Warm Water Burns, Chapter 19

Fu Lanzhuo noticed the faint pink creeping along her ear tips. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and he picked up the book she’d been reading.

After using the restroom, Wen Yan headed to the shelf area to browse.

The section she was browsing was likely the one Fu Lanzhuo had visited earlier, because the shelves here were lined with science fiction novels. Her eyes landed on Kim Cho-yeop’s *If We Can’t Travel at the Speed of Light*, and she reached out to pull it from the shelf.

When she returned to the meeting room, Fu Lanzhuo was exactly as before—focused on his laptop, reviewing work materials. She didn’t disturb him. After quietly closing the door, she made her way back to her seat.

“Back?” Fu Lanzhuo turned his head.

Wen Yan nodded and held up the book for him to see. “Have you read this one?”

“No.”

“Then keep working. I’m going to read.” Wen Yan settled into her chair with the book.

Fu Lanzhuo noticed how careful she was not to disturb him. Her temperament matched her age perfectly—a studious, gentle, well-behaved student.

“Wen Yan.” Hearing Fu Lanzhuo call her name, Wen Yan looked over. Her bright, dark eyes met his.

“Mm?”

He simply wanted to say her name.

But those dark, luminous eyes made him want more than just calling out to her. After half a second of silence, he asked, “Do you have any hobbies?”

“Besides reading.”

It seemed like he was trying to get to know her.

“Drawing. Reading. Watching movies. Listening to music. What about you, gege?”

“Me?”

“Quite a few. Horseback riding, rock climbing, hiking…”

Before he could finish, Fu Lanzhuo’s phone, resting beside his laptop, rang. He picked it up and gave Wen Yan a small wave. “Let me take this call first.”

“Mm.”

This call was longer than any before—about ten minutes, conducted in German. Wen Yan had watched a few German films and could only catch a handful of common words. The rest was incomprehensible. She focused her attention on the book in her hands.

After finishing the call, Fu Lanzhuo checked two emails on his laptop before resuming his conversation with Wen Yan.

They ended up discussing their ages.

“You’re born in ’03, right?”

“No, I’m ’04,” Wen Yan said. “But my ID says ’03. My grandmother changed it… When I was little, she thought I was clever, so she wanted me to start school a year early.”

Fu Lanzhuo’s brow creased—barely perceptible, so slight that Wen Yan wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t been watching him steadily. Fu Lanzhuo hadn’t considered that the birth year on her ID might not be accurate.

“When’s your birthday?” Fu Lanzhuo asked.

Wen Yan looked at him. “June twenty-third.”

Seemingly aware of the subtle shift in his expression, she curved her lips. “Don’t worry, gege. I’m an adult.”

Fu Lanzhuo watched her. “Then guess how old I am.”

Fu Lanzhuo actually looked very young. If not for his formal, professional attire and his mature, cool demeanor, one might assume he was roughly the same age as any male college student standing beside him. Wen Yan thought about it seriously for a moment. “Around twenty-four?”

Fu Lanzhuo’s mouth curved into a smile. “You think I’m much younger than I am.”

“You’re not?”

“No.”

“Then how old are you?”

“Guess again.”

Fu Lanzhuo seemed reluctant to simply state his age.

But this was something they had to face.

“Mm… over thirty?” Wen Yan’s dark eyes traveled over him.

“Not that old.”

“Twenty-six?”

Fu Lanzhuo decided not to make her struggle any longer. “I was born in ’94. I’m twenty-eight this year.”

That made him ten years older than her.

Wen Yan blinked.

“Does it bother you?” Fu Lanzhuo asked, his voice a little heavy.

Wen Yan shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

She’d already said it—she didn’t mind a large age gap.

In her eyes there was innocence, sincerity, and a calm that transcended her years. It was something Fu Lanzhuo had never seen in anyone else—not even in people far older than Wen Yan.

She was only eighteen.

Fu Lanzhuo said nothing. But his hand moved without restraint, reaching over to touch Wen Yan’s cheek.

Compared to before, the temperature he felt this time wasn’t as cool. His palm was broad and warm, and Wen Yan’s cheek grew hot beneath his touch.

Night deepened, stretching toward nine o’clock.

In the meeting room, Fu Lanzhuo and Wen Yan stopped talking. They gathered their things and left the library together. Fu Lanzhuo drove Wen Yan back to her dorm.

Back in the dorm, everyone was present except Qiu Xue. Xiao Xinrui and Zhong Youyou were both there, discussing Xiao Xinrui’s outing with Zhou Jinyu today.

