The room fell into silence, leaving only dust motes dancing soundlessly in the beams of light.
Cen Jin quietly clenched the crumpled paper in her hand, the defensive tension around her easing slightly. For some reason, Li Wu’s suddenly subdued demeanor made her instantly reclaim the position she ought to occupy—the comfortable sense of being in control and relied upon was restored from this moment onward.
Especially the boy’s eyes—so clear, so earnest, like a reindeer that had run wild for a few days and returned to its nest to seek forgiveness, awaiting its keeper’s punishment.
Cen Jin couldn’t suppress a hint of malice. She had been trapped in a lonely, isolated situation for too long, and this malice began to whisper to her, clamoring in her ear: Hurry, choose him, drag someone else into this mess.
So she couldn’t help but speak, feigning reconciliation: “Alright then.”
Li Wu had been worried he was being too rash, but he hadn’t expected Cen Jin to agree so easily. Surprised, he fell silent for a moment.
The moisture in Cen Jin’s eyes had completely faded, and her expression grew steadier. She leaned back against the pillow. “Stop squatting. Get up.”
Li Wu straightened up. This time, Cen Jin no longer seemed to feel that oppressive aura.
Feeling more confident in her judgment, she reopened the book and glanced up at him. “Did you not go to your part-time job today?”
The boy’s jawline was sharp as he looked back against the light. “I did, but your friend called and said you weren’t doing well, so I came straight over.”
So it was Chun Chang who had sold her out. Cen Jin’s jaw tightened slightly, but she curved her lips into a smile. “I’m fine.”
Li Wu glanced at her left leg, wanting more details. “What happened?”
Cen Jin replied lightly, “Just accidentally hurt my leg.”
Li Wu asked, “Is it serious?”
Cen Jin had no desire to recall the incident. “It’s okay. It was pretty painful the first few days, but it doesn’t hurt much now.” She flipped through the book casually and asked knowingly, “Aren’t you going back to work?”
Without hesitation, Li Wu said, “No, I want to stay and take care of you.”
Cen Jin chuckled. “How can a boy take care of me? Carry me to the bathroom?” Li Wu choked, his ears burning, but he still asked, “Do you need to go to the bathroom now?”
This time, Cen Jin was taken aback. She immediately refused, “No.”
“I took care of my grandfather before,” Li Wu racked his brains to put her at ease. “For several years, actually.”
Cen Jin looked at him. “Are you saying you’re experienced?”
Slowly and seriously, Li Wu nodded. “Especially with people who can’t walk.”
Cen Jin: “…”
She snapped the book shut. “It’s not like I’m paralyzed.”
Li Wu said, “I know.”
Cen Jin flexed her right leg effortlessly, as if showing off her remaining assets. “This leg is still perfectly fine.”
Following her movement, Li Wu’s gaze fell on her leg as it bent and straightened. Her nightgown slipped, revealing her slender, pale-pink calf, which glowed in the light with a pearl-like sheen.
His throat tightened abruptly, and he quickly averted his eyes.
Seeing him standing there like a mute block again, Cen Jin asked, “How long are you going to stand by my bed?”
Li Wu snapped back to attention and instinctively asked, “Do you want some water?”
Cen Jin gave him a suspicious look. “No.”
He slipped into his role remarkably fast. “Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
Cen Jin said, “I’m not hungry.”
Li Wu said, “Then rest more.”
Cen Jin lowered her head to read, feigning deafness and ignoring him.Seeing that she had found something to do, Li Wu stopped disturbing her and moved away from the bedside. He pulled out a nearby chair and sat down about a meter away from her.
He did nothing at all—not even taking out his phone—just sat there like an artificial intelligence waiting for commands on a charging dock.
The young man remained completely still, yet his presence was overwhelmingly palpable. Cen Jin couldn’t focus on reading at all and finally couldn’t stand it anymore: “Aren’t you bored?”
He seemed to snap out of deep thought, his eyes filled with “What do you need?”
Cen Jin clenched her hand, trying to scare him off: “You’re a young man, staying alone with me in a room for so long, and with the door closed. What will Aunt Tang think?”
Li Wu’s face flushed slightly. He got up and opened the door wide, then returned to his seat, resuming his previous posture.
Cen Jin was utterly convinced.
She accepted that reading was no longer an option and switched to watching a drama on her tablet.
Cen Jin put on her earphones, immersing herself in the show.
But somehow, perhaps because the room itself wasn’t very large and the boy’s presence was particularly noticeable, she kept glancing at this annoying creature.
Ten minutes had passed, and he truly hadn’t done anything—just stared straight ahead in a certain direction, his gaze somewhat distant.
So pretentious.
Who was he putting on a show for?
How could there be such a bizarre teenager?
He sat there silently and steadfastly, like a young, fearless sentinel. It was this very demeanor that inexplicably stirred complex emotions in her—pity, guilt, and more.
