“Hmm?” Jiang Weifeng looked at her, his desire unconcealed.
“I want to get down,” she said, bracing herself.
“Is that so…” Jiang Weifeng nodded, seemingly considering her request. But in the next second, Lin Jiang realized she had overthought it. Without appearing to use any strength at all, he shifted her body and placed her on the sofa. Then, he leaned over, pressing down on her. He curled his lips into a smirk, his tone like someone telling a story. “But I’m a man, you know. And men are slaves to their lower halves.”
It was only a few words, but as he spoke, Lin Jiang’s face flushed a deep crimson.
Though she was a broadcasting major, she had never been particularly quick-witted, especially not when facing him. Feeling both embarrassed and bewildered, she could only murmur his name again. “Jiang Weifeng…”
The sound was forced from her throat—soft, weak, and inexplicably laced with a touch of coquettish reproach. It made Jiang Weifeng take a sharp, inward breath.
The more she acted this way, the more rowdy the little guy downstairs became. Jiang Weifeng was the only one suffering for it.
He didn’t dare push any further. For the first time, he felt uncertain about his own self-control and feared he might actually hurt her. He let out a laugh. “Fine, I’m just teasing you.”
He stood up to get a cigarette. Finding no lighter on the table, he took a few steps toward the shelving unit on the right to grab one. By the time he returned, she was sitting upright, looking perfectly composed.
With the cigarette between his teeth, he sat down beside her and exhaled a smoke ring in one fluid motion. She remained silent, so he simply stayed with her. They sat in silence until the cigarette was finished.
Finally, she was the one to break the quiet. “Since when?”
He was momentarily dazed. “Since when, what?”
Lin Jiang paused, then bit her lip. “Liking me… since when did it start?” She sounded utterly timid.
Jiang Weifeng extinguished his cigarette. “If I said it was back in school, would you believe me?”
Time seemed to freeze for a moment. The wind stopped; even their breathing seemed to halt. In all the world, there was only a single heart, thumping away, unable to stop.
Lin Jiang didn’t hide her thoughts. “No.”
Jiang Weifeng’s lashes fluttered slightly. To be honest, he had pondered this question countless times.
The fresh school uniforms of those years and her clean, simple face were still vivid in his mind. But even clearer was the image of her standing side-by-side with Shen Yan. Why had that small gesture infuriated him so much? Was it really entirely because of Hao-zi?
He hadn’t had time to think deeply about it then, and by the time he came to his senses, the answer was already out of reach.
“I don’t know exactly when it started. I only know that once it did, I never thought about anyone else.”
Jiang Weifeng’s expression was earnest. His sincerity caught Lin Jiang off guard for a moment.
Silence returned once more.
“Is there anything else you want to ask?” Jiang Weifeng squinted at the moon outside the window.
Lin Jiang gave a faint smile. “No.”
“Really?” He laughed, clearly surprised.
“Mhm.” Lin Jiang nodded and shifted her position to face him, her smile incredibly shy. “This is already unbelievable enough.”
She wasn’t exaggerating. The fact that Jiang Weifeng actually liked her was, to her, nothing short of a miracle.
It was like a midsummer night’s dream from her youth—watered by tears, nourished by bittersweet words of love, and weathered by years of waiting. Everyone thought the seed of that dream would surely die, but who could have known? At the most unexpected time, it had bloomed.
Just as summer arrived, it had suddenly budded. With a soft *whoosh*, it had burst into flower.
That was enough.
Jiang Weifeng’s expression was tender as he watched her. When he didn’t respond, Lin Jiang tilted her head and asked, “What about you? Is there anything you want to ask me?”
Hearing this, Jiang Weifeng walked over to her, knelt down, and placed his hand on her knee. “A lot.”
Lin Jiang listened intently as he continued.
“But we have the rest of our lives to talk about those things slowly.”
Lin Jiang lowered her head, her hair falling forward to hide the smile at the corners of her mouth. She quickly looked up and said, “Okay.”
The moonlight outside was beautiful.
Jiang Weifeng remained by Lin Jiang’s side, and the two of them talked slowly and easily. They spoke of the past and the present—mostly trivial, inconsequential nonsense—but nothing could have been more harmonious.
