Chapter 36.1

She was well-prepared, mentally and physically.

Song Wei wasn’t afraid; she was even a little eager.

She found her clothes and went to the bathroom.

The unfamiliar space was sparse, with only two lonely bottles of body wash and shampoo and a toothbrush and toothpaste. Suddenly, she remembered she’d taken her toothbrush to her old place, leaving them mismatched.

Their grocery shopping earlier had been interrupted by Zhuo Wan, so they hadn’t bought everything. While he was still tidying up, Song Wei quickly placed an online order for the missing items.

She had only brought a few skincare and makeup essentials, so she would have to make do for the night.

Thankfully, his body wash had a pleasant scent. After her shower, she sniffed herself—a fresh, clean lemon fragrance that reminded her of him.

She dried her hair, applied her skincare, and went through her routine. By the time she was done, quite a bit of time had passed.

When she stepped out, Chen Jubai was leaning against the doorframe. He glanced at his watch, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. “You spent an hour and ten minutes in the shower today—thirty minutes longer than usual.”

Song Wei blushed, glaring at him before brushing past him out the door.

He didn’t press her further and went in to shower himself.

His bed was different from hers, likely two meters wide. As she lay down, she felt the space beside her was big enough for four or five more people.

The bedding was still the same neutral gray—clean and freshly laundered, with a faint sun-dried scent.

She surveyed the room, which was spacious and consistent with the minimalist design of the kitchen and living room. It was much like him—monochromatic but clean and orderly.

Even his wardrobe followed the same theme—black, white, and gray. Her newly hung dresses stood out starkly among them.

Her gaze shifted to the still-steaming bathroom. Her heart began to race.

She wanted to text Zhu Qingfei but felt there wasn’t much to share about this.

She considered distracting herself with work but couldn’t focus on anything. She opened a short video app but scrolled aimlessly.

Eventually, she sighed, put down her phone, and stared at the bathroom door.

Normally, he took ten minutes to shower, but today, he seemed to take twenty. The thought made her smile secretly, easing her tension a little.

As she watched, she zoned out. When Chen Jubai emerged, her face flushed red, and she quickly looked down.

Unlike before, he didn’t bother to put on a shirt. It was the second time she’d seen him like this.

With his clothes on, he seemed fit and proportionate. Without them, his defined muscles and sharp lines were undeniably captivating.

He casually dried himself off and walked over.

Song Wei fumbled with her phone, pretending to scroll through various apps.

“Thirsty?” he asked.

“Not really…”

He went out, fetched a glass of water, and placed it on the bedside table. “Shall I turn off the lights?”

Song Wei nodded, then shook her head. “Leave a little light on.”

She wanted to watch him.

The master bedroom was illuminated by layers of warm, golden ambient lighting, creating a cozy and tender atmosphere. The light reflected in his eyes, making them seem even softer.

Chen Jubai sat at the edge of the bed, gazing at her as if contemplating his next move.

Song Wei met his gaze, smiling lightly. “Why did you take so long in the shower too?”

“Had to make sure I was clean enough.”

“…,” Song Wei was momentarily speechless, then followed his lead with a playful response. “Well, are you clean now?”

“Should be. You can check.”

Song Wei rolled her eyes at him, but her gaze didn’t shift away.

Their eyes locked in a lingering exchange, neither willing to look away.

Slowly, Song Wei began to sense a dangerous undercurrent. The desire in his gaze was so intense, it felt as though it could consume everything.

Fear finally took hold of her, and she clumsily tried to change the subject. “Do you think… this is really okay?”

Chen Jubai furrowed his brows slightly. “What do you mean?”

Song Wei mentally scolded herself. Why was she bringing this up now? She bit her lip and mumbled, “I mean… earlier, I saw you grabbed the largest size…”

Chen Jubai paused, caught off guard, and for once seemed a little embarrassed. “I wasn’t sure. I’ve never used them before.”

“…,” Song Wei’s face turned red as she whispered, “Do you want to test it out first?”

Chen Jubai frowned, confused. Song Wei hurried to explain, “I heard that if it doesn’t fit properly, it might leak, and the contraceptive effect won’t be good.”

His frown deepened. “Where did you hear that?”

“…,” The awkward atmosphere became unbearable. “I don’t remember. Maybe from some short video? There are lots of educational ones like that.”

Under the dim, warm light, Chen Jubai’s face seemed to darken even further. Song Wei, worried she had hurt his pride, quickly added, “I wasn’t saying you’re, uh, small or anything.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to dig a hole and disappear. What was she even saying?

