"So you never even liked me? Chloe just paid you to string me along?" The arrogant young heir standing in front of me looked as black as a thundercloud. I lowered my head, drowning in guilt and regret. "I'm sorry..." "Get the hell out!" His eyes were completely red. I felt a twinge of pity, but I was more afraid of getting hit. The guy was notorious for his terrible temper. So, I grabbed my bag and bolted. Faintly, I heard the sound of glass shattering behind me, followed by a roar: "I tell you to get out and you actually leave?! You liar!" It must be my imagination. Definitely my imagination! 1 My roommate wore a Vacheron Constantin watch, carried a Hermès Himalayan Birkin, and wore Graff necklaces. We should have been mortal enemies based on social class alone, but when she came back from the Fourth of July weekend, she actually gave me a Chanel bag. What she said was even more unbelievable: "I think you're pretty. I want to be friends." "Friends? From this day forward, I am your humble servant!" This rich girl was perfect in every way, except she was always trying to bribe me. We were having a perfectly nice dinner when she scrolled through Twitter, her face turning red with anger. She looked at me pleadingly. "Emma, do me a favor. Please." "What is it? Tell me," I asked, suddenly feeling a sense of impending doom. The rich girl had an older brother who went to the university next door. His name was Carter Hayes. The name was pretty famous around here. Playboy, heartbreaker, incredibly handsome, filthy rich, terrible temper. The classic spoiled heir. And she had the absolute audacity to ask me to seduce her brother, Carter. "Why would I do that? Chloe, are you crazy?" "You are exactly his type! He'll definitely fall for it. Please, Emma..." Chloe's eyes actually seemed to well up with tears. But I still didn't get it. She angrily tapped on a Twitter post to show me. It was bad enough that Carter had bullied her since they were kids. But now, the girl she hated most in the world had gotten into Carter's university and had her sights set on him. Her brother was a massive playboy, and that girl was a manipulative snake. If they actually got together, Chloe's life would be an absolute nightmare. She needed me to nip this horrific possibility in the bud. What kind of childish logic was this? "Ten thousand." "Twenty thousand." "Fifty thousand." A person shouldn't have such a rigid bottom line that they refuse cold, hard cash. "Okay, okay, okay. Your humble servant is at your command." 2 Actually, I had never taken Chloe's money before, but I felt I needed to cultivate the excellent quality of bowing to the almighty dollar. So, every time she accidentally said "thousand" instead of "dollars," my resolve crumbled. But now, standing in a super short dress next to Chloe in a club her brother frequented, I was seriously regretting my life choices. "There's my brother!" Chloe excitedly grabbed my wrist, pointing to the tallest guy in a group walking through the door. The lighting in the club was dim and suggestive. But Carter still stood out like a beacon. No wonder he was a playboy. He was undeniably gorgeous, and he had the swagger to match. Wasting no time, Chloe dragged me right up to Carter. "Carter, transfer some money to me. I blew through my allowance this month." "Do I owe you something?" Carter didn't even look up. He cupped his hand to block the draft and lit a cigarette. The brief flare of the lighter illuminated his striking features, making me almost forget to breathe. He was insanely hot. That single sentence ignited the rich girl's fury. She let go of me, ready to "debate" her brother. Carter casually pushed his sister aside with one hand. As he looked up, his gaze landed right on me. His dark eyes instantly filled with interest. "How much do you need?" Everyone in the vicinity was stunned by that question. "A million, probably." Chloe suppressed her anger, haughtily holding her hand out to her brother, while secretly shooting me a meaningful look. See? I told you he'd fall for you. I'm innocent. I literally haven't done anything. Carter looked down and transferred the money. Once Chloe received it, she grabbed me, ready to leave. "Why are you running? You took the money. Aren't you going to sit and hang out with your big brother for a bit?" The word "brother" coming out of Carter's mouth sounded completely wrong. But Chloe, acting like she owed him now, reluctantly stopped and dragged me to sit in a corner booth. As the vibe picked up, Chloe got totally into it, completely forgetting why she came here in the first place, and started playing dice and drinking with some random hot guy. Fortunately, Carter was very proactive. Before I knew it, he was sitting right next to me. His eyes slowly swept over my bare legs. He slid a glass of