Chen Yuzheng’s entire body seemed to freeze, as if someone had pressed pause.
When there was no response, Yu Nuo hung her head, trying desperately to hide her face.
Due to extreme embarrassment and unease, the corners of her eyes turned red, her eyelashes trembling non-stop. Her knees, which were pressed uncomfortably against his side, went from stiff to weak.
A pair of hands moved across her back, carrying a different meaning as they slowly moved downward. Using some force, he pulled her legs up. Yu Nuo’s mind was in chaos, caught between advancing and retreating. She could only follow his lead and fall forward, reaching out to grab his neck. Their bodies pressed together tightly, leaving no space between them.
She looked pitiful yet innocent in this state.
In the dim light, Chen Yuzheng stared at the sweat slowly sliding down her neck. Certain scents became particularly intense in the small space of the car. Where the sweat droplets slid past left faint wet trails, passing over a small brown mole. His breathing suddenly became heavy. As desire built up, he brought his head close and tenderly licked the spot. The taste was salty.
Chen Yuzheng’s tone was wandering, almost laughing but not quite, patiently confirming once more, “Does sister know what she’s saying?”
Though his tone seemed to be consulting with her, the force at her waist made it clear he wasn’t giving her any way out.
Yu Nuo was actually a bit scared, but she still nodded.
He used his fingers to push aside both straps.
With a slight sound, the car seat reclined and tilted back. Their positions reversed. Chen Yuzheng flipped her onto the seat, one knee beside her as he bent down, caressing her earlobe, “You know?”
Yu Nuo was practically pinned to the seat. Her hands quietly clenched into fists, teeth biting her red lips. She looked pitiful, not knowing this only excited him more.
“Do you know?” he muttered to himself, asking again, though it didn’t seem like he was waiting for her answer.
Yu Nuo’s face and ears were red, her vision blurry, not knowing whether to shake or nod her head. She only felt that Chen Yuzheng had suddenly become like a different person, somewhat unfamiliar. What she didn’t know was that even if she regretted it now, there was no way to escape.
Every one of Chen Yuzheng’s nerves felt like it was being burned by fire, a fire that wouldn’t extinguish but only grew stronger. His eyes were rimmed with red as his hands slowly began to move, bunching up her nightgown into a mess. Between restraint and explosion, his distracted kisses fell on her ear, the corner of her mouth, her collarbone…
“Is this okay?”
He seemed to deliberately make her hurt, but mixed with the pain was something else, both itchy and numb. Yu Nuo didn’t understand any of it, feeling an indescribable flutter in her heart. After suppressing it for a while, her head pressed against his shoulder, wanting to push him away but having no strength, she finally couldn’t hold back and let out two short whimpers.
“How about this?” he whispered in her ear, his breath burning hot.
Chen Yuzheng’s neck showed taut veins as he kept questioning her, one after another.
His voice seemed very gentle as he coaxed her, but his actions became increasingly excessive.
It was as if he wanted to show her through actions that this was all her own doing.
…
…
Until Chen Yuzheng suddenly sat up, the cool air around them rushed in, surrounding her, raising goosebumps on her skin. They were both covered in sweat.
The fingers propped by her ear curled slightly. Chen Yuzheng’s short bangs were wet, his eyes chaotic, as if he was trying hard to endure something.
Yu Nuo opened her eyes in confusion, tears still visible in them. When she looked at him, she seemed a bit dazed, not understanding why he had stopped.
Chen Yuzheng’s expression was restrained as he cursed under his breath, trying to calm his breathing.
“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.
“Didn’t buy that thing.”
Yu Nuo: “……”
Chen Yuzheng lowered his head, reluctantly kissing her lips once more. His voice was slightly hoarse, his eyes still red and carrying lingering desire, “Don’t want sister to take medicine.”
Noticing his movement to leave, Yu Nuo instinctively asked: “Where are you going?”
“To calm down,” Chen Yuzheng reached for his cigarette box, listlessly saying, “Afraid I’ll turn into a beast.”
The car door was pulled open and slammed shut.
He took his cigarette box and lighter and got out.
Yu Nuo stared at the car roof with unfocused eyes, still not having come back to her senses.
Yu Nuo bent her arm to prop herself up, looking at Chen Yuzheng’s silhouette disappearing into the night as she sat up. The nightgown on her body was wrinkled into a mess. She looked down at it, her mind still blank.
After a long while, Yu Nuo had little strength left as she slowly took the jacket from the corner and put it back on. She struggled internally for a moment, pressed her lips together, and pushed open the door to get out.
She stopped a few steps away from him.
The summer night breeze was refreshing.
Chen Yuzheng stared at her with a cigarette in his mouth. The glowing red tip flickered weak and strong, his features mostly obscured by the night.
He looked at her standing there uncertainly and tilted the corner of his mouth in a smile.
