Shadowed Love: A Lover Who Refuses to Let Go - Chapter 4

The light from the ceiling lamp rippled in the un-drained sink, and muffled dialogue faintly reached her ears. Faced with Jiang Menghe’s question, Yin Yunzhu choked up and quickly denied it.

“No, she’s my childhood friend.”

She didn’t know why she felt the need to explain so much. After all, their relationship wasn’t close enough to pry into each other’s private lives.

To be precise, it was a relationship that couldn’t see the light of day.

“Oh, ” The woman drew out the syllable, as though unsurprised by the answer.

Her cool voice carried an inexplicable hint of ambiguity, and Yin Yunzhu was reminded of the hickey on her collarbone. Jiang Menghe appeared gentle and mature, known as the nation’s sweetheart for her kindness toward juniors on camera. It was hard to imagine she could be so… wild in bed.

Afraid of being misunderstood, Yin Yunzhu flushed and added, “We planned to watch a movie together this afternoon.”

That was all. Watching a movie didn’t necessarily mean a romantic date.

Besides, both she and Beijiali were Betas.

“What about you?” she countered.

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a phone ringtone interrupted their conversation. Jiang Menghe gave an apologetic glance before stepping aside to take the call.

In the quiet restroom, the sound of deliberately hushed words drifted over. The lingering dampness from the sink was swept up by the ventilation, sending a chill crawling under Yin Yunzhu’s skin. She shivered, fidgeting awkwardly by the counter.

The mirror reflected the woman’s back, dressed in a blue-and-white baseball jacket, her shirt tucked neatly into the waistline of light-wash jeans. From afar, she looked like a vibrant college student, exuding effortless style.

Jiang Menghe lowered her head, murmuring occasional syllables into the phone.

Yin Yunzhu shoved her hands into her pockets, palms sweating nervously. She didn’t know whether to leave or stay.

Why had she even tried to force a conversation? What urgently needed addressing was last night’s hazy one-night stand.

Her mind raced for a solution, so absorbed that she didn’t notice Jiang Menghe hanging up and walking back.

“Sorry, my studio needs me to come in,” she said regretfully. “Can we talk another time?”

“Another time?” Yin Yunzhu froze, unsure what that implied.

“I think we should set aside time to properly discuss… what happened between us.” Jiang Menghe spoke earnestly, then pulled a tissue from the wall-mounted dispenser, unscrewed her lipstick, and swiftly wrote down a phone number.

She handed it over.

The bold red pigment bled into the paper’s texture, unsettling Yin Yunzhu’s emotions along with it. Unbidden, she recalled last night the dim glow of streetlights framing Jiang Menghe’s slightly tipsy face, her gaze drifting lower to the smudged lipstick at the corners of her lips.

“It’s fine, I have your business card,” she stammered, gingerly pinching the edge of the tissue, unable to meet the other’s eyes.

Jiang Menghe had beautiful eyes, their shape smooth and not overly sharp, like whirlpools that drew people in.

Hearing this, she chuckled. “That’s the studio’s contact. This one’s my personal number.”

“Oh, right.” Yin Yunzhu took it numbly, folding it neatly before slipping it into her pocket.

Suddenly, a fresh, soothing fragrance wafted into her senses. The light dimmed as Jiang Menghe reached for the zipper of her jacket, pulling it up to her chin, then carefully smoothed out the flipped collar.

Dazed, Yin Yunzhu heard her say,

“Bundle up so you don’t catch a cold. Head home early.”

The woman paused, her gaze lingering on Yin Yunzhu’s head, where a beige beret gathered her hair, evoking the image of soft pink cat ears.

She added, “This hat suits you.”

“See you around.”

It wasn’t until the tall figure had left that Yin Yunzhu snapped back to reality, trembling like a startled rabbit as she repeatedly touched the spots where she’d been touched earlier.

Perhaps Jiang Menghe’s thoughtfulness and gentleness were ingrained in her bones. Given that they’d just slept together, it was only natural for her to show just the right amount of concern.

