Yu Hekun gazed at Jian Youyou's profile, somewhat lost in thought.
He had never brought any unrelated person along on business trips before.
Jian Youyou pretended to be delighted upon hearing this, saying, "Great, great!"
But inwardly, she was puzzled. She had reviewed the plot yesterday; this business trip shouldn't be happening now. Yu Mingzhong's return could be considered an accident, a butterfly effect caused by her jumping into the sea. But she distinctly remembered that in the plot, the business trip occurred after the female lead, Huo Jiaoyue, returned.
Jian Youyou stayed with Yu Hekun until he finished his IV drip. During this time, she diligently served him tea, water, and peeled fruit for him, playing the part of the perfectly devoted girlfriend to the fullest. Yu Hekun was so well taken care of that he even felt a bit embarrassed. After changing his clothes and just before leaving, he did something unprecedented—he leaned in and kissed Jian Youyou's fair, smooth cheek.
It felt just as wonderful as he had imagined.
After Yu Hekun left, Jian Youyou returned to her room and reviewed the plot again, confirming that something was off. She tried asking the book about it, and the book directly told her that Huo Jiaoyue had returned to the country.
No wonder the subsequent plot was moving up.
But this was actually good news for Jian Youyou. The earlier she made her exit, the sooner she would get her money. After confirming with the book that this advancement wouldn't cause major issues, she relaxed, then spiritedly went out to swipe the card for cash.
She couldn't withdraw too much this way, as cash takes up space. Jian Youyou only got fifty thousand.
Yu Hekun received the spending alert on his phone just as the persistent Zhan Cheng, having teamed up with Yu Mingzhong, was trying once again to persuade Yu Hekun not to fall for "the enemy's tricks."
"What else could she want? This petty, small-minded woman, I'm telling you, I've investigated her thoroughly. She doesn't even go home, doesn't care about her own parents. She's latched onto you, pretending to be aloof, just wanting to bleed you dry. Best case, she wants to marry into wealth. Even if that fails, she plans to stay by your side and slowly carve off pieces of you."
Zhan Cheng ranted on, spittle flying. "Hekun, think about it. Did she ask you for a card? Does she go shopping every few days? Not a huge amount each time—that's the carving. Over three to five years, it adds up to a significant sum."
Seeing the text message alert on his phone, Yu Hekun's expression finally changed. Zhan Cheng quickly leaned in to look, let out a donkey-like bray of laughter upon seeing it, and said, "See? See? What did I tell you?"
Yu Hekun's hand tightened around his phone. Remembering Jian Youyou's shopping trip a few days ago where she spent nearly four hundred thousand, he pressed his lips together even more tightly.
"Ask her directly tonight!" Zhan Cheng said. "Hekun, just ask her and you'll find out. She probably didn't even buy anything. A buddy of mine once encountered this kind of gold-digger—they had an arrangement with the luxury boutiques to get cash back!"
Meanwhile, Jian Youyou, completely unaware that her scheme had been accidentally uncovered, neatly bundled the cash she had obtained, placed it in a bag, and stuffed it under her bed.
After successfully fleecing the sheep, her mood was fantastic. Having finished dinner, she returned to her room and took her time making herself beautiful. After all, she was now essentially relying on her looks for a living. Not putting in the effort and looking sloppy felt unprofessional.
Tonight, she picked out a dress from her previous purchases that was closer to the female lead's style. Since Huo Jiaoyue was already back, and she didn't know if Yu Hekun had seen her or if old youthful affections had been rekindled, she decided to go all out. It would be best to provoke Yu Hekun's disgust in one fell swoop, have him throw her out, so she could seize the chance to go home and take her little fortune with her.
Recently, Yu Hekun had been getting a bit too clingy with her. Reviewing the plot today, Jian Youyou deeply felt this way of interacting was wrong. Neither of them was genuinely trying to have a relationship with him, so why was he already showing signs of rolling over for belly rubs after she'd barely done any "licking"? The male lead's resolve absolutely should not be this weak!
The female lead is back. Time to stir things up.
She made herself beautiful, in a style vastly different from her usual look, and even practiced her expressions. Then she sat in the living room, waiting for Yu Hekun to return.
