◎ He worked as hard as a donkey in the production team ◎

After dropping off Teacher Seagull, Xu Tiancheng didn’t head home. Since it was still early, he decided to stop by the gym and handle some work.

After parking, he habitually checked his phone and opened WeChat. He suddenly noticed that she had posted on her Moments about twenty minutes ago.

The photo was from their lunch—blue skies, white clouds, a serene landscape, and a glimpse of the dining table. Her caption read: “I wish every day could be like today.” She even added a little sun emoji.

Xu Tiancheng smiled the entire way inside. At his current stage in life, such a smile might have seemed a little childish—brimming with satisfaction, even a bit giddy.

The gym was busy on weekends, and many people knew him. It was the first time they had seen him in such a state, so they couldn’t resist teasing him.

Teacher Seagull had mentioned that she would be busy that afternoon, so he didn’t want to disturb her. After finishing his work, he checked her Xiaofanshu page—no new posts.

Thinking about it, he realized he hadn’t posted in a long time either. He had started recording his progress because he felt empty and lost, but now, with Teacher Seagull in his life, he was too happy every day to feel the need.

Just then, the front desk called to inform him that several packages had arrived.

They were all local specialties he had carefully selected for Teacher Seagull. Most were trendy, hard-to-get items that weren’t just typical tourist souvenirs.

Later, she told him that she had shared most of them with her colleagues. Xu Tiancheng was actually quite pleased—he figured this meant he was, in some way, being integrated into her inner circle.

By Friday night, his business deal had reached the final step. It had progressed so quickly because Xu Tiancheng was more eager than anyone else. He had compromised on almost everything just to push things forward as fast as possible.

At that moment, while he was finalizing the last details of the contract, Teacher Seagull suddenly messaged him.

Without any prior notice, she simply said—

“I miss you so, so much. I can’t wait another second. I have to see you right now.”

Xu Tiancheng was both surprised and delighted. He had been hoping she would come, eager to welcome her into his daily life, letting her see where he lived, where he worked, and what he did every day. He hadn’t mentioned it before because he was afraid she might find it boring, never expecting her to take the initiative.

Before long, Teacher Seagull appeared at the door. This was the first time Xu Tiancheng had seen her in professional attire. Just standing there, she was already dazzling, as brilliant as a star.

Xu Tiancheng watched as this star sat on his usual spot on the sofa, drinking water from his cup. He had hastily ordered some snacks for her with his food delivery, unsure if she would like them.

In truth, Xu Tiancheng still couldn’t quite figure her out. She was willing to come to him alone at night, which meant she must trust him. Yet, she still refused to tell him her real name.

Before he could dwell on it too much, Teacher Seagull got straight to the point—she wanted to go to his place.

On the way, Xu Tiancheng repeatedly confirmed her decision, worried she might change her mind. Unexpectedly, he ended up making a blunder that annoyed her.

So, when they stepped into the elevator, he decided to stop beating around the bush and stated directly, “I want more than just this.”

“You want…”

She hesitated for a moment, her gaze flickering as if debating something before continuing, “What is it?”

Xu Tiancheng grasped her hand firmly, not letting her retreat, and asked with unwavering determination, “You know I like you, don’t you?”

She nodded. “Who doesn’t like me?”

“I want an exclusive relationship.” Leaving no room for ambiguity, Xu Tiancheng deliberately emphasized each word. “You and me, officially, exclusively, together.”

It was as straightforward as it could be, covering all the key points. If she still brushed it off with a playful remark, then he was truly doomed.

Fortunately, after hearing his words, her eyes flickered with an unhidden mix of nervousness and joy, making it clear—

She wasn’t indifferent. She liked him too. And it wasn’t just a desire to sleep with him; it was real.

Xu Tiancheng was overjoyed and was about to seize the moment when she suddenly said something that left him speechless.

“Well, you really do have a proper code of conduct for casual flings.”

She sounded genuinely impressed.

For a moment, Xu Tiancheng was at a loss for words, taking deep breaths to keep himself from exploding. He was sure she would be the death of him one day.

Before he could recover, the elevator doors opened. Teacher Seagull grabbed both of his hands and pulled him out in a hurry, laughing as she urged, “Come on! The night won’t wait!”

