Xiaoxi looked down at herself, eyes widening as she noticed the long shirt draping loosely over her body.
Her fingers instinctively brushed against the soft fabric.
Her face flushed red, eyes rounding in alarm.
"Eh… wait a second… who who changed my clothes last night?!" she cried in panic.
The room fell silent.
Wei Yu Chen, seated on the edge of the bed, instantly scratched his head clearly for no reason.
His expression turned awkward, almost embarrassed.
Aunt Li and Jiang Fan both swallowed hard at the same time.
Then Xiaoxi clapped her hands and burst into a nervous laugh.
"Ahahaha! Oh, come on! As if Wei Yu Chen would ever change my clothes! My reputation would be doomed if that really happened! Hahaha… no, no, it must've been Aunt Li, right? Right, Auntie?!"
She snorted, pointing confidently at Yu Chen.
"Besides… hello? That's Wei Yu Chen! A top actor with, you know… those rumors! He's not even normal. Like, seriously, as if he'd ever be interested in me! Totally impossible!"
Xiaoxi puffed out her chest dramatically, shaking her head.
"If it really was him who changed my clothes… then my life's over! Tomorrow's headline: Top actor Wei Yu Chen ruined by woman's underwear!"
Aunt Li nearly choked on her breath, quickly nodding.
"Y-yes, miss… I-I was the one who changed your clothes last night."
Even Jiang Fan, usually calm, jumped in immediately.
"Exactly! There's no way Young Master Yuhe's… busy."
But Yu Chen's expression suddenly darkened.
His sharp gaze cut straight toward Xiaoxi.
His voice dropped low, deep, and dangerous.
"Who said I'm not normal?"
Xiaoxi only got more fired up.
She folded her arms, tilting her head with mock confidence.
"Eh, if you're not normal, don't get so touchy about it! Relax! Lots of guys like guys nothing wrong with that, Yu Chen! Don't worry, I don't discriminate. Just… don't make me your next target, okay? Wahahahaha"
Before she could finish laughing, Yu Chen stood abruptly, closing the distance between them in a single step.
His eyes were sharp; his voice low but heavy with pressure.
"That's just a rumor. And I'll prove to you that I'm perfectly normal."
Deep inside, Wei Yu Chen was on the brink of losing control.
Xiaoxi's careless teasing, her ridiculous words paired with unintentional charm, made his blood boil.
He wanted to shut that noisy mouth with a kiss
impatient, heated, unable to restrain himself any longer.
Yu Chen leapt from the bed, gripping Xiaoxi's shoulders firmly.
His face was mere inches away.
"H-hey, hey, hey! Are you insane?!" Xiaoxi flailed her hands wildly.
"Don't tell me you're gonna wait! Wei Yu Chen, I still have my mental virginity, okay?! Don't give me trauma for life!"
Yu Chen's face drew even closer.
"I'll prove it right now."
Xiaoxi squeezed her eyes shut, yelling:
"I'm not ready to be a Weibo headline! If you're gonna kiss me, at least draft a contract first! I'm not losing my reputation for free! Ahhhhhh!"
At the door, Aunt Li and Jiang Fan both froze, breathless.
They had never imagined Young Master Yu Chen could be this… forward.
But just before their lips could touch, Aunt Li's voice sliced through the tension.
"Enough enough! Let's have breakfast first!" she squeaked, spinning on her heels in panic.
Xiaoxi darted backward, face burning, while Yu Chen straightened, his expression cool once again
though a faint smile ghosted at the corner of his lips.
They eventually made their way toward the dining room.
On the way, Yu Chen suddenly flicked his fingers against Xiaoxi's forehead.
"Ow! Hey! What was that for?!" she snapped, rubbing her head.
Yu Chen glanced at her with a hint of satisfaction.
"Because you're too noisy."
Xiaoxi puffed up, chasing after him in mock fury.
"STOP RIGHT THERE, WEI YU CHEN! You cold-blooded demon!"
Yu Chen chuckled lightly, quickening his pace.
Behind them, Aunt Li and Jiang Fan exchanged a meaningful look, both smiling knowingly.
"Look at them," murmured Jiang Fan.
Aunt Li nodded warmly.
