After a fight with my fiancé, I ran into my sworn enemy smoking in a corner.

Seeing me fuming, he scoffed, "With a temper like that, what man could possibly stand you?"

Furious, I slammed the door and stormed off.

The next second, his inner thoughts suddenly echoed in my mind:

*[I made her angry again... Stupid mouth, shut the hell up!]*

*[But damn, even when she’s mad, she’s so beautiful...]*

*[Maybe I should send her some thirst traps from my alt account later to cheer her up.]*

*[Dreamt about her again last night... How many times have I soaked the sheets because of her?]*

*[I want her to step on me. To grab me by the collar and leash. I’d beg, "Mistress, be rougher with me."]*

I froze.

1.

A second later, a message popped up from an account with a dog profile picture.

*"Mistress, wanna see me in this?"*

Attached was a photo—a sleek black leather collar with a silver chain dangling from it, glinting coldly under the light.

I turned around and saw him leaning alone against the rooftop railing, wreathed in cigarette smoke. The night shadows swallowed his profile, leaving only a hazy outline.

His thoughts echoed in my mind once more:

["I've gone and upset my sister again—this stupid mouth of mine just can't stay shut!"]

["Every time I see her pouting like that, it feels like a cat's claws are scratching at my heart—itchy and unbearable, yet I still can't resist teasing her."]

["She probably has no idea how nervous I get whenever I message her from my alt account, terrified she'll see right through me."]

["I spent ages picking out this collar, dreaming of the day she might fasten it around my neck with her own hands—even just for a second would be enough."]

["But now, when I think about it, there's no chance of that happening. She's about to marry someone else."]

My mind raced.

That account with the dog avatar had appeared the very day I was forced to agree to an arranged marriage with my childhood friend Shen Mochuan.

At first, with all the new friends from university clubs flooding my contacts, I didn't pay it much attention.

But when I posted about cleaning up my friends list, they immediately transferred me 131,400 yuan, begging me not to delete them.

Shocked, I demanded to know who they were. They claimed to be an admirer who just wanted to quietly follow my life.

True to their word, they remained unobtrusive—just daily greetings, never intrusive.

The only oddity was their persistent attempts to send me money.

Last week, I gently advised them to stop, and they obediently agreed.

Yet the very next day, they sent me a shirtless selfie flaunting their abs.

The photo was deleted instantly with a message saying it was sent by mistake.

I didn't think much of it at the time.

But now, it's the second time.

This time, his implication couldn’t be clearer.

"Master, want to see me wear it?"

The attached image was a close-up of a slender neck—a striking Adam’s apple, faintly visible collarbones, and that alluring mole. The fair skin looked so delicate it seemed like it could be squeezed to release moisture.

His inner voice echoed in my mind again:

[One minute has passed. Why hasn’t she replied yet?]

[She must think I’m a creep. She’s probably about to block me.]

[Even if she deletes me, I’ll still be her stepbrother in name.]

[Shen Mochuan will make her happy, while I’ll just be crying in a corner.]

2.

I was stunned.

So this was the real Zhou Jinyan—my usually aloof stepbrother—when no one was watching?

Zhou Jinyan was my stepfather's only son from his previous marriage.

Ever since my mom divorced him, Zhou Jinyan and I couldn't stand the sight of each other. My best friend Xiaxia often joked that we were like a bickering couple straight out of a rom-com.

Once, during a particularly heated argument, I even snapped, "If we ever end up together, I'll step in dog poop every time I leave the house."

Ironically, that very day, I did exactly that.

When I vented to Xiaxia, she shook her head in disbelief. "You're turning down perfectly good guys like my brother—arranged by your family, no less—only to fall for that neglected stepbrother of yours?"

Zhou Jinyan might have been the only son of his father, but with both parents living abroad and leaving him behind in China, his position in the family was awkward at best.

Shen Mochuan, on the other hand, had it all—a picture-perfect family, the rightful heir to the Shen Group empire, already steering the family business with ease.

Yet, for some reason, I couldn't help being drawn to Zhou Jinyan.

Seeing my stubbornness, Xiaxia finally decided to play matchmaker. Today, she somehow orchestrated things so I'd "accidentally" witness Shen Mochuan reminiscing about his long-lost love.

The encounter ended badly, with Shen Mochuan and me parting ways right in front of Zhou Jinyan.

Xiaxia texted me afterward: *"If he comforts you, seize the moment and tame that tsundere wolf pup of yours. But honestly, I still think you should consider my brother. Sure, he’s not as hot as your stepbrother, but he’s loaded, and the age gap’s just right."*

I couldn’t help but laugh. She quickly added, *"Seriously though, your stepbrother’s got a mouth on him—total dealbreaker!"*

But now, staring at the unfamiliar account that kept transferring money to me, and piecing together everything that had happened recently, a lot of things suddenly made sense.

The next day, the Shen family came to visit.

For the first time ever, the usually reclusive Zhou Jinyan came downstairs to join us for dinner.

The two families chatted happily around the table, still discussing the arranged marriage between me and Shen Mochuan. I stayed silent because my mother had made it clear—unless I found someone I truly loved, this engagement would proceed. That was exactly why I was so desperate to define my relationship with Zhou Jinyan. Marrying someone I didn’t love would be unbearable.

