2

Shen Zeyan's hand paused midair, his gaze complicated, the smile on his lips freezing for a moment. My heart pounded—if he decided to punch me, I swore I wouldn't fight back. But after a few seconds, his eyes softened again, and he spoke quietly, "Alright."

One month. Just one month, and it would all be over.

But then, a sly glint flashed in Zeyan's deep eyes. He pinched my chin with his slender, pale fingers. "But I have a condition too."

I tensed up immediately. "Wh-what condition?"

"For this month, we both have to act like real boyfriends," he said, his voice low.

My brain short-circuited. What exactly did that mean?

Before I could process, Zeyan leaned in, his lips brushing my ear, his breath hot on my skin. "I want hugs. And kisses."

My whole body felt electrified. My knees went weak, and I tried to pull away, but he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me onto his lap before I could react.

I froze. I'm a guy! Sure, Zeyan is 6'3" and taller than me, but I'm still a solid 5'11". I always imagined I'd be the one holding a cute girl on my lap—not the other way around.

It felt… weird. Instinctively, I glanced around. Luckily, we were on a secluded path near the basketball courts, sitting on a stone bench under the trees. Hardly anyone ever passed by.

Thank God. Otherwise, this would be mortifying.

Zeyan's eyes sparkled with mischief as he ruffled my hair with one hand and held my waist with the other. He looked gentle, but there was a wildness in him, like a predator toying with its prey.

"Shy? You're blushing," he teased.

I coughed, puffing out my chest. "Who's shy? I'm a man, don't hold me like this."

"But you're my boyfriend now. I want to hold you," he replied, not letting go.

I struggled for a second, then gave up. Zeyan was strong; resisting was pointless.

Then he pulled out a small yellow talisman and slipped it around my neck.

"A… protection charm?" I asked.

He nodded, his voice soft. "Yeah. My parents got me a pair of these when I was little, for safety. Today's our first day together, so I wanted to give you something special. It's a relationship ritual."

I grumbled internally—I'm not a girl, why do I need rituals? But it was a charm for safety, and even if it wasn't expensive, I couldn't refuse his sincerity.

"Thanks," I muttered.

Just then, I heard voices approaching. Someone was coming.

I stiffened. "Let me go, quick!"

But Zeyan, shameless as ever, leaned in until his lips were just an inch from mine. "One kiss, and I'll let go."

I had no choice. I gave him a quick peck—his lips tasted like orange soda this time.

Zeyan looked thoroughly satisfied as he let me go. I bolted, running all the way to the library, my heart still pounding. One month… would it always be like this? Was it too late to regret?

I dawdled outside for ages, only heading back to the dorm right before curfew. My lips still tingled from the kiss.

Zeyan was showering when I returned. My other two roommates, having learned about my "relationship," wouldn't stop teasing me.

Zhou Yan sidled up, eyes gleaming with gossip. "Liang Yu, are you the top or the bottom?"

Top? Bottom? I stared at him blankly. "What?"

His grin grew even more mischievous. "You know—between you and Zeyan, who's the husband and who's the wife?"

Wasn't it obvious? I jumped up and slammed the table. "Of course I'm the husband!"

I mean, look at me!

Just then, the bathroom door opened and Zeyan walked out, water dripping from his hair, making his sharp features even more striking.

"What's this about a husband?" he asked.

For some reason, being under his gaze made me nervous. My mind flashed back to that moment on the bench.

My ears burned.

Zhou Yan, the blabbermouth, piped up, "Liang Yu just said he's the husband, so you must be the wife! Haha, I always thought it'd be the other way around!"

I buried my face in my hands, wishing I could tape Zhou Yan's mouth shut.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zeyan's lips curl up in a smile—not angry at all.

"Yeah, I'm his… wife," he said, playing along.

Wait. Something about that didn't feel right.

Zhou Yan's jaw dropped, his eyes full of admiration. I couldn't help but puff out my chest a little.

As I climbed into bed, Zeyan brushed past me, whispering in my ear, "Goodnight, hubby."

I nearly fell off the ladder. My ears were on fire again.

Days passed in a blur. Dating Zeyan was both a blessing and a curse.

In public, he respected my boundaries, acting normal. But in private, he was unbelievably clingy. At first, he held back, but soon he got bolder—insisting on cuddling every night. I tried to resist, but guilt and his insistence wore me down. Before I knew it, I was letting him hold me every night like a human heater. Honestly, it wasn't so bad—he was warm, and I slept better than ever.

One day in the cafeteria, we were eating lunch when I spotted Lin Yuxin with her new boyfriend—a guy covered in acne but decked out in designer brands and a flashy Rolex. I'd thought my family called off the engagement, but my mom later told me it was Yuxin's family who wanted out. They were always a prestigious family, while we were new money. Her grandfather had helped my family once, which was the only reason for our engagement. After he passed away last month, her family wasted no time ending it. Now, Yuxin was dating someone even wealthier, and her family was thrilled.

Seeing her didn't bother me anymore. I felt nothing.

As Yuxin and her boyfriend walked past our table, Zeyan's arm shot out, blocking something. Suddenly, a metal bowl crashed to the floor, soup splattering everywhere.

I turned and saw Zeyan's arm covered in hot oil. Yuxin's boyfriend was holding a tray, and I realized—if Zeyan hadn't blocked it, that soup would've landed on me.

Yuxin's boyfriend shrugged, feigning innocence. "Oops, my hand slipped."

Yuxin tossed two hundred yuan onto the floor, stepping on it like she was throwing coins at a beggar. "Here, take it as compensation," she sneered.

I saw Zeyan's brows knit together, pain flickering in his eyes. That was it—my patience snapped.

No matter how Yuxin treated me before, I always let it go. But I couldn't stand seeing her humiliate Zeyan.

I grabbed my tray and dumped my food right onto her boyfriend's face. Too bad it wasn't hot enough.

Yuxin shrieked, "Liang Yu, what are you doing?!"

Her boyfriend's face was a greasy mess, the food mixing with his acne. Disgusting.

I kicked the money back at them. "Oops, my hand slipped too. Take your money and get your heads checked."

Yuxin's boyfriend lunged at me, fist raised, but Zeyan's eyes turned icy. He grabbed the guy's arm, his muscles tensing, veins popping.

"Let go of me—" the guy yelped in pain.

Zeyan's voice was cold as steel. "Try touching him again."

I stared at Zeyan, surprised by how fierce he looked. Normally he was so calm, but now he was downright intimidating. Honestly, it was kind of… cool.

Yuxin's boyfriend pulled back, fear in his eyes, but still defiant. "You two—just wait! Do you even know who I am? I'm the prince of the Beijing elite!"

Yuxin jabbed a finger at us, her voice shrill. "You're finished! You know who my boyfriend is? He's the crown prince of the capital's inner circle