Chapter 60: An Unexpected Invitation

The cinema lights suddenly flared to life, dispelling the ambiguous gloom. This allowed Su Mian, who had felt on the verge of suffocation, to finally breathe.

She practically sprang from the couple’s seat, her head bowed, not daring to look at Xiao Moyuan beside her. All she wanted was to swiftly escape this place that had sent her heart into disarray and her cheeks burning crimson.

“Let’s go,” Xiao Moyuan’s voice resonated from behind her. It was calm, utterly devoid of ripples, as if the person who had just been whispering playful provocations in the dark hadn’t been him at all.

Su Mian mumbled a vague reply, quickening her pace to follow the exiting crowd.

It wasn’t until she had stepped out of the cinema and into the bright, spacious atrium of the mall, breathing in the comparatively fresh air, that she felt the lingering, oppressive heat within her body slightly recede.

However, Xiao Moyuan, who was walking ahead of her, suddenly halted.

“Hand,” he said, turning to face her, the word appearing out of nowhere.

Su Mian froze, then raised her head in confusion. “What hand?”

Xiao Moyuan didn’t answer directly. Instead, he subtly turned his body, his gaze prompting her to look at the bustling crowd around them, a faint curve playing on his lips. “Baby, do you think we look… like a couple, walking like this?”

Su Mian followed his gaze. Couples surrounded them, almost without exception, holding hands, or with the girl intimately clinging to the boy’s arm, bodies pressed close, chatting and laughing in undeniable closeness.

In stark contrast, she and Xiao Moyuan, though walking side-by-side, maintained a clear, safe distance befitting ordinary friends or classmates. In this area permeated with the cloying scent of romance, they seemed utterly out of place, even… distant.

Su Mian’s face flushed crimson once more.

She understood Xiao Moyuan’s meaning.

As a ‘sweet marshmallow’ deeply ‘in love,’ she seemed to be acting far too ‘reserved.’

She bit her lower lip, struggling for a moment internally. In the end, she steeled herself, determined to play her role well.

She extended her slightly trembling small hand towards Xiao Moyuan, her voice soft and sweet, laced with deliberate coquetry. “I… I was actually waiting for big brother to take my hand first…”

Xiao Moyuan watched her, a picture of mortified shyness trying desperately to maintain composure, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

Yet, he didn’t take the small hand offered to him. Instead, he raised his own arm, gesturing. “Actually, I think hooking arms would be better.”

Su Mian’s heart skipped a beat.

Holding hands, while intimate, still left a small distance between them.

But hooking arms… that meant her body would have to press close to his. Her arm would inevitably feel the warmth of his body and the firm contours of his muscles. The psychological impact of this was far greater than mere hand-holding!

Seeing Su Mian frozen in place, her cheeks scarlet and her eyes darting away, Xiao Moyuan deliberately curved his lips. He spoke with a teasing tone, “If you’re too embarrassed, I can hook your arm instead.”

She imagined the scene: Xiao Moyuan, a ‘campus heartthrob’ with his tall stature and cool demeanor, hooking the arm of a petite ‘girl.’ The image was almost too beautiful to contemplate.

“Hmph!” Su Mian was provoked by his words, feeling both shy and irritated. With a hint of throwing caution to the wind, she stepped forward and hooked his arm. “How strange that would be! It’s… it’s better if I hook big brother’s!”

The moment her arm truly settled into the crook of his, Su Mian felt her breath hitch.

Through the thin fabric of their clothes, she could distinctly feel the firmness of his arm muscles and his warm body temperature. A strong, invasive sensation, distinctly masculine, instantly enveloped her.

She immediately lowered her head, not daring to look at him or her surroundings, as if doing so could make her ignore the overly intimate contact.

Xiao Moyuan clearly felt the subtle tremor from the small hand tucked into his arm, and the sudden tension in the body beside him.

Looking down, he could see her earlobes, crimson to the point of seeming to drip blood, and a sliver of her fair, rosy neck.

Though she was a fox demon, at this moment she was as pure and shy as a blank sheet of paper, immensely satisfying the mischievous urge in his heart to tease her.

With this demeanor, if she were to revert to her demon form, she probably wouldn’t even be able to hunt, would she?

Indeed… it was far more suitable to keep her ‘raised’ by his side.

This thought quietly flitted through Xiao Moyuan’s mind.

***

The two of them strolled through the mall, arms linked.

Su Mian kept her head bowed throughout, like a shy young bride, unable to utter a single word. Her entire focus was on combating the unsettling sensation emanating from her arm.

Xiao Moyuan savored this quiet ‘sense of control’ until he felt the person beside him was almost about to walk with the same foot and hand due to excessive nervousness. Only then did he speak, breaking the silence with a calm tone. “What do you want to eat?”