Across the table, Zhou Jinyan ate quietly, his expression unreadable, showing no reaction to the prearranged union.

3.

Who would’ve guessed that the same man flirting with me on a social app last night was him?

A plan formed in my mind—maybe I could use this engagement to uncover Zhou Jinyan’s true feelings.

As Shen Mochuan ladled soup into my bowl, I discreetly opened the chat history from that anonymous account. Scrolling through, I realized just how obsessive the messages were. Even when I didn’t reply, he persisted in detailing his daily routine—down to how long he spent in the shower. If it took too long, he’d even apologize: *"Sorry, took a bit longer in the shower today."*

Accompanied by a bashful emoji.

I’d ignored those messages before, but now, reading them again, I sensed something more beneath his words.

Watching Zhou Jinyan across the table, his head bowed in quiet concentration, so different from his usual sarcastic demeanor toward me, I suddenly felt a spark of mischief.

I replied, "Sorry, I've been too busy to check messages lately. When did you say you wanted me to see that thing?"

Last night, that photo of the collar had only been up for a minute before it was deleted—as if timed perfectly.

Across from me, Zhou Jinyan's phone suddenly buzzed. When he glanced at the screen, his hand jerked, sending his fork clattering onto the table.

The noise drew curious glances from the others. And in that moment, I heard his inner thoughts again:

*[Ugh, another night of cold showers for me.]*

*[Wait, what? She actually replied? Shouldn’t she have blocked me by now?]*

*[Maybe she’s into those abs pics after all. Wonder if she prefers the collar loose or tight?]*

*[Heh heh, just look at me, sis! I’m great at sweet-talking—guaranteed to keep you happy.]*

*[Hell, even if you slapped me, I’d still be into it.]*

After dinner, the four of us—me, him, Xiaxia, and Shen Mochuan—gathered in the lounge for drinks, karaoke, and a round of Monopoly.

He sat close to me, scrolling silently on his phone, clearly distracted. His fingers brushed against mine more than once by accident.

Only I knew why.

Because I’d just texted him: *[I’m getting married. If you keep sending me stuff like this, my fiancé won’t be happy.]*

"Zhou Jinyan, what’s going on with you? Why are you so out of it?"

The hot-tempered Xiaxia was absolutely fuming at his behavior.

With a light chuckle, I remarked, "Look at him—seems like he's got a serious crush."

The next moment, his inner thoughts flooded into my mind:

*[Yeah, all because of you, sis. My heart’s practically shattered into pieces.]*

*[Tonight, I was so happy after getting your message that I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep. But now that you’re cutting me off, I feel like I’m falling apart.]*

*[This hurts so bad… Ugh.]*

*[Damn it, even Shen Mochuan noticed something’s off. He warned me—if I dare interfere with your wedding plans, he’ll expose my feelings for you to everyone.]*

*[But I can’t help it. Every time I see you, my heart races like it’s about to burst out of my chest.]*

*[I should go back to my room. If I stay any longer, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back…]*

His thoughts grew increasingly anguished, leaving me frozen in place, my mind blank.

That message I’d sent was just meant to test his reaction.

Now he stood dangerously close, his rapid breaths loud in the quiet space between us.

A shiver ran through me, and I abruptly stood up. "I’m a bit tired. I’ll head to bed first."

Zhou Jinyan looked up at me, his eyes flickering with panic.

Normally, he’d have shot back with some sarcastic remark. But this time, he just pressed his lips tightly together, waited for the others to finish speaking, and then hurried away without another word.

I noticed something off about the way he walked—unnatural, as if trying to escape something.

Late at night, unable to resist, I lingered outside his room and once again overheard the tormented whispers of his heart.

*"I miss her so much... I just want her to pat my head, kiss me, hold me."*

*"Looking at her photos isn't enough—I need to feel her warmth, for real."*

*"I know it's wrong, but I can't control my heart."*

Just then, my phone buzzed incessantly.

Zhou Jinyan had sent me a flood of messages from his alternate account. He seemed to have forgotten I could see them, pouring out his thoughts one after another.

*"I feel so awful. I hate how twisted I am. Someone like me doesn’t deserve you. I wish I could just... pursue you like a normal person. Even if you ended up choosing someone else, I’d accept it."*

*"Please don’t block me. You can mute me—treat me like a stray dog. Yell at me if you want. I don’t care that you’re engaged."*

Finally, as if overwhelmed by pain, he sent a voice message.

*"Jiejie... I miss you so much. I just want to be close to you."*

His voice was thick with suppressed tears.

---

I couldn’t take it anymore. I knocked on his bedroom door.

*Knock. Knock. Knock.*

Three raps before the door finally opened.

The heavy scent of alcohol hit me immediately.

Zhou Jinyan stood there in a rumpled shirt, his hair disheveled, his entire being radiating drunken misery.

When he saw it was me, his body stiffened in surprise.

He quickly tried to compose himself, brows furrowing as he asked with forced calm, "It's so late. What are you doing here?"

Still pretending, huh.

My gaze flickered to his red-rimmed eyes before catching sight of the photos scattered across the bed—candid shots of my daily life, some clearly taken without my knowledge.

Watching him maintain this cold facade, I stepped closer until our breaths mingled. "Wasn't it you," I murmured, "who said you wanted to get close to me?"