After wrapping up at the company, Yu Hekun returned with Yu Mingzhong. This time, mindful of yesterday's awkward incident, Yu Mingzhong stepped aside at the door to let Yu Hekun enter first.
Yu Hekun was in a foul mood. With his naturally cold and stern features, his furrowed brow made him look even more unapproachable. His handsome face was tense, and his aura was imposing. But those who knew him understood he was like a clam—hard on the outside.
Yu Mingzhong was the real deal: a cotton candy shell hiding an iron core—soft and sweet-looking, but capable of breaking your teeth with one bite.
Yu Hekun entered first and immediately saw Jian Youyou on the living room sofa. Since this was the first time Jian Youyou had put so much effort into mimicking Huo Jiaoyue's appearance, even practicing her expressions based on photos from the book, Yu Hekun's stunned reaction didn't surprise her at all.
This time, however, it wasn't just Yu Hekun. Even Yu Mingzhong, who followed behind him and only entered after confirming there was no repeat of yesterday's special circumstances, paused at the doorway upon seeing Jian Youyou.
She looked very similar.
Truly similar. If last night Yu Mingzhong thought Jian Youyou only bore a twenty percent resemblance to Huo Jiaoyue, tonight it was seventy percent.
Except, she resembled the Huo Jiaoyue from over a decade ago, not the one Yu Mingzhong had recently encountered.
Jian Youyou was deliberately imitating her tonight, so she merely looked calmly at Yu Hekun. She didn't rush over eagerly like a sparrow to throw herself into his arms as she usually did. Sitting on the sofa, she smiled gently at the approaching Yu Hekun, her voice softer and lower, imitating the unhurried pace described in the book for Huo Jiaoyue. "You're back, Hekun."
But contrary to Jian Youyou's expectations, she wasn't met with Yu Hekun's infatuated gaze or emotions of not daring to touch a beautiful dream.
He stormed over to her side, his tone extremely unpleasant. "Why are you dressed up like this again?"
Jian Youyou's serene smile froze on her face. One eyebrow twitched upwards briefly before quickly settling. She cooperatively shrank back a little, asking softly, "Brother Hekun... what's wrong?"
Like a little wife desperately afraid of being abandoned by her husband, she lowered her head with apparent restraint. When she looked up again, her face was filled with an ingratiating smile. She walked over to Yu Hekun, her fingers pinching the corner of his clothes. "Brother Hekun, are you tired? How about I give you a shoulder massage after you've showered?"
"Why are you dressed like this?" Yu Hekun pressed on relentlessly. "Go change your clothes right now. Where did you go during the day today?"
This barrage of questions even made Yu Mingzhong, who had followed him in, frown.
This attitude was excessively harsh and not gentlemanly behavior. Even when dealing with an eyesore like Jian Youyou, there was no need to be so utterly graceless. Making the other party speechless while smiling, forcing them to swallow their broken teeth—that was Yu Mingzhong's style.
He wanted to say something to dissuade Yu Hekun, because such a loss of composure might seem like Yu Hekun had the upper hand, but whether in matters of the heart or in business negotiations, the one who loses their cool is always at a disadvantage.
But before he could speak, Jian Youyou, who had shrunk her shoulders when Yu Hekun snapped at her, smiled without a care and took Yu Hekun's hand.
"Did someone at the company make you angry?" Jian Youyou said, "Or did you pick up some bad energy on your way home?"
Yu Hekun had been extremely angry, having stewed all day because of what Zhan Cheng had said, and because Jian Youyou had, at that very moment, inadvertently confirmed Zhan Cheng's words. It felt terrible, because deep down, Yu Hekun didn't want to believe it.
If it was just for money, simple flattery would have been enough. Why would she disregard life and death, jumping into that dark, cold sea to prove something?
Yu Hekun was desperate to prove it wasn't like that, but he didn't know how. Coming home to see Jian Youyou deliberately dressed up like this, made up to look like Huo Jiaoyue, only stoked the fire in his heart.