The malice that had initially driven her to agree to let him stay had mysteriously softened. Her deliberate neglect now felt like a mistake, something to be ashamed of.
How did this happen?
A maternal hangover?
Cen Jin regretted it deeply. Li Wu wasn’t here to take care of her; he was here to annoy her.
She paused the show and asked again, “Li Wu, are you just going to sit there?”
Li Wu seemed to quickly snap back from some dimension: “What do you need? I’ll get it for you.”
Cen Jin: “…”
She said, “Go out, watch TV in the living room. I’ll call you if I need anything.” She urgently wanted to assign him to a place where she could feel at ease.
Li Wu said, “I don’t want to watch TV.”
Her tone sharpened slightly: “Then what are you doing here? Aren’t you just sitting around wasting time?”
Li Wu glanced at her, puzzled: “I’m thinking about problems.”
Cen Jin lost the ability to continue the conversation. He wasn’t some guardian; he was a warden.
Cen Jin went back to watching her drama, but soon, a subtle physical sensation emerged—she needed to use the bathroom, to urinate.
She glanced at Li Wu and decided to hold it for a while longer, planning to call Aunt Tang later.
But she had to do it discreetly, absolutely without letting Li Wu know about her urgent need—it would be too embarrassing.
After distractedly watching another ten-plus minutes of Japanese drama, Cen Jin’s urge intensified. She turned her head and said to Li Wu, “Stop sitting there. Go help Aunt Tang keep an eye on the kitchen.”
“What’s wrong?” Noticing her restless expression, he instantly understood: “Do you need to use the bathroom?”
Cen Jin’s face stiffened for a moment, then she smiled slightly and offered an excuse meant to shut him down completely: “I need to change my sanitary pad.”
Li Wu’s face instantly turned bright red, and he fell silent.
“Can you handle that?”
Li Wu didn’t dare look her in the eye anymore, muttering in a low voice, “…I’ll go get Aunt Tang for you.”
With that, he stood up and left.
Still young and thin-skinned, Li Wu nearly stumbled as he walked out the door. By the time he reached the kitchen, his face and ears were still burning hot as he called for Aunt Tang in a hushed voice.Aunt Tang was stirring the soup: "What's wrong?"
Li Wu said, "Sister wants you for something."
Aunt Tang hurriedly covered the pot, wiped her hands, and rushed out of the kitchen.
Li Wu followed her out a bit, peering toward Cen Jin's room. Strangely, Aunt Tang didn't close the door after entering. Moments later, Cen Jin's startled cry came from inside.
Li Wu dashed to the doorway in three quick strides and glanced in. He saw Cen Jin being helped out of bed by Aunt Tang, who was trembling unsteadily. Whether she had accidentally bumped the injured limb or not, Cen Jin was standing on one leg, one hand supporting her waist, grimacing in pain.
Her long hair cascaded down as she complained, "Aunt Tang, hold me steady."
Aunt Tang, already petite and frail, struggled under her weight and apologized helplessly, "Jinjin, I really didn't mean to. My shoulder has been acting up on this side."
Cen Jin frowned in frustration, moving her arm from behind Aunt Tang's neck to support herself on a nearby cabinet. She let out a troubled whimper.
That faint sound tugged at Li Wu's heartstrings. His chest felt as if bitten by a hundred ants, aching densely. Without further hesitation, he strode over and, before either woman could react, scooped Cen Jin up in his arms.
"G?!"
The sudden weightlessness made Cen Jin gasp, and she instinctively grabbed onto the nearest support—the collar of Li Wu's T-shirt. She tugged it down so far that his sharp collarbone and a large patch of skin were exposed. The sight made the back of Cen Jin's ears burn, and she hastily let go.
"You..." Want to die?—Restrained by Aunt Tang's presence, Cen Jin couldn't lash out or struggle, so she glared at him in warning. Yet the young man only met her eyes briefly before looking away, leaving her with a view of his tense jaw. His face was flushed crimson, something Cen Jin saw clearly.
Affecting composure, he said seriously, "Aunt Tang, I'll carry Sister Cen Jin to the bathroom. You come and help her."
Aunt Tang, startled by his sudden move, replied blankly, "Help with what?"
Li Wu couldn't say it outright.
Cen Jin bit her lower lip, utterly exasperated.
He hurried along, carrying Cen Jin toward the bathroom in the room. Though he had acted out of a desire to ease her pain, his chest now pounded even more violently. This sharp, capable sister was unexpectedly so light and soft—utterly unbelievable.
Li Wu's fingers hovered loosely, not daring to press his palms against her skin, using only his arms to support her underarms and behind her knees.
Cen Jin, too, avoided further skin contact, but the boy's body was taut and hard like hot iron, burning even through her sleepwear. Like a mermaid with a severely injured tail, she had no choice but to curl awkwardly against him, not daring to struggle for fear of jostling her wounded leg.