fruity cocktail toward me. "Want a drink?" My mom always told me never to take drinks from strangers. I clutched the edge of my dress and shook my head. Carter let out a soft chuckle. "Afraid I spiked it?" After saying that, he took a sip from the glass himself, then lowered his eyes and started playing on his phone. All the way until the end of the night. It seemed like I was just a classic case of an overconfident girl imagining things. He wasn't interested in me at all. I helped a very drunk Chloe out the door. "Give me your number. Text me when she gets to the dorm. If she throws up, let me know." Carter pulled up his QR code for me to scan. I scanned it, silently cursing him in my head. If you actually cared about your sister, you'd drive her back yourself! But on the outside, I gave him a perfectly innocent, sweet smile. "Okay, I will." 3 After getting Chloe back to the dorm, I texted Carter: "We're at the dorm. Chloe is already in bed asleep." "K." He was so cold I didn't even know how to respond. I had no choice but to regretfully go wash up. When I got back, I found out he had actually "liked" every single post on my Instagram. Was this... a silent, aggressive flirtation? Truly a master playboy. He knew exactly what he was doing. Not knowing his type, I didn't dare make a reckless move. But I was sure of one thing: a spoiled heir like him would never tolerate someone disrespecting him. Like earlier at the club, when I refused his drink, he was definitely annoyed. So, I sensibly went over to his Instagram to "like" all his posts in return, only to find out his profile was private to me. "Did you block me on Instagram?" "?" That single question mark left me speechless. "I saw you liked all my posts, so I wanted to return the favor, but I can't see anything." "I didn't block you. I just don't post." Well, that killed the conversation. I saw it was getting late, so I didn't try to force a connection. I tossed my phone aside and went to sleep. I didn't expect to wake up the next morning and find several messages from Carter. "Playing Mafia tomorrow night. We need one more. You in?" "Don't want to play?" "Found someone else. Never mind." "You went to sleep? This early?" I really wanted to laugh. Maybe his success as a playboy was purely based on his looks. He actually had zero game. No! It's an act! Realizing he was playing the "innocent boy" card, I suddenly felt a surge of competitive spirit. Life is short, you have to find ways to entertain yourself. "I fell asleep yesterday, but I really want to play Mafia... Could you ask me first next time?" Carter didn't reply all morning. True to the rumors, he had a massive ego. It wasn't until I was having lunch that he finally messaged back. "Just woke up. 6 PM tonight. I'll send you the location later." I fell asleep early, so he "just woke up." This guy was petty and vengeful. Thinking about it, I couldn't help but smile and replied with an "Okay." Chloe leaned over. "Why are you smiling so happily... My brother? Let me tell you, do NOT fall for his tricks. He's a total player, a complete jerk! Really! You should only be after his money, his face, and his body. Oh, and pissing off that manipulative snake while you're at it." For the Mafia game tonight, Chloe was convinced the "snake" would definitely be there. So she insisted on coming with me to play wingman and piss the girl off. Sure enough, when we arrived, a girl in a white dress was standing next to Carter, looking like a stiff breeze could blow her over. Soft, harmless. Carter was looking down, listening to her talk. He even reached out to steady her when she "almost tripped." The scene looked quite picturesque. Truly a playboy. Wasn't he afraid I, the new "fish" on his line, would see this and bolt? Carter's gaze happened to sweep over us. He naturally withdrew his hand, and even put a little distance between himself and the "snake." He was pretty good at acting. The "snake" naturally noticed Carter's sudden distance and followed his gaze. Even though the rich girl beside me was looking at her like she wanted to eat her alive, she actually smiled at us gently. "Long time no see." The four of us walked toward the board game cafe. It was a bit of a maze inside, taking a while to navigate. During the walk, Chloe constantly and relentlessly threw passive-aggressive shade at the "snake." But the "snake" acted as if she couldn't understand Chloe's insults, remaining perfectly gentle the entire time. Chloe was getting absolutely destroyed. Even though I was pinching her arm, I couldn't stop her anger from escalating. Finally, Carter stopped walking and frowned at Chloe. "Is this how Mom and Dad taught you to speak to people?" "You and I are exactly the same, Carter, so don't even start! You think you're so polite and cultured? You're only