He didn't understand why he was so angry. After all, the reason he had taken a liking to Jian You and brought her home in the first place was precisely because she resembled Huo Jiaoyue.
Without even realizing it himself, he was now furious that Jian Youyou was imitating Huo Jiaoyue.
In this situation, if Jian Youyou were truly the original character setting, or a girl genuinely in love with a blockhead like Yu Hekun, she would have been deeply hurt. Having already abandoned her dignity to imitate another woman to please the one she loved, only to be shouted at like this—anyone would find it hard to bear.
But Jian Youyou acted as if she hadn't heard Yu Hekun yelling at her, nor seen his murderous rage. She just looked up at him with sparkling eyes, a hint of a smile on her face as she squeezed his hand. "Don't be angry, Brother Kun. You scared me."
She said the words, but there wasn't a trace of being scared on her face. This made even Yu Mingzhong take a few extra glances at Jian Youyou.
Judging by this situation, this was no ordinary little seductress's level of skill.
Sure enough, Yu Hekun couldn't even maintain his anger for long. He quickly deflated. He tried to pull back the hand Jian Youyou was holding, but after a slight movement, he stopped. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand, sighed, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry."
Yu Mingzhong's face was a picture of speechless dismay. His dear brother had shown his hand far too easily.
Jian Youyou, however, took the opportunity to lean closer to Yu Hekun, practically treating Yu Mingzhong as air, not even glancing his way. After all, Yu Hekun still hadn't formally introduced him as his brother.
Jian Youyou also saw no need to eagerly call someone 'brother' without a formal introduction. She wasn't actually trying to become the Yu family's daughter-in-law; there was no need to curry favor.
She just looked at Yu Hekun with her whole heart and soul, smiling brightly. "Don't be angry anymore. Weren't you asking where I went during the day? I bought you a little something."
Jian Youyou pulled Yu Hekun upstairs. "It's in my room. Come with me to see, see if you like it."
And just like that, Yu Hekun was coaxed and pulled into her room by Jian Youyou. Yu Mingzhong stood frowning in the living room, watching the two disappear at the top of the stairs, and after a long moment, let out a soft sigh.
His brother was far too naive when it came to matters of the heart. What need was there for some highly skilled little seductress?
Any stray cat could lead him astray.
Jian Youyou knew that her spending Yu Hekun's money would trigger SMS notifications, so she had prepared a surprise for him.
When she first asked the luxury boutique if there was a way to cash out, she thought it would be difficult to arrange. But to her surprise, it was handled very easily. The other party was clearly experienced in such matters and even gave her the empty gift box for the item she had "bought," only charging a small "service fee." It was obvious this had become an industry in itself.
Coming out with the gift box, Jian Youyou pondered that keeping the empty box was useless anyway. It was only fifty thousand; last time she spent nearly four hundred thousand, and Yu Hekun hadn't grilled her about what exactly she bought.
But just as she was about to toss it into a trash bin on the street, she happened to see a stall selling small trinkets. Jian Youyou herself worked with such small items, so she instinctively stopped to take a careful look.
The things on the stall weren't refined, clearly mass-produced and looking quite cheap. As Jian Youyou was about to leave, she caught sight of a pair of glass cufflinks.
They were simple, just with a minor flaw. With a little work using some small tools, they could become quite pretty. The empty gift box in her hand happened to be for cufflinks. An idea struck Jian Youyou. She spent five yuan to buy the pair of glass cufflinks and didn't throw the gift box away.
She then found a hardware store, bought a few small tools, and after returning home, carefully worked on the cufflinks, placed them into the gift box, and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.
They looked just like the real thing.
Perfect for pleasing her patron. Five yuan was no loss, no swindle.
Jian Youyou led Yu Hekun into her room, fetched the gift box, and in front of him, took out the small box containing the cufflinks. She held it against her chest for a moment, then carefully, as if holding a heart, presented it to Yu Hekun.
"I was strolling around town today and saw these," Jian Youyou said, gazing at Yu Hekun with infatuation, as if looking at a walking ATM. "I thought they suited you perfectly. In my heart, you are a diamond."
