The baby slapped me, and I said, "Sit on my lap and slap me."

Su Qingyao immediately fell silent and resignedly picked up the spoon he handed her.

She felt both guilty and helpless, like a cat being pinched by the scruff of its neck, powerless to resist.

Zhang Miaoke stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two.

Finally, he gave Su Qingyao a look that said, "Good luck to you," and then buried his head and tried to make himself less noticeable.

Su Qingyao found the meal utterly unpalatable.

Wen Yu sat quietly to the side, his arm casually draped over the back of the chair, forming an imperceptible protective circle.

He did nothing but watch intently as Su Qingyao ate her food, his gaze naked and greedy, as if he wanted to etch this scene into his mind.

His baby is so cute even when he's eating.

Looking at her soft cheeks, slightly puffed out from chewing, like a little hamster storing food, Wen Yu's eyes were almost overflowing with love.

He subconsciously rubbed his fingertips together, barely resisting the urge to take out his phone to record it.

When his gaze swept over her slender, delicate wrists and thin shoulders, his love instantly turned into heartache.

Too thin.

He had to find a way to raise his baby to be chubby and healthy, to restore some of the rosy baby fat to her face, and to make her body chubby and plump.

She was born a princess and should be cherished.

The moment this thought arose, another, more somber thought surged up uncontrollably.

Her current physique is far too frail.

He was really afraid... that she wouldn't be able to handle it.

This thought made his Adam's apple bob slightly, and his eyes instantly darkened, like the deep sea brewing a storm.

He forced himself to look away, took a deep breath, and suppressed his surging desires.

From that day on, Su Qingyao's peaceful and busy university life was gradually invaded by Wen Yu.

He appeared in all her spare time: the library, the study room, the cafeteria, the coffee shop where she worked part-time, and even on her way to tutoring classes.

He always had various "legitimate" reasons.

"I don't know how to do this problem, Su, could you help me?"

"It's on my way, I'll give you a ride back to your dorm."

"The desserts here are pretty good. I bought too many; could you help me finish them off?"

He was like the most patient hunter, laying a trap, waiting for his little prey to get used to his presence and depend on his proximity.

Su Qingyao grew increasingly uneasy, regretting that she had gotten involved with Wen Yu for the sake of the 10,000 yuan errand fee.

For the former eldest daughter of the Su family, ten thousand was just the cost of a meal.

But she isn't anymore.

Three years ago, the Su Group was maliciously targeted by its rivals and went bankrupt overnight. Unable to bear the blow, Su's father jumped from the top floor and died on the spot.

Despite her grief, Su's mother managed to salvage the situation, but after liquidating all assets, she still owed the bank a huge sum of ten million.

Desperate, she remembered the high-value accident insurance she had purchased years ago but had long forgotten.

She chose her rival's truck, the accident was classified as an accident, the insurance money arrived on time, the debt was paid off, and some money was left for Su Qingyao to live on.

The price was that Su's mother fell into a deep sleep and became a vegetable.

Su Qingyao was forced to grow up, going from someone who never lifted a finger to someone who shouldered all the burdens of life.

The money disappeared faster than expected: Su's mother's medical expenses, nursing fees, caregiver fees, her own tuition fees, living expenses...

In just two years, the compensation money has been used up.

She could only work part-time desperately, using every spare moment to try to save her mother's life and also to grasp her own future.

She knew perfectly well that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

But ten thousand is just a drop in the ocean for a rich person; perhaps once the transaction is completed, the money and goods will be settled and the two parties will have nothing to do with each other.

She never imagined, nor dared to imagine, that she would have any interaction with someone like Wen Yu.

Zhang Miaoke had described to her the Wen family's prominence; even if the Su family hadn't gone bankrupt, Wen Yu was still someone she could never reach.

She felt instinctively terrified in the face of such a person and just wanted to escape.

She feared that any slight entanglement would shatter the fragile life she had painstakingly maintained.

-

On a weekend evening, the setting sun painted the sky a warm orange hue.

Su Qingyao had just finished two tutoring sessions and walked out of the community gate with a bit of fatigue.

The next second, she stopped in her tracks.

Not far away, next to a sleek, expensive silver sports car, Wen Yu was leaning against the car door, seemingly waiting for someone.

He was wearing a simple white T-shirt and casual shorts, shedding his usual aloofness and gaining a more casual and unrestrained air.

He lowered his eyes, listlessly toying with the expensive metal lighter in his hand.

The clicking sound of the doors opening and closing was particularly clear on the quiet street corner, and the person looked as good as a model who had stepped out of a fashion magazine.

Yet, she exudes an innate air of nobility that clashes with the ordinary street scene full of life, drawing the attention of passersby.

Su Qingyao took a deep breath, knowing there was no way to avoid it, and finally mustered up her courage to walk over.

"Wenyu".

He looked up in response, and his peach blossom eyes, which had been somewhat indifferent due to waiting, flashed with a hint of barely perceptible joy the moment he caught sight of her.

"Su, class is over?" He straightened up, his tone casual, but his gaze was fixed on her.

Su Qingyao nodded, not wanting to play this cat-and-mouse game with him anymore, and cut straight to the point.

"Let's find a quiet place and talk."

Want to talk?

What should the baby talk about with him? Dating or marriage?

Wen Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. The word swirled in his mind, evoking many beautiful associations with "solitude."

However, he remained calm and composed, readily responding to the conversation.

"OK."

Wenyu suggested the name of a high-end restaurant known for its ambiance and privacy, saying, "Let's go there, I'm hungry too."

Su Qingyao had no objection and nodded again.

Wen Yu led Su Qingyao into a private room, the door closing behind them to shut out the outside world.

Su Qingyao didn't sit down or even exchange pleasantries. She immediately took out her phone and quickly tapped the screen with her fingertips.

With a soft "ding," Wenyu's phone received a transfer notification.

He glanced down at the five thousand yuan on the screen, and when he looked up again, the joy and contentment in his eyes were gone, replaced by a deep and unfathomable melancholy.

"Su, what do you mean?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sense of impending doom.

Su Qingyao swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his dangerous gaze, her speech steady yet clear.

"I don't know what kind of fun it is for a young master like you to keep following me around. After thinking about it, the only variable is the errand I ran two weeks ago..."

She took a deep breath and explained solemnly.

"I've said it many times and shown you the chat history. Someone really did place an order and asked me to deliver flowers to you at Junyu."

She paused for a moment, her gaze fixed on Wen Yu, her voice softening with a desperate hope.

"Our dispute stems from this money. Here's five thousand for you, and I'll find a way to pay back the remaining five thousand as soon as possible."

"I'll pay you back the ten thousand I earned from running errands..."

"Please let me go, okay?"