"Austin, you're so good to me," Judith said, rising on her tiptoes to reach his face, attempting to kiss him.

Austin froze, his expression hardening as he immediately pulled her away.

Judith stared at him in shock, her eyes widening.

"Someone might see," He explained halfheartedly.

Following his excuse,Judith lowered her voice and suggested, "Then let's go back to our private room."

"Exactly, Judith! Austin's probably just feeling shy. You know how crazy he is about you," Paul chimed in.

Judith clung tighter to Austin's arm, pressing against him intimately."Austin was so nervous whenever I spoke to him back in college. He could barely look at me."

During that period at school, after he had rejected Ella, Austin noticed her persistently trailing behind him. She would casually pass by the convenience store he frequented, the cafeteria, and other places. Over time,he found himself involuntarily glancing in her direction.

She fancied herself adept at concealment, yet every inadvertent eye contact betrayed her deep blush, a vivid crimson akin to a ripe tomato, exposing the awkward predicament of her clandestine affection.

The girl's flushed cheeks stirred within him an inexplicable unease,perhaps the awakening of youthful imaginings toward the opposite sex.

His first encounter with a pornographic videotape dated back to his

univeralty days, A roommate was induiging in solitary pleasure, and through the floorboard, the moans oI the actors on tape wore audible, yet he felt nothing.

It was only when he returned home, bored, that he tentatively played the tape, wiinessing two bodies entwined in relentless motion. The vigorous and rapid rhythm recurred endleasly. The male was somewhat unattractive and mediocrein skill, which mattered little, as Austin himself had no experience

The female was undeniably beautiful and alluring, yet she failed to awaken any desire within him.

When he later discarded the tape into the trash, he resigned himself to the possibility that he might be inherently asexual.

But what did it matter? After all, he was already immensely wealthy.Rrectile dysfunction or premature efaculation would only inject a hint of chaos into his otherwise monotonous life:

Porfection held no charm; his existence was as transparent as glass, the trajectory forosceable at a mere glance.

Morrying a young, beauatiful helress, siring equally unremarkable offspring.and then, in old age with graying temples, reflecting alone on an unoveniful life quietly fading away,

It anything, dysfunction might spare him the inconvenience of roproduction, a blemish that would mar his overly impeccable life. He wolcomed flawa, yot the persistent follower was an exception.

A publie confesaion was hardly an act of moral coercion. Was he, as a man.expeeted to reapond with genilomanly grace?

She was foolish. She loved to stir trouble. She was hardly someone he could care for.

Consequently, he spoke harsh, cutting words, eroding the young girl's self-esteem.

No matter; she would return the next day, relentless as a shadow.Remarkably, she had abstained for half a month this time. Curiously,his life had slipped back into ennui.

Another fortnight passed before Ella deliberately chanced upon him again.He vividly recalled the rosy flush of her cheeks, the vessels faintly visible beneath her alabaster skin,and her hastily averted gaze. His distracted mind even accidentally collided with a boy waiting in line behind her.

She was ever apologetic, though the boy's spilled cola had drenched her clothes. Yet she kept uttering apologies...

Judith stood by his side, casually engaging in conversation.

His thoughts wavered, vividly conjuring the image of Ella lying on a bed,legs parted. Her face bore a similar blush, yet he was more drawn to the flush of her most intimate parts.

In that otherwise mundane afternoon, he found himself perversely imagining her face superimposed upon that of the woman in the pornographic tape, stirring an uncharacteristic arousal.

Remarkably, after four years of tediously uneventful university life, he had committed an act that defied his own understanding of himself. Was the disciplined Austin truly capable of such sordid, base, and ignoble thoughts?

T'hat same day, after hastily ending a conversation with ludith, he

retreated to the male dormitory.

The sweltering summer day left him desperate to relieve himself.Previously, he had scorned the roommate who watched such films in bed,but tonight, he was the protagonist.

"Austin, are you jerking off?"

"It's too boring. Find a tape?"

"I'm just napping.Damn you!"

Listening to the grumbles from above irritated him; the sensation had vanished.

Damn it! He truly disliked Ella. Yet, at that moment, he longed to hear her cries in bed.

At nineteen, Austin felt that life was a defiant rebellion: entangled with a girl, watching her cry, anger, and endure disappointment repeatedly,only to offer her hope again and say.

"Ella, I adore your wild spirit, your passion in bed, but I utterly despise you. Do you understand? Let's marry. Let this tedious,miserable existence continue its inevitable failure. After all, it's already rotten. How much worse could it get?"

By thirty, he would wed and father a child with her.

But why did nineteen-year-old Austin break his word?

Perhaps out of a sense of obligation, he continually reminded himself: "Austin, you ought to love Judith. After all, you have harbored feelings for her for so many years. After all, she saved you from the snowy mountain.

Hesidos, no matter how many times Ella was disappointed1,she would never abandon you, She has always been like that, hasn't she?"

Maybe she was morely feigning dislike,hoping to conx you into comforting her.Fine,comforting her wasn't so bad after all. They had intertwined through youth and a chapter of matrimony; as her man, he would grant her this once.

In a private room, Paul babbled incessantly about attending their wedding banquet, while Austin gazed absentmindedly at his phone.

Judith could porceive it clearly. When Ella lashed ouit, Austin seemed genuinely perturbed.

"Ms, Brooks, you're late." Derek sald from his seat in the center,studying Ella with a subdued voice.

Ella stood at the doorway, lost in thought for a moment.

She entered and apologized reluctantly."I∘nm sorry."

"L understand. It's normal to be busy when you're just starting a company,"He sald.

Ella felt somewhat guilty as she sat down, prepared to discuss the drone project.

Derok raised an eyebrow and suddenly asked, "You recently divorced?"

Ella froze, surprised he would inquire about her personal life.

Derok lightly tapped the table and smiled. "If you don't want to talk about It. that's fine."

"Mr, 'T'hornion, I admit I've had a less-than-perfect marringe.but that won'

t affect our cooperation," Ella explained serlously.

Derek observed her earnest explanation and smiled faintly. "You misunderstood. I just heard some things from Quantum Tech and wanted to learn more about you."

"If you believe those ridiculous, baseless rumors," Ella stood up, speaking candidly, "Then perhaps we shouIdn't work together. I appreciate your financial support. Mr. Thornton, but if you can't trust me, there's no point in continuing our partnership. Thank you."

Derek was momentarily taken aback before breaking into a smile."You're quite impressive."