Their lips met, their breaths mingling.
It was a long, urgent kiss, as though they meant to make up in that single moment for every feeling they had suppressed, missed out on, and waited for over the past twenty-odd years.
A strange tension filled the air, mingled with the faint scent of her perfume, the sweat of her journey, and the smell of plastic from the supermarket shopping bags he carried.
Everything seemed so ill-timed, yet so perfectly natural.
Wang Xiaoliang's mind went blank. All his reason and calculations had crumbled the moment he touched her soft lips.
Only his most primal instinct remained.
Hold her tight. Tighter.
Wei Zijin was the same.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, responding clumsily but passionately.
Desire suppressed for over twenty years found its complete release in that moment.
There was no romantic candlelight, no careful preparation, not even an extra word of love.
Everything fell into place so naturally.
Two rare humans who, for their own particular reasons, were still "untouched" finally made each other whole in that moment.
When everything grew still, only their mingled breathing remained in the room.
Wei Zijin's cheeks were so red they looked ready to bleed. She buried herself beneath the covers, leaving only a pair of moist eyes peeking out at Wang Xiaoliang.
She shifted, seemingly about to get up.
"I'll go... take a shower."
Her voice was barely a whisper, carrying an almost imperceptible tremor.
But Wang Xiaoliang caught her and drew her back into his arms.
His movements were gentle, yet brooked no refusal.
"Don't."
He nuzzled into the crook of her neck and breathed in deeply.
"You smell lovely."
He paused, then added something else.
"Even your sweat smells nice."
Wei Zijin went rigid for an instant. Then warmth surged from