Chapter 2

“Stop writing. Meeting your online girlfriend is for kissing and cuddling, not sitting here doing homework.”

Shen Yu sat rigidly. A moment ago, I had been annoyed that the hostess put us in a private room. Now I wanted to go back out and tip her.

My sweet mute could not speak, but his lips tasted wonderful.

He was hopelessly inexperienced. Not only did he forget to breathe when we kissed, he did not even close his eyes.

Thank you, Shen Ci, for delivering such a perfect boyfriend to me. I adored him.

Before we left, I took Shen Yu’s phone.

“Let’s see what we’ve been talking about all this time.”

I opened the chat history and fell silent.

Shen Ci’s prank was truly tedious. Every conversation was nothing but good morning, have you eaten, and good night.

His brother had never realized the person on the other end was not actually his online date. He had simply kept replying with obedient little nodding-bunny stickers.

I added my own account and tucked the phone back into his palm.

“I changed my number. Use this one from now on.”

Shen Yu had not recovered yet. His lips were red, and a watery haze still covered his eyes.

The sight of him looking so thoroughly ravished made my throat itch all over again.

I lifted my phone, leaned close beneath his startled gaze, pressed my cheek to his, and took a selfie.

My little mute, Shen Yu, looked back three times for every step as he left. He still held the tiny blue paper heart, cradling it like a priceless treasure.

I hummed and practically skipped all the way home.

I had picked up a boyfriend who was both gorgeous and sweet. I was delighted.

My phone buzzed twice. When I looked down, the contact name “Baby” filled the screen.

[Were you satisfied with how I did today?]

It seemed Shen Yu had made it home. Shen Ci could not ask his brother what happened, so he had to ask me instead.

Thinking of my helpful matchmaker, I pulled up the selfie we had just taken.

Mm. Swollen lips, reddened eyes, and a dazed gaze. One look made it perfectly obvious what we had been doing.

After admiring Shen Yu’s handsome face and my own beauty one more time, I mischievously sent the photo.

[I like you even more after meeting you. But next time we kiss, baby, it would be even better if you didn’t tremble.]

The comments filled with ellipses.

[This villainess is unstoppable. The male lead’s face has practically turned green.]

[He only wanted to humiliate her by using his brother. He never expected her to take such liberties with him.]

[Honestly, they have identical faces, but somehow the younger brother seems sweeter and even better-looking. If he weren’t mute, maybe he would have been the male lead.]

It took a long time for another message to appear.

[I didn’t do well today. Let’s meet again tomorrow.]

I raised an eyebrow and did not reply. Even the comments had no idea what he meant.

[The whole plot is soup now. Everybody grab a spoon while it’s hot.]

[What the hell is the male lead planning now? His brother failed to disgust the villainess, so he’s going in person?]

[Something about him feels strange. Why did his face cycle through every color of the rainbow after he saw that photo? And why did he keep zooming in on the villainess’s face?]

[He is obviously memorizing the woman who molested his brother so he can cut her into pieces tomorrow.]

I curled my lip and changed Shen Ci’s contact name from “Baby” to “Bastard.”

Then I opened the chat with Shen Yu, whom I had just added.

[Are you home, baby?]

He instantly sent a nodding-bunny sticker. Then the status changed to “typing.”

I was in no hurry. I waited quietly.

At last, a message popped up. He had agonized over it for ages, yet it contained only a few words.

[Baby, I’m home?]

His nerves had made his finger slip and add a question mark. It was so adorable that I rolled around laughing on my bed.

The message disappeared. Shen Yu had finally stopped tormenting himself.

[I’m home.]

I started a video call. He answered in a second, and the sight of his scarlet face made me laugh even harder.

“Baby, I saw it even though you unsent it.”

“Call me baby. Let me hear it?”

The air went still. The light in the boy’s eyes dimmed slightly, and only then did I realize I had said the wrong thing.

I cleared my throat and leaned toward the screen.

“Were you happy today?”

The shy smile returned to his lips. He nodded just like the little bunny sticker.

So unbearably sweet.

Shen Yu could not speak. For the entire two-hour video call, he sat quietly and properly, never taking his bright, starry eyes off me.

Whenever our eyes met, his gaze felt oddly familiar. Before I could think too deeply about it, someone knocked on Shen Yu’s door.

He stood in a fluster and pointed toward it. I blinked.

“Give me a kiss before you hang up.”