"Um, I'll go see if the property management is here yet..." She turned to leave, but somehow took a wrong step. Her foot slipped, and though someone immediately grabbed her, a second later, water splashed everywhere as she fell hard—
In a strange, absurd position, she tumbled straight into an embrace.
Jiang Weifeng let out a muffled groan. Lin Jiang reacted instantly, struggling to get up. "Did you hit the floor hard? Are you hurt?"
Jiang Weifeng knit his brows in pain. "Don't move."
But Lin Jiang wouldn't listen. "Let me get up first. I'm too heavy on top of you."
Hearing this, Jiang Weifeng paused for a second. He suddenly gripped her arms and, with a deft tug, flipped her over and pinned her beneath him.
The movement happened in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Weifeng propped her back up with his left arm, trying his best to keep her from actually touching the water, while his right hand brushed the stray hairs away from her face.
Lin Jiang watched him do all this, her body stiff and powerless to resist.
Water was dripping steadily from Jiang Weifeng.
She had felt him pull her just now; it was precisely because she was afraid of dragging him down that she had tried to dodge. If she hadn't, they might have been fine, but that one dodge had caused them both to fall. She was mostly alright, but he...
Lin Jiang tried not to look at him, pushing against his arms with all her might. "Hurry up and get off."
Jiang Weifeng licked his teeth and laughed. "Lin Jiang?"
As he called her name, a drop of water fell from the tip of his hair onto her right cheek. It was cold, making her shiver.
"Yes?" she asked, flustered.
"I never realized before that you were so wicked." Jiang Weifeng used those bedroom eyes of his to entice her, his breath fanning against her chin. He was very, very close.
Lin Jiang only dared to look at his jaw. "What did I do?"
Jiang Weifeng let out a soft chuckle and took her face in his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"You clearly saw that I’ve taken a liking to you, yet you spend all day acting like nothing’s wrong."
Lin Jiang’s brain felt like it exploded with a bang.
"Huh?" she asked, a blatant attempt at playing dumb.
The sudden rain, the broken seatbelt, the lush roses, the delicious food.
When exactly had it all started?
When had the thought first sprouted in her mind: *What if he feels the same way?*
Her heart felt tart, like a squeezed lemon.
Jiang Weifeng saw right through her. He repeated himself, word by word, "I said, I’ve taken a liking to you. I have a crush on you. I love you."
He had never said such cheesy things before, and he likely never would again.
She looked at him, her heart a chaotic swirl of emotions.
It had been so many years.
She hadn't seen the "deer" in her heart for a long time.
But today, that deer had come out, relentlessly butting and crashing against her—
Her heart actually ached.
"Aren't you even more wicked then?"
After a moment of silence, she asked him back in a low voice.
Jiang Weifeng’s eyes darkened. He was about to lean in for a kiss, but paused and lifted his face slightly. "How so?"
"You know perfectly well that I didn't just 'forget' to throw those flowers away." Her voice grew quieter and quieter.
He realized what she meant and laughed heartily. "So, you’ve taken a liking to me too?"
Lin Jiang pursed her lips and said nothing.
However, Jiang Weifeng didn't seem to expect a verbal answer.
Her presence before his eyes was already better than any words.
"Can I kiss you?" Jiang Weifeng asked, though his mouth was already pressing against hers.
What a rogue.
This unreasonable streak was exactly like the teenage Jiang Weifeng in her memory—rebellious, indifferent, irrational, and unkempt... yet never fallen.
His previous politeness had likely been a front.
At the thought, her face flushed, and she shrank back slightly.
He asked her again, "Can I kiss you?" He was determined to get an answer.
Even as he said it, he showed no sign of letting her go, murmuring "Can I?" while searching for her lips.
It was less of an inquiry and more of a seduction.
Lin Jiang’s thoughts vanished.
To be precise, she lost the ability to think.
Then, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
Just as she was about to let him kiss her.
Jiang Weifeng knit his brows fiercely and cursed under his breath.
Lin Jiang took the opportunity to push him away and stand up. She was soaking wet, standing there awkwardly with her arms crossed over her chest. He wasn't much better; not a single inch of him was dry.
His clothes clung to his skin, outlining the handsome lines of his body, radiating a sense of raw desire. His slightly disheveled appearance was, in her eyes, more tempting than ever.
Lin Jiang didn't realize that he saw her the same way.
Her hair was plastered to her neck, making that patch of skin look blindingly white. Her chest rose and fell with her breath; he thought of an afternoon in early summer, of a bed of reeds swaying in a gentle breeze.
"Did you two fall down?" Someone interrupted their gaze.
The property management worker stood to the side, carrying a small tool bag. "I knocked for ages and no one answered. Then I saw the door wasn't locked and thought something might have happened, so I came in. Hope you don't mind."
Lin Jiang gave an embarrassed cough, steadied herself, and smiled. "It's fine. Master, please go check the kitchen. That's where the leak is."
"Yes, please check thoroughly. Not just the kitchen, but the bathroom and the radiators too. If there's an extra fee, that's fine," Jiang Weifeng added, picking up where she left off. He paused, then said, "By the way, the floor is very slippery. Be careful not to fall one after the other like we did."
