At noon, Cen's father came home. He usually had lunch at the company, but with so many things happening at home these days—his wife hospitalized and his daughter staying alone and withdrawn—he made it a point to visit his wife first and then return to keep his daughter company, worried that both might be feeling down.
Seeing Li Wu at home today, he was pleasantly surprised, immediately slapping the young man on the shoulder and complaining that he hadn’t come to share the good news of finishing the college entrance exams in person.
Li Wu could only apologize repeatedly.
Aunt Tang prepared a table full of dishes, and for once, Cen Jin didn’t eat in bed but joined everyone in her wheelchair.
Cen's father was a bit surprised at first, but noticing that the gloom between his daughter’s brows had lightened and her mood seemed brighter, he felt somewhat relieved. Just as he was about to ladle soup for Cen Jin, Li Wu, sitting across the table, had already picked up her small bowl and filled it with pork rib soup. He carefully selected the softest and most convenient ribs before placing the bowl back in front of her.
Cen Jin picked up her spoon and began drinking the soup naturally.
Cen's father was taken aback for a moment and sighed, "Xiao Wu, you’re so good at taking care of others!"
Li Wu felt embarrassed and reached out, saying, "Uncle, let me serve you a bowl too."
Cen's father declined outright and instead piled a large portion of vegetables into Li Wu’s bowl. "You should eat more too. You’re still so thin—your sister hasn’t been taking good care of you."
Cen Jin choked slightly, chewing the meat in her mouth slowly before replying, "You should’ve seen what he was like before you say whether I’ve taken good care of him or not."
Cen's father laughed. "What could he have been like before? Just a little handsome guy who grew into a big handsome guy?"
"Oh, heavens." Stop praising him like that, okay? Cen Jin was exasperated by her father and continued picking at her rice.
Li Wu blushed at the compliments, stealing a glance at her before pretending not to care and focusing on his meal.
Cen Jin asked about her mother’s condition, "How’s Mom doing?"
Cen's father replied, "The doctor said she needs at least a week of IV drips."
Cen Jin asked, "Is Second Aunt still taking care of her?"
Cen's father nodded. "Yes, your mom’s doing fine. She can eat and drink, but she’s still coughing. Don’t worry about her—focus on recovering yourself. Besides, she still has me, doesn’t she?"
"Ah—" Mentioning this made Cen Jin gloomy again. "I really want to go back to work. I’m so bored at home."
Cen's father advised, "Just treat it as a long vacation," then turned to Li Wu, who was quietly eating. "Look, Xiao Wu is here to keep you company too."
Cen Jin said flatly, "I never asked him to."
Cen's father was puzzled. "Weren’t you complaining all the time about how miserable it was to be alone at home? Now that there’s someone else here, why are you still sulking?"
He then smiled and turned to Li Wu. "Xiao Wu, are you still staying at Jinjin’s place these days?"
Li Wu was slightly taken aback, wondering if Cen Jin’s parents didn’t know he had already moved out.
Under the table, the tip of his shoe was suddenly nudged.
Li Wu’s ears turned slightly red. He glanced at Cen Jin, who was calmly chewing on a piece of lotus root shoot without even a flicker of her gaze in his direction.
Understanding the unspoken message, he played along as an accomplice in the lie. "Yes."
Cen's father warmly invited him, "Since you’ve already submitted your college applications, you must have some free time now. Why not come stay at Yushu for the summer? You can keep your sister Jinjin company. We have a TV and computer here, so you won’t be bored."
Without hesitation, Li Wu agreed, "Okay."
This time, it wasn’t a nudge—it was a kick.
Forceful and clearly a warning.Li Wu blinked rapidly, silently bending his left leg back to avoid maintaining a ninety-degree angle, preemptively dodging any further covert attacks from Cen Jin. What was wrong with this sister? Even with one leg injured, she remained so arrogant.
Cen's Father seized the moment to ask about his college plans: "Your sister mentioned you applied to F University?"
Li Wu nodded: "Yes."
Cen's Father inquired: "What's your major?"
Cen Jin had been sipping soup but paused her movements upon hearing her father's question, quietly and intently awaiting the young man's response.
Li Wu said: "Physics."
