The autumn wind blew, sweeping up a few golden ginkgo leaves that quietly landed at their feet. Ruan Chaoxi stood in the afterglow of the sunset, looking at the man before her whose eyes burned with what he believed to be deep affection. She curled the corner of her lips and nodded gently.
“Alright.”
Her voice was soft, yet crystal clear.
Jiang Yaoci froze, a wave of ecstasy instantly rushing to his head. He took a step forward, wanting to grasp Ruan Chaoxi’s hand. “Chaoxi, you agreed? Really?”
Ruan Chaoxi, however, subtly retreated half a step, avoiding his touch. “Mm.”
“Wonderful! Chaoxi!” Jiang Yaoci suppressed his excitement. “I’ll definitely treat you well! Tonight, let’s have dinner together—”
“Not today,” Ruan Chaoxi interrupted him, offering a reasonable excuse. “It’s the last day of the holiday. I want to sort out my things. We can talk about it tomorrow during class.”
Though somewhat disappointed, Jiang Yaoci thought of the long days ahead and smiled in agreement. “Alright, whatever you say. Then, shall I accompany you to class tomorrow morning?”
“No need. I’m used to being alone, and I’m quite busy. For classes and meals, I usually go with Lu Yao. There’s no need to accompany me.” Ruan Chaoxi refused again, as if merely stating a fact. “I’ll head back now.”
These words felt like a bucket of ice water, dousing half of Jiang Yaoci’s joy. But he quickly convinced himself that she was just shy or not yet accustomed to it. It didn’t matter—as long as she agreed, he had plenty of time and methods to make her slowly get used to and rely on him!
He hurriedly nodded. “Of course, whatever you say! As long as you agreed, anything is fine!”
Ruan Chaoxi said nothing more. She nodded and left. The moment she turned away, the faint smile on her face vanished, her eyes turning as cold as if she were observing the beginning of an experiment.
Jiang Yaoci stood in place, watching her retreating figure. The ecstasy in his heart gradually settled, mingled with an indescribable sense of strangeness.
Her reaction… was too calm.
But then he remembered she was from Southeast Asia—perhaps her personality was naturally reserved? He shook his head, pushing aside this doubt and immersing himself in the triumphant feeling of having “finally won her over.”
At nine o’clock in the evening, the video call connected on time.
Samia seemed to have just finished official duties, weariness evident between his brows, but his gaze remained focused on her.
Ruan Chaoxi leaned against the headboard, hesitated for a moment, and decided to tell him about the matter. She didn’t want to hide it from him.
“Miya brother,” she began softly, carefully choosing her words. “Today… that ‘peacock’ formally proposed to be my ‘boyfriend.'”
On the other side of the screen, Samia’s hand, holding a water glass, suddenly froze. The air around him instantly dropped to freezing point, and deep in his eyes, a dark storm seemed to gather and surge, almost tearing through the facade of calm.
But he didn’t lash out immediately—not even his eyebrows twitched. He simply watched her quietly, waiting, like a prisoner awaiting a verdict or a volcano suppressing terrifying energy.
Unaware of that momentary chill, Ruan Chaoxi continued, “I thought… it was quite interesting. So… I agreed.”
She omitted her internal comparison of the two types of “boyfriends,” only expressing her playful mindset as an observer. “I want to see how he ‘evolves’ next.”
Interesting. Agreed.
Each word seared painfully into Samia’s heart.That overwhelming fury and jealousy threatened to shatter all his reason.
He wanted to rush before that filthy peacock at once and crush him to dust!
He wanted to shake her shoulders and ask if she had any idea what she was doing!
He wanted to seize her back, lock her by his side, and make sure she saw no one else in her eyes or heart but him!
Yet he could do nothing now. He couldn’t reveal his uncontrollable possessiveness—it would frighten her, push her further away.
All that violent emotion was forcibly suppressed by unimaginable willpower, pushed back into the darkest abyss of his heart.
His Adam’s apple bobbed violently several times. He heard himself speak in a terrifyingly calm voice, “…Is that so.”
He paused, as if digesting the information, then almost gritted his teeth as he forced out the words, “…As long as you’re happy.”
“Respecting” her choice was the only thing he could do now—and the most agonizing “choice.”
Ruan Chaoxi noticed his tense jawline and saw the stormy waves in his deep eyes, barely suppressed yet faintly visible. She explained softly:
“I just think… this is a very interesting opportunity to observe. I want to see how labeling someone as a ‘boyfriend’ changes his behavior. Like… a continuous social experiment sample.”
She carefully observed Samia’s reaction and added, “Besides, I also want to understand what ‘boyfriend’ really means.”
Her gaze was clear, as if she were merely discussing an academic topic unrelated to emotions.
Listening to her explanation and looking into her eyes, pure and untainted by any impurity, the jealousy and fury in Samia’s chest that had nearly consumed everything was abruptly extinguished by her purely “interesting” and “observational” mindset—only to transform into an even more suffocating torment.
She simply didn’t understand the desires, schemes, and possessiveness behind the word “boyfriend.” Nor did she understand… the heart-wrenching pain he felt at this moment, or the potential consequences of her “game.”
But what could he say? Stop his “little sister” from “experiencing life” as her brother? Or declare his claim with an identity he dared not voice?
“…Be careful.” In the end, he could only utter these words, his tone heavy as a thousand pounds, saturated with suppressed pain and helplessness. “Remember, it’s just ‘observation.’ Don’t… don’t have any intimate contact with him. Any.”
Ruan Chaoxi was stunned by his unprecedented seriousness and the pain suppressed to its limit. She vaguely sensed that her “interesting” decision had touched upon some exceptionally sensitive, even dangerous, forbidden territory for Miya.
A sudden panic gripped her heart, and she quickly nodded. “I know, Miya. Don’t worry, I really just think it’s fun, something to observe. I won’t let him… well, have any intimate contact.”
As she spoke, her cheeks flushed slightly—whether because of the topic itself or because she was saying this to him.
Her assurance slightly pulled Samia back from the brink of losing control. He gazed at her greedily, as if trying to etch her image deep into his soul.
“…Alright.” His voice was hoarse.Ruan Chaoxi looked at Samia’s obscure expression, the previous sense of “interesting” lightness quietly fading away, replaced by unease and an inexplicable sting in her heart. She hesitated for a moment but still asked, “Brother Miya, are… you unhappy?”
Samia looked at her concerned gaze, almost blurting out: Yes, I’m unhappy, I’m going crazy.
But he just slowly shook his head, forcing out a strained smile. “No, I’m just a little tired.”
The conversation that followed was brief and dull.
Samia hardly spoke again, only listening as Ruan Chaoxi absentmindedly mentioned a few trivial matters before ending the video call, citing other matters to attend to.
The moment the screen went dark, the forced calm on Samia’s face completely shattered. He violently hurled the water glass in his hand against the opposite wall.
“Bang—!”
A loud crash echoed as water splattered and shards flew everywhere.
His chest heaved violently, his eyes churning with a terrifying crimson. The suppressed rage and destructive urge desperately needed an outlet.
“Commander?” The adjutant outside the door, hearing the commotion, cautiously knocked.
Samia did not respond.
He took several deep breaths but could not calm the boiling bloodlust within him.
His Xixi had agreed to be someone else’s girlfriend…
Even if it was just “interesting,” even if it was just “observation”!
He couldn’t bear it! Not for a single moment!
He needed to see blood, needed to hear screams, needed to transfer this heart-devouring pain and fury elsewhere.
He yanked the door open, his face dark, his voice cold and cruel. “Bring the waste we caught yesterday to the interrogation room.”
“Now.”