Early the next morning.
Su Jin woke to the familiar throbbing in her head. The dizziness from her hangover made her uncomfortable, and she frowned slightly.
As soon as she stirred, a steady female voice sounded at her bedside.
“Miss, you’re awake.”
Su Jin opened her eyes a little. Standing beside her was a woman in a uniform, posture perfectly straight, obviously having waited for quite some time.
It was her personal bodyguard, Xiao Li.
Su Jin drank a few sips of water from Xiao Li’s hand. The dryness in her throat eased, and her muddled mind grew a bit clearer.
She threw off the covers and got out of bed, her bare feet sinking into the soft carpet as she walked toward the bathroom.
Xiao Li followed in perfect step. While Su Jin washed up, Xiao Li had already laid out her clothes for the day.
A light gray Loro Piana cashmere knit dress with matching pants—low-key and comfortable.
Once she finished washing up, Su Jin lay back in the chair with her eyes closed, letting Xiao Li place a warm towel on her face to relieve the puffiness from her hangover.
It wasn’t until Xiao Li picked up the comb, ready to smooth out Su Jin’s slightly wavy long hair, that Su Jin lazily reached for the phone on the washstand.
The screen lit up, showing several unread messages and a missed call.
It was her father.
Su Jin’s brows drew together. She took a deep breath, her finger hovering over the callback button for a moment, before she pressed it.
The call was picked up almost instantly, as if the person on the other end had been waiting for her to call back.
“Ah Jin.” Her father’s steady voice came through the receiver.
“Dad, good morning. I just woke up and saw your missed call,” Su Jin replied, her tone betraying no trace of grogginess.
“Mm. Nothing urgent, I just wanted to ask you…” Her father paused, as if choosing his words carefully, “That personal matter I mentioned last time—have you given it any thought?”
“I know you’re focused on your career, but it’s too lonely to be by yourself all the time. It’s always better to have someone who cares about you. I’m afraid if you throw yourself into work, you’ll become colder, and in the future…”
In short, he was urging her to get married.
Su Jin interrupted, a little impatient.
“Dad, you don’t need to worry. I already have a boyfriend.”
The other end of the line was silent for two seconds, as if taken aback.
“Oh? Really?” Her father’s voice revealed nothing of his feelings. “When did this happen? What kind of young man is he?”
“We just made things official recently. His name is… his name is Lin Luan.” Su Jin’s expression didn’t change. “When the time is right, I’ll bring him home to meet you.”
“Good, good.” Her father’s tone softened a little. “As long as you know what you’re doing. Find a time, bring him back for a meal.”
“I understand, Dad. I’ll arrange it.”
***
After hanging up, Su Jin put her phone back on the counter and closed her eyes, letting Xiao Li continue brushing her hair.
“Xiao Li.”
“Miss, I’m here.”
“I think I might have made a mistake.”
“What… what do you mean?” Xiao Li was puzzled.
“I think using a Host as a way to deal with my father was a big mistake,” Su Jin said. “I thought a man with only a business relationship would make the best actor, but I was wrong. They’re too greedy.”
“Give them a little color, and they want to open a dye shop. The only reason I pushed him to the top spot was because my boyfriend must be the best. But he actually wanted to take it even further?”
“You’re right.” Xiao Li said. “So what do you plan to do? Find another Rental Boyfriend?”
“Help me contact Lin Luan. I need to see him.”
In Su Jin’s villa, Lin Luan knelt with both knees on the ground, hands resting on his thighs, his back perfectly straight.
“Miss Su, do you mean… you want me to be your boyfriend for a month to deal with your father?”
“That’s right.”
Lin Luan’s gaze dropped. “But I’ve never done this kind of work before,” he said calmly.
Su Jin lounged lazily on the sofa, looking down at him. Her slender fingers played with an unlit cigarette, spinning it like a pen between her fingers.
“Never done it is best,” she smiled faintly, red lips curved. “I’m already sick of those money-hungry men and their ugly faces. I want someone like you.”
Lin Luan was stunned for a moment.
Someone like me…? What kind of person am I?
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly felt something lift his chin.
A tingling sensation, like fabric—he looked closely: a pair of legs in black stockings.
Su Jin used her toe to tip up Lin Luan’s chin, forcing his head up from where he’d been staring at the floor, making him look her in the eye.
“Didn’t your parents teach you not to look away when talking to someone?” Su Jin said coldly.
