I fell for the cute guy busking on the street corner. Every time I listened to one song, I’d tip him a dollar. As it became a habit, I’d send him money even when I didn’t go. He’d send me private audio clips of his singing. “Here you go, beautiful.” I thought to myself, this puppy’s taking the bait. Until that day, when I overheard three handsome guys at my music store. “You still haven’t sealed the deal with that dollar-tipping cougar?” “The bet ends in three days. Loser pays five grand!” “Screw off. That old lady? I could have her eating out of my hand in no time.” That’s when I realized they had a bet going about me. Later, I made a bet of my own. I wagered I could sleep with all three of them within a month. 0 After my divorce, I developed a new hobby – keeping toy boys. Of course, not actual toy boys. I mean the kind that are handsome, docile, naive, and a bit stupid. So I moved my music store next to the local college. Ready to catch one on the spot. I already had someone in mind. It was this cute busker I’d been crushing on lately. He was tall and slim, sitting cross-legged on the ground with his guitar, barely looking up as he played, yet still drawing crowds of girls. The first time we met, I tossed him a coin to make him look up. Deep brown curls, long lashes, deep voice – super hot. “Carrying around dollar coins these days? You’re quite the character, miss,” he said. He flipped the coin with his thumb, and it landed right in my… well, let’s just say it went down my shirt. Embarrassingly, my neckline was rather low that day, so it went straight in. The hottie jumped up in a panic. “I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to do that!” I looked down at myself, then back at him. “Well, looks like you won’t be getting that dollar back anytime soon.” His cheeks turned bright red. I sent him a dollar via PayPal. That night I got a SnapChat friend request. His name was Lucas, a music student at the college. Not many gym selfies on his profile, and no photos with female friends. Seemed pretty innocent. After that, I’d make sure to pass by his corner every day after work. Each time I’d listen to one song and tip him a dollar. Lucas asked why I always tipped exactly a dollar. I said it was because he sang love songs. “Don’t you know why I sing love songs?” he asked. I knew, but I didn’t say. Ever since adding me on SnapChat, he’d been posting shirtless pics almost daily. “Because they’re popular?” I suggested. He responded with silence. As time went on, I gradually stopped going to see him perform, but I’d still send him money even when I didn’t go. That dollar was my emotional anchor for him. Lucas would send me private audio clips of his singing. “Here you go, beautiful.” “Sounds great.” “I thought you’d gotten bored of me.” “Just been busy.” “You used to come by all the time last month.” “Things change.” The push and pull of adult flirtation needs no explanation. One day, I deliberately “forgot” to send him money. Lucas waited all night, then lost it and got angry. “You’re just bored of me!” He angrily refunded all the money I’d sent him. Two months, about $60 total. What an idiot, letting me play him for so long. I hadn’t spent a cent. 0
He’d suffered enough, time to give him a taste of sweetness. I had a surprise planned for Lucas. My new music store was deliberately opened near his school. To maintain my air of mystery, I’d never told Lucas what I did for work. The identity of a music store owner should impress him. I told him I’d see him today. The new store was busy with students and teachers on opening day. I might run into Lucas by chance. Suddenly I overheard three guys talking. “You still haven’t sealed the deal with that dollar-tipping cougar?” “The bet ends in three days. Loser pays five grand!” “Screw off. That old lady? I could have her eating out of my hand in no time.” That deep, magnetic voice was unmistakable. Lucas walked in with two other guys. The three of them had their arms around each other’s shoulders – clearly close friends. They were all pretty handsome. Lucas had the purest, most innocent face. The one who called me “dollar-tipping cougar” looked a bit wilder. The last one wore glasses and had a calm, studious look, like he stepped out of an anime. Birds of a feather flock together, I suppose. Handsome guys stick together. “Who was it that said they could seal the deal in three months?” “Buy me a piano and we’ll call it even.” Lucas smirked, waving his phone at them. “See this? I get mad once, and she’s coming to find me!” I hadn’t expected Lucas to have this side to him. I thought he was an innocent puppy, but turns out he’s a sly dog. Making bets about sleeping with me in three months? What a nasty game. But I… kind of like these kinds of bets. I bet I could sleep with all three of them in one month. 0
