The sweet and gentle boy is actually crazy and bad.

Let her be a puppy then; she's already barking.

Moreover, this matter... was completely beyond her control. Who knew that Zhong Xu would happen to work at the coffee shop where she worked?

Wen Yisheng walked slowly to the car, like a little snail.

"Ah Sheng." Wen Zhi got out of the car and walked towards her.

Wen Yisheng composed herself, looked up at him, and asked, "Why are you here?"

"I'm bored at home."

Wen Zhi glanced at her clothes, reached out and held her soft little hand, releasing it before she could react. Her hand was soft yet icy cold.

"Why are your hands so cold? Aren't you cold?"

Temperatures are low in the morning and evening.

Wen Zhi wore a silver-gray sweater over a shirt with a white collar peeking out from the sweater's neckline, paired with black trousers—a casual and relaxed outfit.

Wen Yisheng put both hands into the front pockets of her hoodie.

Shake head.

"It's not cold."

"Let's get in the car first."

Wen Zhi asked the cool uncle to turn on the heater.

The car drove along the brightly lit city streets.

Wen Zhi slowly turned his head to look at her.

The car lights illuminated his pale eyes, giving them an eerie look, yet a gentle smile played on his lips. "How was your day at the shop? Did anything interesting happen?"

Wen Yisheng's heart skipped a beat.

The back seat lights were off, with only light coming in through the car windows. The boy was backlit, and Wen Yisheng, who was already somewhat night-blind, couldn't see his face or eyes clearly in this situation.

She was debating whether or not to tell him about Zhong Xu.

But she had a feeling that if she told him, Wen Zhi would definitely make her quit her job at the coffee shop.

"Nothing interesting happened, just quite busy, lots of customers." Wen Yisheng decided to keep it a secret from Wen Zhi.

Although I've said things like "a liar is a dog".

But she won't actually turn into a puppy; can't she just bark at him a couple of times?

Wen Zhi lowered his head slightly, chuckled softly, but his eyes were calmly cold.

~

the next day.

Wen Yisheng finished her class at Fanxing as usual and went to work at the coffee shop upstairs. Zhong Xu was there too, starting work at the same time as her.

To attract customers, the store manager wants to send employees to the busiest shopping malls to promote the store. This involves distributing flyers, giving away balloons for scanning QR codes, and offering discounts and small toys to customers who show their flyers.

"Who wants to go out and promote the store? Everyone should take the initiative!" the store manager said.

Doing promotional work is tiring, hot, and troublesome. Two employees have already gone this morning, and they even have to wear black Kumamon mascot costumes. Now, no one really wants to go anymore.

Finally, the store manager's gaze naturally fell on the two part-time students.

"Sheng Sheng and Xiao Xu, you two are the face of our store, so we're leaving the promotion to you."

Wen Yisheng had no objection to the arrangement; she never complained about what she did.

Zhong Xu had a cold and aloof demeanor, rarely interacting with anyone. He picked up the mascot costume and left.

Wen Yisheng followed, carrying a large bunch of whimsical balloons.

Zhong Xu quickly put on the mascot costume, turned his back to her, and said, "Give me a hand."

"Okay." Wen Yisheng helped him zip up the back of the costume. The mascot costume was particularly thick, comparable to a thick cotton-padded coat.

It's late autumn now, and the mall has turned off the air conditioning. Wearing this all the time would be unbearably hot.

Wen Yisheng held a Kumamon headpiece in her hand, looked up at him with her little face: "We'll take turns wearing the mascot costumes, each of us for half an hour."

Zhong Xu didn't say anything.

He was half a head taller than her.

The slender and upright figure was dressed in a heavy mascot costume, creating a unique and endearing contrast. His limbs were not fully functional, making him appear clumsy, and he bowed his head towards her.

Wen Yisheng raised her hand and helped him put on the doll headgear.

Half an hour later.

"Zhong Xu," Wen Yisheng patted Kumamon's adorable blush-covered face, "take off your mascot costume, rest for a bit, let me do it."

Zhong Xu's voice came through the hood: "No need."

Another half hour passed.

Wen Yisheng was genuinely worried that he would get bored: "Zhong Xu, it's my turn to put on the mascot costume."

He still replied, "No need."

Wen Yisheng was a little touched. This person looked aloof, but he was actually very kind and took good care of his colleagues.

