Chapter 39 She pressed her lips against his.
These four short words, like a bombshell dropped from the sky, instantly stirred up a massive wave.
Wen Zhi stood there, completely stunned, his mind filled with the echo of "I like you," so loud that his eardrums rang, and he could no longer hear any other sounds.
Song Juelan... just said it like that?
It felt as if a hundred startled deer were galloping through his heart, their clattering footsteps deafening, all crashing into his chest.
In the midst of the chaos, the sweet feeling that quietly welled up in my heart was overlooked.
After a moment, Wen Zhi's lips moved slightly, and she hesitantly uttered a single syllable: "I..."
The scorching heat from the back of his hand interrupted him.
"Tell me after the competition is over." Song Juelan gently held Wen Zhi's hand, his voice slightly tense, not letting Wen Zhi continue.
During that long silence, his heart sank little by little, and he suddenly dared not hear Wen Zhi's reply.
Even if it's just a little delay, hearing that cruel answer a little later, would be better than nothing.
Wen Zhi subconsciously pursed her soft lips, stared at him with her bright eyes for a while, and finally nodded gently.
In the lounge, everyone else was some distance away from that corner, and even those who were trying to pay attention couldn't hear what the two were saying.
All they saw was that the handsome young man walked up to Song Juelan, handed her a towel, and the two whispered a few words to each other. Then Song Juelan took the man's hand, and the two were filled with tenderness and affection.
Everyone who saw this scene couldn't help but feel a little nauseous.
They traveled all the way to the lounge just to deliver a towel; anyone with eyes can see what their real purpose was.
Who would have thought that Song, who is usually so aloof, would be so affectionate when he's in love?
Yu Xuan stared wide-eyed at the two people in the corner, almost unable to believe what he was seeing.
Song Juelan actually has a girlfriend, and she's as beautiful as an angel.
Is he hallucinating?
The people in the lounge had different thoughts. After watching Wen Zhi mouth "Go for it!" to Song Juelan, she left like a gust of wind.
In addition to the initial admiration, the gazes of the crowd towards Song Juelan also carried a hint of envy that was hard to define.
Wen Zhi's heart was still pounding after she left the lounge.
Instead of immediately returning to the stands, he went out through the back door of the swimming pool, found a quiet spot, and leaned against the railing to enjoy the breeze.
However, this did not help at all. It was as if a little man in his mind was shouting "What should I do?" at the top of his lungs, making him panic.
what to do?
What kind of response should he give to Song Juelan?
If you ask him if he has feelings for Song Juelan, the answer is definitely yes, and he knows that very well.
But he couldn't actually accept Song Juelan's confession, otherwise it would mean having to confess that outrageous lie to Song Juelan, and he obviously didn't have enough courage.
Wen Zhi's beautiful eyebrows drooped slightly, her curled eyelashes drooped, and the corners of her lips turned down gently, as if she were lost in distress.
It seems he really got into trouble.
He stood outside in the wind for a long time until Zhu Zhenghao called to ask why he had been gone for so long, and only then did he drag his heavy steps back home.
In the audience, Zhu Zhenghao noticed that Wen Zhi looked a little listless when she returned, and asked with concern, "Did something happen just now?"
Wen Zhi forced herself to stay awake and shook her head: "It's nothing."
"Xiao Tang is such a good child. She didn't even bother looking for you when you left for so long." Zhu Zhenghao smiled and patted Xiao Tang's head, sighing, "My little nephew is the same age as him. He cries and throws a tantrum if he can't see his parents for even a minute, and no one can comfort him."
“He is very well-behaved.” Wen Zhi met Xiao Tang’s dark, grape-like eyes, smiled, and her earlier worries dissipated somewhat.
Xiao Tang grinned happily, then looked up and asked, "Zhi Zhi, did you tell Brother Jue Lan to cheer him on?"
"I told you."
Xiao Tang asked curiously, "What did Brother Jue Lan say?"
Wen Zhi's eyes darted around, and she answered vaguely, "Um... he said he's sure he can win."
Song Juelan did indeed say that, he just omitted the first half of the sentence.
"Great!" Xiao Tang's eyes lit up, and she cheered for Song Juelan in advance.
Zhu Zhenghao, who was standing next to him, seemed somewhat surprised.
Although Song Juelan does have the ability, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would say something so arrogant.
As the start of the final approached, the stands gradually filled up, becoming even more packed than in the morning.
The photographers in the first row of the stands also adjusted their cameras, all pointing their lenses at the swimming lanes, ready for action.