"They already seem so close."
That morning, the dining room felt different.
The aroma of Aunt Li's hot soup blended with the rising steam of green tea.
Yet it wasn't the food that made the air heavy it was the tension between Wei Yu Chen and Xiaoxi.
Xiaoxi sat with her chin in her hand, pouting still sulking over the morning's "proof of normality."
Her curly hair was messy, making her look even more endearing.
The oversized white shirt hung loosely on one shoulder, revealing a hint of pale skin unintentionally inviting.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Xiaoxi shot him a suspicious glance, grabbing a piece of bread.
"What, imagining something weird again? If you are, stop it right now. I'm not going to be your experiment, okay?"
Aunt Li nearly spat out her tea, while Jiang Fan pretended to focus on his laptop, eyes secretly darting toward the scene.
Yu Chen continued eating calmly, face unreadable.
Yet the hand holding his cup tightened slightly.
He sighed, voice low and sharp.
"You talk too much in the morning."
Xiaoxi straightened, pointing her chopsticks at him.
"Yes, I do! So what?! At least I'm normal I don't need national clarification for my private life!
If I date someone, the headline would be: Ordinary girl in love netizens: 'Wish them well!'
But if it's you hah! That'd be a five-day trending earthquake!"
Aunt Li pressed her napkin to her mouth to stifle laughter.
Jiang Fan shook his head, speechless.
Yu Chen lifted his gaze slowly, eyes narrowing.
"Xiaoxi."
"What now?" she replied, still chewing.
He leaned forward slightly, his tone cold, almost teasing.
"Don't make me prove what doesn't need to be proven."
The piece of bread in Xiaoxi's mouth nearly lodged in her throat.
Her eyes widened in panic.
"H-hey! Don't talk in that late-night drama tone! You'll make me misunderstand!
If I catch feelings, you'll have to take responsibility!"
Across the table, Aunt Li and Jiang Fan exchanged glances, both hiding sly smiles.
They could feel it something was shifting between Wei Yu Chen and Xiaoxi.
Perhaps this was the beginning of something much greater.
The clinking of cutlery filled the air.
Just as the calm settled, Jiang Fan suddenly typed quickly on his laptop.
Seconds later, his eyes widened his relaxed expression vanishing into tension.
"Ge…" his voice dropped, serious.
"You need to see this."
He turned the laptop around, facing Yu Chen and Xiaoxi.
Across the screen blazed a bold headline on the most popular social platform:
"Top Actor Seen Carrying a Mysterious Woman into His Apartment Late at Night."
"Famous Star Spotted Taking an Unidentified Woman to the ER Who Is She?"
Several blurry photos filled the screen
a tall man with a strong jaw, sharp posture, wearing a dark coat.
Though his face was blurred, everyone could tell who it was: Wei Yu Chen.
Another photo showed the same man carrying an unconscious young woman at the hospital.
A short video clip followed, with nurses' startled voices in the background.
The woman's face was also blurred, but her curly hair and petite figure were enough to stir public curiosity.
Xiaoxi, mid-bite, froze.
Her hand hovered in the air; her face turned pale.
"W-what… is that me?!" she stammered, half-whispering, half-screaming.
"N-no… that's not me, right? There are lots of curly-haired women in this world, right?!"
Yu Chen stared at the screen, face impassive.
His eyes sharp, his jaw tense.
He said nothing, but his presence alone pressed heavy on the room.
Jiang Fan closed the laptop slowly, exhaling deeply.
"You're lucky your face is blurred, miss.
But people aren't stupid. The internet will connect the dots.
And ge, you know how the public reacts here once the fire starts, it won't die easily."
Xiaoxi waved her hands frantically, voice rising in panic.
"No, no, no this is insane! I'm just a regular civilian! How did I end up in something like this?!
Soon there'll be headlines: 'Mysterious woman revealed to be star's secret mistress!'
I'm doomed! I haven't even paid my credit card bill yet!"
Aunt Li covered her mouth, hiding laughter, while Jiang Fan massaged his temple, resigned.
Meanwhile, Yu Chen remained silent.
But his long fingers curled into a fist on the table.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low, cold, and resolute.
"What's your plan, Jiang… about this?"