Chapter 77: "I See You as a Princess"

Joan stared at the mountain of desserts before her, a little overwhelmed, blinking in disbelief and unable to react for a long while. It was as if a surprise had fallen from the heavens, striking her so hard that stars danced before her eyes. In the past, Ethan Qin had often bought her snacks—piles of them—but somehow, it felt different now.

Because she liked him, everything felt different.

Ethan raised an eyebrow with casual indifference, his dark eyes shadowed beneath their depths, gazing at her with a half-smile, half-serious look. “You don’t like them?”

Joan shook her head rapidly, anxious and blurting out, “I do like them…”

Of course she liked them.

Her voice was hesitant, mumbling quietly, “But, Ethan, are you treating me like a pig?”

Even if she ate one a day, she’d gain several pounds in a month. Besides, she wasn’t nearly that big an eater!

“Pig?” Ethan’s long eyes narrowed slightly, repeating her words. After a moment, he let out a low chuckle. “Joan, can’t you see?”

See what?

Whenever she met his gaze, Joan’s reaction slowed, unable to grasp his meaning. She shook her head honestly, raising her eyes to him, confused. “Hmm?”

Ethan sighed helplessly, looking into her innocent, lively eyes. He leaned in slightly, half in jest. “How could I treat you like a pig? This is clearly—”

He paused, his tone suddenly becoming earnest. “I’m treating you like a princess.”

His voice dropped intentionally, wild and alluring, deep and rich as a cello played in darkness. Each word crashed into the softest part of Joan’s heart, leaving her feeling weak and giddy.

Onstage, the theater’s performance changed, dazzling spotlights illuminating the stage, while their corner remained dim and secluded. The contrast in lighting seemed to isolate them from the rest of the world.

Of all moments, the performers began to sing a love song, sweet and honeyed.

Joan stood in place, her mind gradually shutting down, staring blankly at Ethan’s moving Adam’s apple.

Did she hear him right…?

Ethan considered her his princess?

The little deer in Joan’s heart was going wild, ready to burst from her chest. Ever since she was small, she’d known she wasn’t a fairy tale princess—just a speck of dust, humble and ordinary.

So ordinary, so plain.

She’d always be an NPC in a novel, a background character in a drama… never the dazzling heroine.

How could someone truly treat someone as ordinary as her like a princess?

Joan wasn’t sure if he was joking. She lowered her head, unable to utter a word for a long time, finally whispering, “Thank you.”

Thank you for being so good to her.

Her fingertips curled, wanting to cover her heart and run away, but she couldn’t move at all.

The next second, a small black gift box appeared in her view, tied with a pink ribbon, exquisite and elegant.

Ethan set down the large bag, holding the box in front of her with one hand, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Our princess can’t be without a necklace, can she?”

He opened the box, revealing a pearl necklace inside.

Each pearl was full, round, and gleaming, reflecting a faint radiance in the dim light, like stars scattered across the Milky Way.

It was beautiful, refined, and exquisite.

So this was the real gift he’d prepared—not the pile of snacks.

Joan’s heart skipped a beat, her breath catching, mind in chaos.

Her gaze was completely drawn to the pearl necklace, unable to look away.

She almost believed, for a moment, that she was the heroine in a romance novel…

God, she was so vain!

The feeling was subtle, lifting her whole spirit, as if wings had sprouted, ready to soar and touch the sun.

She hadn’t worn a necklace today; her neck was bare. Taking the box, she puffed her cheeks after a long pause. “Then… will you help me put it on?”

She glanced at Ethan cautiously, asking tentatively, “Is that okay?”

A faint light glimmered in Ethan’s dark eyes, as if hooks lay hidden there. His brows arched, lips curving into a smile. “Of course.”

He took the pearl necklace and naturally stepped forward, encircling Joan’s neck.

The distance between them shrank in an instant; the crisp scent of mint and the heat of his breath washed over her.

From afar, it looked as if Ethan had reached out to pull her tightly into his embrace.

His handsome face loomed closer, his thin lips drawing near Joan’s ear.

He unclasped the necklace, carefully lifting Joan’s hair and fastening it around her neck, his fingers inevitably grazing her fair skin, sending a shiver through her.

Joan froze, shrinking back as warmth spread across her neck, holding her breath, afraid to inhale too deeply.

Help!

Suddenly, she regretted asking Ethan to put the necklace on her…

One day, she’d drown in the warmth of Ethan’s embrace, never able to escape.

Perhaps she didn’t even want to escape.

She just wanted to stay here, always this close to him.

The silence around them was profound, so quiet Joan could hear the pounding of her own heart.

Without warning, footsteps echoed nearby.

Joan’s ears perked up, guilt flooding her as she hurriedly whispered, “Someone’s coming.”

Ethan looked down at her; her thick lashes trembled like butterfly wings, betraying her nervousness and unease.

Each blink gently brushed against his heart, leaving him ticklish inside.

Joan probably didn’t realize that the tips of her ears were quietly tinged with pink, spreading inch by inch down her neck.

She was impossibly adorable.

The footsteps grew louder. Joan bit her lip, clutching Ethan’s sleeve, whispering again, “Someone’s coming…”

Flustered, as if she’d been caught cheating on an exam.

Ethan laughed confidently. “What are you afraid of? We haven’t done anything we need to hide.”

Despite his words, his gaze flickered, and he shifted his body, using his tall frame to shield her in the corner.

He nearly pinned her against the wall, leaning closer, blocking her from anyone’s view.

The footsteps became clearer, and the space between them closed, so close they were almost touching.

Joan pressed her back against the cold tile wall, her fingers lightly clutching Ethan’s sleeve, all her attention taut as she looked up into his eyes.

His dark, deep gaze fixed unwaveringly on her, that seductive beauty mark beneath his eye drawing her in.

Joan’s heart skipped a beat, her breath coming in shallow bursts.

She could clearly feel Ethan’s gaze lowering, slowly, until that burning look landed on her lips…