What had been an awkward one-night stand for Yin Yunzhu didn’t seem to weigh on the other woman’s mind at all.

Had Jiang Menghe… had this kind of experience before? Like being meticulously attentive to her lovers, treating them with effortless care as naturally as eating or drinking.

At this thought, Yin Yunzhu’s emotions grew complicated, her heart in turmoil.

On one hand, Jiang Menghe’s indifference lessened her guilt. On the other, she had always taken relationships seriously, hoping to find someone who truly resonated with her soul.

For her, sex and love were inseparable, she had wanted their first time to be something they could both lose themselves in, not some careless drunken mistake.

Now that her hopes had been dashed, Yin Yunzhu couldn’t quite describe the bitterness she felt. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed the concealer by the sink still hadn’t been taken.

After a moment’s hesitation, she quietly slipped it into her pocket.

She lingered in the restroom for nearly half an hour before returning to her seat, where the movie had reached a crucial scene. Beijiali was fully engrossed and glanced over when she returned. “What took you so long?”

“Just got some air in the hallway. Feeling better now,” Yin Yunzhu replied, sitting down as her gaze flickered unconsciously to her left. “Is that person gone?”

“Who?” Beijiali leaned forward, following her line of sight. “Oh, maybe she had something to do.”

She dismissed the matter and turned back to the movie, but Yin Yunzhu couldn’t calm her racing heart.

Well, she had been the one to say she was leaving.

Her palms were damp with sweat, staining the tissue in her grip. She barely paid attention to the rest of the film, only realizing it had ended when the credits rolled.

“Still not feeling well?” Beijiali stood up, gathering nearby trash, and noticed Yin Yunzhu sitting motionless like a wilted flower. She reached over to press a hand to her forehead.

“No fever…” she muttered.

“Probably just didn’t sleep well last night.” The overhead lights were glaring, making Yin Yunzhu squint as she slowly got to her feet.

“Alright. I was thinking of checking out the shops downstairs and grabbing dinner before heading back,” Beijiali sighed, helping her up. “Want to get checked out?”

“No, no, it’s just a minor cold, probably.” Yin Yunzhu waved her hands hastily, then wrinkled her nose.

“Then I’ll take you home. Call me if anything comes up.”

To her credit, though Beijiali was usually careless and absentminded, she didn’t slack when it came to looking after others. After leaving the mall, she made a detour to a nearby pharmacy to pick up some medicine before flagging down a taxi.

Yin Yunzhu rolled down the window just enough to reveal half her face. Her drooping eyes made her look especially vulnerable when she was listless.

“Text me when you get home,” Beijiali tapped the window, repeating her instructions.

“Got it, you’re so naggy,” Yin Yunzhu grumbled, a rare complaint and quickly rolled the window up before Beijiali could swat at her.

Back home, as soon as she entered the passcode, an orange blur shot toward the door. Yin Yunzhu blocked the gap with her leg, scolding softly, “Xiao Yu!”

The orange cat let out a disgruntled meow in response. Peering through the crack and seeing no chance to escape, it strutted back into the living room and flopped onto the floor.

Only once the cat had settled did Yin Yunzhu change her shoes, pulling the keys from her pocket and placing them on the shoe cabinet.

A crumpled tissue fell out, stained with red. She bent to pick it up and tucked it back in.

She went to the kitchen to boil some water, took a few cold pills, and finally felt her breathing ease up a little. Turning on the air conditioner, she sat on the sofa and studied the contact information Jiang Menghe had given her.

Not that there was much to study, no matter how long she stared at it, it was just a string of numbers.

Should she call?

Yin Yunzhu agonized over it, staring holes into the tissue in her hands. After a long while, she sighed and saved the number in her phone contacts.

In the past, she would never have imagined having any connection with Jiang Menghe. Sometimes, fate’s arrangements were just this dramatic and unpredictable.

Pushing aside the mess in her life, Yin Yunzhu headed to her study. She hadn’t been home all night, but work couldn’t be neglected.