The three of them were eyeing a piano. Lucas stood by it, pressing a few keys with one hand while texting me with the other. “How’s this sound? I’m at a music store. When are you coming to see me? I’ll play for you when we meet.” “On my way,” I replied. Lucas’s lips curled into a smile. “She’s really coming to find me! Hurry up and buy if you’re buying, don’t keep me waiting.” The three suddenly became very efficient, quickly asking about the price. “Boss, how much is this one?” I went over to help them personally. When I appeared, their expressions all changed. Lucas froze, looking uneasy. The wilder-looking one leaning against the piano subconsciously adjusted his posture. Even the one sitting at the piano looked startled for a moment before standing up. I maintained a gentle smile. “Hello, I’m the owner. Would you like me to introduce this piano?” I spoke confidently, exuding charm. Lucas stared at me the whole time. When I finished, Lucas nervously opened his mouth: “Beautiful, when did you get here?” The other two exchanged glances, realizing who I was. “Just arrived. Didn’t you say you’d play for me when we met?” I didn’t expose him. Because the game had to go on. Lucas played the piano nearby. I brought glasses of water to the other two guys. The wild one was called Zack, the studious one Ethan. As I handed the glass to Ethan, I deliberately let our fingers touch, leaning close to his ear. “You played better than him earlier.” Ethan glanced at me and pulled his hand back: “You…” The paper cup suddenly fell to the ground, spilling water all over my dress. The music stopped. Lucas had been watching us closely and stood up to look at Ethan. “What are you doing? Can’t even hold a cup steady?” Ethan hesitated without speaking. I smiled. “It’s fine.” I went to the bathroom to clean up. As I came out, I ran into the troublemaker. “I saw everything. You were hitting on Ethan.” I smiled at him. “I wasn’t.” One sentence hardly counts as flirting, does it? Zack put his hands in his pockets and smirked, looking a bit roguish. “I wasn’t going to get involved! But Lucas and Ethan are my bros. What if you mess things up between us?” It seemed Zack was the leader of the three, Ethan the youngest, which made Lucas the middle one. Zack stepped closer, lowering his head: “If you keep hitting on Ethan, I’ll tell Lucas.” I looked up at him, almost touching his nose, my voice lilting. “So if I hit on you instead, would you tell?” Before he could react, I grabbed his neck and kissed him. It all happened so suddenly. Zack was stunned as I pushed him against the wall. He stared down at me, forgetting to push me away. Until Ethan’s cool voice came from nearby. “Zack, what are you two doing?” 0
Zack finally snapped out of it, prying my arms off. There was still lipstick on his lips. “You!” He was furious. I patted his cheek. “Keep it a secret, okay?” Zack’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he breathed rapidly. His face was so hot. Lucas quickly came over. “Why are you all gathered here?” Zack looked strange and didn’t dare speak. I obediently walked to Lucas’s side, glancing at Ethan. “Ethan came to apologize, right?” Ethan pressed his lips together and gave a slight nod. But his expression was clearly unhappy, especially when looking at Zack. Big bro not only did something bad in secret, but made me cover for him. Lucas glanced at Zack. “You’ve got lipstick on your mouth.” Panic flashed in Zack’s eyes for a moment. “Uh, I put on makeup before going out today.” Lucas frowned but didn’t say anything more. The three chose a piano, with Ethan as the buyer. I kept his contact information. Lucas and I went to see a movie. In the flickering light of the big screen, he secretly took my hand, his palm slightly sweaty. “Your hand is so soft.” I turned to look at him. In the dim light, his delicate features were even more captivating. He really was my type. I leaned close to his ear and whispered, “I want to feel your abs.” Lucas hesitated, biting his