Qi Lian pulled her head back down and said vaguely, "Then I must have remembered wrong."
Yu Mo pushed his hand away. "No. Before that evening, when I first arrived in Lianhua, I really did wear a grey overcoat often. Which means you saw me back then! You’ve seen me for a long time, haven't you? Qi Lian, tell me the truth."
She wouldn't let him off the hook.
Qi Lian felt his face grow hot. He covered Yu Mo’s eyes—those eyes that made it impossible to hide anything—and admitted defeat. "Fine, I saw you a long time ago. I was attracted to your beauty from the start. I used to secretly watch you on the road you always took; once I saw you, I couldn't move my feet. Why do you have to make me say it? Why do you need to know so much?"
In truth, he remembered the first time he encountered Yu Mo with startling clarity. He’d be damned if he could ever forget it.
It was an ordinary early spring evening. He had just finished work and returned to the neighborhood. Ahead of him was a woman in high heels, her figure graceful and swaying. She was the kind of sight that made it impossible to look away, and male instinct prompted him to steal a few extra glances.
He had been privately astonished that such a woman would appear in a place like Lianhua. Even if he didn't understand fashion, he could tell her clothes were different from the norm. This woman’s back was as straight as a sapling. She looked like everyone else, yet entirely different; either way, she didn't belong in a place like Lianhua.
Everything that followed felt like a dream to Qi Lian. With his thirty years of life experience, he couldn't explain his own behavior. He had never been a sentimental or impractical man; only a dream could explain it.
She had slowly turned, revealing her profile. Her nose and chin were as delicate as a porcelain doll's. Then she turned fully toward him. The moment he saw her eyes and her face clearly, he suddenly found he couldn't breathe.
It was as if something had slammed into his chest. Those features felt familiar, as if he had seen them before, matching his imagination perfectly. He stood frozen, unable to move, feeling as though he were trapped in a dreamscape.
Unconsciously, he followed her for a long distance.
It was the first time in his thirty years he’d had such an absurd experience, one he was too ashamed to even mention to others.
On his way out and his way home, he caught sight of that figure countless times, silently following her for a stretch. He had never imagined they would ever have an intersection—until the day she ran up, panting, and grabbed the strap of his bag.
He was infatuated with her. It was a completely irrational act, something more terrifying than mere "liking."
Even now, lying in bed with this woman, he felt it was all part of that same dream. He was afraid that if he made too much noise, or if the day finally came, he would suddenly wake up.
Yu Mo was still asking, "And then?"
"And then what? I dare to say it, but do you dare to hear it? Every time I saw you, I wanted to do exactly what I did today—throw you onto the bed."
Yu Mo felt this man was hopeless. She tried to pinch his thigh, but his legs were all muscle and she couldn't get a grip, only managing to snag a few hairs.
"I really didn't expect that someone like you would have a head full of such trash. So, was all your help at the beginning calculated? And here I was, thinking you were actually a decent person."
Qi Lian let out a low laugh and placed Yu Mo’s hand on his inner thigh. "Stupid. It hurts most if you pinch here. That’s why I told you to be careful. Don't go around trusting men so easily, especially in a place like Lianhua."
He teased her for a moment, then his smile faded slightly. He asked her, "I have more to say. Do you dare to listen?"
Thinking it was more of his crude talk, Yu Mo said hurriedly, "Don't say it, don't say it. I don't want to hear it."
Qi Lian gently brushed the hair away from her face. His eyes flickered, but in the end, he didn't continue. Forget it; he was afraid of scaring her.
Instead, he asked, "Why haven't you changed your phone? That cracked glass will cut your hand. Switch to the new one quickly."
"I can't just accept such an expensive gift from someone for no reason. I returned it a few days ago. I was planning to tell you and then transfer the money back to you."
The smile on Qi Lian’s lips froze. His large hand gripped Yu Mo’s slender waist, applying a bit of pressure to express his displeasure.
"Someone? Who am I to you now, hmm? Do I just give phones to anyone, or do I just sleep with anyone? Use it with a clear conscience. My money is your money."
A trace of anxiety appeared in his eyes. He looked at Yu Mo and said seriously, "Since we're on the subject, let me tell you about my situation. I own four properties from demolition compensation, all of them rented out. Between my work and the rent, I make about 300,000 a year. If I pull more overtime, I can hit nearly 400,000. It might be more next year, but I won't count it until it's in my hand. Right now, I have about two million in savings. Do you think that's enough to provide for you? If not, I'll work harder."
Yu Mo placed her hand on his head, feeling the prickle of his short hair against her palm.
She said, "I don't need you to provide for me, Qi Lian. I can take care of myself. Keep your money safe and don't flaunt your wealth so easily. You're richer than I thought."
She spoke lightly, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
Qi Lian pinched her cheek to stop her smiling. "I just want to spend money on you. If you don't spend it, I don't feel settled. Give me a card number; I'll transfer all my money to you. You can spend it or buy a house, whatever you want. Even if you spend every last cent today, it doesn't matter. Tomorrow, I can earn at least three or five hundred. We'll always have food to eat and a place to stay. Don't try to save money for me."
"Qi Lian, you're always telling me to be careful of others, so why are you being so foolish? This is your hard-earned money."
