The last time Cen Jin’s social circle experienced an earthquake was three years ago when she announced her divorce on WeChat Moments and received the highest number of likes and comments since she started using WeChat. The comments were a mix of surprise, admiration, regret, and encouragement.

Today’s situation was no less intense. After posting and returning from a quick bathroom break, she could barely scroll to the top of all the likes.

“What the hell?”

“Wow, he’s so handsome!”

“Ahhhhhhh! I’m suddenly so excited!”

“What kind of gift is this, government-assigned?”

“Congratulations to you both!”

“Your boyfriend looks familiar.”

“[Strong][Strong]”

…

Messages in the company group chat were exploding, with several close female colleagues @-ing her, calling for the person in question to explain everything clearly.

Cen Jin knew that from the moment she went public, she was tacitly agreeing to become the subject of everyone’s discussion.

But surprisingly, people’s reactions were somewhat better than she had imagined. Perhaps it was because Li Wu’s pretty face easily drew attention away from other points. Cen Jin raised an eyebrow, and just as she was about to click in to reply to a few messages, her screen darkened – the male protagonist of the event was called.

Cen Jin’s lips curved into a smile as she answered, not speaking immediately.

His breathing was slightly heavy on the other end, accompanied by the whooshing sound of wind.

Cen Jin asked, “Are you still outside?”

“Just went downstairs. Why did you suddenly—” he hesitated, his voice revealing undisguised surprise and wild joy that seeped through the receiver like syrup, soaking Cen Jin as well, making her smile involuntarily.

She deliberately asked, “What is it?”

A brief, bright laugh rang in her ear, like sparks of stars: “Suddenly post on Moments.”

Cen Jin responded casually, “Is that not allowed? Do I need to file a report with you first?”

The young man hummed, “My heart nearly stopped.”

“That dramatic?”

He hummed again: “It’s still racing, and I can barely breathe.”

Cen Jin snorted lightly: “The rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath are because you just ran downstairs – intense exercise.”

“It’s because of you,” he emphasized the last word heavily, arguing with certainty.

Cen Jin grinned, accepting the blame: “Fine, because of me.”

“I’m so nervous,” Li Wu’s tone was like an anxious ant on a hot pan, “Did you block your family?”

Cen Jin coughed once: “I didn’t block anyone.”

“…No way.” The young man grew more anxious.

Cen Jin remained nonchalant: “Rather than blocking this person and that person, it’s better to either not post at all or make it visible only to you.”

There was a long silence on the other end, with only the sound of wind and the young man’s breathing.

He suddenly spoke solemnly: “I’m coming to find you right now.”

Cen Jin was startled: “Don’t you have class tomorrow?”

“I want to—” he carefully chose his words: “face everything together with you.”

Cen Jin burst out laughing: “Face what? Are we going to war? Are you planning to fight the whole world with me?”

He was so excited he could barely speak coherently: “I’m afraid people will say bad things, afraid your parents will criticize you, afraid you’ll be unhappy. I want to be by your side, standing in front of you.”

Cen Jin was about to melt from this adorable little fool’s sweetness. Holding back her laughter, she asked with interest: “How will you shield me?”

Li Wu was silent for a few seconds, his voice dropping slightly: “I don’t know… I’ll tell them it’s all my fault, that I pursued you, that I forced you to be with me. I’ll treat you well and include you in every step of my future life. I’ll beg them not to blame you – they can beat me up if they want.”

“Silly, are my parents some kind of gangsters?” Cen Jin was somewhat moved. “No one can force me, including today’s Moments post – it’s simply because I want to.”

“Sister,” Li Wu stopped walking, trying to steady his breathing, “Next time, can you post when I’m with you?”

“Why?” She was stunned, unable to stop smiling. “And didn’t I tell you before not to call me sister…”

“Cen Jin, I miss you so much right now, want to see you so badly, want to hold you tight,” his voice was serious and calm, “but I can’t, and it’s torture.”

Cen Jin’s heart trembled slightly, though she still talked tough: “Ugh~ so mushy.”

Then she asked: “And what do you mean by ‘next time’? How many times do you want me to announce our relationship? Once for every fight?”

The young man made an outrageous claim: “Next time will be our marriage certificate.”

Cen Jin rubbed her slightly stiff cheeks that had been grinning: “Are you even old enough?”

