Her gift
The afternoon sun filtered through the thin gauze curtains of the master bedroom, soft and ambiguous, casting long, quiet patches of light across the floor. The air lingered with the warm, damp scent of intimacy, mixed with the subtle fragrance of shower gel and another, more intimate scent.
Zhou Jianxing lay on his side with his back to Wen Lingyi, his curled up body sunk into the soft bedding, revealing only a small portion of his smooth shoulders and messy chestnut curly hair.
A belated feeling of shame and self-condemnation slowly came over me, overtaking the satisfaction and joy I had just felt.
How could one... indulge in lust in broad daylight? The sun shone brightly, birdsong could be faintly heard outside the window, everything was clear and bright, making the indulgence just now seem like an untimely, overly indulgent dream.
She felt that her bottom line in front of Wen Lingyi was like an iceberg in the sun, melting silently and quickly, getting lower and lower.
There was a rustling sound behind her, and the mattress sank slightly. Wen Lingyi stood up, stepped over her body, and lay down again in front of her, looking at her face to face. His cool fingers gently brushed away the sweat-soaked hair from her forehead, stroking the curls spread across the white pillowcase.
"What's wrong?" Wen Lingyi's voice was a little lazy and hoarse, and his eyes carefully depicted her expression.
Zhou Jianxing shook his head, feeling embarrassed to express his pedantic thoughts, and simply buried his face in the pillow.
Wen Lingyi seemed to see through her discomfort and did not ask any further questions. Instead, she changed the subject: "I brought you a gift when I came back from S City this time."
A gift? The two stars blinked and shone, not because of the possible value of the gift itself, but because of the fact that Wen Lingyi was on a business trip and still remembered her and brought something for her.
The cherished warmth dilutes the insignificant self-condemnation.
So, Wen Lingyi has her in his heart, right? This realization made her heart overflow with sweetness.
"Thank you, Sister Wen." She stretched out her arms and put them around Wen Lingyi's neck, then leaned over and pecked her cheek gently, like a bird pecking a person.
His palms were a little hot due to the emotions and previous exercise, and they pressed against Wen Lingyi's slightly cool skin.
The heat made Wen Lingyi shiver. She didn't say anything, but just touched the top of Zhou Jianxing's head, then got up from the bed and walked straight to the bathroom: "I'm going to take a shower first."
Zhou Jianxing watched her walk into the bathroom and heard the sound of water dripping from inside. Then he sat up with the quilt in his arms, feeling his throat was very dry.
She got out of bed, poured a glass of water, and sipped it by the window. Butterflies were still flying tirelessly in the garden outside the window.
After a long while, the sound of water finally stopped. A little later, the bathroom door opened and Wen Lingyi came out wrapped in a white bath towel, her hair wet and draped over her shoulders. Her exposed skin was a light pink from the steam, and water droplets slid down the graceful lines of her calves.
"Sister Wen," Zhou Jianxing paused holding the water cup, unable to resist her curiosity, "Why do you take so long to shower every time?" After she asked, she tilted her head back and took a big sip of water, as her body urgently needed to replenish the large amount of water she had just lost.
A thin layer of pink, more obvious than before, spread from Wen Lingyi's fair neck and soaked her cheeks.
She didn't answer the question. She wiped her hair with a towel, walked up to Zhou Jianxing, and gently touched his sweaty arm with her fingertips: "Go wash too."
Zhou Jianxing obediently put down the cup and walked to the bathroom. The warm water washed over her, comfortably relieving the slight soreness in her muscles. She had just wet her hair and squeezed out the shampoo when the bathroom door gently opened.
Zhou Jianxing instinctively turned around, folding her arms over her chest, her heart beating faster for no apparent reason. The rising mist blurred the outline of the person, but she knew it was Wen Lingyi.
Could it be... She suddenly remembered a bathroom-themed video tutorial she'd watched before, and her cheeks instantly burned. But... if that were the case, she definitely wouldn't be able to stand...
"Don't cover it up," Wen Lingyi looked at her reaction and found it a little funny. She leaned against the frosted glass door with a calm look, "Is there any part of you that I haven't seen?" Her voice was particularly clear in the steamy bathroom.
Zhou Jianxing was stunned for a moment, then slowly relaxed, his arms falling to his sides.
Wen Lingyi walked over, grabbed a low, waterproof stool nearby, and gestured for Zhou Jianxing to sit on it. Then she picked up the shower head, adjusted the water temperature, and began to rinse Zhou Jianxing's hair. The warm water slowly soaked through his hair, bringing a warm and comfortable feeling.
