The May breeze drifted gently through Jiangcheng, while sunlight filtered through the plane trees lining the streets, scattering patches of light across the ground.
The tranquillity of Jiangcheng Primary School was broken by the ringing of the bell.
Wen Ci let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief and dismissed the class.
She had pulled several all-nighters preparing for this observation lesson. Fortunately, judging from the expressions of the teachers and school administrators seated at the back of the classroom, she had not messed it up.
Wen Ci exchanged a few polite words with the teachers who had observed the lesson, then thanked each of the administrators who had attended. When she finally returned to the staffroom, she dropped heavily into her chair.
At last, the weight in her chest lifted.
“Congratulations, Xiao Wen. It’s finally over.”
A teacher passed by her desk after filling her cup with water and smiled.
“The director praised you in the group chat. He said you taught well and carried yourself very confidently.”
By the time Wen Ci straightened in her chair, the smile she had worn earlier had already returned to her face.
“Not at all. I still have a long way to go. I don’t have much experience yet, so I need to learn more from you and the other teachers.”
Wen Ci had joined Jiangcheng Primary School during the second half of the previous year. She had only recently completed her probation and become a permanent member of staff. At present, she taught English to third-grade students.
The woman speaking to her was a veteran teacher at the school whose surname was Xu. She was also the homeroom teacher of one of the classes Wen Ci taught and usually looked out for her.
“You’re far too modest. When I first heard you would be teaching English to my class, I felt completely reassured. Truly. You might be a new teacher, but I could tell immediately that you were patient. You also make your lessons interesting, which is rare. The students in my class praise you every day. They’re always saying they want to attend your lessons.”
“Thank you.”
Wen Ci lifted the bag on her desk and smiled.
“Would you like some strawberries, Ms Xu? My mother grew them herself. They’re very sweet.”
Whether she was facing her colleagues or her students, Wen Ci always wore this same smile—gentle and serene, like the soft morning sunlight, warm without being dazzling.
“No, thank you.” Ms Xu then asked, “By the way, Xiao Wen, I remember asking you before. You said you didn’t have a boyfriend, right?”
Wen Ci paused slightly, just as she had the previous time the question was raised.
Then she answered, “That’s right.”
“You’re so pretty. You must have been one of the school belles when you were younger. Didn’t any boys pursue you? Or did none of them catch your eye?”
The truth was that when Ms Xu had first met Wen Ci, she had not thought she was exceptionally beautiful. She had merely found her pleasant to look at, like a sweet and obedient young woman.
It was only after spending more time with her that she realised Wen Ci was the kind of woman who became more beautiful the longer one looked at her—especially because of her eyes.
Wen Ci had a lovely eye shape, the outer corners curving slightly upwards. When she smiled, they resembled crescent moons. Her nose was high and delicate, and she had a head of smooth, beautiful black hair. For convenience during the lesson today, she had casually twisted it into a bun, leaving a few loose strands around her ears. It gave her a fresh, effortless appearance.
“Not at all. There were plenty of people at my old school who were prettier than me,” Wen Ci said. “I was always… quite busy before. And now I’ve only just started teaching my own students, so I don’t have time for a relationship.”
“You can’t think like that. You’re at exactly the right age to date. You can date for a year or two, and if you’re compatible, you can get married. The timing would be perfect.”
Ms Xu finally revealed her true intention.
“Do you remember when my nephew came to deliver something to me a while ago? I don’t know where he saw you, but afterwards, he told me he really wanted to get to know you. He’s the same age as you. He’s just started learning the ropes at his family’s company, and his circumstances are quite good. He’s tall, fair-skinned and handsome. Why don’t the two of you meet?”
Wen Ci politely waited until she had finished speaking before replying.
“No, thank you, Ms Xu. I’m not planning to date anyone at the moment.”
“That’s all right. You can simply get to know each other first. Just think of it as making another friend.”
Wen Ci’s phone rang.
She picked it up and glanced at the screen, then lowered her head and began hastily gathering her things.
“Perhaps next time, Ms Xu. I have to leave now. My… my family is waiting outside for me. You know how difficult it is to park near the school.”
“Oh, it will only take a moment to add each other as contacts, Xiao Wen—”
Wen Ci hurried out of the staffroom, the hem of her long skirt swaying behind her. All she left Ms Xu with was a gentle yet resolute retreating figure.
“See you tomorrow, Ms Xu.”
…
Naturally, there was no one waiting to pick her up outside the school gates.
Sitting on her bicycle, Wen Ci searched through her bag before letting out a quiet sigh.
As expected, she had packed too hastily and left a set of notes in the classroom.
Fortunately, the observation lesson was already over. There was no urgent need for her to write her summary tonight.
Her phone rang again. This time, it was a message from her mother.
She had been too busy escaping from Ms Xu to reply to the previous message. It was a photograph of the dinner her family had prepared that evening.
Some relatives were visiting, so the meal was particularly lavish. There were both meat and vegetable dishes, with a large pot of delicious-looking soup placed in the centre of the table.
