The Young Lady is a Bit Unruly [Fragrant Harbor] - Chapter 31: Forgetting How to Breathe Entirely

Chapter 31: Forgetting How to Breathe Entirely

Chen Yulan stood guarding the study door while three generations of the Ye family inside talked over each other, their conversation drifting further and further off-topic.

Realizing the discussion had gone completely astray, Ye Qizu barked: Enough, let’s not wander so far off subject. Isn’t this just about buying a car? A Xing, arrange a car for the young mistress.

Ye Baoling added: It can’t be worse than the car Baoshun drives.

You’re being picky now?!

Ye Baoling softened her tone appropriately and smiled: Grandfather, this is proof that you don’t play favorites. It’s a powerful rebuttal to my father’s slander against you. How many cars does Baoshun have? I only want one.

… Ye Qizu waved helplessly for A Xing to make the arrangements.

Only then did Ye Baoling smile and say: Thank you, Grandfather.

Ye Qizu responded: Don’t thank me yet. I’ll only buy it for you if Ye Huaizhang confirms you weren’t lying.

Then quickly call him to verify!

Ye Kaimin picked up the phone directory, found Ye Huaizhang’s office number, and dialed.

Everyone in the study held their breath and listened intently.

Hello! came a young man’s voice from the phone.

Ye Baoling recognized it was Dong Jian who had answered.

Ye Kaimin asked: Is Huaizhang there?

Dong Jian replied: President Ye is meeting with guests. May I ask who’s calling?

I’m Ye Kaimin from the main branch. I have personal matters to discuss with your President Ye.

Please hold.

After about half a minute, a steady voice came from the other end: Hello, this is Ye Huaizhang.

Huaizhang, this is your Uncle Kaimin.

Ye Huaizhang sounded somewhat surprised: What brings you to call me, Uncle Kaimin?

Ye Kaimin laughed awkwardly: Well, I wanted to ask you something. On the night of your second uncle’s birthday, what time did you leave?

Ye Huaizhang seemed to think carefully before answering: I don’t remember the exact time, probably around 11 pm. Why?

Besides you, who else was in your car?

Just the driver.

No one else?

Ye Kaimin seemed even more nervous than Ye Baoling, deeply afraid that his daughter might have been the one who put Ye Baoshun in Lu Tianyou’s room, which would truly implicate him.

Unexpectedly, Ye Huaizhang didn’t answer directly but instead asked: Did the main branch lose something?

No, no, we’re just compiling information about how guests departed that night.

No one would believe such an excuse.

Ye Huaizhang clearly didn’t have time to chat with him further. Out of respect for his father-in-law, he remained extremely polite: Taxis don’t usually pass by Qingtang Street. Baoling took my car to the intersection to catch a taxi. Does she count as a guest?

They had discussed this scenario beforehand – how to respond if someone asked.

They had a unified answer ready.

Ye Kaimin breathed a heavy sigh of relief and laughed: Oh, that girl! She has cars and drivers at home but doesn’t use them, instead bothering you people. This child doesn’t know proper manners. I won’t disturb you further then. Come over for tea when you have time.

After hanging up, he glanced at his second brother and sister-in-law before telling his father: Father, Baoling wasn’t lying.

Ye Baoling also looked at her grandfather. Ye Qizu nodded to indicate he understood.

What about the car? she pressed.

Ye Qizu said helplessly: I’ll buy it.

If Ye Baoling was really dating Gong Jiahua, she indeed needed a better car – otherwise it would be too embarrassing.

Ye Kais smoothed things over: Probably the staff downstairs didn’t see clearly.

Ye Kaimin said, This concerns Bao Ling’s reputation, we can’t spread rumors carelessly.

Liang Meiyun’s resentment toward Ye Kaimin hadn’t diminished in the slightest. She snorted coldly, Have you ever cared about Bao Ling’s reputation? What a colossal joke.

Having said that, she didn’t want to stay any longer and turned to leave.

