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

"Baby, come downstairs, I'm downstairs in your dorm, I'll take you for a late-night snack." On the other end of the phone, Wen Zhaoci's voice was deep and gentle, like warm spring water, instantly soothing her frustration from studying all day.

Sang Jiuning's eyes lit up, and she immediately changed her clothes and went downstairs, following Wen Zhaoci to a small street-side restaurant near the school.

There was no elaborate plating, no luxurious environment, just simple tables and chairs by the roadside, the aroma of grilled skewers wafting in the air, full of the warmth of everyday life, which made Sang Jiuning feel particularly relaxed.

Picking up the menu, she didn't hold back at all and enthusiastically ordered: "Boss, fifty skewers of lamb, one grilled fish, two skewers of grilled gluten, one serving of grilled eggplant, one serving of grilled green beans, one cold dish platter, two servings of grilled bread, one plate of spicy crayfish, and five more skewers of grilled squid tentacles!"

She ordered everything in one go, closed the menu with satisfaction, and looked up to meet Wen Zhaoci's gaze.

The man sat opposite her, his elbows resting on the table, his fingertips lightly touching his chin, staring intently at her. His dark eyes churned with a tenderness she couldn't understand, his gaze intense, completely different from his usual look, filled with doting and indulgence, making her heart pound.

Sang Jiuning frowned subconsciously, wondering to herself: Why is he looking at me like that? His gaze is strange... Could it be that he thinks I ordered too much, or that I eat too much?

Thinking of this, she pouted slightly, a little temper rising in her heart. She thought to herself: If he dares to say I ordered too much, or complain that I can eat a lot, then she will throw a tantrum. This time she will definitely go all out and make a scene. If it doesn't work, she will break up with him!

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Sang Jiuning looked up at Wen Zhaoci, her tone laced with a hint of tentative arrogance: "Do you think I ordered too many lamb skewers? Let me tell you, their skewers are really small portions. Fifty skewers aren't much at all. This is just enough for the two of us, not a single bit of waste!"

She deliberately spoke with a confident tone, but secretly observed Wen Zhaoci's reaction with her eyes, preparing to throw a tantrum at any moment.

Looking at her proud yet slightly wary expression, Wen Zhaoci's smile deepened. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, his tone full of doting affection, without a trace of disdain: "Baby, it's not much at all. It's good that you can eat. If there's anything else you want to eat, feel free to order, I'll buy it for you."

Sang Jiuning was stunned, and her little temper instantly vanished. He always seemed to be so tolerant of her. No matter what she did, he would indulge her unconditionally. This feeling of being cherished and pampered was just too good.

This made her crave it.

The late-night snack was warm and satisfying. Sang Jiuning's belly was round and full. Wen Zhaoci escorted her all the way back to the school building and gently told her to study hard and not to overwork herself before watching her walk into the dormitory.

In the days that followed, Sang Jiuning threw herself into the intense final exam review. No longer needing to go to Wen Zhaoci's apartment, she spent all her time outside of class in the library, working herself to the bone.

She was bombarded with pages of English words, grammar rules, and listening comprehension questions. It was tedious and boring. Several times she felt dizzy from studying, and she would slump over the library table, sighing and lamenting in her heart: When will this torment end? I want to go on vacation soon.

Fortunately, the difficult time finally passed, the final exams were successfully completed, and my tense nerves were completely relaxed. Not long after, the results of the CET-4 (College English Test Band 4) were also released.

Sang Jiuning nervously opened the query page, and the moment she saw the score, her eyes widened instantly. It was a full 20 points higher than the passing score!

She was so excited she almost jumped up. She immediately took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Wen Zhaoci, her fingertips trembling with excitement.

[The flustered little Totoro: Wen Zhaoci! Wen Zhaoci! I passed my CET-4! I even exceeded the passing score by 20 points!]

Less than two seconds after the message was sent, Wen Zhaoci's reply popped up, concise yet full of affection.

[ZC: My baby, you're the best, you never let me down.]

Looking at the text on the screen, Sang Jiuning felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She raised the corners of her mouth, full of pride, but she didn't forget to humbly return the compliment, after all, Wen Zhaoci had indeed tutored her and made special arrangements for her.

[The ruffled little Totoro: This is all thanks to Teacher Wen's tutoring and special training; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get such a high score.]

Just as I pressed the send button, my phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number, but the location was local.

Sang Jiuning frowned slightly and answered the phone with a hint of doubt: "Hello, who is this?"

"Hello, are you Sang Jiuning?"

A magnetic male voice came from the other end of the phone, deep and mellow, like the sound of a cello, gentle yet sophisticated. Just listening to the voice was like being described in a novel, enough to make one's ears pregnant.

Sang Jiuning paused for a moment, then replied, "It's me. Who are you?"

"I am Fu Yanchen, your cousin."

cousin???

What cousin?

Sang Jiuning frantically searched her mind for the original owner's memories, going through every fragment about relatives. The original owner grew up with her grandparents and only had her father, Sang Yanyan, by her side. She had very little contact with relatives. She clearly remembered that she had never had a cousin named Fu Yanchen.

A sense of unease immediately rose within her. She frowned and her tone turned cold: "You've dialed the wrong number. I don't know you, and I don't have a cousin named you."

These days, all sorts of scam calls are popping up everywhere. These calls that impersonate relatives are mostly part of a "pig butchering" scam, designed to swindle money from people.

Fu Yanchen on the other end of the phone seemed to have expected this, and explained calmly, "I didn't dial the wrong number. My father is your mother's older brother, that is, your uncle. I am your cousin."

Mother?

Sang Jiuning's heart sank suddenly.

In the original owner's memory, there was never a mother. From childhood to adulthood, her grandparents told her that her mother died in childbirth. Her father, Sang Yanyan, was also single and never mentioned her mother. Over the years, the original owner had long accepted that she was a child without a mother.

How come an uncle and a cousin suddenly appeared?

It's definitely a scam!

Sang Jiuning didn't want to get entangled anymore and spoke directly, her tone tinged with impatience: "I have no money, I'm just an ordinary student. If you want to scam money, go find someone else, don't bother me."

After saying that, she hung up the phone, cursing the scammer in her heart. Just as she put the phone down, the ringtone stubbornly started again, from the same unknown number.

She initially intended to hang up, but a strange flutter of emotion stirred within her, and after hesitating for a few seconds, she answered the call again.

Before she could speak, Fu Yanchen's voice came again, his tone still calm, but with a sentence that instantly froze Sang Jiuning in place.

"Your mother is still alive. Do you want to see her?"