Li Wu hadn't expected to run into Wan Chun here either. After he instinctively answered her question, the girl's bright, lively smile faded slightly, but she didn't press further. She simply said, "I won't disturb you then," and walked away.
Li Wu immediately checked his phone.
Only the chat interface remained on the screen—it seemed Cen Jin had already ended the video call.
He quickly replied: Why'd you hang up?
Cen Jin responded: You were talking to your classmate.
Li Wu said: She's not my classmate, we only spoke a couple sentences.
His serious, eager-to-explain demeanor was amusing. Cen Jin replied: I'm not jealous or angry.
This instead made Li Wu sulky: Why not?
Cen Jin laughed: What do you mean why? There's nothing to be jealous about during normal conversation.
Li Wu replied: Then I'll talk to her longer next time.
Cen Jin sent a sticker of someone holding a giant sword with both hands: I'll chop you up.
Having gotten the reaction he wanted, Li Wu was so happy he wished he could immediately deliver himself to her to be trampled at her whim: Oh.
Back in the dorm, Li Wu sat at his desk, opened his laptop to review some documents, then took out his phone to reread today's chat history with Cen Jin.
Propping his cheek with one hand and scrolling with the other, he occasionally let out low, quick laughs.
Since school started, aside from studying and sleeping, this had basically been his daily state. His single roommates watched this display, their teeth and fists equally itching with irritation, though they couldn't really criticize him too much.
Today Zhong Wenxuan finally reached his limit: "Li Wu, can you go laugh in the hallway and come back when you're done?"
Li Wu immediately restrained his emotions, turned his phone face down, and resumed looking at his computer with a neutral expression.
"You guys have it easy," Xu Shuo also complained bitterly. "I have to face this asshole in the lab too—have I said anything?"
"My bad, okay." Li Wu could no longer maintain silent mode and hurriedly apologized to his roommates.
Seizing the opportunity, Xu Shuo tried to get details: "Who are you dating? Not from our school, right?"
Li Wu gave him a calm glance: "That older sister you and Zhong Wenxuan met during freshman orientation."
"Holy shit?" "No way!"
The single sentence exploded like thunder from clear skies, electrifying the entire boys' dorm.
Zhong Wenxuan didn't even want to play games anymore, his face animated with both teasing and envy: "Did you get yourself a sugar mommy?"
The comment didn't sit well. Li Wu furrowed his thick brows: "It's a normal relationship."
Xu Shuo thought about what the older sister looked like: "How old is she? 26? 27?"
Li Wu paused for a second: "Thirty."
Their jaws dropped before they all howled in unison.
This kind of stimulating relationship, usually only seen in specialized media, excited the group of vigorous young men. Even after lights out, they kept chattering, wanting to dig for every detail.
"Last year I already thought there was something unusual between you two."
"How did you get together?"
"You pursued her? Damn, is this what top students are like? Even your tastes are different from ordinary people."
"Li Wu, is your virginity still intact?"
"What's it like dating a woman that age? Must be amazing?"
"You should be careful—she might just be after your body, since you're so handsome."
...
Their questions grew increasingly inappropriate, their conversation crossing more lines, until they were finally circling repeatedly around matters below the belt. Li Wu listened with burning ears, lying in bed playing dead, unwilling to respond with even half a word.
―
As summer heat gradually receded, autumn quietly seeped into the world, laying a new base tone over the city—the bleakness of overcast drizzles and the warm gold of clear, fine days.
After completing her departmental transfer, Cen Jin officially transitioned to the role of Account Manager.The moment she stepped in, she was handed two projects—one for a cosmetics brand and another for a payment app. Juggling responsibilities on both ends, she spent every day wrestling with all sorts of people: suppliers, media, clients, colleagues, bosses, and finance. She was on call 24/7, handling every phone call and message, with barely a moment to even use the bathroom on company time.
Occasionally, her subconscious hadn’t fully adjusted to her new role, and she’d instinctively try to meddle in creative matters. Teddy would then sharply retort to this "traitor": "Just stick to being the operator." Cen Jin, of course, wouldn’t back down: "If the copy you guys came up with wasn’t worse than what I could write with my eyes closed, would I even say anything?"
