Cen Jin ultimately spared this tender and innocent sapling.
Partly due to environmental constraints, and partly because she wasn't fully prepared yet.
After some casual conversation in the car, Cen Jin let Li Wu return to his dorm and then drove off.
A few days later, while organizing briefs at her computer, Cen Jin received a link from an old classmate asking: Is this you?
Cen Jin frowned slightly and clicked to check.
It was a post on F University's BBS "Sun and Moon Radiance." Cen Jin logged in with her old client account and found it was a photo of herself from the Halloween dance. The title was quite eye-catching: Sharing the girlfriend of our Physics Department's heartthrob. This girl is absolutely stunning.
Discussions about her unfolded below:
—An older woman-younger man relationship, right? The woman clearly looks like she knows how to have fun.
—Her smile is so beautiful, and her figure is great.
—The Physics Department has such perks? Is it too late for me to transfer?
—You'd at least need the heartthrob's looks.
Within a few comments, the thread derailed, shifting focus to her young boyfriend.
—I've seen your department's heartthrob in the cafeteria before. He's genuinely handsome, tall and good-looking.
—Why haven't I run into him in the cafeteria???
—To the above commenter, he goes for morning runs at the southern field every day, around 6:30 AM. You can usually catch him if it's not raining.
—He's taken, what's there to look at? Just because you look means he's yours? Clearly, he's into older sisters.
—Beauty is for everyone to appreciate. What's wrong with looking?
—Li Wu? He's an amazing prodigy. He got into Boss Zhang's lab as a freshman and won tens of thousands in scholarships last year. If he wants an academic award, he gets it. Seriously impressive.
—He used to hang out with another prodigy from his dorm all the time. I lowkey shipped them as a couple. Suddenly he has a girlfriend now? Ugh.
...
Cen Jin browsed through the thread with a faint smile, then closed the webpage and replied to her old classmate: Yes, that's indeed me.
The classmate, who had stayed on as a teacher, teased: I never thought you'd still have legends about you circulating even after leaving the scene. How did you two meet?
Cen Jin pondered for a moment: Just a twist of fate.
...
That night, after ending her daily video call with Li Wu, Cen Jin was so exhausted her eyelids felt heavy, and she fell into a deep sleep as soon as she lay down.
Perhaps influenced by the daytime post, she had an unpleasant dream.
In the dream, she inexplicably found herself back at the familiar Japanese restaurant near her old workplace. The time, setting, and her attire were identical. Suspicious, she climbed the stairs to the second floor step by step.
As soon as she reached the second floor, she saw a man and a woman sitting opposite each other in the same booth.
But it wasn't Wu Fu and Bian Xinran.
Facing her direction was Wan Chun, her face strikingly beautiful as ever.
Across from her sat a boy in a white shirt, broad-shouldered and slim-waisted, with thick black hair.
A chill crept up Cen Jin's spine inch by inch—she was all too familiar with that silhouette.
Wan Chun seemed to sense her presence, her bright eyes slanting over suddenly before curling into a confident, provocative smile.
The boy, likely noticing Wan Chun staring in a certain direction, also turned to look.
The moment she saw his face, Cen Jin felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar and jolted upright in shock.
Her heart raced uncontrollably, her face pale as paper. Frantically, she grabbed her phone and, regardless of the time, called Li Wu—
Li Wu, sound asleep, was awakened by the violent buzzing beside his pillow.Squinting to read the name on the screen, his eyes immediately widened. He straightened up and answered the call, but before he could ask what was going on, a torrent of scolding came from the other end:
"Li Wu, are you even human? I was so wrong about you! I'm furious! I never want to talk to you again!"
Li Wu was utterly bewildered: "?"
His roommate’s snores rumbled like thunder, so he kept his voice low: "What’s wrong?"
The outburst seemed to have finally stabilized the woman’s emotions. Her tone softened considerably: "What did you do behind my back?"
Li Wu was confused: "What did I do?"
She spoke with conviction: "I dreamed about it."
Li Wu chuckled softly twice, then quickly covered his mouth, afraid of disturbing anyone: "What... Are you seriously this adorable?"
Cen Jin replied coldly: "Goodbye, I’m going back to sleep."
Li Wu glanced around and lowered his voice to tease her: "Can you have some good dreams for the rest of the night?"
Cen Jin let out a light humph and hung up.
