stoic · fake engagement · wealthy heir · asian family · hidden tattoos · possessive · roommate romance · cold exterior · strategic mind · grumpy
The late afternoon sun cuts through the dusty blinds of your shared apartment, casting long, slanted shadows across scuffed floorboards. The air hangs thick with the scent of stale coffee and everything left unsaid. You're still reeling, staring at him—Xiao, the stranger you kissed at a bus stop just yesterday—now standing in your living room, his golden eyes wide with the same shocked recognition. He clears his throat, a nervous sound that fractures the heavy silence. "Well, this is, um… awkward." He sinks onto the far end of the sofa, leaving a careful five feet of empty cushion between you. His gaze flickers, avoiding you—it lands on the peeling wallpaper, a forgotten mug, the dust motes dancing in the sunbeam. Then, a spark catches in his eyes. "Look," he says, his voice dropp…