Chapter 3: Nothing More Than a Transaction

Marriage?

Evan felt that these wealthy heirs all had something deeply wrong with their heads. Julian had used the pretense of "dating" to trick him into willingly enduring years of house arrest; now this high-and-mighty Christian was even worse, jumping straight to an utterly unrealistic proposal of marriage.

Setting aside whether Christian's family would rip Evan to pieces once they found out about his condition, Christian himself would become the laughingstock of high society—marrying a discarded plaything that Julian had grown tired of and tossed away.

What would become of him then? Evan saw his future with crystal clarity.

"Mr. Christian, I think... you might be acting a bit too rashly..." Evan shifted his body backward, doing his best to avoid physical contact with Christian. He had no idea where this man's bottom line lay; if Christian turned out to be a sick pervert with twisted tendencies just like Julian, wouldn't he be leaping from the frying pan into the fire?

Fortunately, Christian didn't press closer. Instead, he leaned down, brushing the tip of his nose against the side of Evan's face, leaving behind a light, casual remark: "Evan, you don't realize that I've actually been paying attention to you for a long time."

Evan's nerves snapped taut in an instant. "What do you mean?"

Christian's fingers playfully kneaded Evan's wrist, while his other hand glided deep inside the open bathrobe, idly tracing the smooth, delicate skin beneath.

"I mean, Julian shared photos of you in a WeChat group long ago. Not just me—plenty of people have seen them."

With just those few words, Christian plunged a bloody dagger straight into Evan's heart. The body that had finally caught a bit of warmth from the hot shower plummeted back into an abyss of absolute ice.

"He... he..."

Evan stammered the word out over and over, unable to form a single coherent sentence. It was as though he had lost all ability to speak; his mind completely paralyzed.

After knowing each other for over a decade, this was the first time Evan realized that Julian truly meant to drive him to total destruction.

No wonder those decadent friends of Julian always looked at him as if they couldn't wait to strip him bare and display him on a table for everyone to inspect.

No wonder every time he was dragged to those high-society gatherings, he was surrounded by filthy jokes and degrading banter.

No wonder Julian always carried a subtle smile whenever he brought Evan up in front of others—it was a smile of pure irony, mockery, and humiliating contempt!

The light in Evan's eyes gradually extinguished. Despair swallowed him whole; ever since his rebirth, his heart had become a pile of silent, dead ashes.

Christian kept that characteristic smile on his face, though there wasn't a trace of warmth in his eyes. His naturally upturned lips gave his cold indifference and cruelty a mocking edge. Facing a face like this, the suffocating grief in Evan's chest clogged his throat, finally turning into silent, hot tears.

Evan understood Christian's unspoken implication—he wanted to see just how cheap and shameless Evan could be to cling to Julian for so long, refusing to leave even after being treated like garbage.

Now he had seen it. He should be thoroughly satisfied.

Evan closed his eyes, forced a faint smile onto his lips, and let his body go entirely limp. "Since you've seen it all, Mr. Christian, then you know what kind of person I am."

Nothing special—boring, even.

Christian didn't care about his self-abandonment. Instead, he tapped the tip of Evan's nose with playful interest, a hint of intimacy lingering between his fingers. He leaned back down, pressing forward. As the bathrobe slipped down completely, a snow-white, flawless body was exposed against the dark bedsheets. The striking visual impact caused Christian's movements to freeze for a fraction of a second, his pupils tightening slightly.

One kiss after another fell across Evan's neck, his collarbone, his chest, and even lower. The man didn't seem to mind this unfamiliar body at all, his movements practiced and smooth. His warm, dry hands repeatedly teased Evan's tense frame, igniting a pale flush that bloomed into deep crimson wherever he touched.

Evan knew every sensitive spot on his body all too well. His physical reactions were already taking over; the innocent, pitiful doe-like eyes were brimming with unshed tears, yet he gritted his teeth, desperately suppressing his gasps and soft whimpers.

"Evan, your body is so stiff... Do you dislike being touched like this?"

