Chapter 8 — Green Tea Today, Black Tea Tomorrow

Even now, looking back at that moment, Ye Siwang had still been utterly deranged with a searing, agonizing pleasure. He had thrown his head back, letting out a ragged groan as he clamped his arms tightly around my waist, praising me with breathless devotion. You bite so well, it feels so good I am dying of ecstasy. Remembering those words only amplified my dread concerning his fresh injuries. For a man who could endure that level of savage pain to be curled up here now, weeping and shivering in the dark, felt surreal. My heart was like a bruised plum steeped in harsh vinegar, squeezing over and over, drenched in a heavy, suffocating ache. Should we go to the hospital? He offered no reply. He merely turned his back to me, clutching my stuffed bear to his chest, burying his face deep into its plush fur. We are going to the hospital. I gave his bare back a gentle poke. After a long, agonizing silence, his voice drifted back, laden with a desolate sorrow. I do not want your pity. He shoved me away, turning his face firmly to the wall. If you stay here too long, you will absorb my scent. Once you go home, that man is going to make a scene. I pressed my hand down, pinning him in place. That is my affair. You were injured because of me, I cannot simply pretend I did not see. He rolled away again, curling his massive frame into a tight, miserable ball. His voice was no louder than a sigh, drenched in a grievance so profound it shattered my heart. It is only when I am bleeding and broken that you bother to come see me. What? I sent you text messages, and you never answered. He raised his head, his pale tea-colored pupils catching the sunlight, rendering him devastatingly beautiful. If you are only here out of pity, then I want no part of it. It would only make me profoundly sad. I shook my head, my patience wearing thin. I came because I was genuinely worried about you. Besides, you were the one who blocked me in the first place. He blinked. His cherry-pink lips parted slightly, his voice dropping into a register so dark and seductive it felt like hypnosis. Is that the truth?

Returning from the estate of Ye Siwang, the evening dusk had already thickened into the heavy, syrupy consistency of dried mangoes. The moment I pushed open the door, both of them were waiting. Yet, today carried an odd anomaly. Qi Yunsong was entirely devoid of his usual boundless enthusiasm. He did not even bother to fight Ah Kui for the beef meatballs, wearing an expression that suggested a heavy mind. Ah Kui, on the other hand, had a notoriously low tolerance for alcohol, his face flushed an incandescent tomato red. Nian Nian, why did you change your clothes before coming home? I dropped a meatball into Qi Yunsong bowl, offering a vague, casual excuse. My original outfit got soiled, so I stopped by a friend place to borrow something fresh to wear. The man sitting beside me stiffened instantly. He ground his teeth together, forcing out two rigid syllables. I am not eating. This is your absolute favorite dish, and you refuse even a bite? He suddenly puffed out his cheeks in a theatrical pout. I love it, yes, but I detest the thought of someone else wearing your scent. Ah Kui was magnanimous beyond measure. There are still eight meatballs left, take five of mine. Qi Yunsong atmospheric pressure plummeted into the negative numbers. He violently shoved his bowl away, crossing his arms over his chest in a huff. I want all of them! Ah Kui rolled his eyes until the whites showed. Why are you acting like such an overgrown child? I am not giving you another one! Four each, end of discussion! The proud young master Qi instantly inflated like a pufferfish. I do not care! I want every single one of them! Before I could even attempt to mediate, the two of them were shouting at the top of their lungs. You are being entirely unreasonable! Just because you are some corporate president does not mean you can throw tantrums! I want them all! I do not care about your rules! I am never letting you marry Ah Kui! The moment Qi Yunsong heard that ultimatum, his eyes flared red. Consumed by petty jealousy, he bolted toward the bedroom, slamming the door shut with a tremendous crash. What has gotten into him today? I dropped a handful of leafy greens into the bubbling hotpot, shaking my head helplessly. Who knows what goes through his mind. Inside the bedroom, Qi Yunsong had splashed cold water on his face, only to resume his solitary brooding. He flung open WeChat, revealing a long, unbroken string of green chat bubbles. Every single one was an interrogation fired off toward Ye Siwang. Did you seduce her? You shameless bastard! You clearly lost, the one she chose is me! Ye Siwang, do not you dare try to wedge yourself between our happiness, she belongs to me! Have some self-respect! So what if she changed clothes at your place? I am a magnanimous man, I trust her! She loves warm, sun-kissed golden retrievers like me! A damp, toxic male demon like you will never catch her eye! Look at this! She even hunted down a gift just for me! He held his phone up, capturing a selfie where two fingers pinched the ear of a tiny plush puppy. Hmph, do you have one of these? It took a long time for Ye Siwang to reply. His response consisted of a single, devastating sentence. Did you enjoy the gift I sent, little brother? Qi Yunsong final shred of sanity snapped in two. Ye Siwang, do not try to sow discord! She definitely bought this for me! I know she did! Out in the living room, I finished clearing away the table. Remembering that Qi Yunsong had barely touched a morsel all evening, I poured a glass of warm milk and carried it upstairs. The bedside lamp cast a soft, amber glow. The duvet was lumped into a massive, agitated mound. As I stepped closer, he suddenly burst upward, sitting bolt upright. Where did you buy this plush puppy? How much did it cost? I want to buy a dozen to give away to friends. A prick of guilt stabbed at my conscience. The truth was, I had snagged it that afternoon at the home of Ye Siwang. While I was tending to his jagged wounds, blood had splattered all over my clothes, forcing me to change into a spare outfit. At that time, Ye Siwang had lowered his gaze, the tips of his long lashes flushed a delicate pink. He had gently caught the hem of my sleeve, his voice dripping with melancholy. You should go home. He is bound to be furious, and I know my place... I am only afraid of making things difficult for you. I had reassured him, telling him it was fine and that I would simply soothe Qi Yunsong down. Back then, a dark, fathomless shadow had flickered across the depths of his eyes, vanishing in a heartbeat before he lifted his head with a fragile, heartbreaking smile. I am so sorry, I even managed to ruin your little bear keychain... let me compensate you with something. He had handed me a pink plush puppy, then reached out to grab a matching black one. My younger brother always adored these silly things, and these two happen to make a matching set. Take them back and use them to appease him. Yet right now, beneath the dim, amber lamplight, Qi Yunsong wore a deadly serious expression as he demanded, Where did you purchase this stuffed toy? I stammered, caught completely off guard. That... I... I picked it up at— He lunged forward, hooking an arm around my waist and dragging me down onto the mattress. If you cannot remember right now, then do not bother trying. His scorching breath washed directly over the shell of my ear, leaving the skin blazing hot. His voice was sickeningly sweet, laced with a terrifying undertone. Do you know why children are so obsessed with fast food? Because they never get enough to eat at home. A wave of damp, stifling heat slithered downward between my thighs. If one is already fed until their belly is completely bloated at home, where on earth would they find the empty space to sneak out and forage for scraps? Desire swelled like an encroaching tide. The bedroom dissolved into a tempest of tangled sheets and breathless intimacy. Throughout that entire night... I cursed him with every foul, obscure dialect I had ever learned.

