Chapter 35: The Opposite Side

That night, Xie Bo discovered that Lin Yiwei didn’t actually hate him as much as she claimed.

On the vessel he captained, she reached the shores of pleasure time and again in ways that seemed impossible, making him appear to be a remarkably skilled captain.

"You don’t hate me, Yi-yi. In fact, you don't hate me at all; you’re just pretending."

This realization left Xie Bo exhilarated.

"I don't," she insisted, her words still defiant, as if admitting it would mean losing something she was unwilling to surrender. "Stop being so... so... full of yourself."

Xie Bo smiled, gripping her hands, linking himself deeply with her. They crashed against the reefs in a frenzy, over and over again. The impact was lethal to the vessel of their composure; all rationality and thought were swept away, leaving only the most primitive of desires. Even if the end of the world were at hand, nothing could pull apart the alliance they had forged.

She echoed in his ears, sounding like the wind, like the rhythmic crashing of waves, causing his sails to billow time and again.

There was no fatigue, no end.

When they rested, Xie Bo would light a cigarette, and she would lean softly against his shoulder. When he started to smoke, she would forbid it inside the room, yet she wouldn't let him leave, wrapping her arms around his waist and tracing the contours of his toned muscles with her slender, soft fingertips.

Xie Bo had no choice but to stub out the cigarette. The air was filled with a crisp, cool scent of mint, and in that atmosphere, they entangled themselves, exhausting one another to the absolute limit.

From night until day.

At six in the morning, Lin Yiwei dragged her weary body out of bed, pulled back the heavy curtains, and let the faint morning light filter through the thin white gauze into the room.

Amidst the dancing fragments of light, she crawled back into bed, curling into the warmth of the quilt.

Before long, a groggy Xie Bo got out of bed and pulled the heavy curtains shut, plunging the room into absolute, sightless darkness.

Like a beast lurking in the forest, he only felt comfortable in the dark, and he fell into a peaceful sleep.

Lin Yiwei, however, disliked this darkness; it made her feel uneasy. She whimpered and started to get out of bed, only to be grabbed by the wrist and pulled back by Xie Bo, who muttered, "Behave."

Pulled back into his arms and pinned from behind, she lacked the strength to struggle. Her body felt as limp as a rag doll, and she drifted back into a deep sleep.

In her dreams, Lin Yiwei felt as though she were being brushed by a damp feather—warm, soft, guided by the wind, wandering over every inch of her skin until it reached its destination.

She awoke with a start, her fingers tightening, clenching the sheets into layers of wrinkles under the gentle teasing of that "feather."

Lin Yiwei opened her eyes wide. In the pitch-black darkness and boundless silence, she could only hear their intertwined breathing—savage and heavy.

She was cast toward the clouds once more, unable to stop herself from tensing her entire body, falling continuously in the posture of a child sleeping in a mother's embrace.

She heard his muffled chuckle, as distant as a dream. She couldn't even see him, yet she sensed his presence everywhere. He had a hand in every uncontrolled breath she took and every peak of her racing heart; it was his most glorious victory.

He was tireless, turning her into a stream flowing into the vast rivers and seas, murmuring without end.

By the following afternoon, driven by hunger, Lin Yiwei finally woke up fully.

The room was heavy with the lingering scent of their intimacy, both beautiful and decadent.

As her fair feet touched the floor, she saw the scattered foil wrappers and plastic debris, which mirrored her own sore and weak state, reminding her of the madness that had transpired.

Barefoot, she stepped across the warm wooden floor and pulled at the heavy bedroom door. It was locked.

She returned to the bedside and nudged the man who was still fast asleep. "Bo-ye, I'm hungry."

Xie Bo stirred, pulling her onto his chest and stretching as he held her. "I'm hungry, too."

She had never seen him so relaxed and lazy. Lying on his chest, she smiled at him. "Can you get takeout in a place like this?"

"No. We're on a mountain."

"Then let me go out and find something to eat. I can't open the door."

"I locked it," he said, perfectly justified. "We agreed on two days; not a single minute less."

"..."

"Then get up already!"

Finally, half an hour later, the man leisurely got up to dress.

Lin Yiwei threw on one of his shirts and a windbreaker, sitting on the edge of the bed to watch him.

He was absolutely fastidious when dressing, not tolerating even the slightest wrinkle on a collar.

He pulled out a steamer and said to Lin Yiwei, "Help me with this."

"Bo-ye, I’m your lover, not your maid."

Xie Bo smiled, walked over, and caught her by the collar, leaning down to kiss her soft lips. "I only want to wear clothes you’ve tended to. Just do it, alright?"

