Author: Xin Shang Ren
1
"Since you want to live off someone, why didn't you come to me?"
Gilbert leaned on the sofa, lifting his head. From this angle, I could only see his exquisite chin and his open collar.
His collarbone was a sight for sore eyes.
I swallowed hard. Before I could speak, a debit card was thrown at my face.
"The password is my birthday."
I held the card in my hand apprehensively. "So, what's your birthday date?"
Gilbert was silent for a long time before he sighed.
"If you can't remember, just wait and starve to death!"
I quickly got up from the ground and opened my yearbook. I had solemnly put Gilbert's information on the first page.
He, too, left a message for me before graduation, like all my other classmates. His handwriting was beautiful, but the message wasn't very pleasant.
[I hope that you would become smarter after graduation. If that won't happen, I hope you'd at least become prettier.]
Every single word in that message revealed his arrogant attitude. I always thought that Gilbert disliked me, but I didn't expect him to be the first one to lend me a helping hand when I was down and out. He was like a peeping tom hiding in the dark who finally couldn't suppress his excitement and took action on his target.
To be exact, under such circumstances, if only one party had feelings for the other party, the former would be considered a pervert. If both parties' feelings were mutual, however, his actions could be explained as trying to flirt with me.
Judging from his attitude, one could tell how reserved he was.
A fortune teller told me that I would have to wear red this year to ward off bad luck. Otherwise, I would have a tough year. However, I did not heed his words.
To my dismay, life quickly defeated me. The company I worked for underwent downsizing, and I was forced to resign.
Afterward, I decided to start my own business, opening a café with great enthusiasm. However, I soon became the victim of unscrupulous franchisees and lost everything. I lost roughly tens of thousands of dollars, which I had saved up and invested in the shop. Coupled with the losses, I was almost ready to sell my kidney to make ends meet.
I tried asking my parents, who lived far away in the county, about the harvest results of green beans this year because I wanted to try developing my career in the field of agriculture.
Unfortunately, I was told that the price was not ideal, and the purchasers were pressing the price too low. I probably wouldn't be able to make a living from it.
My mother said on the other end of the phone, "Cecil, you have to learn to save money when living alone, or your life will be difficult."
I could only sheepishly hum a reply. After I ended the call, tears fell from my eyes unbidden.
The lives of adults were never easy.
After answering the fourth call from my creditors that day, I finally broke down and cried while scouring through the address book.
Well, I forgot to mention that I had finished the remaining two bottles of wine in the refrigerator before I called someone for help.
Dignity was something ridiculous. Under such hopeless circumstances, I had wanted to call my former colleague who once tried hooking up with me and ask him for help, but I ended up calling Gilbert instead.
"Cecilia?"
I blurted out, "Gilbert, I can't hold on anymore! Be my sugar daddy!"
The voice on the other end of the line sounded angry, but what he said was unexpected. "Okay, I'll be right over to your place."
Gilbert might be sarcastic and arrogant, but he was indeed a man of action. He rang the doorbell of my house within half an hour.
I dragged my feet over to open the door. Clearly, my haggard and wretched state disgusted Gilbert, who was a noble scion.
Scrunching up his brows with disdain, he asked, "Cecilia Olsen, is this what has become of you?"
I burped from all the beer I consumed. Beer always filled me with gas. Most of the time I threw up after drinking beer. However, it wasn't because I was drunk but because I had too much gas in my stomach.
Gilbert walked past me into the living room and sat on the couch.
"Why didn't you contact me since you're going through a rough patch?"
"What would contacting you do me any good?"
Gilbert snorted coldly, "At least I can deal with the downsizing."
I was shocked to the core before collapsing onto the floor and laughing hysterically.
"I can't believe you were stalking my Instagram!"
Blushing for being exposed, Gilbert threw a pillow at me and snapped, "Shut up!"
I fell onto the floor after being smashed by the pillow, while his bank card landed next to me.
Perhaps because I had been too worn out recently, I lazily remained on the ground and was reluctant to get back up.
I was so sleepy at that time.
Gilbert walked over to my side, and as I turned my head, I saw his neatly-ironed pants and a pair of beautiful hands.
He crouched down and used his left hand to brush away the stray strands of hair on my forehead. It was a romantic moment, and for a split second, I thought he was going to lean in and kiss me.
