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Hold me close until my heart no longer feels barren.
To ease my skin hunger, I spent thirty dollars every day hiring that broke campus heartthrob Zack Harrison to hold me for an hour.
That day, he pulled me onto his lap, his expression somewhere between amused and teasing: "Because of you, everyone thinks I'm taken and I can't find a girlfriend anymore. What am I supposed to do about that?"
Feeling guilty, I suggested we end our arrangement.
The next day, my ex who had broken up with me for being too clingy, blocked my path with an arrogant smirk: "Get back together with me. I can hold you every day."
But the next second, a sports car screeched to a halt in front of him, scaring him so badly he collapsed to the ground.
Zack Harrison leaned casually against the steering wheel, glaring at him: "Trying to steal my girl? Got a death wish?"
That's when I discovered Zack Harrison's other identity: A New York elite heir.
1
Just hugging Zack Harrison wasn't enough to completely relieve my symptoms anymore.
In a quiet, secluded little park.
I sat on his lap, tilting my head up to ask softly: "Zack Harrison." "I'll give you an extra fifteen dollars—can you let me nuzzle against your neck?"
I blushed as soon as I said it.
Fifteen dollars wasn't much, but the extra forty-five dollars a day was already stretching my budget.
He glanced down at me, then pressed my head against the side of his neck with his hand. His tone casual: "Boss, considering you've never been late with my pay, I'll only charge you an extra ten dollars."
I blinked in pleasant surprise and thanked him shyly.
But when I spoke, my lips accidentally brushed against his skin.
The guy's body obviously tensed.
2
I was dozing against Zack Harrison's shoulder when hurried footsteps suddenly snapped me back to alertness.
Before I could get off his lap, a girl's figure appeared in my peripheral vision.
I immediately wrapped my arms around Zack Harrison's neck, hiding my face.
Our arrangement was known only to the two of us.
"Senior Zack!!"
The girl beamed: "Found you! Good thing I paid someone for your whereabouts."
She noticed me playing dead in Zack Harrison's arms and slowly restrained her smile.
"Who is she?"
Zack Harrison lazily looked up: "What other relationship could you think of besides girlfriend?"
The air fell dead silent.
Zack Harrison seemed completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere.
He even leisurely stroked the back of my head.
Me (playing dead): "..."
The girl spoke again, her smile forced.
"Senior, could you have your girlfriend turn around so I can see what she looks like?"
She seemed particularly puzzled: "Because I think I was voted the most beautiful girl in our department... but when I asked you out, you never said yes." "So I'm curious about what your girlfriend has that caught your eye."
Zack Harrison pulled my hoodie over my head before responding leisurely.
"Get your facts straight, junior." "She's the one who caught me."
The girl was momentarily speechless, then turned her attack on me.
"Miss, are you really going to sit in Senior Zack's lap in public like this?"
She could barely maintain her politeness: "Don't you think that's a bit... shameless?"
I paid money for this—what's wrong with a hug!
This place was empty to begin with! It's only because you showed up!
Sometimes you have to stand your ground.
I couldn't take it anymore and jumped off Zack Harrison's lap.
I was about to speak but fell silent.
Two seconds later, I climbed back onto Zack Harrison's lap and looked innocently at the department beauty.
"Then call the police."
"You!!" The beauty's face turned purple with rage.
Zack Harrison chuckled, then cut off her outburst with an icy tone: "Hey." "Make my girlfriend cry, and I don't care if you're male or female—I won't be nice about it."
3
After the beauty left, I sat absent-mindedly on Zack Harrison, replaying whether I'd come out ahead in that encounter.
He picked up a strand of my hair, playing with it.
His tone casual, not really complaining.
"Because of you, it's going to be even harder for me to find a girlfriend now."
Snapping back to reality, I hastily stood up and retreated to a safe distance.
The apology almost spilled out, but I swallowed it back.
I accused him half-heartedly of manipulating me.
