Chapter 19

On Saturday, a sudden, cool rain poured down in Jiangcheng, leaving the streets slippery.

Every household seemed reluctant to close their windows, and the curtains swayed like waves on the sea.

Wen Ci’s mother sat in the living room, watching her husband practice calligraphy. She glanced out the window and said, “This rain is really heavy. It doesn’t look like it’ll stop today. I think Xiao Ci and Yi Qing won’t be able to go out today. Well, it’s probably for the best…”

Before she could finish speaking, her words were interrupted by the sound of footsteps.

Wen Ci hurried downstairs, carrying a white canvas bag on her back and an umbrella in her hand.

“Dad, Mom,” Wen Ci greeted them, “I’m heading out.”

Wen’s mother paused and called out to her, “In this heavy rain, you’re going out? Why don’t you tell Yiqing and reschedule?”

“I can’t, the movie tickets are already bought, and they’re non-refundable.”

“Isn’t the movie at four in the afternoon? It’s not even two yet.”

A couple of days ago, Wen’s mother had asked her again about her plans for today—it’s a family routine. Since she was little, Wen Ci had to carefully report her whereabouts whenever she went anywhere.

Wen Ci had never specifically arranged a time to meet with Zhou Wu before. In the past, they had silently agreed to meet around 6 or 7 in the evening. This time, she had planned to leave closer to evening, but perhaps because Zhou Wu had said “come earlier,” her day had stretched on endlessly.

She remembered Zhou Wu had once mentioned that he often stayed in a certain suite, so it should be fine for her to arrive earlier.

Wen Ci regretted saying the time would be so late, but she remained calm and said, “I’m going to shop for a bit before heading to the cinema.”

Wen’s mother furrowed her brow. “…Fine. But with this rain, be careful when you leave. Don’t get soaked.”

Wen Ci first went to the dry cleaners to pick up Zhou Wu’s jacket.

When she arrived, the rain was manageable, just enough for her to walk with the umbrella. But as the boss handed her the jacket, a few loud rumbles of thunder sounded, and the rain poured down like a waterfall, smashing onto the ground.

Wen Ci opened her umbrella to head to the taxi pickup point, but after taking a few steps, a strong wind blew, and with a loud “bang,” the umbrella’s fabric folded backward, breaking.

The rain started pouring over her, and Wen Ci had no choice but to rush into a nearby mall to seek shelter.

She took out her phone to inform the ride-hailing driver, only to find that the driver had already canceled the ride.

Wen Ci sighed and walked into the mall. She bought a new umbrella, costing twice as much as the one outside, and checked the ride-hailing app again. The app showed that because of the rain, there were 400 people ahead of her, with an estimated wait of half an hour.

Perhaps it was from being drenched, but Wen Ci shivered from the cold air conditioning in the mall. She was debating whether to pay extra for a more expensive ride or wait in the mall when she suddenly felt an odd sensation.

Wen Ci froze and hurriedly entered the restroom.

Zhou Wu was lazily sitting on the couch, watching the rain hit the floor-to-ceiling windows, while on the phone.

“Okay, I’ll make sure they reserve those dishes for tonight,” his secretary, Qiao Qiao, asked, “How many guests will you have? I’ll ensure the restaurant keeps a spot for you.”

Zhou Wu replied, “No need to reserve, just have it packed and delivered to the hotel.”

“Got it.”

After hanging up, Zhou Wu glanced at the time, realizing it was still not even 3 p.m., and he couldn’t help but click his tongue.

This week had been a bit frustrating for him.

After thinking for a moment, he attributed this feeling to Wen Ci. On the night of the party, after kissing her, she fell asleep, and then continued to make provocative remarks—everything about it felt like a mess he wasn’t sure how to clean up.

He closed the project plan and lit a cigarette, typing a message.

[Zhou Wu: What time works for you? It’s raining, I’ll pick you up.]

The typing indicator flickered for five minutes before he finally received a response.

[Wen Ci: Sorry, I can’t today, how about next week?]

[Wen Ci: 😢 Sorry, something came up at the last minute.]

Zhou Wu bit down on his cigarette, immediately calling her.

At that moment, Wen Ci was sitting in a quiet corner of the mall’s coffee shop, feeling like the most unlucky person in the world.

When she saw Zhou Wu’s call, she answered right away.

Zhou Wu’s calm voice came through, “What’s wrong, Teacher Wen?”

Surrounded by people, Wen Ci covered the phone and explained in a low voice, “I got my period.”

Zhou Wu raised an eyebrow.

Not hearing an immediate response, Wen Ci thought he might be upset—after all, she had canceled on him twice in a row. She quickly added in a low voice, “Sorry, I… I don’t know why it came early this month.”

Zhou Wu laughed, “Why are you apologizing for that?”

A few girls at the next table were retouching their makeup, complaining about the weather and the bubble tea shop they had just visited.

Zhou Wu overheard, “Are you outside?”

“Mm.”

Wen Ci didn’t want to mention it, but maybe because she was feeling unlucky, as soon as Zhou Wu asked, she couldn’t help but recount her day’s misfortune. “…Luckily, there was a help phone number in the mall’s restroom.”

Zhou Wu could be heard moving around. “Where are you? Still in the mall?”

“Mm? Oh,” Wen Ci was a little confused.

“I’ll come pick you up.” Zhou Wu chuckled, “You’ve already lied to your parents, not meeting me would be a shame.”

Wen Ci had already prepared to stay in the mall until the evening.