He squeezed out a pump of shampoo and rubbed it carefully in the palm of his hand until rich foam was produced, then inserted his ten fingers into Zhou Jianxing's hair roots.
The force of her fingertips was gentle yet powerful, massaging her scalp with just the right amount of force, bringing waves of comfortable numbing sensations. The foam, with a refreshing fragrance, diffused throughout her hair. Wen Lingyi's movements were careful, her fingertips deftly weaving through her hair without hurting a single hair.
Zhou Jianxing closed his eyes comfortably, feeling all the nerves in his body relax under the gentle massage. After a moment, he suddenly remembered something, and held Wen Lingyi's wrist, raised his head, and his wet eyes were filled with anxiety and seriousness: "Sister Wen, I can do it myself, how can I let you wash my hair..."
Wen Lingyi gently took her hand away, continued what she was doing, and smiled: "It's okay, I like washing other people's hair." In fact, this was the first time she had done this in her life.
Just now, when I saw Zhou Jianxing walk into the bathroom, that thought popped up without warning.
By the time she reacted, she was already standing here.
The feeling is novel, but not unpleasant.
"Hmm?" Zhou Jianxing looked up with confusion. In her mind, Wen Lingyi was a goddess who was high above everyone else and had nothing to do with the mundane world. How could a goddess be willing to do such a thing as serving others?
"It's just a hobby of mine, nothing much to mention." Wen Lingyi brushed it off lightly, rinsed off the foam on her head, squeezed out the conditioner, and applied it evenly and carefully on Zhou Jianxing's slightly frizzy hair ends.
Zhou Jianxing didn't ask any further questions, but closed his eyes again, enjoying this unexpected service. The bathroom was very quiet, with only the sound of running water and the gentle breathing of the two people.
"Zhou Jianxing," Wen Lingyi's voice suddenly sounded, a little vague in the sound of water, "If I was just an ordinary shampoo girl when you met me, would you still like me?" This question popped up abruptly, and even she was stunned for a moment.
If Wen Lingyi were stripped of all her halo, wealth and status, and was just an ordinary person, would Zhou Jianxing still love her so purely?
Zhou Jianxing tilted her head back, and the angle made her eyelashes look particularly long and wet and stuck together. She felt a little strange about the question: "I'm just a maintenance worker."
She raised her arm, and her wet hand rested lightly on Wen Lingyi's waist wrapped in a bath towel. She opened her eyes and looked at Wen Lingyi with clear eyes: "Sister Wen, why do you assume something that never happened?"
She paused, her tone serious. "I like you. No matter who you are, I'll always like you." She tilted her head, her genuine confusion emerging. "Is washing hair such a shameful job? Sister Li in our neighborhood opened her own hair salon. She's incredibly skilled, and her business is booming. Every time I want a haircut, I have to make an appointment in advance."
"I'm a maintenance worker. Sister Wen, will you dislike me because of my job?" Zhou Jianxing's last words gently struck Wen Lingyi's heart.
She never thought there was anything wrong with Zhou Jianxing's job. On the contrary, she had seen Zhou Jianxing carefully repairing the machine, with a focused eye, neat movements, dedication and professionalism. He had a different kind of attractive charm than her shy or emotional appearance in bed.
The secret worries in Wen Lingyi's heart, which even she herself couldn't understand, were soothed well by Zhou Jianxing's simple and direct words.
Without saying anything else, he just massaged Zhou Jianxing's scalp more attentively, little by little, rinsed off the conditioner, and watched the warm water flow across his smooth back.
In the small bathroom space, the warm mist enveloped the two people who were speaking frankly to each other, and a calm and fulfilling feeling slowly filled Wen Lingyi's chest.
·
After going downstairs, Wen Lingyi opened her suitcase and began to sort out the things she had brought back. The carpet in the living room was soon filled with various beautifully packaged gift boxes.
Some were for Su Qing's family, some were supplements for her father, and some were business gifts for important clients.
She sorted for a moment, then took out a simple and elegant paper box and handed it to Zhou Jianxing, who was sitting cross-legged on the carpet beside her, watching her. "This is osmanthus cake and mint cake from a time-honored brand in S City. They're very delicious. I remember you love sweets. It's best to steam them for a few minutes before eating them for a better taste."
Then, she took out a long soft box and opened it. Inside was an elegant and soft Suzhou embroidery silk scarf with extremely fine embroidery. "This scarf is for your mother."
Then came a calm wooden box, emitting the fragrance of tea: "This is this year's new tea, Biluochun from S City, brought to your father."
Zhou Jianxing took them one by one and placed them carefully on the coffee table beside him. Every time he took one, he felt a little more warm and sour in his heart.
