The first time Cheng Xingyi laid eyes on He Shuangyue, he found himself liking her.

Especially when she proudly declared to everyone that she was "Sister Moon," the younger sister of Chang’e. He found it both amusing and endearing.

But it was precisely because he liked her that he didn’t know what to say.

Watching her happily chat and play with others, he bottled up his frustration.

What he never expected, however, was that she would pull down his pants in front of everyone.

This utterly humiliated him, making him wonder how he could ever maintain his image as the leader. And seeing her innocent expression afterward, he suddenly realized this little girl was someone he couldn’t afford to provoke.

His boyish pride compelled him to avoid her, but the more he avoided her, the more relentless she became. The two of them started a ten-year game of cat and mouse.

Over time, he grew accustomed to her mischievous flirting, her blatant declarations of affection, and her constant noise around him.

To keep her from waiting too long, he would come downstairs early every day to find her. He secretly enjoyed watching her fiercely fend off his admirers.

Even though he knew her friendship with Xu Kele was purely platonic, he couldn’t stand seeing her always hanging out with Xu Kele, reading all kinds of nonsense together. He liked it even less when she asked Xu Kele to help her level up in games.

So, he confiscated her books and spent two weeks in seclusion, studying the game intensely.

Feeling indignant, he even tricked Xu Kele out of his allowance for the month as punishment.

And then, when she caught him off guard, he kissed her—he just couldn’t help himself.

Everyone knew that He Shuangyue liked Cheng Xingyi because her affection was loud, passionate, and enduring.

But Cheng Xingyi liked He Shuangyue too. His affection, however, was deep, restrained, and eternal.

He Shuangyue touched her lips, still stunned for a while.

If the first time he kissed her was a prank, then the second time probably wasn’t out of revenge, right? The more she thought about it, the more her face flushed red.

She looked up at him, feeling a bit unreal, and then pinched his cheek hard. When she saw him frown slightly, she quickly pulled her hand back, widened her eyes, and cautiously asked, “Cheng Xingyi, can I take this to mean you like me?”

His ears turned slightly red as he averted his gaze, deliberately avoiding her eyes, and answered somewhat awkwardly, “You can understand it that way.”

Upon hearing this, He Shuangyue reached out again, giving him a slap on the head. “If you like me, why did you make me copy notes? Cheng Xingyi, are you crazy?”

No one knew better than him how spoiled and arrogant He Shuangyue could be. He had already anticipated that confessing his feelings would lead to this kind of outcome.

That’s why he had refused to admit his feelings back when she was relentlessly pursuing him.

His face darkened instantly, and he gritted his teeth, squeezing out a “He Shuangyue!”

“I’m not copying anymore! Whoever wants to can do it!”

“If you don’t copy, I’ll break your legs!”

“Cheng Xingyi, you pervert!”

“Better a pervert than an uneducated thug like you!”

“Hmph!”

He Shuangyue thought that all those novels were full of lies. What nonsense about a domineering young master falling in love with me, or the gentle light of the moon like spring willow, or soft words flowing like water... Bah! In reality, there was only a big pervert like Cheng Xingyi!

The two of them were at an impasse. After her anger subsided, He Shuangyue thought it over and decided that a wise person knows not to fight when the odds are against them. Better to live to fight another day.

So, she turned to him with tearful eyes, looking pitiful as she pleaded, “Cheng Xingyi, as my boyfriend, you can’t be mean to girls. I’ll copy the notes, okay? But can I copy fewer?”

He looked at her with disdain. “Who said I’m your boyfriend?”

She panicked. Why wasn’t he following the script?

“You just said you liked me!”

He smirked. “But I didn’t say I’d be your boyfriend. If you want to be my girlfriend, it’s not impossible.”

“First, study hard and get into the same university as me, and then I’ll consider it.”

He Shuangyue was on the verge of exploding, but looking at Cheng Xingyi’s smirking face, she forced herself to hold back.

A truly smart person can endure the present oppression and also deliver a perfect counterattack.

“Fine! I’ll take the exam!”

She would endure! After the college entrance exam, let’s see if he doesn’t come begging her, hmph!

When the results of the college admissions came out:

"Cheng Xingyi, I didn’t get into your university. Boohoo!"

Seeing her poor attempt at acting, he frowned slightly and then pulled her into his arms. "Don’t cry. You’re so dumb; getting into a second-tier university is already quite impressive. Besides, it’s not far from my school."

She buried her face in his shirt, wiping her tears, then grumbled indignantly:

"But if that’s the case, you can’t be my boyfriend."

"And if you’re not my boyfriend, I can’t boss you around. Who am I supposed to get payback from for all the suffering I’ve endured over the years?"

Hearing this, Cheng Xingyi pressed his lips together, repeatedly telling himself, "It’s fine, she’s dumb, but I’m smart. I chose her, so I’ll just have to spoil her no matter what!"

As he patted her back, he chuckled and said, "I’ll reluctantly agree to be your boyfriend then. You can come find me anytime to vent."

