"I haven’t even agreed to break up with you! How could you flirt with other women?!"

"Can’t you just act normal for once—like you used to? Please, just come back to me properly."

*Thank you,* Zhou You thought again, *for reminding me how messed up I used to be… to actually coddle a woman like you.*

He silently thanked Yun Daidai once more. She really had done him a favor.

After three years of tempering, he felt certain his future would run smoother—at the very least, he wouldn’t misjudge people again.

Zhou You: "I’m sorry. I truly don’t want you to suffer for a man like me. I’m so sorry."

Zhou You: "A coward and a hypocrite like me isn’t even a real man. I’m utterly unworthy of someone perfect like you, Daidai."

Zhou You: "So please… allow me to run away. Goodbye, Daidai."

With swift taps, Zhou You blocked Yun Daidai and added her to his blacklist. Never seeing her again—bye-bye, you utterly unlikable young lady.

Without the annoying messages, the world instantly felt peaceful.

His vanished good mood returned to him in that moment.

He realized: why get angry over Yun Daidai? Did her words even matter?

Not at all.

Having settled that thought, Zhou You let go of the lingering emotion, tidied himself up, and turned toward home—when someone unexpected pounced onto his back.

"Brother! What are you doing here?" Chen Youzi boldly draped herself over him, arms circling his neck from behind. Her softness brushed gently against him—intentional or not, it was a light, teasing graze.

"I came to meet a friend," Zhou You said, prying her hands away. "I just saw her off when you jumped on me."

"What a coincidence," Chen Youzi murmured softly.

She wasn’t wandering aimlessly. Hadn’t her sister Chen Tangtang called her last night?

They’d chatted about random things first, but Chen Tangtang hadn’t forgotten the main request.

She wanted Chen Youzi to find a handsome guy in Hangcheng. She’d cover all expenses—and promised a generous reward upon success.

At the thought, Chen Youzi’s eyes sharpened. Find the guy, get the money… buy Brother *so many* gifts.

Then she could… hehehe~~~

"What’re you grinning about? So sly?"

"I’m not thinking anything weird!" Chen Youzi protested too much, then quickly pointed toward a café. "Brother, wanna grab coffee with me?"

That was her target spot. The "handsome guy" should be inside chatting.

"Sure."

Zhou You didn’t mention he’d just left the café. He followed her lead and walked back in.

Right before the waiter who recognized him, he sat in the exact same seat as before.

Waiter: ???

"Sir, what would you like?"

The waiter wore a professional smile, but inwardly—*Two days. Three stunning girls. Same seat. You player really know how to play.*

"Youzi, what’ll you have?"

"I want Brother to pick for me," Chen Youzi replied, glancing around. *What does Sister’s obsessed-over "handsome guy" even look like?*

Hearing "Brother," the waiter’s expression softened. He’d nearly exposed this "player" out of righteous fury…

*Turns out they’re siblings.*

"Two mochas," Zhou You said, oblivious.

"Coming right up."

At the counter, a barista in a petite suit whispered, "You didn’t expose him?"

"Shh~~" The waiter lowered his voice. "Might’ve been a misunderstanding. Siblings. The others were probably relatives."

"Hmph. Maybe they’re just roleplaying for kicks."

"?"

"…People really do that?" Bewildered but deeply shaken, he made a silent vow: *If he brings a fourth girl… I’ll expose him on the spot—even if I lose this job.*

While waiting, Zhou You noticed Chen Youzi glancing around restlessly, tapping her phone.

"Youzi, what’re you doing?"

"Ah!" Startled, she typed a quick reply amid her sister’s message—*"You only care about your own man"*—then focused on him.

"N-nothing! Just chatting with Sister."

"Sister Tangtang," Zhou You murmured. He only knew the name.

"Let’s skip Sister," Chen Youzi beamed. "Congrats on getting into Hangcheng Z University!"

*…And the breakup.*

"I’ll get in too—to find Brother!"

"Then study hard. And now that I’ve graduated… if anyone bullies you again—"

Zhou You had once thought bullying distant. Never imagined it’d happen to sweet Youzi. Maybe *because* she was too cute?

"After what you did in sophomore year? No one dares touch me," Chen Youzi said softly.

A complex emotion filled her eyes. Freshman year, transferred school, bullied by a group. Next day, Zhou You acted.

Single-handedly, he beat every one of them.

Partly youthful fire. Partly Yun Daidai’s pressure weighing him down.

The scandal blew up—but barely touched Zhou You. Chen Youzi’s family wasn’t ordinary. Though their business lay far in Xiangjiang, handling a few students was trivial.

Zhou You even vaguely recalled hearing Chen Youzi tell her mom about "pouring cement and sinking them in the Xiangjiang River."

"True," Zhou You just smiled.

They laughed over high school memories. Time flew. Night fell. After dinner, both returned home happy.

Only one person fumed: Chen Tangtang, left on read.

Chen Tangtang: *What’s so great about that Zhou guy? Not one ten-thousandth of my little idol!*

She’d planned for Youzi to find him first… then surprise her crush herself.

…

…

Moonlight bathed the night. Yun Mingyue returned home, cheerful from the morning’s events.

Yun Daidai sat slumped, staring at her phone on the coffee table—motionless for who knew how long.

"Why sit in the dark?" Yun Mingyue noticed her daughter growing stranger by the day.

"He blocked me," Yun Daidai murmured.

"What was that?"

Yun Mingyue leaned closer. Yun Daidai looked up—and saw a faint trace of delight deep in her mother’s eyes. Something inside her ached.

The words slipped out:

"That ‘client’ you met today… satisfied you?"