He stole his best friend's photos and fell for a tycoon's heir through online dating.

Xia Ruo almost dropped her phone when she saw the words.

What?! Husband?!

"Brother, this is too embarrassing. I need to go wash up. Love you, brother," Xia Ruo thought, trying to brush it off.

Zero: [But what can I do? I miss you so much. If the baby doesn't cry, I'll have to buy a ticket back home.]

Xia Ruo was so angry her hands were shaking. Zhou Siyan...he's using this trick again...you win.

She bit her lip, picked up a pillow and hit it twice, then jumped off the bed barefoot, ran to the bathroom, and locked the door.

The dormitory lights were still on. Lin Wanzhi called out from outside, "Ruoruo, what are you doing?" She mumbled, "Going to the toilet."

She took a deep breath, held the phone to her mouth, and mumbled indistinctly, at the fastest speed and in the lowest volume, "Husband."

After posting it, she felt like her face was big enough to fry an egg on.

Zero: [Can't hear me, baby.]

Xia Ruo stared at the message, feeling an urge to throw her phone down the toilet and flush it away.

"Can't hear clearly?"

She clearly said it perfectly! Although her voice was a little soft, her speech was a little fast, and her pronunciation was a tiny bit unclear... she definitely pronounced the word "husband" correctly.

He did it on purpose.

Xia Ruo took a deep breath and then exhaled, glancing at herself in the mirror—her face was flushed as if she had a fever, and her peach blossom eyes were watery, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

Fine, I'll just go for it.

She held the phone to her mouth, this time raising her voice slightly and speaking a little slower: "Husband."

send.

This time, she clearly heard her own voice echo in the cramped bathroom, and a wave of shame washed over her from head to toe.

Zero: [Still can't hear you.]

Xia Ruo was so angry she almost smashed her phone.

"Brother!!! Are you kidding me?!"

Zero: [How could that be? I really wanted to hear my baby call me.]

Zero: [Called out clearly.]

Xia Ruo bit her lip and paced back and forth in the bathroom, her slippers making a clattering sound on the tiles.

Lin Wanzhi knocked on the door again: "Ruoruo, did you fall into a pit?"

"No!!!" Xia Ruo's voice was urgent and fierce.

"Oh……"

Xia Ruo leaned against the sink, staring at her phone screen, feeling like she was playing a game with a cunning fox.

She called out, but he said he couldn't hear her.

She called again, but he still couldn't hear her.

This is clearly just teasing her.

But the problem is—she dares not not ask. The four words "buy a ticket back home" are like a tight rein on her.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said clearly in a normal volume and at a normal pace, "Husband."

After sending the message, she placed her phone face down on the sink and covered her face with her hands.

This time, the other side did not reply immediately.

After three, five, ten seconds of silence, Xia Ruo's heart pounded faster and faster. Her eyes peeked out from between her fingers, staring intently at the lit screen.

Zero: [I heard you.]

There are only three words.

Xia Ruo breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt something was off—just those three words? No comment? Not going to tease her anymore?

Zero: [Sweetie, you've worked hard overtime. Go wash up and get some sleep.]

(Transfer: 520000 yuan)

The tone of the conversation suddenly became gentle and normal, as if the person who had insisted she call him "husband" wasn't him at all.

Xia Ruo stared at the line of text for two seconds, and a feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on suddenly rose in her heart.

It was a feeling of being completely controlled, yet subtly sweet, that made her feel utterly pathetic.

-

Downstairs, inside the McLaren sports car.

Zhou Siyan saved all of these voice messages.

The smile on his lips could no longer be hidden, spreading freely in the night.

His thumb lightly rubbed against the screen, as if touching something precious.

He turned his head and glanced in the direction of Xia Ruo's dormitory building. The window with the light on was probably hers.

He looked at it for a while, then looked away and started the engine.

The McLaren silently glided out of the parking space and disappeared into the night.

-

When Xia Ruo came out of the restroom, the blush on her face had not completely faded.

She had just sat down on the bed when Mu Zhizhi peeked out:

"Ruoruo, I forgot to tell you when you came back. You had a package, so I picked it up for you on my way back. It's on your desk."

"Express delivery?" Xia Ruo was taken aback, her gaze falling on the square white cardboard box on the table.

"What is this?" she muttered as she climbed off the bed, grabbed a pair of scissors, and tore open the outer packaging.

Inside the cardboard box was a gift box. It was a deep red leather box with gold metal corner protectors and tied with a cream-colored ribbon in a bow.

She hesitated before lifting the lid of the box—

The velvet lining, deep black, spreads out like the night sky.

A complete set of rose gold jewelry lay quietly on top: a LOVE choker, a LOVE bracelet, a Trinity ring, and mini three-ring earrings.

Each piece is engraved with the Cartier logo, its gold gleaming with a subtle sheen under the light, exuding an understated yet irreplaceable air of luxury.

The light fell on them, reflecting a gentle, restrained, yet breathtakingly expensive luster.

"My God—"

Mu Zhizhi was the first to come over, her face mask askew, her eyes wide open.

"Ruoruo, who sent it?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly remembered Lin Wanzhi's angry expression when she asked a similar question last time. Her survival instinct kicked in immediately, and she quickly changed her words:

"Oh no, no, it's Ruoruo, you bought jewelry again. It's so pretty, so pretty."

Xia Ruo didn't reply, stared at the jewelry set for two seconds, then suddenly looked up:

"Zhizhi, tell me first, how did you know this package was mine?"

Mu Zhizhi blinked:

"Oh? The dorm supervisor told me."

She said the person delivering the package was dressed very formally and had been here before; she remembered him.

The other party specifically instructed that the item be given to the girl who came to pick up the package last time. After the aunt checked and confirmed it was you, she asked me to deliver it for her.

call--

I was terrified, absolutely terrified.

Fortunately, Zhou Siyan was careless and forgot to tell his subordinates the name of his online lover, otherwise the package would be in Wanwan's hands now.

She couldn't imagine the scene: Lin Wanzhi unpacking a whole Cartier set, looking completely bewildered, and saying, "I didn't buy it."

Then, following the logistics information, they found the Zhou family and Zhou Siyan—the end.

"What's wrong, Ruoruo?" Mu Zhizhi asked cautiously, noticing Xia Ruo's fluctuating expression.

Before Xia Ruo could reply, Lin Wanzhi jumped over and peered closely at the gift box.

"Ruoruo," she frowned.

"This looks like a Cartier, it's very expensive. Where did you get so much money to buy it?"