Chapter 40 The morning after
After the passion subsided, Lin Li drifted off to sleep, utterly exhausted; traces of tears from their lovemaking still lingered at the corners of her eyes.
Zhou Han rolled out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom. He adjusted the water temperature and filled the tub before returning to carry Lin Li inside, gently washing away the remnants of their intimacy.
Lin Li was truly worn out; she didn't open her eyes once throughout the bath. She let Zhou Han clean her and carry her back to bed, where she nuzzled her head against the pillow and fell straight asleep.
Gazing at her peaceful sleeping face, Zhou Han felt a sudden sense of distraction as he recalled the question Lin Li had asked earlier in the living room:
"What was it about Ling Ran that made you fall so deeply in love with her?"
It wasn't just her who had asked that question; he had asked himself the same thing—time and time again. What exactly was it about Ling Ran that had made him love her so devotedly for over a decade—to the point where he was willing to betray his friends and turn against his parents for her?
Yet, he never had an answer. He had no idea what it was about her that drew him in so completely, making him willing to give his all. Perhaps he had loved her for so long that he had simply forgotten the reason he fell for her in the first place.
A bitter smile touched his lips as he glanced at the sleeping Lin Li and whispered softly, "I called you a fool, but it turns out I’m even more foolish. You’ve loved for ten years and at least know the reason why, but I’ve loved for over a decade without ever figuring out why I fell for her."
Leaning back against the headboard, Zhou Han felt no trace of sleepiness; instead, he grew more alert as the night wore on. He felt an unprecedented weariness—not physical exhaustion, but a deep, emotional fatigue.
He reached out to open the nightstand drawer, took out a pack of cigarettes, and pulled one out. After lighting it with his lighter, he took a deep drag, exhaling a cloud of white smoke that drifted slowly through the room.
In truth, he wasn't a heavy smoker; he generally only smoked a few cigarettes when social obligations required it, or occasionally lit one up to jolt his nerves when he was feeling particularly depressed or distressed.
He took another drag, and the room was quickly filled with the heavy scent of smoke. Lin Li, who was asleep, was sensitive to the odor; before long, she began to cough softly, her brows knitting together in her sleep.
Seeing this, Zhou Han glanced at her, then took the ashtray and stubbed out the cigarette—still more than half-finished—against the clear crystal glass. He got out of bed, washed up in the bathroom, and then returned to lie down beside Lin Li.
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
With her eyes closed and brows tightly furrowed, Lin Li raised her hand and slapped her head hard, hoping to stop the "saw" inside. The movement, however, aggravated the pain throughout her body; the agonizing, bone-deep soreness made her let out a low groan.
As she twisted her neck to sit up, she felt a heavy weight pressing against her lower abdomen, and a stream of warm air gently and rhythmically blowing against her forehead.
Lin Li paused and slowly opened her eyes; the curtains blocked out the daylight, leaving the room bathed in a dim, shadowy gloom.
However, the crystal chandelier overhead reminded her that this was not her usual bedroom. A vague sense of foreboding stirred within her as she struggled to piece together her memories. She recalled visiting An Ran’s place the day before out of concern; upon leaving—after confirming An Ran was fine—she had run into Cheng Xiang downstairs.
She remembered exchanging a few words with him before heading straight home. Once there, feeling downcast, she had picked a random bottle of wine from the cabinet and sat drinking alone in the living room. She lost track of time; though she had intended to drink herself into a stupor, the alcohol only seemed to make her more alert. Then, she seemed to recall Zhou Han coming home. Overwhelmed with emotion, she had poured out her heart to him about the past, and after that, she remembered...
Lin Li’s train of thought came to an abrupt halt. Eyes wide, she stared at the large crystal chandelier above and whispered, "No way..." Her tone held a desperate, wishful note of denial.
Yet, the weight across her waist and the faint, warm breath against her forehead were undeniable—tangible realities she could not possibly ignore.
Taking a deep breath, then holding it, Lin Li slowly turned her head to the side. Beside her lay a solid wall of a man; the sight of his bronzed skin and the gentle warmth radiating from his body left her feeling like crying without tears. If she remembered correctly, it was *she* who had made the first move last night...
