A week after taking over the bar, all the employees knew about the relationship between Yong Le and Dong Enyu.
Thanks to Yong Le’s enthusiastic introductions and her public displays of affection, no one dared to disturb them when she arrived.
So, after work that night, Zhu Zhu asked Dong Enyu to leave first, telling her that the task of collecting cups and pulling the iron door could be left to the staff.
Dong Enyu didn’t want to act aloof and said she could help, but Yong Le directly wrapped her arms around her waist and took her away.
By the time they got home, it was already four in the morning…
Yong Le came out of the bathroom, and Dong Enyu was almost done with the cooking, washing the pots.
Seeing this, Yong Le hugged her from behind, resting her chin on Dong Enyu’s shoulder.
She loved the feeling of holding a woman from behind; it felt warm and intimate.
When she held her close, she could observe her serious profile, with long eyelashes fluttering, exuding femininity.
“I put the food on the table, you should go eat,” Dong Enyu said, turning around to give Yong Le a quick kiss on the cheek, urging her to eat.
Yong Le didn’t say anything, just pulled out a chair and started enjoying her dinner.
Dong Enyu was a great cook; even simple dishes were made beautifully, and the flavors were light.
Even with their irregular schedules, eating didn’t feel burdensome.
Yong Le bit her spoon and picked up a magazine from the table to flip through.
Their TV had broken two days ago when it accidentally fell while they were being affectionate, so she could only pass the time with the magazine.
“What have you been busy with lately? I see you have bruises on your arm,” Dong Enyu said after finishing washing the pots and standing next to Yong Le, lifting her pajama sleeve to reveal the bruise.
She had noticed it when Yong Le hugged her earlier.
“Han Ge got a few deals, and I got bumped while receiving goods at the dock. Those guys walk so roughly; as a delicate woman, it’s easy for me to get knocked over by them,” Yong Le said casually, pointing at a model in the magazine, saying the clothes looked nice and suggesting Dong Enyu try them on.
“Mm.”
Dong Enyu didn’t seem to care much, turning back to the sink to wipe it down.
“Aren’t you going to ask me what goods?”
Dong Enyu suddenly raised her voice when she heard Yong Le close the magazine.
“Why should I ask?”
Yong Le retorted, a slight smile on her lips.
“If you want to tell me, you will.”
If she asked too eagerly, it would raise suspicions.
Since Yong Le was willing to tell her about picking up goods for Han Ge, it meant she trusted her to some extent.
Asking more would seem overly concerned.
Silence is golden.
“Your lukewarm attitude really piques my interest,” Yong Le squinted her eyes, resting her chin on her hands as she stared at Dong Enyu’s back.
Her gaze traveled from the exposed nape of her neck down to her hips, then back up and down again.
“It makes me want to strip you bare and pin you to the bed, to do things to you that would make you cry, to take you hard until you beg for mercy.”
She was speaking from the heart.
“I’m not lukewarm,” Dong Enyu said, putting away the last dish and coming to Yong Le’s side.
“I respect your personal privacy. If you don’t want to talk about these things, I won’t ask more. Isn’t that good?”
“Alright, you make a good point. Here’s a reward for you,” Yong Le said, lifting Dong Enyu’s shirt and kissing her belly button, causing Dong Enyu to laugh a few times.
“Honestly, this is my first time dating an older woman; I really can’t get used to it.”
“So you mean you’ve dated a lot of younger girls?”
Dong Enyu asked casually, running her fingers through Yong Le’s vibrant red hair.
Even if Yong Le didn’t say it, Dong Enyu knew that Yong Le had a rich romantic history.
From the playful antics she displayed every day and the shameless words she used, it was clear she was a master in the game of love.
“Yes, I have many ex-girlfriends and ex-boyfriends,” she openly told Dong Enyu about the people she had dated.
But Dong Enyu remained quiet, not interrupting or showing impatience.
It wasn’t until Yong Le raised an eyebrow and kissed her chin that she asked, “Why are you silent? Are you jealous?”
Dong Enyu ruffled her hair and smiled with her eyes narrowed, “No, because my experience is on par with yours.”
“So you’re also an old hand at this; now I’m going to be jealous. Come comfort me.”
