Lin Ruan savored it. In the Lin family’s living room, Lin Shanshan saw Gu Minhang replying to a message and couldn't resist leaning in. “Minhang, who are you texting?” Gu Minhang pocketed his phone, his expression impassive. “A friend.” Frustrated that she hadn't managed a peek and stung by his two-word dismissal, Lin Shanshan could only force a smile. With the business between the two families settled for the day, Gu Minhang’s parents stood to leave. They had intended for their son to come with them, but he said he wanted to spend a little more time with Lin Shanshan, especially since she was flying out for a competition abroad the next day. The older generation was pleased to see the young couple getting along so well and naturally gave them their space. As Lin Zhengguo and Ge Wei escorted the elder Gus out, the two in the living room began to flirt as if no one else existed. Lin Ruan watched for a moment from the second-floor landing, a sour taste in her mouth, before turning and walking away. A moment later, the couple from downstairs started up the stairs. Lin Shanshan’s room was right next to Lin Ruan’s, and even the best soundproofing couldn’t completely muffle the noises. The sounds were indistinct, but Lin Ruan clearly heard Lin Shanshan cry out once. She couldn't tell if they'd actually gone all the way. Probably not, she mused. They were still in the early stages, and Lin Shanshan, the "proper young lady," would surely maintain her矜持. Not long after, Gu Minhang’s car pulled out of the villa gates. He drove a short distance before pulling over, taking out a pack of cigarettes, and lighting one. After two deep drags, he spoke to the back of the car. “Out.” A glamorous ghost crawled out of the trunk. Lin Ruan scrambled into the passenger seat and settled herself before looking at Gu Minhang. He was still smoking, not bothering to look at her. But damn, his profile was handsome. She eyed the space on his lap. Her figure was good, her waist slender. Deciding there was plenty of room, she simply swung herself over and sat on his thighs. Gu Minhang pinched the cigarette between his fingers and finally looked at her. Lin Ruan’s lips curved into a smile that begged for praise. “I made myself smell nice just for you. Thoughtful, isn’t it?” The gesture was clearly well-received. He hooked a finger under her chin, pressed his lips to hers, and breathed a cloud of smoke into her mouth, finishing with a soft bite on her lower lip. “You certainly know how to please.” His breath, unlike the foul stench of other men, always carried a faint scent of vanilla that Lin Ruan adored. She figured Lin Shanshan probably adored it too. At the thought, her eyes narrowed playfully. She toyed with the collar of his shirt. “Is that a post-coital cigarette?” Gu Minhang’s lips curled into a wicked smirk. He nudged her hips an inch forward on his lap, his voice dropping to a low, seductive rumble. “Why don’t you find out for yourself?” The process of finding out was excruciatingly good. The steering wheel dug painfully into Lin Ruan’s back, but she reveled in the sensation. Gu Minhang teased that if she cried out any louder, the entire neighborhood would hear. In the aftermath, she asked him, a genuine curiosity in her voice, “Between me and Lin Shanshan, who do you actually like?” He nibbled on her earlobe, answering with a question of his own. “What do you think?” Lin Ruan decided it had to be her. After all, Gu Minhang was her man right now. The next day, Lin Ruan woke to an empty house. It went without saying they had all gone to see the little princess of the Lin family off at the airport. In this house, Lin Shanshan was the center of their universe; her affairs were more important than anything. Lin Ruan was sore from the previous night, her legs feeling weak. As she went downstairs, the limp in her left leg was all the more noticeable. She rummaged around the kitchen and found, as expected, that not even a bowl of rice porridge had been left for her. She was used to it. She curled up on the sofa and scrolled through her phone. The latest post on her feed was from Lin Shanshan. It was a picture of her and Gu Minhang walking side-by-side against the backdrop of the airport, a look of sweet sorrow on their faces. It was clearly staged. The caption read: *Every parting makes the next reunion sweeter.* The comment section was flooded. Besides Lin Shanshan's own friends, many of Gu Minhang's buddies had chimed in. A good number of them knew about her and Gu Minhang, but that didn't stop them from shamelessly cheering for the other couple to get together. Everyone knew Gu Minhang was just fooling around with Lin Ruan; she was nothing compared to Lin Shanshan. Lin Ruan felt nothing. Instead, she nonchalantly posted a photo of her own. In it, she was wearing a velvet camisole, a prominent red mark blooming just below her collarbone. She captioned it: *The mosquitoes were huge last night.* Under her post, Gu Minhang’s buddies suddenly went silent. All except Meng Yu, who left a suggestive comment: “That’s one wild mosquito.”