Qi Lian wrapped both arms around her, pulling her into his chest. "I'm not afraid of hard work, as long as you stay by my side. I told you, you can have whatever you want. Besides, in my line of work, though it's tough, at my level—and I'm not bragging—as long as I have these two hands, we could live well even at the edge of the world."
He spoke calmly, without a hint of arrogance. Instead, there was a sense of groundedness that was strangely comforting to behold.
Yu Mo suddenly remembered something she had been meaning to ask. "Do you know a man named Wang Dejiang? Big belly, very small eyes, probably in his fifties?"
Qi Lian looked at her. "Why?"
His brows shot up, taking on the protective air of someone whose territory had been encroached upon.
"I'm just asking. He helped me with renovations a few years ago. Once, a water pipe in my wall was accidentally punctured by a drill. Everyone said the wall had to be torn down, but I remember him saying he’d call a friend to ask—someone with incredible skills. Now that I think about it, I think that friend’s surname was also Qi. Or maybe I remembered wrong. I was there when he made the call; he had it on speaker, and I thought the voice sounded a lot like yours."
Qi Lian thought for a moment and said, "I do know that man, but I don't remember that specific incident. Too many people look for me every day."
"Oh," Yu Mo said with a hint of disappointment. "That master even came to my construction site, but I had an emergency and had to leave early. Otherwise, I would have known if it was you."
After a few seconds, Qi Lian suddenly said, "We really have met before!"
He paused, then continued, "To be precise, I saw you. Was your home in Norway Forest? That day you were wearing black. When I arrived at the base of your building, you were rushing out, about five or six meters away from me."
There was more he didn't say. He had been stunned when he saw her—that sense of unreality again. He had even thought to himself that high-end complexes really were different.
Thinking of it that way, it explained why she had felt so familiar the first time he saw her in Lianhua.
Yu Mo broke free from Qi Lian’s limbs and sat up, her eyes wide and round.
"Really? You saw me? That means you saw me, we crossed paths, and I heard your voice!"
She had only worn black during the renovations because the first time she went to the site, she had worn a baby-blue outfit. After staying for just over two hours, she went home and the housekeeper told her there was a stain on the back that wouldn't come out. She had been so annoyed she threw it straight in the trash.
From then on, she only wore black to the site. It was definitely her.
She gestured excitedly as she spoke, the flush of their recent intimacy still lingering on her small face, now deepened by her excitement.
She looked so defenseless that any man would want to swallow her whole at a single glance.
She had completely forgotten she wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing until she saw the look in Qi Lian’s eyes.
Her face turned crimson instantly. She didn't know what to cover first. This man was truly too much; his gaze was fixed right on her chest, radiating an unabashed, predatory light. A thin layer of goosebumps involuntarily broke out over her skin.
She lunged forward to cover those heart-stopping eyes.
Qi Lian flipped over, pinning her down. His voice was low, husky, and burning. "What? I've already touched everything, and I'm still not allowed to look? If your man can't look, who can?"
It wasn't just Yu Mo’s face that was burning now; her whole body was on fire.
Qi Lian continued, "Next time I'm not around, you'd better cover yourself up tight. Who could control themselves seeing you like this? That time your arm was injured, you were wearing that tight little tank top without a bra—everything was visible. If I hadn't been reluctant to touch you then and held myself back, you would have been finished if it were any other man. And that time you were drinking, showing off that pale chest... I nearly had a brain hemorrhage watching you. As long as you're with a man, there's no question what happens next. I damn well wanted to skin that guy alive. I have to kill him."
Yu Mo scolded him, "Then why didn't you remind me? You just kept staring. You're a rogue yourself, yet you talk about others."
Qi Lian’s large hand came down, squeezing until she furrowed her brows.
"Why would I remind you? If I couldn't touch, was I not allowed to look? You were going to be mine sooner or later anyway. You have to be mine."
He squeezed a few more times. "I've wanted to do this for a long time. It hurt like hell every time I had to hold back."
Yu Mo grew frightened and pleaded, "Qi Lian, I'm tired. It hurts."
The man above her took a deep breath and buried his head in the crook of her neck. His breathing was still ragged, but he didn't forget to play for sympathy. "I'll let you off for now. I can't bear to see you suffer, so I guess I'll just have to let myself burst. I've been holding it in for half a year!"
Seeing his frustrated yet reluctant expression, Yu Mo laughed and turned her head to kiss his cheek.
Suddenly, the great lion’s fur was smoothed.
"Little Blossom, I'm your man, right? Say you'll stay with me obediently."
Yu Mo saw countless dust motes dancing in the sunlight streaming through the window. The bubbles of joy from a moment ago began to pop one by one. A weight of reality came rushing toward her. She opened her mouth, but found she couldn't speak.
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 见色起意 | Lust at first sight | Lit. "seeing beauty and conceiving intent"; attraction based on physical appearance. |
| 拆迁房 | Demolition compensation housing | Apartments given to residents whose original homes were demolished for urban development. |
| 挪威森林 | Norway Forest | The name of a high-end residential complex. |
| 小朵儿 | Little Blossom | Qi Lian's nickname for Yu Mo (Duo'er). |
| 老子 | Yours truly / I | A rough, masculine way of referring to oneself. |
