Their lips met, a faint electric current spreading through the point of contact, causing Yu Hekun’s whole body to tremble slightly. He struggled and pulled back a little, but only just enough to part their lips for a brief moment.
Jian Youyou didn’t dodge or move. She simply looked at Yu Hekun from up close, tilting her head slightly, locking eyes with his almost terrified gaze, and blinked.
The message was clear: this time, it wasn’t me—you’re the one who leaned in.
Yu Hekun kept his eyes open. The distance between them was so close that they could barely make out each other’s expressions. Yet, Jian Youyou’s calm demeanor strangely gave Yu Hekun a sense of reassurance.
He didn’t understand why, but somehow he convinced himself: she’s the person I’m keeping, so what’s wrong with me touching her?
So the brief separation between their lips deepened again. Yu Hekun’s hands reached up to Jian Youyou’s head, awkwardly moving in circles.
He had never kissed a woman before. He had loved someone for many years, but because she was untouchable, he had never dared to let himself go.
Yu Hekun had once held that hopeless love as his most sacred boundary, refusing to replace it with any cheap or inferior feelings. So throughout his youthful years of awakening, he carried that hopeless love alone.
Until the day he accidentally saw someone who looked so much like her. He wrestled with himself for two whole days before finally signing a contract to bring her home.
At first, he only wanted her as a substitute, to look at her face and think of the other woman. It was no different from staring at a photo or old clothes to reminisce.
But how did everything get so out of control? When Yu Hekun leaned over and pinned Jian Youyou to the pillow, tangled in her breath and unable to pull away, he still couldn’t figure it out.
He never knew he could feel such intense emotions—so fierce that he wanted to roughly hold the person in his arms. Yu Hekun was startled by his own feelings.
Then, suddenly, he jumped up, his waist cracking loudly. Supporting his back, he took several steps back, ignoring the pain in his foot, staring at Jian Youyou lying on the bed, wiping her mouth as if she were some wild beast. His eyelashes fluttered like butterflies caught in a fierce wind.
Jian Youyou rose, her arm still near her mouth. She was a little surprised by Yu Hekun’s sudden kiss, but she didn’t really care. After all, to her, it was nothing more than a dream.
Besides, even if it were real, she didn’t mind this kind of affection that didn’t cost her a penny or take a piece of her—honestly, if anyone was losing out, it was Yu Hekun.
So she watched Yu Hekun’s exaggerated reaction with a hint of amusement. The faint blush on her lips from his awkward yet eager kiss even brought a slight smile to her face.
“Still need to brush your teeth?” Jian Youyou perched one foot on the edge of the bed, tilting her head with a playful smile. “If you keep brushing, your gums might start bleeding.”
Only then did Yu Hekun seem to remember something, belatedly pressing his hand over his mouth. One eye remained visible, wide open with a look of accusation, but this time, he truly couldn’t bring himself to be angry at Jian Youyou.
It was him who took the initiative.
He was the one who leaned in first.
Yu Hekun’s breakdown was obvious. Jian Youyou got off the bed, and he immediately said, “Stop right there. Stay away from me.”
Normally, Jian Youyou would have teased him, but it was too late now—she wasn’t in the mood. Seeing Yu Hekun on high alert, she raised both hands in surrender and headed toward the bathroom, trying to soothe him. “It’s nothing, President Yu. I’m your person. What do you want me to do?”
Yu Hekun growled fiercely, “Shut up.”
He covered half his face with his arm, leaving only one big eye darting around wildly as he circled Jian Youyou on the other side of the bed. Jian Youyou opened the bathroom door and went in, while he jumped onto the bed, gritting his teeth in pain. His whole body ached, but the worst pain was in his heart.
Pulling the blanket over his head, he felt like a lamb lost in a blizzard, lured away from the flock by a hungry wolf—bleating, unable to find his companions.
The more he thought about it, the more he fell apart. It felt like he had broken some long-held principle of his, an indescribable sensation. Everyone had their quirks, and Yu Hekun simply couldn’t bear it. He got up, grabbed his phone, and curled back under the covers to make an overseas call.
