Chapter 16: Your Eyes Should Only Have Me

After leaving the café, Wei Qingxuan’s hands locked tightly around Wen Qi’s waist.

“Are you interested in him?” he asked.

The moment she’d said that line in the café, he’d almost stopped breathing. Even though he knew nothing would actually happen between those two, he couldn’t stop the jealousy clawing at him.

Wen Qi stomped hard on his foot.

“Are you insane?”

The pain shot straight to Wei Qingxuan’s head.

Yet he laughed. With an easy sweep of his arm, he lifted her slightly off the ground. In her startled expression, he calmly set her feet on top of his shoes, instantly shortening the height difference between them.

His hand pressed deliberately at her waist, pulling her flush against him. His gaze locked onto hers, clear, bright, and all he could see reflected there was himself.

Satisfied, he said, “That’s better. Qiqi, your eyes should only have me in them.”

Wen Qi leaned back. “I think you went to bed too late last night. You’re still not awake.”

Wei Qingxuan tilted his head in confusion.

“You’re dreaming,” she said.

Her eyes held everything she liked in this world. They would never, could never, hold only Wei Qingxuan.

“You’re fickle,” he muttered, gripping her hand and refusing to let go. The smile faded from his eyes, replaced by something faintly downcast. “Qiqi, you’re fickle.”

She blinked. How had she suddenly earned that label?

“You already like someone else, and you still kissed me.”

As he spoke, his lips moved faintly. Her lips had been so soft, cool and sweet. When he’d lightly bitten them, there had been a faint peach scent that made him unwilling to let go.

But now he couldn’t smell it anymore. Would he have to kiss her again to catch it?

His gaze dropped to her lips, darkening.

Wen Qi reacted immediately, pressing her hand over his mouth. “Don’t move. I’m warning you, don’t move at all.”

He lowered his eyes and continued, “You kissed me, and then you told people Lan Yan is your boyfriend.”

As he spoke, his lips brushed against her palm again and again.

She suspected he was doing it on purpose, but his expression looked as innocent as a puppy begging for affection.

Her palm felt itchy. Tingling.

Then suddenly, he leaned forward and kissed the center of her palm. The unexpected touch made her daze for a second.

“Qiqi?” he prompted softly.

She snapped back to herself. So he’d heard everything she said at the café. So what? It wasn’t real.

“I was just pretending to be his girlfriend.”

“What if pretending turns real?”

Wei Qingxuan knew Lan Yan well. That guy was reckless. If he didn’t want to do something, even a knife to his throat wouldn’t force him. Showing up like that today was nothing more than a silent declaration of war.

He didn’t believe for a second that it was coincidence, that Lan Yan just happened to appear when Wen Qi entered his lounge. Just happened to need a blind-date girlfriend. Just happened that only Wen Qi would do.

Lan Yan had plenty of ex-girlfriends he could’ve called. Anyone would’ve looked more convincing.

This was simply his move.

Wei Qingxuan sucked in a breath. Damn it. When did Lan Yan start liking Wen Qi? Love at first sight? No, lust at first sight.

That bastard had good taste but terrible character. He didn’t even deserve the qualification to pretend to be Wen Qi’s boyfriend.

“What if?” Wen Qi leaned fully against his shoulder now, tired of arching back. “Maybe it’s fate.”

As expected, Wei Qingxuan’s whole body stiffened.

She smiled faintly. “That’s not something I need to worry about.”

What she needed to worry about was walking her own path well. Earning enough money for college. Being strong enough to endure anyone leaving her life.

Sometimes she was painfully pessimistic, imagining farewells before they happened. When she was in middle school, her parents divorced. Her childhood best friend moved away the same month. Everything changed at once.

So she learned to prepare for loss in advance. To calculate an exit. To leave herself a retreat. She loved excitement, but she hated the helplessness of losing control.

“He likes you. He’s flirting with you,” Wei Qingxuan murmured against her neck, breathing in her scent. “He wants to stay by your side.”

She countered, “Don’t you like me? Aren’t you flirting with me? Don’t you want to stay by my side?”

He fell silent.

After a long inhale of her scent, he admitted quietly, “I do.”

“Mm. I allow you to.”

“And him?” he pressed stubbornly.

“Maybe I allow him too.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “He’s pretty generous. Just… not very good-looking.”

****

For the second time, Lan Yan was being described as unattractive, while he was on the phone passionately describing his “girlfriend” to his mother.

