Chapter 16
Facing her were the young man’s moist, and serious eyes, with a deliberately firm knuckle held in his mouth.
Jiang Shangwan desperately wanted to disappear into the ground or teleport away, but her mouth uncontrollably produced thick saliva, and instinctively, her tongue lightly licked that knuckle.
Then she saw Shi Yu’s face break into that meaningful smile again: “Exactly like that.”
Jiang Shangwan: “………..”
She could no longer bear the intense shame, feeling utterly filthy as if this version of herself was despicable. Angrily, she pried his hand away, took a step back, and scolded fiercely, “Enough!”
Shi Yu’s lowered hand still showed clear traces of moisture and subtle wet marks.
“I don’t want to play these boring ambiguous games with you.” Jiang Shangwan’s words and expression were as cold and sharp as ice, swiftly drawing a firm boundary between them. “You better recognize our positions. I was once your benefactor and, in a way, your other teacher…”
“Put away that frivolous attitude. I don’t know what happened at Capella, all I know is I just stayed there for one night. Don’t use those words to seduce me again.”
Jiang Shangwan used every cutting word she could think of, stabbing at Shi Yu’s heart like hard ice shards.
“I know,” Shi Yu said calmly, “I know everything.”
Jiang Shangwan was momentarily stunned, as if his calm response had struck back at her. The anger in her mind surged even more, but then she saw him lower his head like an abandoned puppy.
“I’m not worthy of you.”
Jiang Shangwan: “………”
She did not intend to insult his character—his excellence was obvious—but overwhelmed by the intense shame, she wanted to sever this absurdity quickly, which is why she showed such fierce aggression.
Her usual self-control and restraint felt like a joke at this moment. She knew clearly she was the elder, yet she had allowed physical contact to break this moral boundary, crossing the line, which caused her deep inner pain and disgust. She always hated the uncontrollable feelings within herself.
So she took a deep breath and said coldly, “I don’t know what gave you the illusion that we have this kind of relationship. Let’s stop here. I can pretend tonight never happened. Don’t test my limits again.”
“Okay.” Shi Yu didn’t want to anger her further. After a pause, he asked, “Can I still continue my internship at Jiang’s company?”
“…Yes.” She couldn’t take away his right to strive for progress.
Shi Yu then asked, “Will you block me?”
Jiang Shangwan: “…No.” She wasn’t that petty.
Shi Yu’s dark eyes brightened again, as if all he needed was a little sweetness, and he could easily forgive all the hurt she had caused him.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Shangwan felt a bit guilty. Had she overreacted? Those harsh words came out too easily.
“Sorry.” As reason gradually returned, she calmed herself and suppressed the restless feeling inside. “I shouldn’t have said such harsh things to you. I didn’t manage my boundaries well.”
She paused, then added, “We’re not suitable for each other. I’m twelve years older than you, and you’re still young, with many age-appropriate girls you could develop a relationship with. Maybe your lack of experience made you impulsive, but it’s okay. Focus on your internship at Jiang’s, and we will still keep the offer open if you need it.”
“Hmm.” Shi Yu replied seriously, “I’ve never been in a relationship.”
“…”
Jiang Shangwan was speechless and choked up.
Why did she always feel he was implying something behind his words? Why did he always seem to misunderstand her and try to steer things in a strange direction?
She took a deep breath and decided to leave first so they could both calm down and clear their minds. The driver quickly came to pick her up, leaving Shi Yu standing there alone.
He looked toward the direction of the car’s exhaust, then glanced at his own hand that had just been forcefully opened—there was some redness on the back of his hand from the strong impact.
He raised his hand and stared at it for a long time. Tilting his head away, he lightly kissed the tip of his index finger.
So sweet.
It was her scent.
—
It was destined to be a restless night.
Even after returning to the hotel, Jiang Shangwan still felt her heart unknowingly beating faster. Every detail of what had just happened replayed like a slideshow in her mind.
Shi Yu’s strong grip on her hand had been so clear to feel. The male skeleton is fundamentally different from a female’s—harder, taller, hotter.
The warmth of a man’s body, close against her skin, transferred along every curve in a way she couldn’t refuse, like a wildfire spreading uncontrollably, wanting to burn everything to ashes.
Shi Yu carried the youthful scent of adolescence—both the clean, delicate look of a boy and the tall, strong frame of a grown man. His skin was pale and cool, when moved emotionally, a faint blush appeared on his ear tips, adding a strange sharpness to his otherwise cool face. When his Adam’s apple moved, tiny beads of nervous sweat slid gently down the side of his neck, disappearing out of sight.