On the other end of the line, it was daytime and the person was free. Their slender fingers adjusted the phone, surprised to see the caller ID read “Tu Shen.” They made a calming gesture to the people in the meeting room, then pushed back their chair, stood up, strode out, and opened the door to their office next to the meeting room.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, they answered, “Hello.”
The man’s voice was deep—not intentionally so, it was just his natural tone. His voice was like the bass in a novel, rich and resonant.
But soon, a piercing roar came through the phone like a needle stabbing the eardrum, forcing the man to pull the phone slightly away from his ear.
“Julie ran out and that bastard dog bit me! I’m at the hospital now, my face is a mess. Once I’m better, I’ll kill them all.”
Yu Hekun muffled himself under the blanket, his voice dark and terrifying. “Kill them all. Not a single one left. You can wait to bury them, Yu Mingzhong.”
Julie and the big dogs in the yard were all raised by Yu Hekun’s older brother, Yu Mingzhong. When they were kids, Yu Hekun liked them too. The brothers shared almost the same hobbies. But suddenly, their parents went abroad, leaving Yu Hekun, who was still in his adolescence, and Yu Mingzhong, just barely an adult, alone in the country for years. Yu Mingzhong started to take on the family business, constantly overwhelmed, with no time to look after Yu Hekun at all.
His temperament grew increasingly strange, and irreparable cracks appeared between him and his family, as well as between him and Yu Mingzhong. Until a few years ago, because of the ambiguous relationship between Huo Jiaoyue and Yu Mingzhong, the two were caught on a date by Yu Hekun. Yu Mingzhong had no idea that Huo Jiaoyue was the person his younger brother had secretly admired for a long time and was preparing to confess to. The brothers’ relationship plummeted to rock bottom because of that incident.
Later, Yu Hekun seemed to settle down and started focusing on the company, gradually becoming capable of handling things independently. Yu Mingzhong tried several times to mend their brotherly bond, but Yu Hekun had already grown into a very difficult person. Yu Mingzhong was at a loss, and with their parents gradually aging and the family business requiring him to go abroad, the brothers were completely separated—one staying in China, the other dedicating himself fully to expanding markets overseas.
Business-wise, there had never been a single mistake, and the Yu family’s roots grew ever deeper, flourishing more than ever. But the family relationships genuinely worsened day by day.
Listening to Yu Hekun’s fierce words from the other side, Yu Mingzhong’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his lips moved several times, yet he never found the right words to say. The window reflected a face completely different from Yu Hekun’s. When Yu Hekun was serious, his brows were cold and sharp, the kind of person with defined edges and a strong presence. But Yu Mingzhong was different—his features were gentle, his sleeves rolled up just a bit, revealing strong arms. Holding his phone by the window, if he wore glasses, he’d look like a university professor.
Just by looking at that face, no one would guess Yu Hekun and Yu Mingzhong were brothers.
Facing Yu Hekun’s roar, Yu Mingzhong—usually decisive and resolute—looked somewhat helpless.
He couldn’t remember how many years had passed since he last received such a sudden personal call from Yu Hekun, especially one that had nothing to do with business. Yu Mingzhong already knew Yu Hekun was in the hospital—the private hospital was run by a distant branch of the Yu family, but it was originally established by the family patriarch.
That’s why Yu Hekun could get away with almost anything at that hospital. And the moment Yu Hekun was admitted, Yu Mingzhong had already been informed—he even knew Yu Hekun’s blood pressure was a bit low—but he didn’t expose Yu Hekun’s excuse that he looked like a mess because he’d been bitten by a dog.
He simply stayed silently awkward, long-term lack of communication having made him forget how to properly talk to family. Yu Mingzhong didn’t know what to say to avoid annoying Yu Hekun or creating an awkward atmosphere.
Before Yu Mingzhong could think of anything, Yu Hekun stopped shouting. He seemed stuck on the horns of a dilemma, unsure why he had impulsively made the call, just like he didn’t understand why he had kissed that woman.
