Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Why do we have to sleep separately?”

“Is it because I didn’t satisfy you today?”

That instantly pulled me out of my thoughts.

I nodded frantically at first, then, seized by pure survival instinct, hurriedly shook my head.

“No! It’s not because of that!”

“I just think it’s getting hot out. Sleeping together is too warm, and we’d both be more comfortable sleeping on our own.”

Su Yu said flatly, “There’s air-conditioning.”

“Uh, I know, but I can’t keep clinging to you all the time. It’s better if we give each other a little space…”

I stumbled over my words.

He glanced at the hand I was using to fret at the blanket, took a deep breath, and softened his voice. “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

I slipped into the guest bedroom.

For some reason, I felt like Su Yu hadn’t wanted to sleep apart just now.

He was usually cold too, but never in a way that made me feel like he was in a bad mood.

Just as I started doubting myself, the System suddenly cheered:

[The hatred value dropped again! It’s down to 20 now!]

[You really tormented him too hard before. You kept dragging him into those intimacy sessions every day. Even a normal person would feel suffocated, let alone someone frigid like X.]

[All I can say is, the male lead is kind. He’s wanted separate rooms forever, probably wished he could kick you a hundred thousand miles away, and still he kept enduring it.]

“Is that so…”

A wave of disappointment hit me, and my nose stung.

I’d actually let myself fantasize just now that he liked me, that he wanted me to stay.

The System kept broadcasting the hatred value all night.

20 one moment, 80 the next.

I pulled the blanket over my face. I really wished it would stop. Listening to it made my chest feel tight, like I could barely breathe.

Early the next morning.

I had just finished washing up when Su Yu squeezed into the bathroom, lifted me onto the marble sink in one smooth motion, and lowered his head to kiss me.

His knee parted my legs.

As he kissed me, claiming more and more, he was even fiercer and hungrier than before.

In a hoarse voice, he said, “This is what you asked for. A good morning kiss every day.”

He kissed me until I went limp in his arms. Dazed, I leaned against his chest and heard the pounding inside.

Thump, thump.

It was deafening.

His heart was beating so fast. Did he like me too…?

Just then, the System shrieked:

[Hatred value 96, 97, 98!]

[Host, what are you doing?!]

I snapped back to myself and shoved Su Yu away.

“No need. You don’t have to kiss me anymore from now on!”

He froze instantly.

“What did you say?”

With my back against the cold sink, I explained carefully:

“Having to do a good morning kiss every single day like it’s some obligation… it’s too much.”

Su Yu stood there as if he’d been hit hard.

After a moment, he spoke in a rush.

“Didn’t you want a candlelight dinner a while back? I’ve been flying around and too busy to make time, but now I can go with you. Pick a restaurant you like. We can try something new, and then it won’t feel… tiresome anymore.”

I quickly shook my head.

“Candlelight dinners are just performative romance for couples in love. I don’t really want one anymore.”

“Aren’t you busy? You should head to the office.”

Su Yu’s voice trembled faintly.

“You don’t want it anymore? That’s fine.”

“Then I’ll stay with you a little longer. You used to cling to me every morning and refuse to let me go to work.”

Maybe he didn’t hate me as much as I thought.

But the System in my head kept celebrating the drop in the hatred value.

I swallowed against the bitterness in my throat and stepped out of his arms.

“No need.”

“I don’t want to be like that anymore. It gets annoying.”

Su Yu’s eyes reddened instantly.

“Annoying?”

“You think it’s annoying? O-okay… th-then I’ll go to work.”

He left like he was fleeing, his footsteps unsteady.

I asked the System, “Does Su Yu really hate me that much? Then why does it feel like he’s unhappy?”

The System rolled its eyes.

[That’s because you’ve fallen for him. You’re too deep in it to see clearly, and you don’t want to accept the fact that he hates you.]

[But just now, when you stopped forcing him to carry out that daily obligatory kiss, didn’t the hatred value go down?]

[Data doesn’t make mistakes.]

Those words were like a bucket of cold water, completely waking me up.

Right. Data doesn’t make mistakes. What was I even hoping for?

At noon.

I handed the lunch the chef had prepared to the assistant. “Take this in to your boss.”

The assistant looked troubled.

“I came to pick you up.”

“Didn’t you say before that if the boss couldn’t see you, he wasn’t allowed to eat? He won’t touch anything we bring him!”

I went still for a moment.

Back when I used to drag Su Yu into those intimacy sessions, I hadn’t even spared him at the office. I’d made all kinds of unreasonable demands like that.

Thinking about it now, it was only natural for him to hate me.

By the time I reached the president’s office at Su Group, I was half an hour later than usual.

When I pushed the door open, I saw Su Yu sitting in his leather chair reading documents.

But when I walked over, I realized the document in his hand was upside down.

“You’re here?”

Seeing me stop in front of him, Su Yu calmly set the file down as if nothing were wrong. With practiced ease, he pulled off his tie and began undoing his shirt buttons one by one, revealing a silver chest chain.

“I saw you added this chain to your cart yesterday, so I bought it and put it on.”

“Go on, touch it. Does it feel any different from usual?”

Usually, I was the one pouncing on him like a starving tiger. When had I ever seen him take the initiative? I stared at him, completely transfixed, and found myself following his lead.

A faint smile touched Su Yu’s lips. Just when I was most tempted, he pressed down on my hand.

“Xiaoxiao, do you want to kiss me?”

My vision filled with pink and silver, and after being teased like this, my brain had only one thought left: I want to kiss him. I really, really wanted to.

Just as I was about to open my mouth,

I saw the hatred value above his head: [70]

I instantly sobered up.

Flustered, I hurriedly pulled his shirt closed for him and took a step back, my heart pounding.

“Even if summer’s almost here, it’s still easy to catch a cold. Hurry and get dressed. Don’t let yourself get chilled.”

“Eat your lunch properly. From now on, have your assistant deliver it. I won’t be coming anymore!”

The smile on his face froze instantly.

“Why?”

I said, “If we’re always tangled up together, doesn’t it feel suffocating?”

He fell silent.

The hatred value honestly dropped to 20.

Sure enough, everything I’d done before had always made him, someone as frigid as X, feel suffocated.

My throat tightened painfully, and I turned to leave.

Behind me, the man lowered his eyes. A shadow fell over his peach blossom eyes, and his fingertips pressed so hard they turned white.

“So I really am being disliked.”

“This much already feels suffocating to you? Then what about when you’re locked up, pinned dead in my arms…”