Her hands, her lips, her breath wove together into a poem of awakening—sometimes tender, sometimes fervent.
Finally, Li Wu gasped and released into Cen Jin’s fingers, bringing the moment to its conclusion.
“Good boy.” Cen Jin ruffled his hair with her other hand and tried to rise from his lap, only to be pulled back into a tight, desperate embrace.
The boy radiated a fragile yet satisfied aura, like rain-drenched blades of grass trembling in a downpour.
Cen Jin’s shoulder blades ached faintly from his grip. “What’s wrong?”
Li Wu didn’t answer, simply holding on without letting go.
Cen Jin sensed a certain change again and chuckled. “Alright now, young man. Let me go wash my hands, okay?”
Li Wu’s face warmed, and he released her.
Leaving the study, Cen Jin felt her knees slightly weak. Standing before her bedroom vanity, she noticed her reflection—cheeks flushed as if from a night of heavy drinking.
She let out a soft laugh, took a deep breath, turned on the faucet, scrubbed her fingers clean, then scooped cold water to splash her face.
When she stepped out, Li Wu was already standing properly by the door. At the sight of her, he pulled her back into his arms, melting against her like a boneless, oversized human plushie.
He really was like a little puppy.
Sticking to her when hungry, and still sticking to her when full.
Cen Jin felt both fondness and exasperation. She nudged his shoulder and asked, “What will you do when summer break ends and you have to go back to school?”
Li Wu remained unmoved, muttering into her shoulder, “Just go to school.”
“Hmm?” Cen Jin was dissatisfied. “Won’t you miss me?”
“What about you?” He lifted his head, eyes dark and bright. “Will you miss me?”
“I’ll be too busy with work to miss anyone.” Mentioning work rekindled the unpleasant emotions she had just pushed aside, and her lips instantly drooped.
Noticing this, Li Wu gently lifted her chin, studying her face intently. “Did something happen at work?”
Cen Jin retaliated by pinching his cheek, pouting slightly. “You must study a few more years. Don’t enter the workforce too early. Once you’re in society, it’s easy to get worn down—you’ll face many situations where you have no choice.”
“Then when can I marry you?” he suddenly blurted out, startling her.
Cen Jin froze for a second, then swatted his back. “Marriage? Are you even of legal age yet!”
Li Wu fell silent for a few seconds, then lowered his voice. “I will be.” He added, “As long as you’re still willing to be with me by then.”
Cen Jin’s heart twinged. “Why so humble, little one? I’m not the fickle type.”
Li Wu gazed at her deeply and quietly before murmuring, “Mm.”
“Are you mad at me?” Cen Jin began tickling him.
Li Wu was most ticklish and instantly broke into laughter, revealing a row of beautiful white teeth as he dodged. “No.” Cen Jin refused to let up, chasing him with her mischievous hands.
Their playfighting ended with Li Wu scooping her off the ground.
They curled up together on the sofa, picked an old movie, and began their daily ritual of tender moments.
Cen Jin usually leaned against a cushion, but now she had a warm, living chest custom-made to cradle her back perfectly, adjusting naturally to her every shift and posture.
Except the owner of that chest was rather restless—sometimes kneading her gently, sometimes planting soft kisses along her hairline, the nape of her neck, and her earlobes.
Those tantalizing little gestures often sent shivers down Cen Jin’s spine, leaving her tingling all over. She wanted to turn and pounce on him, to deal with him right then and there.
But Cen Jin hesitated to act on it.Perhaps it was because Li Wu was too pure and harmless, or because there was ultimately a difficult hurdle in her heart, Cen Jin always felt that although they had settled their material debts, they were still unequal spiritually. If things truly progressed to that stage, their relationship would become complicated and burdensome.
She wasn't the type to place heavy emphasis on "chastity," but she wasn't sure if Li Wu was.
Most importantly, she hadn't yet seriously and thoroughly contemplated their future together. For now, she just wanted to enjoy the romance and live in the moment.
So, until she took the initiative to break down that societal barrier, she probably wouldn't actively pursue the most explicit and profound level of intimacy with him.
These thoughts carried a faint hint of "scumbag" behavior, but Cen Jin knew she had to use them to stay grounded. Li Wu was too tempting—inside and out. He was handsome, vibrant, intelligent, and intense. Most importantly, he loved her, and he loved her wholeheartedly. This pure, fervent devotion, which made her feel irreplaceable, carried a fatal sexual allure. Every day spent with Li Wu felt like a vegetarian millennial spider in a silk cave facing the temptation of Tang Monk's flesh—walking the edge between emotion and reason, constantly on the verge of losing control and falling into the abyss.
