After the blonde girl retreated in defeat, Xiaowan immediately turned her remaining anger toward Chen Xin, standing akimbo as she scolded him: "Chen Xiaoguai, you're getting bolder, huh! Were you enjoying yourself when she was touching your thigh just now?"
Chen Xin explained helplessly, "How could that be? I was just stuck in that situation with no way to avoid her. I didn't even look at her face clearly. And how could you let her insult you like that? No, I'm calling her back to apologize to you."
"Hmph, when women argue, since when is it a man's place to intervene? Don't try to change the subject! I'll need to check myself to see if you're telling the truth!" With that, Xiaowan sat on his lap and reached for the area below his abs.
Chen Xin's eyes widened like a startled rabbit, and he hastily whispered, "What are you doing? Let go! There are people around!"
"I don't care! I need to see if she made you react!" Xiaowan pouted and ran her hands all over his sensitive area.
Before long, she pretended to puff up her cheeks and said angrily, "Liar! You clearly reacted!"
Chen Xin was indignant, almost shouting, "That's because you're the one touching me! Let go right now!"
Xiaowan burst into laughter, jumping away nimbly. Chen Xin's face had turned beet red as he struggled to take deep breaths to calm the impulse Xiaowan had stirred in him.
At that moment, the sales assistant Beatrice returned with the cake. Xiaowan complained to her, "Beatrice! Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on my man? Where did you run off to? That blonde girl almost stole him away!"
Beatrice apologized with a guilty expression, "I went to get you your favorite cake! I'm sorry, I promise I'll watch him better next time."
"That's more like it." Xiaowan nodded contentedly, taking a bite of the cake. She beamed, "This is so good! Can I have all of it?"
"Of course, it's all yours," Beatrice said with a smile.
"Good. I've picked out my clothes. Go ahead and settle the bill." Xiaowan took a card from Chen Xin's wallet and handed it to her. A few minutes later, Beatrice returned with Xiaowan's chosen items and said, "All packed up, and I've boxed the cake for you too."
Xiaowan hung all the bags on Chen Xin's arms, pulling him along as they left. "Bye, Beatrice!"
"Bye! I'll call you when we get new arrivals."
Once they were in the sports car, Xiaowan ate her cake as she said to Chen Xin, "I think I've bought enough. Let's go home!"
But the man beside her remained silent, his expression somewhat stiff.
Xiaowan chuckled, leaning over to hug him as she asked gently, "Are you mad at me already? I was just teasing. How could I have known you're so sensitive?"
"It's just that we were in public, and you… you really put me in an awkward position," Chen Xin finally said, his handsome face still tinged with red.
"I'm sorry, okay? I promise I won't do that in public again," Xiaowan quickly apologized, then leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "I'll only do that at home, is that okay?"
Chen Xin's face turned as red as a tomato.
"Hahaha! You're so cute!" Xiaowan laughed, hugging his face and planting several kisses on it, leaving faint pink lipstick marks. "Now hurry and take me home, my white knight."
With no choice, Chen Xin glanced at her resignedly before starting the car.
That evening, the two of them snuggled on the sofa watching a movie, as usual. Xiaowan munched on popcorn while thoroughly enjoying The Hills Have Eyes 2 on a paid channel. The characters' agonizing screams during their deaths made Chen Xin's ears ache, and he couldn't help stroking her hair as he asked, "Why do you always watch these gory and violent movies? Can't we watch a romance film for a change?"
"No way, those are so boring." Xiaowan rolled her eyes. "Romance movies are so predictable. The leads always end up together, right? But with these movies, you never know who'll survive and beat the psychos in the end. Don't you admire them?"
She had a point, but this was probably the tenth time she'd watched this movie.
Chen Xin sighed, accommodating her quirky taste.
After the movie, as they were preparing for bed, Xiaowan, wearing her new pink Victoria's Secret nightgown, suddenly darted into Chen Xin's room. His immediate reaction was to wrap himself tightly in the blanket, saying seriously, "No way. Don't even think about it."
