Xu Zhi felt that her first kiss was like a cup of pre-rain tea – bright emerald green, with fully unfurled tea leaves. As she drank the fragrant tea, accidentally touching the tender green leaves, she tasted the flavor of youth. The initial taste was slightly astringent, followed by a subtle sweetness.
The sage scent on Chen Luzhou was quite misleading. Only upon kissing him did she realize it was the purest, cleanest taste of youth – like the most pristine blade of grass in a field, untouched by any storm or artifice, fresh yet passionate.
Chen Luzhou was pinned to the sofa, his legs carelessly spread, his posture unchanged. Xu Zhi sat on his left thigh, one hand around his neck, the other cupping his face, afraid he might pull away. He just leaned back, holding her with one arm, not daring to be too bold. His strong arm loosely encircled her waist, his hand restrained, barely touching the soft curve of her youthful waist. His other hand rested coolly on his other leg as he tilted his head back slightly, awkwardly exchanging kisses with her.
The sun had completely set, and the moon hung high in the night sky, dim and soft. The usual sounds of the senior year building persisted – someone cursing their teammates while gaming, another scolding their child not to watch TV, someone else loudly reciting endless poetry, unsure of their future. Their reckless, intimate kisses were lost among these noisy, everyday sounds, filled with the most ardent, innocent emotions and an indescribable thrill.
They both seemed to have smoldering sparks that could ignite at any touch. As Xu Zhi tried to go further, Chen Luzhou tilted his head back, resting against the sofa, glancing at her. His usually clear and sharp eyes were now hazy and confused, but he gestured slightly to the side, saying coolly yet proudly, “The curtains aren’t drawn.”
Xu Zhi got the hint, though she didn’t understand why drawing the curtains became her responsibility. But at that moment, she felt that Chen Luzhou’s image of propriety couldn’t be tarnished. If someone saw him kissing a girl at home, his reputation would surely suffer. Just as she was about to stand up, Chen Luzhou pulled her to the side, sighed, and got up himself. “Stay seated, I’ll do it.”
With a swoosh, the room fell into complete darkness. When he returned, as soon as the sofa sank under his weight, Xu Zhi instinctively sat back on his leg, her hands loosely draped around his neck. Chen Luzhou didn’t lean back, sitting on the sofa with his legs spread. He unconsciously held her with one arm, while his other sinewy hand, veins prominent, rested on his other knee. As she lowered her head, he naturally kissed her, their kisses close and dry.
With the curtains drawn, it seemed even quieter. They could hear each other’s rapid breathing. Both being inexperienced, they would kiss for a while, pause, then kiss again, unable to get enough. Their eyes showed a hint of unleashed passion, their gazes burning, the contact of their lips even hotter.
Finally, those heart-pounding, innocent pecks slowly ceased. In the dim light of the small lamp, in the hazy glow, they quietly gazed into each other’s blurry, confused eyes. Their heartbeats refused to calm, so they could only awkwardly look away from each other.
“Did you drink coffee?” Xu Zhi, still sitting on his leg with her hands casually draped over his shoulders, asked.
Chen Luzhou’s heart was racing, and his throat was tight. His whole body was tense, but he didn’t dare embrace her too tightly. His entire posture was relaxed. Usually a straightforward person, he now felt somewhat uncomfortable in this intimate space after their passionate encounter. His voice hoarse, he replied with a “Mm,” and then asked, “Do you still want to watch the movie?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll rewind it for you.” He naturally reached for the remote control.
They had been kissing for about five minutes. In a Kar-wai Wong film, missing even a minute could make the plot incomprehensible, especially in English. Usually, even without watching the screen, hearing the dialogue would be enough to continue following the story. But during their intermittent five-minute kiss, Chen Luzhou hadn’t heard anything, neither the dialogue nor any thoughts entering his mind.
But Xu Zhi said, “It’s fine, no need to rewind. I heard a bit. Juliana’s diary was discovered, the love poems she wrote to her brother were exposed, and now her foster mother is giving her trouble. Juliana is hiding at a male classmate’s house.”
Chen Luzhou gradually leaned back, his back against the sofa, looking at her sitting on his leg with a thoughtful and coldly aloof expression: “…”
Xu Zhi poured him a glass of wine, took a sip herself, and offered it to him: “Want some?”
He shook his head, still looking at her the same way. Xu Zhi was puzzled, “What’s wrong?”
Chen Luzhou felt a bit angry with himself, suddenly understanding Tan Xu’s perspective. Indeed, being in an ambiguous relationship with such a girl was quite frustrating. She remained rational and clear-headed, able to focus on the movie even while kissing. So it was perfectly normal for Tan Xu’s grades to drop while hers improved. Who wouldn’t see their grades slip while dating this… dog thing?
Author’s Note:
Let’s do this – I might not be able to write today. So I’ll update half a chapter first.
Tomorrow I’ll take a day off to handle hospital matters and save a day’s worth of writing. The day after tomorrow, we’ll resume normal update times. You don’t need to work so hard-refreshing.
I’ll send red envelopes for all comments on this chapter~ Thank you for your understanding. There have been some unexpected issues recently. Thank you~
Light Shadow’s new novel “Little Intense Love”
Synopsis: For those three years, there was a saying that spread throughout Yi Zhong: Yi Zhong’s number one, Wang Xiaoqi; the eternal second, Xu Yinong.
One day after evening self-study, Xu Yinong was alone on duty, sweeping the floor. When she straightened up, she found the “number one” leaning against the classroom doorframe, watching her.
Xu Yinong: “What are you looking at? Stop showing off.”
Wang Xiaoqi smiled, “I’m not doing anything.”
She continued sweeping, her tone unfriendly, “Move your feet!”
Wang Xiaoqi moved, “I’ve beaten you in exams, so how about I take a loss and treat you to a meal?”
Xu Yinong’s focus was a bit off, “You’re taking a loss?”
“Then you take the loss. After the college entrance exam, how about you accept me as your boyfriend?”
“…”
Years later, when they met again, she was the client and he was the contractor.
One day, people under him were discussing how the female BOM engineer from the client’s side was perfect in figure, temperament, and looks. Wang Xiaoqi finished a call on the landline, put down the receiver, and said, “Everyone’s working overtime tonight.”
Everyone was stunned: “Huh?”
Wang Xiaoqi remained aloof: “If the data isn’t fixed, we’ll work overtime every day.”
Everyone cried: “Boss, please no!”
Later, Wang Xiaoqi and Xu Yinong ran into each other in the tea room.
“Manager Xu, don’t your female employees have looser shirt sizes?”
Xu Yinong: “Manager Wang, what do you mean?”
Wang Xiaoqi leaned against the doorframe, as lazy as he was years ago, “What do you think I mean?”
Xu Yinong wasn’t impressed and retorted, “Manager Wang, is it appropriate for you, as the contractor, to speak to the client like this?”
“Then, client daddy, what role do you think is appropriate for me?” Wang Xiaoqi smiled, as mischievous as ever, “Ex-boyfriend?”
“…”