"To be honest... it's my sister's birthday party," Xueyin confessed after a brief pause, her voice softer, almost hesitant. "She asked me to bring some friends along, and... well, since I was always labeled as Wang Hao's 'girlfriend,' I didn't exactly have many guy friends I could invite. So..."
She trailed off, her gaze flickering toward Lin Wei before shifting away again. "You were the only one who came to mind."
Lin Wei blinked. The candidness of her words caught him off guard. Being invited to a family event—especially by Xueyin—wasn't something he had expected. It meant trust. A certain closeness.
He studied her for a quiet moment before a warm smile curved on his lips.
"That's... a surprise," he said honestly. "But thanks. I'm glad you thought of me."
Xueyin glanced at him from the corner of her eye, a faint blush blooming on her cheeks.
"Don't get the wrong idea," she mumbled quickly. "It's not like that."
But the small, flustered smile tugging at her lips said otherwise.
"Of course not," Lin Wei teased, smirking. "Just a simple plus-one. Understood."
She nudged his arm with her elbow, her glare half-hearted. "You're seriously annoying sometimes."
By now, the classroom had begun to fill, but the two of them remained in their own quiet bubble. Several students exchanged curious glances, especially at the sight of Xueyin laughing so naturally beside someone who wasn't Wang Hao.
Lin Wei noticed, but instead of being self-conscious, he felt an odd sense of satisfaction. It was subtle, but real.
"So, should I dress formal or casual?" he asked, shifting the tone with an easygoing smile.
"Semi-formal should be fine," she replied, relaxing a bit more. "It's a rooftop dinner, so just look decent. I'll send you the address and time later."
She turned back to her notebook, but Lin Wei noticed the soft smile lingering on her lips—one that stayed longer than she probably meant it to.
And in that quiet, fleeting moment, he thought to himself—
This summer might just be more interesting than he'd expected.
They continued talking in low voices, sharing a few quiet laughs, until the classroom door creaked open. Wang Hao stepped inside, pausing briefly when his eyes landed on the two of them sitting together.
He did look a bit annoyed when he saw the two of them sitting together—but to his credit, he hid it well. Still, his gaze toward Lin Wei had subtly shifted. It wasn't openly hostile, but there was something guarded in it now. Something questionable.
Is it because of him? Wang Hao wondered, his thoughts circling as he took his seat. Ever since that night at the club, she's been different... colder.
That night had stuck with him. Xueyin had gone home with Lin Wei after the party, and while he'd told himself not to overthink it, the change in her behavior since then had been impossible to ignore.
She'd become distant.
And worse—she was growing defiant.
He hadn't even managed to hold her hand properly for the longest time during their relationship. Now she was openly telling him to go spend time with other girls, brushing him off by saying she had "more reliable friends" these days.
The unspoken message was loud: Lin Wei.
"Good morning, baby," Wang Hao said with forced cheer as he slid into the seat beside Xueyin.
She gave him a sideways glare, clearly unamused. "Don't call me that in class. Idiot."
Wang Hao chuckled awkwardly, trying to play it off—but the smile he shot at Lin Wei was unmistakably pointed. A quiet flex. She's still mine.
But Lin Wei's reaction was lukewarm at best. He looked at them with a blank expression, utterly uninterested, like someone watching a scene he'd already grown bored of.
And that... made Wang Hao hesitate.
Maybe it's not him after all... or maybe it is, and he just doesn't care.
Before the tension could settle in too deep, Lin Wei suddenly leaned back with a smirk.
"Alright, alright—I get it. You two are in love. But can you not rub it in front of a humble single guy like me? I have fragile feelings, too, you know."
The class around them chuckled, and the guy behind them let out an audible laugh. Even Xueyin broke into a smile, though she covered it with a flustered pinch to Lin Wei's arm.
"You're so annoying!" she hissed under her breath, blushing.