defending Maya because you think she's pretty!" Honestly, I had never seen a brother and sister with such a terrible relationship. Carter clenched his jaw, narrowing his eyes to suppress his anger. But that "Get the hell out" was practically bubbling on his lips. If he said it and Chloe ran away, I would definitely have to chase after her. Wouldn't that mean the "snake" won today? No wonder Chloe couldn't beat her. I quickly grabbed the hand Carter was pointing at his sister with. "Don't be mad. Chloe didn't mean it." It was bizarre. The young master was like an over-inflated balloon that suddenly lost all its air. He looked down at our joined hands, then glanced at me, let out a soft "Hmph," turned around, and kept walking. Maya shot me a look and quickly followed him. Only Chloe stood frozen like a little kid, part angry, part completely shocked. I pulled her outside and gave her a full analysis of the situation. The rich girl, who wasn't actually stupid, instantly understood. She hugged me, praising my intelligence, and swore she would never target Maya directly and hand her free points again. She would absolutely not drag me down! Okay, let's hope so. 4 Since everyone hadn't arrived yet, we started playing Truth or Dare. Carter asked me, "Just based on first impressions, who here would you want to date?" The moment he asked that question, the atmosphere ignited. Everyone started cheering and hooting. "I guess I'd want to date whoever asked the question," I replied, looking into his narrow, dark eyes with a smile. "What if someone else had asked?" "That's a question for the next round." The cute guy sitting next to Carter slapped his shoulder. "Look how anxious our Mr. Hayes is! Hahaha, when it's my turn, I'll definitely ask her for you!" I don't know if my luck was just too good, but from then on until everyone arrived, I was never picked for Truth or Dare again. During the Mafia game, I drew a Mafia card and aggressively fake-claimed the Detective role. I successfully gained everyone's trust and led the Mafia team to an easy victory. Carter, sitting next to me, propped his head on his hand and smiled at me. "Are all pretty girls this good at lying?" His eyes were so dark and bright. That hint of teasing made my heart race. Feeling my ears getting hot, I instinctively rubbed them. Before I could say anything, Maya, sitting across from us, complained to Carter in a whiny, spoiled tone. "Carter, I told you I was the Detective, but you still believed her. Next time I draw Detective, don't be so foolish!" Carter lazily looked up and chuckled. "What if she actually draws it next time?" "Holy shit! Carter, you're brutal!" Carter didn't keep his voice down, and the people who heard him started hollering and cheering. In that atmosphere, even my face felt like it was burning. Only Chloe was thrilled. She pulled on my arm, her eyes shining with admiration, then smugly lifted her chin at Maya across the table. This suddenly brought me back to reality. I was almost completely won over by him... Help! Was the rich girl really throwing me into the fire? Her brother was so good at flirting, how was I supposed to resist? I could already see myself becoming the discarded victim of a playboy, completely heartbroken. Ugh, my life was a tragedy. After the game, everyone decided to get some late-night food. Carter still sat next to me. He even did something that completely threw me off guard. He ordered a plate of eel and asked if I wanted to try it. I looked at the long, slimy-looking things and politely shook my head. They looked too ugly; I couldn't imagine swallowing one. "It's really tender, tastes great." Carter smiled and dropped the eel into the hot pot. "Then let me try a piece?" He didn't say anything, just nodded. When the eel was cooked, the young master actually fished a piece out himself and put it in my bowl. Looking completely natural, he said, "Try it. If you don't like it, give it to me." I stared in shock at the young master, who was now looking down and eating his own food. The shock in my heart couldn't be calmed for a long time. I wasn't the only one shocked. Carter hadn't lowered his voice, so basically everyone at the table heard. They looked at Carter as if they had seen a ghost, but no one dared to cheer or hoot like before. They were as quiet as mice. While waiting for our Ubers outside the restaurant, Carter stood next to me, playing on his phone. "Was the food good?" "Yeah." "It was my treat." Was I supposed to send him a Venmo request to split it? "How much was it? I'll Venmo you." That seemed to offend the young master. The moment the words left my mouth, I realized my mistake, but it was too late. The young master narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down. "?" His eyes were full of danger. "Uh... what do you want then?" Carter stood up straight, turned his head away, and didn't look at me, only revealing his bright red ear tips. "I want to be rewarded with one 'Truth'." I let out a confused "Huh?", and he naturally and eagerly blurted out his question. He spoke quite fast, seeming a little embarrassed. "So earlier... if someone else had asked the question, would you still have wanted to date them?" I felt like I could hear my own heartbeat drumming against my eardrums. Thank God the Uber arrived. Chloe ran over and pulled me into the car. The young master's expression was incredibly strained. He even took a step with his long legs, as if trying to chase after us, but forced himself to stop. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lowered his eyes, and lit it, looking wild and untamed. So handsome it made my brain fuzzy. I rolled down the window. "No!" The car pulled away. In the play of light and shadow, Carter stood rooted to the spot, watching us. Even though all that remained was a tall silhouette and the glowing cherry of a cigarette, it was impossible to look away. The classic trope of the prodigal son turning his life around—no matter how cliché it is, when it actually happens in real life, who could possibly resist? A notification popped up on my phone. It was Carter: "Then think about me more." 5 As soon as I walked out of class, I saw Carter's text. He asked if I wanted to grab lunch. "I just got out of class. Where are you?" "Look up." I saw the message, looked up in confusion, and saw Carter's long legs dangling lazily as he sat on the second-floor windowsill, smiling down at me. He looked as charismatic as humanly possible. Actually, ever since that late-night food run, Carter and I had been in this incredibly ambiguous phase. But for a whole two weeks, we hadn't seen each other once. Carter tugged at the collar of his black t-shirt and strolled leisurely toward me. In the five seconds it took him to walk over, some girl was already blushing and trying to hit on him. He leaned down to listen to her, looking natural and relaxed, even letting out a soft chuckle. I couldn't ignore the sudden, inexplicable sourness in my chest. But then, the two people on the stairs suddenly looked toward me. Carter pointed a long finger right at me, and the girl blushed and ran off. I felt like this was the moment I should ask what he and that girl were talking about. But I suddenly remembered Chloe telling me to never fall for her brother's tricks. So I just walked up to Carter with a smile: "What brings you to our campus?" He probably didn't expect me not to care about what just happened. He paused, looked down at me with a deep, dark gaze, but didn't say anything about it. "Came to your school for a guest lecture." I took him to the dining hall, swiped my meal card for his lunch, and walked him to the campus gates. We chatted about random things the whole way, acting as perfectly normal as two awkward old classmates. "Are you free this weekend?" Carter asked, looking at the students passing by the gates, his gaze not stopping on me. Going out to play again? I'm a good student. "I have to present at a group seminar this weekend. It's pretty important, so I probably won't have time. Why?" "Nothing." Carter nodded and walked away, looking quite cold. I felt inexplicably distracted during my afternoon classes. I didn't even notice when the professor called on me. It was Chloe who shook me and whispered the answer. "Are you spacing out because of my brother?" Chloe's expression was a mix of anger and betrayal, as if I had backstabbed her. My heart clenched, and I felt a sudden, inexplicable guilt. "How is that possible?" "Good. You better not fall for that jerk. He's such an asshole! It's his birthday this weekend. He's throwing a huge party at his house, invited a ton of people, including Maya. I just asked him if he invited you, and he actually said, 'Why would I invite her?' I'm so pissed! What a player! No, we have to mess with him!" Chloe fired off a barrage of words. I first let out a sigh of relief, realizing she was just mad at her brother on my behalf. But then, my heart sank again. Pushing down the confusing feelings, I patted her slender hand. "Okay, what's there to be mad about? I never liked your brother anyway, and I'm not one of the fish on his hook. Didn't I promise I'd help you ruin things between him and Maya? Plus, your brother kinda mentioned it to me at noon." He didn't use his birthday as the reason, though. Maybe he didn't care if I went or not. Chloe laughed, missing the nuance completely, and kept saying "True, true." "But tonight I'm taking you shopping. I'm going to buy you a dress and bring you to his party this weekend. You're going to slay! I want Maya to realize that a plain weed can never compete with a peony!" That