And so, she endured until the summer vacation ended.
In September, the hormonal beast at home finally returned to his cage, and Cen Jin's tense nerves relaxed. She found time to meet up with friends.
When Chun Chang heard about her recent struggles, she was utterly astonished and couldn't resist a sarcastic remark: "Jin Jie, my dear Jin Jie, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call you a ninja, would it?"
"Stop teasing me. But honestly, I kind of miss the kid now that he's back at school." Cen Jin took a sip of coffee and flashed the smile typical of any woman deeply in love—a smile that could instantly transport them to a world of tender affection, no matter how noisy or crowded the surroundings.
Chun Chang shuddered: "Then just have him come home every day."
"He's busy with classes and lab work. Where would he find the time? Even if he did, I don't." Cen Jin glanced at her watch and smiled again. "I have to head to the office soon to grind away."
Suddenly, she turned serious and looked at Chun Chang as if about to announce major news: "I've been thinking about something this past month."
Chun Chang raised an eyebrow: "What? How to take a virgin's first blood?"
"No, could you please stop filling your head with such thoughts?" Cen Jin twitched her lips slightly and said mildly, "It's that I don't want to do creative work anymore."
"Ha—" This shocked Chun Chang even more than hearing her best friend could resist sleeping with her young boyfriend for a month. "Then what are you going to do?"
Cen Jin said: "I want to switch to being an AM (Account Manager)."
Chun Chang's mouth fell open slightly: "No way. You've already made it to deputy director—why suddenly switch to being an account manager? Who does that? You might as well go client-side."
Cen Jin brushed her hair back: "When I first joined Aoxing, I actually didn't want to just do creative work. I wanted to move into strategy, but later, because some of my work was really good, the department didn't want to let me go, and I was enjoying myself, so it got shelved. But what happened last month was a wake-up call. I've decided to step out of my comfort zone and spend a year or two in the account department to build some connections and prepare for my future plans."
Chun Chang blinked: "What plans?"
Cen Jin smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling: "I want to start my own Creative Boutique or MCN company.""My god—" Chun Chang's jaw could have dropped to the floor: "Really? Do people become this ambitious when they turn thirty? My mom also decided to set up a pancake stall when she was thirty. Why don’t I have that kind of awakening?"
Cen Jin clapped her hands once, as if to seal the decision or to cheer herself on: "Since no one else can provide the Ideal Realm I need, I’ll just build one myself."
Chun Chang pondered for a moment before raising an objection: "But have you considered this? The culture in your industry is just like that. Can your Ideal Realm maintain its pure original intentions? It’s very likely you’ll get swept along too. You’ll suffer more, work harder, and face far greater pressure than you do now. And with your personality, are you really cut out to slave away for clients? I suspect that before the clients drive you to tears, you’ll have already reduced them to crying."
"This is what’s called ‘suppressing before elevating.’ What’s wrong with enduring a little humiliation for a greater plan? If I don’t try now, will I regret it when I’m old and lack the energy? I can’t just muddle along like this anymore—that’s the biggest realization I’ve had this month." Cen Jin lowered her gaze, resting her cheek on her hand, and picked up a stirrer to swirl her coffee: "This past month, I’ve been observing myself in the department. I always thought I was one of the core members, but in reality, I’m just a component, a tiny cog. Day after day, I execute tasks, complete them, get rejected, get praised, spinning nonstop, yet I can be replaced at any time, with no opportunity for independent choices or decisions—why should I live like this? I think Wu Fu once said something very true: he said I have no worries holding me back. Yes, why don’t I take advantage of that? In our industry, plenty of people transition to self-media, start companies, or build brands. Why can’t I? I’ve already been looking at rental listings for nearby office buildings. Next spring, I’ll sell my place on Qingping Road and lay the foundation for my realm."
Chun Chang laughed, a mix of envy, disdain, but mostly understanding: "You’re out of your mind."
Cen Jin leaned back in her chair and coaxed: "Then why don’t you leave that magazine of yours and come be the head designer at my company?"
Chun Chang put on a "I’m too good for this" face: "That depends on the terms you offer."
Cen Jin snorted.
The two women exchanged a smile, bright and clear as the sun after rain.
—
That afternoon, Cen Jin went to the general manager’s office to state her request.
Her GM found it too sudden and, as if summoning a witness, called Teddy over to ask if he had been giving Cen Jin a hard time.
Teddy was utterly aggrieved: "How could I—what does women’s fickleness have to do with me?"
Cen Jin smiled faintly: "It’s not about him. I want to make a change."
The boss was puzzled: "But you’ve been doing well in the creative department these past two years, steadily rising. Won’t you struggle to adapt in the client department? It’s a completely different ball game."
