An Yao's Confession

It was late at night.

“Be careful on your way back, and stay safe.” Ye Shuang looked at the thoroughly drunk Chen Hai, then said to An Yao as well.

An Yao hadn’t been drinking. Although Chen Hai had brought her along, she had only had some juice and a few snacks. She had come purely to keep him company.

“All right, we will. Brother Ye, would you like me to call a designated driver for you?” An Yao asked Ye Shuang as she struggled to support Chen Hai.

“No need. I already called one.” Ye Shuang glanced at his phone and gave a faint smile. “He’s deadweight, so I’m sorry to trouble you.”

Ye Shuang had originally planned to accompany them and help get Chen Hai home, but he was starting to feel the alcohol himself. His head was foggy and heavy, and if he really fell asleep, An Yao would probably have to look after two people.

“It’s fine.”

Under Ye Shuang’s watchful gaze, An Yao helped Chen Hai away.

…

The strong smell of alcohol filled the air beside her. With his unsteady body swaying back and forth, supporting Chen Hai was no easy task for someone as petite as An Yao.

“Brother Chen, just hang in there…” An Yao supported Chen Hai and finally managed to push him into the Didi car. Since Chen Hai was sitting on the edge, there was no room for her to get in. She grabbed hold of a nearby utility pole and used her foot to shove Chen Hai farther inside.

“Heave-ho!”

Once Chen Hai was in the car, he closed his eyes without saying a word. His flushed face made him look rather uncomfortable.

“Brother Chen, are you all right?” An Yao asked.

“If he throws up in the car, it’s a hundred yuan,” the Didi driver said bluntly after glancing at Chen Hai in the rearview mirror.

“I’m sorry…”

Fortunately, Chen Hai didn’t vomit. After finally returning to the apartment, An Yao looked at him lying on the bed and seemed to let out a sigh of relief. After thinking for a moment, she reached out and began removing his clothes, which reeked of alcohol.

“Mmph.”

She didn’t show the slightest hint of disgust. Instead, she prepared a warm towel and wiped Chen Hai’s body.

Over the course of a few months, Chen Hai had lost a full forty pounds. It was hard to say whether he had become thin from the exhausting work of running his street stall or from not eating properly.

An Yao quietly continued taking care of him because she wanted to repay Chen Hai—for giving her a source of income and for treating her illness.

An Yao had actually been sick for a long time. After Chen Hai found out, he had insisted on taking her to the hospital and paid for her surgery. He had even rented a comfortable apartment for her mother, who was unable to care for herself. An Yao no longer had to live in a basement and endure the darkness and dampness.

Everything she had now was because she had met Chen Hai.

If possible, An Yao hoped she could do even more. She felt that there was so little she could do to repay him.

She paused for a moment.

“…”

Looking at Chen Hai’s sleeping face, An Yao rested her chin in her hand and watched him for a long time. Just as she noticed that the towel had gone completely cold and was about to get up, her hand was suddenly caught.

The force pulling on her arm sent her tumbling onto the bed. When she realized that Chen Hai was holding her tightly, her face immediately flushed red, but she didn’t struggle.

“Feng Shan…”

The voice made An Yao freeze. The blush on her face gradually faded.

An Yao knew that this was the name of Chen Hai’s ex-wife. She had often heard about her whenever she and Chen Hai went out for late-night meals. He had described Feng Shan as an incredibly violent and fierce woman.

An Yao also understood that if someone truly no longer cared about another person—if they really wanted to break free from them—they wouldn’t call out that person’s name while drunk.

Perhaps many people who had once loved each other eventually came to hate one another, forgetting how things had been in the beginning.

An Yao didn’t understand any of that. She only hoped that Chen Hai could move on.

She reached out and gently patted him on the back.

…

The night passed peacefully.

The next morning, Chen Hai woke from his sleep with a strong urge to urinate. Just as he was about to get up, he discovered a young woman lying beside him, sleeping on her side.

When Chen Hai saw An Yao in his bed, he froze. His memories of the previous night had naturally been cut off, and he couldn’t remember anything.

Chen Hai touched his bare body, then lifted the blanket and took a look.

It seemed that nothing had happened. His underwear was still on, and An Yao was fully dressed.

“…”

Chen Hai thought for a moment before reaching out and gently nudging An Yao.

“Hey… hey, An Yao.”

An Yao opened her eyes groggily. When she saw Chen Hai looking at her, she seemed to realize something. She slowly sat up, her face flushed, and remained silent.

“Why did you sleep in my bed?” Chen Hai asked. He genuinely didn’t remember.

“You pulled me up here, Brother Chen.” As soon as An Yao finished speaking, Chen Hai’s brain seemed to shut down for several seconds before he slowly came back to his senses.

“I did?”

“Nothing happened, right?”

“No.” An Yao nodded.

“Sorry. I drank a little too much last night, so I don’t really remember.” Chen Hai looked embarrassed. After all, pulling a young woman onto his bed really was somewhat inappropriate.

“Here, here, take this red envelope. Consider it my apology. When I drink, I don’t remember what I do.” Chen Hai picked up his wallet from the side and pulled out a stack of cash.

An Yao shook her head. “Brother Chen, you worked hard to earn that money. I’m fine. It would actually be strange for you to give me money when nothing happened.”

“Oh, right.”

An Yao got out of bed and tidied it up. After folding the blanket, she took a fresh set of clothes from the wardrobe and handed them to Chen Hai.

“Here. Put these on first.”

“Hehe, thanks.” Chen Hai grinned. “It’s embarrassing to be taken care of like this. Whoever marries you will be incredibly lucky.”

An Yao paused at his words. Then she suddenly asked, “Brother Chen, you’re a good person.”

“Hey, don’t give me the ‘good person’ treatment.” Chen Hai tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Brother Chen… you called out someone’s name last night,” An Yao said.

“My name? Whose?” Chen Hai seemed to realize what she meant, but he still stubbornly tried to play it off. “Was it Liu Yifei or Dilraba?”

“Feng Shan. Your ex-wife.”

Chen Hai fell silent. After a few seconds, he muttered, “Hmph. We were probably arguing in my dream.”

“No. You held me very tightly last night, Brother Chen, and called out Feng Shan’s name.”

Chen Hai: “…”

“Brother Chen, if… I mean, if you’re willing to move on…” An Yao looked at him. “I’ll stay by your side forever.”

As soon as she finished speaking, An Yao’s face turned bright red. She covered it with both hands and ran away.

“An—An Yao?!”

Chen Hai stared blankly after her.

What did that mean?

Was that… a confession?