When Winter Falls in Love - Chapter 2

Xie Mingjun was an excellent kisser as she pulled Dong Yin up.

Dong Yin’s face flushed red, feeling like she was about to suffocate.

Xie Mingjun immediately dragged her into the adjacent bathroom.

Pushed against the vanity mirror, Dong Yin’s back collided with the cold sink. Before she could even cry out in pain, Xie Mingjun gripped her waist and lifted her onto the counter to sit.

Dong Yin stared nervously at Xie Mingjun, her hands braced against the mirror, palms icy. Her entire body trembled, this was the boldest she had ever been, usually too timid to even meet others’ eyes.

Xie Mingjun didn’t speak, her hand resting on Dong Yin’s back as her gaze scrutinized her, as if silently asking if she was hurt.

She lowered her head, her voice cold. “Show me how wild you can be.”

Dong Yin didn’t know how, she had no idea how to be wild.

Xie Mingjun scoffed.

At that moment, Dong Yin nearly burst into tears, her eyes welling up. Her first attempt had been thrown back at her, and she felt utterly defeated.

Xie Mingjun must have known she didn’t know how to seduce someone, deliberately humiliating her. Anger flared in Dong Yin, and she bit down hard on Xie Mingjun’s index finger. The pain made Xie Mingjun frown.

Dong Yin looked at her, tears shimmering in her eyes, Xie Mingjun’s figure blurring in her vision. But she refused to let go, clamping down as if she wanted to bite the finger clean off.

She couldn’t see Xie Mingjun’s expression, only knew that when Xie Mingjun finally pulled her finger free, she didn’t retaliate. Instead, she sealed Dong Yin’s unruly mouth with her own.

Dong Yin had always thought kissing was sweet, that’s why couples in love kissed so often, so recklessly. Now she understood there was no sweetness, only desire or deliberate indifference.

The kiss had no flavor. It was bland, uncomfortable. Dong Yin didn’t dare breathe, holding it in until she nearly suffocated. Only then did Xie Mingjun pull back slightly, giving her a chance to gasp for air.

The door swung open.

Zou Yuxi stood in the doorway, heavily drunk, swaying as he gripped the handle, blinking several times at the sight of Dong Yin and Xie Mingjun.

The moment happened too fast all three froze.

Dong Yin reacted first, looping her arms around Xie Mingjun’s neck and whispering, “Xie Mingjun, I want to kiss you again…”

Zou Yuxi stared blankly at the entwined pair, unable to speak for a long moment. Then he splashed water on his face, as if trying to sober up. But no matter how clear his head became, all he saw was his lackey, his devoted follower Dong Yin, forcibly kissing his aloof girlfriend.

Like mud sullying pristine clouds.

“Xie Mingjun!”

Zou Yuxi shouted, his voice sharp with sudden clarity, but Xie Mingjun couldn’t respond.

Dong Yin was exhausted, as if she had just sprinted 800 meters in one breath.

Her eyes were red, on the verge of tears from the intensity of the kiss.

This Dong Yin looked pitiful, fragile. Xie Mingjun’s fingers brushed the corner of her eye, rubbing gently. sure enough, tears had spilled over.

Zou Yuxi called Xie Mingjun’s name a few more times, then Dong Yin’s, as if trying to stop them. But his shouts only sounded like encouragement, and neither responded. After a while, he staggered away on his own.

When the kiss ended, Xie Mingjun’s gaze was mocking. Dong Yin could tell, she wasn’t curious. She was laughing at how amateurish Dong Yin was.

That entire night, Dong Yin stayed in the bathroom. Xie Mingjun had locked the door when she left, trapping Dong Yin inside with no way out. She sat on the sink counter the whole night, this time when bullied, she didn’t feel like crying. Instead, she kept touching her lips, unable to sort out the tangled emotions.

By the next morning, the door was suddenly flung open. It was Zou Yuxi, his expression complicated as he stared at Dong Yin like he’d caught her in an affair no, that wasn’t quite right. It was hard to describe, because yesterday he’d seen Dong Yin forcibly kiss someone. Xie Mingjun had been the one kissed, but Xie Mingjun was his girlfriend.

