Kanya and Billie journeyed from school uniforms to wedding attire, from endless misunderstandings to complete trust in one another—a process that took a full ten years.
On their wedding day, as Billie gently placed the wedding ring on Kanya's finger in front of everyone, emotions overwhelmed him. Tears mixed with laughter as he gazed at her with a tenderness that only years of longing and regret could bring.
"Honey, I’ve finally married you. From now on, I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world," he promised, his voice trembling with sincerity.
Kanya thought she had found their happily-ever-after. But that night, she received a special gift from her junior apprentice,
It contained countless photos and explicit chat logs of Billie and her junior apprentice in intimate entanglements over many days and nights.
Without hesitation, she called her and said, “Give me back the research institute spot and I’ll give Billie to you.”
***
"Kanya, are you out of your mind? Or are you just trying to amuse yourself?" Sabrina's voice on the other end of the phone was filled with disbelief.
She knew how much Kanya liked Billie. In order to marry him, Kanya had disregarded her mentor’s advice and actively given up her chance to enter the secret research institute.
Kanya lowered her gaze, lightly tapping her cold fingertips together and said indifferently, "You sent me this gift, didn’t you expect me to say this? Stop wasting time. If you're willing to make this deal, go to the mentor yourself tomorrow and tell them. I'll be waiting for your news."
Without waiting for her response, Kanya hung up the phone.
Today was her wedding night with Billie and his friends insisted on playing pranks, chasing them all the way from the hotel to our home.
Worried they might accidentally hurt her, Billie blocked them in the living room and challenged them to a drinking contest.
Even while staying in the bridal room, Kanya could faintly hear the laughter and cheers echoing from the living room downstairs.
After some thought, Kanya quietly opened the door, walked to the dimly lit staircase and stood silently, listening to their conversation.
"Congratulations, Billie! You’ve finally won Kanya's heart. We’ve been waiting for this day for almost ten years!"
"Yeah, with all your breakups and reconciliations over the years, I thought I’d never get to drink at your wedding. But you didn't disappoint us. You still managed to bring a wife home!"
"Exactly! I have nothing more to say except to wish you and Kanya a lifetime of happiness and an early arrival of a baby!"
His friends were all witnesses to Kanya and Billie's relationship.
They knew that Billie was someone who never backed down, yet he repeatedly lowered his pride for her.
Every time they argued or had a disagreement, whether it was his fault or not, he would always be the first to apologize.
Back when they were still in school, he knew how far her home was and how difficult it was for her to travel during holidays. Worried that something might happen to her on the way, he went out of his way to drive the family car across thousands of miles to personally take her home.
Billie's friends used to tease him, saying, "The mighty eldest young master of the Cart Family, reduced to being Kanya's driver one day."
But Billie was immensely proud of it. "So what? She's my love. I’m happy to spoil her!"
After they graduated and started working, he noticed how busy Kanya was with experiments, often skipping meals or eating irregularly.
To ensure she ate on time, he rolled up his sleeves and learned to cook nutritious meals himself. Rain or shine, he would deliver them to her workplace every day, staying to watch her eat.
Kanya felt bad for Billie, constantly rushing back and forth and suggested ordering takeout instead.
But he looked completely displeased. "Takeout? Can it be as clean as what I make? Can it taste as good? I just love cooking for you. Seeing you enjoy the food I make brings me joy too," he said with conviction.
Everyone around Kanya knew about Billie and envied her for having such a wonderful boyfriend.
They often told her to cherish what she had, to never let go of someone who loved her so deeply.
So, she never doubted his sincerity.
But sincerity, as it turned out, was often fleeting.
Looking at the photos and chat logs sent by Sabrina, Kanya realized that while she was in the lab, fully immersed in her research...
He was in the break room, just a wall away, tangled up with someone else.
Kanya used to wonder why Billie always appeared after she finished her experiments, why there was always a faint scent of unfamiliar perfume lingering on him.
Now, she finally understood.
Those daily visits, rain or shine, weren’t just for her—they were also for Sabrina.
She stood by the stairs for a while, her thoughts swirling, before quietly returning to the room.
By the time Kanya finished freshening up and stepped out, Billie stumbled in, barely able to steady himself.
Billie's handsome face was flushed from the alcohol, but when he saw Kanya, a hint of admiration flickered in his dazed eyes.
“Honey, you look so beautiful today,” he murmured, his hoarse voice trembling slightly.
He smiled at her as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.
In the past, Kanya would have melted under that gentle gaze.
Now, all Kanya felt was disgust.
She avoided his gaze and sat down at the vanity, gently drying her half-damp hair with a towel.
Billie didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about her mood. He walked over gracefully, reaching out to take the towel from her to help.
But just as he was about to touch her, she subtly moved her hand away, the gesture barely noticeable and said calmly, "My junior called me earlier. She said she’s feeling unwell. I’m wondering if I should go check on her."
As the words left Kanya's mouth, she looked into the mirror in front of her, catching Billie's reflection as he stood behind her.
In the mirror, she noticed a fleeting trace of worry on his face.
"Really? How about we go see her together?" he asked tentatively, but as he spoke, he turned to the wardrobe and took out another jacket.
