Shadowed Love: A Lover Who Refuses to Let Go - Chapter 14

The sudden vibration of her phone on the table rescued Yin Yunzhu from the nearly suffocating intensity of their locked gaze. Her heart pounded uncontrollably during the eye contact as she fumbled to answer the call.

At this hour, it could only be Ms. Shan checking in on their dinner. The caller ID confirmed her suspicion.

Seeing her take the call, Jiang Menghe pressed her lips together and remained silent.

“We’re eating, we’re out right now.”

“Just this once won’t matter.”

“I know, I’ll make sure she does. She’s quite self-disciplined.”

“It’s too noisy here, I can’t hear you. I’ll hang up first.”

Yunzhu turned away to give brief responses, quickly ending the call with an excuse.

The grilled fish restaurant was at peak dining hours, with fewer people entering as seats filled up. Most customers chatted quietly while eating, and the kitchen’s soundproofing was excellent. Though music played, it certainly couldn’t be called noisy.

“Why do you seem so guilty?” Jiang Menghe set down her chopsticks.

“Why would I feel guilty about eating with you?” Yunzhu casually checked her messages, answering without batting an eye. “It’s just that my mom always says the same things every time she calls.”

The woman across from her hesitated, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear: “Your mother clearly cares about you very much.”

Yin Xuan speared a piece of fruit and mumbled before chewing: “Jiangjiang, you don’t know our mom—always nagging and saying things we don’t want to hear, right?”

She turned to her older sister for confirmation.

“Not only does she interrogate us about grades, but every time Jiejie comes home, she brings up the neighborhood boys. I’m sick of hearing about it.”

Xuan always loved when Yunzhu came home, not just for the snacks she brought but also to see the chubby little fish. But the visits gradually became fewer, probably related to those dinner table conversations.

“You’re talking too much.” Yunzhu shot her a warning glance from the side.

Their relationship wasn’t close enough for heart-to-heart family discussions, and she disliked oversharing with casual acquaintances.

“All parents are like that.” Jiang Menghe smiled faintly, resting her chin on her hand as she watched them.

“Is Jiangjiang’s mom like that too?” Xuan asked curiously.

Yunzhu kicked her under the table: “Eat your food.”

Faced with such personal questions, the woman treated it as childish innocence and answered patiently: “My family situation was quite similar.”

Yunzhu found this phrasing somewhat odd, and silence briefly fell over the table.

Blue flames danced beneath the pot as the broth bubbled. A server came to refill the soup, ending the trio’s family discussion.

As the meal neared its end, Xuan clearly had her fill, leaning back on the sofa and patting her stomach.

Jiang Menghe had eaten little, stopping after picking at some vegetables. Removing her apron, she gently suggested: “Are you full, Xiaoxuan? Would you like to go shopping later?”

Xuan had been dreading going home to face her homework. At this offer, she nodded eagerly: “Yes! Jiangjiang, I want to!”

From dinner to shopping—what might come next in this progression, Yunzhu couldn’t guess. If she kept indulging this overreach, her indecisive nature might lead her down that familiar slippery slope again.

“No, we should head back.” She refused to humor the child’s whims this time, her tone firmer.

Jiang Menghe was clever enough to recognize Yunzhu as tough prey, so she redirected her efforts toward Xuan instead.

Languid as a cat basking in sunlight, the woman played with a lock of her hair and asked casually: “Going back? To meet some neighborhood boys?”

She mimicked Yin Xuan’s tone, teasing but not flirtatious.

“It’s not some big brother,” Yin Yunzhu lifted the backpack and hung it on her younger sister’s shoulder. “She should go back for a nap—she still has classes in the afternoon.”

“I want to go shopping, sis, I really do.” Yin Xuan wriggled like a little snake, but when her pouting didn’t work, she huffed and puffed out her cheeks.

“Be good,” Yin Yunzhu said softly.

Knowing her stance was firm, Jiang Menghe also chimed in to coax her: “Listen to your sister, Xuan. We’ll go shopping next time, okay?”

Only then did Yin Xuan quiet down, her lips moving silently as if muttering something to herself. Yin Yunzhu stood up, phone in hand, ready to go to the counter to pay.

