"Say my name."
After dinner, Song Guanyu curled up in the living room to write lyrics for a while. The desk was littered with messy papers covered in various drafts, scribbled and crossed out, making it clear that the writer's mind was unsettled.
The floor lamp stood lonely by her side, emitting a faint, dim yellow light. The old record player was still playing softly, but Song Guanyu's thoughts were chaotic; she couldn't calm down.
The smell of hotpot in the living room had mostly dissipated. Ye Yansheng had turned on the ventilation system earlier, and now there was little residue. He had already gone into the bedroom to take a shower.
From the moment he got the hair dryer to blow-dry her hair, through their meal sitting across from each other, she had glanced at the man across from her a few times. A vague unease was fermenting inside her. She felt that Ye Yansheng wasn't entirely satisfied with her answer, but his expression and eyes were the same as usual.
Every time Song Guanyu wanted to speak, the words got stuck in her throat. She watched as his bowl was gradually filled with dishes he had cooked for her. Finally, she went to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of ice-cold beer, and poured herself a glass. Ye Yansheng grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"Your stomach can't handle it. Adding extra spice and chili is already a bit harsh on your throat; drinking alcohol will make it worse."
"I want to drink. Stop meddling," she said, about to take a sip when she caught that deep, unfathomable look in Ye Yansheng's eyes again, which made her uneasy.
In the end, Song Guanyu didn't drink a single drop. She was a bit afraid of him.
Thinking about all this, now sitting cross-legged on the carpet, Song Guanyu suddenly found her courage again. Ye Yansheng was in the bedroom showering; he couldn't control her right now.
Her gaze fell on the refrigerator. She crept over in small, cat-like steps, opened it, and stealthily took out two cans of beer without checking the alcohol content.
Song Guanyu had a little habit that Ye Yansheng didn't know about.
When she was restless, she liked to drink a little alcohol. She rarely drank on ordinary days because she had to protect her voice, but tonight was different. She desperately wanted to numb herself with alcohol temporarily, to stop thinking about Ye Yansheng's past. She didn't like Ye Yansheng anyway; marrying him was just a momentary impulse... but... but what?
She frowned, unable to figure it out. She popped open the tab of the can with a crisp "pfft" sound.
Song Guanyu raised the can to her lips and took a sip. It was bitter, but the rich malt aroma was strong, and the aftertaste gradually turned sweet, making her instantly addicted. Her eyes lit up.
Delicious!
She drank the beer quickly. The heavy flavors of the hotpot had left her parched, and the beer was refreshing. Soon, the can she had just opened was drained, gulped down eagerly. After emptying it, she licked her upper lip with her pink tongue.
A moment later, in the kitchen, a shadow flickered in her peripheral vision. The empty can fell to the marble floor with a clatter, leaving only a faint, swaying figure that looked unsteady, as if about to collapse.
In the bathroom, the showerhead was on, water flowing straight down, the sound loud.
Water cascaded from the top of Ye Yansheng's head, streaming down. His muscular arms were braced against the tiled wall, droplets splashing against his tight, solid back, sending tiny sprays across the defined muscles. He closed his eyes.
Song Guanyu's words—"I just wanted to get married, so I did"—had saddened him.
He had seen the subtle expression on Song Guanyu's face during dinner. She didn't want to talk about it, and Ye Yansheng wouldn't force her. But when he went into the room, he glanced back at Song Guanyu, who was lying on the sofa, writing lyrics on the table. His heart softened in a quiet, secret way.
She sat so obediently on the carpet, biting the pen with a serious expression, her nose slightly wrinkled, the pen swaying in her hand, occasionally pouting. All of it made his heart race uncontrollably.
He knew he had developed feelings for her, but his wife didn't seem to like him. He clenched his fist tightly, then released it.
Forget it. No matter why she married him, he would slowly make her fall for him.
"Dr. Ye." A sweet, soft voice suddenly came from behind, and he instantly opened his eyes.
A pair of hands suddenly wrapped around his waist, holding him tightly. A scorching heat pressed against his back, making his body jolt and tense up.