But instead of kissing me, Gilbert thumbed my nose and then burst into laughter at my comical appearance.
"It had been three years, Cecilia, and you wouldn't even send me a message during festivals."
I closed my eyes and said, "Yes, it's been three years and I'm 25 now. But I'm still single!"
"I don't understand what you mean."
"I'm lonely. I want to fall in love."
Gilbert pinched my face and said, "If you want to live off me, you'd better clear your mind and focus on trying to please me."
I muttered incoherently, "Please you? How am I going to do that?"
The look in his eyes darkened, and somehow, I thought I saw his eyes smiling.
"I want you to simp over me every single minute of your life."
What an outrageous request!
2
Back when I was a university undergraduate, I was able to encounter Gilbert thanks to my roommate Jenny, who was a social butterfly and had connections everywhere. Otherwise, with my background, I would never have met a scion like him.
At that time, Gilbert had just broken up with his childhood sweetheart. She wanted to study abroad, but for some reason, Gilbert refused to leave his home country. In the end, the two lovers were separated by distance and went their separate ways.
His best friend reserved the entire bar to cheer Gilbert up, and my beautiful roommate Jenny grabbed the chance and invited all of us to come along so we could freeload on drinks.
That was how I first met Gilbert.
I vaguely remembered the first sentence I said to Jenny upon seeing him was, "I want to pursue him!"
Jenny looked at me and sighed. "Dear, stop daydreaming, okay? Look at everyone here. Everyone covets him, including me. But he's too sacred for anyone to desecrate."
After saying that, she hopped onto the dance floor and began showing off her dance moves, swaying her hips like a snake. I got excited watching her.
However, I got even more excited beholding Gilbert, who was sitting some distance away from me. Despite so, under the flickering lights, I could still see how his perfectly-chiseled face looked so out of place among all the other guys. His demeanor even made the girls sitting next to him feel uneasy, and the atmosphere soon grew rather awkward.
According to Rohnny, Gilbert's best friend, Gilbert was actually very sad at that time, but it was hard to tell from his expressionless face. All he did was down one glass after another without saying a word. Occasionally, he would glance around coldly with annoyance written all over his face. I bet he thought it was noisy.
His cold and aloof temperament at that time had me completely captivated. All I could think of was how much I loved him for his indifferent nature. How I wished I could knock him out, drag him back to my room, and make babies with him.
However, Gilbert didn't notice me, and all I could do was peek at him from afar.
Fate still brought us together in the end.
I chose Dare while playing Truth or Dare. I could still remember the way my heart pounded furiously at that time, so much so that I felt suffocated. I was so nervous that my palms were all sweaty, and my phone almost slipped out of my hand.
I said, "Gilbert, I want to add you on WhatsApp."
Perhaps the environment was too loud, for Gilbert didn't react immediately. In his drunken state, he subconsciously hummed a response before taking out his phone and adding me on WhatsApp. That was when I finally found out that he was drunk, but his face wasn't flushed.
His eyes were unfocused at that time as if he saw another girl among everyone present.
He was, indeed, devastated.
I also imbibed a few bottles of wine and was dragged back to my dorm by Jenny. I dreamed that my family's green beans were sold at a price good enough for me to get Gilbert to marry me.
My phone rang as soon as my dream reached the part where Gilbert and I had our intimate session after marriage. Irritated to be interrupted, I opened my eyes and saw that it was a message from Gilbert.
He asked: [Who are you?]
Great. He couldn't even remember me.
I could only describe what happened last night to him. Gilbert, being a man of few words, merely replied: [Okay.]
I didn't know what was wrong with me, but I asked: [Can I pursue you?]
Gilbert simply replied: [No.]
I refused to give up and texted: [Do you lack a simp? I could simp over you every minute of my life.]
Gilbert fell silent. After a while, he sent a question mark.
I knew it! A fascinating and amusing character never failed to impress people. As such, I seized the opportunity to strike the iron while it was hot. I texted: [I want to simp over you and make you mine.]
Gilbert sent me a smiling emoji, seemingly laughing at me.
But I didn't care. That was how shameless I was. Pursuing a man was no big deal to me.
