Chapter 8 — My First Time as a Kept Pet, All I Want Is a Yadea

There is no need to think.

I pushed the door open gently. Only then did I clearly see the person sharing a drink with Luc Diem: his friend, Vuong Ky. Vuong Ky was so startled that he practically vaulted off the sofa. He stuttered a frantic greeting, calling me his sister-in-law, his eyes—never very large to begin with—darting between Luc Diem and me. He then firmly set down his glass and fled. The vast office quickly became empty, save for Luc Diem and me. His expression was grim, his voice still tinged with frustration.

What did you come here for?

Having been with Luc Diem for a long time, I had discovered a small secret about him. It is not just small animals that betray their feelings with a tail; humans do, too. And Luc Diem’s tail was the ring on his pinky finger. When he was happy, he would slowly stroke the crest that symbolized his authority. When he was irritated, he would twist the ring incessantly. When he was in the best of moods, he would take the ring off—a sign that he was about to eat. Right now, he was anxiously twisting that ring. I walked over slowly, placed my hand over his, and looked up at him.

I came to coax you.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. He was clearly still angry.

Coax me? Then what did you mean by saying there was no need earlier? No matter what I do, can your heart not hold only me?

I laughed and shook my head.

I meant there was no need to do anything at all; my heart already holds only you.

Luc Diem froze. He looked at me with a hint of disbelief. At that moment, I simply had to kiss him and hold him tight without letting go. Luc Diem’s heartbeat would tell you: Very well, very well, I am not angry anymore.

Swear it. Don’t lie to me.

I was being kissed until I could barely breathe, yet I still lifted his face and said earnestly:

It is true. I am absolutely not lying to you.

Then why did you keep the shirt you once intended to give him?

I had forgotten the shirt was still in that box. Besides, that was originally meant to be made into clothes for Dung Tuan.

Hearing this, Luc Diem finally smoothed his brow. A smile curled his lips, and he quietly removed the ring from his pinky. Terrified, I quickly stopped his hand, shaking my head frantically.

No, you cannot.

We must go home first.

Luc Diem put on an incredibly pitiful expression.

Really, no?

Really, no!

Oh... Then tell me, what is our relationship now? We are lovers who have confessed our feelings, so we can be serious about seeing each other, right?

Luc Diem’s tone was odd. He was clearly mimicking words I had used a long time ago. He had been holding a grudge until now—a true Scorpio. I bit his lip in frustration before finally nodding.

Yes.

Luc Diem was finally pacified. His mouth nearly reached his ears. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, rubbing against me for a long time. Only after a while did he pull away, clinging to me, and say:

From now on, I am your official boyfriend. Do you understand what that means?

It means you must grow accustomed to everything I give you. You must possess me, you must occupy every facet of my life. No matter where I go, you must miss me. You must understand that I, and everything I own, belong to you.

If your desire to possess me is too low, I will be very disappointed.

I was almost dizzy from Luc Diem’s circular logic, but faced with his burning gaze, I nodded.

Very well.

*

Baby, can we buy slightly more expensive underwear?

Luc Diem, having been well-fed, began to make requests again.

Can you really not be a bit more extravagant? The way you are, I have no motivation to earn money.

I refused, both embarrassed and angry.

Even if it were more expensive, you would just tear it off anyway!

... Oh. He paused for a moment. Then perhaps you shouldn't wear any at all.

Luc Diem, shut your mouth!

... Oh.

Several days of shamelessness passed. I finally managed to take advantage of the time Luc Diem was away on a business trip to sew new clothes for Dung Tuan. When I had bought the shirt for Du Trieu Ky years ago, I had chosen the most comfortable fabric. Even after all this time, it still felt wonderful to the touch. When Luc Diem finished his trip and returned home to see the outfit made from that shirt fabric on Dung Tuan, he was so delighted that he took nine photos and posted them on social media. His caption read: [My old classmate, you didn't expect this, did you? The shirt you never received has now become a new outfit for our cat.] I looked at the post, feeling as though I had seen similar writing somewhere before. In short, it was the kind of thing that gave people goosebumps. Luc Diem, however, was very satisfied. He snatched my phone, liked his own post, and commented: [Husband loves you, mwah.] While Luc Diem was very childish about such trivial things, he was as reliable as a mountain when it came to major life events. The day my father suffered a myocardial infarction at a casino and was rushed to the emergency room, Luc Diem handled everything. He moved the man, who was now partially paralyzed, directly into a nursing home, paying the hefty monthly care fees himself. It was, after all, better than letting him out to continue gambling. My sister’s whereabouts were also discovered. She took the initiative to send me a letter, stating that she was studying at an advanced photography institute and planned to become an independent photographer, traveling across the country. She even added a special note: [Wishing you and your brother-in-law a hundred years of happiness.] Luc Diem looked at that sentence for a long time, clearly delighted. He then had someone transfer a large sum of money to her for her tuition and living expenses. Through all of this, I suddenly remembered.

Luc Diem, the person you originally had your eye on was my sister, wasn't it?

Luc Diem shrugged.

No. From the beginning, the person I wanted was you.

It was your foolish father who wanted to negotiate a higher price with me, so I told him I wanted your sister, and I even bought her plane ticket that very night.

So...

Yes, I did it on purpose.

Then you...

Yes, I had designs on you from the very beginning.

Wait!

Don't wait any longer. Let's hold our wedding next month, shall we?

THE END.