I twitched the corner of my mouth, putting on a fake scowl.

“Hey!”

Nguyen Thu just shrugged.

“Alright, alright, you like him, you like him. Honestly, the guy isn’t half bad anyway.”

She shot me a sideways glance, her tone turning serious.

“But listen to me, Nguyen Mian, don’t ever make love your whole world. Look at your mom or my mom—it only ever ends in heartbreak.”

I pressed my lips together and gave a reluctant nod.

“I know.”

For years, the sprawling Nguyen family villa had been just the two of us.

Nguyen Thu’s mother had divorced my father when she was fourteen, unable to stomach his endless string of affairs, and moved abroad.

As for me, I was the illegitimate daughter Nguyen Phuc Minh had dragged back home after his first divorce.

When I first arrived, Nguyen Thu had despised me with a white-hot fury, looking at me like I was her sworn enemy.

“Do you really think that because your mother drove mine away, you’re the mistress of this house now? Keep dreaming!”

Back then, I was just a tiny kid, and hearing her hurl insults about my late mother made a wave of bitter grief swallow me whole, sending me into a fit of sobbing.

Panicked, she had scrambled to clumsy wipe away my tears.

“My mom… she’s gone… she’ll never be your stepmom…” I choked out between sobs.

It was only much later that she realized my mother had simply been another casualty of that playboy of a father.

My mother had been tricked into a pregnancy, and the second she discovered he was already married, she had cut all ties instantly.

Even as a struggling single mother, she never once sought him out, nor did she ever speak his name in front of me.

If she hadn’t fallen deathly ill and passed away, I probably never even would have known I had a father named Nguyen Phuc Minh.

After breakfast, Nguyen Thu tossed me the keys to her blindingly pink supercar and drove me to campus.

“Still staying in the dorms?” she asked.

I nodded. “The commute from home is just too far.”

“Why don’t I have Dad buy you an apartment near campus? We could live together, wouldn’t that be more fun?”

She leaned in close, catching me so off guard I instinctively recoiled.

“Aren’t you having enough fun already with your rotating cast of boyfriends?”

She paused for a beat, then let out a cheeky laugh.

“Right. Okay, stay in the dorms it is.”

I let out a huff, a corner of my mouth twitching into a smug smirk.

Move-in day was absolute chaos.

The moment I finally cleared my hands and grabbed my phone, I saw a string of over a dozen unread messages from Sheng Yang:

11:30

【Eat yet?】

【My buddy opened a new barbecue joint, want to go?】

12:00

【Are you seriously that busy?】

12:30

【Tonight works too, you know.】

13:00

【? What, did you get kidnapped?】

By 4:00 PM, there was even a voice note:

“Nguyen Mian, are you playing games with me? Did you give your exes the cold shoulder like this too?”

Even just listening to the audio, I could practically picture his face darkening with annoyance.

I hurriedly typed out a reply:

【I’m so sorry, move-in day has been crazy, I just now got my phone back.】

He replied instantly:

【I know. Next time, keep an eye on your phone.】

I sent back a cute kitty sticker: 【Yes, sir ~】

Sheng Yang: 【Shall I come pick you up for dinner?】

I: 【I’d love to ~】

Before I could even celebrate, my roommates swarmed me.

“Let’s go grab hot pot! Gotta break in the semester with a group dinner for good luck!”

I hesitated.

“Can we do it another time? I already made plans…”

They immediately resorted to puppy-dog eyes, bombarding me with desperate pleas.

I let out a long sigh.

“Fine. Let me just text the other person real quick.”

【Can we push dinner to tomorrow? My dorm is having a welcome meal tonight.】

He texted back immediately:

【Babe, do you really think I’m that easygoing?】

Before I could even catch my breath to reply, another text popped up:

【It’s not that I’m trying to be difficult, but you ghosted me all day and now you’re ditching dinner with me—I’m starting to feel a little… insecure.】

As I was racking my brain for how to appease him, a third text came through:

【Invite your roommates along. My treat.】

I couldn’t help laughing to myself, thoroughly impressed by how smoothly he worked around it.

“My boyfriend says he’ll treat the whole room to dinner. You guys want in?”

