EIP 47

The room was quiet, the lights left off. Zhou Jun kept still, waiting for that familiar scent to fill the air. It was Yong Jin who reacted first, reaching out and pulling him close, his arms wrapping tightly around his waist. All of Zhou Jun’s words were lost in the moment. Yong Jin’s breathing was ragged, likely from the effort of sneaking into the Zhou household while injured. It must have taken a lot out of him.

The faint smell of blood began to spread, but Zhou Jun couldn’t tell where the wound had reopened. As the scent filled the air, he reached for the light switch, but Yong Jin grabbed his hand, stopping him. Yong Jin’s heartbeat was frantic, pounding loudly in his chest. Zhou Jun’s face flushed as his mind became clouded. He didn’t turn on the light and instead murmured softly in pain.

Yong Jin was holding him too tightly, and Zhou Jun’s back couldn’t take it anymore. With a hint of coaxing, he whispered, “Let go of me. Doesn’t it hurt?” Yong Jin didn’t move, only said, “Endure it.” Though his words were firm, he loosened his grip. Zhou Jun reached for the light again, but Yong Jin stopped him, wrapping his arms around Zhou Jun’s waist and gently guiding him to lie down. Zhou Jun didn’t resist, his body relaxing into the motion.

He worried that after he left, Governor Yong might have beaten Yong Jin again. But if that were the case, why wouldn’t he let the lights on? Yet, if Yong Jin were seriously injured, how could he still make it to his room? As these thoughts ran through his mind, Yong Jin suddenly reached under his clothes, lifting them up. Zhou Jun pressed down on the hem of his shirt, feeling a bit flustered. Both of them were hurt. How could they possibly be intimate in this condition?

Yong Jin gently placed his palm on Zhou Jun’s back.

“Was it here that you were hit this morning?”

Only then did Zhou Jun relax his grip, allowing Yong Jin to remove his shirt. He felt the warmth of Yong Jin’s breath against the skin of his back, followed by a kiss. Yong Jin’s breath grew slightly heavier as he kissed the injured part.

The injury on his back had been severely swollen, but the kiss numbed the pain. Wherever Yong Jin kissed, the numbing sensation followed. Zhou Jun shrank his neck and took a deep breath. He squinted, a silent smile curling his lips. He wrapped his arm around Yong Jin, patting him as if to comfort him.

There was a moment of silence. After a long while, Yong Jin shifted behind him and sat up. Zhou Jun turned over, facing him. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he could vaguely make out Yong Jin’s silhouette. Yong Jin was leaning against the wall. The sound of a lighter flicked, and a small flame appeared. In that instant, Zhou Jun clearly saw Yong Jin’s face, his mouth bruised and his cheek swollen.

Zhou Jun suddenly sat up.

“He hit you, huh?!”

His anger flared, but he didn’t know what to say. After all, that was his father. Just like Zhou Yan had punished him before, it was expected that Yong Jin’s father would do the same. Zhou Jun sat on the side, trying to calm down before cautiously reaching out to touch Yong Jin’s face.

However, Yong Jin gently turned away, not allowing Zhou Jun’s hand to reach him. He took a drag of his cigarette, but only halfway before putting it out. He still didn’t speak, and the visit remained almost entirely silent. Zhou Jun was confused, unsure of what was happening. Yong Jin had come without a phone call, but his presence alone reassured Zhou Jun, brought him happiness, and fulfilled him.

These emotions clouded his mind, and it wasn’t until now that he realized the quietness from Yong Jin, the unspoken tension simmering beneath that silence. Zhou Jun withdrew his hand, feeling inexplicably cautious, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The cigarette in Yong Jin’s hand had gone out. The room was filled with the scent of smoke, blood, and a faint hint of rose fragrance. He heard Yong Jin speak.

“We shouldn’t meet again.”

After a pause, he added,

“You said it yourself. Taking things too seriously is a joke.”

Zhou Jun seemed not to understand. He was confused. He understood every word, but put together, they didn’t make sense to him at that moment.