The deliberate mockery in Christian's voice was glaringly obvious. Feeling the man release his hold, Evan's entire body slowly relaxed.

"No..." Evan raised an arm over his face to hide his expression. For some reason, tears continued to spill uncontrollably down his cheeks.

He couldn't help but mock himself—just hearing Julian's absurd atrocities repeated through someone else's mouth was enough to reduce him to such a pathetic mess. Wasn't he being far too spineless?

Seeing how thoroughly he had broken the young man, Christian lost his appetite to tease him any further. He propped himself up on his arms and pulled away from Evan's side.

The sharp click of a lighter disrupted Evan's chaotic thoughts. He bit his lip and turned his head to look at Christian, who had already restored his usual indifferent demeanor.

Amidst the swirling curls of smoke, the piercing chill that penetrated his body made Evan curl up slightly.

"I know what you want—make this deal with me, or I send you right back to Julian's side so his fiancée can torture you to death. Take your pick."

Christian turned around without expression, his back to the floor-to-ceiling window where the city's neon lights flickered brightly. Evan's intuition told him that this man was in an utterly foul mood. Christian had never intended to sleep with him from the very beginning; dragging him to this hotel "out of kindness" was either a moment of humanitarian pity or a calculated step to finalize this transaction.

Evan forced himself to sit up, reaching out to pull the wide-open collar of his bathrobe shut. "What do you need me to do, Mr. Christian?"

"It's very simple." The bitter stench of tobacco smoke blew directly into Evan's face. When Christian looked at him, his cold eyes resembled someone evaluating a lifeless commodity. "Tell me everything you know about the Julian family. I'll help you bring them down. All you have to do is stay in your place and play the role of my wife."

"Wife"—a term reserved exclusively for women sounded starkly out of place when applied to Evan. The moment he agreed to it, his life would be no different from his shameful past.

But if he refused...

A suffocating weight settled in Evan's chest, leaving him at a loss for words. In the end, he forced a rigid curve onto his lips. "Mr. Christian, you think too highly of me. To the Julian family, I was nothing more than a plaything... you know that."

He truly couldn't fathom what wire had crossed in Christian's brain to make him so persistent about having Evan play this role.

"The reason I chose you is very simple," Christian replied, raising his head to lock eyes with Evan, his tone slow and deliberate. "You'll come to understand it in time."

Evan opened his mouth to speak, but Christian cut him off.

"There's no need to answer me right away. I'll give you a few days to think it over." Christian glided his eyes over his wristwatch. "Julian is taking his fiancée to the Azalea Mountain Resort tomorrow. He won't be looking for you anytime soon, so take all the time you need."

This seemingly "thoughtful" suggestion was actually laced with hidden venom. Christian was reminding Evan over and over again what a cold-blooded, treacherous bastard Julian truly was.

And he had succeeded. Evan thought to himself: *I really do hate Julian to the absolute marrow of my bones. I hate him so much I want to kill him with my own hands.*

"Here is my phone number. When you've made up your mind, remember to call me."

Christian glanced at his watch once more, as if he had urgent business to attend to. After hurriedly scribbling a line of digits on a notepad, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and walked out.

The air in the room fell into complete silence with the thud of the closing door. Evan stared quietly in the direction where Christian had left, his shoulders slumping as he let out a long, heavy breath.

Then, gritting his teeth, he forced his trembling legs to support his weight. Barefoot, he walked over to the small table opposite the bed and picked up his phone.

The screen lit up. Evan tapped the "Stop" button, and a complete audio recording was saved cleanly into his device's storage.

Chapter 4: A Forced Transaction

Over the next few days, Evan enjoyed a quiet and peaceful routine. Julian seemed to have completely forgotten about his existence, filling his social media feeds with photos of himself and his fiancée at the mountain resort. Having set Julian's notifications to "Special Focus" on his phone, Evan found it impossible to avoid seeing these updates.

However, these pictures only fueled his hatred, making him eager to contact Christian, join forces with the Christian family to bring down the Julian family, and give that scumbag a thorough slap in the face.

