Sinсe it was her first kiss, Jiаng Du wаs extrеmely сlumsу. Неr tееth shouldn't havе been chattering like tightlу shut сity gаtes, аnd hеr brеаthing rhythm sееmеd оff tоo. Тhe more nеrvоus she bеcame, thе stiffer she grеw. Was it embаrrаssing tо аdmit? Тwеntу-eight yеаrs old аnd оnlу now kissing а man fоr thе first time?
Wei Qingуuе slowlу furrowed his brows аnd said, "You're just likе bеfоre—уou don't loоk vеrу smart." Аs hе sроkе, hе delibеrаtelу leаned clоse tо hеr skin, his vоicе lоw аnd tingеd with laughter, his breаth tickling like a feathеr's gentle brush.
Thе words stung her рride. Jiаng Du blinkеd awkwаrdly, hesitated for a moment, and mumbled, "I'm not very good at this." But she didn't forget to defend herself and asked him, "So, are you very experienced?"
"This is my first time too, but I can do it well."
Wei Qingyue was in an excellent mood. He rubbed his thumb over her lips, repeatedly confirming their warmth and texture. His smile was ambiguous, and his voice dropped even lower: "One more time? These things always require practice, don't you think?"
It was late, and there were noticeably fewer people in the neighborhood. Occasionally, someone walking their dog passed by—a lazy owner leading an enthusiastic, silly-looking husky—glancing at the two of them before continuing on their way.
Wei Qingyue suddenly grabbed Jiang Du's hand, led her across the lawn, and into a corner where the streetlights couldn't reach and passersby couldn't see. He brushed aside her loose long hair with his fingers and once again captured her soft lips.
The taste of kissing was utterly delightful, like riding a hot air balloon—their breaths intertwined, their sounds entangled. Jiang Du felt as if she were doing something mischievous in the dark, both nervous and thrilling. She tugged at Wei Qingyue's shirt until it was misshapen, clutching it tightly. After all, if her mouth was busy, wouldn't it feel strange if her hands had nowhere to go?
Finally, her lips went numb, as if allergic. Jiang Du suspected her mouth might be swollen like a grilled sausage—one on the verge of bursting.
Wei Qingyue released her with a light gasp. He seemed to chuckle and asked, "Was that a better experience?"
Jiang Du flushed with embarrassment and replied incoherently, "You should go home soon. It's already very late."
"Oh, right, it's very late. How about I stay at your place?" Wei Qingyue teased her, and sure enough, Jiang Du looked horrified, shaking her head vigorously. "How could that be?"
Wei Qingyue then hugged her, burying his mouth and nose in her woolly curls, rubbing against her like an animal, and asked what brand of shampoo she used—it smelled so good.
Huh? Twelve years ago, he was indifferent to others, and with a single word, he could send them crashing into a wall. Now he was acting like a big, fluffy dog? Jiang Du's heart pounded wildly, and she suddenly understood what "intimate whispers and caresses" meant.
Wei Qingyue began kissing her hair, then her ears. Wherever he kissed, Jiang Du trembled. He also liked calling her Zhuo Dao Ke—that QQ account she no longer used, its avatar grayed out for many years.
"Why do you call me Zhuo Dao Ke?" Jiang Du couldn't help asking amidst her pleasant shivers.
Wei Qingyue laughed and countered, "What do you think?" He seemed to adore her hair, winding it around his fingers in loops, then letting it loose, only to wind it up again.
Jiang Du blushed, her gaze dropping to the ground. "How did you know?"
"Because I'm smart," Wei Qingyue replied with considerable arrogance. "Unlike you, who understands nothing. No matter what I say, you're as dense as a block of wood."
"What did you say?" Jiang Du's eyes grew sore. You never said you liked me."I've hinted repeatedly that you could keep writing to me, but you either played dumb or genuinely didn't get it, right?" Wei Qingyue said with a meaningful smile.
Jiang Du replied gloomily, "Why don't you write to me instead? You always make me write to you."
Wei Qingyue's smile faded slightly as he adopted a serious tone. "I did write. Before going abroad, I slipped the letter into the last issue of Book City. I thought I’d made my feelings clear enough. If you still didn’t understand, you’d really be so clueless I’d have nothing more to say."
Jiang Du looked at him in confusion. "You wrote me a letter?"
"Why would I lie to you? Didn’t you see it?" Wei Qingyue’s eyes flickered. "Didn’t you love Book City magazine? You didn’t read it?"
Jiang Du’s lips moved slightly, and she shook her head silently.
