Chun Chang responded quickly, almost instantly: What’s wrong?
Cen Jin took a long breath, choosing her words carefully: I think I just saw that kind of young, fresh, beautiful, and clean body you mentioned before.
Chun Chang instantly perked up: !!!!!!
Chun Chang: Little brother Li Wu?
Cen Jin: Mm.
Chun Chang never hid her thirsty nature: How much did you see?? Did you take pictures?? Share with your bestie!
Cen Jin: Take pictures of what, just the upper body.
Chun Chang: Aaaaaaaaaaah what did he look like tell me tell me.
Cen Jin recalled, her cheeks inexplicably heating up, and threw out three words: Pretty well-built.
Chun Chang: Is this the expression ability of a copywriter?
Cen Jin: Then how should I say it?
Chun Chang: Was it seductive? Did it make you melt instantly?
Cen Jin:? Not really.
Cen Jin reviewed those lines in the light, inexplicably filled with restraint and control, like a cheetah tensing before the hunt, and admitted: Objectively speaking, there was some sensuality. What surprises me is how young guys nowadays all have such good bodies.
Chun Chang: What surprises me is how you got to see it.
Cen Jin: He brought the wrong clothes into the shower, and I happened to be working in the living room, so I saw.
Chun Chang: Damn this is like some romance novel plot.
Cen Jin: ???
Chun Chang criticized despairingly: How can you be so restrained, I’ll call you Endurance Jin from now on.
Cen Jin: What am I enduring?
Chun Chang: Such a perfect combination of looks, talent, and body in an obedient little brother, don’t you want something to happen? Especially during this special period, a man and woman under one roof hehe.
Cen Jin asked: Would you think about “something happening” with your cousin?
Chun Chang, always without limits in her banter: …No need, my cousin is too ugly. Looks determine my principles.
Just as Cen Jin was about to spit at her, a shadow loomed over her. Without looking, she knew who it was. Cen Jin hurriedly switched out of the chat interface and pretended to be composed as she looked up.
Li Wu had put on a white T-shirt and was looking down at her, holding out the black headphones.
His face seemed to still retain some warmth, showing a faint blush, his eyes consistently bright and watery.
Cen Jin took them, examining them while clearing her throat: “Have you been using these headphones for your online classes these past few days?”
Li Wu: “Mm.”
Perhaps because of the earlier incident’s major impact, Cen Jin was still a bit dazed, turning them over: “Haven’t used them in so long, I can’t remember which side the Bluetooth button is on.”
He bent down to show her: “Bottom left.”
This motion brought the young man suddenly close, and Cen Jin, glancing up slightly, could see the skin and collarbone visible at his shirt collar.
The flesh-colored scene from a few minutes ago seemed branded in her mind, replaying repeatedly.
She grew irritated, wanting to drive away both the image and the person in it: “Got it, you can go about your business.”
“Mm.” Li Wu stood to leave.
Cen Jin called after him, offering indirect advice: “Better wear more layers.”
Li Wu: “…”
Cen Jin made up an excuse: “After all, it’s not spring or summer yet, catching a cold during this period would be quite troublesome to deal with.”
But Li Wu understood perfectly well, embarrassed to the point of speechlessness, only managing to respond “Okay.”
His earlier appearance charging through the house’s public areas was indeed somewhat offensive to Cen Jin.
Cen Jin had thought this episode would be fleeting as clouds, but unexpectedly, over the next few days, the house gained an Eskimo.
In the constant 27-degree floor heating, Li Wu lived as if in an outdoor polar survival situation. The youth wrapped himself up very thoroughly, layer upon layer, leaving nothing exposed, making Cen Jin feel groundlessly insulted as if she was being assumed to have potential fetishes.
A week later at the dinner table, Cen Jin couldn’t bear it anymore and put down her soup spoon to ask Li Wu: “Aren’t you hot?”
The youth’s chopsticks paused, stopping his rice-scooping hand: “Hot.”
“So what’s with these past few days?”
“Afraid of catching cold.” He used her previous excuse.
“You’re more likely to catch a cold this way,” Cen Jin decided to be frank: “I didn’t take that incident to heart, what’s the big deal about a boy being shirtless?”
“Mm.” Li Wu responded softly, but his ears gradually changed color.
Cen Jin glanced at him again, commanding: “Take off the cotton jacket.”
“Oh.” Li Wu immediately stood up, removed his outer layer, and hung it on the chair’s back.
The big bear transformed back into a white poplar, finally looking more pleasing to the eye. Only then was Cen Jin satisfied, picking up her soup spoon to continue eating.