During a game of Truth or Dare, I asked my boyfriend: "If you met a girl who was younger than me and liked you, what would you do?" My boyfriend glanced down at the underclassman sitting next to him and answered without hesitation: "What do you think? I'd obviously choose the younger one." "Why are you asking me this all of a sudden? Did you really think I'd choose you?" "Chloe, people need to know their place." After he said that, he smiled and wrapped his arm around the underclassman's waist. I didn't respond. I just thoughtfully looked at his young, successful best friend sitting behind him. Because just moments ago, that very friend had confessed his feelings to me. His messages were still on my phone screen: [Have you thought about it?] [Why aren't you saying anything?] [Chloe, am I really not as good as him?] 1. The pointer of the spin-the-wheel game stopped in front of my boyfriend. He chose "Truth." As the person with the most points, I had the right to ask the question. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, I looked up at Julian, who was acting ambiguously close to the underclassman: "If you met a girl who was younger than me and liked you, what would you do?" The moment the words left my mouth, the entire room went silent. Everyone seemed eager to hear his answer. After all, lately, Julian had been taking Mia, a direct underclassman from his major, everywhere he went, using his status as her senior as an excuse. It made his intentions hard to read. Julian slowly lifted his eyelids, looking straight at me. His voice, slightly slurred from the alcohol, sounded exceptionally gentle: "Chloe." "Do you even need to ask that?" I felt a wave of embarrassment. He was my boyfriend of three years, yet I found myself needing to ask a question that shouldn't even have another option. But the next second, he let out a mocking scoff: "Of course I'd choose the younger one." "Chloe, people need to know their place." The gazes of the people around us shifted to me, filled with a mix of pity and contempt. Julian and I had been together for three years. He pursued me for over six months. Back then, he had nothing, but I stayed by his side anyway. Let alone the fact that a year ago, the wealthy Vance family had finally found him, turning him into a famous, wealthy heir in the city overnight. Everyone was waiting for my anger or my silent endurance. Instead, all I could think about was three days ago. I had acute gastroenteritis and called Julian, crying. He told me I was being too delicate, that it was just gastroenteritis, and it wasn't my first time having it. Later, his best friend, Ethan, took me to the hospital. While I was there, I saw Julian taking care of Mia, who was suffering from menstrual cramps. During the six months he pursued me, he would stand under an umbrella in the rain, tilting it entirely toward me while half of his own shoulder got soaked. He used to smile and say, "Chloe, I will always treat you so well." After three years of dating, in this very moment, Julian completely rotted away in my heart. 2. Seeing my expression, Julian frowned slightly. He reached out and grabbed my hand: "It's just a game, Chloe." "Is it really that hard to hear?" "If you chose someone younger, I wouldn't be mad." I blinked. "Really?" The corners of Julian's mouth curled up slightly. "Of course." I looked down, thoughtfully gazing at my phone vibrating in my palm: [Have you thought about it?] [Why aren't you saying anything?] [Baby, am I really not as good as him?] I looked up and saw the elegant, refined man standing behind Julian. His burning gaze was fixed on me. That was Julian's roommate of three years, and his best friend. Just moments ago, he had confessed his feelings to me. My face flushed red. I couldn't even imagine someone like him calling me "baby." Looking back up, I said softly: "Then let's break up." "I choose someone younger too." Julian scoffed, looking at me like I was a child throwing a tantrum. "Sure." "Do you have someone in mind? Need me to introduce you to someone?" Looking into Ethan's slightly shining eyes, I shook my head: "No need." Julian clearly didn't take my words seriously and went back to playing the game with the others. Only Ethan, sitting opposite me, stared at me with burning intensity. My phone vibrated again: [Baby, so good.] Me: ... I was starting to regret this. In my mind, even though Ethan was the youngest in Julian's dorm, he was the definition of an untouchable, aloof 'ice prince.' I didn't expect him to be like this on the inside. The tips of my ears instinctively turned red, and I got up to go to the restroom. When I came out, Ethan was leaning against the wall in the hallway. Seeing me, he immediately pulled out a tissue and meticulously dried my wet hands. ... "Baby, I'll take you home later." His voice was low, raspy, and magnetic. Saying things like that didn't feel out of character for him; it just added an intense aura of desire. My ears tingled, and I nodded instinctively. I let him hold my hand as we walked back to the private room. But as soon as we stepped inside, I snapped back to reality and pulled my hand free. When I looked up, I caught a fleeting glimpse of hurt in his eyes. 3. Seeing Ethan and me return together, Julian