Chen Yuzheng put out his cigarette and walked over to her, saying casually: “Let’s go, I’ll walk you back.”
Yu Nuo’s expression was awkward as she seemed to want to say something.
“What is it?”
Remembering his expression just before getting out of the car, he had seemed quite uncomfortable. She felt a bit guilty, especially since she had started it. Yu Nuo felt even more apologetic, her voice barely audible, “…are you okay?”
“Not really.”
She shuffled her feet as she followed him, saying something silly: “Then, what should we do?”
Chen Yuzheng: “Nothing we can do.”
Her voice dropped even lower, “Why don’t you go… take care of it?”
After a pause, Chen Yuzheng’s expression carried rare innocence: “How should I take care of it?”
Yu Nuo thought for a moment, referring to things she had heard before, and thick-skinnedly offered him a suggestion.
Chen Yuzheng: “……”
It would have been better if she hadn’t mentioned it. Once she did, Chen Yuzheng couldn’t control himself again, “I don’t want to take care of it that way, I want sister to keep me company.”
Yu Nuo: “Then, then I’ll keep you company?”
Chen Yuzheng was in a good mood as he squinted at her sideways, saying something completely unrelated: “Sister, how come you’re more perverted than me?”
Yu Nuo was unexpectedly accused of this and didn’t know what to say.
He implied: “Next time sister wants to do bad things, remember to notify me in advance.”
Chen Yuzheng lifted his eyelids, saying casually: “Otherwise, hitting the brakes too many times will definitely give me health problems.”
Yu Nuo: “…….”
After saying this, he added: “Besides, I can’t always stop in time.”
—
Back home.
Yu Nuo quietly inserted the key into the lock, turning it slowly, one second at a time.
Half a century later, the door clicked and opened a crack.
Yu Nuo entered, terrified of making any noise. She crouched down to change into her slippers.
The living room lights were still off, the house pitch black. Yu Ge hadn’t sent her any messages or called, so he probably didn’t know she had sneaked out. Yu Nuo relaxed a little.
She put the keys at the entrance and sneakily walked towards her room.
Just as she put her hand on the doorknob, a voice suddenly came from behind: “Where did you go?”
Yu Nuo startled, her whole body stiffening. After several dull seconds, she slowly turned around.
Yu Ge stood with his arms crossed, leaning against his bedroom doorway, watching her.
Yu Nuo stood straight, stammering: “I, I went out, to clear my head a bit.”
“Clear your head?” Yu Ge’s brows furrowed, “What worries do you have?”
“…Just couldn’t sleep.” Yu Nuo’s brain was spinning frantically, not even knowing what she was saying, “Then, suddenly wanted to walk around.”
Yu Ge: “…….”
He just looked at her like that, his lips straight, not saying anything.
Yu Nuo nervously waited.
After a long while, Yu Ge didn’t say anything more, just lifted his chin, gesturing for her to go to her room.
Having survived the crisis, Yu Nuo entered her room and slid down against the door in exhaustion.
She hugged her legs, resting her chin on her knees.
The bedside lamp from before she went out was still on, and the night suddenly became extremely quiet. After her heart had beaten violently, it slowly calmed down.
She stared blankly into the air ahead of her.
Her mind wandered back to that stuffy car earlier. Think a bit, stop a bit, think again. From the beginning to the end, the mingling of breath and saliva, his faint panting still in her ears.
Even her body still retained the sensation of his fingers caressing… and later, when he guided her hand towards a certain place on his body.
Stopping there, Yu Nuo didn’t dare and wasn’t comfortable thinking further, completely burying her face between her legs.
So this is what doing such things feels like.
—
These days both OG and TG’s people had a few days off. After the bubble race is finished the day after tomorrow, determining the third spot for this world championship, both teams would still need to go to the venue together for the departure ceremony.
Yu Ge got up at noon, went to brush his teeth, and lunch was already prepared.
He sat down at the dining table with only one set of bowls and chopsticks in front of him. Looking up at Yu Nuo, he asked: “Aren’t you eating with me?”
Yu Nuo put the soup on the table: “I made plans with friends today, might be out all day.”
Yu Ge didn’t have much reaction, just said “oh,” “When will you be back?”
“Don’t know.” Yu Nuo had her hands behind her back, secretly glancing at him, “Might be evening.”
…
…
After reaching the community entrance, Yu Nuo sent Chen Yuzheng a message.
After waiting by the roadside for a while, an unfamiliar car stopped beside her. The window lowered halfway, Chen Yuzheng was in the driver’s seat.
Yu Nuo opened the car door and found there was another person in the back seat.
Ji Gaozhuo’s eyes lit up as he leaned forward onto the front seat, stretching out a tattooed arm, grinning at her: “Hey, sister-in-law! Hi, I’m Ji Gaozhuo!”