He glanced at the bathroom door. When had it been opened? He hadn't noticed at all.
Lowering his eyelids, half-lidded, looking at the white tiled wall in front of him, Ye Yansheng dared not turn around. The rapid movement of his Adam's apple and the bulging veins on his arms were enough to show his tension now.
But as Song Guanyu's erratic tone and restless hands moved upward from the distinct grooves of his abdominal muscles, her palm pressed against his heart, which was pounding violently from her touch.
"Song Xiaodai, get out now. I'm taking a shower." Ye Yansheng gritted his molars, his voice hoarse and strained. The man's dark eyes deepened, but the person behind him remained unaware.
Song Guanyu's face was flushed. She felt dizzy and let out a soft whimper, mumbling, "Dr. Ye, I like the name you gave me. I—" Before she could finish, Ye Yansheng quickly turned around to face the unsteady Song Guanyu and pulled her into his arms.
Song Guanyu's pajamas were completely soaked by the water spraying from above, revealing her graceful figure. This made Ye Yansheng's arm holding her tighten involuntarily.
Ye Yansheng looked at the blush on Song Guanyu's face and her wet, barely open eyes. Surprise flickered in his gaze. Then he caught a faint scent of alcohol on her. He immediately thought of the imported beer his friend had brought last time, stored in the fridge.
It had a bitter taste and a sweet malt aroma, but a strong aftertaste. He never expected that Song Guanyu, whom he had stopped at the dinner table, would sneak a drink behind his back. He was genuinely both angry and amused.
His gaze suddenly lowered, leaning close to examine her face. "Song Xiaodai, you really are disobedient."
Song Guanyu felt uncomfortable from the wetness and kept burrowing into Ye Yansheng's arms. Suddenly, Ye Yansheng spun her around, pressing her against the wall. One hand held her waist, the other lifted her chin.
"How much did you sneak drink?" But Song Guanyu couldn't hear what he was saying. She opened her eyes, her eyelids reddened from the alcohol, her lashes trembling rapidly in the wetness. She looked at Ye Yansheng with burning, direct eyes and smiled at him. "Dr. Ye, you're so handsome."
Ye Yansheng thought, this silly look—she must have drunk quite a bit. When she was sober, she would never dare rush into the bathroom and hug him like this. Last time, seeing his body had made her face turn red. Let alone how ambiguous their current position was.
The person in his arms was restless, constantly moving. He started to undress her to give her a bath, then stopped. He thought to himself, she's just drunk. As her husband, bathing her—surely that's not overstepping.
After mentally preparing himself, he was about to close his eyes and remove her wet clothes. His fingertips had just flicked open one strap, which slid down, when Song Guanyu's wet hair stuck to her shoulder, her clothes half-exposed, making it even more alluring.
Suddenly, Ye Yansheng's body reacted. He froze.
At that moment, Song Guanyu opened her hazy eyes. In her view, she saw water droplets from Ye Yansheng's hair roots sliding down his chiseled facial contour, dripping from his chin onto her lips. She was thirsty, so she extended her pink tongue and quickly licked the water into her mouth.
Ye Yansheng's eyes darkened. Before him, Song Guanyu's lips were slightly parted, and she muttered, "Dr. Ye, I want water. My mouth is dry." Her lips looked healthy, pink and full.
Perhaps she saw water droplets on Ye Yansheng's lips, for she hurriedly leaned in. Ye Yansheng raised a hand to block her. He looked down at her for a few seconds, his tone carrying a rare hint of mischief. "Who am I?"
"You're Dr. Ye. Who else could you be?" Song Guanyu replied, confused from the alcohol.
Ye Yansheng gradually leaned in, lightly rubbing the tip of his nose against hers. His voice low and coaxing, he said, "Song Xiaodai, say my name, and I'll give you water."
His lips were almost touching Song Guanyu's. Seeing this, Song Guanyu puckered up to drink, but Ye Yansheng's eyes curved slightly as he pulled back a little.
He smiled at her, his voice very low as he repeated, "Say my name."
She seemed to be getting angry. Her eyes were watery and red, glaring at him. Her temper flared.