It was nearly five in the morning, the sky already bright, before the two of them remembered the concept of sleep.
Reluctant to part, they lingered in the hallway, holding each other for a while before finally returning to their respective rooms.
But how could they possibly sleep?
Cen Jin leaned against the headboard and began scrolling through every chat record with Li Wu, along with their first photo together from 2017.
Her gaze fell on the face of the cold, stubborn young boy in the picture, and a mix of guilt and sweetness washed over her heart. She covered half her face with her hand, unable to hold back a smile.
She then pulled up their Polaroid from 2020. By then, he was already much taller than her, his facial features sharper and more defined. Yet his demeanor remained youthful and restrained, like a towering pine tree, remarkable yet unaware of its own stature.
Hmm~
How could this kid be so good-looking?
Cen Jin’s cheek muscles simply wouldn’t relax. She gazed at the photo with curved eyes for a long while before deciding to put her phone down, calm her emotions, and properly coax herself to sleep.
Just as she was about to turn off the screen, a WeChat notification popped up.
Cen Jin tilted her head and opened the app. It was from her newly set top contact for the evening.
Li Wu: Are you asleep?
Cen Jin smirked: I am asleep.
The other person was probably laughing too, pausing before replying: Oh.
Li Wu said: What should I do if I can’t sleep?
Cen Jin pressed her lips together firmly: Then lie down.
Li Wu said: I miss you so much.
Cen Jin’s heart tingled and softened from those three little words of affection, but she stubbornly retorted: Are we even ten meters apart? Is this necessary?
Li Wu: Yes.
Cen Jin ran her fingers through her hair twice and replied: Now that you mention it, I think I miss you a little too.
The other side suggested: Let’s go hug in the hallway for a bit.
Cen Jin laughed in disbelief: Are you crazy? Go to sleep. If you can’t sleep, just close your eyes and rest.
Li Wu said: I really can’t sleep.
Cen Jin replied: Don’t you have to go to the lab tomorrow?
The mood on the other end seemed to drop abruptly: Yes.
Cen Jin asked: What time?
Li Wu: Before nine in the morning. I already skipped once today.
Cen Jin was speechless: You only have three hours left to rest, and you’re still not hurrying to sleep?
Li Wu replied: It’s too hard.
Cen Jin: Close your eyes and don’t think about anything, then you’ll fall asleep.
Li Wu pushed his luck: Sister, come out and hug for a bit. I’ll definitely sleep after.
That form of address was like a cheat code—Cen Jin instantly surrendered. She stared at the message for a few seconds, helplessly giving in: Fine.
After replying, she put down her phone, slipped on her slippers, and headed for the door. Along the way, she patted her cheeks a couple of times, trying hard to appear composed and not overly gleeful, avoiding any overly silly, girlish expressions.
The moment she opened the door, Cen Jin’s arm was pulled tightly, and she was dragged into an embrace.
She almost cried out.
The boy’s chest was warm and firm, instantly soothing Cen Jin’s startled nerves. She let Li Wu hold her, then couldn’t help but wrap her arms tightly around his waist: “Did you teleport here? Are you hiding some superpower from me?”
He actually hummed in agreement.
Cen Jin lifted her eyes, her chin resting against his chest, and pinched his chin, boldly turning his face left and right as she scrutinized him: “I feel like you were already waiting at the door, fully prepared.”
Li Wu looked back at her with a smile: “I really just got here.”
Cen Jin snorted coldly: “I don’t believe you.”
Under her intense gaze, Li Wu couldn’t hold back anymore. He grabbed the hand Cen Jin was using to control his chin, leaned down, and pecked her lips.
Cen Jin froze, her lips glistening like syrup: “Didn’t you say we were just hugging for a bit?”
Li Wu wasn’t satisfied. Without a word, he lowered his head and kissed her again.He kissed with feather-light softness, each touch like downy fluff tickling at Cen Jin’s heart. His lingering gaze, dark and captivating as tiny hooks, stirred her emotions. Her mind grew hazy with warmth as she hooked her arms around him again, pressing herself closer.
Her fingers tangled in his hair roots, their lips inseparable, unwilling to part.
As he gradually backed her against the wall, a long-suppressed image abruptly surfaced in Cen Jin’s dazed mind. Her heart fluttered as she reached out to explore it firsthand.
Li Wu gasped heavily, his voice strained as he murmured, "Sis..."
The sensation surpassed Cen Jin’s expectations—distinct and vivid even through the fabric. With genuine fascination, her fingertips traced every contour in silent admiration, savoring his youthful firmness.
