaotic, and to say she wasn't afraid would be a lie. Her heart was pounding because she didn't know how much he actually knew.
What's the point of thinking so much? We've already come this far, and besides, didn't we prepare for this before? It's only a matter of time. Chu Yang patted his cheeks, took a deep breath, changed into his pajamas, and crawled into bed. He turned on the bedside lamp, lay down, and then, after thinking for a moment, gritted his teeth and took off his pajamas as well.
After a while, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and Fang Yi came in wearing only a bath towel around his waist. He seemed to be stunned for a moment when he saw that the lights in the bedroom were off, before walking to the bedside and sitting down.
"Girl, are you asleep?" Fang Yi asked.
"No," Chu Yang answered honestly.
Fang Yi chuckled softly, then asked, "Why are you only thinking about yourself? Where are my blankets and pillows?"
"This is the only one I own," Chu Yang said pitifully.
Fang Yi gave a wry smile, leaned back against the headboard, sighed deeply, and said, "Can't you give me half of the blanket? Are you trying to freeze me to death?"
Chu Yang didn't move. Fang Yi reached out and pulled the blanket off her, laughing, "Don't be so stingy, share some with me. Why are you wrapped up so tightly?"
His hand touched her smooth shoulder, and Fang Yi froze. After a moment, he asked, "Where are your pajamas? Why aren't you wearing them?"
Chu Yang remained silent, took a deep breath, and then pulled the blanket over Fang Yi.
Chu Yang
Chu Yang remained silent, took a deep breath, and then pulled the blanket over Fang Yi.
Fang Yi was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously reached out to block Chu Yang's hand, but as soon as his palm touched her smooth arm, it seemed to suddenly have its own consciousness, tightly grabbing her wrist, pulling her body over and covering her with his.
"They're all crazy, completely crazy," Fang Yi thought. This girl must have bewitched him; otherwise, why would he crave her body so intensely? He wanted to tear her apart and devour her, to crush her in his arms. This was clearly still a very immature body, her breasts undeveloped and not at all full. His hand resting on them, feeling her rapidly beating heart, sent shivers down his spine. Her waist was slender and strong, but lacked soft curves. Only her long, shapely legs could be considered sexy, but now they were stiff with tension, unable to wrap around his waist no matter how he tried…
Chu Yang's heart pounded wildly, her thoughts already in turmoil. She couldn't figure out if she was doing this to get revenge on He Yiqian, or as a way to use Fang Yi. Whatever the reason, she realized that doing this wasn't as easy as she had thought. Although she kept telling herself that there was nothing to be afraid of, the fear in her heart kept rising, endless and overwhelming...
"Relax, girl, relax your legs," Fang Yi coaxed softly in a hoarse voice.
"Hmm," Chu Yang responded, but his legs remained stiff as if they were in a cast.
Fine beads of sweat had formed on Fang Yi's forehead, and his towel had long since been torn off, revealing his muscular body, which pressed against her with varying degrees of pressure. Desire raged fiercely, his lower abdomen aching with fullness, yet her legs remained stiff, unable to relax no matter how gently he caressed and kneaded them. He tried to part her legs with his hands, but found that her clenched legs weren't due to shyness, but rather unconsciously. With a slight exertion, her body convulsed and curled up…
Fang Yi suppressed his desire and lowered his head to kiss Chu Yang lightly, trying to ease her tension. "Baby, don't be afraid..." he whispered in her ear.
Chu Yang's breathing became increasingly rapid, as if he were experiencing immense pain. Even his voice changed tone, and he said in a trembling voice, "I can't do it, my body is out of control."
Fang Yi noticed her unusual behavior, stopped what he was doing, and quietly looked at her for a long time. He suddenly sighed, covered Chu Yang with the blanket, and then lay back down on the side, covering his body with a bath towel. He took deep breaths, and after a long while, he said in a hoarse voice, "You go to sleep. I'll leave in a bit."
“There’s also a blanket in the closet,” Chu Yang said.
Fang Yi didn't speak, but turned his head to look at Chu Yang, smiled self-deprecatingly, got up and took out a blanket from the closet, then put Chu Yang's pillow on the bedside before lying down again. "That's good now, at least I have a blanket and a pillow."
In the darkness, neither of them spoke. Just as Chu Yang's breathing gradually calmed down, Fang Yi's hand slipped under the blanket again. Before Chu Yang could react, he grabbed her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers.
"Go to sleep," he said in a deep voice. "I'm here. Don't try to handle everything on your own. Trust me!"
