I, Chen Yusheng, am an interesting woman

A few minutes earlier.

Chen Yusheng slowly woke up on the spacious, soft bed. A sliver of intense sunlight peeking through the curtains confirmed it was probably already noon.

She stared blankly for a while before her memories gradually resurfaced.

As she recalled…, her cheeks and snow-white neck quickly grew burning hot.

After squirming under the covers for a bit, Chen Yusheng realized the room was likely empty—her bashfulness wouldn’t be seen by anyone, even if she emerged from the blankets.

But… it was just too absurd!

…

Glancing at her phone, she saw several unread messages—some from her roommate, others from her advisor.

She first asked her advisor for leave, then reassured her roommate that her overnight absence wasn’t due to some incident dramatic enough to feature on a true-crime show.

Next, Chen Yusheng tapped on Su Bai’s profile picture—a white goose.

Hmph, even his QQ avatar was a white goose.

She hesitated over whether to message him.

Clearly, Su Bai was busy with his own affairs, and what she needed now was rest.

But she missed him so much—she wanted him back by her side.

After much deliberation, Chen Yusheng finally admitted to herself that the only reason she could accept such an outrageous arrangement as being "kept" was that Su Bai was truly someone who resonated with her soul. A person like that… you’d probably only meet once in a lifetime.

No—most people wouldn’t even meet one at all.

Chen Yusheng knew her luck wasn’t great, so since she’d found Su Bai, she had to hold on tight.

But… they’d only been apart since morning. Would asking him to come back now make her seem too clingy?

Truth be told, Chen Yusheng had a bit of a contradictory personality—a childish pride that made her feel she wasn’t like those ordinary, shallow women.

So she couldn’t just act like a typical girl, clinging cutely to a man after intimacy.

And yet, she desperately wanted to talk to Su Bai.

After agonizing over it, she still couldn’t figure out how to start the conversation.

So she reopened an AI Q&A webpage.

"Last night, I finally took the plunge with the man I love. Today, I want to see him again—how should I message him to convey my feelings while still seeming like… well, a fun woman?"

That’s right. Chen Yusheng believed she was a fun woman—the key difference between her and the other girls around Su Bai. Hah!

The AI seemed stumped.

After freezing for a long time, it spat out: "Server not responding."

Fuming, Chen Yusheng puffed out her cheeks and tried another AI interface, repeating the question.

This time, she got several lengthy answers.

She skimmed through them one by one.

The first few were cringeworthy—just imagining them made her want to dig her toes into her socks (or better yet, vanish entirely).

But the last one made her eyes light up.

Not bad!

So she copied the suggested approach and sent Su Bai a 600-yuan red packet.

[Yuxie: [Red Packet - Congratulations, Good Fortune]]

[Crispy White Goose: [Chisato_QuestionMark]]

[Yuxie: Hmph, you… you did well last night. Next time, this big sister will book you again.]

[Crispy White Goose: [Lian_RabbitYear_LaughingMyAssOff]]

[Crispy White Goose: Did I scramble your brain last night, or have you been binge-reading shitposts?]

[Crispy White Goose: Baby, please act normal. You’re scaring me.]

[Yuxie: ……]

Chen Yusheng stared at her phone in silence, her entire face burning up again.

Suddenly, she flung the phone aside, burrowed back under the covers, and let out a humiliated groan.

Gaaahhh!

Her attempt at humor had been ruthlessly mocked by Su Bai.

She really shouldn’t have blindly trusted AI—stupid artificial intelligence wasn’t infallible after all.

Before long, her phone rang—an old anime theme song from a series she’d loved as a child.

But she hadn’t set it as her default ringtone.

No matter how much she liked a song, once it became a ringtone (or worse, an alarm), she’d grow to hate it.

However, after meeting Su Bai, she’d assigned that song as his exclusive caller tone.

That song, and Su Bai, were both her greatest loves.

Combining the two meant she’d never tire of it.

Bracing through the embarrassment, she answered.

Su Bai’s cheerful, amused voice came through the speaker.

"Awake now?"

"Mhm…"

"Hold on—I’m out grabbing food. I’ll be back soon. Want me to bring you something?"

"I can just order delivery."

"Don’t be shy with me. After all, we’re… y’know…"

"Stop! D-don’t say that word! Ugh… fine. I want spicy boiled fish."

"Extra spicy?"

"Extra spicy."

"No rice, just instant noodles?"

"Mhm!"

"Got it."

The call ended quickly.

Chen Yusheng held her phone, lips curling into an irrepressible smile.

Her conversations with Su Bai were always like this—efficient, effortless.

Filled with an innate tacit understanding.

The kind of understanding that mismatched couples could never replicate, no matter how long they dated.

Suddenly energized despite her soreness, Chen Yusheng wobbled to her feet and headed for the shower.

…

Incompatibility was often the downfall of relationships.

So really, Chen Yusheng and Su Bai were destined for a lifetime of happiness!

Well… technically, as Su Bai put it, he was "keeping her" for life.

Whatever. As long as they stayed together. In fact, being "kept" was arguably better for longevity—it meant they wouldn’t be constrained by the usual practicalities that doomed ordinary couples.

After showering, she felt refreshed… only to realize a critical issue.

Last night’s outfit—especially the black stockings—had been trashed.

So… what was she supposed to wear now?