Jiang Tianyi's understanding of intimacy was still quite old-fashioned. Their encounters usually happened late at night, with the lights off and under the covers, and he often lasted only a few minutes before surrendering, leaving Lin Mengjie perpetually unsatisfied. However, both being conservative by nature, they were too embarrassed to discuss such matters, and over the years, they had grown accustomed to this dynamic.
"Wow..." Jiang Yun, seeing his father so "valiant," was stunned for a moment before exclaiming in surprise. But he immediately regretted it and covered his mouth. Unfortunately, Lin Mengjie and Jiang Tianyi had already heard him. Lin Mengjie's face flushed bright red, and the two sprang apart like released springs. Jiang Tianyi sobered up considerably, and the three of them exchanged awkward glances, too guilty to say a word.
Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn't last long. A phone ring broke the silence, and Lin Mengjie rushed to answer it as if escaping. It turned out to be Jiang Tianyi's assistant, Xiao Liu, who had already arrived downstairs in the neighborhood.
"Um... honey, I..." Jiang Tianyi looked at his wife, wanting to say something, but being naturally inarticulate and weighed down by the awkwardness, he stammered for a while without managing to utter a word. Lin Mengjie stood by the phone, her face still flushed, pretending to wipe away nonexistent dust with a cloth while keeping her head down. Jiang Tianyi watched her, sighed, and finally said, "Take care," before picking up his luggage and heading out.
Seeing that Jiang Tianyi had really left, Lin Mengjie looked up and chased after him but stopped at the door out of shyness, saying nothing. Jiang Yun stood at the doorway. Though it was the height of summer, he suddenly felt a chill and shivered involuntarily. Lin Mengjie turned to glance at him, her expression having returned to its usual sternness, though a trace of resentment lingered in her eyes.
"Um... well... Mom... I... I'm going to do my homework, yeah, I'm going to do my homework!" Jiang Yun said before turning around and retreating into his room, closing the door behind him with a deep sigh of relief. Unlike most families where the father is strict and the mother is gentle, Jiang Yun, who had been raised by his mother since childhood, had always been deeply afraid of her stern demeanor. On the other hand, his father, who was often away from home, felt guilty for not being there for the mother and son, so he was always very tolerant toward both of them. Whenever Jiang Yun made a mistake, his mother would scold him, and then his father would step in as a shield to mediate and soothe both sides. This was the exact opposite of the typical family dynamic where the father is strict and the mother is gentle. Over time, Jiang Yun grew increasingly fearful of his mother.
This time, having accidentally interrupted his parents' intimate moment and with his "shield" of a father about to leave on another business trip today, Jiang Yun felt his future life looked bleak as he recalled the look in his mother's eyes earlier.
Jiang Yun sat on his bed, tangled in his thoughts for a long while, when he suddenly heard the sound of his door opening. Looking up, he saw his mother, Lin Mengjie. She had changed into a black professional suit, which perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure. However, Jiang Yun was in no mood to appreciate his mother's physique at that moment. The formal attire only intensified her cold and stern aura, making him almost instinctively stand up and blurt out, "Good morning, teacher!"
"School starts in a few days. I have a meeting to attend at the school. I left breakfast on the table for you—don't forget to eat!" Lin Mengjie said calmly, her gaze fixed on Jiang Yun. Though her words were the usual caring remarks, Jiang Yun couldn't help but shiver involuntarily.
"Uh... got it."
Without another word, Lin Mengjie turned and slammed the door shut, leaving behind a room filled with resentment. After his mother left, Jiang Yun wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, feeling as though he had narrowly escaped disaster.
Starving, Jiang Yun went to the living room and saw a plate of fried rice with eggs and a glass of milk on the table. He picked up his chopsticks and wolfed down the food. It had to be said that his mother's cooking skills were exceptional, which only heightened his appetite.
After eating his fill, Jiang Yun checked the time—it was already past 10 a.m. Suddenly remembering that he had made plans to watch an 11 a.m. movie with his girlfriend, Su Qing, he hurriedly got ready and rushed out to meet her.
The morning sun wasn't too harsh yet, and the park was filled with people taking leisurely strolls. Jiang Yun jogged all the way to their usual meeting spot—the fountain in the center of the park. A delicate girl was playfully splashing her hand in the water jets, sending droplets flying and creating a rainbow refraction that made the scene look dreamy and beautiful.
"Xiao Qing, sorry I'm late!" Jiang Yun panted as he ran over.
Hearing his voice, Su Qing turned around. She had been slightly annoyed at his tardiness, but seeing him drenched in sweat and looking so flustered, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. Relieved that she wasn't angry, Jiang Yun scratched his head and grinned foolishly. Amused by his silly expression, Su Qing decided to tease him a little. Putting on a stern face, she said, "Well, since your attitude isn't too bad, I might be able to forgive you... but you..." She deliberately trailed off, leaving him in suspense.
"But what? Tell me, Xiaoqing, I'll definitely do it!" Jiang Yun raised his hand, making a solemn promise.
"The death penalty may be pardoned, but the living punishment is unavoidable! Take this!"
With that, Su Qing scooped up a handful of cool water from the fountain pool and splashed it directly at Jiang Yun, who was still holding up one hand. Su Qing giggled mischievously from the side, pulling out her phone to take a picture. Only then did Jiang Yun realize that Su Qing wasn't actually angry with him—she had just been teasing him.
So, Jiang Yun also scooped up a handful of water from the pool, ready to retaliate. Su Qing was not one to back down, and the two began a water fight by the fountain. In the end, it was Jiang Yun who couldn't bear to drench Su Qing any further and conceded defeat first.
"Stop, stop, stop! Miss Su, I admit I was wrong! Please spare me!" Jiang Yun ran to the side, raising both hands in surrender.
"Now you admit you're wrong?! How dare you fight back! Stand still!" Su Qing, still holding water in her hands, chased after him. But as she ran, the water spilled out, leaving only a few droplets to flick onto Jiang Yun by the time she reached him. Seeing that Su Qing seemed unwilling to give up and was about to fetch more water from the fountain, Jiang Yun quickly wrapped his arms around her.
It was the height of summer, and they were both wearing thin, single-layered clothes that were now soaked and clinging to their bodies. Holding each other felt almost as if they were skin to skin. Through the damp fabric, the faint outline of a rosy hue on her chest was visible. Jiang Yun couldn't help but recall the intimate scene he had witnessed between his parents that morning, and his breathing grew noticeably quicker.
"Jiang Yun..." Su Qing sensed that something was off with him—his embrace had tightened considerably—and she called his name softly.
"Ah...? Uh... Xiaoqing, let's go. We'll miss the start of the movie if we don't hurry!" Jiang Yun snapped out of his thoughts, brushing off whatever had been on his mind.
"Okay, but you're still all wet!"
"It's fine, it feels pretty cool actually. On such a hot day, we'll be dry by the time we walk to the cinema!"
"Well then... want to cool off a bit more?"
"No, no, no! I'd rather wait and buy an ice cream at the cinema to cool down!"
"Just one?"
"Two, two!"
"Hehe."
Laughing and joking, the two left the park and headed toward the cinema.