Fang Yi's deep voice seemed to have a magical power, instantly soothing Chu Yang's heart. The tension that had been building since meeting He Yiqian finally began to ease, and he felt exhausted. Unconsciously, his consciousness gradually faded away...
In a daze, it felt like she had returned to six years ago, to the last weekend before the high school entrance exam. The weather was unbearably hot even though it wasn't the dog days of summer yet. She rode her bicycle a long way to the He family's house, ostensibly to find He Yiyang, but in her heart, she wanted to see another figure. However, he was still not there.
He Yiyang kept chattering around her, but she had no interest in paying attention to him. Her mind was preoccupied with whether He Yiqian had gotten a girlfriend in college, otherwise why wasn't he home even on weekends? He Yiyang, oblivious to her inner turmoil, grabbed her sweatshirt by the collar and exclaimed dramatically, "Chu Yang, look at you! You're sweating so much! You stink! Go take a shower, we're going to see a movie this afternoon!"
She lowered her head and sniffed hard; there was indeed a hint of sweat. Before she could hesitate, He Yiyang had already pulled out a set of his own shirt and trousers and tossed them to her: "Wash yourself and change into these! What are you looking at? You've worn my clothes before!"
She thought so too. She had grown up with He Yiyang since childhood and had taken everything from him. So she took He Yiyang's clothes and turned to go into the bathroom in his bedroom. She had only showered halfway when she heard He Yiyang call out from outside: "Chu Yang, I'm going to my classmate's to get movie tickets. You can sleep on my bed for a while after you come out. I'll be back in a bit. Then we'll go out to eat, and we can watch the movie after we eat. I'll call your mom. It's always good to relax before the exam!"
"Nonsense!" she whispered, turning the water flow up even more.
After showering, she went to the full-length mirror to comb her long, tangled hair. She realized that He Yiyang seemed to have grown considerably taller than her; his shirt almost covered her thighs. Looking at herself, she remembered the girl she'd seen when she visited her cousin Zhang Jing at university. She'd also been wearing a white shirt that barely covered her thighs, walking around the dorm, looking incredibly beautiful. Was that what university girls were like? she wondered, glancing guiltily at the doorway. Like a thief, she pulled down her trousers and tossed them aside, scrutinizing herself in the mirror. Was this what being sexy meant? She covered her mouth and giggled, her face turning as red as a monkey's bottom.
Just as I was enjoying myself, the door was suddenly pushed open...
All that remained was panic. Chu Yang groaned in pain in her sleep as faces flashed past her: the angry He Yiqian, the stunned stranger, the indifferent He's mother, her mother with a suspicious look on her face, and those pale test papers, swaying back and forth, as if determined to push her to the brink...
"No...no...I didn't...I didn't...seduce them...no, they're lying!" Chu Yang writhed restlessly, groaning, "Auntie, don't tell the teacher...please...I won't tell, I won't tell anyone..."
"Chu Yang!" Fang Yi shook Chu Yang vigorously. "Wake up, wake up!"
Chu Yang slowly opened her eyes, staring blankly at Fang Yi. Fang Yi wiped the sweat from her forehead, gently pulled her into his arms, and softly comforted her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Chu Yang buried her head in Fang Yi's arms, biting the corner of the blanket hard to suppress her sobs. Seeing Chu Yang's shoulders trembling slightly, Fang Yi felt a pang of heartache, "If you want to cry, just cry it out, don't hold it in."
Chu Yang could no longer hold back his sobs and burst into tears like a child...
After a long while, her crying gradually subsided, replaced by low sobs. "They owe me, they owe me, they still won't let me go..." she murmured to herself, and fell into a deep sleep in Fang Yi's arms.
“Yes, they owe you,” Fang Yi whispered, brushing away the sweat-dampened hair from Chu Yang’s forehead and gazing quietly at her face. “They owe you, and I will get it back for you.”
Xiao Xiao
The next day, Fang Yi woke up around nine in the morning. Looking out the window, he saw that the sky, which had been gloomy for several days, had cleared up. Chu Yang was still asleep in his arms, breathing steadily, her soft breath tickling his chest. He didn't know when it had happened, but her arms had wrapped around his waist, and even her legs were wrapped around him, like a playful koala, all the stiffness from the night before gone.
The two of them actually slept naked in each other's arms all night! Even Fang Yi himself found it a bit unbelievable. He looked down for a couple of seconds and felt an indescribable heat rising in his heart. A certain part of him under the covers began to slowly rise. But seeing how sweetly she was sleeping in his arms, he had no choice but to suppress his desire and move her limbs off him before quietly getting up.