Yu Nuo closed the car door and also reached out to shake his hand, “Hi, I’m Yu Nuo.”
Ji Gaozhuo seemed very excited and started chatting with Yu Nuo: “So this is what our sister-in-law looks like! That bastard Chen Yuzheng is so stingy, wouldn’t even send us one photo!”
Yu Nuo smiled awkwardly and asked: “Are you, Chen Yuzheng’s friend?”
Ji Gaozhuo enthusiastically introduced himself: “Yeah, I’m his childhood friend.”
Chen Yuzheng couldn’t be bothered to manage the noisy person in the back, turning the steering wheel and telling her to put on her seatbelt.
Yu Nuo obediently sat up straight and pulled over the seatbelt.
Their eyes met briefly, and in those few seconds, a certain ambiguous tension spread between them. Yu Nuo was the first to look away.
She watched the road and asked: “Where are we going?”
Chen Yuzheng: “Let’s eat first.”
Ji Gaozhuo mumbled: “What are we eating? Sichuan food?”
Chen Yuzheng ignored him and asked Yu Nuo, “What do you want to eat?”
“About Sichuan food…” Yu Nuo looked at his expression and turned to say: “Chen Yuzheng probably can’t handle food that spicy.”
Ji Gaozhuo enthusiastically continued chatting with her, “Little sister, how old are you?”
Yu Nuo: “23.”
“So you two are in a noona romance1? That’s quite trendy.” Ji Gaozhuo put one hand on the front seat, remembering something, suddenly realizing: “Oh, right, you must be older than him, he called you sister before, I saw it.”
“What?”
“You know that tattoo on Chen Yuzheng’s arm, right? I did it for him. At that time, didn’t he whine like a girl and cry to you? Saying stuff like, sister, it hurts so much.”
Ji Gaozhuo looked disgusted.
It was a while ago, and Yu Nuo’s thoughts were a bit slow as she tried to recall this incident.
Seeing her frowning in thought without saying anything, Ji Gaozhuo thought he had mixed up people and looked at Chen Yuzheng in horror, “Shit, did I say something wrong?”
Chen Yuzheng focused on driving, looking ahead, his reaction very calm.
Yu Nuo remembered and couldn’t help but laugh, telling Ji Gaozhuo: “The person he messaged was me.”
Ji Gaozhuo also patted his chest: “Thank goodness it was you, otherwise Chen Yuzheng would be such a player, getting exposed by me on the spot for calling everyone sister.”
Chen Yuzheng glanced at the rearview mirror and sneered: “Besides her, I’ve never called anyone sister.”
Ji Gaozhuo thought for a moment and confirmed: “That’s true.”
Chen Yuzheng had always been lacking in manners since childhood. With many siblings at home, regardless of who was a few years older among peers, he never called anyone brother or sister, always directly using their names.
Xu Yitong had never heard him call her sister from childhood to adulthood.
…
…
They found a random restaurant in a nearby mall to eat.
Chen Yuzheng seemed to not have slept well last night, sprawled in his chair looking very tired. He barely ate anything, and the whole time only Yu Nuo and Ji Gaozhuo were chatting.
Yu Nuo asked: “Where are we going after this?”
Chen Yuzheng perked up a bit, “Want to watch me play basketball?”
Yu Nuo nodded, “Sure.”
After eating, Ji Gaozhuo went to the bathroom. Chen Yuzheng rested his head in the crook of Yu Nuo’s neck, playing with her hair.
“Where do you want to play basketball?”
“There’s a basketball court at the university near Ji Gaozhuo’s place.”
Yu Nuo was curious: “Why suddenly want to play basketball?”
Chen Yuzheng: “Didn’t you enjoy watching last time?”
She thought about it.
Last time?
After thinking for a while, Yu Nuo suddenly realized.
Chen Yuzheng was talking about that day of her graduation defense when he came to her school? They sat at the basketball court for a while, and Chen Yuzheng had a disdainful look as he criticized the basketball skills of all the male students at her school.
Yu Nuo remembered and found it amusing.
She thought about how Chen Yuzheng had been holding onto this jealousy for so long…
—
In the gymnasium.
Yu Nuo put her bag aside and looked around. She sat on the bench waiting for them to change clothes.
Hearing footsteps, Yu Nuo turned to look, and Chen Yuzheng was standing at the edge of the court.
He was wearing a white number 29 jersey and was putting on wrist guards, tall and lean. Ji Gaozhuo was bouncing a ball with one hand, joking with him nearby.
Yu Nuo’s heart rate increased a bit as she stared at Chen Yuzheng without blinking.
Chen Yuzheng put on his wrist guards, turned his head, and precisely caught someone stealing glances. He said a few words to Ji Gaozhuo, then walked towards Yu Nuo’s direction.
