EIP 19

The man’s lips, still carrying the sweetness of wine, pressed against Yong Jin’s in an unrestrained kiss. His tongue forced its way in, bold and uninvited, leaving Yong Jin frozen—his eyes wide, his entire body stiff. In the front seat, Deputy Chen quickly turned away, pretending not to notice. He could hear the drunk man teasing the general to open his mouth, his voice playful, colored by a low chuckle.

It wasn’t until a few seconds later that Yong Jin finally came back to his senses. He felt the persistence of the kiss and pushed the man away. The intruder slumped back, half-asleep. Yong Jin took out a handkerchief and pressed it against his lips, his expression unreadable. After a pause, he spoke in a low voice.

“Xiao Chen, get him out of the car.”

Deputy Chen got out, opened the door, and pulled the man from the back seat. But he did not drop him on the street. After glancing around, he propped the man against the wall by a nearby shopfront. Yong Jin also stepped out of the car, not sparing him a glance. He simply asked for a cigarette and took a few slow drags. Smoke curled in the cool night air, but even the strong taste of tobacco could not erase the lingering sweetness of wine from his lips.

Soon, Yong Jin’s friend arrived, slightly disheveled, with loose strands of hair and sweat on his brow. Though Yong Jin felt mildly annoyed, the sight of him softened his mood. He quickly explained the situation and sent the man back. Just as his friend was about to leave, a soft groan came from the figure leaning against the wall. The man had slid from the steps and now lay on the ground, murmuring something about pain.

The friend stepped closer and squinted. “Isn’t that Young Master Zhou?”

Yong Jin’s face remained expressionless. When it looked like his friend might go and help, he cut in, unexpectedly saying, “Leave it. I’ll take him back myself.”

Though clearly surprised by the response, the friend said nothing and left.

But Yong Jin had no intention of actually taking Zhou Jun anywhere. He got back into the car and told Deputy Chen to drive. The vehicle rolled forward, leaving the drunk man behind without a second glance.

It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Deputy Chen heard the order from the back seat.

“Turn around.”

He knew exactly where they were going. Sure enough, when they returned, Zhou Jun was still lying on the pavement.

Deputy Chen did not dare act without instruction. He simply watched as Yong Jin lowered the window and took another drag of his cigarette. Then, to his surprise, Yong Jin stepped out of the car himself.

No one could guess what the general was thinking. All Deputy Chen could do was sit and watch.

Yong Jin walked over and pulled Zhou Jun up. It was unclear whether Zhou Jun was fully conscious, but Yong Jin did not bring him back immediately. When Deputy Chen glanced back again, he was stunned to see the two of them locked in an embrace, tugging at each other. Yong Jin held him by the waist, but Zhou Jun had his arms looped tightly around the man’s neck, refusing to let go.

Deputy Chen quickly turned his eyes away. He stayed perfectly still, trying to ignore the faint sounds of kissing that drifted through the air. He could hear Yong Jin’s voice low and sharp, warning the other man not to move, not to come closer. But the rustling of clothing and lips meeting lips made it clear that the warning was ignored.

At one point, Yong Jin mentioned they would not be going back to the residence. They were heading to a villa.

As always, Deputy Chen was thorough. He took note of the destination as he drove them out to the villa. When they arrived, he offered to help carry Zhou Jun inside, but Yong Jin waved him off. The major general pulled the young man from the back seat, roughly grabbing him by the collar.

They had barely made it a few steps before Zhou Jun wrapped himself around Yong Jin’s waist. His face was flushed, his smile mischievous. In the car, Deputy Chen watched it all in silence.

He thought to himself, this Young Master Zhou really has no shame.

It was a whole year before Young Master Zhou showed up again. Deputy Chen never found out exactly what happened that night. All he knew was that nothing followed after it. The only change was that Major General Yong began appearing more often at those social gatherings, and every time he returned, his face never looked too good. Over time, he reverted back to his former cold and aloof demeanor and stopped attending banquets altogether.

The entanglement between Yong Jin and Zhou Jun was something even Deputy Chen likely knew more about than Zhou Jun himself.

After Yong Jin left him with that single line, he had grabbed him by the hair and forced his mouth open, ravaging it so roughly it ached. When he finally came, Zhou Jun sat back with his mouth full of thick, bitter fluid, his face flushed crimson.

His lips had gone numb. He fumbled for a handkerchief and spat it out onto the cloth. Young Master Yong stood and got dressed with a blank expression, fastening his cuffs with elegant precision. Zhou Jun looked up with reddened eyes. He wanted to explain, to ask for some kind of answer. He could not understand what had happened at that banquet a year ago. There had been too many banquets, far too many for him to remember.

Most of them ended in him being blackout drunk. One time he even woke up in a public park, his money completely gone. And now Major General Yong had the audacity to accuse him of being the one who made the first move. Zhou Jun felt not only wronged, but a little shaken as well. Had he really done something to Yong Jin that night? But no matter how drunk he had been, there was no way he would have mistaken a man for a woman.

Especially not someone like Yong Jin. That thought made him glance toward the man who had not said a single word since throwing out that accusation. Yong Jin’s lips were drawn tight, and even his gaze held a sharp, frosty edge. The moonlight did nothing to soften his features. Standing with his back to the light, face turned to the side, it was as if he could not even be bothered to look at him again. His leather shoes pressed into the carpet. He walked past him and left, without a single word of explanation.

Zhou Jun remained on the floor. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. His fury burned hot enough to leave his mouth dry, and his tongue was still coated with the lingering taste of that man. Gritting his teeth, he reached under the bedside cabinet and pulled out a bottle of red wine, gulping down half of it. After setting the bottle down, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He genuinely could not remember. What had happened a year ago?

And while he was convinced he would never have mistaken a man for a woman, he could not say the same when it came to Yong Jin. He knew all too well just how much this man drew him in. That night had been a mess, getting caught mid-affair by the man himself. By the window, beneath the window, Yong Jin stood with fury in his eyes, those eyes burning like fire. If his life had not been on the line, if he had not known how disastrous it would be to get caught, he might really not have been able to run. He might have frozen on the spot, all because of Yong Jin.

He downed the rest of the wine straight from the bottle, then let out a drunken burp. He prop himself up from the floor and stumble toward the window. Even though he knew Yong Jin must have already left, he could not stop himself from running over and shouting out the window, “Asshole! Who the fuck even wants you!”

His voice broke off. His drunken eyes widened, and both the alcohol and the fury drained out of him at once. Yong Jin had not left. He was still leaning against the car outside, having smoked through more than a few cigarettes. That furious shout from upstairs made the major general look up, just in time to meet Zhou Jun’s face poking out from the window above. Zhou Jun felt his cheeks grow scalding hot, and even the night breeze brushing his skin could not cool it down.

His mouth opened, but no words came. He had been certain the man was gone, yet for some reason, he could feel something in Yong Jin fade in that instant. It felt like something vital had slipped away, something that should never have been missed, but Zhou Jun had no idea what it was. Because he could not grasp it or name it, the frustration gnawed at him unbearably.

He wanted to say something else, but before he could, he saw the man get into the car without so much as a glance back. This time, he really was gone. The car drove straight down the road, took a turn, and disappeared—gone, just like that, as if forever out of reach.