Xia Xia was practically lifted onto the bed by Xie Huai’s grip on her waist.

She swayed in his hands, her struggles weaker than a chick flapping its wings.

“Xie Huai, what’s wrong with you?” She pounded his back and bit his shoulder. “The walls are thin here, let me go!”

Though her bite hurt him, Xie Huai didn’t release her. His eyes showed a hint of ruthlessness: “Afraid someone will hear? Then you’d better keep that mouth of yours shut tight.”

He tossed the girl onto the lower bunk, took off his shoes, and climbed up, pulling the bed curtain closed to block out the dim hallway light filtering through the transparent glass above the door.

Xia Xia couldn’t move, pinned down under him: “You’re going too far.”

“I’m going too far?” Xie Huai laughed, lowering his head to bite her lips, leaving clear teeth marks.

He pinned her hands beside the pillow, allowing no resistance as he covered her face with bites, leaving it wet with saliva.

Xia Xia remained silent, not crying out in pain, quietly letting him bite until he was satisfied. Then he propped himself up on his arms and stared at her quietly.

“You’re the one who went to fucking far.”

A thunderstorm had washed away the summer heat, with moisture permeating every inch of breathable air.

Xia Xia’s body was cold under her nightgown, yet her skin burned wherever Xie Huai touched her. She met his gaze and read the predatory hunger in his eyes.

Xie Huai smiled.

He half sat up, pulled off his tank top, untied the drawstring of his sweatpants, and pressed down without a word.

Xia Xia felt his forceful invasion and bit her lip hard. Her eyes clouded over with a misty sheen, shimmering with a dazed light.

Xie Huai watched her, his expression showing tenderness but even more so a desperate desire that found no outlet. He began to move, his voice hoarse. Xia Xia immediately burst into tears. She couldn’t hold back anymore, her fists pounding his back as she cursed: “You dog—”

Having not touched her for months, Xie Huai was especially fierce. He gently bit her ear and whispered: “Still being stubborn?”

He laughed softly in the darkness, the sound burning intimately in Xia Xia’s ears. He said: “Be as stubborn as you want. I’ve got something harder than your stubbornness, and if I don’t make you yield tonight, I’ll write my name Xie Huai backward.”

…

Xia Xia had thought his words were just threats and intimidation, but she hadn’t expected him to be serious.

Xie Huai wasn’t trying to make her yield as he’d said; from Xia Xia’s perspective, he seemed determined to destroy her completely. She couldn’t resist – just breathing in his clean, fresh scent mixed with sweat made her body feel like scattered bones without any strength. Soon she went limp, melting like water, unable to move at all.

Xie Huai had said from the start he would teach her a lesson, and he meant every word. He watched her carefully, withdrawing just as she was about to reach her peak. Sweat dripped from his neck onto Xia Xia’s body as he deliberately teased: “Still want to break up?”

Xia Xia clenched her teeth, holding back all sounds.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway as a girl from the opposite dorm returned from the bathroom. Hearing crying through the thin door, she knocked: “Xia Xia? Are you alright?”

Xia Xia’s body tensed. Just as she was about to speak, Xie Huai flashed a wicked smile in the darkness, his every movement keeping her under his control. Xia Xia almost let a moan escape; she dug her nails into Xie Huai’s arm, but he ignored her, deliberately making things as difficult for her as possible.

His eyes gleamed darkly as he pressed his forehead to hers, interrogating her: “Still want to break up?”

“Still want to act out?”

“Still dare to ignore me and let me find another girlfriend?”

By the end, he was gritting his teeth fiercely: “Just try nodding.”

Xia Xia’s black hair spread across the pillow was damp with sweat, pitifully clinging to her shoulders and cheeks.

The girl outside knocked harder: “Xia Xia? Why are you crying? Should I call the dorm supervisor?”

Xie Huai coldly gripped Xia Xia’s chin, making her look at him: “If you don’t answer, I’ll go out right now and let her see.”

Xia Xia’s face was covered in tears. She couldn’t hold back anymore and wrapped her arms tightly around Xie Huai’s neck, her dependence and attachment completely exposed.

“Stop tormenting me.” She shook her head desperately, her voice soft and sticky, crying miserably yet trying to keep quiet – to his ears, it was a signal of reconciliation and surrender.

Xie Huai loosened his grip slightly to let her answer the girl.

“I’m fine,” Xia Xia’s voice still carried traces of crying. She said, “I just had a nightmare.”

The girl asked: “Want me to keep you company?”

Xia Xia: “No need, you should get some rest.”

The door across the hall closed.

Xie Huai smiled rakishly: “Why cry? Isn’t Sister Xia supposed to be tough? You’re just trying to win my sympathy by acting pitiful, but that trick won’t work anymore.”

He said heartlessly: “You ignored me for four months. Counting once per day, you owe me 120 times. Think about how you’ll make it up to me.”