In perfect unison, all three chorused: “Heck yeahhhhh!”

Waiting right outside the campus gates was Sheng Yang, leaning against the sleek body of a gleaming Maybach.

My three roommates piled into the back seat while I took shotgun, and our dorm group chat instantly blew up:

【Mian Mian, your boyfriend is out of this world!】

【A Maybach with an eight-figure price tag… sitting in one once is enough to brag about for a lifetime!】

【Though honestly, he’s the lucky one scoring a soft, sweet little marshmallow like our Mian Mian.】

【So true!】

I bit my lip, hiding a shy smile as I typed back:

【Eat as much as you want tonight, my treat—well, his treat!】

【Message received and understood!】

The hot pot joint was packed and buzzing, tucked away in a lively, down-to-earth alleyway.

I glanced sideways at Sheng Yang, suddenly worried he might hate a place like this.

Instead, he just grabbed my hand, a lazy smirk playing on his lips.

“I know I’m gorgeous, but do you really have to stare at me the whole time? You’re making me blush; my face is getting hot.”

My cheeks flushed crimson and I averted my eyes.

“I was just worried you wouldn’t be used to a place like this.”

He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

“What, do you think I was raised in a palace? It’s just hot pot, what’s not to get used to?”

I looked up at him. “So, do you even like hot pot?”

He chuckled softly, glancing down at me.

“Do you?”

I nodded. “I love it.”

“Then I love it too.”

I froze for a second before a secret smile bloomed on my face.

Amidst the noisy, bustling street, I felt something warm quietly sprout in my chest, wrapping its tendrils softly around my heart.

Dinner wrapped up, and my three roommates showed a terrifying, telepathic level of coordination. Without a word of planning, they chimed together:

“Let’s go walk off the calories at the night market!”

Before I could process it, they grabbed each other’s hands and bolted, leaving me stranded entirely alone with Sheng Yang outside the restaurant doors.

I watched the retreating backs of the three “traitors” and sighed softly.

Right behind me came Sheng Yang’s deep, languid voice:

“Your roommates are quite a handful, aren’t they?”

I spun around, looking utterly dazed as he offered me a crooked, teasing smile.

“Gotta hand it to you, your taste in friends isn’t bad.”

Then, his hand slid down to clasp mine.

“Alright, babe. Does my time belong to me now?”

Looking out at the sea of evening crowds, my face heated up as I tried to pull my hand back… completely in vain.

That large hand didn’t just hold on; it smoothly intertwined its fingers with mine—a permanent, non-refundable lock.

His thumb brushed softly against the back of my hand, dry and comforting.

Flustered, I gave his arm a light, scolding poke.

“Will you stop calling me ‘babe’ all the time?”

He arched a brow, a wicked glint in his eye.

“If not babe, what should I call you? Princess? Or babe-of-my-babe?”

I bit my lip, weighing my options… you know what, “babe” sounded way less embarrassing than whatever else he might come up with.

Fine. He could call me whatever he wanted!

“Where are we going tonight?” I asked, frantically changing the subject.

He didn’t answer, just pulled me along toward his car.

I assumed he was finally driving me back to the dorms, but instead, the car glided straight toward the riverside.

The sultry summer night breeze swept softly off the water, tangling in my hair.

He pointed toward a brilliantly lit bridge in the distance.

“Pretty?”

I nodded. “Gorgeous.”

He turned his gaze back to me, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

“I think so too.”

That tone… was definitely not a compliment aimed at the scenery.

I leaned back against the stone railing.

“My sister used to bring me here all the time.”

He stepped up right beside me, mirroring my posture.

“Well, that’s a bummer. I thought I was the first.”

His tone sounded suspiciously like a kid whose favorite toy had just been stolen.

I turned to look at him, and before I could blink, he swept me into his arms.

His long arm wrapped snugly around my waist while his hand gently cupped the back of my neck.

He leaned down, lightly pinching my cheek and turning my face back toward the riverbank.

“Babe, look at those two making out over there. Makes me want a piece of that action.”

Before I could even process what he meant—holy crap, wasn’t that couple making out over there literally my sister Nguyen Thu?!

Sheng Yang let out a soft “tsk,” pulling my face back toward him so hard my lips involuntarily puckered into a fish face.

