Bai Yin received the room key for the Di Hao Resort Hotel and called Chen Huaixiao.
After several rings, he finally answered, silent and waiting for Bai Yin to speak first.
Taking a deep breath and looking at the Su Ke Hotel opposite her, Bai Yin asked, "Where are you?"
Chen Huaixiao didn't answer her question and replied lazily, "What's up?"
"Of course, something's up. First, tell me where you are."
"I'm outside getting some fresh air," Chen Huaixiao replied, leaning against the railing of the second-floor terrace. "Feeling a little dizzy."
Bai Yin breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't gone back to his hotel room yet.
"If you can't handle drinking, then don't drink. Do you want to repeat the same mistake?" she scolded.
"I'm not repeating your mistake," he replied nonchalantly. "Why so uptight?"
Bai Yin heard a hotel staff member's voice on the other end of the line, "Mr. Chen, are you drunk? Do you need to go back to your room to rest?"
"Yeah."
As Chen Huaixiao was about to hang up the phone, Bai Yin's seductive voice came through, "Chen Huaixiao, I'm in room 1203 of the Di Hao Hotel across from you. Come find me."
After a long silence, a lazy voice came through the phone, "Hm?"
"Come over now, it's urgent."
"It's too hot. I don't want to walk," Chen Huaixiao replied with a smirk. "Handle it yourself."
"..."
Bai Yin knew he never liked being told what to do. He only did what he wanted, not what others asked him to do.
She gritted her teeth and softened her tone, "Brother, I'm not feeling well. Can you come?"
That deliberate "brother" made Chen Huaixiao immediately realize that something was up with this girl.
He impatiently replied, "Go to the hospital if you're not feeling well."
"It's not that. I got my period."
"..."
"I didn't bring any sanitary pads. Can you buy me a pack and bring it over? It's urgent."
With that, Bai Yin hung up the phone.
That was all she could do. Whether he came or not was up to him.
...
Bai Yin had suffered from malnutrition since childhood and was as skinny as a monkey. She didn't start menstruating until her first year of high school, and it was Chen Huaixiao who happened to catch her.
Growing up with her grandmother, who had old-fashioned beliefs, Bai Yin had never learned anything about menstrual hygiene. So when her white skirt had turned red, she was still selling embroidered handkerchiefs on the street, completely unaware.
At that time, Chen Huaixiao had just started college and came home on weekends to visit his grandfather. Riding his motorcycle, he sped along the bumpy cobblestone roads of the small town.
Passing by Bai Yin's stall, he took off his goggles and frowned at her, "Hey, little girl."
"What?"
"It's that time of the month for you."
"What time?" Bai Yin asked innocently.
Chen Huaixiao furrowed his brow. "Is your stomach hurting?"
Bai Yin rubbed her stomach and looked at the last piece of Su embroidery handkerchief on her table. "I sold that one. I'll go back now."
Seeing her pale complexion, obviously feeling unwell but still trying to hold on, Chen Huaixiao was speechless. He got off his motorcycle, took off his jacket and tied it around her waist. "Get on, I'll take you back."
The girl stubbornly shook her head. "This is the last one. After I sell it, I'm going back."
Chen Huaixiao pulled out a 10 yuan bill from his pocket and put it into the small cloth bag in front of her. "Big brother will buy it."
Bai Yin hesitated for a moment and said, "It's 30 yuan."
"..."
Seeing him speechless, Bai Yin quickly explained, "I embroidered it myself. It took me several evenings. You won't regret it."
Chen Huaixiao looked at the pink cherry blossom branches on the handkerchief and pulled out a new red bill from his pocket. He put it into her bag and said, "No need for change."
Bai Yin still carefully counted out the change and handed it to him. "Just take what's fair. Thank you, big brother."
Chen Huaixiao was a bit of a clean freak and didn't want to touch the old coins. So Bai Yin wrapped the money in a tissue and put it in his pocket.
After they got on the bus, Chen Huaixiao went to a convenience store in town and used the old coins to buy sanitary pads, which he handed to her. "Do you know how to use these?"
Bai Yin shook her head, and he seemed unsure how to explain it to her. Impatiently, he tugged on her long braid and said, "How can you be so clueless? You don't even know about your period."