Yu Hekun only breathed heavily into the phone and then said, “You’re still the same as before.”
Then he hung up.
Yu Hekun curled himself up, a wave of resentment rising in his heart. Yu Mingzhong was still the same as always—never caring about his existence, never willing to say more than necessary beyond business.
Not even a single explanation.
It was just like back then, when he stood foolishly outside the restaurant where he and Huo Jiaoyue had a date, waiting for even a single word of explanation from Yu Mingzhong. Instead, Yu Mingzhong simply declared, as if staking a claim, “Jiaoyue and I are together.”
Yu Hekun thought about that moment, feeling like a drowning man grasping at nothing to hold onto. He was strapped around the waist with something, yet he curled himself up as tightly as he could.
In truth, the real reason for his fallout with Yu Mingzhong wasn’t Huo Jiaoyue—it was that his parents had announced they were moving overseas, leaving the two brothers behind in the country. Yu Hekun cared most about that. When his parents left, Yu Mingzhong didn’t stand with him in fierce resistance.
After their parents left, Yu Mingzhong was busy every day, nowhere to be seen, refusing to “rely on each other” with him. And in the end, he even stole the woman Yu Hekun liked.
Yu Hekun curled up, filled with regret so deep it felt like death. His heart ached, but he pressed his hand to his stomach, his face pale. He huddled under the blanket, just like he had done countless times over the years, licking his wounds alone.
But this time, he clearly couldn’t wallow in self-pity successfully, because the blanket was suddenly pulled back by Jian Youyou, who had just come back from the bathroom. She looked at Yu Hekun, curled up like a big shrimp, and stood by the bed, asking, “What’s wrong with you?”
It’s so awkward to be caught in the middle of sadness, so Yu Hekun ignored Jian Youyou completely, pretending to be asleep and dead.
“Aren’t you a neat freak? One of your slippers ended up on the bed.” Jian Youyou pointed at a slipper by the foot of the bed.
Yu Hekun couldn’t ignore something like that. He opened his eyes a tiny crack, then stretched out his leg to kick the slipper off, and even used his foot to tug the blanket down.
Jian Youyou, still holding the blanket, saw this and thought he was acting awkward because of that kiss earlier. She said, “Don’t be so awkward. You’re not the CEO for nothing.”
Yu Hekun was in the middle of his sadness, his emotions fractured and unable to connect. He glared angrily at Jian Youyou and snapped, “My stomach hurts. Give me the blanket.”
But Jian Youyou didn’t hand it over. Instead, she pointed at the brace strapped tightly around Yu Hekun’s waist. “It’s normal for your stomach to hurt. If you keep arching your back like that, the sharp edges of that brace will stab into your stomach. You’ll probably even feel like your stomach’s leaking air.”
Yu Hekun glanced down at the brace, then straightened his body. Suddenly, he felt his breath flow more smoothly, and his heart wasn’t so heavy anymore. But his face gradually started to flush, no longer curled up like a shrimp, but turning the color of a boiled one.
“Does your stomach still hurt?” Jian Youyou asked mercilessly.
Yu Hekun raised his hand to snatch the blanket back and pulled it over his head, refusing to say another word.
Jian Youyou didn’t bother with him anymore. She went over to the small bed on the other side of the room, pulled the blanket over herself, and quickly fell asleep.
The room fell silent. Yu Hekun pulled the blanket down, his head peeking out. The redness on his face hadn’t faded yet.
He looked resentfully in Jian Youyou’s direction, but she was already fast asleep, her back turned to him.
It was already past two in the morning. The lights in the room were still on, bright enough that even with his eyes closed, Yu Hekun could still sense the glow. He had been stretching his legs and waist earlier, and now they ached a bit. If he stayed still, it was bearable. The only sounds in the room were the ticking of the clock on the wall and the faint, almost imperceptible breathing of another person.
Yu Hekun forced himself to close his eyes, listening to that sound, and gradually his consciousness grew dim until he unknowingly fell asleep.
