Chapter 38

Wen Ci’s skin is thin and easily bruised. Even a slightly harder suck can leave a mark for days. Dou Yiqing once saw the marks and thought Wen Ci was into S&M.

Zhou Wu has always been very restrained, sometimes even controlling his strength when pressing on her waist.

This was the first time Wen Ci felt pain. It wasn’t sharp, but it came in continuous waves, with the force kept within what she could bear, making it even more stimulating for her nerves.

The blanket was casually piled into the corner by Zhou Wu. On the dark sheets, Wen Ci’s skin looked dazzlingly white, with a faint, alluring pink hue.

The sound of plastic packaging being torn apart echoed in her ears again. Wen Ci hadn’t yet recovered from the previous wave of pleasure when her ankle was grabbed again. Zhou Wu leaned over her chest and asked, “What do you like about Wen Wen?”

She didn’t know if it was the third or fourth time. From her scalp to her toes, Wen Ci felt numb. She panted heavily, her hair scattered on the sheets and her forehead. The room was lit by only a bedside lamp. She saw herself reflected in the dim transparent chandelier above, her cheeks redder than after an 800-meter run in high school.

Unable to think clearly, it was a good thing these questions were easy to muddle through. At times like this, Zhou Wu couldn’t tell if she was being truthful or lying. “He… he’s very kind… uh!”

She was bitten again, it hurt but not too much. Coupled with other movements, Wen Ci was engulfed by strange and intense feelings, unable to even bite her lip to stifle her voice.

“And what else?” Zhou Wu’s voice was slightly hoarse.

“Very kind-hearted, he… looks good, his voice too… Zhou Wu,” Wen Ci’s voice trembled, helplessly calling his name several times, “Zhou Wu, don’t… bite there.”

“You like it,” Zhou Wu said, “Keep talking.”

Wen Ci closed her eyes, tears welling up at the corners.

Perhaps because Zhou Wu had mentioned it today, Wen Ci suddenly remembered the only basketball game she had watched in high school. The boy wore a crisp, neat uniform. Every time he jumped, the muscles in his arms and thighs would tighten, and amid cheers, he would slam the ball heavily into the hoop.

That afternoon, all the classmates watching were shouting his name. Wen Ci’s voice was mixed in secretly, unnoticed by anyone.

Tonight, she didn’t know how many times she had called that name. Wen Ci could only pray that this expensive-looking house had good soundproofing.

“Very popular, very gentle, very excellent, very strong,” Wen Ci held him, confessing incoherently, “And very good at basketball…”

Her cheek was pinched. Zhou Wu slightly raised his eyes to look at her, a bit of anger and amusement in his eyes.

At that moment, Wen Ci’s mouth and eyes were wet, her whole body red, her gaze unfocused, looking so kissable.

“He can’t play basketball for shit,” Zhou Wu’s voice was low and husky, raising an eyebrow, speaking bluntly, “Have I fucked you stupid?”

Zhou Wu had a thin layer of sweat on him, his eyes filled with undisguised desire and aggression.

Wen Ci looked at him for a long time, unable to resist wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing his lips, and honestly replying, “Yes.”

Zhou Wu: “…”

Damn it.

Zhou Wu finally gave up questioning and lowered his head to kiss her. Because she was being kissed, Wen Ci couldn’t make a sound, only able to helplessly hold him tightly.

—–

At midnight, Zhou Wu went to the balcony shirtless to smoke.

There were scratches on his back from fingernails, feeling slightly itchy when the wind blew.

The room lights were off, with only gentle moonlight. Wen Ci lay on the bed, already exhausted and fast asleep. The blanket rose and fell slightly with her breathing, exposing the marks on half of her neck.

They had gone too rough. Even wiping her body afterward made her tremble. Zhou Wu had helped her edit and send the message to Dou Yiqing to cover for her absence at home.

Zhou Wu exhaled a puff of smoke, his body relaxed but his mood troubled.

The smoke slowly spread in the night, carried away by the wind.

The dog, Ye Ye, sitting by his feet, gave a low bark, “Woof.”

“If you wake her up, you’re getting out,” Zhou Wu said without turning his head.

Ye Ye: “Whine…”

Man and dog quietly stayed on the balcony for a while. Zhou Wu lit a second cigarette.

The person on the bed turned over, making a small movement. Zhou Wu glanced back, ensuring she was still asleep, then lowered his gaze to the dog.

Ye Ye, like him, was also watching the person in the room, its tail gently wagging.

“Do you like her?” he asked lazily.

Ye Ye opened its mouth, responding with several whines.

Zhou Wu nodded, as if he understood, dragging his words, “Yeah. Beautiful, obedient, smart, a little silly, brave one moment, timid the next. Adorable. Everything’s great…”

He paused, his tone turning cold, “Just has poor taste.”

Ye Ye didn’t understand, sticking its tongue out.

Zhou Wu looked at it, “Even with poor taste, you still like her?”

Ye Ye tilted its head, “?”

“Alright.” Zhou Wu muttered, holding a cigarette, “If you like it, you like it. Taste isn’t something that can’t be improved.”

After finishing his cigarette, Zhou Wu waited for the smoke to dissipate before returning to the room.

The bed slightly sagged due to his arrival. Wen Ci squinted her eyes open and drowsily murmured, “Zhou Wu.”

Her voice was low and muffled, clearly still in a state of sleep, calling out to whoever she saw.

Zhou Wu brushed away a strand of hair stuck to her eyelashes and asked coldly, “Who do you like?”

Wen Ci said, “Zhou Wu.”

A single word in her sleep-talk was more effective than two cigarettes. Zhou Wu snorted, finally feeling a bit better.

The next day, Wen Ci woke up to the sight of Coconuts’ clear, silly big eyes.

