She sat by the bar near the back door, her bright red dress reaching her knees, her voluptuous figure clearly outlined. Her long legs looked even more graceful in black stockings.
Jiang Ye noticed her very straight back; all beautiful women had straight backs. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing forearms and hands that shone with fairness.
She was pointing at the drinks menu hanging on the wall, talking to the bartender, likely ordering. Since she faced the back door, Jiang Ye couldn't see her face, only her fair, slender neck.
The bartender, standing there daily and having seen countless beautiful women, displayed a rare hint of nervousness in her presence, like a young boy seeing a stunning older sister for the first time.
Everyone around, men and women alike, was staring at her, many whispering to each other.
Jiang Ye waited for a long time, but she didn't turn her head.
She must be astonishingly beautiful, but her prolonged refusal to turn made Jiang Ye lose patience. He lowered his head to eat. After finishing, he still had to figure out how to find Cen Yemeng.
With a bang, all the lights went out, plunging the place into darkness.
Jiang Ye was bewildered. Did the circuit breaker trip?
A rustling of applause erupted from all directions, accompanied by excited whistling.
A white spotlight hit the center of the room, and a rock band took the stage: guitarist, bassist, drummer, all burly uncles with very short hair, like soldiers. They sat down and began testing their instruments.
The lead singer uncle adjusted the standing microphone, scanned the crowd, and suddenly roared, "How's everyone doing after a day apart?!"
The entire bar erupted in a massive shout, "Long live rock and roll!"
The atmosphere exploded instantly. Jiang Ye was rubbing his ears; the collective shouting was truly deafening.
The band began to play. The song wasn't frantic but rather gentle, surprisingly pleasant to listen to. Everyone clapped along in rhythm, their synchronized clapping like an ocean tide. Soon, people started singing along, and within seconds, it turned into a bar-wide singalong.
Jiang Ye understood; this place had live bands every night, and he had coincidentally arrived during one.
He hadn't heard the song before and couldn't join the chorus.
But the atmosphere in the place deeply moved him. Although he had finished his meal, he decided to stay and listen to a couple of songs before leaving.
A faint scent of perfume suddenly wafted over. Jiang Ye turned his head and froze.
In the seat next to him sat the woman in the red dress from the bar by the back door. She had appeared somehow. There were many empty seats around, but she sat right next to Jiang Ye.
Strangely, everyone else was facing the band, but she had her back to Jiang Ye, as if deliberately preventing him from seeing her face.
Jiang Ye stared at her for a long time, then suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
"Cen Yemeng?" Jiang Ye whispered tentatively.
The woman in the red dress turned her head, her eyes fixed on him with a smile. "Finally recognized me? I thought you wouldn't."
After speaking, she began to cry, her eyes red as she gazed at Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye could no longer hear anything; his heart felt like it was stopping. He hadn't expected her to appear so suddenly. Was this really a hallucination from drinking too much?
"You bastard, what are you gawking at?" Cen Yemeng sobbed.
Jiang Ye grabbed her hand, pulled her through the crowd, and rushed out of the bar.
On the street corner, the two of them hugged tightly and cried. They stopped after several minutes. Jiang Ye didn't know why he was crying, but Cen Yemeng was crying so heartbrokenly that it made him cry too.
"How did you know I was here?" Jiang Ye reached out to wipe her tears.
"I sold that apartment to a friend. She called me saying someone claiming to be my boyfriend came looking for me," Cen Yemeng buried her face in Jiang Ye's chest. "I rushed over, saw someone with a familiar back, and went into the bar."
"Your friend lied to me. She said she didn't know you," Jiang Ye held her hand tightly.
"When did you get here?" Cen Yemeng's eyes were still teary.
"Just today. I've been looking for you all day," Jiang Ye said. "I thought I wouldn't find you."
"You deadbeat, you're so useless you can't even find your woman," Cen Yemeng punched him hard.
"Why did you sell your apartment?" Jiang Ye asked worriedly.
"I bought a bigger villa. Let's go, I'll take you home," Cen Yemeng intertwined her fingers with his and pulled him forward.
After two steps, Jiang Ye suddenly stopped. "My suitcase is still in the bar!"
They returned to the bar to retrieve his suitcase, then walked hand-in-hand for three blocks, entering a wealthy residential area.
