A Dramatic Relationship

My two-faced boyfriend pitifully proposed to me, "I'm nearing thirty with a Ph.D., while my girlfriend is in her prime twenties. What if she doesn't want me in the future? I need to lock her down now to prevent the golden goose from flying away!" I glared at him, "Who's the golden goose?" In the middle of the night, I shakily called my best friend, trembling, "Nuan Nuan, I feel like Matthew is going to kill me." My best friend was terrified on the other end, quickly trying to calm me down, "Grace, don't scare me. Where are you right now?" I was about to answer that I was at my boyfriend Matthew's place when the phone was suddenly snatched from behind. Matthew glanced at me sideways, pressed the red hang-up button, and slowly walked toward me. "Ah!" I screamed in fear, quickly running behind the curtains to wrap myself up. The moonlight shone in, making Matthew's originally handsome face appear sinister and eerie. He approached me with a blank expression, pulling out something shiny from behind. A remote control? Matthew pressed a button, and the whole room instantly lit up. He said irritably, "Grace, are you planning to stay up all night chatting on the phone? Are you even going to attend your morning class tomorrow?" I looked up dumbfounded, with tear-filled eyes, meeting his cold, murderous gaze. The phone rang again. Matthew didn't hang up this time; instead, he pressed the answer button. Nuan Nuan's deafening voice came through the phone, "Grace, hang in there. I'm calling the police right now. Are you at Matthew's place?" Matthew seemed confused on the other end, standing there with me, not saying a word. Nuan Nuan grew anxious, "Grace, has Matthew done something to you? Grace, Grace~" "Useless teammate!" I was on the verge of tears. It seemed Matthew wouldn't let me go now that I knew his secret. "Calling the police?" Matthew's face changed. Seeing that my cover was blown, I quickly moved over to grab his pant leg, bowing my head in a plea, "Matthew, I shouldn't have been like a toad wishing to eat swan meat, shouldn't have had unrealistic dreams about you. I didn't expect you to dislike me so much, but..." I looked up, putting on the most pitiful expression ever, "I just want to keep my body intact." My encounter with Matthew was quite dramatic. On Chinese Valentine's Day, I bought a ticket to the movie "The Case of the Departed" and went to the cinema by myself. I, Grace, an avid horror movie and suspense novel fan, a first-year medical student, fearless. I would crush cockroaches on sight, confront female ghosts head-on, and study the psychological activities of murderers... Overall, I'm very interested in these things. On Chinese Valentine's Day, even the horror movie theater was packed. When I entered with a huge tub of popcorn, the surrounding couples were already snuggling together, lifting the armrests between seats for closer contact. I comforted my popcorn, "Baby, it's just you and me tonight." I had just sat down when a tall, handsome guy appeared in the aisle ahead. Seeing him stuck, I moved back a bit. He thanked me, his voice gentle and magnetic. To my surprise, he sat right next to me on my right. Coming to a horror movie on Chinese Valentine's Day without a girlfriend, he was probably single like me. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He wore silver-framed glasses, had a high nose bridge, and looked very refined. Using today's popular term—he was a "charming rogue." He seemed slightly older than me, like a college student. The only nearby university was A University, where I studied. Could he be a fellow student? My mind was racing with thoughts, but soon I focused on the movie. The movie "The Case of the Departed" is said to involve a lot of anatomical knowledge, which I believe would be very helpful for a student like me. Then the movie unexpectedly showed the Netter's Atlas, which took me back to when our anatomy professor had us look at the male anatomy in the textbook. The images were so striking, each more shocking than the last. It was so shocking that I lost my appetite for the rest of the day. Even though the movie wasn't as graphic as reality, my popcorn suddenly didn't taste as good. The film reached its c****x when a body was pushed out, revealing dark red livor mortis. I remember that this condition usually appears after death... "Two hours after death," a cool voice beside me said, "the livor mortis appears cloudy or streaky, which is the fourth stage after death—livor mortis." I found myself talking to the movie, and the handsome guy next to me overheard. Most importantly, he responded to my comment. I was a bit curious and continued to softly inquire, "Then she must have drowned, right? Because when someone drowns, the livor mortis appears red and pale red." He leaned in and shook his head, "No, when someone drowns, the lungs fill with water, and the lips turn blue. She must have frozen to death. Look, the clothes on the body are missing, and the expression is in a smiling state." "Oh~ reduced blood supply to the heart