night, Chloe and I went to the mall. She picked out a little black dress for me, and I picked up a bottle of cologne as a birthday gift for Carter while we were at it. On the weekend, Chloe actually drove her Ferrari to campus. It was insanely flashy. She called it "A beautiful car for a beautiful girl," and insisted that from the moment I stepped out of the car at her house, I had to "kill it." I happily slid into the passenger seat of the Ferrari. It was my first time in a sports car in my life. Aside from being envious, I was just thrilled. The car drove into a famous luxury community in Beverly Hills and parked in the courtyard of a massive two-story mansion. I always knew Chloe's family had money, but I didn't realize they had this much money. Her mansion wasn't just some two or three-thousand-square-foot house. It was a sprawling, modern American estate. The first floor alone must have been eight thousand square feet, all glass. Never mind the landscaping outside—the infinity pool alone was enough to make your heart stop. There were lots of bikini-clad girls and shirtless guys playing in the pool. A crowd of hot girls and guys was gathered around the BBQ grill. Through the glass, I could see the living room couches were also packed with people playing games. It was the epitome of glitz and glamour. When Chloe and I stepped out of her Ferrari, a bunch of guys started whistling, and several girls cheered. Confetti popped in front of us, showering us in ribbons. The oncoming sunlight was warm. As I looked up, I saw Carter walking out of the glass house. The birthday boy was dressed incredibly casually today. He was shirtless. His skin was so pale it almost reflected the light. His seemingly lean frame was actually quite built. He had tight, solid forearms, slight definition in his biceps, and a lean six-pack that was sharp and aesthetically pleasing. The long lines of his waist disappeared into a pair of grey sweatpants. It was a body that made you thirsty just looking at it. I instinctively covered my mouth, terrified I was actually going to drool. Many girls were screaming over the birthday boy's physique. One bold girl even yelled out, "Hey birthday boy, can I get a feel?" Carter picked up a champagne flute from a nearby table, filled it to the brim, and downed it in one go. The clear liquid slid down his prominent Adam's apple to his sharp collarbone, and a rogue drop snuck down his abs, disappearing from sight. "Come on then." Carter set the glass down and smiled. It was impossible to tell if he actually wanted her to or not. He had no shame. I felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of resentment. What am I thinking?! What does he have to do with me?! "Carter! Put some clothes on!" Chloe slammed the car door and screamed at her brother, who was being a total flirt. She marched toward him, furious. The birthday boy, who had been fielding flirty comments from all sides, finally found the time to glance at his sister. And in that single glance, his eyes locked with mine. His expression went completely blank for a moment, his thick eyelashes fluttering. Then he turned and walked away, looking a bit hurried, almost like he was running away. By the time Chloe reached the door, she was pulled away by people offering her drinks, losing her chance to "discipline" her shirtless brother. I didn't understand why Carter ran away when he saw me, but I knew my mood was decidedly gloomy. I slowly walked over to Chloe, sat down, propped my chin on my hand, and zoned out. While I was zoning out, a lean, muscular waist appeared in my line of sight. Looking up, I saw Carter's backlit face. "Didn't you have a group seminar?" Carter handed me a plate of wet strawberries. "Just washed these for you." I seemed to recall telling him previously that I really liked strawberries. I took the strawberries, slightly dazed, and realized the guy in front of me had changed his outfit. Although it was just a white t-shirt, grey pants, and sneakers—a very simple look—it somehow felt very put-together. Oh, he changed the grey pants. It wasn't the incredibly draped sweatpants that showed off his "impressive" assets, but a very well-tailored pair of casual pants. His hair wasn't messy like he just woke up, either. It was clearly styled. The Hayes family was so rich, of course they had maids. Whether he actually went to wash strawberries for me or just went to change his clothes, I didn't want to call him out. I just knew my mood had suddenly brightened, sunny and cheerful. Carter wasn't blind. He naturally felt my appraising gaze. He instinctively touched his straight nose, the tips of his ears turning slightly red. "Just woke up earlier. Hadn't changed yet." I handed the gift bag to Carter, not planning to give him a hard time anymore. "What did you get