His lips were warm, almost electric, pressing against hers, moving again and again. As if trying to restrain himself, yet filled with an insatiable longing, unsatisfied with just this.
Unlike the fleeting, dragonfly-touching-the-water-like kisses before.
Suddenly, Sang Yan tilted her chin down, his tongue parting her lips as he pressed deeper. His hand slid to the back of her head, leaving her no room to retreat.
Bit by bit, he fed his scorching breath into her mouth.
Leaving Wen Yifan almost breathless.
Her eyes open, her mind blank, Wen Yifan had no idea how to respond. Unconsciously, she gripped his clothes, as if searching for an anchor, a point of support in him.
At this moment, she could only surrender everything to him.
Let him lead.
Neither of them had much experience.
The kiss was inexperienced, yet wild and fervent. Their teeth accidentally grazed lips, bringing a sharp sting that made the sensations even more vivid. But Sang Yan showed no restraint, as if spurred on, his movements growing bolder.
The desire in his eyes was laid bare.
How much time had passed?
Sang Yan lightly nipped her tongue before finally pulling away.
Their lips parted, but the distance between them remained close.
Wen Yifan’s breathing was slightly uneven as she looked up, noticing how his usually pale lips were now flushed a deep red. Further up, his eyes were dark with unreadable emotions.
As if in the next second, he would shed all pretense and devour her whole.
Lowering his gaze, Sang Yan raised a hand, leisurely brushing his thumb against the moisture at the corner of her lips. His touch was light, lingering, like a subtle temptation. After a moment, he asked hoarsely, “Hungry?”
Caught off guard by his sudden question, Wen Yifan let out a soft “Ah?”
“I can’t do two things at once. So, do you want me to heat up some porridge for you first, or—” He paused, his expression teasing, “kiss you a little longer?”
……
By the time they left the kitchen, ten minutes had passed.
Wen Yifan hadn’t stayed to help him with the porridge, instead returning to the couch alone. Her mouth felt inexplicably dry, and she downed an entire glass of water before stopping. As her mind relaxed, memories of what had happened flooded back.
After hearing Sang Yan’s words, Wen Yifan had simply stared at him in silence.
Then, without a word, she hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down…
“……”
At the thought, Wen Yifan poured herself another glass of water and drank it all. Her lips burned and tingled, the sensation so vivid it was impossible to ignore, a constant reminder of that kiss.
The next moment.
Sang Yan emerged from the kitchen and called lazily, “Come here.”
Wen Yifan quickly set down her glass and walked to the dining table. Still unsettled by their earlier intimacy, she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
Sang Yan: “Get the bowls.”
Obediently, Wen Yifan went to the kitchen and fetched two sets of bowls and chopsticks. When she returned to the table and met Sang Yan’s gaze, she noticed the corner of his lip was slightly torn, a faint trace of blood seeping out.
“……”
She immediately lowered her eyes.
Sang Yan seemed completely unaware.
Against his pale skin, the red stood out starkly.
Unable to resist, Wen Yifan reached out and quickly brushed her fingers over the corner of his mouth.
Sang Yan looked at her: “?”The mark faded slightly as Wen Yifan looked away, feeling that wiping it off would make it seem like it never existed. "There was something on it."
A few seconds of silence.
Sang Yan said pointedly, "What could have gotten on it?"
"..."
"Where exactly did I just touch?"
Perhaps it was psychological, but Wen Yifan felt her lips burning again. She lowered her eyes and said calmly, "It was just some sauce I accidentally got on it. I wiped it off."
As soon as she finished speaking, Wen Yifan felt his fingers brush against her lips.
She looked up.
Sang Yan smirked and leisurely explained, "You had something on yours too."
"..."
Wen Yifan immediately understood what he meant.
In an instant, the heat spread to her cheeks and ears.
Whether it was from drinking too much water or something else, Wen Yifan didn’t feel hungry at all now. She only took a small portion and, after finishing, sat beside him, occasionally stealing glances at the small wound at the corner of his lips.
Sneakily.
Sang Yan didn’t seem to notice her actions.
Wen Yifan also wondered what he would say when he saw the wound in the mirror later.
It was getting late.
Sang Yan urged, "Go to bed after eating. Don’t you have work later?"
