Chapter 40: Girlfriend

Lin Yiwei fetched the medicine from the pharmacy and quickened her pace into the wound treatment room. Xie Bo immediately put down his phone, eyes narrowing as he leaned back weakly against the hospital bed.

The harsh glare of the incandescent light washed over him; his lips and skin were deathly pale, making him look like a cold, fragile beauty. The nurse cleaned his wound while stealing glances at him. Such a handsome man was not a common sight in the ward.

Lin Yiwei handed the prescribed hemostatic medicine to the nurse. The nurse withdrew her gaze and professionally sutured, disinfected, and bandaged Xie Bo's wound.

As Lin Yiwei moved closer, he suddenly gripped her wrist, pulling her toward him. He squinted, resting his head on her slender shoulder.

"Weak," he whispered against her ear.

"Nurse, he seems very fatigued. Is it excessive blood loss? I have universal O-negative blood; if you need it..."

The nurse looked at Xie Bo’s slightly overacted display of weakness and smiled. "No blood transfusion is needed for now. He’s probably just tired. You should head back and get some rest."

Lin Yiwei thanked the nurse and helped Xie Bo out of the outpatient department. "Can you walk on your own?"

"Not at the moment."

"The nurse said you’re fine."

"Clearly, she is not very professional."

Lin Yiwei felt annoyed as half his body hung on her. "Passersby will think you’re suffering from hemiplegia combined with intermittent tremors."

"If I cared about the opinions of passersby, I would have died of shame long ago," Xie Bo said nonchalantly. "Don't forget, I am an illegitimate son, born of..."

He didn't finish the word; his breath brushed against her ear like a whispered curse.

Lin Yiwei said calmly, "That’s nothing. Perhaps I am, too."

Xie Bo’s almond-shaped eyes flickered as he looked at her. "Then we really are a perfect match."

"Shut your mouth."

Lin Yiwei hailed a taxi to take him back to Ramon Apartments. She had paid for the taxi, the registration, and the medicine—all expenses she usually avoided, preferring buses or the subway unless it was an emergency. Her dislike for Xie Bo grew a little more.

Back home, Lin Yiwei dumped him on the sofa and turned to leave, but Xie Bo caught her wrist. "Leaving already?"

With that, his other hand nimbly undid the long buttons of her cape coat. Lin Yiwei looked down, expressionless, and pressed down hard on his bandaged arm.

The man groaned in pain and collapsed onto the sofa. He tried his best to hold back, but couldn't help but roll over, nearly falling off.

"Damn!"

Lin Yiwei stood up calmly, placing her foot on his chest. "Behave yourself. You're already like this, what else do you want to do?"

Xie Bo pulled on her skirt, his hand sliding upward, his rough fingertips stroking her smooth skin. "Who did I get hurt for? Have a heart, Yi-Yi."

Faced with this, even the sharp-tongued Lin Yiwei had no retort. They had already reconciled, but it was her relentless desire for revenge that had made Chi Xicheng act like a mad dog, biting everyone in sight.

"If I really had no heart, I wouldn't have come," she retorted stubbornly. "I took you to the doctor and even paid for the taxi. I didn't ask you for reimbursement; I’ve done my duty."

"Since you’re so kind," Xie Bo leaned against the sofa, lifting his chin with a mocking look, "can you satisfy a craving for pomegranates? Yi."

"No," she refused flatly. "It’s so late, where am I supposed to get pomegranates for you?"

Xie Bo smiled. "There are some in the fridge. Help me peel them."

Lin Yiwei went over, annoyed, and opened the built-in black slate refrigerator. The sight before her left her stunned. The massive double-door fridge was packed to the brim with pomegranates of all sizes, a veritable kingdom of fruit.

"..."

She placed a plate on the counter, grabbed one, cut it open, and began picking the seeds into the dish. "I thought you hated pomegranates. Why buy so many? Aren't you afraid of getting diarrhea?"

"I do hate them. I don't eat them."

"If you don't eat them, why buy so many?"

"To feed the pigs."

As soon as he said this, Lin Yiwei popped two seeds into her mouth. Hearing "feed the pigs," she raised her foot to kick him. Xie Bo caught her foot—clothed in a fuzzy white sock—with one hand. She tried to pull back, but he held on tight. She lunged toward his arm, but he gave her no chance. After a brief struggle, she managed to break free and kicked him in the chest. Whether it hurt him or not, she didn't know, but her own foot throbbed. This man was made of something impossibly hard.