A knot tightened in Cen Jin's chest as she set her spoon back at the bottom of the bowl.
Cen's Father expressed curiosity: "Shouldn't you go to Beijing for physics? University of Science and Technology would be good too."
Not daring to notice Cen Jin's reaction, Li Wu forced calm into his voice: "F University offered a 100,000 yuan scholarship with full tuition waiver and guaranteed graduate admission. A professor contacted me, and I shared my research interests with him. I'll study there first, and if I can directly enter a Ph.D. program in senior year, even better. I don't want to burden Sister Cen Jin financially anymore, and I won't."
Only when mentioning Cen Jin did he naturally glance at her. The woman's face remained unreadable as she continued eating.
Cen's Father nodded understandingly: "Ah, you've always been a mature and sensible child. You must have thought this through carefully. But won't direct Ph.D. admission be too stressful? It seems like closing off other paths."
After a moment of silence, Li Wu responded gravely: "I'll face whatever path I choose. I don't want to let go of what I love, so I'll work twice as hard."
Cen Jin bit the tip of her chopsticks, her delicate eyebrows furrowing tightly.
Seizing the opportunity for boldness but uncertain whether she'd kick him again, Li Wu quickly glanced under the table and subtly retracted his right leg as well.
Noticing his furtive movement, Cen Jin leaned back and stared at him leisurely. When he looked up, their eyes met - Li Wu was caught red-handed by her gaze. He hastily averted his eyes, burying himself in his meal again, a dimpled smile resurfacing.
Meanwhile, Cen's Father continued nodding obliviously and offered encouragement: "That's right, where there's a will there's a way. Xiao Wu, your uncle believes in you."
―
In the afternoon, Cen Jin played mobile games in bed while Li Wu dutifully managed his guardian character in the game, steadfastly protecting her. This time, however, he held a book - the same one Cen Jin had been reading that morning.
After winning three consecutive matches, Cen Jin contentedly set aside her phone, planning to take a short nap.
She adjusted her neck against the pillow and turned to look at Li Wu: "I'm going to take a nap. You should go rest in your own room too."
Li Wu looked up: "I'm not tired," then added after a thought: "I won't disturb you."
Cen Jin pulled the blanket over her abdomen: "I can't sleep with someone nearby."
Li Wu seemed slightly stunned and asked hesitantly: "Didn't... you used to sleep with your husband?"
"..." Cen Jin directly grabbed the plush rabbit from her bedside and threw it at him. How annoying - she'd become half-crippled, reduced to using soft objects for feeble intimidation.
Li Wu caught it with one hand, secretly grateful he'd already picked up the book. He looked down at the innocent little rabbit turned weapon, stroked its head, and tucked it into his embrace.
Perhaps his natural gesture seemed too adorable and childishly pure, as Cen Jin's accumulated resentment instantly dissipated. She stopped bickering with this 24-hour annoying caretaker, closed her eyes and ordered: "Close the door."
Li Wu: "Huh?"
Cen Jin said in the darkness: "I really can't sleep with the door open.""Oh." Li Wu stood up to close the door, then glanced at the window. "Should I draw the curtains?"
Cen Jin cracked her eyes open slightly. "Yes."
Li Wu went to gather the curtains.
The blackout effect was excellent—with a sharp rustle, the bedroom instantly transitioned from daylight to darkness.
After standing stiffly in the dimness for a few seconds, Li Wu felt something was off. He raised his hand to part the curtains slightly, allowing a sliver of clear daylight to filter through.
Feeling somewhat reassured, he turned back to look at Cen Jin. She lay flat on the bed, hands resting on her stomach, eyes lightly closed—like a sleeping beauty, but this one lay rigid and seemingly strained.
He called out to her, "Sis."
"Hmm?" Cen Jin furrowed her brows but didn’t open her eyes.
"Can’t you turn over?"
"I don’t know if I can." She didn’t dare try; she had been lying like a corpse for over ten days.
Li Wu glanced at her injured leg. "I can help you."
"No need."
"Okay." He started to walk away.
Cen Jin helplessly opened her eyes and waved a hand. "Forget it, come help me turn. I want to lie on my right side."
Li Wu turned back and circled around to the other side of the bed.