“I’m sorry, Miss Su,” Lin Luan replied mildly. “My parents died when I was very young.”
“…Sorry.”
It took Su Jin a while to squeeze out those words.
“It’s fine, Miss Su. You couldn’t have known. It’s all in the past; I don’t mind.”
“…Ahem.” Su Jin coughed awkwardly. “Anyway, from today on, you, Lin Luan, are my new Rental Boyfriend.”
“Rental Boyfriend…?”
“That’s right, boyfriend, not Host.”
“Your task is simple.” Su Jin went on, “My father will be coming back to Chang City in about a month. Once he’s here and you’ve met him, our arrangement ends.”
“But I already signed a contract with ‘Drunken Deer’. I have to work there for at least a year.” Lin Luan sounded uneasy.
“Contract?” Su Jin snapped her fingers.
Xiao Li, who was waiting by the side, immediately stepped forward and handed a document to Su Jin.
Without even glancing at it, Su Jin pinched it between two fingers and tossed it lightly onto the floor in front of Lin Luan as if throwing away a piece of trash.
“You mean this Contract of Sale?” Su Jin pressed her toe down slightly, forcing Lin Luan’s gaze to stay on her mocking face. “The penalty for breach is One and a Half Million, right?”
Lin Luan’s pupils shrank.
How did she know that clearly? Even the exact amount…
“Xiao Li.” Su Jin withdrew her foot and lounged back on the sofa.
Xiao Li immediately understood, took out her phone, operated it a few times, then turned the screen to Lin Luan.
At the same time, Lin Luan’s phone buzzed.
He instinctively pulled out his old phone, the screen lighting up with a brand new bank notification.
One and a Half Million!
Lin Luan looked up at Su Jin in shock.
Su Jin’s face was expressionless, as if she’d tossed him a handful of coins instead of a huge sum of money.
“Alright, now you’re free.”
“So, what do you say? Will you do it—be my Rental Boyfriend?” Su Jin asked.
“I’ll do it.”
Such a straightforward answer stunned Su Jin for a moment. Then, a smile played at her lips. She walked up to Lin Luan barefoot, black stockings showing, and crouched down to lift his chin with her hand.
“Alright, then…,” Su Jin looked Lin Luan over carefully, “You’re now the little dog I bought for One and a Half Million.”
“Speak.”
“Yes, Miss Su.”
“Beep, beep, beep.”
After Lin Luan left, the empty living room of the villa returned to silence. From tomorrow on, their contract would take effect, and Lin Luan would be at Su Jin’s beck and call.
Su Jin hugged a soft Velvet Throw Pillow, curled up on the sofa. Her phone screen glowed with a brightly colored interface.
It was a popular mobile nurturing game where players needed to feed and care for an Outline Dog.
Her slender fingers tapped the screen, feeding the virtual dog some kibble. Watching it spin in happiness, her lips curved unconsciously.
Xiao Li quietly cleared the cups from the coffee table and walked to Su Jin’s side. “Miss, have some tea.”
Su Jin paused her finger on the screen but didn’t look up, mumbling a reply:
“What do you think of Lin Luan?”
Su Jin spoke, her gaze still glued to the screen, as if the Outline Dog was incredibly fascinating.
“From what I’ve observed, Mr. Lin is reserved, but far from simple. He’s probably not the easy kind.” Xiao Li reported calmly.
“As expected, all men are the same—just after my money.” Su Jin said, “Do you think he’ll become the next Chen Siye?”
“Miss, I couldn’t say.”
Su Jin hugged her pillow, resting her chin on it. “Forget it… If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just consider it money spent for amusement. Watching him want to resist but having no choice but to obey is pretty fun.”
On the screen, the Outline Dog leapt happily with a new toy.
Xiao Li quietly retreated, her gaze falling on Su Jin’s absorbed profile.
What kind of person was Lin Luan, anyway? Xiao Li didn’t know, and neither could Miss Su—after all, they’d only just met and shared a drink.
Still… Miss seemed to have some extra feelings for Lin Luan. Was it because Lin Luan was so “blank”?
Miss, who always battled in the business world, had probably never seen someone with Lin Luan’s personality.
Maybe she was interested in this uncarved jade, wanting to shape Lin Luan into something of her own.
A bit black-bellied, isn’t she… How come I never noticed this kind of preference in Miss before?
Xiao Li glanced at Su Jin, lost in her nurturing game.
When she’s not busy with work, Miss is really just like a little kid.