Be Passionately In Love

What does a first kiss feel like? To Xu Zhi, it was like a cup of pre-rain tea—emerald green and translucent, with tender leaves unfurled to their fullest. Sipping the fragrant tea, accidentally brushing against those fresh green leaves—that was the taste of the boy. The initial flavor was a clean astringency, followed by a subtle sweetness lingering on the tongue.

Chen Luzhou’s scent of sage was actually quite deceptive. Only when she kissed him did she realize it carried the purest, cleanest essence of youth, like the most untouched blade of grass in a meadow, unweathered by storms and unshaped by artifice—refreshing yet fervent.

Chen Luzhou was pinned against the sofa, his legs casually spread apart, his posture unchanged. Xu Zhi sat on his left thigh, one arm hooked around his neck, the other cupping the side of his face to keep him from pulling away. He simply leaned back, holding her with one arm—restrained, his strong limb loosely draped around her waist, his palm hovering cautiously near her hip, not daring to fully embrace the soft curve of her slender waist. His other hand rested idly on his other knee, his head tilted slightly upward as he met her lips in clumsy, intermittent kisses.

The golden sun had fully set, and the moon hung dim yet gentle in the night sky. The sounds from the high school building remained unchanged—someone cursing at their gaming teammates, another scolding their child for watching TV, and yet another reciting endless poems and texts, uncertain of their future. Their own reckless, fervent kisses—soft and tentative—were lost in the mundane clamor of everyday life, carrying the most scorching innocence and an indescribable thrill.

It was as if sparks smoldered between them, ready to ignite at the slightest touch. Xu Zhi tried to press closer, but Chen Luzhou’s head tilted back slightly, his gaze flickering down at her from where it rested against the sofa. His usually sharp, clear eyes were now clouded and disordered, but with a faint, haughty glance to the side, he muttered, "The curtains aren’t drawn."

Xu Zhi took the hint. Though she didn’t understand why closing the curtains had become her responsibility, she knew Chen Luzhou’s reputation for propriety couldn’t afford to be ruined—if anyone saw him kissing a girl at home, his image would be shattered. Just as she was about to stand up, Chen Luzhou tugged her back with a sigh and rose himself. "Stay put. I’ll do it."

With a rustle, the room plunged into complete darkness. When he returned and the sofa dipped under his weight, Xu Zhi instinctively settled back onto his lap, her arms loosely draped around his neck. Chen Luzhou didn’t lean back this time, sitting with his legs apart, one arm instinctively wrapping around her—still with restraint—while the other, lean and sinewy, rested tensely on his other knee, veins faintly visible. As she leaned in, their lips met again, this time in a natural yet dry, fervent rhythm.

With the curtains drawn, the silence between them deepened. Their ragged breaths were almost audible in the stillness. Neither had much experience, so they kissed in fits and starts—pausing, then returning, unable to resist. Their gazes burned with reckless abandon, their lips colliding feverishly.

Eventually, those heart-pounding, tentative kisses slowed to a stop. Under the dim glow of the small floor lamp, they stared into each other’s dazed, blurred eyes, their heartbeats refusing to settle. At a loss, they awkwardly turned away."Did you drink coffee?" Xu Zhi was still sitting on his lap, her arms casually draped over his shoulders, as she asked.

Chen Luzhou's heart was racing, his throat tight. In fact, his entire body was tense, but he didn’t dare hold her too tightly, keeping his embrace loose. Normally a relaxed and straightforward person, he now felt somewhat awkward in this private space after indulging in such intimate acts. His voice was hoarse as he replied, "Yeah. Still want to watch the movie?"

"Yes."

"Then I’ll rewind it for you." He naturally reached for the remote.

They had been kissing for about five minutes. With Cartu’s films, missing even a minute could make the plot incomprehensible. It was also in English—normally, even without watching, he could follow along just by listening to the dialogue. But in the past five minutes of intermittent kissing, Chen Luzhou hadn’t processed a single word.

But Xu Zhi said, "No need to rewind. I caught some of it. Juliana’s diary was discovered, and the love poems she wrote for her brother were exposed. Now her foster mother is giving her trouble, and Juliana is hiding at a male classmate’s house."

Chen Luzhou leaned back, resting against the couch, his gaze cool and contemplative as he looked at her sitting on his lap: "..."

Xu Zhi poured a glass of wine, took a sip, and handed it to him. "Want some?"

He shook his head, still staring at her. Xu Zhi frowned. "What’s wrong?"

Chen Luzhou was annoyed with himself. Suddenly, he felt he could understand Tan Xu a little. Being involved with a girl like this was indeed frustrating. She was rational and clear-headed—even while kissing, she could still pay attention to the movie. No wonder Tan Xu’s grades had dropped while hers soared. It made perfect sense. Anyone dating this little demon would see their grades plummet.

Author’s Note: Alright, I might not have time to finish writing today, so I’ll just post half a chapter.

Taking a day off tomorrow to handle some hospital matters and stock up on drafts. Updates will resume normally the day after. No need to keep refreshing so diligently.

Leaving a comment on this chapter will get you a red envelope~ Thanks for your understanding. There’s been a minor hiccup recently. Appreciate it.

Light and Dark’s new novel Little Affection :

Synopsis: For three years at City No. 1 High School, a saying circulated: "Wang Xiaoqi, the top dog, and Xu Yinong, forever second."

One evening after self-study, Xu Yinong was alone on cleaning duty, sweeping the floor with her head down. When she straightened up, she found "the top dog" leaning against the classroom doorframe, watching her.

Xu Yinong: "What are you looking at? Stop showing off."

Wang Xiaoqi smiled. "I didn’t do anything."

She kept sweeping, her tone sharp. "Move your feet!"

Wang Xiaoqi obliged. "Since I’ve already beaten you in exams, how about I take the loss and treat you to a meal?"

Xu Yinong’s focus was off. "You’re taking the loss?"

"Fine, you take the loss. After the college entrance exams, just accept me as your boyfriend."

"..."

Years later, they met again—she was the client, he was the contractor.

One day, his team was raving about the client’s BOM engineer—her figure, poise, and looks were all top-tier. Wang Xiaoqi hung up the landline and announced, "Everyone’s pulling an all-nighter tonight."

The team froze. "Huh?"

Wang Xiaoqi remained aloof. "If the data isn’t fixed, expect all-nighters every day."

The team wailed. "Boss, no!"

Later, Wang Xiaoqi and Xu Yinong ran into each other in the break room."Director Xu, don't your female employees have looser-sized shirts?"

Xu Yinong: "Manager Wang, what do you mean by that?"

Wang Xiaoqi leaned against the doorframe, as lazy as he had been years ago. "What do you think I mean?"

Unfazed, Xu Yinong shot back sarcastically, "Manager Wang, as the service provider, is it appropriate for you to speak to the client like this?"

"Then as the client, what identity would you find appropriate for me?" Wang Xiaoqi smiled with his usual roguish charm. "Ex-boyfriend?"

"..."

*Story themes: Secret crush/campus to workplace/first love reunited/office romance/fully pre-written, daily updates until completion~

You can search for "Little Affection" or author Qing An directly in the app, enter via the column - it's the first story listed. Welcome to bookmark!