Wang Hao coughed into his hand, trying to hide his own awkward smile. The moment had passed, tension cracked by Lin Wei's easy joke. But the shift in dynamic hadn't gone unnoticed.
And deep down, Wang Hao couldn't help but feel that no matter what he did now... he was no longer at the center of Xueyin's attention.
"Ohh, so you're calling him to your big sister's party?" Wang Hao said with a nod, his tone light but curious. He didn't seem upset—more intrigued. Lin Wei had always come off as laid-back and polite, the kind of guy no one could really dislike. But still, Xueyin personally inviting him to a family event? That was unexpected.
Wang Hao glanced at her thoughtfully. So she's bringing him into that circle... Interesting.
"Yeah, she just invited me out of the blue," Lin Wei added with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his neck. "Though honestly, I've got no clue what kind of gift would even fit a party like that."
Wang Hao snickered, but before he could say anything, Xueyin turned to Lin Wei with a firm expression.
"Don't worry about the gift. You're not being invited as a guest of honor—just as a friend," she said, her tone a little sharper than usual. "You're my friend, not my sister's. So don't stress over formalities. Just be there."
Her eyes locked with his—steady, serious—and Lin Wei blinked, caught a bit off guard by the sudden shift.
It wasn't a suggestion. It was her saying, Don't brush this off. This matters to me.
"Sure, Madam!" he replied quickly, giving her a mock salute with a lopsided grin.
A soft puff of laughter escaped her lips before she tried to cover it with a sigh.
Even Wang Hao chuckled lightly, watching the two interact. For a fleeting moment, the air between them all felt light again.
+
After Xueyin walked off to meet her classmate, Lin Wei let out a quiet sigh and sat down, eyes drifting to the side. His thoughts wandered to Wang Hao—perceptive, he had to admit, especially after the earlier provocation. Claiming Xueyin as his girlfriend had clearly put Wang Hao on edge.
But Lin Wei had always been a master of masks. His performance was flawless, and the fact that he'd gotten to Xueyin first gave him the upper hand. On the surface, he seemed unfazed by how they addressed each other. That was part of the plan.
The closer Xueyin and Wang Hao appeared, the better the rewards he'd earn from the NTR system. He wanted Wang Hao to deepen that relationship—show affection, invest emotionally. As long as he didn't cross the physical line, Lin Wei was more than willing to let the charade play out.
And judging by the look of things...
Xueyin was already pulling away. Subtly, yes, but it was there. In a few months—perhaps even weeks—she would likely keep Wang Hao at arm's length, if not further. For Lin Wei, a single month was all he needed to fully corrupt her and make her his. He had already embedded himself into her inner circle, and with his new skill, [Aphrodesync], the path forward would only get smoother.
"I say, Brother Lin," Wang Hao leaned in slightly, lowering his voice now that Xueyin had stepped away to chat with her friends. "Even though she said not to bother, I'd still recommend bringing a small gift. Just something light. You know how it looks at these kinds of parties—it might reflect poorly on her if you show up empty-handed."
Lin Wei glanced at him, the corners of his lips lifting in a polite smile. "Hmm... I'll definitely take your advice, Brother Wang. Thanks for the heads-up."
He gave a casual thumbs-up, his tone light and agreeable—but something in the ease of his smile made Wang Hao pause for a second.
For a moment, Wang Hao stood there, watching Lin Wei with a faint furrow in his brow. There was nothing obviously off about the guy—friendly, respectful, even humble—but somehow, it all felt just a little too smooth.
Turning away, Wang Hao walked back to his desk with a strange feeling settling in his chest. He couldn't quite tell if Lin Wei was simply being polite...
...or if something else was going on beneath that calm surface.
"I might be overthinking it..." He muttered while walking away.
+
Out of the class, Lin Wei finally got his way out. "Hah! That was nice. Having Xueyin beside me and cheerful is really nice. Even the class felt nice and enjoyable, like this."