The phrase “Don’t come back too late” left Dong Enyu feeling terrible.
Yong Le hadn’t come back for three whole days.
She had tried calling, but couldn’t reach Yong Le.
Either the phone was off, or someone else answered, and it was a different person each time.
This made Dong Enyu feel anxious.
She wasn’t sure what Yong Le was thinking.
Maybe she was really busy, or perhaps Han Ge had called her to handle other matters.
But the longer Dong Enyu waited, the more uneasy she felt, and her thoughts naturally turned pessimistic…
“Dong Enyu,” Zhao Han called out, her tone neither light nor heavy, but it snapped Dong Enyu back to reality.
She was holding a duster, cleaning an antique vase, but Zhao Han pulled her hand away, keeping her from the fragile items.
“If you’re distracted, stay away from the glass.”
She took the duster from Dong Enyu’s hand and told her to sweep the floor.
But Dong Enyu lowered her eyes.
She wasn’t in the mood to clean; she couldn’t stay put.
“Sorry, I’m not feeling well today.
Can I…”
Before Dong Enyu could finish, Zhao Han shot her a cold glare, the sharp look silencing her immediately.
“If you’re looking for Yong Le, she should still be at Star Diamond.”
Zhao Han took a sip of the flower tea on the table, her tone casual, as if discussing the weather.
But to Dong Enyu, it was like a bomb had been dropped.
She knew Yong Le was at Star Diamond, but she deliberately avoided acknowledging this fact.
“Han Ge recently made a big deal and invited a lot of gang leaders for drinks,” Zhao Han looked at Dong Enyu’s pale face, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“Yong Le, as Han Ge’s capable subordinate, naturally can’t avoid such socializing.”
But three days, a whole three days of socializing, was she trying to drink herself to death?
Dong Enyu held back her inner roar, standing quietly to the side.
“Yong Le has made a name for Han Ge, so she deserves the treatment she’s getting.”
Zhao Han lowered her eyes, speaking lightly.
She reminded Dong Enyu that Yong Le should enjoy these rewards, implying that she shouldn’t disturb her.
So that night, Dong Enyu stayed to cook for Zhao Han.
After preparing dinner, she sat and watched Zhao Han finish eating.
This had become a routine until Zhao Han was willing to let her go, asking Aunt Su to give Dong Enyu money, only then could she leave.
That day, after finishing work at the bar, she drove straight to Star Diamond.
She wanted to see Yong Le, even if just for a moment.
Her heart was pounding.
These days, she hadn’t been eating or sleeping well.
It wasn’t that she missed Yong Le terribly or loved her so much she couldn’t let go.
It was just that Dong Enyu cared about their ambiguous relationship.
If Yong Le still cared about her, she should at least call.
If Yong Le hated her, she could just say it outright.
Instead of this, it felt like playing hide and seek, making her constantly guess and search…
She parked the car and immediately walked into the Star Diamond lobby.
This place held many memories for her, from when she first set foot in Tong Tang.
As soon as the automatic doors opened, she saw Mama-san walking towards her, looking quite displeased, as if she didn’t want to see Dong Enyu.
But she didn’t mind because she was there to find someone.
“Get out!
You can’t come in!”
Mama-san spread her arms to block Dong Enyu, telling her to leave immediately.
“I’m not here for fun, I’m here to find someone.”
Dong Enyu didn’t force her way in because she saw a few of the security guys in the back looking at her curiously.
Those guys were responsible for Star Diamond’s security, but without Mama-san’s orders, they wouldn’t just kick someone out.
“No matter who you’re looking for, you’re not welcome here!”
Mama-san was somewhat unreasonable.
“I’m here to see Han Ge,” Dong Enyu paused after saying this, then corrected herself, “No, I want to see Yong Le!”
“Han Ge didn’t invite you, stop flattering yourself!
Get out!”
Mama-san pushed Dong Enyu’s shoulder, trying to make her leave, but Dong Enyu didn’t budge.
She also held onto Mama-san’s hand, looking helpless.
“I just want to see her, it’s okay if I don’t say hello.”
She was making her final concession, just a glance would be enough.
Just knowing Yong Le was here would be enough…
“No negotiation!
If you don’t leave, I’ll have someone throw you out!”
Mama-san threatened, signaling the guys behind her to come over.
“I’ll give you five seconds, if you don’t leave, I’ll really throw you out.
Five, four, three, two, …”
Dong Enyu panicked, seeing the guys approaching, she suddenly spotted someone.
“Luo Ye!”
she shouted, and Luo Ye, who was about to take the elevator upstairs, slowly turned around.
Mama-san heard Dong Enyu call out to Luo Ye and didn’t dare have her taken away immediately.
“Luo Ye!
Luo Ye!”
She took a few steps forward, waving at her.
Luo Ye wore a baseball cap pulled low, but Dong Enyu knew she saw her and was walking towards her.
“Luo Ye, can you take me upstairs?
I want to see Yong Le.”
She knew Han Ge must have invited Qi Ge today, otherwise, Luo Ye wouldn’t be here.
With her around, Dong Enyu felt reassured.
Luo Ye would definitely take her upstairs.
“Please, I won’t cause you any trouble, just one look is enough.”
Dong Enyu pleaded humbly with Luo Ye.
But she was met with a refusal.
