“Of course, you don’t have to go that far. I only made those contract arrangements because I was preparing for the worst. Since this guy clearly isn’t thinking that way, there’s no need for them. And from now on, you don’t have to be so polite to him. The contract has my name on it, not his. I only told you what to do yesterday because I wanted to test him,” Ji Ruoyan explained.

As she spoke, Ji Ruoyan finally lifted her foot off me. I twisted my head around and managed to get back up.

I took a few deep breaths, then said to Ji Ruoyan, “First, I don’t make a habit of living with strange women. Second, this yogurt was my last breakfast for today. Third, hurry up and pay me back.”

Liu Su didn’t look too happy to hear how obviously I was brushing her off. Maybe she was worried Ji Ruoyan would take the money back.

Ji Ruoyan set down the yogurt with a look of disgust. “This yogurt tastes awful mixed like this. I don’t even like it.”

Oh, please. Who was it that had been savoring it one spoonful at a time just a minute ago?

Then she turned to me and said, “Anyway, I’ve already given her the money, so I can’t take it back now. Since that’s the case, I’m not paying you back either. Oh, and remember to pay me back that fifty thousand.” So she was planning to stiff me, huh?

“You took several million from me, and now you’re trying to weasel out of it too?” I shouted furiously.

“It was only two million! But so what? If you’re willing to go along with what I said, then you can keep living with her. Once I’m free, I’ll pay you back. Otherwise, what are you going to do? Call the cops and have them arrest me? All I have to do is call my family and your parents, and this’ll instantly turn into a joke between us.”

“I…” I was so angry I couldn’t get a word out. This woman had eaten my yogurt and still dared to scheme against me, huh?

“I hate men like you, who only dare to pull this ‘Su’s protector’ nonsense behind my back. Honestly, you might as well just be a woman.” Ji Ruoyan raised an eyebrow, her tone full of provocation. “I only want to hear one of two answers. Say yes, and everything stays as it is. Say no, and pay me back the fifty thousand. After that, don’t expect to get any more money from your parents. You can starve for all I care.”

“Tch! My parents send me money. Why should I be scared of you?” I laughed in exasperation. Was this woman seriously that full of herself?

“I’ve got plenty of photos. I only need to post one and say you’re deliberately spreading rumors about me to ruin my career…” Ji Ruoyan said with a smile. “Guess what? At worst, I get caught up in a little gossip, which might even boost my ratings. But you’re different. Your parents promised me—what do you think they’ll do if you pull something like that?”

Looking at Ji Ruoyan’s sweet smile, I felt anger drain the warmth from my hands and feet.

But I had no choice but to let it go. I’d promised to do this, so I had to follow through. Forget it. Ji Ruoyan was kind of pitiful too. I gave her smug expression a wry little smile, then ignored her.

“Wait a second, Chu Turan. What was that ‘Su’s protector’ thing about?” Liu Su stared at me in shock, her expression full of disbelief.

“Uh, it was just a temporary hormone imbalance. Go ahead and laugh if you want.” I awkwardly scratched my head, completely missing the change in Liu Su’s eyes.

“I won’t. I’m really grateful to you. And I’ll get along with you from now on, so just agree to what Sister Ruoyan said.” After hearing that unexpected bit of news, Liu Su’s attitude toward Chu Turan suddenly changed. She’d heard his conversation with Ji Ruoyan, and now she looked at Chu Turan and offered him a way out.

If it was him, maybe she wouldn’t mind after all?

Liu Su stole a quick glance at Chu Turan. Had he been secretly helping her all along?

I’d been in a tough spot just now, and with a way out offered to me, I naturally took it.

“Ji Ruoyan… Fine, I’ll agree. But I have one condition: you’re not allowed to hit me anymore!” I looked at Liu Su, who was watching me with hopeful eyes, and told Ji Ruoyan I’d accept her terms.

“In your dreams!” Ji Ruoyan flatly rejected my request.

I had to keep my head down while I was under someone else’s roof. I couldn’t do anything to Ji Ruoyan, and I couldn’t force her to break off our engagement either. So all I could do was look away helplessly and swear to myself: Just you wait!

One day, I’d make her apologize to me properly!