**Mum: Come home as soon as your class ends, or the soup will get cold.**
Wen Ci replied with a simple **Okay**, mounted her bicycle and rode into the crowd.
The evening breeze caressed her face.
Wen Ci stopped at a red light, inhaling the aroma of the street food stalls around her. She was wondering whether she should secretly buy herself a sweet cake to mark the end of an ordinary yet exhausting day when the phone inside her bag suddenly chimed once more.
Wen Ci took it out.
Against the fluorescent glow of the screen, a line of black text appeared.
**Zhou Wu: 5899**
The light changed from red to green.
The crowd around her continued moving, but Wen Ci remained where she was for a long time.
Only when someone behind her urged her to move did she return to her senses and hastily push her bicycle to one side.
She stared at Zhou Wu’s profile picture for a long while.
Opening the conversation, she typed:
**When did you come back?**
Then she deleted it.
In the end, she opened her conversation with her mother and sent another message.
**Mum, the school has arranged a last-minute staff dinner, so I can’t come home for dinner. I’ll be back late tonight as well. Don’t wait for me. Go to bed early.**
She then turned her bicycle around and headed in the opposite direction.
Some buildings might stand within the same city, yet seem as though they belonged to two entirely different worlds.
Half an hour earlier, Wen Ci had been waiting at a traffic light on a crowded street filled with people.
Half an hour later, her bicycle rolled into the grounds of the most luxurious and expensive hotel in Jiangcheng—the Jinjiang Hotel.
The valet had probably never encountered a guest arriving by bicycle before. Nevertheless, he managed to maintain a reasonable degree of professionalism and found her a parking space intended for electric bicycles.
Wen Ci smiled and thanked him, privately deciding that next time, she would leave her bicycle at home before taking a taxi here.
At reception, she gave her name.
“Good evening, Miss Wen. Here is your room key. We’re delighted to welcome you.”
The newly hired receptionist handed her the key card and could not resist looking at the woman standing before her a few more times.
She wore a soft yet inexpensive beige knitted top and a long white skirt. Loose strands of hair had been blown out of place by the wind, and she carried a plain tote bag without so much as a visible brand logo.
Nothing about her appearance suggested that she would be staying in a suite costing more than ten thousand yuan per night.
According to the note on the computer, the suite was permanently kept available for a regular guest.
It was only when Wen Ci raised her eyes that the receptionist immediately stopped staring and replaced her curiosity with a bright smile.
“A member of staff will escort you upstairs. Please wait for a moment.”
“There’s no need to call anyone over.”
Wen Ci smiled at her.
“I can go up by myself. Thank you.”
With practised familiarity, Wen Ci took the lift upstairs, swiped the key card and opened the door.
As expected, the suite was completely empty.
Wen Ci was already accustomed to this.
She put down her bag, removed her clothes and went straight into the bathroom.
Because of the observation lesson, she had been tense throughout the entire day. At that moment, all she wanted was to take a proper shower.
As the hot water poured over her body, Wen Ci could not help releasing a comfortable sigh.
Steam covered the glass with a thin veil, faintly outlining the shapely, well-proportioned figure normally concealed beneath her modest clothes.
Wen Ci tilted her head back and closed her eyes, quietly enjoying the water washing over her.
The next second, the beep of a key card sounded, and the suite door opened.
Wen Ci did not move.
She listened as a man’s leather shoes approached, eventually stopping outside the shower.
“Why didn’t you reply?”
The man’s voice was low, mingling deeply with the sound of the running water.
Wen Ci thought about it and realised she truly had not responded.
“Sorry. I forgot. I was on the road at the time. Your message came too suddenly, so I had to ride my bicycle here.”
Zhou Wu fell silent.
It remained quiet outside for so long that Wen Ci began to think he had walked away.
Then Zhou Wu abruptly asked, “Can I come in?”
Wen Ci moved her head away from beneath the stream of water and opened her eyes.
“Yes.”
The next moment, the shower door opened and the man stepped inside.
Apparently, he had spent the silence undressing.
Zhou Wu had broad shoulders, long legs and an exceptionally well-built physique. When Wen Ci used the shower alone, it felt particularly spacious.
The moment Zhou Wu entered, however, it suddenly seemed so cramped that there was nowhere for her to retreat.
Wen Ci had just finished washing her hair. It hung wet down her back, exposing her smooth, beautiful forehead.
She pushed her hair aside.
“Wait. I haven’t rinsed my hair properly. Let me—”
She did not get to finish.
Her chin was lifted, his lips covered hers, and she was effortlessly raised from the floor.
…
By the time Wen Ci’s breathing finally returned to normal, the sky beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows was completely dark.
She lay languidly against the bedding, devoid of strength. Her hair was damp with sweat and stuck to her forehead, but she could not be bothered to move it.
She picked up her phone and checked the time.
Eight forty.
Almost three hours had passed.