The door to the room was ajar, and the dog was squatting by the bedside, panting and staring at her.

Wen Ci was startled for a moment, instinctively wanting to reach out and pet it, but as soon as she moved her fingers, the soreness and numbness in her body pushed her back into place.

She immediately recalled last night’s events—

The continuous thrusting, Zhou Wu’s fingers in her mouth, the shivers when she bit down…

It was too much pleasure. Just recalling it made her lower abdomen tingle and her skin feel numb.

After they finished last night, Zhou Wu had changed the sheets, though he was clearly not good at it, as the bed was a bit messy, with only Wen Ci’s side being tidy.

There was no one beside her, so Zhou Wu must have already woken up. He might be out for a run or just outside the room.

Thinking about her uncontrollable physical reactions from last night, Wen Ci turned over and buried her face in the pillow, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Maybe she should pretend to sleep a bit longer—

“Woof, woof, woof.”

“No, Coconuts…” Wen Ci quickly lifted her head, trying to stop Coconuts, who was barking and running outside.

Then, she met eyes with Zhou Wu, who was about to enter and scold the dog.

Zhou Wu was shirtless, wearing loose beige pants, and looked like he had just showered. Seeing the situation in the room, he raised an eyebrow and leaned against the door frame, “You’re awake.”

Wen Ci, still holding the pillow, stared at him blankly, “Mm.”

“Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

Wen Ci shook her head.

“Does the place where you were bitten hurt?”

“…” Wen Ci shook her head again.

Zhou Wu stared at her, still not entirely reassured. He had indeed been a bit reckless last night, holding back but unsure if he had controlled himself properly.

So he stepped forward and lifted the blanket, “Turn over, let me see.”

“?”

Wen Ci quickly said, “No need, really.”

Zhou Wu half-squatted by the bed, silently looking at her along with Coconuts.

After a few minutes of silent confrontation, Wen Ci slowly turned over a little.

She was wearing Zhou Wu’s clothes, and Zhou Wu lifted them skillfully. There were still marks, but they weren’t deep. Zhou Wu felt slightly relieved and leaned down to kiss them.

Wen Ci shivered.

To avoid further issues, Zhou Wu adjusted her clothes back in place, “We just moved in, there’s only ham and eggs in the fridge. Should I fry some for you, or do you want to eat out?”

“Ham and eggs are fine,” Wen Ci said immediately.

Zhou Wu hummed in agreement, “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

As Zhou Wu got up and left, Wen Ci looked up and saw the red marks she had left on his back last night.

The door was half-closed, and Wen Ci slowly pulled the blanket over her flushed face.

Young people today don’t like dining tables much. Wen Ci sat on the large living room sofa with her legs curled up, eating fried eggs and browsing messages on her phone.

As soon as she opened WeChat, she saw Duan Wei’s new Moments post. The photo seemed to be taken at an airport, with a caption saying “Returning to Jiangcheng.” In the photo, she wore a bucket hat and a mask, and was dressed in Zhou Wu’s black embroidered T-shirt.

Hearing footsteps nearby, Wen Ci looked up to see Zhou Wu casually putting on clothes, just coming out of the bedroom.

Noticing her intense gaze, Zhou Wu paused his steps, then followed her gaze to his own newly worn clothes.

“What’s up?” he asked.

Wen Ci’s cheeks were puffed up with ham, and she raised her phone, looking at Zhou Wu, then at her phone.

“Nothing…” Wen Ci hesitated, unable to hold back, “Your clothes are the same as Duan Wei’s.”

Zhou Wu responded casually, “Yeah, it’s a common style. Qin Yun also has one. We even bought two colors.”

Wen Ci blinked, feeling a little bubble of joy rise in her heart. After a few seconds, she sluggishly responded, “Oh.”

After breakfast, Wen Ci voluntarily went to wash the dishes. When she came out of the kitchen, Coconuts, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately stuck close to her leg, following her every step.

“What’s up?” Wen Ci squatted down and gently asked the dog.

Coconuts: “Woof, woof, woof!”

“It’s asking you to take it for a walk,” Zhou Wu said calmly from the side, kindly explaining for it.

Wen Ci had never walked a dog before and asked excitedly, “Can I go?”

The person and the dog on the ground both looked up, their eyes brightening. Zhou Wu looked down at them for a while, then chuckled, “Mm.”

At the entrance.

Wen Ci bent halfway down, carefully putting the leash on Coconuts, and then looked up to ask, “Is this okay?”

Zhou Wu stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the door, looking like a boss.

“Mm,” he said indifferently, “Stretch out your hand.”

Coconuts immediately stretched out a paw.

Wen Ci held it, looking at it with the same fondness she had for her students, “Coconuts, you’re so smart!”

Zhou Wu: “…”

Zhou Wu laughed, “Wen Ci, I meant for you to stretch out your hand.”

Wen Ci was startled, then complied. Zhou Wu took something out of his pocket and helped her put it on.

It was a bracelet, adorned with several butterflies of different sizes, with diamonds that sparkled even in the ordinary daylight.

While in Singapore, Zhou Wu helped his grandfather bid on a painting at an auction. He saw this bracelet and immediately thought it would be perfect for Wen Ci.

“A little gift.” Before Wen Ci could refuse, Zhou Wu spoke up. “It’s cheap, don’t dislike it.”

Wen Ci had some reservations at first, but upon hearing that, she quickly shook her head. “No, I really like it.”

Zhou Wu acknowledged her response with a sound and then fabricated a story. “Wear it often. The boss said it has some mystical powers.”

Wen Ci, curious, asked, “What kind of mystical powers?”

Zhou Wu looked up, gazed at her meaningfully for a few seconds, and then replied, “It’s good for the eyes.”