Cen Yemeng's new house wasn't huge, two stories covering 1000 square meters, but the renovation and furniture were brand new, exuding a sense of luxury.
As soon as they entered, Jiang Ye put down his suitcase and grabbed Cen Yemeng's hand. "I've missed you so much. I have so much to tell you."
"What is there to say!" Cen Yemeng impatiently pulled him upstairs, heading straight for the bedroom.
Before Jiang Ye could react, he was being carried and pushed onto the bed.
Cen Yemeng hugged him tightly, kissing his neck repeatedly, and gritted her teeth, "Jiang Ye, we're going to die right here!"
Jiang Ye had planned to go shopping or take a walk with her, but unexpectedly, they didn't leave the bedroom for two full days, lost in a haze, feeling as if their brains were melting.
On the third day, they slept through the day and woke up at eight in the evening.
Jiang Ye got out of bed, his bones cracking. His calves trembled as he put on his slippers.
A fair, tender hand reached out from under the covers and grabbed Jiang Ye's waist. "Where are you going? Come back here."
"My queen, you're going to kill me!" Jiang Ye struggled free. "I'm going to get some food. What do you want to eat?"
"Fried eggs. There's nothing else in the house, only raw eggs. I usually buy food when I'm out."
"Okay, then we'll make do with fried eggs for now," Jiang Ye said, looking back at her.
Cen Yemeng was wrapped in the quilt, only her face showing. She was so beautiful it seemed unreal, her lips rosy, her face fair and flushed, as delicate as a peach blossom. Her eyes were pure, but looking at them for too long had a captivating effect.
Jiang Ye couldn't help but reach out and stroke her head. Cen Yemeng blinked comfortably, like a kitten.
"Hurry up, I'm hungry," she said softly.
"Alright," Jiang Ye nodded.
Trembling, he went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Indeed, there were only a dozen eggs. Jiang Ye lit the stove, cracked the eggs into the pan to fry.
As they were almost done, Cen Yemeng, wearing a white nightgown and barefoot, walked into the kitchen and hugged Jiang Ye from behind.
"So tired, don't want to get up, but the fried eggs smell so good," she whispered.
"We can't just stay home every day. After we eat, let's go for a walk," Jiang Ye said.
"Mmm, I've decided. I want to take you to buy something," Cen Yemeng said.
"What is it?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Electronic Gu," Cen Yemeng smiled.
"What's that?" Jiang Ye had never heard of it.
"A miniature robot, about the size of a millet. It comes with a matching injection gun. These robots are sold in pairs. You use the gun to inject them into your waist, into the appendix. It will hurt a lot, like being cut, but it's harmless to people."
"Why inject that thing into the appendix?" Jiang Ye was confused.
"Once injected, the two small robots can sense each other. You connect with your phone, and it will show you how far away the other small robot is from you. It can detect them even across thousands of light-years," Cen Yemeng said. "If we both get injected, then no matter how we lose contact, we can find each other by distance."
"Are you willing to get the electronic Gu?" Cen Yemeng raised her face and asked. "This thing is permanent. Once injected, I'll only be yours, and you'll only be mine."
"Of course, I'm willing. But this thing is called electronic Gu. Besides showing distance, does it have other functions?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Yes. From now on, you can't sleep with other women. If you try to cheat, this little robot will electrocute you, making you suffer immensely. Of course, I will also be loyal to you," Cen Yemeng said. "Unless one party dies or undergoes an appendectomy, it's effective for life. This thing is more reliable than a marriage certificate."
"I want to possess you, Jiang Ye. Let's get the electronic Gu," Cen Yemeng hugged him tightly.
"Then after we eat, we'll go buy it, and get injected when we get back," Jiang Ye agreed.
The fried eggs were ready. Just as they were served, the doorbell rang, three consecutive times.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng stared at each other.
"Who is it?" Jiang Ye asked.
Cen Yemeng also looked confused. She got up and went to the door, peeking through the peephole.
"Oh no, it's my dad!" Her face turned pale, and she whispered back.
"Your dad doesn't know?" Jiang Ye's face also turned pale.
Cen Yemeng didn't answer, her expression one of panic, like a high school girl caught by her parents while sneaking out with her boyfriend.
The doorbell rang again, and a deep male voice called out:
"Mengmeng, it's Dad. I know you're home, open the door quickly!"