CFL 12

Wen Ci lay stunned on the bed, holding his phone and unsure of how to respond. After pondering for a while, he put down the phone to freshen up, hoping to clear his head before replying.

[W: Do you really not understand?]

[W: (A puzzled soybean tilting its head.jpg)]

Designers are always imaginative, and Jiang Yufeng could almost picture Wen Ci leaning in, wearing an earnest and puzzled expression.

[Yf: Hmm.]

[W: Then I’ll send you a picture.]

[Yf: ?]

[W: (Chick head emoji)]

[Yf: …]

Wen Ci felt he had made himself very clear. Just as he was about to type something, he heard the sound of someone walking in slippers—thud, thud, thud—likely his mother. He quickly hid his phone under the quilt, closed his eyes peacefully, and soon the door was opened just a tiny crack. His mother’s eyes scanned the room like an infrared probe, finally settling on the dark gray checkered bedsheet.

After confirming everything, she quietly closed the door again.

Wen Ci opened his eyes and replied on his phone.

[W: I’m going to sleep now. My mom doesn’t let me stay up late. Goodnight, we’ll talk tomorrow.]

[W: Sweet dreams~ (Red, yellow, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet/heart)]

[Yf: Goodnight.]

The next day, before ten o’clock, Wen Ci’s mother entered the room with a broom. She first pulled open the curtains and opened the windows to ventilate and disperse any odors, then began to sweep noisily.

Wen Ci turned over in bed, his eyes almost blinded by the bright light, and he reluctantly got up to freshen up.

After breakfast, Wen Ci’s father went to work, and his mother sat under the carport with a large sunflower fan, chatting and laughing with the neighbors. Wen Ci got dressed, put on a straw hat, and went to the fish pond to catch shrimp.

A new day, new flirtations, hoping to find a partner soon and enjoy some intimacy. It felt reassuring.

But Wen Ci had never flirted before and wasn’t sure if he was doing it right. He knew that theoretical knowledge was shallow without practice. If Lu Xuesong were here, he might have gotten a lot of advice, but he couldn’t ask Lu Xuesong how to reply to every single message. It was better to figure it out on his own.

He sat on a low stool, setting up a small shade for himself. A wild cat hiding in the grass came over, its tail swaying lazily as it walked to Wen Ci’s feet to cool off.

Wen Ci took several photos of the cat with his phone, then took a picture of the fish gathered in the pond, and also captured a few little shrimps in a basin, as proof of his two hours of labor.

He took pictures of whatever he found interesting and shared them all with his senior.

Jiang Yufeng went to the grocery store early in the morning, having arranged to help the workers move goods. Zhao Shuran stood by, holding a small flag to cheer them on and supervise.

Jiang Yufeng wore a black tank top and loose trousers, his figure tall and sturdy, with muscles that looked incredibly firm even when exposed.

He signed for the delivery, then moved the goods, followed by handing them over, and after sending the people away, he had to sit down and check the accounts. He didn’t stop all morning, and his phone kept vibrating on the glass table.

It even caught Zhao Shuran’s attention. She asked, “Have you taken on a lot of orders recently? We’re not short of money now, so why are you pushing yourself so hard?”

Jiang Yufeng had actually been taking a break and hadn’t taken on any orders; it was purely due to someone’s early morning harassment.

He just frowned, not planning to speak. Zhao Shuran was used to his aloofness and didn’t press further.

At noon, Zhao Shuran went to the small kitchen and quickly made two bowls of noodles, which they ate at a small wooden table.

Jiang Yufeng opened his phone to reply to messages.

Wen Ci made himself a bowl of instant noodles, spicy beef flavor. He poured boiling water over them, and the aroma of spicy beef filled the kitchen instantly—it smelled and tasted great!

He took a photo and sent it over.

[W: This is my lunch today. Have you eaten? Why aren’t you replying to me? Are you busy?]

A series of questions.

For some reason, Wen Ci felt that his senior was quite aloof, probably because they weren’t familiar enough yet.

He didn’t even know what major or college his senior was from, or even his name.

[W: Senior, what’s your name? Is it convenient to tell me?]

[Yf: Not convenient.]

[W: Then I won’t say mine either.]

[Yf: The photos you sent can easily reveal your location, and even personal information.]

Wen Ci hadn’t thought of that, but in fact, he wasn’t afraid of being exposed.

[W: So do you know who I am?]

[Yf: No.]

[W: Don’t worry, I’m a good person, just like you.]

[Yf: …]

Wen Ci bit the end of his chopsticks, his cheeks flushed red as he quietly typed a line.

[W: Do you like those photos?]

[W: Did they make you react?]

After a long silence with no reply, Wen Ci added a note.

[W: I’m just asking. It’s okay if you don’t want to say.]

[Yf: Hmm.]

Wen Ci couldn’t tell which of his messages this “hmm” was a reply to, but it was probably just part of the flirtatious banter.

[W: Then I want to see yours. Can I?]