"Hmph." Xiaowan glared at him, standing by the bed. "I'm not trying to do anything to you! I just want to sleep here. My bathroom is still a mess, and it's inconvenient to wake up there."
"The bathrooms in the other guest rooms are fine."
Xiaowan stomped her foot. "I just want to sleep with you! If you don't let me, I'll run away from home!"
After much effort bringing her back, Chen Xin knew that Xiaowan wasn't just making empty threats. He sighed and said, "I'll go get you another blanket—"
But before he could finish, Xiaowan had already slipped into his blanket with a swift motion.
"You—"
From within the blanket, Xiaowan peeked out with only her wide, innocent eyes, looking at him pitifully. "I'm only wearing a nightgown, and it's so cold. Could you really bear to kick me out?"
"…" Chen Xin let out a helpless sigh and emphasized, "You must promise me—no funny business tonight."
"Alright, alright," Xiaowan said as she yawned, closing her eyes. "I'm so sleepy. Goodnight."
She then wrapped her arms around Chen Xin's waist and rested her head on his chest, even nuzzling against him like a kitten.
Chen Xin's entire body heated up. He wanted to push this little troublemaker away, but halfway through, his hands retreated. Suddenly, he realized that perhaps the bathroom excuse was just a pretext—maybe Xiaowan was beginning to rely on him. Could this be a sign that she had feelings for him too?
As this thought occurred, the girl in his arms murmured, "The necklace… It wasn't from my ex-boyfriend, you big dummy."
"Huh?" Chen Xin was startled and felt a surge of joy. "Then… then who?"
"It was from my grandmother," Xiaowan said softly, lowering her gaze. "A gift for my eighteenth birthday."
This was the first time Xiaowan voluntarily mentioned her family. Chen Xin couldn't help but ask, "And your grandmother? Doesn't she worry about you being away from home so often? How about we visit her sometime?"
Xiaowan took a deep breath, her voice barely audible. "She's already gone."
Chen Xin was stunned. He remembered how dismissively Xiaowan had spoken of her parents, using phrases like "already dead" or "died ages ago," but it was clear she held a completely different sentiment toward her grandmother.
Sure enough, the next thing she said confirmed his suspicions: "Grandma was the only family member who ever treated me well."
Feeling a pang of sorrow, Chen Xin hugged her tightly and said with deep regret, "I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about your necklace or lashed out at you like that. I don't know what came over me—I just felt consumed by jealousy, so much so that it made me ugly inside. I'm really sorry you had to see that side of me. I—"
Before he could finish, Xiaowan lifted her head and kissed him gently. "Alright, let's put it behind us. I wasn't completely in the right either. I should have told you earlier how much the necklace means to me. That way, you wouldn't have misjudged."
"No," Chen Xin said earnestly. "It doesn't matter who gave you the necklace. As long as it's something you cherish, I should cherish it too."
Xiaowan looked at him for a moment, her eyes reddening. She playfully smacked him. "You're awful! Are you trying to make me cry?"
Chen Xin immediately held her close, planting kisses on her forehead until he felt her calm down. Tentatively, he asked, "If you're willing… maybe next time, we could visit your grandmother's grave together?"
Xiaowan gave him a sidelong glance and huffed, "That depends on how you behave. I've never brought a boyfriend to see Grandma before. But… I'm mostly worried she'll scold me for changing boyfriends too quickly. You don't know how scary she was when she was mad—haha."
Chen Xin gently caressed her face, his tone serious. "I'll do my best to earn your approval, Master."
But Xiaowan wasn't satisfied. She rolled her eyes. "You talk so sweetly, but you still won't let me share your bed!"
Sensing the direction this was heading, Chen Xin coughed and quickly changed the subject. "By the way, there's something else I wanted to tell you."
"What is it?" Xiaowan asked, absentmindedly tracing circles on his chest through his pajamas.
"Everyone knows now what those two boys tried to do to Harold's daughter. Harold feels terrible about pushing you that day without hearing your side, so he wants to bring his wife and daughter over to apologize. Would… would you be okay with that?"
