TGSS - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Too Unfair

"Zhou Yi, calm down." Tan Qing awkwardly let go of his hand, his face filled with anxious unease. He wanted to explain something on Chu He's behalf but did not know what to say.

"I am calm." Liang Zhouyi turned sideways, revealing half her face. Recalling the scene she had just glimpsed, her heart still clamored with discomfort. She could believe there might be some misunderstanding in all this, but she simply could not accept that Chu He had lied to her time and again because of Zhou Mindan.

Tan Qing looked down at her worriedly, looking thoroughly torn, as if he had steeled himself for a long time before he finally spoke: "This wasn't actually Chu He's idea. Brother Chu Ze forced her into it!"

"Forced her?" A flicker of mockery crossed Liang Zhouyi's eyes, her voice cold. "Who do you think could force Chu He to do something she doesn't want to do?"

Tan Qing was left speechless. He opened his mouth, wanting to argue further, but Liang Zhouyi had already turned and left, leaving him to glance back toward Chu He, who was nowhere in sight, then at Liang Zhouyi's cold retreating figure, before slapping his own forehead hard.

On Chu He's side, she had thought it would be over after dinner, but she ended up having to keep smiling through a long stroll and sightseeing. They wandered for a long time before it was finally over, and by the time she got home it was almost midnight.

She changed her shoes mechanically and, exhausted, turned on the light, only to see Liang Zhouyi half lying on the living room sofa. She was covered with a black and yellow plaid blanket, curled up on her side with her head pillowed on her arm. Most of the blanket had slipped to the floor. Beside the sofa was a huge floor to ceiling window. The white sheer curtains had not been drawn tight, and night poured in through the gap, making her look slender and fragile.

Before Chu He's mind could catch up, her hand had already instinctively switched off the harsh light. She sighed and turned on the softer, warmer lamp instead, then stepped over lightly and quietly.

The woman's dark hair was scattered by her neck, and even in the dim light her cool, pale face looked tense. Her furrowed brow made her seem weighed down with worries. Chu He sighed softly and sat down carefully beside Liang Zhouyi. The fringed blanket was by her feet, and she nudged its tassels idly with her leg.

Time slipped by slowly as she stared at the sleeping woman, as if trying to see something in her.

While waiting for Chu He to come home, Liang Zhouyi had imagined many scenarios, thinking about how she would confront her, whether they might have a huge fight or whether Chu He might give her a reasonable explanation... Her nerves were wound tight, and her restless thoughts kept her mind active, but the exhaustion from several days of intense work finally won out and she drifted into a heavy sleep. When she opened her eyes again, she met Chu He's indistinct expression, able to make out only a blurry outline and those eyes that were always so bright.

"You're awake?" Chu He's voice held a different kind of gentleness in the night, and she seemed hazy, as if veiled in mist, impossible to see through.

Liang Zhouyi pulled her numb hand out from under her head and pushed herself up to sit. Her slender legs shifted and kicked the blanket away. Blinking her dry, aching eyes, she asked, "Just how important was this client that you're only coming back now?"

Her voice was hoarse from just waking, half puzzled and half accusatory, and Chu He gave a soft laugh when she heard it. "Why do you care about that? They were just some boring people, that's all."

"Oh, and what about me? What kind of person would you not find boring?" Liang Zhouyi folded her hands together. She began to recall Chu He's attitude when they first met, always disapproving, always faintly incomprehensible. If she found her boring, why had she insisted on getting close to her back then?

Chu He frowned and tilted her head, leaning back. She tipped her neck up, and even in the darkness a glimpse of her graceful neckline could be seen. Liang Zhouyi heard her voice sink into memory: "What are you getting hung up on now? It's true I didn't approve of you at first, but that was because I didn't understand you then." And in truth it had been a helpless frustration, hating that she was not living up to her potential.

"But you also said I was pretty laughable back then." Liang Zhouyi would not let it go.

Chu He's eyes twitched slightly as she racked her brain to recall when she had said that. After a long moment she remembered Liang Zhouyi was referring to when they first met and she had been knocked over by a child. She shook her head and laughed. "You're overthinking it. I just thought that scene was a bit absurd and funny. I never thought there was anything laughable about you. Come on, why are you bringing up old history now?"

Liang Zhouyi turned her head away, drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her head on her knees. It was a posture that offered no sense of security, and with her head bowed she looked troubled and sullen.

Chu He's fingertips tingled slightly. She found Liang Zhouyi like this difficult to handle. She wanted to say something but did not dare to speak rashly, because a faint, ambiguous tension hung in the air, and she did not want that.

"Go get some sleep," Chu He suggested aloud.

Liang Zhouyi twisted her fingers together. In the dim light Chu He could not make out her expression, only sensing something gloomy gathering there.

"I want to sleep with you." Liang Zhouyi said it as a statement, not a question.

Chu He doubted her own ears. She looked at Liang Zhouyi in confusion, as if she did not understand why she would suddenly say that.

"Can't I?" Strands of hair fell beside Liang Zhouyi's cheeks, and her face took on a strangely pitiful expression.

Chu He's body jolted. She had never seen Liang Zhouyi show weakness before. In front of her, Liang Zhouyi had been silent, indifferent, even angry, but she had never shown this side. As if possessed, Chu He found herself completely susceptible to it.

"It's not that you can't, just don't end up unable to sleep," Chu He thought for a moment and still cautioned her.

