Cocoon (Lily ABO) - Chapter 10

Han Jingman curled up on the bed until her tears finally ran dry and the pillowcase beneath her head was soaked through. Only then did her emotions gradually stabilize. She thought about getting up to bathe, but the moment her feet touched the ground, her legs felt impossibly weak; she nearly collapsed right there.

She caught herself on the edge of the bed frame just in time to avoid a clumsy fall. At the thought that this was caused by last night’s overindulgence, Han Jingman felt like fainting from sheer shame.

The semen Ling Yu had released during her climaxes last night had dried into white marks across Han Jingman’s lower abdomen and breasts. Han Jingman almost closed her eyes as she tremblingly wiped away the white stains on her body and the muddy, sticky mess between her legs.

After she finished bathing and began cleaning up the wreckage on the bed, a dried dark stain in the center of the light-colored sheets was particularly glaring, with small spots of semen splattered around it. Han Jingman’s hands felt as if they had been burned; she quickly tore the sheets off and threw them into the trash, not daring to look a second time.

Once she had hurriedly finished “destroying the evidence,” she curled back onto her spacious sofa and began to agonize over how this had all started. Finally, she remembered the car she had left in Wei Zhen’s garage and the handbag she’d forgotten in the backseat.

Glancing at the wall clock, she got up to change into light casual clothes, then picked up her landline to call an Uber to Wei Zhen’s house. In doing so, she naturally heard Chen Yiwei’s voicemail.

When Wei Zhen, wearing a white housecoat, pushed open her front door, she saw Han Jingman standing in front of her garden early in the morning talking to an Uber driver. Han Jingman looked up and gave her a smile that looked more painful than crying.

“Good morning, Wei Zhen…”

Watching silently as Wei Zhen paid the fare for her, Han Jingman followed her into the house. Sitting in the bright, clean living room, Han Jingman still hadn’t figured out how to start the conversation.

Wei Zhen, meanwhile, quietly observed the other woman’s bloodshot eyes; they were hard to miss. The kitchen coffee machine gave a rhythmic beep, and Wei Zhen went to pour two cups.

“Coffee.”

Han Jingman stared at the bone china cup pushed toward her on a small saucer. The freshly ground black coffee sent up wisps of steam. Han Jingman lowered her brows and took a sip; the bitterness immediately spread through her mouth.

The two sat in silence until they had finished their coffee. Only after absorbing enough caffeine did Han Jingman’s tense body relax. Rubbing the delicate porcelain handle of the cup, she hesitated for a moment before looking up at the silent Wei Zhen.

“Don’t you have anything to ask me?”

Wei Zhen poured a second cup. For lawyers, coffee was undoubtedly their “second life.” She slowly blew back the fine froth on the surface, the rising steam fogging up her glasses. Wei Zhen hooked her long fingers around the cup, a playful smirk touching the corner of her mouth.

“Ask what? Ask why Professor Han came to disturb my peace so early in the morning? Or ask why a young woman with no money on her is begging a friend for Uber fare in the street?”

Han Jingman was momentarily speechless. She knew her friend had always been sharp-tongued—it was no wonder Jian Ying was always driven to distraction by her.

Wei Zhen took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose with a sigh, looking at the conflicted and frustrated Han Jingman. “I stayed up all night organizing a client’s litigation. I have a flight to Chicago this afternoon. I’ll be on a business trip for the next few days. Are you planning to spend the whole morning spacing out here?”

Business trip?

Hearing that Wei Zhen was leaving this afternoon, Han Jingman snapped out of it and looked at the woman who seemed to perceive everything.

“I… Ling Yu and I… we…”

Han Jingman started to mumble, but after two words, she lowered her head again and fell silent.

“Did you and Ling Yu have a fight?” Wei Zhen asked. Given she’d been crying, the situation didn’t look optimistic. That kid usually looked like she’d give her heart and soul to Han Jingman, yet she actually had the ability to make her cry? Hah, she’s grown some backbone.

“No… it’s not that. Actually, it’s…”

Wei Zhen waited patiently for Han Jingman to stop stuttering.

“I slapped Ling Yu.”

“Hm?” Even though Wei Zhen had imagined many possibilities, she couldn’t help but be stunned by this. Han Jingman actually laid a hand on her precious “little darling” Ling Yu!

Before Wei Zhen could digest that, Han Jingman dropped an even bigger bombshell.

“I was in an induced heat last night… and Ling Yu and I… we slept together.”

After saying it, Han Jingman lowered her head even further, fearing the look of disgust in her friend’s eyes. But this was a consequence she should have anticipated, wasn’t it?

When Wei Zhen didn’t respond for a long time, Han Jingman looked up at her nervously. Opposite her, Wei Zhen was thoughtfully touching the bridge of her nose. After a while, she let out a half-smile.

