Instead of answering, Shin reached out and lightly touched her forehead, as if checking her temperature, before handing her a lunchbox.
"You just recovered," he said. "You shouldn't have come to school yet. And don't eat cafeteria food for now. I had the nanny prepare something more nutritious for you."
Yeri pouted, trying to hide her embarrassment. She hadn't expected him to show up in person… just to deliver a lunchbox.
It was break time, and students wandered all over campus.
Naturally, the two of them drew attention.
A few had already taken out their phones, recording with poorly concealed curiosity, as whispers began to ripple through the crowd like wind stirring dry leaves.
"All right, you should be busy with work. I wouldn't dare take up too much of your time," Yeri said.
Shin raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't you dare? Or are you embarrassed with everyone watching? We're officially engaged. There's no need for you to rush off."
"I'm not embarrassed. It's just… aren't you always busy?"
"Hm." His gaze softened slightly. "Even so, you'll always be my priority."
"So sweet!" a nearby girl blurted out, unable to hold back as she filmed them.
Yeri: "…"
"Now that I think about it," Shin continued, completely ignoring the interruption, "want to have lunch together?"
Yeri narrowed her eyes at him. He's enjoying this, isn't he?
Before she could answer, someone suddenly shoved her from behind.
"Young Master Keir, you look as handsome as ever! Have you had lunch? Would you like to join me?"
A young girl in a school uniform stepped forward boldly.
Yeri, who had been pushed off balance, was quickly caught by Shin. His arm steadied her as his expression turned cold, his eyes narrowing at the girl.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft again as he looked at Yeri.
Yeri nodded, then glanced at the girl. She recognized her immediately. The same one who had made that snide remark about the Zhi family targeting the Keir men.
And now she dared to act like this… right in front of Shin? Was she out of her mind?
"Young Master Keir, my name is Anri," the girl said brightly. "I'm a year younger than Yeri, and in terms of status, I'm also far more suitable for you. Do you remember me from the economic forum? My father is a hotelier. He introduced us."
Yeri blinked, stunned.
They had already met?
Anri shot Yeri a contemptuous, provocative glance before turning back to Shin with a practiced smile.
"Unlike some people who rely on their looks," she continued sweetly, "I can assure you I'm natural from head to toe. I may have many admirers, but of course, none of them compare to you."
Yeri: "…"
As their exchange drew more and more attention, a crowd began to form. Phones were raised.
Yeri noticed it immediately, the shift in Shin's demeanor. The warmth in him vanished, replaced by something colder.
"By the way," Anri added eagerly, "I've been sending you messages. Did you receive them?"
"So you're the one spamming my phone," Shin said flatly.
Anri's eyes lit up, her excitement barely contained as she threw Yeri another triumphant look.
"Did you like the picture I sent last night?"
"Now you understand why I keep a separate phone and private contacts known only to a few?" Shin said, completely ignoring her as he turned to Yeri.
Yeri nodded stiffly. Just last week, she had seen him casually hand a phone to Secretary Yun.
"What do you mean?!" Anri suddenly cut in, her expression faltering as realization dawned. "You- how could you?! But my dad said that was your personal email…"
Shin didn't spare her another glance. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Yeri's shoulders.
"Where do you want to eat?" he asked calmly. "Since I'm already here."
Yeri was about to answer when she felt someone grab the back of her uniform.
Before she could even turn around, a sharp scream rang out.
She spun back, only to see Anri sprawled on the ground.
Shin stood there, expressionless, but his eyes were cold enough to cut.
The surrounding students gasped, yet no one stepped forward to help.
"She deserved it. Flaunting herself in front of someone who's already engaged… how shameless."
"She really thought Shin Keir would tolerate that? Doesn't she know what he was like before getting engaged to Yeri Zhi?"
"Honestly… declaring herself a rival in broad daylight. I don't know whether to be embarrassed for her or impressed by her nerve."
Anri, who had been shoved aside the moment she grabbed Yeri, looked up and froze.
Shin's gaze was dark, murderous, as a chill ran down her spine.
Only after the two of them had already walked away did she manage to scramble to her feet.
Noticing the students still filming, her face twisted with humiliation and anger.
"What are you all staring at?!" she snapped. "Haven't you ever seen someone go after what they want? Who says a girl can't chase the guy she likes? You bunch of losers!"
While she was still ranting, her phone rang.
