Take it back! Recall it!

Chapter 13

Jian Yue didn't take the offer "let's work out together sometime" as a polite platitude.

From Tuesday to Friday, she reined in her enthusiasm. It wasn't until Friday night, when Lin Zhengmo was truly free, that she cautiously sent a WeChat message:

[Teacher Lin, it's Saturday tomorrow. Want to go work out together?]

Lin Zhengmo replied with a "Yes."

That single "Yes" cost Jian Yue a sleepless night. She mentally rehearsed what to wear, which route to take, and what expressions to use.

Lying in bed at night, Jian Yue stared into space, recalling how she and Lin Zhengmo had fallen in love. Their meeting was purely accidental—they'd met in a group chat for civil service exam applicants.

At first, Jian Yue had just shared exam tips. Later, Lin Zhengmo succeeded in the exam and started working...

Until one day, Jian Yue learned the other's name was Lin Zhengmo.

Lin Zhengmo?

Wasn't she the new English teacher next door?

Jian Yue remembered her well: stunningly beautiful, soft-spoken, quiet, gentle, with a smile that evoked the "white moonlight" archetype.

Colleagues said the girl was extremely polite.

But Jian Yue thought excessive politeness bordered on hypocrisy. Out of curiosity, she began observing Lin Zhengmo.

She noticed that when alone, Lin Zhengmo rarely smiled, preferring to work quietly and independently. Though appearing meek, she had strong opinions. She'd leave promptly after work with her laptop bag, only ate in silence during team building activities, and eventually stopped going altogether.

In others' eyes, Lin Zhengmo wasn't very sociable.

She'd always wanted to be invisible.

But her beauty made invisibility impossible, so she often became the topic of gossip.

When her gaze unconsciously lingered on Lin Zhengmo, Jian Yue knew she'd fallen into a vortex belonging solely to Lin Zhengmo, with no hope of escape.

A phone notification popped up: [Baby, my superior asked me to work out tomorrow!]

Jian Yue replied: [Ah! She asked you out? Are you nervous?]

Lin Zhengmo: [Not really.]

Lin Zhengmo: [Well, maybe a little.]

Jian Yue teased her: [Right, she's so difficult to get along with. Being nervous is only natural.]

Lin Zhengmo refused to concede: [I never said she's difficult.]

Jian Yue smiled at the screen: [Is that so? You've said it many times before.]

Ever since Jian Yue gave Lin Zhengmo candy that day, Lin Zhengmo had stopped calling her cold. Perhaps feeling her previous prejudice was wrong, she even forbade Ahhh from speaking ill of Jian Yue.

Jian Yue thought self-reflection was rare in this world, and Lin Zhengmo was one of the few.

Sometimes she'd deliberately provoke her: [You said your boss is bad! She's a bad woman!]

In a hurry, Lin Zhengmo would send a voice message: "She's not! She's nice. Don't make fun of her."

Just as Jian Yue was about to tease her more, another message popped up: [Wanna see bubbles?]

"See bubbles" was their bedtime code.

Every night, Jian Yue had a "KPI" to send at least one photo to Lin Zhengmo, who acted like her superior, dictating angles and styles.

Sometimes Lin Zhengmo would comment bluntly, leaving Jian Yue flustered—who knew the gentle Teacher Lin could say such things?

"I'm going to take a shower first!"

"Wait for you."

In the dead of night, Lin Zhengmo lay in her apartment's small bed. Mid-May brought heat, and the fan hummed cool air.

Ahhh usually took thirty minutes to shower, during which Lin Zhengmo handled work.

By the time she finished, the other would be done too.

[What do you want to see tonight?]

[Below the collarbone.]

[?] Ahhh was typing: [You're getting more and more adept at this.]

Lin Zhengmo played along: [That's not what you said last time. We had a great time then.]

"Great time" for who...

Jian Yue thought. I'm the one sending photos every day!

Lin Zhengmo was bold online, especially with Jian Yue. Jian Yue often wondered: Did English majors lose sensitivity to Chinese? How could she speak so bluntly?

[Here you go.]

[I want that angle.] Leader Lin gave orders: [Shoot from above like last time, show the dip.]

They weren't that bold—Jian Yue still wore underwear.

[You like it that much?] Jian Yue provoked.

[Yes.] Lin Zhengmo texted.

[Say it in a voice message.] Jian Yue pressed on.

Seconds later,

Whoosh.

A voice message.

"Yeah, I like looking at it."

Lin Zhengmo's voice was flat, like plain water, but the content was like carbonated soda, making Jian Yue's ears burn.

Jian Yue's skin flushed. She sent the photo as requested, then curled up under the covers, heart pounding.

After a minute or two, Lin Zhengmo sent two words:

[More.]

Jian Yue: ???

[What else do you want to see?]

[I'm starting to wonder if you want my body or me.]

Lin Zhengmo was honest: [Both.]

Jian Yue: [What about before we started sending photos?]

Lin Zhengmo: [I only loved your soul then.]

Lin Zhengmo: [But now it's different.]

Too much honesty was a sin!

But Jian Yue loved this bluntness.

All along, Jian Yue had promptly fulfilled every request, sending maybe 20 photos, while Lin Zhengmo had sent almost none.

[Can we switch roles tonight? Let me see you too.]

[Mine aren't as full as yours.]

Pfft—

Jian Yue almost spat out blood at the screen.

Lin Zhengmo, you...

Fine, you English majors really are insensitive to Chinese.

Dirty talk came so naturally.

[Mine aren't that full either?] Jian Yue replied.

Barely a handful.

[Better than mine. I'm flat.]

Jian Yue laughed at the screen and typed: [But I didn't say I wanted to see that part.]

[Oh, I thought that's what you meant.] Lin Zhengmo's next message: [I was just about to say that's not appropriate.]

[Not appropriate?]

Who'd been begging for photos every night?

Lin Zhengmo was typing. The screen showed: [I'm shy.]

Shy?

Does that fit?

Jian Yue could imagine the expression on the other side—probably blank, which was the biggest tease of all. Lin Zhengmo excelled at seducing with a straight face.

[Then send me a "shy" photo.]

Lin Zhengmo didn't reply. After a few minutes, just as Jian Yue lost hope, she received a voice call.

Jian Yue answered instantly.

"Hello?"

"I took a photo."

"Eh? Why didn't you send it?"

Lin Zhengmo was silent for a moment, then said: "I want you to look at it while on the phone."

This woman...

Jian Yue's second thought: There's less than 1% of Lin Zhengmo explored.

She cleared her throat. "Okay."

Calm on the surface, stormy within.

Jian Yue set the call to float and looked at the chat history. Honestly, she couldn't imagine what photo Lin Zhengmo had taken.

She thought Lin Zhengmo was a giant in words but a coward in actions—surely she wouldn't reveal anything inappropriate.

A photo popped up in the chat.

It was pitch black. Opening it, Jian Yue could make out vague outlines, but—

It was too dark!

She turned up her phone's brightness to max, still nothing.

"Honey, the photo's too dark. I can't see it."

"Save it to your album," Lin Zhengmo said.

Jian Yue did as told, her curiosity piqued. She felt Lin Zhengmo was teasing her, which fit her style.

"Done. Now what?"

"Increase the exposure, set shadows to 50, contrast to 10, then adjust the color levels."

It was like unwrapping a gift, layer by layer. The photo gradually cleared.

First Lin Zhengmo's cheeks, features, lips...

Wearing a low-cut camisole, her straight collarbone...

As the contrast increased, Jian Yue saw the full photo.

In an instant, she sucked in a breath, her face flushing scarlet!!!

Take it back!

Recall it!