Predictably, Chen Jubai’s expression grew even darker. After a moment of silence, he opened a drawer, pulled out a small box, and headed to the bathroom.

Having children wasn’t in their immediate plans, so he had to be cautious.

Song Wei expected him to return quickly, but five or six minutes passed without him coming out. She was too embarrassed to knock or call for him, so she just lay there, staring at the ceiling.

Two more minutes ticked by before the bathroom door finally opened. She immediately asked, “Does it fit?”

“It fits.”

“Then why did it take so long?”

Chen Jubai, now standing by the bed, looked down at her with a helpless smile. “Song Wei…”

“Hmm?”

She genuinely seemed puzzled, or maybe she hadn’t realized. He had no choice but to explain, “You can’t test that in a… normal state.”

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Song Wei felt as though the sun had exploded. Her entire face was burning. She yanked the blanket over her head, mortified.

In the darkness, she heard his amused laughter.

Before long, the blanket was pulled back, and Chen Jubai leaned over her, blocking out the light and any further conversation.

Song Wei, now utterly flustered, caught a whiff of the scent of body wash. She wasn’t sure if it was from her or him. It felt overwhelming, making her head spin.

At some point, she recalled his earlier words about being in a “non-normal state.”

A stray thought crossed her mind—how could it still be like this after seven or eight minutes?

But all thoughts soon scattered as things spiraled out of control.

His familiar kisses grew more intense, unrestrained. For the first time, Song Wei felt suffocated, as though she were a boat caught in a storm, tossed about with no harbor in sight.

Somewhere in the haze, she thought she heard a phone ring briefly before it was silenced.

“Who was that?” she mumbled, dazed.

“No idea,” Chen Jubai replied, his voice low and gravelly.

His deep, magnetic tone was utterly entrancing.

Though it was summer and temperatures were around thirty degrees Celsius, the air-conditioned room was set to a comfortable twenty-six.

When Song Wei’s nightgown slipped to the carpet, she shivered slightly. “Cold…”

Chen Jubai glanced down at her delicate collarbone, a fragile beauty like a butterfly poised to take flight. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he pulled the blanket up slightly. “I’m not very experienced. If it hurts, let me know.”

Song Wei blinked, then couldn’t help but laugh. Both in reality and online, men were notorious for refusing to admit they were inexperienced, yet here he was, openly confessing it. She nodded. “I’m not experienced either.”

“Then we’ll take it slow.”

With the light still on, Song Wei could see the way his jaw clenched, beads of sweat forming on his forehead and trailing down his face to drip onto hers.

Reaching up, she touched his face, surprised by how warm it was. For a moment, she wondered if sweat was supposed to feel hot, only to realize belatedly that it was probably her own face that was burning.

She wasn’t athletic and was more sensitive than most. When she felt him enter, tears welled up in her eyes.

Chen Jubai stopped immediately, wiping her tears and murmuring reassurances.

But her discomfort only made her more frustrated. “Don’t go slow anymore.”

He paused, then chuckled softly, indulging her request.

…

When it was all over, Song Wei no longer felt cold. Her body was damp, as if she’d been pulled from water, her pale skin still flushed.

Chen Jubai propped himself up and withdrew, tying off the condom and tossing it into the trash.

Still coherent, Song Wei curled under the blanket, her large, watery eyes peeking out at him. Her voice trembled slightly. “Did any… leak out?”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

Satisfied, she burrowed back under the covers.

Chen Jubai asked, “Do you want to take a shower?”

“Yes… You go first. I’ll wash myself.”

Tucking her in, he left for the bathroom. The sound of running water soon filled the room.

Song Wei, exhausted, closed her eyes. But the lingering atmosphere kept her wide awake. She pulled the blanket tighter, her mind too alert to rest.

Chen Jubai didn’t take long. When he emerged in a bathrobe, he said, “Your turn.”

“Mm…” Song Wei replied softly, attempting to sit up. But her body, still weak and unsteady, refused to cooperate, and she slumped back onto the bed.

Chen Jubai approached, chuckling lowly. “Want me to carry you?”

She hesitated briefly. A moment ago was one thing, but now was another. At the moment, she wasn’t wearing anything underneath and wasn’t quite ready to face him so openly. She stammered, “N-no, I’m fine. I’m hungry… I want noodles.”

Seeing her shyness, he didn’t press further and went out to prepare noodles.