Volume One, Chapter Seven: Little Brother, The Zipper Is Stuck

Jealous?

Fang Mo sat in Ning Yuelan’s car as the woman drove toward her private villa. After a moment of contemplation, Fang Mo nodded honestly.

"I do feel a bit uncomfortable."

Ning Yuelan pursed her red lips and chuckled softly. "I helped you today, and you helped me. We’re helping each other out. A pleasant cooperation."

*Helping each other out?*

That sounded like they were square...

Fang Mo froze, his heart tightening. "Sister, was what you said to Lin Xihan earlier true?"

As soon as the words left his lips, a blush crept onto Ning Yuelan’s lovely face. *The little thing has quite the memory. Why didn’t you ask if what I told Grandpa was true?*

"O-of course it was a lie, just to help you save face and annoy Lin Xihan." Ning Yuelan patted her chest. *Sorry, little brother, but I can’t let the cat out of the bag yet.*

It would be understandable for a seven- or eight-year-old Fang Mo to have a crush on a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Ning Yuelan. But for a reclusive, older teenage girl to have a crush on a seven- or eight-year-old "puppy"? That would be a bit twisted!

However, upon hearing this, Fang Mo felt a sudden, hollow ache in his chest.

"Should we notify Uncle Fang and Aunt Ran about the wedding?" Ning Yuelan asked, shifting the topic without noticing the change in Fang Mo’s mood.

"Uh..." Fang Mo hesitated. Given his parents’ hands-off attitude toward him, even if they found out he had married Sister Yuelan, it probably wouldn’t change much. But did he really have to tell them? It felt so formal!

"I suppose we should give them a heads-up."

Hearing this, Ning Yuelan chuckled. "What? Are you afraid that once the wedding is held, I won’t let you leave?"

*That’s exactly right—I won’t let you leave. But I’m certainly not going to admit that!*

Fang Mo gave a dry, awkward laugh. "Not at all."

By the time they arrived at Ning Yuelan’s villa, it was seven or eight in the evening. Normally, Fang Mo would have headed home, but since they hadn’t tried on the clothes at the suit shop earlier, Ning Yuelan had ordered everything he liked to be packed up and brought here. She insisted that Fang Mo try them on at home to finalize his wedding attire before leaving.

Watching Fang Mo disappear into her master bedroom with a dozen suits, Ning Yuelan’s red lips curled into a charming arc.

"Once you're here, don't even think about leaving!"

She picked up her phone and dialed. "Hello, butler? Go to the Emerald Apartments and move all of Fang Mo’s belongings over to my place."

"Oh, and his house, too."

"Keys? That apartment doesn't have a gate; you can just go in."

"As for the keys to his house... well, he’s changing clothes right now. I’ll get them from him in a moment; you can pick them up at my front door."

The woman smiled slyly, like a little fox whose scheme had succeeded.

Soon, Fang Mo walked out of the room in a new outfit. He was tall, though slightly slender—not exactly muscular, but certainly not weak. The suit fit him just right. The jacket was a muted gray, shimmering with a high-end texture under the lights. They say a suit is a man’s armor, and indeed, his attire instantly elevated his presence.

*Not bad. Fang Mo has quite good taste!* Ning Yuelan’s beautiful eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

Fang Mo himself felt a bit nervous. Since graduating, he had rarely attended any formal occasions, and he hadn’t worn a suit more than a few times in his life.

"Sister, how is this one?"

Ning Yuelan nodded. "As expected, my little brother looks handsome in anything!"

She pursed her lips and gestured toward the wedding gown she had brought back. "Though, I don’t think it matches mine very well. I chose a gown with a long train. If you wear a slim-fit style, we won’t look harmonious standing together. Why don't you try another one?"

Fang Mo nodded and obediently headed back toward the room.

Ning Yuelan smiled. "Tell you what, I’ll change into my gown too, and we can check how we look in the mirror. I’ll change in the bedroom, and you can change in the study."

Fang Mo didn't think much of it and obediently went into the study.

Ning Yuelan felt a surge of triumph. *The little guy has been successfully diverted.*

Fang Mo had left his casual jacket and pants in the bedroom earlier. The moment Ning Yuelan entered, she reached into his pockets and found the house keys. Just then, her phone rang.

Perfect timing!

She had the butler wait downstairs and tossed the keys out the window to him.

When Fang Mo finally emerged in another outfit, he looked puzzled, wondering why Sister Yuelan had been so quiet for so long. Just as he was starting to worry if it was too difficult for her to put on the wedding gown alone, her voice drifted out from the room.

"Little brother, come in and help me. There’s a zipper in the back that I can’t reach."

*Uh...*

Fang Mo froze, his face flushing bright red.

Ning Yuelan’s voice urged him again. "Hurry up! The dress is very heavy, and it's exhausting to hold up the train."

Fang Mo rushed into the room. Seeing her in the snow-white gown again, despite having seen it that morning, he was still struck by her divine beauty. Her skin was porcelain white, and the form-fitting dress clung to her upper body, perfectly accentuating her slender figure. A pink gemstone hung at her chest, resting right in the hollow of her neckline.

She was radiant, dazzling, and utterly breathtaking. *Too beautiful. Ning Yuelan is simply too beautiful...*

Ning Yuelan held the long train in one hand and swept her hair aside with the other, watching his reaction. A glimmer of smugness crossed her eyes. "Dumbie, what are you staring at? Hurry up and help, do you want to exhaust me to death?"

"Ah!" Fang Mo coughed. "No, it’s just... Sister, you’re so beautiful, I was momentarily stunned."

Though she had guessed his thoughts from his expression, she hadn't expected the blockhead to actually say it out loud. A rosy flush colored her cheeks. It was impressive that after only one day of interaction, she had already elicited such a compliment from him.

The road to conquering her "puppy" brother didn't seem so long anymore.

As he pulled the zipper, his palm inevitably brushed against her smooth, bare back. He felt a jolt run through him. Even just the contact of his knuckles against her skin felt as smooth as mutton-fat jade.

Fang Mo’s Adam’s apple bobbed. "No wonder you’re the dream lover of twenty million men!"

This wasn't just him rambling—there was theory behind it! The "twenty million" referred to all the marriageable men in Jiangcheng. Last year, a bored financial channel had held a vote among dozens of household names from the entertainment, business, and sports worlds to see who was the ideal partner. Ning Yuelan had won with eight times the votes of the runner-up, becoming the undisputed dream lover of Jiangcheng’s twenty million bachelors.

Though Fang Mo had muttered this to himself, Ning Yuelan had heard him clearly. She turned her head, smiling. "Let me interview our little brother Fang Mo: How does it feel to be marrying the dream of twenty million men?"

"Cough, cough, Sister, stop teasing. The zipper is stuck at the bottom, don't move."

Fang Mo stammered, and as he said that, Ning Yuelan turned her head again, confused. "It's still not fixed?"

"Sister, wait, my hand—"

The next moment, Fang Mo stumbled, stepped on the long train of her gown, and lost his balance. He fell forward, wrapping his arms around Ning Yuelan as they both tumbled onto the bed.

*Thump.*

They were now in intimate contact. Fang Mo was half a head taller than her, and his lips brushed against her forehead. Holding her tightly as they landed, they had collided in a truly dramatic fashion.

Fang Mo could barely hold his breath. *Referee, she’s fouling! She’s playing dirty!*