lip. “We’re in public.” I pulled my hand back, losing interest. Halfway through the movie, I went to the bathroom and texted him saying I had an emergency and had to leave. When Lucas chased after me, I was already in the elevator. Back at the store, my phone kept ringing. “You left just because I wouldn’t let you touch me?” “You’ve got some nerve!” “I only said we were in public, not that I wouldn’t let you…” “Beautiful, can you give me another chance?” “…I’ll do whatever you want.” The long fingers that had been playing the piano stopped. “Aren’t you going to reply to him?” Ethan’s lashes were long. I bent down to look at him. “No need. I’d rather hear you play.” Asking for something likely to be refused is the best way to escape. I left the theater and called Ethan, telling him the piano they bought earlier had a defect and needed to be exchanged. “But I’m fighting with Lucas and don’t really want to see Zack either. Can you come alone?” Ethan hesitated for a moment. “Alright.” I took him to the second floor of the music store. It was quieter up here, better for getting closer. The piano music slowly faded. I sat down next to him, casually pressing some keys. “About earlier, Zack came looking for me.” Ethan stood up. “That has nothing to do with me.” I grabbed his wrist. “It does. I said one thing to you, and he said I was hitting on you and threatened to tell Lucas. I was worried it would affect you, so I kissed him.” I let go of him. “If you don’t believe me, ask Zack.” Ethan called Zack. It was pretty much as I’d said, except Zack claimed I kissed him first. Zack also quietly asked a favor: “Ethan, don’t tell Lucas about this. He’s really into that woman right now.” “Got it.” “By the way, when are you coming back to the dorm? Lucas is back and going crazy again.” “I’m tutoring off campus.” Ethan hung up and looked at me coldly. I pressed my lips together, my eyes full of grievance. “Of course he’d say that. He forced me to kiss him. And is complimenting your piano playing really hitting on you?” Ethan stared at me steadily, his voice flat: “Yes, it is.” I was stunned. 0
Ethan sat down next to me. His long fingers covered my hand, gently pressing down on the piano keys, producing a monotonous sound. “I know you’re trying to seduce me.” Ethan turned to face me, his expression blank. “Not just earlier, but now too.” Meeting his cold eyes behind those thin glasses, my palms started sweating nervously. Apparently the ones who seem the most well-behaved and innocent are actually the most dangerous to mess with. I unconsciously leaned away. Ethan lowered his gaze slightly, noticing this. The corners of his lips curved into a barely perceptible smile. He suddenly grabbed my waist firmly, pulling me onto him, and stared intently at me. “So, why did you kiss Zack if you were trying to seduce me?” My mind was in chaos, thoughts racing, but I still told the truth. “I just didn’t want him to tell Lucas.” Ethan calmly accepted this explanation. He leaned in closer, his breath falling on my face. “Stop playing with Lucas. Play with me instead.” He slowly moved to my ear. “I’m more fun than he is.” Ethan was telling the truth – he was way more fun than Lucas. Right there on that piano, he kissed me breathless. My hands wandered who knows where, our breathing getting heavier and heavier. “Mmm…” A seductive sound escaped Ethan’s throat. Like a kitten purring, enticing you to pet its head. My phone suddenly rang. I glanced at it – Lucas was calling. I didn’t answer. Ethan saw and reached over to hang up. But Lucas kept calling. After a while we just ignored it, only focused on kissing. Ethan pulled me onto his lap to kiss me. We were lost in it, completely absorbed. Suddenly an angry voice thundered from the doorway. “What the fuck?! Ethan, is this your fucking tutoring session?!” Lucas kicked the door open. Zack’s voice followed right after. “Lucas, calm down… Holy shit! Ethan, you dog!” 0