"Huh? Isn’t this the part where you’re supposed to say you’ll give up the top university and join me at the second-tier school? Do you not like me? Are you still holding a grudge and trying to get back at me?"

He ruffled her hair. "Be good. Don’t read so many romance novels—they’re all lies."

"If I attend a better school, I can get a better job and earn more money so that you can spend it all later. Don’t you think that’s right?"

He Shuangyue glared at him fiercely, "Cheng Xingyi, would it kill you not to mock me? You don’t seem to like me at all! Xu Kele treats me better than you do!"

"Xu Kele only listens to you because he’s scared of you."

"But I’m different. I know you’re dumb and a bit of a thug, yet I’ve stayed by your side all these years. So, I’m the only one who truly likes you."

She rolled her eyes at him, "I must have been blind to pull down your pants and end up on this sinking ship, with no help from heaven or earth."

He laughed, "You’ve got a great eye. You’ve landed such a handsome boyfriend for free—plenty of people would be jealous."

"In the future, you can not only pull down my pants, but my clothes too. You can strip me completely and flirt with me as much as you want."

"You could be the leader’s woman, with a bunch of little guys calling you ‘Sister-in-law.’ Doesn’t that sound amazing?"

She snorted, "And you’d be Sister Moon’s man, with a group of little underlings calling you ‘Brother-in-law.’ Doesn’t that sound cool?"

His eyes and brows were filled with an uncontrollable smile. "Yeah, it sounds really cool."

He Shuangyue thought that when he wasn’t smiling, he had a bit of an abstinent vibe.

But when he smiled, he exuded a seductive charm, captivating and irresistible. Just one look, and all her anger would dissipate.

As she kept looking at him, a mischievous thought crossed her mind. She grabbed his collar, pulled him down a little, stood on tiptoe, and planted a kiss on his lips. Then she said contentedly, "Alright, I guess that does sound pretty amazing."

He touched his lips and smiled, "Sister Moon, that’s not how you kiss."

With that, he lowered his head and kissed her lips. Teeth bumped, tongues intertwined, and their saliva mixed, carrying the warm breath of summer—a tingly, soft, and sweet sensation.

One day.

A woman, engrossed in her novel, suddenly turned around and shot a fierce glare at the man sleeping soundly on the nearby sofa. She slammed the book onto his lap and said, "Cheng Xingyi, get up!"

He opened his eyes groggily, gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and lay back down. "Stop making a fuss. I've just finished a project and haven’t slept in days. Let me rest a bit."

"If you don’t get up, I’ll go tell Xu Kele all my grievances."

Hearing this, he immediately sat up. "If he dares, I’ll break his legs!"

She brandished the novel in her hand. "Hmph! I’ll break your legs instead!"

He glanced at the book’s title, *The 36 Strategies to Tame a Husband*, and felt a headache coming on.

"No more reading these worthless books. They’re confiscated!"

"But they’re actually quite useful. Look at the boyfriends in these books; they’re so gentle and considerate."

"Look at you. You rely on your charm, and whenever we talk seriously, you start seducing me whenever you can’t win an argument. How have you been good to me?"

He straightened his face, staring at her seriously. "He Shuangyue, think about it. Besides earning money for you to spend, coming home to listen to you, and satisfying you whether I’m the abstinent type or the seductive type, what haven’t I done for you?"

"You’ve never given me a romantic confession! No roses on Valentine’s Day, no gifts on anniversaries, and you’ve never said sweet words to me!"

"I chased you for over ten years, and you never showed any indication of feelings. We just ended up together without any explanation. Thinking about it, I’m the one at a disadvantage!"

Cheng Xingyi couldn’t help but chuckle. Seeing her indignant look, he lowered his head and fiercely kissed her lips, leaving her breathless before finally releasing her.

He Shuangyue, still savoring the kiss, huffed at him. "See? You only know how to seduce me."

He gently pulled her into his embrace and said, "He Shuangyue, there are some things I’ll say only once, so listen carefully."

"The first day I met you was on the Summer Solstice, and the sun was shining brightly. From the very first moment I saw you, I liked you."

"I liked the way you chased after me, the way you clung to me, and the way you said you liked me."

"I get jealous seeing you read novels and play games with Xu Kele, and I get jealous seeing you eat with Xiao Zuo. Basically, I feel uneasy whenever you’re with someone else."

"You like being a leader and being their ‘Sister Moon,’ and that’s fine. But you must remember that I am your dream."

"My love for you is the kind that wants to protect your love, the kind that wants to give myself to you, the kind that wants to give you a home."

"So remember this: Cheng Xingyi likes He Shuangyue. I really like you."

"He Shuangyue, so you’ve been deeply in love with me all along and pretended not to care? You’re so bad! Come on, kiss me again and I’ll forgive you."

"……"

He Shuangyue, I really like you, so I like the way you flirt with me.

Cheng Xingyi, I really like you, so even your scheming side seems adorable to me.