It didn’t matter if the face wasn’t up to par, as long as the body was good, with a strong, athletic build and someone who knew how to move well.

He felt a sense of satisfaction just thinking about it.

Wen Ci bit his chopsticks and daydreamed endlessly.

[Yf: Do you really want to see?]

[W: Yeah, I really want to see Senior’s.]

[Yf: Senior will show you next time.]

Jiang Yufeng thought of the pictures saved in his photo album. The second time, the skirt-wearing photos didn’t turn out as well as the first, but the actions were naive and innocent enough. Due to the angle, a part of the soft, snowy white buttocks was revealed, making one want to touch and feel the tremble.

The noodles had become a lump, and Jiang Yufeng ate them expressionlessly. As he looked up, he saw Zhao Shuran looking at him thoughtfully.

Zhao Shuran extended her fingers and began to count: “You haven’t taken on any new orders recently, yet your phone keeps vibrating non-stop. You’re even looking at your phone while eating, and when you reply to messages, you have this… excited look on your face?”

“…”

Zhao Shuran’s education was limited, and she really couldn’t find the right adjective to describe the strange changes in her son.

In summary, Zhao Shuran propped her chin on her hand and concluded, “You’re in love?”

Jiang Yufeng denied it: “No.”

Zhao Shuran: “Then who are you replying to, that you won’t even eat?”

Jiang Yufeng had narrow eyelids and didn’t like to make big expressions, always maintaining a calm and mature, indifferent face.

“A junior student.”

“…?” Zhao Shuran suspected she had traveled through time, “You’re a freshman this year. Where did you get a junior student? Are you chatting with high school students?”

“Not high school students,” Jiang Yufeng was concise, “A classmate.”

Zhao Shuran didn’t quite understand the trends among young people these days, “Oh, I see, you’re role-playing as senior and junior.”

Jiang Yufeng neither confirmed nor denied.

Zhao Shuran poked his arm with her finger: “But you should also think about your own life matters. It doesn’t matter to mom whether it’s a guy or a girl.”

Jiang Yufeng liked peace and quiet, except for work. Wen Ci had spent the whole morning bombarding his phone, and Wen Ci was getting a bit clingy.

Jiang Yufeng said, “Dating is troublesome.”

He was so patient now just because Wen Ci’s figure and face perfectly matched his aesthetic preferences, nothing more.

Zhao Shuran laughed, picked up her bowl and chopsticks, and went to the kitchen.

In the afternoon, Wen Ci took a low stool to the village grocery store to eat a popsicle. In the south, it was hard to get into autumn, and the air still carried a hint of summer’s stuffy heat.

Wen Ci, sucking on his popsicle, sent quite a few photos to the other party, and the senior replied very patiently.

Although they were all very simple syllables, like “hmm,” “okay,” and so on, others might not have been able to tolerate it.

But the first person Wen Ci had ever pursued was Jiang Yufeng. In comparison, oh my gosh, the senior was amazing.

Although Lu Xuesong was a bit eccentric at times, he was still useful in critical moments. Online dating was not bad, and he started to look forward to meeting in person.

During the holiday, there were many tourists, and Wen Ci’s father couldn’t come home on time. The two of them ate dinner at around ten o’clock. Wen Ci’s father brought back a roast chicken from outside, and the family of three sat around the coffee table for a late-night snack.

Before eating, Wen Ci took a photo and sent it to the senior. After finishing, he went back to his room and found that the senior still hadn’t replied.

Wen Ci couldn’t quite describe his feelings; probably he felt the roast chicken had been wasted.

But he also had to consider the other person’s feelings, so Wen Ci thought for a moment and sent a message to the senior.

[W: Because it’s the holiday and I have nothing to do at home, I talk a lot. I just want to chat with you.]

Wen Ci held his phone and waited for about ten minutes.

[Yf: It’s okay, I’m busy.]

[W: I’ll know my limits. Don’t hate me.]

[Yf: I don’t hate you.]

[W: (Happy soybean)]

[W: Actually, if we could meet in person, we wouldn’t have to go through this troublesome chatting~]

Jiang Yufeng obviously paused for a moment before typing.

[Yf: It’s not troublesome.]

[W: Wow, you’re so nice (heart)]

Jiang Yufeng stared at this message, thinking that Wen Ci had no idea it was him on the other end. Just a few days ago, he had planned to confess to him, and now he was flirting with a “stranger” online. The other party was probably casting a wide net, fishing for potential partners.

Jiang Yufeng put down his phone expressionlessly. The study door was knocked, and he said in a deep voice to come in.

Zhao Shuran held a plate of sliced apple pieces: “Do you want some?”

Jiang Yufeng glanced down and hummed in affirmation, about to get up, when he looked up and saw Zhao Shuran silently staring at him.

Jiang Yufeng’s dark pupils fixed on her.

Zhao Shuran leaned against the door frame: “Your expression just now was really bad. Did you get dumped?”

Jiang Yufeng’s face was even colder than before: “We haven’t even started dating yet.”