Ethan and I snapped back to reality. He let go of me. Looking down, he started buttoning up his messy white shirt. Lucas’s eyes were red with anger as he rushed over and punched Ethan. “Have you no fucking shame?!” Ethan’s lip started bleeding from the punch, but he didn’t fight back. He stood firm, slowly raising his eyes to stare at Lucas. His voice was muffled: “She’s not your girlfriend.” Lucas was taken aback. It’s true that we weren’t officially dating. But it still felt like Ethan was in the wrong here. “I met her first! I introduced her to you, and then I get abandoned at the movies while you’re here making out with her! Fuck, I’m gonna beat you to death!” Zack wrapped his arms around the enraged Lucas. “Lucas, calm down! Ethan’s our bro, I’m sure he didn’t mean to!” Lucas turned to look at him in shock. “Are you fucking kidding me? How can this be an accident?! What kind of bro kisses his friend’s date?” Zack fell silent for a moment. There was also him. He had kissed her too. I turned to leave. Lucas immediately pushed Zack away and grabbed my wrist. “Don’t go! Where are you going? Didn’t you come to see me today?” I was quiet for a moment, then opened my palm. “I’m going to wash my hands. I just touched…” I trailed off suggestively. Lucas took a second to process, then let go of my hand in disgust. He turned to glare at Ethan, gritting his teeth. “You… fucking… bastard!” Zack looked at Ethan too, his face twisted in pain. “Ethan! What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?” Ethan’s expression remained calm. “I have my advantages.” Zack didn’t understand. “What fucking advantages?” He turned around to find Lucas looking for something to hit Ethan with. “Being shameless, that’s what!” Lucas actually found a stick. He raised it high. I rushed over to shield Ethan. “That’s enough. This has nothing to do with him.” Lucas met my eyes for a moment, then lowered the stick, looking rather hurt. “I wouldn’t let you touch me, so you came back to touch him? He’s so easy, and you’re still protecting him?” Ethan frowned. “You wanted to touch him too?” I stayed silent. Zack took two steps back, glanced at me, and quietly covered himself. Lucas turned on Ethan again. “You dare speak? Who the fuck do you think you are? Homewrecker!” Ethan coldly repeated: “She’s not your girlfriend. We should compete fairly.” Lucas laughed bitterly. “Compete with what? If Zack and I had come a bit later, you’d have your pants off already. I’ll fucking compete with your…” He got angrier as he spoke, picking up the stick again. “I’m gonna kill you today!” Zack went to hold him back again. “Enough! Lucas, Ethan was tricked by this woman! I can testify, she was hitting on Ethan earlier when you were still here.” I narrowed my eyes at Zack. How dare he betray me. He’s dead meat now. Lucas froze in disbelief. “So before I even turned you down, you were already into him?” I sat down calmly. “Because I overheard.” I looked Lucas in the eye. “You made a bet about me. Betting you could sleep with me in three months, for five grand.” All three of their expressions soured. “Lucas, you’ve already lost that bet.” I kept smiling. “But I’ll add five grand and bet I can sleep with all three of you in one month.” Ethan’s face instantly turned cold. Lucas pressed his lips together tightly. “How can you bet on something like that?” I leaned forward, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Why not? If you guys can do it, why can’t I?” Only Zack walked over to Lucas, confidently putting a hand on his shoulder. “Take the bet! What are we afraid of? We’ll definitely win! I don’t believe it – go ahead, try and force yourself on me!” Lucas glanced at Ethan, sighed, then turned to look at Zack. “Bro, are you sure you can handle it?” Zack leaned forward, meeting my eyes. He pointed one finger at his crotch. “Let me tell you, if I can’t keep this under control, I’ll fucking cut it off myself!” Lucas was startled. “Bro, you don’t need to…” I immediately stood up, smiling with curved eyes. “Perfect! It’s settled then! Ten grand, plus your… trophy.” Zack quietly pulled the other two in front of him. “Protect me.” He looked at Lucas and Ethan again. “Never mind, I’ll have to protect myself.” 0
I chuckled softly, looking down. Zack grabbed Lucas with one hand and Ethan with the other, ready to drag his bros away. Lucas shook him off, staring at me intently, his tone pleading. “Beautiful, what about us…” Zack’s face darkened. “Seriously, bro?” “Lucas, I did consider dating you seriously before. But you made a bet about this first, so I don’t think I’ll consider you as boyfriend material anymore.” My response was sincere. Over these two months, I’d put a lot of effort into pursuing Lucas. Not to mention the 70+ different “cool older sister” outfits I’d worn. Every day I’d walk 500 meters in 4-inch heels to the street corner instead of driving, covering