The two-meter-wide bed, combined with the fact that she slept close to the edge for easier access, forced him to kneel one knee on the mattress for leverage. His movement was more exaggerated than he’d intended. Cen Jin’s face darkened. "What are you doing, climbing onto the bed?" "..." Li Wu was caught between retreating and staying put, so he froze and explained, "The bed is too big. I can’t reach you without getting on."
How many ambiguous remarks like this had he made just today? Cen Jin’s head buzzed with irritation. "Get down. I’m not turning anymore."
Lying flat wasn’t so bad—once you got used to it, you grew numb. Cen Jin resentfully averted her eyes, comforting herself with this thought.
The next moment, the mattress beside her dipped as the boy leaned forward, one hand protecting her abdomen, the other pushing her back, decisively turning her onto her side.
His movements were careful but swift. Cen Jin, caught completely off guard, let out a flustered whimper. The sound came out slightly uncontrolled, sounding fragile and delicate. Instantly, her face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Thankfully, she was now facing away from Li Wu—if he had noticed, she might as well have died on the spot. Gripping the corner of her pillow, Cen Jin felt her dignity had been utterly crushed by this brat. From now on, she didn’t want to exchange another word with him.
Li Wu exhaled, retreated from the bed, and slipped his feet back into his slippers.
The air conditioning seemed utterly ineffective. A fine layer of sweat belatedly formed on his back, and his throat felt tight and dry. His chest rose and fell as he looked at the back of Cen Jin’s head. "Did I bump your left leg?"
Cen Jin replied with a faint "Hmm."
Li Wu’s gaze lingered on her thin shoulder blades. Hmm... why did she seem even stiffer now than when she was lying flat?
Worried she might be hiding any pain, he double-checked, "Really, it didn’t get touched?"
"Are you a broken record? I said it didn’t, so it didn’t!" she suddenly snapped. "Shut up! I’m going to sleep!"
Startled into silence, Li Wu mumbled, "Oh..."
The boy returned to his chair. Coincidentally—or perhaps inconveniently—the end result of the awkward turning ordeal, which had nearly driven Cen Jin to hang herself in her mind, left her facing exactly where Li Wu was sitting.
He sat upright; she lay on her side. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Cen Jin sighed at her own lack of foresight and closed her eyes, feigning sleep.
Li Wu curled his lips slightly and lowered his head to read. Afraid the rustling of the pages might disturb her, he reread the same two pages at least twenty times—almost memorizing them by heart.The room was dimly lit. Li Wu rubbed his eyelids and lifted his face from the book.
The woman seemed to have fallen asleep, her cheek partially buried in the soft pillow. Her eyelashes rested neatly beneath her eyes, her breathing even and steady, her slightly parted lips pale red and full.
She said she couldn’t sleep with someone nearby. Yet she was sleeping soundly.
Li Wu watched her quietly, his gaze growing increasingly bold, then he suddenly chuckled, his breath hitching slightly.
The next second, the woman abruptly opened her eyes.
Li Wu immediately ducked his head, flustered as he flipped through the book, his heart in chaos.
"What are you looking at?" Her voice was cool and distant.
Li Wu lifted his gaze, his large eyes dark and bright: "Reading." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, glanced at the cover, and said with feigned seriousness: "Macbeth, by Shakespeare."
Cen Jin let out a soft breath through her nose and closed her eyes again.
Li Wu, still shaken, exhaled very softly, forcing himself to focus on the book in his hands and not let his thoughts wander.
Suddenly, the young man’s gaze paused, his finger resting on a line in the book—
"From this moment on, I consider your love as something equally unreliable. Do you not dare to match your actions and courage with your desires? Would you rather, like a timid cat, let 'I dare not' forever follow 'I want,' making yourself a coward in your own eyes?"
Li Wu felt as if struck, his fist gradually clenching.
He looked again at the serene, moonlit face on the bed, took a deep breath, and tentatively called out: "Sis."
Cen Jin didn’t open her eyes, but her brows furrowed noticeably with annoyance: "Hmm?"
"I was looking at you," the confession made the young man’s heart race wildly, his cheeks burning, his tone utterly serious: "You’re so beautiful."
The air warmed slightly in the few seconds of silence. Cen Jin turned away as if fleeing, returning to lying on her back.
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