The huge swimming pool was bustling with noise, and everyone's eyes were focused intently on the pool. A tense and expectant atmosphere filled the air as they awaited the upcoming final.
Finally, the eight finalists filed out of the lounge and stood on the starting platform in full view of the crowd, where cheers from the audience instantly surged like a tidal wave.
Wen Zhi's hands unconsciously clenched, her eyes fixed on that familiar, tall figure.
Bright lights shone down from above, illuminating the figure standing steadily on the stage. The figure had broad, straight shoulders and smooth, defined back muscles, making it impossible to look away.
The next moment, the person standing on the starting platform suddenly looked up and stared straight in their direction. His gaze lingered for a moment before turning back to the lane in front of him.
The audience seats were packed with people, but Wen Zhi inexplicably felt that Song Juelan's gaze had met his.
A sharp whistle rang out, and the slender figure suddenly exerted force, leaping into the water. Once inside, it carved a blue trail and swam forward with unstoppable momentum.
Wen Zhi unconsciously held her breath, her gaze following the figure in the water, watching Song Juelan gradually widen the gap between herself and the other contestants by half a body length, and then gradually take the lead by a full body length, putting her in an absolute lead.
With fifty meters to go, the noise from the stands almost drowned out the entire stadium, and finally, when the first person touched the wall, cheers suddenly erupted.
The results and rankings immediately appeared on the electronic display screen, and a bright red "1" was prominently displayed after the name "Song Juelan".
The man raised his head from the water, not immediately checking the results, his gaze briefly sweeping across the audience before settling on the same spot.
Wen Zhi's heart pounded louder and louder, and she couldn't hear any other sounds. Through the layers of people, she stared blankly into those eyes.
Zhu Zhenghao, who was carrying a camera and taking pictures, excitedly nudged Wen Zhi's arm with his elbow and exclaimed, "Brother Song won the championship!"
Wen Zhi snapped out of her daze, slowly loosened her clenched hands, and let out a long sigh of relief: "...That's great."
After the final round, the results were confirmed in a few minutes, the final results were announced, and then the awards ceremony took place.
The winners went up on stage one by one to receive their medals from the award presenters, while the stage lights flashed brightly.
Zhu Zhenghao, along with Wen Zhi and Xiao Tang, got up and left the audience seats before the large crowd dispersed, waiting outside the swimming pool.
A moment later, Song Juelan, still wearing his championship medal around his neck, came out and strode up to them.
Zhu Zhenghao grinned, showing off his white teeth, and posed for a photo with Song Juelan. He then admired the photos taken that day with satisfaction, saying smugly, "These photos are really good! I'll develop them all when I get back and hang them outside our swimming pool to display them."
Looking at the shiny medal, Wen Zhi was also a little tempted. She took out her phone from her pocket and handed it to Zhu Zhenghao: "Could you take a picture of us too?"
He hasn't taken a photo with a swimming champion yet.
Song Juelan's expression faltered slightly.
Zhu Zhenghao readily agreed, took the phone, assumed a horse stance, and pointed the camera at them and the swimming pool behind them: "Closer, hey, right!"
Wen Zhi tilted her head towards Song Juelan, leaned her body against Song Juelan's slightly stiff arm, and gave the camera a natural smile.
Zhu Zhenghao pressed the shutter button several times, glanced at the photos on the screen several times, and exclaimed in admiration, "Beautiful, so beautiful!"
When two people with exceptionally high looks stand together, the word "good-looking" is insufficient to describe it; they are more beautiful than a meticulously painted scroll.
The word "perfect match" even flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook his head and dismissed it.
Xiao Tang had been waiting eagerly for a long time, and then rushed over impatiently: "I want to take a picture with Brother Jue Lan too!"
Song Juelan then half-squatted down, put his arm around Xiao Tang's shoulder, and took a photo with him.
The four of them then left the swimming pool satisfied and got into the black car waiting by the roadside.
On the way back, the carriage wasn't as lively as it had been on the way there. Zhu Zhenghao and Xiao Tang were both dozing off in their seats, while Song Juelan and Wen Zhi were also preoccupied and silent.
Although we had agreed to tell Song Juelan the answer after the competition, we were interrupted just now and didn't have a chance to bring it up.
There are other people on the bus now, so it's even less likely that the topic will be brought up again.
Wen Zhi turned her head to look at the scenery rushing past the car window, her thoughts in turmoil.
Song Juelan's gaze fell on Wen Zhi's slender back, his eyes dimming slightly.
Perhaps he shouldn't have been so impulsive and said those words that made Wen Zhi feel awkward.
