He felt betrayed.
He was not smoking now, but pain.
When even smoking could not alleviate his inner turmoil, he walked directly into the lounge.
By the faint moonlight, he saw Tang Xiaomin lying on the bed with her eyes wide open.
This time, he did not lie beside her as usual, nor did he pull her into his arms.
He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her, a thousand words caught in his throat, unable to be spoken.
Seeing Yan Jue like this, Tang Xiaomin knew it must be related to what happened tonight.
Yan Jue’s usual carefree demeanor was a facade; his observational skills were actually very keen.
It was impossible to gloss over or deceive him about what happened tonight.
She disliked being misunderstood and wanted to explain the whole story clearly to him.
"I think I need to explain to you what happened tonight."
"I had a little too much to drink at President Pan's dinner and booked a room. After entering, I took a shower intending to rest. I truly had no idea Ye Lingyun would be in that room."
"It was Ye Lingyun who found me first. After I got dressed and came out, Mrs. Ye and Yang Yang arrived with others, accusing me of deliberately seeking me out. It was clearly a trap set for me."
"I was afraid I couldn't explain myself clearly, so I had to jump out the window and escape. Everything I'm saying is the truth."
"Then why did you lie to me when you were outside the hotel?" Yan Jue countered.
What hurt him the most was Tang Xiaomin's deception.
Why did she lie?
"I was afraid you would misunderstand. I thought this would be the end of it."
Little did she expect Ye Lingyun to suddenly come down looking for her.
He must have been worried about her safety, but unfortunately, he appeared in such a state, and Yan Jue happened to see them. It was hard not to cause a misunderstanding, and now it was even more difficult to explain.
Yan Jue's expression was still filled with disbelief.
"Then how can you prove that what you're saying is true? How can you prove that you and Ye Lingyun are innocent?"
"I..."
Tang Xiaomin was speechless. She truly had no way to defend herself at this moment, nor any evidence to prove her innocence.
Because at that time, there was only her and Ye Lingyun in the room; no third party. Even if both of them denied it, no one would believe them.
"I didn't, and that's that. Don't we have at least this much trust between us?" Tang Xiaomin said, making a final plea.
Yan Jue's face was etched with sorrow and suspicion.
That look of distrust felt like a massive stone pressing down on Tang Xiaomin's chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.
They remained silent, locked in a stalemate under the moonlight for a long, long time, neither willing to yield.
After a while, Yan Jue spoke.
"I failed to protect you, and I am also at fault. Go clean yourself up. I will pretend tonight never happened."
"Go."
With that, he turned his back to Tang Xiaomin again.
Even without seeing, it was easy to imagine the immense pain he was in.
In Tang Xiaomin's eyes, Yan Jue was truly noble. In his mind, she had betrayed him.
Yet, he could still be so magnanimous, saying he would act as if nothing had happened.
Had his tolerance for her reached such depths?
Tang Xiaomin did not blame Yan Jue for his distrust; instead, she felt pity for him.
She realized she still didn't understand him well enough, especially regarding his feelings for her, which were far deeper than she had imagined.
"I'm not cleaning up. I didn't do anything to betray you."
She remained still, sitting on the bed in a determined pose, refusing to move.
"Go, I'm already in enough pain. Can't you spare me some heartache?"
His tone was a mix of reproach and pleading, filled with profound helplessness and agony.
This appearance made Tang Xiaomin feel an overwhelming sense of guilt, as if she had indeed done something to betray him, causing him such deep suffering.
"I'll say it again: I truly did nothing to wrong you. What do you want me to do to make you believe me?"
"Stop talking. Go wash up. It's not a big deal. More than your body, I love your soul. I love you. As long as you stay by my side, nothing else matters."
"Hurry and go wash up. At least it will make me feel a little better."
Could he truly be indifferent as he claimed?
If he truly didn't care, then what was the meaning of his pained expression?
He clearly cared deeply, yet he pretended to be magnanimous. Wasn't that exhausting?
Tang Xiaomin suddenly hugged the man's waist from behind, leaning against his back, listening to his heartbeat.
At this moment, a strong feeling surged within her: she wanted to be with him like this, forever and ever.
"I told you I didn't, yet you still refuse to believe me. Do you know how much this hurts me?"
She felt a mix of love and resentment towards him; she loved his devotion but hated his disbelief.
The man remained silent, slowly pulling away Tang Xiaomin's hands from his waist, saying nothing more.
For Tang Xiaomin, this was undoubtedly a huge blow and an emotional ordeal.
Her heart ached uncontrollably.
She never imagined that a mere misunderstanding could lead them to this point.
After the pain came resentment.
She resented being misunderstood and resented her inability to explain that she had done nothing wrong.
Her teeth clenched, her fists balled into tight knots. After a period of internal struggle, she made a bold move.
She embraced the man from behind again, forcefully turning his head, and under the dim moonlight, she kissed him without hesitation.
The moment their lips met, Yan Jue's heart felt as if it were caressed by a gentle tendril, instantly becoming warm and melting away.
After a brief moment of tenderness, he gently pushed Tang Xiaomin away, maintaining a safe distance.
"What are you doing? Trying to erase everything with this?"
Such intimacy was rare for Tang Xiaomin; her ingrained upbringing told her that women should be reserved.
Adjusting her ragged breath, she wrapped her arms around the man's neck again.
"I want to prove myself. I haven't betrayed you. Watch carefully."
Yan Jue's lack of trust was also tormenting Tang Xiaomin.
Seeing the consequences of this misunderstanding, it seemed she had no choice but to prove herself.
All notions of reserve and abstaining from premarital intimacy were cast aside. She had only one thought: to prove herself.
And the simplest way to prove herself was...
...
She was as inexperienced as a novice, yet passionately undressed herself.
Not only her, but Yan Jue was also stripped bare, and they became entangled fervently beneath the covers.
The atmosphere had reached a point where pausing or restraining was no longer possible.
A fine sheen of sweat broke out on Yan Jue's forehead, a result of his struggle to suppress his impulses. He looked at her one last time for confirmation.
"Have you made up your mind? Are you sure you won't regret this? Answer me seriously. This is your last chance. If you say even a single 'no,' I'll leave immediately."