Is my roommate a caged bird? I'm stealing her away.

The car eventually drove into the underground garage of a high-end apartment building and parked in a designated parking space.

Chen Boxu opened his eyes, pushed open the car door, and strode out. Zhou Suisui hesitated for a moment, then followed Chen Boxu three steps away into the elevator, upstairs, and into the apartment.

The entryway was spacious. Chen Boxu took off his suit jacket and casually draped it over the coat rack next to him. Then he turned around and looked at Zhou Suisui, who was still standing at the door.

He loosened his collar, his gaze calmly settling on her face, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet space:

"Now," he said, "tell me."

Huh? What is Chen Boxu asking her to say?! Can't she just be direct?! This is all about guessing.

Zhou Suisui felt a tightness in her chest under his gaze, her fingers clutching the hem of her skirt as she whispered, "...What did you say?"

Chen Boxu took two steps forward, closing the distance, and looked down at her: "What do you think?"

Zhou Suisui lowered her head, staring at the gleaming tips of his shoes, her voice even softer: "...I don't know."

Chen Boxu remained silent.

A few seconds later, he reached out and lifted her chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look up at him.

His gaze lingered on her evasive eyes and slightly pursed lips, his voice low and deep:

"have no idea?"

Of course she didn't know! She wasn't a mind reader. Zhou Suisui was speechless.

She was forced to look up, meeting his deep gaze. Her lips moved, but she ultimately remained silent.

Looking at her timid appearance, Chen Boxu gently stroked her chin with his fingertip, feeling a slightly cool touch.

"Okay." He released his grip, turned, and walked towards the living room, leaving behind a few words:

"Who gave you permission," he paused, his gaze fixed on her, "to make decisions for me."

Damn, what a dog! Would she dare make decisions for him?!

Zhou Suisui was taken aback by his question and immediately retorted, "When did I make a decision for you?"

Chen Boxu's gaze remained fixed on her, his tone calm and even, yet carrying an invisible pressure:

"He's mine," he repeated her words. "Who told you you could say that?"

Oh! I see.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Suisui's pent-up anger flared up instantly. She had thought he was going to reprimand her for something serious.

She raised her eyes, no longer looking away, and stared directly at him. Her voice also rose slightly, carrying a clear hint of displeasure:

"What, you've taken a liking to He Li?" She paused, her chest heaving. "I'm sorry, but I made the decision for you. Fine, I'll call her over now, and you can talk to her yourself!"

As she spoke, she actually reached for her phone in her handbag, her actions displaying a reckless disregard for consequences.

Chen Boxu's eyes suddenly turned cold.

The moment she looked down to look for her phone, he stepped forward and grabbed her wrist.

The force was considerable, carrying a clear intention to stop.

"Zhou Suisui," his voice deepened, carrying a warning, "what are you doing?"

Zhou Suisui's wrist was gripped by him. She tried to break free but couldn't. The mix of grievance and anger made her eyes sting.

She tilted her head back, her voice trembling, but she refused to back down:

"I'm not making a scene! You don't like me telling He Li you're mine, so you've got your eye on her, right? Fine, I'm the one who's in your way. I'll call her over right now and make room for you!"

Chen Boxu stared at her reddened eyes and stubborn face, his jawline tightening.

"I'm interested in her?" He spoke in a low voice, almost forced out between clenched teeth, with an absurd rage. "Zhou Suisui, do you even have a brain?"

Zhou Suisui retorted defiantly, "Yes, I'm brainless! I don't understand what Boss Chen is saying!"

Chen Boxu was amused by her stubborn and unreasonable behavior.

He tightened his grip on her wrist, pulling her forward, and with his other hand he pinched her chin, forcing her closer to him.

"Don't you understand?" He stared into her eyes, his voice low and dangerous. "I'll tell you where you went wrong."

Zhou Suisui was forced to tilt her head back by his grip on her chin, but she bit her lip tightly, glared at him, and refused to say a word.

He had a stubborn look on his face, as if to say something rather defiantly.

Seeing her defiant attitude, Chen Boxu gently pressed his fingertip against her chin.

"Your mistake is," he said in a low voice, each word clear and distinct, "that you don't recognize yourself."

He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"What is our relationship that makes you go around declaring ownership to everyone?"

