"By the way, Xia Chuan, what are you doing at a daycare?"

Northsea Yuxue turned to ask.

"Picking up a kid."

"A child? Whose? Yours?"

Northsea Yuxue rarely joked.

Xia Chuan almost wanted to admit it—he *was* called "Daddy," after all—but thought better of it.

"Impossible. A friend’s kid."

"Just teasing."

Her delicate face remained icy, yet she stiffly poked out her tongue, attempting playfulness. The gesture clashed jarringly with her cold expression.

Xia Chuan was stunned. *Who are you? You’re not Northsea Yuxue. She’d never do that!*

He bit back the words, grumbling internally instead.

*So she really is expressionless? Even sticking out her tongue looks frozen. Is she actually happy? Why else would Northsea Yuxue act so out of character?*

"Northsea, you seem cheerful. Something good happen?"

Xia Chuan couldn’t imagine what would delight the young heiress.

Her icy expression hardened at his words.

"No. And even if I were happy—it’s absolutely *not* because I’m walking home with *you*. Don’t get the wrong idea." She instantly regretted it. *That’s the opposite of subtle!* A faint flush crept up her cheeks. Flustered, she could only huff coldly.

Xia Chuan blinked, then chuckled inwardly.

*Mo Yao was right. Textbook tsundere.*

"Got it. Of course Northsea wouldn’t be happy over something trivial like this."

Recognizing her act, he played along.

"Good."

The blush on her cheeks faded slightly.

On the walk to the daycare, they chatted casually. Xia Chuan was reserved at first, but once comfortable, his dry wit surfaced—each remark dripping with skewed morals. Though Northsea’s face stayed impassive, the faintest smile tugged at her lips.

"Actually…" Northsea’s expression turned serious. "I’ve always wanted to ask: why do you hide your eyes behind that fringe?"

*Finally! Someone asked!*

Xia Chuan kept his face neutral while his heart raced. As a high schooler, this hairstyle should’ve raised eyebrows—teachers, students, *someone*. Yet no one ever questioned it. *Where’s that strict hair policy when you need it?* He’d grown numb to the neglect. Still, he had a real reason to keep it.

Time for a plausible lie.

"Honestly? I’m too handsome. Dangerously handsome. This fringe shields the world from my devastating beauty. Sometimes, being this gorgeous is a curse." He delivered it deadpan.

"*You?*"

Northsea stared, then scrutinized his face before snorting in disdain.

"Haha… just kidding!" Xia Chuan laughed awkwardly, eyes fixed on the sky.

"Do I look like an idiot to you?" Her voice turned icy, genuinely annoyed.

"Fine. I’ll tell you the truth."

Xia Chuan lowered his gaze, voice softening.

Northsea sensed his shift. *Did I hit a sore spot?* She cursed her own bluntness. "You don’t have to force it if you’d rather not—"

"It’s better out than in." He offered a strained smile.

"Alright." *Maybe talking helps,* she thought.

"So… during my final battle with the Cosmic Overlord, he cursed me with his dying breath. My soul’s bound to my hair now. Cut it, and I become an empty shell." Xia Chuan gazed wistfully at the clouds.

Two minutes later—

"So you’re saying," Northsea deadpanned, "that after defeating the Cosmic Overlord, his death curse trapped your soul in your *hair*, and cutting it would turn you into a walking corpse?"

"Exactly." Xia Chuan nodded solemnly.

"*Die already!*"

The young heiress snapped, unleashing a "friendly face-breaking punch" straight at him.

"*What the—?*"

Xia Chuan watched the fist fill his vision—no escape. *Since when are delicate heiresses this strong?!*

The next instant, he was airborne.

*Please… don’t let me land face-first…*

He prayed to the sunset-painted sky.

God apparently heard him—and granted the *opposite*.

His face met the pavement first.

*Readers might wonder: if she punched him backward, how’d he land face-down?*

*Ah, but you’ve guessed it—he spun three and a half times midair before impact. A useful technique, no?*

*Useful my ass! Who spins like a top when punched?!*

Xia Chuan’s inner monologue raged as he staggered up, dusting himself off.

Northsea covered her mouth, stifling a giggle before turning away with feigned anger. She walked slowly, clearly waiting for him.

*Phew. Dodged that bullet,* Xia Chuan thought, chasing after her. He’d never reveal the *real* reason for his fringe. No heiress could fathom how absurd—and embarrassing—it truly was.