After a chaotic month, Cen Jin was utterly exhausted. By the end of each workday, she was too drained to speak a single word, having used up all her energy arguing during the day.
After a failed call persuading a client to increase their budget, Cen Jin collapsed onto the sofa, closed her eyes, and wished she could flush her phone down the toilet and sleep forever.
Her phone vibrated again.
Cen Jin felt a surge of irritation, but when she saw the caller’s name, her mood lifted slightly. Still, she hesitated before answering, "Hello…"
Hearing how dejected and listless she sounded, the person on the other end softened his tone. "Tough day again?"
Cen Jin gave a faint "Mm."
"I’m coming back tomorrow?"
She pressed her lips together, not wanting to disappoint him. "But I’m swamped all day tomorrow. After work, I have to take a client to dinner. By the time I get back, you’ll probably be asleep."
"Busy like that? If only I were your client—at least then I’d get to see your face during dinner."
Cen Jin wrinkled her nose, slightly confused. "What do you mean?"
The young man’s joke carried a hint of melancholy. "The last few times we had dinner, I barely saw you. You were always staring at your laptop."
She let out a bitter laugh. "You think I want to open my laptop the second I sit down? What else can I do? The client needs me, my colleagues—"
He cut her off. "I miss you."
Her heart instantly softened, melted by those four words. "I miss you too."
"Then I’ll come back tomorrow?" he asked again, his tone pleading yet resolute.
"Alright." Cen Jin wished she could pull him into her arms right then and ruffle his hair.
―
The next evening, at seven, Cen Jin went to the restroom to switch to a less aggressive lipstick shade, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed downstairs with Yuan Zhen for the client dinner.
To her surprise, as soon as they stepped out of the building, she spotted Li Wu by the square fountain. The young man stood out in his black hoodie, tall and striking, letting the shifting waterlight splash colors across him.
Cen Jin stared straight at him, her heart racing.
He was watching her too, as if he’d been waiting there for who knows how long.
After a moment of locked gazes, Cen Jin squeezed her eyes shut, wondering if exhaustion was making her hallucinate. But instead of vanishing, the boy became even more vivid and real. A smile flickered across his usually cool face, and he seemed about to step toward her.
Cen Jin’s pupils contracted. She glanced sideways at Yuan Zhen, making sure she wasn’t paying attention, then furrowed her brows and shot a warning glare at Li Wu, trying to force him to retreat.
Her expression and eyes were sharp as blades, as if her territory had been invaded.
The boy understood her meaning and halted abruptly about five meters away. He continued to watch her from a distance, but his face, now shadowed, lost its brightness, as if veiled by a gloomy mask.
Helpless and pressed for time, Cen Jin could only temporarily ignore his displeasure.At that moment, Yuan Zhen suddenly turned to speak to her. Cen Jin quickly curved her lips in response, completely capturing her attention. Only when her colleague looked away again did she sharply glance back, quickly tilting her chin toward the intersection to signal Li Wu to leave immediately.
Fearing he might not understand, she pulled her phone from her trench coat pocket and quickly typed a message: Can you go home first?
How could he come to her company without saying a word?
She knew he wanted to surprise her, but her work stress had already filled her to the brim—the container in her heart couldn't hold any more, let alone spare any capacity to handle such an unexpected situation. His sudden appearance was nothing but a burden, not a pleasant surprise, especially since she hadn't explicitly disclosed her new relationship to anyone at the company.
Cen Jin grew increasingly agitated.
After sending the message, she looked up again, but her view was blocked by a passing family of three. By the time they leisurely strolled past, laughing and chatting, the young man had vanished, leaving only the magical waterfall-like fountain and various night wanderers.
Cen Jin let out a long sigh and followed Yuan Zhen to hail a taxi.
Their purpose for this trip was to gauge the client's stance before the proposal, aiming to understand the brand's recent preferences.
The dinner lasted over two hours. The client's marketing manager, a man in his early thirties, was extremely talkative and somewhat slick-tongued.
Yuan Zhen, seasoned in the industry, was accustomed to such types and skillfully kept the conversation flowing, hardly allowing any lulls.
