Her hands, her lips, her breath – they wove together into a poem of awakening, at times tender, at times passionate. Finally, Li Wu released with a low gasp between Cen Jin’s fingers, bringing their intimate moment to an end.

“Good boy.” Cen Jin ruffled his hair with her other hand. She tried to rise from his lap, but he pulled her back down, holding her tight.

The young man exuded an air of fragility and satisfaction, like a rain-soaked blade of grass trembling after a downpour.

“What’s wrong?” Cen Jin asked as her shoulder blades ached from his fierce embrace.

Li Wu remained silent, refusing to let go.

Noticing another shift in his demeanor, Cen Jin chuckled. “Alright, young man, will you let me wash my hands?”

Li Wu’s face flushed as he released her.

Cen Jin left the study, her knees slightly weak. Standing before the bedroom vanity, she found her reflection as flushed as if she’d been drinking. She let out a soft laugh, took a deep breath, turned on the faucet, cleaned her fingers thoroughly, and splashed some cool water on her face.

When she emerged, Li Wu stood there properly composed. Upon seeing her, he pulled her back into his embrace, instantly melting against her like an oversized plush toy or human-shaped ornament.

He was like a puppy – clingy when hungry, clingy when full.

Cen Jin felt both endeared and exasperated. She nudged his shoulder and asked, “What will you do when summer break ends and you go back to school?”

Li Wu remained unmoved, mumbling, “Just go to school.”

“Hmm?” Cen Jin wasn’t satisfied. “Won’t you miss me?”

“Will you,” he lifted his head, eyes dark and bright, “miss me?”

“I’ll be too busy working to miss anyone.” At the mention of work, her previously forgotten bad mood flickered back to life, and Cen Jin’s lips turned down.

Li Wu noticed and tilted her chin up, studying her face. “Did something happen at work?”

Cen Jin pinched his cheeks in return and pouted. “You must study for many more years. Don’t enter the workforce too early. Once you enter society, it’s too easy to be crushed. You’ll encounter many situations beyond your control.”

“Then when can I marry you?” he suddenly asked.

Cen Jin froze, then gave his back a playful smack. “Marriage? You’re not even of legal age!”

Li Wu fell silent for a few seconds before lowering his voice. “I will be,” he added, “as long as you still want to be with me then.”

Cen Jin’s heart clenched. “Why so humble, little one? I’m not the fickle type.”

Li Wu gazed at her deeply and quietly before responding, “Mm.”

“Are you angry with me?” Cen Jin started tickling him.

Li Wu was most vulnerable to tickling. He immediately broke into a grin, showing his beautiful white teeth as he dodged and said, “No.” But Cen Jin wouldn’t let up, chasing him with her “magic hands.”

The roughhousing ended with Li Wu lifting Cen Jin off the ground.

They cuddled on the couch and started watching an old movie – their daily ritual of intimate time together. Previously, Cen Jin would lean against a cushion, but now she had a warm human chest that seemed custom-made for her, perfectly cradling her back and automatically adjusting to her movements.

However, the owner of said chest wasn’t very well-behaved, occasionally reaching out to caress her, or placing light kisses on her hairline, nape, and earlobes.

These seductive little actions often made Cen Jin’s scalp tingle and body grow weak with desire. She wanted to pounce on him and take him right there.

But Cen Jin hesitated to act on these impulses.

Perhaps it was because Li Wu was too pure and innocent, or because she still felt an insurmountable barrier in her heart. Though they were equal in material terms, she felt they weren’t quite equal spiritually. If they progressed to that level, their relationship would become more complex and weighty.

She wasn’t particularly traditional about chastity, but she wasn’t sure if Li Wu was. Most importantly, she hadn’t thoroughly and carefully considered their future yet. For now, she just wanted to enjoy dating and living in the present.

So until she deliberately broke through that societal barrier herself, she probably wouldn’t initiate their most intimate physical relationship.

These thoughts had a hint of “player” to them, but Cen Jin knew she needed them to stay level-headed. Li Wu was too tempting, both inside and out. He was handsome, vigorous, intelligent, passionate, and most importantly, he loved her – loved her with pure intensity. This devoted, all-or-nothing love carried a fatal attraction. Every day spent with Li Wu felt like being a thousand-year-old celibate spider demon from the Spider Cave facing Tang Monk’s flesh, walking the line between sensuality and rationality, always on the verge of failing and falling into the abyss.

They carried on this way until summer break ended.

