What Position Is Platonic"

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I took him, a scholarship student, by force. He remained distant and aloof, but I didn't care. Every day, Id demand hugs, kisses, and piggyback rides. Until, on our wedding night, subtitles suddenly appeared before my eyes.

[The male lead has a germ phobia! He washes eight hundred times every time the side character touches him.]

[So cute, the male lead has been saving himself for the female lead.]

[Oh my goodness, is the side character going to force herself on him again tonight?! I cant wait to fast forward to the ending where she loses everything!]

I was horrified. I quickly unlocked the handcuffs on Hayess wrists.

Um I suddenly feel that, in terms of our married life, a platonic relationship might be better.

Hayess Adams apple bobbed. He asked in a hoarse voice, What position is platonic?

On our wedding night, I cuffed Hayes to the bedpost. I was getting ready to do what I usually did, quite expertly. Red marks already bloomed on Hayess wrists, his shirt open to reveal a lean, sculpted torso. His Adams apple bobbed, his eyes shrouded in an unreadable darkness.

I straddled him, using the small leather whip I held to lift his chin. Hayess breathing grew heavy, his muscular chest subtly rising and falling. His pale skin was flushed with a strange, delicate pink. My desire surged, and I pounced like a famished lion.

The next second, countless subtitles materialized before my eyes.

[AHHHHHH! Can the side character just disappear?!]

[GERM PHOBIA ALERT! GERM PHOBIA ALERT! He washes eight hundred times every time this woman touches him!]

[My heart aches! Hayes has been saving himself for the female lead, only to be forcibly taken by this crazy woman.]

[On their wedding night, is this evil side character going to force herself on him again? The male leads first time belongs to the female lead!]

[I wish I could fast forward to the ending where the side characters family is ruined!]

I froze, my brain crashing from the sheer volume of information. The whip slipped from my hand, landing on Hayess abs. He let out a soft groan, a sound that was indescribably sexy. The subtitles kept scrolling.

[Almost there, almost there! The female lead will appear soon to save him!]

[Does this evil side character think shes amazing just because she has some money? The male lead hates arrogant, spoiled rich girls like her the most.]

[Countdown to ruin: Side characters dads company explodes, she goes bankrupt, and has to beg on her knees at the male lead and female leads wedding, hahahahaha!]

I was horrified. A handsome man was precious, but money was more valuable. I immediately fumbled to uncuff Hayess wrists.

Um I said, unable to meet his gaze, my voice wavering. Even though were married

I suddenly feel that, in terms of our married life, a platonic relationship might be better.

Hayes was free, but he remained in his original position, unmoving. After a moment of silence, he licked his lips, asking in a husky voice, What position is platonic?

I choked, stammering, Its its hard to explain right now.

You you can look it up yourself.

Never mind, just run. I swiftly grabbed my duvet. Im sleeping in the guest room tonight.

As I was about to leave, I heard a rustling sound behind me. I turned to see Hayes picking up the black lace lingerie Id left by the bed, which I hadnt had a chance to put on.

What are you doing?

He didnt look up, calmly stating, Didnt you say youre sleeping in the guest room?

I accidentally wasnt careful and soiled the sheets here.

My face instantly burned. My palms still felt hot and damp. Remembering the sensual scene just moments ago, my mind was filled with Hayess restrained gasps. Desire had clouded my judgment. It took several seconds to realize hed misunderstood me, and I quickly explained:

Ill go alone; you dont need to follow.

It means well be sleeping in separate rooms from now on.

I took a deep breath, trying to look sincere. I was wrong before, I didnt respect your wishes or feelings. I wont do that anymore.

Without waiting for Hayess reply, I fled.

I rushed into the guest room. I locked the door, leaning against it, still breathless and shaken. Thankfully, Id slammed on the brakes in time. Otherwise, it would have been irreversible.

The subtitles kept scrolling:

[OMG, the side character actually let the male lead go???]

