For the next several days, Qin Yun kept bringing up what had happened.
“You’re seriously not a good friend. You kept hiding it from me before, and then even after you started dating, you still didn’t tell me. Being your friend must be the result of eight lifetimes of bad luck.”
Zhou Wu hummed.
“Then I’ll have someone return those bottles of alcohol I ordered.”
“—But it isn’t as though I can’t forgive you.”
Qin Yun stood in the narrow corridor, facing his good friend, who remained inside the doorway.
“Let me come in and sit for a while. Dou Yiqing won’t be back until ten tonight.”
“That would be inconvenient. It’s my girlfriend’s flat.”
Zhou Wu smiled in an especially irritating way.
“Go and sit in the café downstairs.”
“You f*cking— Wen Ci isn’t even inside. Isn’t she at school too?”
The moment Qin Yun finished speaking, several hurried footsteps sounded from downstairs.
A group of burly men were struggling up the stairs while carrying a mattress.
Seeing them, Zhou Wu finally opened the door fully and allowed them to carry it inside.
He stepped aside, met Qin Yun’s gaze and raised an eyebrow in explanation.
“A mattress.”
“?”
Qin Yun looked at him inexplicably.
“I have eyes.”
“Wen Ci bought it because she was worried the previous bed was uncomfortable for me.”
Zhou Wu spoke lazily.
“It cost half her monthly salary.”
“Who asked you?”
After the workers finished moving the mattress, Zhou Wu handed them some water and showed them out.
Then he looked at Qin Yun.
“Want to eat?”
“Fine.”
“Are you coming back after dinner?”
The key to Wen Ci’s flat spun once around Zhou Wu’s finger.
He asked indifferently, “Or are you returning tonight? After all, you don’t have the key to anyone else’s home.”
…
In the end, the two ate at the same table while sitting diagonally opposite each other, as though they had been forced to share it.
With a calm expression, Qin Yun messaged Dou Yiqing.
**Qin Yun: I bought you a bed. It’ll be delivered this weekend.**
**Qin Yun: If anyone asks, say you bought it yourself.**
**Qin Yun: Say you bought it for me!**
**Qin Yun: No, Dou Yiqing, why exactly won’t you give me a key to your flat? Do you think I’m going to steal that pile of rubbish in your house?!**
**Qin Yun: Get me a key!!!**
Only four hours later did he receive a response.
**Dou Yiqing: Lunatic.**
…
More than half a month after the school term began, the busy period finally ended, and Wen Ci’s life gradually returned to its normal rhythm.
The first heavy rain of September arrived with it, leaving the streets drenched.
The weather had still been clear when Zhou Wu came to collect her, so he had not brought an umbrella.
The two could only share Wen Ci’s small parasol.
By the time they reached home, Wen Ci remained perfectly dry while half of Zhou Wu’s body was soaked.
The moment they entered, Wen Ci pushed him towards the shower.
Zhou Wu was about to ask whether she wanted to join him when his phone rang.
He glanced at the caller and raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He was about to reject the call, but after reconsidering, he placed the phone in Wen Ci’s hand.
“You answer.”
Wen Ci froze.
“Me?”
“Mm.”
Zhou Wu removed his soaked shirt with one hand, threw it into the washing machine and entered the bathroom.
His tone was casual.
“Or you can reject it.”
Wen Ci lowered her eyes.
The screen displayed:
**Duan Wei**
The call ended after going unanswered for too long.
The caller persisted, and a second call quickly arrived.
Wen Ci hesitated before answering.
Before she could speak, the other person called first.
“Zhou Wu, Zhou Wu—”
Duan Wei’s voice was choked with sobs, and she slurred his name several times.
Wen Ci said, “…I’m not Zhou Wu.”
“Zhou Wu, boo-hoo…”
Duan Wei hiccupped.
“I want to hire a killer to murder Xiang Wenwen. Help me find one, Zhou Wu. Help me.”
Wen Ci was startled and held the phone in both hands.
“Duan Wei, are you drunk?”
“No. I’m completely sober! I want Xiang Wenwen to die.”
Even through the phone, Wen Ci felt as though she could smell the alcohol on her.
Duan Wei sniffed several times and called out the wrong name.
“Qin Yun, I should’ve listened to you back then. Xiang Wenwen only wanted my family’s money!”
“He—hic—he stole so many of my father’s clients…”
Wen Ci did not dare imagine what would happen if Dou Yiqing were beside her.
She would probably snatch the phone and chat excitedly with Duan Wei for eight hours.
Wen Ci first asked, “Where are you now? Are you safe?”
“I’m at home. Are you coming to see me?”
Duan Wei hiccupped again.
She fell silent for two seconds and mumbled,
“Zhou Wu, why does your voice sound different?”
Wen Ci relaxed slightly.
“Because I’m not Zhou Wu.”
“Do you know what else Xiang Wenwen said about me?”
Duan Wei began crying again, having completely ignored her answer.
