Chapter 86 Fang Minzhou did not meet Wang Kanyi…
Fang Minzhou did not return to Jiangcheng with Wang Kan. Her mother was taking her maternal grandparents for a medical check-up, and she accompanied them. When she was about to return to Jiangcheng, Wang Kan had to go out of town again. In the end, the two of them did not see each other for almost a week.
At this moment, Fang Minzhou inexplicably understood what Wang Kan had said earlier: there was a rush, but not that a rush. They started having long phone conversations again, just like they did in college, as if adhering to the teaching that "haste makes waste," hoping that if they waited a little longer, they could savor even sweeter moments.
Fang Minzhou had a rough idea of what he hadn't said, but she pretended not to know and decided to wait and see.
On Friday evening, Fang Minzhou went to the train station to pick up Wang Kan. He arrived early and witnessed several couples meeting. One of the husbands had gray hair and was carrying a bouquet of flowers. His wife accepted the flowers with great joy, like a little girl.
Fang Minzhou was somewhat moved by what she saw.
When she was a teenager, she thought "growing old together" was a beautiful blessing. Ten years later, she finally understood why it was just a blessing.
Sometimes when she's in a good mood, her brain will suddenly "ding" and pull her away from the present moment of happiness for a moment.
It's not that I'm experiencing happiness on thin ice, but rather that the feeling of joy is so familiar, and the memories are so clinging, so deeply ingrained, that it's inevitable that I'll recall sad things.
If she hadn't been so stubborn back then, and had asked Wang Kan one more question, would everything have been different? But after crying, Fang Minzhou had no intention of blaming her past self. The distance and time difference between the two countries, their respective pressures and different future plans, even now she didn't know how to handle it properly. The changes in Wang Kan's family were just the catalyst for their breakup.
Fang Minzhou found Wang Kan's insecurity during their college romance endearing and even adorable. However, when she got busy, she couldn't attend to his feelings, which made her feel guilty and a little annoyed. She was angry that Wang Kan always doubted her, just like when she was in school and her parents didn't believe she was studying hard.
Looking back now, she realized that she hadn't been able to soothe Wang Kan's anxiety, while Wang Kan had been overly concerned about her. Their needs were misaligned, and some of their energy was being wasted on internal conflict and adjustment, which eventually led to them both feeling exhausted.
At that time, she was probably a little unconsciously "spoiled and arrogant." Because she trusted Wang Kan and their relationship, she prioritized maintaining other fragile relationships. That's why she was so devastated when Wang Kan broke up with her. It wasn't just the end of her first love; it was also a kind of betrayal-like collapse and despair.
When I was young, I really thought that being in a relationship was a very simple thing. As long as you liked each other, you could be together forever.
After thinking it over, Fang Minzhou ordered a bouquet of flowers for takeout.
The flowers had just been delivered, and the person had already received them. Wang Kan was full of surprise, then burst into laughter, attracting the attention of passersby. Fang Minzhou covered her face with the flowers, regretting her actions. Wang Kan came over and hugged her, but she shoved the flowers into his arms and turned away.
After walking a few steps, she realized that Wang Kan hadn't followed. She turned around and saw that Wang Kan's left hand was still in a cast, and her right hand was busy holding flowers and tending to her luggage. She was in a flustered state. When she saw that Wang Kan was looking at her, she simply tilted her head and stood still, putting on a pitiful look.
Fang Minzhou walked over expressionlessly and picked up his luggage bag.
Wang Kan loved seeing Fang Minzhou's helpless expression. He pressed closer, then regretted having only one hand, asking, "Why did you think of sending me flowers?"
"I'll just give it away if I want to."
"Are there any holidays? But the most recent one is the Mid-Autumn Festival..."
As expected, Wang Kan received a glare from Fang Min on Monday, and laughed even harder, "You've done everything I was supposed to do, what am I supposed to do?"
“…What do you mean, yours or mine?” Fang Minzhou pretended to snatch the flowers back, but Wang Kan quickly held them up high, like a child unwilling to share a toy. Fang Minzhou was amused and didn’t say anything, but scolded him with his eyes.
"Who did you learn from?"
Fang Minzhou wondered if she was really that bored. She had always carefully selected the gifts she gave him before. "You," she said.
Wang Kan was stunned for a moment, then uttered a blank "Oh," followed by a blush that turned her ears red. The smugness in her eyes was undeniable, making Fang Minzhou unable to maintain her composure any longer. Noticing that others were watching them, she blushed as well and quickly led Wang Kan back to the car.
It's true that what I learned from him was genuine.