A warm touch covered the back of her hand. The woman, now wearing sunglasses, rose as well and gently stopped her. Through the tinted lenses, those affectionate eyes stirred something restless in her heart.

“Let me handle it.”

Soft fingertips lightly brushed over her hand, lingering briefly at her knuckles before withdrawing—so fleeting it seemed unintentional, as if Yin Yunzhu was just overthinking it.

A tingling current spread through her, filling her chest with sweetness and sending her heart into a flutter. By the time she snapped out of it, the woman’s figure had already vanished past the lattice partition.

“Jie-jie—” Yin Xuan dragged out the word playfully, calling several times before Yin Yunzhu finally snapped back to reality.

“Huh?” She shoved away the jumbled thoughts in her head, slipping her hand into her pocket to feel for a tissue. “I’m going to the restroom.”

Jiang Menghe had left her distracted and unsettled.

In the spacious restroom, the artificial greenery by the sink glistened with moisture as warm water flowed automatically. Yin Yunzhu bent over, scrubbing her fingers thoroughly, especially the joints where she had been touched.

Yet Yin Xuan was always nearby, and every time she tried to slip away, that woman would find a way to steer the conversation elsewhere. By the time she returned, she had no choice but to stay silent.

Her fingers were rubbed red. Yin Yunzhu felt pathetic, her mind a tangled mess like a ball of yarn with no end in sight.

The click of high heels echoed across the tiles, growing closer. She turned to see Jiang Menghe stepping inside.

“Xuan said you were in the restroom.” The place was nearly empty, so the woman removed her sunglasses and hooked them onto her pocket.

“Am I not allowed to be here?” Yin Yunzhu grew more uncomfortable the longer she looked at her, grabbing a paper towel to dry her hands.

“Of course you are.”

Jiang Menghe chuckled. She had aged gracefully, her face showing no signs of time, her demeanor poised and gentle—like a well-bred lady from a refined family.

The sight reminded Yin Yunzhu of their first meeting at the cinema. She instinctively took half a step back to create distance. “Did you need something?”

“Still upset?” The woman reached out, turning Yin Yunzhu’s face back toward her when she tried to look away.

“No,” Yin Yunzhu replied stiffly, frowning.

Recognizing her stubbornness, Jiang Menghe didn’t push further. “Then what about my earlier proposal? Have you thought about it?”

“You hate blind dates, and you don’t like women either. Are you really so indifferent to everything?”

“What if I want to stay single for the rest of my life?” Yin Yunzhu shrank back. When it came to this topic, she was no match for Jiang Menghe.

The woman always had a thousand ways to wear her down. Sometimes, Yin Yunzhu even wondered if she had some kind of mind control—as if her gaze alone could bewitch people into doing anything for her.

Jiang Menghe smiled faintly. “You can, but—”

She paused abruptly, taking a step forward.

The rich scent of perfume enveloped Yin Yunzhu as a shadow fell over her. They stood so close that the warmth of Jiang Menghe’s breath brushed her cheek. Then, slowly, the woman murmured:

“Indulging occasionally is a reward for yourself. If you’ve already decided to spend the rest of your life alone… what exactly are you afraid of?”

“Just between you and me.”

“If you don’t come, I won’t push it.”

“Last time.”

A sudden chill spread beneath her collarbone as Jiang Menghe slipped the keycard down her collar, deliberately pausing to create an intimate friction. The teasing touch was unbearable—Yin Yunzhu bit down hard on her lower lip.

“I’ll be waiting.” The woman brushed a fleeting kiss against her cheek before pulling away.

The bathroom was colder than the hallway. The empty mirror reflected Yin Yunzhu’s figure. She exhaled deeply, slowly pulling out the keycard, her legs so weak she had to brace herself against the wall.

Beside the black-and-gold card was the room number, its surface still carrying a familiar scent.

Jiang Menghe didn’t truly understand Yin Yunzhu, but she could tell she was a caged bird longing for freedom. The more restrained her life, the more she craved the thrill of losing control.

It wasn’t just about indulging some shallow desire—it was mutual satisfaction.

Three or four missteps already—how many more would follow?

Support Shadowed Love: A Lover Who Refuses to Let Go