Shadowed Love: A Lover Who Refuses to Let Go - Chapter 5

Jiang Menghe wasn’t the least bit surprised by her initiative to reach out. In contrast, Yin Yunzhu herself was so flustered she didn’t know how to respond, managing only a muffled “Mm” through her nose.

There was an indescribable magnetism about the other woman, her composure only more pronounced in stark contrast.

“Want to meet? I’m free the day after tomorrow.”

In the unlit room, the woman sat with one knee drawn up against the bed, the glow from her phone casting a soft light on her profile. She gazed out the window at the ceaseless traffic on the overpass, making the solitude of the room all the more palpable.

“The day after tomorrow?” Yin Yunzhu choked, pulling up her calendar to check.

Her schedule was flexible, mostly accommodating Jiang Menghe’s plans. What surprised her was how soon the meeting was leaving her no time to prepare.

“Not free?” Hearing the hesitation in her voice, the other woman inquired.

“I am. What time?” Unwilling to show weakness, Yin Yunzhu casually picked up a pen and paper from the table to jot it down.

As a writer, she preferred the tactile feel of paper, her strokes deliberate, as if the act of writing itself imbued the words with importance. Because of this, her home was dotted with sticky notes capturing fleeting inspirations.

The address Jiang Menghe gave was one Yin Yunzhu had heard of close to the city center, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

“I’ll be waiting for you.” With those words, the other woman ended the call first.

Hanging up, Yin Yunzhu exhaled in relief, the sensation akin to being called on by a teacher to answer a question, each word chewed over endlessly in her mouth, yet still not necessarily the right one.

She slumped over the kitchen island, staring blankly at the address on the sticky note.

Jiang Menghe’s demeanor was elusive, perhaps a product of her seasoned experience in the entertainment industry, her words inadvertently exuding steadiness. To Yin Yunzhu, it felt polite yet distant.

Beneath the bar stool, a leisurely orange figure sauntered past. Xiao Yu, her cat, brushed against her legs with a swagger, his tail tickling her ankles.

Yin Yunzhu snapped out of her daze, pressing a hand to her forehead in frustration.

She and Jiang Menghe didn’t even know each other wasn’t it natural for the other woman to be aloof? It was just one night. Why was she so hung up on it, unable to find her footing?

“Go on,” she nudged Xiao Yu’s hind leg lightly with her toe, folding the sticky note neatly.

Jiang Menghe had given her a day’s buffer, but it wasn’t much. Before Yin Yunzhu knew it, the day of their meeting had arrived.

She hoped to make a good first impression. When she sent her clothes to the dry cleaner, she deliberately included the beige beret for no reason other than Jiang Menghe’s offhand compliment about it once.

In the mirror, her light makeup made her round eyes brighter, catching the light. Her nose wasn’t particularly high-bridged, complementing her slightly wide-set eyes. Unlike the striking beauty of sharp, compact features, she resembled the pink morning dew reflecting the sunrise, fresh and sweet.

A closer look revealed no flaws on her face. Yin Yunzhu adjusted her hat and set off for the address Jiang Menghe had given.

Quancheng, on the cusp of winter, had grown quieter, even the streets subdued. Layers of plane tree leaves, soaked soft by rain, crunched dully underfoot.

Jiang Menghe lived in Riyueming Garden, a recently developed residential complex where an artificial lake separated the apartments from the villas. The buildings were spaced generously, ensuring even the lower floors had ample sunlight.

Pressing the doorbell, Yin Yunzhu hesitated, staring at her toes, half her face buried in her collar like a curious little animal.

When the door opened, Jiang Menghe stood there in loungewear, her hair tied back with a scrunchie and draped over her shoulder. Without makeup, she seemed less untouchable than under the glare of spotlights.

“Excuse me.” Yin Yunzhu nodded slightly with her shoulders hunched, peeking inside before quickly averting her gaze.

“You’re here?” Jiang Menghe glanced at the hat on her head, smiling faintly with pursed lips. “Come in.”

She held the door open, her demeanor casual, as if welcoming an ordinary friend.

Jiang Menghe’s home was clean and minimalist, the floors polished to a spotless shine. The walls bore no excess decorations or framed photos, just a tasteful, business-like aesthetic.

Yet, it lacked the lived-in warmth, resembling more the impersonal sterility of a hotel room where Yin Yunzhu had stayed during her travels.

The woman walked to the water dispenser and poured her a cup of warm water. Watching her back, Yin Yunzhu lost herself in thought, only to snap her gaze away the moment Jiang Menghe turned around.

Unbidden, her mind replayed the scene from the hotel: Jiang Menghe’s collar pulled open, scattered love bites trailing along her shoulders and collarbones, her body sinking into the mattress as she gazed up at her with dazed eyes.

Even if her own memories of that night were hazy, those images had been seared into her bones.

A stark contrast to the composed, elegant woman before her now.

“Warm water.” While Yin Yunzhu was lost in thought, Jiang Menghe slid a disposable cup toward her before settling into the adjacent armchair.

“Thank you.” Yin Yunzhu reached for it, the warmth against her fingertips slightly easing her nerves.

What should she say? Maybe start with an apology? Admit she had been too drunk to think clearly, that she hadn’t meant to cross the line.

Her tense, guarded posture didn’t escape Jiang Menghe’s notice. The woman crossed her legs, resting an elbow on the armrest as she leaned slightly to the side, revealing a sliver of pale, slender waist.

“Nothing to say?” Her eyes curved like crescent slivers of ice.

Yin Yunzhu lowered her head. The water in the cup couldn’t reflect her unease.

“That night… I’m sorry. I had too much to drink.” She couldn’t bring herself to look up, her grip tightening until the cup crumpled slightly.