Yu Hekun, still unconsciously frowning slightly because of the day's events and what had just happened, had indeed intended to get to the bottom of whether Jian Youyou was really as Zhan Cheng had described once they were in the room.
But the moment Jian Youyou brought this out, Yu Hekun was immediately thrown off balance. Jian Youyou opened the box and presented it to Yu Hekun as if offering an engagement ring. "Brother Kun, I don't know why you're unhappy, but whatever it is, please don't be angry anymore, okay?"
Yu Hekun glanced at the sparkling, translucent cufflinks in the box, then looked back at Jian Youyou, beginning to feel flustered again.
"I know," said Jian Youyou, unaware that her spur-of-the-moment act today had inadvertently defused a hurricane, and she continued pouring on the sentiment, "I have no money of my own, so when I buy you gifts, I'm using your money. Brother Kun, I'm just an ordinary person, without ability or a good family background. All I have is this face, this person of mine, that you might glance at twice."
Jian Youyou was so into her sentimental performance she almost believed it herself. She lowered her head slightly, pretending to be downcast. "I also know why you took a liking to me... I don't mind."
Jian Youyou said, "So, whatever look you want me to have, whoever you want me to dress up as, I can do it. If you didn't like how I looked today, then Brother Kun, what look do you like me to have?"
She looked up, gazing earnestly at Yu Hekun. She was asking in all seriousness, just like how a client wants a certain proposal and we provide exactly that. During the cooperation period, the customer is God. Jian Youyou truly didn't mind Yu Hekun seeing her as the leading lady.
After all, no matter who Yu Hekun thought she was, at least she was a person in his eyes. Jian Youyou, however, was different. In her eyes, Yu Hekun wasn't even a person.
In Yu Hekun's eyes, the pair of cufflinks that probably cost five yuan and Jian Youyou's seemingly infatuated, foolish expression made his heart contract violently.
The young girl held the carefully chosen gift, afraid it would be looked down upon, afraid it would be rejected, as if cradling her own humble feelings. It didn't matter who she was seen as, or what she was seen as; she only begged for the person she liked to accept it. This wasn't just a gift; it was practically a sacrifice.
Yu Hekun's face flushed crimson. Not from shyness, but from shame—utter, mortifying shame that made him want to sink through the floor. This shame came from the fact that he had actually listened to that social butterfly Zhan Cheng's words and thought of Jian Youyou as a mercenary, bad girl.
Blushing furiously, Yu Hekun reached out, carefully taking the cufflinks from Jian Youyou's hand. He looked down at them for a long moment before murmuring softly, "Thank you. I like them very much."
I'm sorry.
Yu Hekun said in his heart.
But he didn't voice his previous suspicions aloud, afraid it would hurt Jian Youyou's feelings.
Seeing him moved almost to tears, Jian Youyou felt a bit surprised. After all, this was worse than "borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha"—using his own money to buy him a gift. If someone did that to her, Jian Youyou would curse them out.
Yu Hekun was just too easy to fool; there wasn't even a sense of achievement. For a moment, Jian Youyou wondered if she should even continue with the emotional words she had prepared.
But before she could decide, she was gently pulled into an embrace.
Strictly speaking, this was the first time Yu Hekun had actively hugged her. Jian Youyou blinked, then also wrapped her arms around Yu Hekun.
The atmosphere in the room became quiet and warm for a moment. Yu Hekun clutched the small box, holding Jian Youyou close. His chin rested perfectly on the top of her head. The person in his arms was soft and warm, giving him an unprecedented sense of fulfillment.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had hugged someone so peacefully and quietly. It seemed like it hadn't happened since his mother and father went abroad.
Yu Hekun was momentarily lost in thought, saying nothing. Jian Youyou also stayed silent. Of course, she wasn't feeling any warmth or fulfillment; she was feeling a bit stifled by Yu Hekun's tight hold. Moreover, her mind was busy figuring out how to naturally and gracefully bring up the topic of sleeping with Yu Hekun in such a good atmosphere.
Perhaps God heard Jian Youyou's thoughts. Outside, the night, which had only been somewhat dark with a cool breeze, silently became overcast with dark clouds. A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder.
