MTL - 43

Tang Yu definitely wouldn’t dare to do anything sneaky to me because his feelings for me are only at six out of ten.

Six is just barely passing! If he dared to touch me, I’d definitely get angry!

— From “The Diary of a Little Tyrant”

Tang Dingding stared blankly at her brother, stammering, “I didn’t disobey you…”

Why did they arrive so perfectly on time? What had she just said?

Wait, no—the real question was, what had Tang Xin just said?

She turned to look at Tang Xin.

In her dazed state, Tang Xin stood up unsteadily and staggered over, bumping into Tang Yu. Tang Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and reached out to steady her waist. The little girl tilted her flushed face upward, her hands clumsily grabbing his face and patting it randomly as she mumbled softly, “It seems like it’s true… I was just badmouthing him, and then he showed up?”

Tang Yu: “….”

Expressionless, he pulled her hands down and looked at her with cold indifference.

Tang Xin tried to reach for him again, but her hands were firmly held in his palm. She was completely drunk, her body reeking of alcohol, her breath warm as she tilted her face up and smiled at him, “Tang Yu.”

Tang Yu looked at her and gave a low hum.

She grinned and called out, “Pighead.”

Tang Yu: “….”

“Tang Yu, you jerk. Tang Yu, you big pig hoof.”

“….”

“It seems fake after all. I insulted him, and he didn’t get mad, didn’t correct me, and didn’t even scold me.”

“….”

Tang Xin muttered quietly to herself, then turned to look for You Huan. Tang Yu’s face was a mix of helplessness and gloom. His arm, which had been loosely draped around her waist, dropped limply, though his grip on her hand remained firm. She managed to take a few steps before being stuck in place, unable to move further.

You Huan walked over, intending to pull Tang Xin away. She looked at Tang Yu and said, “I’ll take her home.”

But Tang Yu refused to let go, pulling her back. He looked at You Huan and said, “I live next door to her. I’ll take her home.”

You Huan frowned at the sight of the clearly intoxicated Tang Xin and said, “No way. She’s drunk. What if you take advantage of her?”

Tang Yu’s expression darkened, but before he could respond, the little girl leaning against his chest laughed mischievously and declared fiercely, “I’m the little tyrant! Who would dare take advantage of me? Anyone who tries will get beaten up by me!”

Tang Yu: “….”

His jaw tightened, his cheek twitched faintly in restraint, and he looked down at her with an expression of icy indifference.

Mad.

Even when drunk, she still proclaimed herself a tyrant.

You Huan’s lips twitched involuntarily, and for some reason, she suddenly felt a bit sorry for Tang Yu.

After a moment of thought, she asked Tang Yu for assurance, “Are you sure you won’t take advantage of her?”

Tang Yu furrowed his brow and said coldly, “No.”

You Huan had heard many things about him, and no matter how she looked at it, he didn’t seem like the type to take advantage of a woman—even though he was currently pursuing this one. She nodded, “Alright. She rarely gets drunk, and even when she does, she doesn’t usually cause trouble. Just take her home and let her sleep.”

Tang Yu glanced at Tang Dingding, who was sitting silently on the couch. “I’ll have the driver take you home.”

Tang Dingding didn’t dare object and obediently nodded, “Okay…”

She stood up, her steps unsteady. Beside her, Huo Chendong instinctively reached out to support her, lightly touching her arm. But the next second, she slapped his hand away. Huo Chendong frowned.

You Huan pulled her over. “Come on,乖乖 (乖乖 means obediently/behave).”

Tang Dingding leaned over, smiling brightly. “Let’s go.”

Tang Yu glanced at them from the corner of his eye, his arm securely around Tang Xin’s shoulders. Tang Xin’s steps were wobbly, half her weight leaning against him. Sitting hadn’t been too bad, but standing and walking for a while made her dizzy and disoriented.

Shen Fei followed them, seeing that they were leaving, and paused in surprise. “Are you all leaving already?”

Huo Chendong glanced at her, his mood sour. “Yeah, we’re leaving. You guys keep playing.”

He had originally come along just to check things out, but now, thanks to Tang Dingding and You Huan, he had lost all interest and just wanted to return home to rest early.

Tang Yu half-carried, half-supported Tang Xin out of the private room and toward the elevator. At this point, the little girl was unusually well-behaved and quiet. However, once they stepped out of the room, the bright corridor lights made her squint slightly, as if she had sobered up a bit. She looked at him with a puzzled expression.

A group of people exited the club, their cars parked by the roadside.

As they descended the steps, Tang Xin’s high heels wobbled, and Tang Yu quickly hoisted her up. After glancing down at her, he scooped her up bridal-style and steadily continued down the steps.

The world spun around her, making Tang Xin even dizzier. Instinctively, her hand grabbed onto his shirt collar, and she buried her head in the crook of his neck, breathing in his clean, crisp scent.

Tang Dingding leaned against You Huan, pointing incredulously at them with her finger. “They…”

You Huan calmly glanced over and patted her face. “It’s fine. This is normal.”