Yet before Evan could even reach out to Christian, an unexpected visitor appeared right outside his door.

Hearing the knock, Evan hastily grabbed a tissue to wipe the toothpaste foam from his lips, pulling open the apartment door without a second thought.

Standing outside was a tall woman in a sleek black dress. With flowing wave-curled hair, fair skin, and sharp, refined makeup, she held a luxury handbag fresh from last week's release—clearly priceless at first glance.

The woman appraised Evan with a keen, searching gaze, tilting her chin up slightly. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Evan stayed where he was, forcing himself to stand straight as he murmured politely, "Miss, I think you might have the wrong place..."

"Impossible. It's definitely here," the woman said with utter confidence. Her resolute tone made Evan feel inexplicably self-conscious instead.

Knowing further chatter was pointless, Evan decided to settle things quickly. "Who are you looking for, Miss?"

Switching her bag to her other hand, the woman raised an eyebrow. "Christian. Where is he?"

*Ah, another fiancée-chasing-a-man scene...* Evan sighed internally. He really couldn't fathom what was wrong with these rich heirs—always hiding away their concubines without even doing a proper job of it. Pure foolishness!

"Mr. Christian isn't here. You should go look for him at the Christian family residence," Evan explained patiently. He turned into the room and returned with a slip of paper. "This is Mr. Christian's phone number. If you can't find him, you can try calling him."

Evan had already automatically cast the woman in the role of "Christian's fiancée." In the narrative in his mind, she seemed rather pitiable—rushing into a marriage of convenience; could it get any sadder than that?

Baffled by his actions, the woman took the note, glanced at it briefly, and stuffed it back into Evan's hands.

"You dislike him that much? So eager to push him away?"

Evan knit his brows in confusion, thinking to himself: *I have nothing to do with him in the first place, and I don't even like him.*

Of course, he couldn't say his thoughts aloud, so he merely let out an awkward smile. "I... I just thought you might have urgent business with him..."

The woman let out a soft chuckle, her smile broadening as her intimidating aura dissolved. She reached out a hand toward Evan, her wrist adorned with a translucent jade bangle delicately carved with lotus patterns. "I'm Serena, Christian's older sister."

*Christian's older sister...* Hearing her mention Christian's nickname in Chinese earlier almost made Evan laugh. He found it impossible to associate such a cozy pet name with Christian's proud, overbearing face, sensing a bizarre mismatch.

"You must be Evan. I noticed he's been going out quite frequently lately, so I secretly asked his driver and managed to track you down here." Saying this, Serena took the initiative to hold Evan's fingers, squeezing them gently before letting go.

"I..."

"No need to be shy. I told him before coming over. Even though he didn't reply, I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Serena said, tossing aside her former cold demeanor to make a playful face. "Did I interrupt your quality time together?"

Evan stared blankly at the woman in front of him, letting out a soft "Ah?" before hurriedly shaking his head. "No, no... He and I are actually..."

"I know! You two are already married—wait, no, he said you were *getting* married, but it's pretty much the same thing anyway."

"Huh?"

Serena blinked, reaching out to playfully ruffle Evan's hair. "You're so adorable! No wonder Christian likes your type—I was wondering why he hadn't found a partner for so many years!"

Watching Serena walk right into the apartment, Evan stood rooted to the spot, a million questions racing through his head.

For the first time in days, he felt a desperate urge to call Christian—just to demand what kind of nonsense he had been feeding his own sister.

---

Closing the door behind him, Evan turned back toward the living room, only to see Serena earnestly reviewing the design sketches he had casually drawn on the coffee table.

Embarrassed, he hurried over to her side, his expression scrunched up. "Those were just random doodles I did out of boredom. Please don't look at them..."

"Evan, do you know that a genius young designer emerged a few years ago? The evening gowns he designed had so much tension, perfectly fitting the identity of modern independent women. Your design sketches are just like his—there's so much emotion you want to express." Serena raised her head, her eyes shining with admiration.

Evan had, of course, heard of that genius prodigy who designed exclusively for women. His gaze dimmed slightly, and he forced a weak smile as he pulled the sketches from Serena's hand and tossed them into the trash bin.