[Shes playing hard to get, isnt she? Scheming women are best at that!]

[Male lead, runno, female lead, appear!]

[When will the side character realize the male lead doesnt like her at all! Hes only staying with her to repay a debt!]

I buried my face in the pillow, deflated. So, every time I initiated physical contact with Hayes, he would immediately go shower. It wasnt because Hayes was naturally aloof or abstinent, but because he found me dirty. And his passive acceptance of my demands? It was all for the sake of repaying a debt, enduring humiliation. Even marrying me was born out of sheer desperation.

Though I knew this was all part of the plot, that the male and female leads were destined to be together, tears still pricked at my eyes, betraying me.

Hayes had been the only scholarship student at our elite boarding school. The first time I saw him was in the summer of our freshman year. He wore a white shirt, speaking as the top student under the school flag. Strands of hair swayed gently in the wind, his nose bridge high, his brow bone deep-set. The moment our eyes met, my heart skipped a beat.

On graduation day, I cornered him outside his dorm to confess my feelings. Hayes looked down at me for a long time, then calmly said, Were not suited for each other.

Why not? I pressed, my eyes welling up.

Hayess tone remained calm. Nowhere are we suited.

I, having been spoiled since childhood, tasted rejection for the first time. In an instant, I was furious and anxious. And, having read too many novels at a young age, my brain was a bit scrambled. I dont know where I got the courage, but I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him hard. Then I declared defiantly:

A bitter fruit is still a fruit!

Even if you dont like me, Ill still have you.

Later, I learned Hayess father had a gambling problem and owed a lot of money, and his mother had fallen seriously ill and was hospitalized due to stress. I paid off his fathers debts and moved his mother to the best nursing home. From that day on, Hayes no longer resisted my presence. I had genuinely believed he felt something for me, even if it was just gratitude.

I rolled over, wiping away my tears. Forget it. Whether he liked me or not, the most important thing now was to save myself.

Lying in bed, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Usually, Id cling to Hayes like an octopus, burying my head in his neck, inhaling the faint scent of his shower gel, and quickly drifting off. Now, hugging empty air, I stayed awake until 2 AM.

The next morning, I woke up with dark circles under my eyes and headed to work early. I deliberately avoided any chance of seeing him, and didn't pester him to drive me as usual. All day, I surprisingly didn't send Hayes any messages. Before, I'd call him eight hundred times a day to check in. Every ten minutes, I'd ask him, "What are you doing?", "Do you miss me?", "Send some hot pics."

Today, I stubbornly set his chat to Do Not Disturb.

By noon, I couldn't resist checking my phone. No messages.

Eleven o'clock, checked again. Still no messages.

Twelve o'clock, lunchtime. My phone finally rang. My heart skipped a beat. I eagerly picked it up

It was the delivery driver. "Hello, your takeout is at the front desk."

"...Oh." I hung up, telling myself: Good, just like this. Slowly wean yourself off him. He's not contacting you, which saves you the trouble of figuring out how to reply. This is a good thing, a great thing.

The subtitles flared up again:

[The side character isn't bothering the male lead today? The sun must be rising in the west.]

[It's an act, she's definitely planning something bad.]

[The male lead finally has some peace today, hooray!]

I pretended not to see them and ate my lunch.

2 PM, a meeting.

3 PM, replying to emails.

4 PM, reviewing documents.

5 PM, quitting time. I didn't leave. I lingered in the office until six, seven, eight. The sky outside had turned completely dark. My phone suddenly rang. Caller ID: Hayes.

I stared at the name for five seconds, then hesitantly answered. "Hello?"

Hayes's voice, low and calm, came through. "Busy today?"

"Ah, yes, overtime," I said, picking at my fingers, my voice soft.

"Then I'll come pick you up."

"No, no need." I refused without thinking. In the past, I would have jumped for joy. But now, keeping my distance from Hayes and not annoying him was paramount.

"My assistant is driving me."

"No need to trouble you."