The next morning, he was awakened by the caregiver and the nurse who came to give him an IV drip. He deliberately glanced around and noticed Jian Youyou was nowhere to be seen in the room, and the pile of shopping bags in the corner had disappeared as well.
Yu Hekun sneered coldly. So last night, he must have been out of his mind to have kissed her—she was nothing but a greedy and vulgar woman.
Breakfast was brought by Aunt Yun. Yu Hekun rarely ate outside unless absolutely necessary. He was eating the porridge and bone broth that Aunt Yun had gotten up to prepare in the middle of the night, along with some refreshing side dishes. His gaze drifted unintentionally toward the door, where he saw Jian Youyou entering with a piece of fried dough stick dangling from her mouth and a bowl of soy milk in her hands. She wore her hair in a small topknot, a short-sleeved shirt, and a pinafore dress. At that moment, Yu Hekun felt like the porridge he was drinking was about to choke him.
“What kind of outfit is that?” Yu Hekun, who wasn’t in the habit of yelling after barely eating, put down his bowl after just a couple of bites and focused all his attention on criticizing Jian Youyou.
“Do you have an antenna on your head to pick up signals or something?” Yu Hekun was utterly incredulous. Compared to the delicate and beautiful mistresses other men kept, Jian Youyou looked like a random working girl plucked off the street.
But Jian Youyou was exactly that—a working girl. She had a very clear understanding of her role. Being Yu Hekun’s mistress was her job. Of course, “kept woman” wasn’t exactly a respectable profession, so her dedication was limited.
As long as her sugar daddy didn’t break up with her, Jian Youyou was pretty laid-back. Hearing Yu Hekun’s words, she took the fried dough stick from her mouth and held it in her hand, looking innocent as she said, “Mr. Yu, you just don’t get it. This is obviously a bit of fun.”
Jian Youyou spun around on the spot. “Have you ever watched those role-playing videos? Don’t you like the ‘schoolgirl’ look?”
“I’m not into that,” Yu Hekun replied flatly.
“Then hurry up and let me change into something normal,” Yu Hekun frowned.
Jian Youyou mumbled in agreement, “I’ll change after I finish eating, I’ll change after I finish eating.”
But even after she finished, she didn’t change. After all, this outfit was the most comfortable. She just made an excuse, “I already sent all the other clothes home this morning. I picked this one specially to please you. Who knew you’d be so boring.”
“What do you mean I’m boring?” Yu Hekun said. “You’re the pervert here.”
“You probably only buy all sorts of weird clothes, right?” Yu Hekun asked with an expression that said everything.
Jian Youyou actually didn’t, but to show her professionalism, she smiled and nodded, “Yeah, there are nurse outfits, doctor uniforms, schoolgirl costumes, work clothes, and even a little tiger suit.”
“If you dare wear those, I’ll lock you up with Julie,” Yu Hekun warned.
Jian Youyou had actually been so focused on buying gold that she hadn’t picked out two proper outfits. Hearing this, she handed the peeled orange in her hand to Yu Hekun. “Boss Yu, you know I’m just an ordinary person. Back then, I had someone style me up just to catch your attention. Honestly, I don’t really know what kind of clothes a girlfriend should normally wear.”
Yu Hekun didn’t take the orange. He looked at Jian Youyou with a stern face, while she pressed the orange close to his lips and said, “How about this, Boss Yu—why don’t you pick out some clothes for me? I promise I’ll wear whatever you choose. From now on, I’ll dress entirely according to your taste.”
The idea was actually pretty tempting—personally styling your girlfriend, having her live according to your preferences. It would satisfy the possessiveness and control of someone like him to a great extent.
But Yu Hekun saw right through Jian Youyou’s sly little scheme. With one slap, he brushed the orange off her lips. “Oh, so you’ve already swiped a card from me and didn’t get enough, now you want to swipe clothes from me too?”
Jian Youyou’s sycophantic smile faded. She knew Yu Hekun was basically a tightwad. After nearly losing sleep last night over a 400,000 yuan difference, if he had to shell out more now, it would hurt him badly.