and brain hypoxia, consciousness begins to blur." I nodded, examining him from head to toe, "Are you a medical student?" He smiled, "Do I look like one?" "Yes." I nodded, "You do, except your hair is quite thick. The guys in our major usually have very little hair." He didn't answer, sat up straight, and continued to look forward. Perhaps he was afraid of complaints from the people behind us, so he stopped chatting with me. I also realized I was talking too much and stuffed a mouthful of popcorn into my mouth to quietly watch the movie. When the movie ended and the credits rolled, I reluctantly left, following the crowd down the stairs behind the handsome guy. Suddenly, someone tripped my heel, and out of survival instinct, I clung to his waist. The guy's waist was like a lethal weapon. When he turned to look at me, I had my excuse ready: "Can I say this was just a reflex action through the spinal cord? Do you believe it?" Clearly, he didn't buy it, so when we got bubble tea, he cheekily ordered the biggest size. "That's not fair." I protested loudly. Clearly, I'm the young girl here, and I should be the one taken advantage of, yet I ended up buying bubble tea for the one who took advantage of me. What kind of world is this? His thin lips sipped, "In this world, men and women are equal." The more I thought about it, the more I felt at a loss. I pulled out my phone and bluntly said, "Give me your WeChat, or I'll feel so cheated I won't sleep tonight." Unexpectedly, he really gave it to me. After getting his WeChat, a popular messaging app, I never contacted him first. I admit I was interested in this tall, handsome guy, but I was too shy. I had the desire but not the courage, staying at the initial stage of "interest" without taking any actual action. The next time I saw him was when he appeared in front of me as a teaching assistant for our lecturer. He was mainly responsible for assisting in three courses for undergraduates at the School of Basic Medicine and the School of Public Health: "Preparation of Mouse Bone Marrow Chromosome Specimens," "Analysis of Human Genetic Diseases," and "Human Anatomy." The bald lecturer introduced him with great fanfare: "This is Matthew, my best student. He has extensive professional knowledge. If you have any questions, you should consult him, especially..." He pointed to my seat, and everyone's eyes focused on me. Matthew seemed to recognize me immediately and gave me a polite smile. "The student who let the rabbit eat the experiment guide last time, if you can't fix the rabbit properly this time and let it run around, don't come to anatomy class again." That comment really set the classroom off, and all the students burst into laughter. A male student even added fuel to the fire: "Grace may not be good at fixing rabbits, but she's excellent at decapitating bullfrogs." The whole class burst into laughter again. I glared at the male classmate and quickly waved my hand, "Not this time, I won't." Of course not this time, because the subject of the experiment was the motionless body. We entered the laboratory. Over 30 students, all in white lab coats, sat around the dissection table, waiting for the teacher to begin. No one whispered out of respect for the body. I glanced at Matthew, who was assisting as a teaching assistant. He calmly stood at the podium and opened the PowerPoint presentation, which displayed "Introduction to Human Anatomy." Honestly, I wasn't afraid. Before deciding to become a doctor, I had thoroughly prepared myself, and this course was just a necessary step on the path to success. Until Matthew began to speak, his voice was gentle yet penetrating: "When I first started studying medicine, I also felt a bit uncomfortable seeing organ specimens. Medical students are human too; we're not born with the courage to face cadavers. The night before my first class, I was so scared and nervous that I couldn't sleep, my mind filled with thoughts of cadavers. Sounds pretty cowardly, doesn't it? Even more so than you guys, let alone compared to the student who could skillfully decapitate a bullfrog shortly after school started." He inadvertently referenced me. "However, when I faced the body, I felt an extraordinary calmness. They had the courage to donate their bodies to the country's medical cause, so what reason do we have to let them down? When you choose to become a doctor, there should be only one thing in your mind: to help more people live." He spoke with a gentle smile, expressing his feelings clearly, without exaggeration or concealment, and without any pretense. At that moment, I was completely drawn in. Matthew was the first person to make me understand the meaning of studying medicine. Talented and handsome people always have admirers, and Matthew was no exception, receiving a lot of attention from junior students, including me. How did I pursue him? I asked him to join me at the library. Because those who invited him elsewhere were all blacklisted by him. I was clever! I dodged the minefield and didn't disturb him much. He sat there, and I sat