Seeing his wife leave, Ye Kais couldn’t help but say, You can’t really blame Meiyun. If it weren’t for that maid around sister-in-law spreading nonsense, that incident wouldn’t have happened that day.

Ye Kaimin knew he was in the wrong and unusually didn’t refute.

Ye Baoling didn’t want to pursue the matter further. Making a big deal out of it wouldn’t be good, especially since she really did go out to the back garden with Ye Huaizhang late at night.

Ye Qizu said to Ye Baoling, The environment at your maternal grandmother’s place… has all sorts of people from the Nine Streams of Society. It’s not suitable for a young lady about to get married to live there long-term. You should move back here.

It would be easier to select a son-in-law if she moved back.

Ye Baoling understood the old man’s thoughts.

Actually, moving back would help her obtain the third Ugly King Jade Pendant. But she still needed to fulfill her promise to continue sharing a room with Ye Huaizhang for at least another half month until the full forty-nine days were completed.

Ye Baoling didn’t refuse outright, only saying, Next month then. I need to discuss it with grandmother first.

Ye Kaimin didn’t expect his daughter to agree so readily. He quickly said, Moving back is good. This way you’ll have more opportunities to spend time with Gong Jiahua.

Ye Qizu cautioned his granddaughter, The Gong family are old friends of ours. We live on the same street. Gong Jiahua’s looks and talents are more than enough for you. Don’t be too picky.

Suppressing the urge to slap a silencing sticker on the old man, Ye Baoling retorted sarcastically, When it was Lu Tianyou, my father also said he was more than enough for me – returned from studying abroad, fund manager, high-level talent, that I was reaching above my station. And what was the result…

The result was he slept with Ye Baoshun.

Lu Tianyou was now a forbidden name in Ye Qizu’s presence, one nobody in the family dared mention.

Seeing his father’s face turning green again, Ye Kaimin quickly interrupted his daughter before his father could explode, Alright, alright, let’s not disturb grandfather’s rest anymore. Let’s go out.

Ye Baoling didn’t leave with her father. I want to discuss buying a car with Xing Shu.

It absolutely had to be expensive!

Ye Qizu: …

Ye Kaimin: …

After discussing the car purchase with Xing Shu, Ye Baoling had dinner at the main residence before leaving.

She took a taxi and circled around before returning to the third residence.

*

She returned early tonight. Ye Huaizhang was still working overtime and reportedly wouldn’t be back so early.

Ye Baoling secretly practiced lockpicking alone in the walk-in closet. Gradually, her technique became more skillful, and she learned to apply it flexibly.

The lockpicking set was very comprehensive. She tried using a smaller tension wrench to pick the walk-in closet door lock.

Gently, one lift, one poke, then a downward pull—the door opened.

She felt an indescribable excitement.

With this new skill, if she ever couldn’t make ends meet, she could set up a stall to earn money by picking locks for people!

Since Ye Huaizhang wouldn’t be back so early, she thought she might as well go to the underground vault now to see if she could open that lock.

This time she was smarter—she simply didn’t lock the walk-in closet door and turned off all the lights in the room.

When Ye Huaizhang returned, he would think she wasn’t in the bedroom.

Grabbing her headlamp, flashlight, small knife, and lockpicking tools, she quickly descended the secret passage stairs.

Standing before the iron door again, she skipped the tension wrench and directly selected a slightly thicker pick.

Just a gentle poke and twist—the lock opened.

!!!

This was the power of having technical skills!

Ye Baoling’s attention was initially focused on whether she could successfully pick the lock.
It wasn’t until the lock clicked open that she suddenly grew nervous.

Standing outside the iron door, fear of the unknown made her hesitant to push it open.

She somewhat regretted acting alone, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask Yulan along either.

After hesitating for a moment, she gritted her teeth and pushed the door open.

The iron door was sturdier and heavier than she had imagined. She pushed with all her strength…

A faint, musty smell of decay wafted toward her.

