Before heading home after work, Cen Jin made a special trip to a nearby vintage goods store, picking out a pair of couples’ mugs as a reward for her college student’s small step forward in academics.
But as soon as she opened the door before she could show them to him, she became the reward herself.
Not just unwrapped like paper, she was practically dismembered. She could only wrap tightly around his waist, using incoherent moans to praise his burgeoning vitality, one after another.
Afterward, Cen Jin lay exhausted yet satisfied on the bed, thinking she could skip removing her makeup since her face had already been licked clean.
Meanwhile, Li Wu had gone to the kitchen to cook dinner for her. As the aroma permeated the room, Cen Jin turned to her side, burying her face in the pillow and smiling.
She loved this kind of aggressiveness and explosive power.
Perhaps because her ex-husband’s personality was relatively refined, cautious, and lukewarm, even in these matters, Li Wu’s sudden attacks felt fresh and exciting by comparison.
Especially when he pressed her into the mattress in the unlit bedroom – the dark environment made everything seem wild and dangerous, while the young man was a powerful, agile male leopard, pouncing, biting, dragging her until completely possessed her. His unrestrained aggression and heavy breathing made her lose her senses, willingly becoming weak prey, crying for help yet sinking deeper.
Ah.
Cen Jin couldn’t help wanting to share with her close friend that she had taken her not-yet-twenty-year-old boyfriend’s virginity.
Chun Chang excitedly howled like a monkey: “What did it feel like?”
After long consideration, Cen Jin summarized it precisely in four characters: “Corpus luteum rupture.”
Chun Chang: “What? Really?”
Cen Jin: “Just exaggerating, of course.”
Chun Chang had nothing to say except that she was dying of envy.
…
After a quick shower, Cen Jin changed into comfortable loungewear, tied up her hair, and went to find Li Wu in the kitchen.
He was frying pork cutlets, glancing back at her with a smile.
Cen Jin stepped forward to wrap her arms around his lean waist, quietly pressing against his back. After a while, her hands grew restless, slipping under his shirt to warm up relations with his abs.
Li Wu’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he coughed lightly: “Jiejie…”
Cen Jin withdrew her hands and released him, bringing over the couples’ mugs from the coffee table, unwrapping them, and arranging them on the table. After some thought, she pushed Li Wu to the opposite side.
When Li Wu returned with two plates of pork cutlet rice that could rival any Japanese restaurant’s presentation, he noticed the mug.
All white, with Einstein’s black and white line drawing sticking out his tongue, the pattern raised with some texture, and formulas on the back.
He examined it all around, clearly delighted, smiling down at the woman: “For me?”
Cen Jin propped up her chin, nodding slightly: “Yes, little physicist, for you to use at school. It’s getting cold, remember to drink more hot water, stay healthy, and may everything go well.”
Li Wu’s smile didn’t diminish: “Okay,” then looked at hers: “Who’s on your mug?”
Cen Jin held hers up: “Archimedes. This set only has physicist designs, I’ll make do to match my boyfriend.”
Li Wu was extremely happy, immediately washing and sterilizing both mugs before bringing them back filled with sweet sparkling water.
They sat facing each other, chatting while eating, and before she knew it, Cen Jin’s bowl was empty.
Perhaps it was Li Wu’s extraordinary cooking skills, the crispy outside and tender inside that couldn’t be stopped once started, or maybe she was truly hungry and tired, needing high-calorie food to replenish her energy.
Li Wu asked if she wanted more, saying there was still some rice and seafood tofu soup in the pot.
Cen Jin shook her head.
Li Wu then scraped all the rice and soup together, lowering his head to concentrate on finishing it.
Cen Jin watched him eat, resting her chin on her palm, her smiling eyes curved like two crescents. She truly had consistently enjoyed watching his real-life eating broadcasts for three years.
Seeing her gaze fixed on him, Li Wu became somewhat uncomfortable, asking again: “Jiejie, are you sure you don’t want more?”
“No, I’m very full,” Cen Jin placed both hands on her stomach: “Li Wu, don’t call me Jiejie anymore.”
His brush-like eyelashes lifted as his bright eyes looked at her: “What should I call you?”
Cen Jin lowered her hands, folding them on the table: “My name, full name.”
“Oh…” he responded softly, lowering his eyes to continue eating.
“Go on, say it.” Cen Jin urged.
Li Wu raised an eyebrow: “Now?”
“When else?”
He held his chopsticks, his ears turning red, and rubbed his neck a few times, but still couldn’t say it.
Cen Jin tilted her head in confusion: “Is it that difficult? You were so confident yesterday.”
Li Wu put down his chopsticks: “That was because emotions were running high, it just came out.”
“And now you can’t say it?”
Li Wu fell silent, gathering his emotions before speaking extremely quickly: “Cen Jin.”
Cen Jin said sternly: “I couldn’t even hear clearly. Look at me and say it properly.”
The young man’s face also reddened, licking his lips before pressing them together, seeming to steel himself before looking directly at her: “Cen Jin.”
His voice was clear and crisp, each syllable distinct, making even an ordinary name seem wrapped in affection.