“Fine then,” Jian Youyou said, “I’m not good at picking clothes anyway, and I don’t want to waste what’s bought. Just pick something for me, and I’ll make do.”
She shoved the orange into her mouth, but suddenly her wrist was grabbed tightly.
“What are you doing?” she asked, confused.
Jian Youyou bit into the orange segment, juice splattering everywhere, the sourness making her frown slightly. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re doing it on purpose,” Yu Hekun said darkly. “You were doing it on purpose last night too.”
She had deliberately seduced him—otherwise how could he have been so entranced? That orange segment had just touched his lips, and she had eaten it right in front of him, making that look of enjoyment on her face—it was all deliberate.
This shameless woman.
“Shameless,” Yu Hekun said with disdain.
Jian Youyou often found their ways of thinking so different that she thought Yu Hekun was talking about the orange she peeled for him but ended up eating herself.
She shot him a disdainful look in return. Such a petty man—could his heart be smaller than a pinhead?
“Do you want some?” Jian Youyou stuffed a big mouthful of orange into her mouth and mumbled, “I’ll peel another one for you.”
Yu Hekun’s ears turned bright red within two seconds. When Jian Youyou stood up, he warned her like he was facing a threat, “You’ve got something in your mouth—doesn’t that gross you out?”
He even covered his own mouth as he waited for Jian Youyou to get up.
Jian Youyou was about to get more oranges, but seeing Yu Hekun like that, she froze mid-motion. They locked eyes awkwardly for a moment, and then both suddenly realized what was going on.
“Oh,” Jian Youyou puffed out her cheeks, “You want to feed me mouth to mouth? Got it.”
“No!” Yu Hekun’s entire face flushed red as he stammered, “No, no, don’t come near me.”
“Come on, Boss Yu, don’t be shy,” Jian Youyou teased, holding the orange in her mouth as she leaned toward him. “You’re the sugar daddy, so of course you can make all kinds of demands. It’s totally reasonable, really. Come on.”
“Get lost.”
Yu Hekun let out a mighty roar that could shake mountains.
“Pfft!” Jian Youyou burst out laughing, spraying him right in the face with orange juice.
That’s when Yu Hekun got really mad—truly mad. The embarrassment mixed with the fact that only he knew the real reason: if Jian Youyou had actually kissed him with the orange in her mouth when she first stood up, maybe his reaction wouldn’t have been so intense.
Jian Youyou’s playful teasing infuriated him, but what truly annoyed him was his own lack of self-control.
He prided himself on his discipline—whenever he went out, he never messed around casually.
That was the one thing his older brother could never beat him at.
Deep down, Yu Hekun labeled Jian Youyou simply and bluntly as a temptress who led men astray. Little did he realize, compared to the real temptresses who used to flock around him, Jian Youyou was at worst a straightforward, down-to-earth country girl. The problem was really his own strange taste.
Jian Youyou tried to coax him for a while but failed, so she gave up and turned her back to the angry Yu Hekun, hugging her phone and playing games with the volume turned all the way up.
Yu Hekun was dying from the noise, but in this situation, whoever spoke first would lose.
However, as Jian Youyou played game after game, Yu Hekun felt like his brain was about to explode. He needed rest—he hadn’t slept well last night, and he still had a ton of work to handle at the company. Facing Jian Youyou, who was like a persistent little rascal that he couldn’t hit or chase away, he was truly at a loss. Finally, he gave up and said, “Can you please turn the volume down?”
Jian Youyou instantly muted her phone and faced him. “Okay, Daddy.”
Yu Hekun shuddered all over and rubbed his tired forehead. “What did you just call me?”
“Daddy,” she replied. “Sugar daddy.”
A chill ran down Yu Hekun’s spine. Exhausted, he pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “I don’t have any weird fetishes, so cut the crap. Don’t call me that again, or I’ll have the Yu family bodyguards pack your things and kick you out.”