I slept straight through until the following afternoon. Dragging my exhausted body upright, I scrounged together whatever random snacks I could find to quiet my rumbling stomach. Afterward, I slid my old SIM card back into my phone and powered the device on. Predictably, a flurry of notifications from Ye Siwang flooded the screen. Such a petty, vindictive creature. What, did you crawl out just to walk your dog? One second he blocks me, the next he unblocks me without warning. I tapped the icon. He had already recalled a staggering number of messages, leaving behind only a desolate handful. You chose him again. But... what on earth did I do wrong? These wounds hurt so badly, my treasure... I have no birthday gift, not even a single embrace. Will you truly never care about me again? I miss you, I miss you to the point of absolute madness. This rut cycle is sheer agony. Just a single hug would make it all better... but you do not belong to me anymore. The doctor warned me that I cannot take any more suppressants, if I inject any more, my body will fail... So I am sorry, I took a few of your clothes, and the little stuffed bear as well. ...... I am doing my absolute best to choke back this blinding jealousy. ...... I am losing my mind. ...... Next time... might you look at my face first? Just feel a single trace of heartache for me, is that too much to ask? ...... I understand. I will not bother you ever again. Buried further down were several more recalled blocks of text. I could only imagine what desperate confessions he had hastily wiped away. I want you to love me. Even if you do not love me, it matters not, my treasure, I will grant you your freedom... ...... I lied. I am going to drag you back, lock you away, and hide you where no one else can ever touch you. Even if it is born of pure hatred... you are only ever allowed to whisper my name!

The injuries riddling the body of Ye Siwang refused to heal properly, perpetually flaring back into recurring fevers. A persistent gnawing guilt settled deep within my chest, driving me to make the journey to the Western Mountain villa far more frequently than before. Qi Yunsong possessed an almost supernatural acuity, able to detect the lingering traces. Those two alpha predators shared an absurd, hyper-sensitive radar for each other scent, turning my life into an absolute nightmare. Qi Yunsong threw monumental tantrums out of pure, unadulterated jealousy. Desperate to defuse the tension, I eventually brought the issue up directly with Ye Siwang. He sat holding a bottle of medication in his palm, his gaze lowered as he casually flicked the cap. He murmured softly, I understand. You should head back now. I lingered, shaking my head. I want to watch you take your medicine first. He offered a docile, obedient nod. Very well. Rising slowly to his feet, he carried a small, modest potted plant over to the coffee table. Take this back with you. Give it another month of watering, and it will finally burst into bloom. Late last winter, Qi Yunsong had been forced to fly overseas for business, leaving me to spend nearly the entirety of the holiday hooped up alongside Ye Siwang. I had spent those quiet hours scribbling down a long list of New Year resolutions. Buried deep among them was a single, wistful line: Plant sunflowers, and watch them bloom. My heart hammered violently against my ribs. Desperately swallowing the lump in my throat, I forced a light laugh and tried to wave it off. He persisted, You do not want it? I spent a very long time nurturing this. Lately, the pitiful, wounded-animal aura emanating from Ye Siwang had reached astronomical proportions. The sheer magnetic pull of a chronically ill, devastatingly handsome man was truly a force to be reckoned with. He only needed to drop his voice into that soft, raspy purr. And my defenses would crumble instantly. I am sick, struggling simply to keep myself alive, who knows if I will even have the strength to keep it alive until it flowers... Stripped of his usual thorns and biting sarcasm, the man before me was nothing more than a fragile shell. He simply stared, leaving a pair of peach-blossom eyes fixed upon me in a silent, lingering trance. I reached out, taking the small ceramic pot into my hands. I will take good care of it. A faint, bittersweet smile touched his lips as he whispered, How deeply I envy it, having you as its master. I am heading back now. The private nurse I hired is scheduled to arrive bright and early tomorrow morning. Mm.