"How could you be so oblivious? Don’t you love reading? You didn’t even look at the one I gave you?" Wei Qingyue seemed annoyed again—the kind of helpless annoyance that couldn’t quite turn into anger but still left him frustrated.
"Why do you always say I’m clueless?" Jiang Du was quick to latch onto that point. She remembered the hierarchy at Mei Zhong, where liberal arts students were synonymous with low intelligence.
Wei Qingyue deliberately teased her. "Are you upset, Jiang Du? So you can’t handle the truth, huh? Do you think you’re smart? Not exactly, right? Back then, you almost failed physics."
Jiang Du couldn’t argue, so she naturally reached out and swatted him. The gesture carried a hint of a girlfriend’s playful affection, though she didn’t realize it. Wei Qingyue, however, felt it. With his hands in his pockets, he tilted his head, leaned slightly forward, and raised an eyebrow as he smiled at her.
"Admitting it? Good. Even if you’re not the sharpest, at least you’re honest. Can I ask another question, Jiang Du? I’m your first love, right?"
This guy really had no shame.
How had she never noticed before how narcissistic and thick-skinned Wei Qingyue was? Jiang Du pressed her lips into a thin line and refused to answer.
"So stingy? Not willing to say? Then I’ll generously tell you something: my first love was you." Wei Qingyue said this with utter frankness. After speaking, he felt refreshed, as if a lump of sludge that had been stuck in his chest for twelve years had finally been cleared away. He couldn’t resist teasing the easily flustered Jiang Du again. "Tell me, you do know what ‘first love’ means, right? After all, you didn’t even know what ‘Zhuo Dao Ke’ meant."
Even old memories were fair game for teasing. Jiang Du blushed easily and often confused jokes with reality, but as she looked at Wei Qingyue’s faintly visible expression, she knew she wouldn’t mix them up this time.
And, most importantly, all her lipstick had been kissed off by Wei Qingyue. Suddenly realizing this, Jiang Du hurriedly said, "Spit it out." As she spoke, she rummaged through her crossbody bag and handed him a tissue. "Spit it onto the paper, or just wipe your mouth."
What kind of strange request was this? Wei Qingyue laughed at first, then replied good-naturedly, "Spit what? You’re really something, Jiang Du. I’ve never heard of anyone asking someone to spit after a kiss."
He took the tissue with interest. Though he said this, he still did as she asked, going along with her wishes. Jiang Du always genuinely cared for him—this was something Wei Qingyue never doubted. Without that, he didn’t know how he would have endured three years, and then another three.Jiang Du took the paper back, walked to the trash can, threw it in, and stood under the light. "It's really late, you should go home. Be safe on the way, and when you get home," she took a deep breath, "you must call me." Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully all night.
She didn't explain why she had asked him to spit earlier, and Wei Qingyue surprisingly didn't ask either. He said "okay" and insisted on watching her go upstairs, but Jiang Du refused. She wanted to watch him leave and insisted on walking him to the entrance of the residential complex.
"I don't like others watching my back," Jiang Du was stubborn about this, and Wei Qingyue didn't argue with her. His car keys had a Tweety Bird keychain, old and worn, dangling incessantly when he pulled them out. Jiang Du had noticed it earlier but held back from saying or asking anything. Some things were too obvious, and she repeatedly encouraged herself not to hesitate anymore—agree to him, agree to him, agree to whatever he said.
Just as Wei Qingyue opened the car door and was about to step in, Jiang Du suddenly called out, "Wei Qingyue."
Wei Qingyue looked up at her.
"How is your health?" she asked, feeling deeply sad as she spoke.
Wei Qingyue was so wicked. He smirked mischievously, "Want to try? You'll find out later. I wouldn't even mind if you tried tonight."
He was too bad. Who knew how guilty and sorrowful she felt, asking about old scars, yet why was he still smiling? Jiang Du didn't catch his implication at first and asked foolishly, "Me? How can I test your health? I'm not a doctor."
"The male rabbit fainted, that's all. Don't worry, I won't. I'm more afraid you might faint." Wei Qingyue gripped the steering wheel, turning to look at her with a lingering smile. That popular science magazine in her living room—she probably forgot about it herself.
Jiang Du was stunned for a moment before understanding, her ears turning red. Oh, how had Wei Qingyue become like this? Was this even appropriate?
"Hurry up and go," Jiang Du muttered, urging him.
But Wei Qingyue didn't forget to keep making her blush. "Still want to kiss me? If you do, come over and kiss me once more, then I'll leave."
Jiang Du's temples throbbed.