“He said I only care about having fun. He said I have no taste. He said I’m unbearably childish.”
“He said I’m fickle and have no sense of boundaries. Isn’t that excessive? I’m not like that at all!”
Wen Ci:
“…”
“He also said I dress too revealingly and have no shame. He said all the clothes I design are ugly.”
“He even said that after looking at my face for long enough, it becomes nothing special—”
“He was wrong.”
Wen Ci finally found an area where she could comfort her and defended her seriously.
“You’re still very beautiful even after someone looks at you for a long time.”
“I’ve seen your Moments. The clothes you design are good too.”
“Right? I knew there was no way I wasn’t beautiful…”
Duan Wei continued sobbing.
“Then, Zhou Wu, can you reconcile with a beautiful woman like me?”
“No.”
“Why?!”
“Because Zhou Wu has a girlfriend.”
“Who?”
“Wen Ci,” Wen Ci said.
The phone remained silent for a very long time.
Duan Wei asked, “Why? Wen Ci isn’t as beautiful as me. Can’t you break up with her?”
“Probably not.”
“Why?”
“Because Wen Ci is very fierce.”
Wen Ci touched her nose.
“She wouldn’t agree.”
…
When Zhou Wu emerged from the bathroom, Wen Ci had already ended the call.
She lay lifelessly across the sofa, eyes closed and head tilted backwards, looking utterly exhausted.
“How did you become this tired?”
Zhou Wu sat beside her and leaned closer on one elbow.
Looking down at her face, he called each word out with amusement.
“Very fierce Teacher Wen.”
Wen Ci thought, *As expected, this flat’s soundproofing is genuinely terrible.*
Without opening her eyes, she breathed in the floral body-wash scent that completely contradicted Zhou Wu’s personality and sighed softly.
“It feels like I’ve just taught another lesson.”
Zhou Wu laughed and lowered his head to kiss her.
His lips were cool.
He retrieved the phone from her open palm and blocked Duan Wei’s number as well as her WeChat account.
Before his mother died, she and Duan Wei’s mother had been best friends.
Zhou Wu had originally not wanted to make the situation too ugly.
Now that he thought about it, perhaps he should have done this long ago.
The moment he finished, the phone vibrated with a notification from a new app.
Zhou Wu opened it, and a video screen appeared.
A clear bark also came from the phone.
Wen Ci, who had been lying limp, raised her head.
“Yeye?”
Zhou Wu hummed.
“I had someone install a movable camera in the living room today.”
“Let me see.”
Wen Ci had not yet showered and had originally intended to look from a distance.
The moment she leaned closer, however, Zhou Wu naturally wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his embrace.
The video showed Yeye’s enormous face.
His black nose pointed directly towards the camera, making him look exceptionally adorable.
Wen Ci watched for a long time.
“He seems thinner.”
“?”
Zhou Wu laughed and looked down at her fair face.
“Where is he thinner? His eyes?”
Yeye barked towards them.
Wen Ci looked surprised.
“He can hear us?”
“Mm.”
Wen Ci immediately leaned closer to the phone screen and called,
“Yeye!”
Yeye howled in response.
Zhou Wu laughed from irritation.
She had never even called out that sweetly in bed.
Wen Ci continued exchanging sounds with Yeye for over ten minutes.
Finally, Zhou Wu lost patience and ended the connection.
Wen Ci still lay in his arms.
He placed one hand beneath her cheek, supporting it, and pressed her face twice.
“Stop talking. Go and shower.”
Wen Ci hummed, turned sideways and raised her eyes to meet his gaze.
She asked for his opinion.
“Zhou Wu, can we go to your place this weekend?”
“…”
“Don’t go too far, Wen Ci.”
Zhou Wu pinched her cheeks, his voice cold and indifferent.
“You never come to see me normally. You’re only visiting now because you want to see the dog?”
Wen Ci’s lips were pushed into a pout by his fingers.
Her shoulders trembled with laughter as she apologised.
“Sorry.”
…
Later, when Wen Ci told Dou Yiqing what had happened, Dou Yiqing predictably demanded,
“Why didn’t you call me over to listen?!”
Wen Ci smiled.
“You hadn’t finished work yet.”
Dou Yiqing clicked her tongue and chatted idly.
“Forget everything else. Did the class monitor genuinely say Duan Wei wasn’t attractive? How could he say something like that?”
“Hey, do you think the class monitor really pursued Duan Wei only because he wanted to live off her family?”
“Qin Yun mentioned it to me again later. He made it sound extremely convincing, as though it genuinely happened.”
“I don’t know.”
Wen Ci jokingly answered with a serious expression,
“If I see him again, I’ll ask for you.”
Dou Yiqing immediately accepted the offer.
“You have his WeChat. Ask him now.”
Wen Ci burst out laughing.
“I can’t do that. Something so serious naturally has to be discussed face-to-face—”
The following day, inside the library, Wen Ci stared at Xiang Wenwen as he suddenly sat opposite her.
