Li Wu's lips, along with his words, were instantly sealed.
His body grew intensely feverish, learning for the first time how fragrantly soft and moist a woman's lips could be, her mouth filled with the faintly sweet scent of alcohol.
His senses were nearly sucked away by her, thoroughly scattered by her smooth, probing tongue.
Unsure what to do, he panted heavily, hands hanging stiffly at his sides, every knuckle strained and restless.
Noticing his inexperience and hesitant response, Cen Jin loosened her arms from around his neck, instead cupping his burning cheeks as she asked with a light laugh, "What's wrong? Weren't you quite bold with that sudden kiss earlier?"
Li Wu couldn't form words, his throat parched, eyes clouded with suppressed crimson shame and urgency.
"I'll teach you," she whispered, rising on her toes to capture his lower lip again, nibbling gently. "Hold me."
Instantly bewitched, Li Wu wrapped his arms around her waist.
The young man's body was tense, burning and rigid, unable to relax. Cen Jin couldn't help pressing closer. One delicate hand traveled up from his jawline, and when his ear scorched her touch, her heart stirred—she grasped it, giving a firm, deliberate squeeze.
Li Wu's breathing instantly grew heavier, his embrace tightening around her.
Their bodies pressed together seamlessly, their merged shadows on the ground nearly becoming one.
Li Wu began to kiss back, sucking and pecking. He didn't dare use much force, his movements somewhat clumsy but utterly sincere.
The boy's rough, heavy breaths were the perfect catalyst. Cen Jin pulled her face back slightly, and Li Wu chased after her greedily. But she denied him further contact, only pressing her nose against his, their breaths mingling. Her eyelashes fluttered against his cheek like butterfly wings, creating a dense, tickling sensation. Her voice was soft and coaxing:
"Find my tongue, alright?"
Li Wu's Adam's apple bobbed heavily as he urgently leaned in, but she deliberately retreated again. Afraid she might escape once more, he stepped forward, pinning her against the door.
With no room to retreat, the young man's lips and tongue covered hers again. Provoked into aggression, he grew gradually fiercer, instinctively sucking, biting, and gnawing at her, tangling with her relentlessly, refusing to let go.
Cen Jin's face flushed deeper crimson, soft, fragmented moans escaping her. Her hands returned to the back of his neck, nails gradually digging into his flesh.
Pressed between him and the door, her shoulder blades occasionally scraped against the wood, creating faint rustling sounds.
Slowly, her knees weakened, her heart trembling uncontrollably, forcing her to cling tightly to the youth.
Perhaps it had been too long since she'd last kissed—she found herself loving this artless, demanding entanglement.
It made her feel needed, fiercely and passionately adored.
They teetered on the edge of losing control, like two feverish patients competing through kisses.
"Li Wu..." Cen Jin murmured his name vaguely.
The boy stopped, watching her from extremely close range, his eyes dark and damp, his breath frighteningly hot.
Cen Jin's heart tightened under his gaze. She pressed her glistening lips together: "Let's stop for now. We're still outside."
Li Wu's eyes cleared slightly, belated embarrassment dawning on him. He took two steps back, his voice hoarse: "Okay."
Sensing the intense shift between them, Cen Jin knew she had to call a halt in time, creating distance.
The slightly cool air in the hallway finally seeped between them, diluting the damp, intimate heat.
Looking at his once-again clear yet somewhat shy eyes, and his young, flushed face, Cen Jin was suddenly overwhelmed by a strong sense of guilt.
She averted her gaze, mind in disarray as she asked: "Aren't you going back to school today?"
Li Wu froze, pulling out his phone to check. "...It's already past two."He looked at her again, his eyes showing a hint of frustration. "Are you going to make me leave again?"
"Ah?" Cen Jin was momentarily dazed before composing herself. "No, I was worried about your school's dorm check."
Li Wu pressed his lips together slightly. "It's summer break now."
"Oh..." Cen Jin felt flustered, having nearly forgotten what day and time it was.
Everything that had just happened was too sudden. Her thoughts couldn't keep up with her actions, completely carried away in the moment. Now her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, complex and conflicting.
Cen Jin scratched her temple, too embarrassed to meet his eyes, and turned to open the door. "Stay at home tonight."
Li Wu's eyelids drooped slightly, the corners of his lips lifting almost imperceptibly. Then he picked up the forgotten shopping bag from the floor and followed her inside.
