Zhou Yunting had said the words.
And he followed through with his actions.
Especially at a time like this, he understood human nature, and therefore he understood what a woman’s answer would be in such a moment.
Ask her if she was willing?
That would only be asking for trouble.
Given how flustered she was just now, barely able to string a sentence together, her answer would surely be a timid “no.”
So what to do?
But he wanted it.
So he didn’t give her a chance to retreat. He lowered his head and pressed his lips directly onto hers.
The instant their lips touched, Shen Hua went completely rigid.
Her mind went blank, every thought scattered by the sudden warmth. She forgot to breathe, her chest tightening, her face burning so hot that the flush spread from her cheeks to her earlobes and even down the back of her neck.
Her lashes fluttered wildly, but she didn’t dare open her eyes to look at him. Her body was stiff as a board, her hands clutching the hem of her skirt until her knuckles turned white.
Zhou Yunting could clearly feel the softness of her lips. He was rarely this patient, taking his time to trace the outline of her mouth, then deepening the kiss… angling in to explore, tangling with her…
Just as he was about to go further, he noticed the person in his arms was unnaturally stiff.
It seemed… she was very inexperienced.
He frowned slightly and slowly pulled back a little.
Seeing Shen Hua’s eyes rimmed with red and her lips even more vivid from his kiss, he let out a quiet laugh. His fingertip brushed across her burning cheek. “What kind of reaction is this?”
A moment later, looking at her dazed and at a loss, his eyes darkened and his voice dropped. “First time?”
Shen Hua’s mind was muddled. All she could smell was the unfamiliar scent of a man, so overwhelming it made it hard to breathe. She wanted to speak, but only a choked sob came out.
Zhou Yunting paused, then asked again, “First kiss?”
Shen Hua was silent for a long time before she found her voice and gave a soft “Mm.”
It was a delicate, thin sound, tinged with grievance.
As if she might cry.
To be honest.
Zhou Yunting realized belatedly that he had moved too fast. But more than that, he was wary of causing trouble for himself.
Because of his special status in Hong Kong.
No matter how much he wanted to go deeper, he restrained himself and released her abruptly.
The figure in front of him suddenly vanished. Zhou Yunting stepped back decisively, and the scent of cedar that had enveloped her faded as well.
Shen Hua was still frozen in place. Her lashes trembled for a long time before she slowly opened her eyes, her mind still in chaos.
She didn’t dare look at the person beside her. So at the time, she thought Lin Qinghuai might be feeling pressured after learning it was her first kiss.
Or worried that he had been too abrupt.
So, with good intentions, she said, “It’s okay. You didn’t mean it. You didn’t know before.”
She gave him an out, and Zhou Yunting took it.
With seemingly gentlemanly courtesy, he asked her if she still wanted to watch the movie. Or maybe he should take her back first.
Shen Hua said yes.
On the way back, they were both silent again.
When they reached the school, as Shen Hua got out of the car, Zhou Yunting said gently, “I’m going to be a bit busy for a while. I have to go abroad.”
Shen Hua genuinely thought he was busy, so she waved and said, “It’s fine. Go ahead.”
Back in the dormitory, Shen Hua was feeling a little elated. She recounted the day’s events to Xu Manjin, saying how much Lin Qinghuai respected her.
After finding out it was her first kiss, he hadn’t pushed at all. Instead, he had stepped back gracefully and gentlemanly driven her back to school.
That thoughtfulness secretly earned him extra points.
She even couldn’t help hoping to continue spending time with him.
But that hope gradually faded as days passed.
For nearly two weeks after that, Lin Qinghuai disappeared without a trace, not sending a single message.
When it came to relationships, Shen Hua was never the proactive type.
In daily life, she was lively and spirited, even a little wild and carefree, but the moment feelings got involved, she turned into a timid blank slate.
She had Lin Qinghuai’s WeChat saved. She opened the chat countless times, typing and deleting words in the input box, but never daring to send a single message.
Day after day went by. Xu Manjin saw Shen Hua constantly staring at her phone in a daze and started cursing Lin Qinghuai as a jerk.
Shen Hua listened, but she herself wasn’t so confident anymore. She felt that she and Lin Qinghuai were probably done.
Before long, early winter arrived. The wind carried a chill, and the camphor trees at Hong Kong University shed leaves all over the ground.
Shen Hua’s emotions came and went quickly. Soon she threw herself back into her wonderful life and studies.
Perhaps because of her striking looks, Shen Hua and Xu Manjin were already well-known on campus. For one, Shen Hua had entered Hong Kong University with top scores in her major and a full scholarship, so many professors remembered her well. They knew a lot of people.
One morning, a senior from her department suddenly messaged, asking if the two of them were willing to play at a private event.
“Consider it practice for your stage presence, and there’s payment too. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”
The senior said she had something urgent come up and couldn’t make it, so she thought of asking them to fill in.
As soon as Xu Manjin heard “money and practice,” she agreed immediately.
Shen Hua was still hesitating, but Xu Manjin patted her shoulder and urged, “The senior said it’s just playing cello in a private restaurant, like a piano in a Western restaurant. Just adds atmosphere for the guests. Nothing else, totally safe!”
Seeing Xu Manjin agree so readily, Shen Hua nodded too. They agreed to take turns, each playing for an hour the next day.
On the agreed day, after asking around, they found out the restaurant had a cello ready, so they went empty-handed.
The owner was a short-haired woman in her forties, with sharp, capable features. When she saw them, she smiled with narrowed eyes and pulled them in, chattering, “Ah Sheng finally found me two good girls. This place is finally getting some life back!”
The owner’s politeness was clearly an understatement.
When Shen Hua and Xu Manjin followed her through the French double doors, they realized this was no ordinary private restaurant.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a neatly trimmed courtyard. Inside, dark wood paneling and patterned velvet, dim and soft lighting, tables spaced far apart. Servers walked past with silver trays, their voices deliberately subdued.
This was clearly a high-end private dining venue. The guests were well-dressed, every gesture composed and steady. The two of them were at most a bit of elegant ornamentation for the evening.
But since they had come with the mindset of gaining experience, they didn’t mind.
The corner for playing was next to a window-side table. The cello was already set up on a stand, and beside it sat a grand piano, its lid half-open, keys glowing with a warm sheen.
Xu Manjin plucked a string. The tone was clear and deep. She couldn’t help murmuring, “This cello is way better than the school’s.”
The owner came over then, knowing they were from the mainland, and explained in Cantonese-accented Mandarin, “The girl who usually plays the piano couldn’t make it today. We have a full set of instruments here—violin, flute, everything. The guests like listening to classical music.”
Shen Hua glanced at the storage rack in the corner and indeed saw several instruments. It was a place with some taste.
When evening came and dinner service began, they went to the back to change into simple white dresses.
Xu Manjin suggested rock-paper-scissors to decide who went first. Shen Hua lost, so she took a deep breath and stepped up.
Her heart was actually pounding.
She had never played in such a setting before. She could almost hear the guests’ breathing.
But the moment her gaze landed on the cello, she steadied herself. As she walked out from the back, she focused only on her own corner, oblivious to the gazes around her.
She first tightened the pegs to tune, the low notes sinking deep.
After confirming the pitch was correct, she raised the bow and slowly drew the first note.
She chose a gentle classical piece. The bow glided across the strings, the tone soaking into the dim light like warm water.
Her eyes were lowered, long lashes casting faint shadows on her cheeks. She followed the melody’s rise and fall, not even noticing when she fully melted into the atmosphere.
And naturally, she didn’t see that at the window table diagonally in front of her, a pair of eyes were fixed firmly on her.