Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

The moon had long since set. Joanna Kennedy sat motionless on the edge of the bed, lost in a daze, her mind replaying the man’s low, doting words.

The night light cast a soft, white glow on the ”Blue Rose,” making it look exceptionally beautiful. Joanna picked it up, her fingertips tracing its slightly rough edges.

Though her gaze was lowered, she couldn’t hide the sweet smile that threatened to spill out.

’Joanie... Joanie...’

She loved that name. It felt like Simon Lockwood’s special nickname, just for her.

The next morning, breakfast was, as promised, three-delicacy wontons. The wrappers were rolled thin, and the filling was plump. Joanna took a bite and her eyes crinkled with satisfaction.

”You put shrimp in these?”

Joanna had bitten into a whole piece of shrimp. When the man nodded, she grew puzzled. She remembered they were out of peeled shrimp, with only some large, shell-on shrimp left over.

Her gaze fell to the man’s slightly reddened fingers, where she could just make out faint, tiny scratches. Joanna froze for a second, and the shrimp in her mouth suddenly lost its flavor.

’This whole plate of wontons... every single one has shrimp in it. How long must Simon have spent peeling them? Not just peeling the shells, but deveining them too. It’s such meticulous work.’

”Simon, let’s buy peeled shrimp from now on, not the shell-on kind,” Joanna said.

Her tone was firm. The sudden declaration left Simon Lockwood a bit confused. Joanna’s mind worked differently from most people’s; sometimes he needed a moment to catch up.

He recalled how she had been staring at his hand and made the connection to the shrimp. Simon understood. He subtly flexed his fingers, revealing a small cut on one of his knuckles. As expected, he saw her eyes widen slightly, filled with concern.

”Most pre-peeled shrimp isn’t very fresh. It’s healthier to buy them whole,” Simon said.

He addressed only the subject of shrimp, acting as if he hadn’t noticed her real concern.

’This just made him even more endearing. He wasn’t trying to guilt-trip her, just stating the facts. How could anyone not love such a sincere, thoughtful boyfriend?’

After breakfast, Simon Lockwood took a call. Joanna was reading her script, so she couldn’t hear what he said.

A few minutes later, he came back in from the balcony. Though his expression was as cool and detached as ever, Joanna sensed that he was in a good mood. ”What’s up?” she asked casually.

”It’s nothing.” Meeting her clear, questioning eyes, Simon Lockwood let out a silent laugh, the corner of his mouth lifting in a barely noticeable curve. ”Just a tricky matter that’s been resolved.”

’Getting into Mensa is pretty easy, after all,’ he thought.

The knot in her chest loosened. Joanna had no reason to doubt him. ”Oh, okay. That’s good.”

Couples in the honeymoon phase are probably all like this, never wanting to be apart, wishing they could be attached at the hip.

As Simon Lockwood tidied up, Joanna trailed closely behind him. And behind Joanna, followed the kitten, which had grown a little bigger.

Seeing the freshly mopped floor immediately trampled by both human and feline, Simon Lockwood let out a silent sigh, though his gaze only softened. He leaned down naturally and pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips, murmuring softly, ”Be good. I’ll come be with you as soon as I’m done mopping.”

Joanna had grown somewhat immune to the kissing and hugging over the past couple of days, but she still couldn’t stop herself from blushing. ”Oh...”

”Well, hurry up then...” Joanna said, looking back at him with longing as she walked away.

Tomorrow, she had to attend a dinner for a luxury brand. As their global ambassador, she absolutely could not miss it. And soon after the event, she had to leave to film a variety show, which meant she wouldn’t be able to cling to him so brazenly anymore.

After being single for all of her 25 years, Joanna had finally found someone she liked this much, and they were right in the middle of their honeymoon phase. The thought of being away from Simon made her heart ache. She repeated herself, her voice taking on a wheedling tone, ”Simon, hurry up~~”

The kitten meowed twice, as if to echo Joanna’s plea and urge the man to hurry.

’Good kitty, you deserve a reward.’ Joanna picked up the kitten and generously offered it a treat stick. She was halfway through feeding it when the sofa cushion beside her dipped.

A familiar scent enveloped her. Without turning her head, Joanna relaxed and leaned back, settling into his arms. A soft kiss landed on her cheek. Her eyes flew open and she said playfully, ”What do you think you’re doing, you pervert!”

”Mm, being a pervert,” Simon Lockwood replied, his expression unchanging. Her beautiful eyes were wide and round, making her look utterly adorable. Following his heart’s desire, Simon kissed her again.

Joanna: ”...” ’Shameless pervert.’

They were pressed close together. Joanna could feel his warmth, and his pleasant scent filled her senses. Dazed, she felt a gentle squeeze on her waist. She obediently tilted her face up, as docile as a sacrificial lamb.

She waited for a long moment, but nothing happened. Puzzled, Joanna opened her eyes, only to be met with his handsome face, suddenly much closer.

It was as if he had been waiting for this exact moment, to kiss her deeply the instant her eyes opened, so they could see their own reflection in each other’s gaze.

”Mmph...”

Joanna let out an involuntary sound, but it was just a soft whimper as a sudden mist clouded her eyes.

’That bastard, Simon Lockwood...’

The kitten had long since snatched its treat stick and scampered off. An old cartoon played on the television, one of its characters reciting a classic line, but no one was paying it any mind. The two people who were supposed to be watching only had eyes for each other.

*

It was late autumn, and Joanna wore a long-sleeved shirt. Before she got out of the car, Simon Lockwood made her put on a light jacket, his reasoning being, ”It’ll get cold tonight.”

”I’ll be indoors wearing a formal gown tonight. I can’t wear a jacket, and it’s not like I’m going to be standing outside in the wind...”

Joanna rattled off a whole list of reasons, but she ended up putting on the jacket anyway.

Her assistant was waiting at the entrance to her company, so Joanna couldn’t linger. ”I should get going now?”

”Okay,” Simon Lockwood said. ”Call me if you need anything. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

He didn’t offer to pick her up, only that he would wait at home. That was because evening events like this were semi-public, and there would be fans waiting outside.

If he went to pick her up tonight, there was a high probability he’d be spotted by sharp-eyed fans. And even if he dodged the fans, he wouldn’t be able to avoid the paparazzi. Joanna’s name would be all over the hot search topics.

Simon Lockwood knew the risks, and so did Joanna.

It suddenly occurred to her that several days had passed since they’d made things official, yet Simon Lockwood had never once asked if or when she wanted to go public. He hadn’t even dropped any hints.

”Just a couple more days,” Joanna said, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes filled with sincerity. ”I’ll announce it. Then we won’t have to hide like this anymore.”

”Simon, I’m serious about this relationship. I’m not just playing around,” she added, as if worried he might get the wrong idea.

Simon Lockwood froze. It felt as if someone had lightly strummed a string in his chest, leaving a faint, ticklish vibration behind. He suppressed the feeling, his voice coming out a bit hoarse. ”Yeah... I know.”