Obsessive Pleasure - Chapter 15

The excuse Liang Yun used to invite Chen Yang upstairs was so poor that even she felt embarrassed by it.

Chen Yang had parked her car and was about to call a ride-share home when she suddenly blurted out, “Do you want to come up for a cup of tea? I have some at home.”

She claimed she wanted to offer him tea, but she only had tea bags at home. Even the tea he drank at the hospital lounge during their last meeting was higher quality than her own meager stock.

Liang Yun was used to the simple life of a single person, often maintaining a live-and-let-live attitude. Even when she had a boyfriend, she never seemed to fully integrate him into her life; everything remained exactly as it was when she was happily alone.

When they went out to eat, although they didn’t split the bill, Liang Yun’s unspoken rule was: He pays for one meal, she pays for the next.

When spending the night at each other’s places, they would always carry a small travel bag with a towel, toothbrush, and toiletries. Everything was neatly packed, as if they were going on a business trip.

The frequency wasn’t very high, anyway.

Her ex-boyfriend once asked Liang Yun if he could just leave his toothbrush in her bathroom to avoid having to carry a damp one in his bag every time.

She didn’t explicitly forbid it, but every time he left, she would toss the toothbrush into the trash. The next time he visited, he’d have to open a brand-new one.

Her boyfriend was confused.

Liang Yun explained, “You don’t come over often. The toothbrush collects dust; it’s so unsanitary. That’s something that goes in your mouth, after all.”

He laughed at her. “It’s not like you’re using it. Dirty or not, it’s not going into your mouth.”

But afterward, he seemed to have realized something: No wonder she never allowed him to put his things in her mouth; she must be a germophobe.

For holidays or birthdays, her ex often struggled over what gift to get her. Liang Yun immediately bought anything she liked, so there was never an opportunity left for him to clear out a shopping cart. Moreover, the things she bought for herself were usually high-end products, making it nearly impossible for him to find a better alternative.

He once couldn’t help but ask Liang Yun why she didn’t subtly drop hints about the things she liked, as other girls did, so he could buy them for her as gifts.

Liang Yun was fully focused on eating potato chips at the time. When the can was empty, she tilted her head back, poured the last crumbs into her mouth, and licked her fingers with lingering satisfaction before looking at him quizzically. “I can afford to buy it for myself right now. Why should I wait for someone else to give it to me later?”

At that time, in her boyfriend’s words, she lacked a sense of ritual.

So she lacked it. Liang Yun didn’t see anything wrong with that.

Take tea, for instance. She could just toss a tea bag into a mug and solve the problem in two minutes. Why bother with the whole tea ceremony, spending an hour just to drink maybe ten milliliters of liquid?

While she was fine with her own casual habits, using that as a reason to invite a guest over felt ridiculous.

She worried Chen Yang would mock her for having an ulterior motive, but Chen Yang seemed unbothered. He didn’t offer any commentary, waiting as if he genuinely wanted the tea.

He sat on a high stool in the open kitchen, his hands loosely crossed and resting on the breakfast bar, watching Liang Yun plug in the electric kettle and rummage through the cupboard for a tea bag, occasionally casting a guilty, furtive glance his way.

When the water boiled, Chen Yang stood up and stopped Liang Yun, who was reaching for a mug. “Don’t you want to talk?”

Liang Yun took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself. “Were you deliberately looking for me?”

No, not really, Chen Yang thought.

Today’s meeting was purely a coincidence, but the moment he saw her at Chen Bin’s company, he lost some of the calm composure that a hunter should possess. A surge of impulse made him want to drop the idea of keeping his distance. He just wanted to see the face that was being called an “Ice Queen” turn red, cry, and beg in his hands.

Elaine—Liang Yun—

He had to admit that their encounter years ago wasn’t just him teaching her; he had also tasted something different from his norm. And just now in the car, that sensation had been reactivated from deep within his dormant memory, making him feel, for a moment, that he had recovered a lost, satisfying pleasure.

Chen Yang had assumed that feeling was gone forever.

“Regarding the last time, when I wanted to introduce you to my friends without your consent, I apologize,” Chen Yang said formally. “That was disrespectful to you. Your life should be decided by you.”

Liang Yun lowered her eyes slightly. I quit the community because my body… didn’t cooperate very well.

Chen Yang smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I know.”

“You know?” Liang Yun looked up, confused and slightly wary.

“Why, you can ask Liz about me, but I can’t ask Kevin about you?”

Liz was Liang Yun’s schoolmate’s English name; Kevin was her husband, and Dom.

Chen Yang continued, “I heard your name was almost put on the blacklist for Doms in the West Coast region. I also heard a guy in Silicon Valley say you were like a 586 computer; no matter how skilled he was, he couldn’t run high-end programs on a frozen interface.”

Liang Yun frowned at the comparison. It’s not like I want to freeze up! Maybe I’m just resistant to pain.

Chen Yang was amused. I would have had a hard time believing that if they hadn’t told me. After all, the first time I disciplined you, you were clearly excited. And just now, you were soaking wet. So, your ‘freezing’ is selective?

Liang Yun blushed at his comment and retorted, “Well, I also heard that Chase never easily gets involved in discipline, so are your two ‘hands-on’ instances also selective?”

Chen Yang paused slightly. “It suggests that we are compatible, at least in a physical sense.”

Chen Yang had mentioned the word “compatible” several times with Liang Yun—either others weren’t compatible with her, or he wasn’t compatible with others. His current declaration that they were suitable for each other made Liang Yun’s brain spin so fast she couldn’t formulate a proper response, so she simply stayed silent.

He had explicitly said he wasn’t taking on subs last time. She had no idea what Chen Yang meant now.

“If you agree, we can start a more casual relationship. No contracts, no responsibilities—just playmates. You can reach out if you want, and of course, I’ll reach out when I want to play. But we both have the right to say ‘no.’“

Chen Yang spoke as if he’d given it brief consideration, expressing his terms as clearly as possible.

— Short Scene —

Chen Yang (Wary face): Wait, wait, wait. What’s the deal with that ex-boyfriend of yours? (Pulls out a notebook and pen) Full name? Company? Date of birth? Address?

Liang Yun (Confused face): Huh, seriously! What was his name again?

The Author (Peacemaker face): See, see? I told you he was just a walk-on! Old Chen, you need to calm down. Anger harms the liver, rage damages the kidneys, don’t you know?

Chen Yang (Whipping gesture like Indiana Jones): If you dare to bring him up again, I don’t care if he buys light soy sauce or dark soy sauce. I’ll whip you first! Got that?