over 30 kilometers total. My feet would ache when I got home. And I’d even chosen this location for my new store because of him. But he made a $5000 bet about me. $5000 isn’t even enough to buy me a pair of shoes. Lucas looked at me dejectedly, his eyes reddening slightly. “I’m so sorry, beautiful. I really didn’t mean to, I wasn’t the one who suggested it.” Zack couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed Lucas’s hair and yanked him away. “Stop with the ‘beautiful’ already. Look at your bro instead.” Ethan gave me a cool glance before turning to leave. I picked up my phone and chased after him to the door. “Wait. Can I add you on SnapChat?” I stared at him quietly, my heart pounding. It was my first time actively asking for a guy’s contact info. Ethan’s expression was cold. He didn’t say anything. Zack’s confusion was obvious, his tone uncertain. “You let her touch you down there but won’t give her your SnapChat… Is SnapChat that private?” Lucas suddenly ducked out from under Zack’s grip, baring his teeth at Ethan. “I just remembered! That day when I went back bragging about meeting this hot older woman, he insisted she wasn’t into me and was just treating me like a beggar. That’s how the bet started. This was all his jealous scheme!” I was stunned, looking at Ethan. Ethan took out his phone. “Sure.” Lucas almost lunged at me. “Don’t add him!” Zack grabbed him in a bear hug. “Stop with the conspiracy theories.” After the three of them left bickering, I was surprised to discover something – I’d already added Ethan on SnapChat three years ago. But there was no name, no group, no chat history. I had no memory of it at all. Not wanting to change the subject, I ignored this and sent him a message. “Almost there?” After a while, my screen lit up. Ethan: “Mm.” I stared at that emotionless “Mm”, biting my lip hard as my heart raced out of control. He really knew how to play. “Can I ask you out?” “To win?” “Doesn’t hurt.” “I’ll give you $20,000 if you leave Zack alone.” “Sounds like you think I’ll win.” “You’ll be unhappy if you lose.” I couldn’t help but smile. Such a thoughtful thing to say – does that mean he’s agreeing? After a long while, Ethan sent another message. “I’ll be unhappy if you win.” My fingers froze over the screen. I frowned slightly. Was he rejecting me? “Is that a no?” Ethan: “What, do I look that easy to you?” “Mm.” I hadn’t seen anyone who seemed easier than him. “Oh, I just wanted to show you I’m bigger than them.” 0
I spit out my water. Complete silence. Excuse me, who asked you that? Who asked you? Does anyone here care? Who exactly is asking about your rankings? I quietly typed: “You mean age?” Ethan: “Playing dumb.” Attempt at small talk: failed. After this pointless conversation, I ended up being the one blushing, feeling like I’d done something naughty. Lucas was sunny and cute, while Ethan seemed cold and aloof, but talking to Ethan turned out to be way more interesting than Lucas. Since I couldn’t get Ethan to meet up, I had to think carefully about how to win this bet in a month. First, buy Zack a pair of scissors. Then take a selfie with the scissors and post it: [Yay!] Lucas and Ethan both liked the post. Suddenly Lucas added me to a group chat with three people, named “Totally Useless”. A message popped up. [Starting today, we have 30 days until the bet with the cougar is settled. Report daily – have you lived up to the group name?] [Why are there four people? Lucas, who did you add?] I recognized Ethan’s avatar: [It’s that woman.] [Lucas, are you insane?] [Didn’t you tell me to add everyone?] Lucas chimed in. So the first one must have been Zack. Lucas quickly sent another message: [Welcome beautiful big sis! Throwing flowers! Hearts!] The group went quiet for a moment. After a while, Ethan copied and pasted Lucas’s message. Zack: [Well, since you’re here! Face us head on, watch yourself march towards inevitable defeat!] I stared at the chat, frowning deeply. After hesitating for a moment, I sent my first message. [Are you all virgins?] That can’t be right, all three of them are too handsome… The group suddenly went silent. A full ten minutes passed with no one saying anything. I apologized first: “I’m sorry.” Ethan: “Technically, I don’t count. I engaged in foreplay yesterday.” Lucas: “Fuck, if it wasn’t for you, you bastard, I wouldn’t be anymore!!” Zack: “In this day and age, are we still shaming