Not having had a proper conversation with him in days, Wen Yifan wanted to stay with him a little longer. She nodded but showed no signs of leaving. Propping her chin on her hand, she continued staring at him.
The small wound had stopped bleeding and didn’t look as obvious as before. Thinking about it, Wen Yifan wasn’t sure if she had a similar mark on her lips.
She didn’t feel any stinging pain.
She only remembered how forcefully he had kissed her, similar to the way he ruffled her hair.
But it hadn’t hurt her.
After a long moment.
Sang Yan suddenly put down his chopsticks and leaned back. "Hey, how much longer are you going to stare?"
Wen Yifan snapped out of it.
"Want to continue?"
"..."
Before she could answer, Sang Yan pulled her into his arms again, lightly brushing her lips. He pulled back slightly and chuckled, his tone teasing. "Your kissing skills are terrible. It hurts."
Wen Yifan opened her mouth. "But I didn’t—"
Sang Yan cut her off. "You need more practice."
The next moment, his lips and tongue claimed hers again, overwhelming her with force.
As soon as she entered her room, Wen Yifan’s first instinct was to check herself in the mirror. Her lips were naturally rosy, but now they were even darker and slightly swollen.
The evidence of his rough treatment was unmistakable.
But unlike Sang Yan, she hadn’t broken skin.
Wen Yifan pressed her lips together, feeling as if she were burning from head to toe, surrounded entirely by Sang Yan’s presence. Any trace of sleepiness vanished as she suddenly noticed the Valentine’s Day gift she had bought earlier.
It was placed on her bedside table.
Opening the box, she found two matching bracelets inside.
Wen Yifan blinked and slowly put one on herself. Remembering she had work the next day and that Sang Yan would likely still be asleep when she left, plus the uncertainty of whether she’d have to work overtime in the evening...
She pulled her sleeve down to hide the bracelet, then got up and left the room.
The living room was empty.
Sang Yan seemed to have already gone back to his room.
Wen Yifan walked to his door and hesitated before knocking.
Sang Yan’s voice came immediately. "It’s unlocked."She turned the doorknob, opening a small gap, and met Sang Yan's gaze from the bed. He was still lying down, just tilting his head slightly to look at her: "You can just come in directly next time."
Wen Yifan closed the door, hiding the gift behind her back: "I was just worried you might be changing or something."
Sang Yan was nonchalant: "So what?"
Before she could respond, he suddenly spoke again: "You're quite—"
Wen Yifan looked up: "Hmm?"
He leisurely uttered two words: "Rough. Violent."
"..."
Wen Yifan instantly realized he had noticed the wound on the corner of her lip. She subconsciously glanced at his lips, struggling for a response before finally managing: "Then I'll be gentler next time."
"..." Sang Yan watched her, then let out a soft chuckle after a few seconds.
Remembering he hadn't returned until 3 a.m. last night and had still gotten up early to make congee, Wen Yifan didn’t plan to disturb him for long. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, handing him the bag in her hand: "For you."
Seeing this, Sang Yan finally sat up straight, raising an eyebrow: "What is it?"
Wen Yifan said earnestly: "Valentine's Day gift."
"Oh." The corner of his lips curved as he reached out to take it. "Can I open it now?"
"Sure."
Sang Yan pulled a box from the bag.
Inside was a red bracelet with a thin strap and a snowflake-shaped pendant at the bottom.
He took it out, examining it for a moment before turning his gaze back to Wen Yifan, seemingly amused. "Why do you always give me stuff girls wear?"
"..."
Now that he mentioned it, it did seem that way.
Wen Yifan stiffly replied, "It won’t look girly if you wear it."
His eyes shifted to the snowflake pendant, and he deliberately asked, "What does this snowflake mean?"
Wen Yifan’s face warmed, but she answered honestly: "First Frost."
Sang Yan, clearly in a good mood, extended his hand toward her. "Put it on your boyfriend."
Wen Yifan complied.
As she did, the bracelet she had just put on slipped into view.
Sang Yan’s lashes flickered, and without warning, he grabbed her wrist, pushing up her sleeve. He discovered she was wearing an identical bracelet—only the pendant was different, shaped like a mulberry leaf.
He stared at it for two seconds before smirking. "Matching set?"
Wen Yifan let him look, lightly licking her lips. "Yes."
