Shadowed Love: A Lover Who Refuses to Let Go - Chapter 2

The ambiguous lighting blended into her slightly intoxicated body, a tingling electric sensation spreading through her limbs. Yin Yunzhu froze, resisting violently.

“Don’t move…”The woman spoke, her voice magnetic and husky, her drunken tone floating in a way that made ears burn.”

In that dazed moment, Yin Yunzhu quickly snapped back to reality. She reached up to brush the hair from the woman’s face, meeting a pair of hazy eyes. They shimmered with distorted light, reflecting two tiny versions of herself in their depths.

“Snap out of it.”” She could barely breathe under the pressure, patting the woman’s cheek only to find it burning hot.

Unexpectedly, her wrist was seized, her palm brushing against a warm, ticklish sensation. The woman pressed her nose into Yin Yunzhu’s hand, sniffing lightly like a small animal before lazily lifting her eyelids, giving off an illusion of provocation.

Then, rising onto her tiptoes, the woman boldly captured Yin Yunzhu’s lips, soon growing unsatisfied and slipping her tongue inside.

Yin Yunzhu’s mind went blank. She lowered her gaze to the woman’s thick lashes. Having never done anything outrageous in her life, everything was happening too fast, leaving her unprepared.

Two types of alcohol mixed and passed between them with the kiss. The woman’s technique wasn’t refined, after some back-and-forth, her tongue pressed against Yin Yunzhu’s palate, lightly sweeping over it.

Stimulated, Yin Yunzhu gripped the woman’s shoulders tightly, her breathing growing erratic.

This absurd farce didn’t end there.

Yin Yunzhu didn’t know how they left the bar. The cold night breeze failed to sober her up. They kissed as they walked, leaning on each other for support.

Stumbling into the hotel room, the moment the key card was inserted, the woman pressed it again, light flickered briefly before darkness reclaimed the space.

Her throat felt stuffed with cotton, rendering her speechless. Perhaps catalyzed by alcohol, her blood boiled and roared, dizzying her mind.

The woman was slender, her frame delicate but not bony. Pressed together, they could feel each other’s hearts pounding wildly.

Half-resisting, half-yielding, they tumbled onto the bed. Her consciousness blurred, unable to distinguish dream from reality. Everything tonight felt too surreal, erasing the line between the two.

The rustling of clothes filled the room, the half-drawn curtains framing the heavy night outside. Distant city lights flickered across the woman’s profile as it passed by.

When the woman arched her smooth back, Yin Yunzhu traced the contours of her shoulder blades, letting herself be guided by the hands beneath her.

Moonlight slipped through the stiff window frame, spilling onto the floor by the bed, tangling around Yin Yunzhu’s middle and ring fingers before seeping into the crumpled sheets. Her neck was pressed down, lips marking her skin, the stray ends of hair brushing past, filling her with suffocation.

At the peak of what should have been intoxicating passion, their eyes met like a silent standoff. They kissed each other’s sweat-dampened foreheads, tear-glazed corners of eyes, and upturned throats.

In the heat of the moment, Yin Yunzhu’s fingers accidentally brushed the back of the woman’s neck and found it smooth.

What did that mean?

Frowning, she silently questioned herself. As if punishing her distraction, the woman gently caught Yin Yunzhu’s lower lip between her teeth, nibbling carefully.

Yin Yunzhu had never had a dream of passion before. This novel experience lingered even after waking. Covering her eyes with the back of her hand, she was filled with regret.

Shouldn’t someone who’s drunk just pass out immediately? How could she have had that kind of dream?

Alcohol really does lead to trouble.

Her eyes opened to an entirely unfamiliar ceiling.

At first, Yin Yunzhu thought she was hallucinating. After repeated confirmations, she realized she was indeed lying on a hotel king-size bed.

A cashmere coat was casually tossed on the floor. Lifting the disheveled sheets revealed damp patches where the edges had already dried, the scene was utter chaos.

A buzzing filled her mind as if an invisible wire had suddenly snapped taut. Yin Yunzhu froze momentarily before staggering toward the bathroom. When she flung open the door, the mirror reflected her face.

The oversized collar hung asymmetrically around her neck, revealing collarbones dotted with suggestive red marks, some tinged with faint bruises from particularly fervent attention.

Enough to testify to last night’s madness.

Yin Yunzhu was completely stunned. She rubbed at her flushed skin as if trying to scrub away these marks that should never have existed.

So it wasn’t a dream! She had genuinely spent the night with a complete stranger, a woman no less…

As a Beta, she couldn’t rely on pheromones from scent glands to attract the same sex. For someone who’d grown up with conservative values, this felt like her entire world being violently upended.

“I’m done for…” Yin Yunzhu crouched down, clutching her head in regret.

What now?

The sink still had traces of water, the other person must have left just this morning.

Dazed, she returned to the bedroom where tangled sheets were piled in a corner. Collecting herself, she picked up the used finger cots from the floor, wrapped them conspicuously in toilet paper, and only then tossed them into the trash.

Should she wait here for “her”?

Yin Yunzhu had no idea who this “her” was. But disappearing after a one-night stand wasn’t her style, she had to take responsibility now that things had come to this.