She quickly scanned the area with her headlamp. The underground vault wasn’t large, but it wasn’t small either—roughly the size of half a basketball court.

The ceiling was at least four meters high, taller than a typical floor.

The space was filled with wooden racks.

On the racks were rows of dark, circular objects. She couldn’t tell what they were at first.

After a brief hesitation, she walked closer.

It was only when she got near that she realized the circular objects were the bottoms of wine bottles inserted upside down.

The wooden racks were filled with inverted wine bottles.

So, just as she had casually guessed earlier, this was a wine cellar?

If the third branch of the family had a wine cellar, why did Ye Huaizhang tell her there wasn’t one?

Aside from the entrance through the wardrobe door in their room, could there be another way in or out of this wine cellar?

Who usually came down here?

A flood of chaotic thoughts rushed through her mind, leaving no time to ponder deeply. She pulled out one of the wine bottles to examine it closely.

The label on the bottle read:

【La Romanee Conti, 1946】

A French wine from 1946?

A 41-year-old wine?

Was it stored forty years ago, or more recently?

Given the dusty, aged appearance of the wine cellar, it didn’t seem like the wine had been stored recently.

It had definitely been here for many years.

She pulled out five or six bottles—all from the same brand and batch.

There were at least several hundred, if not a thousand, bottles of wine in this cellar.

However, two bottles were missing from the innermost rack. For someone with obsessive tendencies, the sight of an incomplete rack felt oddly unsettling.

Ye Baoling scanned the wine cellar once more. Aside from the stored wine, she found nothing else of note.

Moreover, the wine cellar had only one entrance.

Something felt off! She had a vague sense that something was wrong.

Worried that Ye Huaizhang might return at any moment, she didn’t linger. She locked the iron door and returned to the walk-in closet.

After spending money to learn lock-picking and going through all that trouble, only to find a wine cellar underground, she felt somewhat disappointed.

She suddenly realized that she had harbored certain expectations about the underground vault.

What those expectations were, she couldn’t quite articulate.

She had previously wondered if there might be a secret passage below, leading to the villas of the first and second branches of the family.

After all, she had also discovered a similar secret chamber in the first branch’s residence.

She packed her headlamp, lock-picking tools, flashlight, and pocket knife into a storage box and hid it under the wardrobe.

She wasn’t ready to give up!

She had to explore further!

It didn’t make sense for the wine cellar to have only one entrance. How else would things be moved in and out through such a narrow opening?

There must be another way in or out.

*

Ye Huaizhang returned just before midnight, expecting her to be waiting for him. But when he opened the door, he found her already asleep.

A faint smile lingered on her face, as if she were dreaming of something pleasant.

He stood by the bed, watching her quietly for a while.

How strange—how had he ended up living long-term with a woman?

And, surprisingly, it felt rather harmonious?

Although she had a sharp tongue, being with her was… quite interesting.
He tugged off his tie and slowly unfastened the buttons one by one.

After a full day of meetings, the intense mental exertion had left his entire body tense. Now that he’d finally relaxed, he felt utterly exhausted. He hurried through a shower and went to bed.

No sooner had he lain down than she turned and nestled against him, her hand naturally resting on his body.

She was still asleep.

Ye Huaizhang considered moving her hand away, but after a moment’s hesitation, he endured it.

When Ye Baoling woke up, she didn’t know what time it was, but the world outside the window was already bright.

Just as she was about to check the time, she discovered her left hand resting on his chest.

She had no idea how the buttons had come undone in her sleep…

These hands of hers really had a mind of their own when it came to finding sustenance.

The alarm hadn’t gone off today—it was a rare weekend sleep-in for Ye Huaizhang, and she didn’t dare wake him.

She gently loosened her hand and was about to withdraw it when a firm pressure held it in place.

He was awake.

He pulled her into his embrace, his hands moving from her waist—one upward, one downward—the thin calluses from weightlifting gently caressing her skin.

Her nightgown made things very convenient.

Looking at the bright light outside the window, the phrase daytime debauchery flashed through Ye Baoling’s mind.

