'Hmm, point for Simeon,' Hayden thought. "I'm cold. I don't want to sleep." Putting on an act, he said in a raspy voice while shivering, "My throat hurts. Can't I have just a little sip?"Wyneth sighed. "Can't you hold out for a few hours?" Seeing how frail Hayden looked, she said, "Fine, I'll ask Simo."'There's that name again!' Hayden's mood soured. After she texted, he asked, "Why do you call him Simo?"Wyneth replied nonchalantly, "It's just a nickname I've always used for him."Hayden sensed an underlying familiarity in her tone. Before he could delve into it, Wyneth continued, "Simo texted me back; he said you can't drink."Observing Wyneth closely, everything about her seemed delicate — even her hair strands. As she conveyed Simeon's message, her lips moved gracefully. With a raspy voice, Hayden responded, "But my lips are so dry."Wyneth took a closer look at Hayden's lips, just wanting to check since he was sick. But for Hayden, it felt special. When she looked into his

Wyneth simply turned and took a seat on the couch.Hayden sighed. 'She's really mad, ignoring me like that. I acted this way hoping she'd notice.' If Wyneth would not help him change, he was not going to move from the bed. Even though his clothes were damp, the room felt warm. Earlier, he was hot under the blankets, but now he was not cold. Despite feeling sick, cold never bothered Hayden much.The room was silent. Wyneth checked her phone, straining her ears for any sound from Hayden. But she heard nothing. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. 'Why isn't he changing? He said he was cold.' She could not shake the feeling that Hayden might be playing some kind of game. 'Does he really not have the strength to change?'After a while, with no sign of movement from Hayden, Wyneth thought, 'He's really good at this waiting game.' Glancing his way, she saw him slumped over, his complexion pale and his lips dry. He looked like he had no energy left. Wyneth hesitated, wondering, 'Maybe

Wyneth felt a mix of annoyance and amusement. "I thought you said you were exhausted?""Yes." Hayden bent his head, nuzzling into her neck, greedily taking in her scent. Wyneth rarely wore perfume. Instead, she had a subtle scent reminiscent of fresh body wash and soothing lotion, which was quite lovely. He recalled the last time he held her after she had had something to drink. She carried that same sweet scent. Unable to resist, he lightly kissed the side of her neck and then paused there, whispering close to her skin, "Yep, I'm really out of steam," Hayden said.Wyneth froze as she felt his soft lips brush against her neck. The sensation was overwhelming. "Wh-What are you doing?" she stammered, trying to dodge him.Hayden pulled back, but his hand remained on her waist. "Just wanted a quick kiss.""Did I say you could?""Nope.""Then why—"Suddenly, Hayden moved closer, the intensity of his gaze and warmth of his breath causing her heart to race."So, if I ask, can I have a

Wyneth pressed her lips together, feeling really uneasy. Hayden noticed her silence and the change in her demeanor. With a smirk, he whispered, "No words? Guess that's a 'yes' from you." He leaned in to kiss her again, but just as he was about to, Wyneth bent at her waist to dodge him and then moved away from the bed. "Get some rest," she said.Even though Hayden could not kiss her, he did not push it. He leaned back on the bed, watching her with a playful look. 'That move was totally worth it,' he thought.His phone buzzed with a new message from Simeon: [Dude, how'd it go? Did playing the pity card work?]While Wyneth was busy in the bathroom with the wet clothes, Hayden quickly replied: [I'll pay you big later.] He set the phone aside without waiting for Simeon's reply, feeling much lighter.Soon, Wyneth returned. She glanced at Hayden and said, "Time's up. I messaged Simo; he's on his way. I need to head back to film."Hayden's mood, which had been upbeat, now visibly sank. "Y

Tommy: [What are you talking about? Weren't you the one who always called him a "snake"? I've got proof – I took a screenshot.]Sonny: [That's not me in the screenshot! My coworker sent that. I scolded him for it.]Tommy: [Hold on, there should only be three of us in this chat. Is Hayden also here?]After the message, they quickly checked to see who the new person was in the chat. It was an account named "W", showing a profile picture of snowy scenery.Sonny: [Doesn't seem like Hayden. Could it be a woman?]Tommy: [It's someone Simeon added. Maybe it's his girlfriend?]Sonny: [Did he start dating and not tell us? What about our pact to stay single? And why just us in this chat? Trying to hide his girl from Hayden?]Tommy: [Typical Simeon, always having beef with Hayden. I've got that screenshot. Pay up, or I'm spilling the beans!]Simeon: [What's wrong with you guys? That's Hayden's girl, Wyn!]Tommy: [What?!]Sonny: [Seriously?!]Tommy: [Wyn? The chubby-faced girl from our