Vexed, Lin Li bit her lip and cursed under her breath, "What the hell am I—some kind of Amazonian warrior?!" She clearly remembered Zhou Han trying to refuse her! She squeezed her eyes shut, wincing slightly, and sighed, "Alcohol is a dangerous thing."
Having finished this silent act of contrition before that "wall of flesh," Lin Li thought about the awkwardness that would ensue when Zhou Han woke up and their eyes met. Ignoring the throbbing headache from her hangover and the soreness in her body from their night of passion, she knew she had to leave before he woke up.
Otherwise, she would be so mortified she’d want to dig a hole and bury herself right then and there—though burying herself wouldn't be the problem; the real issue was that she didn't actually know how to dig a hole. That made the situation truly dire!
Having made up her mind, Lin Li glanced up to confirm that Zhou Han’s eyes were still closed and his breathing steady. Relieved, she turned slightly and prepared to carefully pry his arm away so she could get up.
But the moment her hand touched the large palm resting across her waist, he suddenly gripped it. Then, a deep, magnetic voice sounded right above her head: "What is it? Thinking of making a run for it?"
Lin Li froze; she even held her breath, not daring to exhale, telling herself that if she didn't breathe, perhaps he wouldn't notice she was there.
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
"Ah!" Lin Li let out a sudden cry. While the smack helped her catch her breath, the heat in her face didn't subside; instead, she blushed even more furiously. In truth, Zhou Han hadn't struck her hard—it was simply that the gesture was so intimate that Lin Li wasn't quite ready to handle it.
Zhou Han gazed steadily at her, his eyes holding a smile and a tenderness he hadn't even realized was there. With a pleasant smile playing on his lips, he slowly asked, "Don't tell me you woke up this morning and forgot everything that happened last night."
Lin Li looked at him, her heart pounding wildly. She parted her lips but couldn't utter a word. She wanted to claim she remembered nothing of the previous night, but lying through her teeth while they lay naked together would only work if the man before her actually believed it.
Watching her dazed, bewildered expression, Zhou Han found the situation amusing. The gloom that had clouded his mood all day suddenly lifted, replaced by a playful urge to tease her.
He tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her body flush against his own—a movement that made the physical differences between their bodies instantly and acutely apparent. Lin Li pressed her small hands against his solid chest, but—as if God had played favorites when creating humanity—she was naturally much more petite and far less strong than he was.
Unable to push him away, she could clearly feel the sensation of their bodies pressed tightly together, and a burning flush rose rapidly to her cheeks.
Zhou Han didn't stop there; he lowered his head slightly, pressing his lips against her smooth forehead, and asked in a low, magnetic voice, "Have you really forgotten how we ended up in the same bed last night?"
As he spoke, his thin lips brushed repeatedly against her forehead; the sensation was so intimate that Lin Li couldn't help but shiver slightly.
Her reaction made Zhou Han chuckle softly; still pressing against her forehead, he remarked with amusement, "You really are sensitive."
Lin Li was a mix of embarrassment and anger, yet she couldn't utter a word—she could only glare at him with wide, indignant eyes.
Zhou Han realized then that while this girl had been bold and wild under the influence of alcohol the night before, she was actually incredibly thin-skinned; a few words were enough to make her face turn bright red.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. He stopped smiling, looked at her earnestly, and asked, "Do you regret it?"
Lin Li glared at him—her anger now outweighing her shyness—and retorted without a second thought, "Of course not! I never do anything I’d regret." She meant it, too; even though she had loved Cheng Xiang for ten years and been left battered and scarred by the relationship, if asked whether she regretted that love, her answer would undoubtedly be no.
Hearing this, Zhou Han smiled; glancing at her, he simply said, "That's good." He reached out to ruffle her hair, deciding not to tease her any further. He sat up, swung his legs out of bed, and—ignoring the fact that he was barely dressed—walked straight toward the walk-in closet.
Lin Li still felt a bit shy and turned her head away to avoid looking at him. Only after he had changed, finished washing up in the bathroom, and left the room did she slowly turn back to see that the door was closed.
She then wrapped herself in the duvet, got out of bed, and headed to the walk-in closet. Fortunately, she hadn't yet moved her belongings back to their original place, so all her clothes were right there; she could simply grab an outfit and take it into the bathroom to change.
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
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