Chapter 29: The Short Skirt and the Inescapable Meeting

As he stared at the message, the deep, alluring “call me husband” seemed to echo in his ears once more. Su Mian felt his cheeks, which had only just cooled, flush crimson all over again.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Husband…]

Merely typing those two words sent a mortifying shiver down his spine.

His ‘wife’ had never called anyone that before, yet now, as the ‘wife,’ he was expected to address someone else as ‘husband’?!

[Yuan: Say it out loud.]

Wh-what?!

How could he possibly say that aloud?

His two roommates were still in the room, after all.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Gege, I’m shy… (kitten covering face.jpg)]

[Yuan: Haven’t you been quite adept at sending leg photos and saying provocative things normally? Only now do you feel shy?]

Su Mian was instantly speechless, utterly unable to retort.

Indeed, he had typed out far bolder provocations before without a flicker of emotion.

Yet, for some reason, as their relationship seemed to deepen, and the term “husband” was brought to the forefront, he found himself growing timid and genuinely bashful.

Was it because typing allowed him to be more uninhibited than speaking aloud?

Or was it because, subconsciously, his initial mindset of pure ‘playfulness’ and ‘revenge’ had begun to shift?

Entangled in the situation as he was, he couldn’t yet discern the truth of it.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Gege, could I… could I call you that when we meet…? (piteous look)]

Su Mian desperately wanted to struggle and salvage the situation!

[Yuan: If you don’t call me that now, what I’ll have you call me when we meet won’t just be ‘husband’.]

Su Mian’s heart skipped a beat.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Then… what else would I have to call you…? (curious cat head)]

[Yuan: What do you think, baby.]

Baby?

Su Mian felt his cheeks warm slightly as he gazed at those two words.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Call you baby?]

[Yuan: It’s the same as the first two letters of ‘baby’.]

B… B…

Daddy?!

“Boom—!”

It was as if fireworks had exploded in his mind. Su Mian’s face flushed so crimson it seemed ready to drip blood, and all the blood in his body rushed to his head.

That scoundrel! That hooligan! How could he… how could he be so utterly serious while acting like such a pervert!

That detestable Xiao Moyuan! He chatted so passionately with his ‘wife’ online, yet in reality, he could calmly accept Shen Zhixia’s closeness!

No wonder Zhixia was utterly captivated by him. Even he, a man solely focused on revenge, found himself momentarily unable to resist the intense pheromones and possessiveness this guy exuded through the screen.

He couldn’t delay any longer! Today, he had to order his new ‘battle attire’!

With a resolve bordering on self-abandonment, Su Mian opened Taobao and began browsing women’s clothing.

His gaze was quickly drawn to a pink camisole dress. Its design was exquisite, with a skirt composed of several layers of soft, sheer gauze, giving it an ethereal quality. The length, reaching roughly to the knee, ensured it wasn’t overly revealing yet remained strikingly eye-catching.

That was the one!

He clicked to place the order and pay with almost no hesitation.

It wasn’t until the payment successful screen popped up, and he saw the more than six hundred yuan deducted, that a pang of belated heartache struck him.

This month, his expenses incurred under the identity of ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ had far exceeded his budget and living allowance.

“Sigh, I finally understand why Xiaoxue always has so much more living allowance than me…” he muttered softly.

For the first time, he felt a subtle understanding for his sister Su Baixue’s endless collection of dresses and cosmetics.

***

The days spent waiting for the delivery became exceptionally agonizing.

The dress shipped a day later than expected, but thankfully, the package with the unfamiliar logo safely arrived in his hands the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Holding the box, which felt light yet heavy with unspoken significance, Su Mian’s emotions were a complicated tangle.

During those six days of waiting, his online ‘strategy’ with Xiao Moyuan still hadn’t achieved any breakthrough progress. He had tried flirting, feigning pitifulness, and even sent more partial, faceless photos.

Yet, Xiao Moyuan’s demeanor remained one of effortless warmth, and he consistently managed to steer the conversation back to the ultimate goal of their ‘Mid-Autumn Festival meeting’ whenever Su Mian showed even a slight lapse.

On the eve of the festival, Su Mian made his final, desperate attempt.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Baby~ Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday! It’s a day for family reunions. What if I have to spend time with my family and can’t be with you…? (kitten nuzzling)]

He tried to carve out a little room for negotiation, hoping to at least get the other party to agree to postpone their meeting until after the holiday.

After the message was sent, the few minutes spent waiting for a reply stretched into an eternity.

Finally, his phone vibrated.

[Yuan: ?]

Just a single question mark, yet it carried an immense sense of pressure.

Immediately after,

[Yuan: I have plenty of time during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I just need to see you once to make sure you haven’t lied to me; I won’t take up too much of your time.]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: But what if my family really does have last-minute plans then…]

[Yuan: There are no ‘ifs’.]

Four words, decisive and full of imposing authority.

[Yuan: I can wait for you at your school gate when you return. It will only take half an hour, or even less. You wouldn’t be unable to spare even that little time for your ‘husband,’ would you?]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: …]

[Yuan: So, you’re lying to me?]

[Yuan: I’m very suspicious now. Your identity might be fake, and even your gender.]

These last two sentences, instantly exposing the truth, pierced through all of Su Mian’s hopeful delusions.

He was so startled he nearly dropped his phone, and his blood ran cold.

Xiao Moyuan’s suspicions were already so blatant!

However, putting himself in Xiao Moyuan’s shoes, he could immediately understand.

If he continued to make excuses and procrastinate, given Xiao Moyuan’s personality, he might genuinely lose patience entirely, and even… initiate an investigation.

He couldn’t risk it any longer!

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Gege, how could that be! I would never lie to you! I’m really looking forward to a sweet date with Gege! (hearts flying.jpg)]

He sent this incredibly fawning message with a feeling akin to marching to his doom.

As he stared at the words he had typed on the screen, a profound sense of powerlessness and panic washed over him.

It was over.

There was absolutely no turning back now.

The Mid-Autumn Festival meeting was a foregone conclusion.

Now, his only hope was that his secretly practiced falsetto and the sweet demeanor he had learned by imitating Shen Zhixia wouldn’t fail him when the time came.

As long as he successfully endured that date without revealing his identity, he would still have a chance to continue with his plan…

He buried his face deep into his soft pillow and let out a wail.

***

Early the next morning, Lu Yang and Qin Xuan had already gone home.

As Su Mian packed his belongings, he noticed the camisole dress he had bought yesterday was still unopened.

Since the dorm was empty today, he figured he could try it on to see how it looked.

After putting on the dress, Su Mian felt utterly dismayed.

The dress was indeed beautiful, but why was the skirt so short?

The picture showed it reaching the knee, so why… why did it only come halfway up his thigh?

This was far too embarrassing!

…