"Aren't you supposed to be leaving? Why are you still lingering around the school?" Chuchu followed behind a certain man, her expression tinged with annoyance.
"I like it! Hey, little girl, stop following me, or I'll pull down your pants and spank you," Xiangri turned back and threatened.
"You jerk, you pervert... Are you just going to break your promise like that?" Chuchu stepped forward, walking alongside him, showing no fear of his threats.
"What promise did I make? Stay away from me! I'm really angry right now, and who knows what I might do if I lose control. Haha, don't say I didn't warn you!" Xiangri laughed with a wicked grin.
"You... shameless!" Chuchu pointed at him angrily and pulled out a piece of paper from her small purse. "Look at this!"
"What's that? Your menstrual calendar? Isn't it once a month?" Xiangri snatched it from her and took a glance, immediately startled—it was a contract of servitude.
"By this contract, I, Xiang Kui, agree to rent myself to Miss Chuchu for the price of 1,000 yuan for a duration of six months. During this period, all rights to personal freedom, religious beliefs, criticism, and suggestions, as well as the right to appeal, labor rights, the right to rest, living security, and material support, will be solely owned by Miss Chuchu. Any violation of this agreement shall be compensated at ten thousand times the rental fee. Note: Miss Chuchu retains the final right of interpretation. Signed: Xiang Kui, September 3rd." Xiangri read the entire thing in one breath.
"Now do you understand? You're entirely mine!" Chuchu declared triumphantly.
"Even as toilet paper, this would be too stiff. It has no legal validity whatsoever, so keep it as your treasure," Xiangri disdainfully handed the contract back to her.
"You dare say something that disgusting!" Chuchu pointed at him, trembling all over.
"Disgusting? I admit, it's pretty gross," Xiangri laughed sinisterly, his eyes wandering shamelessly over Chuchu's chest.
"Xiang Kui!" Chuchu screamed, clutching her chest, feeling extremely uncomfortable under his lecherous gaze. "Give me back my money!"
"Money? Speaking of that, I'm even more annoyed. Six months for just 1,000 yuan? Why didn't you just rob me? I'm at least a good-looking guy, am I only worth this much?" Xiangri retorted, leaning into his rascal persona.
"You were the one who said 1,000, and now you're blaming me? Boo-hoo..." Chuchu's face showed signs of tears as she pouted pitifully.
Xiangri was dumbfounded. This price was something "he" had suggested? Damn! That guy must have been crazy! Selling himself for six months should have fetched at least tens of thousands!
"Alright, stop crying! It's my fault for forgetting. Just pretend I never said anything," Xiangri conceded, since it was "his own" mistake after all.
"Boo-hoo... So will you help me or not?" Chuchu looked up, her tear-streaked face evoking the image of a fragile flower in the rain.
"Help you?" Xiangri hesitated, noticing that this girl looked even more beautiful when she cried. Stroking his chin, he asked, "How should I help you?"
"Be my boyfriend!" Chuchu blushed on cue, quickly adding, "Fake boyfriend!"
"No way!" Xiangri refused outright. Did this girl really think a few tears would make him lose his head?
"Please, just consider it as doing a good deed." Chuchu bit her lip.
"There's no benefit in doing a good deed. Forget it!" Xiangri remained unmoved.
"Hey, if you say that, you'll be struck by lightning!" Seeing his indifferent attitude, Chuchu quickly compromised. "Alright, what do you want in return? Anything within my power, I'll grant it."
"Will you sleep with me tonight?" Xiangri squinted his eyes.
"Go to hell!!! You disgusting pervert, you jerk! At most... we can live in the same house," Chuchu's voice grew faint towards the end.
"Should I take that to mean you want to live together?" Xiangri teased.
"What filthy thoughts are you thinking? I said we'll sleep in separate rooms! You in your room, and I in mine!" Chuchu angrily clarified.
"Then I'm not going," Xiangri replied, looking as though he couldn't care less.
"You heartless jerk!" Chuchu pulled a tissue from her bag to wipe away her tears. "What will it take for you to agree?"
"Is your place big?" Xiangri suddenly rolled his eyes, thinking about the cramped and filthy place he was living in. He had been considering moving, and this opportunity seemed like a decent one.
"It's huge!" Chuchu, with no sense of modesty, replied immediately.
"Do you live alone?" Xiangri thought this was an important question.
"Yes!" Chuchu looked at him warily. What was this guy plotting? She knew he was dangerous, but oddly, she didn't feel afraid at all.
"Alright, I agree! But you'll have to help me move my stuff first."
"No problem! Let's go now!" Chuchu exclaimed, her face full of excitement.
"Hey, aren't you a bit too eager? Class isn't even over yet!"
"So what? Missing a couple of lessons won't kill anyone. Let's go, we'll start with your place."
Fortunately, both of their places were close to the school, and in less than half an hour, Xiangri had packed up all his belongings and moved into Chuchu's luxurious villa apartment.
The apartment was a standalone two-story building, its exterior walls painted a pure white. The architecture clearly had a European flair, elegant and beautiful, yet imposing in its grandeur.