When they arrived at his place, Teacher Seagull was polite enough not to look around too much. But after holding back for a while, she finally couldn’t resist her curiosity. She glanced at him with a puzzled expression and carefully chose her words. “Why is your place… so minimalist?”

Xu Tiancheng felt a bit awkward. He had sold, discarded, or given away most of his belongings since he was planning to move to her city soon. He hadn’t bothered to replace anything.

It was an oversight. If he had known she would come, he would have kept the furniture. Now, his place looked as empty as an abandoned factory.

For a brief moment, the atmosphere was a little stiff, but then Teacher Seagull suddenly laughed. “So this is how bachelors live?”

Xu Tiancheng laughed as well and teased her back. “Exactly. That’s why I need you. What would I do without you?”

She froze for a second, then gave him a quick sideways glance. Maybe she didn’t even realize it herself, but she smiled with an unusual hint of shyness.

As for what happened afterward—well, since they already had protection, everything fell into place naturally.

Teacher Seagull had been insisting on learning how to do push-ups, so Xu Tiancheng used the lesson as an excuse to delay things. Even though he was more than ready, he didn’t want to rush in like a beast and risk leaving a bad impression.

Even when she took the initiative to lie on top of him, he thought they were still in the teasing stage. He never expected her to be so bold—to just straddle him outright.

At that point, there was nothing left to say. Since she liked this, at the very least, he had to make sure she would never want to do it with anyone else.

That night, he gave it his all, working tirelessly like a donkey in a production team. It wasn’t just about the act itself—he made sure to take care of everything, with her satisfaction as his ultimate goal.

Xu Tiancheng was a fitness fanatic, always confident in his stamina, but even he hadn’t expected to wear her out completely.

She was drenched in sweat, her face streaked with tears of overwhelming pleasure, her whole body slick and soft in his arms. Holding her close, Xu Tiancheng couldn’t help but laugh, though he wasn’t sure if lasting that long was really a good thing.

Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her to the bathroom to clean up, thinking that next time, he should probably ask if she wanted to take it a bit easier.

At least one thing was certain—when he woke up in the morning, he was holding a soft, fragrant woman in his arms. It felt almost too good to be real.

He couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss her cheek. But before he could get too far, she grumbled about him disturbing her sleep, didn’t even open her eyes, and punched him on the chest.

Well, that settled it. Xu Tiancheng felt completely satisfied. It had to be her in his arms every morning—no one else would do. Only this feisty little lioness with a bad case of morning temper would be right.

Later, when she finally woke up properly, she immediately apologized, saying she had been half-asleep. Xu Tiancheng actually felt a little disappointed.

But in everyday life, Teacher Seagull was unexpectedly clingy. Whether he was making coffee in the kitchen or opening the door for takeout, she latched onto him and refused to let go. The entire morning, Xu Tiancheng felt like they were conjoined twins.

Well, except for the few minutes he stepped onto the balcony to take a call. His lawyer informed him that most of the transfer procedures had been completed.

When he came back inside, she was biting on a straw, sipping soy milk while flipping through TV channels. The moment she saw him sit down on the sofa, she immediately scooted over, pressing herself against his shoulder like a little cat.

She nuzzled against him, looking up at him every now and then with eyes full of affection, murmuring sweetly between sips of soy milk, “What do I do? I like you so much…”

She had an endless supply of sweet words, leaving Xu Tiancheng completely dizzy from all the affection. Seeing her in such a good mood, he tried coaxing her into moving in with him instead of staying at a hotel. To his surprise, she agreed without hesitation.

Xu Tiancheng drove to take Teacher Seagull back to the hotel. She went upstairs to pack her luggage. Considering that other female colleagues might still be in the room, he didn’t follow her but waited in the hotel parking lot.

After this night, Xu Tiancheng assumed their relationship had successfully progressed to the next level. Earlier, he had to maintain his image in front of her, but now, sitting alone in the car, he could no longer suppress his overflowing smile.

A few minutes later, he received a voice call from her. Seeing the incoming call, he was momentarily stunned. Judging by the time, she shouldn’t have finished packing yet. He thought she was about to tease him again, just like before, using one of her little flirting tricks.

He answered the call without any defense, only to receive her abrupt message of severance.

“I feel sorry for you. I’m too good. You don’t deserve me.”

Xu Tiancheng felt as if his entire body turned ice-cold in an instant.