Jian Youyou sat up straight, nodded seriously, then said, “Well, I’m at least one of your people. Aunt Yun calls you Xiao Kun, so why should I call you Mr. Yu?”
Yu Hekun was too drained to get angry. “Aunt Yun is my elder. You want to follow her lead?”
Jian Youyou grinned, flashing a mouthful of perfect white teeth. “That’s not impossible.”
“Get lost,” Yu Hekun snapped.
“Then what should I call you?” Jian Youyou asked. “Yu Yu Hekun Kun?”
Yu Hekun’s breathing grew heavier, and he gathered all his strength to suppress the urge to kill and tear her apart.
Jian Youyou then said two single syllables, and Yu Hekun visibly flinched, raising his hand as if to strike.
Finally, Jian Youyou came up with a somewhat normal-sounding nickname: “Kun Ge” (Brother Kun).
She caught Yu Hekun’s descending fist with both hands and declared boldly, “Brother Kun, I pay my respects to you!”
Yu Hekun lightly smacked her on the head, but not too hard. Holding back a smile, he scolded, “Get lost. I need to rest.”
This time, Jian Youyou didn’t insist. She knew that Yu Hekun had work to handle in the afternoon, and work was important. She used to read novels and always thought that domineering CEOs never had to work—they just spent their days hopelessly in love with their sweet, innocent girlfriends.
But after crossing over into this world, seeing Yu Hekun working for hours on end despite his illness and his one eye, she finally understood that the money in a CEO’s family didn’t just blow in with the wind.
If she wanted Yu Hekun to be more generous with her in the future, she absolutely couldn’t disturb his work.
“I’ll just take a walk outside then. You rest well, Brother Kun,” Jian Youyou said thoughtfully. She paused at the door, then sincerely asked, “Want a kiss, Brother Kun?”
“Get lost.” Yu Hekun had never cursed so weakly before.
But Jian Youyou really did leave. The room fell silent, and Yu Hekun actually felt a brief emptiness.
Jian Youyou alone was enough to fill the room with noise. Yu Hekun sighed and lay back down, closing his eyes.
The afternoon sunlight slowly crept onto the bed, shamelessly crawling from Yu Hekun’s waist up to his face. His eyelashes fluttered as he was about to wake.
But then darkness slowly returned to his vision.
He groggily opened his eyes and saw Jian Youyou quietly drawing the curtains, gently blocking out the sunlight for him.
Yu Hekun wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, that it was about time to get up, but his consciousness sank back into the darkness as the sunlight was blocked.
When he woke again, it was already dark outside. He was roused by a sudden aroma and saw Jian Youyou sitting by the bedside, scrolling on her phone and eating something.
Yu Hekun often smelled this scent when he stopped by street vendors—it was a rolled pancake. For years, the smell had been tempting, but seeing the hygiene of those little food carts had always stopped him from trying it.
He moved slightly, and Jian Youyou immediately noticed. She put down her phone and the pancake, washed her hands, and came over to support him.
“Your secretary has been waiting outside for ages,” Jian Youyou said. “We didn’t want to wake you because you were sleeping so soundly.”
There was a hint of apology on her face. “Is it a bit late now?”
For the first time, Yu Hekun realized she could show such genuine remorse. Looking back, all her previous apologies had been just words.
It was indeed a bit late. He’d have to work until very late now. He wanted to find fault with her, but Jian Youyou wrapped her arms around him, propped up the bed so he could lean back, and even poured him some warm water. She was so obedient it was almost unbearable. Yu Hekun didn’t dare to complain; when she lowered her head to set up the little table for him, he even felt like reaching out to stroke her hair.
I might really be going crazy, he thought absently, staring at the swirl of her hair.
Jian Youyou placed the little table in position. Just then, the caregiver came in, handing Yu Hekun a clean, damp towel to wipe his hands. Jian Youyou said, “Dinner was just delivered, still warm. Eat a little before you get back to work.”
She suddenly became so serious, which puzzled Yu Hekun greatly. He kept watching her, but Jian Youyou didn’t notice. When Yu Hekun started eating, she went over and finished the half piece of flatbread she had left, then muted her phone and sat on the bed to play games.
