“Miss, you saved my life. I wanna marry you when I grow up!”

The little voice was soft and babyish, but the words coming out of his mouth were way too mature for his age.

Serena Ashford looked at the boy in front of her. He was, what, three or four at most? For a second, she honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Marry her?

She’d been confessed to by all kinds of men growing up, sure. But a tiny kid this young? Yeah, that was absolutely a first.

She crouched down, smiling at him as gently as she could. “Hey, little guy, I don’t need you to marry me.”

Five minutes earlier—

She had caught sight of this child running straight across the road, completely reckless, while car horns blared all around him.

A huge truck had come tearing down the street. Serena reacted almost on instinct, darted forward, grabbed him, and yanked him back onto the sidewalk. Only after seeing that he wasn’t hurt anywhere did she finally let out a breath.

To her, it had just been a small thing.

No big deal.

And definitely not something that required him to repay her with marriage.

“Huh... is it because I’m not handsome enough?” The little boy lowered his head, lips puffed out, looking so wronged he seemed seconds away from crying.

He was Theo Mercer.

Theo Mercer, the only son of Adrian Mercer, president of LiShi Group.

Theo Mercer, the sole heir of the eighteenth generation of the Mercer family, the top elite clan in Yecheng.

Theo Mercer, the universally acknowledged cutest kid in kindergarten.

The kind of child everyone adored on sight, like human sunshine with a cheat code.

And yet his very first confession had been rejected.

How was little Theo Mercer supposed to not feel crushed? Not feel sad?

Serena lifted her wrist and checked the time. She still had to go interview for a tutoring job today, and that job mattered a lot to her. She really didn’t have time to keep going in circles with this kid here.

“Sweetie, where are your mom and dad?” she asked patiently. “Why don’t I call them and have them come pick you up?”

Who even lets a kid this young cross the street alone? Seriously, what kind of parents are that careless?

That was what Serena Ashford was thinking.

Still... no joke, this little boy was ridiculously good-looking. His tiny fair face was soft and milky, his features delicate and flawless. It was hard to imagine what kind of absolute heartbreaker he’d turn into when he grew up.

Theo Mercer’s eyes suddenly lit up, like he’d just come up with the smartest idea in the world.

"I don’t have a mommy. And I think you look a lot like me, pretty sister. Why don’t you be my mommy?"

As he spoke, Theo threw himself straight into Serena Ashford’s arms and rubbed against her knee, acting extra clingy.

Serena Ashford didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. Amused and helpless, she patiently pulled him back a little. "Hey, sweetheart, then where’s your dad? I can take you to find him."

The moment she finished speaking—

"Theo!!!"

A black SUV screeched to a sharp stop by the roadside. A tall man with long legs stepped out of the car at once.

He had on a brown trench coat that wrapped around his lean frame, and he moved fast, looking like he’d rushed all the way here without stopping.

Theo Mercer instantly broke into a bright grin. "Uncle Felix!"

"Hah..." Felix Mercer came over breathing hard. He dropped into a crouch and scooped up his disobedient little nephew in one pull. Only after letting out a long breath did he say, "Who told you to run off like that? Do you know if you got lost, your dad would literally kill me?"

Today, his second brother, Adrian Mercer, had asked him to watch the kid.

He’d only gone into the law firm to sign a contract. The second he turned around, his nephew was gone.

Felix Mercer had been scared out of his mind. He ditched his client on the spot and ran out to search. Thank God he’d found him. Otherwise, the fallout would’ve been unimaginable.

"Are you this child’s family?" Serena Ashford said to Felix Mercer. "He’s so little, and he was crossing the street by himself just now. That was way too dangerous. Please don’t let him do something like that again."

"What? You crossed the street alone?" Felix Mercer’s attention snapped fully onto Theo Mercer. He checked him over from head to toe, eyes sweeping across him again and again, terrified the boy might have gotten hurt somewhere.

His heart was still hanging in his throat, a mix of shock and fear crashing through him. If anything had really happened to Theo Mercer, he’d be dead meat.

Theo Mercer lifted a finger and pointed at Serena Ashford. "This pretty sister saved me in the street."

Only then did Felix Mercer notice Serena Ashford, and he quickly thanked her.

The girl was seriously pretty too. His big nephew had luck on his side, no joke.

"Little one, now that your family’s here, I should get going. Bye."

Serena turned to leave, but someone suddenly grabbed the corner of her clothes.

She looked down and met a pair of watery, shining eyes, like a little puppy scared of being abandoned. "Will we really see each other again?"

