Because of that video, Yu Wanwan was currently in a group chat with her besties explaining everything that had happened that day.
She was chatting enthusiastically with her friends when she happened to look up and caught sight of Zhang Jingxu standing by the bathroom door. She hadn’t even noticed when the sound of running water in the bathroom had stopped. The man held a towel in his hand, his upper body completely bare, with only a bath towel wrapped low around his waist. His physique was excellent, his abdominal muscles clearly defined, and the droplets of water still clinging to his collarbone slowly slid down to his firm chest. It was inexplicably a bit sensual.
His hair, still damp from washing, had changed from its usual slicked-back style into a soft, parted fringe. To be fair, with his hair down, he lost some of his cocky, roguish edge and somehow looked like a well-behaved, obedient little dog.
Yu Wanwan stared at him absentmindedly for about ten seconds before she abruptly turned her head away, her voice a little flustered: “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?!” What was he trying to do? Seduce her? What a scheming man!
While she was busy imagining dramatic internal scenarios, Zhang Jingxu’s slightly innocent voice broke through: “This is your place. I didn’t bring clothes.”
Yu Wanwan paused, then threw off the covers: “Wait a minute.” A few minutes later, she returned from Yu Suisui’s room with a set of clean clothes her brother-in-law had never worn and handed them to him: “Here, put these on right now. Next time, don’t appear in front of me with not a stitch on.”
Zhang Jingxu took the clothes from her, a faint smile playing on his lips: “I’m not exactly completely naked, am I?”
“And that’s not completely naked?” Yu Wanwan’s eyes widened, her gaze darting to the only thing covering him. The bathrobe was tied very low and loosely, as if one step would make it fall off. She could even clearly see the V-line extending into the towel. She couldn’t help swallowing and raised her voice: “Anyway, from now on, after you shower, you must appear before me fully dressed. What you did today is a serious violation of male virtue. If this were ancient times, you’d be sentenced to death by lantern or drowned in a pig cage!”
Zhang Jingxu: “…” Was it really that extreme? If he followed her logic, then the underwear models in TV commercials would have been drowned a hundred times over.
Seeing him still rooted to the spot like a wooden post, Yu Wanwan urged again: “What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and put on the clothes.” After saying that, she quickly turned around and climbed back into the bed.
It wasn’t until she heard the click of the door closing that Yu Wanwan lifted her head from the pillow. She touched her cheeks with both hands and felt them burning hot. Even without looking in a mirror, she knew her face must be as red as a monkey’s butt right now. She squeezed her cheeks hard, trying to sober herself up. “Yu Wanwan, what are you thinking? Didn’t you already give up on lust?” But then she muttered to herself, turning her head to the side and unable to control the silly smile spreading across her face: “But… his body is really stunning. I wonder what it feels like to touch.” As she thought about it, she rolled over, stared at the ceiling, and continued grinning like an idiot.
When Zhang Jingxu came out of the bathroom fully dressed, Yu Wanwan quickly wiped the smile off her face. Looking at him standing obediently before her with his slightly fluffy fringe, she felt a resurgence of the boldness she’d had as a child to bully and boss him around. This hairstyle really made him look approachable and easy to push around.
She sat up straight in bed, pointed at the boundary she’d set with the pillows, and announced: “Tonight you sleep there, I sleep here. No crossing the line. Whoever crosses is a dog, understood?”
“Mm.” The man nodded obediently.
Yu Wanwan scooted over, her tone like she was rewarding a well-behaved puppy: “Then let’s sleep.”
Zhang Jingxu carefully climbed onto the bed and lay down in his designated spot.
Yu Wanwan looked at him, then suddenly sat up again: “Oh, right. Even though we’ve already agreed to a marriage of convenience, I want to add one more clause — I hope we can act like a loving couple in front of others, but when we’re alone, especially when forced to share a bed, I hope we can maintain boundaries. No one takes advantage of the other.”
Zhang Jingxu listened to her new clause, his eyes shifting, but he didn’t answer. Yu Wanwan didn’t mind; she’d said it, and he’d heard it. So she lay back down, turning her back to him, and began her pre-sleep ritual of scrolling through short videos for half an hour.
But the moment she opened Douya, the first video the algorithm recommended was a male urologist who, without any warning, said directly to the screen: “The normal male’s private…” Listening to such explicit language from the doctor’s phone, Yu Wanwan panicked instantly. After all, there was a vigorous man lying right beside her. Full of terror, she frantically swiped the video away. But to her dismay, the next video was also about urology, and the content was even more brazen: “How hard should a boyfriend’s erection be…”
Aaaaah!!! Yu Wanwan was about to break down. What was wrong with her phone? Just a moment ago she was watching normal videos; how did they suddenly turn perverted? She tilted her head slightly, thinking of the man behind her, and her heart raced. Would he think she watched this kind of stuff every day?
