chapter 5

The way he looked at me made my whole body itch with discomfort. I blurted out a denial.

“Of course not. His love is his, and yours is yours. Why would I give yours up?”

“You want both? Tong Jia, you can’t be that greedy.”

He released my ankle and leaned closer.

“Him or me. You can only choose one.”

My body tensed of its own accord, and I shrank backward.

Was this what my cousin faced every day at home too—being made to choose between her parents and her blond boyfriend?

Jiang Wenzhou kept advancing until my back hit the headboard.

He still did not stop.

I put out a hand and pushed him away.

“If I choose him, will you abandon me? What kind of big brother does that?”

He went still and stared at me.

The emotion gathered in his eyes dissipated, as though every ounce of strength had left him in an instant.

He patted my head and forced a smile.

“You’re imagining things. A big brother is someone who stands beside you no matter whom you choose.”

Under his gaze, I relaxed despite myself.

His voice dropped, carrying a meaning I could not quite name.

“Then tell me, Tong Jia. Who is this person you like?”

How was I supposed to know?

I just did not want to work.

Then inspiration struck. I remembered the useless boss who had been parachuted into my company.

He was never around and supposedly a rich kid who had taken the job just to kill time.

And, as luck would have it, his hair was blond.

I could not suppress the curl of my lips. Taking Jiang Wenzhou’s hand, I said with deep feeling, “It’s Wen Qiao. You know him, don’t you? He was there that time you came to my office.”

Jiang Wenzhou frowned. I could not tell whether he remembered him.

That did not matter. What mattered was that the blond I liked worked at my company.

He was a blond I had met at work.

“He’s so handsome, isn’t he? He’s mixed-race, with these huge puppy-dog eyes. One look from him and my heart melts.”

“I miss him so much. He must miss me too. Please let me go to work. Let me go to work.”

“Please, Wenzhou. Let me keep working, all right?”

The words made even me want to throw up.

Jiang Wenzhou seemed unable to keep his expression under control. It flickered wildly between rage and a smile.

He closed his eyes and squeezed my hand hard. “Tong Jia, you can’t judge a person by his looks alone.”

“I’m not only judging his looks. I look great too, and people at the office pursue me. Wen Qiao and I are a perfect match eight hundred times over.”

His lips twisted in a sneer.

“Wenzhou, are you laughing at me?”

He pulled my hand away and tucked the blanket over me.

“Stay home. Forget about going back to work.”