“We’re not together yet! We just watched a movie. After the movie, we each went back to our own dorms. But!! He bought me this ice cream, and he said we can hang out again next week, haha. He mentioned he’s really looking forward to Xiao Yunhuai’s new film *Corridor of Dreams*. It comes out next week.” Xiao Xinrui held an ice cream cone covered in rainbow sprinkles, licking it between sentences as she talked to Zhong Youyou. Spotting Wen Yan walking over, she reached out and grabbed her arm. “Yan Yan, you’re back!”

It was obvious she was in a great mood. After more than half a month of living together, they’d learned that when Xiao Xinrui was happy, she’d instinctively get physically affectionate—throwing an arm around someone, pulling them into a hug. Wen Yan hummed in acknowledgment and asked, “Did you just get back too?”

Xiao Xinrui still had her crossbody bag on and hadn’t changed out of her shoes into slippers.

“Yep. Just finished watching the movie with Zhou Jinyu.”

Wen Yan’s lips curved. “Did you have a good time?”

“Aiyah, it wasn’t a date or anything. Just a movie. I wanted to confess to him, but I feel like the timing isn’t right yet. I’ll give it more time. I’m still not sure if Zhou Jinyu likes me. What if he doesn’t feel anything? That would be so embarrassing, and we wouldn’t even be able to stay friends.” Xiao Xinrui licked her ice cream again.

She’d had a very full day—volunteer activities with the Youth Volunteer Association in the morning, lunch with her club in the afternoon, and then the movie with Zhou Jinyu afterward.

Zhong Youyou rested her chin in her hand and analyzed, “He already went to a movie with you, and he’s planning another outing next week. He’s definitely interested.”

The analysis sent goosebumps racing across Xiao Xinrui’s skin. She couldn’t contain her excitement. “You finally said something nice, Youyou!”

Listening to them chat, Wen Yan hung her backpack on the back of her chair. Her thoughts drifted to her and Fu Lanzhuo. It had all happened so fast.

They hadn’t known each other long. They didn’t even attend the same university. They weren’t the same age. The gaps between them were vast in every direction. And yet they were together.

That afternoon, on the sixth floor of Xilan Cafeteria, he’d confessed to her.

A copy of *Stray Birds* lay on her desk. Wen Yan couldn’t help picking it up, flipping to a random page. Her gaze settled on the words:

*Life is given to us,*
*we earn it*
*by giving it away.*

Her phone seemed to be ringing inside her backpack. Wen Yan turned and fished it out. It was a message from Fu Lanzhuo.

Yuanning: [132xx907]

Yuanning: [This is the phone number of Wei Xiang, the head chef on the sixth floor of Xilan Cafeteria. From now on, you can go to the sixth floor anytime. If there’s something you want to eat, just let him know in advance. He can make anything for you.]

Wen Yan’s blinking slowed by a beat. She pressed her lips together.

She typed back: [It’s really fine. The other floors have plenty of good food too.]

Fu Lanzhuo seemed to have many privileges at the university. He could arrange anything with ease.

Yuanning: [If you want to go to the sixth floor, go. It’s quiet there.]

Knowing he meant well, Wen Yan agreed: [Okay.]

[Haven’t you headed home yet?]

Surely he wasn’t texting while driving.

Yuanning: [Just stopped by the convenience store for a pack of cigarettes. Heading back now.]

Zhemuw: [Drive safe.]

Yuanning: [Mm.]

Yuanning: [I’ll let you know when I’m home.]

Wen Yan sent back a nodding cat sticker.

…

After showering and drying her hair, it was already ten at night. Wen Yan climbed into bed with her phone and the copy of *If We Can’t Travel at the Speed of Light* she’d borrowed from the library tonight.

She’d only read a few pages of it at the library.

Xiao Xinrui and Zhong Youyou were both in their beds too. The dorm was quiet. Wen Yan had a small white reading lamp at her bedside. She lay on her stomach, switched it on, and planned to read for a while before sleeping.

Before opening the book, she instinctively checked her phone first.

Nothing. Fu Lanzhuo hadn’t sent her a message.

Last night, when she’d finished her shower and was still drying her hair, Fu Lanzhuo had already been home. But tonight seemed later.

Her lashes dipped. Wen Yan typed out a message on her own initiative: [Haven’t you gotten home yet, gege?]

The reply came quickly.

Yuanning: [Just arrived.]

Yuanning: [Was about to message you.]

Zhemuw: [What a coincidence.]

Yuanning: [Mm.]

Yuanning: [What are you doing?]