quietly as well. Why not? We're in the same department, after all. He's busy, and so am I! Of course, sometimes I would get bored and initiate some topics. "Matthew, have you ever been in a relationship?" "No." He kept his head down, looking at his book without lifting it. I was surprised, "No way, no way, someone like you has never been in a relationship?" He finally looked up, "Have you?" I glanced at him, speaking passionately about my ideals, "Of course not. I'm someone who wants to dedicate my life to the medical profession, cutting off emotional ties and desires." "So am I!" He smiled, captivatingly. What was I thinking! Doesn't that mean I have no chance? I quickly tried to recover, "But you're already 25, don't you have physical needs? And if you keep solving it yourself, you might end up with prostate problems." He nodded, seemingly thoughtful, "I do! Look." He suddenly leaned closer, pointing his slender finger at his neck, "What's this?" I looked at his prominent Adam's apple and couldn't help but touch it, "Thyroid cartilage, a secondary s****l characteristic." Matthew's voice turned hoarse as he grabbed my hand and placed it below his lips, where his stubble had just started to grow, a bit prickly. "What about this?" I analyzed rationally, "Beard, a result of male hormones." "What does that indicate?" he suddenly asked. I thought for a moment, "You should shave?" He gave me a playful flick on the forehead, "It indicates that I'm a normal man. Since I'm a normal man, I have desires, but as a medical student, I know the frequency of such things, so you don't need to worry about it, junior." I held my head, feeling pitiful, almost giving up on talking to him, but he suddenly asked me, his tone lazy and alluring, "Be honest, are you trying to flirt with me, junior?" I looked at his captivating face and, almost without thinking, nodded, "Yes!" He, smugly triumphant, called me out on my contradiction, "But didn't I just hear someone say they wanted to dedicate their life to the medical field?" I quickly explained, "Exactly! You, in the future, will become a great doctor, win some prestigious award, and I, as your devoted partner, will love you wholeheartedly and support you. Isn't that dedicating my life to the medical field too?" I made a convincing argument, and even he had to admit I had a point. "But I feel like you're not that interested in me. After all, you added me on WeChat and never once reached out to me." He looked at me, his eyes filled with a playful smile. I remained composed, explaining gently, "Back then, my feelings for you weren't that deep, but now it's different." "What's different?" he pressed. "Back then, I never thought about dedicating my life to the medical field." And just like that, thanks to my eloquence, I managed to snag him. Of course, even though I snagged him, it doesn't mean he's the perfect catch. Sometimes not everything is as perfect as it seems. For instance, Matthew, who seems mature, is actually an extremely picky eater. He's so busy with his studies that he often neglects meals, and only when I personally watch over him does he reluctantly eat a few bites. Or, Matthew, who seems aloof, is actually quite affectionately clingy. If I'm not by his side, he frequently calls to check on me. This isn't quite the Matthew I imagined, but it's enjoyable in its own way. I'm a bit of a romantic, so not long after we started dating, I moved out of the dorms, carrying my bags straight to Matthew's rented apartment. But here's the thing: I didn't even have a key. Wanting to surprise him, I didn't tell him in advance, knowing he had clinical duties today. I ended up waiting outside his apartment for two hours, the cold wind giving me a headache, reading William Osler's "A Way of Life" with a runny nose. I originally thought he'd be happy to see me at first sight. As it turned out, he did come back, but with a stunning long-haired woman beside him, wearing high heels, a slim waist, and a rather eye-catching bust. I looked down at myself. Not as impressive, but still... Alright, I lost. The beautiful woman noticed me too, looked me up and down, and smiled teasingly, "What? A little girlfriend? Isn't she too young, Matthew? You'd even go for a minor?" What the hell, a minor? I'm not only of age, but I also have a driver's license! I couldn't hold back my anger and, out of spite, said, "I'm not his girlfriend, I'm his daughter." Then I gave Matthew a sidelong glance, "Old geezer." Seeing Matthew's face turn from white to green, I felt incredibly pleased. I just wanted him to know how angry I was. Compared to nineteen-year-old me, isn't twenty-five-year-old Matthew an old geezer? I wasn't afraid of him at all, until after the woman left, he silently threw all my things into the apartment and then picked me up like a rabbit. "Bang." The door slammed shut heavily. Before I could react, he pressed me against the wall, his lips slowly approaching mine, his cold, slender fingers caressing the back of my head. "Grace, have I been too good to you, letting you take advantage of