Women tended to be moved by clingy and persistent men, and this should apply to men as well. I began formulating a plan in my mind, thinking I should first establish a close relationship with Gilbert before proceeding.
That was how my first encounter with Gilbert went. As I was recalling the past, I fell asleep. I had a good, dreamless sleep. I wouldn't have woken up if the sun hadn't shone on my face.
Undeniably, it felt too comfortable sleeping in my warm bed during the cold winter.
Gilbert was sleeping on the couch. He looked extremely charming with long eyelashes and a tall nose bridge. His lips were plump and rosy, looking kissable. He liked oranges, so he was always exuding a faint citrus fragrance.
I fell into a daze while gazing at him, remembering how I used to run after him in school. I didn't know if he was ever annoyed by me, but he never stopped me from following him.
His eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes. His groggy voice when he had just woken up was deep and magnetic, tugging at my heartstrings.
"What are you doing?"
I panicked and blurted out, "You smell so good."
For a moment, an ambiguous atmosphere surrounded us. I blinked as I looked at the man before me, who blushed to the tips of his ears before turning away awkwardly.
"How many times have you used this same trick?" he said, annoyed.
That was a valid question. Back then, I said I would be Gilbert's simp. So, I cut down on my living expenses and ate pickles and plain bread every day so that I could gift him things.
After basketball games, especially, the other girls would give the guys they liked mineral water, while I would prepare coffee and put it in a thermos to prevent the ice from melting.
However, Gilbert pursed his lips and did not accept the coffee I prepared for him.
"I don't like it. It's too sweet."
I was overjoyed to hear that. The coffee was worth a few dollars. If he didn't like it, I could just go for lemon tea which was only 60 cents.
The next day, I went to Gilbert with lemon tea. At that time, Gilbert had just come out of the bathroom, and his hair was still wet with water droplets, which made him look more alluring than ever.
A faint citrus scent exuded from him.
I couldn't help taking a deep whiff of his scent in the air.
"You smell so good."
Gilbert didn't say anything, but I could clearly see the word "pervert" in his jet-black eyes. His perfect upbringing prevented him from saying harsh words, so he merely walked past me without saying a word.
He never accepted all those things I tried giving him. In the end, I had to consume them all myself.
I felt quite nostalgic upon recalling the past. "It's not a trick. I mean what I say."
Gilbert's ears had gotten so red it looked like they were about to bleed.
He got up, smoothened the wrinkles on his suit, and cleared his throat.
"Do you have a toothbrush? I'll take you to breakfast later."
"Oh, you don't have to. Just let me do my job as your simp. I'll make you breakfast."
I once cooked breakfast for Gilbert, and he commented, "Even Cookie's food is better than what you made."
Cookie was Gilbert's cat. It was just as picky as Gilbert.
He must've assumed that my cooking skills would've improved in three years.
However, I couldn't cook at all!
I survived by eating a variety of instant foods, including premade tacos. All I needed to do was heat them up.
Gilbert squeezed the fork in his hand and watched in disbelief as I finished the tacos I made. I burped with satisfaction.
"Is this what you eat every day?"
He frowned and looked a little unhappy.
"I want you to move to my house today."
I regarded him with confusion, and he coughed.
He then explained, "You wanted to live off me, right? In that case, you would have to come and live in my house, where you could stand before the window, overlook the entire city while holding a glass of red wine in your hand, and link arms with me, your sugar daddy. I sincerely invite you to come to my house and be my pet."
Gilbert's eyes were good-looking, especially when he was looking at someone seriously. It was as if a sea of stars was in them, and I was the only person amidst his galaxy.
I suddenly remembered that my relationship with Gilbert improved on a rainy day. I would greet him every day by sending him sweet nothings and asking what he was doing.
That particular day, Gilbert told me that he was in the library. I looked at the gloomy sky outside and thought it would rain cats and dogs soon, so I reminded him to go back early.
He didn't reply to me. I got worried, so I took an umbrella and went to find him. Halfway there, the rain fell, and dark clouds shrouded the sky. The sky had gotten so dark that at first glance, I thought night had fallen. Even with the umbrella, my shoulders were wet.
Gilbert was a little surprised to see me. My hair was messy and my clothes were wet. I looked particularly disheveled, not to mention the wet umbrella that I was carrying. I reckoned that I looked terrible back then.