virgins? Scientific research has shown that virgins live longer than non-virgins…” He posted a whole essay, some fake science clearly copied from somewhere. Oh, I suddenly realized. Zack spent those ten minutes searching for that essay to post. Zack continued rallying the troops. [Brothers united! Our strength can cut through metal! Let’s resist the evil woman together!] Ethan and Lucas copied and pasted after him. [Brothers united! Our strength can cut through metal! Let’s resist the evil woman together!] [Brothers united! Our strength can cut through metal! Let’s resist the evil woman together!] The three of them were quite passionate about it. Meanwhile, the “evil woman” they spoke of received a message. It was from Lucas. “Beautiful, I’m your inside man, hehe.” Accompanied by a happy puppy wagging its tail emoji. I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and smile. Looks like Lucas will be easy to get a date with. 0
But whether I could win this bet depended on the most unwilling of the three. Besides Lucas, Ethan and Zack were both reluctant, especially Zack. He had bet everything, so there was no way he’d agree. I had to dispel his wariness. If I managed to get Lucas, Zack would definitely panic. So I needed to make him feel safe. I had a staff member call Ethan. “Hello, the piano you ordered is packaged. Shall we have it delivered?” Ethan gave the address. “We’ll need someone to sign for it. Are you home now?” Ethan’s voice was gentle and pure. “I’m not, but someone’s there. I’ll have them sign for it.” After hanging up, I got the address and went to deliver the piano. Zack and the others weren’t living in the school dorms, but renting a large apartment off campus. I rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal Zack, shirtless and wearing only boxers. Wow, what a great body. My eyes widened involuntarily. Zack had a toothbrush in his mouth. Seeing me, he cursed and slammed the door shut! When he opened it again, he had put on a shirt and sweatpants, arms crossed as he looked at me. “Damn, you really dared to come here? I’m not like those two, acting like they’ve never seen a woman before! Please leave! I’m very sorry for any loneliness I may have caused you.” He finally finished speaking. I stepped aside, gesturing behind me. “I’m here to deliver the piano. Didn’t Ethan tell you?” Zack finally noticed the delivery men waiting silently behind me. He was stunned. “He did.” Stepping inside, the view opened up immensely. A river view stretched before us, the decor exuding luxury. They had an enormous music room with special soundproofing. There were quite a few instruments – guitars, violins, cellos, drums, and a piano… “You already have a piano, why buy another?” “That’s Ethan’s old one, he wanted to buy…” He turned to look at me. “None of your business! Why so many questions!” The piano was set up. Zack dragged me out. “Go, go, get out!” Everyone else left, but I sat on the living room couch. Zack kept his distance from me. “Why aren’t you leaving?” “Ethan told me to wait for him.” I leaned back comfortably. Zack’s eyes were highly alert and full of confusion. “What does he want you to wait for?” I propped my chin on my hand, winking at him. “Maybe you know.” Zack was stunned for a moment. When he realized, his face contorted. “Ah— Ethan’s not that kind of person! You seduced him onto the wrong path! You shameless woman!” With that, Zack really ran away. The sound of him locking his door was clearly audible. As if I could really do anything to him. Thirty minutes later, I knocked on Zack’s door. He only opened a crack, taking off his headphones. “What? Is Ethan back?” I smiled, holding up the takeout in my hand. “You haven’t had breakfast, right?” Zack looked down, swallowing. “Not hungry.” He was about to close the door, but I quickly grabbed the edge. “Don’t be like that. Take it in and eat, I won’t come in.” Zack stared at me, his tone hesitant. “You’re so insistent. Did you drug it?” I was speechless. No wonder he’s single. “No drugs. Just rice porridge and shrimp dumplings.” I went back to the living room to play on my phone. The takeout I’d left at the door was pulled inside by a hand. Not long after, Zack came out. “How much? I’ll transfer you the money.” I didn’t look up. “No need. Consider it payment for that kiss.” Zack’s voice came from above, suppressing anger. “My first kiss was only worth a breakfast?”
