CH 35

Revenge and Pleasure

The car was filled with piano music and the faint scent of the other's body loomed in the nose.

Without any words, without any spices or padding to fuel the fire, an ambiguous atmosphere began to circulate.

An unquenchable thirst and anxiety crept in from the bottom of his heart.

Ou Tingyun turned down the temperature of the air-conditioner and a light rain began to fall outside the window.

"It's raining," the doctor said, "the afternoon we first met, it was the same drizzle."

Yi Zhize looked out the window and didn't answer.

"When you left, I kept imagining our reunion." Ou Tingyun was in high spirits, tapping his knuckles on the steering wheel to the beat of the music: "Although it doesn't quite resemble what I imagined, for now, it's good enough."

They arrived at the residence.

The drizzle was silky as Ou Tingyun opened the car door for him, took off his coat and placed it over their heads.

Once inside, Yi Zhize was a little surprised.

Everything looked exactly as he remembered it from the night he left.

Shoes were placed in pairs on the shoe rack.

On the dining table in the living room were complete sets of cutlery and the porcelain cups he used to use in the past.

It was as if he had just been away on a long trip.

Ou Tingyun took his hand in his and smiled, "I knew that Ze Ze would be back soon. Everything has been left in its original state, but I have been cleaning it carefully every day. I thought that in case you came back, you could use it right away."

Yi Zhize's breath quivered.

Ou Tingyun whispered in his ear, "Ze Ze, may I?"

"What?"

Ou Tingyun hugged him, his voice suppressed and longing: "From the first moment I saw you, I wanted to touch you so badly. I'm sorry, I just, couldn't resist."

A mocking look flooded the bottom of Yi Zhize's eyes as he caressed the side of the doctor's face, his fingers pressing against the knot in his throat, "No."

"Ze Ze," Ou Tingyun's warm breath sprayed on the side of his neck, "please."

"How about this, let's play a game." Yi Zhize unbuttoned the top of his shirt and slid his slightly cold fingertips across the top of his collarbone, "I will lead this game, you will match my march, my rhythm."

Ou Tingyun's voice had begun to tremble, "Okay."

Yi Zhize gave him a peck on the chin, "Dr. Ou, let's start."

In the silence of the night, the water within his dark eyes glowed charmingly.

That former patient, at the moment, was like a disciplinary officer raising his whip, constantly stirring the doctor's deepest desires.

"Tingyun, how do you like to be called?" Yi Zhize removed his coat for him, his eyes were cold, but his tone was so sentimental: "Let's return to the relationship of counselling, how about it, Teacher?"

It was like throwing a stone into a deep pool, instantly creating ripples.

Ou Tingyun could no longer restrain himself, leaving a trail of ambiguous marks on his neck.

"Teacher, be gentle." Yi Zhize caressed his hair: "Although, I also enjoy your unbridled tyranny."

And so, under the cover of the night, the love affair lingered like the first crack of a silver vase.

The desire was endless, and the love was unending.

———

Since resuming cohabitation, Ou Tingyun has been nothing short of obedient to his lover.

Yi Zhize has not admitted to anything, promised anything, but has never pushed back either.

No matter how busy he was at work, the doctor would try to find time to cook for him personally and prepare three meals a day.

As a psychiatrist, he could naturally see that Yi Zhize's attitude towards him had long been very different from before.

Perhaps he just needed time.

Ou Tingyun comforted himself like this.

He offered his sincere heart, and one day, he would be able to melt the ice under his eyes again, he thought.

That Saturday, Yi Zhize was busy with his asset restructuring case, working late into the night at the law firm.

With the help of Ou Tingyun, the case was progressing quickly and everyone at the law firm was encouraged to work overtime at the firm.

At six o'clock in the afternoon, Ou Tingyun sent a message to Yi Zhize: [Ze Ze, when are you coming home today?

Yi Zhize saw it, but ignored it.

At first, he thought that he would reply after he finished the task at hand.

But when he got busy, he forgot about it.

Around nine o'clock in the evening, Ou Tingyun cooked dinner for him and brought it to the law firm personally.

The receptionist told him that Mr. Yi was probably resting in the kitchen at the moment.

When he came to the door of the kitchen, he heard the sound of conversation from inside.

Holding her coffee, An Rong teased, "Yi Yi, you're looking good lately! Tell me the truth! Have you been nourished by love?"

Ou Tingyun stopped at the door.