As for the interior décor, there was no need to elaborate. Like most girls, Chuchu favored white and pink tones. The first thing Xiangri did upon moving in was to explore the house thoroughly. Although he found it a bit too feminine, it was worlds apart from the "doghouse" he had been renting.
"Nice place!" Xiangri remarked as he strolled into the living room on the first floor.
"The fridge is in the kitchen. Help yourself if you want a drink," Chuchu said, half-reclined on the sofa, one leg propped up as she watched a Korean romance drama. Her black capri pants clung tightly to her long legs, with the raised leg resting on the coffee table.
"Move over a bit!" Xiang Ri grabbed a can of cola from the fridge and plopped down beside her, his gaze lingering on her long, crossed legs, clearly tempted. Those legs... they must feel amazing to the touch.
"Hey! There's a chair over there. Why are you sitting next to me?" Chuchu glared at him in discontent and shifted slightly away.
"Heh, I prefer soft places. How about you sit on the chair, and I'll lie on the sofa?" Xiang Ri grinned wickedly.
"Why don't you just drop dead?" Chuchu curled up, rolling her eyes, and continued watching TV.
"You actually watch this kind of melodramatic nonsense? No taste at all. By the way, got any... action romance movies?" Xiang Ri asked, his tone suggestive.
"Action romance movies?" Chuchu looked at him, puzzled for a moment.
"You've never heard of them? You're so out of touch!" Xiang Ri sneered, but when he saw her face suddenly flush with realization, he continued without a care, "Yeah, you know, the kind not suitable for children. Did I really have to spell it out? Acting dumb, huh? Judging by your blushing face, you must have quite the collection! Hey, where are you going? I'm not done talking, why are you walking away so fast...?"
With a loud slam, Chuchu stormed into her room, shutting the door hard. Her heart raced as she cursed silently, that wretched pervert, I should call the police!
Meanwhile, Xiang Ri sprawled comfortably on the sofa, lazily flipping through channels. This girl is just too shy; teasing her is oddly satisfying.
"Xiang Ri, can you stop saying things like that to me?" After a while, Chuchu's head peeked out from the door, her voice tinged with frustration.
"Sure, as long as you behave yourself!" Xiang Ri replied, not even turning around, his eyes still fixed on the elegant woman on the financial news channel. It had been a while since he'd seen her, and she looked even more stunning now.
"Wow, you're practically drooling," Chuchu muttered, sitting down by his feet, dissatisfied. "What, fancy her now? Dream on! That's Su Yu, the CEO of Xiangri Corporation. She's only 27 and already worth billions. She might not have a boyfriend, but trust me, you don't stand a chance."
"How do you know I won't? Maybe I'll have her wrapped around my finger by tomorrow." Xiang Ri gave her a casual glance.
"Hmph, if you manage to win her over, I'll become your lover without a second thought!" Chuchu scoffed, confident that such a thing was impossible.
"Deal! You said it yourself!" Xiang Ri suddenly stood up, staring at her intently. "Better get ready to be my little wife."
"Get lost! Give me the remote, I want to watch TV!" Chuchu stretched out her hand to grab it.
"Aren't you watching TV already?" Xiang Ri lifted the remote high out of her reach.
"I don't like this channel. Hand it over! This is my house, everything here is mine!" Chuchu shrieked.
"Hey, girl, you're disobeying again. Action romance, action romance..." Xiang Ri teased loudly.
"You—!" Chuchu's face turned red as she shot him a fierce glare, then ran back to her room. Suddenly, she paused, turned around, and declared, "Xiang Ri, let's be clear. If you're going to live here, you must follow my rules!"
"Hold on!" Xiang Ri waved his hand grandly, calling out, "I have some rules of my own to set first."
"Go ahead!" Chuchu ground her teeth.
"First, no peeking at me while I'm showering. Second, when I'm changing clothes, you need to avert your eyes. Third, no sneaking into my bed in the middle of the night. Fourth—"
"You scoundrel! Those are my rules!" Chuchu fumed.
"Haha, looks like we're on the same page! Great minds think alike!" Xiang Ri teased.
"As if! You better stick to these rules, or I'll call the police if you try anything funny!" Chuchu threatened.
"Fine, fine!" Xiang Ri waved dismissively. But the mention of the police left him with an inexplicable irritation, so he changed the topic, "Hey, tell me, why would someone like you need a fake boyfriend?"
"None of your business!" Chuchu snapped.
"Let me guess. Some guy likes you, but you don't like him, so you're using me to make him back off, right?"
"Wrong!" Chuchu firmly denied.
"Impossible! Don't tell me... someone suspects you're into girls, and you brought me home to prove them wrong? And the unlucky guy just happens to be me?"
"You're the one who's into guys!" she shot back.
"Still not right? Oh, I know exactly what it is!"
"What is it?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"It's obvious. You're lonely and craving some male companionship..." Xiang Ri was about to continue when a slipper came flying at him.
"Haha, hit the nail on the head, didn't I? You're so mad because I got it right!" Xiang Ri tossed the slipper aside, spreading his arms wide. "Come on, girl! Buddha once sacrificed his flesh to feed a bird, and today, I shall follow his example and offer myself to soothe your troubled heart..." Another slipper came hurtling toward him as the door slammed shut once again with a resounding thud.