Lin Mian had nothing to offer now.
He Duoye looked quite kind-hearted: “How about I provide you with one? Tell me about those ten ex-boyfriends of yours, and I’ll agree.”
Lin Mian: “…”
She decided to make something up.
After struggling for a moment, she began: “The first one was a senior in college…”
He Duoye interrupted her: “Oh, when did you start dating?”
“Anyway, it was after we broke up.”
He Duoye stared at her, then asked: “What’s his name?”
Lin Mian casually made up a name. He Duoye didn’t press further about his age but instead asked about the second ex-boyfriend. Lin Mian continued making things up… By the time she reached the fifth one, she couldn’t keep going.
He Duoye looked at her, raising an eyebrow slightly: “Continue.”
Seeing his expression, Lin Mian knew he had already guessed she was lying.
Putting on this act was just to deliberately mess with her, just like his usual nasty personality.
But Lin Mian still didn’t want to admit she was lying or let He Duoye get the upper hand. She simply said: “There are too many to remember clearly. Wait until tomorrow, and I’ll make a list for you.”
He Duoye suddenly laughed and nodded: “Alright, I’ll wait.”
Since the conversation had reached this point, Lin Mian asked: “Zhang Zhiwen… Did you really lock him up with a wolfhound?”
The smile on He Duoye’s face slowly faded, revealing a cold sharpness unfamiliar to Lin Mian, like a wolf instantly on guard. But soon, that inscrutable smile returned.
“Are you trying to plead for him?”
Lin Mian didn’t respond immediately.
It wasn’t that she was suddenly feeling overly compassionate, but if saying a few words could ensure Zhang Zhiwen returned home alive, she was willing to do it. After all, it was just a matter of a few sentences.
“Fine,” He Duoye said. “Since you want to save him, go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll let you see him.”
He placed his entire palm against Lin Mian’s slender nape—a gesture of absolute control. With just a slight pressure, Lin Mian had no choice but to obediently lower her head.
Her hands instinctively braced against He Duoye’s shoulders.
He Duoye kissed her, capturing her lips and biting down lightly, making Lin Mian feel a sting of pain.
“Get your health back soon. I don’t like it when you’re sick.” His nose brushed against hers, making the words sound like the tender concern of a lover.
But Lin Mian knew it wasn’t.
His dislike of her being sick was more likely because it affected her ability to share his bed.
However, the thought of He Duoye sleeping with someone else and then coming to her was deeply unsettling.
Seeing her furrowed expression, He Duoye suddenly said: “Do you want to check up on me?”
Lin Mian was taken aback.
Checking up on him—this was something He Duoye had personally taught Lin Mian in the past.
It happened during her second semester of freshman year.
She and He Duoye attended schools in different districts, so they could only be together on weekends and holidays. The apartment they rented was in the residential area behind Lin Mian’s school.
At first, He Duoye would come over whenever he had free time, and the first thing he’d do was drag Lin Mian to bed.
Lin Mian was unhappy, feeling that He Duoye only came to her for sex and didn’t love her at all.
Of course, those weren’t her exact words—she couldn’t remember the specifics anymore, but it definitely didn’t include that last part.
He Duoye, that bastard, was stubborn and infuriating. Lin Mian would never talk to him about matters of love.
So, the next time He Duoye came over, he simply took Lin Mian grocery shopping, cooked meals together, played games, watched TV, and annoyingly supervised her homework, without a single word about the adult world—not even a kiss.
His sudden change in behavior made Lin Mian suspect he must have gotten his fill elsewhere.
Fuming, Lin Mian tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. In the pitch-black darkness, she sat up and stared intently at He Duoye’s profile.
Her mind was filled with one thought—you despicable scumbag, how can you sleep so soundly?
As she glared at He Duoye, she wavered between checking his phone and grabbing a knife to slash him.
It was at that moment He Duoye chuckled. He hadn’t been asleep at all, just lying there with his eyes closed, listening to the drama unfold.
He pulled Lin Mian into his arms, lowered his head to kiss her, and even when she bit him hard, he wasn’t angry—instead, he was utterly delighted. Then, shamelessly and lewdly, he placed his hand on Lin Mian’s butt and gave it a pat.
He asked her, “Don’t trust me? Then why don’t you check up on me?”
Lin Mian coldly pushed his hand away and pinched him hard. Just as she was about to say she couldn’t care less about checking his phone, He Duoye grabbed her hand and placed it somewhere else.
“Check if I’ve done anything to betray you these past few days.”
…
He Duoye picked Lin Mian up and carried her to the bathroom to wash her hands.
The lukewarm water flowed over their intertwined fingers. Lin Mian glanced at his larger, more mature hand compared to before, then lifted her eyes to look at their reflection in the mirror—the two of them embracing—and suddenly felt a bit dazed.
He Duoye rested his chin intimately on her shoulder, his bangs falling over his forehead, looking just as familiar as ever.
“He Duoye,” Lin Mian spoke up.
He Duoye lazily hummed in response, playfully rubbing and washing Lin Mian’s fingers.
“Do you have anything to say to me?” she asked.
