Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I crawled out of bed before dawn, dragging a suitcase in one hand and a duffel in the other, with a waterproof pack on my back. What needed to be tossed into the trunk went into the trunk; what belonged in the back seat went in the back seat.

The front gate opened. My headlights swept across the road, and I slammed on the brake.

The morning mist was thick. Lu Boya was standing under the osmanthus tree, carrying an insulated bag and a laptop bag.

When he saw me stop, he smiled at me and lifted the bag in his hand, giving it a little shake.

“How long have you been standing there?” I stared at his hair, which was clearly damp.

“Not long,” he said, opening the bag and taking out a container of noodles, the toppings, a bag of soup, and some side dishes. “I just got here too.”

This man…

I sighed. “You couldn’t have called me? You had to stand here and wait? Didn’t I give you a key?”

“I knew you were leaving today, but I didn’t know what time. If I came too early, I’d disturb your sleep. If I came too late, I might miss you. After thinking it over, waiting here seemed pretty good.” As Lu Boya spoke, he handed me the chopsticks. “Eat the noodles first. After you finish, you can drop me off at work on the way.”

“On the way?” Sunan University and the highway entrance were in two completely different directions.

“It’s not on the way?” He glanced at me sideways, smiling faintly as he asked.

“It is, it is, it definitely is!” If it wasn’t on the way, I would make it on the way!

After breakfast, I drove Professor Lu to work. When we reached the side gate of Sunan University, I parked the car, but neither of us moved.

“This trip… I’ll be back in ten days to half a month at the very least. Depends on the progress, though. Ten days to half a month isn’t guaranteed either,” I said.

“Mm,” he answered softly.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and added, “Once work starts, things get busy. The site is noisy too, so I might not hear calls or WeChat notifications. If I don’t reply in time, just wait until evening. We can talk after I’m off work.”

“Mm,” he answered again.

My fingers tapped back and forth on the steering wheel as I racked my brain and kept rambling. “The signal over there isn’t great either. If video doesn’t work, we’ll call. Anyway… basically… we’ll see how it goes…”

Lu Boya didn’t respond. He turned his head to look at me. “Xu Li.”

“Hm?” I turned too.

And just like that, he kissed me on the forehead.

I blinked.

Lu Boya unbuckled his seat belt and leaned all the way over, then kissed me again on the cheek.

His light, scattered kisses were soft and gentle, trailing along my cheek until they brushed the corner of my lips.

The scent of magnolias in the rainy season was deep, elegant, and rich. I sank into it, unable to pull myself free.

Beside my ear was Lu Boya’s faint breathing, mingling with his kisses, coaxing the greed in the depths of my heart to life.

He said the deadliest thing about me was how I could make people mad without even trying. But he himself was deadliest when he tempted people without even trying.

Yes. Without trying. Without even realizing it.

Someone as refined and aloof as Professor Lu could never possibly do something as criminal as seducing me on purpose.

I was the one pushing my luck. I was the one whose mind was in the gutter. I was the one who couldn’t handle a beauty throwing himself into my arms.

So-

Grabbing the front of his shirt, I turned my head without the slightest hesitation and kissed those two thin lips.

An arm tightened sharply around my waist.

Then, slowly, it relaxed.

I might have startled him…

Even his breathing had gone unsteady. His whole body was tense, completely at a loss.

No rush, no rush.

Thinking that, I shifted the angle, fitting my lips against his. My heart was pounding like a drum, but I still reluctantly drew back a little.

Lu Boya seemed not to have come back to himself yet. The instant I pulled away, he leaned in again.

He thought I wanted to keep going. He was cooperating so thoroughly, practically letting me do whatever I wanted.

He really, really… I was moved. So moved.

And so the long kiss continued for quite a while.

Only when my breathing was a mess and my whole body had gone weak did I barely manage to drag myself out of that boundless beauty.

I was gasping for breath, but I couldn’t back down. Pressing down my heart, which was about to leap out of my chest, I looked at Lu Boya.

His breathing was actually all right. He only had his eyes lowered.

His lenses and lashes hid most of his pupils, but I could vaguely see the dense ink-dark color in them and… no, was that a look of not being quite satisfied?

Startled, I leaned in, wanting to get a clearer look.

But he wrapped his arms around me, and my chin came to rest on his shoulder.

Beneath the thin fabric, the rhythm of our hearts where we touched was astonishingly in sync-fast and urgent, restless and rapid.

This embrace was no less wonderful than the kiss just now. Both left me feeling content and happy.

Only, after holding on for too long, certain concerns were inevitable.

“It’s getting late,” I said, my voice a little hoarse. I cleared my throat. “You still have class.”

“Mm.” Lu Boya’s voice carried a trace of lazy warmth. “Five more minutes.”

If only we could hold each other until the end of time.

Why did he have to teach? Why did I have to go to work? Adult life was so annoying!

After dragging it out, I kissed his left and right cheeks, then the backs of his left and right hands, before finally unlocking the doors and watching him walk into the university.

Once I had calmed down alone for a while, I slumped over the steering wheel, smug and satisfied, secretly delighted and excited all at once.

Good thing there were speed limits in the city. Otherwise, with the energy I had right now, one stomp on the gas and I could have shot straight out of the atmosphere.

I drove over mountains and across ridges, humming the whole way, and finally reached the construction site.

When I got out of the car, I looked at the flat ground not far away and the fences of varying heights, then took a deep breath in a wonderful mood.

Time to start work!