Still immersed in her embarrassment, Su Mian almost instinctively played the part of a thoughtful ‘girlfriend,’ softly responding, “Whatever big brother likes…” She reasoned that catering to his preferences could never go wrong.

Xiao Moyuan suddenly lowered his head, leaning close to her ear. He dropped his voice, asking with a hint of seduction, “Then do you know… what I like to eat?”

The warm breath brushing her sensitive earlobe sent a shiver through Su Mian’s entire body, almost making her jump.

She tried to recall their last meal at the Twin Towers restaurant, but it seemed… she hadn’t noticed any particular preference Xiao Moyuan had for any dish.

‘He’s not going to say ‘I like to eat you,’ is he?’

Su Mian shook her head blankly, a little nervous. “I don’t know…”

Xiao Moyuan straightened up, not uttering the embarrassing answer Su Mian had feared. Instead, he said in a normal tone, “I like to eat eggs, soy products, and I especially love yogurt.”

“!!!” Su Mian snapped her head up, her eyes wide with disbelief written all over her face.

‘It can’t be such a coincidence, can it?’

‘This… these are clearly all her favorite foods!’

‘No wonder the meals he ordered last time at the restaurant, and later at the hotel, coincidentally included these… so they were his preferences?’

A strange, ineffable feeling surged in her heart. She couldn’t help but blurt out, with genuine astonishment, “Big brother, what you like is what I like too! Our favorite foods are actually exactly the same!”

‘It’s truly absurd that her taste in food is the same as her love rival’s.’

Seeing her eyes, round and exceptionally clear and innocent with surprise, Xiao Moyuan chuckled inwardly.

‘This little idiot, still hasn’t noticed anything unusual. She’s truly… incredibly naive.’

“Then let’s have Chinese food,” he said, without pointing out the anomaly, naturally picking up the conversation. He led her into an elegantly decorated Chinese restaurant that clearly boasted a high price point.

Indeed, the prices on the menu once again made Su Mian secretly gasp.

But when she saw the dishes, primarily featuring eggs and soy products, being introduced by the waiter with preparation methods as intricate and refined as ‘boiled cabbage in clear broth,’ she had to admit there was a reason for the expense.

However, when the exquisite dishes, resembling works of art, were served, Su Mian held her chopsticks, hesitating to begin.

Xiao Moyuan looked at her, puzzled. “Why aren’t you eating?”

Su Mian gazed at the tofu carved into flower shapes and the slippery eggs as translucent as glazed porcelain, explaining softly with a hint of embarrassment,

“Big brother, these dishes are too beautifully made, like works of art. I feel… reluctant to touch them, as if it would be a shame to ruin them.”

She paused, then bravely suggested, “I think… next time we can just go to a more ordinary Chinese restaurant. The food there is more comfortable to eat.”

Xiao Moyuan was slightly taken aback, then immediately understood her meaning.

Such overly formal cuisine could indeed sometimes create a sense of distance. Far from finding her troublesome, he readily nodded and then beckoned a waiter over.

To Su Mian’s surprise, he spoke to the waiter with a natural expression, “My partner says these dishes are too fancy and affect her appetite. Please ask the kitchen to prepare them in a simpler, more homely style.”

The words “my partner” rolled off his tongue, clear and natural, as if stating the most ordinary fact.

Su Mian’s face instantly flushed crimson, her heart uncontrollably accelerating. Even though she knew this was just an act, a false identity, hearing him introduce her to someone else like that, a mix of embarrassment and a strange flutter instantly overwhelmed her.

“Certainly, sir, please wait a moment.” The waiter, well-trained, showed no unusual expression and swiftly cleared the dishes from the table.

Soon after, the dishes were brought back to the table.

The taste was still top-notch, but the presentation had been transformed into that of ordinary home-style cooking. The tofu was square, the eggs simply scrambled, looking much more approachable.

“Big brother, do you think I’m being too finicky…?” Su Mian asked softly, a little uneasy.

Xiao Moyuan picked up the serving chopsticks and, with a natural motion, placed a piece of tender, scrambled egg onto her plate. His tone was calm. “Not at all. I also think they look much more appealing now, and more suitable for eating.”

Watching his focused profile as he served her food, and listening to his understanding words, Su Mian felt something gently brush against her heart.

She puffed out her cheeks slightly, a complex emotion spreading within her. She knew perfectly well that the man before her was so ‘improper’ online, and that all of this was a facade.

Yet, at this moment, he was so considerate and meticulous, so gentle… it was hard not to be moved.

She couldn’t help but wonder if she were truly an innocent girl, unaware of Xiao Moyuan’s ‘true nature,’ facing him like this, she would probably fall for him easily.

Even an excellent girl like Shen Zhixia liked him; it wasn’t without reason. This thought sent a pang of panic through her, and she quickly shook her head vigorously, as if dispelling some dangerous illusion.