“Don’t care,” he started being unreasonable, angry at himself, grumbling unhappily: “Why am I only nineteen?”

Cen Jin consoled him: “It’s okay, you’ll be twenty in a few days.”

Li Wu looked at the dark sky without stars or moon, exhaling a frustrated white breath: “But I have nothing right now.”

“Are we starting this again?” Cen Jin lightly tapped her forehead. “How can you say you have nothing? You have me.”

“Oh, right.” He truly was the happiest and luckiest person in the world. Li Wu smiled again, his emotions swinging wildly, his central nervous system malfunctioning.

Cen Jin figured he wouldn’t calm down anytime soon: “Go back to your dorm first, aren’t you cold?”

“Not cold. Would you believe me if I said I’m covered in sweat right now?”

“…” This hardly needed a question of belief. Cen Jin was pretty much certain his brain was approaching delirium at this point. She decided to change the subject: “Li Wu, do you know why I wrote that caption today?”

Li Wu pondered briefly and replied: “Because of my name? Or was it a gift for me?”

Cen Jin laughed: “Do you remember when you called me from Yunfeng Village because you wanted to go to school? When I asked who you were, you said ‘Li Wu.’ Your voice was so nice that I didn’t react immediately – I thought it was a ‘gift.’ I thought Chunchang had ordered me a virtual boyfriend online to comfort my scarred heart during my divorce.”

Cen Jin twirled the slightly curled ends of her hair with her fingertips, feeling tender in body and soul: “But you became a special gift, became my real boyfriend.”

Li Wu sighed with feeling: “Heaven was so good to me, letting me meet you.”

Cen Jin replied: “No, Heaven was good to me.”

“No, it’s me.”

She grew slightly fierce: “When I say it’s me, it’s me.”

“Mm, won’t argue with you.” As long as he knew the truth in his heart.

His docility made her heart melt again: “Oh no, now I want to hug you too.”

Li Wu said: “I’m coming home.”

“You can’t look at the time.”

“I’m at the school gate already.”

Cen Jin’s voice suddenly cooled, attempting to stop him: “Just when I thought you were being obedient, you started defying me.”

“If I were truly obedient, I couldn’t be your boyfriend – I’d only be your little brother.” He deliberately charged toward the gun barrel. Because he knew the inside wasn’t loaded with real bullets, but with flower branches, confetti, and candy.

Originally, he had just rushed out of the dorm to make a call and get things clear, but his legs had taken on a life of their own, bringing him straight back to her. His only regret was having to take a taxi instead of a rocket.

It was as if moving toward her was his instinct, his magnetic field of destiny.

When the two embraced like opposite poles of magnets in the entryway, Cen Jin pressed against his chest, simultaneously sweet and grumbling: “If I’d known you’d be such a bear and so defiant, I would have waited until next weekend to post on Moments.”

“Today is perfect, has to be today,” Li Wu rested his chin on top of her head, not wanting to move an inch. “In a few days, it won’t have the same effect.”

“How would you know?” Cen Jin snorted.

He lifted her chin, his gaze like a rainy spring night, deep with tenderness: “Has anyone said anything bad about me?”

This was what he cared about and worried about most.

His adoring eyes always made her certain she was deeply loved. Cen Jin shook her head: “No.”

Then she blinked mischievously, looking very girlish: “I turned off my phone.”

Li Wu froze, frowning as he tried to sound serious, like a child pretending to be an adult: “Why are you being disobedient too?”

Cen Jin pretended to think for a moment, then acted as if she’d had a sudden realization: “If I were truly obedient, I couldn’t be your girlfriend – I’d only be your big sister.”

Li Wu’s smile bloomed as he took out his phone from his pants pocket, turned it off without even unlocking the screen, and tossed it onto the sofa.

Looking into each other’s eyes, they reached an unspoken agreement; they were each other’s strategists and accomplices; they were kindred spirits and partners in crime.

They were so certain that they were in love, truly and properly.

Li Wu lifted Cen Jin high in his arms, spinning her around several times to release his excitement and satisfaction.

In this love-like weightless dizziness, she cupped his cheeks and leaned in for a deep kiss.

Who cares about anything else? To hell with it all. No one could disturb them now. This night belonged only to themselves, to each other – two people, one heart.