Wen Zhi also has a child, so unlike him, she can start a relationship without any worries. Wen Zhi has many things to consider, such as whether Xiao Tang can accept it, and what her family thinks.
Instead of considering Wen Zhi's feelings, he selfishly wanted her to give him a response.
If Wen Zhi doesn't bring up that matter again, he probably won't force her to answer.
The car came to a smooth stop at the entrance of the apartment building.
Wen Zhi gently picked up the sleeping Xiao Tang, whispered goodbye to them, and got out of the car.
Back home, Xiao Tang was groggily woken up, ate a few bites of dinner, and then fell back asleep. Clearly, watching the game had exhausted all his energy.
As night fell, lights came on in every household.
Wen Zhi sat in front of the computer, unconsciously turning her head to look out the window, wondering if Song Juelan would still appear at her door tonight.
Without Xiao Tang's "connection," and given what happened today, Song Juelan probably wouldn't have come over.
His gaze lingered on the dark night sky for a moment before returning to the computer screen, where he absentmindedly played a few games.
As night deepened, several roommates in the group yawned, said they were going to sleep, and left the group one after another.
Wen Zhi turned off the game without much interest, stared at the computer screen for a while, and then decided to go to bed.
Suddenly, the phone beside me vibrated and the screen lit up.
Wen Zhi picked up her phone, and when she saw the three words "Song Juelan," her heart skipped a beat. She slowly tapped the message with her fingertips.
The message that popped up in the chat box was only a few words long.
Song Juelan: [Do you still want to learn to swim?]
Wen Zhi was stunned for a moment, and read the message several times.
Wasn't she here to ask for his response?
He hadn't expected that Song Juelan would still remember this matter. After hesitating for a moment, he replied with two ambiguous words.
Wen Zhi: [Mmm]
The moment the message was sent, the reply popped up, also just two short words.
Song Juelan: [Open the door]
Wen Zhi was startled again, and it took her a moment to react. She jumped up from the chair, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a screeching sound, and quickly walked outside.
Could Song Juelan be... right in front of his house?
The thought of this possibility made his heart pound in his chest, and he quickened his pace until he almost jogged to the entrance.
The living room was dark as the lights were off. Wen Zhi stood at the door with slightly rapid breathing, raised her hand to grasp the cold doorknob, and slowly opened the door.
Light from the hallway shone through the crack in the door, illuminating a small area near the entrance.
Song Juelan's tall figure stood outside the door, the light from the corridor casting a hazy halo around him, softening his usually cold and aloof features.
At that moment, Wen Zhi seemed to hear her own deafening heartbeat echoing throughout the entire world.
He stared blankly at the person outside the door for a moment before finding his voice and asking dryly, "What are you doing here?"
Song Juelan pursed his lips somewhat awkwardly: "Xiao Tang hasn't been replying to my messages, so I came here by myself."
Wen Zhi blinked, stunned.
So this person was waiting for Xiaotang's reply, and only contacted her when there was no other way?
How stupid.
"Xiao Tang was exhausted today and went to bed early," Wen Zhi told him, suppressing a laugh.
Song Juelan stared intently at him with her dark eyes for a while, then suddenly asked, "And what about you?"
Wen Zhi's fingers, which were gripping the door, twitched slightly, and her voice lowered: "...I'm not planning to sleep yet."
Song Juelan's gaze softened, a stark contrast to the sharp and assertive person she had been on the competition field earlier that day. She asked in a low voice, "I said before that I would teach you to swim. Are you... free now?"
Upon hearing the word "swimming," Wen Zhi instinctively wanted to refuse.
But then he realized that this was probably an excuse that Song Juelan had thought about all night and had finally come up with, and he probably couldn't think of another one.
Wen Zhi couldn't help but feel a little soft-hearted.
Forget it, even a swimming champion isn't afraid to teach a non-swimmer, so what does he have to be afraid of?
"Wait for me a moment."
Wen Zhi turned around and went back to her room. She took out a change of clothes from the closet, then returned to the entryway, bent down to change her shoes, and said, "Let's go."
This time, it was just him and Song Juelan walking side by side on the quiet street late at night, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights on both sides.
Before they knew it, their hands were naturally clasped together again.
Night had fallen, and only one or two pedestrians occasionally passed by on the street. Car headlights flashed by on the road, illuminating the faces of those next to them for a fleeting moment.
Neither of them spoke, and they slowly walked to the entrance of the already closed swimming pool.
Song Juelan had been coming to practice frequently these past few days. He skillfully took out his key, opened the heavy iron gate, and swaggered in with Wen Zhi by the hand.
