Gu Yizhou worked in his study for a while, glancing at his watch. There was still no sound from the bedroom next door. Was she truly still asleep, or had she woken up long ago but was too embarrassed to come out?
Gu Yizhou put down his pen and headed towards the bedroom. He gently pushed open the door and saw the bed was already neatly made. Thinking Su Mianmian had gone to the living room, he was about to turn around to look for her when he faintly heard sobbing coming from the direction of the bathroom.
Gu Yizhou frowned and walked towards the bathroom. The closer he got, the louder the sobbing became, occasionally interspersed with Su Mianmian's voice.
"You're so mean… Waaah… How could you be so cruel… I don't even need to go out…" Gu Yizhou's frown deepened. He knocked on the door. "Mianmian, what's wrong?"
Su Mianmian was accusing Gu Yizhou of his misdeeds in front of the mirror when she suddenly heard the knock. She jumped like a startled bird, frantically wiping away the tears on her face. "No, it's nothing, I'm just washing up."
Su Mianmian's voice was still choked with tears, thick with a nasal tone. Gu Yizhou, of course, didn't believe her. "Open the door, I'll come in and see you." Su Mianmian scoffed. She had the nerve to come in and see what? The masterpiece he'd left on her last night?
But the words were on the tip of her tongue when the DNA ingrained in Su Mianmian's bones stirred. Her long-held awe of him prevented her from truly being disrespectful to Gu Yizhou. "Just washing up, there's nothing to see, you can leave."
Gu Yizhou insisted, "Since it's not a shower, then I'll come in." As soon as he finished speaking, he pushed down the doorknob, and the bathroom door opened.
Su Mianmian hadn't expected Gu Yizhou to come in so directly. Her wet eyes stared in his direction with fear, two lines of tears still clinging to her cheeks.
Gu Yizhou only noticed the tears on Su Mianmian's face. His heart skipped a second, and he rushed forward, pulling Su Mianmian close. "Why are you crying?" His voice was serious, yet tinged with anxiety. Su Mianmian, both ashamed and frightened, suddenly burst into tears.
"How dare you ask? Look what you've done to me... Waaaaah..." Gu Yizhou, bewildered, followed the direction Su Mianmian was pointing. He saw that the girl's once fair and delicate neck and chest were covered in dark red hickeys.
Some were deep, some light, a shocking sight. Had he really been that bad last night? Gu Yizhou's temples throbbed, and he tightened his grip on Su Mianmian's arm, sincerely apologizing.
"Sweetie, I'm sorry..." Su Mianmian felt even more wronged by this apology, crying uncontrollably, "I have to go to school tomorrow, waaaah... I have to go to the concert tonight, you've ruined me... waaaah..." Seeing that he couldn't soothe her anytime soon, Gu Yizhou simply picked Su Mianmian up and carried her out of the bathroom.
He sat on the sofa in the bedroom, holding the girl on his lap and gently comforting her. "I was really wrong this time. You can scold me if you want, you can even hit me." He said, grabbing Su Mianmian's soft little hand and pulling it to his chest.
Su Mianmian gently punched him twice, but those two punches were barely a tickle. Gu Yizhou looked at the sobbing girl, his heart aching. He wanted to kiss away her tears, but was afraid of upsetting her further, and he broke out in a sweat.
"Sweetie, I really won't do it again next time, I'll be gentle, okay?" Su Mianmian stared at him with teary eyes. "A next time? Gu Yizhou, don't even think about it. You're never allowed to kiss me again." Gu Yizhou would never compromise on matters of principle.
His throat bobbed, and he continued to lower his stance. "Mianmian, I don't have much experience kissing. Counting the night before last, it's only been twice. There were definitely times when I didn't know my own strength, but I promise, I really won't do it again next time."
Su Mianmian's sobs gradually subsided, her eyes darting around, somewhat unable to believe what she had just heard. "Besides me, you've never kissed any other girls?"
