Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

The proprietress’s eyes filled with pity. ’How could such a strikingly handsome face get beaten up like this?’

Simon Lockwood finally realized what was happening. He frowned, his expression darkening slightly. "We didn’t order a side dish."

The moment his face turned cold, he exuded a sharp, merciless intensity. The proprietress stammered, "It’s... it’s on the house..."

"That won’t be necessary, but thank you." His politeness was so distant you couldn’t find fault with it, yet it was precisely this quality that intimidated people to their core.

The proprietress had no choice but to take the cold dish back, scurrying away this time without daring to look back.

Joanna Kennedy, eating her own bowl of extra-spicy beef noodles, grumbled, "It was free. You didn’t want it, but I wanted to try it..."

"There’s too much vinegar. It wouldn’t suit you," Simon Lockwood said lightly.

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

"Too much? I don’t think so at all!" Joanna Kennedy retorted, unconvinced. "How would you know if it suits me or not?!"

Simon Lockwood lifted his gaze to glance at her, his tone flat. "Because you’re sour enough as it is."

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

The beef noodles were freshly made and steaming. As he ate, the food inevitably brushed against the corner of his mouth. Simon Lockwood winced slightly but continued eating with a stoic expression.

"I just searched online. There’s a pharmacy nearby that delivers. It should arrive after we finish eating."

Joanna Kennedy had been watching him the whole time. Seeing him frown made her feel bad. "Be careful," she said. "Eat one noodle at a time."

Simon Lockwood’s hand, holding the noodles, froze mid-air. He closed his eyes for a moment and, when he opened them again, his expression was calm. "Last one to finish pays."

Joanna Kennedy: "!"

Joanna Kennedy fell silent and buried her head in her bowl, eating furiously.

She ultimately finished with a clear lead over Simon Lockwood. After waiting for what felt like an eternity for him to finish, Joanna Kennedy waited with an excited look on her face for him to go pay. Simon Lockwood glanced at her and walked straight out the door.

Joanna Kennedy: "?"

Joanna Kennedy still hadn’t processed what was happening. She sat on the stool, face blank, her swollen lips parted slightly as she stared dumbfounded at him.

She looked so well-behaved, yet so silly. Simon Lockwood sighed. "You pay when you order."

!

’So he already paid?! Simon Lockwood was deliberately messing with me!’

Joanna Kennedy’s eyes widened in disbelief. ’I’m such an idiot!’ She couldn’t believe she’d been huffing and puffing, stuffing noodles into her mouth for nothing!

Outside, Joanna Kennedy was still fuming. "Why do you only know how to bully me? You’re so nice to other people, but so mean to me..."

The girl grumbled and complained.

Simon Lockwood felt a headache coming on, to add to the pain in his lip. "There are no ’other people.’ Don’t talk nonsense."

"Who’s talking nonsense? What about that Kyle Aldrich? He hit you, and you did nothing!"

Joanna Kennedy was still angry; she got angry just thinking about it. She’d never even hit Simon Lockwood, so what right did someone else have to? He was *her* Simon Lockwood.

The girl was genuinely angry.

Suddenly, Simon Lockwood felt that taking that punch had been worth it.

It was already very late. Some of the houses in the small alley had already turned off their lights. He held the girl’s hand, walking at a steady pace, her incessant chatter filling his ears.

When they reached the door, Joanna Kennedy instinctively reached out to open it, but Simon Lockwood stopped her, grabbing her hand. He met her confused gaze but said nothing, instead gently tucking a strand of her hair back.

"There, that’s better. Very pretty." Simon Lockwood stared at her, his gaze unwavering.

Joanna Kennedy blushed under his calm, focused dark eyes, feeling a bit baffled. "What are you doing..."

She opened the door as she spoke and, in the next second, froze in place.

The old, modest-sized living room was dark, yet it seemed brighter than if the lights had been on. Multicolored lights shone from a ring of balloons taped to the walls. Every piece of furniture was decorated with the character for "happiness," typically used for weddings, which made the scene rather bizarre.

’It looks like a haunted house.’ The festive atmosphere was tinged with a hint of horror.

Joanna Kennedy stumbled back a few steps in fright, barely stopping herself from screaming. Her gaze fell upon a cake on the table. On the floor, candles formed the shape of a heart, filled to the brim with fiery red roses. Beside the table stood a huge, life-sized cutout of herself, bearing the words: "Happy 25th Birthday, Joanna Kennedy!"

The "25" was highlighted and bolded.

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

’Oh, right, it’s my birthday today.’ Joanna Kennedy’s mind slowly caught up. A sense of disbelief washed over her. ’Was this supposed to be a birthday surprise for me?!’

"Did... did you prepare this?" Joanna Kennedy managed to turn her head, her eyes filled with a complicated mix of emotions as she asked.

Simon Lockwood: "..."

A balloon, not taped on securely, wobbled its way to the floor and rolled a few times.

A vein throbbed in Simon Lockwood’s temple. He closed his eyes as if refusing to accept reality, his expression numb.

Not far down the alley, a head peeked out. The "grandma grey" hair was dazzling under the streetlight.

Sean Grant watched the two people at the door, confused. ’Why aren’t they going in? What are they doing just standing there?’

’Could it be? Are they stunned by my romantic setup?!’ Sean Grant chuckled smugly. This was the culmination of his research into all things romantic.

’Flowers, balloons, and candles—the trifecta of romance!’

He turned and mouthed to Jack Warren behind him, "You’re welcome."

Jack Warren: "..."

’Will I live to see tomorrow’s sun? Is Simon Lockwood going to kill me?’

Jack Warren swore he had tried his best to stop this, but he couldn’t prevent it!!

「Inside the house.」

At the table, the two of them sat in silence. Another glowing balloon floated down. Simon Lockwood emotionlessly picked it up and tossed it into a corner, where several others were already piled up.

It was clear Simon Lockwood wasn’t going to speak, so Joanna Kennedy took the initiative. "Um, I quite like it."

She forced a compliment, "It’s very creative, hahaha..."

One of the candles went out. Joanna Kennedy’s smile faltered, her lips twitching. "..."

"Except for this cake, none of the rest of this has anything to do with me," Simon Lockwood finally clarified, unable to bear it any longer.

"Mhm, mhm, I believe you," Joanna Kennedy said with a sincere tone, but the laughter she was holding back betrayed her true thoughts.

Simon Lockwood: "..."

His face was as black as coal. He pressed his lips together tightly, saying nothing.

Joanna Kennedy didn’t dare laugh out loud, afraid Simon Lockwood might pass out from anger. She coughed twice to change the subject. "I don’t see any birthday candles. How am I supposed to make a wish...?"

Simon Lockwood silently took a candle shaped like a "25" from a bag hanging on the cutout and handed it to her, his expression blank.

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

This birthday was truly one for the books. It was more... tacky... than any birthday surprise she had ever seen.

For some reason, Joanna Kennedy felt a warmth spreading in her chest. This was the first birthday she had spent with Simon Lockwood—a birthday with a cake.

The candle was lit. Joanna Kennedy gently closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and made her wish.

As the girl kept her eyes closed, the candlelight flickering, Simon Lockwood tightened his grip on the gift in his pocket. He took it out just as her eyelashes began to flutter.