Chapter 1

1.

My name is Lily Bennett, I'm 21 this year, and I've had an easy life since childhood.

Although my parents passed away early, my older brother, who is eight years my senior, is quick-witted and has been successful in business, so my family is quite wealthy.

I'm definitely someone who is obsessed with romance.

At this moment, I'm sitting in front of the computer desk, just logged into my game account, and my in-game partner sent me a private message:

"Babe, why don't you come find me abroad? I've been going through some stuff lately, and feeling quite down."

What? My boyfriend is feeling down?

I immediately logged off the game and transferred 5,000 yuan to Ethan Baldwin, along with a WeChat message: "Babe, wait for me, I'll fly over tonight to see you!"

Then I quickly packed a suitcase, booked the earliest flight available, and dashed out the door.

As soon as I got off the plane, Ethan Baldwin didn't show up to pick me up as promised.

But I completely understood.

"He's a Westorian working abroad, so it's normal for him to be under a lot of pressure." I patted my chest, feeling a bit sorry for Ethan Baldwin.

Following the location he had given me before, I made my way there.

Knock knock, knock knock. I excitedly knocked on the door.

Ethan Baldwin and I are in an online relationship. Although an in-game partner isn't really the same as a couple, in my heart, since we're already linked as a couple in the game, and he's never shown disdain for my lack of skill, helping me level up, this is more than just being a couple.

This is true love!

I take it for granted that Ethan Baldwin likes me deeply, madly in love even.

It took quite a while for the door to open.

The man inside, wearing only big shorts, cursed as he opened the door: "Damn, which idiot is knocking on the door early in the morning? Must have a death wish."

His voice was loud, a cigarette dangled from his mouth, and he was bare-chested.

This intensely impactful scene sent a jolt to my mind.

When Ethan Baldwin saw it was me, he was taken aback: "Lily Bennett?"

Because my brother wouldn't let me casually tell others my name, he gave me a new name when I turned eighteen and even got me a separate household registration.

So everyone thinks my name is Lily Bennett, including Ethan Baldwin, and that's what I told him too.

Having never seen this side of Ethan Baldwin, I hesitated for quite a while without saying a word.

Ethan Baldwin awkwardly put away his cigarette, lowered the hand that was on the door, and his formerly laid-back posture straightened considerably.

Afraid I might be scared, he spoke in a shy and gentle tone:

"Babe, sorry, I forgot you were coming today."

I smiled, brows relaxed: "It's okay, but you're really letting yourself go at home, huh."

I meant nothing by it, just teasing him for being underdressed.

But just as I finished speaking, a tender voice came from inside, "Honey~ who is it?"

Ethan Baldwin and I instantly froze, glancing at each other.

He quickly recovered, then laughed, "Oh, forgot to mention, this is a girl I'm sharing the rent with. She's probably on the phone with her husband."

I took a breath and smiled.

And I trusted what he said.

Ethan Baldwin took my suitcase and pushed it inside: "Come on in."

As soon as I entered, my pupils shrank abruptly.

The apartment was a one-bedroom, two-living-room place. The living room was a mess with leftover takeout boxes everywhere, and lacy lingerie scattered on the sofa.

A voluptuous woman in a red slip dress sat on the sofa, facing away from me, putting on lipstick in front of a mirror.

I looked at Ethan Baldwin in a daze.

He scratched his head, smiled awkwardly, then shouted over, "Ivy Carter, put your clothes on, clean up your stuff on the sofa. Look what you've done. My girlfriend isn't happy."

Ivy Carter leisurely finished applying her last stroke of lipstick, turned around, and shot an annoyed glance at Ethan Baldwin.

Then, her gaze lingered over me, subtly assessing.

I pursed my lips.

But I didn't suspect much.

2.

Before I could say anything, Ethan Baldwin pushed me into his room.

The door closed from the outside, and I set down my backpack, finally having time to look around his room.

Though the living room outside was a mess, his room was tidy.

We often video chat, and I thought he was just too embarrassed to let me see his messy side.

I sat on the edge of the bed.

Suddenly, my gaze focused on the bedside table with only one item on it.

Huh? He doesn't even have a lamp on the bedside table.