Xia Xia didn’t speak, and he smiled: “There’s four hours until dawn. Let’s start paying back a small portion.”

Xie Huai sat up to remove his T-shirt but accidentally hit his head on the upper bunk. He hissed in pain and moved Xia Xia to bend over the desk instead. The cement floor was cold; Xia Xia was barefoot, so he let her stand on his feet – the height was just right.

Four hours would normally pass in the blink of an eye, but tonight it seemed endless to Xia Xia.

The storm outside stopped at three, but the tempest Xie Huai had stirred up raged on all night. Xia Xia tossed and turned, feeling like he would be the death of her.

…

Xia Xia was woken in the morning by Xie Huai’s random kisses, his lips trailing from her hairline down to her chin in tiny pecks.

Having barely slept, Xia Xia was too tired to open her eyes. Irritated by his harassment and overcome with morning grumpiness, she slapped his face: “Can’t you stop being annoying?”

“You…” Xie Huai caught her slap right on his cheek and cursed through gritted teeth, “Getting satisfied and then hitting me, have you no conscience?”

“I want to sleep!” Xia Xia said irritably, “You’re crowding me.”

Xie Huai had slept holding her. With his long limbs, he couldn’t stretch out on the single bed and had to press close to her.

The temperature had risen after the rain cleared, and with no air conditioning in the dorm, Xia Xia was uncomfortably hot. She squirmed, trying to escape Xie Huai’s embrace.

Xie Huai moved closer to the wall: “I won’t crowd you, just let me hold you a while longer.”

Xia Xia closed her eyes to sleep, but Xie Huai grew restless again, playing with her hair one moment and her eyelashes the next. Finally, he propped himself up and asked: “Does what you said last night still count? We’re back together, right?”

Xia Xia gave an impatient “mm,” and Xie Huai, seeing her soft, drowsy, half-asleep eyes, couldn’t help getting handsy again.

Xia Xia clutched her nightgown collar: “…What are you doing?”

Xie Huai smiled: “Don’t sleep anymore, let’s go another round.”

…

The sun was already high outside.

Looking satisfied, Xie Huai picked up his scattered clothes and put them on one by one in front of Xia Xia.

Xia Xia lay on the bed unable to get up, watching him through a slit between her arms. Noticing her peeking, Xie Huai came over and bent down to kiss her. Xia Xia, now afraid of him, instinctively tried to dodge, but Xie Huai held her shoulders still.

He asked: “I have to go. What do you want for lunch?”

“Nothing,” Xia Xia said weakly, “I don’t want to move.”

She looked at Xie Huai: “Where are you going?”

“To take care of something,” Xie Huai said. “I found out who’s handling the new dorm building project at South University. The school supports student entrepreneurship, and I’ve already talked with several teachers. They put in a good word for me, but whether I can close the deal depends on me.”

“I won’t be at school for the next few days.” He pointed to his cheek, “Kiss me one more time.”

Xia Xia obediently tilted her head up to kiss him. Xie Huai looked at her with affection: “If everything goes well, when I come back next time, Brother Huai will have money.”

He straightened his clothes, and as he walked out the door, Xia Xia called to him.

“Xie Huai.” She lowered her head and said softly, “I didn’t want to break up, I just…”

“I know.” After getting dressed, Xie Huai was like a beast wearing human skin – his fierce intensity from last night was gone, and his whole demeanor turned gentle. “If you wanted to break up, I wouldn’t have waited until today to deal with you.”

“Everyone has moments when they emotionally crash and need to be alone.” He smiled, “My Xia Xia is already very capable.”

…

Xia Xia’s dorm was on the third floor. When Xie Huai reached the stairwell between the first and second floors, he saw the dorm supervisor at the entrance. He detoured to the second-floor washroom and climbed out through the wide-open window, stepping on the sandy exterior wall of the building.

Passersby couldn’t help but stare when they saw a young man jumping down from the girls’ dormitory, but Xie Huai didn’t mind. He was in an excellent mood and looked back at the third-floor window.

The curtains in Xia Xia’s room were open, letting in the morning sunlight.

Xia Xia’s body ached, but she forced herself to go to the washroom. When she returned, she found the girl who had knocked last night standing at her door with a package.

Seeing Xia Xia return, the girl held up the package: “This is from Xie Huai. He said to eat whatever you like from it. You don’t need to go out for dinner either – just heat it in the microwave downstairs. If you want fresh food, text him and he’ll order takeout for you.”

Xia Xia took it – the bag was full of all her favorite foods.

When Xie Huai had asked what she wanted for lunch she said nothing, he had bought all her favorite foods instead.

There was a napkin on top of the food containers. Xia Xia turned it over to find Xie Huai’s messy handwriting: [Wait for me to return.]