She silently swore never to make that kind of joke again.
“You genuinely enjoy staying in the library.”
Xiang Wenwen smiled.
“Are you alone again?”
Wen Ci smiled too.
“Yes.”
“What a coincidence. We must be very fated.”
Xiang Wenwen sighed.
“I’ve just finished dealing with work recently and was planning to invite you out.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Huh? No. I simply wanted to invite you to dinner and chat casually.”
Xiang Wenwen interlaced his fingers on the table.
Then he suddenly asked,
“Do you know that Duan Wei and I divorced?”
Wen Ci considered it and nodded.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“There’s nothing unfortunate about it.”
“I wanted to divorce her long ago. Her personality is terrible. I don’t even know why I liked her in the past…”
“Perhaps I was too young and thought she was beautiful.”
“Now that I look back…”
Xiang Wenwen looked meaningfully towards Wen Ci, his voice gentle.
“Actually, she isn’t as—”
“Excuse me.”
Wen Ci interrupted at precisely the right moment and picked up her phone.
“I need to reply to my boyfriend.”
Zhou Wu had returned to his hometown to visit his maternal grandparents and was not currently in Jiangcheng.
Wen Ci opened their chat and casually sent two stickers.
“You have a boyfriend?”
Xiang Wenwen froze, then quickly restored his smile.
“What does he do? Did you only recently start dating?”
“You know him,” Wen Ci said.
“I know him?”
“Yes.”
Wen Ci locked the screen and briefly showed him her phone wallpaper.
She smiled.
“It’s Zhou Wu.”
“…”
Zhou Wu replied with the same two stickers and another message:
**What’s wrong, girlfriend?**
Wen Ci involuntarily imagined his lazy tone and could not suppress a smile.
She was about to respond when—
“I see. Why are you so foolish too?”
Xiang Wenwen’s voice remained gentle as he advised her with a smile.
“Someone like Zhou Wu never takes relationships seriously.”
“I’m worried about you, so I’ll secretly tell you something.”
“When he dated Duan Wei back then, he disappeared the moment he went to America.”
“You know what places like America are like. They’re chaotic. Casual s*x and drug-taking at parties are common, especially among wealthy second-generation heirs like them.”
“You saw it yourself during Qin Yun’s birthday. Fortunately, that party was in China.”
“I’ve also heard Zhou Wu still visits America every so often.”
“Who knows what he does there? You need to be careful, or else when the time comes—”
“Class Monitor, speaking badly about my boyfriend in front of me is extremely disrespectful.”
Wen Ci interrupted him.
A faint smile still remained on her face, and her voice was as calm as ever.
It took Xiang Wenwen several moments to understand the meaning behind her words.
He froze slightly, then laughed awkwardly.
“I’m only reminding you—”
“Speaking badly about someone behind their back is shameful.”
“So is living off a woman and becoming the third party in someone else’s relationship.”
Wen Ci sounded genuinely confused as she asked,
“How do you still have the nerve to mention any of this?”
…
After leaving the library, Wen Ci blocked him in her contacts and walked silently with her head lowered for some distance.
Her phone rang.
It was a video call from Zhou Wu.
Wen Ci answered.
Zhou Wu sat inside a pavilion with rolling mountains behind him.
He leaned lazily against the redwood railing, blending into the peaceful mountain landscape.
His head was turned towards two elderly people beside him.
“We’ll discuss it later. She’s shy.”
Hearing the call connect, Zhou Wu slowly looked back at her and smiled faintly.
“What happened? Why aren’t you replying, Teacher Wen?”
“Sorry. I didn’t see the message.”
Zhou Wu remained silent for a moment.
He raised an eyebrow and moved the phone closer.
There was no obvious expression on Wen Ci’s face.
She carefully controlled it, stared directly ahead and pressed her pale lips into a thin line.
But Zhou Wu still noticed.
“Who made you angry?”
“No one.”
“…”
Zhou Wu had only just begun considering changing his flight to that afternoon when Wen Ci suddenly raised the phone and met his gaze.
“Zhou Wu.”
Zhou Wu responded with amusement.
“Present.”
“What Duan Wei said that day was correct.”
“What?”
“Her taste genuinely is terrible.”
“Xiang Wenwen cannot compare to a single strand of your hair.”
“…”
“You’re the best person in the entire world.”
“…”
After saying it, the heaviness in Wen Ci’s chest seemed to dissipate considerably.
She glanced at the green traffic light.
“I need to cross the road. Can I video-call you again when I get home?”
The call ended.
Beside Zhou Wu, the elderly man sat upright with both hands resting over his walking stick.
He laughed loudly.
“Shy?”
Under the mountains and white clouds, the redness of Zhou Wu’s ears was perfectly obvious.
Recovering, he smiled openly towards his grandfather.
“Mm. She is.”
“Though occasionally, she can be rather bold.”
Leave a Reply