Stopping in front of her, Chen Yuzheng raised his hand and waved it in front of her eyes, “Stunned?”
Yu Nuo was still looking him over, saying seriously: “Chen Yuzheng, you look so handsome dressed like this.”
“……”
After a moment of silence.
“Can’t you be more subtle?” Chen Yuzheng was a bit uncomfortable, “I know I’m handsome, but when you’re so direct about it, I feel quite embarrassed.”
Yu Nuo burst out laughing, “You can get embarrassed?” Ji Gaozhuo called from far away, “Chen Yuzheng, what the hell are you dawdling for!”
Chen Yuzheng was unhurried, raising his hand to hook her chin, lazily flirting: “Of course, don’t I often get shy in front of sister?”
Yu Nuo: “…….”
She pushed him, “Talk later, go play basketball first, they’re all waiting for you.”
Previously, she had heard Chen Yuzheng say he was on the school basketball team in high school. Yu Nuo felt a bit regretful then, but didn’t expect she would actually have the chance today to see what Chen Yuzheng was like when playing basketball.
She didn’t really understand basketball, just felt that when a group of guys were running around, calling out and jumping, they had a unique charm.
Chen Yuzheng’s state when playing basketball was completely different from his usual lazy self, and there was no way to connect him with “Conquer” on the competition stage.
Among the group of tall guys, he was still the most eye-catching one.
For some reason, Yu Nuo thought of when Chen Yuzheng had joked with her before, saying that in high school whenever there were games, half the girls in the audience were his cheerleaders.
She had thought he was joking then, but now felt that what he said was probably true.
During halftime.
Chen Yuzheng had just been exercising intensely, his body steaming with heat. He sat down beside her, both elbows propped on his knees, taking a couple of breaths. He turned his head to call her, “Fish lover.”
Yu Nuo was blank: “Hm?”
His gaze moved to the mineral water beside her, “Do you have any awareness of being a girlfriend?”
Yu Nuo realized, making a couple of “oh” sounds, unscrewed the mineral water and handed it over. Seeing him not taking it, she moved a bit closer, very perceptively bringing it to his lips.
Chen Yuzheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed the water she fed him.
Her two white slim legs under the short skirt were swaying right in front of his eyes. Chen Yuzheng lifted the hem of his shirt, wiping the sweat from his neck and chin.
Maybe because of years of playing basketball, his body… was actually quite good. Yu Nuo saw his exposed firm waist and abs…
Yu Nuo quickly moved her eyes away, lowering her head to screw the bottle cap back on.
His slow voice rang out: “Just look if you want to look, I said I don’t mind.”
Yu Nuo’s face reddened.
Chen Yuzheng still wouldn’t let her off, persisting: “Didn’t you touch yesterday? Just looking now, how come you’re shy?”
Yu Nuo defended herself: “I, I didn’t touch yesterday.”
It was all him…
“Fine.” Chen Yuzheng agreed readily, “Then today I’ll let you touch, sister can touch wherever you want, I absolutely won’t resist.”
She really couldn’t handle Chen Yuzheng’s mouth full of flirtatious words, “Go play basketball first, we’ll talk later.”
Chen Yuzheng was suggestive: “Then think carefully about where you want to touch later.”
Yu Nuo: “……..”
…
At some point, a few girls entered the gymnasium. They looked like students from this university.
Yu Nuo sat on the chair, focused on watching him play basketball.
Someone came off court midway, going to the side to drink water. Chen Yuzheng leaned against the basketball hoop, chatting with Ji Gaozhuo.
The girls sitting next to Yu Nuo suddenly stood up, pushing each other as they walked that way.
Ji Gaozhuo’s words suddenly cut off, his eyes watching the approaching girls.
This scene was all too familiar to him – it happened frequently whenever he was with Chen Yuzheng since they were young. Ji Gaozhuo stopped talking, knowingly lifting his chin to signal Chen Yuzheng to look behind him.
The group stopped a few steps away. After some giggling, they pushed one girl forward.
The girl was very shy, glancing at his handsome face as she held out a phone, “Senior, can I add your WeChat?”
The unfamiliar people around were all teasing, making the young girl even more nervous.
Chen Yuzheng turned his head to look at Yu Nuo in the distance.
To avoid awkwardness, Ji Gaozhuo was about to say: “He has a…”
Before he could finish saying “girlfriend”…
Chen Yuzheng tilted his head, smiling at the girl trying to get his contact, “Sorry, I got my marriage certificate last year.”
Ji Gaozhuo: “……”
The girl who wanted his WeChat was suddenly confused, “Ah?!”
Under Ji Gaozhuo’s stare of “what the hell is wrong with you”, Chen Yuzheng enunciated clearly, “I’m married, already have two kids.”
- Noona means “older sister” in Korean. ↩︎
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