At the bottom, he had casually signed both their names inside a heart shape. Looking at his chicken-scratch handwriting, she couldn’t help but smile.

Xie Huai didn’t return for a week. Xia Xia asked a few times, but he never told her about any difficulties he encountered, always saying there were no problems. Knowing he didn’t want her to worry or appear troubled in front of her, she didn’t press further.

She wasn’t busy with her internship these days and had weekends off, so she took the opportunity to go shopping at the mall.

Zhu Ziyu had told her that men, especially those in the working world, needed certain things to maintain appearances.

They could save on food and even go without a house – these inner qualities weren’t visible unless you mentioned them. But outer appearances couldn’t be neglected, often shown through a good car, a nice watch, and a high-end, proper suit. These things not only reflected wealth and status but also gave those sitting across from you a sense of your resources and capital.

Xia Xia didn’t know many people in society, but Zhao Jinsong was one, and Zheng Zhiming was another.

Zhao Jinsong drove a BMW S6, and Zheng Zhiming a Mercedes. Most people who weren’t car enthusiasts only recognized these two luxury brands. When Zheng Zhiming’s car stopped at the dorm entrance to pick up Zhu Ziyu, it always drew a crowd of admiring girls.

Xia Xia had heard Zhu Ziyu mention Zheng Zhiming’s watch, which cost over a hundred thousand yuan. She couldn’t afford a watch that expensive, but she could consider one costing tens of thousands. Since giving her the Buddhist beads, Xie Huai’s wrist had been bare, never wearing any accessories. Xia Xia always felt something was missing there.

…

The sales lady assessed Xia Xia’s ordinary clothes and youthful student appearance, lazily pointing to a corner of the counter: “Looking to buy a watch for your boyfriend? This one suits your age better, and it’s not expensive, just over five thousand…”

Xia Xia ignored the one she pointed to and indicated the watch in the center of the counter: “I want to see this one.”

The sales lady didn’t take it out, repeatedly recommending: “That’s not suitable for your age.”

She glanced up dismissively, assuming Xia Xia couldn’t afford it and was just window shopping, not wanting to waste time showing it.

Xia Xia could read her thoughts from her expression and frowned: “Whether it’s suitable or not depends on seeing it. I want to see this one.”

The sales lady raised her voice: “This one is over thirty thousand!”

“Show it to me.” When Xia Xia wasn’t smiling, her beautiful features carried a cold dignity that commanded respect.

The sales lady took out the thirty-thousand-yuan watch reluctantly: “Be careful, this is our high-end watch, don’t scratch it.”

Xia Xia picked it up casually, barely glancing at it for a few seconds before placing it back in the box.

“Put it away,” she said indifferently, turning to leave.

“Hey—” The sales lady felt fooled but didn’t dare argue with a customer directly. After Xia Xia left, she muttered in frustration, “If you know you can’t afford it, why look? Just a poor student.”

Xia Xia entered another watch store across the way. The two stores were close, both selling designer watches with strong aesthetics. The prices weren’t as high, but the design and materials were flawless, matching well with taste and temperament.

She emerged shortly with a shopping bag. When two employees from the opposite store passed by the first store on their way to the restroom, their conversation reached the sales lady’s ears.

“So generous! Forty-five thousand yuan for a watch and she decided in ten minutes. She wasn’t wearing any designer brands either – I thought she was just a student browsing.”

“Some people just don’t like to show off. Not everyone loves luxury brands. Look at her appearance and manner – she doesn’t look like a poor student at all. Such a beautiful girl certainly can’t be too poor. That man’s watch must be for her boyfriend, right? If the girl is such a beautiful rich lady, her boyfriend must be super wealthy and handsome too. I’m so envious.”

The sales lady: “……”

Xia Xia left the mall directly after her purchase. Forty-five thousand was all her savings – for anything else, she would have needed to think carefully, but she didn’t mind spending it on something for Xie Huai. When the item was right and the price acceptable, she paid without hesitation, never expecting to be labeled as a beautiful rich lady by others.

Just as Xia Xia was preparing to return to school, she received a call from Zhu Ziyu.

“Xia Xia.” Zhu Ziyu’s voice was urgent, “Are you near Wanda Plaza?”

Since Xia Xia had asked Zhu Ziyu earlier about good watch stores, and Wanda Plaza was her recommendation, it wasn’t surprising she knew Xia Xia was there.

Xia Xia said: “I am, what’s wrong?”

“Come to the Starbucks entrance on the back street of Wanda Plaza…”

Before Zhu Ziyu could finish, Xia Xia suddenly couldn’t hear her. There was a dull thud from the phone, followed by a woman’s harsh scream: “It’s useless who you call! Being a homewrecker makes you a worthless woman, and anyone who dares help you is just as worthless!”

After a chaotic burst of women yelling, Xia Xia heard her shrill voice: “What are you all waiting for? Strip her clothes off—”