Xiaowan stopped tracing circles, pursed her lips, and said, "There's no need. We don't get along anyway. If we end up arguing again, it'll just be annoying."
Chen Xin didn't push further, unwilling to pressure her like he had before. "Alright, no problem. I'll let Harold know you've forgiven him, okay?"
"Mm-hmm," Xiaowan nodded. Then she turned her back to him. "I'm going to sleep now. Stop talking."
"Goodnight." Chen Xin turned off the lights with the remote and tucked the blanket snugly around her before closing his eyes.
But a moment later, Xiaowan turned back, wrapped her arms around him, and said in an impatient tone, "Fine, fine. Let them come. I… don't want to make things difficult for you at work."
A wave of warmth swept through Chen Xin's chest. He hugged her and planted a few light kisses. "Thank you, Xiaowan."
"Hmph, don't thank me yet. I have conditions," Xiaowan said, her eyes gleaming in the dark as she licked her lips.
Chen Xin remained expressionless. "No, you still can't sleep with me. Goodnight."
"… Argh! You jerk! I'll scratch you to death!"
The next evening, Harold arrived at Chen Xin's house with his wife and two kids right on time.
Chen Xin greeted them warmly. "Harold, Amanda, it's been so long!"
Amanda smiled. "Yes, the last time we saw you was in China. Chen, you've grown so much more mature."
Harold, on the other hand, looked curious. "Never mind that. Chen, what's with those scratches on your face?"
Chen Xin touched his nose awkwardly and glanced toward the backyard, where Xiaowan was playing with the dogs. "Uh, got scratched by a little wildcat."
Harold and Amanda exchanged knowing looks, but their daughter, Jenny, exclaimed excitedly, "A kitty? Uncle, do you have a kitty? Can I play with it?"
Amanda chuckled and quickly clarified, "Sweetheart, Uncle Chen was speaking figuratively. He doesn't actually have a cat."
"Oh…" Jenny looked disappointed but soon perked up again. "Can I go play with the pretty big sister?"
"Of course," Chen Xin said, then turned to Harold and Amanda. "Make yourselves comfortable on the couch. I'll go get Xiaowan."
"Alright." Harold nervously checked the gift they brought for Xiao Wan.
A moment later, Xiao Wan was brought over by Chen Xin. Harold and Amanda immediately stood up, sincerely addressing her, "Xiao Wan, thank you for helping Jenny that day. I deeply regret my rash actions at the time. I shouldn't have judged you with prejudice. Chen was right—you're truly a good person. It was my own unfounded assumptions. I hope you can forgive me for my past behavior."
He handed her the gift—a GUCCI wallet Amanda had specially picked out. The couple anxiously watched Xiao Wan, expecting her sharp personality to lead to a scolding. Surprisingly, she simply accepted the gift and said lightly, "It's all in the past. No big deal."
The couple breathed a sigh of relief. Jenny, sensing the tension ease, happily threw herself into Xiao Wan's arms, shouting, "Pretty sister!"
Jenny's older brother attempted to follow suit, but Xiao Wan sternly stopped him. "No, you're not allowed. I don't like little boys."
"Oh." The boy retreated reluctantly.
Amanda chuckled and remarked to Chen Xin, "Xiao Wan is so genuine and beautiful. Chen, you're truly lucky to have her."
Chen Xin smiled, "Thank you. Ellie is still busy preparing dinner. Would you like me to show you around the house?"
Harold immediately agreed, "Of course. Who wouldn't want to tour a rich guy's house?"
The couple followed Chen Xin around the villa, leaving their two children under Xiao Wan's care. Jenny and her brother tagged along behind Xiao Wan like little shadows, joining her in the garden to play with the dogs.
Jenny's brother was thrilled to run around with the dogs, while Jenny stuck close to Xiao Wan, gazing at her admiringly with her bright green eyes.
Sitting on a chair, Xiao Wan smirked, pinching Jenny's soft cheeks. "What are you staring at, hmm?"