The moonlight spilled through the window, quiet and still.
The orange blossoms bloomed in the night.
***
The next morning, Lin Jiang woke up several times. The first time she checked her phone, it was 5:17 AM. She forced herself to go back to sleep. His pillow was filled with his scent, causing her to toss and turn, waking and sleeping two or three more times. It wasn't until 6:30 AM that she finally sat up in bed.
She sat there for a moment, looking at the unfamiliar furniture. Jiang Weifeng’s bedside lamp was a vintage burgundy, giving the entire room a very "Hong Kong style" vibe, quite different from the minimalist decor of the living room.
She walked out of the room barefoot. It was quiet outside; the sofa was empty. She called out “Jiang Weifeng” twice, but there was no answer.
Not thinking much of it, she went back into the room to change and wash up. When she came out again, the living room was filled with the aroma of food.
Jiang Weifeng was dressed in his usual casual clothes, busy in the kitchen wearing slippers. Lin Jiang stood there watching him. For a moment, she felt dazed, as if the scene before her had nothing to do with her at all—like she was watching a one-act play, and she couldn't bear to walk over and ruin the picture.
It was Jiang Weifeng who noticed her first. “Why are you up so early?”
Lin Jiang quickly snapped out of it and walked over to take the porridge from his hand. “I’ve had enough sleep.”
“That’s good. I bought buns and rice porridge. Come eat while it’s hot.”
Lin Jiang smiled. “It smells delicious…”
Before she could finish, her phone rang.
Lin Jiang pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and hesitated before standing up. She gave Jiang Weifeng a look and retreated into the bedroom with her phone. Jiang Weifeng’s expression remained neutral as he watched her enter the room, sipping his porridge while he waited.
About two minutes later, Lin Jiang emerged. Most of the porridge in Jiang Weifeng’s bowl was still there.
“Who was it?” Jiang Weifeng asked casually, a bun in his mouth.
Lin Jiang approached and pulled out a chair to sit down. “No one special. Just Shen Yan.”
Jiang Weifeng stopped chewing. “This early?”
Lin Jiang followed his lead and picked up a bun to nibble on. “The last time he came to my place, he left a work phone there…”
Jiang Weifeng gave an “oh” and said nothing more.
Lin Jiang put down the bun and looked up at him. “Jiang Weifeng.”
“Hmm?” Jiang Weifeng met her gaze.
Lin Jiang smiled. “Nothing. I just wanted to say your name.”
Jiang Weifeng froze for a second. Then, he smiled too.
After breakfast, Lin Jiang insisted on washing the dishes, then did a quick tidy-up before preparing to head home.
Jiang Weifeng stood in the doorway, blocking her path. She said helplessly that Shen Yan was almost there. But the more she said it, the more he refused to budge.
Watching him act like a rogue, Lin Jiang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Fortunately, he didn't stall her for long. He leaned in, tilted his face up slightly, and said, “Kiss me first.” He was pushing his luck.
Lin Jiang was far too shy for this; she stood there, completely stunned. Luckily, Shen Yan’s phone call came at just the right moment. She snapped out of it and turned her head to answer the call.
She had barely uttered a “Hello” when the man behind her spoke in a slow, leisurely voice: “Who’s calling this early in the morning?”
She nearly choked on her breath, freezing with the phone in her hand. On the other end, Shen Yan had clearly heard him and was already asking, “Who’s that speaking?”
Panicked and unable to think, she immediately hung up. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. It took only a second for her to make up her mind; she turned, cupped Jiang Weifeng’s face, and kissed him abruptly.
The moment their lips touched, she trembled. Perhaps not expecting her to actually kiss him, he stiffened as well.
The kiss was nothing more than a fleeting graze, like a dragonfly skimming the water. Before their scents could even begin to entwine, she turned and fled.
Lin Jiang practically ran into the elevator. She ran so fast that she didn't see the man standing frozen in place, motionless.
It took Jiang Weifeng a good while to process what had happened.
Actually, when he had intentionally made noise while she was on the phone, he had considered that she might get angry. After all, it was quite a rude thing to do. But who would have thought that the fire he lit wouldn't set off a landmine, but rather a firework?
