The little boy—no, to be precise, the handsome young man—obediently accepted the box of sushi from her hand.
One bite after another, he finished it all.
At this moment, that hand adorned with brightly colored nail polish slowly reached into the cage from the outside.
She gently caressed the young man’s handsome and soft profile.
“Kang Kang, do you know?”
“Your dad—no, our dad has agreed to our marriage. He said he wants to become a grandfather as soon as possible.”
The mature woman’s voice was crisp and pleasant, but the joy in it was unmistakable.
The young man’s body stiffened for a moment, and tears fell silently once more. He didn’t say anything, because he knew it was pointless.
“Aren’t you happy for me? Now we can finally be together for real, but even if you’re happy, you mustn’t cry. It’s not good to ruin your health from crying.”
“You’re my man. I won’t allow my man to shed tears because of me.”
The woman wiped away his tears, and as if remembering something, a thread of delight crept into her tone.
“Kang Kang, I’m not planning to keep you locked up anymore.”
The young man’s body suddenly tensed, then he lifted his head to look at her, hope and longing filling his eyes, his eye rims red.
Meeting her pitiful fiancé’s gaze, the woman smiled. She lifted his trembling chin.
“I’m going to accompany you to school. I want to make up for those two lost years. I want to make you fall in love with me!!”
“So, my dear Kang Kang, my fiancé, I’ve decided to let you out.”
The young man’s eyes lit up immediately.
“But…”
Liu Yao’s voice suddenly turned icy cold, like a blade.
She looked at her fiancé’s hopeful eyes and curled her lips into a smile.
“Dear, for the rest of your life, you absolutely must never touch another woman but me!”
*****
Wanquan Yongxing School, sports field.
“Is everyone here? I’ll start roll call now.”
“Meng Erfan.”
“Here!”
“Yi Min.”
“Here!”
“Yang Jianzhang.”
“Here!”
“……”
The Sports Department Head, Ji Yue Nian, called out names one by one according to the list, checking off each as they replied, confirming that everyone was present. When the last name was checked and no one was absent, Ji Yue Nian closed the roster and turned to address the group.
“Gather on the field, we’re taking the senior class photo for this semester.”
“I’ve already informed the Photography Department. They should be here soon.”
The department group photo was a longstanding tradition at Wanquan Yongxing Academy; every department took one each semester. The sample would be displayed in the office, and a copy handed out at graduation as a keepsake for years to come.
“Minister Ji.”
Suddenly, a somewhat familiar male voice called out from behind.
Ji Yue Nian turned her head and met a pair of smiling blue eyes. Their owner wore a white T-shirt, black jeans, a golden watch on his wrist, and a gentle, exquisite face with a sunny, handsome smile at the corners of his mouth.
It was none other than her old acquaintance—Jiang Chi.
“I’m Jiang Chi from the Photography Department,” he said, shaking the camera hanging around his neck, smiling politely, “I heard our brother department needed someone for the group photo, so I volunteered to come over.”
Ji Yue Nian’s smile froze.
If there was anyone she least wanted to meet these days, it was Jiang Chi. Not only did he know about her gender-bending black history, he’d also toyed with her.
This kind of thing was like cross-dressing—harmless in private, even fun to joke about, but if it was exposed, it would be social death.
But, since this was a public place and her department members were watching, Ji Yue Nian couldn’t lose her temper. She turned her head and called to Su Tian, who stood in the last column of the first row.
“Vice Minister, lead them to form up for the photo. I’ll talk with Jiang for a moment.”
“Yes!”
Su Tian stepped forward, glanced at Jiang Chi beside Ji Yue Nian, then turned to the group. “Left turn! Forward, march!”
The group ran in step toward the trapezoidal platform used for group photos on the field, their movements neat and uniform. Even after two months of slack, everyone still had their basics.
When the group had run out of sight, the Sports Department Head finally relaxed. She turned and glared fiercely at the man pretending to look innocent.
“What are you doing here!”
“Xiao Yueyue, why can’t I be here?” Jiang Chi jiggled his camera, blue eyes full of innocent sincerity, pretending to be aggrieved. “We’re brother departments. Helping each other is natural. Besides, it was your request to our minister for a photographer for the group photo.”
At the sound of that familiar nickname, her legs unconsciously rubbed together a few times, a bit of wetness welling up in her gentle spring-like eyes, and Ji Yue Nian’s face darkened.
“Get lost, Jiang Chi! I’m Ji Yue Nian now! Not that ‘Yueyue’ you keep saying!”
“Tsk tsk tsk, when you needed me, you called me Daddy, Master, Chi-bao in bed, but now off the bed it’s just Jiang Chi?”
“Yueyue, you really hurt my feelings.”
“We already settled everything between us. You said it yourself!”
“Settled?” Jiang Chi only smiled, stepping a bit closer, lowering his voice by her ear, his thick masculine pheromones washing over her at once.
“My dear, how have the nights been these days? Isn’t it hard and unbearable~~”
“Did you miss me?”
“I told you, I can help you with that.”
That distinctive, overwhelming scent rushed at her. Ji Yue Nian felt her legs go weak and her body half-slumped against his firm shoulder, her breathing quickening.
This wasn’t her conscious reaction, but a subconscious reflex already etched into her body these past two months. The heavy mix of tulip and masculine scent—Jiang Chi’s own, laced with aggression—sent tingles through her entire body, as if electrified.
“You… you… you…” Ji Yue Nian could only stammer, her eyes hazy, “Don’t mess around! This… this is school!”
She tried to sound firm, but her trembling voice betrayed her inner panic.
“Oh? Mess around?” The man curled his lips in a roguish grin, spouting shameless words. “My dad’s on the school board. So what if I mess around? Unless I break a major rule, even if I took a leave from school, I’d still get a direct university admission.”
As he spoke, he leaned in, his sexy thin lips brushing against her sensitive earlobe.
Ji Yue Nian’s body jolted violently, shivering as if shocked by electricity, her mind instantly blank, her ability to think and move wiped away.
The next second, his long, strong hand lifted her chin, his deep blue eyes gleaming with interest.
What is he going to do?
Is he going to kiss me?
Kiss me in public?
Ji Yue Nian wanted to refuse, to step back, to give him a hard slap, but at this moment, her body wouldn’t obey, and she could only watch as he came closer and closer.
Anger, shame, embarrassment, excitement, and a subtle, hard-to-notice hint of anticipation welled up inside her.
“All right, Minister of the Sports Department, I’ll stop teasing you.” Just as Ji Yue Nian braced herself for a kiss in front of everyone, a teasing laugh sounded by her ear. She opened her eyes.
Jiang Chi was now a few steps away, looking at her with a half-smile.
“You!” Ji Yue Nian gritted her teeth in anger. “Shameless!”
“Shamelessness is the nature of a financier.” Jiang Chi seemed to enjoy the comment, shook the camera around his neck again. “All right, my mighty Sports Minister, it’s time to work. Don’t keep them waiting.”
With that, he turned and strode toward the T-shaped platform set up for the group photo in the center of the field.
Ji Yue Nian watched the scoundrel’s back, venting her helpless fury, stomping her foot hard, but in the end there was nothing she could do but hurry after him.
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