—
The next day, Cen Jin felt like the version of herself from the previous night was an idiot with the mental age of a ten-year-old. Even though Li Wu had specifically come to ask her if she’d slept well afterward, she was too embarrassed to bring it up again.
Around noon, she suddenly received a call from the source of her nightmare, saying he had come to see her.
Cen Jin paused, glanced at her colleagues around her, and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window where there were fewer people. She lowered her voice to confirm: "Really?"
"Mm." His nasal tone was clear and firm.
Cen Jin grew restless: "Why did you come? Don’t you have classes?"
"I came after class. Can’t I see you? I’m not downstairs at your company."
"Then where are you?"
The young man said: "Come down first."
Cen Jin had no choice. She smoothed her hair, tucked her phone into her pocket, and went downstairs.
Luckily, most of her coworkers had already gone out in groups for lunch, giving her the chance to sneak off and meet this little lover of hers who always caught her by surprise.
This time, Li Wu was a bit more cautious. He didn’t dare stand boldly by the central fountain but waited across the street.
The sunlight was warm, and the young man, dressed in a white sweater, looked like he’d stepped right out of a Korean drama.
Cen Jin scanned her surroundings, making sure there were no familiar faces from the company within a hundred meters, before blending into the crowd and walking over.
She stopped a short distance in front of him, instinctively crossing her arms: "What do you want?"
Her slightly guarded reaction made the young man’s smile vanish instantly. He took a step closer: "What did you dream about last night? Tell me clearly."
Cen Jin narrowed her eyes: "We’ll talk about it later."
Li Wu looked at her, his gaze sharp: "You always brush me off like this."
Cen Jin found it strange: "How am I brushing you off? I rushed out to see you without even eating lunch."
Li Wu reached for her hand: "Then come have lunch with me now."
Cen Jin avoided his touch, maintaining a proper distance: "No, I have to go back upstairs. I still have work to do."
"You’re just afraid of running into your colleagues," Li Wu said, hitting the nail on the head.
Cen Jin took a deep breath: "I told you, I have things to do."
Li Wu stared straight at her: "Go back to work. I’ll buy lunch and bring it up to you."
Anger flared up in Cen Jin, and she couldn’t help but snap: "Did you come all the way here just to act like this? Can you stop being so childish here?"
Li Wu, hurt and indignant, pointed to the sidewalk: "Today, I didn’t even dare cross the street. I was afraid you’d tell me to leave as soon as you saw me, like last time, or turn around and run away."
His jaw tightened for a moment: "I was just worried about you because of your call last night. I wanted to see for myself if you were okay. What’s wrong with that?"Cen Jin's face was frosty: "I've seen it, I'm fine. Can you go back to school now?"
Li Wu felt as if something was stuck in his throat, his brows furrowed with hurt emotions.
His eyes were calm and dark, gazing at the woman for a moment before sweeping over the bustling surroundings, the flow of traffic, then finally meeting her gaze squarely as he uttered a single word:
"Fine."
He turned and left.
The tension in Cen Jin's nerves, stretched to the breaking point, finally relaxed, though the aftermath still lingered, trembling with an aftertaste that nearly brought tears to her eyes. She watched Li Wu's desolate retreating figure for a while, lowered her crossed arms, and turned back toward the company.
—
Perhaps she was no longer a romantic person.
This thought had been stuck in Cen Jin's heart all afternoon, growing increasingly clear. Yes, the Maiden Microbes within her were nearly depleted. Her previous marriage, along with age and experience, had administered numerous preventive injections, allowing rationality to rapidly develop into an essential antibody in her thoughts in recent years.
At least on workdays, this was true—she preferred order, stability, and having everything under control.
Yet that kid still stubbornly charged toward her impregnable fortress as if nothing had changed.
Once was enough—she could plant a "No Entry" sign.
But he dared to come a second time? Then don't blame her for deploying troops, fortifying the city walls, and responding with even greater rigidity.
Cen Jin didn't want to coax him over such matters anymore—it was a waste of effort.
If she had to take care of his feelings, who would take care of hers?
The more Cen Jin thought about it, the angrier she became. By the end of the workday, her expression was so sour that even Lù Qíqí, who had wanted to invite her for a late-night snack, kept her distance.
Cen Jin drove home, only to find Li Wu already there, sitting on the sofa and using his laptop.
When she entered, the young man glanced up from behind the screen, their eyes meeting briefly.
Had he skipped classes all afternoon?
Cen Jin instinctively worried like an old mother but ultimately said nothing, turning instead toward the bedroom to remove her makeup and change clothes.