“I don’t usually drink, so I didn’t know my limits. My friends were there, and I got carried away. When I saw you weren’t feeling well in the restroom…”

As she spoke, the memory of that night resurfaced her fingers clutching Jiang Menghe’s collar, only for the other woman to kiss her back.

Something about that didn’t quite add up.

Silence stretched between them. Jiang Menghe tapped her fingers against the armrest, thoughtful.

“Let’s leave the past in the past. I don’t feel shortchanged,” she said, lips quirking in a relaxed smile. “As long as you’re not bothered by it.”

“What kind of compensation do you want? Money?”

The words struck Yin Yunzhu like a slap. For a moment, she froze then a slow, creeping disappointment settled in her chest. She had once viewed Jiang Menghe through rose-tinted glasses, but now, hearing her talk so casually about money, she seemed no different from anyone else.

Or perhaps Jiang Menghe was simply accustomed to handling these situations. With her striking looks, she must have drawn all kinds of attention. Who knew if Yin Yunzhu was even the first to have crossed this line with her?

What had she been overthinking? Why had she been so nervous?

The dissonance twisted inside her, knotting into something bitter.

“Or,” Jiang Menghe mused, a light hum in her voice as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “we could keep this arrangement going.”

The offhand remark, delivered with careless amusement, struck a nerve.

That condescending arrogance shattered whatever illusions Yin Yunzhu had left. The patronizing tone grated on her. Sure, Jiang Menghe might be the darling of the entertainment industry, but that didn’t mean she deserved everyone’s infatuation.

The room felt stifling, the air thick with tension. Yin Yunzhu silently labeled her as frivolous, her voice laced with frost.

“No need. There’s nothing worth continuing between two female Betas.”

She rarely took a sharp stance against others, but clearly, Jiang Menghe had managed to truly upset her.

If the other woman said anything more provocative, she could simply slam the door and leave.

“Two female Betas?” Jiang Menghe repeated her words, her smile not reaching her eyes. “So what?”

In someone else’s home, Yin Yunzhu couldn’t afford to be too unrestrained. She reined in her emotions and turned her head away. “Nothing much. Unlike you, I’m not interested in women.”

The air fell silent for a moment.

Jiang Menghe was amused by this answer, her eyes locked onto Yin Yunzhu’s face, not missing even the slightest shift in expression.

Her face always carried a smile, yet it was easy to discern whether her emotions were genuine or merely an act.

Like now, for instance Yin Yunzhu could tell Jiang Menghe seemed angry.

Suddenly, the light dimmed before her as the woman stood up, her shadow stretching from the edge of the sofa, gradually creeping toward Yin Yunzhu’s legs. The familiar scent of perfume wafted into her senses, intoxicating and suffocating.

Jiang Menghe braced her hands on the armrests and leaned in close, bringing her face just inches away. Their proximity was overwhelming, the heat of their breaths mingling, making Yin Yunzhu’s mind go blank for a second.

Jiang Menghe’s gaze dropped, lingering on Yin Yunzhu’s lips. A tingling wave of shame surged through her being coveted like this was far from pleasant.

After a long pause, Jiang Menghe finally lifted her eyes, her long lashes casting dense shadows along the smooth curve of her eyelids.

“Not interested in women?” Jiang Menghe suddenly broke into a smile. “Then what was sleeping with me supposed to mean?”

She was like a flower blooming on the edge of a cliff, delicate petals exuding an unyielding resilience, misleading one into thinking she was both alluring and pliable.

The question left Yin Yunzhu at a loss. Any excuse now would make her sound like an irresponsible scoundrel. By the time she realized the inappropriateness of her words, she could already sense the anger radiating from the other woman.

Not wanting to appear weak in front of someone like her, Yin Yunzhu turned her face away and stubbornly retorted, “Miss Jiang, everyone makes mistakes. Are you suggesting we should just… keep making them?”

Realizing a mistake didn’t mean moving forward would correct it. Sometimes, staying put offered a chance to reconsider.

“No,” Jiang Menghe said. “I mean, I don’t agree with what you just said.”

Her knees pressed down with deliberate weight, wedging between Yin Yunzhu’s thighs as she braced her arms on either side, caging her in an unyielding, domineering hold. Yin Yunzhu was trapped in her embrace.

The woman’s face was unbearably close, her hazy eyes reflecting Yin Yunzhu’s flustered panic. The corners of her lips curled in a barely perceptible smirk, as if relishing the fear of her prey.

There was no denying Jiang Menghe was beautiful. Setting aside secondary genders, the allure she exuded was no less potent than an Alpha or Omega’s pheromones. From this angle, her upper lip was soft and slightly thin, flushed with vitality.

Pressed beneath her, Yin Yunzhu’s mind was a chaotic mess. She licked her dry lips.

So close…

“I—”

Her ears were filled with the frantic pounding of her own heartbeat, hammering against her chest. Reason told her to push Jiang Menghe away, but emotion dragged her back to that night.

Jiang Menghe knew how to cry the kind of stubborn, pain-enduring sobs where she’d arch her back, fists clenched in the sheets, tears welling but refusing to fall. Her voice would grow hoarse and weak, tugging at one’s heartstrings until they couldn’t help but pause to comfort her, only to be pulled back by her grip on their hair, demanding more.

The memory of those kisses raining down her neck, how could she ever forget?

Just like now, their lips were so close that the slightest part of them would bring them into contact.

Yin Yunzhu surrendered, inwardly cursing herself.

Warmth pressed against her lips, only for a soft laugh to brush her ear.

“Sorry, I can’t force others to do what they don’t want to.”

“Then as you said, let’s never meet again.”

Jiang Menghe covered Yin Yunzhu’s lips, feeling the tickling sensation in her palm. She looked down at the person pressed against the couch, whose eyes were misty.

She looked like she was about to cry.

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