"Compared to him, I'm nowhere close."

Perplexed by Evan's self-deprecation, Serena shrugged. Then, remembering something, she patted the sofa cushion beside her, gesturing for him to sit.

Smelling the perfume on Serena, Evan consciously shifted a bit further away.

His unique body left him with two distinct physical aspects, yet he was accepted by neither side. He could sense the subtle hostility many women held toward him, nor could he find a true sense of belonging among men.

This awkward predicament was something he had been born with.

Noticing Evan's deliberate distance, Serena threw a curious glance his way. Rather than bringing it up, she began poking fun at her younger brother instead.

"Evan, I didn't come here to break you two up. I was just far too curious... You know Christian just returned from abroad, and before he even fully grasped company affairs, he rushed to take over everything. I was worried he'd overwork himself, so I quietly pried a little into his personal life..."

Serena pinched her thumb and index finger close together for Evan to see, emphasizing her words. "Seriously, I only dug around a tiny bit, and that's how I found out about your existence..."

Evan let out a sigh in his heart, thinking to himself: *How was I supposed to know Christian just returned from abroad? I've known him for less than a week.*

In his past life, Evan didn't even recall such a person existing at Julian's engagement banquet.

"...My family wants me to bring you back so everyone can meet you. Marriage isn't a small matter, and I felt it wasn't right to keep you staying in a hotel all the time..."

It seemed Christian had spilled every last detail to his family. Evan's inner self rolled his eyes, delivering a thorough string of internationally recognized expletives to Christian's name.

Seeing no response from Evan, Serena blinked and asked tentatively, "Evan, do you want to come with me?"

Evan's mind was crystal clear at this moment. He knew that since Christian had set these rules on his own, he was betting that Evan wouldn't dare rebel, leaving him no choice but to participate in this indefinite transaction.

If this transaction could truly bring vengeance upon Julian, it was worth a shot.

After all, Christian was the one who hit the "Start" button; stepping into the game now wasn't breaking any rules.

Evan curved his lips, his watery, doe-like eyes appearing pure and harmless, making Serena's heart melt instantly.

"Sure, I'll go with you, Sis."

That single sentence completely won over Serena's heart. She wished she could pull Evan into her arms and keep him forever, never returning him to her brooding, sour-faced brother.

---

After packing his few belongings, Evan took his room key card down to the front desk to check out, only to be informed that Mr. Christian had to handle the checkout personally. With no other choice, Evan slipped the key card into his pocket and dragged his lightweight suitcase out of the hotel.

Serena drove an artistic Mini Cooper, slowly pulling up right in front of Evan. Rolling down the window, she tossed her chin up to signal him to get in.

Evan didn't stand on ceremony any longer. He placed his luggage in the back and took the passenger seat.

It was easy to tell that Serena was far more straightforward and open than Christian. In Evan's mind, the image of Christian's triumphant, half-mocking smile surfaced—those handsome, almond-shaped eyes were terrifyingly cold when drained of warmth.

"Christian has a bit of a strange temper. It must be tough on you, putting up with his moodiness," Serena blurted out mid-drive, making Evan's heart skip a beat as he focused on his phone's fashion exhibition feed.

Evan let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "Mr. Christian actually has a pretty good temper."

Evan was telling the truth. Having endured so much inhumane treatment, simply being treated as an equal was enough to make him content. Evan asked for nothing more; he had surrendered his dreams and freedom only in exchange for a place to belong.

This desperate yearning to survive was something only Evan himself truly understood.

At the thought of this, a heavy stone seemed to weigh on his heart—he could hardly imagine how the Christian family would view him if they ever discovered his body's flaw and his shameful past.

This move was a dangerous gamble, and Evan had pushed himself straight into the unknown fog with his own hands.

---

The Christian family estate was situated on a quiet hillside. Driving up the winding mountain road and passing through dense foliage, dark glazed roof tiles soon came into view, reflecting the surrounding greenery.