As he was leaving, Fang Yi turned back to look at Chu Yang, a gentle smile appearing on his lips that he himself didn't even realize.
After leaving Chu Yang's place, Fang Yi went back to his apartment to change his clothes before going to the company. As soon as he arrived at his office, he saw Manager Liu from the finance department already waiting outside.
"Mr. Fang, the tax officials are here and are waiting in the reception room. From what I've heard, their new boss is eager to establish his authority, and with pressure from above, they've come specifically to see us."
"Oh?" Fang Yi responded, pressed the intercom to have his secretary bring over breakfast, and then casually asked, "Did Director Li bring people over?"
"Yes, it's him." Manager Liu nodded.
Fang Yi smiled and said, "Just say I'm not here. You can handle things for now. Let them investigate, just treat them the same way you would normally treat them."
"Okay," Manager Liu replied, then hesitated for a moment before adding, "From what he said, someone is specifically looking for trouble with us. Yesterday, Director Chen from the Public Security Bureau also called, saying that they had received information that they suspect we are involved in organized crime and money laundering."
"Money laundering?" Fang Yi sneered. "Isn't it a bit late to investigate us now? The old man who needed to launder money has already cleaned it up. Why are you investigating now? Hmph, laughable. I'll call Director Chen back. You go ahead and make sure you receive Director Li properly. We still need to observe proper etiquette."
"knew."
"Wait a minute," Fang Yi called out to Manager Liu, who was about to leave, and said with a smile, "Let's call the procuratorate and have them come over and investigate us together. Let's see if we can make a contribution to the fight against corruption."
Manager Liu paused for a moment, then smiled, nodded, and said, "I understand."
Watching Manager Liu leave, Fang Yi's smile faded, and he muttered to himself, "Fifth Brother, you didn't even consider how deep the water was before stirring it up so chaotically. You're still too green."
The secretary had already brought over a delicious breakfast. Fang Yi ate a little and then called Chu Yang. The phone rang for a long time before she answered, giving a silly "hello," clearly still half asleep.
Fang Yi couldn't help but smile and said, "Get up, lazy girl. Go outside and get something to eat. I'll pick you up this afternoon to try on some dresses."
Chu Yang paused for a moment, then hummed in agreement.
Fang Yi hung up the phone and then called Xiao Xiao in from the intercom to ask about the progress with Wan Chang.
Xiao Xiao shook her head. "There's been almost no progress. Wan Chang's people keep dragging their feet."
“Then let them drag it out,” Fang Yi said. “They’re not in a hurry, and neither are we. There will come a time when they can’t keep up.”
Xiao Xiao thought to herself, "At this point, what else can we do but drag it out?" Judging from Ah Song's tone, Wan Chang was probably also observing the situation. After all, they didn't want to take the risk of such a big project.
Back in her office, Polly came over again, looking curious: "Hey beautiful, how was it? What were those guys in uniforms doing this morning?"
Xiao Xiao glanced at her and asked, "How much salary do you get from your boss each month?"
Polly was taken aback by her question, but still honestly replied, "Twelve thousand after tax, you know that, of course it's much less than yours."
Xiao Xiao laughed, "It's not much, why do you care so much? He gave you 12,000, so you care about 12,000. As for what those people in uniform are doing here, there are people who are paid hundreds of thousands to take care of that. What business is it of ours?"
Polly rolled her eyes. "You heartless bastard, the company is wasting its money on you. You don't care about this or that. What are you thinking about all day? Are you just thinking about how to meet your future in-laws?"
Xiao Xiao blinked and nodded seriously. She had originally planned to go to the Jiang family's house on the weekend, but Jiang Sicheng said that today was his father's birthday and he had to take Xiao Xiao with him. Xiao Xiao thought that since he had already mentioned her existence, it wouldn't be good if she didn't go, so she had no choice but to agree. However, she was still a little apprehensive.
"Polly, you said you're going to a traditional military family, what kind of clothes should you wear?" Xiao Xiao asked.
Polly was already furious with Xiao Xiao's serious nod earlier, and when she saw her ask this, she said irritably, "Wearing a military uniform would be best! They'd definitely like it! But do you have one?"
"Military uniform?" Xiao Xiao frowned.
"Hmm!" Polly looked Xiao Xiao up and down and said, "Forget it. With your appearance, you'd look like a Kuomintang female spy even in a military uniform. Their old man might just kick you out of the house!"