David sat dejectedly on the sofa in the room, both hands clutching his chest and abdomen.
Ye Zhenzhen brought over a bottle of water and asked, "Are you okay?"
David shook his head, took the water and drank a sip. "Zhenzhen, I'm sorry. I didn't expect..."
"It's nothing. As long as you're okay. Do you want to go to the hospital?" Ye Zhenzhen interrupted him.
Just as Wang Yan had said, the beating was already done, so what was the point of saying so much?
Besides, she had warned him in advance. Even under those circumstances, David had deliberately provoked Wang Yan. Who could he blame? Even if he had been jealous because of her, he had gone too far.
Wang Yan had been perfectly amiable from beginning to end, without a single fault to find. David had been the one playing petty tricks, assuming Wang Yan would not do anything to him and daring to make sarcastic, snide remarks. That sort of behavior was truly unlikable. Wang Yan had been right: either come after me, or keep your mouth shut.
Trying to gain the upper hand verbally with such nasty intentions was not something David was qualified to do with Wang Yan. That required both sides to have a basically equal footing for conversation—where neither could do much to the other, or neither wished to. Then they could trade a few barbs, satisfy their tongues, and even let people admire the so-called art of speaking. But David clearly lacked a proper understanding of himself and had underestimated Wang Yan.
David said nothing more. He had no face left to say anything else. Nor did he want to stay here; he only wanted to leave as quickly as possible, return home, and embrace his wounded self alone. So he endured