“This is the last one, how is it?”

Wearing a nurse uniform styled like a one-piece dress, she spun around proudly.

“Ah… it looks amazing.”

I was already numb. My sense of aesthetics was dead. In the past two hours I’d watched a full-on dressing-up show. The first half was pretty exciting. The second half, as you can see, I was just done.

Pretty was pretty, but after watching so much, my eyes were going blurry. I needed a break. I really needed a break.

“What’s wrong? Is this lady’s cosplay not good enough for you?”

“That’s not it, it looks great, it really does.”

“Then why do you look so indifferent?”

“Do I?”

Xie Yuning stared at me for a moment. Was she trying to spot some flaw in my eyes? Just as I was about to ask what was wrong—

She suddenly looked like she gave up.

“This lady’s tired. I’m changing back into my own clothes.”

Muttering to herself, she pulled the curtain closed. I heard clothes drop softly onto the floor. Uh… this really was a fatal temptation to any healthy teenage boy.

“I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t hear anything,” I chanted in my head.

“What are you doing?”

“Me?”

At some point, Xie Yuning had already changed and stepped out in front of me. She scared me half to death, and I just stood there, completely blank.

“Were you fantasizing about something?”

“Fantasizing?”

“Look at you, your face is red in a very suspicious way.”

“No, it’s not… is it?”

“How dare you fantasize about this lady’s body.” She crossed both arms over her chest.

“I think you misunderstood something,” I took a step forward.

“Didn’t expect this lady to invite a wolf into the house. You look all honest on the surface, but you’re actually a huge perv.”

“I’m not, you’ve got it all wrong, seriously.”

“You totally had a sleazy look just now.”

“I did not, okay? Yeah, you’re very pretty, but I really don’t have any improper thoughts about you.”

“Don’t think I’ll believe you just because you say that. You used ‘returning the pendant’ as a pretext to lust after this lady’s beauty.”

“Absolutely… absolutely not.”

“Watch how this lady teaches you a lesson today, you big perv.”

I was trying hard to explain, but Xie Yuning ignored every word and charged at me. Was she about to go for a crippling kick or something?

Instinctively I raised my guard, but somehow her foot slipped. She was about to fall. Seeing that, I instantly wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Xie Yuning, I swear I don’t have any improper thoughts.”

For a brief second, she locked eyes with me. Then she seemed to realize the position we were in—me holding her by the waist. Her mind blanked, and her face turned as red as a boiled octopus.

“Y-you-you-you-you… what did you do to this lady?” she stammered.

“Ah… sorry.” Realizing how rude I was being, I pulled my hands back in a hurry.

“Idiot! This lady still hasn’t got her balance!”

“S-sorry, my bad.”

I had no choice but to help her steady herself again.

“Hmph!”

“It was just an emergency, that’s all. You’re not hurt, right?”

“This lady is perfectly fine!” Xie Yuning turned her head sharply to the side.

Looked like she hated me now. My head started to ache a little.

“So, uh…” The atmosphere was awkward, so I couldn’t help speaking up.

“This lady is very angry right now and doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Such a hard-to-please princess. I suddenly really wanted to go home.

“Young miss, the master has returned,” a servant said from outside the door.

“Daddy’s back?” Joy flashed across Xie Yuning’s face.

“Yes, miss.”

“This lady will be right down.” She opened the door and walked out, acting like I didn’t exist.

Honestly, I was just here to return something I’d picked up. Now that mission accomplished, I figured it was about time to head home.

I went downstairs the way I’d come up, ready to leave.

“You’re Xu Youjie, right?”

Someone called out. I turned around on reflex and saw a blond, handsome man.

“Uh…” It was my first time seeing him, so I was a bit surprised.

“Y-yeah, I’m Xu Youjie,” I answered out of basic politeness.

“I heard you found my Ning’er’s pendant. I really appreciate it. It was a gift from her mother, very precious.”

“I-is that so? It was nothing, really.”

“Ning’er was just telling me a lot about you.”

“Just now!? We only just…”

“To thank you, please give me the honor of joining us for a meal.”

“Uh…” Put that way, there was no way I could refuse.

After about an hour of torture, the food finally arrived.

“Steak?” It was Western food. Watching the father and daughter cut their steak so skillfully into neat little pieces, I just sat there like a block of wood, not knowing how to start.

“Why aren’t you eating? Not to your taste?” Xie Yuning asked.

“No, it’s not that…” Clumsy as hell, I tried to cut it, but even though it was soft, my knife just wouldn’t behave. I was embarrassing myself hard.

“Like this.” Xie Yuning took it upon herself to teach me. She was really good at it, cutting it into bite-sized pieces.

“Ah~” She brought a piece up to my mouth.

“I can do it myself—”

“Be good and eat what this lady feeds you!” She shoved it straight into my mouth.

“So? How is it, good?” she asked with a bright smile.

“I-it’s okay, I guess.”

It was kind of mortifying. Seriously kind of mortifying.

“I’m going to the restroom, Daddy.”

“Alright.”

Xie Yuning left the table, heading for the restroom. That left just me and her father at the table.

“Sorry we’re not entertaining you properly.”

“N-no, not at all.”

He smiled slightly, while I didn’t really know what to do with myself.

“What do you think of my Ning’er?”

“She’s… pretty nice.”

“Do you have any thoughts about her?”

“Thoughts?!”

He smiled even more. “I’ll be blunt, then. I want you to be my son-in-law.”

“Eh!?”

“You’re not willing?”

“Ah… well…”

“I know it’s a bit sudden to bring this up. But Ning’er is my treasure. She used to be lost in the pain of her mother’s death for a long time. Only recently have I finally seen her smile again. Lately she keeps saying she met a very silly guy—I’m guessing that’s you.”

“Am I… that silly?” I thought.

“I don’t mean it like that, not that you’re stupid. It’s just, since Ning’er feels happy when she’s with you, as her father, I have to make sure she stays happy. I owe her too much.”

“Uncle, I…”

“Ning’er’s neither lacking in looks nor in education. Is there really anything about her you’re not satisfied with?”

A trace of seriousness flashed across his face.

“She’s pretty great,” I said—aside from the bit of spoiled-princess attitude.

“Then what are you still hesitating about? You two can date first. When the time’s right, I’ll arrange your marriage. Then my wish will be fulfilled.”

“Uncle, um…”

“Daddy, what are you two talking about?”

“Ning’er, Daddy approves of you two dating.”

“What? This lady doesn’t want to date him.”

“Look how red your face is. Don’t think you can fool Daddy.”

“That’s so sneaky!”

Her father burst into hearty laughter. Xie Yuning pouted, sneaking glances at me now and then.

As for me, I couldn’t explain myself even with a hundred mouths.

By nighttime, Xie Yuning even told the butler to drive me home.

On the way home, I was extremely on edge. Everything had happened way too fast. I hadn’t even processed any of it.

It was all my fault for not explaining properly. Now… my head was killing me.

“Jie, you’re back.” Zhiye suddenly appeared in front of me.

“I-I’m back.”

“You’re back this late, where’d you go?”

“Ah… nowhere special. Zhiye, what are you doing?”

“Me? I’m about to slaughter a rat.”

“Rat? Where… where’s the rat?”

“Isn’t it right in front of me?”

“In front…?!”

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. What was going on? It felt like my life was flashing before my eyes. Was this an illusion?