"What's that?"
Chen Huaixiao was a bit helpless. He couldn't exactly teach her how to use them. After thinking about it, he took out his phone and showed her a video about menstruation geared towards young girls, letting her watch it on her own.
After Bai Yin finished watching the video, she turned around and realized that her skirt was stained with blood, and his coat was also dirty.
Chen Huaixiao glanced at her embarrassed face and led her to a relatively clean restroom at the tourist center. He handed her the sanitary pads and his phone. "Go in and take care of it. If you have any questions, use your phone to search for information."
"Thank you, big brother."
Bai Yin took the black bag and the phone and walked into the restroom.
...
In the Di Hao Hotel, Bai Yin had another drink and felt a bit tipsy.
How could she not like him? In her shy girlhood thoughts, she always had him in mind.
But unfortunately, he had someone else in his heart, A Yao.
She hated it.
Bai Yin put down her glass, but she was too forceful, and the glass broke.
Her mother lost everything because of her true feelings. She couldn't bear the news of her father's affair and ended up committing suicide.
True feelings were her biggest weakness.
She had promised her grandmother that she would become successful and gain a lot of happiness. Love was the least important thing, and she wouldn't repeat the same mistake.
Bai Yin took her last sip of the drink and lay down on the bed, letting the world spin around her.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Bai Yin sat up abruptly.
"It's me," came the low, magnetic voice from outside.
She opened the door and saw Chen Huaixiao standing there in a suit and tie. His collar was a bit messy, and his tie was askew, revealing his fair and handsome neck.
He was clearly drunk, and he stumbled into the room, throwing the black bag on the table.
He must have been really drunk to go to the supermarket to buy sanitary pads.
Bai Yin's head was also spinning. She wished she hadn't drunk so much, knowing he was coming.
Chen Huaixiao sat on the sofa, rubbing his chin, trying to sober up.
"It's always so troublesome," he muttered.
"I've always been a bother to my older brother," Bai Yin said, cautiously looking outside the door before closing it and locking it with a click.
Chen Huaixiao glanced at the empty wine glass on the table and furrowed his brows. "You drank so much during your period?"
Bai Yin lazily collapsed onto the bed and kicked off her high heels haphazardly. "I lied, it hasn't come yet."
Chen Huaixiao gazed at her delicate and slender waist, her pale and long legs curled up like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, completely defenseless in front of him. It was clear she wasn't afraid of him.
A hint of desire flickered in his eyes, but he suppressed the impulse and stood up. "I'm leaving."
"Just wait a bit," the woman stumbled to her feet, barefooted, and caught hold of his sleeve. "Wait until you're sober before leaving."
"Why?"
"I'm afraid of reporters outside. It's safer to leave after spending the night."
Chen Huaixiao looked at her pleading expression, suddenly grabbing her chin with his hand, his black eyes icy. "You lied to get me here and now you want to spend the night with me?"
"..."
The sensual scene from before reappeared in his mind.
"Are you blushing?"
"No."
"What do you want this time?"
Bai Yin was held by his domineering posture, her cherry lips moist and pouting from his pinch. She forced herself to say, "What are you willing to give?"
Chen Huaixiao smirked. "Depends on how I feel."
With that, he forcefully flipped her over, turning his back to her.
Bai Yin knew she should refuse.
As long as she said "no," even if Chen Huaixiao wasn't a gentleman, he wouldn't be a villain either.
But she didn't refuse.
Under the influence of alcohol, the love and admiration she had been hiding deep inside burst forth like fireworks in her mind. She fell into the soft bed and kept falling.
If she couldn't have his heart, at least she could have him.
...
The morning after the hangover was always early.
Bai Yin crawled out of the warm bed, subconsciously grabbing the soft white blanket to cover her bare body. Her head was slightly throbbing.
Then she put down her white arm, which had fallen on the man's broad chest.
Half of his chest was covered by the white sheet, exposing a flawless and perfect male physique. Even in a drunken slumber, his face remained unchanged, making her feel as if she was sleeping next to a divine being who had been untouched for nine days.
Bits of confusion still lingered in Bai Yin's mind.