me?" Carter naturally began opening the gift box. At the same time, Maya appeared by Carter's side out of nowhere. "Cologne? I don't think Carter even wears cologne. Plus, when I was touring his house earlier, I saw all his colognes were custom-made from France. How could he possibly use this?" Maya talked about the hundred-dollar cologne as if it were some cheap knockoff. And she said it so calmly, like she was just discussing the weather, making it hard to get angry at her. Carter stopped what he was doing. He turned his head and shot Maya a look. He didn't say anything, nor did he throw a fit, but he made the air feel inexplicably cold. He unwrapped the cologne. Using his height advantage, he sprayed it right over my head. I was confused, but then he suddenly bent down and gave me a polite yet ambiguous hug. We were both enveloped in the same scent. "Smells good. I like it." Carter's lips were right by my ear. I could feel his hot breath. But he wasn't whispering. He spoke loud enough for everyone around us to hear. "I thought this scent suited you, so I bought it. Glad you like it." I responded awkwardly. Carter pulled back and gave me a profoundly ambiguous look. "Really." Did he have some sort of doubt about that? The guy didn't say anything else. He straightened up and walked toward the BBQ grill. He nudged aside the guy who was grilling and was immediately surrounded by a flock of "butterflies," taking over the grilling duties himself. I watched his lean back helplessly, realizing a problem. I was definitely falling for him. When he got close, my uncontrollable heartbeat couldn't lie to me. Yet, I was also acutely aware that he would always dive headfirst into a crowd like this without a second thought. He could never give me the sense of security I needed. Forget it. My phone pinged with a text. It was actually Carter: "Do you think I'm a player?" What did he mean? I couldn't figure it out immediately, so I replied with a question mark. "The cologne. It smells like something that attracts bees and butterflies." "Is the young master misunderstanding himself? Don't you attract bees and butterflies?" The young master replied with an ellipsis. I couldn't tell if he was unhappy or not, so I looked up at his back, hoping to read his mood. Who knew this guy would suddenly turn around with a handful of skewers. Seeing me looking at him, he smiled openly, clearly in a great mood. He took a long stride, walked over, and handed me the skewers. "So are you a bee or a butterfly?" I looked down and took a bite of meat. His grilling skills were actually great. "Huh?" Carter suddenly reached out. Startled, I instinctively leaned back. He pinched my cheek and rubbed his thumb lightly against the side of my face. "You got it on your face." It was enough to make anyone blush. Why was he so flirty? I suppressed the embarrassment of my racing heart, picked up a cup from the table, and took a big gulp. It was sweet, didn't taste like alcohol, and was really good. "I'm not a bee or a butterfly. Can I be a little calico cat?" I probably choked the young master up with that one. He didn't say anything. He just stared at my cup. I looked at the color of the bottles on the table, found the delicious drink, poured myself another cup, and was just about to drink it when the young master grabbed my wrist. His voice was actually very clear, but right now, it sounded like it was laced with alcohol—husky and seductive. "That's mine." "What do you mean, yours? Don't be so stingy. It's just a drink." I said, taking another gulp. The young master pulled his hand back and laughed. "I'm not stingy. Drink as much as you want. But that's champagne. It's a lot stronger than beer. You can't hold your liquor. Don't go making a fool of yourself in front of me later." There were a lot of people here. If I got drunk and acted stupid, it would be really embarrassing to let everyone see. I sluggishly put the cup back. Carter's smile deepened. He satisfyingly picked up my cup, poured himself a glass, and took a slow sip. Was he crazy? That was the cup I just drank from. You can't be this flirty, this is too much. "That's mine." I pointed at his cup, suppressing an inexplicable tremble. Carter raised an eyebrow and scolded me. "A bandit? I just let you borrow it, forgot? You said I was stingy, so I let you borrow it." I didn't need a mirror to know my face was bright red. So the glass originally belonged to him. No wonder he tried to stop me. "You're blushing." Carter's voice was very close to me. I looked up and realized he was bending down looking at me. He pressed the cold wine glass against my cheek to cool it down. The ambiguity fermented like yeast, churning so much that I couldn't find peace. Even my breathing was erratic.
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