Lin Wan initially hesitated for a moment, then responded, extending her arms to wrap around his neck. Chen Jin, encouraged, felt a surge of excitement and joy. Every cell in his body seemed to cry out with eagerness. The two kissed deeply, as if trying to inhale all of each other's breath, as if they were attempting to steal every last bit of oxygen from the other's lungs. This intense, almost brutal kiss was exactly what Chen Jin adored. He even felt, in a strange way, that Lin Wan was very much like him in some deep, unspoken way.
After what seemed like countless breaths, Lin Wan, having exhaled enough, began to nibble on Chen Jin's lips. The sensation was soft and playful, like being kissed by a mouse—not unpleasant, not painful, but tingling and almost electric, spreading from the tip of his toes up through his legs, from the nape of his neck down to his spine. The sensation bloomed in every corner of his body, like sparks crackling inside, as if it were building toward something... explosive. It was new, it was strange, and it was utterly intoxicating.
But being toyed with like this wasn't fair to him, and so, in a sudden rush of possessiveness, he slid his hand under her clothes, his fingers kneading her soft, yielding skin, pressing harder as he explored. Many men are obsessed with virginity, but Chen Jin had never been overly concerned with such things. For him, physical intimacy was about sensation. Sex was like buying a bottle of water—it's to quench thirst, not to admire the bottle itself. The act of opening the bottle was a mere formality for hygiene. In essence, he thought, male-female relationships were just like that. But at that moment, feeling Lin Wan's body against his, feeling the hardening of her skin under his touch, he was overwhelmed. This experience ignited something in him—stirred excitement, a sense of achievement, an intensity that was almost impossible to describe.
Lin Wan was like a child addicted to play, unconcerned even as she allowed him to take control, pulling his head down to kiss his stiff nose. After a few bites, she seemed to find it uncomfortable, so she kissed his cheek instead, rubbing her face against his, like a baby, leaving her saliva all over him. Her hands were equally busy, grabbing his hair, tugging at his ears, and playfully poking at his earlobes.
After being distracted by her antics for a while, Chen Jin started to feel the stirrings of his own desire. But seeing her enjoy herself so thoroughly, he simply allowed himself to follow along. However, when Lin Wan's moist lips trailed down his chin, she suddenly extended her tongue to lick his Adam's apple, and that was when everything inside him ignited. The fire in his body surged, his heart, liver, and lungs felt as if they were sizzling, almost about to explode. Chen Jin drew in several heavy breaths, instinctively pressing forward, his voice hoarse, "Wan Wan, let's go inside, it's too cold out here."
"Wan Wan, Wan Wan…"
Lin Wan suddenly opened her eyes and turned her head, seeing the familiar face next to her. She was puzzled, wondering where that voice had come from.
"Wan Wan…"
The voice continued, faint yet persistent, like a sigh that hung in the air, both imperceptible and yet irresistibly magnetic. She gently moved the arm that was draped over her waist, sitting up to look around. The window wasn't fully closed, and the white curtains fluttered in the breeze. A faint light from the sky appeared, and the fresh air from the rain flowed in with the wind. She rubbed her temples, ignoring the soreness in her waist, and got out of bed. She picked up the clothes on the sofa and put them on, then quietly opened the door and walked outside.
It was still too early, the entire floor silent. Lin Wan tiptoed down the stairs, the lobby downstairs empty except for a service staff member sleeping at the front desk. The attached "Xi-Ti Tulan Ya" restaurant was dimly lit, and she walked out the front door. Outside, a security guard was leaning against the wall smoking. When he saw her, he approached and asked if she needed anything. She shook her head.
The rain from last night had been just enough, neither too heavy nor too light, washing away the dust on the ground. The leaves on the trees looked freshly washed, and the flowers bloomed brightly, as if they had just been made up.
Lin Wan didn't have the time to enjoy the scenery. She was carefully listening for the direction of the voice. She walked quickly, sometimes slowly, along wide and narrow roads, occasionally turning corners and crossing grass fields. When she finally stopped, she found herself in front of a misty area. The lower layer of the mist reflected a water-like color.
She suddenly stopped, looking around in confusion. How did she end up here? Ahead of her was clearly a lake, much larger than the one Chen Jin and the others had fished at yesterday. She recalled that Chen Xi had mentioned yesterday that the largest lake in the area had seen a drowning incident. It was said that a couple, opposed by their families, had drowned there. They were rumored to have turned into water ghosts, consuming livestock and children, and so the area gradually became a forbidden zone.
Lin Wan didn't believe in such legends, but recalling them now made her feel a chill. She turned to leave, but the voice sounded again, "Wan Wan…" She looked back in surprise, only to see few water birds flying up from the surface of the water. She couldn't help but look up at the sky. Was the voice coming from there? Then her heart skipped a beat. Wasn't that Wang Xiao's voice? The voice she had once been so familiar with—how could she have forgotten it?
Her heart raced, and she pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her breathing. She spoke softly, "Wang Xiao, is that you? Are you calling me?" There was no response. She looked around, left and right, at the sky, the earth, the distant mountains where the land and sky met, and murmured helplessly, "Wang Xiao, where are you? Where are you?"
The constant turning of her head made her vision blur, and she fell to the ground. She then heard Wang Xiao's voice again, "Wan Wan, I'm here."
Lin Wan turned in a daze, staring at the water surface. In the mist, there was a faint silhouette. It was him, it was Wang Xiao. She immediately burst into tears, calling his name over and over again.
"Wan Wan, are you tired?"
Lin Wan kept nodding, tired—she was so tired.
"Are you lonely?"
She nodded again, tears falling like rain.
"Come, Wan Wan..." She looked up, and the silhouette was smiling at her, opening his arms to embrace her.
She wiped her tears away and kneeled forward a few steps, but suddenly realized something was wrong. She quickly stood up and stumbled to the shore, but then stopped abruptly, biting her lip and speaking with difficulty, "Wang Xiao, I'm dirty now. Will you still want me?"
"Foolish Wan Wan, it's not your fault. You're just too lonely and too tired."
Lin Wan's tears flowed more fiercely. This was her Wang Xiao, the pure, kind little prince who would always love and tolerate her. He was her home, once was, and always would be. Thinking this, she stiffly raised her leg and took one step after another toward him…