When Wen Ci woke the next morning, her first reaction after opening her eyes was once again to check Zhou Wu’s Moments post.
It was still there.
After one night, Dou Yiqing had liked it, and Qin Yun had left a comment beneath it:
**Qin Yun: When did you take this? Where did you go with Wen Ci?**
Zhou Wu replied:
**Zhou Wu: Mind your own business.**
Zhou Wu knew that she appeared in the photograph.
Yet he did not care, nor had he deleted it.
Wen Ci had never liked any of Zhou Wu’s Moments posts before.
She was busy with work, and by the time she saw them, they had usually been posted long ago. Liking them so late seemed a little abrupt.
Of course, it was also because she always viewed them secretly and felt guilty.
Curled beneath the covers, Wen Ci stared at the photograph for a long time in the sunlight slipping through the gap in the curtains.
Then she raised her finger and left her first trace on Zhou Wu’s Moments.
The next second, a message appeared at the top of her screen.
**Zhou Wu: Awake?**
Wen Ci froze, then sat up and replied:
**Wen Ci: Mm, I just woke up. Is something wrong?**
**Zhou Wu: Is Dou Yiqing awake?**
Wen Ci climbed out of bed barefoot, opened her door and secretly glanced outside.
The room opposite hers was silent.
Dou Yiqing and Qin Yun had stayed up late playing mobile games the previous night.
**Wen Ci: No.**
**Zhou Wu: Come downstairs. I’m at the gate.**
Wen Ci crept towards the wooden gate of the villa.
She looked back at Dou Yiqing’s window. The curtains were still drawn.
Only then did she carefully open the gate and poke her head outside.
Zhou Wu leaned beside the entrance with one hand in his pocket.
He wore a black suit, his tall frame and long limbs radiating wealth and refinement.
However, his posture was relaxed, his neck and back slightly curved, and his jacket remained unbuttoned.
The clothes might make the man, but on Zhou Wu, the solemn suit somehow appeared free and unconstrained.
In comparison, Wen Ci wore bear-print pyjamas with a crooked collar.
Her hair was messy from sleep, and faint shadows lay beneath her eyes.
When Zhou Wu saw her, he straightened slightly and pressed a hand against her forehead.
Her fever had not returned.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Didn’t sleep well?”
Wen Ci was too embarrassed to admit that she had repeatedly refreshed his Moments post until she finally fell asleep at one in the morning.
She gave a dry hum.
“Are you going to a meeting?”
Zhou Wu lazily confirmed it.
“I’ll be busy until this evening. Qin Yun will have to take you to the airport today.”
“That’s fine,” Wen Ci immediately said. “We can actually take a taxi ourselves.”
“He has nothing else to do. Let him take you.”
Zhou Wu lifted his chin slightly.
“Hold out your hands.”
Confused, Wen Ci obediently raised both hands together towards him.
Zhou Wu removed his hand from his trouser pocket.
He held two pieces of white fabric and placed them in Wen Ci’s palms.
It was the swimsuit she had left in his room.
Wen Ci:
“…”
Remembering what had happened while she wore it, Wen Ci’s face reddened.
She hurriedly hugged it against herself and hid it in her arms.
“Sorry, I forgot it. Wait here for a moment. I’ll go and bring back your two sweatshirts—”
“Keep them.”
Wen Ci stared blankly.
“Keep them?”
“Mm. I like seeing you in my clothes.”
Zhou Wu lowered his eyes, his voice lazy.
“Or did you not like those two?”
“…”
“No, I… liked them.”
Wen Ci felt too embarrassed to take them for nothing.
“I’ll pay you.”
“There’s no need.”
Zhou Wu evaluated the sweatshirts, each worth thirty thousand yuan.
“They’re cheap market clothes. Tell me if they’re uncomfortable, and I’ll replace them.”
Wen Ci hurriedly shook her head.
“They aren’t. They’re very comfortable.”
“Mm.”
The two fell silent for a moment.
