Chapter 58

That night, Lin ChuSui was soaking in the bathtub and talking to Zhao Siyin on the phone. Zhao Siyin vented wildly to her: "I'm not going on blind dates anymore! What the hell was that?!"

"What happened?"

"That guy, he looked quite young but talked in an oily, sleazy way."

Lin ChuSui was just glad Zhao Siyin's eyes weren't blind: "Did he say anything offensive to you?"

"No, not really, but the conversation was just awful. He kept bragging about how great he was, as if I was so lucky to meet him."

"The more one lacks something, the more one tries to pretend they have it. He must be very insecure deep down."

"You're right! That's exactly it, it's in his bones to be so insecure."

After venting to Lin ChuSui for a while, Zhao Siyin finally hung up. Lin ChuSui sat in the cooling water of the tub, thinking about Xiao Yan. Did that boy who always stood above the clouds, out of reach, ever feel insecure too?

Lin ChuSui would not easily trust him again. She knew this man had a deep and complex mindset. She had witnessed it before in their youth.

Back then it was so easy for him to make her fall in love, and just as easy for him to change his heart.

She had to be 100% on guard around Xiao Yan.

Lin ChuSui got out of the tub and changed into a soft, fluffy negligee. She lay on the pink, plush bed, ready to watch dramas and sleep.

Although her daily work was hardcore police missions, Lin ChuSui still maintained her girlish heart. Her room was soft, fragrant and fluffy too.

Just as Lin ChuSui was dozing off, the phone rang.

Her first reaction was work, so she shook off her sleepiness and picked up the phone to check.

Xiao Yan.

He had not changed his number. And although she had deleted him from her contacts, she had never deleted his number either.

Nor had he tried to contact her all these years.

Lin ChuSui hesitated, wanting to just hang up. But on second thought, that seemed a bit cowardly.

A top cop like her, afraid to even answer her ex's call? How embarrassing.

She picked up, sounding displeased: "Mr Xiao, it's very late now."

On the other end, Xiao Yan's voice was somewhat blurred, as if drunk: "I'm lost."

"If you're lost, call the emergency hotline, not your ex-girlfriend."

"I did call the emergency number."

"Let me transfer you to the on-duty colleague then, wait a moment."

"Dear..." Xiao Yan pleaded, "The driver's wife went into labor so he left me on the roadside."

"You must be joking, Mr Xiao."

"Really, I'm a little scared." Xiao Yan's tipsy voice continued, "Some punks have been following me. They must be eyeing my big gold chain, wanting to rob me. I'm in danger."

Lin ChuSui: "......"

"Dear, can you come get me?"

Although knowing he was making up nonsense, Lin ChuSui still asked for the location. She then put on a coat and drove out.

Xiao Yan was supposed to be dining at Blue Creek Restaurant, but his location showed he had wandered into the bar street instead.

There were indeed some aimless punks around the bar street. Though security had improved in recent years, drunken brawls still occurred from time to time.

Lin ChuSui found Xiao Yan sitting on the short brick wall outside a quiet bar. Beside him was a tall cocktail glass with red wine.

His shirt buttons were undone at the collar, exposing beautiful collarbones. Lounging lazily, his smile was like a seductive ghost from the Yellow Springs.

"Dear..."

Looking around warily, Lin ChuSui asked: "Who's following you?"

"Them." Xiao Yan pointed at a few stray cats playing by the wall. "They've been stalking me, so fierce."

"......" Slightly angry, Lin ChuSui said, "Is this a joke to you, Mr Xiao?"

"No joke, I really am scared."

Knowing his usual antics, she casually asked, "Where's your big gold chain then?"

Xiao Yan rolled up his sleeves, revealing a fair wrist with a black rubber band, looking quite worn.

"This is my big gold chain."

"That's just a shabby hair tie."

Xiao Yan took off the rubber band and flicked it lightly with his fingertips. "This is the most valuable thing on my body."

Seeing his illogical rambling, Lin ChuSui asked, "How much did you actually drink?"

"Not a lot, I have low tolerance. Can you help me down from here?"

"Climb down yourself."

"I'm afraid of heights."

"Then why did you climb so high?"

Lin ChuSui walked over to him and leaned against the wall, looking up at him. "Mr Know-It-All, standing so high all these years, have you seen more beautiful scenery?"

"I have." Staring at the deep night sky, Xiao Yan said, "The view up high is beautiful, but it can never fill the most important void in my heart."

"You went sightseeing, leaving that most important piece midway, not bringing her along. Now satisfied with the scenery, you look back and remember her. Xiao Yan, there is no such thing as having your cake and eating it too."

"Can you forgive me?" Xiao Yan looked at her pleadingly.

"I can't."

Holding back heartache, Lin ChuSui turned to leave.

"I really am afraid of heights. Hold my hand down and I won't stop you from leaving." In the cool night breeze, Xiao Yan reached out to her.

Lin ChuSui sighed.

Always going soft for him, always helpless...

She turned back and took his hand, helping him jump off the short wall. "Keep pretending then."

He wasn't that delicate. He used to pretend pitiful in front of her too.

After landing steadily, Xiao Yan didn't let go. Instead he pulled her forcefully into his arms, pressing her against the wall and covering her mouth in a deep kiss.

Lin ChuSui was shocked and immediately turned her face away. His kiss landed on her cheek.

Unbothered, Xiao Yan fervently kissed her face, with some passionate desire and overflowing longing.

"Xiao Yan..."

She wanted to push him away but her whole body felt weak and powerless. Her hands on his chest were limp too.