She looked at Wen Lingyi's silhouette as she bent down and carefully sorted the gifts, and her nose suddenly felt a little sore. Not only did Wen Lingyi remember her, but even her parents thought of her so attentively.
Her Wen Lingyi.
Zhou Jianxing couldn't help but lean over and hugged Wen Lingyi's waist tightly again, burying his hot face in the crook of her neck which exuded the fresh scent of after bath, wishing he could rub himself into her bones and blood.
How could someone be so nice, so nice that she didn't know how to repay him.
"Sister Wen." Her voice was muffled and nasal. She didn't know how to express the surging emotions in her chest. She could only rely on instinct to kiss the other person's cheeks, eyelids, nose bridge, corners of lips, and chin over and over again.
Like a little animal that doesn't know how to show kindness and can only lick its owner desperately.
Wen Lingyi felt so itchy from her kiss that she couldn't help but dodge with a smile, but her heart softened like a pool of spring water.
"I like you so much." She finally stopped, her lips pressed against Wen Lingyi's ear, and whispered softly, her tone as if she was telling a most important secret. Such a good Wen Lingyi deserved all her best love.
"It's not something valuable." Wen Lingyi felt a little itchy because of her. She smiled and gently pushed Zhou Jianxing, then raised her hand to wipe her cheek which was wet from her kiss.
Finally, Wen Lingyi took out a long black velvet jewelry box from the bottom of the suitcase. When she opened the box, a necklace with an extremely exquisite and unique design lay quietly on the velvet lining.
The main stone is a Paraiba tourmaline with a strong neon blue-green hue, cut into a unique asymmetrical hexagonal star shape, dazzling, as if condensed from a small piece of tropical sea water.
Around the stars are blooming lilies made with platinum micro-carving technology. The petals are made of translucent high-quality jade, exquisite and translucent, and the stamens are densely inlaid with tiny yellow diamonds, sparkling with warm star-like light under the light.
This was something she had accidentally seen while accompanying Lin Rui to a small auction in City S. At first glance, she felt that this star and the surrounding flowers perfectly matched Zhou Jianxing's temperament, possessing both the pure brightness of a star and a tenacious vitality.
Paraiba tourmaline is already precious, and no one would normally be willing to use it for such an irregular, material-intensive cut. At that moment, she felt almost as if it were a divine guidance, destined for her to bring this necklace back and give it to the star that belonged to her.
She picked up the necklace, walked around behind Zhou Jianxing, and put it on her herself.
The cold metal chain buckle and gems briefly touched Zhou Jianxing's warm collarbone skin, causing a slight shudder.
Wen Lingyi adjusted the length, and the bright blue star fell just between Zhou Jianxing's delicate collarbones, forming a wonderful and harmonious beauty with her honey-colored skin.
Her eyes were deep, and there was pure possessiveness in them: "Wear it, don't take it off."
Zhou Jianxing lowered his head and gently touched the cold, heavy star pendant with his fingers. While his heart was filled with sweetness, a sense of bitterness and uneasiness quietly rose in his mind.
This gift is so beautiful and precious.
"Sister Wen, this is too valuable," she thought of the vague figure of her "husband" behind Wen Lingyi, and her heart felt like a huge rock was suddenly pressing down on her, making her breathless. "I can't accept it."
Even though she knew nothing about jewelry, she could tell from the unique color, exquisite craftsmanship and the weight that pressed against her collarbone that it was of extraordinary value.
"Just accept what I'm giving you." Wen Lingyi said calmly. She adjusted the necklace to make it look more perfect. "It's not worth much."
"Spending your husband's money like this..." Zhou Jianxing lowered her head, her voice stuttering, her fingers unconsciously twisted together. She felt embarrassed just saying this.
Wen Lingyi raised her eyebrows when she heard this and interrupted her directly, her tone was incredibly funny: "Zhou Jianxing, did you misunderstand something?" She lifted Zhou Jianxing's chin and forced her to look into her eyes.
"You think I married my husband for his money?"
She paused, her red lips curled into an arc with ambiguous meaning: "Let me tell you, my family is much richer than his family."
After saying that, she let go of her hand and continued to admire the necklace around Zhou Jianxing's neck. She was obviously very satisfied with the effect of wearing it.
Huh? Zhou Jianxing was completely stunned, his eyes wide open. Sister Wen was a wealthy woman herself? Then… then why… why didn't she leave this loveless marriage she described?
Countless question marks instantly filled her head, but she looked at Wen Lingyi's deep and inscrutable eyes and finally didn't dare to ask anything.
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