I was stunned. So that was his first kiss. No wonder it was so bad. I looked up at him honestly. “Uh, given the experience, it wasn’t even worth a breakfast.” If it had been Ethan’s kissing skills, I’d buy him a building, really. Zack froze, mumbling. “The experience wasn’t good?” He seemed devastated, sitting on the couch with his elbows on his knees, fingertips supporting his chin. “You’re saying the experience wasn’t good?” I was silent for a moment, then poked his shoulder. “Stop repeating yourself. Are you okay?” It was just a one-second lip touch, what kind of experience could it be? Zack suddenly turned to look at me. His expression went from disbelief to sudden realization. He burst out laughing. “I get it! You’re doing this on purpose. You’re trying to provoke me into kissing you again so you can seduce me and achieve your nefarious goals!” I was startled, leaning back, accidentally falling off the couch onto the floor. “Ah—” “Tsk, such tactics.” Zack put his hands in his pockets, looking down at me. Just then, the front door opened. Ethan stopped in the entryway, expressionless as he looked at us, his thin lips pressed into a straight line. Zack casually stepped back. “Ethan, you’re back. Why did you have her wait here? She just tried to seduce me, but luckily I have an iron will!” Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly, his tone cool. “Mm, I told her to wait for me.” As he walked over, he took off his coat, crouched beside me, gave me a cool glance, draped his coat over my legs, put one arm around my waist and the other under my knees, and lifted me onto the couch. I instinctively put my arms around his neck, all my attention on Ethan. From this upward angle, his skin really was pale, his Adam’s apple moving silently, his collarbone disappearing into the shadows of his shirt. His eyes behind those thin glasses were intensely focused, and his body temperature was just right. As he was about to set me down, his movements gradually slowed. He lowered his head, coming close, his voice barely audible. “No matter what, I’m happy to see you when I got back.” His warm breath brushed past my ear. It felt like something collapsed inside me. I stared up at him, my fingertips unconsciously gripping his coat tightly. Ethan’s lips curved. He set me down and turned to look at Zack, his voice displeased. “Don’t push her to the ground.” So he thought Zack had pushed me… Zack protested on the spot. “I didn’t push her, she’s faking it!” Ethan ignored him and poured me a glass of water. “Why did you wait for me? Have you decided?” I sat beside him, holding the glass with both hands, my heart pounding non-stop. “The piano arrived. Don’t you want to try it?” He turned to look at me, his expression cool. “Together?” With that, he walked away. I stood up, staring at his back, downed the water, took a deep breath, and followed him into the music room. As soon as we entered, he pressed me against the wall and kissed me. Something cold touched my chest. His tall figure loomed over me, firmly gripping my waist as he kissed me hard. I don’t know how long it lasted, but we were both breathless when Ethan finally let go. In the dim room, I leaned against the door, looking up at him, breathing heavily. “Really… waited for you…” He looked down at me intently. “You knew I wasn’t here.” I tilted my head, smiling ambiguously. “I didn’t do anything you wouldn’t like with him.” Ethan’s fingers twirled my curls, his eyes narrowing slightly, his thin lips moving. “You’re so bad.” Yes, I am bad. Giving him a little favoritism, but without any commitment. Pure teasing. I reached out to touch his head. Ethan smiled, leaning forward to bury his face in my neck. Just as I was happily petting him, someone started banging on the door. “Ethan, you and that… uh, what’s her name again?” “Get lost! Ethan, I heard the lady’s here! Did you bring her in there? Open up! Open the door!”