Their breaths grew slightly uneven in the silent standoff.
Seeing the young and strong Li Wu lending a hand, Aunt Tang felt relieved, then suddenly remembered the soup simmering in the kitchen. After hastily giving a couple of instructions, she scurried away.
Li Wu was dumbfounded and tried to call her back, but she had already slipped out of the room.
Left with no choice, Li Wu steeled himself and carried Cen Jin into the bathroom. He bent down, carefully setting her on the toilet.
In front of the toilet was a low stool that Cen Jin had been using to prop up her leg.
In just those few meters, Li Wu broke out in a sweat—not from exhaustion, but from panic.
He didn't dare look at Cen Jin at all. Straightening up, he walked to a nearby cabinet, searching high and low in a frantic rush, as if looking for something.Cen Jin was also unsettled. Sitting there, she cast him a cold sidelong glance and parted her lips: "What are you looking for?"
Li Wu froze, noticing his own flushed face and bulging veins in the mirror. Embarrassed, he quickly averted his gaze.
Cen Jin asked: "Sanitary pads?"
Li Wu hummed in affirmation, worried she might misunderstand: "I'll call Aunt Tang for you right away."
Cen Jin sighed, feigning nonchalance: "No need. I lied. I didn't get my period—I just need to pee."
Her choice of words was extremely blunt. Li Wu felt as if he were about to combust.
"Get out," Cen Jin said, her voice forcibly calm under the circumstances. "Close the door properly."
Li Wu hurried out.
The moment the bathroom door shut, Cen Jin clenched her fists and vented her frustration by throwing punches at the air.
After a moment, she lowered her right leg, propped up her upper body slightly, lifted her skirt to undo her pants, and sat back down on the toilet seat.
Just as she was about to relieve herself, she suddenly frowned and called out warily: "Li Wu?"
"Hmm?" The boy's response came clearly, as if he were standing right against the door.
Cen Jin's heart sank. Cursing inwardly, she asked, "You're still at the door?"
"Hmm."
"Go farther away!" Her cheeks warm, she scolded him away, not wanting him to hear any strange noises.
"Okay."
Still uneasy, Cen Jin asked, "Are you gone?"
"Gone."
Suspicious, she pressed, "Why does your voice still sound so close?"
"..."
Another series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. The boy seemed to be stomping deliberately heavier on the floor, growing progressively distant, as if afraid she wouldn't believe him.
What a mess. Cen Jin was so mortified she wished she could vanish or sink through the floor. Resting her forehead in her hand, she closed her eyes, tilted her head back in despair, and proceeded with what felt like the most humiliating bathroom break of her life.
Perhaps the room was truly too small.
Even though Li Wu had moved all the way to the opposite wall, the sound of running water remained unexpectedly clear. A strange, burning shame gathered in his lower abdomen and surged to his brain. Standing with his hands behind his back, as if enduring corporal punishment under scorching sun, his face turned crimson, and his Adam's apple bobbed repeatedly.
After a while, the flush sounded from the bathroom, followed by Cen Jin's call: "I'm done."
He rushed over, but the moment his hand touched the doorknob, he withdrew it as if shocked, and asked, "Can I come in now?"
"Come in."
He was unbearably flustered, while she was utterly mortified.
Cen Jin sat gloomily on the toilet, her face dark, no longer wanting to look at him.
Li Wu gazed down at her for a moment, then bent his back, slipped his arms behind her back and under her knees, and lifted her up again.
His movements were always abrupt. Cen Jin, startled, grabbed his shoulder with one hand. Her face tense, she used the same hand to smack his shoulder hard: "Can you warn me next time?"
It stung, but being chastised with that light hit inexplicably sent a thrill of pleasure through him. Lowering his lashes, he curled his lips slightly and murmured, "Okay."
Cen Jin caught his expression: "Are you laughing?"
"Not laughing." Li Wu pressed his lips tightly together.
Cen Jin stared at him, annoyed: "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
Li Wu said, "No."
Her calves dangling outside his arms, Cen Jin suddenly realized she was completely at his mercy: "Do you carry your grandfather like this too?"
"I always carry him on my back," Li Wu replied without changing expression. "Your situation is different from his."
"How is it different?"
Li Wu glanced at her hurriedly: "You're a girl."
It had been a long time since anyone referred to her that way. Cen Jin was momentarily dazed, then gritted her teeth upon realizing: "And you still claim you're not taking advantage of the situation?""Yes, he took advantage of the situation, he is utterly shameless." Li Wu felt his entire body grow hot with agitation. Returning to the bedside, he took a deep breath, his face filled with righteous determination, and informed her in advance as she had requested: "Sister, I'm going to place you on the bed now."
What greeted him was a vicious, savage punch to the chest. Li Wu was utterly bewildered.
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