Wen Zhi followed behind and watched this scene. Suddenly, she felt that Song Juelan didn't seem to be working at the swimming pool, but rather like a boss inspecting his own business.
Walking into the empty pool area, only a few emergency lights emitted a dim glow.
With a deft movement, Song Juelan took off his shirt with one hand, jumped into the pool first, then turned around and stretched out his strong arm to Wen Zhi on the shore.
The main lights in the swimming pool were not turned on, making it very dim. The huge pool looked unfathomable in the darkness, as if it had no edge or bottom.
Wen Zhi hesitated as she sat down by the pool. First, she cautiously stretched out one leg and tentatively dipped it into the lukewarm water, gently wiggling it. After a while, she put her other leg in.
He gripped Song Juelan's broad hand tightly, slowly moving into the water, and finally closed his eyes and jumped in without thinking twice.
After a slight feeling of weightlessness, my feet quickly touched the smooth tiles, and the water level only reached my shoulders.
Even so, Wen Zhi still felt insecure and leaned against Song Juelan, tightly hugging his strong arm, and complained softly, "Why don't we go to the pool where Xiao Tang is teaching?"
Song Juelan patiently explained, "The water in that pool is too shallow; you can't float."
Wen Zhi gave a muffled "Oh".
He agreed to come out tonight only to see Song Juelan, not because he really wanted to learn to swim. So he lazily leaned against Song Juelan, casually splashed his arms a couple of times, and suggested, "Shall we learn the hand movements first?"
Song Juelan naturally had no objections. She first demonstrated the arm stroke to him, her long arms powerfully cutting through the water. Then she went around behind Wen Zhi, took his hands from behind, and guided him to imitate the movements she had just made.
The usually bustling swimming pool was now empty except for the two of them. All they could hear was the sound of water and their own breathing so close together, creating a strange and wonderful feeling.
Wen Zhi's back was pressed tightly against Song Juelan's hard chest, the hard and hot muscles digging into her skin. She awkwardly pulled her fingertips away and said, "Maybe I should do it myself."
Song Juelan seemed not to hear him. Her slender fingers supported his wrist, and she whispered in his ear, "You didn't do this movement correctly."
Wen Zhi couldn't see any difference, but her ears were burning, and she was a little annoyed: "It's exactly the same as your demonstration."
Song Juelan's gaze involuntarily swept over the fair earlobe of the person in his arms, his heart burning, and he suddenly couldn't remember what the correct way to do this action was.
Wen Zhi pawed at the water's surface a few more times, feeling that although her movements weren't as graceful as Song Juelan's, they weren't wrong either.
He turned his head defiantly: "Look..."
He turned around and was met with a pair of deep, dark eyes, filled with intense emotions that seemed to draw him in.
At the same time, a strong and rapid heartbeat came from the chest pressed against his back, pounding against his spine with each beat. He couldn't even tell whether it was his own heart pounding in his chest or Song Juelan's heartbeat transmitting through him.
After the soft sound of water completely stopped, only the pounding of their hearts and their slightly heavy breathing remained, amplified infinitely in the empty space.
Wen Zhi tilted her head slightly, exposing her snow-white neck to that deep gaze. Her long eyelashes blinked hesitantly, sensing the subtle and dangerous change in the atmosphere.
The next moment, as if bewitched, the other person lowered their head slightly and pressed their thin lips, which were also slightly cool and moist, against his lips.
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Author's note: Thanks to Pearl Worm for the grenades and landmines!
Thanks to yiinnnnff for the 3 landmines~
Thanks to the watermelon for the landmine!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution!
69 bottles of Tingyou Fanchen; 36 bottles of OOS; 14 bottles of Yanjiu; 11 bottles of Sanri; 10 bottles of Yunshan, Taohua Xiajiu, and Maobu Maomao; 9 bottles of Yiinnnnff; 5 bottles of Bie Rang daguai, 41501337, Miaomiaomiaomiaomiaomiaomiao, Huangqi, Appalachian Mountains Snow Monster, and Qi Sili's Little Dog; 3 bottles of Zhengyu, Susu, Xianyun, and Dapuxu; 2 bottles of Shanye You Douwudeng, Qing, and Yeeeeeee Zhi; 1 bottle of Mianbao Bujia Jiang, Bu Xiang Shanban, Liyu, Yizero, Wen Weiyan, Xielan, Xixue, Wenrou Jiliang, Akaiyama, Jian Dan Dian, Yi Yi, and Ji Kang.
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