“That’s your sister.”

Right on cue, she raised her hand and slapped the guy right across the face.

Startled, I made a move to run over, but Sheng Yang yanked me right back.

“Relax, it’s just Bu Lin.”

I frowned. “Who on earth is Bu Lin?”

He chuckled. “Your sister’s lapdog.”

I froze.

He casually added, “Metaphorically speaking. The mutt chasing after her.”

I glanced back over. The two of them were already glued together again, locking lips as if that slap had never even happened.

I let out a breath of relief… guess she wasn’t being held hostage after all.

I turned back to Sheng Yang.

“What did you say just now? I didn’t catch it.”

He lowered his head, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intense, smoldering heat.

“I said, babe… I want a kiss too.”

My heart leaped into my throat, and I instinctively threw a hand over his mouth.

“No… we’re out in public… people will see.”

He let out a low rumble of laughter, catching my wrist and pressing a soft kiss to the back of my hand.

“No kissing outside… so does that mean we take it inside?”

Speechless, I scrambled to pivot the conversation elsewhere.

“Did you know about my sister and Bu Lin this whole time?”

A sly, wicked grin touched his lips.

“Kiss me once, and I’ll tell you.”

I bit my lower lip, stood on my tiptoes, and planted a swift, fleeting peck on his mouth.

He let out a dramatic sigh.

“Babe, are you trying to coax a toddler?”

My face burning, I fired back defensively:

“You didn’t specify how to kiss!”

A rich chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Fair enough. To answer your question: I figured it out the moment our families started discussing the alliance. Besides, I already knew Nguyen Thu would never agree to the engagement.”

Confused, I blinked. “Then why did you still agree to it?”

He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a low, sultry whisper against my ear:

“That had a different price tag attached…”

My eyes widened in alarm. “How much money do you want?!”

He pulled my waist flush against his, a wicked glint in his eye.

“A kiss will do. Specifically… the open-mouth kind.”

I shot a glance at his lips, my face turning the color of a ripe tomato.

“Forget it, I don’t want to know anymore.”

He put on a masterclass in feigned disappointment.

“Such a shame. I was just about to spill all the juicy details.”

I sighed… and finally gave in, tugging at the edge of his jacket.

“Bend down.”

He obediently lowered his head.

I stood on my tiptoes, clumsily trying to mimic his earlier words—but he deliberately refused to cooperate, holding completely still.

Just as I was about to pull back in defeat, a large hand clamped onto the back of my neck:

“Close your eyes.”

Before I could even register the command, his lips crashed down onto mine, greedily pillaging every last breath in my lungs.

It wasn’t until my lips were completely tingly and numb that he finally showed mercy.

Leaning against his chest, panting heavily, I gasped:

“Can you… talk now?”

The corners of his mouth curled upward in supreme satisfaction:

“Babe, that was me kissing you just now, not you kissing me.”

Indignant, I gave his solid chest a light, frustrated punch.

“You tricked me!”

He let out a low, deeply amused laugh, looking entirely too proud of himself.

All the way back to the dorms, I stayed stubbornly silent.

Nguyen Thu was right—men were absolute masters at manipulating women… truer words had never been spoken.

Right as we reached the entrance, Sheng Yang hauled me back into his arms.

“Still mad at me?”

I pouted. “You little con artist!”

He burst into hearty laughter.

“There are only two daughters in the Nguyen family. If your sister refused the engagement… who do you suppose was going to end up marrying into the Sheng family, hmm?”

I froze entirely.

He leaned down until his lips brushed my ear. “Need me to spell it out for you?”

As soon as I slipped into the dorm room, Dao Tu lunged at me:

“Hehe, Mian Mian~ your lips are all swollen and red!”

Flustered, I slapped a hand over my abused mouth.

My three roommates exchanged knowing, wildly wicked glances: “Ooooh, something went down!”

I bolted straight for the balcony:

“I’m going to wash my face and go straight to bed!”

After scrubbing my face, I walked back in to find all three of them huddled together, scrolling through their phones and giggling away.

I scrambled up onto my ladder bunk, pulled the heavy duvet completely over my head… safely hiding from any further interrogation.