Unraveled

The pill

Gu Quan's chewing paused for a heartbeat, then she calmly took another bite. She ate slowly, like a rabbit nibbling greens. Her face betrayed nothing, but Yuan Ye noticed the tips of her ears had flushed red.

She said nothing, simply staring at him as if lost in thought.

When the beef was ready, Yuan Ye cut it into slices with scissors and slid them into her plate. She shook her head. "I'm dieting. No meat at night."

He placed it in front of her anyway. "No meat, no strength."

She surprised him by nodding. "You're right. The night's still long."

He chuckled, but her gaze sharpened, teasing. "Though, judging from last time, I won't need much strength. One bite of meat will be enough."

Yuan Ye narrowed his eyes. This meeting was turning out to be more interesting than he'd expected.

Gu Quan had planned to leave immediately after, but after a shower at the hotel, she lay down on the other bed and drifted off.

Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing steady. With her makeup washed away, her face looked almost translucent, like ink blurred on paper—faint, softened, strangely soothing to look at. Yuan Ye, towel in hand, dried his damp hair while studying her. He reached out to brush her skin—smooth, warm—and smiled before pulling back. He changed clothes and left quietly.

When Gu Quan woke the next morning, it was already ten. Last night had dragged past two or three in the morning—so different from the first time. She regretted the reckless words she'd used to provoke him over dinner. Youthful energy was no joke.

Already late for work, she called in for half a day's leave, then returned home to change and put on makeup before heading to the office.

Her phone buzzed—Yuan Ye on her alt WeChat account:

I left first. Don't forget to check out. By the way, should we split the hotel bill? I'm still a student.

Checking out, she glanced at the bill, then transferred him half. He accepted, replying:

Gu Quan, I really like you.

She ignored him. She didn't know him well, but she knew that word—like—he'd probably handed out to plenty of other women before.

On the way home, a sudden thought chilled her. Something was off. Last night…by the third round, hadn't the condoms run out?

Maybe she misremembered, but just in case, she stopped at a pharmacy for emergency contraception. As she paid, a bright, familiar voice called out:

"Quan-jie?"

Gu Quan turned to see a round-faced young woman—Mo Li—smiling brightly at her.

At that moment, the pharmacist handed Gu Quan the pills. "Take within 24 hours for best effect."

Mo Li's smile froze as her eyes flicked to the box. She knew exactly what it was. Adults didn't need explanations. With a quick laugh, she shifted topics. "My eyes have been irritated lately, just came to buy eye drops, haha."

Gu Quan slipped the box into her pocket, her expression calm. Dressed in her toggle coat and barefaced, she looked younger, softer than she did at work.

"You live nearby? Not in the dorms?" she asked casually.

Mo Li nodded. "Mm, I'm local. My family's in the next neighborhood, so no need for campus housing."

Gu Quan's heart skipped, but she smiled faintly and left.

She certainly wasn't about to reveal, I live here too. If Mo Li were the clingy type to suggest walking to work together every day, it would suffocate her.

She preferred solitude. Always had.