“Go back.”
Luo Ye’s deep voice came from under her collar, and her words made Dong Enyu’s face turn pale.
Mama-san heard Luo Ye say this and immediately crossed her arms, glaring at Dong Enyu.
“Did you hear that?
Luo Ye told you to leave!
What are you still doing here?”
Dong Enyu was stunned, swallowed hard, and said again, “Just one look…”
“Go back.”
It was the same response, and after saying it, Luo Ye turned and left.
She entered the elevator, and as the doors closed, it completely blocked Dong Enyu’s view and dashed her hopes.
She never knew it could be so hard to see someone…
Dong Enyu left Star Diamond feeling dejected and went home alone.
When she opened the door, she was greeted by a cold, dark room.
The scent of Yong Le’s perfume had faded, almost disappearing from the room.
She stood in the kitchen, looking at the dishes soaking in the sink.
For several nights, she had been cooking, eating, bathing, watching TV, and sleeping all by herself…
If that’s the case, why maintain a “relationship”?
She didn’t understand, and she didn’t want to understand anymore.
After a simple wash, Dong Enyu sat on the bed looking at her phone.
There were a few messages, all from Mu Lin, but they were dated a long time ago.
Since she told Mu Lin to stop talking nonsense, Mu Lin hadn’t sent her any more messages.
It was a double kill; both Yong Le and Mu Lin were gradually distancing themselves from her.
Whether it was her undercover identity or her future normal identity, she was about to mess it all up.
That night, she stared at the phone screen until dawn.
It wasn’t until the birds chirped outside the window that Dong Enyu dialed a number.
Beep…
beep…
“Hello…”
This time someone answered quickly, but it still wasn’t Yong Le.
It was a stranger’s voice, a woman’s voice.
“Sorry, I’m looking for Yong Le.”
Dong Enyu’s tired voice was a bit hoarse as she spoke with her eyes closed.
There was some noise on the other end of the line.
She heard the rustling of a blanket and the sound of something falling.
After a while, the other person asked, “Who are you?”
Dong Enyu found it amusing.
She wanted to ask who the other person was.
“Isn’t Yong Le there?
Can you let her take the call?”
She didn’t answer because she didn’t even know how to identify herself.
Girlfriend?
Friend?
Roommate?…
She didn’t know.
“Yong Le is sleeping.
I don’t want to wake her up,” the woman said softly.
“Where is she?”
Dong Enyu slowly opened her eyes and asked patiently.
“Of course, she’s at home.
Where else could she be?
After the party ended yesterday, we sent her home,” the woman said matter-of-factly.
She seemed to find Dong Enyu annoying and was about to hang up when she heard a soft exhale.
Dong Enyu knew it was Yong Le.
“Baby, who is it?…”
From the other end of the line, she heard Yong Le’s voice, low and sexy, just waking up.
But she was calling someone else baby.
“I don’t know, just someone asking a lot of questions…
annoying…
where are you touching…
you just woke up, didn’t you…”
The woman said a few words and suddenly started playing around with Yong Le.
Dong Enyu was completely stunned on the other end of the line.
She listened as Yong Le said a few more words, told the woman to hang up, and then there was the monotonous beeping sound…
Dong Enyu put down the phone, collapsed back onto the bed with a thud, and then pulled the blanket tightly around herself, rolling into a corner like a cocoon.
She didn’t cry; instead, she laughed.
She laughed at her own stupidity and at how she deserved it.
Dong Enyu didn’t blame Yong Le because she vaguely knew the truth but always avoided facing it.
She knew Yong Le had many “homes.”
She also suspected Yong Le had many “babies.”
Those babies watched over her home, like pets guarding the door for their owner…
But so what?
Dong Enyu approached her to infiltrate Tong Tang, so she didn’t really like Yong Le.
Back then, Yong Le said that being with Dong Enyu was like giving her a ticket, a ticket to enter Tong Tang.
But that ticket was only half.
She had Dong Enyu follow Han Ge, but it was just to handle chores.
She couldn’t participate in the actual club activities, and she wasn’t even invited to the celebration party.
If Yong Le really cared about her, then Han Ge wouldn’t ignore her.
Maybe the words she said last time made Yong Le decide to distance herself.
If she hadn’t said she wanted to go to Running Goods, would this relationship have lasted a bit longer?…
Dong Enyu tightened her arms, her nails almost digging into her flesh.
One wrong step, and every step is wrong!
Damn it!
Damn it all!
She bit her lower lip to stop herself from cursing out loud because the room was too quiet, so quiet it made her panic, made Dong Enyu afraid.
She didn’t know how long it took, but Dong Enyu eventually fell asleep in a daze.
Half-awake, she knew she was dreaming.
She dreamed of Yong Le eating her plain noodles and calling her Aunt Dong.
She dreamed of them running in an alley, avoiding enemies chasing them.
She knew Yong Le was a rogue, but she also had a kind side.
She would feed stray cats and buy her breakfast.
After work, she would always go to Bar Street with her.
Sometimes they would hold hands and go home together.
Yong Le’s smile was arrogant, and her earrings always flashed with colorful lights, each time dazzling Dong Enyu’s eyes.
She was like an uncut diamond, radiating a strong light, showing absolute charm without any concealment.
She was also very bad, very heartless…
very unfeeling…
