Chapter 42: The Morning After and a Sweet Trap

Su Mian slept exceptionally deeply that night. The hotel’s large bed was impossibly soft, and combined with the lingering effects of the alcohol, he slept straight through until noon the next day.

Consciousness slowly returned. Drowsily, he reached out to his side—it was empty?

The feel wasn’t right either. This wasn’t the hard bed from his dorm, nor the familiar sheets from home.

‘Where was I?’

As soon as that thought surfaced, fragments of last night’s memories surged into his mind like a breaching flood!

‘Dressing as a woman… dining with Xiao Moyuan… wanting to get him drunk for embarrassing photos… but ending up drunk myself… getting into his car… and then… everything went blank!’

‘I got drunk and spent the entire night alone with Xiao Moyuan?!’

This terrifying realization sobered him completely in an instant. He shot up from the bed, his heart pounding relentlessly.

He glanced around, panic seizing him.

It was a lavishly decorated hotel room. He was alone; Xiao Moyuan was nowhere in sight.

He instinctively looked down, quickly checking himself. He was still wearing the pink dress, a little wrinkled, but otherwise perfectly intact.

He quickly ran his hands over his body. There was no unusual sensation, no sign that his clothes had been removed.

‘My virtue… it seemed to still be intact?’

A massive wave of relief, like surviving a catastrophe, washed over him. He let out a long breath, his taut nerves suddenly slackening, and he collapsed back onto the bed, feeling utterly drained.

“Damn it! Alcohol truly messes everything up!” He pounded the soft mattress in exasperation.

‘Why was that red wine so potent?’

‘I shouldn’t have tried to act tough and drink so much!’

‘What if… what if I’d said something foolish while drunk last night, or revealed some crucial detail, leading to my identity being exposed?’

‘Wouldn’t all my careful planning and endured humiliation over the past month have been utterly wasted?’

And that wasn’t even the most terrifying prospect.

The most horrifying scenario was if Xiao Moyuan discovered the truth and exposed him.

He couldn’t even begin to imagine the utter social ruin he would face at N University. Forget about winning back Shen Zhixia; it would be a question of whether he could even remain at the school.

At the thought of these possibilities, Su Mian’s recently relaxed mood grew heavy once more. A suffocating tightness gripped his chest.

He was genuinely afraid, terrified of being exposed by Xiao Moyuan.

Anxiously, he picked up his phone from the nightstand. The screen lit up, displaying several unread messages on the lock screen, all from the same contact—[Yuan].

Su Mian’s heart immediately leaped into his throat. His fingers trembled as he swiped open the screen, so nervous that he even closed his eyes, afraid to look immediately.

He took a few deep breaths, then mustered his courage, opening his eyes to a narrow slit and cautiously peering at the screen.

[Yuan: Had an urgent matter, left first. The room bill is settled. You can call the front desk for room service when you wake up; I’ve already arranged it.]

[Yuan: There’s a gift for you on the nightstand.]

[Yuan: I wasn’t entirely satisfied with yesterday’s date. I hope next time we meet, my wife can properly ‘compensate’ me.]

There were three messages in total. Su Mian read them repeatedly, word by word, several times. His suspended heart slowly settled back into place.

‘This tone… it seems he didn’t find out?’

‘He actually didn’t do anything while I was drunk?’

‘He didn’t even check me?’

A tremendous, inexpressible sense of relief washed over him. The heavy stone in his heart finally dropped.

His entire body relaxed, almost incredulous.

“Hmph, I didn’t expect this guy… to be quite the gentleman at a crucial moment,” he muttered softly, his tone carrying a complex emotion he didn’t even detect himself.

Given Xiao Moyuan’s online habit of often being ‘suggestive,’ he had genuinely prepared himself for the worst.

However, this time, he could only attribute it to good luck.

If he got drunk again, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t let something slip or reveal his true self at some point.

Su Mian secretly vowed in his heart that he would absolutely, *absolutely* never touch alcohol again!

After getting up, the first thing he did was rush into the bathroom to remove his makeup. In the clear water, false eyelashes, eyeliner, and foundation were gradually washed away, revealing an overly delicate face in the mirror.

Even without makeup, those eyes were still moist, his skin fair. Paired with the dress and the smooth wig, he still looked exactly like a fresh and sweet ‘girl,’ completely natural.

He had originally intended to take a shower, but remembering his change of clothes were still at the short-term rental he’d been staying at, he decided against it.

He planned to thoroughly clean up when he returned to pack his luggage for school.