But if he really gets too hot, she'll have to spend money to buy things to visit him.

Wen Yisheng would never tolerate such a possibility happening!

She reached out and forcefully removed the Kumamon headgear. The mascot costume was bulky, and Zhong Xu couldn't resist.

Immediately, the boy's short hair was damp with sweat, and his cheeks were flushed red.

Wen Yisheng was startled when she saw this: "Are you crazy? It's so hot and you didn't even say anything?"

Zhong Xu's skin was also fair, but the redness on his face was even more obvious, and the hot sweat on his forehead looked like he had just been pulled out of the water.

His expression was indifferent, but his breathing was slightly labored, and the damp redness on his face somewhat softened his aura of unapproachability.

"It's nothing," he said, frowning slightly.

Wen Yisheng was really afraid he would faint from the heat. "Take it off and let it breathe."

"Wipe your sweat."

"what?"

Zhong Xu lowered his head, his handsome face close to hers: "You got sweat in your eyes, wipe them for me."

Helpless, Wen Yisheng took out a tissue from her pocket.

She took out two bills, raised her thin, pale arm, and delicately wiped his sweat with a tissue.

Just then, she glanced casually at the crowd in the distance.

Wen Yisheng paused, wiping her sweat. She seemed to see a familiar tall, slender figure. She looked over suspiciously, but didn't see anyone she knew in the crowd.

Or...did I see it wrong?

"What's wrong?" Zhong Xu asked.

The girl's soft hand gently brushed against his face through a tissue. Her wrists were snow-white and carried a unique, sweet fragrance that lingered around Zhong Xu's nose.

...I couldn't control my heart racing, and I even held my breath because we were too close.

"Oh, it's nothing, I misread it," Wen Yisheng said.

Zhong Xu then succinctly uttered a single word: "Thirst."

Wen Yisheng ran back to the shop and brought over two cups of iced fruit tea.

Wen Yisheng found a rest bench in the mall and sat down, while Zhong Xu, dressed in a mascot costume, found it uncomfortable to sit.

"Take it off first!" Wen Yisheng reached out and pulled the zipper on his back.

Zhong Xu awkwardly shifted his body to avoid her: "It's too much trouble to wear it back and forth."

Wen Yisheng felt really warm inside; he was so hot himself, yet he wouldn't let her wear the mascot costume.

The Kumamon mascot costume has no fingers, only a thumb and a palm, making it difficult for it to drink water.

Wen Yisheng helped him insert the straw, and the two sat on the rest chairs.

She held up the fruit tea, bringing the straw to his lips. "Drink it, I'll hold it for you."

Wen Yisheng was poised and confident, with clear eyes.

Zhong Xu lowered his eyes uncomfortably, his dark eyes looking at the ground, but he also opened his lips, put the straw in his mouth, and drank water in the way she was feeding him.

He took only one sip and frowned: "Too sweet."

Wen Yisheng took a sip of her own drink, savoring the taste. "It's not too sweet. I'll get you a non-sweet one when we get back."

"No need." Zhong Xu lowered his head again and put the straw in his mouth.

Wen Yisheng thought to herself, Zhong Xu doesn't like sweet drinks.

She couldn't help but think of Wen Zhi, who had a sweet tooth. They often smelled candy coming from his desk when they sat next to each other. Wen Zhi was the boy she had ever met who loved sweets the most.

Thinking of Wen Zhi, Wen Yisheng looked around the mall again.

She frowned slightly, a strange feeling creeping into her heart, as if something unclean was clinging to her, and a chill running down her spine.

I'm inexplicably a little scared.

Wen Yisheng was on the nineteenth floor, while at this moment, somewhere on the twenty-first floor of the mall, above her.

Wen Zhiwei hunched his back, braced his hands on the glass railing, and looked down.

He is laughing.

From Wen Zhi's vantage point, he could clearly see Wen Yisheng sitting on a bench downstairs and Zhong Xu dressed in a mascot costume.

The girl is holding fruit tea and feeding the boy; the scene is exactly like a loving interaction between a young couple.

Wen Zhi's light-colored eyes stared quietly downstairs.

Like a demon lurking in the darkness, watching his followers who betrayed and disobeyed him, Wen Zhi maintained a smile on his lips.

fraud.

He silently repeated those two words, his eyes devoid of any emotion, appearing utterly empty and terrifying.

fraud.