He tricked the female lead into becoming his boyfriend, but then went on to criticize the male lead.

An ambiguous atmosphere slowly spread through the air, lingering between the two.

Wen Zhaoci put down his cutlery, leaned forward slightly, and suddenly approached, exuding the unique, fresh scent of a young man in the early morning, mixed with a faint milky fragrance.

The distance between the two instantly closed, and their breaths mingled.

The warm breath gently brushed against Sang Jiuning's earlobe, the tingling sensation making her body stiffen slightly. She subconsciously gripped the milk cup in her hand, her heart suddenly racing, pounding as if it would burst out of her chest.

Sang Jiuning's heart tightened instantly: What is he going to do now?

The next moment, the boy's gentle and tender voice slowly rang out, carrying a cautious probing tone.

"Baby, do you really like children?"

The topic shifted so abruptly that Sang Jiuning was taken aback for a moment, then looked up at him slightly.

She thought he would continue to tease her about how she addressed her parents, but unexpectedly he suddenly asked about this.

She calmed her flustered mind a little, thought about it carefully, her expression softened, and she nodded gently in response: "Yes, I like them. Children are soft and cuddly, with chubby cheeks and simple, adorable personalities, of course they're lovable."

She genuinely felt that children were clean, healing, gentle, and pure.

Wen Zhaoci's dark, deep eyes were fixed on her small face, his gaze focused and intense, lingering on her reddened eyebrows and pink lips.

His Adam's apple bobbed very slightly, the tenderness in his eyes faded slightly, replaced by a seriousness and stubbornness, and he spoke slowly, each word clear:

"How about we have one together?"

A simple sentence, tender and affectionate, yet like a scalding pebble, crashed into Sang Jiuning's heart, instantly stirring up a monstrous wave.

Sang Jiuning's mind went blank on the spot, and she froze completely.

Her pupils dilated slightly, her face filled with astonishment, completely unexpected that Wen Zhaoci would suddenly say such a thing.

My heartbeat completely went off track, and a burning sensation instantly swept over my entire face, even my fingertips felt slightly hot.

Almost instinctively, without thinking, she immediately blurted out, "No!"

His tone was both urgent and soft.

Upon hearing those two words, the light in Wen Zhaoci's eyes dimmed slightly for a moment, immediately tinged with a hint of grievance.

He frowned slightly, his delicate eyebrows drooping, like a large dog neglected by its owner. His gentle voice also carried a faint nasal tone, pitiful yet tender.

"Why not?"

He leaned closer, his eyes glistening with tears, staring intently at Sang Jiuning, desperately seeking an answer.

Seeing his aggrieved look, Sang Jiuning whispered in defense, "We're still in school, still university students, how can we... how can we have a baby?"

Wen Zhaoci looked at her flustered and evasive eyes, and at her flushed face. A triumphant smile flashed in his eyes, but he still pretended to be wronged.

He lowered his head slightly, his warm nose gently brushing against her small nose, his warm breath sweeping over her lips, tickling and burning, sending shivers down her spine.

The boy's low voice brushed against her lips, carrying a gentle seduction, each word clear and distinct: "So, baby, you mean that once you stop going to school and graduate, you can have a baby with me?"

He accurately seized upon the loophole in her words.

Sang Jiuning felt weak all over from his teasing, her cheeks were so red they were almost bleeding, and she was too shy to look up.

She lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling, her voice barely audible, tinged with a mixture of coquettishness and embarrassment, as she muttered softly, "Who...who wants to have your baby...Don't make wild guesses or talk nonsense!"

How could this guy flirt with such a serious attitude, leaving her completely defenseless?

Seeing her adorable appearance, blushing with obvious shyness and her ears turning bright red, Wen Zhaoci's heart overflowed with doting affection.

He stopped teasing his little girl, afraid of making her shy or annoyed.

A gentle, tender smile slowly curved his lips as he pulled back from his leaning posture, raised his hand, and extended his long, clean fingers, his fingertips soft and delicate, to gently brush across the corner of her mouth.

He gently wiped away the little milk stain that had gotten on her while drinking milk.

The movements were extremely gentle and meticulous, filled with the utmost favoritism and doting.

After tidying up the few remaining traces, he spoke softly, his voice gentle and calm, devoid of the previous probing and teasing, leaving only tenderness.

"I won't bother you anymore."

"Let's go back to school together after we eat. I remember you have a major class at 10 a.m., so don't be late."

Upon hearing this, Sang Jiuning's tense and flustered heartstrings finally relaxed, and she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, he finally stopped teasing her.

The bell rang crisply as the last professional get out of class of the afternoon ended, and the noisy voices instantly filled the entire teaching building.

Sang Jiuning tidied up the textbooks on the table, her fingertips tracing the pages, her mind still preoccupied with the message she had received at noon.

It was sent by Fu Yanchen.

A simple sentence: 【We're going back to the villa tonight for your birthday celebration, there's a surprise!!!】

The moment Sang Jiuning saw the message, her heart was filled with warmth.

Fu Yanchen cared about her in everything he did; he truly doted on and protected her.

Clutching her phone, she jogged to the lab building to find Wen Zhaoci, a gentle tenderness in her eyes, and said softly, "Aci, I won't go to the cafeteria with you tonight, and I won't be coming back to your place."

Wen Zhaoci looked up, his dark eyes falling on her fair face, his tone gentle: "What's wrong? Is something else?"

"It's my birthday today." Sang Jiuning smiled and said in a light tone, "My cousin asked me to go back to the villa. He said he has a surprise for me, so I have to go back."

Wen Zhaoci's gaze lingered on her face for two seconds, a faint, unreadable emotion flashing in his eyes. He replied, "Okay, then have fun. Be careful tonight. Message me anytime if anything happens. Remember to spend time with me tomorrow."

"Okay." Sang Jiuning nodded.

After saying goodbye to Wen Zhaoci, Sang Jiuning carried her schoolbag and took a taxi straight to Fu Yanchen's private villa.

But the moment she pushed open the villa door, she was met not with the familiar warmth, but with a deep, dark darkness.

Not a single light was on in the living room or hallway of the entire villa; it was so quiet that only the soft sound of her own footsteps could be heard.

Sang Jiuning paused for a moment, then subconsciously raised her hand to steady herself on the door frame, a sweet guess instantly popping into her mind.

Could it be a birthday surprise that Fu Yanchen prepared on his own?

She couldn't help but smile, her heart softening.

He really is her doting brother; he even goes to such lengths to create a romantic and thoughtful little ceremony for her birthday.

She walked slowly forward, just about to call out to someone, when a tall and slender figure emerged from the darkness.

Fu Yanchen is tall and slender, holding an exquisite white cream cake in one hand. A thin number candle is firmly inserted in the center of the cake, and the bright "20" is particularly eye-catching.

The faint candlelight was the only light in the darkness, flickering gently and reflecting on Fu Yanchen's deep-set eyes.

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