On the bedside table was a single item wrapped in white paper that had sharp edges — I couldn't tell what was inside.

I instinctively wanted to open it and take a look.

Just then, Ethan Baldwin walked in.

Seeing my hand reaching towards the bedside table, he spoke hurriedly: "Lily Bennett!"

I quickly withdrew my hand.

Even though Ethan Baldwin is my boyfriend, this being our first offline meeting, I felt embarrassed to touch his things in his room.

But then I felt a bit happy, rushing over to him and wrapping my arms around his neck:

"Babe, did you miss me?"

Ethan Baldwin pressed against me, becoming a bit flustered and amorous, his hands wrapping around my waist, his eyes curving into a smile: "Of course I've missed you, terribly."

I'm not someone with a closed mind; for someone I love, I don't mind having premarital sex.

Ethan Baldwin closed the door, his voice turning hoarse, his chin pressing against my head:

"Sleep with me tonight, okay?"

He sounded like he was afraid I wouldn't agree, so he added:

"The living room is so dirty and messy, I can't bear you sleeping there, and Ivy Carter is feisty, she definitely won't want you sleeping in her room. You can sleep here with me. Is that okay?"

I nodded, my eyes curved with a smile.

In my heart, I felt a bit smug about Ethan Baldwin's comment about Ivy Carter.

And so, that night, we naturally ended up sleeping together.

Some things happened naturally, progressing smoothly.

He undressed as he kissed me, and the room's temperature rose swiftly.

I was swept by emotions and desire.

He lay over me, breathing heavily.

When his hand reached my guard, he paused abruptly.

With some surprise and hesitation, he asked me, "Lily Bennett, is this your first time?"

Maybe because of the always laid-back way I acted around him, he thought it wasn't my first time.

I wasn't angry at his question.

Blushing, I bit my lip, trying to control my heat, and nodded.

Ethan Baldwin withdrew his hand, laying atop me for quite a while until his breathing calmed.

He lowered his eyes, blinking, and said, "Babe, I won't touch you." Then he added, "Not before we're officially married."

He seemed to be enduring quite a bit of hardship.

In that moment, my heart was filled with sweetness as if doused with honey, and I couldn't recover for quite a while.

He's so gentle and treats me so well.

Half-asleep in the middle of the night, I reached out to the side, only to find the other side of the bed empty.

My brows furrowed, the emptiness of the room was unnerving.

"Babe, babe, where are you?"

I called out while slipping on my slippers and walking out of the bedroom.

Thud—a clear sound of a door closing came from outside.

I turned on the lights.

Ethan Baldwin was standing in the living room, very close to Ivy Carter's door, looking slightly flustered, shirtless, in just a pair of black shorts.

I could see a thin layer of sweat on his exposed skin.

Seeing me, Ethan Baldwin immediately came over and wrapped an arm around my waist, looking gentle.

"Babe, what are you doing up?"

I pouted slightly, feeling a bit aggrieved: "I woke up and couldn't find you anywhere. What were you doing?"

He affectionately tousled my hair: "Got hungry in the middle of the night, thought I'd come out and find something to eat."

I pursed my lips.

After hesitating for a moment, I spoke: "I thought I heard a door close."

Ethan Baldwin calmly told me: "That was the fridge closing."

I was still a bit unsure.

But what he said next dispelled my doubts. He lightly tapped my head, and said with a smile:

"Speaking of which, when I came out, you were asleep. I just opened the fridge, and suddenly there was a noise in the house, scared me into a sweat. I didn't even get to grab anything before closing it."

I beamed: "Why are you afraid? If you don't do anything wrong, there's no fear of ghosts knocking on the door. Are you scared of ghosts or something?"

He playfully tapped my head again.

I went to the fridge, got some things, and cooked him a bowl of noodles.

Knowing he was hungry at night, I made sure to cook extra for him.

Usually, my brother is on business trips, and I rarely get to see him, but whenever I do, I make noodles for him, he eats a lot.

So I figured Ethan Baldwin would have a big appetite too.

But he said he was hungry, yet he didn't even finish half of the noodles.

Ethan Baldwin explained awkwardly, "Not much of an appetite these days."

