Dong Enyu usually didn’t drive fast, but today was an exception. She had spent too much time talking with Mu Lin, which delayed her, so she hurried back to Yong Le’s rundown place. As soon as she parked, she rushed upstairs, the rusty iron stairs creaking loudly with her movements. Just as she was about to take out her key, she noticed the door was slightly ajar, which made her frown. She wondered why Yong Le would leave the door open after coming home.
“I’m back,” she called out as she took off her shoes at the door and opened it.
Upon entering, she was immediately hit by a strong smell of medicine, reminiscent of a hospital.
“You’re so slow!” Yong Le’s voice came from the living room, where she was sitting on a second-hand sofa.
Dong Enyu was startled when she saw her. Yong Le’s left hand was in a cast, suspended in a sling across her chest, her face covered with band-aids, and her leg seemed injured too, wrapped in bandages peeking out from her pants. Her gaze shifted and she noticed Luo Ye was also there, though not as badly injured as Yong Le.
“What happened to you? How did this happen?” She dropped her bag and rushed over, holding Yong Le’s face to examine the scratches, then carefully moved her hand, unsure if it was a fracture or something else that required a cast.
“I rushed back just to see you one last time, and you still kept me waiting!” Despite the injuries on her face, Yong Le’s smile was as charming as ever. She pouted, wanting Dong Enyu to kiss her.
“Don’t talk nonsense! How can you joke about something like that?” Dong Enyu gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She didn’t like Yong Le making such ominous jokes; it made her uncomfortable. “You still haven’t said what happened. Did someone crash your place?” The only thing she could think of was a gang fight.
“No, Han Ge’s goods were hijacked, and there was a minor car accident on the way.” Yong Le took out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, lit one, and took a few deep drags. There was a scratch on the corner of her mouth, so she could only hold the cigarette on the right side.
Hearing it was about Running Goods, Dong Enyu’s expression darkened, but she quickly composed herself and asked, “Do you want to eat?”
“Yes! I want fried rice!” Yong Le lay on the sofa, speaking like a boss.
Dong Enyu got up to grab two bottles of drinks, letting Luo Ye have one first, then headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal.
She put on an apron, took ingredients from the fridge, and heard the TV in the living room. Casually, she asked, “You said it was Han Ge’s goods, so why is Luo Ye here too?” She knew Luo Ye had brought Yong Le home, but Luo Ye was also injured.
“Because Qi Ge also invested in that batch of goods, but the main buyer was still Han Ge, so when picking up the goods, Qi Ge sent Luo Ye along.” Yong Le extinguished her cigarette, took a few sips of her cold drink, and tossed the TV remote to Luo Ye, letting her change the channel.
Hearing this, Dong Enyu didn’t ask further. She simply made egg fried rice and called Yong Le and Luo Ye over to eat.
Luo Ye was the same as always, her outfit never changing. When Dong Enyu brought the food to the table, she noticed Luo Ye’s hand also had scratches, but they weren’t bandaged. She immediately took a tissue to press on Luo Ye’s wound, then hurriedly fetched the first aid kit. Even though the skin was broken, there was no sign of concern.
“Why didn’t you get it treated? If it gets infected, it’ll take even longer to heal.” Dong Enyu applied disinfectant to her wound, watching the white bubbles form on the back of her hand, feeling the pain herself, but Luo Ye didn’t make a sound.
“See, isn’t my wife so caring?” Yong Le bit her spoon, boasting as if showing off.
Dong Enyu rolled her eyes at Yong Le. Since when did she go from girlfriend to wife? But she was more concerned about the cast on Yong Le’s hand. “I am caring, but no matter how caring, I can’t heal your broken hand.” She thought getting injured in their line of work was inevitable, but did it have to be this severe, as if risking their lives at any moment?
Yong Le chuckled, shrugged, and said, “It was really an accident. I didn’t expect someone to hijack the goods.”
Dong Enyu lowered her eyes and softly asked, “Was it the police?”
She suddenly felt Luo Ye’s intense gaze, but Dong Enyu didn’t have the courage to look back. She just kept her head down, bandaging Luo Ye.
“The police aren’t that capable. This time, it was Antique dealers who hijacked the goods.” Yong Le finished her fried rice and tossed the spoon onto the plate with a loud clink.
Dong Enyu turned to look at Yong Le, surprised by the answer. Antique dealers? Why would they compete with Han Ge for goods? No matter what, Han Ge and Qi Ge were powerful figures in the North District. Ordinary gangs wouldn’t dare touch their goods, yet this time it was someone unrelated to the gangs?
Seeing Dong Enyu’s confusion, Yong Le explained further, “Han Ge deals in Antique trades. This time, it was an ancient painting intended for auction at the black market next week for a good profit. But the news leaked, and those Antique dealers targeted it.”
“Is this the kind of business Han Ge is involved in?” This was different from the underworld transactions she imagined.
She hadn’t heard of Tong Tang having such business channels.
“It’s only in recent years that they’ve started. Trading antiques is easier, and since Tong Tang’s boss handles firearms and drugs, the other bosses can’t interfere, so they each found their own businesses. Han Ge doesn’t manage territories, so he handles overseas channels for auctions.” Yong Le yawned, seemingly bored with the topic.