The young man’s breathing grew increasingly ragged. He tensed his abdomen, trying to evade her grasp, but it was futile—her hand enveloped him like a tightly woven net.
Consumed by heat, he could no longer focus on the kiss. His forehead dropped to her neck, strands of hair brushing her ear as he surrendered to the unbearable yet intoxicating sensation.
Cen Jin’s collarbone grew damp with his hot, ragged breaths, moisture nearly beading on her skin.
How could he be so innocent?
A wave of guilt for corrupting this young man washed over her. Cen Jin withdrew her hand, took a deep breath, and leaned toward his crimson-tipped ear to enunciate slowly: "Go to bed. Now."
Li Wu immediately straightened up and fled to his room without looking back.
Silly boy.
Cen Jin stood still, smiling faintly as she glanced at her hand before turning neatly and ambling back to her bedroom.
―
Perhaps due to the emotional turbulence and late night, even her alarm failed to wake Cen Jin.
When she opened her eyes again, it was already noon. Sitting up abruptly, she clutched her phone with both hands, still somewhat disoriented.
The woman who had just entered her thirties blinked, briefly reliving the previous night before opening WeChat.
Two messages from her young boyfriend greeted her, both sent around eight o’clock.
Li Wu: I’ve gone back to campus first.
Li Wu: There’s congee in the rice cooker. Heat up the fried egg before eating.
The morning—no, midday—air seemed sweet. Cen Jin’s lips curved as she typed into the chatbox:
[Hmph, you didn’t even wake me?]
The cursor blinked. The cutesy "Hmph" made her shudder with secondhand embarrassment. Grimacing internally, she quickly deleted the text and called him instead.
He answered instantly. Before any words came, vibrant, clear laughter bloomed in her ears like spring itself.
"Hey—" She drew out the word crisply, with a slight upward lilt.
"Mn."
Feigning anger, Cen Jin adopted a cool tone. "Why didn’t you wake me up?"
"Wanted to let you sleep longer," he replied, his voice clean and bright. "Have you eaten breakfast?"
"Still in bed," she said.
Her young boyfriend shifted into nurturing mode: "Get up and eat soon. Don’t stay hungry."
Cen Jin chuckled. "What about you? Had lunch yet?"
"About to," Li Wu answered.
"Still in the lab?"
"Mn. Going out to eat soon."
"Alone?"
"Two senior brothers and a seni—" He caught himself and amended: "Could be just me too."
Cen Jin smiled in understanding.
"Take me with you," she suddenly softened her tone. "I want to have lunch with my junior on campus too."A low chuckle came from the other end: "I'll be done around 4 PM and head home. It takes at least half an hour to get to campus—I'm worried you'll be tired from driving."
Cen Jin squeezed out four stiff words: "I want to go."
Li Wu couldn't have asked for more: "Then come, I'll wait for you."
"You can drive us back tonight."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'?" She switched back to stern teacher mode effortlessly: "Getting a license without practice is useless. You're driving."
"Oh..."
...
Tucking his phone into his pocket, Li Wu leaned against the wall by the door and gazed at the azure sky for a moment. Only when he confirmed the laughter in his mind had subsided below 60%, no longer so blatant, did he return to the lab, sit down, and continue programming to analyze data.
A while later, he felt like laughing again. He had to lower his head slightly and rub his temple with the back of his hand, deceiving himself like the proverbial ostrich.
Seeing him smile intermittently all morning, oblivious to others, and frequently pulling out his phone for quick glances, a perceptive senior brother asked with a laugh: "Li Wu, are you in love? Is that it?"
"Huh?" He looked up, then curved his lips and nodded: "Yeah."
A senior sister was stunned and exclaimed: "So sudden!"
It really was sudden. This handsome junior had always been aloof, rarely engaging in personal conversations with them. Any attempts to deepen their connection had been futile—no one could have imagined him dating.
She grew curious: "Is it someone from our university?"
Li Wu shook his head: "No," then reconsidered his overly absolute answer and amended: "She used to be."
"Huh?" The senior brother was also taken aback.
Li Wu thought for a moment and looked up at them: "You might have seen her before."
"Really?"
"Who is it?"
The entire lab buzzed with curiosity.
"That time at the east gate, when someone brought me something," he really wanted to shout this news to the whole world—his favorite woman had become his girlfriend: "Remember?"
A few seconds of silence.
"Holy crap?!"
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