Chapter 1

Drunken mistakes.

When I woke up next to Duan Chen, those were the only words running through my head.

Duan Chen’s bare arm was draped over my waist, his scorching breath brushing against the side of my neck.

The dull ache in my lower back was still there. I took a deep breath, propped myself up, and reached for the pack of cigarettes on the bedside table.

I had barely moved when Duan Chen woke up.

His voice, still husky from sleep, carried a lingering sensuality, tinged with desire. “Morning, babe.”

He didn’t even know who I was.

I took another deep breath and slapped his face lightly. “Duan Chen, open your eyes and take a good look at who I am.”

It was visible-his body stiffened instantly.

He opened his eyes, met my gaze, then rubbed them as if trying to shake off the haze of sleep.

Finally, he sat up, running his fingers through his hair, which now looked like a bird’s nest. “Pass me a cigarette too.”

The two of us shared a “post-event cigarette” in the early hours of the morning. Duan Chen was the first to break the silence. “Not bad. Good figure, nice feel.”

I had waited half an eternity for him to say something, only to nearly choke to death on my cigarette at his words.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hand lift slightly, as if he was about to pat my back. But halfway through, he hesitated, then let it drop.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility for this. You won’t be someone nobody wants anymore,” Duan Chen joked.

Twelve years of living side by side-I knew him well.

He might act like he didn’t care, cracking jokes and playing it cool, but deep down, he was clearly uncomfortable.

After all, Duan Chen was a heterosexual man.

Not exactly a playboy, but he’d had his fair share of girlfriends.

He introduced every single one of them to me.

I knew his type-long black hair, big eyes, petite face, soft waist, slender legs.

None of which had anything to do with me.

I smiled at him, then raised my leg and kicked him hard. “Get lost. We’re both men-what’s with the melodrama?”

The blanket slid down, exposing my upper body, which was covered in bruises and marks.

The atmosphere, which had just started to ease, turned awkward again.

Seeing Duan Chen grow increasingly uncomfortable, I sent him off to buy breakfast.

“This whole thing-let’s just treat it as an accident. It’s over and done with.”