Chapter 4

As I spoke, I tried to pull my hand away.

Shen Jiayan tightened his grip instead.

With a slight tug, he pulled me right in front of him.

"Do you know that was my first kiss?"

My head exploded.

"Didn't you ask me to play along?" I protested.

"I thought you'd kiss my cheek. You went straight for my mouth."

He chuckled.

"Why? Interested in me?"

What had the world come to?

"Shen Jiayan, you can't use me and then turn on me like this."

My face burned as I went on.

"That was my first kiss too. By your logic, I've made a huge sacrifice to help you. Y-You ought to take responsibility for me, shouldn't you?"

Flawless logic.

I applauded myself inwardly.

"All right."

What?

Shen Jiayan had said all right?

Huh?

Why wasn't he sticking to the script?

The lazy look vanished from his face.

He spoke seriously.

"Then I'll take responsibility for you."

"And did you say yes?"

Song Xiaoxiao demanded an answer after hearing my story.

"Say yes to what? I ran away."

"What? You ran away?"

She looked heartbroken, as though she'd missed something monumental.

"How could you run away?"

"How was I supposed to know if he was teasing or serious? What if it was a prank? I'd have walked right into his trap!"

"Oh my God. You should have summoned some of that nerve you had during the online class and asked him!"

Reminded of how he'd caught me running my mouth online, I became even more convinced that he might be setting me up.

My phone buzzed.

A new message from Shen Jiayan.

A voice message, no less.

I couldn't bring myself to play it for ages.

At last, Xiaoxiao lost patience and tapped it.

"Are you free tonight? There's something I'd like to tell you in person."

She was more excited than I was.

"Of course you're free! Go for it!"

I cleared my throat and typed back.

"I am."

He gave me a time and place.

The little lake beside the campus cultural square. It was beautiful there at night.

I was nervous and excited.

Xiaoxiao insisted on doing my makeup and getting me properly dressed.

I saw Shen Jiayan from a distance. Beneath the streetlight, his shadow stretched all the way to my feet.

I walked over to him.

Black hoodie. Grey sweatpants. He'd clearly made an effort with his hair too.

Compared with his usual casual look, he was several times more handsome.

"Shen Jiayan, what did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing much. Just wanted to tell you I like you."

My breath caught.

"Huh...?"

My heart was racing impossibly fast.

It wasn't as though nobody had ever confessed to me before.

But being told so bluntly by someone this gorgeous was a first.

He leaned down a little and looked into my eyes.

"I wasn't planning to tell you this soon. But then you kissed me, and I couldn't settle down. I can't wait anymore. All of a sudden, I really, really want to be with you."

On the outside, I looked perfectly calm.

Inside, I was on a roller coaster.

I enunciated every word.

"All right. I quite like you too."

"Change 'quite' to 'really' and say it again."

"I... I really like you."

Damn it. This was so embarrassing.

His lips curved.

"Me too."

Then he pulled me into his arms.

I heard his heartbeat too. Fast, clear and strong.

We held each other gently for a while.

Then he said, "No. I can't hold back anymore."

I stared.

"Hold back wha—"

"Can't hold back..."

He bent down, cupped the back of my neck and kissed me.

"I want to kiss you."

We melted into each other again.

It felt like...

Like rolling around in a cloud of cotton candy.

I'd never dated anyone before.

Could somebody tell me if it was normal to get grabbed and kissed nonstop on the very first day? Please?

Hand in hand, we walked lap after lap along the campus paths.

When I complained, Shen Jiayan said wickedly, "You can't blame me. Didn't someone say we kiss more times a day than she can count?"

"Why are you blaming me now?"

"I'm not blaming you. My girlfriend said it, so naturally I have to do as she says."

Only then did I realize I'd fallen into his trap.

"You think I actually needed a pretend girlfriend to get rid of her?"

"Didn't you?"

"If I did, why hadn't I tried it before?"

"Then you..."

"Yes. I did it on purpose."

Aaargh. This man was far too calculating.

When I got back to the dorm, Xiaoxiao was bursting with questions.

"Well? Did he confess?"

"Yes."

"Wow. Your lips are swollen from kissing."

