The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

For dinner, Ouyang Qian chose a Michelin one-star European restaurant. The environment was quiet, with tables spaced far apart, and candlelight flickering on the glass.

Lin Feng ordered a seared duck breast with red wine sauce, and also got steak and roasted vegetables. The dishes were beautifully presented, though the portions were half the size of the German meal they had at lunch, but the taste was much better.

As the meal progressed, the two became more relaxed, discussing everything from German cuisine to European social customs, then to differences in aesthetics between China and other countries, and finally circling back to relationships.

After drinking half a bottle of red wine, Ouyang Qian's complexion was rosier than usual, and she spoke more frankly. Lin Feng asked her if she had ever seriously liked anyone. She thought for a moment and said that she had a senior in college, but they drifted apart after graduation.

After that, it was all about work, taking care of my daughter, and paying off the mortgage; I didn't have the energy to think about these things.

"So what do you think of a man like me?" Lin Feng asked, following her lead.

"A man like you is toxic." Ouyang Qian held her wine glass, her gaze direct in the candlelight. "Women easily fall for you if they spend too much time with you, so I have to keep my distance. Otherwise, I'll end up being one of those women waiting in line in your harem, which would be such a waste."

"You're quite clear-headed."

"How could you have worked for me for so long if you weren't sober?" She chuckled, tilted her head back, and finished the glass of red wine. "Let's go back to the hotel. We still have a free day tomorrow."

Back at the hotel, Ouyang Qian didn't go back to her own room but followed Lin Feng into room 501. She kicked off her high heels and sank into the single sofa by the window, draping her legs over the armrests, her skirt slipping down to her upper thighs.

After a long day of running around, the light blue strapless bodycon dress had become a little loose at the top. As she sank into the sofa, her breasts spilled out from the edge of the dress, and her fair skin looked as if it were wrapped in a delicate glow under the warm light.

As if completely unaware, or perhaps completely indifferent, she tilted her head to look out the window, her breathing very light.

"Your room has a bigger window than mine," she said.

"They're about the same size, aren't they?" Lin Feng poured two glasses of water and handed one to her.

He rolled over on the sofa, crossed his legs, picked up a glass of water, took a sip, and asked, "What are the plans for tomorrow? Spend another day in Berlin, then fly to Copenhagen the day after?"

"Sure. You can arrange the itinerary in Northern Europe," Lin Feng said.

Ouyang Qian took out her phone from her handbag and scrolled through it. "I looked it up on the way here. I can fly directly from Copenhagen to Oslo, then take the train to Stockholm. That route can be completed in five or six days. One and a half days in Denmark, two days in Norway, one and a half days in Sweden, and then I can go back to China from Stockholm."

"You decide."

"Okay." She put down her phone, leaned back on the sofa, and looked up at the ceiling. After a few seconds, she suddenly said, "Tell me, if we ever cross that line, will you treat me the same way you treat other women?"

Lin Feng leaned against the bed, slowly twisting the cap off a mineral water bottle in his hand. "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"It just popped into my head." She looked away from the rooftop and turned to look at him. "You don't need to answer seriously. I was just thinking about it casually. I hope that day will never come."

The central air conditioning was running at a low volume. Ouyang Qian sat on the sofa for almost an hour, chatting idly with Lin Feng, her eyelids gradually drooping.

Around midnight, she sat up, yawned, and said, "I'm going back to sleep. I spent three hours arguing with a foreigner today, and I'm really tired."

Lin Feng escorted her to the door, and as he opened it, she suddenly leaned in and touched his cheek with her lips. Before he could react, she had already turned and walked out, closing the door behind her.

A half-spoken "Goodnight" drifted in through the crack in the door, its tone languid.

The two spent the next day exploring Berlin.

We first visited the Berlin Cathedral and several museums on Museum Island. Ouyang Qian stared at a sketch by Dürer for a long time, saying that she had only seen it in art books before.

Lin Feng didn't know much about these things, but he stood beside her watching intently and didn't urge her. In the afternoon, they went to Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall ruins. There were many tourists, and several people dressed as soldiers were taking photos with passersby.

Ouyang Qian took some photos with Lin Feng in front of the Berlin Wall, saying she would send them to Niu Niu to see. In the evening, they returned to the vicinity of the hotel and went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner.

The food was so-so, but at least it had that wok-fried aroma, and Lin Feng ate more than he had in the previous days. Seeing him enjoying his meal, Ouyang Qian said that if she had known he wouldn't like Western food, she should have found a Chinese restaurant on the first day.

It was almost nine o'clock when I got back to the hotel.

Lin Feng poured Ouyang Qian a glass of warm water and brought it to her. He found her curled up on the sofa, looking much worse than during the day, and her voice was very nasal.

I reached out and touched her forehead; it was a little hot. The hotel doctor examined her and said it was nothing serious, just a common cold, probably due to jet lag and being chilled. The doctor prescribed three packets of medicated powder, saying to take it twice a day and get plenty of rest.

After taking her medicine, Ouyang Qian leaned back on the sofa, her eyes closed and silent. Lin Feng took her blanket from the closet, spread it out, and hung her coat, which she had casually tossed on the sofa, back in the closet. Ouyang Qian half-opened her eyes, smiled, and said, "Mr. Lin, you really know how to take care of people."

"You're only just finding out?"

"No wonder you have so many women around you. You're rich, beautiful, and considerate. Even if I were a few years younger, I wouldn't be able to escape them." She coughed twice after saying that, her voice a little hoarse.

"Speak less and go to sleep early." Lin Feng placed her slippers by the bed, dimmed the light, and straightened up, saying, "I'll go boil some water for you. If you get thirsty in the middle of the night, pour it yourself."

Where are you going?

"Just taking a walk around the neighborhood to get some fresh air."

"Don't go too far." Her voice came muffled from under the covers.

Lin Feng went downstairs and walked to the hotel entrance.

The night was cool, and there were few pedestrians on the street.

He recalled the red-light district he had mentioned to Ouyang Qian during a casual chat. Berlin's red-light district was famous throughout Europe. Just then, his driver, Will, was smoking in the rest area outside the hotel. When he saw Lin Feng come out, he came up to greet him.

Lin Feng gestured to him for a few moments, and Will immediately nodded, saying he would drive him there and it would only take twenty minutes.

On the way, Will gave a brief introduction in broken English, saying that Berlin's red-light district is legal, with government-issued licenses, and that every shop operates openly and is overseen by the police.

Lin Feng said he was just taking a look around and wouldn't go in. Will smiled in the rearview mirror but didn't reply.

Upon arriving at their destination, Lin Feng got out of the car and told Will to wait at the intersection. He then took out one hundred euros from his pocket and handed it to Will. Will took it and thanked him repeatedly, saying he would wait there.

Lin Feng walked slowly down the street alone.

The place was more orderly than he had imagined.