Chapter 11: The Crack and the Silk（第十一章：裂痕与丝绸）

　　薇薇安浴室的水声停了。我退回到卧室的阴影里，像一个等待猎物放松警惕的捕食者。门开了，她走了出来，裹着一件厚厚的白色浴袍，头发用毛巾包着。浴袍的质地看起来很柔软，但将她包裹得严严实实，只露出小腿和脖颈。

　　The water sounds in Vivian's bathroom stopped. I retreated to the shadows of the bedroom, like a predator waiting for its prey to let its guard down. The door opened, and she emerged, wrapped in a thick white bathrobe, her hair bundled in a towel. The robe looked soft but covered her completely, only revealing her calves and neck.

　　她没有直接去护肤或休息，而是走到衣帽间那面巨大的镜子前。她解开头上的毛巾，湿漉漉的头发披散下来。她拿起吹风机，但并没有立即使用，而是只是看着镜中的自己。那一刻，她脸上没有任何表情，不是疲惫，也不是冷漠，而是一种…空洞。仿佛卸下了所有社会角色后，内核只剩下一片虚无。这种空洞，比凯莉的喜怒形于色更让我感到震撼。这是另一种形式的脆弱，更深层，更不易察觉。

　　She didn't go straight to skincare or rest but walked to the large mirror in the walk-in closet. She unwrapped the towel, and her wet hair fell loose. She picked up the hairdryer but didn't use it immediately; she just looked at her reflection in the mirror. At that moment, her face was completely expressionless—not tired, not cold, but... empty. It was as if, after shedding all social roles, only a void remained at her core. This emptiness shocked me more than Kylie's expressive emotions. It was another form of vulnerability, deeper, less easily noticed.

　　她开始吹头发，动作熟练而机械。吹风机的噪音掩盖了我可能发出的任何细微声响。我大胆地靠近了一些，目光落在她浴袍的领口。随着她抬手的动作，领口偶尔会微微松开，露出一点点锁骨和胸口肌肤的细腻光泽。那惊鸿一瞥的风景，在这种禁欲式的氛围下，竟显得格外诱人。

　　She started blow-drying her hair, her movements practiced and mechanical. The noise of the hairdryer masked any slight sounds I might make. I grew bolder, moving closer, my gaze fixed on the collar of her robe. As she raised her arms, the collar occasionally loosened slightly, revealing a glimpse of her collarbone and the delicate sheen of the skin on her chest. That fleeting glimpse was incredibly alluring in this ascetic atmosphere.

　　头发吹到半干，她停了下来。她走到衣帽间深处的一个抽屉前，打开它。里面整齐地叠放着睡衣。她的手指在几件丝绸睡衣上滑过，最终选择了一件深蓝色的吊带睡裙。那丝绸的质感，即使在昏暗的光线下，也流动着柔和的光泽。

　　When her hair was half-dry, she stopped. She walked to a drawer deep within the walk-in closet and opened it. Inside were neatly folded pajamas. Her fingers滑过 several silk nightgowns, finally settling on a dark blue camisole nightdress. The silk had a soft sheen, even in the dim light.

　　然后，她做了一件让我屏住呼吸的事。她背对着卧室的方向，解开了浴袍的腰带。厚重的浴袍从她肩头滑落，堆在脚边。霎时间，她的整个背部毫无保留地展现在我眼前。皮肤白皙，肩胛骨的线条清晰优美，脊柱沟一路向下，隐没在睡裙即将覆盖的区域。她的身材比在西装套裙下看起来更加纤细和柔美。没有一丝赘肉，像一件精心打磨的白瓷艺术品。这突如其来的“馈赠”让我大脑一片空白，只能贪婪地用目光吞噬这景象。

　　Then, she did something that made me hold my breath. With her back to the bedroom, she untied the belt of the bathrobe. The heavy robe slid from her shoulders, pooling at her feet. Instantly, her entire back was revealed to me without reservation. Her skin was pale, the lines of her shoulder blades clear and graceful, the spinal groove leading down, disappearing where the nightgown would soon cover. Her figure was more slender and delicate than it appeared under her suit skirts. Not a trace of excess fat, like a meticulously crafted porcelain artwork. This sudden "gift" left my mind blank; I could only greedily devour the sight with my eyes.

