Yu Huan woke up to find the house completely empty.
The temperature inside was just right, and the curtains had been thoughtfully drawn.
A small bedside lamp sat on the nightstand, casting a soft, warm yellow glow.
A sticky note was attached to the lamp.
Yu Huan reached out with her slender hand and gently peeled it off.
The handwriting pressed firmly into the paper, yet still carried a warm, gentle quality.
[Baby, I’m in the study handling some work. If you wake up and don’t feel like getting out of bed, just call me.]
The little bit of unhappiness in Yu Huan’s heart instantly disappeared.
She picked up her phone, lazily opened WeChat, and sent a voice message to the man pinned at the top of her chat list.
“Zhu Heqing, I order you to appear in front of me within ten seconds. Otherwise, I’m going to be mad.”
Her voice was sweet and spoiled, with the unmistakable air of a girl who had been thoroughly pampered.
Never mind that it would take several seconds just to listen to the voice message.
Considering the size of the house, simply walking from the study to the bedroom would take far longer than ten seconds.
Her demand was completely unreasonable.
But Yu Huan didn’t care.
After sending the message, she went back to scrolling through her Moments.
It was summer vacation, so her feed was filled with travel photos.
When Zhu Heqing entered the room, Yu Huan had just liked a post from her childhood friend, Zhou Muyang.
The photo showed Zhou Muyang standing in front of the ocean, shirtless.
Zhu Heqing’s expression remained completely calm. He bent down, picked up the girl who was lounging on the bed, and kissed her gently on the eyes.
“You scared me!”
Yu Huan had been so absorbed in her phone that she hadn’t noticed Zhu Heqing approaching the bed at all.
Being suddenly lifted into his arms startled her.
Her already-large eyes widened even more, glistening like those of a startled kitten.
A faint blush colored her delicate little face. Her lips parted slightly in surprise, revealing the tip of her pink tongue.
Zhu Heqing’s gaze darkened.
His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he wanted to lean closer and kiss her.
Yu Huan raised her hand and lightly smacked him.
There was hardly any force behind it. More than anything, the gesture carried her sweet fragrance and felt almost like flirting.
But it was also a warning from an angry girlfriend.
Yu Huan poked his chest with her finger.
“I told you to appear within ten seconds. You took so long to come. That’s your first mistake.”
“You didn’t show up on time, and then you scared me. That’s your second mistake.”
“And after frightening me, you actually had the nerve to try to kiss me. That’s your third mistake.”
With every accusation, her snow-white finger poked his chest once.
That adorable, pouty expression of dissatisfaction made Zhu Heqing love her even more.
He admitted his mistakes with exceptional patience.
“Baby, I’m sorry.”
Being coaxed only made Yu Huan’s little temper flare up even more.
“Anyone can apologize. You have absolutely no sincerity.”
She even gave a soft little snort afterward.
“How about I clear out your shopping cart? You were looking at everyone’s travel posts. Do you want to go somewhere? Tell me where, and I’ll take you.”
Zhu Heqing carried her toward the study, not forgetting to pick up Yu Huan’s rabbit slippers along the way.
“I ordered the snacks from Zhang Ji that you like. They’re already here, and I also got you a bouquet of flowers. I know I was wrong. Can you forgive me, baby?”
Yu Huan swung her jade-white legs and reluctantly forgave him.
Zhu Heqing placed her on a plush sofa that looked completely out of place in the study, then put her slippers on for her.
After washing his hands, he brought out all the snacks he had ordered, opened every container, and arranged them within easy reach of Yu Huan.
“I still have a little work to finish. Stay here and eat, baby. Just call me if you need anything.”
Like an elegant, pampered cat, Yu Huan gave a reserved little nod.
Her slender fingers held the chopsticks as she slowly and delicately ate her food.
Yu Huan had been beautiful since she was little.
She had a small head, fair skin, delicate features, large expressive eyes, and long, curled lashes. Even something as simple as tying her hair into a low ponytail was enough to turn heads.
As she grew older, her features matured into an even more striking beauty. Wherever she stood, she naturally became the center of attention.
And on top of that, her family had spoiled her tremendously—almost to the point where if she asked for the stars, they would happily pluck down the moon for her as well.
As a result, she had become even more spoiled and willful than some of the pampered young ladies from wealthy families.
Then, just after entering university, she was swept off her feet by Zhu Heqing.
Zhu Heqing was several years older than her. In their relationship, he instinctively treated Yu Huan like a little child who needed to be pampered.
Even when she made mistakes, he could barely bring himself to scold her.
Naturally, this only made her more and more spoiled.
But Zhu Heqing himself didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
A beautiful girl like Yu Huan deserved to be cherished and spoiled.
“Zhu Heqing.”
Yu Huan called out his name in a drawn-out, soft voice.
“I want some water.”
Zhu Heqing was in the middle of a video conference.
The people on the other end heard that Yu Huan even had to call Zhu Heqing over just to get a drink of water.
One of them joked half-seriously, half-playfully, “She even calls you when she wants water. Ah He, you really got yourself a little ancestor.”
Zhu Heqing took off his earphones, poured a cup of water at a comfortable temperature, and personally brought it over to Yu Huan, holding it for her while she drank.
He then carefully asked whether she needed anything else.
After she said no, he returned to his desk.
“She’s still young. It’s only natural for her to call me.”
The other person fell silent.
“…She’s twenty, not two. Even if she were a child, she could still pour herself a glass of water!”
Zhu Heqing remained firm.
“She’s used to calling me. She wouldn’t be comfortable doing it herself.”
Zhu Heqing liked having Yu Huan depend on him.
“And another thing.” Zhu Heqing stared intently at the man on the computer screen. “How do you know how old she is? You’ve been paying attention to her?”
Zhu Heqing had only mentioned in passing that he was dating someone. He hadn’t even brought Yu Huan around to introduce her to his friends yet.
So how had He Zhiheng found out her age?
He Zhiheng was speechless.
He laughed helplessly.
“My cousin is at the same school as her.”
Apparently unwilling to continue discussing the subject, He Zhiheng changed the topic.
“Yunshu is coming back. Did you know?”
Zhu Heqing nodded.
“My mom told me.”
He Zhiheng continued, “That girl left so suddenly, and now she’s coming back just as suddenly. If it weren’t for…”
Yu Huan had a small appetite. After eating a little, she lost interest in the food.
She held her cup and finished the remaining water before picking up her phone again.
The discussion was already nearly finished, but Zhu Heqing’s attention remained focused on Yu Huan.
The girl seemed to have come across something funny. The corners of her lips lifted, and her laughter was soft and delicate.
Zhu Heqing patiently waited for a while.
After Yu Huan had laughed enough, she walked over to him, sat down directly in his arms, and held up her phone for him to see.
It was a clip from a lighthearted anime.
At first, Zhu Heqing hadn’t known much about that kind of thing, but after watching it with Yu Huan so many times, he had gradually learned a little.
Yu Huan leaned comfortably against his chest and looked toward He Zhiheng, curiosity shining in her beautiful eyes.
Zhu Heqing introduced him first.
“He Zhiheng. We’ve known each other since we were children.”
One of Yu Huan’s better qualities was that she only showed her temper and spoiled side around her family.
When dealing with outsiders, she was actually quite polite.
She nodded and greeted him courteously.
“Hello, Brother Zhiheng.”