I chuckled and didn't pay much attention.

3.

The next morning, Ethan Baldwin got up early and made breakfast for me.

The breakfast on the dining table was exquisite and delicious.

Ivy Carter arrived fashionably late, smoothing her lazy waves, and sat down with a bright smile.

Her fingers, with beautiful French manicures, naturally took a portion from the table and started eating leisurely.

I was a bit stunned as it was then I realized there were three breakfasts on the table.

And Ivy Carter took it so matter-of-factly.

Ethan Baldwin seemed to have noticed my slight discontent and quickly explained with a laugh:

"I see her as a little sister, so I made her a portion too."

Saying this, he kicked Ivy Carter under the table and asked her, "Isn't that right?"

Upon hearing this, Ivy Carter lifted her heavily made-up eyes and gave me a sideways glance, responding with a nonchalant "Mm."

Then she continued eating.

Her glance carried a hint of provocation, with a touch of haughty indifference towards me.

Even if I were a total romantic, I felt somewhat uncomfortable at this point.

But I didn't want to show it; Ethan Baldwin claimed he saw Ivy Carter as a sister, so I couldn't make things difficult for him.

After quickly finishing breakfast, Ethan Baldwin smiled at me, "I lost my job before, so today I have to go for an interview. I won't have time to accompany you. It's convenient that Ivy is free, so I'll ask her to take you out."

He lost his job, no wonder he said he was troubled.

Before I could react, Ivy Carter laughed.

Her eyes lingered up and down over me as she smirked, "Sure, I'll definitely take good care of your little girlfriend."

I hesitated a little.

In truth, I wasn't very fond of going out with unfamiliar women.

But Ethan Baldwin's words dispelled my doubts, "Ivy Carter has been here for years; I'd feel at ease with her taking you out."

With that, he returned the five thousand dollars I gave him before.

Immediately, my romantic tendencies flared up, and all my displeasure vanished. I reversed it and transferred ten thousand dollars to him instead.

"Honey, you've been having a tough time at work lately, so I won't add to your stress. Take this money; it'll come in handy if you need it for something."

After saying this, fearing he'd worry about me, I directly took Ivy Carter's hand, "Ivy, let's go."

4.

The two of us went straight to the largest mall in the Northanth city center.

Regarding Ivy Carter accompanying me, I couldn't really tell if she was doing it sincerely.

But from her leisurely demeanor, it was clear she was quite at ease. She didn't seem like someone bothered by practicalities like basic needs; she was thoroughly enjoying this shopping trip.

We walked one behind the other, me following her lead.

Judging by the mall, it was mainly filled with luxury goods, and just a glance at a certain brand of bags showed even the lowest price was in the hundreds of thousands.

Ivy Carter casually picked up a handbag and looked at it, walking slowly in her high heels.

I stood next to her, waiting without saying anything.

Suddenly, a loud voice drew my attention.

"Lily Bennett, what are you doing here?"

I turned around to see.

Unexpectedly, I frowned.

I knew this woman; she was my high school classmate, Emily Grant.

After all these years, I never thought we'd encounter each other abroad.

I wasn't keen on paying her any attention and wanted to pull Ivy Carter away.

But unexpectedly, Emily Grant suddenly noticed Ivy Carter beside me, her eyes lit up, and she rushed over.

"Ivy! Is it really you, Ivy?" She grabbed Ivy Carter's arm, rendering Ivy unable to move.

Ivy Carter's sultry and attractive eyes furrowed slightly.

Emily Grant, being quite shrewd, instantly sensed her displeasure and quickly withdrew her hand.

Her ability to change attitudes so swiftly left me amazed.

Emily Grant eagerly said to Ivy Carter, "Ivy, what have you been busy with lately? Can you take me under your wing?"

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

What exactly does Ivy Carter do? I couldn't tell at all if her status was that high.

Apart from the dress she was wearing, which I recognized as a recently released piece from a major brand.

But she could make Emily Grant bow and scrape to her in such a way.

Ivy Carter cast a sidelong glance at Emily Grant, saying nothing.

Emily Grant noticed my inquisitive gaze at that moment, and her disdainful look instantly turned toward me: "What are you looking at, pauper? How dare you even look at Ivy."