Cen Jin didn't dare let her focus waver, barely eating much as she intently observed and memorized Yuan Zhen's conversational tactics to apply them in future client interactions.
...
It was past eleven when Cen Jin bid them farewell and left the restaurant.
After booking a ride on the app, she switched back to check WeChat—her young boyfriend still hadn't replied.
Tucking the wind-tousled strands of hair behind her ear, the woman sighed softly, tossed her phone back into her bag, and stopped the arriving taxi.
Throughout the ride, she leaned wearily against the seat, her thoughts scattered, letting the passing lights glide across her face.
...
Nearing home, Cen Jin paused in the hallway, then pulled out her compact to touch up her makeup.
Only after confirming she looked more radiant did she unlock the door and enter.
The first thing she saw was the young man sitting on the sofa.
His long legs were bent behind the coffee table as he looked at his phone. Hearing the door, he lifted his head, his dark eyes briefly glancing at her before lowering again. He didn't speak, nor did he rush to her side as he usually would.
Clearly sulking. Cen Jin felt a headache coming on, followed by a surge of frustration. She thought, fine, let him be, and decided to ignore it. But as soon as she took a step forward, she kicked into the slippers Li Wu had set out for her. The knot of irritation in her chest instantly loosened, replaced by a pang of guilt and tenderness for this boy.
Slipping into the footwear, she set down her bag, took off her trench coat, and after hanging everything up, immediately went to sit close beside Li Wu.
"What's wrong—" Cen Jin leaned in.
"Nothing." He turned his face away, avoiding her clinginess.
Cen Jin lightly bit her lip, suppressing her temper, and took the initiative: "Don't you know the colleague I was with today?"
Li Wu's tone was uncharacteristically cold: "No.""Heh," Cen Jin laughed, her upper body trembling lightly. "Don't play dumb. Didn't you talk to her during the summer break after senior year? And it was several sentences too—you almost got whisked away by her."
She tried to change the subject, but Li Wu remained unmoved, staring straight at her and hitting the nail on the head: "It's been three months, and you still haven't told your coworkers you're in a relationship, have you?"
"Yes," Cen Jin admitted, rubbing her tired eyes with both hands. "Because they'll ask too many questions and keep bringing it up. I'm already busy enough every day—I don't want to deal with that on top of everything. Especially since so many people at our company know you. Besides, I don't owe them an explanation about our relationship. This is just between us."
"No, it's because it's me." Li Wu spoke only one sentence, but the emotion in his eyes said more than a thousand words.
"Exactly, because it's you," Cen Jin coaxed him smoothly, her voice soft. "You're so good, so handsome, so outstanding—is it wrong to want to keep you hidden? There are already so many girls at your school who have their eyes on you. Can't I avoid adding more rivals?"
Li Wu stayed silent, fully aware that he couldn't be easily fooled.
After a tense pause, Cen Jin reached out to cup his face, trying to force him to turn and face her, hoping to soften him with kisses and eye contact.
Li Wu resisted, so she let go and switched tactics, biting his ear hard.
Caught off guard, Li Wu flushed deeply, turning to glare at her with bright, almost angry eyes, mixed with helplessness.
Cen Jin smiled triumphantly and leaned in to kiss him. When he remained unresponsive, she alternated between sucking and biting. Unable to withstand her teasing, Li Wu's breathing grew heavier until he could no longer hold back, pressing her back against him and engaging in a fierce, passionate kiss.
The young man's movements carried a hint of venting frustration, rougher than usual, making Cen Jin moan softly several times.
When they finally broke apart, gasping for air, Cen Jin realized that during their entanglement, one of her legs had ended up wedged between his. She pecked his fresh, flushed cheek and nudged her knee forward, cooing for the first time: "Don't be mad at your sister anymore, okay?"
...
Li Wu's chest heaved, barely able to speak.
...
That night, the nineteen-year-old boy gained a new understanding.
A woman's lips weren't just for kissing and whispering sweet nothings—they could also become a warm, damp marsh, sucking him in, devouring him, making him sink greedily into it, almost willing to give his life.
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