After Yu Hekun finished eating, his secretary came in carrying a laptop, set it on the desk, and quietly flipped through some documents with him, whispering for a good half hour before leaving.
Yu Hekun was left alone, focused intently on handling the tasks that only he could personally manage.
This went on until after ten o’clock at night. Yu Hekun called the caregiver in, went to the bathroom, washed his face, and when he came out, Jian Youyou was still looking down, playing on her phone. Yu Hekun sat on the bed, glanced at her a few times, and couldn’t help but say, “Aren’t your eyes hurting?”
She had been at it for hours without a break.
Jian Youyou looked up, put down her phone, and instinctively reached to push up her glasses—only to find they weren’t there.
“No, they don’t hurt. Really don’t hurt. It feels so good not to have any pain,” Jian Youyou almost wanted to cheer.
Since coming to this world, her severe nearsightedness—four diopters—and allergic conjunctivitis had completely healed. The sensation of her eyes not being dry or irritated after so many hours was absolutely amazing.
All of this constantly reminded her that none of this was real. She had worn glasses since she was a child because her eyes were basically blind without them. There was no way her eyesight could suddenly improve like this—only in this dream.
The saying “Everything exists in dreams” had never felt more true.
So Jian Youyou shook her head. “No, I’m fine. My eyes work perfectly.”
Yu Hekun was speechless. He rubbed his dry eyes and returned to his computer. Jian Youyou quietly resumed her game. Yu Hekun only had a few minor things left to handle, so he could finally relax a little. His efficiency today was unusually high, probably because he had a decent rest at noon.
As he thought this, his gaze drifted to Jian Youyou. He recalled how she had tiptoed to pull the curtains to block out the sunlight for him.
Sometimes she could be infuriating, but at other times, the unintentional tenderness she showed had an incredibly powerful, almost hypnotic effect.
Yu Hekun’s thoughts wandered, and his hands stopped working. When Jian Youyou stretched and looked over, their eyes met. She smiled and asked, “What’s up, Kun-ge?”
Her tone was low, still hoarse from not speaking for half a day. The two words “Kun-ge” scraped across Yu Hekun’s nerves like sandpaper.
No one ever called him “brother.” His friends were all more mature than him, both mentally and physically. In the business world, everyone addressed him as President Yu. Aunt Yun, his parents, and his older brother called him Xiao Kun. When he was little, only he chased after Yu Mingzhong, calling him “brother” over and over. But that so-called brother had stolen the sister he liked.
The term “brother,” carrying a subtle mix of dependence and respect, strangely satisfied a certain arrogance deep inside Yu Hekun.
He didn’t mind Jian Youyou calling him that at all—in fact, he kind of liked hearing it.
As if she could hear what he was thinking, Jian Youyou called out again, “Kun-ge.”
Yu Hekun hummed in response and, looking at Jian Youyou, commanded, “Go get me a glass of water. I’m thirsty.”
He wasn’t really thirsty; he just wanted to boss Jian Youyou around. With a soft “Oh,” Jian Youyou got off the bed, poured a glass of water at the perfect temperature, and handed it to Yu Hekun.
Yu Hekun took a few sips, then ordered her to clear the table.
“Kun-ge, can I touch this?” Jian Youyou pointed at the scattered documents on the small table and on his lap. According to typical novel plots, shouldn’t these be some kind of business secrets?
Yu Hekun gave her a strange look. “How come you can understand them?”
Jian Youyou felt like she’d been stabbed right in the chest, blood spurting out with a *pfft pfft* sound. After all, she was a college graduate and had just glanced at them casually. Okay, fine, she really didn’t understand much. She already knew that many things in this novel’s world were different from reality.
But she was triggered and felt a bit unfair about it. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal your business secrets and sell them to your mortal enemies?”
That was a typical line for a venomous villainess in novels, but strangely, this book didn’t have such a character.