Dong Yin was still perched on the vanity, exactly where Xie Mingjun had placed her. Zou Yuxi’s expression grew even more conflicted, half of this scene overlapped with his dream.

“Wh-where’s Xie Mingjun? I mean… Dong Yin, why are you here? Why are you sitting on the sink…?” Zou Yuxi stammered, a far cry from the smooth way he usually called Dong Yin a “bootlicker.”

Dong Yin licked her lips. “What’s wrong?”

Her mouth hurt, Xie Mingjun had bitten her hard.

Zou Yuxi caught the small gesture but hesitated to ask. “What happened? Why are you here? Weren’t you drunk and passed out outside?”

Dong Yin said, “Someone carried me in.”

“Huh?”

“Then locked me inside.”

“Oh.” Zou Yuxi exhaled, long accustomed to Dong Yin being bullied. He quickly added, softening his tone, “Who would do that? You shouldn’t be treated like this… Come down, it’s dangerous. Dong Yin, do you remember who locked you in?”

“No.” Dong Yin slid off the counter.

Zou Yuxi stepped forward, turned on the faucet, and splashed water on his face. Once didn’t seem enough, so he did it again, scrubbing until his skin flushed red.

Water splashed onto Dong Yin’s clothes, and she edged back slightly.

She heard Zou Yuxi sigh.

Was this the thrill of revenge?

It felt… kind of amazing.

Dong Yin decided then that from now on, she’d do whatever she wanted. That would probably feel even better, getting back at a scumbag, then stealing his beautiful, kissable girlfriend.

Outside the bathroom, in the living room, Xie Mingjun sat at the dining table. This time, she wasn’t smoking, she was applying makeup, smoothing gloss over her thin lips.

Quiet. Ignoring Dong Yin entirely, as if she’d already forgotten locking her in the bathroom last night.

Dong Yin stood there a moment before padding over to the small table. She pulled out the side chair. Xie Mingjun pressed her lips together, checking her reflection, her mouth was bruised too.

Xie Mingjun paid Dong Yin no attention, focusing on her task. The index and middle fingers holding her lipstick were wrapped in plain brown bandages.

Dong Yin stared at her fingers, then at Xie Mingjun’s face. Xie Mingjun was stunning, sharp, delicate features, upturned eyes that gleamed with intensity, thin lips that looked cruel when pressed together. She’d changed into a new dress; yesterday’s had been a sleek black, but today’s was a deep red V-neck, cinched tightly at the waist to accentuate her graceful curves.

Xie Mingjun still ignored her, tending to her own business. Dong Yin finally murmured, “Xie Mingjun, you shouldn’t put on lipstick if your lips are hurt. I just looked it up…”

Xie Mingjun paused mid-stroke, then turned to Dong Yin and said, “…And you shouldn’t forcibly kiss someone else’s girlfriend. That’s just common sense.”

She insisted on finishing applying her lipstick, then packed up her makeup kit and stood up. As she walked past Dong Yin, she lowered her voice and said, “That was just a small punishment yesterday. Did you learn your lesson?”

But.

Which punishment was she supposed to remember?

The one where her lips were bitten, or the one where she was locked in the bathroom?

Xie Mingjun left very early. After finishing her makeup, she walked out of the villa. A luxury convertible was parked at the entrance. She opened the back door and got in, and the driver immediately drove off without her saying goodbye to anyone inside the villa.

After she left, Dong Yin didn’t stay either.

Dong Yin shouldered her bag and left the party villa. The gathering was held at a suburban villa, and the area was hard to navigate. Dong Yin checked the map as she walked, taking half an hour to finally find a bus stop. The September heat was scorching, and the incessant chirping of cicadas along the road made her ears ache. She kept fanning herself with her hand.

Later, Zou Yuxi questioned Dong Yin about who had locked her in the bathroom, even tentatively asking if it was Xie Mingjun. Dong Yin answered honestly: “Yes, it was Xie Mingjun.”