Facing the man she had liked for so many years, her emotions had reached an unprecedented level. At the most intense moment, she even shed tears.
After that night, she left without a word.
Now they had reunited, and their time together didn't even add up to half an hour, yet they had slept together again. This time, it was even more intense than before.
Bai Yin pounded her head with her fists, trying to clear her thoughts.
Why can't I control myself?
She tiptoed out of bed, picked up the dress scattered on the floor and headed to the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Bai Yin saw the shocking marks under her neck, reminding her of the madness from the night before.
That man... swallowed her whole like a wolf.
She looked at herself, with clear and delicate features that carried a hint of allure, cascading black hair, and misty water-colored eyes.
Years of physical training had made her figure perfect to an incomparable degree, with a slender waist and full, upright breasts that seemed tailored to fit his hands even without a bra.
Bai Yin looked away, turned on the showerhead, and washed away the decadence and bitterness on her body.
When she came out of the shower, Chen Huaixiao was still asleep.
This surprised Bai Yin because he was always alert and lightly slept, and even the slightest sound would make him vigilant.
Was he really just too drunk last night?
She rubbed her fluffy hair that had just been blown dry and walked to the bedside, gazing at him tenderly.
He smelled of sandalwood, which was the fragrance she had been using for years, and it had rubbed off on him.
Bai Yin leaned closer and sniffed lightly.
It was really there.
The scent of her on Chen Huaixiao was like a kind of mark.
She was his, and no one could take her away.
Bai Yin leaned over, ready to kiss him, but their lips didn't touch.
She was just imagining what it would feel like to kiss him.
The next second, the back of her head was gripped by a large hand and pressed down.
Then the man's lips covered hers, invading her without good intentions, catching her off guard.
"Um!"
She pushed him away and took two steps back, looking disheveled.
The clear bite mark on her lower lip was painful.
Chen Huaixiao opened his eyes and looked at her meaningfully, his lips slightly curved. His face, which was as cold as a god or Buddha, now had a hint of evil like a demon.
"Still not satisfied from last night?"
"You were drunk, so was I." Bai Yin turned her back and sat on the edge of the bed.
Chen Huaixiao stared at her manly back, her black dress outlining the curves of her waist, her arms and neck pale and cold like the moonlight.
Even though Chen Huaixiao had seen countless perfect proportions in artists' figures, Bai Yin's figure was unparalleled.
"I was drunk," he said with a faint smile, "but you... didn't seem as drunk."
Bai Yin crawled up to him like a cat, leaned close to his face, and teased him with her voice, "Brother knows that you don't get anything for free from me."
"This time, what do you want?"
"I'll keep it, and when I make up my mind, I'll ask Brother Huaixiao for it all at once." Bai Yin's finger fell onto his chest. "Besides, I don't regret sleeping with Chen Huaixiao's good figure."
Chen Huaixiao looked at her seductive eyes and knew that she was no longer the same as before. His face finally darkened.
"I can tell that you weren't at a loss in your state last night."
"..."
Thinking of her reaction from last night, Bai Yin knew that she couldn't control herself.
Chen Huaixiao pulled back the sheets and picked up a white shirt, buttoning it up meticulously one by one. Dressed in his suit, he exuded a strict and restrained aura.
"You've improved a lot since the last time we met years ago," he commented coolly.
Bai Yin wasn't one to back down and retorted, "Oh? But big brother, you're not as good as you were in college. Is it because you're getting old?"
Before she could finish her sentence, he strode over, grabbing her hand forcefully. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, his voice low.
Bai Yin rolled away from him, wary of his advances. "Just kidding," she said.
"I know," Chen Huaixiao replied calmly, adjusting his collar. He didn't want to force her into anything.
"There's just one thing I don't like. Don't kiss me while I'm asleep."
He didn't like things that were out of his control, especially when he was caught off guard like that.
"I wasn't kissing you without permission," Bai Yin chirped, enunciating each word. "I was just... sampling the spoils of war."
Hearing her words, Chen Huaixiao was filled with an inexplicable anger, but he concealed it perfectly behind his icy expression.
After leaving the room, Chen Huaixiao called his assistant Shen Bin. "Find out if someone drugged my drink last night," he instructed.
