Chapter 66: Making Headlines?

The Next Morning

Meng Yier was awakened by the shrill ring of her phone. She ignored it, tossing the device into her bedside drawer and burying herself deeper under the covers. Yet the phone kept ringing, time and again, relentless and insistent.

At last, Meng Yier could bear it no longer. Annoyed, she snatched the phone up, hesitated for a brief moment, and with bleary eyes glanced at the screen to see an unfamiliar landline number flashing.

Who could be calling at such an hour? Disturbing her dreams at the break of dawn—how utterly shameless!

Suspiciously, she studied the number. After a pause, she finally answered.

“Hello?” Her voice was thick with the roughness of sleep.

“Meng Yier, you’re late.”

A cool, crisp voice came from the other end of the line.

Meng Yier blinked, the confusion in her starry eyes fading, replaced by a languid nonchalance.

“Yan Yichen, let me sleep a little longer, just a bit...”

There was a soft laugh from the other end, then after a moment, the voice continued, “Meng Yier, it’s already eight o’clock. If you don’t get here soon, I can’t promise I won’t add another two days to your week’s penalty…”

She had just closed her eyes again, on the verge of drifting back to sleep, when Yan Yichen’s words jolted her awake. She sat bolt upright in bed.

“No, wait, don’t…”

That insufferable man—threatening her!

Though she fumed inwardly, Meng Yier didn’t dare delay even a second. After all, that man always meant what he said.

“If you don’t want that, then get over here. Now.”

His voice was as cold and emotionless as ever.

“You—” she began, but was cut off by the abrupt beeping as he hung up.

“Hey! I wasn’t finished talking—how rude can you get?”

Cold-hearted, discourteous man.

Cursing him under her breath, Meng Yier flopped back onto the bed. But half a minute later she sprang up again, cheeks puffed in irritation, and hurried to wash up.

...

After breakfast, Yan Yichen instructed Meng Yier to clean the house. When she finished, she remembered she needed to take Fluffy to the pet hospital for a dressing change. To her surprise, Yan Yichen offered to drive her there, declaring solemnly that, as Fluffy’s former owner, it was his duty to fulfill his responsibility.

They parked in front of the pet hospital. Just as Meng Yier was about to get out, cradling Fluffy in her arms, she saw Yan Yichen pull out a mask and cap from who-knows-where and quickly put them on.

“What are you doing?” she asked, baffled by Yan Yichen’s sudden air of mystery.

He raised an eyebrow. “Have you forgotten who I am? I’d rather not be recognized—too much trouble.”

Meng Yier paused, then recalled that he was a celebrity. She nodded in understanding. Yan Yichen was already out of the car, and Meng Yier followed, carrying Fluffy close.

“In broad daylight, in the middle of summer, dressing like that only makes you look more suspicious,” she muttered, half running to keep up with his swift stride.

“And anyway, do you maybe overestimate your own fame? Do you really think that many people know who you are? Since when did you start imagining yourself a superstar?”

Yan Yichen stopped abruptly, turning to look at her. Caught off guard, Meng Yier bumped right into him.

Rubbing her forehead, she quickly apologized, twice in a row.

Yan Yichen’s eyes, dark as ink, held a faint, subtle smile. His deep, cool voice sounded slowly:

“Misunderstanding? Meng Yier, shall we test it? See if we’re on the front page together tomorrow?”

“Front page?”

Meng Yier burst out laughing, bending double, her laughter shaking her whole body like wind through blossoms. It was a long while before she could catch her breath and stop.