Tang Dingding blinked, marveling, “My brother really seems to like Sugarheart. If someone else insulted him like that, he’d definitely… Wait, no, actually, nobody else dares to insult him like that. Only Sugarheart does.”

Huo Chendong stood with his hands in his pockets, watching Tang Yu carry her off into the distance. He increasingly regretted coming along. Feeling irritated, he ran a hand through his hair and looked at Tang Dingding. “I’m leaving.”

Tang Dingding puffed up her cheeks and gave a soft “Oh.”

Tang Yu carried her briskly to the car, and the driver hurriedly opened the door for him. Tang Yu instructed the driver, “Take Dingding home.”

Tang Xin had been clutching his collar the entire time. Once she was settled into the passenger seat and buckled in, her grip on his collar remained. Tang Yu rested his hand on the seat, looking down at her. They were extremely close; she reeked of alcohol, but his scent remained crisp and pleasant.

“Still not letting go?” he asked softly.

She leaned back in the seat, blinked, and whispered, “Are you really Tang Yu?”

He looked down at her from above, their faces less than fifteen centimeters apart. Very close.

Tang Yu gazed at her rosy complexion, her clear, confused eyes, and finally, his gaze landed on her pink, soft lips. Suddenly… he felt the urge to kiss her. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he restrained himself, shifting his gaze away. Slowly, he pried her fingers off his collar one by one and murmured, “Fake.”

He straightened up, closed the car door, and walked around to the driver’s seat. He loosened the top two buttons of his shirt, leaned back comfortably, and exhaled deeply. He glanced sideways at Tang Xin, who was leaning against the window.

Tang Xin was staring at him intently, her gaze unwavering. “You’re real.”

He half-closed his eyes, amused. “What do you think?”

Tang Xin furrowed her brows and reached out to grab his arm. “Then why didn’t you say anything when I insulted you earlier?”

For a fleeting moment, Tang Yu recalled the insults she had hurled at him in the private room. Casually glancing at her, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. “Oh, which part? You wanted to crush what exactly?”

She paused for a few seconds, blinking hazily. “Or… should I massage it for you instead?”

Blood rushed to Tang Yu’s head, and without thinking, he let out a mocking laugh. “You might as well give me a handjob.”

Tang Xin: “….”

Tang Yu slumped back in his seat, rolled down the window, and covered his face with his hand. His jaw tightened, his ears grew warm, and he muttered a curse under his breath.

…Damn, he was losing his mind.

He took a deep breath and ignored her, focusing on driving the car out.

Tang Xin was truly drunk. After the car started moving, she became quiet, obediently leaning against the window and falling asleep.

Worried she might feel suffocated, Tang Yu kept the air conditioning mild and cracked the window slightly for fresh air.

He also drove slowly, keeping the speed steady.

At a red light before entering the residential complex, Tang Yu loosely rested his hand on the steering wheel and glanced at her. She was wearing a pale yellow wide-strapped dress, maintaining the same posture as before. Her legs were pressed together, leaning gently against the car door. Her entire demeanor was soft and docile.

The night breeze blew gently, ruffling the strands of hair on her forehead. The roads were quiet with fewer cars, and the bustling city of the day seemed to be sleeping, its air gentle and delicate.

Looking at her, his heart softened unexpectedly.

The car stopped in the underground parking garage. Tang Yu stood outside the passenger door, his knuckles brushing against her cheek as he called softly, “Little tyrant.”

Tang Xin had briefly opened her eyes when he opened the car door earlier. Now, she looked up at him, utterly disoriented, her head heavy and spinning.

The next moment, she was lifted out.

Tang Yu carried her into the elevator. When the doors opened, the person nestled in his arms drowsily opened her eyes to look at him. Her eyes were slightly red, likely from the alcohol and the late hour. Her gaze was misty yet sparkling.

Tang Yu looked down at her, sensing that she probably wanted to say something.

This wasn’t the first time he’d seen her drunk. During previous cast dinners, she had gotten drunk a couple of times, even stubbornly trying to shield him from drinking on his behalf. But she had never been this drunk before.

“Tang Yu…”

Ding—

The elevator doors opened.

He carried her out. “Hmm?”

The little girl smiled, grabbed his open collar, hiccupped from the alcohol, and said nothing more.

Standing in front of her apartment door, Tang Yu looked down at her. “What’s the password to your place?”

Tang Xin let out a soft “Ah” and looked up at him from his arms, her expression as dazed as a little kitten. Tang Yu felt a stir in his heart and pressed his lips tightly together. He glanced at the keypad lock and repeated his question: “What’s the password to your apartment?”

“Ah, guess!”

“….”

How was he supposed to guess something like that?

He looked at her again, not caring whether this drunkard could process his words, and threatened, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll take you back to my place next door.”

“Where’s next door?”

“My house.”

She paused for a moment, then suddenly began struggling to get down. Tang Yu had no choice but to put her down. She wobbled unsteadily, leaning on the doorframe as she entered her own password. She added, “Don’t look! You can’t peek.”

Tang Yu lowered his gaze, the corners of his lips curling slightly into a faint smile. “Mm.”

