Anyway, she could always complete the task.

Although not going to see scumbags or revolving around them made her feel like she had no purpose in life.

But after being a couch potato for a day, she fell deeply in love with this magical creature show and became hopelessly entangled for the next couple hours.

Unexpectedly, after class on Friday, Zhuo Mingyao actually came to find her in person. His expression was still indifferent, but he wasn't as cold-hearted as before.

"Didn't you say you were going to buy something?"

Ni Ni was stunned for a long time before she remembered that she had asked him if he would bargain in order to create time and topics for them to spend together. She wanted to buy some supplies to donate to a Primary School.

Zhuo Mingyao agreed, but the female lead interfered. A date with his girlfriend was more important, so they went to a cafe.

Thinking of that one time of passion, Ni Ni couldn't help but crave it.

Having tasted the meat, who wouldn't miss the deliciousness of it?

The thought of his hand beneath her sent a surge of heat through her.

She coughed awkwardly, blinking back to the present.

So, Zhuo Mingyao was tacitly agreeing to postpone their invitation to the next weekend?

Ni Ni hesitated.

Seeing her hesitation, Zhuo Mingyao felt a sharp pang in his heart.

They hadn't spoken since that day. People who usually spotted him first in a crowd now only noticed him when he was right in front of her.

Zhuo Mingyao didn't want to admit it, but he had to accept it. He enjoyed the feeling of her making him the center of her world.

When did he realize she liked him?

Perhaps it was her keen eye that spotted him in a crowd.

Perhaps it was the sparkle in her eyes every time she looked at him.

Perhaps it was that shameless act of slipping her hand into his palm that day…

When did he indulge her, or… begin to like her a little too?

Zhuo Mingyao couldn't quite put his finger on it. Perhaps it was her sweaty, disheveled, yet genuine appearance during the hike; perhaps it was her silly, shouting figure towards the distant mountains; perhaps it was her bright smile that drew him there...

Or perhaps, it was even earlier.

Back when he had allowed her to be around him, amidst all the messy, rambling, and incessant chatter...

"Those children are waiting for your gift."

Zhuo Mingyao said, exploiting the girl's soft kindness to force her to agree.

He had been struggling with who he truly loved.

Now, standing here, he understood.

For Zhan Shulan, he felt only a faint affection, but more than that, a sense of responsibility—a responsibility to treat her well, like, "Oh, she's my girlfriend."

But she could easily unsettle his heart. He would be happy because of her, annoyed because of her, toss and turn at night because of her, feel a pang of heartache because of her, and be filled with anxiety because of her…

If this wasn't love, then what was the thing he was feeling? He didn't want her to leave; he wanted to keep her tightly by his side…

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

Ni Ni nodded.

She felt she couldn't let herself relax. Until the very last step, who knew if she would fail at the last hurdle? Who would she cry to then!

The two went to the wholesale market. Ni Ni's face showed no other expression.

Zhuo Mingyao breathed a sigh of relief. He had been to the food street with the female lead before. She looked utterly disgusted and repulsed, yet forced herself to eat, resulting in an embarrassing exhaustion.

Zhuo Mingyao, though poor, was ambitious. He had already partnered with a senior who had graduated earlier, and their small workshop, though just starting out, was showing promise.

He couldn't give her much more now, but within his means, he would give her the best he could.

Zhuo Mingyao looked at her with tender, doting eyes, and took her hand, shielding her from the crowd.

Zhuo Mingyao felt a surge of warmth in his chest, a feeling that filled him completely, and he wanted it to last forever.

Ni Ni hadn't expected that the usually stern and aloof Zhuo Mingyao would lower himself to such a down-to-earth level, haggling with the older folks. His earnestness was incredibly handsome and appealing to her.

The wholesale market was crowded, the air was stuffy, and sweat beaded on his forehead and temples.

Ni Ni watched, took a wet wipe, and leaned over to wipe it for him.

Zhuo Mingyao's gaze fell on her with slight surprise, then filled with tender, lingering affection. Ni Ni felt herself almost drowning in it.

He's so good at flirting!

Coming to her senses, Ni Ni thought as he led her by the hand to the next stall.

Ni Ni spotted a small, pink backpack with bunny ears—very cute and compact. It was hanging in the triangularly fenced-off shop, displayed as a signboard.

Zhuo Mingyao came to her side, put his arm around her waist, and said gently,

"You like it? Then we'll have one too."

Ni Ni quickly shook her head. She had just heard him tell the shopkeeper that the backpack needed to be simple and sturdy, able to hold books and a lunchbox—the most practical items for donation.

Zhuo Mingyao affectionately patted her head, and afterwards, he would take her to dinner.

But as they passed the food street, Ni Ni's eyes lit up, and she wanted to go check it out.

Zhuo Mingyao was worried about her stomach, but she insisted she was fine. Before squeezing into the crowd, she said very seriously with a stern face,

"Don't rush to pay later, let me pay. I want to see how much it costs to eat my way through the whole street."

She huffed,

"Hmph, Ms. Qiu always says I won't be able to support myself in the future. She should know I can eat my way through the whole street!"

She raised her chin, brandished her hand, exuding an air of "I own the world."

