Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The person outside knocked twice again and called out, "Hey..."

Su Su tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, gave herself one last look in the mirror, then turned and opened the door.

The man outside had already put his clothes back on. He stood with hands on hips, his eyes brimming with disdain as he looked at her.

Tao Youming glanced at his watch as the woman appeared before him, his tone mocking. "Were you giving birth in there? Twenty minutes just to use the bathroom?"

Su Su was in too good a mood to bother arguing. She let her eyes drop slightly to his crotch, her tone apologetic. "Are you alright now?"

Earlier, the moment Tao Youming had entered the room, he had started stripping. Su Su had mistakenly thought she’d been transported into a porn novel, which was why she had kicked him so hard in panic.

Bringing it up only made Tao Youming feel a new jolt of pain surge from that area straight to his chest. He shot her a look, gritting his teeth. "What do you think?!"

"Since it’s not yours, you just went all out without a care, huh?"

"Listen up, Su Su—if this thing stops working, you’ll be paying for this the rest of your life."

As he berated her, Su Su shrugged slightly. She had clearly told him "no" multiple times, yet he had still tried to pin her down. Who else was she supposed to kick?

"If you hadn’t pressed yourself on me, I wouldn’t have kicked you. There’s a cause for every effect," she said calmly. "You pushed me, I kicked you. We’re even."

At her words, Tao Youming’s narrow eyes lifted slightly. "You mean that?"

The original body's owner had always been wild and difficult. Su Su knew her current reaction was uncharacteristically calm, but she wasn’t worried about any butterfly effect. She smiled. "Of course I mean it."

Tao Youming crossed his arms, leaning lazily against the doorframe as he smirked at her. "Since when did you get so reasonable?"

Su Su walked out. Her goal was clear now, so she didn’t plan to engage further. Instead, she looked at him seriously and said in a solemn voice, "Tao Youming, I know you don’t like me. Since that’s the case, why don’t we just break off the engagement?"

Tao Youming’s lips curled slightly before he scoffed and brushed past her into the bathroom.

Su Su frowned, turning to stare at him in confusion. "Tao Youming, I’m talking to you."

Tao Youming glanced at her over his shoulder, then casually started undoing his pants while walking.

Su Su immediately looked away quickly, annoyed. "You're just going to whip it out without a word?"

She was speechless. Was this man always like this, even around people he disliked?

Tao Youming watched her embarrassed response and drawled, "Miss Su, what do you expect me to do in here—have a picnic?"

"Stop just talking and actually do something. I’ve heard ‘break off the engagement’ so many times I’m sick of it. Then actually do it!"

Su Su's breath caught at his words. Now that he mentioned it, she remembered the original host had indeed threatened to break off the engagement multiple times—but only to get his attention.

Over time, he’d become numb to it.

No wonder he was so unfazed when she brought it up now.

The sound of flushing came from behind her. Su Su waited a moment before turning back to face him. "This time, I mean it!"

"We’re breaking off the engagement right now!"

Her expression was sincere, her tone earnest. Tao Youming almost believed her. He nodded slowly as he walked up to her, then asked with a smile, "Right now?"

Tao Youming was tall, and Su Su only reached his shoulders. She had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze, nodding vigorously. "Yes, right now."

Tao Youming looked down at her, his dark eyes glinting with unmistakable mockery.

Like hell he believed her.

"And then in a couple of days, you’ll go crying to my dad, saying I bullied you, and get my cards frozen again?" he said through gritted teeth.

Just thinking about it made him furious. The last time she’d pulled this stunt, his cards had been frozen, and he was still a hundred thousand in debt.

Since when had Tao Youming ever cared about a mere hundred thousand? But now, he was practically on the verge of selling his car to get by.

What a miserable existence.

His expression was cold, his disbelief obvious. Su Su raised her hand solemnly. "I swear, this time I mean it. I’ll go home right now and tell my mom."

Though the original host had schemed her way into this engagement, it had only been finalized after both families had weighed the pros and cons. If they were to break it off now, the Su and Tao families would have to be informed first.

Tao Youming froze for a second, then immediately grabbed her hand, his voice a mix of shock and delight. "Oh, how generous of you."

"Shall I call the movers to help pack your things to send back to the Su family?"

His hand closed around hers, warmth seeping from their joined hands straight to her chest. Su Su’s heart leapt then pounded wildly.

Damn it!

Tao Youming had been the original host’s one true love. Just his proximity or touch was enough for her body and heart to respond.

No wonder she’d felt the urge to hug him earlier when he’d stripped and approached her.

Su Su quickly pulled her hand back, managed a tight smile. "It’s almost past eight, and packing will take time. I’ll head back first. You can have the maid send my things over tomorrow."

She probably had a closet full of clothes at the Su residence anyway.

Her movement was so swift, as if she’d touched something repulsive, that a brief suspicious glance crossed Tao Youming’s eyes.

He looked her over for a moment but found nothing amiss, so he smirked. "Just to be clear—we’re square now. You’re leaving on your own, not because I forced you, right?"

Given how often the original host had tricked him, Tao Youming’s trust in Su Su’s words was minimal. She had to promise him repeatedly. "Don’t worry. Nothing like before will happen again."

"Alright, let’s go now." Tao Youming grabbed her hand again, ready to drag her out.

"No need for the trouble." Su Su smiled brightly and pulled her hand free. "Just have the driver take me."

Tao Youming paused mid-step, turning to look at her with a wide grin. "That's a good girl."

At least she had the sense to know he didn't like her.

Whether Su Su truly intended to break off the engagement or not, Tao Youming wasn’t going to miss this chance now that she was finally leaving. He immediately called for the car without delay.

Su Su quickly gathered her belongings and followed him downstairs.

The grand, opulent hall below was bathed in the soft glow of a crystal chandelier, casting a romantic glow. She felt like she’d stepped into a fairy tale.

Taking a deep breath to suppress her excitement, Su Su walked out of the villa with perfect calm.

Outside, a blue Bugatti was parked.

Su Su almost squealed. This was her ultimate fantasy car—the one she’d saved as her phone wallpaper countless times!

She wondered if the Su family had one. If not, she’d make sure she got one ASAP.

Su Su now felt like she was dreaming. She suddenly wondered if there was some kind of show-off system at play.

But after getting into the car and waiting expectantly for a while, no mechanical voice appeared in her mind.

The car drove out of the villa and zoomed down the road.

Outside the window, neon lights flickered, lighting up the night in a dazzling display.

The villa wasn’t far from the Su family home, and after about half an hour, Su Su arrived at her destination.

The car stopped right at the entrance of the Su family villa. As soon as Su Su stepped out, a woman walked up to her and said softly, her voice warm, "Baby, why did you suddenly come back?"

Su Su: "???"

Baby?

Was that supposed to be cute?