The warmth of the hibiscus curtain made for a blissful spring night; from then on, Yicheng never got out of bed early.
A night of passion, sharing the heights of Mount Wu.
The simple yet cozy bedroom, with sheets soaked through and water droplets trickling, seemed like a beautiful painting—vivid and illustrated, casting everything in a hazy glow.
Soft, lilting moans, now rising now falling, echoed occasionally within the villa.
Outside the window, clouds drifted slowly; moonlight streamed through the gaps, striking the headboard, stretching the shadows of the two entangled figures on the bed.
After who knows how long, Zhao Yicheng slowly woke up. He sat up, leaned against the headboard, stretched his joints, then took a cigarette pack from the bedside cabinet and pulled out a cigarette.
At that moment, the little head that should have been dozing against his chest came close to him, looking at him with delighted eyes.
“You have cigarettes?”
“Let me have a smoke.”
As she spoke, Xu Yinsheng had already reached out, snatched the cigarette from his hand, put it between her lips, lit it expertly, took a deep drag, blew out rings of thick smoke, and squinted with intoxicated delight, saying:
“Ah, so satisfying! Truly, a cigarette after the deed is better than being a god~~”
“The ancients were not deceiving me~~”
The girl half-closed her eyes; her fair skin flushed with a light pink. Her red lips parted slightly to blow smoke rings, exuding an air of languid seduction. This enchanting demeanor made her look like a fairy who had stepped out of a manga.
Zhao Yicheng was a bit mesmerized. He moved beside the girl, rested his chin on her shoulder, and said softly, “Xu Yinsheng.”
Xu Yinsheng lazily hummed in acknowledgment.
“You’re mine.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No!”
“Yes!”
The two stared each other down, neither willing to concede.
The girl was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed—a beautiful, alluring laugh. She turned around, wrapped her arms around the man’s waist, pressed her face against his firm chest, and rubbed gently. “Damn it~ you really managed to take advantage of my weakness~”
Her small hand silently pressed against her chest, as if touching the hot, pounding heart inside and the void filled with some inexplicable emotion. Xu Yinsheng’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum: “I won’t tell you that to become my guardian… you need not only a mother’s tolerance… but also a father’s discipline…”
Hearing that, Zhao Yicheng curved his lips into a charming smile, raised two fingers to roughly lift the girl’s delicate chin, and looked at her with domineering eyes. “Xiao Yin, what am I to you now!”
This guy really knows how to play along… Pfft! He was truly shameless to ask such a question.
Xu Yinsheng opened her mouth, intending to scold him, but as if baptized by his earlier words, the words turned into a docile hum when they reached her lips.
“Boyfriend.”
Zhao Yicheng was pleased. He applied a little more pressure, even more eager to stamp his own mark on the girl.
“What else?”
“Partner.”
“What else?”
Xu Yinsheng blushed. “Hus… Husband.”
“What else?”
“Family.”
“Specifically.”
Zhao Yicheng’s playful side emerged. People were never satisfied. Having 1% made you want 2%; having 10% made you want 50%. Just like now, he wanted to hear Xu Yinsheng say some more intimate family relationship out loud.
“You!” Xu Yinsheng shot him an annoyed glare.
How could this man be like this? He insisted on hearing those two words from her—was this the conqueror’s desire etched into male genes?!
She didn’t have that particular hobby!
Absolutely not!!
“Don’t be shy.” Zhao Yicheng came closer with a mischievous smile, his lips pressing against the edge of the girl’s ear. “I told you, you’re mine—from every strand of hair to your thoughts and soul, you all belong to me.”
“Why are you so twisted now, even more twisted than before? Not even a mental patient would be this twisted!” Xu Yinsheng glared at the man in humiliation.
“Because I’ve figured it out now.” Zhao Yicheng reached out and pinched the girl’s puffed cheek, smiling. “Being your boyfriend and partner—these identities only occupy one aspect of your life. But as long as I am both your lover and your family, then I can openly occupy every aspect of you, occupy everything about you, and deeply stamp every inch of your skin, every strand of hair, and every bit of your soul with my brand.”
As he spoke, he lightly slapped the girl’s bottom, his tone teasing.
“If you don’t want to say it, then forget it. I don’t want to hear it now.”
“But.” His fingertips slightly lifted the girl’s chin, his dark eyes narrowing into slits, carrying a domineering tone that brooked no negotiation. “This time, it’s because I didn’t want to hear it. Next time, if you dare defy me, I’ll make you understand what a heavy punishment from a strict father means.”
With that, Zhao Yicheng released Xu Yinsheng, put on his clothes, got out of bed to cook, without a trace of reluctance.
Meanwhile, Xu Yinsheng, wrapped in the blanket, stared blankly at the man for a moment, then realized what he had just said, and immediately blushed red.
How could he be like this!
Even if the yandere side had emerged from the mental space and Zhao Yicheng had returned to his normal self, he shouldn’t be so reckless, so unscrupulous, so wanton.
Or maybe…
Her shy little head buried itself in the pillow, the roots of her ears burning bright red.
Love, friendship, family affection.
All tied to one man.
Lover, best friend, and family…
As the mentally ill person, Zhao Yicheng dropped the act, directly stating that he would erode everything about her, openly possess her, and cover her body with his marks, like a giant python slowly devouring a beautiful prey.
Xu Yinsheng pressed her small hand against her full chest again, feeling the strong, powerful heartbeat.
Originally, it should have been empty here; after the last trace of family affection disappeared, there was only endless silence. But now… after being forcefully infused by the man…
Corrupted love, corrupted family affection, corrupted friendship—three inexplicable emotions forcibly filled the void, becoming pillars in the dead space, the drive to keep living.
And all of this, like strong liquor, would become even more rich and clear with the passage of time…
Xu Yinsheng suddenly understood a bit of what her father had said.
Her own nature was restless; she was half a pleasure-seeker. She needed someone to manage her, to press down on her, to make her understand what she could and couldn’t do. Just like when he was young, Xu Shiji was also a spoiled playboy, but after falling in love, he was managed by Chen Ruomo. And she needed Zhao Yicheng to discipline her!
Xu Yinsheng had contracted a disease.
A disease named “Zhao Yicheng.”
Family affection, friendship, love—all originated from this man. Her body and mind were also controlled by him. And that feeling of being controlled was like a feather brushing the tip of her heart, making her tremble slightly, infatuated and unable to extricate herself.
Possessiveness? Yandere? Personal dependency?
No, the two of them were just in an ordinary romantic relationship.
What? Someone criticized her for being sick, saying she had blatant * attributes in her bones!
Pfft! Why call her sick? Oh, she was originally mentally ill! Then there’s no problem.
Once, Xu Yinsheng gave Zhao Yicheng a ray of light, accompanying him for over twenty years as a best friend.
And now, when Xu Yinsheng fell into darkness, Zhao Yicheng also gave her a ray of light, giving her the motivation to keep living.
Perhaps this was a story of two mentally ill people redeeming each other in an unconventional way.