my kindness and even call me an old geezer, huh?" His other hand pinched the soft flesh at my waist, tickling me. I feigned calmness, pressing against his hot chest, "You are an old geezer, robbing the cradle." He lowered his head, nuzzling my neck, "Have I eaten? Have I touched you once all this time?" It seemed not. Since we started dating, the times we've held hands can be counted on one hand, let alone kissing or anything more intimate. "Ah!" Suddenly, with my scream, he pulled me into his arms, his breath hot as he tilted my chin and kissed me. My first kiss happened in such an unexpected situation. Matthew seemed confident, but his kissing skills were really bad. His teeth kept bumping into my tongue. It would have been fine if it was just a peck, but he went for a deep kiss, leaving my tongue feeling numb. After the kiss, I quickly went to the mirror to check my injuries. My lips were chafed, and my tongue was red. Was that a kiss? It felt more like a husky was gnawing on me. I glared at him in annoyance, grabbed my change of clothes, and headed to the shower. Matthew quickly stopped me, handing me one of his white shirts. What? I looked up at him, "Matthew, are you acting on impulse?" He leaned down and kissed my lips again, "If I were acting on impulse, I'd have stripped you down already." I had to admit he had a point, so I went to take a shower. But inside, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, until I came out with my bare legs exposed, and he casually pulled me over. I found myself straddling his lap, his face right at my chest level. I was only wearing underwear, and the room was so quiet. I wrapped my arms around Matthew's neck, feeling my heart pounding in a certain spot. Just when I thought the moment was about to happen. He suddenly took my hand, "Grace, let me feel your pulse." After a moment, he mused, "It feels like beads rolling on a plate, moving fast and smoothly. Grace, you're pregnant." I rolled my eyes at him, playing along, "Yeah, and it's not yours." He looked displeased, patting my butt, "Is it mine?" Then he tickled me, "Is it mine, is it..." I quickly gave in, pleading, "Yes, yes, yes, it's yours, all yours." He was satisfied, resting his head on my chest, playing with a few strands of my hair, his long fingers twisting and turning, quite beautifully, "Stop calling me old, it gives me a complex." My heart softened, and I started to feel guilty, thinking I was in the wrong. But remembering that beautiful woman, I pushed him away, creating distance, "Who said you could go on a date with a beautiful woman? Do you know I waited for you for two hours? I caught a cold and even got a runny nose." The more I spoke, the more aggrieved I felt, tears almost falling. Matthew panicked too, quickly pulling me into his arms and patting my back. His hands were wide and gentle, like petting a kitten, "Sometimes you're smart, really smart; but other times you're really silly. You didn't even ask who she was before jumping to conclusions." I looked up, eyes teary, "Who is she to you? Fiancée or ex-girlfriend?" "My sister." I was completely dumbfounded. This kind of plot from a short video actually happened to me, and I even said I was Matthew's daughter in front of his sister. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. So, Matthew and I officially moved in together. Since it was Matthew's apartment, he set three rules for me. First, when he's not home, I must lock the doors and windows and not walk around in his shirt to avoid being seen by his lab mates who might visit. Second, if something comes up and I can't come home on time, I must inform him in advance, or there will be a week of silent treatment. Third, I'm not allowed to wear revealing clothes to events with the opposite s*x. If discovered, all will be confiscated. Ha, these three rules constantly remind me to uphold proper behavior and not stray. How untrustworthy do I seem? Although I wasn't as busy as Matthew, there was a period when he was practically living in the lab every day. But even as a freshman medical student, I wasn't exactly free from responsibilities. My English wasn't very good, and I often found it difficult to read foreign medical journals, often staying up late with a dictionary to study, so I tried not to disturb him. Even so, I would still find time to read books by my favorite suspense novelist, Alex Huang. One chapter described a husband who killed his wife for a hefty insurance payout, dismembered her, and flushed her remains down the toilet. I tutted, amazed at how complicated people can be, lamenting how some men could harm their partners so easily. Matthew wouldn't do that; he loved me so deeply. In the middle of the night, my phone fell under the bed with a heavy thud. In a daze, I reached out to grab it and accidentally touched a stack of draft paper. It was just sitting there in plain sight. Curiosity got the best of me, so I pulled it out to read. At first, I was captivated by Matthew's elegant handwriting, but as I read on, it started to feel increasingly unsettling.