Cen Jin thought for a moment: "Then you can ask Yuan Zhen how many briefs I’ve reviewed for her over the past two years. I might not be all that skilled at handling client relationships yet, but everyone starts as a rookie."
"How old are you? Can you compare to an intern?" the boss asked.
Cen Jin replied: "Just thirty. If the client department’s headcount is already full and can’t accommodate me, I can go to another company. I won’t cause any trouble for this one."The boss gave a bitter smile: "Are you threatening me? I just think you might not be able to fully utilize your talents in the client department. You're talented and full of ideas—you should be in the most suitable position."
"If the most suitable position doesn't allow me to maximize my potential, is it really the best fit for me? That's one of the reasons I want to transfer," Cen Jin replied calmly, meeting his gaze.
The boss was also feeling the pressure. He rubbed his temples twice. "Let me think it over and give me some time to process. Even if you do transfer, there's a one-month handover period. Cen Jin, please reconsider. What do you think?"
Cen Jin nodded.
After walking out of the office side by side with Teddy, Teddy snorted softly: "Don't think I don't know what you're up to, and don't think the boss doesn't know either."
Cen Jin glanced at him. "So?"
"I'm really afraid of people like you," Teddy emphasized again, incredulous. "To get so neurotic over that trivial matter last time."
Teddy suddenly grew curious. "What does your family do?"
"Lighting fixtures." Cen Jin named a brand.
Her usually amiable superior bared his fangs for once, mocking her: "Why don't you just turn your dad into a client? Give General Yu a warning and prove you're a natural-born Account Manager too."
Cen Jin showed no displeasure, her tone even. "His methods are outdated. He only prefers offline placements and TV ads, which don't suit our company's new media model."
Teddy was left speechless and gracefully walked away.
—
That night, back at home, Cen Jin was still buzzing with excitement, with no outlet for her energy. After removing her makeup, she sent a video call request to Li Wu without any prior notice, wanting to virtually nibble his pretty little face.
The call was immediately declined.
Cen Jin's smile vanished instantly, and she called again without hesitation.
Li Wu declined once more, then replied: Wait a moment.
Cen Jin lazily leaned back on the sofa, missing the feeling of being wrapped in his arms: What are you doing?
Li Wu: I'm in the bathroom, just got dressed.
Cen Jin snorted: I've seen and touched almost every part of you already. Why so shy with me?
Li Wu must have blushed again, his tone sounding somewhat helpless: Public bathroom.
Cen Jin feigned indifference: Oh.
Soon, the kid video-called back. He was walking on the street, with no lighting, yet his face from a downward angle remained handsome in the dim surroundings—especially the moment he glanced over, his bangs damp, his eyes sparkling like a little animal caught in the night rain.
When video-calling Li Wu, Cen Jin never enlarged her own screen.
Because she never tired of looking at him, especially from this close-up angle.
Overflowing with affection, Cen Jin unconsciously smiled. "You're so good-looking."
Li Wu rubbed his hair awkwardly, quickly glanced at the road, then looked down at her. "My hair's such a mess."
"It's fine. The messier, the cuter—fluffy and fuzzy." Cen Jin started spouting cheesy lines she herself despised, but whenever she saw his face, she could only babble nonsense.
The young man's smile deepened, bright yet shy.
Noticing his gaze fixed on the phone, with streetlights and trees occasionally in the background, Cen Jin sobered up and reminded him: "You should watch the road too. What if you bump into a lamppost?"
"Oh." He obediently looked up, revealing his slender neck and clearly visible Adam's apple.The image likely lingered in Cen Jin's view for less than a second before being replaced by his clear eyes and bright smile.
Cen Jin felt her heart flutter under his gaze: "Do you have anything at school this weekend? If not, come keep me company. Your sister's energy is running low again."
Li Wu replied: "I can come back right now."
Cen Jin said coldly: "In your dreams."
Li Wu: "..."
Just as he was about to speak again, someone suddenly called his name. It was a girl's voice, drawn out long and sweet, crisp as a nightingale's.
The young man on screen stopped and lifted his gaze. The other person continued: "Did you just finish showering?"
Cen Jin instantly lost interest and was about to end the video call when she was drawn back by Li Wu's suddenly subdued "Mm." The speed of his emotional shift caught her off guard.
The girl continued making small talk: "This is the first time I've seen you with wet hair."
Noticing his phone held steadily in front of him, still lit up, she asked further: "What are you doing, staring at your phone like that? I only confirmed it was you when I got closer."
The next second, the young man said without hesitation something that made Cen Jin's heart flutter back to life: "Video calling my girlfriend."
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