I was left speechless, feeling amused.

I had no grudges with her, yet she had targeted me since our school days.

Even years after graduation, she was still uneasy upon seeing me.

Ivy Carter heard her words directed at me but didn't intervene, instead, she charmingly lifted the bag in her hand and asked the sales assistant next to her.

"How much is this?"

The sales assistant replied with a smile: "One and a half million, Miss Carter. With your VIP card, it goes down to one and a quarter million."

It seems Ivy Carter is not an ordinary person; otherwise, she wouldn't have a VIP card here.

When Emily heard the price, she frowned slightly but quickly said, "Ivy, I'll buy this bag for you."

I was shocked and widened my eyes.

Not because of how expensive the bag was, but because of Emily's attitude toward Ivy Carter.

I know Emily's family situation; her parents are both teachers who spent their savings to send her abroad. I couldn't figure out where she got the money, let alone buying such an expensive gift for Ivy Carter.

The sales assistant had already gone with Emily to swipe the card for payment.

I distinctly noticed that Emily was using a credit card, and her face couldn't hide the pain of spending.

But the moment the card swiped through, Emily seemed delighted. I guess it's her joy at the thought of making big money in the future.

Having received the bag, Ivy Carter finally looked directly at Emily.

Emily grinned like a lapdog: "Ivy, a little gift. Please be lenient."

Ivy Carter nodded with a smile.

She said nonchalantly, "Okay, if there's something up, I'll call you this weekend."

Emily's face immediately filled with excitement.

At this moment, Ethan Baldwin sent me a WeChat message.

The words were somewhat pleading: "Hey love, Ivy lent me a lot of money recently. If she buys anything today, can you pay for it first? I'll pay you back when I get my paycheck next month."

I looked at Ivy Carter.

My hopeless infatuation kicked in again.

Ivy Carter did my boyfriend a favor, so I couldn't just leave her stranded.

Seeing Ivy getting ready to walk away, I stepped forward to follow her.

Just then, Emily grabbed me: "Where do you think you're going? Do you think someone like you can stick around Ivy?"

I blinked and shook off her hand.

"I'm going to buy something; don't touch me."

Emily burst out laughing at my words: "Ha, you? You're going to buy something here? What a disgrace! You couldn't scrape together a thousand bucks from head to toe."

I was a little speechless and casually glanced at the store's brand name, confirming it was indeed the brand I knew.

I took out a card from my bag and handed it to the sales assistant.

"The column on the left and the column on the right, wrap them all up."

With a smile on my lips, the sales assistant widened her eyes in disbelief when she saw the card in my hand.

And both Emily Grant and Ivy Carter were stunned on the spot.

Emily burst into laughter: "Lily Bennett, what are you pretending? Can you afford two columns of bags?"

Before I could say anything, the sales assistant sternly interrupted Emily: "Miss, please watch your words."

She quickly walked over, hesitating and unsure, and whispered in a voice only the two of us could hear: "Miss Bennett?"

It was well-known that the boss of the Y brand had the surname Bennett, was thirty years old, still single, and had a younger sister.

So I wasn't surprised the sales assistant guessed my identity, and I nodded.

Once my identity was confirmed, her tone became more severe. She glanced at Emily, didn't let her speak more, and immediately said:

"Miss, please leave."

Emily asked incredulously: "Why are you asking me to leave? I just bought something in your store. If someone needs to leave, it should be this lying Lily Bennett."

The sales assistant coldly called security and told her: "This lady is our store's supreme VIP."

Emily was dumbfounded.

Ivy Carter was also stunned, probably not expecting me to have such a significant background.

I couldn't be bothered to say more.

I turned to Ivy Carter, who had just been flattered by Emily, and said, "Ivy, let's go home."

Ivy, being savvy, immediately composed herself and prepared to leave in her high heels.

Emily was left speechless by what I said.

She looked like her legs were getting weak.

I turned back and grinned at her: "Appearances can be deceiving, Emily, don't bark like a dog."

The sales assistant returned my card and asked for my address, saying they would deliver all the bags to my home by the end of the day.

I nodded, leaving Emily standing there, dumbstruck.