Chapter 5

Yet one day, as I worked at my computer, my finger slipped and accidentally called Huo Jingheng. He answered almost at once.

“Hello, honey. What’s wrong?” His cool, clear voice came through the phone.

In my panic, I blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.

“W-when are you coming home? If you don’t come back soon, I’ll… I’ll lock the door.”

Teasing cheers erupted on the other end.

A soft laugh rumbled in Huo Jingheng’s throat. His tone was docile and indulgent.

“All right. I’ll be home soon.”

After that day, he broke his old habit of coming home late. Every evening, he returned early and observed the curfew I had declared.

Then one night, to my surprise, he was late again.

I had stepped out to get something when our eyes met. His suit jacket hung from one hand, and he looked slightly weary.

When he saw me, he offered an explanation. “Sorry. Something came up at the office and delayed me, so I’m home late.”

Those words were meant specifically for me.

I simply stood there, unsure how to respond.

Then I decided this was the perfect chance to clear up the misunderstanding from the phone call.

Our contract marriage had been founded on noninterference.

I was taking his money and trying to control him. Put that way, it sounded downright inappropriate.

He might not care, but I still wanted to honor the spirit of our agreement.

After a moment of silence, I averted my gaze and spoke carefully.

“The truth is, I called you by accident last time. My brain short-circuited, and I said the first thing that came to mind. I never meant to give you a curfew.”

“It doesn’t matter how late you come home from now on. I wouldn’t be awful enough to actually lock you out.”

I raised a hand as if taking an oath. “Don’t worry. I’ll abide by our agreement and never interfere in your affairs. I’ll keep up appearances in public too, so you have nothing to worry about.”

As soon as I finished, I scurried back to my room, wondering why I felt so guilty.

At least I had said everything that needed saying.

Now there would be no conflict between us and no chance of him delivering that classic line from a melodrama about the rich and powerful:

“Do what you’re supposed to do and stay out of what doesn’t concern you.”

What I did not know was that Huo Jingheng remained where he stood, looking lost for a long time after hearing my speech.

Every word about honoring our contract and deliberately keeping my distance stabbed into him.

Over the next two or three days, the apartment grew unusually cold and quiet.

Huo Jingheng still came home early every day, but he no longer initiated conversations with me.

I deliberately avoided being alone with him, worked in my room whenever possible, and even ate at different times.

We lived beneath the same roof, yet we had returned to being roommates who were practically strangers.

We endured that deliberate distance for several days.

Then my best friend, Ling Li, sent me a message inviting me to an amusement park that evening.

Eager to escape the strange atmosphere at home, I agreed at once.

We had so much fun that I did not return until eleven.

Afraid of disturbing Huo Jingheng if he was already asleep, I opened and closed the door as quietly as possible. I crouched to change my shoes, then stepped into the living room.

A dark shape loomed on the sofa. Startled, I recoiled and switched on the light.

Only when the room brightened and I saw Huo Jingheng did I breathe a sigh of relief.

His head had been bowed, and the harsh light woke him.

The moment he raised his eyes and saw me, a complicated emotion I could not name welled in his gaze.

“Where did you go?” His voice was husky.

“Um… I just went out to have some fun with a friend.” I kept my tone casual.

I started toward my room, ready for bed, when Huo Jingheng’s quiet question came from the sofa.

“Are you really not going to look after me anymore?”

Thinking I had misheard, I stopped for a moment.

Before I could turn around, warmth pressed against my back, and a pair of arms wound around my waist.

“I finally learned what it feels like to have someone care about me, to have someone concerned for me. I don’t want to lose that. Will you keep looking after me? I want you to keep me in line. Please.”

I stood perfectly still and listened. I had never imagined that a man who stood so far above others would lower himself like this merely to ask me to manage his life.

He nuzzled his head against my neck like a large dog trying to win its owner’s favor.

When I neither answered nor pushed him away, he spoke softly again. “Honey, I want you to keep me in line.”

His voice was rich and velvety. The word honey tightened something in my chest, and heat rushed to my ears.

“But… we’re a contract couple. This isn’t how it’s supposed to work.” I continued searching for excuses, though my heart had already softened.

Huo Jingheng turned me around to face him. His deep-set eyes held mine.

“Starting today, I want us to be husband and wife for real. I want to share an ordinary, everyday life with you. Let’s cancel the agreement. Will you?”

Cancel it?

Had my care during his illness and my efforts to keep him in line truly changed his mind?

For all his aloof composure, he was starved for affection. The smallest kindness was enough to win him over.

Compared with the cold, ruthless man I had met on our blind date, the Huo Jingheng pleading with me now looked like a god who had stepped down from his pedestal.

“Are you serious?”

His gaze softened, but his answer was firm. “I am.”

And so, with the same let’s-see-what-happens attitude I had brought to our first meeting, I agreed.

After my shower, I stood in the bathroom drying my hair and replayed everything that had just happened. It still seemed abrupt. Our relationship had progressed so quickly in such a short time.

When I returned to my room, I found an extra Huo Jingheng in my bed. He had changed into pajamas and was leaning against the headboard, waiting for me.

“Why… are you…” I trailed off.

“If we’re going to try, then we should live as a couple and sleep in the same bed.” He made it sound perfectly reasonable.

After a moment’s hesitation, I lay down. It was our first time sharing a bed, and I remained awake for a long while.

He did not cross any boundaries. He simply settled beside me and went peacefully to sleep.