　　她迅速地将丝绸睡裙套上。深蓝色的丝绸贴合着她的身体曲线，勾勒出含蓄而优雅的轮廓。当她转过身来时，睡裙的吊带衬得她的锁骨更加分明。她脸上恢复了那种惯有的、略带疏离的平静。她将浴袍捡起，走向浴室旁的洗衣篮——那是一个隐藏在门后的、设计精巧的嵌入式篮子。

　　She quickly slipped the silk nightgown over her head. The dark blue silk clung to her curves, outlining a subtle and elegant silhouette. When she turned around, the straps of the nightgown accentuated her collarbones. Her face had regained its usual, slightly aloof composure. She picked up the bathrobe and walked towards the laundry basket next to the bathroom—a cleverly designed built-in basket hidden behind a door.

　　就是现在！在她将浴袍扔进洗衣篮的瞬间，我的心跳加速。那件浴袍，还带着她刚出浴的体温和水汽，是比任何一件外出服都更私密的物品。我耐心地等待她走向梳妆台进行睡前护肤。

　　Now! The moment she tossed the bathrobe into the laundry basket, my heart raced. That robe, still carrying her body warmth and moisture from the bath, was a more intimate item than any outerwear. I waited patiently as she walked to the dressing table for her nighttime skincare routine.

　　十几分钟后，她终于关灯上床。卧室陷入黑暗和寂静。我像幽灵一样飘到洗衣篮旁。篮子里东西不多，除了刚扔进去的浴袍，还有她今天换下的衬衫和内衣。内衣是浅灰色的，蕾丝精致，款式简约，与她整体的风格一致。我小心翼翼地伸出手，指尖先触碰到的是那件浴袍。厚实的绒面质感，湿润感已经不明显，但确实能感觉到比周围空气更暖一些。我犹豫了一下。浴袍太大，不易携带。我的目标转向了那套浅灰色的内衣。我将它们轻轻抽出，丝绸衬衫的触感冰凉顺滑，而内衣则更加柔软。我迅速将它们卷起，塞进我随身携带的薄袋子里。

　　After over ten minutes, she finally turned off the light and got into bed. The bedroom fell into darkness and silence. I floated like a ghost to the laundry basket. There weren't many items inside—just the recently discarded robe, the blouse she had worn today, and her underwear. The underwear was light gray, with delicate lace, simple in style, consistent with her overall aesthetic. I carefully reached out. My fingertips first touched the robe. The thick terry cloth felt slightly damp, warmer than the surrounding air. I hesitated. The robe was too bulky to carry easily. My target shifted to the light gray lingerie set. I gently pulled them out. The silk blouse felt cool and smooth, while the underwear was even softer. I quickly rolled them up and stuffed them into the thin bag I carried with me.

　　得手后，我并没有立即离开。我站在卧室门口，回望床上那个模糊的轮廓。与闯入凯莉公寓时的躁动兴奋不同，此刻我心中有一种奇异的平静，甚至带着一丝莫名的敬畏。我成功地在这个完美堡垒上找到了一道裂痕，并窃取了一丝她的温度。薇薇安·里德，这位仿佛永远掌控一切的女人，在睡梦中也不过如此。而我，一个无形的存在，却分享了她最不设防的时刻。这种不对等的权力关系，是令我沉迷的毒药。

　　After securing the prize, I didn't leave immediately. I stood at the bedroom doorway, looking back at the模糊轮廓 on the bed. Unlike the restless excitement when I had entered Kylie's apartment, I felt a strange calmness, even a trace of inexplicable reverence. I had successfully found a crack in this perfect fortress and stolen a fragment of her warmth. Vivian Reed, this woman who seemed to always be in control, was just like anyone else in her sleep. And I, an invisible presence, shared her most defenseless moments. This unequal power dynamic was the intoxicating poison I craved.

　　我悄无声息地穿过客厅，目光扫过她放在玄关的那双高跟鞋。下次，或许可以带走一只？留下一点不易察觉的缺失，像在完美的画作上留下一道只有我自己知道的微小划痕。这个念头让我嘴角泛起一丝笑意。游戏，还在继续。

　　I slipped silently through the living room, my gaze sweeping over the high heels she had left by the entrance. Next time, perhaps I could take one? Leaving a barely noticeable absence, like a tiny scratch on a perfect painting, known only to me. The thought brought a faint smile to my lips. The game was still on.