The bedroom lights were dimmed, as if to deliberately blur the line between the absurd. My fingers were stiff from gripping the hem of my nightgown, and the coldness of the door against my back helped to sober me up a little.
Qi Sili sat on the edge of the bed, moonlight leaking in thru the gap in the curtains, outlining his thin figure. He wasn't wearing his glasses today, and his eyebrows and eyes looked particularly cold in the shadows. He had an unlit cigaret between his fingers, and was unconsciously turning it around - I knew this was a sign of his irritability.
Zhao Mingyuan leaned against the wardrobe, his arms crossed over his chest, the sleeves of his T-shirt revealing tight muscle lines. He still had a smile on his lips, but there was no warmth in his eyes: "Teacher Qi, are you sure you want to play like this?" The end of his sentence was heavily emphasized, as if he was chewing on some kind of betrayal.
My throat tightened. The undercurrents between them were more frightening than open hostility – the bed, which should have been the most intimate place, had become a shared execution ground for the three of them.
Qi Sili finally looked up at Zhao Mingyuan, his voice as light as tearing paper: "Didn't you want her to move in?"
Zhao Mingyuan sneered and suddenly strode over to pinch my chin. His fingertips had the rough feeling of mineral sand, and the strength was controlled just right, so it would not hurt me, but I could not break free: "Poor thing, what are you shaking?" His breath sprayed on my ear, but he was talking to Qi Sili, "Look, she's so scared she's about to cry."
Qi Sili's cigaret broke. When he stood up, he brought a gust of pine ink fragrance. At the moment he grabbed Zhao Mingyuan's wrist, I heard a light "click" sound from his knuckles: "Don't touch her."
The air froze into ice.
Zhao Mingyuan finally showed real anger in his eyes. He suddenly shook off Qi Sili's hand, with such force that Qi Sili staggered. He pulled his collar loose, and the sound of the fabric rubbing was particularly harsh in the silent room. The bite mark on his collarbone that had not yet disappeared was dark red under the light, like a silent accusation.
"What are you pretending to be now, a gentleman?" he sneered, his voice very low, but every word was barbed, "Last month in the study, you weren't like this at all—"
"Enough!" Qi Sili suddenly raised his voice. His voice, which had always been gentle, was now like a taut string, almost breaking. His chest rose and fell violently, an abnormal red appeared on his pale face, and his fingers clenched and released, as if he was trying to restrain something.
I stood to one side, my whole body cold, my fingers unconsciously twisting the fabric of my nightgown. Zhao Mingyuan's gaze swept over, carrying a certain sharp scrutiny, and then turned back to Qi Sili, the corners of his lips hooking up in a mocking arc.
"What, you can't say it in front of her?" He took a step forward, reached out and grabbed the back of Qi Sili's neck, the strength was not light or heavy, but with an irresistible strength, "Or... you actually enjoy this three-person game?"
Qi Sili's eyelashes trembled violently, but he did not dodge. The distance between them was so close that they could almost exchange breaths. Zhao Mingyuan lowered his head, his nose almost touching his ear, and his voice was very low, but every word was clear: "You know better than anyone else that I hate people touching my things."
Qi Sili pushed him away suddenly, with such force that Zhao Mingyuan took half a step back. His fingertips were trembling, but his voice was as cold as ice: "Zhao Mingyuan, you should know when to stop."
Zhao Mingyuan sneered, but his eyes fell on me, with a dangerous meaning. He suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me between the two. My back was against Qi Sili's chest, and I could clearly feel his suddenly tense muscles.
"What are you afraid of?" Zhao Mingyuan looked down at me, his thumb rubbing my wrist bone, the strength ambiguous and tough, "Haven't you been observing how we usually get along?"
Qi Sili's hand suddenly rested on my shoulder, his fingertips icy. He used a little force to pull me back a step, his voice returning to its usual calm, but with an unquestionable meaning: "Yan Yan, you go back first."
I almost fled the room in a panic. The moment I closed the door, I heard a dull thud of something hitting the ground, accompanied by Zhao Mingyuan's suppressed sneer: "Qi Sili, you're really good at acting."
The corridor was lit with a ghastly white light. I leaned against the wall, my heart pounding. I could hear the faint sound of fabric rubbing together, and low, indistinct voices, occasionally punctuated by a muffled groan. I didn't dare think about what was happening inside. I could only bite my lip until I tasted blood.
I almost fled. As I closed the door, I heard the sound of ceramics breaking. I didn't know who had smashed the celadon cup they had picked out together. The moonlight turned the corridor a ghastly white. I squatted down and hugged my knees, finally understanding that in this agreement, all three of us were prisoners.