The courtyard was classic Eastern style; stepping closer, one could hear the gentle babble of a running stream. Whenever the breeze blew, the lush bamboo grove in the garden rustled softly. Elegant corridors wound through the scenery, where an elderly man sat alone at a marble table in the center, playing chess by himself.

After parking the car, Serena saw Evan standing dazed in place and waved her hand in front of his eyes. "Let me take you inside."

With that, Serena led the way into the courtyard. Hearing footsteps, the white-haired elder raised his head toward the entrance, his expression warm and amiable.

"Grandpa!" Serena walked over with light steps, gently supporting the old man.

Evan stood where he was, hesitating slightly before calling out softly, "G-Grandpa..."

Serena leaned down to whisper a few words to the elder, then stood up and waved Evan over.

Evan hesitated, but a sudden roar of a sports car engine echoed behind him. Instinctively turning his head, he saw Christian walking toward him with a dark, storm-like expression, his long trench coat billowing loudly in the wind.

"Mr. Chris—"

Before Evan could even finish his greeting, Christian grabbed his wrist firmly, leading him straight toward Serena and the elder.

Stopping right before the two, Christian wrapped an arm tightly around Evan's waist without a word, pulling him close into his chest. Standing tall and straight, he announced solemnly:

"Grandpa, let me officially introduce him. This is my partner, Evan."

In an instant, all eyes landed on Christian.

Evan could keenly sense the old man's delight, but he awkwardly looked up at Christian, trying to break free from the arm holding him captive, only to be held even tighter.

Immediately after, he heard Christian speak a single sentence that made him stop struggling entirely, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at Christian's side profile.

Christian declared, "Please pick a date for us, Grandpa. I want to marry Evan as soon as possible."

Chapter 5: Pretend Husbands

Marriage, marriage, marriage...

Ever since his rebirth, Evan's life seemed to revolve around those two words. It was something he had desperately yearned for in his past life, but now, it hovered over him like a curse, threatening to suffocate him.

Christian glanced down at Evan before continuing calmly, "I originally wanted to introduce him to Grandpa earlier, but Evan is far too shy. So, I thought it best to wait until things settled down at the company before bringing him over."

Evan stared in astonishment at Christian lying through his teeth without batting an eye, inwardly giving him a thumbs-up.

If he had possessed such a knack for lying back then, he wouldn't have been controlled and manipulated by Julian for so many years.

Just as he was lost in chaotic thoughts about his past life, Evan's hand was suddenly taken in a warm grip and pulled forward slightly. A gentle voice fell by his ear: "Evan, let me take you inside."

The soft, tender tone of Christian's voice sent a wave of goosebumps across Evan's skin. Disgusted, he pressed his lips together and tugged hard at his hand once the old master turned around, only to be startled by a stern, warning glance from Christian.

"This isn't right..."

Evan's low mutter was caught by Christian, who stopped in his tracks, pulling Evan over to the far end of the corridor before letting go of him.

"What isn't right?"

Finally freed from the hold, Evan shrank back slightly, lifting his head with a troubled expression. "We've known each other for less than a week. I don't even... don't even know you... How do you expect me to act like we're madly in love?"

Christian stared into Evan's eyes, nodding thoughtfully, and then asked, "Did you ever join a drama club in college?"

"Um... what does that have to do with anything?" Evan had indeed joined several clubs during his college years. Studying design, he was often dragged in by the drama club to help with props and behind-the-scenes support.

"Just treat them all as your audience. You and I are the leads in this show."

Christian's suggestion sounded simple enough, but executing it was immensely difficult. Evan desperately wanted to remind this high-and-mighty heir that drama clubs required countless rehearsals before presenting a flawless performance on stage; amateurs like them would be riddled with glaring flaws.

Seeing Evan's facial features practically scrunched together in distress, Christian thought for a moment before offering a brief summary: "Accustomed to quiet environments. Likes spicy food. Owns five properties and two sports cars. Currently living at the Grand Horizon Estates. A workaholic."

Utterly baffled by Christian's sudden barrage of details, Evan widened his eyes, a look of complete blankness on his face.