---

Northsea’s anger was short-lived. They resumed chatting until reaching the daycare.

"Mr. Xia! You’re late today!" A teacher waved from afar.

"Work ran long." Xia Chuan almost said "school," then remembered his cover as an extra.

"Ah, busy schedule?" The teacher nodded politely. Northsea shot him a suspicious glance.

"Eh, yeah." Xia Chuan scratched his head, grinning sheepishly.

"And who’s this?" The teacher noticed Northsea in her uniform.

"My… colleague!"

"*Another* extra? She’s stunning!"

"Extra?! You’re the one who’s—" Northsea’s protest was cut off as Xia Chuan clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Haha! Method acting got to her. Pay no mind." He grinned through gritted teeth as she squirmed.

"Oh dear. Poor thing." The teacher’s pitying look only fueled Northsea’s struggles.

"T-Teacher! Could you bring Qian Yu out? We’re in a hurry!" Xia Chuan blurted.

"Right away." The teacher hurried inside.

Once she was gone, Xia Chuan released Northsea. "What was *that* for?" she snapped.

To avoid another punch, he summarized his "extra" cover story in thirty seconds.

"Hah. And she *believed* that nonsense?" Northsea facepalmed.

"Plausibility depends on the audience." Xia Chuan shrugged.

"Daddy!"

Qian Yu’s voice rang out as the teacher carried her over. The little girl beamed, arms outstretched.

Hearing her call him "Daddy" again melted Xia Chuan’s heart. He cradled her gently, smiling warmly. "We’ll take our leave, teacher."

"Goodbye, Mr. Xia! Bye-bye, little Qian Yu!" The teacher waved.

---

Xia Chuan spent the walk back cooing at Qian Yu, forgetting Northsea entirely.

"Must be nice being called ‘Daddy’ by a little girl, *pervert*," Northsea muttered coldly.

"You figured me out? How embarrassing…" Xia Chuan gasped dramatically.

Expecting denial, Northsea was speechless when he shamelessly admitted it. She settled for three icy words:

"Loli-con."

"*What?*" Xia Chuan’s face darkened. Northsea flinched—she’d rarely seen him angry. Had she touched a nerve?

"Don’t you *dare* insult me with ‘loli-con’!" He declared like a zealot, chest puffed out. "*I am an* ***infantophile***—*a noble infantophile!*"

Northsea: …

---

After a while, Xia Chuan stopped tickling Qian Yu and turned to Northsea.

"Northsea."

"*What*, pervert?" She stepped back, arms crossed, still bristling from his earlier outburst.

*Damn it. Calling a noble infantophile a pervert…* He swallowed his pride. "Didn’t you say you had business nearby?"

"Oh! Right—I almost forgot."

Northsea Yuxue finally recalled the excuse she’d given Xia Chuan and hurriedly replied.

“Let’s part ways here.”

“Oh…” A trace of reluctance flickered across Northsea Yuxue’s face.

“See you tomorrow then.”

Xia Chuan didn’t notice the young lady’s reluctance. He held Qian Yu with his left arm and waved goodbye with his right.

“Goodbye.”

Watching Xia Chuan turn to leave, Northsea Yuxue wiped the reluctance from her expression. She forced a smile onto her icy face—it looked utterly strained.

Xia Chuan began to walk away.

“Wait!” Miss Northsea called out before he’d taken a few steps.

“What is it? Spit it out.”

“Um… can we walk home together again sometime?” Northsea Yuxue asked shyly. Realizing how obvious she sounded, she quickly added, “Don’t misunderstand. I don’t want to go home with you. I might just have errands here again, so it’d be convenient since we’re on the same route.”

“Got it, got it, Miss.” Xia Chuan couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“So you’re agreeing?” A flicker of delight passed through Northsea Yuxue’s eyes.

“As friends, of course I can do this small thing,” Xia Chuan said with a grin.

“Then it’s settled. Goodbye!” Northsea Yuxue hurried off without another word.

Xia Chuan felt this promise seemed a bit childish. But maybe everyone has that childlike side. Watching her retreating figure, he mused quietly.

—

Night fell gently, and the streets slowly lit up. The entire district glittered with neon lights.

Northsea Yuxue had never returned home this late before, yet today she felt happier than ever. Her poker face hid every trace of emotion.

“Finally… I’ve got my first friend,” she whispered, exhaling softly so only she could hear.