‘There is no ‘if’!’

‘She, Su Mian, is not a girl!’

‘And she knows Xiao Moyuan’s true nature!’

‘She will absolutely not fall for this scumbag!’

‘All of this is just for the plan!’ She desperately admonished herself inwardly.

****

Lunch concluded in a subtle atmosphere.

After paying the bill, Xiao Moyuan looked at her and asked, “Do you have anywhere you’d like to go this afternoon?”

Su Mian immediately switched back to ‘thoughtful girlfriend’ mode, shaking her head. “Wherever big brother wants to go, I’ll accompany you.”

Xiao Moyuan looked at her, then suddenly said earnestly, “I’m tired and want to sleep.”

Su Mian: “…” She froze instantly, her mind crashing again.

‘Is he doing this on purpose?’

‘He absolutely must be doing this on purpose!’

Seeing her wide-eyed, startled expression, a triumphant smile flickered in Xiao Moyuan’s eyes.

He repeated himself, his tone deliberately emphasized. “Sleep. Will you accompany me for that too?”

Su Mian’s face instantly went beet red, even the base of her neck turning pink. She stammered in protest, “B-but… it’s still daytime…”

Unbidden, some indescribable images flashed through her mind.

Xiao Moyuan raised an eyebrow, his tone innocent as he countered, “Can’t one sleep during the day?”

“Who… who does *that* kind of thing during the day!”

Su Mian was mortified and anxious, her voice almost tearful. “And we… aren’t we moving a bit too fast…?”

While she intended to ‘sacrifice her looks’ to accelerate the progress of her plan, she hadn’t expected to go straight to ‘home base’!

Moreover… she glanced down at her body, which, though shapely, was fundamentally male. How was she supposed to ‘sleep with’ him?

Just thinking about the risk of exposure made Su Mian’s little heart tremble.

Seeing the little fox so anxious her eyes were nearly red, her face a picture of ‘don’t you dare come closer,’ Xiao Moyuan finally couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle, his mood extremely pleased.

He deliberately leaned closer, looking at her flushed cheeks. He slowly asked, “Your face is so red… Baby, what unhealthy things are you thinking about?”

He paused, then resumed his serious expression, explaining, “I’m just genuinely tired and want to go back to the hotel to rest for a bit. You don’t need to be so nervous.”

Su Mian felt as though he had turned the tables on her, infuriated to the point of wanting to bite him, yet unable to retort. She could only mumble softly, her face still red:

“It’s… it’s all big brother’s fault… always being so improper online… always saying things that make people misunderstand… that’s why I think these things…”

“Oh? I’m improper?” As if he had heard something amusing, Xiao Moyuan unhurriedly took out his phone, skillfully unlocked it, opened his chat history with ‘Sweet Marshmallow,’ found his favorites folder, and then displayed it before Su Mian.

On the screen were precisely the ‘cooling’ photos she had sent him earlier to tease him, along with various provocative messages with clear sexual innuendos!

“I’ll allow you, Baby, to rephrase that,” Xiao Moyuan said, watching her calmly, his tone brimming with irrefutable evidence.

Su Mian looked at the evidence of her own messages on the screen, which felt like a ‘public execution.’ She felt her face burning, her shame reaching its peak!

‘This guy! He actually! He actually saved all these?’

‘What kind of strange癖好 is this?!’

Facts spoke louder than words. She opened her mouth, finding herself utterly unable to refute, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into then and there.

Xiao Moyuan felt he had teased her enough and knew when to stop.

He put his phone back in his pocket, his tone returning to its usual calm. “Let’s go. I really do need to go back and rest. I can drop you off on the way back.”

Having had her spiritual energy absorbed by Su Mian in the past few days, coupled with the subtle stirrings of the curse, he indeed felt a bit drained.

Hearing the words “drop you off,” Su Mian’s heart sank.

If the date ended here, wouldn’t Xiao Moyuan be free to accompany Shen Zhixia tomorrow? Wouldn’t her plan have been for nothing?

‘No! Absolutely not!’

Seeing Xiao Moyuan already turning to leave, a desperate courage, or perhaps the impulse of a cornered dog, surged within her.

Su Mian suddenly reached out and grabbed Xiao Moyuan’s sleeve.

Xiao Moyuan stopped, turning back to look at her, puzzled.

Su Mian lowered her head slightly, her long hair falling to obscure most of her flushed face. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, filled with a death-defying shyness, as she squeezed out two words from between her teeth:

“Accompany you…”

Xiao Moyuan’s eyes deepened. He deliberately pretended not to hear, leaning closer to her. “Accompany me for what?”

Su Mian felt his approaching presence, her body tensing further, her heart pounding like a drum. She repeated herself in a smaller, more trembling voice, this time slightly clearer:

“Accompany you to… the hotel.”