Cen Jin lived by the principle of never letting arguments last overnight, but she still couldn’t sleep well that evening. Dizzying nightmares pressed down on her until she could barely breathe. Not yet five o’clock, she sat up in bed, leaning against her pillow in a daze.
She opened WeChat and clicked on Wu Fu’s Moments feed.
To her surprise, he had posted a new status—a photograph.
The content wasn’t unfamiliar: it showed the convenience store below their office building. A pedestrian was walking past the front entrance, their body a blurred shadow like a spirit in the night.
Wu Fu had an eye for composition. Even with just a phone, he could edit photos to have the quality of film stills. His talent for aesthetics was remarkable—the designers in his department all said it was a waste of his abilities to have started in copywriting.
But regardless of which path he’d taken, he was now an ACD (Associate Creative Director), able to oversee everything from above.
As Cen Jin stared at the photo, she was gradually enveloped by a deepening sense of loneliness. She found it hard to discern whether this loneliness stemmed from herself, from Wu Fu, or both of them. Even with numerous colleagues and clients liking and bantering in the comments below, creating a lively atmosphere, the image itself remained desolate.
Cen Jin felt somewhat better—she guessed Wu Fu wasn’t having an easy time either.
She lay back down, planning to properly sleep through her remaining two hours.
The quality of her second sleep was excellent. The woman felt as if she had barely closed her eyes when the sound of a rolling suitcase outside startled her awake.
Cen Jin picked up her phone to check the time, then got out of bed and walked out of her room.
A tall, white figure was already standing in the living room.
It was Li Wu, wearing the sports jacket she had bought him. The sleeves bore the classic three-stripe design, one black and one gold, giving the young man a brighter, more spirited air. But he had zipped it to the top as if deliberately containing this unfamiliar vibrancy.
His clear black-and-white eyes slid over to meet hers.
Just as he was about to say good morning, Cen Jin spoke first: “When did you wake up?”
Li Wu replied, “After six.”
Cen Jin looked at the suitcase beside his leg: “All packed?”
“Mm.”
Cen Jin was unsurprised by his efficiency and low-maintenance nature. She smiled and asked, “What would you like for breakfast?”
Li Wu said, “Anything is fine.”
“I’ll go back to my room to freshen up. Wait for me on the couch.”
“Okay,” Li Wu nodded.
Cen Jin returned to her room, efficiently ordering breakfast during gaps while brushing her teeth. After changing into casual clothes, she walked out of the bedroom.
Li Wu had indeed obediently sat down, silently reciting English vocabulary from his textbook.
Cen Jin laughed: “Is the college entrance exam tomorrow? Why such urgency?”
He had been quite absorbed, only noticing the woman’s presence in the living room when he heard her voice. His eyelids lowered, first noticing her slender white ankles below camel-colored cropped pants. Above that was a gray-brown cardigan. Her hair was loose today, with a slight wave, one side tucked behind her ear, giving off an effortlessly soft appearance.
Cen Jin was different from the women in the village. During their three days together, she had never piled on any bright or gorgeous colors, yet she wasn’t plain. On the contrary, she was beautiful, effortlessly so.
Li Wu closed his book with both hands, quickly moving his gaze from her face.
He was putting the textbook back in his backpack when Cen Jin asked, “Did you pack your phone and charger?”
Li Wu looked up: “Yes,” he added, “They’re in the suitcase.”
“Good,” Cen Jin walked to the entryway, took out a stack of money from her bag, walked back, and placed it on the coffee table: “Take this cash with you. It’s not much, just two thousand yuan, for unexpected needs.”
Li Wu froze, immediately refusing: “No need, I have a meal card.”
Cen Jin touched her forehead: “What if you need to buy books or stationery? There’s good food outside campus too. I don’t want you eyeing what other kids have.”
“…”
Her thoughtfulness made it difficult to feel at ease. Li Wu began to regret it—that KFC meal might have given Cen Jin the wrong impression about him. He wasn’t as fond of food as she imagined.
“Take it.” Cen Jin dropped the subject and walked to the kitchen to operate the coffee machine.
Li Wu wanted to return the money, but looking at the woman’s casual figure behind the counter, he couldn’t bear to disturb her.
He noticed some books and magazines under the coffee table and took out one of the thicker ones. Then he inconspicuously glanced at Cen Jin—she was facing away, one hand propped on the counter, her posture relaxed. She probably wouldn’t turn around anytime soon.
He lowered his eyes, quickly slipped the two thousand yuan into the book, smoothed the title page, put it back in its original position, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
—
After breakfast, Cen Jin expertly led Li Wu to Yi Zhong School.
Teacher Qi had sent the dormitory building and room number to Cen Jin’s WeChat early on. With the dorm manager’s directions, they quickly found the place.
It was a very typical, very basic four-person male dorm room. Books were scattered about, shoes lay crooked every which way, and chair backs had become the most convenient place to store clothes instead of closets. The waste bin was mostly filled with drink cans, and plastic basins on the balcony were piled with dirty clothes, waiting to be taken to the laundry room when they could hold no more.
Li Wu’s desk and bed hadn’t been used before, becoming a temporary storage space filled with the other three students’ miscellaneous items.
The students were all in class now, leaving the dorm room empty and silent enough to hear a pin drop.
Finding nowhere to stand, Cen Jin simply stationed herself by the door next to the water dispenser.
Li Wu also didn’t know where to start, not wanting to move others’ belongings, so he could only stand there.
But they couldn’t just wait like this. Cen Jin looked around for a moment, then rolled up her sleeves and walked over, sweeping everything on the desk nearest the door to one side with a single motion, ignoring whatever crashed to the floor. Then she gathered all the clothes piled on the chair and distributed them onto the other three chairs.
After finishing this, she turned back, dusting off her hands: “Use it.”
The young man was startled by her bold actions, somewhat dazed.