Hmm… Looking at that pure, innocent, and handsome face, Feng Wan couldn't help herself. She reached out her wicked little claws and gave it a firm squeeze—twice.
The man let her knead his face without any resistance. It was perfect. His features were naturally well-formed, his brows and eyes were naturally attractive. The only thing that needed a bit more work was his skincare routine.
Completely absorbed in her fun, Feng Wan didn't notice the gleam that briefly flashed through the man's eyes. Nie Shuyuan had indeed been drunk earlier, but thanks to her rough handling, he was now mostly sober.
"Ring ring, ring ring…"
A sudden ringtone cut off Feng Wan's playful groping. Nie Shuyuan sluggishly fumbled for his phone, pretending to still be dazed. On the other end, his mother's crisp voice rang out.
"Shuyuan, have you eaten yet? Ahhh—wait a minute, that background isn't your rental apartment. Are you up to something? Come on, fess up!"
Feng Wan looked on with great interest as he entered his next act. At first, she hadn't noticed anything unusual, but later, the subtle changes in Nie Shuyuan's expression didn't escape her keen eye.
Still, since he was in the mood to act, Feng Wan didn't mind playing along. After all, this kind of amusement was a rare treat.
Hearing his mother's words, Nie Shuyuan looked a bit embarrassed and chuckled awkwardly, "I'm at a friend's place. They haven't given permission yet. I'll explain later."
He lowered his voice significantly for the latter half, then hurriedly ended the call, terrified his mom might blurt out something outrageous.
On the other end, Mother Nie looked at the phone that had just been hung up on, then happily ran off to the study. She couldn't wait to share the good news with her husband.
"Nie Shuyuan, why aren't you pretending to be drunk anymore?"
Crap. Busted.
Nie Shuyuan clutched his phone nervously, his mouth opening and closing helplessly. "I just sobered up a moment ago. You looked like you were having fun, so I didn't want to ruin it. I didn't mean to lie to you."
"Just this once. Don't do it again. Since you're already sober… how about we play something even more fun?"
Even more fun? Don't tell him she means what he thinks she means…
Nie Shuyuan's mind quickly spiraled toward thoughts that couldn't be described in polite company. His cheeks flushed bright red at the idea.
"Let's play a Q&A game!"
Oh. So it was all just in his head. Clearly, he wasn't as innocent as he thought. Why had his mind gone there so quickly?
Feng Wan had done it on purpose. This Nie Shuyuan was honestly quite amusing. She hadn't encountered such a pure-hearted man in a long time, and teasing him was a surefire way to lift her spirits.
"I'll go first. Nie Shuyuan, when did you start liking me?"
So direct! But Nie Shuyuan still answered honestly, "I already felt drawn to you when I learned you were the blogger 'Wan in the Water Moon.' Then, when I saw you get hurt, I realized my true feelings."
As expected, she really was quite charming. This man had already fallen for her way back then.
"Very good answer. Now it's your turn."
"Xiao Wan, has my probation period ended yet?"
As he asked, Nie Shuyuan fixed his gaze on her with burning intensity, waiting eagerly for her reply.
Hmm, not bad. This man knew how to shoot a straight shot.
"You're not perfect—but I'm very satisfied with you."
The first half of that sentence chilled Nie Shuyuan to the bone. He thought she was about to gently reject him. But the second half flipped everything around.
Amazing.
Overcome with joy, Nie Shuyuan pulled her into a hug, and Feng Wan responded by kissing his cheek. He wasn't the type to chicken out, either—and before long, the two of them were tumbling onto the sofa.
In the end, they didn't go all the way, but they had already reached a point of being completely open with each other.
Feng Wan hadn't expected this man to have such restraint—holding himself back just because they weren't married.
Sigh… Maybe having a boyfriend who's too much of a gentleman isn't such a good thing either.
While Feng Wan and her newly minted boyfriend were enjoying a romantic interlude, things were much bleaker on Kong Rui's side, mostly thanks to Xu Meilin's outrageous demands.
Not only did she ask for five million in financial compensation, she also wanted to be cast as the second female lead in Kong Rui's next drama.
Xu Meilin had carefully calculated these terms. Asking for too much money would scare the man off, and aiming for the lead role might provoke backlash from the audience.
Anyway, she wasn't worried about him refusing. If Kong Rui didn't agree, she could easily sue him for past injuries—and more importantly, his secrets wouldn't stay secret for long.
Kong Rui wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what she was holding over him—his manhood.
But giving in would mean letting down Yuan Huihui. He had promised her a role, but now it might be slipping through her fingers.