Lin Yiwei returned to the island counter, ignoring him. Before long, the plate was filled with plump pomegranate seeds. She handed it to him. "There, eat up, patient."

Xie Bo looked at the translucent red seeds; not one had been crushed. "As expected of a pomegranate enthusiast."

"Less talk."

Xie Bo held out his arm with a sense of entitlement. "My hand is injured. I can't move."

"What about your other hand?"

"It just touched your foot."

"..."

Lin Yiwei rudely shoved the pomegranate to his lips. Xie Bo smiled. "How did I feed you when you were sick?"

"Don't push your luck." She looked into his amber-like black eyes and drawled, "I already paid the breakup fee. Have some self-respect."

"I don't mind paying one more time."

Xie Bo always knew exactly how to exploit her weaknesses and provide a perfect platform for her to back down. "I think you wouldn't mind receiving it one more time, would you?"

Lin Yiwei: "I wouldn't mind at all. Are you paying now? You can scan the code."

"No rush. Take care of me first."

She picked up a few seeds with her lips, tossed back her hair, leaned in close, and passed them into his mouth...

The two spent the time lingering over the plate of pomegranates, the atmosphere thick with playful tension and mounting desire. Finally, unable to suppress his longing and unwilling to endure any longer, Xie Bo pulled Lin Yiwei into the bedroom and pushed her onto the bed.

Lin Yiwei lifted her chin, looking at him mockingly. "Your hand—can you even manage?"

Xie Bo pressed against her, kissing her with hot, rapid breaths, and lifted her into a high position. "You want me."

Lin Yiwei picked up his moonlight-silver rimless glasses from the nightstand and put them on him. "I still prefer you like this."

Xie Bo knew she liked him in glasses, his thin lips curling. "Your taste never changes. You like serious, refined men."

"Too bad, you'll never be one."

But her brother was.

She pulled at his collar, leaning down to kiss his long neck, swallowing against his Adam's apple.

"Yi, don't..."

Lin Yiwei seemed to have discovered a new world, her fox-like eyes arching. "I said, you can."

Xie Bo rarely saw her so enthusiastic. "Do you want to see what you look like right now? During the time we were apart, it seems I wasn't the only one missing you."

She reached out to cover his lips, then kissed him, moving slowly downward.

Xie Bo closed his eyes.

...

At dawn, Lin Yiwei woke up, tiptoeing over the man sleeping beside her. Too lazy to rummage through his closet, she picked up a black T-shirt from the floor and put it on, sitting alone by the bay window.

It was the cusp of dawn; the sky was a pale blue-white. In the harbor, fishing boats were slowly heading toward the horizon. She pushed open the window, letting the warm, humid sea breeze fill the room, causing the white curtains to dance.

The man frowned, the sudden light causing him discomfort. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

She was wearing his oversized black T-shirt, the hem just covering her hips. Her fair legs dangled from the bay window ledge, her feet—painted with light purple polish—clamped on her slippers, one leg slightly curled. Her silk-like black hair fell over her shoulders, and the Guanyin mole on her forehead gave her a decadent, intensely seductive look.

He reached for a cigarette. Lin Yiwei said calmly, "Quit it."

"Mind your own business." He wasn't very obedient and pulled one out anyway.

Lin Yiwei looked at the snake tattoo on his wrist—cold, gorgeous, and magnificent.

"If you smoke in front of me, I’ll want one too."

"You smoke?"

"I quit," Lin Yiwei said flatly. "Everyone has a rebellious phase. I used to mimic the 'bad girl' persona, thinking smoking would make me stronger, cooler, and that no one would dare bully me. But the truth is, as long as you're a girl, someone will try to bully you—it has nothing to do with whether you smoke or not. It’s a waste of money with no benefit, so I quit."

She rarely mentioned her past to Xie Bo. Perhaps it was the ambiguous atmosphere of dawn, or perhaps the intense pleasure of the night before, that made her open up.

Xie Bo listened in silence, chewing on the cigarette. He didn't reach for a lighter, and after a moment, he tossed the cigarette into the trash can.

"Fine. I quit."

"So obedient? You quit just because I said so?"

"I don't only listen to you on this one thing." Xie Bo flashed a mischievous smile. "Last night, wasn't it you who asked... and then..."