Why would she think of that term?

She quickly tried to distract herself with other thoughts.

Right—Granny Tong was coming for lunch today. She needed to discuss matters with her beforehand and couldn’t afford to get up too late.

She reminded him: I asked Mom to invite Granny Tong over.

Why invite her?

Grandmother won’t listen to us, but she’ll listen to Granny Tong.

Oh. His response was dismissive.

Unlike her, he didn’t want any distractions.

He wanted to focus completely on every sensation.

Ye Baoling suddenly shivered, suppressing a soft gasp.

His hands were nimble, as deft as hers had been when she learned to pick locks last night.

Above, they traced continuous circles, while below they kneaded and teased with varying pressure. Soon she couldn’t take it anymore and clamped down on his hand to stop its movement.

He turned to open the drawer, but just as he retrieved the needed small square packet, knocking sounded at the door.

*Knock knock! Knock knock knock!*

Who could be so inconsiderate?

Ye Yongqi’s voice came from outside: Brother! Sister Ling!

Ye Baoling: It’s Yongqi.

Don’t move. Ye Huaizhang covered his wife with the quilt, tied his robe, and opened the door just a crack. What is it?

Ye Yongqi: Is Sister Ling awake? Mom sent me to get her.

It must be about Granny Tong.

I’m coming. Ye Baoling responded promptly, swiftly getting out of bed.

After the door closed, Ye Huaizhang watched his flushed wife heading toward the walk-in closet.

Leaving him standing rigidly by the door.

Money was important.

He wished he could immediately grant her the one million reward she wanted and press her back onto the bed.

*This and that.*

Never mind. He’d endure it.

*

Granny Tong arrived around 10 o’clock.

Yang Pinxian had invited her this time to assess whether Emerald Bamboo Villa would be suitable for Ye Huaizhang and Ye Baoling to live in as a couple.

If suitable, it would be renovated for the young couple to live in separately.

Yang Pinxian and Guan Lao Taijun accompanied Granny Tong on a tour of Emerald Bamboo Villa.

It was a two-story villa that had been built several decades ago.

It had previously been the retirement residence of Guan Lao Taijun’s mother-in-law. After her mother-in-law passed away, the family had stayed there briefly during the renovation of Residence of Inheritance and Harmony, but it had remained vacant ever since.

After touring the premises, they stood on the rooftop of Emerald Bamboo Villa, gazing into the distance where Silver Snake Mountain was clearly visible.

Granny Tong said, This building has a good view. With some renovation, it could be livable, but not for the Ye family’s eldest young master. It’s unsuitable for him.

Guan Lao Taijun asked curiously, Why?

Granny Tong explained, This house is located in the southwest corner, which clashes with the five elements required by the young master’s destiny. He is better suited to a residence in the northeast corner. His current room in the Residence of Inheritance and Harmony is in the northeast corner, which is highly appropriate for him. Moving elsewhere would be unfavorable.

Guan Lao Taijun nodded thoughtfully, Then we won’t change it.

There was a pavilion on the rooftop where the servants had prepared snacks and fruits. They sat in the pavilion chatting.

Yang Pinxian had prepared several matters to inquire about and brought them up one by one.

The kitchen’s plumbing and electrical systems had been renovated, so the Kitchen God needed to be reinstalled, requiring an auspicious date and time.

For Ye Jinsong and Yang Pinxian’s 30th wedding anniversary, which weekend next month would be more suitable for celebrations?

Should the reconstruction of Guan Lao Taijun’s husband’s gravesite be done this year or next?

…

Finally, Yang Pinxian asked, Huaizhang has been sleeping very poorly these past few days. The medicine prescribed by the hospital isn’t working. Does Granny Tong have any folk remedies for calming the nerves?

Guan Lao Taijun expressed surprise, Huaizhang can’t sleep well?

It did seem like he had gotten up very late one day.