Yu Hekun scoffed. “Zhouning City and many surrounding cities are all partners of the Yu family. As for your so-called mortal enemies…”
His disdainful eyes said it all. No one had dared to stand against the Yu family so far.
“If you steal my business secrets and sell them,” Yu Hekun said with a mocking smile, “I want to see who would dare to buy them.”
Jian Youyou actually quite liked Yu Hekun’s arrogant attitude.
It meant he was rich—rich enough to be willful, willful enough to pay triple breakup compensation when they split.
So she flattered him, “Kun-ge, you’re awesome.”
Yu Hekun snorted, leaning back on the bed and watching her tidy up.
When Jian Youyou finished, she asked, “Going to sleep?”
Yu Hekun shook his head, took another sip of water, and said, “Later.”
Jian Youyou sat on the edge of the bed, thinking about tomorrow night’s yacht party plot. With Yu Hekun like this, he definitely wouldn’t be able to go. It would be such a shame to skip that part of the story. Besides, Yu Hekun had nothing to do with that part—it was all about her fighting with the various female rivals. If Yu Hekun didn’t go, she could just go herself.
With his little lover status, finishing that part of the plot meant she could apply to bring back the seven gold bracelets and one jade bracelet to the real world.
Thinking this, Jian Youyou tentatively asked, “Kun-ge, you won’t get better anytime soon, right?”
Yu Hekun paused, then asked, “Getting impatient with two days of bedside care?”
Jian Youyou immediately shook her head vigorously, like a rattle drum. “No, no, how could I be impatient? If you lie in bed for a lifetime, I could serve you for a lifetime without ever getting tired.”
Yu Hekun chuckled. Who would believe that?
Such a smooth-talking little devil.
Jian Youyou continued, “Isn’t your friend hosting a party at sea tomorrow night? Seeing you like this, it’s not convenient for you to go. How about I go instead?”
Yu Hekun squinted, scrutinizing Jian Youyou. She felt a little uneasy under his gaze. He chuckled, “Why should I let you go instead of me?”
Anyone with a shred of pride would feel deeply wounded by that, but Jian Youyou didn’t think dreams required any pride at all.
With a mischievous smile, she said, “Because I’m your woman.”
Yu Hekun nearly choked on his own saliva—what exactly was a “little sweetheart”?
In high society circles, a “little sweetheart” wasn’t the same as a girlfriend. A “little sweetheart” could be taken out for fun, but that was about it. No one would bring a “little sweetheart” to formal occasions. No matter how plain or unfashionable a wife might be, she would always be more presentable than a “little sweetheart.”
Yu Hekun didn’t look down on anyone, so when he attended business events, the only person he brought along was Jian Youyou’s counterpart from the original story. But even though she acted like the legitimate wife, with an air of being the emperor when the emperor wasn’t around, Yu Hekun still found it somewhat amusing.
“You want to go that badly?” Yu Hekun asked.
Jian Youyou nodded earnestly, her eyes sparkling with a pleading light as she looked at Yu Hekun. In a soft voice, she said, “Good Brother Kun, I really want to go.”
Who wouldn’t want to? Completing the mission meant eight bracelets as a reward.
Yu Hekun snorted but didn’t say whether he agreed or not.
Jian Youyou begged him for a long time, but he still wouldn’t give an answer. Frustrated, she even started thinking about asking the kindergarten teacher—who was Jian Youyou’s colleague in the original setting and had been invited by one of Yu Hekun’s friends—for help.
But the next evening, Yu Hekun, who had been wrapped up like a mummy, had his eye bandages removed, the plaster broken off, and the waist brace taken off. In an instant, he transformed back into the sharp-dressed, commanding CEO.
Only his feet were still tightly bandaged. It wasn’t obvious when he walked, but it definitely hurt.
And whatever he had been putting on his eyes these past few days had done its job—there was still a large bruise at the corner of his eye, but it didn’t affect his looks at all. Instead, it added a fierce edge to his already cold and stern features.
Jian Youyou was carefully groomed by him, and then, right on time as night fell, she boarded Zhan Cheng’s small yacht.
