In the height of July, cicadas chirped endlessly as Jiangcheng entered a long stretch of scorching weather.
The temperature climbed higher with each passing day, and heat seemed to shimmer in the air. Even Wen Ci, who usually tolerated hot weather well, could no longer resist turning on the air conditioner.
On the evening Wen Ci officially began her summer holiday, a call from Dou Yiqing came flying in.
After answering, Wen Ci switched on speakerphone and placed the phone on the bed.
“Boohoo, I’m so jealous. How are you already on holiday when I still have to work tomorrow? Boohoo—”
Dou Yiqing pretended to sob.
The primary school began its summer holiday one week earlier than the high school.
Wen Ci had already escaped, leaving Dou Yiqing alone to continue suffering.
Wen Ci laughed.
“You’ll be finished soon too. It’s only one final week.”
“One extremely long week…”
Dou Yiqing asked, “What are you doing right now?”
Wen Ci paused.
She lowered her head and looked at the open suitcase on the floor, the several hats placed on the table, and the two little dresses she had just taken out to compare in front of the mirror.
No matter how she looked at it, beginning to pack for a holiday an entire week in advance was far too strange.
So Wen Ci lied again.
“I’m reading.”
“As expected of you. It doesn’t matter. You can continue outworking me until we’re eighty. I won’t resist.”
Dou Yiqing continued, “My head is completely filled with the holiday. I want to go out and play so badly. I want to go to the island, surf and swim.”
“Me too,” Wen Ci admitted quietly.
Dou Yiqing sneered.
“Stop pretending. You absolutely don’t.”
“…”
Now that she was telling the truth, no one believed her.
Wen Ci looked towards the ceiling, filled with complicated emotions.
“All right. Continue enjoying your happiness. I’m going to prepare lessons.”
Dou Yiqing complained, “I need to spend these final few days drilling the important points into them again—wait, they’re the little brats taking the final exams, so why am I the one cramming at the last minute?!”
Still cursing, Dou Yiqing ended the call.
Wen Ci laughed for a while and sent her an encouraging sticker.
She was just about to continue trying on clothes when a message appeared at the top of the screen.
**Zhou Wu: What are you doing?**
Their conversation history had suddenly become much richer over the past few days.
For some reason, Zhou Wu would send her a message from time to time.
Although they did not discuss much, compared with their previous chat history filled entirely with hotel room numbers, Wen Ci was already immensely satisfied.
Her heart beat faster.
She immediately replied:
**Wen Ci: Packing my luggage.**
After everything that had happened before, Wen Ci had privately decided that she would try not to lie to Zhou Wu in future.
**Zhou Wu: Do you want to see the dog?**
**Wen Ci: I do.**
Wen Ci assumed he would send a photograph.
Unexpectedly, her phone vibrated as a video-call request appeared.
She froze, then hurriedly tidied the hair she had messed up while trying on clothes before answering.
Yeye’s enormous face filled the entire screen.
Simply looking at the adorable dog improved Wen Ci’s mood.
Her eyes curved as she called very gently, “Yeye.”
Yeye barked, his tail beginning to wag.
Then a large hand pressed down on his head.
“All right. You can leave now,” someone informed him coldly.
Before Wen Ci could react, the phone was picked up.
The adorable dog disappeared and was replaced by Zhou Wu’s face.
Zhou Wu had just finished showering and was drying his hair.
The camera angle pointed slightly downwards.
With his eyelids half lowered, Zhou Wu lingered for a while on her crescent-shaped eyes before looking away and casually scanning the background behind her.
Wooden furniture, patterned wallpaper and neatly arranged books filled the shelves.
Two shelves held framed photographs.
Because she was sorting through clothes, her wardrobe stood half open. Everything inside was organised by colour and season with perfect neatness.
The only untidy part of the entire video was one exposed corner of the suitcase at the lower right.
It was a clean and comfortable room that suited Wen Ci perfectly.
Wen Ci was also examining Zhou Wu’s surroundings.
Behind him was not the familiar penthouse suite, but an absurdly spacious living room with minimalist décor.
“Are you outside?” she asked.
“No. I’m at home.”
Zhou Wu returned his gaze to her face.
“I just bought this place. You won’t need to go to the hotel anymore. Come directly here in future.”
No longer go to the hotel?
Go directly to Zhou Wu’s home to have s*x?
Wen Ci stared at him through the screen, looking somewhat dazed.
She asked, “Does Yeye live at your house too?”
“Mm. I brought him over as soon as I moved in.”
Zhou Wu glanced at the corner of the suitcase visible on the screen.
“Why have you already started packing? Are you that eager to go?”
Wen Ci nodded.
“I haven’t travelled in a long time.”
She did not mention that this would be the first time she had ever travelled independently.
Zhou Wu had intended to tell her not to bring too much, since heavy luggage would be inconvenient and the hotel would already provide most things.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a plastic bag in the corner of her suitcase.
The bag was open, exposing what was inside.
It was too far away to see clearly, but Zhou Wu had used them many times. He recognised them immediately from the colour and shape.
Hearing several quiet barks, Wen Ci smiled.
“Is Yeye adjusting well?”
“He’s fine.”
Zhou Wu raised an eyebrow and looked directly at her through the camera.
After a moment, he suddenly smiled.
Wen Ci froze at his expression.
Before she could ask why, Zhou Wu lazily said, “Why are you packing c*ndoms in your suitcase, Ms Wen?”
“…”
Wen Ci went blank.
As though hiding from reality, she raised the phone higher, moving the camera away.
Her cheeks visibly turned bright red.
Embarrassment made her head buzz.