Silence stretched for a few seconds on the other end. I thought he would hang up. But he didn't. The silence continued. I heard his breathing, soft, steady.

"...Hayes?"

"Hm." After a long pause, he spoke again. "Then be careful on your way."

"I'll wait for you at home."

"Okay."

"Text me when you're off work."

"...Okay."

I looked at my phone screen, feeling a pang of sadness. I finally lingered until eleven before I had to go home. Pushing open the front door, the living room was pitch black. I thought Hayes had already gone to bed, so I tiptoed to switch on the light. Instead, I was startled.

Hayes was sitting alone on the sofa. No TV on, no phone in hand, just sitting there. The light caught his profile, half-illuminated, half-shadowed. His expression was unreadable. He wore loungewear, his hair a little messy, as if hed showered and then waited for a long time.

I clutched my chest. "What are you doing? You scared me."

He was silent for a moment, then finally spoke. "Today, I logged into your account."

"I noticed many people calling you 'baby'."

When he said this, his voice was calm, but his eyes never left me. My heart skipped a beat. That WeChat account, constantly sending "baby" messages, was actually my best friend Clara's second account. She and her younger boyfriend recently had a unique dynamic, where she used a male avatar and called herself "husband," and he used a female avatar and called himself "wife."

I was about to explain, but the subtitles scrolled past again:

[The male lead was just using the study computer for work and logged into the wrong account!]

[Is the side character overthinking again? Who told her to set the male lead's phone and computer passwords to be the same as hers, just to check up on him? Otherwise, he wouldn't have logged in wrong.]

[LOL, the queen of self-pity.]

The subtitles were right. He couldn't be jealous of me. He was just stating facts. Or perhaps he was unaccustomed to my aloofness, just making conversation. I took a deep breath, absently giving a vague answer: "I'll change it."

Hayes seemed surprised by my candor, freezing for a moment. "What?"

I patiently explained: "The password."

"I'll change the password."

The usually composed man suddenly darkened. I looked at him, bewildered, and mumbled, "Don't worry, I won't use your computer indiscriminately anymore."

"All those pop-up messages today must have disturbed your work, right?"

"Sorry, sorry, I'll be more careful next time."

The subtitles were full of question marks:

[Hold on! Hold on! What did the side character just say she'd change? She said she'd change the password?]

[No, is this right? Is it the password that needs changing?]

[I'm actually dying of laughter, sounds like the side character's delirious after too much overtime.]

The atmosphere was a bit heavy. Seeing he didn't reply, I prepared to discreetly leave. "Then I'll go back to my room and sleep."

Just as I turned to walk to the guest room, Hayes suddenly called out, "Wait."

I turned back. He stood in the center of the living room, the light casting a long shadow behind him.

"No kisses, hugs, or piggyback rides today."

This was a rule I had set for Hayes before. Every day, he had to give me kisses, hugs, and piggyback rides. I thought it would foster intimacy. But ever since I learned Hayes actually found me repulsive, I didn't dare dance on his landmines anymore. My head shook like a rattle, and I quickly said, "No need."

"Not anymore?" Hayes frowned slightly, emotions churning in his eyes.

I nodded furiously. "No need for any of it."

"It's too childish, it was my fault for always dragging you into my silly games."

Hayes hummed, his eyelashes fluttering. "Then... good night."

"Good night," I said.

Hayes paused, then said in a low voice, "Good night."

I turned and went upstairs. At the corner, I couldn't resist looking back. Hayes was still standing there, looking in my direction. When he saw me look back, his eyes seemed to brighten.

The subtitles immediately exploded:

[Was the male lead waiting for the side character to regret it and go back to kiss him? No way, right?]

[How could that be? The male lead is probably trying not to laugh, hahahahahahaha, afraid hell burst out laughing!]

[Exactly, exactly. He finally got rid of this troublesome side character, he must be overjoyed.]

I snapped back to reality, disappointed, and walked into the guest room. A dull ache settled in my chest.