After hanging up her bag, Cen Jin went to the kitchen for water, her throat parched to the extreme.
Returning with two glasses of cool boiled water, she found Li Wu still standing there and quickly gestured. "Have a seat."
Li Wu acknowledged with a sound and sat back in his usual wicker chair.
Cen Jin handed him the water before moving to the sofa nearby.
She took two sips of water, allowing the agitation in her heart to gradually subside. When she looked at Li Wu again, she found the young man holding his glass, staring intently at her without blinking.
The tips of her ears grew warm involuntarily. Deciding to clarify things, she began, "Just now..."
Li Wu responded with a low hum. "Mm."
Ah—Cen Jin racked her brains, unsure how to start the conversation appropriately. Her ability to phrase things failed her, so she simply threw caution to the wind. "Let's date."
Li Wu's eyes lit up like sudden flames, burning brightly.
"We've already kissed," Cen Jin said quickly, then started drinking water again.
The young man's expression dimmed momentarily as he set his glass back on the coffee table. "Is it just because we kissed?"
Cen Jin sighed inwardly, her expression gentle. "No, it's because I want to try. Let's give it a shot, Li Wu. Since my divorce, no one else has given me such a definite and strong feeling as you have. Last summer, it wasn't this obvious, but over the past year, it's gradually deepened. When I watched you leave today, I had no idea what to do—I felt sad, regretful, empty, and drained. I shouldn't have said those things to you. I wasn't true to my heart."
She tilted her face up slightly, not wanting the vulnerable dampness in her eyes to be too obvious to this boy so much younger than her—it would be too embarrassing. "Maybe it's because I've been through a failed marriage, but I've become timid in relationships. I easily lose confidence in myself and others, always instinctively testing and proving the kind of connection I need by pushing people away. I don't know what's wrong with me—I just can't seem to control it."
"Thankfully, you came back," Cen Jin exhaled, as if still shaken. "I don't want to keep living like this. This past year, it's felt like there's been a time bomb between us. Someone had to take the initiative to step on it, or we'd keep treading on thin ice. Since you've already taken that step, I don't want to go against myself either."
She met his gaze squarely again, a resilient and strikingly beautiful curve forming at the corner of her lips. "So, do you want to try being with me? As boyfriend and girlfriend."
Li Wu was stunned, staring at her for several seconds without a word. Then he stood up and walked straight over, leaning down as if to kiss her again.Cen Jin pushed at his chest, only to have her hands immediately captured. He stopped moving, just holding them tightly, his backlit eyes so profound, clear and bright, utterly captivating.
Under his intense gaze and restraint, Cen Jin's mind began to simmer, yet she didn't want him to succeed so easily. She said, "Can't get enough kisses, huh? I don't feel like kissing at all anymore."
"Then can I hold you?" Li Wu asked, his face full of anticipation and sincerity.
This clueless boy, Cen Jin chuckled inwardly, tilting her chin up to challenge him: "How can I hug you when you're gripping me like this?"
Li Wu immediately let go.
They stood facing each other—one standing, one sitting—at an awkward angle for an embrace, so they found themselves at an impasse, unsure how to proceed.
Cen Jin decided to take the initiative. She spread her arms slightly, about to rise and throw herself at him, when Li Wu's arms slid under hers and lifted her effortlessly into the air.
"Wow~" she finally let out an uninhibited gasp, wrapping her arms around the young man's neck and locking her legs around his waist, doing everything a girl in the throes of passion should do.
Li Wu lifted her effortlessly, murmuring softly: "Haven't held you in a year."
During this year apart, he had missed her so intensely, replaying this moment countless times in his mind.
Cen Jin felt a sting in her nose and looked up at him. Their faces were so close, quietly gazing at each other as if re-verifying identities, erasing all previous assumptions.
Cen Jin couldn't help but study her young boyfriend: his full forehead, sharp eyebrows, dark intense eyes, fluttering lashes, straight nose, clear complexion, and well-defined lips.
He's so handsome.
Had he always been this good-looking?
Had this handsome boy liked her for nearly three years? What kind of lottery had she won to be so lucky?
Cen Jin's heart blossomed like flowers, so overjoyed she couldn't resist giving his lips a fierce peck, as if stamping him with her exclusive seal, claiming him as her own from now on, forbidding others from coveting.