Dong Enyu finally understood what Yong Le had been busy with. It turned out she had been Running Goods for Han Ge all this time…
“I want to take a bath. Help me wash up.” Yong Le got up and pulled Dong Enyu, dragging her towards the bathroom.
“Alright, alright, don’t pull me.” Dong Enyu followed Yong Le helplessly. She was becoming more like a child, doing whatever she wanted.
Dong Enyu closed the bathroom door and saw Yong Le undress. Besides the injuries on her hand and leg, there were many bruises all over her body. Even Dong Enyu’s hands trembled as she helped her bathe. The old scars and new wounds were shocking, but Yong Le didn’t seem to mind. She sat on a small stool, humming a tune, enjoying Dong Enyu washing her back.
She actually wanted to tell Yong Le to stop being involved in the underworld, but she couldn’t say it.
She had no right, no position to do so.
“Be careful next time,” was all she could remind Yong Le.
“Kiss me.” Yong Le pulled Dong Enyu’s hand, letting her lean against his back.
Yong Le turned around and directly kissed Dong Enyu’s lips. The soft touch intertwined, and Dong Enyu could feel the coolness on her lips, so she opened her mouth to gently nibble and explore with her tongue, trying to give Yong Le more warmth, letting her know that she truly cared for her.
The kiss wasn’t passionate, but it was tender and lingering.
Even after their lips parted, Dong Enyu lingered by her cheek for a long time.
“Who did you meet today?” Yong Le caressed Dong Enyu’s shoulder, the water droplets on her arm soaking her clothes.
Her fiery eyes stared at Dong Enyu, leaving her no room to escape.
“Mu Lin,” she confessed honestly.
“Who?” Yong Le raised her eyebrows, having completely forgotten about Mu Lin.
Dong Enyu took a towel to dry her off, then helped her put on her pajamas. “My friend, an office worker.”
“You have office worker friends?” Yong Le looked at her with a half-smile, her damp hair sticking to her cheeks, making her look childish.
“I have my own social circle. It’s not strange to have a few friends.” Dong Enyu didn’t know what she meant by that, but she felt like Yong Le was teasing her.
“I thought you only had me.” She wrapped her arms around Dong Enyu’s waist, her voice low, the warm breath mixed with a refreshing scent, making Dong Enyu momentarily lose focus.
Only Yong Le? She wanted to interpret this as Yong Le’s affection for her, but just as Yong Le was about to kiss her lips, Dong Enyu turned and opened the door, leaving her empty-handed.
“You’re still here.” Yong Le had just come out of the bathroom and saw Luo Ye still sitting on the chair, facing the bathroom.
“She brought you back, you should at least say thank you. Why are you trying to kick her out?” Although she was used to Yong Le’s straightforwardness, Dong Enyu wasn’t as thick-skinned. “Luo Ye, why don’t you stay over tonight? Driving while tired can easily cause accidents. Get some rest before heading back.”
Dong Enyu invited Luo Ye to stay, but Yong Le wasn’t happy about it.
“Are you kidding? How can we be intimate if she stays?” Yong Le lay on the bed, staring at Dong Enyu.
At this moment, Luo Ye stood up, walked to the bed, and simply lay down, seemingly deciding to stay the night.
“Don’t be silly, I don’t have time to be intimate with you. I still have to work at the bar.” Dong Enyu ignored Yong Le, taking off her wet clothes in front of everyone and changing into clean sweaters, not caring if Luo Ye was watching, feeling at ease.
“Taking a day off won’t hurt. I’m injured, aren’t you going to take care of me?” Yong Le sat on the bed, patting the bed forcefully, making a loud sound, wanting Dong Enyu to stay.
“How else should I take care of you? You’ve eaten and bathed, now just sleep obediently.” She picked up her keys and coat, ready to leave when Yong Le suddenly threw a pillow, stopping Dong Enyu from opening the door.
“Come here.” She beckoned with her finger, commanding Dong Enyu to come over, her tone like a ruler, leaving no room for defiance.
Dong Enyu sighed softly and walked over.
“What do you want now?” She climbed onto the bed, sitting between Luo Ye and Yong Le.
“A goodbye kiss! At least give me a GOODBYE KISS, right?” Yong Le pointed to her lips, smiling mischievously.
Seeing this, Dong Enyu couldn’t help but laugh. Why was she so clingy today?
“Is this okay? Luo Ye is still here.” Dong Enyu lowered her body, leaning close to Yong Le to ask.
She didn’t mind being watched, but did Yong Le mind?
“That’s even better.” She squinted her eyes, a wild curve on her lips, the colorful earrings on her ears shining brightly.
Even better… Dong Enyu listened to her words, feeling a hint of declaration?
She lowered her eyes, slowly leaning forward, and just as they were about to touch, Dong Enyu was suddenly pulled back, her whole body falling into Luo Ye’s arms, the world spinning as she fell. Yong Le propped herself up, immediately hit by a pillow, making a dull sound, the action swift and seamless, leaving no time to react.
“Luo Ye!” Yong Le grabbed the pillow that was thrown at her and threw it back, but it was blocked with one hand.
Dong Enyu watched her frustrated expression and suddenly burst into laughter.
“I think it’s best not to disgust the guest. I’ll head to work now.” Dong Enyu got up from Luo Ye’s arms, grabbed her purse and keys, and left.
Before closing the door, she still blew Yong Le a kiss.
