You're Finished

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, lazily spilling across the beige carpet in the living room. Tiny motes of dust drifted through the air like countless golden sprites dancing.

Gu Yue sat cross-legged on the soft sofa, an illustrated book spread across her knees, but her gaze never touched its pages. Her eyes were glued to the enormous LCD television ahead, where a meticulously crafted sugary romance drama was playing—the male and female leads stood beneath cherry blossom trees, the background music sweet enough to make one gag, pink bubbles nearly overflowing from the screen.

The camera slowly zoomed in, capturing every subtle expression as the two drew closer. Gu Yue's fingertips curled unconsciously, leaving faint creases along the edge of the book's pages.

For some inexplicable reason, her heartbeat sped up. A long-forgotten flutter, warm and tender, quietly spread through her chest.

The drama moved quickly, and the ambiguous atmosphere fermented in the air. The male lead leaned down slightly, while the female lead closed her eyes. Just as their lips were about to meet, Gu Yue instinctively held her breath and leaned forward, as though she wanted to move closer to the glow of the screen.

She could even clearly hear her own pounding heartbeat, while a faint blush spread across her cheeks. In her mind, the male lead on the screen blurred away, replaced by Tang Wulin's face, always carrying that sunshine-like smile. The loose strands of hair over his forehead, the slight furrow of his brows when he focused, the warmth in those clear eyes whenever he looked at her—warmth like spring water just beginning to thaw...

With him... on a sunlit field... A clear yet bashful thought surfaced beyond her control. Gu Yue could even imagine his clean, refreshing scent and the sensation of those warm palms carefully cupping her cheeks.

An indescribable tingling burst from her heart and swiftly spread through every limb. It felt as if her whole body had been soaked in a jar of warm honey, nearly melting away. She closed her eyes, and a cloyingly sweet smile unconsciously curved her lips, one she herself had not even noticed.

Whoosh.

The abrupt, loud sound of the television shutting off was like an icy stone smashing into that soft, sweet bubble, shattering it in an instant.

Gu Yue abruptly opened her eyes. Before that enchanting dream could fade, she saw the television screen suddenly go dark, leaving only the dim blue standby light reflecting off her stunned face.

The lingering pink bubbles in the air had been completely burst by that rough interruption, leaving behind only cold reality.

"Xie Xie!!" Gu Yue sprang from the sofa. The tenderness nurtured by the romance drama and her fantasies was instantly replaced by fury, her voice rising with an unmistakable tremble.

She did not even stop to look for her slippers. Barefoot on the slightly cool floor, she rushed several steps forward and charged straight at Xie Xie, who had just wandered out of the kitchen.

Xie Xie still had half a potato chip hanging from his mouth, chewing with an innocent expression. Seeing Gu Yue's murderous look, he finally realized what he had done. He instinctively tried to back away, but it was already too late.

"What are you doing?! I was right at the best part!" Gu Yue trembled with rage, the grievance and anger of being forcibly interrupted rushing straight to her head.

She grabbed the nearest thing at hand—the slipper she had kicked off earlier, now lying alone beside the coffee table leg—clutched it in her hand, and raised it high as if to smash it at him.

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, miss!" Xie Xie let out a strange cry and nimbly dodged, trying to evade the "slipper missile." Even as he fled, he stubbornly argued, "What kind of garbage show is that? It's sickeningly sweet! The guy's putting on an act, the girl's acting all precious. What's so good about it? It's a complete waste of electricity! I'm saving us power bills, get it?"

"What the fuck do you know?!" Gu Yue could not listen to his crooked nonsense at all. Her rage had made her lose reason as she chased him all over the living room.

Xie Xie ran around the sofa, and she chased him around it. Xie Xie darted into the dining room, and she charged in right after him. The slipper carved furious arcs through the air, flying past Xie Xie's scalp several times and scaring him into shrieking.

"Tang Wulin! Control your woman!" Xie Xie cried for help at Tang Wulin, who had just come out of the study, while fleeing in a miserable state. The last of his innocent expression had long been replaced by panic, and he did not even notice the chip crumbs falling all over him.

Hearing the commotion, Tang Wulin hurried out and was met with a scene of utter chaos: Gu Yue was barefoot, her long hair slightly disheveled, her face flushed red with anger as she swung a slipper at Xie Xie in a "one-sided violent eviction." Meanwhile, Xie Xie was like a thief chased by a vicious dog, scrambling between the furniture in constant peril.

