He tricked the female lead into becoming his boyfriend, but then went on to criticize the male lead.

Their warm breaths mingled, and the boy's cool and aloof aura completely enveloped her, exuding a powerful sense of aggression.

Panic and shyness instantly overwhelmed her; her limbs went weak, and she instinctively struggled to resist.

She pushed him hard against his chest with both hands, and in her panic, she instinctively raised her foot and stomped hard on his instep.

The slight pain brought Wen Zhaoci back to his senses. He paused, then slowly released his grip on her arms.

Sang Jiuning immediately took several steps back, like a frightened little rabbit, her cheeks flushed red, her ears were so red they seemed to bleed, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.

She dared not look at Wen Zhaoci again, clutched her bathrobe tightly, and hurriedly ran back to her room.

She slammed the door shut, then slid down slowly against it, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Her heart was still pounding, her cheeks were burning, and her lips still held his cool warmth and faint breath.

Sang Jiuning raised her hand and gently touched her lips, her eyes filled with panic and confusion.

She vaguely understood that the kiss just now was different from all the kisses she had ever had.

There was no gentle restraint, no restraint, but rather a surging restraint, intense excitement, and a touch of Wen Zhaoci's unique, obsessive, and secretive possessiveness.

Outside the door, Wen Zhaoci stood quietly, his fingertips caressing the feeling of his arm around her waist, his dark eyes deep and unfathomable.

The moment he lost control was when he could no longer suppress the feelings he had kept hidden for so long.

His desire for Sang Jiuning was never a fleeting impulse.

☆

The laughter at the dinner table hadn't subsided when Zhao Muze held Gu Shichan's hand beside him, gently stroking it with his fingertips, his eyes filled with tender smiles.

He looked at everyone with undisguised happiness in his voice: "I was originally thinking of finding a suitable opportunity to tell everyone, but since we're all here today, I might as well just make it official. We've registered our marriage, and the wedding is scheduled for the second half of the year. You all have to come then."

Gu Shichan blushed slightly under his gaze, gently patted the back of his hand, her gentle demeanor deepening, and softly said to everyone, "You all must come along."

Sitting to the side, Gu Shiyan put his arm around Li Ruoxi's shoulder and laughed, "Don't worry, sister and brother-in-law, I'll definitely bring Ruoxi to the wedding first and help you with everything."

Li Ruoxi leaned on his shoulder, smiled and nodded, her eyes full of blessings for her friend.

Only Chi Nanli sat alone in the corner, his fingertips holding a glass. He looked at the couples in front of him, gave a faint smile, and didn't say anything. He just quietly took a sip of juice, still looking aggrieved, as if the hustle and bustle around him had nothing to do with him.

Jiang Shangyu finally managed to coax Lin Luoluo into submission, obediently peeling shrimp for her and diligently placing them in her bowl, while teasing Zhao Muze, "Not bad, Aze, you're actually the first among us to get your marriage certificate, that's fast!"

Lin Luolu rolled her eyes at him, picked up a shrimp and put it in her mouth, not forgetting to add, "That's right, Aze and Sister Chan are such a perfect match, they should have gotten married long ago, unlike some people, who are so talkative. They say they're not in a hurry, but then they turn around and throw a tantrum at me for not taking the initiative."

Jiang Shangyu leaned in, grinning smugly, "Luo Luo, how about we—"

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Luoluo glared at him and interrupted him, her ears turning red: "What nonsense are you talking about! Eat your shrimp!"

Everyone laughed again, and the conversation lingered around the newlyweds for a few moments before their eyes involuntarily fell on the other side of the table.

Wen Zhaoci didn't participate much in the commotion from beginning to end. He spent the whole time peeling crabs for Sang Jiuning with his head down. His movements were delicate and patient. He cleaned the crab meat thoroughly, piled it on a small plate, and pushed it in front of her.

His eyes were lowered, his expression focused, as if nothing around him could compare to the young girl in front of him. The news of Zhao Muze's marriage announcement just now only made him glance at it lightly before continuing what he was doing.

Sang Jiuning held the bowl, taking small bites of the crab meat and shrimp in front of her. Her face was expressionless, as if the passionate kiss by the hot spring during the day had never happened. She would only occasionally raise her eyes to look at Wen Zhaoci before immediately lowering her head again.

She was three or four years younger than everyone else present, and her eyes still held a hint of youthful innocence. She ate quietly, looking exceptionally well-behaved.

In her heart, she was already screaming: Zhao Muze and Gu Shichan are such a good match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, so pleasing to the eye.

Jiang Shangyu looked at the two of them like this, raised his roguish eyebrows, and deliberately teased them: "Brother Ci, you and my brother-in-law are about the same age. Look, Aze has already gotten his marriage certificate. You two would better hurry up."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes turned to Sang Jiuning and Wen Zhaoci.

Sang Jiuning paused slightly as she ate the crab, her ear tips turning red without her noticing. She subconsciously lowered her eyes, pretending to focus on her meal, too embarrassed to respond.

She was inevitably a little embarrassed by everyone's blunt teasing.

Wen Zhaoci raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Shangyu with a hint of protective affection and a restrained composure that brooked no teasing. Her tone was calm yet firm: "No rush, wait until she's a little older."

He spoke naturally, his tone full of indulgence towards Sang Jiuning. It was clear that he cherished the little girl dearly, was willing to wait for her to grow up slowly, and never thought of rushing her in the slightest.

Zhao Muze smiled gently and smoothed things over: "Aci is right, Jiu Ning is still young, there's no rush, just let nature take its course."

Gu Shichan nodded gently, "Yes, when the feelings are there, everything will fall into place naturally."

Lin Luoluo looked at Sang Jiuning's reddened ear tips and smiled to defuse the situation: "Alright, alright, stop bullying little Jiuning. She's still young. Eat your food, it's getting cold."

Jiang Shangyu knew when to stop, stuck out his tongue, stopped joking, and turned back to be affectionate with Lin Luoluo.

Chi Nanli: ...Why doesn't anyone care about him? He's been all alone since he arrived, and nobody pays any attention to him.

Wen Zhaoci looked at the little girl beside him, whose ears were red and who was eating with her head down. A faint smile appeared on her lips. She picked up a shrimp, peeled it slowly, carefully removed the shrimp vein, put it in her bowl, and said softly, "Eat more, don't mind them."

Sang Jiuning gave a soft "hmm" and lowered her head to eat.

After dinner, Lin Luoluo suggested that the men and women spend their time separately, with the girls grouping together and the boys forming their own group.

Soon, several girls sat together in the rest area on the north side, while the boys gathered on the south side.

During their casual conversation, Lin Luoluo suddenly looked at Sang Jiuning and asked curiously, "Jining, between you and Wen Zhaoci, who pursued whom first?"

Sang Jiuning recalled her embarrassing past of showering him with sweet nothings every day, her cheeks flushing slightly. Unable to lie, she could only answer truthfully: "I was the one who pursued him."