Jenny responded with a sweet smile, "You're so pretty, sister. Are you a celebrity? I want to be a celebrity when I grow up!"
"I'm not." Xiao Wan tilted Jenny's chin to examine her. "But you've got potential. If you want to be a star, you have to work hard, okay?"
"Okay!" Jenny gleefully hugged Xiao Wan.
Suddenly, Xiao Wan grew serious and asked, "Did your parents explain to you what those two boys were trying to do to you that day?"
Jenny nodded solemnly. "Mommy and Daddy taught me. They said I must never show my body to anyone for food or anything else. My body is private, and I must protect myself."
Relieved, Xiao Wan patted her head. "Good. Be cautious in the future, okay? You're a girl, and such a beautiful one at that. You need to stay safe from bad people."
"Okay." Jenny obediently nodded and leaned against her.
Just as Xiao Wan was reflecting on this, the doorbell rang.
Everyone else was busy preparing dinner, so Xiao Wan left Jenny and opened the door—only to see Ye Chen standing there.
The two locked eyes for half a second before springing into action. Xiao Wan tried to shut the door, while Ye Chen stuck his foot in to block it. When Xiao Wan realized she couldn't hold him off, she leaned down and bit his hand hard.
"Ahhh! Damn it!" Ye Chen yelped in pain as Xiao Wan triumphantly shoved him out and slammed the door.
Just as Xiao Wan shut the door, Chen Xin came downstairs with Harold and Amanda.
Chen Xin asked, "What's going on? I thought I heard something."
Leaning against the door, Xiao Wan innocently replied, "Nothing. You must've heard wrong."
Before she could finish, an angry voice shouted from outside, "Lin Xiao Wan! Let me in, or else!"
Chen Xin sighed, rubbing his temples. "Stop it, Xiao Wan. Let Ye Chen in. I invited him."
Xiao Wan stomped her foot in protest. "Why did you invite him? Ugh, annoying! I won't let him in!"
Chen Xin tried to reason with her. "Ye Chen helped with Jenny's situation. I thought it might be a good chance for you two to reconcile. Isn't that a good idea?"
"Reconcile, my foot." Xiao Wan pouted and stepped aside.
Chen Xin opened the door, letting Ye Chen in. The moment Ye Chen saw him, he angrily displayed his hand. "Look! She bit me! Your girlfriend is crazy!"
Xiao Wan, arms crossed, glanced at the ceiling and said, "Serves you right for barging in. If I were less merciful, I'd let the dogs loose on you."
"You—"
"Alright, enough." Chen Xin stepped between them, exasperated. "Please, both of you. For my sake, can you not fight tonight? You're both important to me, and I just want everyone to have a nice dinner together."
Reluctantly, both nodded.
Just then, Ellie appeared, announcing that dinner was ready. Xiao Wan excitedly gathered the children, leading them to the dining room like a trio of foraging squirrels.
The others soon joined. Ye Chen purposely chose a seat far from Xiao Wan, carefully wiping the bite mark on his hand while throwing occasional glares her way. Xiao Wan ignored him, focusing entirely on eating and feeding the children.
At the end of dinner, Amanda pulled Xiao Wan aside to help with the dishes. Alone in the kitchen, Amanda said, "There's something I'd like to share with you."
"What is it?" Xiao Wan asked, tossing leftovers into the trash.
Amanda sighed, "I wanted to explain why Harold had such a strong prejudice against you before. Back in our hometown, Harold grew up with a girl—his childhood sweetheart. They went to the same high school and even got into the same college. It was supposed to be a romantic story, but both their families were poor, and student loans were a heavy burden. Harold worked three part-time jobs every day, and she did the same.
"But it wasn't long before she broke under the pressure. Somehow, she got involved with a wealthy man and became his mistress. When Harold begged her to come back, she humiliated him publicly, blaming him for holding her back. Since then, Harold has had a deep-seated hatred for 'gold diggers.'"
Xiao Wan fell silent, understanding dawning on her face.
