Back in that stairwell, Zhou Wu clearly had not recognised her.
Later, whenever they occasionally passed one another in the classroom, Zhou Wu behaved exactly as usual. His gaze never lingered on her for even a second.
Only Wen Ci remembered, carrying that curiosity with her.
She had always thought she was curious about smoking.
At this moment, Wen Ci suddenly realised that was not true.
From beginning to end, the only person she had ever been curious about was Zhou Wu.
She did not like second-hand smoke, nor did she like the taste of tobacco Zhou Wu had passed into her mouth, even though he had been careful to give her only a little.
She simply liked Zhou Wu’s lips and Zhou Wu’s kisses.
Zhou Wu paused slightly when she kissed him.
Then he gave a quiet laugh, his breath brushing Wen Ci’s lips.
He wrapped an arm around her and drew her closer, opening his mouth cooperatively and patiently coaxing her to deepen the kiss.
Tourists occasionally passed the little window outside.
Curious about the restaurant’s interior design, they would glance into their so-called private room.
Wen Ci could feel their gazes.
Earlier, beside the pool, she had known perfectly well that no one else would appear, yet she had still been unable to stop herself from worrying, feeling afraid and becoming embarrassed.
Perhaps it was because they were only kissing.
Perhaps it was the alcohol.
At that moment, she suddenly thought—what did it matter?
No one here knew them.
There was only her and Zhou Wu.
Having learned from her previous experience, Wen Ci controlled herself somewhat that night.
She did not become drunk.
When they left the little houseboat, she was certain she remained conscious.
She merely felt excited and light-headed, and her steps swayed slightly.
She suddenly understood why Dou Yiqing liked being pleasantly tipsy so much.
Wen Ci’s footprints formed a crooked line across the beach.
She held her phone in both hands, and the smile on her face never faded.
Zhou Wu did not support her.
He merely pulled her back whenever she wandered too close to the sea.
“What are you looking at that’s making you smile like that?”
“Yiqing sent me videos. She went wakesurfing today and is night fishing now.”
Wen Ci opened the final unread voice message.
Dou Yiqing’s excited voice sounded from the phone.
“Wen Ci, help! I’ve had such an amazing day! What about you? What did you do today? Don’t tell me you stayed inside reading the entire time.”
Wen Ci held down the voice-message button.
“I had an amazing day too!”
After she lowered her phone, Zhou Wu turned towards her.
Within the night and sea breeze, his sharp, deep-set features appeared softer.
A faint smile remained in his eyes.
“You didn’t go anywhere today. Why were you so happy?”
“Because of you.”
Wen Ci turned towards him.
Her eyes resembled the coconut cocktail she had drunk earlier—clear, sweet and filled with rising bubbles.
She confessed gently, “Zhou Wu, when I’m with you, I feel very free.”
Zhou Wu had not known he possessed such an effect.
He raised an eyebrow and laughed.
“Because I took you smoking and drinking? When you say it like that, Ms Wen, you make me sound like a terrible person.”
After speaking, he recalled everything he had done with Wen Ci.
Tch.
He really did seem rather bad.
“No.”
Wen Ci shook her head and corrected him seriously.
“It’s only that when I’m beside you, I feel as though I can do whatever I want.”
As they spoke, they happened to pass the Western restaurant where they had eaten the previous evening.
Unlike the quiet bar-style restaurant they had just left, the Western restaurant played elegant piano music.
As one piece ended, another began.
The gentle, melodious sound of a violin drifted out.
It was *Por Una Cabeza*, the famous tango used in the classic film *Scent of a Woman*.
Wen Ci loved that film.
Without realising it, she rose onto her toes and took two small steps along with the music.
The movement was subtle, but Zhou Wu noticed.
“You know how to dance the tango?”
Wen Ci had not expected him to see.
She hurriedly shook her head.
“No. But during a film appreciation class, our teacher made each of us write a ten-thousand-word review of the film, so I watched this scene many, many times.”
“Then you know how,” Zhou Wu said.
Someone caught her hand.
Before Wen Ci could react, Zhou Wu had already placed a hand around her waist and begun leading her through the tango from the film, right there on the beach.
Wen Ci was not completely drunk.
People inside the Western restaurant looked towards them.
Her movements became stiff and her heartbeat quickened—though perhaps her heart rate had not been normal at any point that night.
Although she had watched the scene countless times and almost knew every step, she still stepped on Zhou Wu’s foot.
“Sorry,” she instinctively apologised.
“Wen Ci, there are no mistakes in tango.”
It was a line from the film.
Wen Ci fell silent.
A powerful, surging wave rose within her chest.
She felt her heart trembling as Zhou Wu led her through the movements.
Her steps lacked structure and she occasionally made mistakes.
Zhou Wu did not care.
His movements remained relaxed, controlled and pleasing to watch, almost professional.
Wen Ci looked surprised.
“You know the tango.”
“I learned a little when I was very young. My mother liked it,” Zhou Wu said.
