Chapter 4: That Autumn When I Was Eighteen (4)

Meng Yier realized she couldn’t push him away. His alluring lips drew closer, and in desperation, she raised her knee and struck him hard between the legs.

A pained groan escaped the man.

Taking advantage of his agony, Meng Yier slipped out from under him, grabbed her coat, draped it over herself, and fled.

Yan Yichen watched her hurried retreat, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “Meng Yier—Meng Yier—Little Yi—”

Yet she seemed not to remember him, and that left a trace of displeasure in Yan Yichen’s heart.

He had noticed her the moment she entered the bar the previous night. Most women who frequented such places wore heavy makeup and revealing clothes, but she was different—casually dressed, her face bare, exuding a purity untouched by the world, wholly unlike a girl who would frequent bars.

Such a girl, sitting alone in a corner, gloomily downing drink after drink—she seemed utterly unaware of the dangers lurking in a place like this.

He recalled the way she drunkenly tried to stand up for herself last night, still as adorable as she had been in their childhood. Yan Yichen’s mood brightened.

“This little girl really is quite interesting—”

—

Yan Yichen, twenty-two, was a senior at Haishi Conservatory of Music and the future heir to the Yan Group.

He had loved music since he was young and had been singing in bars for two years—not for the money, but out of pure passion, wanting to share his voice with more people.

He kept his work as a bar singer hidden from his family. If his father ever found out, he would likely drag him home by force. His father was determined for him to take over the company after graduation, believing music to be an unserious pursuit for a man; real men should battle it out in the business world.

It had only been half a month since he left his previous bar and started singing in this one, and already he had made an unexpected discovery—he had run into that intriguing little girl once again.

Thinking of her, a smile played at the corners of Yan Yichen’s handsome mouth, and laughter lit his deep eyes.

She had only just escaped from his arms, yet he found himself thinking about her again. From the moment she drunkenly tried to defend herself yesterday, he had recognized her. Though they’d only met once as children, he had never forgotten this special girl.

Once upon a time, she had called him “Brother Yi” with her childish voice.

From then on, she had taken up residence in his heart, becoming something he could never let go.

But then, without a word, she vanished from his life for ten years.

Now, at last, she had returned.

—

Meng Yier fled in disarray and hailed a cab back to her hotel.

Exhausted, the first thing she did upon returning home was collapse onto her bed, but it did nothing to ease her aches. Lazily, she got up, filled the tub with steaming water, and soaked herself in the bath.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror—disheveled, haggard, lifeless, like a doll devoid of spirit. The hangover still clouded her thoughts, and the bruises and kiss marks across her body confirmed that none of it had been a dream—she had indeed spent the night with a stranger.

But how had it happened? Who was that man? Her memory was a blank.

She recalled the handsome face she’d seen that morning—why did it feel so familiar?

Frustrated, she pounded her head, trying to clear her mind.

And then, as she came back to herself, the pain and sorrow she’d been suppressing surged forth.

“Ah…” she suddenly screamed, desperate to release the anguish and confusion inside her.

—

A muffled sobbing filled the room.

Her phone vibrated for a long while before Meng Yier finally walked over to the bed and sat down, squinting at the screen.

She composed herself before picking up the call.

“Brother…” she called softly.

“Little Yi, when will you come home?” came the deep, gentle voice from the other end.

“I—” Meng Yier hesitated. She longed to confide in someone, but she didn’t want Gu Yunchen to worry, so she fell silent.

“Little Yi?” Gu Yunchen called gently.

“I’m fine,” Meng Yier replied, tears brimming in her eyes.

“If you’re alright, come home soon. Mom and Dad are worried about you.” His voice was as tender as ever.

Uncle Gu had returned to their home in America two days earlier after handling her father’s affairs. He wanted Meng Yier to go with him, but she had refused.

She wished to stay here a few more days. After all, this city held her childhood memories; it was where she had lived with her parents.

She wanted to see more of this place, for only here did she feel closest to her mother and father.