didn't think much of it. He just stood up and grabbed his jacket: "Let's go." I noticed his lips were wet. I glanced at Mia. Yep, hers were wet too. Without a doubt, that "Dare" must have been very exciting. On the way back, Mia familiarly slid into the passenger seat of Julian's car. "Mia gets carsick, so you sit in the back." I shook my head: "No need, I'll ride in Ethan's car." For the past month, Julian had been extremely "busy." Whenever I looked for him, he would impatiently tell Ethan to keep me company. So this time, Julian didn't overthink it either. He just let out a cold laugh: "Chloe, Ethan only kept you company before as a favor to me." "How can you keep bothering Ethan? He's a slight germaphobe and hates people riding in his car. It's hard to catch a cab here, so be reasonable." Ethan looked at me with deep, dark eyes: "It's fine. She's the exception." Julian's face turned ugly. He didn't look at me again and drove off. 4. On the ride back, I didn't dare look at Ethan. I could only aimlessly stare at the steering wheel. But then I saw his long, pale fingers. The defined knuckles. I swallowed hard. Hitting a red light, Ethan stopped the car and handed me a bottle of water: "Thirsty?" I shook my head, feeling a sudden wave of embarrassment. I didn't dare tell him I had a thing for hands. He chuckled softly, put the water bottle down, and took a sip of sparkling water himself. When he tilted his chin up slightly, his sharp, clean jawline was perfectly defined. My gaze was drawn to him again. His prominent Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He reached out and covered my eyes: "Chloe, don't tempt me. We're moving too fast." I hurriedly explained: "I just wanted to taste what it's like." He suddenly turned right, parking the car by the side of an empty park. He cupped the back of my head and kissed me. At first, he held back, keeping it light and tentative. But when his slightly heavy breathing brushed against my cheek, I instinctively parted my lips. His breathing hitched, and then he began to passionately plunder. A long time passed before he finally let me go. His gaze landed on my lips, his voice husky: "Have you tasted it now?" I didn't dare look at his slightly red, incredibly sensual, thin lips. I turned my face away to avoid his gaze. I noticed the sparkling water had spilled onto the leather seat, leaving a wet patch. "The seat got dirty." I remembered Julian saying Ethan was a slight germaphobe. He pulled out a tissue and reached over to wipe it: "It's fine. Chloe can get anything dirty she wants." We hadn't even done anything, it was just a kiss. But the atmosphere felt overwhelmingly romantic and intimate. ... 5. On the way back, Julian called me several times. I didn't answer any of them. On the final call, I regretfully told him: [If I had known your best friend was this handsome...] [I wouldn't have bothered dating you in the first place.] [The way he calls me 'Chloe' makes my heart ache for him.] Him: [?] I didn't wait for his reply; I just hung up. And blocked all of his contact information. ... Ethan parked the car right in front of my dorm building. The Vance family had donated 50 million to the university, so he naturally had some privileges. Once the car stopped, I instinctively pulled the handle to get out. It wouldn't open. Ethan saw the surprise in my eyes but didn't explain. He just leaned in close to my nose, his voice magnetic and raspy: "Baby, does it really make your heart ache when I call your name?" The tips of my ears burned. I didn't know how to explain. Ethan curled his lips into a smile, as if he understood something. "So this is how baby likes to play." The car doors unlocked. I scrambled out and ran toward the dorm building. Ethan grabbed my hand and pinned me against the wall. "Chloe, I feel so uncomfortable." I definitely felt it. He seemed... a little restless. Remembering his broad shoulders, I sighed. Those few drinks at the club seemed to be hitting my head right now. My mind went foggy. I reached out and patted it. "Be a good boy." Ethan let out a soft laugh and bit my earlobe: "You really do have a soft spot for younger guys, don't you?" Me: ... Can't you just talk normally? How did I never realize he was such a flirt? The dorm matron, walking out in her pajamas, sneered: "You young people sure know how to have fun." "Three minutes until curfew." I immediately pushed Ethan away and sprinted inside. 6. When Julian got hung up on by Chloe, he and Mia were dining at a Michelin-starred romantic restaurant. Mia said she wanted black truffle steak, so he brought her here. She smiled and asked him: "How did you know about this place?" "Did you bring Chloe here before?" He shook his head. "A friend recommended it." Thinking about it... In their three years of dating, he had never brought Chloe to a place like this. He was an orphan, and his college tuition was barely covered by financial aid. To survive, he took on three part-time jobs starting his freshman year. That was when he fell in love with Chloe at first sight. She was a freshman just like him. On the first day of orientation, Chloe's picture was posted on the university's confession page. Everyone saw her delicate, beautiful face, and so did he. In almost an