Zhou Jun’s lips moved, but no words came out. He rubbed his brow, then directed his voice toward Yong Jin.

“What do you mean?”

In the darkness, he couldn’t see Yong Jin’s expression, and thankfully, Yong Jin couldn’t see his either. Otherwise, it would have been too embarrassing. He had never felt so helpless. His eyes burned with tears, and his chest felt tight, as though it were stuffed with cotton, making it hard to breathe.

He felt a bit embarrassed, so he cleared his throat and said,

“For you to come all the way here just to say that, you really went out of your way.”

He fought to keep himself from reaching out to stop him or, worse, crying like a woman, embarrassed and helpless. He hadn’t reached that point, not yet.

Yong Jin remained silent for a while before finally speaking.

“After all, you took a few hits for me. I came to check on you.”

Zhou Jun wished he hadn’t said those words. He had thought he was special, but now reality had slapped him in the face. He tried to comfort himself, but couldn’t find any reassuring words. Between them, there had never been anything to begin with. Everything had been based on their encounters. Now, Yong Jin said they shouldn’t meet anymore. It wasn’t even a breakup, just no more meetings.

Yong Jin sat on the edge of the bed, unmoving, not leaving, and Zhou Jun couldn’t tell what he was waiting for. He rubbed his aching eyelids and quietly murmured,

“Is it because my last name is Zhou, or is it because Governor Yong is angry?”

Yong Jin didn’t answer, and Zhou Jun continued.

“Whether it’s the former or the latter, you know I can’t do anything about it.”

At this point, the weight on his chest felt even more suffocating, as though it had grown heavier with each passing moment. He spoke with difficulty.

“Is it because I haven’t cut ties with other women? Me and Miss Yang aren’t what you think.”

He strained to keep talking, trying to bring up every detail he could think of. He even apologized.

“I was wrong when I said I wanted to get married. I can’t stand the thought of you marrying someone else. We’re not a joke. We won’t be a joke. So…”

So, could we not part ways?

His position was unjustifiable, and he felt like a joke now.

Yong Jin’s breathing grew heavier, but his voice remained cold and firm.

“I’ll leave now. Get some rest.”

Zhou Jun quickly got up and hugged Yong Jin. He felt so embarrassed, but his mind couldn’t process things properly. He didn’t want Yong Jin to just walk away like this. Just a few days ago, even last night, everything had been fine. How had things suddenly changed?

Yong Jin gripped his wrist, his palm slightly damp, yet cold. Almost forcefully, he pried Zhou Jun’s fingers open one by one. His voice was devoid of emotion.

“I’m serious. Don’t contact me again.”

Zhou Jun’s grip loosened, and the emptiness in his arms was all too real. Yong Jin took a few steps toward the window, but Zhou Jun called out.

“I like you. Yong Jin, I really like you.”

Yong Jin’s body froze, like a massive stone in the darkness. But he was still silent, stubborn, as if he would never regret it. Zhou Jun could no longer hold it together. Tears fell, and he said helplessly,

“So, if you’re serious, then I’ll be serious too. I really won’t contact you again. We’ll have nothing to do with each other anymore. Even if you regret it later, even if you tell me how helpless you were today, I won’t listen.”

He stared at the figure ahead of him, his voice trembling.

“So if you tell me your reasons today, I’d understand. I won’t hold you back, as long as you’re willing to say it.”

There was silence for a long time. Then, finally, a deep sigh. Yong Jin walked a few steps forward, bracing himself against the window. In a quiet voice, he said,

“Goodbye.”

Yong Jin left without looking back. Zhou Jun stood still for a long while before finally turning on the light. His back ached terribly, but his heart hurt even more. His hand was stained with blood, which had been diluted by his tears into faint pink marks. He found the crumpled cigarette at the edge of the bed and stared at it for a long time before his anger erupted. He ordered the servants to enter the room and tear off all the sheets and covers. He couldn’t bear to smell anything else in that room anymore.