Damn it, he was actually acting spoiled.

Lin Yiwei didn't buy it. "I don't do those things."

"One thousand per item."

Money makes the world go round. Lin Yiwei turned around and picked up the steamer without hesitation. "Two thousand."

"Deal." Xie Bo never haggled with her. "I’ll give you five thousand. Help me put them on after you're done."

Lin Yiwei happily picked up the steamer and fiddled with it for a long time. "Xie Bo, how do you use this?"

"You've never ironed clothes before?"

"I’ve used cheap ones that cost a few hundred, but I don't know how to use this high-end stuff."

Xie Bo said, "Neither do I."

"Then..."

"It seems you have the dream of making money, but not the skill to earn it."

Lin Yiwei wasn't about to give up. She struggled with it for a while, but then the steam hissed out, burning her hand. She shrieked and threw the steamer aside.

Xie Bo grabbed her hand and dragged her to the bathroom to run it under cold water. "Are you a pig?"

The icy water in the dead of winter eased the burning on her fingertips. Lin Yiwei grumbled, "You're the pig."

Coming out of the bathroom, Lin Yiwei picked up the steamer, intent on studying it again. Xie Bo, not wanting her to mess with it anymore, finished dressing hastily. "Forget it, don't iron."

"No, I want to iron." She took the steamer and waved it at him.

"Attempting to murder your husband?"

"Attempting to murder my lover," Lin Yiwei corrected with a smile.

Xie Bo had truly brought this upon himself. He pulled out his phone, searched for a tutorial on the brand, and once he learned it, he patiently taught her: "Add water, wait ten seconds, only use it when the green light turns on. Hold only the handle, don't touch anything else, and be careful of the steam—it's very hot."

Lin Yiwei hauled out every shirt, pair of trousers, and jacket from his closet, ironing them until they were flat and straight, without a single wrinkle. Finally, she counted them up and held her payment QR code in front of Xie Bo.

Xie Bo looked at her, resigned. "I thank you."

"Don't thank me, just pay me."

He transferred the money with a huff. The young woman’s eyes crinkled with a smile. "Xie Bo, you should buy more clothes in the future. I'll iron them for you every day."

"There’s a future?"

"Oh, right. No future." She shrugged, pretending to be carefree as she adjusted his collar. "Let's go find something to eat."

Xie Bo took the opportunity to pull her into his arms, leaning down to kiss her, greedily sucking in every breath she took. "Yi, I want a future with you, too."

"Bo-ye, don't say things like that. I don't have any expectations of you."

She wanted to say goodbye to him easily, without a trace of sadness. He’d better not lead her on.

Afraid that if they dawdled any longer, it would be dark, Lin Yiwei pushed him away, and they walked out of the bedroom.

The villa was truly old, with antique wooden furniture that had a heavy, luxurious, yet dated feel. Lin Yiwei liked old things from the bottom of her heart. She stroked the grain of the cabinet and looked back at Xie Bo. "Is this your home?"

"Not really," Xie Bo told her frankly. "For a while before my mother passed away, a man with whom she had a brief, passing romance took care of her. This is the house he provided."

"Not your father?"

"No," Xie Bo said in a low voice. "She was the most popular star in the red-light district back then; many men were obsessed with her, including powerful men from the business world, even when she was terminally ill."

Mentioning this, Xie Bo was as calm as if he were recounting a history that had nothing to do with him.

"After that man passed away, I bought this villa. It's very secluded; even my father wouldn't be able to find it."

Lin Yiwei was clever enough to instantly glean more information from his words—why their breakup had been so abrupt.

Lin Yiwei had no desire to play with fire, especially since she had her own mission. Now that there was a risk, she had to stay away from him.

There was no food at home, so they drove to a nearby town. The restaurants there weren't high-end, but there was a lively food street.

Xie Bo held her hand, and she let him, walking down the street. They looked as intimate and natural as any ordinary couple.

Lin Yiwei was dressed very casually in his clothes—a hoodie and black trousers, which were slightly loose, making her look thin and delicate.

She wore no makeup, always appearing with a bare face, yet her skin was pure and flawless, showing a natural, healthy glow. She had pulled her hair into a loose bun, adorned with a small yellow daisy picked from the garden.

Xie Bo’s gaze could never leave her.

They had a simple barbecue on the food street. Xie Bo didn't drink soda, only water, and it had to be iced.

Lin Yiwei was completely different; she didn't like cold drinks, only warm water.

Their tastes in food were miles apart as well. She loved spicy food, but he ate blandly and wouldn't touch a drop of chili.