Zhuo Mingyao quickly withdrew her outstretched arm, apologized to the people behind him who had been startled by the sudden gesture, then patted the somewhat limp head in his arms and said earnestly,

"Okay."

Actually, he knew that Ms. Qiu was just someone who didn't want him to pay anymore.

When he patted her head, Ni Ni's slightly embarrassed expression vanished instantly. She grabbed his hand, looked around, and rushed to queue for whatever she wanted to eat.

The two of them actually ate their way from one end of the street to the other. Zhuo Mingyao had already been quick to clean out the food Ni Ni didn’t like, but he still had several snacks in his hands.

Ni Ni took out her phone and checked the bill. It was only a little over two hundred yuan, but the two of them were already so full they could barely stand. And that didn't even include all the food they'd thrown away!

She proudly showed it to him, but Zhuo Mingyao only looked at her energetic little face, patted her head, and said,

"Don't give yourself away, let her know you ate all this..."

Not wanting to speak ill of his mother-in-law, Zhuo Mingyao gave her a knowing look.

Ni Ni understood. With Ms. Qiu's current pursuit of a sophisticated lifestyle (nutritious, healthy, safe, and balanced...), she'd be in for a rude awakening. Her eyebrows furrowed and shoulders slumped instantly, but the next second she was full of energy again.

"You're so smart! You're so good! The best!"

She hugged his waist and swayed, looking up at him with an infinitely bright smile.

The streetlights were bright, but Zhuo Mingyao felt they couldn't compare to the brilliance in her eyes.

His heart swelled, a sudden, strong impulse rising within him, which he refused to suppress. He cupped her face in his hands and slowly lowered his head…

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

This bustling city had millions of people, thronging about, rushing to and fro. Many glanced back, laughed playfully, but their eyes were only for each other.

Unable to resist the allure of those stunningly beautiful, enormous breasts, he realized it was already very late. It was too late; by the time he got back to his dorm, it would be closed.

Ni Ni looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, her red lips moist.

"We'll have to book a hotel for the night."

Zhuo Mingyao, still with his arm around her waist, glanced at the time on her phone and heard her say,

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Zhuo Mingyao's hand on her waist tightened. He followed his heart.

"Are you willing?"

As she was penetrated, pierced, and pressed against the bed, sweat mingling, Ni Ni vaguely recalled her earlier question.

She had given him the choice, yet he still indulged his desires.

Now, with the heroine's current level of anger, if they dared to book a hotel room tonight, she would definitely catch them in the act!

When she returned last weekend, the heroine's gaze towards her was visibly venomous.

If Zhuo Mingyao could restrain himself, his good days could continue for a while longer. But if he succumbed to desire and still booked rooms with other women while having a girlfriend—

No matter what his reasons were, towards the female lead, his girlfriend, he was still cheating—he was a scumbag!

With a hard thrust beneath her, Ni Ni groaned, clinging to his waist. A complex expression flashed in her eyes, quickly overwhelmed by the sharp pleasure surging through her lower body.

She extended her tongue, licking the man's nipples, biting and sucking with her teeth, hearing the man's groans of pleasure.

The thrusts beneath her grew heavier. Zhuo Mingyao gripped her shoulders, pinning her beneath him, frantically attacking and thrusting. Waves of tingling pleasure washed over her, and after a dozen or so thrusts, they both trembled as they reached their climax…

Without rolling over, Zhuo Mingyao used one arm for support, cupping her face and kissing her passionately.

Desire hardened again in the wet, tight embrace, the lingering pleasure still coursing through his body. Zhuo Mingyao, naked, pressed her down, flesh to flesh, sweat mingling, the intimate closeness making his heart race.

He just felt so much, so much, so much love for her!

"Mmm...~"

A moan escaped Ni Ni's lips, which were still covered. Her long legs, bent at his sides, tightened slightly, her hips rising, her wet opening, still holding his penis, contracted.

The sensation of his penis slowly hardening and swelling inside her was too intense. Gradually filling him up, he belatedly realized how hard the flesh inside him was, and his vagina began to itch and yearn again.

She lifted her chin, wrapped her arms around his neck, and their tongues entwined in a kiss, wet and glistening, their fluids mingling.

Her intimate embrace, the twisting of her waist, the arching of her hips, the way her vagina lifted in response—all of this eased some of the unease in Zhuo Mingyao's heart.

He didn't deny that a large part of his desire for her was that he wanted her to stay tonight, but what truly made him decide was her aloof and elusive attitude.

Even someone as rational as him couldn't escape the common misconception that possessing a woman's body and making her his woman would make her more devoted to him.

Or to put it more accurately, harmonious sex makes a couple's relationship closer and more stable.

The bedroom door slammed open against the wall, and the lights blazed on simultaneously, while the passion in bed was still raging.

But in an instant, the man on top of her pulled away, rolled to the side, and pulled the covers over her head.

Zhan Minglan, having caught him in the act, was the first to burst into the room, her eyes filled with complex emotions—excitement, resentment, and hatred intertwined.

"Zhuo Mingyao! You've cheated on me!"

She rushed over in a few strides, grabbed the covers, and ripped them off...