Lin Yiwei: "..."

"What do you mean 'I asked'? It’s called basic etiquette."

"Fine," he drawled, rubbing his head. "Whatever you say."

His hair was messy, but messy in a cute, somewhat dazed way. "Are you getting up, or sleeping a bit more?" he asked.

"I still want to sleep," she replied. "But I'm awake now, so I'll just have to wait for the drowsiness to return. I have trouble falling asleep."

"Then I won't bother you."

Xie Bo lay back down and closed his eyes.

Lin Yiwei loved watching him swallow when he was at the peak of restraint, his Adam's apple bobbing, his expression filled with control...

Time and time again, she had an inexplicable indulgence toward Xie Bo. She had once quit smoking, quit drinking, and quit everything addictive, but she couldn't quit Xie Bo. She wondered if there was something wrong with her. A girl her age shouldn't be like this. Of course, it also had to do with the man's performance—they... were just a perfect match.

Before long, Xie Bo's breathing became steady. He was fast asleep.

Lin Yiwei walked to the bedside barefoot, looking at his calm sleeping face. His sideburns were shaved very short, his sharp jawline taut. In the dim light, his bone structure looked deep and elegant.

She couldn't help herself; she leaned over and kissed his forehead. But she didn't want to wake him, or she wouldn't know when things would end. She stepped out quietly and opened the fridge to find something to eat.

Seeing all those pomegranates, she felt very irritated. Aside from pomegranates, there was absolutely no food in the fridge. Was he trying to cultivate himself into a pomegranate deity?

She changed her clothes and went out to the nearest wet market to buy some food. Many people liked shopping at fresh-food supermarkets now—clean and hygienic. Even the project Xie Bo was currently taking over included such supermarkets.

But Lin Yiwei kept the habit of going to the wet market. The early morning market was bustling with life. Vendors had already set out fresh produce, and the air was filled with the raw scent of vegetables, the greasy aroma of meat, and the smell of fish... a certain human vitality.

These smells and the noise of the market made her feel that she was truly, tangibly living.

She bought pork ribs, beef, two fish, a chicken, various ingredients, some meat buns, steamed buns, and two cups of hot soy milk.

Her phone rang. Lin Yiwei struggled to free a hand to answer. It was Xie Bo’s exasperated voice, thick with suppressed anger:

"Lin Yiwei, you have ten minutes to get back here."

"..."

"You leave right after sleeping with me? Don't you think you're being excessive?"

"..."

Lin Yiwei couldn't be bothered to deal with the young master's morning moodiness. She hung up, picked up some fresh, cheap vegetables and fruit, and took the bus back to Ramon Apartments.

Xie Bo was wearing a cream-colored loungewear set, sitting by the sofa, watching the morning news with an expressionless face. The ottoman had been kicked to the balcony, lying on its side.

Lin Yiwei walked in, went straight to the kitchen, put the fresh food in the fridge, and cleared out the pomegranates. "You bought them, you eat them. Eat them all. Don't waste a single one. For the next few days, you can cultivate yourself into a pomegranate spirit, Young Master Xie."

Hearing her familiar nagging, the coldness in Xie Bo’s eyes dissipated quite a bit.

"Why didn't you say anything when you went out?"

"You were sleeping."

Lin Yiwei didn't argue with him. "We didn't get much sleep last night."

"You could have left me a note. There’s stationery on the table," he said, stubborn as a child. "I would have left one for you, because I’m afraid you’ll wake up and not know where I went. But you never ask. You never care where I go."

"..."

It seemed his morning temper hadn't faded yet.

Lin Yiwei turned back and explained patiently, "I didn't think you’d wake up so soon. I even bought you breakfast." She shook the bag of soy milk in her hand.

Xie Bo walked over, hugged her from behind, and kissed her smooth neck. "Leave me a note next time and tell me where you are."

Lin Yiwei frowned. "Xie Bo, are you roleplaying as a couple with me?"

"Not roleplaying. We are a couple."

"What do you mean?"

"You are my girlfriend," he whispered against her ear, repeating it with his breath. "My legitimate girlfriend."

"I'm not. I'm your lover."

Xie Bo turned her around, looked into her eyes, and declared with a sincerity he had never shown in his life:

"You are my girlfriend. Each other's only partner."

"Did you hear me?"