Not sure if the next short video was another “trap” set by the algorithm, Yu Wanwan was about to turn off her phone. But in her flustered rush, she accidentally pressed the lock button instead of the volume button. So the doctor’s blunt and explicit words echoed through the room at full volume.
She closed her eyes in despair, feeling as if her toes had already dug a castle out of the bedsheets from sheer embarrassment. There was no way the person behind her hadn’t heard. Like an elderly person just getting used to a smartphone, she fumbled under the covers until she finally managed to turn off the mortifying sound.
She peeked out from under the edge of the comforter like a thief, just in time to meet Zhang Jingxu’s thoughtful gaze. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something —
Yu Wanwan immediately wrapped herself back into a cocoon with lightning speed, her muffled roar coming from deep within the blanket, carrying a desperate attempt to cover things up: “Don’t say anything! Go to sleep!”
Zhang Jingxu: “…”
After that embarrassing interlude, the room fell into silence, with only the pitter-patter of rain and occasional thunder outside, which somehow had a hypnotic effect. Zhang Jingxu looked up at Yu Wanwan curled up in her cocoon, recalling her awkward reaction, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He turned over, facing her back, and breathed in the faint fragrance from her hair as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Yu Wanwan was in the middle of a sweet dream when she was oddly awakened by a series of muffled thumping sounds. Her brows furrowed, but she kept her eyes closed and grumbled discontentedly: “What’s that thumping sound? So annoying.”
After a moment, a weak voice rang out softly in her ear: “That’s my heartbeat.”
Zhang Jingxu had woken up at five that morning. He had wanted to turn over but suddenly realized something heavy was weighing him down. He lifted his head slightly and saw that somehow Yu Wanwan had managed to drape half her body over him sometime during the night. Seeing her sleeping so soundly, he had originally not wanted to wake her. But she kept getting more and more aggressive, starting with half her body, then eventually throwing one leg completely across his waist. He felt his breathing grow more labored and was about to say something when the culprit who had caused all this spoke up first, sounding “annoyed.”
Yu Wanwan groggily opened her eyes and realized that at some point she had rested her head on Zhang Jingxu’s chest, her leg draped over his waist like an octopus. She rubbed her eyes, slowly sat up off his chest, and said in a soft, innocent voice: “How did I end up sleeping on you?”
“How should I know?” Zhang Jingxu’s breathing was a little unsteady and laced with a hint of grievance. “You said no crossing the line, but you went ahead and used me as a body pillow instead.”
“Sorry.” As the one who had confidently set the rules the night before, Yu Wanwan was now feeling very awkward. She clearly remembered hugging her long banana-shaped pillow when she fell asleep. How did the banana disappear, and how did she end up “wiggling” onto someone else? “I clearly remember…” she started, looking for an excuse for crossing the line.
Zhang Jingxu propped himself up on one elbow, half-closing his eyes as he looked at the woman who had broken the rules: “Remember what?”
Yu Wanwan bit her lower lip and gave an embarrassed laugh: “Fine, fine, I’m the dog, okay?” With that, she scrambled out of bed, desperate to escape the awkward scene. As she left, she considerately added: “If you’re still tired, get some more sleep. I’ll go wash up first.”
…
After breakfast, Yu Wanwan packed two large suitcases and headed home with Zhang Jingxu.
The man’s villa was Tuscan-style, exuding a strong Italian rustic and classical vibe. It covered an area comparable to a mansion, with fantastic natural light throughout the house. Outside the villa was a 25-meter swimming pool. The interior had many different zones, and what surprised Yu Wanwan most was a dedicated pottery area. For someone who loved pottery, this was a treasure trove. Staring at the wall full of yet-to-be-filled pottery shelves, she turned to him excitedly: “Are you interested in pottery too?”
The breeze gently blew her white dress. Zhang Jingxu said softly, “I’m interested, but I’m not very good at it yet.”
“Oh,” Yu Wanwan said thoughtfully, then added, “Well, if you ever want to learn, I can teach you.”
“Okay,” Zhang Jingxu replied gently, watching the woman in white. She seemed especially graceful today.
Because the villa was so large, Zhang Jingxu led her around for nearly an hour before they had seen the entire place. After touring the whole villa, Yu Wanwan had only one thought: this was her dream home. With the Tuscan style she’d always wanted and the pottery area she was so into, she could already imagine how cheerful and lively she’d be living here. She even started fantasizing about staying here for the rest of her life.
She pushed her luggage into her favorite room, tidied up a bit, then went downstairs to the living room. After the tour, she had exhausted her energy. Even though it wasn’t mealtime yet, her stomach was loudly protesting. She opened the kitchen fridge and found nothing but some fruit. In the end, she grabbed an apple, sat at the dining table, and started eating while scrolling through her phone.
Zhang Jingxu came in from the yard, sat down beside her, and said in a calm but serious tone: “Let’s talk.”
Yu Wanwan looked up abruptly, stopping mid-chew: “Talk about what?”