In September, the hormone monster finally returned to his cage at school, and Cen Jin’s taut nerves relaxed. She found time to meet with friends.

When Chun Chang heard about her predicament these past months, she was dumbfounded and mockingly praised: “Sister Jin, my dear Sister Jin, calling you a ninja would be an understatement.”

“Stop teasing me. But honestly, since he went to school, I miss him.” Cen Jin sipped her coffee, showing that smile common to all women in love.

This smile could transport them to an intimate private world even in the most crowded, noisy places.

Chun Chang broke out in goosebumps. “Then let him come home every day.”

“He’s busy with courses and lab work, where would he find the time? Even if he had it, I don’t. In a while, I have to go back to the corporate grind,” Cen Jin glanced at her watch and smiled.

She suddenly grew serious and looked at Chun Chang as if about to announce major news: “I’ve been considering something this past month.”

Chun Chang raised her eyebrows. “What? How to take a virgin’s first time?”

“No, can you get your mind out of the gutter?” Cen Jin’s lips twitched as she stated flatly, “I don’t want to do creative work anymore.”

“What?” This shocked Chun Chang more than hearing her friend could resist sleeping with her young boyfriend for a month. “Then what will you do?”

Cen Jin said, “I want to transfer to Account Management.”

Chun Chang’s mouth fell slightly open. “No way, you’ve made it to Deputy Creative Director and suddenly want to switch to account service? Who makes that kind of move? You might as well go client-side.”

Cen Jin brushed her hair back. “When I first came to Ao Xing, I didn’t want to just do creative work. I wanted to move toward strategy, but later because some of my work was quite good, the department didn’t want to let me go, and I was enjoying myself, so it got shelved. But last month’s incident was a wake-up call. I’ve decided to leave my comfort zone and spend a year or two in client services, building connections for my plans.”

Chun Chang blinked. “What plans?”

Cen Jin smiled brightly, her eyes gleaming. “I want to open my own creative boutique or MCN company.”

“Oh my god!” Chun Chang could have swallowed two eggs whole. “Really? Does turning thirty make everyone so ambitious? My mom also decided to open a pancake stand when she was thirty. Why don’t I have such enlightenment?”

Cen Jin clapped her hands once as if making it final and encouraging herself. “If others can’t provide the ideal realm I need, then I’ll build one myself.”

After pondering for a moment, Chun Chang objected: “But have you thought about it? Your industry is just like that. Can your ideal realm maintain its pure original intention forever? It might get swept up in the same issues. You’ll work harder and suffer more, with pressure far exceeding what you face now. Besides, does your personality suit serving clients? I suspect you’ll make the clients cry before they make you cry.”

“This is called strategic retreat – what’s wrong with enduring temporary hardship for a greater plan? If I don’t try now, should I wait until I’m too old to have the energy and then regret it? I can’t just drift along anymore. This is my biggest realization this month,” Cen Jin lowered her eyes and rested her chin on her hand, stirring her coffee. “This month, I’ve been observing myself in the department. I used to think I was one of the core members, but I’m just a component, a tiny cog. Day after day, I execute, I complete tasks, I get rejected, I get praised, spinning endlessly but replaceable at any time, with no chance to make my own choices and decisions – why should I live like this? I think Wu Fu once said something right, he said I have no worries holding me back. Yes, why shouldn’t I use this advantage? Many people in our industry have switched to self-media, opened companies, established brands – why can’t I? I’m already looking at office space rental listings in nearby buildings. Next spring, I’ll sell the house on Qingping Road and lay the foundation for my realm.”

Chun Chang laughed, a mix of envy, and disapproval, but mostly understanding: “You’re crazy.”

Cen Jin leaned back in her chair and coaxed, “Why don’t you leave that magazine of yours and come be the head designer at my company?”

Chun Chang put on her “sister is noble” face: “That depends on what terms you’re offering.”

Cen Jin snorted.

The two women exchanged glances and smiled, bright as sunshine after rain.

―

That afternoon, Cen Jin went to the General Manager’s office to present her request.

Her GM said it was too sudden and summoned Teddy, asking if he had been creating obstacles for Cen Jin.

Teddy was thoroughly aggrieved: “How could I? What do I have to do with women being fickle?”

Cen Jin smiled slightly: “It has nothing to do with him. I want to transform my career.”

The boss was puzzled: “But you’ve been doing so well in creative these past two years, steadily rising. Won’t client services be a difficult adjustment? It’s completely different.”