She didn't believe it. Gu Yizhou was already twenty-eight, handsome, and capable; how could he have never had a girlfriend? Gu Yizhou wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes. "Mianmian, do you think I would lie to you?" Su Mianmian pursed her lips, not speaking immediately.
Gu Yizhou sighed. "I was busy with my studies and work abroad. After returning to China, I only had contact with your sister, and we barely even spoke. The few times we met, there were always elders present. Tell me, who am I supposed to practice kissing with?"
Su Mianmian blushed more and more as she listened, burying her head in Gu Yizhou's chest, her voice muffled, "But your kissing skills are so superb, it doesn't seem like..." Gu Yizhou chuckled softly, "I'll take that as a compliment. Keep up the good work, and I guarantee..." "Don't say anymore! That's not what I meant!"
Su Mianmian blurted out, quickly covering his mouth to stop him from saying anything more that would make her blush. ...After lunch, Gu Yizhou worked in his study, while Su Mianmian studied alone in the living room.
In the afternoon, Cheng Yuli suddenly called her on voice call. "Su Mianmian, sorry to bother you on the weekend, but could you get in touch with Song Zhi? I need to talk to her about something."
Su Mianmian remembered that Song Zhi had called her yesterday morning, and they hadn't been in contact since. "Did you call her?" Cheng Yuli asked. "Yes, I did. At first, no one answered, and then I couldn't get through. I suspect she blocked me."
Su Mianmian: ... Seeing Su Mianmian's silence, Cheng Yuli didn't know what to say. "We drank the night before last, and some things happened.
I'm worried something might have happened to her. I tried to contact her all day yesterday but couldn't, and I've been looking for her all morning today. I had no choice but to call you. Su Mianmian, if you can get in touch with Song Zhi, please let me know. I just want to make sure she's safe."
Su Mianmian hung up the voice call and immediately dialed Song Zhi's number. It rang twice before she answered. However, Song Zhi's tone was somewhat dejected. "You stinky Mianmian, what do you want?" Su Mianmian asked worriedly. "Zhizhi, how are you? Are you alright?"
Song Zhi lazily hummed in response. "I'm fine, I can eat and play, but I feel like there's a hole in my heart, so cold and empty." Su Mianmian suddenly remembered something. "Um, did you buy that yesterday?"
Song Zhi frowned. "Which one? Oh, you mean birth control pills? Of course I had to buy them, otherwise, what if I got pregnant and went to college with a big belly?" Su Mianmian's face instantly flushed. This Song Zhi always said something shocking.
"Damn it, that bastard Cheng Yuli, he looks so innocent, but in bed he's like a mad dog! Mianmian, you have no idea, he kissed me all over! I can't even look at myself!"
Su Mianmian silently touched her neck after hearing this. She wondered if Song Zhi would feel any better if she saw the marks on her neck.
"Cheng Yuli just called me, saying he couldn't reach you. He sounded really anxious. Do you want to have a serious talk with him?" "Talk about what?" Song Zhi's voice rose. "He's just scared, afraid I'll take responsibility and cling to him. Do you think I'm that kind of person?"
Her tone hardened slightly towards the end. "It's just a hymen. Just grit your teeth and swallow this bitter pill."
Su Mianmian sighed. "Zhizhi, you haven't even asked Cheng Yuli. How do you know he's scared to take responsibility? Maybe he'd love for you to cling to him?"
Song Zhi scoffed. "Do I even need to ask? He likes you, and then he slept with me. Thinking about it, he's probably more devastated than I am." Su Mianmian thought Song Zhi's thought process was beyond most people's comprehension. Su Mianmian decided to be direct with her.
"Who said he likes me? Cheng Yuli told you himself? Zhizhi, don't you think your previous judgment that Cheng Yuli likes me was just your own subjective assumption?" Song Zhi paused for a few seconds after hearing this. "Su Mianmian, what do you mean by that?"