“She’s like a lively little fox,” he said. “Even her blink is sly. There’s this mystery about her. Mom, no one else has that feeling.”

His mother sounded baffled. “What nonsense are you talking about? I’ll meet her soon and see for myself.”

****

Back in Wen Qi’s apartment, a small cat padded out of the room and meowed, rubbing against their legs.

It belonged to Chen Yuyi, who’d left it in Wen Qi’s care for a few days.

The cat didn’t recognize its name. It only responded to “Come here, Mommy.”

It rubbed against Wen Qi’s leg again.

“She’s hungry,” Wen Qi said. “Let go of me. Can’t you see my cat is hungry?”

Wei Qingxuan remained wrapped around her like iron shackles. He was still stuck on the “meant to be” comment she’d ignored.

“Your dog is sad,” he said calmly.

She almost snapped back, “What dog?”, but the tightening at her waist made the implication obvious.

“And your dog is hungry too.”

His gaze dropped straight to her lips.

“Then go eat,” she said coolly.

“Meow~”

“Wait for Mommy,” Wen Qi told the cat.

The cat obediently sat down, melting her heart.

Wei Qingxuan frowned. “You’re her mommy?”

“I’ve been taking care of her for two days. So yes. Stepmommy.”

“Then what about the dog you’re raising?” he asked, still not letting go.

“I only keep dogs that listen to Mommy,” she replied lazily. “The ones that don’t, I throw them away. I’ll say it one last time. Let me go.”

He thought for a moment, then finally released her, lifting her slightly before setting her down again.

She gritted her teeth. If she could, she’d beat him up until he never dared to touch her again.

But back when they’d taken martial arts classes together, no matter how hard she hit him, he’d barely budge. He’d just laugh and say, “Qiqi, don’t you feel bad for me?”

Feel bad? Her palms would be red and swollen, and he’d be completely unscathed.

Infuriating.

****

Later, there was a knock at the door.

Wen Qi opened it irritably, only to find Wei Qingxuan again.

Before she could finish speaking, he stuffed something into her arms.

A robotic puppy.

Creamy white matte shell. Pale blue ears. Round electronic eyes glowing warm yellow.

There was a small touch sensor on its belly. When she tapped it, it lifted a paw and rubbed her hand. A soft electronic voice said, “Master.”

Wei Qingxuan clearly understood her weakness for cute things. This gift hit her soft spot perfectly.

“The cat will have to go back eventually,” he said. “But the puppy won’t. It can stay with you forever.”

She set it on the floor. The cat approached curiously.

In his pocket, Wei Qingxuan pressed a button. The puppy’s face immediately switched to an angry flame expression.

“What’s wrong with it?” Wen Qi asked.

“It doesn’t like other things getting too close.”

“Technology’s advanced to this level now?”

“You’re not ‘other.’ You’re its master.”

****

That night, Wei Qingxuan sat in his dark room. The only light came from his computer screen.

On it was the robotic puppy’s point of view.

His pale fingers lazily twirled the remote control. His eyes never left the screen.

Wen Qi was recording voiceovers. Petting the cat. Then answering a phone call.

Who was it?

He pressed a button. The robotic puppy walked toward her, the audio growing clearer.

Suddenly the screen went black.

Wen Qi had covered the puppy’s eyes and shut it down.

“Time to sleep.”

The final light in her room turned off.

Wei Qingxuan’s expression darkened further.

In that last second before the feed cut, he had heard the voice on the phone.

Lan Yan.

Almost immediately, Wen Qi’s phone rang again.

“Hello? It’s late, what’s up?”

What were they talking about? Why did Lan Yan have her number? Why was he calling at night?

“You-”

‘If you keep contacting him, I might as well just die.’

But how would he explain knowing about the call?

He swallowed the rest.

“Do you like the puppy?”

Wen Qi glanced at the robot in the corner and laughed softly. “It’s not well-behaved. It tried to eavesdrop on my call. I’ve put it on timeout. You wrote the program? You should adjust it. Make it more obedient.”

So it really was Lan Yan.

Jealousy nearly broke through, but her sharpness forced him to restrain himself.

“He’s very obedient,” Wei Qingxuan said calmly. “Next time, will you hold him while you sleep?”

There was silence on the other end.

He was about to forcibly reactivate the puppy when Wen Qi finally replied:

“If he’s very obedient… then maybe.”

Wei Qingxuan’s lips curved slowly.

“Mommy,” he said softly, “your puppy will be very obedient.”