Once, when Wang Kan came to see her, they still agreed to meet by the lake. Wang Kan arrived first. When she jogged over, she noticed that the classmates coming towards her were all turning around and whispering. Fang Minzhou thought they were being too flamboyant, so she slowed down. But when she got to Wang Kan, he suddenly pulled out a bouquet of flowers from behind his back, which startled her.
After getting into the car and closing the door, Fang Minzhou was about to fasten her seatbelt when she felt Wang Kan's breath approaching. She looked up, but before she could see clearly, her lips were kissed. She chuckled and said she would go back first. Wang Kan used his free hand to press the back of her head, half-coaxing and half-enticing: "...Let's kiss for a while first."
Fang Minzhou hesitated for a moment, but she also missed him, so she didn't refuse anymore, secretly glad that she had parked the car in the underground garage. The car belonged to Wang Kan; he had given her the keys beforehand.
They said they'd only kiss for a little while, but they ended up kissing for a very long time.
Every time Fang Minzhou kissed Wang Kan, her brain would ripple with a tingling sensation, as if she were floating in a warm ocean with a swimming ring, feeling safe and secure as danger engulfed her.
She wondered if it was because the lips were so close to the brain that the five senses were amplified, especially during a French kiss, when the two people opened their warm, narrow mouths to each other, invading or being invaded, their tongues intertwined and fused together, easily probing into the depths of secrets, and the root of the tongue connected to the throat cavity and even deeper places.
I was dizzy, yet clearly aware of how my reason was gradually slipping away, like a gluttonous snake that could never be satisfied with its food, its desires dragging their long tails, sweeping back and forth.
Their cheeks were slightly sore from kissing. Another car headlight swept past. Thinking of the impulsive moment in the rainy countryside last time, Fang Minzhou came to her senses and stepped back a little. Wang Kan caught up and kissed her a few more times before the two reluctantly parted.
Fang Minzhou didn't know where to look. She didn't dare look into Wang Kan's eyes or his lips. Making conversation, she asked with concern, "Are you hungry?"
Wang Kan chuckled, "What do you think?"
Fang Minzhou realized the ambiguity of his words and glared at him. "I'm serious. If you're hungry, let's go eat first."
"I'm fine, how about you?"
"I'm fine too."
"Shall we go back and put our luggage away first?"
"good."
The original plan was for her to drive Wang Kan home to drop off his luggage, wait for him to change his clothes, and then go out for dinner.
The two have similar tastes and are not picky eaters, so they can eat anything. Fang Minzhou suggested going to eat Western food, and Wang Kan had no objection. However, in the end, no plan was finalized.
Wang Kan invited her to come up and sit down.
At first, it should have been just a simple suggestion. After all, they still had one night, and it would be strange for her to sit in the car downstairs waiting, and it would be even stranger to refuse. But as her heart tightened with each floor of the elevator, the atmosphere became ambiguous. Then, perhaps it was the eye contact before the elevator doors opened, perhaps it was the look in Wang Kan's eyes when he knelt down to get her slippers, or the touch of their fingertips when she took the water glass, or perhaps... the boots finally hitting the ground.
Wang Kan took a bath alone, but because someone handed her a towel, it became a bath for two. This trick worked every time, and she always fell for it.
The first time he took advantage of her to pull her into the bathroom, she pushed him away and ran out, not even caring if Wang Kan had fallen. When he came out wrapped in a towel, she immediately covered her eyes and scolded him, as if she couldn't bear to look. Later, she tried it half-heartedly, feeling so embarrassed that her legs went weak. She still thought there was something wrong with Wang Kan, but he was too sweet-talking, and the steam in the bathroom seemed to have the romance and warmth he described. After one or two times, she became more open. And later... she found some fun in it, especially when she discovered that Wang Kan was actually quite shy.
Although they had gone into the bathroom together at the guesthouse, it was only kissing and caressing at that time. When Wang Kan took out a condom from the cabinet in the sink, Fang Minzhou couldn't help but feel a little deceived.
She never expected that he would hide the things here, and Wang Kan stared at her and smiled, asking her for help, because he had difficulty using one hand, which was taken for granted.
Fang Minzhou, his face burning, carefully tore it open. Having not used it in a long time, he moved cautiously, but Wang Kan was incredibly sensitive. Fang Minzhou was already a little embarrassed, and seeing him like this, he felt a mischievous urge to tease him. Wang Kan was hard and hot, but his mouth was very soft, whimpering and begging for mercy. Once it was on, he became smug, seemingly without a problem with one hand. When Fang Minzhou told him to be careful, he was ungrateful: "Do you look down on me?"