"What are you standing there for? Write it down." Christian rested his palm against his forehead, wondering if Evan suffered from a lack of intelligence.

Evan let out a soft "Oh," inwardly grumbling that Christian's self-assessment was actually quite spot-on. He closed his phone's audio recording app, opened the notepad, and typed in Christian's exact words, character by character.

"What about you?"

Evan shifted his gaze away from his phone, tilting his head as he thought it over. "There's nothing special about me. I like reading, can't handle spicy food very well, savings... I don't think I have any..."

When mentioning his savings, Evan's eyes dimmed significantly—ever since graduating from college, he had been placed into Julian's company under the dignified title of Julian's personal assistant, though his real role was far more embarrassing than anyone could imagine.

"Oh, right. I graduated from the Seaside Academy of Fine Arts, and my work was... women's fashion design."

Comparing the two, Evan felt the gap between himself and Christian was vast. They didn't belong to the same world at all, and ordinarily, their paths would never have crossed.

"Women's fashion design... In that case, I'll say we met on an airplane. You helped me out, and as we gradually got to know each other, we started a long-distance relationship across international borders."

Christian lied without so much as a blink, pulling details out of thin air. The backstory he crafted was remarkably romantic, resembling a sweet trope deliberately set up by an author for a novel's main couple.

Yet real life was mostly a angst-filled tragedy. Evan let out a quiet sigh, joking half-heartedly, "We could say we ran into severe turbulence on the plane, and I saved your life."

Christian nodded. "That sounds a bit more believable."

Just as both of them opened their mouths to add something more, a chestnut-haired head suddenly popped out from the dense vines on the other side of the corridor, calling out toward them: "Young Master! Young Master's partner..."

Christian signaled to the person with a wave of his hand, indicating he would be right over.

Turning back, Christian lowered his hand helplessly. "That's the butler's son. I'll introduce you to him later."

Evan gave a quiet "Mm," swallowing back the words he had been about to speak. He figured that since this relationship was merely meant to deceive Christian's family, there was no need to take the play too seriously or reveal everything about himself to Christian.

"Just so we're clear, I haven't agreed to this deal yet. I'm only helping you out today." As soon as Evan spoke, the cozy atmosphere that had briefly built up vanished in an instant. Christian remained silent for a few seconds before letting out a low "Got it."

---

Guided by Christian's hand through a doorway decorated with intricate carvings, Evan's eyes lit up at the interior design. Back in school, he had always admired such classical architecture, but when even his freedom was stripped away later, his dreams had shattered into dust.

In the center of the spacious main hall stood a massive rosewood root-carved tea table, neatly arranged with a complete tea set. Deeper inside the hall sat rustic sofas and minimalist solid wood tables, with the old master and Serena seated together. A series of ink-wash folding screens behind them partitioned the path leading further into the estate.

Seeing that Evan couldn't take his eyes off the paintings on the screens, Christian leaned down, whispering softly into his ear, "There's a small pond behind those. You'll see it when we head to the dining room for dinner later."

Brought back to reality by Christian's reminder, Evan realized he had been acting a bit too out of place. He quickly withdrew his gaze, standing properly and obediently by Christian's side.

Hasty footsteps echoed from behind the screens. Curiously tilting his head, Evan saw a woman in a teal dress rushing in. Looking up and catching sight of Evan, she halted, covering her mouth with her hand as a delighted, surprised smile spread across her face.

"Mom, you always walk so fast. Dad must be having a hard time keeping up behind you." Christian's tone was relaxed as he curved his lips, giving Evan's fingers a subtle squeeze where no one else could see.

Receiving the cue, a bright smile bloomed across Evan's face. He stepped forward on his own initiative, bowing his head slightly. "Hello, Mrs. Christian. I'm... Christian's partner, Evan."

Evan was actually extremely nervous. Growing up in an orphanage, he had never experienced a mother's warmth or true family affection. Stepping close to such a bond made the deep-seated timidness inside him surge uncontrollably.