Yong Le pulled Dong Enyu onto the bed, though it was more like a large sleeping area made of several thick blankets stacked together.
It wasn’t soft, but it wasn’t hard either.
“Stop playing around and go to sleep,” Dong Enyu said, trying to get her to lie down, but Yong Le refused, playfully tugging at her arm.
“Comfort me, or you won’t get to sleep tonight.”
Her voice was low but clear.
Dong Enyu looked at her helplessly for a moment.
Sometimes, Yong Le really acted like a child, willful and domineering.
“How do you want me to comfort you?” she asked, lying on her side next to Yong Le, her fingers brushing over Yong Le’s delicate cheek, which felt as smooth as a baby’s skin, making Dong Enyu envious and jealous.
After all, youth was an asset, unlike her, who was thirty and felt like an old woman without her youthful years.
“Say you love me,” Yong Le suddenly said, her eyes sparkling with expectation.
“I can’t,” Dong Enyu immediately refused.
Yong Le stared at her, her fiery eyes devoid of any emotion.
“I can’t say I love you.”
She understood what Yong Le was asking with her gaze and believed Yong Le knew why.
Because this was just a game, a game meant for fun, with no responsibilities and no guilt.
The word “love” was too heavy; even as a joke, it couldn’t be used.
“I like you,” Dong Enyu closed her eyes and asked Yong Le, “What about you?”
She heard the sound of the blankets shifting and then caught a whiff of the apple-scented body wash that Yong Le had chosen.
That night, Yong Le didn’t answer her.
…
Ever since she started working at “Mask,” Dong Enyu hadn’t seen Zhao Han again, but she continued to text her regularly.
However, the messages weren’t about “missing you” or anything like that; they were just casual greetings.
Sometimes she would tell Zhao Han to wear more clothes since it was cold, or ask if she was tired from work lately, or simply say goodnight.
This continued for a month, but she never received a reply, and this behavior became a habit.
In contrast to Zhao Han’s indifference, Mu Lin seemed particularly warm-hearted.
Whenever she texted Mu Lin, Mu Lin would always reply, and the responses became increasingly lively, often accompanied by emojis, resembling a lovestruck high school girl—innocent and cute.
That afternoon, Mu Lin invited Dong Enyu out.
They would occasionally meet, but this month they always chose to get together on holiday afternoons, since Dong Enyu had to work at the bar in the evenings and could only go out for lunch.
They didn’t need to meet under the pretense of being “artsy”; instead, they could just hang out like ordinary friends, shopping and enjoying afternoon tea together.
Dong Enyu sat in the café, chatting with Mu Lin about the popular TV shows.
Usually, it was Mu Lin doing most of the talking while Dong Enyu listened.
Mu Lin was excitedly discussing a trending idol drama, but Dong Enyu didn’t have much time to watch TV.
During quiet moments at the bar, Zhu Zhu and Xiao Yun would turn on a small TV, squeezing together in front of the screen to discuss the shows.
Dong Enyu would sit behind them, catching glimpses here and there, so she wasn’t very familiar with the storylines.
However, since Mu Lin was so enthusiastic, she didn’t want to interrupt.
“I know, that rain scene, the male lead is really handsome,” Dong Enyu said, lifting her coffee cup to take a sip of her latte.
Upon hearing this, Mu Lin suddenly fell silent.
She had been speaking joyfully, but in an instant, her mood seemed to cool.
“He’s very young, and his gaze is so determined that it captivates everyone who sees him,” Dong Enyu relayed Zhu Zhu’s comments.
In truth, she didn’t like that kind of brash young man; she only said this to align with the preferences of younger people, otherwise, she would be seen as out of touch and old-fashioned.
After Dong Enyu finished her “commentary,” Mu Lin took a sip of her cappuccino.
“Enyu likes that type of man?” she asked in a soft voice, as if she didn’t want Dong Enyu to hear, but she still did.
“Not bad, quite charming,” Dong Enyu replied with a smile, putting down her coffee cup and picking up a fork to poke at the cake, causing a strawberry on top to plop onto the plate.
“Really?”
Mu Lin’s big, watery eyes looked at Dong Enyu, her light brown irises sparkling brightly.