Fang Minzhou blushed and said, "That's not what I meant."
Wang Kan chuckled breathlessly in her ear: "So you actually trust me a lot?"
Following that, Fang Minzhou wrapped her arms around his bare, muscular waist and twisted it without any mercy. Wang Kan gasped and thrust in even harder, burying her head in his neck and biting back.
Standing face to face, after getting used to it, she sat on the wet table, slid down and was half suspended in the air for a while, her toes almost cramping, when Wang Kan put his arm around her waist and turned her around.
Actually, facing the mirror all at once was a bit beyond Fang Minzhou's tolerance, even though she used to do this often in the bathroom.
The mirror was foggy, and Fang Minzhou kept her head down, not daring to look or think about what was happening to Wang Kan behind her. She could only feel his movements and breathing echoing more and more heavily in the enclosed, damp space.
Then, a hand climbed onto the mirror with a t-like movement. Fang Minzhou looked at the blurry figure in the mirror and, as if possessed, wiped away the water vapor. In the movement, he saw Wang Kan looking drunk. His hazy eyes looked at the mirror, their eyes met, he smiled foolishly, and leaned down to suckle her neck.
After returning to bed, he took out a condom from the bedside table.
Fang Minzhou was both amused and exasperated. She asked him where he had hidden it, and Wang Kan mischievously made her guess. When Fang Minzhou refused, he pressed her, "And where do you keep yours?"
Fang Minzhou didn't say anything, she got impatient with his nagging and took the lead instead.
It got dark early, so the curtains were drawn and the lights were off. In the dim light, they could barely make out each other, but their consciousness eventually dissipated in lust. They pressed themselves together as if trying to seize the moment, but when the sun actually set, they became even more frenzied and unrestrained in the darkness.
The sound was mixed with water, and the water made a sound.
When people are well-fed and warm, they think of lust. Conversely, when the latter is temporarily satisfied, Fang Minzhou's stomach is already growling with hunger, and Wang Kan is not much better off.
There was no need to go to a restaurant; she ordered takeout from a nearby restaurant. While waiting for the takeout, Fang Minzhou got up and took a shower alone. Having no change of clothes, she wore Wang Kan's short-sleeved shirt. She was never really comfortable wearing Wang Kan's clothes because she always felt they carried his scent, and she couldn't help but want to smell them to confirm it, but this act was more shameful than the clothes themselves.
It was only when they were eating in the restaurant that Fang Minzhou had a chance to observe the interior design of Wang Kan's home. It was a simple, natural style with natural wood accents; Fang Minzhou didn't want to be presumptuous, but it was a style she liked.
He had asked her before what kind of home decor she liked. She hadn't done any research, but after thinking for a while, she said she liked something simple, preferably with lots of greenery. Wang Kan laughed at her for being outdated and shared some designs that claimed to be minimalist with her. She shook her head, feeling that they lacked humanity.
At that time, they each held their own opinions. Wang Kan said, "That's it." She asked, "What's it going to be over?" He said, "When we renovate our house, should we listen to you or me?"
She forgot how she responded to him, but she guessed it was probably another angry outburst of beatings and scolding.
"Have you eaten yet?" Her absent-mindedness aroused Wang Kan's suspicion.
"Um."
He looked at her, then suddenly a smile appeared on his lips: "Really?"
Fang Minzhou rolled her eyes. "Really!"
Wang Kan smiled, cleared the table, and the two sat on the sofa to watch TV. After a while, he pulled her onto his lap.
Fang Minzhou then learned that Wang Kan had also placed condoms in the coffee table in the living room. She found this terrifying, wondering if he didn't have any other guests at his house.
After laying down the new sheets, it was already past midnight. Fang Minzhou didn't wake up until noon. She was held in Wang Kan's arms, while he was still fast asleep. But after staring at his face for a while, Fang Minzhou realized that he was pretending to be asleep.
She pinched his nose, and Wang Kan was still pretending. Gradually, his cheeks turned red, until he could no longer breathe. Then he laughed and broke free, his voice hoarse: "Trying to murder your husband."
"Your arm is pressing on me."
"Really?" Wang Kan said, hugging her again. "Sleep a little longer."
I didn't get up until one or two in the afternoon and ordered takeout for dinner.
Fang Minzhou asked if they wanted to go to the movies, and Wang Kan said yes, but in the end they stayed home and lingered all day.