Hearing him say that, Lin Jiang guiltily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and echoed, "Yes."
The worker went in to get busy. By the time he was nearly finished with the inspection, the landlord finally arrived.
She apologized profusely the moment she stepped inside, then went to ask the worker about the situation.
The worker said, "The pipe wasn't installed properly in the first place, and the joint is plastic. Talk about being careless. I've just taken the pipe down and wrapped it with tape, but it's only temporary. The pipe still needs to be replaced."
Lin Jiang frowned. "Master, how long will it take to replace the pipe?"
"Certainly can't do it today. Someone booked a circuit inspection the day before yesterday, I have to head over there in a bit," the worker said, waving his hand.
The landlord hurriedly asked, "I remember the last time my place had a circuit inspection, it didn't take that long. Can't you come back and fix it after you're done?"
The worker looked at his watch and replied, "It's already past three. Our shift change is at five. Buying the pipe and installing it will take at least two hours."
As soon as he spoke, Lin Jiang and the landlord looked at each other.
Lin Jiang understood the implication.
The landlord understood too. "Master, you can't say that. We pay our property management fees. In any job, there's bound to be overtime, right? Look at all this water; it'll take this young lady a lot of effort to clean up. If we wait for the next shift to fix it, how is she supposed to rest tonight?"
The worker replied, "Look at what you're saying. Overtime is normal, but isn't it also normal to have things to do that prevent overtime? How about this: why don't you call the office and see if anyone else is free? I really have something to do today. The pipe isn't getting installed today."
Lin Jiang heard this and knew there was likely no hope. She didn't push further and simply asked, "Then can you come fix it tomorrow morning?"
"Sure," the worker answered readily. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'll fix your pipe."
The landlord gave the worker a few more instructions before he picked up his bag and left.
Before the worker's back had even disappeared, the landlord grabbed Lin Jiang's hand, her face full of apology. "I'm so sorry, dear. I'll pay for the pipe repair."
Lin Jiang said it was fine.
The landlord held Lin Jiang's hand, looking her up and down with a sigh. "But where will you stay tonight? I see you're soaked through. Don't try to make do here tonight."
Lin Jiang was clearly not used to such intimacy. She quietly withdrew her hand and replied, "I..."
"I know." Before she could finish, the landlord looked like she understood everything. She glanced at the silent Jiang Weifeng, then looked at Lin Jiang with a smile. "But... is your boyfriend's place far from here? I'm afraid you won't be able to get up in time for the worker tomorrow morning."
Lin Jiang was so embarrassed her eyes lost focus.
"It's not far," Jiang Weifeng, who hadn't spoken, answered for her.
He leaned toward her and put an arm around her shoulder, smiling with great sincerity. "It's right upstairs."
Lin Jiang looked up at him in disbelief.
He seemed to read her thoughts and leaned down to whisper a quick sentence: "I just moved in."
***
An hour later.
Lin Jiang finished drying her hair and sat stiffly on an unfamiliar sofa, her thoughts racing.
Perhaps because he had just moved in, the apartment was quite empty, but not dull. The decor was a simple modern style with a black, white, and gray palette. Modern art and photography hung on the walls; her artistic knowledge wasn't deep enough to name all the artists, though she recognized a few.
By the base of the wall, a skateboard lay quietly.
His home had a faint scent of orange blossoms. It was the scent of his body wash. She hadn't smelled it on him before; he usually smelled of tobacco mixed with the crisp scent of rain or woods.
The sound of a shower running came from the nearby bathroom.
She felt dazed, and in that daze, the water stopped.
Then came the rustle of clothes being put on.
He walked out with water dripping from his hair. When he reached her, he suddenly went silent. Lin Jiang didn't know if she should turn around to look at him.
He spoke first. "Um, could you help me dry my hair?"
Lin Jiang finally turned. "Huh?" She wondered if she had misheard.
He repeated it and explained, "I took a fall at your place earlier. My arm hurts a bit." Plus, he had used his elbow to support her to keep her out of the water, and his arm had gone numb.
"Okay."
Lin Jiang obediently went to get the hairdryer.
Her fingers moved through his hair. It was thick and black, like some kind of vigorous plant that reminded her of brambles. Then she caught the scent on him—orange blossoms.
When it was about eighty percent dry, Lin Jiang stopped. She walked around to face him and explained, "Blowing it too much makes it dry. Is this level okay?"
Jiang Weifeng didn't say anything. Instead, he pulled her toward him.
He had been holding back since earlier. Or perhaps longer—so long he could no longer keep track.
He let her fall lightly into his lap. The woman struggled twice before becoming submissive, looking at him with wide eyes. After her shower, she had changed into a pair of cotton pajamas printed with cute little bears.
This only made him find her more irresistible.
He leaned down to catch her scent and whispered, "We smell the same."
Lin Jiang completely panicked.
Where her body touched his, something was stirring.
Though she was inexperienced in such matters, she knew what it meant.
But having reached the peak of panic, she instead became calmer.
She called out, "Jiang Weifeng..."
Only after saying his name did she realize she hadn't thought of what to say next.
***