Once the door opened, she leaned on it and walked inside. Tang Yu, worried she might fall, kept an arm around her. After pressing the light switch by the wall, she kicked off her high heels and stood barefoot, leaning against him. Still wearing his black socks, Tang Yu half-carried, half-supported her further inside.

A ball of white fur was curled up on the couch—Hua Juan came over to rub against them.

Tang Yu wasn’t fond of cats, especially since this one had scratched him before. He frowned and gently nudged the cat away with his foot, not applying much force.

He placed her on the couch, went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water, then lifted the slumped-over girl and held the glass to her lips, murmuring softly, “Drink some water.”

Tang Xin wrinkled her brow, opening her mouth. Her teeth clinked against the glass as she took a few small sips, making soft gulping sounds. Then she pushed the glass away, grumbling impatiently, “I’m not drinking anymore… It tastes terrible…”

Tang Yu chuckled lightly, placing the glass back on the coffee table. When he turned back to look at her, the right shoulder strap of her dress had slipped off her shoulder, hanging loosely on her arm. A broad expanse of her smooth, round shoulder was exposed, along with part of her chest.

He glanced at it briefly before quickly averting his gaze, looking instead at her flushed face. He raised his hand to adjust her shoulder strap for her.

For some inexplicable reason, he felt a bit thirsty too.

After a brief silence, he bent down, hooked her behind the knees, and carried her toward the bedroom.

At the doorway, she began struggling again. “I need to use the bathroom…”

Tang Yu looked down at her. “Do you feel like throwing up?”

“No, I need to use the bathroom…”

“Mm.”

While she used the bathroom, Tang Yu pulled the curtains shut and turned on the air conditioning. His gaze swept across her room—it was a bit messy, but clean and cozy, with a faint trace of her subtle fragrance lingering in the air.

The door clicked open.

The little girl staggered out, and he quickly stepped forward to steady her.

A dim yellow floor lamp illuminated the bedroom. She clung to his arm, tilting her head up to look at him with unfocused eyes, breaking into a hazy smile. “Tang Yu, I have a secret to tell you.”

Tang Yu’s expression softened slightly, and his voice dropped a few notches as he leaned down to look at her. “Tell me.”

There was even a hint of nervousness and anticipation in his tone.

The last two times she had been drunk, it had been in his car while he was driving her home. Both times, she mentioned wanting to tell him a secret. Back then, he hadn’t been particularly interested or curious about uncovering the secrets of a young girl, so he merely hummed nonchalantly, “Go ahead.”

But Tang Xin never told him directly. Each time, she would first say, “Guess first. When you’ve guessed halfway, I’ll tell you.”

Tang Yu, lounging in the driver’s seat, glanced back at her lazily and indifferently. “I can’t guess.”

She huffed, turning away from him to look out the window. “Fine, if you won’t guess, I won’t tell you.”

And that was the end of it.

Now, however, he found himself intensely curious about what secret she wanted to share with him.

Tang Xin stumbled over his feet and plopped down onto the bed, groaning about how dizzy she felt. Tang Yu sighed inwardly, helping her lie down and glancing briefly at her disheveled skirt, which revealed a pair of pale, straight legs.

He pressed his lips together firmly and pulled the thin blanket up, covering her completely.

As soon as her head touched the bed, Tang Xin felt the urge to sleep, completely forgetting her earlier promise to tell him a secret.

Tang Yu stood by the bed, watching helplessly as she rolled over, hugged the blanket, and closed her eyes. He pursed his lips, bracing his right hand on the mattress and bending down to stare at her face. He reached out and lightly touched her, letting out a soft “Tsk.” “Little tyrant, didn’t you say you had a secret to tell me?”

“...”

“Hmm?” He reluctantly pinched her chin, prompting her. “Hey.”

“What do you want...?” She swatted his hand away and kicked the blanket in irritation.

“...”

So she still had some fight in her.

He looked at her tightly shut eyes and slightly furrowed brows, unable to suppress a rueful smile.

After a long pause, he remained in that position and asked softly, “Let me guess—is the secret that you like me?”

No response.

She was fast asleep, her breathing light and steady.

Tang Yu took a deep breath, straightened up, and clenched his jaw hard, his brows knitting deeply.

After a moment, the man sat down on the carpet, leaning against the bedside table. He propped one leg up, resting his arm on his knee, and tilted his head back slightly, gazing absently at the ceiling. His posture was relaxed and casual.

But inside, a gnawing sense of frustration and restlessness brewed.

He wanted to wake her up and demand answers about the secrets she had hinted at twice before—and just now. The deeper he thought about it, the more he realized how much he might have missed.

Tang Yu let out a soft sigh and turned his head to look at the bed. Tang Xin was curled up under the pale yellow blanket, sleeping peacefully. Suddenly, he shifted, kneeling beside the bed. Placing his hand on the pillow, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

All the blood rushed to his head, transforming that gnawing frustration into an unnamed, impulsive desire.

He gently nibbled and sucked on her lips, his hand caressing her hairline. His fingers brushed against her forehead, smoothing out the slight furrow between her brows.

Three seconds later.

He straightened up, gazing down at her with no sign of waking. Suddenly, he felt defeated.