“I originally wasn’t planning to return that to you,” Zhou Wu suddenly said.
A faint smile rested on his lips, and his lowered gaze was completely candid.
“But I was worried you’d think I was a pervert.”
“…”
Wen Ci needed a moment to process his meaning.
Then she hugged the swimsuit more tightly.
If he did not return it, what would he keep it for?
It was not a sweatshirt.
Zhou Wu could not wear it…
Her brain overloaded, and her words emerged one at a time.
“Maybe not… I—I wore it last time and haven’t… washed it yet. Bacteria will have accumulated. It’ll be very dirty.”
Zhou Wu watched her cheeks visibly turn bright red.
She really was far too easy to tease.
Suppressing his laughter, he nodded and accepted Ms Wen’s hygiene lesson.
“All right.”
“Because I bought this, the shopping app recommended many other similar clothes to me.”
Wen Ci’s face remained red as she politely asked in a quiet voice, “They aren’t swimsuits, but… they look similar. If you like them, should I buy a few to try next time?”
Zhou Wu:
“…”
F*ck.
His phone rang.
Zhou Wu answered and used it to conceal the slight heat in his ear.
The driver politely informed him that the car was already waiting outside his villa.
After he ended the call, Wen Ci asked, “Do you have to leave?”
“Mm.”
Zhou Wu tossed the phone back into his pocket.
Then he suddenly tilted his head down and lightly kissed her lips.
It ended as soon as it touched.
Wen Ci could smell Zhou Wu’s fragrance around the tip of her nose.
It was different from usual—a combination of grapefruit and wood, restrained and composed, suitable for work.
“It’s a shame I couldn’t take you diving.”
His voice was calm, with a hint of regret.
“Next time, Ms Wen.”
…
At noon, inside the restaurant.
Dou Yiqing held the menu and called to the person beside her for the third time.
“Wen Ci? Wen Ci!”
Wen Ci returned to her senses.
“Mm?”
“I asked whether you want baby cabbage or broccoli.”
Dou Yiqing looked puzzled.
“What’s wrong with you? You keep spacing out.”
“Either is fine.”
Wen Ci said, “If I have to choose, broccoli.”
“Why can’t we order both?” Qin Yun asked from the other side. “If we don’t finish them, then so be it.”
Dou Yiqing rolled her eyes.
“Wasting food is a capital offence. Don’t you know that?”
Wen Ci shut out their argument and looked through the window towards the sea, continuing to drift into thought.
Her lips still felt faintly numb.
It had only been a kiss.
It was even lighter than all the ones they had shared before.
There had been no alcohol or desire in it.
It was a simple kiss that did not seem appropriate between friends with benefits.
Wen Ci covered her face.
Perhaps she had spent too much time with Zhou Wu over the past few days.
They had talked too much and done too many things together, which was why she had begun entertaining unrealistic fantasies.
Could Zhou Wu perhaps like her the tiniest, tiniest little bit?
Or was that degree of intimacy merely a common farewell kiss to him?
After all, he had studied abroad.
But surely people overseas did not normally give clothes to their friends or s*xual partners to wear.
Wen Ci’s heartbeat became unsteady as her thoughts spiralled.
She did not know whether it was because they had stood so close that morning or because of her imagination, but even after several hours, the unfamiliar scent of fresh, deep wood still seemed to linger around her.
After lunch, Wen Ci returned to her room to pack.
She had brought too many books, along with a medical kit.
Once Zhou Wu’s clothes were added, her suitcase suddenly could not close.
Dou Yiqing lay across the suitcase and used her entire body weight to press it down.
“No, seriously, Wen Ci. We barely bought anything. We even used several pairs of disposable underwear. How has your luggage somehow gained so much?”
“Maybe I didn’t fold my clothes properly,” Wen Ci lied.
An unconscious smile remained on her lips as she forced the clasp shut.
“Done.”
Qin Yun carried one suitcase in each hand and wheeled them out of the courtyard.
After taking several steps, he could not resist turning around.