Lin Jiang stood dazed in the empty elevator, instinctively touching her lips. That kiss... it was more than just a spark. Her face was undisguisedly red.
She exited the elevator and walked toward the hallway. Just as she reached her door, Shen Yan called out to her from behind.
“You weren't home?” Lin Jiang turned to see Shen Yan, who was clearly carrying food.
“Oh, yeah.” Lin Jiang guiltily opened her door. “I just went down to grab some breakfast.”
Shen Yan approached her. Lin Jiang didn't dare look up, but she knew he was scrutinizing her. “By yourself?”
Lin Jiang opened the door. “Who else?”
“I thought I heard a man’s voice just now?” Shen Yan asked.
“Did you?” Lin Jiang turned to meet his eyes. “You must have misheard. Or maybe it was just someone at the breakfast stall and you happened to hear them.”
Shen Yan gave a skeptical snort. “I was playing chess with Grandpa at home yesterday. When he heard I was coming to see you today, he specifically told me to buy breakfast from the Li Family stall at the entrance of Narrow Alley for you.”
Shen Yan followed her inside as he spoke. After a few steps, he noticed something was wrong. “Why is your floor warped?”
“Oh, there was a leak yesterday.” Lin Jiang brushed it off, walking past him to get utensils from the kitchen. To make him believe she had actually been home last night, she added, “I spent forever mopping the floor last night, but I couldn't get it completely clean. I’ll wait for the repairman to come change the pipe today and see.”
Lin Jiang set out the bowls and chopsticks. “Come, sit and eat. The table and chairs are clean, and the utensils are too.”
As she spoke, Shen Yan sat down, placed his bag on another chair, and began opening the breakfast bags. “You're certainly thick-skinned.”
Shen Yan took a bite of a fried dough stick. Lin Jiang went into the bedroom to get the phone he had left behind. He asked through a mouthful of food, “Did the repairman say what time he’s coming? You’ll have to clean up after he’s done. Can you handle it alone?”
Lin Jiang walked out with the phone, placed it on the table in front of Shen Yan, and picked up a fried dough stick to bite into. “Oh, please. I’m not a three-year-old. Of course I can.”
Her cheeks were puffed out as she chewed. Shen Yan found the sight strangely comforting, but he still teased, “Didn't you say you already ate? You're eating more?”
“What, I can't eat more if I’m not full? Didn't you bring this all the way here for me?” Lin Jiang retorted righteously. In truth, she had been too preoccupied with her thoughts in front of Jiang Weifeng to eat her fill.
“Fine, fine, eat up.” Shen Yan sighed, then remembered something. “Are you sure you don't need help?”
“Absolutely not!” Lin Jiang replied instantly.
“Alright then. I have something to do this afternoon anyway, so I won't insist. Call me if you can't manage.” Shen Yan took a sip of porridge.
“A case?” Lin Jiang asked.
Shen Yan paused. “No.”
He didn't elaborate. There was a moment of silence. Lin Jiang swallowed the last of her dough stick and stared at him. “No? Then what are you doing?”
Shen Yan wiped his mouth, looking somewhat reluctant, but finally answered, “A blind date.”
Lin Jiang laughed. “What? Do you need me to play your fake girlfriend again this time?”
Shen Yan rolled his eyes and reached for something on the table, but his hand came up empty. “Where are your tissues?”
Lin Jiang rolled her eyes back at him but got up to get them anyway.
“The girl I’m meeting this time is named Zhang Jiaojiao.” Shen Yan watched Lin Jiang’s back, pausing before continuing as she walked back and handed him the tissues. “I’ve seen her photo. She’s quite pretty.”
Lin Jiang smiled. “Oh—so Lawyer Shen is a fan of pretty faces after all. If she’s pretty, you don't need my help to get rid of her.”
Shen Yan wiped his mouth and picked up his briefcase. Hearing her words, he looked down and smiled. “This girl wasn't introduced by my mom. A senior colleague of mine set it up. I can't exactly blow him off.”
“Hey, no need to explain.” Lin Jiang tilted her head. “It’s good. It’s about time you found someone.”
Shen Yan’s lips twitched, but he said nothing. They didn't chat for much longer; Shen Yan had work to do, so he took his leave.
***
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