"That bad?"

I ran to the mirror.

Apparently, they were...

She patted my shoulder.

"Don't worry. In my experience, that's very, very normal. Men. Heh."

I brushed my teeth and washed my face. Looking in the mirror, I realized I hadn't stopped smiling.

My phone buzzed.

Shen Jiayan had transferred me 10,000 yuan.

I didn't know what to make of it.

Hadn't we been perfectly happy just now?

"What are you doing? Is this breakup money?"

The moment I sent it, he video-called.

I hurried to answer. His voice was slightly urgent.

"When did I say I wanted to break up?"

"Then why are you suddenly sending me money? So much of it?"

"Because I want to. Why do I need a reason? This is my first relationship too. Isn't giving my girlfriend some spending money perfectly normal?"

Oh. That was a relief.

"All right, then."

He reminded me several times.

"Don't say 'break up' again. Understood?"

"I know."

I ended the call.

Accepted the money.

Then opened Moments and discovered he'd made us official.

He'd even changed his cover photo to a picture of us together.

Heh. I loved it.

One day, at the end of class, a commotion broke out outside.

"Holy shit. The campus bad boy's out there."

"He's so hot. Help. Is there anyone else who could pull off that hair color?"

"But nobody in our class knows him, do they? Is he here to settle a score?"

Several people sneaked glances at me.

Yes. Pretty much everyone in our year knew about the time I'd forgotten to mute myself and run my mouth online.

People from other classes might not know exactly who it had been.

My own classmates knew I was that brave soul.

They looked at me with sympathy.

"Comrade Jiang Luo, I think Shen Jiayan's here for you."

I nodded.

"He is."

He'd just messaged to say he'd take me out and get me something good to eat.

"He's my boyfriend."

The bell rang at precisely that moment, drowning me out.

I was about to leave when a guy in class called after me.

"Jiang Luo, I'd use the back door if I were you. Safer. Shen Jiayan's blocking the front."

He'd barely finished when Shen Jiayan walked in.

"Babe, give me your bag. I'll carry it."

Everyone stared.

I handed over my pink shoulder bag. He slung it over his shoulder with practiced ease.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm her boyfriend."

Then his arm went around me.

I was short to begin with. Next to him—all 188 centimeters of him—I looked even smaller, tucked snugly against his side.

We left a roomful of disbelieving faces behind us.

"When did they get together?"

"No idea."

"That height difference is so cute. Who's jealous? Me. I'm jealous."

"Oh, God. When will it be my turn to have something that sweet..."

I used to hurry past couples lingering beneath the dorm buildings, unwilling to part.

Now I'd become one of them.

Every evening, Shen Jiayan insisted on walking me back. We'd linger at the entrance for ages before finally saying goodnight.

I gradually discovered something else.

Beneath his cool, arrogant exterior was an incredibly clingy man.

At the slightest opportunity, it was, "Wifey, give me a hug."

"Come here, Wifey. Let me kiss you."

Did all men turn into different people when they fell in love?

Sometimes, I'd wait outside his classroom for him.

He sat right at the far end of the back row. Even in a packed room, you could spot him at a glance.

His friends came out one by one.

Every one of them greeted me with "Sister-in-law."

He'd taken me to eat with them before, so I knew them all.

The liveliest was Yu Rong. He came over, looking conspiratorial.

"Sister-in-law, let me tell you something."

"Remember teasing Jiayan in that online class when you forgot to mute yourself?"

"Of course."

"He told us he dreamed about you every night afterward. Asked us if it was weird to keep dreaming about the same person. Hahaha!"

Shen Jiayan came out.

"What took you so long?" I asked.

"It was crowded. I didn't want to drag you through it."

He took my hand.

"Oh, right. What was Yu Rong muttering to you just now?"

I immediately grew smug.

"He said you dreamed about me every night after I teased you. Hahaha."

"Yeah. You're the first person who's dared say I can't handle it."

"And that made you fall for me? Sounds ridiculous."

"I like funny girls with a weakness for a handsome face. Got a problem with that?"

"No, no. No problem."

I sounded casual.

But the right corner of my mouth was practically curving all the way to the Pacific.