107: A woman's intuition

The game continued, and the wheel spun for a few more rounds.

Shen Yueling leaned against the sofa armrest, her eyes on the wheel, but her mind was elsewhere.

Bai Xinran had returned from the bathroom; the stray hairs at her nose and temples were slightly damp, as if she had just splashed her face with cold water.

She sat back in her original spot and covered her legs with the blanket again.

Shen Yueling felt a strange sensation in her heart. From the moment they met today, her gaze had been on Yu Heng, and she felt something was off between him and Bai Xinran.

They were upstairs just now; they certainly weren't talking about any livestream.

Furthermore, almost the moment Bai Xinran got up to go to the bathroom and closed the door, she saw Yu Heng pick up his phone to reply to a message.

Ning Yutong's laughter rang out, and Shen Yueling looked over.

She was hugging her knees, her eyes curved into crescents.

When she laughed, she would always inadvertently glance over at Yu Heng.

Every time it was Yu Heng's turn to speak, she would listen very intently.

Qin Lu sat diagonally across from Yu Heng, holding a cup of water in her hands and taking small sips.

She maintained a proper, faint smile on her face, occasionally speaking up to maintain order.

Once, Yu Heng told a dirty joke while she was drinking, causing her to choke; Qin Ya leaned over to pat her mother's back.

Her eyes darted between Yu Heng and Qin Lu, looking like someone who enjoyed watching the drama unfold.

All of these people had something on their minds.

Only the newly joined club members were truly focused on playing the game.

Shen Yueling suddenly stood up, and both Zhou Mengqi and Wang Luyu beside her looked up at her.

"I'm going to the restroom," she said flatly, by way of explanation.

"There are ones upstairs and downstairs," Yu Heng looked up at her.

Shen Yueling hummed in response but didn't go upstairs, heading instead toward the one Bai Xinran had just used.

Why did she have to use this one?

She couldn't explain it; it was just an intuition.

Or rather, a feeling that she had to verify something.

She turned the doorknob, walked in, and closed the door behind her.

The bathroom was very clean, though there were still wet spots on the sink counter.

Shen Yueling walked to the sink and turned on the faucet, letting the water rush out.

Her gaze swept across the bathroom; everything seemed normal.

Turning off the faucet, she grabbed a paper towel to dry her hands. Her gaze fell on the small white cabinet door under the sink. As if possessed, she crouched down and pulled it open.

In the corner was a crumpled ball of tissues. Shen Yueling reached out and carefully pinched it out with two fingers.

The tissue was balled up tightly and had some weight to it. She peeled it open layer by layer.

Heh, she naturally knew what this was.

So, Bai Xinran hadn't come in here to make a phone call at all.

She had come in to take this out.

What about Yu Heng?

Did Yu Heng know?

That question seemed redundant.

He definitely knew, and it was very likely he was the one who told her to do it.

Shen Yueling turned on the faucet, washed her hands again, then opened the door and walked out.

---

The game went on for a few more rounds.

During that time, Qin Lu stood up twice: once to boil water in the kitchen, and once to take a call on the balcony.

When she returned from the second call, her expression wasn't great. Her brow was slightly furrowed, and she didn't speak for a long time after sitting back down.

Yu Heng glanced at her but didn't ask anything.

Qin Ya leaned in and whispered something in her mother's ear; Qin Lu shook her head and stroked her daughter's hair.

At 10:30 PM, the excitement in the living room began to fade slightly.

Some people started yawning, while others pulled out their phones to scroll.

"Still playing?" Hao Junran asked.

"That's probably enough," Yu Heng checked the time. "Let's call it a night then!"

Yu Heng stood up and stretched. "Those who want to sleep can go upstairs and pick a room. If you still want to play something, don't stay up too late."

Everyone began to get up one after another.

The girls went upstairs in groups to check out the rooms, while some boys stayed behind to play video games and others followed them up.

Qin Lu helped clear the coffee table, with Qin Ya helping by her side.

When Bai Xinran stood up, her legs seemed a bit weak. She steadied herself by grabbing the sofa armrest. Yu Heng walked over and reached out to support her arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine..." Bai Xinran shook her head. "Just been sitting too long."

Shen Yueling watched from the side, then stood up and walked over to Yu Heng.

"Yu Heng," she called out to him.

Yu Heng turned his head to look at her. "What's up?"

"Come here for a moment," Shen Yueling said. "I have something to tell you."

Her tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

Yu Heng raised an eyebrow and followed Shen Yueling toward the balcony.

The balcony was separated from the living room by sliding glass doors. Once they were closed, the sounds from the living room became muffled.

Shen Yueling leaned her back against the railing, looking at Yu Heng.

Yu Heng stood opposite her, hands in his hoodie pockets, waiting for her to speak.

"What's going on with Bai Xinran?" Shen Yueling asked directly.

Yu Heng's expression didn't change. "What do you mean 'what's going on'?"

"Don't play dumb," Shen Yueling rolled her eyes at him. "I went to the bathroom just now."

Yu Heng was silent for two seconds.

"And?" he asked.

"I saw it," Shen Yueling said. "The thing she hid in the cabinet."

Yu Heng didn't say anything.

The light on the balcony wasn't very bright. Half of his face was in the light and half in shadow, making his expression hard to read.

After a good while, he finally spoke.

"So?" he said.

"So?" she repeated. "So I've come to ask. You told me last time not to let others affect my mood, so this time I'm asking what's going on with a stable emotional state."

Shen Yueling's tone was indeed very calm—no resentment, no interrogation—completely different from last time.

Yu Heng looked at her, pulled a hand out of his hoodie pocket, and rubbed his nose, thinking about how to explain.

"It's just..." Yu Heng paused. "The film we watched together before, remember?"

Shen Yueling naturally remembered; the woman in the film had been tied up.

"That kind of relationship?" Shen Yueling asked.

"Yeah."

"Have you two done it?"

Yu Heng was startled. He thought Shen Yueling would ask if he liked her or when they started.

But she asked if they had done it.

This focus... was a bit strange, wasn't it?

"Not yet," Yu Heng spoke the truth.

"How long have you known each other?" Shen Yueling finally spoke. "A month? A month and a half?"

"About that."

"Moving that fast?"

Yu Heng could tell her tone wasn't one of interrogation, but... curiosity?

He wasn't quite sure.

"It's alright," he said. "She already had those tendencies."

"You do too?" Shen Yueling narrowed her eyes.

"I do. Otherwise, why would I have those kinds of films on my computer?" Yu Heng said with a laugh.

"I'm only just finding out..." Shen Yueling murmured. "Then why are you always so lukewarm toward Yu Tong?"

Hearing this, Yu Heng's expression became more serious.

This question was harder to answer than the previous one.

"Because I don't know how to respond to her," Yu Heng said. "To be honest, I want her."

He spoke directly, without concealment. Shen Yueling blinked.

"Her figure is the best I've ever seen." Yu Heng even let out a small laugh. "36E. I've never seen anything bigger, anyway. I want to experience that."

These words were crude but honest. He felt there was no need to hide anything from Shen Yueling.

"But her feelings for me are pure," Yu Heng said. "She's thinking about a relationship, and I can't give her that."