When Dong Enyu looked up at her, she suddenly froze.
Mu Lin had dressed up carefully today, wearing a simple, solid-colored dress paired with a small jacket, a delicate makeup look, and sweet perfume.
Her hair was neatly styled, pulled back with a few strands falling by her ears, giving her a fresh and clean appearance.
It seemed that every time Dong Enyu met her, Mu Lin would dress up seriously, which made Dong Enyu feel a bit ashamed since she always dressed casually when going out.
Wasn’t that a bit disrespectful to Mu Lin?
“But I think that actor isn’t anything special,” Dong Enyu scratched her head, cutting the cake with her fork, then gestured to feed Mu Lin a piece.
“I think you’re better, you captivate me more.”
She spoke naturally, her lips curling into a smile, the bright red lipstick more tempting than the strawberry.
Upon hearing this, Mu Lin’s cheeks instantly flushed.
“Try it,” she urged, extending her hand forward to let Mu Lin taste her cake.
Blushing, Mu Lin glanced around to ensure no one was watching before slowly leaning in, opening her mouth to take the fork and eat the cake.
“How is it? Is it good?”
Dong Enyu tilted her head, smiling as she asked.
She thought Mu Lin was like a little sister, very cute.
“So sweet,” Mu Lin said, cupping her cheeks, feeling the cake was sweeter than she had imagined, and her heart felt warm.
“Really?”
Dong Enyu took a bite herself and found it quite good.
The bitterness of the coffee combined with the sweetness of the cake made her feel very satisfied.
The fork still had traces of lipstick on it, and Mu Lin’s gaze inadvertently drifted toward it, recalling how Dong Enyu had used it to feed herself and then ate the cake with the same fork.
…
An indirect kiss?
“Mu Lin, if you’re feeling hot, you can take off your jacket; the heating is on inside,” Dong Enyu reminded her, noticing Mu Lin’s flushed cheeks.
This girl seemed sharp but had a hidden clumsiness, like now, when she was hot but didn’t take off her jacket.
“It’s fine,” Mu Lin shook her head, awkwardly retracting her gaze from the fork.
Mu Lin was caught up in thoughts about the indirect kiss, her mind drifting away.
“Tell me about your job. You said you work at a trading company?”
Dong Enyu asked as she finished her strawberry, looking at Mu Lin.
She had only heard Mu Lin mention working at a trading company as a junior employee or something like that… “Yes, it’s an international trading company, dealing with technology products,” she nodded, answering honestly.
“That’s great! You must have a lot of opportunities to go abroad, right?”
Dong Enyu said with a hint of envy.
Every time she went abroad, it was for work, and it was always a hassle.
She envied ordinary girls who could lead stable lives, like Mu Lin, who could date whenever, have meals with friends, or go to shows—how free!
“Not really; overseas assignments are for the bosses. We only handle domestic affairs,” Mu Lin said softly, which made Dong Enyu feel like maybe she didn’t want to talk about work.
“How do you get along with your colleagues?”
she suddenly felt like a therapist, asking about interpersonal relationships.
But she vaguely sensed that Mu Lin was quite clueless about “making friends.”
“I have a few I get along with, but we don’t really communicate much,” she sighed softly, looking somewhat troubled.
“With your understanding and kindness, how could you not make friends?”
Dong Enyu stood up, directly walking around the table to squeeze onto the sofa beside Mu Lin, insisting on sitting next to her.
“It’s not that I don’t have friends; it’s just that we don’t chat often. If that counts as friends,” Mu Lin said, feeling a bit at a loss as she looked at Dong Enyu leaning closer.
“As long as you get their numbers and send some texts, or invite them out for a meal, you’ll warm up to each other quickly. Plus, you’re so cute; if you just act a bit more open, you’ll definitely have plenty of admirers. I believe any man with eyes will see your charm,” Dong Enyu encouraged, patting Mu Lin’s back and cheering her on.
“But I… I don’t know how to date. I don’t know what to do in that kind of situation…”
Mu Lin shrank back toward the window, her soft voice trembling, making one want to hold her gently in their hands.
“Have you never been in a relationship?”
Dong Enyu looked at Mu Lin in surprise.
She shook her head and timidly replied, “No.”