"What happened?" Tang Wulin's brows furrowed slightly, but he could not suppress the amusement in his eyes. He knew Gu Yue too well. At times like this, she was like a little cat whose tail had been stepped on—fierce and adorable.

"He! He turned off my TV! Ruined everything! Crushed my dreams!" Seeing Tang Wulin, Gu Yue seemed to find her backbone. Her accusation came with a tearful quiver, and even the finger she pointed at Xie Xie with was trembling.

"Pfft—" Xie Xie had just dodged another slipper when he could not resist mocking her again. "What dreams? That's unrequited love, okay? You can make up an eighty-episode drama just from staring at a screen. Comrade Gu Yue, if you used that imagination on cultivation, you'd have broken through to Title Douluo long ago!"

"Say that again!" Gu Yue was so furious that her eyes reddened.

Tang Wulin looked at Xie Xie's punchable face, then at Gu Yue's aggrieved expression as she tried to keep up a fierce front, and sighed helplessly. He stepped forward, but instead of immediately stopping Gu Yue, he precisely intercepted Xie Xie as he tried to slip away.

"Xie Xie, stop fooling around." Tang Wulin's voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable force. With a twist of his arm, he easily pinned Xie Xie's hands behind his back and pressed him firmly against the cold floor. Caught off guard, Xie Xie slammed face-first into the carpet with a muffled grunt.

"Ow! Tang Wulin, what are you doing?! Trying to murder your husband? No, wait, murder your roommate?!" Xie Xie struggled uselessly with all four limbs, cursing under his breath.

"You were the one who disturbed the peace first." Tang Wulin held him steady, then looked up at Gu Yue with gentle eyes. "Gu Yue, calm down. Xie Xie has a loose mouth. I'll make him apologize to you."

"Apologize? Is he worthy?" Gu Yue's chest was still heaving violently, but seeing Xie Xie so easily subdued by Tang Wulin, the anger with nowhere to go finally seemed to find an outlet.

She walked over to Xie Xie and looked down at his miserable form sprawled on the floor. Raising the slipper, she made as if to hit him again.

Xie Xie was scared out of his wits. "Don't! Ancestor! Madam! I was wrong! I was really wrong! I deserve to die a thousand deaths! I'll turn the TV back on right now and put it back exactly where it was! I swear I'll never turn off your TV again! Please spare me! Have mercy—"

"Too late!" Gu Yue gritted her teeth. The slipper still came down, smacking Xie Xie hard on the head with a crisp smack.

"Ahh—! Tang Wulin! Let me go already! No loyalty! Choosing women over friends! You're abandoning a friend in danger! I'm telling Xu Xiaoyan you bullied me!" Xie Xie cried out in pain, struggling even harder.

"Xu Xiaoyan is already on her way. Stop acting." Tang Wulin replied calmly, the strength in his hands not wavering in the slightest.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of the keypad lock came from the entryway. The door opened, and Xu Xiaoyan walked in with a bag slung over her shoulder, wearing an expression that said, "I knew it." Her eyes swept over the scene: Xie Xie pinned to the floor, Gu Yue holding a slipper with anger still lingering on her face, and Tang Wulin standing to the side with a helpless expression that clearly favored Gu Yue.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Xu Xiaoyan tossed her bag onto the sofa, walked over to Xie Xie in a few strides, and crouched beside him. Gloating, she patted his flushed face. "Xie Xie, so you have a day like this too? Turning off a young lady's 'spiritual nourishment' and ruining her girlish fantasies—your crime is simply unforgivable."

"Xu Xiaoyan! Hurry up and help me! These two are accomplices! Kidnapping! Abuse!" Seeing a savior, Xie Xie desperately winked at Xu Xiaoyan.

Xu Xiaoyan glanced at him, a wicked curve forming on her lips. "Help you? I think you need something extra." As she spoke, she somehow produced a roll of nylon zip ties—probably spare gear she had brought for self-defense during a previous outing—and swiftly bound Xie Xie's wrists tightly behind his back.

"Hey! This is illegal detention! I'm calling the police! I'm calling 110!" Xie Xie was completely dumbfounded. The restraint around his wrists and the slight sting from the nylon ties digging into his skin instantly deflated him.