She heard herself explaining, “You said you don’t like using the c*ndoms provided by hotels. I happened to pass a convenience store on my way home today, so I… bought them while I was there.”
To prevent her family from becoming suspicious and ensure she could leave successfully during the summer holiday, they had agreed that Wen Ci would temporarily behave herself and remain at home for the next few days.
Zhou Wu released a long, imperceptible breath and suppressed the wicked idea of asking her to climb through the window again that night.
“How many boxes did you buy?”
“…One.”
“That won’t be enough.”
Zhou Wu smiled faintly.
“If Ms Wen happens to pass another convenience store over the next few days, please bring me another box. Thank you.”
Wen Ci moved herself entirely out of the camera frame.
“All right… All right.”
…
Wen Ci spent the following week in constant anxiety.
Fortunately, the journey went smoothly.
Her parents had left several days earlier to attend their lectures.
Wen Ci obtained two photographs from the teacher who had genuinely been selected for the training programme and sent them to her mother.
Mother Wen did not suspect anything.
On the second day of Dou Yiqing’s holiday, the two met for breakfast before setting off for the airport.
Dou Yiqing had spent the entire previous evening replying to parents’ messages while packing her luggage.
She had not slept until the middle of the night.
The moment they entered the taxi, she rested her head on Wen Ci’s shoulder and quietly wailed, “I’m exhausted.”
Wen Ci adjusted her position so she could lean more comfortably.
She stroked Dou Yiqing’s hair and smiled.
“I told you before that we could wait until you’d rested for two days before leaving.”
“Who wants to rest at home? I want to rest beside the sea! I want to rest on the beach!”
Dou Yiqing suddenly remembered something and took out her phone, muttering, “Speaking of that, why hasn’t Qin Yun replied to me? He still hasn’t sent me the resort’s location. He can’t still be asleep, can he?”
Qin Yun had wanted to attend a motor show, so he and Zhou Wu had gone to Bincheng two days earlier.
“It’s fine,” Wen Ci said. “Our flight takes another two hours. He should reply before we land.”
The moment she finished speaking, the phone in Wen Ci’s hand began ringing.
She looked at it and paused.
After hesitating, she intended to decline it first.
Dou Yiqing looked over at the sound and asked suspiciously, “Why is Zhou Wu video-calling you?”
Wen Ci’s finger stopped.
“…I don’t know. Perhaps he pressed it by mistake.”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Wen Ci had no choice but to accept the call.
The moment she saw the image on the screen, her expression stiffened.
The situation she had feared most had still happened.
In the video, Zhou Wu was not looking at the camera.
He had apparently made the call and casually propped the phone aside.
He was shirtless, standing with his back towards her as he prepared coffee.
The muscles across his back were clearly defined and smooth.
His hair was casually messy, and he looked as though he had only just woken up.
“Have you left for the airport?”
Feeling the scrutinising gaze of the person beside her, every alarm in Wen Ci’s mind sounded.
She replied stiffly, “Mm…”
“Send me a screenshot of your flight information. I’ll collect you. Tonight—”
“I’m in a taxi with Yiqing!”
Wen Ci interrupted him at lightning speed, speaking with the same volume she used while teaching.
“She’s sitting right beside me! We’ll reach the airport in ten minutes! We should arrive in Bincheng at around three this afternoon!”
Zhou Wu:
“…”
Dou Yiqing:
“…”
Zhou Wu turned around and met both pairs of eyes through the video.
Fortunately, the phone had not been placed too far away, so only the upper half of his chest was visible.
“We arranged a barbecue tonight,” Zhou Wu finished calmly. “Is there anything you want to eat? I’ll buy it when I come to collect you.”
“Beef, pork and lamb. Arrange every kind of meat for me, thank you,” Dou Yiqing immediately ordered.
“…Anything is fine for me,” Wen Ci said.
“Understood.”
Zhou Wu calmly said goodbye.
“See you this afternoon.”
“…See you this afternoon.”
Wen Ci ended the call.
The screen went dark.
Through its black reflection, she and Dou Yiqing stared at each other for several seconds.
Dou Yiqing asked, “Video-calling you is one thing, but why did he call before even putting on clothes?”
“I don’t know.”
Wen Ci stumbled over her explanation.
“Perhaps… he’s used to it. Didn’t he study in America? Maybe people overseas don’t care as much about these things.”
Dou Yiqing had only just begun to feel suspicious, but after thinking about it, the explanation seemed reasonable.
At Qin Yun’s birthday party, there had also been plenty of shirtless men.
However, Zhou Wu was still somewhat different from those men.
Dou Yiqing glanced at the taxi driver ahead, then leaned towards Wen Ci and whispered into her ear.
“F*ck, did you see Zhou Wu’s muscles just now?”
“I saw them.”
“First, let me make it clear that I don’t like muscular men. But Zhou Wu’s muscles are exactly right. Do you understand what I mean?”
“They aren’t exaggerated, but he also isn’t scrawny. They’re simply pleasant to look at. And those chest muscles…”
Dou Yiqing clicked her tongue.
“I saw something online saying muscles feel really good—soft, apparently. I wonder whether that’s true.”
Wen Ci thought back.
“…I think so.”
Dou Yiqing’s phone chimed.
She looked at it and sneered.
“Qin Yun is only replying now. A late reply is worth less than grass. It’s my turn to ignore him.”
Distracted by Qin Yun, Dou Yiqing finally stopped discussing Zhou Wu’s body.
The journey had only just begun, yet Wen Ci had already been frightened half to death.
She closed her eyes and released a long breath.
Silently, she told herself that in Bincheng, she had to remain cautious, even more cautious, and then even more cautious still.
She absolutely could not expose herself in front of Yiqing.
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