Wen Ci put the phone down, hugged a pillow and could not resist looking towards the window again.
Zhou Wu was smoking on the balcony.
The man wore nothing but a bath towel around his waist. The red scratches running down his back were particularly conspicuous.
After finishing his cigarette, Zhou Wu extinguished it and returned to the room.
Wen Ci felt the duvet being pulled away.
Zhou Wu turned her over, took hold of her ankle and lowered his head, about to kiss it, but Wen Ci pulled away.
Zhou Wu raised an eyebrow before laughing.
“I forgot. I’ve just smoked.”
Zhou Wu’s face was even more striking than his physique. His features were deep and sharply defined, while his jawline was clean and angular. He possessed the kind of handsomeness that blended sophistication with something untamed.
His eyes were darker than most people’s. At that moment, he gazed lazily at Wen Ci, his smile careless and unrestrained.
“That’s not why,” Wen Ci said, meeting his eyes. “I’m just a little hungry.”
Zhou Wu appeared surprised. His gaze swept over her flat stomach.
“You didn’t eat before coming here?”
“No. I came over as soon as school ended.”
Zhou Wu released her ankle and called the hotel to have some food sent up.
The hotel was very efficient. Before long, the meal arrived.
Wen Ci stared at the table covered in dishes and fell silent for a moment.
“I can’t eat this much.”
“We’ll eat together.”
Zhou Wu separated a pair of disposable chopsticks and handed them to her.
“You haven’t eaten either?”
“I had food on the plane.”
Wen Ci had not brought a change of clothes, so she could only wrap herself in a bath towel while eating.
She paid little attention to her food.
After disappearing for almost three hours, her phone was nearly overflowing with messages.
Once she had dealt with her mother, Wen Ci began responding to matters related to work.
She genuinely did not have the energy to continue typing. Clearing her throat, she activated the voice-to-text function.
“Ms Xu, thank you for your kindness, but it really isn’t necessary. Perhaps we can discuss it another time.”
She had barely sent the message when she heard a quiet laugh from across the table.
Wen Ci raised her head in confusion and met Zhou Wu’s eyes.
“It’s nothing. I just thought you sounded a little…”
Zhou Wu shrugged lightly.
“You sounded exactly like you were talking to Old Yu.”
Old Yu had been their homeroom teacher in high school.
Wen Ci was about to respond when her phone began vibrating again. She could only smile at Zhou Wu before lowering her head and continuing to answer her messages.
Her shoulders were exposed above the bath towel, revealing several marks Zhou Wu had left behind.
Wen Ci’s skin was extremely fair, making every mark on her body particularly noticeable.
Zhou Wu’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
With so many messages, when was she ever going to finish this meal?
A phone began ringing.
This time, it was Zhou Wu’s.
He glanced at the caller’s name and hesitated briefly before answering.
“Hello. Yeah, I’m back. Where did you hear that?”
“Blue Note? I’m not going.”
“I’m not doing anything. I’m busy.”
“How do you know I’m at the Jinjiang?”
The person on the other end said something.
Irritation appeared on Zhou Wu’s face.
“Fuck off. Don’t come here… Fine. I’ll come over later.”
Zhou Wu tossed his phone aside and continued watching Wen Ci respond to her messages.
Wen Ci swallowed the food in her mouth.
“You should leave first.”
Zhou Wu looked at her. “What?”
“I’m still going to be a while. One of the parents is asking me about their child’s performance in class,” Wen Ci said. “If you’re in a hurry, you can leave first. I’ll go after I finish eating.”
“…”
Seeing how busy Wen Ci was, Zhou Wu could not quite bring himself to suggest another round.
He said nothing more and stood up to get dressed.
When he returned after changing his clothes, Wen Ci finally appeared to have finished working. She was slowly drinking her soup.
There was no particular expression on her face, though her cheeks remained faintly flushed.
Zhou Wu looked at her and, almost without understanding why, suddenly asked, “Do you want to come with me?”
Wen Ci froze and raised her head.
Zhou Wu himself did not understand why he had invited her, but the words had already been spoken.
“Qin Yun invited me. You know him. He was also in Class Three.”
“No.”
Wen Ci recovered from her surprise.
“You should go.”
“Okay.” Zhou Wu nodded. “Then I’m leaving.”
“All right.”
Zhou Wu was just about to reach the door when the woman behind him seemed to remember something.
“Zhou Wu.”
He stopped.
“Remember to send me the bill for this meal later.”
“There’s no need,” Zhou Wu said.
“There is.”
Wen Ci’s voice remained gentle.
“We agreed that whenever we meet, we would split all the expenses equally.”
Originally, they had even divided the hotel bills between them.
However, after meeting twice, Zhou Wu could no longer tolerate hotels that cost only a few hundred yuan per night. He had firmly insisted that Wen Ci allow him to make the arrangements instead.
Since he had been the one to demand the change, he had also declared that he would naturally bear the resulting high costs.
“I know.”
Zhou Wu opened the door and left.
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