When Zhou Wu appeared before her, she was still a bit stunned.

It was the weekend, and it was still raining. The coffee shop was packed. When Zhou Wu entered, many people couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times.

When he saw her, Zhou Wu raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair, laughing, “What happened?”

“I got caught in the rain,” Wen Ci muttered, her lips tight. She had straightened her hair before leaving, but now it was a mess.

Zhou Wu glanced at the white canvas bag next to her. “Is this yours?”

Wen Ci nodded. “Your jacket, it’s been washed.”

Zhou Wu pulled out the jacket and found a pack of sanitary pads and a notebook in the bag.

Wen Ci explained, “It’s my lesson plan notebook.”

“Are you going to teach me?” Zhou Wu raised an eyebrow.

“No,” Wen Ci said awkwardly, “I was thinking if you’re not at the hotel in the afternoon, I could do some work for a while.”

“Such a diligent teacher,” Zhou Wu chuckled and tossed the freshly washed jacket back to her. “Wear it, the air conditioning’s cold.”

Back at the hotel, the first thing Zhou Wu did when he entered the room was to turn the air conditioning temperature up a few degrees.

Wen Ci, holding her white canvas bag, immediately noticed the cover on the living room table. It was a long strip, probably something Zhou Wu had prepared earlier.

Wen Ci felt a slight discomfort in her heart and rationally suppressed the regret that came to mind.

“Shower first?” Zhou Wu turned to look at her.

This question sounded familiar. It was often the opening line when they met. Zhou Wu liked doing things in the bathroom. Every time he asked her, it was an implication and a way to seek her opinion.

Wen Ci froze, met his gaze, her fingers tightly gripping her bag. After struggling with herself for a long time, she said, “…Okay.”

Zhou Wu raised an eyebrow, feeling her reaction was strange. He was about to ask but then heard her flustered voice, “Then, bring the cover in. You… you need to be gentle.”

“…”

Zhou Wu turned his head away and chuckled.

In Wen Ci’s confused gaze, Zhou Wu laughed softly, “I didn’t mean it that way. You’ve gotten wet from the rain. A shower will be more comfortable.”

“I’m not that much of a beast, and I don’t have that kind of fetish.” Zhou Wu looked at her, his gaze sincere, “Although I do want to do it, I can still hold back. Don’t worry, Teacher Wen.”

“…………..”

Wen Ci’s face turned bright red, standing there, nearly wanting to die.

Zhou Wu went to the wardrobe and got her a long-sleeve t-shirt. When he came out, Wen Ci was still standing in place, looking like her inner world hadn’t been rebuilt.

Zhou Wu suppressed his laughter and swapped the canvas bag in her hands for the shirt.

“I couldn’t find pants that would fit you, but this should cover most of it. You can make do with it. If you’re cold, I’ll have someone bring you some.”

“No need. I’m not cold. This is fine. Thank you.”

Without looking back, Wen Ci hurriedly escaped into the bathroom.

—-

In the bathroom, the sound of water mixed with the rain outside.

Wen Ci took half an hour for her shower.

Zhou Wu sat at the desk, flipping through the plan he hadn’t finished looking at. The image of Wen Ci’s embarrassed expression from earlier flashed through his mind, and he found it amusing.

It was strange, but despite not having done anything, the uneasy, restless heat that had been lingering in Zhou Wu’s heart suddenly disappeared.

Maybe Teacher Wen just had that calming effect.

Zhou Wu concluded in his mind.

The bathroom door was finally pushed open, and Zhou Wu turned when he heard the sound.

Wen Ci came out wearing his t-shirt.

The t-shirt was long enough to cover half her thighs, but it had a disadvantage—the neckline was too wide, and the entire shirt could barely stay on her small shoulders, exposing a large patch of her fair skin.

Wen Ci had washed her hair, but it wasn’t completely dry, and a few strands of hair stuck to her slender neck.

The air was filled with the scent of her shower gel, which was similar to his, but also different.

The heat returned.

“Thank you, I feel much better.” Wen Ci avoided his gaze and politely asked, “Can I stay here until tonight? I’ll just sit in the living room and write lesson plans. I won’t disturb you. I’ll leave after dinner.”

“The living room table is low, it’s not comfortable to sit at.” Zhou Wu nodded toward the side, “If you don’t mind, you can sit here with me.”

Wen Ci wanted to refuse. Though the desk was large, it was a little crowded for two people to use together. She wasn’t picky about the environment, and could sit at the low table. But before she could speak, Zhou Wu had already gotten up and moved a chair from the living room next to him.

She had no choice but to say, “Okay, thank you.”

Worried about disturbing Zhou Wu, Wen Ci tried to sit as far to the side as possible.

After sitting in silence for a while, Zhou Wu suddenly put down his plan.

Wen Ci immediately said, “Maybe I should go to the living room—”

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“What?” Wen Ci looked at him, confused.

“It seems I might be a bit of a beast,” Zhou Wu looked at her, a smile playing on his lips, and asked, “Teacher Wen, instead of doing it, how about a kiss?”

Zhou Wu’s eyes were very dark, and when he looked at someone, it was easy to get drawn in.

Wen Ci, deeply mesmerized, snapped back to her senses, and before she knew it, she had leaned in and kissed Zhou Wu.

Zhou Wu was clearly stunned by her kiss, but soon he smiled more widely, “Is that all? It’s not enough.”

Wen Ci’s heart raced with the sound of the rain: “Then what do you want?”

“Sit on my lap,” Zhou Wu said.