---

---

I, too, began to like these flowers because of him. But now, they feel like an eyesore.

Even when love is overflowing, there are times when it ebbs. A 99% favorability rating also gradually fades.

Sooner or later, he will be with the female lead. Why should I even keep these flowers?

Holding the bouquet of baby’s breath, I walked out of the office and bumped into Shi Qing, who was on her way to print documents.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Jiang. What beautiful flowers,” Shi Qing greeted, her eyes shining with admiration.

After thinking for a moment, I handed them to her. “If you like them, they’re yours.”

This is what we devoted second male leads are supposed to do. I should recognize my role now.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door creaking open behind me.

I turned around.

He Yu was gripping the door handle, his face dark with anger. His black eyes, sharp like a hawk’s, seemed as though they wanted to pierce right through me.

---

12

At this moment, the male and female leads, along with me, the second male lead, were gathered together.

We all stared at each other.

A classic, tense love triangle.

I thought the story would naturally proceed with He Yu pulling Shi Qing away to assert his dominance, leaving me, the second male lead, heartbroken and dejected.

But to my surprise, He Yu seemed like he had taken the wrong medicine. His presence was terrifyingly cold as he grabbed my wrist and shoved me into a Maybach.

The car sped off, and we soon arrived at the place I had just moved into.

He Yu effortlessly unlocked the door with the password.

My heart sank.

Before I could fully process it, the heavy door closed behind us.

He Yu grabbed my collar and pinned me against the wall cabinet in the entryway.

He scoffed and asked an unexpected question, “Jiang Jin, are you wondering how I know the password?”

He Yu has a pair of beautiful but indifferent eyes. Now, under the scattered hallway lights, they looked somewhat sad.

He continued, “It’s because, you liar, you always cruelly leave me with a sliver of hope.

“Do you know how happy I was when I kissed you, pretending to be drunk, and you didn’t push me away immediately? Instead, you kissed me back?

“But then the next day, you told me you were moving and said you had someone you liked.

“How ironic, having someone you like yet setting the password of your new place to my birthday.

“All these years, you’ve always been like this—keeping me at arm’s length but still giving me hope, watching me chase after you in circles.

“And I can’t help it. I like you so much that I can’t break free.”

His words hit me like a hammer, striking deep into my heart.

I suddenly realized I might have misunderstood something all this time.

Could it be that his favorability for me hadn’t decreased?

But the system clearly said…

My mind was a mess, and before I could think further, the fabric of my collar tightened around my neck.

He Yu pulled me closer.

What followed was a fierce and punishing kiss.

He Yu still wasn’t particularly skilled at kissing, but he instinctively bit and licked at my lips, prying open my mouth to steal the breath from my throat.

My waist was forced against the edge of the cabinet, arching painfully to endure his rage-filled, venting kiss.

He had every right to be angry.

Before being transported into this book, I had dated many people. I knew full well where the boundary lay between friends and lovers.

Yet, for years, I had pretended to be straight, never rejecting his over-the-line advances.

Only when the system noticed his overly high favorability for me did I reluctantly distance myself from him at the system’s insistence.

I was greedy and selfish.

I wanted to live freely in this world, but I also longed for the thrill of that ambiguous love.

Inwardly, I cursed myself.

Jiang Jin, you’re truly a horrible person!

Suddenly, a thought struck me.

The system wasn’t here, and despite kissing for so long, the punishment hadn’t kicked in.

Maybe that unreliable system had been deceiving me all along.

This was a golden opportunity; I had to try to explain things to He Yu!

Say what you will about his kissing skills—they were average—but his lung capacity was something else.

My lips were numb, and my tongue felt almost paralyzed.

With great effort, I managed to push him away, gasping for breath as I said, “He Yu, listen to me, I…”

The second half of my sentence seemed stuck, as though something was preventing me from speaking. My face flushed red, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

He Yu seemed to lose patience. With a few swift movements, he tore off his tie and bound my wrists.

My mind short-circuited.

I stared blankly and asked, “He Yu, what are you doing?”

---

His eyes were still tinged with the heat of the kiss, alluring and mesmerizing. But the words that came out of his mouth were ice-cold:

“I’m going to sleep with you.”

My brain fried.

---

13

To be honest, when He Yu said that, I thought he was just joking in a fit of anger.

But soon enough, he lifted me in his arms and threw me onto the bed in the bedroom.

He Yu smirked, a self-deprecating laugh escaping his lips, his voice husky:

“Jiang Jin, if you had shown no reaction, I would’ve let you go tonight.”

He knelt on one knee on the bed, leaning down between my tied hands. Glancing downward, he said:

“Would someone about to marry and have children have feelings for their best friend?

“I used to be too naïve. I thought you just couldn’t see your true feelings. That’s why you were so hot and cold with me. I thought if I slowly seduced you, teased you, that one day I’d earn the right to spend my life with you.”

He Yu gently stroked my earlobe and said in a low voice, “I was wrong.

“I underestimated my possessiveness. I can’t stand you giving even a fraction of your attention to someone else.

“You don’t respond to gentleness, so maybe you need something harsher. Since you love giving out flowers, think about tonight.”

As he spoke, his gaze darkened, and he kissed me again.

He Yu wasn’t joking this time; he was serious.

His kisses were everywhere, and the itch penetrated deep into my bones, almost devouring me whole.

He Yu’s gaze was filled with desire, and as he parted his lips to speak, his voice was dangerously seductive:

“Jiang Jin, I don’t think you’re all that into Shi Qing.

“Your body is honest.

“I should have made you see yourself clearly a long time ago.”

I gritted my teeth in anger and snapped, “He Yu, don’t go too far!”

Before entering this book, I had dated plenty of men. Never had anyone toyed with me like this.

But He Yu delivered another line that left me speechless:

“What’s too far?

“I just kissed you, and you’ve already messed up the new sheets.”