Before going to bed, Cen Jin went to check on Li Wu. The study door was tightly shut, and the secondary bedroom was also empty. It seemed he was still studying.
She stopped outside the study and knocked twice on the door.
Shortly after, it was opened from inside.
Their eyes met, and Cen Jin asked, "Still doing homework?"
Li Wu paused for a moment: "Yeah."
"This much?" Cen Jin glanced at the clock hanging high on the bookshelf: "It's already midnight. Do you stay up this late every day at school too?"
Li Wu also turned to check the time: "I've finished what the teacher assigned. I'm working on something else now."
Cen Jin felt a mix of emotions, unable to distinguish whether it was relief or heartache: "Should I order you some late-night snacks?"
Li Wu shook his head: "No need, I ate a lot for dinner."
"Alright, there's fresh milk and bread in the fridge. Help yourself if you get hungry," Cen Jin instructed: "I'm going to rest now. Sleep in tomorrow, I'll wake you up."
Li Wu didn't refuse and nodded quietly.
Cen Jin turned to leave, casually closing the door behind her.
Li Wu felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he returned to his desk.
The reason he felt this relief was because he still wasn't good at interacting with her.
This was the first time he had seen Cen Jin in this state. She usually wore makeup, presenting a refined and distant face. But just now, she was completely bare-faced, her lips almost colorless, her eyebrows and eyes appearing gentle and serene. He couldn't tell whether this version of her was better or worse, whether she had faded or gained a pure girlish charm. But one thing was certain - she carried a visible, straightforward fragility. This fragility felt somewhat unfamiliar yet drew people closer.
He wanted to say more to her - to tell her to get some rest early too, or that he could wake up by himself - words that carried concern and would spare her from extra trouble.
But in the end, he remained silent.
If he had spoken, she probably wouldn't wake him tomorrow morning.
For some reason, he felt an expectation he was ashamed to express - hoping to gain more of her attention during their limited time together.
Li Wu sat in place, rubbing his face vigorously with both hands, then stared at the wall for a while.
Several cold-toned oil paintings hung there, one of which depicted a grassy field that seemed almost fluid.
His emotions rose and fell along with it, suddenly finding himself unable to focus on anything. He simply put away his lecture notes and returned to the bedroom.
—
The next day, Li Wu woke up very early. He had never been one to sleep in - back when he was studying in Nongxi, he would wake up before four every morning.
While the mountains were still shrouded in darkness, he would cook for his grandfather. Li Wu would eat some himself, then pack the remainder in a stainless steel lunch box to leave by his grandfather's bedside for the old man's lunch.
This biological clock persisted to this day. Even at school, he would open his eyes very early.
Afraid of waking his roommates by getting out of bed, he would lie flat on his back, staring resentfully at the ceiling until his roommates' alarms rang at 6:30.
The situation was similar now, except the object of his mutual dislike had become the chandelier in Cen Jin's home.
After some time, a sliver of light seeped through the window crack. As the light grew warmer and brighter, movement could be heard outside the door, sometimes near, sometimes far, as if someone was pacing back and forth. He held his breath and listened, waiting for a long time, but never heard the anticipated knock.
The dimension of time stretched out, flowing with unusual slowness.
Li Wu couldn't bear it any longer and picked up his phone from the bedside. Just as he glanced at the time, the screen suddenly went black - an incoming call.
He saw the name and answered immediately.
There was a second of silence on the other end, followed by an immediate accusation: "Are you playing with your phone?"
Li Wu's mind went blank for a moment before he denied it: "No.""How did you pick up so fast then?" The woman adopted a parental tone: "Did you wake up and immediately hide in your room playing with your phone instead of getting up?"
"...Li Wu found it impossible to defend himself and had to do his utmost to prove his innocence: "I was just checking the time."The voice on the other end sounded half-convinced: "Would you mind showing me your phone?""
"Not at all." Li Wu rolled out of bed and quickly left the room.
Cen Jin was in the kitchen tinkering with her newly purchased coffee machine. It was semi-automatic, with a retro design that felt more substantial than her previous capsule machine, though it also came with increased complexity.
The apartment had an open kitchen, filling the entire living room with rich aroma. The moment Li Wu stepped out, it was as if he had stepped right into a coffee cup.
Hearing the door, Cen Jin paused her milk frothing and glanced back at the teenager. There wasn't a trace of sleepiness on his face - anyone would be skeptical he'd just woken up.
Cen Jin withdrew her gaze, pursed her lips slightly, then pulled out a wet wipe to meticulously clean her hands: "Where's the phone?"
Li Wu placed his phone on the countertop, his demeanor calm and sincere.
Cen Jin picked it up, checked the home screen, then scrolled through the browser history. There were none of the mobile game apps or questionable entertainment websites she had suspected.
If she had to nitpick, it would be those search records about "Royal Horse."
Cen Jin looked somewhat surprised and asked: "Why are you searching for Royal Horse?"
Li Wu stood with his hands at his sides: "Classmates keep asking about it."
Only then did Cen Jin remember the pattern on that jacket indeed contained relevant information. She turned to look at him: "That was inconsiderate of me. I was only focused on how good it looked, didn't pay attention to what was on the clothes..."
She trailed off, her gaze pausing on his shoulders: "Why are you only wearing a short sleeve? Aren't you cold?"
Li Wu blinked, momentarily thrown by her abrupt subject change.
"Go put on your jacket." Cen Jin placed the phone back on the counter edge.
Li Wu jogged back to his room, swiftly pulled on his hoodie, and returned to her side. His movements were agile, like a well-trained hunting dog.
Cen Jin poured a cup of coffee. The cup was petite, adorned with light blue patterns of flying birds and flowers.
