Boyfriend and Girlfriend?

Xia Fu never expected to hear those words from Fang Jingcheng’s mouth.

She’d always thought Fang Jingcheng was the type to welcome anyone and indulge in pleasure—otherwise, why would he drag a random girl out on a date the night he was dumped by his girlfriend? So, when Fang Jingcheng said those words, she took it as just another one of his flirtatious lines and went along, responding casually. It wasn’t until Fang Jingcheng repeated himself that Xia Fu sensed something serious, turning to study his expression closely.

This guy was really strange.

If you got close to him, he shamelessly asked for more attention. But if you showed the slightest hint of pulling away, he’d follow you like an abandoned puppy. That kind of insecure look made her feel like she was winning somehow. His warm breaths tickled her skin, making the balloon in her chest expand until her desire finally overcame reason.

The resistance on Xia Fu’s face faded a little as she reached out, gently touching Fang Jingcheng’s cracked lips, and asked, “If we were to date… would you be willing to give me flowers? Just one is fine.”

That pleading tone nearly melted Fang Jingcheng’s heart.

No wonder Xia Fu seemed so resistant earlier—it turns out she was holding a grudge from their first encounter when he gave her the flowers that Li Yue Tong didn’t want.

If she was upset, it meant she genuinely cared about him, which was a good sign.

There’s an order to things, he hadn’t done anything wrong; he could easily explain that he’d approached Li Yue Tong on a whim, just to annoy his older brother. But Fang Jingcheng really didn’t want Xia Fu to know about his darker side.

“Of course I’m willing. Whatever you want, I’ll buy it for you.”

Fang Jingcheng replied without hesitation, a rare glimmer of guilt flashing across his handsome face.

Xia Fu noticed this but didn’t correct his misunderstanding.

Even if she went to her grave one day, she’d never tell Fang Jingcheng exactly which flower she wanted.

“That’s wonderful.”

She smiled at him, propping herself up and wrapping her arms around his back, resting her cheek against his broad chest.

On the day they met, because she was struggling, she had sold all the roses. But now, she could set aside the most beautiful one for herself, to watch its luxurious petals slowly wither—an indulgent yet satisfying pleasure.

Give her a bit of the happiness she’d never dared to wish for.

This bold embrace felt so different from the cautious touches she’d allowed herself while he was asleep. She greedily inhaled the steady, woody scent on him, listening to Fang Jingcheng’s heartbeat gradually pick up, drumming louder and louder, before he let out a low, satisfied sigh.

“Now you’re mine.”

As they spent more time together, Fang Jingcheng was becoming like a temporary anesthetic for her, available on demand without pressuring her too much. Holding him in her arms, Xia Fu felt the hunger that had plagued her for so long finally subside, granting her an unexpected calm.

“I am.”

Fang Jingcheng rested his chin on her shoulder blade, his fingers lightly brushing her hair cascading down her back, like strumming the strings of a harp, only the melody was his whispered words.

It was nine in the evening, and the night had just begun for college students. With no competition stress weighing him down, Fang Jingcheng had all the time in the world to chat with his girlfriend about things besides school.

He stayed silent for a while, noticing Xia Fu’s breathing gradually evening out in his arms. Unable to stand the quiet, he rubbed her back to get her attention.

“Xia Fu, Xia Fu, are you asleep?”

She murmured an “Mmm” in a dazed tone, the aftereffects of the osmanthus wine muddling her consciousness.

Instead of lifting her head to look at him, she shook it back and forth, trying to burrow her ears into the softness of his chest muscles.

Who ignores their boyfriend on the very first day?

Fang Jingcheng, tickled by this ostrich-like behavior, narrowed his eyes mischievously and dragged out his words deliberately.

“It’s still early. Wanna go shopping? We could pick out something you like.”

“Hmm? Little Fu?”

That sweet nickname hit the mark, making the girl in his arms freeze up. She was like a relaxed sea anemone in a warm current, suddenly jolted and curling up tight. With her rounded nails, she dug into the skin of his back, mumbling, “Stop calling me that, I’m awake.”