Zou Yuxi sighed and said, “Ah, that’s just how Xie Mingjun is. Her family is wealthy, and if anyone upsets her, she’ll retaliate… She’s just spoiled. You should stay out of her way, and it’s best not to let her know we’re close. I don’t get along with her either…” His tone was melancholy, sounding pitiful. In the past, Dong Yin would have comforted him, but this time, she stayed silent, lost in thought.

So this was what Xie Mingjun was like.

She had only just realized it.

Zou Yuxi asked, “You’re not angry, are you?”

Dong Yin answered evasively, “Is Xie Mingjun really that bad?”

Zou Yuxi sighed again. “Spoiled by her family. Honestly, I’ve decided to cut ties with her completely, but she keeps making a fuss… Let’s not talk about this. Are you really okay? Let me treat you to a meal to make up for what she did.”

Dong Yin declined, then added, “Don’t be upset. If Xie Mingjun misunderstands us again in the future and you can’t handle her, just tell me, and I’ll deal with her for you.”

Dong Yin had spent a long time with this group of people, but she had the least interaction with Xie Mingjun because Xie Mingjun was aloof and often spoke harshly.

The matter ended there. Dong Yin didn’t know what Zou Yuxi was thinking, but day after day, she found herself wanting to seek out Xie Mingjun. The two of them spent another two weeks together, meeting frequently.

Now, Xie Mingjun was asking her if her feelings were genuine or not.

Dong Yin looked at Xie Mingjun, nodded, and said, “They’re real.”

“I really like you.”

Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open. Dong Yin’s roommates had returned from grocery shopping, each carrying half a watermelon.

“Dong Yin, help me with this…” The one who spoke was Meng Mochou, who slept in the bed next to Dong Yin’s. Before Dong Yin could move to help, Meng Mochou looked up and noticed there was someone else in the room.

“Xie Mingjun?” Meng Mochou was puzzled, especially when she saw Dong Yin. The two of them, one sitting on a chair, the other standing nearby both seemed off.

The other roommates urged from behind, “Hurry up and go in! I’m exhausted. Abbess Mochou, move it!”

Meng Mochou whispered as she carried her things, “Xie Mingjun is here.”

“Xie Mingjun?”

“No way. What’s she doing here?”

Gradually, everyone returned to their six-person dormitory. Four roommates had just come back, while one had gone to spend time with her boyfriend. The girls glanced at Xie Mingjun but didn’t speak, carrying their things back to their beds quietly. Normally, their returns would be accompanied by noise and activity, but now everyone was unusually silent, even handling plastic bags and opening cabinet doors with extreme care.

Xie Mingjun maintained her previous posture, facing Dong Yin with the same contemptuous gaze as always. “Go on,” she said. “Say it again, and I’ll consider whether to believe you.”

How embarrassing.

With all their roommates present, Dong Yin felt slightly self-conscious.

In a soft voice, Dong Yin said, “Zou Yuxi is no good. He plays around and is a womanizer. He’s not gentle, he just toys with girls’ affections. I’ve seen through him now. Don’t fall for his tricks.”

Xie Mingjun stared at Dong Yin.

Dong Yin continued, “Be with me instead.”

All the roommates were secretly listening to their conversation. Someone’s watermelon slipped and smashed onto the white ceramic tiles, leaving a red stain.

Everyone was shocked, astonished that Dong Yin could be so shameless. Didn’t she like Zou Yuxi? How could she now pursue his girlfriend? Didn’t she feel any shame?

But when it came to seduction, the first time was awkward, and the second time came more naturally.

Xie Mingjun didn’t scold Dong Yin or stop her.

Encouraged, Dong Yin decided to be even bolder.

She sat on Xie Mingjun’s lap. When Xie Mingjun didn’t push her away, she grew more daring. “Xie Mingjun, I like you. Be with me,” she said.

“I’m better than Zou Yuxi. You can bully me however you want, lock me in the bathroom, yell at me, whatever. I’ll be good and obedient. If there’s anything I don’t know, I’ll learn.”