He feared Christian's family would spot that cowardice, and even as he raised his head, he didn't dare meet the woman's eyes directly.

"May I call you Evan?" The woman's gentle voice felt like a warm bath to Evan's heart, the soothing heat slowly driving away his anxiety.

"You don't need to be nervous. Christian has never brought a friend home before—you are the very first. His father and I are both thrilled." As she spoke, the woman reached out to take Evan's hand, her soft touch sending a gentle flutter through Evan's heart.

Evan could genuinely feel that Christian's mother was happy from the bottom of her heart; the genuine joy in her eyes and the warmth of her fingers could not be faked.

"Thank you, Mrs. Christian," Evan gathered his courage to meet her gaze. "Thank you for accepting me."

Christian's mother and grandfather pulled Evan over to sit on the sofa and chatted with him for a while before a chubby man—Christian's father—came trotting out from behind the screen, out of breath and looking at his wife with a aggrieved expression.

"Sir, please have a seat." Evan quickly stood up to offer his spot to Christian's father, taking a seat opposite the elders alongside Christian.

Hearing his voice, Christian's father noticed the slender, delicate young man for the first time. He blinked, looking distinctly puzzled.

"Dad, this is my partner, Evan. I'm planning to marry him."

"B-But... isn't he a man?"

The Christian family was traditional at heart. Although Christian's father had mentally prepared himself for his younger son getting married, he had never imagined Christian would choose a man.

Hearing this, Evan looked toward Christian in a sudden panic, only to be met with a reassuring glance. Immediately after, he heard Christian speak calmly:

"Evan is intersex, but that doesn't stop me from being with him."

*Intersex...*

In an instant, every gaze in the room darted straight toward Evan. Taken completely off guard, Evan felt as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss. Sitting beside Christian, even his breathing became cautious and tentative.

He could easily guess what would follow.

A traditional family like the Christians could never accept a body that was neither fully male nor female. They would treat him with cold indifference, mock him with harsh words, and perhaps even force him to cut all ties with Christian.

That was simply how the world worked—it was never forgiving toward anything that deviated from the norm.

Evan let out a long breath of relief. He had initially worried he wouldn't perform his part well and would be despised by Christian, but now it seemed he had overthought things—he didn't even possess the qualification to continue acting in this play.

"Mr. Christian, my body indeed has severe flaws... I know..."

"WOAH—Evan, you are way too cool!" An exclamation abruptly cut off Evan's remaining words. He turned to look at Serena in complete shock, utterly bewildered.

"There's a kind of beauty in the art world called androgyny—it's usually found in depictions of angels, but this is the first time I've ever seen it in real life!" Serena casually draped an arm over Evan's shoulders, her voice brimming with sincere joy and admiration. "My brother is so lucky to be with you!"

Evan froze, his tightly clenched fingers slowly relaxing as he bit his lip softly.

Christian's mother stood up as well, her eyes glistening with tears. She took Evan's hands gently in hers. "Child... you must have suffered so much all these years..."

That single sentence pierced right through Evan's composure. He shook his head in a flurry, lowering his gaze and blinking rapidly to keep the Christian family from seeing his sudden loss of control.

This was the first time in all his years that he had heard a mother figure speak to him with such tender care.

Evan had thought he was long accustomed to unfairness and discrimination, that nothing of the sort could ever move his heart again. Yet he never expected that what brought tears to his eyes was not his past suffering, but this hard-won moment of genuine warmth.

In that very instant, a quiet thought surfaced in his mind—he almost wished he could stay in the Christian family forever.

Human beings were creatures that naturally gravitated toward warmth; no matter how stubborn or guarded one claimed to be on the surface, facing true tenderness and care would still undo them completely.

"Thank you..." Evan didn't know what other words could express his gratitude. Sniffling softly, his eyes reddened as he looked past everyone toward Christian.

Christian merely raised an eyebrow, deliberately avoiding Evan's gaze. Turning his head away, he leaned down and whispered something quietly into his father's ear.

Where Evan couldn't see, a fleeting look of deep relief crossed the bottom of Christian's eyes.