Holding the cup in one hand and the phone in the other, she offered both to Li Wu.
Just as he raised his arm to take them, she pulled back slightly in the opposite direction, asking cautiously: "You're not allergic to caffeine, are you?"
Li Wu reached for empty air: "I don't know."
"Never mind," Cen Jin placed them in his hands, muttering to herself: "Someone has to be the first to try crabs."
She instructed: "Take it to the dining table. I'll be there in a moment.Li Wu looked down at the phone, then at the steaming coffee, confirming he had narrowly escaped.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket and turned to leave.
Cen Jin glanced at his back and quickly called out: "Wait."
Li Wu stopped in his tracks and was about to turn back when he felt a slight tug at his neck.
"Don't move." The woman's tone was somewhat urgent, and he immediately froze as if petrified by a spell.
"Your hood is inside out." Perhaps from dressing too hastily, the teenager's hoodie hood was still bunched up behind his head, completely unbeknownst to him. Cen Jin reached out to adjust it, returning it to its normal position, then said matter-of-factly: "There."
She released her grip and continued pouring her own cup of coffee.
Li Wu stood dazed for a moment before lowering his head and quickly leaving the spot. She had merely touched his hood briefly, yet his ears felt like they were about to catch fire.
Li Wu absentmindedly sipped the coffee she had personally made. It was somewhat bitter, yet richly aromatic. This was his first time ever tasting such a thing, and he cherished it, taking small, careful sips.Before long, Cen Jin brought over two plates of homemade Western-style breakfast. Worried that Li Wu might struggle with using a knife and fork, she had thoughtfully brought him a pair of chopsticks.
She took her seat, lowered her gaze, and began cutting the freshly toasted bread in front of her, her tone unhurried: "If you're awake, why stay in bed?"
Li Wu paused, chopsticks in hand: "...Just lying there."
"Not doing anything?" she asked, surprised.
"Mm."
"Might as well get up and read."
"Mm."
Cen Jin couldn't help but smile. Every time she asked him questions, Li Wu would automatically turn into an emotionless human answering machine. She wondered if he had silently protested thousands of times in his heart.
Cen Jin cleared her throat to hide her amusement and swallowed a small piece of bread: "What time did you sleep last night?"
"Not long after you left."
"That's good," she said, inexplicably pleased. "There's no need to stay up late. Studying requires a balance of work and rest. You'll be more focused after proper rest."
"Mm."
"Is the coffee good?" She noticed his coffee cup was half empty.
Li Wu said: "It's good."
Cen Jin also took a sip and self-evaluated: "Not bad."
She asked again: "What time is evening self-study this afternoon?"
Li Wu said: "Six-thirty."
Cen Jin considered for a moment: "I'll take you back to school at four."
"Okay."
...
Breakfast lasted until nearly noon.
Sunlight flooded into the room, soaking the entire space in a tranquil, lazy atmosphere.
Li Wu returned to the study to review his lessons, while Cen Jin draped a blanket over herself and curled up on the sofa playing with her phone—on silent mode, not even daring to use the speaker. With a student in the house, she couldn't be as unrestrained as before. Her living space seemed reduced by half, and the most exhausting part was having to lead by example, avoiding any bad influence on the kid.
It was incredible that she willingly made such sacrifices.
Fortunately, he would only stay until four.
With that thought, Cen Jin felt a glimmer of anticipation. Once Li Wu left, she could revert to her true self and do as she pleased.
Around one o'clock, Cen Jin ordered a set meal and brought it to the study. She didn't even step inside, merely handed it to Li Wu at the door as if visiting a prisoner.
Who would have thought that this child, who lived in a humble shack just a year ago, would become the temporary master of her study for a day.
Closing the door, Cen Jin sighed and slowly shuffled back to the sofa.
She checked the time, lay down with her hands behind her head, and let out a slow sigh.
People shouldn't have idle time—it leads to overthinking. In this moment of daydreaming, Cen Jin unconsciously opened the company's WeChat group and began scrolling through every message Wu Fu had sent over the past two days.
They were all work-related, interspersed with witty banter.
He was always so adept at socializing. Back in the university's external relations department, he single-handedly secured numerous sponsorships. When asked about his secret, he would jokingly say he relied on his looks, yet no one had ever seen him in a relationship. They teasingly called him an "asexual central air conditioner."
Cen Jin became the sole exception.
So when he took her hand and announced their relationship to the department members, everyone was shocked, teasing him for keeping it so well hidden.
Wasn't that the truth? Even she hadn't noticed—had he really liked her that much?
Then why did he stop loving her so abruptly?
Cen Jin might never find the answer. For the sake of this relationship, she had willingly been his subordinate for six years, fading into his shadow. Her ideas and talents had all been offerings she gladly contributed to support him.Fortunately, in just over twenty days, she would be completely free from Wu Fu. Oh, she almost forgot—merely resigning wouldn't bring true liberation and freedom, as she was still bound by this marriage in name only.
At this thought, Cen Jin opened her contacts and called Wu Fu, hoping to cut the Gordian knot quickly.
Avoidance was shameful and useless; it would only drag a person down until their spirit withered and their will vanished.
Cen Jin tried three times intermittently, but the line was busy each time.
It seemed he had already blocked her. A sense of loneliness and irony washed over her. Hanging up the call, she smiled emotionlessly and immediately opened the company group chat, typing rapidly:
@Wu Fu, when are we handling the divorce procedures? If you don't even dare answer my calls, how are you going to make me your ex-wife?
After hitting send, Cen Jin kicked off the blanket tangled around her legs with immense relief. Her posture was like that of a butterfly finally breaking free from its cumbersome cocoon.
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