“Fine. But when I ask you for money, don’t make things difficult for me.” Thinking about how I’d have to go to Ji Ruoyan if I ever needed to make a big purchase, I felt a little annoyed and brought it up in advance.

“When have I ever made things difficult for you? Liu Su, go change into something else. You don’t have to wear a maid outfit anymore. I was just teasing you.”

“But the contract…”

“What contract? I’m the one who paid, so I decide.” For some reason, Ji Ruoyan suddenly sounded a little impatient as she snapped at Liu Su. Liu Su could only nod helplessly before heading to the washroom. I guessed that was where she’d changed earlier. But… I looked at Ji Ruoyan, speechless. Half that money was mine, you know…

“I’ll send you a set amount regularly to pay you back. If you need a large sum, just come to me.” Ji Ruoyan handed Chu Turan a bank card. “This is a new card I got for you. The PIN is my birthday.”

“Are you short on money too?” I could tell what was going on with Ji Ruoyan. She was a proud, independent woman. If she weren’t running short, she definitely wouldn’t have come to take my money.

“That’s none of your business!” Ji Ruoyan snapped, then headed out. At the door, she pointed at the bowl of yogurt she’d eaten halfway through. “Don’t drink that. I don’t want to kiss you indirectly. Remember to throw it away.”

Hey, hey, hey! Aren’t you worried I’ll sneak a drink anyway? Seriously.

I watched Ji Ruoyan leave through the front door.

Meanwhile, Liu Su had changed her clothes and come over to me. “Chu Turan, my luggage is still outside. Could you help me bring it in?”

“Uh, all right.” I nodded wearily and agreed.

The second time I carried a pile of bags through my front door, it suddenly hit me: I seemed to have started living with the campus beauty from my school.

“Wow, I’m exhausted. So you really are going to live here? You don’t have to, you know. You can just go back to your own place.” I’d had no idea girls had so much luggage: three suitcases, two huge boxes, and a medium-sized storage bin. Seriously, had she moved her entire home over?

“Do all men say one thing and mean another?” Liu Su rolled her eyes at Chu Turan. “You don’t have to do that. I said I’d stay, so I’ll stay.”

Still, these days, whenever she spoke to Chu Turan, she always had a faint smile on her face.

“…” I fell awkwardly silent, too embarrassed to say anything. To be honest, now that I knew the truth—and that the woman moving in was, technically speaking, someone I’d bought—I could theoretically do whatever I wanted. And she was beautiful, too.

Any normal man would have a hard time letting that go, right? I really had only been saying that out loud. As I carried her things, my mind had also been wandering into all sorts of thoughts I shouldn’t be having.

“Whew…” I let out a long breath. This was the last storage bin. I tugged at my collar, then said to Liu Su, who was drenched in sweat too, “So, you’ll be staying in this room. The kitchen’s over there, and that’s…” I gave Liu Su a rough tour of the house.

After that, I went back to my room, grabbed some clean clothes, and was about to go wash up when it occurred to me that Liu Su was drenched in sweat too. Would she want to take a shower as well?

“Hmm, maybe I should wait a bit.” I had no intention of peeking. To be honest, after Ji Ruoyan’s brutal training, I hardly ever felt that kind of desire toward women anymore.

Had she seriously grossed me out that badly?

I even had this sort of self-righteous feeling, as if I didn’t belong in this world. I really wanted to connect with people, but I wasn’t very good at reaching out first.

A lot of the time, just as Ji Ruoyan occasionally said, I was used to hiding in the shadows.

“I might as well play on the computer for a while.” I turned it on and started protecting my mom, who was overseas, in Zuan.

Half an hour later, my arm dropped limply. Mom, your son has failed you. I can’t protect you anymore…

Two hours passed, and I still hadn’t managed to protect my mom. But I figured Liu Su should be done washing up by then, so I went out to check. The washroom door was half open, and there wasn’t a sound inside.

Just to be safe, I called out a few times. “Liu Su? Liu Su?”

There was no answer. To avoid some weird mishap straight out of an anime, I knocked on the guest room door first. It was half open, and when I pushed it wider, I found that everything inside had already been neatly put away. Seriously, how had she managed to fit all that stuff into those closets?