The moment she answered, her father's furious voice blasted through the line.
"What the hell are you up to this time? Didn't I tell you not to offend Shin Keir? How did you even get close to him?"
Anri rolled her eyes. "Didn't I already tell you I could handle it? Just give me time. I'll win his heart."
"Shut up! I swear to God, if you keep this up, we'll be in serious trouble!"
Anri ground her teeth in annoyance and hung up.
"So noisy," she muttered under her breath. "What's so special about Yeri anyway? Big Sister Calin said Young Master Keir is just temporarily infatuated because of her looks. If Yeri could steal him from Big Sister Calin… then I can do the same."
----
"Why didn't you tell me someone from my school was bothering you?" Yeri asked as they entered the Brizola restaurant.
"I don't remember," Shin replied.
Yeri shot him a suspicious look, but he added calmly, "I genuinely don't remember trivial people. Not even what they look like."
"She said you met at the economic forum. What happened?"
Shin frowned faintly. "There were many companions of business associates introduced to me that day. She must have been one of them."
Yeri: "…"
"Are you asking because you're jealous?" Shin said, completely serious. "Don't worry. You're the only one in my eyes."
Yeri: "…"
If he didn't even remember other women's faces, then of course she'd be the only one in his eyes.
"I think you need to see an ophthalmologist," Yeri said flatly as they took their seats.
"My eyesight is perfect," Shin replied without missing a beat. "I'm looking at my beautiful fiancée right now, and to me, she's perfect."
Yeri blinked.
If anyone else heard this version of Shin Keir, the entire city would descend into chaos.
It was already a crime how devastatingly handsome he was. If he started talking like this publicly, millions of women would probably collapse from heartbreak.
"Okay, I know I'm perfect," Yeri said dryly. "Now can you please go back to normal?"
Shin chuckled, about to respond, when the waiter arrived.
Unbeknownst to Yeri, he was genuinely in a good mood.
Before, she never asked about his affairs, nor did she care when other women approached him. But lately… she had started asking first.
While eating, Yeri found herself thinking about Anri again, a faint irritation prickling at her.
Just because she kept a low profile at school, people must have assumed she was easy to bully.
Even after her engagement to Shin Keir became public, despite the wave of support, the private messages never stopped. From curses to accusations. As if she were some thief who had stolen a national treasure.
Well, she had never been one to act with words alone.
That very day, Yeri's rarely updated social media account suddenly came to life with three posts.
The first: a photo of an elegant gourmet meal.
The second: a casual selfie.
And the third, a short reel.
In it, Shin held out a fork with a piece of steak, feeding her as he said, in a low voice, "Eat, my baby."
Yeri took the bite, then winked at the camera before the video cut.
The internet exploded. Within minutes, the post rocketed to the top of trending.
"This has to be AI, right???? She actually got Shin Keir to say THAT?! Mom, I need to bang my head against a wall 😭"
"Already turned it into a GIF and extracted the audio. Life is GOOD 👍"
"I'm so jealous but WHY AM I GIGGLING?! Yeri, can I curse you AND thank you at the same time? Big sis, please feed us more content!!!"
"I CAN'T—my brain just CAN'T!!! I was working on my thesis when I saw this and literally screamed! Now I have to write a reflection letter to my professor."
"Yes, yes, Shin Keir, I'm your baby!!! If I crop it to five seconds, it looks like he's talking directly to me through the camera! My fragile heart is shutting down! Someone call an ambulance!!! 🚑"
Somewhere, across countless screens, hearts cracked, melted, and rebooted all at once.
One comment claimed Shin Keir looked forced, only to be drowned in a flood of hateful replies:
"I can smell your jealousy from miles away. So pathetic!"
"Are you brain-dead? Who could possibly force Shin Keir, let alone make him say something that cringey?"
"Whether he was forced or not, he still did it. That's what matters!"
"Yeri low-key clapping back at the haters, saying this is just a marriage alliance with no feelings involved."
Meanwhile, Saeki was in the middle of a company meeting. Distracted, he scrolled through his phone and noticed Yeri had posted an update.
The moment he tapped on the reel, his chair tipped backward as he fell clean onto the floor.
The room froze.
"CEO Jie?! Are you alright?!"
Several employees half-rose from their seats, alarmed, but Saeki didn't respond.
He just sat there on the ground, phone still in hand, staring at the screen like his soul just vacated his body.