Nathaniel Fu finally dragged himself out of bed and headed into the bathroom.
Just then, Celia's phone buzzed with a WeChat notification—it was from Lin Jiaojiao.
Lin Jiaojiao:That Su Qianrou is stirring up trouble again. Check Weibo.
Celia opened Weibo and saw the post at once.
I'm so happy! Ci Ci finally has a boyfriend! I hope he treats her well. — Su Qianrou
Given the recent news linking Nathaniel Fu and Su Qianrou, the post immediately caught attention. "Celia" shot up into the trending searches, and the comments section was exploding.
"Celia? Isn't she that clown-faced girl from the countryside?""I've seen her—scar right across her face. She's hideous.""I heard she's just a distant relative of the Su family. Goddess Qianrou's parents pitied her and let her stay… basically as a maid.""The Qianrou family is so kind. Our goddess is truly a beautiful, kind-hearted fairy.""A clown like her can get a boyfriend? Who is he?""Whoever her boyfriend is, please show up. We're all grabbing our popcorn for the next episode."
Another WeChat ping came in.
Lin Jiaojiao:Congrats, you're famous now. Su Qianrou's giving you your debut. Millions of netizens want to see your boyfriend, and even the socialite circle in Yecheng is buzzing. Everyone's dying to meet him.
Celia: "…"
That scheming woman. This was a setup—she knew Celia wouldn't dare show her boyfriend, and that made it all the more humiliating.
Lin Jiaojiao:Will Fu Toupai show his face?
Fu Toupai?Celia's mind flashed to last night—his cool fingertips pinching her jaw, his low voice asking, "Isn't your boyfriend me?"The memory made her ears burn.
The bathroom door clicked open, and Nathaniel stepped out, toweling his hair."What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," Celia replied lightly. "Su Qianrou's made me a hot topic. Now everyone's demanding to meet my boyfriend."
Nathaniel's expression didn't change, but his sharp, narrow eyes locked on her.
Celia's lips curved. "What's the matter? Scared? Afraid I'll expose you?"
He closed the distance and drew her into his arms. "You want to go public? Think carefully. It's for your own good. I can make all that online noise disappear."
"For my own good?" Her slender fingers toyed with his collar, her red lips lifting in a slow, teasing smile. "Let me guess… You don't want anyone to know you've been with me because you're afraid no one will take over when you're done, right?"
It was true—after the women Nathaniel played with, no man would dare "take over." And if anyone did, they'd probably have their own agenda.
Something in her words must have hit a nerve. His face darkened, and his fingers tightened sharply around her hand."Celia… throwing another tantrum?"
She blinked innocently. "Mr. Fu, you're overthinking it. I was just joking. Don't worry—just because we've shared a bed doesn't make us friends. I won't expose you."
She tried to pull her hand free, but he didn't let go.
"Alright, alright—my fault again," she said with a half-laugh. "I'm sorry. Don't worry, I've got this. You're not my boyfriend—you're my sponsor. Okay?"