Ye Chuan was also a bit caught off guard.
What did she mean by "that night"?
He was still a virgin, having saved himself all these years—of course, he’d give it to Luo Xi.
But the mention of the suburbs reminded Ye Chuan of something. He remembered rescuing a woman a few days ago, though he couldn’t quite recall what she looked like.
After all, he was only interested in money. He casually explained,
"Oh, a few days ago, I saved a woman who was being kidnapped. What a coincidence—she turned out to be the CEO who bought the medicine?"
Rescued a kidnapped CEO?
Those words strung together sounded so unfamiliar that Luo Xi wondered if Ye Chuan was spinning another tall tale.
Not that she could blame herself for doubting him—Ye Chuan had always been a habitual little liar.
"I’m Ye Chuan, and hey, I love telling little white lies."
"Chuan Chuan, when did you save someone?" Luo Xi asked, puzzled. She’d never heard about this before.
"Just a few days ago, when I was bored and went for a walk in the suburbs. I happened to see a woman being kidnapped, so I pulled off a sliding tackle and took down all the kidnappers." Ye Chuan innocently spread his hands.
Bored… and went for a walk in the suburbs?
That’s one hell of a stroll, isn’t it?
Luo Xi didn’t press further. Instead, she reached out and touched Ye Chuan’s arm, asking softly, "Chuan Chuan, you didn’t get hurt, did you?"
"Nope," Ye Chuan smiled.
"Don’t do anything so dangerous again. What if those kidnappers had weapons? What if you got hurt?" Luo Xi fretted. "You should know the saying—a wise man doesn’t stand under a crumbling wall."
"Got it."
A moment later, Ye Chuan felt his phone vibrate—money had just been deposited into his account.
[(China Agricultural Bank) Your account ending in 4399… has received a transfer of 1,000,000 CNY. Current balance: 1,634,220.2.]
"Wow…" Luo Xi’s eyes widened at the sight of a million yuan.
"Now our little Chuan is a rich man," Luo's mother said with a gentle smile. She had always admired Ye Chuan’s resilience, which was why she’d once told Luo Xi that he’d either strike it rich or end up in jail.
"That CEO wants your contact info, Ye Chuan," Luo's father chimed in.
"No."
"Then I’ll just tell her that."
"Mm."
A short while later, Luo's father spoke again. "She says if you’re willing to add her, she’ll give you more money."
Before Ye Chuan could respond, another 300,000 yuan landed in his account.
"Huh?" Ye Chuan raised an eyebrow. Where did this money tree come from? The woman he’d saved was this loaded?
300,000 just to exchange contacts?
"Add her." Ye Chuan wasn’t about to let a cash cow slip away.
After swapping contact details, Qiao Xin didn’t message right away, so Ye Chuan set it aside for the time being.
Once dinner at the Luo household was over, Ye Chuan prepared to head home.
"Little Chuan, why don’t you stay the night? It’s the same wherever you sleep," Luo's mother suggested warmly.
"No, Auntie, I don’t have any spare clothes."
"You do. I bought you two new sets of pajamas recently, and they’re all washed," Luo Xi interjected. Then, meeting Ye Chuan’s gaze, she added,
"You always wear your outdoor clothes as pajamas, and they end up all wrinkled."
Ye Chuan was surprised but agreed readily since Luo Xi had gone to the trouble.
After showering, both Ye Chuan and Luo Xi retreated to her room.
Outside, Luo's mother and father exchanged a knowing glance. They’d long expected this day—after all, the way the two usually acted around each other was no different from a couple, and they saw it every day.
Whether rich or poor, Luo's mother had always seen Ye Chuan as her future son-in-law.
Now that he was making serious money, she liked him even more.
She knew exactly how much her daughter adored him.
Inside the room, Ye Chuan glanced at the floor and asked, "Where’s my futon?"
"Why bother with a futon?" Luo Xi countered. They were already a couple, and her mother’s intentions were obvious.
Sharing the bed was fine.
"No futon? What if you eat me alive?" Ye Chuan grinned. "You’re so thirsty—I feel like I’d be devoured."
The moment he finished speaking, Luo Xi nearly bit him.
"Ugh, fine! Then sleep on the floor—Daddy won’t care!" Luo Xi huffed, turning her back to him and flopping onto the bed.
Ye Chuan chuckled and sat beside her, then leaned down and turned her toward him. Seeing her glaring, he pinched her soft cheek. "I’m staying over. Don’t I get a little reward?"
Luo Xi hesitated, then slowly closed her eyes.
Ye Chuan kissed her, but the moment he tweaked the "Slime’s nose," Luo Xi burst into giggles and immediately hid under the covers.
"Ticklish."
Ye Chuan didn’t tease her further—they were still at home, and who knew if Luo's parents outside might hear anything.
"What’s in that box?" Ye Chuan noticed a cardboard box in the corner and asked offhandedly.
Luo Xi peeked out from the blankets and followed his gaze. "Oh, that’s just old junk from school. It’s been years—I was sorting through it for storage."
"Old stuff?" Ye Chuan’s curiosity was piqued. "Can I look?"
"Sure." Luo Xi sat up and dragged the box over.
Inside were all sorts of things—a school uniform covered in signatures, yearbook notes, sneakers, plush toys…
"You really kept a lot," Ye Chuan remarked, browsing through the items. Luo Xi had always been the school’s star, and the densely autographed uniform proved it.
Then, Ye Chuan spotted a photo album.
"Photo album?"
"That’s from way back," Luo Xi said, though she felt like she was forgetting something important.
Ye Chuan flipped it open.
Inside were countless photos—some Polaroids, others standard prints. A few unprotected ones had yellowed with age.
"Quite the collection."
He paused at a group photo—a cocky-looking girl with short hair, a beaming girl with a ponytail, and a scrawny guy dragged into the shot with a scowl.
"Middle school? Must be six years ago," Ye Chuan mused, looking at the trio.
Not much had changed—except Luo Xi had grown even prettier.
And, of course,
he’d gotten even handsomer.
As he kept flipping, most were group photos—class shots, grade-wide assemblies.
In the sea of faces, Ye Chuan couldn’t even spot himself.
"Here, and here," Luo Xi pointed, tapping specific spots in the crowd.
The photo was a bit blurry, but Luo Xi immediately pinpointed Ye Chuan’s location.
“How did you find me so fast?” Ye Chuan asked, surprised.
“Because you stand out, Chuan—that cocky look of yours,” Luo Xi replied with a playful grin.
“Is that so?”
As Ye Chuan absentmindedly flipped through the pages, he reached the last few and froze. Spread across them were photos of a single boy—all taken from sneaky, candid angles.
Ye Chuan was stunned.
Wasn’t that… him?
Luo Xi suddenly realized what she’d forgotten. With a flustered shriek, she threw herself over the album, her face burning red.
“N-no peeking!”