Zhou Suisui's heart clenched as she was stung by his last words, feeling as if she had been doused with ice water.

Her eyes instantly stung, and she bit her lower lip hard to force back the tears welling up.

With her chin held by him, she couldn't lower her head; she could only lower her eyelashes to hide the light in her eyes that had instantly dimmed.

Her throat tightened, and she swallowed hard before managing to squeeze out a dry, calm voice:

"Okay, I understand." She paused, her voice even softer, yet carrying a deliberately distant air. "It won't happen again. Don't worry, boss."

Chen Boxu's fingers, which were pinching her chin, stiffened for a moment.

Her use of the word "boss" was like a fine needle, unexpectedly piercing into a delicate balance.

He looked at her drooping, trembling eyelashes and her expression that had instantly lost its vibrancy, leaving only a sense of detachment.

The anger surging in his eyes seemed to freeze for a moment, replaced by another, more complex and difficult-to-discern emotion.

He didn't let go immediately, nor did he say anything; he just looked at her for a few seconds.

The air was so still it was suffocating.

Then, he slowly released his grip on her chin, his fingertips lightly brushing against the faint redness remaining on her skin.

He took a half step back, creating some distance, his gaze still fixed on her face, his voice lower than before, devoid of emotion:

"Zhou Suisui," he called her name, "you'd better really know."

Zhou Suisui suppressed the stinging sensation in her nose, forcing herself to look up and meet his gaze. Her face remained expressionless, and her voice was deliberately cold.

"Um."

Chen Boxu looked at her forced and clumsy indifference, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He didn't say anything more, but turned and walked to the wine cabinet at the back of the living room, taking out a bottle of wine and a glass.

The crisp sound of ice cubes falling to the bottom of the glass was particularly clear in the excessively quiet space.

He turned his back to her, poured half a glass of wine, tilted his head back, and took a sip.

As Zhou Suisui watched his back as he turned to pour the wine, the last bit of strength she had been holding back finally dissipated.

He and she were just a sugar daddy and his mistress, Zhou Suisui, you have to remember that. She warned herself in her heart.

Then, instead of standing, she walked to a single sofa in the living room, sat down, and took out her phone.

The screen lit up, showing several unread messages from Liu Weiwei.

Liu Weiwei: [Awesome! Sister, I'm completely defeated! Are you having a fierce battle now?] Followed by an evil little nose emoji.

Zhou Suisui stared at the message for two seconds, then tapped the screen a few times with her finger:

[No. He told me to recognize my own limitations, open my legs, and stop talking nonsense.]

After sending the message, she exited the chat interface, opened the video app, and swiped around aimlessly. Then she took out her earphones from her bag, put them in her ears, and turned the volume up.

The audio and visuals in the video flickered before her eyes, but she couldn't absorb a single word.

Chen Boxu, holding his wine glass, turned around.

What I saw was Zhou Suisui curled up on the sofa, wearing headphones, head down, intently scrolling through her phone. She exuded a sense of alienation that seemed out of place with her surroundings.

He took a sip of his drink, his gaze lingered on her profile for a moment, and then he walked towards her.

Zhou Suisui stared at the screen, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw his figure approaching. Her finger swiping paused for a moment, but she didn't look up.

Chen Boxu stopped in front of her, blocking part of the light.

He reached out and touched one of her earphones with his fingertips.

Zhou Suisui froze, then slowly raised her head to look at him.

Zhou Suisui, you must not be looked down upon.

A professional, standard, but rather cold smile quickly spread across her face, and her voice was deliberately kept steady:

"Mr. Chen, is there anything I can do for you?"

Chen Boxu looked at the fake smile on her face and her deliberately flattened tone, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.

He took off her headphones, gripped them tightly with his fingers, and then leaned down in that position.

The distance closed instantly, close enough to see the fleeting panic in her pupils.

"What do you need to do?" His voice was low and carried a dangerous chill. "Get rid of this look on your face."

Zhou Suisui was intimidated by his close proximity and icy tone, her heart trembled, but the professional fake smile on her face tightened even more.

She looked into his eyes, so close to hers, and said clearly, word by word:

"This is our job. Smiling service, Mr. Chen, are you not satisfied?"

What a joke! Why should she listen to him?