Since starting her business, Fang Minzhou has had no weekends in the true sense. She doesn't distinguish between weekdays and workdays; she has to work on her computer every day. But this weekend, she spent it all with Wang Kan. Life seems to have been reduced to its most primal desires: happiness comes from troubles, but happiness without troubles is so simple and pure that it's almost decadent.
On Monday, the weekend ended, and like some kind of procedure, the two were forcibly pulled out of the "absence makes the heart grow fonder" atmosphere, put on their clothes, and became well-dressed adults again, starting a relationship where they lived in the same city but were separated.
Jiangcheng has more than a dozen districts and counties. The entrepreneurial center is in the new economic development zone, so Fang Minzhou's house is naturally nearby, while Wang Kan's home and company are in the main urban area.
It's not too far, but it's not too close either. It's definitely more convenient now than when I was in college, and I have a car. But even though we're in the same city, it's not a distance where we can see each other every day.
The past weekend felt like a blissful, idyllic world, free from work, distance, and worries—pure, unadulterated joy.
After realizing this, Fang Minzhou subconsciously made worst-case plans, such as what she should do if Wang Kan asked to meet her every day or came looking for her.
Fang Minzhou felt that she was somewhat morbidly comparing the past and the present, the similarities and differences. Was she afraid of repeating the same mistakes or afraid that things would change? She didn't know, but it was somewhat absurd, like "once bitten by a snake, twice shy."
She carefully concealed her worries and started new relationships with old acquaintances. Over the years, she hadn't really made much progress in her understanding of love.
More often than not, however, these gray, negative emotions are like tiny ants trying to pry open the heavy, hardened happiness, but ultimately they all fail.
The time spent in contemplation after intimacy is no longer melancholic; it's a brief respite and tenderness, not suitable for heart-to-heart talks. Fang Minzhou had no definite topic for conversation, and seeing Wang Kan's always composed demeanor, she couldn't help but feel that his mind was also full of twists and turns. So she didn't expose him, thinking that they would inevitably argue again someday.
We'll see when the time comes; things will work themselves out.
Thinking about it this way, Fang Minzhou realized that she wasn't actually pessimistic; on the contrary, she was quite positive and had a rather adventurous attitude.
Compared to the seemingly effortless progress in her relationship with Wang Kan, the teasing from those around her was what gave Fang Minzhou the biggest headache.
When Wang Kan was hospitalized, Zheng Yanhang "carried forward" his story, including their reconciliation. Almost everyone in the high school class group, including the teachers, knew about it.
Ouyang Qian didn't come to visit Fang Minzhou, but she did ask about her. Later, she joked that at that crucial moment, she really wanted to advise them to break up, but saying it out loud felt inhuman. Fang Minzhou just laughed.
She brought it up with Yuan Yue on her own initiative, and Yuan Yue was very happy for her. Fang Minzhou asked her what she was happy about, and Yuan Yue said, "If you're happy, I'm happy for you."
Jin Ying was quite surprised when she found out. The first thing she did was tell her two other roommates in the university dormitory group chat, and the second thing was to do a tarot reading for Fang Minzhou. Fang Minzhou couldn't refuse her invitation, and thankfully, the readings were all good omens.
Privately, Fang Minzhou told Wang Kan to come to her company less often. If she went to his company to pick him up after get off work, she never dared to sit in the coffee shop downstairs and wait for him. But Wang Kan treated her place like his own home, and would always bring drinks and snacks. When school started, he ran into Xu Ran a few times.
Jin Ying naturally learned at this point that Xu Ran was Wang Kan's niece, and Fang Minzhou felt that they might have been gossiped about behind their backs.
Wang Kan taught her a desensitization method: announce it to her relatives and friends on WeChat Moments.
Fang Minzhou understood his implication. "Showing off affection" was really not her style. She used to only post one post every now and then, and sometimes she would pretend to casually slip it into her monthly or annual summary.
"...Which one should I send?" she asked Wang Kan.
Wang Kan didn't care: "Either way is fine."
Fang Minzhou picked one out herself, and Wang Kan looked at it and said, "How about this one?"
Fang Minzhou: "..."
Last week, while we were having dinner at home, Wang Kan took a picture of her. Then, she imitated him and took one of him too. Under the warm yellow light, he held up a glass and smiled at the camera, looking even sillier than in her picture.
After the photos were posted, they even attracted the attention of several friends who had been lurking online. Each message notification made Fang Minzhou feel extremely ashamed, and she didn't think this method was very effective.
Wang Kan glanced at Fang Minzhou's phone screen and saw a few familiar names liked. She silently looked away, thinking that this post on WeChat Moments was a little too late.
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