Jiang Shangwan’s face flushed deeply, and in a slightly dark thought, she admitted to herself—he really was her type.
But unfortunately…
Jiang Shangwan clenched her sleeve tightly, trying to suppress the restless feelings inside. Yet the faint memory of his breath, his fresh scent, and the touch of his fingertips became even clearer, awakening her senses and making her feel like she was sinking into a blazing fire.
Impossible to forget.
The memories kept replaying again and again.
Jiang Shangwan felt as if her throat was being strangled, struggling to breathe, her mind filled with every moment she had spent with him.
Feeling the fierce pounding of her heart, in an instant, Jiang Shangwan seemed to resonate with Shi Yu tonight—he had once held her hand just like this, letting her seriously feel the rapid rhythm of his breathing and the vibration of his heartbeat.
She calmed her breathing, her whole body soft and weak. Her palm was already sticky and damp. She lazily got up from the bed and filled the bathtub with hot water, letting the steam wash away all her fatigue and soreness.
Sitting in the bathroom, she lit one cigarette after another, her mood gradually settling down like the falling ash. She was a bit stunned—this strange feeling of awakened desire seemed to be the first time for her.
But the feeling wasn’t unpleasant.
It was just that their identities didn’t match.
She curled her lips and let out a light snort, as if mocking herself.
Her phone vibrated with a few beeps. Jiang Shangwan turned on the screen—it was a message from a black-profile contact.
Her finger hesitated slightly while swiping, before she could carefully read the message, her eyes uncontrollably locked onto the picture attached.
She opened the full-size image. It was a photo of a hand—ten long, fair fingers, very beautiful, with veins taut on the back of the hand. But at that moment, the slender knuckles showed some redness, and on the fingertips was a large smudge of…
Jiang Shangwan immediately shut her mouth in embarrassment, almost dropping the phone.
What is this…?
Then she remembered what she had just done, and the embarrassment grew even stronger. Her face felt like it was burning, almost drunk, and her mind was a little hazy.
She struggled to suppress the shame and glanced down at the two short messages below—
Shi Yu: 【I miss you very much.】
【Just thinking about the place you kissed earlier makes me really excited.】
Jiang Shangwan threw her phone aside in frustration—who else dared to flirt with her so openly like this?
So bold…
But soon she gritted her teeth and picked up the phone again, only to find the photo had been retracted, leaving just those two messages. It seemed he wasn’t worried whether she had seen them or not.
A subtle feeling, hard to tell if it was annoyance or regret, quietly swept through her. She felt a little angry, yet also stirred by an unclear undercurrent of emotion.
She thought for a moment, then stiffly began typing.
【What are you doing?】
The other side was typing… the reply came quickly.
【Still not resting?】
【I’m asking what you’re doing.】
【Mm.】
【?】
【Just finished.】
【……】
Jiang Shangwan was so irritated she almost lost it. She regretted replying but at the same time felt a spark of playful interest. She couldn’t help but type rapidly again.
【I saw it.】
【Mm.】
【So why are you sending me these? Aren’t you afraid I’d find it disgusting?】
There was a pause on the other side, as if they were thinking about how to reply.
【If I were disgusting, you would’ve blocked me by now.】
【Right?】
Jiang Shangwan suddenly had no words. It felt as if he could see right through her even through the phone screen.
【You said you like my hands.】
【So I want to use them to do some bad things.】
Jiang Shangwan recalled the warmth when she had his fingertips in her mouth, her heart tightening. She was shocked by his blunt and shameless attitude, never having imagined such a pure-looking young man could have such a naughty side.
A mischievous impulse arose from deep inside her, igniting a desire to break through her rationality. It was as if she refused to remain subdued by him and wanted to respond to his provocation.
After a moment of silence, she didn’t reply but instead wrapped herself in a towel and got out of the bathroom. She picked up her phone, aimed the camera at a small piece of black lace fabric that was already scattered and disheveled, casually pressed the shutter, and sent the photo.
Jiang Shangwan typed slowly:
【Do you know what I was doing just now?】
【…It smells so good.】
The moment she saw the reply, she quickly retracted the photo, but the other side’s response wasn’t finished.
【Can you send it to me? I really want to keep it.】
That intense shame surged through her brain again, sending a shiver over her scalp. Jiang Shangwan stared at the glowing screen and the pure black avatar, feeling that strong excitement she had just pushed away was sweeping over her again.
So strange.
But so thrilling.
【Pervert.】
Jiang Shangwan’s fingers flicked as she replied with a blank expression.