Hard work after winning the lottery

It emitted a faint, almost inaudible muffled sound.

Only the motion-sensor light in the entryway was on in the living room, casting a deep yet soft shadow on Zhou Yanjin's profile in the dim light.

He was sleeping soundly.

Completely unprepared.

Like a lion that has sheathed all its claws and fangs, it has temporarily shed its usual intimidating and oppressive aura.

Hua Yun knelt down beside the sofa, her gaze tracing his features greedily, inch by inch.

It's been 396 days.

This is the 396th day since she met him.

It was also the tenth day before she was to leave.

Ten years later, twenty years later, when she has become a married woman and all her rough edges have been worn down by the daily grind of life, will she still remember tonight?

She remembered this seemingly unattainable man, who had once lay so close before her.

Will not.

She'll forget.

Let's bury this unrequited love, so humble it's practically invisible.

The thought of this made her heart feel like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, causing her so much pain that she could barely breathe.

Bitter tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes.

Not reconciled.

I'm really not willing to accept this.

Why should her youth, her first love, end so quietly?

Can't we even have the slightest ripple?

At this moment, alcohol transformed into the most wicked demon, whispering in her ear.

It amplified all the grievances and tore apart all the restraint.

A crazy, rebellious thought, like a vine, grew wildly from the deepest part of her heart and instantly entangled her brain.

Just once.

Just this once.

Steal once.

Steal a kiss, as a sacrifice to this grand unrequited love.

Once this idea takes root, it can no longer be suppressed.

Hua Yun's body seemed to have all its strength drained away, yet it also seemed to have been infused with unprecedented courage.

She braced herself against the edge of the sofa and slowly, tremblingly, raised her upper body.

Her shadow stretched and twisted under the dim light, eventually enveloping the man on the sofa completely.

Getting closer.

She could smell the increasingly strong scent emanating from him, a blend of fine cologne and rich wine.

That aura was both poison and antidote.

She could feel his warm breath, steady and gentle, spraying onto her cheeks.

It was scalding hot.

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

The deafening roar filled my ears.

The world seemed to consist only of the face that had appeared countless times in her dreams.

She closed her eyes.

She bent down, using all her strength to suppress all her trembling.

Then, her cold, trembling lips gently pressed against his warm, thin lips.

soft.

It has a slightly dry, peeling texture.

And then there's the lingering spiciness and sweetness of whiskey.

That's his flavor.

Hua Yun's tears finally burst forth the moment their lips met.

A single, scalding tear slid down from the corner of her eye and landed precisely on Zhou Yanjin's cheek.

This kiss was devoid of any lust.

Only the tragic grandeur of a desperate gamble and the resolute determination of impending eternal farewell remain.

She just wanted to taste what the star she had gazed at for 396 days really tasted like.

Now that we've tasted it, it's time to leave.

However, just as she was about to back away...

A sudden change occurred.

The man, who had been sleeping, suddenly let his Adam's apple bob.

He let out a muffled, suppressed groan.

Immediately afterwards, a large, hot hand gripped the back of her head without warning.

Hua Yun's pupils suddenly contracted!

Before she could react, Zhou Yanjin turned his head slightly, as if out of some awakened instinct, and deepened the kiss.

He is no longer a passive recipient.

He began to take the initiative.

Slurred drunk, he lost his usual restraint and composure, leaving only his most primal, male predatory instincts.

He seized her breath, domineering and forceful, giving her no chance to breathe or escape.

This sudden response, like a spark, instantly pierced the already alcohol-soaked ruins of Hua Yun's rationality.

"boom--!"

A wildfire was ignited.

All the restraint, all the timidity, all the escape routes, were burned away completely at this moment.

Like a drowning person, she clung to the only piece of driftwood in her despair, on the verge of suffocation.

Even knowing that this piece of driftwood would take her to the deeper sea, she was willing to do it.

She began to respond to him awkwardly and shyly.

Following the deepest instincts of the body, boldly taking the lead in all of this.

This night was destined to spiral out of control.

An expensive silk dress was roughly torn open.

The exquisite cufflinks had rolled away and ended up in some corner.

Suits, shirts, skirts...

One by one, the garments that symbolized identity and constraints were stripped off and scattered on the cold floor, like spoils of this silent war.

The air in the living room gradually became hot and viscous.

Only heavy breathing and suppressed sobs remained, echoing and reverberating in the vast space.

In her dazed and confused state, Hua Yun seemed to hear Zhou Yanjin whisper something in her ear in a hoarse yet tender voice that she had never heard before.

It's like a name.

Very light, very blurry.

Is it... "Zhi Yao"?

Or... "Zhiyao"?

No.

She couldn't hear clearly.

She didn't want to hear it clearly either.

Let her deceive herself one more time.

Just pretend he was calling her.

Hua Yun clung to his broad, sturdy back, her fingernails digging deep into it.

It was as if she were performing a grand and tragic sacrifice.

With what is most precious and the only thing I can give, I will draw a bloody, yet unforgettable, end to this hopeless love.

From now on, we will be separated by mountains and rivers, and never meet again.

At least, she had it.

In such an extreme and tragic way.

Tears, a mixture of love, desire, guilt, and sorrow, silently and surgingly soaked the leather sofa beneath him.

It is sweet, it is bitter, it is pain, it is joy.

She can't tell anymore.

This madness, fueled by alcohol and driven by despair, lasted for an unknown period of time.

Until the very end, his physical strength was completely exhausted.

The aftereffects of the alcohol surged in like a tidal wave, sweeping away her last shred of clarity.

Darkness completely swallowed her consciousness.

Before she could even see Zhou Yanjin's face clearly, she fell into a deep sleep in his burning arms.

The world fell silent.

All that remained was a scene of utter devastation, and two souls, their fates intertwined, sleeping side by side.

A ray of dazzling morning light tore open the heavy curtains and landed precisely on Hua Yun's tightly closed eyelids.

Her long, curled eyelashes trembled nervously.

The hangover headache, like a tight band around my head, screamed wildly on both sides of my temples.