Lin Yiwei loved pomegranates, but Xie Bo thought the fruit was too much trouble to eat.

They were polar opposites in their daily lives, completely out of sync, just like their social standing—a world of difference.

After dinner, they went to buy fruit. Lin Yiwei insisted on buying pomegranates, but Xie Bo told her to give them up and try some imported 3J cherries instead.

Lin Yiwei said she couldn't afford them, and Xie Bo offered to treat her.

"Is having money so great?"

She rolled her eyes and said stubbornly, "From this moment on, cherries are officially my most hated fruit!"

In the fruit market, Xie Bo picked up a box of cherries, put them in his basket, and said with a smile, "You're just acting spoiled with me."

"I think your reading comprehension is the one with a major problem." Lin Yiwei took the box of cherries out of the basket. "I just don't like eating these big cherries."

"I like them."

"While I'm here, you're not allowed to like them." Lin Yiwei pulled Xie Bo away from the cherry shelf. "I want to eat pomegranates. Buy pomegranates! Hurry up!"

"No." Xie Bo was getting into it. "I’m not buying them, even if I die."

"Then I'll buy them myself."

"Your money is my money."

"You're so funny, Xie Bo."

The two argued for half an hour in the fruit shop and still couldn't reach a compromise. Both had a bit of extreme possessiveness, both wanting the other to accept the fruit they liked, neither willing to yield.

In the end, they bought neither cherries nor pomegranates, but Lin Yiwei slapped Xie Bo a few times.

She always hit him.

Her light punches didn't hurt, but they left him feeling stifled. Passing a roadside fruit stand, Lin Yiwei bought a few pomegranates anyway, because the roadside stands didn't sell cherries. She returned to the villa beaming, as if she had won a great victory.

However, Xie Bo offered only two words of evaluation: "Childish."

That night, as Lin Yiwei soaked in the bathtub, Xie Bo walked in with a pile of red pomegranate seeds heaped like a small mountain. He sat on the edge of the tub, tirelessly feeding her one seed at a time, chatting idly about their pasts.

"I didn't get my period until ninth grade."

"I had sexual awareness in the third grade of elementary school."

"Is that even comparable?! I was malnourished when I was a kid, okay!"

Xie Bo’s fingers paused, and he popped a pomegranate seed into her mouth. "You have money now; eat well."

"I don't need you to remind me. I'll be eating delicacies every meal."

In truth, she wouldn't. She hadn't spent a cent of the money he gave her, remaining as frugal as ever.

"Tell me, what is your goal in getting close to Chi Xiyu?" Xie Bo suddenly changed the subject.

Lin Yiwei hugged her knees, her fingertips tracing the bubbles, and talked nonsense: "To get close to you. I love you so much."

"Bullsh—"

"Xie Bo."

He stifled his curse and used a bath sponge to scrub her back. "Lin Yiwei, no matter what you're planning, don't stand on the opposite side of me."

Lin Yiwei was silent for a few seconds before asking, "Does standing on the opposite side of Chi Xiyu also mean becoming your enemy?"

"Yes."

"Will you show no mercy to all your enemies and clear away all obstacles?"

"I will. So, run as far away as you can."

Xie Bo lifted her out of the bathtub. In the bathroom, they were as fierce as if they were locked in combat, and he grabbed her hair and pressed her against the wall.

Lin Yiwei bit him until her teeth marks covered his body.

...

Afterward, Xie Bo wiped her body clean and held her while they watched TV, saying nothing. Midway, he went to the balcony to smoke a cigarette. When he returned, he carried the scent of mint.

Lin Yiwei felt he was a bit lonely.

In the dead of night, they continued tirelessly until the first light of dawn appeared in the distant sky.

Six o'clock.

Lin Yiwei dressed, pulled back the heavy curtains, and let the morning light spill into the room.

In the blue-green shimmer, she looked down at the man as he slept.

The lines of his face were truly beautiful; his superior bone structure gave him such an elegant silhouette. Under his eyelids, his lashes were dense and dark, his thin lips pressed together with restraint.

Xie Bo was like a proud beast that never wanted to be watched while in a deep sleep.

Lin Yiwei had become his exception.

She turned to open the door. It was no longer locked. From this moment on, he would no longer "lock" her in.

She had regained her freedom.

Lin Yiwei gently closed the door and left.

Xie Bo opened his eyes, feeling the boundless, empty vastness of the room.

He had long been accustomed to loneliness, so being alone was nothing.

But the only thing that made him unhappy was...

When she left, she didn't kiss him.

...