We gave the matter little thought and nodded in agreement. Thus, I drove, with Sophie and her mother in tow, towards Sophie's residence. I had visited her home once before, so without asking, I entered the address into the navigation system and drove. During the ride, Auntie's expression appeared somewhat strained, but we paid little attention to it.

Upon reaching Sophie's home, Auntie was the first to alight from the car and proceeded straight into the house. Sophie, too, seemed a little uneasy; she gently pulled me to stand in the living room while her mother wandered about the house, as though inspecting something. After a short while, Auntie returned, seated herself in a single armchair, and cast a sharp gaze over us before suddenly asking,"You're not living together?"

I hastily clarified,"No, I work in Eldoria and seldom come here, so I usually stay in hotels."

Auntie's gaze shifted to Sophie, as though waiting for her explanation. Sophie lowered her head, remaining silent. Auntie's face grew more serious, her tone tinged with anger,"Sophie, is it because Ryan's family went bankrupt that you no longer want to be with him? I wondered why you two seemed so off, it's hard to believe you've been together for seven years. Sophie, how many times have I told you? How can you forget all that Ryan has done for you? Even though his family has gone bankrupt, it's hardly the end of the world. Your uncle can resolve that easily, but you never mention it."

At that moment, I couldn't help but privately admire this mother-in-law of mine; she seemed quite considerate. However, Sophie and I were only pretending to be a couple, while she actually had a boyfriend. As I pondered how best to explain, Sophie suddenly spoke up,"Mom, we've been having some issues lately. He argued with me and hasn't come back to stay." With that, she began to feign tears, gazing at me with eyes brimming with false sorrow.

My mind spun; now it seemed all the responsibility was falling on me. Auntie, observing this, turned to me and asked,"Ryan, is what Sophie said true?"

I took a deep breath and replied,"Well, I'm generally in Eldoria and don't come around much."

Sophie stood nearby, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears, her expression one of deep sorrow. Her tears seemed to pierce my heart, filling me with a profound sense of sadness and guilt.

Auntie, growing more irate, declared,"I don't care what you two are fighting about, you've been together for so many years. Couples fight, but they reconcile. If you're not living together, how can there be reconciliation? Ryan, I know Sophie has a strong temper, so it must be her fault. Don't worry, I'll take care of it. You just come back, and I'll see if she dares to cause trouble. Sophie, go to the hotel and bring back Ryan's things. I'm staying here tonight, and we'll see what she does to Ryan."

I looked helplessly at Sophie, who, despite everything, still wore a faint smile. She spoke,"Mom, Ryan and I will go get his things and yours too." She then tugged me out the door.

It had been a rather exhausting day. We visited two hotels, collected all the luggage, and brought it back to Sophie's house. By the time we finished, it was already half-past eleven. Auntie said,"I'm going to bed now. Once you're done tidying up, you should go to bed too."

After Auntie entered her room, I turned to Sophie and asked,"Where should I sleep?"

She gave me a sideward glance."What do you think?"

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Sophie went to take a shower, and I followed shortly after. However, there were no towels, so she took one from a drawer and handed it to me, saying,"Use mine for now. I don't have any extras."

When I finished showering and emerged, Sophie was already lying on one side of the bed, near the edge. I gently climbed in and lay on the other side.

"Turn off the light," she whispered.

I switched off the light, and the room was shrouded in darkness. The only sound that broke the silence was the rhythm of our breathing. Though I lay in bed, sleep eluded me as my mind replayed Auntie's words, a heavy weight pressing upon my chest, thick and suffocating.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice soft as though afraid of disturbing the quiet of the night.

There was no response, perhaps she had already fallen asleep. The atmosphere in the room felt strangely uncomfortable, and if I could, I would have preferred to sleep on the couch. It was only in the early hours of the morning that I finally succumbed to sleep.

The morning came, but I found my eyes unwilling to open. The person in my arms shifted slightly, and instinctively, I tightened my embrace, murmuring,"Don't move, let's sleep a little longer."

Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was in Sophie's bed. I hastily released my hold, fully awake now. The person in my arms was staring up at me with wide eyes, a playful and teasing glint in them.

"Sorry, I don't know how this happened," I stammered, quickly rising and feeling both confused and embarrassed.

It was then that I realized Sophie had rolled over to my side. She lay there with a faint smile at the corner of her lips, as though amused by the spectacle unfolding before her.

She let out a soft, mocking laugh, her voice tinged with playful teasing.

"It was you who rolled over to my side," I muttered, attempting to salvage some dignity.

She responded in a similarly quiet tone, "This bed is mine; I shall lie wherever I please."

I gazed at her helplessly, silently sighing in exasperation—this woman was utterly unpredictable. "Shall I go to work?" I inquired tentatively, hoping to escape the uncomfortable situation.

"You need not go today," she said lazily, her voice a mixture of command and childlike pleading. "Just stay and keep my mother company."

Very well, you are the boss, and your word is law, I thought, though with a silent grievance. But how was I to entertain Auntie? The entire day had left me mentally exhausted, as though I had been locked in an endless battle.

She stood and beckoned me with a playful motion. I leaned in, and she whispered softly in my ear, "How will you explain this to your girlfriend? She messaged you this morning, you know."

I snatched up my phone, a wave of unease washing over me. Indeed, the message had already been marked as read. I glanced at her, confusion and anxiety clouding my thoughts. "Did you look at my phone?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, a faint smile curving her lips. "It's nothing to hide, is it? What's the harm in looking?"

"Then why won't you let me see your phone?" I asked, my voice tinged with frustration, sensing something was amiss.

"Do you really want to see it?" She raised an eyebrow, her gaze playful and teasing.

"Of course," I replied, nodding, though unease still gnawed at me.

"Are you sure?" Her voice lingered, almost as though she was offering me one final chance.

"Yes," I said with determination, trying to suppress the hesitation in my heart.

She suddenly grinned, her smile sly like that of a mischievous fox. "Dream on."

"How have you become like this? You used to be so..." I began, but suddenly realized I was treading dangerously close to a sensitive topic, hastily falling silent.

She didn't seem angered; instead, her smile bloomed even brighter. "What was I like before? Tell me."

I faltered, uncertain, "Well… more or less the same."

Her eyes narrowed to slits, her smile widening as though she had discovered something particularly amusing. "Then why did you like me back then?"

"I didn't," I quickly denied, though my heart raced uncontrollably.

"Too scared to admit what you've done. Coward," she retorted, her smile vanishing in an instant, her expression chilling. It was as though her earlier warmth had been but a fleeting illusion. "What are you still standing there for? Go wash up."

I quickly moved away from the bed, though a sense of lingering resentment gnawed at me. As I walked toward the bathroom, my mind was whirling. The mirror reflected my disheveled appearance—scruffy beard, eyes weary with exhaustion. I sighed heavily, turning on the tap. The cold water splashed over my face, gradually stirring me from my stupor.