Cen Jin thought for a moment: “You can ask Yuan Zhen how many briefs I’ve reviewed for her these past two years. I might not be as skilled at handling client relationships yet, but everyone starts as a rookie.”

“How old are you? How can you compare yourself to interns?” the boss asked.

Cen Jin said: “Just thirty. If the client department’s headcount is full and can’t accommodate me, I can go to another company. I won’t cause trouble for the company.”

The boss smiled wryly: “Are you threatening me? I just think you might not be able to reach your full potential in client services. You have talent and ideas – you should stay where you’re most suited.”

“If the most suitable position doesn’t allow me to maximize my capabilities, is it the most suitable for me? This is also one reason I want to transfer.” Cen Jin looked back calmly.

The boss was getting a headache. He rubbed his forehead, “Let me think about it, give me some time to react. Even if we approve the transfer, we’d need a month for the handover. Cen Jin, think it over some more, what do you say?”

Cen Jin nodded.

Walking out of the office alongside Teddy, he hummed low: “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning and don’t think the boss doesn’t know either.”

Cen Jin glanced at him: “So?”

“I hate dealing with people like you,” Teddy emphasized again, incredulous: “To become this neurotic over that small incident.”

Teddy suddenly grew curious: “What does your family do?”

“They make lighting fixtures,” Cen Jin named a brand.

This usually friendly superior finally showed his fangs, mocking her: “Why don’t you just turn your old man into a client? Give Director Yu a show of force, prove you’re also a naturally gifted account manager?”

Cen Jin showed no displeasure, her tone flat: “He’s old-fashioned, only likes offline advertising and TV commercials. Not suitable for our company’s new media model.”

Teddy was speechless as he gracefully departed.

―

That evening, back home, Cen Jin could barely contain her excitement with nowhere to channel it. After removing her makeup, she video-called Li Wu without warning, wanting to shower his beautiful little face with virtual kisses.

He immediately hung up.

Cen Jin’s smile vanished instantly as she called again without hesitation.

Li Wu hung up again, then messaged: Wait a bit.

Cen Jin lounged back on the sofa, missing the feeling of being held in his arms: What are you doing?

Li Wu: I’m in the bathroom, just got dressed.

Cen Jin hummed: I’ve seen and touched most of you already, why act so pure with me?

Li Wu must have been blushing again, his tone seemingly helpless: Public bathroom.

Cen Jin pretended to be cold: Oh.

Soon after, the kid’s video call came through. He was walking, without any lighting, but his face in the downward angle was still handsome in the dim environment. Especially when he looked over, his bangs wet, eyes full of little stars, like a small animal just rained on.

When video-calling with Li Wu, Cen Jin never zoomed in on herself.

Because she never tired of looking at him, especially at this close-up angle.

Overflowing with affection, Cen Jin’s lips curved unconsciously: “You’re so handsome.”

Li Wu uncomfortably ruffled his hair, quickly glanced at the road, then lowered his eyes to look at her: “My hair’s such a mess.”

“That’s fine, the messier the cuter, all fluffy and fuzzy.” Cen Jin started spouting the kind of saccharine sweet talk she usually despised, but whenever she saw his face, she could only babble like this.

The young man’s smile deepened, bright yet shy.

Seeing his gaze fixed on the phone, with streetlights and trees alternating in the background, Cen Jin’s smile faded as she reminded him: “Watch where you’re going, what if you hit a utility pole?”

“Oh.” He obediently looked up, revealing his long neck and distinct Adam’s apple.

This image probably stayed in Cen Jin’s view for less than a second before being replaced by his pure eyes and smile.

Cen Jin felt lightheaded under his gaze: “Do you have anything at school this weekend? If not, come back and keep me company. Sister’s battery is running low again.”

Li Wu replied: “I can come back right now.”

Cen Jin said coldly: “Dream on.”

Li Wu: “…”

Just as he was about to speak again, someone called his name. A girl’s voice, drawn out, sweet and clear like a nightingale.

The young man on screen paused and looked up, and she spoke again: “Just finished showering?”

Cen Jin felt instantly deflated and was about to end the call when Li Wu’s suddenly cool “Mm” drew her attention back. His emotional switch was so quick it caught her off guard.

The girl continued chatting: “First time seeing you with wet hair.”

Perhaps noticing his phone still held level and lit up, she asked: “What are you doing, staring at your phone? I wasn’t sure it was you until I got closer.”

The next second, the young man said something without hesitation that made Cen Jin’s heart flutter anew: “Video calling with my girlfriend.”