"Fine." Sang Yan lowered his chin, laughing to himself for a while before rubbing his thumb over her wrist. "I don’t mind being a sissy today."
"..."
Then, Sang Yan gestured with his eyes. "Your gift’s on the bookshelf. Go get it."
Wen Yifan blinked, standing up to walk toward the bookshelf. On one of the shelves was a small box. A card was tucked into the ribbon, bearing a line of English.
The handwriting was familiar yet distant, just as it had always been—bold and forceful, as if the pen might tear through the paper. Much like the man himself—unrestrained and domineering.
—To First Frost.
Wen Yifan stared at the card for a few seconds before turning back. "Can I open it now?"
Sang Yan smiled. "Go ahead."
She reached out and opened it.
Inside was a voice recorder.
"You mentioned your old one wasn’t working well," Sang Yan said, his tone carrying a hint of implication. "But I don’t really know how to use this thing. After recording, can you only listen to it by connecting to a computer?""No," Wen Yifan instinctively wanted to teach him. "You just press here to—"
Before she could finish, Wen Yifan suddenly understood. Meeting Sang Yan's gaze, she silently swallowed the rest of her words. "Oh... this model, seems like it can only connect to a computer..."
Sang Yan said leisurely, "Is that so."
"......"
"Then remember to try it when you get back," Sang Yan said lazily. "If there's any problem, we can exchange it."
The hint couldn't be more obvious. Wen Yifan just wanted to go back and listen to what he had recorded, so she nodded immediately. As she was about to return to her room, she noticed a photo album on the bookshelf.
Wen Yifan's gaze fixed on it, and she reached out to pick it up. "What's this?"
Sang Yan glanced at it, unsure when he had brought it over.
"Graduation photos."
Hearing this, Wen Yifan paused for a long moment before saying, "Can I look at it?"
Sang Yan lifted his eyes again and nodded lightly. He sprawled casually on the table, his expression carefree. "For me, there's nowhere you can't look."
"......" Wen Yifan looked at him. "The rest..."
She forced out a few more words: "We'll look another time."
"......"
Wen Yifan walked back and sat beside him, then opened the album.
The first page was a group photo.
Wen Yifan spotted Sang Yan immediately. He was wearing a black graduation gown, standing in the back row. Everyone else had curved lips and smiling faces, while he alone tilted his chin slightly, looking somewhat impatient, as if he had been dragged there to take the photo.
Staring at it for a while, Wen Yifan couldn't help but smile.
Sang Yan leaned against the headboard, watching her laugh. After a while, he remembered something. "Are you free on the eighth night of the new year?"
Wen Yifan replied absentmindedly, "I'm not sure yet. Why?"
"Nothing much. Qian Fei's getting married," Sang Yan said. "If you're free, come along."
Qian Fei's wedding.
There would probably be many of Sang Yan's friends there too.
Only then did Wen Yifan look up and respond, "Okay, I'll see when the time comes."
After saying that, Wen Yifan turned her attention back to the album.
Her gaze shifted, and because of Sang Yan's words, she noticed Qian Fei standing next to him, as well as another man on the other side. The man looked about the same height as Sang Yan, with peach-blossom eyes and lips that naturally curved upward, giving off an innate sense of gentleness.
These two standing together could almost steal all the attention in an instant.
Seeing this, Wen Yifan immediately recalled the rumors Zhong Siqiao had mentioned and subconsciously took a few more glances. Her eyes drifted downward to the name list below. Sure enough, next to "Sang Yan" were the words "Duan Jiaxu."
Noticing her prolonged stare, Sang Yan came over to look with her.
"What are you looking at?"
Wen Yifan pointed at Duan Jiaxu. "Is this Duan Jiaxu?"
Sang Yan's gaze paused. "What about him?"
Wen Yifan commented, "He is quite handsome."
"......"
Silence fell around them.
Unaware of any issue, Wen Yifan was about to turn the page to see if she could find Sang Yan in other photos when the man beside her moved his hand, stopping her.
She looked up.
Sang Yan's lips pressed into a straight line as he said emotionlessly, "I didn't hear you clearly."
"Huh?"
"Who's handsome? Say it again."
Wen Yifan immediately shut her mouth.
"So, you've been looking at my graduation photos for so long," Sang Yan paused, then laughed in exasperation after a few seconds, "and you weren't looking at me?"
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