instant, he fell for her. At that time, he was insecure and poor. But when he saw her wearing faded, washed-out jeans, he only felt a sense of relief. Later, he pursued Chloe for over six months. After they got together, he continued working his part-time jobs. During a heavy winter snowstorm, when he walked out of the western restaurant where he worked, Chloe was standing at the door holding an umbrella, waiting for him to get off work. Later, the Vance family found him and brought him back. But he never brought Chloe to a restaurant like this. Subconsciously, he felt that since Chloe had eaten street food and cheap diners with him for three years, it didn't really matter if they came to a place like this. But instinctively, he brought Mia here. Besides the fact that he was no longer short on money, the more important reason was that the niche designer dresses Mia wore weren't suited for street food stalls. Remembering Chloe's words... He felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. Mia, sitting across from him, noticed and comforted him: "She's probably just still angry and saying things to make you mad." He thought about it and agreed. He knew exactly what kind of person Chloe was—pure and conservative. There was absolutely no way she would ever do anything with his best friend. But what was that momentary panic? He couldn't explain it. "Should we go find her and explain things right now?" Feeling irritated, he looked out at the rain: "No need. Let her be." He knew Chloe's family situation better than anyone. A child of divorce, with both parents remarried to other people. She had no home, which made her exceptionally terrified of loss. She needed security more than anyone else. Without him, she had nowhere to go. He was absolutely certain that within seven days, Chloe would come looking for him with red, tearful eyes. Thinking of this, his panicked heart settled down. 7. When Julian returned to the dorm, the others were already asleep. Only Ethan was still sitting at his computer, reviewing the latest government bidding projects. He knew Ethan had recently started a company, but he didn't pay it much mind. After all, with their family backgrounds, most of them only had two paths after graduation: return to the family business or start their own. Whichever path they chose, with their families backing them up, they couldn't fall too hard. He didn't understand why someone like Ethan, the only heir to a massive conglomerate, would want to start his own business instead of taking the easy route of inheriting his family's empire. But it wasn't his place to say anything. Seeing Ethan in the dorm made him breathe a sigh of relief. When Ethan saw him, he instinctively furrowed his brow. Julian realized that Ethan was a germaphobe, and the cloying, sweet women's perfume on his own clothes was indeed quite pungent. Feeling slightly guilty, he pinched his nose. After all, his roommates all knew Chloe. She never wore this kind of perfume. And although Ethan was always very cold towards Chloe whenever he saw her, he had still known her for three years. Knowing Ethan wasn't the type to gossip, Julian relaxed. The next second, he grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom. When he came back out, he saw Ethan on the balcony, talking to a girl on the phone. His voice was low and deep: "Baby, what are you doing right now?" It was the first time Julian had ever seen the usually aloof "ice prince" Ethan show an expression like this. In the quiet night, the girl's soft, clear voice came through the receiver exceptionally clearly: "I'm taking a shower." The girl's voice was accompanied by the sound of running water. He couldn't hear it very clearly. He only saw Ethan's Adam's apple bob slightly. When Ethan saw him, he immediately adopted a coaxing tone and said: "Baby, text me after you're done showering, okay?" "It's a little... inconvenient right now." The other side murmured an agreement, and the call ended. Julian looked at Ethan, knowing this was just male possessiveness acting up, and didn't say much. Honestly, through the screen, what could he even see anyway? But it did show that Ethan cared deeply about this girl. Julian asked casually: "Got a girlfriend? Is this the girl you've been texting every day recently?" "Could it be that girl you've had a crush on for three years?" Ethan sat back down at his laptop and gave an affirmative "Mhm." Seeing that Ethan didn't want to elaborate on his relationship with the girl, Julian didn't press the issue. After all, the whole dorm knew Ethan had a girl he'd been secretly in love with for three years. From the looks of it, he had finally gotten what he wanted. Then, he suddenly remembered Chloe saying his best friend was more handsome than him. He had panicked a little at the time. But thinking about it now, Ethan was the only one in the dorm more handsome than him. And Ethan was already with the girl he'd loved for three years. This made him even more certain that Chloe was just throwing a tantrum. Julian let out a breath of relief. Remembering Chloe's words, he still felt a surge of anger. He decided to give her the cold shoulder for a while. He needed to teach her a lesson.
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