Seeing his usually calm and composed advisor so flustered was a rare and precious sight, and the kitten-like scratches on his back only made him more excited.

Xia Fu raised her head and glared at him, looking flustered, “I don’t have the energy to go shopping; I still feel a little dizzy. Let’s just go back, okay?” Her fair face was tinged with a light blush.

She had already agreed to his confession, so there was no need to force closeness with nicknames. Fang Jingcheng took the hint, gently brushing aside Xia Fu’s damp hair to look into her glistening eyes, sighing softly, “Your alcohol tolerance is terrible. Good thing you have me… Are you sure you want to head back now? I’ll miss you.”

Though he didn’t try to stop her decision verbally, he was looking at her with those puppy eyes again.

Xia Fu sighed inwardly, biting her lip as she sat up from his arms and smoothed out the wrinkles on her suit skirt. Without needing a mirror, she could imagine how she looked right now: messy curls, swollen lips, and a wrinkled suit skirt.

Living in a shared dorm on campus, stumbling in with this tipsy look and dressed in luxurious clothes would definitely draw attention. It seemed wiser to stay with Fang Jingcheng a little longer, change clothes, and sober up first.

“You drank half the bottle; how come you’re still full of energy? Do you work out regularly or something?”

Out in the warm evening, Fang Jingcheng had taken off his suit jacket and loosened his collar, showing off his chiseled collarbones and chest. He propped his elbow on the armrest of the swing, watching her with a playful grin, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he spoke, “Yep. Usually, after dropping you off at your dorm, I go to the gym for a bit.”

“Why don’t you come along? You can try out some equipment, and maybe you won’t get drunk as easily next time. You could even grab a shower while you’re at it.”

With the warm night breeze sticking her dress to her skin, Xia Fu couldn’t resist the allure of a shower.

As they walked, she held his hand and asked, “I’d love to. Do they have toiletries there? I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”

Fang Jingcheng replied with a radiant smile, “Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered.”

Despite his usual nonchalant attitude, Fang Jingcheng kept true to his promise and was impressively attentive as a boyfriend.

Tonight, Xia Fu was officially the one treating, but they had booked this private restaurant under Fang Jingcheng’s name. While making the reservation, he’d secretly asked them to charge his card instead, and when they left, he even took a box of their specialty pastries for Xia Fu.

When they arrived at the gym club, a bouquet was already waiting at the front desk. Yoga clothes, athletic shoes, toiletries, even pale blue slippers with a cute dog design—everything was perfectly ready, and the slippers were cozy and soft, like walking on clouds.

Even the size was more accurate than what her own mother would pick…

How could he know her so well? Had he been observing her too?

She hadn’t felt embarrassed taking his T-shirt earlier, but the thought of him observing her preferences left her with a sudden, belated blush.

“Thank you. You picked everything perfectly, and the sizes… are spot-on.”

Fang Jingcheng shrugged it off with a casual smile, “You tried on clothes before, remember? I just asked the shop assistant for your sizes.”

“Alright, go shower. I’ll freshen up too.”

He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently nudged her towards the women’s changing area, his playful gesture reminding her of the “train” game kids used to play.

On the way to the lounge, she passed several large windows, through which she could see the gym members clearly—from yoga to Pilates, even trapeze training. This gym had every popular activity in S City, so he could definitely take her on more dates here in the future.

Fang Jingcheng picked out his favorite black tank top and tousled his silver-dyed hair in the mirror.

Perfect.

But he knew the gym equipment area was a hotspot for sparks to fly, and other guys were definitely aware of it too. With Xia Fu’s innocent look, she was bound to attract attention. He’d better hurry out before someone tried anything.

Fang Jingcheng grabbed his phone and started looking around for her.

What he saw caught him off guard.

He’d only been gone a few minutes, and Xia Fu was already watching some other guy work out?

Fang Jingcheng raised his eyebrow and strode toward the boxing ring.