Gilbert asked me, "What are you doing here?"
I flashed him a silly smile. "I brought you an umbrella."
He fell silent before smiling.
"Rohnny will drive to pick me up," he then said.
I had totally forgotten the fact that scions like Gilbert wouldn't need umbrellas.
I stared down at my toes awkwardly and hoped the ground would swallow me up.
"Are you free tonight? I'll treat you to a meal at the newly-opened barbecue joint. You've always wanted to go there, right?"
I published a post on Instagram saying that I hoped someone would bring me to that barbecue joint so I could enjoy the food there.
I looked up and saw Gilbert's sparkly eyes.
How could this man be so charming?
Rohnny was the one who came to pick us up. His impression of me was that I was an ordinary girl who was trying really hard to win Gilbert's heart. In other words, he didn't think I was a beauty.
Rohnny was obviously surprised when he saw me, and he teased, "Whoa, looks like the ugly duckling has finally gotten her Prince Charming."
Although he was mocking me by saying I was the ugly duckling, I was in a good mood when I heard him I had finally gotten my Prince Charming. In fact, I was so happy that I fixed my affectionate gaze on Gilbert.
I had no idea if Gilbert had gotten my message, but he discreetly distanced himself from me and asked Rohnny to stop running his mouth.
"She's a lady."
While emphasizing that I was a lady, he added seriously, "Don't bully her."
I had heard comments about Rohnny being a playboy, but they all described Gilbert as an aloof, serious, and chivalrous gentleman.
Just being friends with someone like him was boast-worthy enough, not to mention dating him.
The young man raised his eyebrows, filled a glass with beer, and handed it to me while reminding me not to drink too much. I stared straight into his eyes and asked hopefully, "Gilbert, are we friends?"
His smile was tender and sweet.
"Of course!"
I started getting close to Gilbert in the name of friendship, so much so that all the tenants in the female dorm ended up finding out I was in love with him. I was so stubborn and love-struck that I wouldn't give up until I achieved my goal.
I wouldn't miss any basketball game that Gilbert played in, and I wouldn't miss a single chance to express my love. Furthermore, I would always be on the lookout for any competitors who were trying to snatch him away from me. Even Rohnny was moved by how persistent I was and would tell me Gilbert's whereabouts from time to time.
He would look at me while shaking his head, "Cecilia, you'd better give up. Gilbert is a tough nut to crack. It's been a whole year. I feel tired seeing you running after him all day."
I sighed, "I have not succeeded yet, so I must work harder. Victory is just ahead of me, so how could I give up? At least he never tried to chase me away when I kept pestering him like this!"
Rohnny looked at me and was about to say something. In the end, he gave up and kept quiet.
"Let's go. I'll buy you barbecue!" he said.
At that moment, I thought Rohnny was a good friend.
There was a meteor shower one Wednesday. I prepared a telescope and was about to invite Gilbert to join me, but he ended up accepting another girl's invitation. I was exasperated, for I was only one minute late, and someone else beat me to it.
Gilbert looked at me with a trace of panic in his eyes. I reckoned he had no idea why he was panicking, either. He even tried explaining to me, "That's my uncle's daughter. I couldn't refuse her invitation."
Finally, he pursed his lips and asked tentatively, "If you want to see it with me, I'll reject her, okay?"
To be honest, I couldn't quite remember the details of that day after so many years. But I did remember how I ate excessively that day because I was in such a good mood. I was certain that Gilbert cared about me.
For a moment, I thought that I was going to succeed.
At present, the guy I had been pursuing back in my youthful days was offering to sponsor me. That was exciting, but ridiculously enough, I turned him down after a short moment of hesitation due to my dignity.
I was embarrassed to let the person I was in love with find out what a mess I had become.
Gilbert was stunned, too. He probably perceived the reason I rejected him and changed the conditions.
"You can be my assistant, too. I'll pay you 1,200 dollars a month. You can use half of the money to pay off your debt until it is cleared."
"Deal."
I hurriedly agreed, for fear that he would go back on his word.
Gilbert tousled my already messy hair.
"Cecilia, I miss you so much," he said.
In a daze, I asked in a tiny voice, "By assistant, do you mean personal assistant?"
Gilbert smiled, "If you want to take advantage of me, then my answer is yes."
