Volume One, Chapter Nine: The Girl I Cherish—Who Dares to Harm Her?

Chen Wen felt an overwhelming headache; having been single all his life, he had no idea how to appease a girl.

Especially since he still didn’t understand why Su Wen was angry—could it be that he had truly been too harsh?

Sitting in the massage chair, Chen Wen wore a troubled expression as he gently rubbed his temples.

She had brought such great benefits to the shop, yet he had blamed Su Wen over something as trivial as a pen. Chen Wen began to reflect on his own faults—perhaps he was being a bit too stingy as a boss.

The sky hadn’t fully darkened when Su Wen locked herself in her room, clearly deeply hurt this time.

After much hesitation, Chen Wen finally opened his phone and gritted his teeth to order a cake worth a hundred yuan. If people who knew him well found out, they would surely be shocked.

What? Chen Wen, the notorious miser, actually spent a “fortune” to cheer up a girl?

He comforted himself repeatedly, reminding that the money spent now was an investment for future returns, which eased his conscience somewhat.

Su Wen’s brother, Su Nan, sent a message saying he had successfully “tamed” the family’s tigress and would find time to thank him.

Chen Wen could only scratch his head awkwardly, unsure what Su Nan had actually realized.

“Ding dong!”

“Hello, Hungry Meow delivery!”

Chen Wen raised an eyebrow; nowadays, delivery was impressively fast—a little over an hour from baking to arrival.

Taking the box, he noticed an exquisite card attached, apparently left by the cake shop.

“Never forget,

You must always take responsibility for what you have tamed.

You are responsible for your rose.”

—The Little Prince

“What’s this nonsense? I don’t get it.” Chen Wen tossed the card aside casually, carefully opened the box, and gently held the cake as he knocked on Su Wen’s door.

A strange nervousness crept over him. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke.

“Xiao Su, are you asleep?”

“The boss has a surprise for you.”

The moment he finished speaking, Chen Wen noticed Su Wen’s happiness meter shoot up instantly to 15.

Huh? This girl is way too easily pleased.

Suddenly regretting that such a small cake had cost him a hundred yuan, he thought if only he’d known how simple it was to cheer her up, he could have saved the money.

The door opened, and a small head peeked out, eyes slightly red as if she’d just cried.

“Boss, what do you need from Xiao Su?”

Seeing her weary appearance, Chen Wen felt a pang of sympathy.

“Here, I specially bought this cake for you!”

On top of the cake sat a cherry; he had overheard her mention liking cherries last time, so he made sure to request one at the bakery.

Su Wen’s pupils visibly shrank. Sniffling, she stared at Chen Wen in disbelief.

Is this still the same boss she knew? When did he become so generous?

A radiant smile blossomed on her face, like sunshine breaking through after a rainstorm, refreshing and heartwarming.

Seeing that smile, Chen Wen suddenly felt that no amount of money could compare to this moment; her happiness was far more precious than any sum.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Chen Wen reminded himself not to be conquered by beauty—earning money was his true goal.

Su Wen took the cake, sitting on the bed and eating it bite by bite, paying no mind to the cream smudged at the corner of her mouth.

[Su Wen’s Happiness Meter: 37]

Chen Wen was quite pleased with the result. A nearly 30% increase in happiness in one go meant that this special task might soon be completed.

...

Two days later, Chen Wen realized he had underestimated the difficulty of this special task.

On the first day, one cake raised her happiness by 30%. The next day, it plummeted sharply, increasing only by 5%. On the third day, it even decreased by 1%.

It seemed relying solely on cakes wouldn’t work; he needed another plan.

Su Wen sat at the front desk, lost in thought. Today she wore her school uniform—it was exam week, and she would have to return to school for tests later.

As a fellow student of Quanzhou University, Chen Wen also had to go back to campus. Early on, he hung a “Closed” sign on the shop’s entrance.

“Su Wen, don’t daydream. Have you reviewed enough?”

“Yes, boss. How about you?”

“Uh… I’m doing mock tests now; the real exam is my makeup exam.”...

Ding ding ding...

Coming out of the classroom building, Chen Wen felt utterly defeated, as if he’d taken ten thousand points of damage. Those tiny mathematical symbols were tormenting him to death.

If only he could recruit “the math lady” through some recruitment scroll, he’d make her wash the dirtiest, ugliest feet!

Chen Wen thought viciously, but his attention was drawn to a commotion ahead—a crowd gathered around something.

“Make way, make way.”

Pushing through, Chen Wen finally saw what was happening.

Su Wen had fallen down the steps, one leg scraped and bleeding. She was hopping on one foot, and it was unclear if any bones were injured.

“Who pushed her? That’s terrible.”

“Looks like a woman, but I didn’t see clearly.”

Fury flared in Chen Wen’s chest. His precious girl, whom he had worked hard to cheer up, was hurt by someone reckless.

Anyone who brought down Su Wen’s happiness, anyone who made her unhappy—Chen Wen vowed not to forgive them!

“What the hell, don’t let me catch you.” Chen Wen cursed openly as he hurried over and squatted down, turning his broad back toward her.

Su Wen stared blankly at his wide back, hesitation in her eyes.

She was still sulking at her boss; if he carried her back, she feared her anger would dissipate.

Clenching her teeth and steeling herself, Su Wen snorted coldly and turned her head away.

“What are you waiting for? I’ll take you to get that wound treated.”

Chen Wen called out, still squatting.

To onlookers, Su Wen wasn’t sulking but rather acting coquettishly, seeking comfort in a proud, teasing way—unexpectedly feeding them a mouthful of sweet romance.

“Break it up, break it up, enough with the sugary nonsense.”

The bystanders’ words made Su Wen blush deeply. She was definitely not acting spoiled! (*[expression]*)

Seeing Su Wen hesitate, Chen Wen took a step back, stood up, and gently wrapped his arms around her thighs from behind.

Losing balance, Su Wen’s fearful hands clung to Chen Wen’s neck, her chest pressed tightly against his broad back.

Chen Wen, previously a bit impatient, shivered all over and instantly calmed down.

It was like a kitten trying a treat for the first time—initially suspicious of the dark, mysterious thing, but the moment its tongue touched it, its eyes cleared with delight.

How to describe the world beneath that school uniform...

When the eastern and western hemispheres of the world press together, Chen Wen transcended.

Su Wen’s cheeks flushed deeply, all the way to her ears; her entire body suddenly felt burning hot.

Trapped beneath her, Chen Wen could even feel her heartbeat racing—from sixty to one hundred twenty kilometers per hour, accelerating on the highway.

Adjusting his position, Chen Wen worried she might slip and held her fair thigh, lifting it gently.

Ah—

In this moment, he finally understood what youth was, and why the term “soft girl” even existed.