Chapter 3

That night, Shen Chichuan insisted I sleep in the enormous gaming bed in his room.

“It’s really comfortable. Really soft. You can even bounce on it.”

A thought occurred to me. I stepped back.

“You don’t have to be so nice. I’ll take a guest room.”

“No.” He tucked me into bed. “I’m your owner. Do as I say.”

Staying here wasn’t doing me any harm, so I didn’t argue.

After washing up, Shen Chichuan climbed in, too.

I went rigid when he put his arms around me.

Was he about to try something?

He was at that age, after all. All hormones and energy.

Could my twenty-nine-year-old body take it?

A moment later, he fell asleep with his arms around my waist.

Oh. We were literally just sleeping.

I had mixed feelings about that.

The next day was Monday. I had classes to teach.

I got up early, waking him in the process.

“Where are you going this early? You’re not running away, are you?”

“To class.”

He got out of bed and started changing. “I’ll drive you.”

None of my clothes were here, so I had to wear yesterday’s white shirt again. Buttoning it, I asked, “How old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

Good. An adult.

“Do you have a driver’s license?”

“No.”

“Then your driver can take me.”

He paused. “I’ll get one right away. Then I can drive you everywhere.”

There was no need, but he came along to campus to keep an eye on me.

His friends had wanted to go racing. When they heard he’d gone to a university, they nearly fell over.

“B-B-Boss? Are you hooked on studying now?”

He replied, “I’m keeping an eye on Lin Ye. Come to campus if you want to help.”

I didn’t think they’d actually show up.

Then I saw the row of brightly colored heads asleep in the back of my lecture hall, and fell into a deeply uncomfortable silence.

The moment the bell rang, every one of those heads lifted.

They wiped away their drool, stretched, and cheered. “Finally! Class is over. I’m exhausted.”

They hadn’t learned a thing. How was taking a nap exhausting?

The other students gave them a wide berth.

I alone emerged surrounded by a rainbow.

Everyone was looking at me strangely.

I covered my face. “Shen Chichuan, that blond hair is a bit much. Can’t you dye it black again?”

His friends erupted. “You dare touch our boss’s pride and joy? You’re a dead man!”

Shen Chichuan just stared at me. “You mean black like yours?”

I pushed up my glasses and nodded. “That would work.”

His cheeks went red for no apparent reason.

“Matching hair? Like a couple? I’d love to.”

His friends went quiet.

And sighed.

I took them all to the university cafeteria. Then I turned around and ran into my boyfriend.

No. My ex.

The moment he’d handed me over as collateral, I’d ended the relationship on my side.

He’d kept sending apologies.

I’d ignored them.

I hadn’t expected him to come looking for me on campus.

He strode toward me with a bouquet of roses. Then he spotted the biker boys, changed course in a sharp right angle, and left.

He messaged me instead.

[Lin Ye, they’re even coming to your university to collect?]

[Baby, you’re suffering so much for me. I’ll work hard and buy you back as soon as I can!]

I pretended not to see it.

Adults didn’t always need to spell everything out.

Once one person gave up on a relationship, there was no reason to keep it going.

After lunch, Shen Chichuan wanted me to go with him to get his hair dyed.

Once he did it, his friends all stripped the color out of their hair, too.

I had to admit it: with black hair, the boys walking together really did look like fresh-faced college students.

Apparently, though, not one of them had gotten into a university. At best, they were high school boys.

And high school boys they would remain.

I went back to the mansion with Shen Chichuan.

When I opened the wardrobe, I found several clothing consultants waiting nearby.

“What’s all this?”

“You don’t have any clothes here. You can’t keep wearing mine, so I had them bring some over.”

Shirts, trousers, belts, dress shoes, watches. There was even a briefcase.

Collateral? Surveillance?

Wasn’t this more like keeping me?

It felt strange.

In my previous relationship, I’d always been the responsible, levelheaded one. I’d taken care of my boyfriend. He’d rarely thought about what I needed.

I couldn’t help ruffling Shen Chichuan’s hair.

“Thank you. I love it. But don’t spend so much next time. I’m not worth all this.”

He hugged me.

“You are,” he said, utterly serious.

The biker boys, sprawled on the living room couch playing a shooter, clicked their tongues.