"It's not far off from what I guessed," Xiaowan nodded. "That's why, as soon as he saw me—a so-called gold-digger—he hoped I'd break up with Chen Xin. I get it."
"That was his old thinking. He doesn't feel that way anymore," Amanda said seriously. "And as for me, I could tell from the moment we met today that you're not the kind of person who chases wealth. You just pretend to be one. Did something upsetting happen to you before?"
Xiaowan's hand paused as she was wiping the table, and she lowered her head slightly. She had always prided herself on her keen insight into people, but she hadn't expected Amanda to see through her so easily.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Amanda said quickly. "I just wanted to say you're a good person, and I hope you and Chen Xin can end up together. I can tell he really likes you. Xiaowan, happiness is stingy—when it comes, you must seize it and treat your life seriously."
Xiaowan looked up and stared at Amanda for a moment before suddenly asking, "Your job isn't by chance… a psychologist, is it?"
Amanda chuckled. "Caught me."
"I knew it. That routine felt so familiar," Xiaowan said, rolling her eyes. "Fine, thanks for your kind words. I'll think about it… I'm taking Jenny out to play!"
With that, she turned and led the two children out of the kitchen. Amanda, however, frowned slightly. What did Xiaowan mean by that last comment? Could it be that she was seeing a psychologist herself?
The three men in the living room didn't chat for long before Harold suggested visiting Chen Xin's backyard garden. They all walked over to the trees and continued their conversation.
After a while, Chen Xin remembered something and turned to Ye Chen. "Oh right, the lawyer wanted me to ask you for the recording from that day in the restroom. He said he wants to back it up just in case that woman causes trouble again."
Ye Chen scoffed and shot him a glance. "What recording? I made that up."
Chen Xin and Harold stared at him in shock.
Ye Chen quickly added, "Oh, but what happened that day was real. Lin Xiaowan did save your daughter. But honestly, I had just pulled my pants up when it all happened. It was over in like two minutes—I didn't even think about recording anything."
Chen Xin caught on quickly. "So, you made it up to scare that woman off?"
Harold nodded in agreement. "Even though it was fabricated, it helped Xiaowan and dealt with that woman's outrageous demands. For people like her, you have to fight fire with fire. I think it was fine."
"I wasn't trying to help her. I just wanted to back up my buddy," Ye Chen shrugged. "That woman and her sons, with all their blatant racism and terrible behavior, are just disgusting to deal with."
Chen Xin thought for a moment and then said sincerely, "No matter what, I still need to thank you."
"Come on, no need for that between bros." Ye Chen lit a cigarette, pulled another one out, and offered it to Chen Xin, who refused as usual. "I don't smoke."
Ye Chen rolled his eyes. "Give it some time with Lin Xiaowan, and I bet you'll pick it up soon enough."
Why was he suddenly taking shots at Xiaowan again? Chen Xin sighed. "She's not crazy."
"How is she not? I even helped her, and how did she repay me?" Ye Chen angrily held up his left hand. "Look at this! The teeth marks she left haven't even faded. I'm telling you, I'm getting a rabies shot later, and you're covering the cost!"
Chen Xin sighed again. "Ye Chen, that's going too far."
"Too far?" Ye Chen pointed at himself indignantly. "Too far? Harold, be the judge. Who's more unreasonable—me or Lin Xiaowan?"
Harold spoke righteously. "Obviously you. Xiaowan saved Jenny. Even if she turned you into a zombie, it'd still be your fault."
Ye Chen nearly choked on his own indignation, pointing at the other two men angrily. "You're either brainwashed or under some kind of spell from her!"
"Alright, calm down," Chen Xin said. "You know what she's like by now. Just give in a little, and she won't pick fights with you."
"And why should I?" Ye Chen snapped. "Just because she's got half the city's rich second generation at her beck and call?"
Chen Xin clarified, "She's not flirting. They're the ones messaging her, and she hasn't replied to a single one."
"Really? Then what's with the guy in her profile picture? Can't you, as a man, show some backbone and do something about it?"
"That's all in the past. A