She stood stiffly, unmoving, and said, "If you don't leave, I'm going home."
Wei Qingyue sat in the car, the dim light casting a deep, lingering gaze from his profound eyes. He finally turned serious.
"Tomorrow after work, I'll come pick you up again."
Jiang Du thought, Are you really that free?
She hadn't even properly processed everything that had happened today, but how could she bear to refuse Wei Qingyue? She knew it—the moment Wei Qingyue appeared, she would fall, thump, right into his world.
"Then I'll wait for you," Jiang Du walked over and closed the car door for him. The window was half-down when Wei Qingyue suddenly reached out, grabbed her hand, and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently while gazing deeply at her, captivating and mesmerizing. "Wait for me, I'll come find you."
I'll come find you.
Jiang Du felt like crying again. I've been waiting for you every day, waiting for you to come find me, to come into my world.
The car started, and he slowly released her hand, gliding away gently.
The real sensation of touching a lover's skin, that warmth—it was simply unbelievable.
At 11:27, Wei Qingyue returned home, and the first thing he did was call Jiang Du.
No one answered. He wondered if she had gone to wash up, so he sent her a WeChat message instead.Soon, her call came back. Wei Qingyue held the phone between his ear and shoulder while pouring himself a glass of purified water.
"I'm home. Were you busy just now?"
Jiang Du's voice was gentle over the phone. She said, "Grandma was asking me questions."
Wei Qingyue laughed. "What did you say?"
"I said I came back late today because I had something to do with a colleague."
The sound of Wei Qingyue swallowing water was very clear. On the other end, Jiang Du could even picture the movement of his Adam's apple and felt ashamed of her own imagination.
"Oh? When did I become your colleague?" Wei Qingyue teased in reply.
"Hurry up and take a shower, then go to sleep," Jiang Du said.
"Hurry up and go home, hurry up and take a shower, hurry up and go to sleep," Wei Qingyue mimicked her tone, perfectly capturing it. "You're not even married to me yet, and you're already managing me so strictly."
Huh? Who said anything about marrying him? Jiang Du desperately tried to suppress the corners of her mouth from curling upward.
"What nonsense are you talking about," she said softly.
Wei Qingyue lay back on the sofa, relaxed and lazy.
"I want to say, I have a lot of bad habits and need someone to keep me in check."
Jiang Du held her breath and said, "But I remember Zhang Xiaoqiang said you were the most rebellious in middle school. If anyone tried to persuade you to change something, you would immediately turn hostile."
"Is that so?" Wei Qingyue smiled faintly. "Why bother with what Zhang Xiaoqiang says? Why not ask me instead? Right now, I actually appreciate someone keeping me in check. Of course, except for Zhuo Dao Ke, no one else can manage me."
He held up his car keys with one hand, moving his arm slightly, watching Tweety Bird sway.
Behind Tweety Bird was a large clock on the wall. The room was quiet, with only the steady ticking of the clock. The housekeeping aunt had caught a cold and hadn't come to clean, so the house was actually a bit messy.
On the other end, Jiang Du said hurriedly, "I have to go. Grandma is knocking on the door, asking why I'm not asleep yet."
"Say you love me," Wei Qingyue suddenly spoke, his tone unusually forceful. Perhaps it was because Jiang Du was about to hang up, causing a sudden, intense palpitation.
On the other end, the call had already ended. Jiang Du didn't hear him.
Wei Qingyue stared blankly at the ceiling for a while. When he heard the ticking of the clock again, he got up to turn on his computer and deal with new emails.
The man's home was cold and sterile, with very few pieces of furniture. The kitchen was only used when the housekeeping aunt came. Many of his living habits remained the same as they were in his youth. He didn't like tidying up much, and without the housekeeping aunt, Wei Qingyue could turn the house into a pigsty.
Of course, with so few things in the house, the possibility of it becoming a pigsty was still quite low.
He worked on emails alone until late. The lights were on, the room was large, and it was as quiet as the depths of the sea. Wei Qingyue was like a lonely whale, keeping his distance from the world yet infinitely close to it.
On his phone, there was a message from Zhang Xiaoqiang. She had left a note: "Do you have time this week?"
She had booked an appointment for him with the most authoritative neurology specialist and reminded him to make time for it.
Their connection as old classmates had lasted until today, and the result was that Zhang Xiaoqiang had never given up on booking various doctors for him.
Wei Qingyue picked up his phone and replied with two words: "No time."
It was always "no time."
After a moment's thought, he sent another reply: "I saw Jiang Du."
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