"Call the police? Go ahead." Xu Xiaoyan stood up, folding her arms as she looked at him leisurely. "Tell them you attempted to harass a woman and were subdued and tied up by the victim, her boyfriend, and her best friend. The evidence is conclusive. When the officers arrive, they'll probably educate you first, make you write a sincere self-criticism, then send you home. So? Sound familiar?"

"..." Xie Xie opened his mouth but could not say a single word. He could only glare at the ceiling in silent protest.

Watching Xie Xie receive his full "sentence," the resentment in Gu Yue's heart finally eased somewhat. She tossed the slipper back beside the coffee table, walked over barefoot, and lightly kicked Xie Xie in the calf with her toes. Snorting coldly, she said, "Serves you right! For being so handsy! For having such a loose mouth! For ruining my good moment! Satisfied now?"

"Satisfied my ass! Gu Yue, you're ruthless! Tang Wulin, you're inhuman! Xu Xiaoyan, you're kicking me while I'm down!" Though Xie Xie could not move, his mouth was still functioning. His momentum, however, had greatly weakened, and his bravado sounded feeble.

Tang Wulin released the hand holding Xie Xie down, but he did not untie the zip ties. Instead, he pulled him up from the floor and let him sit leaning against the sofa. Xie Xie was free of physical restraint, but with his hands bound, he still looked utterly miserable.

"All right, enough from everyone." Tang Wulin tried to smooth things over, then turned to Gu Yue, his tone softening. "Are you still angry? Want me to turn the TV back on so we can watch with you? Or... shall we go out for something nice to eat and cheer you up?"

The last trace of displeasure in Gu Yue's heart vanished. She glanced at Xie Xie, who was futilely wriggling like a fish out of water, and nearly laughed again. But for the sake of pride, she merely kept a straight face and gave an "Mm," accepting Tang Wulin's suggestion.

"Let's go, let's eat! My treat! I'll take this loss!" In order to get out of this predicament as quickly as possible, Xie Xie could only grit his teeth and make the announcement loudly.

"You're treating? With your hands tied up?" Xu Xiaoyan immediately tore him down, laughing so hard she swayed.

"Xu Xiaoyan! Just you wait! Once I get these damn ties off, you'll regret it!" Xie Xie threatened in exasperation, though it carried no intimidation whatsoever.

"I'm sooo scared~" Xu Xiaoyan made a face at him, then linked arms with Gu Yue and affectionately swayed her arm. "All right, ignore this unlucky fool. Sister Gu Yue, what do you want to eat? I know a newly opened place with an amazing atmosphere. Perfect for soothing a wounded heart and shattered girlish dreams."

"Sounds good." Gu Yue nodded. Her mood had completely improved, and she had even begun considering what she wanted to order.

Tang Wulin smiled in agreement and took out his phone to search for the restaurant's location.

And so, the living room presented this scene: Gu Yue had her arm linked with Xu Xiaoyan's, Tang Wulin was checking his phone beside them, and the three chatted and laughed as they prepared to head out. Meanwhile, the forgotten Xie Xie sat pitifully against the sofa in the corner, conspicuous zip ties around his wrists like a piece of luggage mistakenly discarded, able only to watch the "alliance of assailants" happily plan a feast that he was destined to miss.

"Hey! You're really just leaving me here?!" Xie Xie shouted unwillingly.

"We are. Who told you to make Gu Yue angry?" Xu Xiaoyan waved without looking back. "Reflect on your mistakes! We'll save you a takeout box for dinner. Remember to pay!"

"..." Xie Xie completely collapsed onto the sofa, letting out a despairing groan. "Why is my life so miserable..."

However, when Gu Yue reached the door, her steps paused. She looked back at Xie Xie sprawled on the sofa like a salted fish. A highly complicated glint passed through her amethyst-purple eyes—seven parts delight at her successful revenge, three parts helplessness at his miserable state. She withdrew her gaze, smiled at Tang Wulin and Xu Xiaoyan, and her smile was clean and bright. "Let's go eat."

The instant the security door closed, only Xie Xie and the slipper forgotten beside the coffee table remained in the living room. Amid the silence, Xu Xiaoyan's clear laughter could still faintly be heard outside, along with Tang Wulin's gentle reply and Gu Yue's silver-bell-like chuckle after being amused.

And inside the door, one culprit's wails had only just begun.