Without even looking up, He Duoye continued to fiddle with Lin Mian’s fingertips. “Say what?”
Lin Mian opened her mouth but didn’t know how to say it.
He Duoye turned off the faucet and dried Lin Mian’s hands. “You should get some sleep, baby. You need to sleep to dream.”
Lin Mian: “…”
Just go die, you scumbag!
He Duoye picked Lin Mian up, tucked her under the covers, patted her a couple of times as if soothing a child, then got up and left.
Leaving right after having his fun, just like that.
Lin Mian was so angry she couldn’t sleep until midnight.
The next morning, she didn’t see He Duoye. According to Uncle Jixiang, He Duoye had urgent matters to attend to and had left the estate in the middle of the night.
In the evening, Uncle Jixiang led Lin Mian out of the bedroom.
Lin Mian finally stepped out of the villa and saw the estate’s vast, garden-like scenery.
They exited through another side door of the villa.
Looking up, Lin Mian could see the tiger enclosure in the distance, and the high platform where she had once been suspended stood right beside it. The faint scent of the “zoo” that had left a deep impression on her drifted through the air.
A male servant drove over a small sightseeing vehicle and took Lin Mian and Uncle Jixiang across the grassy area where the tigers were kept.
Halfway through, the distant roar of tigers suddenly echoed, startling Lin Mian and making her look back.
The weather wasn’t great today—the sky was gloomy, the air humid and stifling, looking as if it might rain.
Lin Mian glanced at the sky, feeling uneasy, and asked Uncle Jixiang, “Where are you taking me?”
Uncle Jixiang replied, “Probably to take you hunting.”
“Hunting?” Lin Mian was puzzled. “Hunting what?”
Uncle Jixiang looked at Lin Mian with a complicated gaze, seemingly hesitating whether to tell her the truth. His expression made Lin Mian even more uneasy.
The sightseeing vehicle began to slow down, about to stop.
Uncle Jixiang said softly, “Not long ago, the young master had someone bring out your blind date.”
Lin Mian was stunned.
So, was this about hunting her blind date?
The sightseeing vehicle stopped.
Here was a large, ordinary open space. A few dozen meters ahead, sparse trees gradually thickened into a dense forest. Beside it was a sizable artificial pond, with a stilt house standing by the water. Two subordinates stood at the entrance.
Lin Mian was led by one of them up the side staircase to the second floor of the stilt house. Pushing open a door, she entered a spacious terrace.
He Duoye was already there, standing beside a wide wooden table with his back to Lin Mian.
On the tabletop, a row of guns was neatly arranged.
Lin Mian’s footsteps involuntarily halted.
He Duoye turned sideways, looking at Lin Mian’s tense and uneasy expression. He smiled and beckoned, “What are you afraid of? Come here.”
Lin Mian cautiously walked over. He Duoye grabbed her wrist, pulling her to the table, and gestured, “Pick a handgun.”
“What are we going to do?” Seeing so many firearms and ammunition up close, the cold scent of metal seemed to reach her nostrils, making Lin Mian even more nervous.
“Taking you to play a game,” He Duoye said, picking up a compact handgun.
He skillfully ejected the magazine, checked the bullets, and with a crisp click, loaded it. The black gun spun once in his long, powerful fingers before he offered the grip to Lin Mian.
“Take it. Try firing a shot.”
Lin Mian curled her fingers. She was both curious and afraid of these guns.
They should have been far removed from her world.
After a moment of hesitation, Lin Mian took the gun. It felt heavy in her hand, the grip hard and slightly cool. She held it as she had seen in movies.
Below the terrace was an open space the size of a sports field. At the far end stood a dense grove of small trees.
The ground was pitted with sparse patches of wild grass and stones. Lin Mian aimed the muzzle at a clump of wild grass.
At that moment, He Duoye walked up behind Lin Mian. His tall frame easily enveloped her slender body, his warm chest faintly brushing against her back.
Lin Mian’s hand trembled slightly, only to be steadied by He Duoye’s grasp.
His large, warm hand enveloped hers, helping her hold the gun firmly and extend her arm.
He asked Lin Mian, “What are you aiming at?”
Lin Mian replied uneasily, “That clump of wild grass.”
There were several patches of wild grass in the open space, but He Duoye immediately knew which one she meant.
Guiding her hand, he adjusted the aim slightly. His rough fingertip pressed against Lin Mian’s index finger, and with a “click,” he pulled the trigger.
A deafening gunshot and a powerful recoil struck simultaneously.
Lin Mian instinctively closed her eyes. Her arm was firmly supported by He Duoye, and the recoil only caused her shoulder to shift slightly.
The bullet actually hit the wild grass precisely, kicking up a cloud of dust.
But this accuracy was thanks to He Duoye. Lin Mian had never used a gun before and couldn’t have hit the target on her own.
And He Duoye suddenly taking her to shoot with a handgun was surely not just for fun—it was for hunting.
As for the target of the hunt… it was likely her blind date.
He Duoye lowered his gaze, glanced at Lin Mian’s expression, and saw no trace of the earlier fear or tension. He said, “Don’t get distracted, keep going.”