Serena’s heart gave a sharp throb.

For some reason, it actually hurt, like being pricked by a needle.

Was it because this kid was just too adorable?

Why did she suddenly feel like she didn’t want to leave at all?

Serena looked into those clear, pure eyes and smiled softly. "Yes. We’ll definitely meet again."

...

An hour later.

At a high-end club in Yecheng, Serena followed a waiter to a private room.

She was there for a tutoring job interview. The other party had asked her to come in person.

In the shifting light and shadow, the moment Serena stepped inside, she saw the man sitting on the sofa.

Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore a black shirt with two buttons undone, exposing a sharply defined collarbone. His shoulders were wide, his chest solid, the kind of presence that made people feel weirdly safe at a glance.

"Hello, sir. I’m Serena Ashford. I’m here today to apply for the private tutor position."

The man in front of her gave her a calm, unreadable glance. "Sit."

The instant he lifted his eyes, Serena couldn’t help taking in a sharp breath.

How was she even supposed to describe this man...?

Handsome.

Seriously handsome.

Like, insanely handsome.

The kind of presence that was hard to put into words.

Every little move of his carried this calm, polished, untouchably noble vibe.

And the pressure he gave off?

No joke.

A menace.

That word popped straight into Serena Ashford’s head out of nowhere.

As if sensing her stare, Adrian Mercer’s long brows drew together slightly. His voice cut across the room, low and edged with displeasure. "Seen enough?"

Being stared at by her like that, he actually had a reaction like some kind of pervert. Keeping his face perfectly blank, Adrian quietly crossed his legs.

He was twenty-eight years old.

And this was the first time he had ever lost his composure in front of a woman like this.

Before Serena could even apologize for staring so rudely—

The next second—

"Dad, why are you being so mean to pretty sister?"

A soft, babyish voice suddenly rang out.

Serena froze.

That voice...

She turned her head and looked over, only to see a handsome little boy standing there.

And she knew him.

It was the child she had saved from the road earlier that day.

"Pretty sister!" Theo Mercer rushed over, wrapped both arms around one of Serena’s legs, tilted up his little face, and said in the sweetest voice ever, "Don’t be scared. I’m here now!"

Serena Ashford: ?!

Adrian Mercer froze for a second too. "Miss Ashford, you know my son?"

"Uh... wow."

Serena Ashford lowered her eyes and looked at Theo Mercer. "Three years old, weirdly stubborn, scared off thirty tutors in six months. Kid, don’t tell me the child I’m supposed to tutor... is you?"

"Oh gosh, don’t praise me like that. I’ll get shy." The second Theo realized Serena was here to apply as his tutor, his little brain lit up and a plan instantly popped up.

"No one’s praising you. Come here." Adrian’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried pressure all on its own. He clearly could not stand seeing his son hug a stranger’s leg right in front of him, his actual father.

Theo shivered on instinct and clung even tighter to Serena’s leg.

Serena shielded him a little and spoke up for the kid. "Sir, you really are being a bit too harsh. He’s so little. If you talk to him like that, of course you’ll scare him."

"How I raise my son—is that something you need to teach me?"

"..."

Serena pressed her rosy lips together.

He was right. She really had no standing to tell someone else how to parent their child.

"Dad, you’re not allowed to be so mean to this big sister!"

Theo couldn’t sit through it anymore. He lifted his little face and bravely met Adrian’s eyes.

"Today I accidentally ran a red light, and this big sister saved me. Otherwise I might’ve been hit by a car and died already. So I have to devote myself to her to repay her for saving my life! I’ve decided—I want her to be my tutor. I promise I’ll go to kindergarten properly and study hard!"

Adrian’s gaze darkened all at once.

How exactly had Felix Mercer been watching the child? He let Theo cross on a red light by himself? He almost got hit by a car?

"Theo Mercer, come here first."

"I’m not coming! Unless you promise me first that the pretty sister can be my tutor. Then I’ll come over and let you scold me or hit me if you want!"

Adrian Mercer: "..."

Since when had he ever hit him? Or even really scolded him?

Adrian straightened his expression, then looked back at Serena.

One big, one small—they were holding on to each other pretty tightly.

Anyone who didn’t know better might really think this woman was the child’s mother.

Reading note: both male and female leads are totally clean, so feel free to jump in. Trust me—the male lead is the kind of man who, once he falls, he’s in for life. When he spoils his wife, he has absolutely zero bottom line. Flirty as hell, insanely devoted, and crazy loyal.