Unable to find her phone, she grabbed the bedside remote and turned on the TV to check the time in the corner. The large screen displayed a rotating selection of recent movie promotions, with Jiang Menghe’s “Homecoming” currently dominating the spotlight.

Yin Yunzhu glanced absently, shook out her coat from the floor, then lifted the sheets her phone tumbled out along with a palm-sized card.

She picked it up, a studio business card.

“Cloud Entertainment Culture. ”

If the name seemed vaguely familiar at first, when she flipped the card over and saw the gentle face in the photograph, she fell silent.

Looking up at the half-screen movie poster on TV, the woman standing center stage had warm ivory skin, her cupid’s bow lips accentuated by a faint smile.

All thoughts of taking responsibility instantly evaporated.

Oh. So that person was Jiang Menghe.

The most critically acclaimed actress of the moment, whose popularity rivaled top celebrities, a perfect blend of talent and beauty.

Confronted with this reality, Yin Yunzhu buried her face between her knees and let out a frustrated groan.

She never should have agreed to go to the bar with Beijiali. Then none of this would have happened.

Not only had she hooked up with a stranger at a bar, but that stranger turned out to be Jiang Menghe.

Fragmented memories surfaced, the smooth nape of a neck, mesmerizing almond eyes, a slender and statuesque figure. No amount of mental gymnastics could convince herself that person was just a Cloud Entertainment staffer.

Forget figuring out how to apologize. Before any sexual harassment lawsuit arrived, she needed to get out immediately.

With this thought, Yin Yunzhu hastily put on her coat, pulled out the beret tucked inside to conceal her entire face, and swiftly left the hotel.

Across the street from the Meet Color Bar, facing the hotel entrance, stood rows of congratulatory flower baskets lining a red carpet strewn with fallen ribbons. Small groups of people emerged intermittently, some supporting each other, others visibly exhilarated.

Leaving behind the ambiguous night, the bar nestled in an inconspicuous corner of the city, dousing the nocturnal revelry.

Guilt gnawing at her, Yin Yunzhu averted her gaze, zipping her jacket up to her chin as she nervously clutched her phone.

Having been missing all night, Beijiali had sent multiple voice calls and a barrage of messages flooding the screen.

Lee: [Where are you? Fell into the toilet?]
Lee: [If you’re feeling unwell, I’ll take you home. At least reply!]
Lee: [Missed voice call]
Lee: [I’m coming to get you. Send me your location.]
Lee: [Did something happen? I’m calling the police if this continues!]

Seeing the threat of police involvement, Yin Yunzhu hurriedly replied.

Little Bamboo: [Sorry for worrying you. I’m fine [embarrassed]]

Within minutes of sending the message, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. Answering it, she was met with Beijiali’s loud, angry voice.

“Where the hell did you run off to? How dare you wander off alone after drinking? Can’t you be more careful when you’re out.”

Yin Yunzhu held the phone slightly away from her ear, the sound muffled through the thick fabric of her jacket. “Sorry, I wasn’t feeling well last night. I found a hotel nearby to rest and didn’t get a chance to tell you.”

Silence lingered on the other end. Afraid of being caught in her lie, she quickly added, “I promise it won’t happen again. How about,  I treat you to a meal?”

Truthfully, it wasn’t Beijiali’s fault, she had underestimated her own tolerance and recklessly agreed to drink.

Hearing her sincerity, the woman on the other end scoffed before relenting. “Fine, my treat. Send me your location.”

Judging by her tone, Yin Yunzhu had managed to slip past suspicion. She exhaled deeply in relief.

They agreed to meet at a barbecue spot not far from home, a place they frequented often. The staff recognized them and seated them by the window.

It wasn’t peak dining hours, so the restaurant was quiet. Outside, cars idled at a red light, the reflection of plane trees casting dappled shadows on windshields, their lush leaves tinged with hints of autumn gold.

Winter was approaching.

Yin Yunzhu meticulously wiped down the table in front of her, her slight obsessive-compulsive tendencies made her meticulous to an almost startling degree. Beijiali rested her chin on her hand, watching her with a conflicted expression.

“Hey,” she finally said, licking her lips awkwardly. “About yesterday… it was my bad for dragging you in front of strangers and not looking after you properly. Next time we hang out, no more bars.”

“The drinks were overpriced and tasted awful anyway… so noisy too,” she muttered under her breath.

Yin Yunzhu knew her well despite her prickly demeanor, her actions never matched her words. They had grown up together, knowing each other inside out.

“Let’s not dwell on it,” Yin Yunzhu said softly, handing her a wet wipe. Her round, glistening eyes radiated sincerity.

She didn’t want to revisit the events of the bar, lest she recall the entanglement with that woman.

“As an apology, I’ll make it up to you this afternoon,” Beijiali said, reaching into her pocket with exaggerated secrecy. “Hold out your hand. Got a surprise for you.”

“What is it?” Yin Yunzhu blinked in confusion but obediently turned her palm upward.

The next moment, two tickets were shoved in. The woman lifted her chin arrogantly, proudly showing off: “It’s for the trending movie ‘Homebound’, completely sold out these days. I had to fight to get these.”

“Aren’t you fond of Jiang Menghe? Let’s go watch it together this afternoon.”

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