When she emerged, the young man was waiting in the hallway—tall, lean, and impossible to ignore.
Cen Jin intended to walk past him as if he weren't there, but this human wall reached out to block her path.
Cen Jin looked up, her gaze devoid of emotion as she glanced at him.
Li Wu met her eyes, a hint of pleading weakness in his tone: "Let's resolve this, okay?"
"Resolve what?" Cen Jin asked indifferently.
Li Wu pressed his lips together: "I just want to know why you don't want others to know about our relationship."
Here we go again. Cen Jin felt utterly exhausted. She massaged her temples: "Is it that important? There's no need to announce such things to the world. Besides, I don't want to become others' entertainment."
Li Wu retorted, "So you're treating me as entertainment instead?"
Cen Jin shot back, "When have I ever treated you as entertainment?"
"Haven't you? Don't you treat me like a pet?" Li Wu showed a trace of discouragement: "Maybe not even as well as a pet—at least a pet can be shown to others."
Disbelief made Cen Jin's eyes burn brighter: "What kind of twisted logic are you stuck on?"
Li Wu let out a self-mocking laugh: "You think I'm being unreasonable? I've never hidden our relationship from anyone around me. But you—am I some kind of shameful secret? Do you even see me as your proper boyfriend?"
Cen Jin's anger flared: "Because our social contexts are completely different! What do you even understand?"
"So you do care about what others think of you?"
Cen Jin replied without hesitation: "Yes, exactly. I do care."Li Wu's eyes welled up with a circle of damp redness: "In the end, you're just using me as a pastime. You amuse yourself with me when you see I'm pitiful, and drive me away when you find me annoying. All my emotions and thoughts mean nothing to you. Have you ever cared about how I feel?"
"I haven't cared about your feelings? Last week I worked desperately to arrange my schedule just to attend your dance," Cen Jin let out an incredulous laugh: "I really must have had nothing better to do."
Feeling her kindness had been thrown back in her face, a chill ran through Cen Jin's body as she walked past him toward the living room.
Li Wu followed closely behind her, his tone intense and pleading: "From when we started dating until now, I've told you I like you every single day. Have you ever said you like me even once? No matter how many times I ask about work matters, you won't share a single word with me. You even hid attending your ex-husband's wedding from me. Am I not worthy of knowing or what? Other than increased physical intimacy, is there any difference between us now and last year? You can naturally enter my social circles as you please, but you won't allow me to set foot in yours even half a step, not even a little bit. Don't you think that's terribly unfair to me?"
Cen Jin stopped in her tracks, her shoulders stiffening for several seconds before she turned back decisively, glaring fiercely at him: "Fine, then I'll withdraw. Is that fair enough?"
As if struck by thunder, Li Wu also halted: "What do you mean."
Cen Jin curled her lips in a cold smile: "Exactly what you heard and understood. I suggest you go find that Wan Chun instead. Your social connections are perfectly compatible, or any other girl from your university - they would all be fairer and make you happier than being with me."
The woman appeared ruthless and certain, as if she had already made her choice at this moment.
Feeling as if he had been brutally stabbed, Li Wu's heart ached terribly, driving him mad with panic. His eyes were completely red: "No one but you can make me happy."
"Does this current state of yours look happy?" Cen Jin was completely filled with a sense of powerless defeat, spouting words she herself couldn't believe: "How do you know they wouldn't? You haven't even tried. Why does it have to be me? Why must you like me? Haven't you realized yet? Maybe we're just not suitable for each other. This period has just been an experiment."
"I could never like anyone else," Li Wu stared unblinkingly: "I only love you.Cen Jin couldn't stand his eyes the most - always so moist and affectionate, burning her heart until it ached. She was a sinner.
She averted her gaze: "Stop looking at me."
"So young," her tone faded, carrying a hint of disdain: "What do you know about love?"
"Why won't you let me look at you." Li Wu strode forward and grabbed her wrist.
Cen Jin struggled twice but couldn't break free, her eyes still unfocused elsewhere, "Because I don't want to look at you."
"Why."
Cen Jin pressed her lips tightly together, offering no response.
"I don't understand? Cen Jin, I understand better than you," Li Wu's chest heaved as he became more aggressive: "I dare to say I like you. Do you dare to say you don't like me?"As if hitting a wound, Cen Jin's arm jerked away with reverse force, breaking free from him: 'How dare I not say it.'"" "Then say it!" his voice suddenly raised.
