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

In a moment of desperation, 438 suddenly jumped up from the mat, took a few quick strides with its short legs, and rushed to the rotating running wheel in the cage. It ran two full laps diligently, its movements nimble and full of energy, showing no signs of illness whatsoever.

After finishing the run, he deliberately stopped, turned around and looked at the three girls, as if to prove: Look! I'm perfectly fine!

This sudden full recovery completely stunned Tang Tongtong.

She stared at the lively little chinchilla, paused for two seconds, then instantly realized what was happening. Amused and annoyed, she poked the cage: "So you weren't sick at all? Were you just pretending to be pitiful to amuse us?"

"You little rascal, now you've learned to lie and feign weakness to gain sympathy, haven't you!"

Tang Tongtong was both amused and exasperated, and immediately decided on the punishment: "You're punished today! No snacks allowed, you can only eat totoro food the entire time! Reflect on your actions!"

438 froze on the running wheel, its small body motionless, its heart sinking into utter despair.

[Waaaaah, this is too much!]

[I didn't fail at giving up! I didn't mess up by feigning misery!]

[As expected, life as a human pet is anything but happy; you can't just laze around like a lazy bum!]

☆

As the bell rang for the last class of the afternoon, the gentle glow of the setting sun bathed the campus paths.

Sang Jiuning packed up her textbooks and walked out of the teaching building. She immediately saw Wen Zhaoci, who was leaning against the wall with a tall and straight posture.

He waited quietly for her to finish class.

Sang Jiuning walked over quickly, and a dozen minutes later, the two returned to the apartment.

As soon as she stepped into the apartment building, before Sang Jiuning could even take off her shoes, a warm embrace suddenly wrapped around her tightly.

Wen Zhaoci's strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her firmly into his embrace. His chin rested on the top of her head, his voice deep and tender, tinged with a lingering dependence, as he uttered the two words that came naturally: "Wife."

Two words fell softly into her ear, gentle and intimate.

Sang Jiuning paused slightly, then nestled obediently in his warm embrace, her heart feeling soft and tender.

Even now, she still hasn't fully adapted to her new identity.

Just a few days ago they were an ordinary college couple, and now they are legally married.

When he called her "wife," it was natural and practiced, as if he had practiced it a thousand times. But every time she wanted to respond with "husband," she felt shy and awkward, and couldn't bring herself to say it.

She gently nuzzled his chin, her voice languid and aggrieved, softly pleading, "Just say what you want to say. I've had two long classes in a row, my brain is completely fried, all my brain cells are used up, and I'm starving."

Wen Zhaoci couldn't bear to hold her any longer, so he bent down and gently picked her up, carrying her slowly to the sofa in the living room, where he let her sit comfortably on his lap.

The sofa was soft, and the setting sun streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow on the two of them.

Wen Zhaoci raised his hand and gently stroked her lower back. His fingertips were tender and delicate, and the tenderness in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a serious and solemn expression.

He carefully considered his words, organizing them meticulously, and without daring to conceal anything, slowly recounted to Sang Jiuning all the secrets he had overheard at the Nightclub the previous night.

This includes the fact that Fu Yanchen is her half-brother, who suffered from severe mental illness since childhood, and who pushed away her mother's past when he was five years old.

Sang Jiuning's originally languid and relaxed body gradually stiffened.

She widened her eyes slightly, her gaze filled with disbelief and astonishment as she stared blankly at the man before her, her voice trembling slightly: "What you said... is it all true?"

"It's true." Wen Zhaoci's tone was extremely firm, and his eyes were calm and reliable, giving her a complete sense of security. "After hearing the news last night, I was worried, so I had someone thoroughly investigate all the details overnight. I even secretly called our father to verify, but I only verified Fu Yanchen's background."

"Fu Yanchen is indeed your half-brother. The investigation shows that he was born with mental health issues and suffers from severe mental illness. For many years, he has been suppressing his emotions by taking medication to maintain a normal appearance in front of outsiders."

He paused, then continued to reveal the most crucial truth, each word clear: "I found out that his attending physician was Dr. Zhou Renqing, who treated our mother back then. He is an expert in hypnosis. After our mother's accident, she was deeply hypnotized by him and completely forgot all the truth of what happened back then."

Sang Jiuning's heart sank completely, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she felt a mix of emotions.

She knew Dr. Zhou Renqing and had met him.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the shock and confusion surging in her heart, and reached out to hug Wen Zhaoci's neck, revealing all the secrets she had kept hidden in her heart for the past few days.

There's something I haven't told you yet.

Her voice was soft, yet unusually earnest: "On my birthday, I went to Fu Yanchen's private villa alone. I was perfectly awake that day, but I inexplicably fell asleep. When I woke up again, Fu Yanchen said that he had been reborn, and he talked a lot of nonsense about his past life."

"It was after that that many strange realizations came to my mind. In my past life, you imprisoned me and tormented me. My end was miserable. Now that I think about it, it must have been Fu Yanchen who secretly asked Zhou Renqing to hypnotize me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the boy in his arms suddenly turned cold.

Wen Zhaoci's eyes instantly turned pitch black, so deep that they seemed bottomless, like a silent deep sea churning with unseen undercurrents.

He gazed intently at the little girl in his arms, his eyes deep and heavy, tinged with a barely perceptible bitterness and unease. He spoke softly, "So, do you believe that I treated you badly in my past life, that I hurt you?"

Sang Jiuning was instantly stunned.

She had just earnestly stated a lot of truths, but this person insisted on focusing on the most trivial point and getting stuck on it.

Seeing Wen Zhaoci's suddenly gloomy face, his taut jawline, and the unease hidden in his eyes, Sang Jiuning's heart softened instantly.

Without the slightest hesitation, Sang Jiuning tilted her head slightly, leaned in, and planted a big kiss on his cool cheek, her voice soft yet firm: "Of course I don't believe it."

"Regardless of past lives or anything in the past, I only believe in you now, I believe in the you right now."

A simple sentence instantly soothed all the gloom and unease in Wen Zhaoci's heart.

He raised his hand and gently stroked her soft, long hair, his fingertips moving softly and affectionately, his voice low and tinged with lingering fear: "Wife, you must stay away from Fu Yanchen from now on."

"Dr. Zhou told me that he had already stopped all medications to suppress his condition without my consent. No one knows what crazy or extreme things he might do when he's completely out of control. I'm really afraid he'll hurt you."

Sang Jiuning thought about it carefully for a moment, then slowly nodded, following all the clues to make sense of it: "Hmm."

After saying that, she couldn't help but sigh softly, with a hint of pure regret, her tone indifferent: "To be honest, it's quite a pity. I always thought my brother was a good person, generous and magnanimous. Every time he saw me, he would give me a lot of pocket money and was incredibly generous."