Lucas was back. Ethan raised his head, his expression cold, his eyes darkening. He used his fingertip to wipe my lips, about to open the door. I grabbed his hand, tilting my chin down, lowering my eyes to indicate. “Your glasses.” Ethan glanced down, his breathing slightly unsteady. He looked away, slowly reaching in to grab his thin-framed glasses, quickly turning around. I pressed my hand to my chest, smiling ambiguously at him. He was so bold putting them in, but now he’s shy taking them out… “Damn it, open up or I’ll kick the door down!” The door opened. Ethan’s expression was back to normal. “We were trying out the piano.” Zack held Lucas back. “I told you Ethan wouldn’t betray us!” Lucas lowered his raised foot and walked up to us, scrutinizing every detail. “Trying the piano? Or trying each other?” He suddenly leaned in close, staring at me intently, gritting his teeth. “Her lipstick’s all gone, you’ve practically kissed her bare-faced!” Bare-faced? My full makeup! I covered my face with my hands. Ethan pulled me behind him. “Lucas, you’re scaring her.” Lucas glared at him hatefully. “We agreed to resist together. What do you call this? Do you know what you’re doing?” He pulled Zack over. “Tell me, does kissing count as resisting?” Ethan stared at Zack. Zack stared at Ethan. I peeked out from behind, also staring at Zack. Lucas urged, “Say something, bro!” Zack stammered, “I guess it counts.” Lucas stumbled back two steps. “How can that count?” His brain seemed to be racing, finally reaching a blank state. “Then what are we resisting?” Ethan offered to take me home, but Lucas said he wanted to. “You taking her is like a fox guarding the henhouse. What’s the difference?” I raised my hand, weakly interjecting. “The difference is, I’m not a chicken?” Lucas turned to me, clasping his hands together, apologizing frantically. “I’m sorry, beautiful. I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just that he can’t take you!” Ethan pressed his lips together, sighing. “Then how are you any different from me?” Lucas told me to choose one person to take me home. I looked at Ethan – I liked him but couldn’t pin him down. Then I looked at Lucas – I could handle him but… “I choose Zack.” Zack, observing from a distance, widened his eyes, doubting his hearing. “Me?” Lucas looked at me, about to say something. Ethan covered his mouth from behind, tilting his head to give me a faint smile. “Then let him take you.” I followed him downstairs. Zack told me to wait by the road. I waited in the wind for a long time before the disguised Zack arrived at lightning speed. I was silent for a minute, utterly dumbfounded. “What the hell! You’re taking me on a motorcycle?!” In the dark night, Zack took off his helmet, revealing sharp features, looking at me lazily. “Miss, this is a superbike. Very expensive.” My face turned black as night. Zack tossed me a helmet, resting his elbow on the bike, his tone extremely impatient. “Hey, are you getting on or not? You’re the one who insisted I take you!” I held the heavy helmet, looking at him with a complicated expression, but still voiced my concern. “Can we take the bike lane?” Zack was silent for a moment. “Have you asked the people in the bike lane?” I guess not. I swung my leg over, resigned to my fate. But my skirt wasn’t long enough, exposing a long stretch of leg. Zack looked back at me, the corner of his mouth curling up, his tone provocative. “Wow! If you don’t cover those legs, we’ll cause a pile-up on the road.” He produced a jacket from somewhere and had me tie it around my waist. Zack helped me put on the helmet, raising an eyebrow slightly as he tapped the top. “Hold on tight later! This has nothing to do with the bet, got it?” I looked at him through the helmet, thinking I’d call the police. I leaned forward, putting my arms around his waist. Midway, my foot slipped and I wobbled. Zack looked back down, his tone serious. “Take off your shoes.” I took off my high heels, holding them in my hand, looking around. “But where do I put them?” “Give them to me.” Zack unzipped his jacket, took my heels, and tucked them inside, zipping back up. I was stunned for a moment, then put my arms around his waist, thinking this rich boy was quite practical. I recognized Zack’s bike – it cost over a million. But there were plenty of rich kids at the music school, so it wasn’t that surprising. When Lucas was busking in the underground passage, he sang with an air that said he didn’t need money, which is why I deliberately tossed him a dollar. Not to mention Ethan’s top-tier aura – just talking to him made my body tingle. Zack looked straight ahead, lowering his helmet visor, the corner of his mouth curling slightly. “Let’s go.” In an instant, the engine roared to life. He was going too fast! The wind whistled in my ears. I clung tightly to Zack’s back, clearly feeling the young man’s spine. I couldn’t help but lower my head, tightening my arms around him, my heart in my throat. If I had a life bar above my head, it would probably be flickering by now. At several red lights, I crashed into his back. Zack glanced back at me. “Tsk.” Me: “…”
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