Jin Yi Han quietly lowered his gaze.
The delivery girl had been chattering endlessly at the door earlier. Not wanting to get entangled, he had simply accepted it. He’d encountered this sort of thing many times before—if he refused this time, who knew what excuse she’d use to come knocking again? Better to settle it once and for all.
Besides, who in their right mind delivered coffee in the middle of the night?
But he hadn’t expected his wife to be upset.
Would she think he lacked basic decency?
His eyes darkened slightly. He didn’t respond, only opened the package of Five-Red Soup.
Seeing his silence, Cen Zhi Ning assumed he felt guilty and said coolly,
“If you accept someone’s goodwill, don’t trample on it. That really hurts.”
After saying that, she went to wash up.
Jin Yi Han stood there blankly, his expression sour.
Wife was angry again… again… again.
Was it really because he had trampled on someone’s feelings?
Women were getting harder and harder to coax. Give them an inch and they take a mile.
Fine. His woman—he’d spoil her. Better to go along with her.
He glanced at the coffee packaging lying in the trash can, hesitated, then bent down and picked it up.
Just as he was worrying about how to handle the coffee, his phone buzzed with a notification. Someone was adding him as a friend.
The profile picture was a wholesome cartoon girl. The remark read:
[Jin Shao, this is Bai Xiaorou. I noticed you often drink this kind of coffee at school. I hope you won’t dislike it.]
Jin Yi Han hesitated for a moment, then, feeling irritable, accepted the request.
Since his wife said not to trample on others’ goodwill, he casually transferred one thousand yuan.
Money for goods—transaction complete.
[Coffee money.]
Cen Zhi Ning was washing her face when the system spoke.
【Haha, Jin Yi Han secretly picked up the coffee behind your back. I told you he has feelings for Bai Xiaorou.】
【I take back what I said about him. Turns out he was just acting in front of you.】
【Haha, he accepted Bai Xiaorou’s friend request.】
【He transferred her one thousand yuan. Bai Xiaorou rejected it.】
【He must feel bad about her delivering food in the cold winter. So warm-hearted.】
【Isn’t this how emotional entanglements start? Bai Xiaorou’s really good at this~】
“Can you shut up? Ungrateful system!”
【……】
Cen Zhi Ning’s fingers tightened slightly. She stared at herself in the mirror.
It was time to end this.
Once again ignored, Jin Yi Han couldn’t take it anymore. He squeezed into the bedroom, still holding the Five-Red Soup.
Cen Zhi Ning was folding paper stars from colorful strips. Lying on her stomach on the bed, she carefully folded the last hundred.
The glass jar was already filled to the brim with her handiwork.
Jin Yi Han froze.
Before they met in person, they had been passionately in love online.
Cen Zhi Ning used to pester him daily for photos of his abs.
He remembered one day when they were on the phone. She said, “Go buy a bag of salt. I think our feelings have gone bland—you won’t even show me your abs anymore.”
Jin Yi Han had laughed.
“You don’t want my face, just my abs?”
She had thought for a long time.
“Your abs are more tempting.”
Normally, he would blush furiously when teased like that. But he had been unhappy—she wasn’t interested in him as a person, only coveting his body.
After holding it in for a long time, he snorted.
“Not showing.”
She drooped dramatically.
“Damn it. So wishing on shooting stars really doesn’t work. Big brother still won’t send ab pics.”
“Collect a hundred shooting stars first, then we’ll talk.”
He hadn’t expected her to actually fold so many stars.
Holding the Five-Red Soup, a faint curve tugged at his lips.
Wife really loved him.
Sigh. Apologizing wasn’t such a big deal.
“Wife, I was wrong. Don’t be mad…”
Her hands paused mid-fold. The system started chattering again.
【Tsk, the male lead really has grown. He’s learned to lower his head and apologize. He’ll definitely love the female lead properly in the future.】
“Keep nagging and I’ll go on strike.”
【No, no, no! If you don’t complete the system mission, you’ll be erased… We coexist, amen…】
Cen Zhi Ning let out a cold snort.
Seeing Jin Yi Han walk in, she tossed the freshly folded star into the jar and pressed her lips together.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
They had known each other for over a year. At first, Jin Yi Han had been unbearably smug—rarely replying even once every three messages she sent, holding himself high and mighty, invulnerable, impervious.
Because of the time difference on her end, the only friend online when she was free was this night owl, Jin Yi Han. So she latched onto him. Her greatest joy was teasing and flirting with him.
After her relentless harassment, he would complain she was annoying, yet always answer her voice calls, listening to her ramble nonsense for ages.
One could say Jin Yi Han had accompanied her through a long, difficult stretch of time.
She had been the one who started it.
Later, he slowly changed—waiting online for her at fixed times, taking the initiative to message her, calling her “wife” in a low, awkward voice.
She understood his arrogant nature—used to being admired and obeyed. When had he ever lowered his head for anyone?
Yet now he coaxed her softly, lowered himself to dance those socially embarrassing dances, and whenever he saw her upset, he looked like a child who had done something wrong—wishing he could place the entire world in her hands.
So his obsessive, sky-high possessiveness had already changed.
Her mission was complete.
Besides, feelings were fleeting. He loved her now, but he could fall for someone else at any time.
In the original story, Jin Yi Han would eventually fall in love with Bai Xiaorou, living shamelessly in a four-men-one-woman arrangement.
She had long understood her role—destined to be the supporting female character, a stepping stone for the heroine.
Men were just men. She wasn’t lacking, and she didn’t need them. Besides, she had practically slept with him for free and even earned money from it. Not a loss.
Jin Yi Han’s eyes lit up. He sat beside her and cautiously took her hand.
“Don’t be mad anymore, okay?”
She looked up at him.
“Do you know what I’m angry about?”
He nodded, then shook his head.
Half-kneeling on the bed, she cupped his face and kneaded it.
“You don’t even know why I’m angry, and you’re still trying to coax me?”
Jin Yi Han placed the Five-Red Soup on the bedside table and wrapped both arms around her waist, pulling her fully into his embrace.
“I know girls have those days. Of course I should spoil my wife. The soup’s heated—drink some?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing the tip of her nose against his, breathing softly against his lips.
“No. I want to kiss you.”
His lashes trembled slightly; his body tensed. Her scent lingered at his nose like an intoxicating drug.
“Wife, don’t torture me. Too many cold showers and I’ll catch a cold.”
Though he refused with his words, he still leaned closer to her lips, his arms tightening as if he wished to crush her into his embrace.
A few minutes later, the glass jar of stars dug into her, and she finally pushed him away.
Barefoot, she stepped onto the floor, filled the jar completely with stars, and neatly placed it on the vanity.
Early the next morning, Cen Zhi Ning dressed neatly. She pressed a note onto the jar of stars and placed a stack of cash beside it.
Just as she was about to leave, Jin Yi Han walked out with sleepy eyes, yawning.
“Where are you going? Why didn’t you wake me? I’ll get ready and go with you.”
Cen Zhi Ning stood before the full-length mirror in the entryway, adjusting the angle of her earrings.