Seeing this, the light in her eyes instantly dimmed and a wave of bitterness spread through her heart.
She had only made a casual remark to test him and he let his guard down completely.
She wondered what she meant to Billie.
Kanya swallowed the tears that were welling up in her eyes and spoke in a hoarse voice, "I'm not feeling well. Could you go check on her instead?"
Billie immediately furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice, "No way. Today is our wedding night. I should stay with you."
"I don't need you. Go to Sabrina. She needs you more than I do."
As long as his attention was still on her, he could see that her eyes were already red.
But he didn’t. His heart had already drifted far away.
After hesitating for just a second, he said, “Alright, Kanya, you rest early. I’ll go check on her and be right back.”
Without a second thought, he quickly turned and left.
Kanya stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes already red and the tears fell uncontrollably.
Through her blurry vision, she vaguely saw the image of the seventeen-year-old boy from that year, the one who skipped class and climbed over the wall to buy brown sugar water for her.
Billie was caught by the teacher while climbing the wall. After being scolded, he ran toward her, full of spirit, with a smile on his face.
He carefully took out the brown sugar water he had protected so well from his pocket. “Kanya, this is for you. I heard this can help make you feel better.”
As he spoke, he took out a warm pack from his pocket and seriously advised, "And this. If you feel uncomfortable during class later, just tell me. I'll help you ask for leave. Don't push yourself too hard."
From that moment on, his presence gradually became a part of her life.
Whether it was during school or after class, he was always there, like a knight guarding his princess, standing behind her.
After entering university, his love for her became bolder and more passionate.
Whenever someone mentioned Billie, they would say, "I know him, he's Kanya's boyfriend and bodyguard. They’re always together, it’s so enviable."
And when people talked about her, they’d say, "Kanya is Billie's precious treasure. Don’t mess with her, or you'll regret it."
That night, Kanya slept restlessly, memories of their past flashing through her mind.
But whenever she reached out to touch them, everything slipped away like fleeting smoke.
She could see it, but she couldn't grasp it.
Just like Billie, she could see him, but she couldn't truly understand him.
She woke up and reached for her phone to check the time.
But instead of the time, she saw a message from Sabrina, sent just a minute ago.
[I can see you're serious about the deal, so I’ll agree to it, but you’re not allowed to back out!]
Billie hadn’t returned all night; it seemed like he had stayed at Sabrina’s place.
Kanya glanced at the message, suppressing the bitterness that surged in her heart. She didn’t reply. Instead, she rolled out of bed and started getting ready.
Soon after, she received a call from her mentor.
“Kanya, I heard you're going to be part of the secret research project. Is that true? Aren’t you just married? Are you really willing to leave your husband like that?”
This project was related to national security and once she entered the lab, she had to sign a confidentiality agreement. She would be stuck there for at least three years.
"Yes, it's true. I'll get a divorce from Billie. You don’t have to worry, Professor."
The mentor’s face showed confusion. "But you just got married! Did something happen?"
Kanya briefly explained the current situation, but she didn't mention Sabrina. She couldn't afford to take any risks before leaving.
When her mentor heard her words, she immediately became furious. "I really can't judge a person by their face alone! When I saw how much he loved you, I thought I could trust him with you. I didn't expect that just after a short time, he couldn't even hide it anymore. It's good that you're coming back, there's no need to waste any more time on him."
Her mentor treated her like her own daughter, so Kanya knew she was genuinely angry. She tried to calm her down and reassured her for a while. After comforting her mentor, she hung up the phone.
With things in place, she was about to tidy up the room when Billie came back, carrying breakfast.
She put down the broom in her hand and walked out.
He was still wearing the clothes he had left in last night, but they were no longer clean. He had clearly tried to tidy himself up before coming back. But when she looked closely, she could spot a faint lipstick mark on his white collar, barely noticeable but still there.
Perhaps her gaze was too intense and he awkwardly turned his body away, continuing to speak on his own, “I was planning to come back after taking Sabrina to the hospital last night, but the company had an urgent matter and by the time I finished, it was already morning. That’s why I’m only back now…”
“I know. You don’t need to explain so much.”
Kanya smiled faintly and sat down at the table to eat breakfast. The soup dumplings, which she usually found delicious, tasted bland and tasteless at that moment.
She put down her spoon after only a few bites.
Billie didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about her. “Honey, we’re on our honeymoon leave now. We can’t go too far, but let’s just travel nearby and relax a bit.”
“Okay, you decide.”
Since they had honeymoon leave, staying at home felt like a waste of time. It would be better to use this free time to unwind and relax.
Billie seemed very excited about the honeymoon, eagerly picking a destination.
They finally decided to spend their honeymoon at the hot spring resort in Eryndor.
After she knew the location, Kanya sent the coordinates to Sabrina.
As expected, she didn’t disappoint.
As soon as they arrived at the resort, Sabrina showed up right after them.
When Billie saw her, his expression changed slightly and he said stiffly, "What are you doing here?"
Sabrina smiled casually and replied, "I saw a video about this place, so I thought I’d visit during my break. Didn’t expect to run into you two here."
