I walked over and crouched in front of Song Yan, gently prying his hand away from his eyes. “Song Yan? Are you okay?”

He knit his brows, seamlessly catching my hand in his. “Song Yan? What happened to ‘hubby’?”

Just as he said it, the music in the venue happened to pause, letting his words ring out loud and crystal clear. The guys at the table immediately broke into rowdy jeers:

“Damn, that’s sweet!”

“Man was passed out like a dead fish a second ago, and now he’s magically sober because his girl showed up!”

“Proof that love cures all.”

My face burned hot. Song Yan casually tossed a throw pillow aside, rubbed his temples, and staggered to his feet.

I quickly reached out to steady him. “Let me take you home, alright?”

“Yeah.” He draped an arm around my shoulders with practiced ease, slumping nearly half his body weight onto me.

The cab pulled up in front of a sleek, two-story villa. I helped Song Yan out of the car and asked, “Is anyone home?”

“No.” His voice sounded strange—laced with a rare, quiet loneliness.

I hesitated for a second, watching him stagger around in a zigzag pattern, and ultimately decided to help him inside. If I left him to fend for himself, I’d probably read a news alert tomorrow morning about a Computer Science major sleeping in a flower bed.

The villa was pitch-black. I could only make out the general layout through the soft moonlight streaming in through the windows. The place was massive, with doors everywhere, so I finally had to ask, “Which way is your bedroom?”

“Don’t bother,” Song Yan murmured lazily. “The couch is fine.”

“No way,” I protested firmly. “If I’m bringing you home, you’re sleeping in a proper bed.”

Song Yan suddenly leaned down, resting his forehead lightly against mine. We were so close I could catch the faint, lingering scent of alcohol on him. The outdoor streetlights reflected in his deep, dark eyes, making them look like they were dusted with starlight.

His voice dropped to a low murmur. “Yu Sisi… even if I am a walking ATM… I’m still a man. Are you really that comfortable around me?”

My heart gave a sudden, violent thud. I instantly jerked my head back to avoid his gaze. “…Not really.”

“Good.” Song Yan let out a low, soft laugh, yanking me down onto the sofa with him. “Sisi.” He wrapped his arms around my waist, his voice lazy and tinged with a delicate, petulant trace of vulnerability. “I’m feeling down. Comfort me.”

My face flushed crimson all the way to my ears. Wrapped in his arms like this, my brain completely short-circuited for a few seconds. After a agonizing bout of intense mental labor, I finally squeezed out three words: “…Don’t be sad.”

Song Yan burst out laughing. The low rumble of his chest vibrated against mine, sending an electric itch straight through my heart.

“You really have zero talent for comforting people,” he said with helpless amusement. “Is this what your thirty-thousand-a-month VIP romance experience looks like?”

“Hey!” I protested indignantly. “I’m letting you hug me, aren’t I?”

“Fair enough.” He chuckled, lightly patting my head. “This is pretty great.”

Right on cue, his phone started ringing again. Song Yan pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and shoved it directly into my hands. “Answer it.”

I looked down at the caller ID, and my heart instantly skipped a beat. Another girl? Was I supposed to play along with some drama again? Seeing my guarded expression, Song Yan laughed softly. “Don’t overthink it. It’s my mom. Just tell her I’m asleep.”

I immediately sat up straight like a student getting called on in class. “Hello… Hi, ma’am. Song Yan is asleep right now. Can he call you back tomorrow?”

Silence stretched over the line for two seconds. Then, a delightfully familiar, soft female voice drifted through: “Are you Nyan-Nyan’s girlfriend?”

I froze. Turns out the overly sweet “Nyan-Nyan, baby~” from the other day… was actually his mom. Her voice was naturally gentle, radiating the unmistakable warmth of someone who had been deeply cherished her whole life.

I instinctively turned to look at Song Yan. He was resting his chin on my shoulder, eyes half-lidded, showing zero intention of rescuing me from the conversation.

I had no choice but to answer dutifully, “Yes… I am.”

“Oh, sweetie!” His mom’s tone brightened instantly. “Nyan-Nyan never mentioned he had a girlfriend! How old are you? Do you go to school with him?”

And just like that… for the next twenty minutes, I was subjected to a full-blown background check. Age, major, grades, family background—not a single detail was spared.

When I mentioned that I didn’t have parents, the line went quiet for a few seconds. Then, Song Yan’s mother said softly, “You must have had a tough time growing up.”

I let out a light laugh. “I’m used to it.”

I finally managed to wrap up the call on the pretext that he needed to rest. Hanging up, I turned to Song Yan. “Your mom is so sweet. Why were you so dodging her calls?”

His expression shifted slightly. “I don’t know either.”

I hesitated before pressing further, “Are you upset lately because you two got into a fight?”

“Not really,” Song Yan offered a faint, bitter smile. “It’s just that… my mom’s birthday falls on the exact anniversary of my dad’s death.”

I blinked, stunned. “But that’s not her fault.”

“I know.” He ducked his head, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle. “Sounds pretty unreasonable, doesn’t it?”

After a long pause, he continued in a low, quiet voice, “Sisi, did you know? I used to be an orphan too.”

“No way.” I glanced around the luxurious villa, completely unable to picture it. “Were you adopted?”

“No.” Song Yan leaned his head back against the sofa, his tone flat as if he were recounting someone else’s story. “Back in elementary school, my dad got really sick. My family ran out of money for treatments, so my mom divorced him. After that… my dad passed away. Back then, I literally had nobody.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. It took a long time before he spoke again:

“By the time I was in high school, my mom came back for me. My stepfather is loaded, but he couldn’t have kids. So she brought me back with her.”