“She must have been very elegant.”
“She was.”
The music gradually approached its climax.
Under Zhou Wu’s guidance, Wen Ci finally found the rhythm and stopped stepping on him.
She spun beneath his hand.
Because she had been drinking, her cheeks were flushed and her turn was slightly clumsy.
Her white dress opened around her like a blooming flower.
Zhou Wu laughed.
“It seems you watched this part even more often.”
“I did.”
Wen Ci smiled with him, her curved eyes more captivating than the moon.
When the music ended, Wen Ci imitated the actress and lifted one leg, hooking it around Zhou Wu’s thigh as they froze in the final pose.
A small but enthusiastic burst of applause came from the restaurant.
It was a little girl.
“Yay!”
The girl’s parents hurriedly pulled her back.
Zhou Wu smiled lazily, raised one hand slightly and thanked the child with gentlemanly grace.
Wen Ci, meanwhile, behaved like the girl’s parents and dragged him away.
…
After they returned to the villa and pushed open the wooden gate, Zhou Wu tried to pull down the hand Wen Ci had placed over her face.
“Stop covering it. I can see that you’re smiling,” he said.
Dancing so clumsily in front of so many people had turned Wen Ci’s ears completely red.
The delayed embarrassment was almost unbearable.
Yet she genuinely could not suppress the curve of her lips.
She did not even know what she was smiling about.
She simply felt happy.
“Why didn’t I get drunk?” Wen Ci asked miserably.
Zhou Wu laughed and kissed her.
They had spent almost the entire day kissing.
Occasionally, Wen Ci could not help wondering—did friends with benefits need to kiss this much?
Weren’t they supposed to pretend to be friends or strangers once they left the bed?
Did other people in relationships like theirs behave this way too?
Perhaps she was merely fortunate that Zhou Wu also happened to enjoy kissing.
Their kisses naturally carried them to the bed.
Zhou Wu lowered his eyes and watched Wen Ci’s white dress spread across his sheets.
She looked like a clean, beautiful flower—the kind that had once bloomed beside the balcony of his room at his maternal grandfather’s home.
“Wen Ci, why did you choose me back then?”
Zhou Wu kissed her chin.
His voice was slightly hoarse as he asked without warning, “Was it only because the bride was my ex-girlfriend?”
Wen Ci froze.
It took her a moment to understand what he meant.
“No.”
Under the moonlight, Wen Ci’s eyes looked unfocused and dreamy.
Her fingers rested against Zhou Wu’s face.
She could not resist telling part of the truth, though the last of her reason prevented her from exposing herself completely.
“No matter who the bride had been, you were the only person I would have chosen.”
Zhou Wu seemed satisfied.
He smiled, turned his head and kissed her palm.
Then his kisses moved downwards.
Farther down than usual.
Wen Ci was startled.
Her waist nearly trembled as she panicked and reached for Zhou Wu’s hair.
“Zhou Wu, don’t… Don’t do that…”
Gradually, her words became fragmented and incoherent.
…
In the end, they took another shower together.
Remembering the sounds she had made earlier, Wen Ci still covered her face with a towel when she came out.
Zhou Wu amusedly pulled down one corner and politely asked, “Are you sleepy?”
Wen Ci paused, then shook her head.
The effects of the alcohol had faded.
What they had done earlier had also been far too much.
She was now terrifyingly awake and desperately wanted to punch herself unconscious.
“Then shall we watch a film?”
The towel nodded.
Wen Ci changed into the lace nightdress she had worn before.
Worried she might become cold, Zhou Wu also placed a jacket over her shoulders.
They returned to the same sofa from two nights earlier.
This time, there were only the two of them, yet they sat even closer together.
Zhou Wu held the remote.
“What do you want to watch?”
He scrolled through the films one after another.
When a familiar poster appeared, Wen Ci blurted, “That one…”
It was the horror film from high school.
Zhou Wu paused and turned towards her.
“You didn’t watch it back then?”
“No. I was doing homework.”
Only after answering did Wen Ci realise it might not be suitable.
The film was very old.
“Forget it. We can choose something else.”
But Zhou Wu selected it.
“I didn’t watch it either.”
A heavy summer rain suddenly began outside.
When the film reached a particular scene, Wen Ci thought that this had been the moment Zhou Wu entered the classroom that night.
The ghost was about to appear directly in front of the camera.
The next second, a hand covered her eyes.
Zhou Wu’s palm was hot, resting warmly against her eyelids.
While covering her eyes, Zhou Wu glanced towards the window.
“It’s raining.”
Amid the ghost’s screams, Zhou Wu’s lazy voice sounded heavily beside her ear, blending with the rain.
“Good thing we returned early, Ms Wen.”
Wen Ci sat on the sofa with her knees hugged against her chest.
She leaned against Zhou Wu’s shoulder and felt the warmth of his palm.
*Is this a dream?*
*If it is, please don’t let me wake up.*
She thought.
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