Liang Zhouyi, already restless and unable to sleep peacefully, just lifted her chin slightly and looked at Chu He with those clear eyes, as if her whole heart and eyes could hold no one but her.

Chu He froze for an instant. This... this was just too unfair.

And so, as if pushed into it, Liang Zhouyi ended up sleeping in her room again. Chu He felt strangely flustered. Seeing Liang Zhouyi like this made her uneasy, so as soon as she lay down she immediately said, "I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep, good night."

Liang Zhouyi said nothing, just watched as Chu He rolled herself in the blanket and turned over. Her ragged breathing seemed to gradually steady, as if she had quickly fallen asleep.

Listening to that breathing, Liang Zhouyi remained silent for a long time before giving a soft cough and calling to her, "Chu He, are you asleep?"

Looking out into the darkness, and as expected, Chu He gave no response at all, as if she were dead asleep.

Chu He did not dare to move at all, but Liang Zhouyi still said nothing more, so she slowly relaxed and drowsiness gradually gathered. Just as she was about to fall asleep, a single sentence from Liang Zhouyi jolted her wide awake.

"Chu He, I like you." Liang Zhouyi's voice was even clearer in the darkness. Chu He's relaxed body went completely rigid, and her eyes grew hot in an instant. Her nose stung so sharply she could barely keep her breathing steady.

Chu He lay on her side, her breathing undisturbed, her body not moving at all, as if she were sleeping soundly. She stared with open eyes at the wall in the darkness, trying hard to recall her work to distract herself and suppress the sour ache.

"I know you're not asleep."

Liang Zhouyi's voice was a little hoarse. She turned over and moved closer to Chu He, draping an arm across Chu He's waist. Through the thin blanket, it had almost no weight, yet it pressed on Chu He until she could hardly breathe.

"You do like me, don't you?" Liang Zhouyi's voice carried a hint of choking, and the aggrieved tone made tears slip uncontrollably from Chu He's eyes. She did not dare reach up to wipe them. The tears quickly turned cold on her face. She still could not say it. She still wanted to stay by Liang Zhouyi's side a little longer as a friend, so she could only play dumb.

Liang Zhouyi's lashes trembled, then she opened her eyes wide to trace Chu He's back so close at hand. Clearly this person was lying quietly right beside her, yet it felt as if she could not reach her at all.

After a moment's hesitation, Liang Zhouyi still brushed aside her long, wavy hair. With that movement, the pale nape of Chu He's neck was revealed, and below it the graceful line of her shoulders. The arm Liang Zhouyi had draped around her waist slid slowly upward until it rested on her shoulder.

Chu He did not dare move, only squeezing her eyes tightly shut, her lashes quivering, until soft, hurried breaths wandered freely over the nape of her neck. She dug her nails into her palm to keep herself from trembling violently. Suddenly her tightly closed eyes flew open. Liang Zhouyi actually... Those slightly damp teeth grazed her neck. Chu He reached up as if groggy from sleep to scratch at it, but Liang Zhouyi seized her wrist.

What should she do? Should she wake up now? While Chu He was hesitating, a sharp pain shot through the junction of her shoulder and neck. The piercing sting of skin being bitten through made all the lingering tenderness vanish in an instant.

"Ow!"

Chu He sat bolt upright in bed, both in pain and in shock. Liang Zhouyi had bitten down so hard. She hurriedly reached inside her clothes to feel the spot, and for a moment could not tell whether the wetness she felt was Liang Zhouyi's saliva or her own blood.

"Liang Zhouyi, what are you doing?" Chu He steadied her breathing and gave the person beside her, eyes still closed, a hard push.

"Hmm?" Liang Zhouyi acted as if she had just woken from a dream, her voice even carrying the laziness of someone newly awake. She smacked her lips and looked at Chu He in confusion.

The bedside lamp was switched on, and by its light Chu He could clearly see the blood on her fingertips. She pressed her lips together and said, "Why did you bite me? Are you a dog or something?"

Liang Zhouyi rubbed her eyes and said innocently, "Ah, I think I was dreaming I was having a feast with a client. So I actually bit you. How did it even start bleeding? Let me see."

Chu He was taken aback by how brazenly she lied. She was clearly banking on the fact that Chu He would not dare admit she had been pretending to be asleep.

Taking advantage of Chu He's look of daring to be angry but not daring to speak, Liang Zhouyi pulled her clothes aside. Sure enough, the bite mark was deep. In that instant of anger and resentment she had used all her strength, with a sense of venting, and on Chu He's pale, creamy skin it looked rather shocking. Yet surprisingly, Liang Zhouyi felt no regret at all. She even thought this kind of mark, with its intensely personal color, was beautiful, and some dark emotion inside her slowly subsided.

Chu He saw the dark look in her eyes and swallowed unconsciously, saying dryly, "It's not your fault, you were dreaming, haha."

Heh, dreaming. She could only accept it. Chu He tugged her clothes back into place with force and lay down, holding back her irritation. So Liang Zhouyi had gone to all that trouble just to bite her?

Seeing her like that, Liang Zhouyi found it rather funny. She shifted and moved to the other side of the bed, far away from Chu He.

But for some reason, when Liang Zhouyi had been pressing her step by step just now, demanding an answer from her, Chu He had felt nervous and unbearably tense. Now that Liang Zhouyi had let her go and was no longer fixated on that question, Chu He felt hollow inside instead, completely unable to gather even a trace of sleepiness.

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