Yang Pinxian added, I noticed he’s been lacking energy recently and eating less, so I asked Bao Ling. She said he tosses and turns all night, unable to sleep.

Granny Tong sighed, Mental ailments require mental cures—medicine won’t help.

But after he returned from the mainland those couple of days, he slept and ate well. I don’t understand why.

That’s because the north is beneficial for him. The mainland is to the north, so it was suitable for him to go there. Look at where he encountered worrisome troubles this year? In South Africa! Directly to the south. That place carries too severe punitive energy for him; he should go there less in the future.

Hearing this, Guan Lao Taijun nodded as if realizing something, So Granny Tong means that investments in the mainland would benefit Huaizhang?

After a moment’s thought, Granny Tong smiled, We can’t generalize completely. Compared to South Africa, the mainland is certainly better. But that doesn’t mean the mainland guarantees profits while South Africa guarantees losses. After experiencing such severe punitive energy in South Africa, if the young master engages in gold and diamond-related businesses there, he would undoubtedly make huge profits.

Everyone loves hearing favorable words, and Guan Lao Taijun nodded repeatedly.

Granny Tong continued, Not every business in the mainland will be profitable either. If the eldest young master were to do it, fire-related businesses would incur losses, while water-related businesses would bring overflowing wealth.

Water-related businesses, the north—Guan Lao Taijun felt tempted.

Granny Tong, with no outsiders here today, could you cast a hexagram for the nation’s fortune?

Granny Tong smiled, This isn’t the right place. I must bathe, burn incense, and cast the hexagram before our ancestral master for it to be effective. However, the Li Family previously commissioned someone to ask me to cast a hexagram.

Guan Lao Taijun asked puzzled, The Li Family?

Yes, they sent someone with a heavy payment to have me cast a hexagram…

Yang Pinxian inquired, What was the result?

It was a Perfectly Auspicious Hexagram, indicating the nation’s fortune will thrive for at least a hundred years.

No wonder the Li Family rushed to secure the Dapeng Port project!

Guan Lao Taijun instantly understood.

Meanwhile, Ye Baoling sat in the second-floor living room playing marbles with Ye Yongqi.

Before long, Yang Pinxian and the others returned from Emerald Bamboo Villa.

Ye Baoling went up to greet her mother-in-law. With just a brief exchange of glances, she knew—the matter was settled.
Everyone sat drinking tea when Granny Tong teased, Old Madam, didn’t I choose the perfect granddaughter-in-law for your family?

Old Madam Guan took Ye Baoling’s hand, smiling, I’m absolutely thrilled with her. Where’s Huaizhang?

Ye Baoling replied, He’s upstairs in a meeting.

He’s always this busy, Granny Tong, please don’t mind him.

It’s good for young people to focus on their careers.

Yes, it’s a good thing.

Approaching noon as the banquet was about to begin, Ye Baoling went upstairs to fetch Ye Huaizhang.

He had just ended a call and turned to look at her: Did it work?

Ye Baoling responded confidently, Just wait for the good news.

Is my grandmother really that easy to fool?

This was precision scamming! A pig-butchering scheme.

No matter how clever you are, you’d still fall for it.

She was the mastermind, Yang Pinxian handled the execution—a perfect partnership.

The trap I designed is intricately layered. You wouldn’t understand—just have the check ready. Let’s go, it’s time to eat.

This noon, the second and fourth branches of the family weren’t dining at the Residence of Inheritance and Harmony, as they lived in separate buildings and usually ate apart.

Thus, aside from their guest Granny Tong, only Old Madam Guan, Ye Jinsong’s family, and Ye Jinliu were at the table.

After the meal and seeing Granny Tong off, Old Madam Guan summoned Ye Jinsong and Ye Huaizhang.

The three generations talked through the entire noon. Ye Yongqi, having overheard some of the conversation, ran to tell Ye Baoling: They were discussing the investment in Dapeng Port. Big Brother seemed to be in very high spirits.

So it had succeeded.