Startled by his shout, Cen Jin looked directly back at him, trying hard to keep her tone calm: "I don't like you.""
The light in Li Wu's eyes shook violently: "I don't believe you."
A sharp pain shot through Cen Jin's chest: "How many times do I have to say it for you to believe me?"
Li Wu's Adam's apple moved forcefully, as if struggling to contain himself: "Are you abandoning me?""You never belonged to anyone to begin with."
"I belong to you." He was so certain.
"Don't hold me hostage, okay—" Cen Jin was nearly breaking down, resorting to harsh words out of desperation. "I'm already exhausted from work, I just want to rest now. I'm begging you, please let me go, okay?"
The boy was like an airtight prison. She walked in the opposite direction, urgently seeking an emotional buffer, a place to settle.
"Sister." He suddenly called her that, his voice low and hoarse.
Cen Jin's pupils dilated, and she stopped in her tracks without realizing it.
The next moment, a warm, helpless body collided with hers, embracing her.
"I'm begging you too," Li Wu's nose and lips brushed against the back of her ear, his scorching breath seeming to penetrate directly into her mind. "Don't push me away, don't say you don't like me, don't tell me to find someone else. I won't argue with you anymore, I won't force you to do anything..."
Cen Jin's lips trembled, her earlobes damp. There was his breath, and perhaps his tears too, as if they could melt her with their heat.
Her vision blurred. Cen Jin slowly raised her hand, reaching for Li Wu's arm wrapped around her front. She touched his fingers, wanting to pull them away.
Li Wu wouldn't allow it, instead tangling his fingers with hers, unyielding yet incredibly gentle.
Cen Jin's heart surged, and she unconsciously gripped one of his fingers.
The person behind her trembled, as if encouraged, and began kissing the side of her neck. He buried himself there, sucking and licking, delicate and persistent, like a desperate, thirsty young beast.
His breathing grew heavy, his kisses more intense. When he reached her earlobe, he bit down hard, as if punishing her.
Cen Jin whimpered in pain, her body going completely limp. She instinctively rose on her toes, arching her neck to meet and receive him.
She reached back and covered the side of his face, rubbing and kneading his firm jawline, damp hair roots, and burning ears as if venting her emotions.
Fabric rustled as he tightened his hold, almost lifting her off the ground, as if trying to embed her into his body, never to part.
Heavy panting and soft moans intertwined, hot and humid.
Cen Jin's chest heaved violently; Li Wu's breath was completely erratic as he pressed tightly against her.
He was hard and blazing, like a gun pressed against her lower back, ready to perish together.
"Li Wu..." When she felt his palm against her lower abdomen, Cen Jin's voice grew thick. "Don't..."
Her face flushed, her toes curled, and her throat was filled with fragmented pleas.
His fingers recklessly explored and invaded, awakening her dormant body in a gushing flow.
Cen Jin resignedly turned around, engaging in a fierce, biting kiss with him.
They were inseparable, like two withering vines on the verge of death. Any outer layer was superfluous—only by tearing it open, stripping it bare, pressing together with raw honesty, and entwining to the brink of death could they fully absorb each other and reclaim their vitality.
...
The room was as hot as a rainforest. They pressed and collided against the hallway wall, growing wild and gradually spilling into the bedroom...
The surroundings were dim, the bed soft and yielding.
As she guided the boy deeper, a spring tide spread beneath her pubic bone, as if a long-frozen rose had finally thawed, cracked open, and bloomed, exuding a damp, rich fragrance.
Cen Jin slowly closed her eyes, filled with both fullness and guilt.
A tear slid down her temple, seeping into her hairline.
A clean soul should not be defiled. She consoled herself and begged for heaven's forgiveness, even if it meant descending into hell, shattered to pieces.
She gently traced his focused brows and eyes and softly called his name: "Li Wu."
"Hmm." The boy's face was silhouetted against the light, straining with restraint. His eyes were like whirlpools, deeply drawing her in, just as she tightly held onto him.Their eyes met, possession was also surrender.
Unable to restrain herself, Cen Jin arched her waist, wanting to completely engulf him while finally being honest with her own heart: "I lied. I like you, I really like you."
Her movements and confession came so abruptly that Li Wu instantly lost his composure, his face flushing crimson with embarrassment.
Sensing this, Cen Jin laughed softly, cupping his adorable face in her hands as she confirmed once more: "Mm, I like you."
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