“Dou Yiqing, are you sure you don’t want to stay a few more days? Once the waves calm down in a couple of days, we can go diving.”
He added another offer.
“I’ll take you skydiving too. How does that sound?”
“No. I have online classes to attend.”
Dou Yiqing refused.
“Have you gone insane from studying? Weren’t more than ten years of school enough? Now that you’re a teacher, you still want to take classes?”
Qin Yun compromised.
“How about this? I’ll return with you, and I’ll take you dancing at Blue Note.”
Dou Yiqing struck his back lightly with her bag.
“I said I have classes. Try disturbing me and see what happens.”
Qin Yun clicked his tongue.
“Boring. You really don’t know how to appreciate kindness—isn’t that right, Wen Ci?”
Amused, Wen Ci pressed her lips together and indicated that she would not participate in their war.
Qin Yun’s car was parked outside the villa.
After placing the suitcases in the boot, he stuck his head out.
“That’s everything, right?”
“I’m done,” Dou Yiqing said.
Wen Ci held her phone and stared at her conversation with Zhou Wu, struggling over whether she should tell him she was leaving.
Perhaps she should wait until they reached the airport.
Or when the plane took off.
Or after they landed?
Hearing Qin Yun’s question, she hurriedly looked up.
“I don’t have anything else—”
“Qin Yun!”
A familiar voice sounded behind Wen Ci.
Before she could react, a figure brushed past her, carrying a sweet fragrance.
It was familiar and somewhat sharp.
Wen Ci had smelled it during the school anniversary too.
The newcomer wore a light pink strappy top that exposed her beautiful arms and back.
Pushing a suitcase, she rushed forwards and hugged Qin Yun.
Qin Yun froze.
Only after she released him did he open his mouth in surprise.
“Duan Wei? Wait, why are you here?”
“I came for a holiday. Didn’t Zhou Wu tell you?”
As Duan Wei spoke, she turned around.
A pair of sunglasses rested on her beautiful face.
She pushed them up into her hair.
Her eyes passed over Dou Yiqing before settling on Wen Ci’s white dress.
Only for a moment.
Then Duan Wei looked away and smiled.
“Why are you all here too? Did you come for a holiday?”
Qin Yun was uncertain of the situation.
“They came with me. They’re preparing to leave now.”
“Oh.”
Duan Wei asked, “You’re leaving already? Why not stay a few more days?”
“We’ve had enough fun. We have to return and work hard,” Dou Yiqing replied with a perfunctory smile.
Duan Wei looked regretful.
“I was busy with other things over the past few days and couldn’t come earlier. Otherwise, we could have spent time together.”
The person in the corner had remained silent.
After speaking for a while, Duan Wei turned her gaze towards her again.
“The sea here is especially beautiful. When we were students, Zhou Wu and I came here to dive during every winter and summer holiday.”
“Did you go diving?”
Meeting her gaze, Wen Ci smiled.
“No. There was a typhoon over the past few days.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Yes.”
Qin Yun looked behind Duan Wei.
“Where’s Xiang Wenwen? Didn’t he come with you?”
“Don’t mention him.”
Duan Wei turned her face away.
“I came alone.”
Qin Yun understood.
His impression from a while ago had been correct.
They had argued yet again.
“Why didn’t you ask for a car to collect you? Which villa are you staying in?”
Qin Yun considered it.
“Why don’t you stay in theirs? It’s nearby. We can have someone clean it in a while.”
Duan Wei shook her head.
“No. I’m afraid to stay alone. I’ll stay with Zhou Wu.”
The surroundings became silent for several seconds.
The typhoon had only just passed.
They stood directly in the wind, and the sea breeze chilled their skin.
Wen Ci tucked the hair blowing across her face behind her ear.
She lowered her gaze towards her watch, then turned and quietly reminded Dou Yiqing, “What time is our flight?”
Dou Yiqing reacted and suppressed her urge to remain and watch the drama.
“Um—sorry, but we have a flight to catch. Why don’t you continue talking after we leave?”
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