That morning, I was yanked out of a perfectly good sleep by my mom and dragged downstairs for breakfast. I thought it was just a regular family meal, but turns out… it was a welcome-back feast for that bastard, Jiang Shuo.

He sat across from me, looking devastatingly handsome in a tailored wine-red suit that caught the light just right. Still as sleek, polished, and full of himself as ever.

I looked down at myself: Cinnamoroll plush slippers, an oversized StellaLou pajama set, and a bird’s nest for hair.

My heart sank straight to my boots. Game over. A lifetime of carefully curated dignity, down the drain. I gave my mom a look that could kill across space-time dimensions.

“Mom, honest question… am I adopted? Why on earth would you let me meet a guest looking like this?”

My mom didn’t even blink, casually clutching her designer bag. “You two grew up attached at the hip. Is there any embarrassing side of you he hasn’t seen? Besides, let’s call this… cozy chic.”

Jiang Shuo looked over, a trace of amusement glinting in his eyes. He was in an unnaturally good mood. “Tsu Yi-mo,” he said, his voice deep and smooth, “long time no see.”

Us? “Childhood sweethearts”? Please. “Sworn enemies” was more like it.

Ever since we were kids, whenever I spoke, he made snide comments. Whenever I sat down to study, he kicked my chair. He trailed behind me like a shadow, tattling on me to our parents every time he didn’t get his way. Thanks to him, I didn’t have a single normal friend throughout high school. Luckily, he was shipped abroad for university, and I finally got a chance to breathe.

Who could have guessed he’d breeze through a seven-year program in four? Now he was back, fresh off the plane—a walking, breathing nightmare.

The absolute climax hit when both sets of parents cheerfully started referring to each other as “in-laws.” My head throbbed.

“Wait, what? A corporate alliance? We literally just sat down for breakfast—how did we jump straight to an engagement?!”

Jiang Shuo’s mom added fuel to the fire with a nostalgic beam. “When he was little, he used to cry and throw tantrums, swearing he’d marry Little Mo when he grew up. Finally, his dream is coming true!”

I nearly spat my orange juice right into his face. Which kid threw a tantrum back then screaming he’d never be my friend again?! Match made in heaven, my foot! This was literally just a lifetime of mutual assault—now with a marriage license.

After being dragged into this arranged marriage, our relationship could be summed up in one word: hate. He had the money, he had the looks, but just staring at his face made me want to flatten it.

Then came the night my best friend got her heart broken. I dropped serious cash on eight male models to “console” her at a high-end lounge. Just as I was enjoying the royal treatment, wrapped in the arms of fine men on either side, Jiang Shuo stormed through the doors.

The rims of his eyes were flushed red. He glared at the guys surrounding me and gritted out, “You’re this demanding… do you really think these boys can satisfy you?”

The guy who always put on a cold, untouchable act actually dropped to his knees right before me. His eyes were intoxicating, his voice lowered into a deep, velvety coax: “Let me do it… please?”

…

“Jiang Shuo, get the hell off me!”

I slapped him across the face and shoved him away, clutching my aching waist as I sat up, cursing. The blow snapped his head to the side, leaving a bright red handprint on his pale skin. But he didn’t get angry. On the contrary, he let out a dangerously soft laugh.

“Why?” He went to roll over, but I immediately smashed a pillow down onto his chest. “Because I’m your boss, that’s why!”

He paused for two seconds, then suddenly leaned in—so close our noses almost touched. I raised my hand to slap him again, but he caught my wrist mid-air. Before I could process what was happening, he pressed a gentle kiss right into the palm of my hand. The warm, damp sensation sent my brain into total shutdown.

I snatched my hand back like I’d been electrocuted. “You psycho! Are you out of your mind?!”

Jiang Shuo smirked like a cat that had just stolen the canary. He got up unhurriedly, even reaching out to lightly rub the spot on my back that had bumped against the headboard. Leaning close to my ear, his warm breath tickled my skin as he drawled playfully:

“Personally… I think I’m doing just fine. Right, wifey?”

Goosebumps erupted across my skin. God help me. I was completely, utterly finished with this bastard.

How on earth did things escalate to this point anyway?

The morning after that fatal engagement over breakfast in my pajamas, our parents marched us straight to the registrar’s office. Sign on the dotted line. Before I could even process the shock, I was officially a married woman. Life really loves a plot twist.

That night, I kicked off my four-inch heels, completely drained, and collapsed onto the bed. Right at that moment…

The bathroom door slid open. Emerging through a haze of warm steam was a figure wrapped only in a towel low on his hips. Eight-pack abs on full display, water droplets trickling down broad shoulders to a lean waist—a walking hazard to women everywhere.

Looking at him like that, a very “healthy” urge flared up inside me: I want to tame him. What strong, independent woman wouldn’t want to break a stray, feral dog to her will?

He stood over me, narrowing his eyes as he looked me up and down, then let out a low, arrogant chuckle.

Blood rushed straight to my head. I flipped up, lunging at him with every ounce of martial arts skill I possessed—grapple, lock, sweep!

“You think this is funny?! Laugh now! Let’s see if you can keep laughing!”

After a chaotic, unstructured brawl, I successfully pinned the six-foot-tall man onto his back. Crimson silk sheets, honey-gold skin, fox-like eyes shimmering with mischief… the view was dangerously intoxicating. I leaned down and bit him right on the shoulder.

Yet, Jiang Shuo didn’t resist at all. He just lay there, propping his head up with one hand while casually massaging my swollen ankle with the other. His tone dripped with pure satisfaction.

“Don’t stop. Come on… keep conquering me.”

Before my heart could even begin to soften, his big mouth had to ruin it: “Told you so. One look at you and I knew you were all talk and no bite.”

I ground my teeth so hard they nearly shattered. Unbelievable. A dog really can’t grow ivory out of its mouth!