Both Jian Youyou and Yu Hekun were startled by the sound. The thunderclap sounded very close, as if it might strike right into the room.
Yu Hekun glanced toward the window, his arms beginning to loosen slightly. But Jian Youyou took the opportunity to hug him even tighter. "Brother Hekun, I'm so scared!"
Yu Hekun let out a soft grunt from the tight squeeze. As two more rumbles of thunder sounded, rain poured down heavily, and the wind drove raindrops loudly against the window.
"Brother Hekun," Jian Youyou snuggled a little deeper into his embrace, seizing the moment to start rattling off her little scheme. "I'm really scared. Can I sleep with you tonight?"
Yu Hekun had been about to comfort her, but upon hearing this, he immediately pursed his lips and said helplessly, "Stop messing around."
"I'm not messing around! I'm really scared of thunder and rain," Jian Youyou said, looking at Yu Hekun with a weak, helpless, and pitiful expression, her small face wearing a vivid look of panic.
Yu Hekun said, "But didn't you tell me before that you love rainy days the most? That when you were little, you'd run out in heavy rain to get soaked, and you even brought soap once after listening to the weather forecast?"
Jian Youyou froze for a second, really wishing she could travel back to when she said that and slap herself twice to shut up.
Yu Hekun finished speaking and also laughed. "Last time we went running together, you seemed very happy getting caught in the rain too."
Jian Youyou couldn't hold back a laugh either. "Brother Hekun, being happy getting caught in the rain last time had nothing to do with the rain itself."
Yu Hekun let out an "oh" and asked her, "Then why was it?"
Jian Youyou seemed to carry sweet talk in her pocket, ready to pull it out at any moment to embarrass Yu Hekun. She said, "It was because I was with you, Brother Hekun, that I was happy."
As expected, Yu Hekun was electrified by Jian Youyou's words. The blush on his face had just faded, but his ears turned red again.
"Brother Hekun, I want to sleep with you," Jian Youyou pressed her advantage. "Please?"
With red-tipped ears, Yu Hekun released her and tapped her head lightly with the small box in his hand. "Have some shame, will you? You're a girl, after all!"
But Jian Youyou grabbed his wrist again, brought it to her lips, and planted a kiss on the clear veins inside his wrist. "Why would I need shame with you? You know perfectly well, for you, I wouldn't even care about my life."
These words were really too much. After saying them, Jian Youyou herself felt a bit overwhelmed by their sweetness. Yu Hekun was clearly even more affected, coughing from it.
Still, he found such words pleasing to hear. In the end, he couldn't help but kiss Jian Youyou. But he ultimately stubbornly resisted her advances to sleep together, firmly refusing her. Even while they were both breathless from kissing, he lectured her, "You're a girl. How can you be so forward? Do you know that if you sleep together, you'll be at a great disadvantage?"
Jian Youyou was quite speechless. She was just trying to have a spring dream; what great disadvantage could there be? Besides, what era was this? When adult men and women have fun together, who's to say who loses out?
She seriously suspected that Yu Hekun, despite being quite tall, had rather small and delicate feet because his feet had been bound when he was little.
In the end, she was wrapped tightly in a blanket by Yu Hekun, watching helplessly as he left the room happily, holding the cufflinks she gave him.
She summoned the book again, flipped through it for a while, and then sighed. "This part of the plot doesn't seem easy to navigate."
But in the dead of night, she crawled under the bed again, took out that solid bundle of cash to look at it, stuffed it back, and decided to face the challenge head-on.
So, in the middle of the night when even dogs were asleep, Jian Youyou quietly opened her room door, tiptoed to Yu Hekun's door, determined to climb into that bed today!
She grabbed the door handle and was just about to press it down when suddenly a low male voice sounded beside her. "Miss Jian?"
Jian Youyou turned her head to look and saw a man in a bathrobe standing at the doorway next to Yu Hekun's room. The man leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He wasn't wearing glasses, but his beautiful peach-blossom eyes were currently looking at Jian Youyou with a somewhat sharp gaze.
"What are you doing?" Yu Mingzhong asked with a smile that was neither fully a smile nor a frown.
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