Li Wu had already been scrutinized until his ears burned crimson, and now he was both shy and delighted, a clear dimple appearing by his lips: "Didn't you say you didn't want to kiss anymore?"
"Can't I change my mind temporarily?" Cen Jin stared unblinkingly, whether in genuine admiration or playful teasing: "You look so handsome from this angle, how come I'm only noticing now? So good-looking, yet so cute—is there anything wrong with making up for lost time with a few more kisses?"
Praised into restless excitement, Li Wu did as she wished, suddenly kissing her lips before turning away, letting the corners of his eyes betray his smile, his pupils sparkling, lashes thick and long.
Cen Jin melted at his little mannerisms and expressions, her heart softening completely into a sweet, gooey lava bread.
Her hands moved to his shoulders, creating some space as she tilted her head, trying to catch his happily evading face.
Li Wu grew uncomfortable, blushing from ears to neck, turning his face to the other side.
Cen Jin leaned sideways to pursue him, determined to catch him red-handed.
With nowhere left to hide, Li Wu finally faced her properly, pleading: "Stop looking, sister."
Cen Jin gave an "oh," kicking her legs slightly: "Then put me down."
He tightened his arms, like a child guarding his candy: "Won't let go."
"Aren't you tired?"
"Not tired."
"Gonna hold me all night?"
"Mhm."
"Mhm your big head," she leaned close to his neck, sniffed, and complained: "How long were you standing outside today? You're starting to smell, let go."
...That night, having barely eaten all day, Li Wu took a shower but still disregarded his own needs, only thinking of quickly making a bowl of Longevity Noodles to celebrate Cen Jin's birthday.
After the first bite, Cen Jin graciously exclaimed, "Oh my god, this is the taste! I haven't had it in so long."
Meanwhile, Li Wu sat absentmindedly across from her, occasionally looking up as if he couldn't get enough of the sight.
The lampshade hanging above the table cast a warm yellow glow, making everything feel dreamlike and almost unreal.
Afraid he might be dreaming, Li Wu secretly slipped his hands under the table and pinched the back of his hand hard.
It hurt.
Great, it was real.
Worried that Cen Jin might think him immature for grinning foolishly like a silly kid, he coughed and pressed his lips tightly together, trying to conceal his overly bright smile.
Cen Jin had noticed long ago. After finishing the last strand of noodles, she mercilessly called him out: "If you want to look, then look. If you want to smile, then smile. Watching you hold back is making me uncomfortable."
"Oh." Li Wu lowered his eyes, still too shy to be so blatant, suppressing his smile until his cheeks ached.
"Hmph," Cen Jin snorted lazily, teasing him, "Let me ask you, since starting university, have any girls tried to hit on you and ask for your contact info?"
The young man suddenly sat up straight, his mind racing to find the correct answer. Just as he was about to speak—
The woman set down her chopsticks with a sharp click, as authoritative as a judge's gavel, and gritted her teeth slightly: "Tell me the truth." Li Wu discarded all the prepared denials and answered honestly: "About two or three a week."
"...Really?!" Cen Jin was astonished. "That many?"
"Mm-hmm."
Cen Jin snorted coldly: "So you're just out there flaunting yourself all day without any sense of male virtue, huh?"
"No," Li Wu frowned, explaining seriously, "I'm mostly only at the library and the dorm, and occasionally the lab."
Cen Jin shot him a frosty sidelong glance, her smile not reaching her eyes: "So did you give your number to those girls?"
Li Wu didn't answer, simply sliding his phone over to her.
Cen Jin smirked triumphantly, took it, and began scrolling. Finding it still didn't require a passcode, she laughed in disbelief: "Aren't you afraid of losing your phone?"
Her thumb tapped the screen a few times. When she saw WeChat's pinned chat—her own—and the rows of dull, serious group chats and male contacts below, her smile deepened.
But she didn't return the phone immediately. Instead, she raised an eyebrow, added a line to the pinned contact's notes (which was herself), and then slid the phone back.
Li Wu picked it up and couldn't hold back his laughter, his lips curling uncontrollably.
Sister is watching you. How could she be so adorable? Li Wu stared at the new note for a long, long time, his heart feeling as if coated in syrup. He could hardly believe it, looking up repeatedly to confirm: "Starting today, I'm your boyfriend, right?"
"Not just a boyfriend." Cen Jin, annoyed from being asked this countless times, rested her cheek on her hand wearily.
"Then what else?"
"You're also an idiot."
"..."
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