Her friend had said she had a dinner date last night but couldn’t find parking in the plaza, so she parked her car at Wei Zhen’s house since it was nearby. It followed that the person Han Jingman was meeting last night was Ling Yu. Regardless, Wei Zhen was more interested in the news that they had actually done it.

Han Jingman bit her lip and asked, “Do you think I’m… disgusting?”

Wei Zhen uncrossed her long legs, set her coffee cup on the table, and looked at Han Jingman tenderly. She told her firmly: “No!”

“But I was despicable. I seduced my own student. She’s the sister I watched grow up.” Han Jingman’s voice began to choke up. The moral shackles pressing on her heart felt like a massive stone, making it hard to breathe.

“First of all, you aren’t blood-related; you’re just neighbors. Just because you’re a few years older doesn’t make you despicable. Secondly, Ling Yu is about to graduate; you won’t be teacher and student for much longer. As a lawyer, I can tell you quite responsibly: Ling Yu is a legal adult Alpha, not an underage child. As far as going to bed is concerned, neither of you broke the law.”

Han Jingman naturally understood that they were adults and that sex wasn’t a crime.

“Yiwei called me last night… but I… it’s my fault. He’s innocent.” Han Jingman’s clenched hands tightened, her voice heavy with nasality. “I betrayed our relationship. I’m going to break up with him.”

Wei Zhen gave a light cough. She asked Han Jingman, “Actually, have you ever thought about whether what you and Chen Yiwei have is actually love?”

Hearing this, a tearful Han Jingman looked at her in confusion.

“To be honest, back when Chen Yiwei was pursuing you, Jian Ying and I both felt you weren’t happy. Later, for some reason, you agreed to be with him, so we dropped it. But after you got together, that sense of ‘wrongness’ only grew stronger. In the eyes of outsiders, you’re an enviable couple—good looks, smart brains, you seem well-matched.

“But the fact is, when you two date, you don’t even hold hands. When you eat together, you always split the bill. Even when buying gifts, you ask for each other’s preferences—there’s no surprise at all. Most of the time you spend together is spent discussing research topics. You have none of the intimacy of a normal couple. Your speech and behavior are excessively polite; you haven’t even traveled together. I’ve often suspected you just view Chen Yiwei as a friend or an older brother, not a lover.”

Han Jingman looked at Wei Zhen in disbelief. Were she and Chen Yiwei really like that? Wei Zhen looked at her “lost-in-the-maze” friend and nodded.

“You’re familiar enough with Jian Ying and her exes. The whispering between lovers, the intimacy, the little secret gestures—you have none of that.” Wei Zhen picked up the cold coffee and drank it in one go.

It wasn’t until the day Han Jingman brought Ling Yu to meet them, introducing the “neighbor kid” she’d mentioned throughout her school years who was now her student, that the pride and joy in her tone became impossible to suppress.

And so Ling Yu had walked into their lives. From then on, whenever Wei Zhen saw them together—whether they were discussing a topic, ordering food, or just sitting together in silence—looking at the two of them was like looking at a beautiful painting.

“If you only want to break up with Chen Yiwei because you feel guilty, then I think the most important thing for you to figure out is: who do you truly love? Jian Ying and I don’t want to see you just following a predetermined path out of habit. You deserve to fight for better happiness.”

Wei Zhen usually didn’t talk much and often kept a cold face, but when she spoke, she could usually hit the mark. Hearing such rare, serious, and heartfelt words, Han Jingman’s nose stung as she fought back tears.

“Thank you, Wei Zhen.”

“Don’t mention it. Next time, just make the coffee yourself,” Wei Zhen replied, back to her usual self.

Han Jingman froze for a moment, then the corner of her mouth quirked up.

“If you’ve figured it out, grab your bag and drive home. I still need to pack for the airport,” Wei Zhen said, waving her away.

Han Jingman thought for a moment and made a decision. “Wei Zhen, you said you’re going to Chicago, right?”

Wei Zhen nodded hesitantly. “Why?”

“I’ve decided to go with you.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t want to see Ling Yu for a while, nor Chen Yiwei. We need some space to cool down.”

Since Han Jingman had decided, Wei Zhen didn’t object. A business trip was usually exhausting anyway; having Han Jingman along wasn’t a bad thing. And so, Han Jingman got her car and hurried back to her apartment to pack.

Wei Zhen called her assistant to book another ticket. Just as she was about to go upstairs to change, her phone rang. Looking at the screen, her cold face immediately softened. She pressed the answer button.

“Hello, Great Counselor Wei! Lawyer Wei! Black-hearted one! I’m back!”

The person on the other end sounded very happy, their crisp voice like wind chimes dancing across Wei Zhen’s heart.

“Mm. Welcome back… Jian Ying.”