Ye Baoling didn’t wait at home for updates; she went shopping with Ye Yongqi.

They bought beautiful clothes, various styles of shoes, and luxury brand handbags.

Then she swiped Ye Huaizhang’s card—her mood could be described in four words: absolutely ecstatic!

The feeling of spending money was truly exhilarating.

After shopping and spending, she didn’t return home but met with Liu Haonan as planned to discuss the next investment step.

Spending money was thrilling, but earning it was even more important.

The restaurant was near Liu Haonan’s home, a casual eatery where he was treating today.

They arrived early when the place was still quiet, choosing a corner table to sit.

I’ll have stir-fried water spinach with shrimp paste and dry-fried beef hor fun. You decide on the rest.

Liu Haonan ordered two or three more dishes. The wok hei at this place is exceptional—the chef is skilled. It gets packed later, so this timing is perfect. Want some beer?

Sure. She could handle alcohol.

Liu Haonan fetched two bottles of beer and two glass cups.

The original script had only briefly mentioned Liu Haonan, noting that he helped the male lead profit during a stock market crash, with no other background provided.

Ye Baoling asked him, Brother Nan, wasn’t your previous job at the securities company quite good? Why did you end up taking such a boring position at Ye Qingtang?

Liu Haonan poured her beer: I used to work at Yingbao Securities.

Yingbao was Lu Tianyou’s securities firm. She remembered.

A few years back, my wife fell ill and we needed a large sum of money. I had no choice but to take the fall for my supervisor. I was fired and blacklisted in the industry. My supervisor had some conscience—he used his connections to get me a job at Ye Qingtang that could support my family.

Ye Baoling understood.

Ye Qingtang was truly a hub for those with connections.

How is your wife now? Is she doing better?

Not bad, just need to avoid getting angry and overexerting myself. This time after earning some money, I immediately hired a Filipina maid for her so she won’t have to work so hard anymore. Liu Haonan raised his glass and gently clinked it with Ye Baoling’s before taking a large sip.

It was his way of expressing gratitude for her recognition and support.

With few customers in the restaurant, their dishes arrived quickly, and the two continued their conversation over the meal.

Ye Baoling: I carefully studied that stock code you recommended last time. There’s a company called Haihua Construction – why did you recommend this particular stock?

Liu Haonan: Haihua has been performing well recently. Hongtong Industry is its major shareholder, and historically, Hongtong has always assigned its construction projects to Haihua. If Hongtong Industry secures both the new port in Port City’s West District and the mainland’s Dapeng Port, then Haihua Construction will definitely reap the biggest benefits. If the Li Family wins the contracts, then another construction company would become the primary beneficiary stock.

Ye Baoling picked at spicy stir-fled snail meat with a toothpick: I looked into Haihua Construction – its market cap is only one-tenth of Hongtong Industry’s. Wouldn’t that make it easier to drive up the stock price?

Correct. With our current 27 million, if we want to bet on Hongtong Industry securing Dapeng Port, we could position ourselves as key hot money working with the market makers.

How would we operate?

Liu Haonan used wine and tea cups as visual aids: We need multiple trading accounts coordinating – I’ll handle that. First, we gradually build positions across these accounts. When the market makers slowly push up the stock price, we’ll collaborate to drive it higher. Once Hongtong Industry releases positive news, we’ll liquidate all our holdings. We won’t concern ourselves with whether the stock rises or falls afterward – we only take planned profits.

Ye Baoling found this approach reliable: Agreed. Let’s proceed with your plan.

I’ll take Monday off to start executing.

Since continuing his regular job would be inconvenient, Ye Baoling suggested: Why not just resign?

I want to, but my wife disagrees. Without stable employment, she feels insecure.

Ye Baoling understood – relying solely on commissions indeed felt unstable. She asked: What’s your monthly salary at Ye Qingtang?

I’m at grade 7, taking home 4,500 yuan. It’s neither exceptional nor inadequate.