Sure enough, as soon as she logged in, her inbox was flooded with unread emails. Aside from the latest website event updates, the rest were from the copyright holders.

Bamboo Origin Publishing: [Author Fengchun, the draft you sent last time still needs revisions. The gory and supernatural elements need to be toned down, the subject matter is sensitive, and the protagonist’s values must be upright, otherwise it’ll be difficult to get approval for publication~]

Little Bamboo: [Got it, I’ll make the changes and send the revised version to your email.]

Little Bamboo: [File received.]

Since graduating high school, Yin Yunzhu had diligently pursued writing. After five years of steady effort, she finally gained some traction. After quitting her job to focus on writing, she sold her first book’s copyright last year.

She specialized in supernatural and fantasy themes, a genre with high market demand but low IP adaptation value, making publishers cautious about such works.

Luck had played a big part in her success.

After briefly skimming through the feedback, she saved the notes and opened her manuscript to work on today’s update.

Xiao Yu, her cat, squeezed through the door crack, stealthily sniffing at her pant leg before leaping onto her lap and curling up in a comfortable spot.

The clatter of keyboard keys went on for a long time. As daylight faded, the only illumination in the room came from the square glow of her computer screen.

Once she finished the update and saved it to her drafts, Yin Yunzhu exhaled in relief and reached for her water cup, only to find it empty.

Looking out the window, she saw night had fallen, and distant high-rises were dotted with tiny lights.

This was the life she was used to drawing inspiration from solitude, occasionally hitting a creative block, and then indulging in some procrastination.

Stretching, she ordered takeout and went to the bedroom to grab fresh clothes for a shower.

As she undressed, the fading hickey on her collarbone stood out starkly against her pale skin. She averted her gaze as if burned, stepping into the shower to wash up quickly.

After drying her hair, she found Xiao Yu licking an empty bowl, meowing in protest. Yin Yunzhu refilled the cat food and went to the door to collect her takeout.

The time after updating belonged entirely to her. Sitting at the kitchen island, she ate dinner while scrolling through her phone. Almost unconsciously, she typed Jiang Menghe’s name into the search bar.

Countless articles and photos bearing Jiang Menghe’s name instantly flooded the screen, impossible to scroll through entirely.

When someone seemingly untouchable suddenly appeared in real life, the mystique around them tended to fade. But Jiang Menghe wasn’t like that while most celebrities carefully crafted public personas, she remained the same off-screen.

Casually browsing, Yin Yunzhu noticed even gossip about her was scarce. As a national-level actress, Jiang Menghe’s reputation was built on her performances and character portrayals rather than tabloid scandals, and her fanbase was largely rational.

Just from interviews alone, it was clear Jiang Menghe had a strong core, no wonder she hadn’t reacted much to last night’s incident.

Looking back at herself, was she perhaps making a mountain out of a molehill?

Yin Yunzhu couldn’t help wondering if she was being too old-fashioned.

Everyone makes mistakes, one misstep doesn’t define a person. Although she didn’t believe drunken indiscretion was uncontrollable, given the right atmosphere, setting, and mutual unspoken consent between two people, certain indescribable things could happen…

Rather than viewing it as a regrettable loss, it might be better to consider it a unique experience.

After adjusting her mindset, Yin Yunzhu opened her contacts. The woman’s number sat quietly at the top of the list. She dialed and put the call on speaker.

After a few rings, the call connected quickly. A magnetic, husky female voice came through, carrying a misty dampness in its tone.

“Hello?” Jiang Menghe’s words were slurred, like a lazy cat.

Even through the screen, Yin Yunzhu’s carefully prepared words stuck in her throat. For a moment, silence hung between them, the air seeming to freeze.

What should she say? Should she ask to meet or…

Just as she wavered, a soft chuckle broke the silence, accompanied by rustling sounds as the person on the other end seemed to sit up.

“It’s you.”

She’d guessed who was on the other end.

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