He had indeed been drinking, his breath tinged with the faint smell of alcohol. But mixed with his own scent, it wasn't unpleasant.

Lin ChuSui's heart was in turmoil. The pounding of her youth surged forth again, sweeping away all reason.

She still loved this man.

Or rather, she had never stopped loving him.

Xiao Yan still didn't stop. He whispered in her ear, his breath warm, "Dear, if you don't hit me, I'm really going to kiss you."

"You wouldn't dare..."

His lips then moved to her cherry blossom lips, pausing for two seconds as if to give her time to resist.

Yet she didn't move, even though she could easily overpower him.

Xiao Yan's mouth curved into a faint smile as he firmly pressed his warm lips onto hers, completely submerging her world.

Strictly speaking, this was the couple's first real kiss.

In high school they had clumsily nibbled each other's lips. But this kiss belonged to mature man and woman, full of strong sensual desire. It was deep, and full of emotion.

Xiao Yan poured all his longing into it. Each touch and entanglement sent her heart trembling long afterwards.

She finally surrendered, closing her eyes and letting him indulge wildly.

The fiery kiss of unknown duration, tinged with the faint alcohol, left her dizzy and intoxicated.

Xiao Yan finally stopped, gazing at the shy blush on the girl's face.

Her moist pink lips were extremely tempting. Calming down, Xiao Yan was still a little apprehensive, but he kept her circled in his embrace, not letting go. "Can't really call it forced when you didn't resist, right?"

"What do you think?"

"I gave you time to react, so I don't think so."

Lin ChuSui finally pushed him away, explaining:

"Getting momentarily entranced by a charming ex doesn't mean anything."

She was being open-minded about it.

But Xiao Yan seemed emboldened, clinging to her persistently and holding her hand. "Since you don't mind backsliding with charming me, I don't mind letting you enjoy it a few more times."

Lin ChuSui turned back and looked at him sternly: "I didn't agree to get back together. Don't be so shameless. You're... Mr Xiao now."

The founder and chief of tech giant XY Corp, and head of the board of directors. He was considered one of the most promising young talents in the field, with a social media following rivaling celebrities.

Lin ChuSui thought he would be a little more mature and aloof, however... After interacting with him a few times, she realized that in this world, mountains, rivers, grass and trees may change, but Xiao Yan would always be Xiao Yan, he would not change.

He still held her hand, unwilling to let her leave easily: "You know me, what I want, if I can't ask for it, I'll snatch it, if I can't snatch it, then..."

"Then what?" Lin ChuSui said angrily: "Are you going to trick me again like in the past?"

"I won't trick you again." He looked at her with a faint smile: "Let me start pursuing you now, okay, darling?"

"..."

"I'm going to start chasing you now, is that okay, baby?"

Lin ChuSui was so amused by his shameless attitude that she laughed. She twitched his shirt collar with her fingertips and mocked: "Now President Xiao is rich, and finally has confidence and doesn't feel inferior?"

"It has nothing to do with money." Xiao Yan said seriously: "Mainly because I'm cultured and refined with poetry and books, thus naturally elegant."

"..."

He hasn't changed after all.

Lin ChuSui's eyes fell on the black headband on his wrist. She saw that the headband was very old, it seemed that the elastic cord inside was broken, only the black thread was left connecting it...

She took it off Xiao Yan's wrist and deliberately asked: "Which girlfriend gave you this 'big gold chain'?"

"My favorite girlfriend." Xiao Yan said lightly: "Also the only one. On the night we broke up, I held her, thinking about secretly taking something from her...to bring with me."

"Bring where?"

Xiao Yan paused for a few seconds and said truthfully: "Take into the grave."

When Lin ChuSui heard these four words, her heart was squeezed hard.

She knew what Xiao Yan was ready to give up that night.

In the night breeze, the two faced each other for a long time, silently for a long time.

Lin ChuSui tugged at his sleeve and said, "Xiao Yan, you are the man my dad saved with his life. I really want to hate you, but I can't..."

Xiao Yan knew that on that night, Lin ChuSui had kept him alive with 100% of her love.

He held her hand in return, looking at her, and said seriously: "You can't keep me, but then ignore me."

...

Lin ChuSui admitted that she almost fell for him that night.

Dealing with this man Xiao Yan, she must maintain 200% sobriety and vigilance, otherwise she would be abducted by him in minutes.

Just like that night, she drove the "drunk" Xiao Yan claimed he was home. This man's tactics of selling cute and playing innocent were unmatched.

The atmosphere in the car was thick, emotions were brewing, he didn't have to do anything else. One fiery gaze was enough to lead the confused Lin ChuSui upstairs to "have a drink" with him.

At the critical moment, Lin ChuSui received a call from the police asking her to follow the inspection team to investigate a certain entertainment club tonight, and thus "escaped the danger."

...

After returning from investigating the illegal club, Lin ChuSui casually threw her shoes aside and lay on the bed, her mind blanking out.

She had made up her mind not to forgive Xiao Yan so easily, but she just couldn't help liking him and feeling distressed for him. It had been like this since high school. This man was like a carnivorous plant, biting her "lifeline", and she couldn't break free.

Lin ChuSui suddenly felt a little depressed and indignant. She took out her phone and sent a message to Xiao Yan, whom she had re-added as a friend, to vent her frustration—

"Not that easy!"

Xiao Yan replied almost instantly, sending a selfie of him brushing his teeth in front of the mirror.

In the photo, he was wearing striped pajamas. The ceiling light shone on him, enveloping his silhouette, with a lazy yet sexy expression.

"..."

Lin ChuSui changed the subject: "Not that easy, unless... you show me your abs qaq."