Once he was tidied up, his stomach began to rumble. Following Xiao Moyuan’s message, he used the room’s landline to call the front desk.

Lunch was delivered quickly: a rich, fragrant scampi porridge, a plate of tender egg tofu, and a thick cup of yogurt.

Su Mian stared at the food,愣ing once again.

‘Was it a coincidence? Why was it all my favorite food again?’

‘Soy products, eggs, yogurt… How could Xiao Moyuan know all this so clearly?’

After eating his fill, he remembered the gift Xiao Moyuan had mentioned. Indeed, a beautifully wrapped gift box sat on the nightstand.

With a mix of curiosity and anticipation, Su Mian opened the box. Inside was a necklace, simply designed but of exquisite quality, shimmering with tiny glints under the light, clearly expensive.

And beneath the necklace, a black bank card was pressed.

‘A necklace? A card?’

Su Mian looked at the card, feeling a bit bewildered. Filled with questions, he picked up his phone and opened his chat with Xiao Moyuan. He needed to gauge the other party’s attitude.

[Sweet Marshmallow: Big Brother, I’m awake~ I miss you so much! I accidentally drank too much yesterday, I’m so sorry, I hope I didn’t bother you? (Little cat acting cute.jpg)]

[Sweet Marshmallow: I ate the hotel lunch, it was all my favorite food, Big Brother is so thoughtful! (Heart发射)]

[Sweet Marshmallow: I saw the gift, the necklace is so beautiful! But it’s too valuable… And what’s the meaning of that card? When we meet next time, I’ll return the necklace to you… (Hesitantly twiddling fingers)]

After sending the messages, he waited nervously. To his relief, his phone vibrated a short while later, receiving a reply.

‘See, this is progress!’

Su Mian felt a little smug. He recalled how, just over a month ago, Xiao Moyuan would ignore him or reply based on his mood, nothing like the almost ‘instant replies’ he was getting now.

This proved that his ‘Sweet Marshmallow’ charm was beginning to work. Xiao Moyuan was indeed more interested in him than before.

‘Sure enough, men are visual creatures. After meeting in person, he must have been captivated by my ‘beauty,’ right?’

[Yuan: Had matters to attend to last night, so I left first.]

[Yuan: The gift was specially chosen for you. Wear it. That card is linked to my main card, the monthly limit should be enough for your daily expenses.]

Su Mian blinked at the reply, a little stunned.

‘This… what does this mean? Patronage?’

‘Enough for your daily expenses?’

‘Is Xiao Moyuan really that rich? So generous?’

But then again, the restaurant yesterday, the hotel today, and the car Xiao Moyuan drove all seemed incredibly expensive. He tapped his fingers on the screen, a hint of playful testing and coquetry in his message:

[Sweet Marshmallow: Big Brother… are you planning to take care of me? (Little cat tilting head in confusion)]

[Yuan: After meeting, I confirmed you weren’t deceiving me. You are now considered my ‘girlfriend.’]

[Yuan: Isn’t it only natural to spend money on your girlfriend?]

[Yuan: Or do you actually just want to maintain a purely financial relationship with me?]

‘Girlfriend?’ Seeing those three words, Su Mian’s heart skipped a beat, but he immediately reminded himself: ‘This is fake! It’s part of the plan!’

He didn’t want this kind of money-driven relationship. He wanted Xiao Moyuan to fall completely in love with ‘Sweet Marshmallow,’ and then suffer agonizing pain when he was cruelly abandoned.

[Sweet Marshmallow: Of course not! I don’t want just a financial relationship! I want all of Big Brother, to become the most loved and important person in Big Brother’s heart! (Hug tight)]

After he sent the message, the other party only replied with:

[Yuan: Hmm, understood.]

Su Mian: “…”

‘So cold?’

‘Didn’t he just call me his girlfriend?’

‘How did it turn into such a dismissive ‘hmm’ in an instant?’

‘Indeed, a man’s heart is a mystery, their expressions changing faster than a turning page!’

He pouted, deciding not to let the conversation die. He needed to keep the heat going, so he sent another message:

[Sweet Marshmallow: Hmph! Big Brother’s reply is so cold, I’m sad! I’m packing up now to go back to school~ Next time we have a date, I’ll definitely prepare well and give Big Brother double the ‘sweetness’~ (Playful wink)]

He deliberately emphasized the words ‘sweetness,’ leaving ample room for imagination. This was, of course, intentional, aiming to keep Xiao Moyuan hooked and make him even more captivated.

As for what that ‘sweetness’ would entail… well, that would be entirely up to Su Mian to decide.