Ye Baoling: Then I’ll pay you a monthly salary to focus fully on helping me with investments. I’ve decided to rent an office near Lihua Securities, register an investment company, and hire staff. You’ll be our first employee.

If it were anyone else, Liu Haonan wouldn’t feel confident persuading his wife.

But this prospective boss had just earned over twenty million in one trade. Her surname was Ye – what if his earlier suspicion was correct, that she was an illegitimate daughter of some important Ye family figure?

Sometimes, choices matter more than effort.

Following the right person yields double the results.

Then I’ll take next week off. I’ll handle renting the office and company registration. Once everything’s settled, I’ll resign. Liu Haonan wasn’t usually talkative, but he was thoroughly reliable.

Ye Baoling ate snails as she said: I’ll have Yulan assist you.

Agreed.

Returning home, Ye Baoling went to the study looking for Ye Huaizhang, but he wasn’t there.

He wasn’t in the bedroom either.

The servant had said the young master was upstairs – where could he have gone?

After her shower, she emerged from the bathroom to find Ye Huaizhang had returned unnoticed, reading in the walk-in closet’s beanbag chair.

How did it go? Did the old lady agree to invest in Dapeng Port? she asked.

Without looking up, Ye Huaizhang replied: I’ll write you the check tomorrow.

Yes!!!

Seeing he hadn’t looked up, Ye Baoling kicked his foot discontentedly. Look at me when you’re talking.

He finally raised his head.

He must have just finished showering too – the way he lifted his head looked unexpectedly adorable.

Ye Baoling was still thinking about her money: I used your supplementary card today and spent 80,000. You can deduct that amount and just give me 920,000. Thank you.

Even between husband and wife, accounts should be settled clearly.

Am I that stingy?

If you insist on giving me the full million, I wouldn’t mind either. Her smile reached the corners of her eyes.

So beautiful.

Ye Baoling stepped closer, wanting to gather information. When are you returning to the mainland to sign the contract?

Ye Huaizhang answered truthfully: Mid-August to sign with the Shenzhen government. But before the signing, they’ve arranged for a television interview. The news will probably be announced publicly in early August.

Perfect. That left over half a month for position building.

He closed the book in his hand. Do you want to go back to the mainland? The environment there isn’t great – construction everywhere, dusty, roads are rough, but there are plenty of delicious foods.

She did want to go back and see.

But not with him. She smiled, Never mind. Too conspicuous. Better not let my grandfather and the others find out.

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Baoling suddenly noticed the book in his hand was actually the Pillow Book her grandmother had given her.

Originally hidden in the corner of the bookshelf.

He had actually found it.

Embarrassing!

Pretending not to see it, Ye Baoling quickly escaped the walk-in closet.

After lying in bed watching TV for a while, she turned off the lights at eleven to sleep. Just as she lay down, she heard him ask: That old book – is it yours?

Ye Baoling couldn’t well lie, so she whispered: Grandmother gave it to me.

After a moment of silence with no movement from his side, Ye Baoling closed her eyes slightly drowsily, turning to face inward.

The moment she turned, a hand came to rest on her waist.

Let’s try the one on the second page tonight, he said.

Which one was on the second page?

Her mind raced – which position?

Then, in the next instant, she remembered, as he pressed against her from behind, holding her tight.

Her mind flashed with the flowing, simple black and white line drawings from the Pillow Book.

He worked back and forth against her core from behind until dripping wetness soaked through, then pulled open the drawer and took out the Small Square.

Nights were better, free from the disturbance of knocking.

Soon, fully prepared, he smoothly pressed inside. Completely filled, without the slightest gap.

Full, tight, comfortable.

Then it was like boating in the rain, the oar rhythmically rowing fast, rain pouring down, drenching them completely.

She struggled to suppress her breathing, managing at first but eventually forgetting what breathing even was.

First a drizzle turning to moderate rain, finally becoming a downpour.

Author’s note: Small Quadrilateral: Doesn’t matter if it’s heavy rain – I’ve got plenty of capacity [wicked laugh]