Victor booed, "You guessed it, An. I heard that he and his ex-boyfriend got back together. I've been memorising a lot of idioms lately, how do they go? Love and reconciliation, raising the tray to the eyebrows, feelings are stronger than gold, and flying together?" (Angel: Love and reconciliation 琴瑟和鸣, a a metaphor for the love and reconciliation of a couple; Raising the tray to the eyebrows 举案齐眉 an idiom used for showing respect; Feelings are stronger than gold 情比金坚 an idiom that describes a very firm relationship; Fly together 比翼双飞 a metaphor for a husband and wife who fall in love and move forward side by side)

"Wow, Victor, your Chinese has improved by leaps and bounds! You're even better than me!" An Rong lamented, "Yi Yi, your ex-boyfriend, I believe, would be Mr. Ou."

Yi Zhize's tone was light: "En."

"How nice!" An Rong said, "I'm so jealous! When can I be like you and find my true love!"

"No need to be like me," Yi Zhize's voice was cold, "Between him and me, there is no love."

Ou Tingyun stood still, clenching his right fist, his nails sinking deep into his palm.

"Yi, are you sure?" Victor smiled, "You often have a conflicted heart and mouth."

"I am describing the objective truth." Yi Zhize was calm and cold: "He and I, at the beginning, were using each other. Now, I am involved with him only because he is useful to the case. At the current pace, the case will be closed soon."

"What about after the case is closed?" An Rong asked, "What are your plans?"

"To go to England."

Victor whistled, "Brilliant! That's a brilliant decision!"

An Rong was a bit reluctant, "So are you coming back?"

"No," Yi Zhize revealed a little exhaustion, "no more... coming back."

"What about Mr. Ou? You're planning to leave without saying goodbye?"

"So what?" Yi Zhize laughed softly, "Give hope, then let it be dashed. Why can't I return what he has done to me?"

Ou Tingyun also began to laugh silently, laughing until a twisted pain began to flood his internal organs.

Yi Zhize's words echoed in his mind, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

Killing, blood, pain, pleasure.

An image played out in his mind's eye as Ou Tingyun imagined himself holding a silver-white scalpel and killing everyone in the room with him.

Letting the blood spill out and trickle down to the feet of the lawyer.

And then finish him off with his own hands, dissecting him carefully.

Drink his blood, burn his body to ashes, and drink it with the milk.

So that they could, forever and ever, never be separated.

At night, Yi Zhize returned home.

Ou Tingyun was sitting in the living room waiting for him, smiling gently, "Ze Ze, you're back."

He moved closer to him, took his briefcase and put it aside on the sofa.

He untied his tie and whispered, "Ze Ze, do you love me?"

Yi Zhize did not answer.

Ou Tingyun asked again patiently, "Do you love me?"

After a long moment of silence, Yi Zhize said, "Yes."

"You! Lied! To! Me!" The tone of Ou Tingyun's voice was sullen, "You lied to me!"

Yi Zhize's breath stuttered.

"Ze Ze," Ou Tingyun smiled, from a low smile to a reckless flare: "you're deliberately getting back at me, teasing me, aren't you?"

Yi Zhize's eyebrows were full of exhaustion.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Yes."

"What should I do!" With a smile on his face, Ou Tingyun stroked his eyebrows, "Even so, even though it's clear that you're teasing, I still like you, so much. What should I do, Ze Ze? Hmm?"

"After the case is over, let's separate." Yi Zhize said calmly, "This is the only way to say goodbye, we don't owe each other anything."

"Shh!" Ou Tingyun pressed against his lips, "Ze Ze, don't say such things!! No!!!"

He wrapped the untied tie around Yi Zhize's hand and his own, "You want to leave me, don't you?"

Yi Zhize frowned, "Let go."

"No, behave," Ou Tingyun tied the tie in a nice bow, "as my patient, my subject, you have no freedom to leave or withdraw without my permission."

"Forgive me for no longer being able to comply." Yi Zhize lowered his head and tried to undo the knot that Ou Tingyun had tied.

Suddenly there was a stinging pain in the nape of his neck; the touch of a needle piercing his skin.

"Shh, there there, soon it won't hurt anymore." Ou Tingyun eased the drug from the syringe into his body, "Be good, Ze Ze, I know, you also want to be with me forever, don't you?"

The syringe was pulled out and the patient lay quietly against his arms.

"Ze Ze, if you don't say anything, you're acquiescing." Ou Tingyun smiled gently, "I'm happy, I really am, very happy."