"But... I paid you."
He smirked. "Did you now."
He sat in the chair with casual indifference.
"But right now, no matter how I think about it, this deal doesn't seem worth it."
Oh no, he was going to raise his prices.
I hesitated for a long moment, staring down at my toes: "Zack Harrison..." "If the price gets too high, maybe you should find other people with touch starvation." "My finances are a bit tight."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees as he looked at me.
Gone was that hint of casual mischief from before.
His gaze was focused.
"No charge." "How about you get me a girlfriend instead?"
Ah.
So he wanted me to set him up!
But running through my mental contact list, I couldn't find any girls suitable for Zack Harrison.
After thinking for a few seconds, I accepted this challenging task.
I told him seriously: "Can you give me some time to think about it?"
His tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, and he nodded slightly.
His whole demeanor softened.
4
That night, I huddled under my blanket scrolling through my contacts.
I tentatively asked a few people.
When they heard it was Zack Harrison, someone who was desperate enough to take forty-dollar-a-day odd jobs, they said his financial situation must be terrible.
They all politely declined.
I couldn't afford his high hugging fees, and I couldn't find him a girlfriend either.
I really couldn't keep holding him back.
After much hesitation, I sent Zack Harrison two final messages.
"Sorry, you got turned down." I didn't plan to tell him the specific reason, to spare his dignity.
Being poor wasn't his fault.
"Also, my condition doesn't seem that serious anymore, so I won't need to trouble you."
"I heard the coffee shop by the school gate is hiring. They pay way more than I do. I'll send you the manager's number—you should try applying."
"We don't need to stay in touch anymore. I'm deleting your contact. Bye~"
After typing the last character, I promptly blocked his only contact method.
It wasn't really necessary to go as far as blocking him.
But I was afraid I wouldn't have enough willpower, and someday I'd be tempted to reach out for another transaction. That would really be holding him back from finding a girlfriend.
After doing all this, I felt an indescribable melancholy and pulled the blanket over my head.
Trying to hide the invisible cloud of gloom in my chest.
5
The next day happened to be Saturday—no classes.
I didn't drag myself out of bed until the afternoon.
Walking out of the dorm building, I could already feel the physical discomfort.
I knew my symptoms were flaring up again.
But the next second, I had the misfortune of running into Liam Spike.
My ex.
He immediately saw my distress.
Walking up to me, he said gently: "Feeling bad again, aren't you?" "Come here, let me hold you."
Are you kidding me?
It's not like I couldn't control myself—he was making it sound like I'd throw myself at any guy when my condition acted up.
I silently fumed internally.
Then I ignored him and walked around him to leave.
Liam Spike immediately grabbed my wrist, stopping me.
"What's this about?" "Now you won't even talk to me?"
I nodded, pressing my lips together in warning.
"Let go, or I'm calling the police."
He tilted his chin up at me. "Go ahead."
"I'm the one who broke up with you, but you think you did nothing wrong?"
Liam Spike laughed bitterly.
"Hugging you every day felt like completing a chore. That feeling really sucked."
Both my hands were trapped in his grip. The more I struggled, the tighter he held.
"Liam, let me go." "You don't have to complete any chores now."
He yanked me toward him, self-mockingly.
"Just consider me pathetic. After we broke up, I dated a few others and realized I only like you."
"Samantha, just apologize and let's get back together. I can hold you every day."
6
Before he finished speaking, the roar of a sports car engine drowned out his words.
Both Liam Spike and I turned to look.
A sleek black sports car that looked incredibly flashy and expensive screeched to a halt in front of Liam Spike.
He couldn't react in time and stumbled backward several steps until his back hit the wall.
The window rolled down.
Zack Harrison's cold eyes fixed on Liam Spike, his hand still pressed against the steering wheel.
"What kind of trash are you, thinking you can put your hands on her?" "Got a death wish?"
Liam Spike groaned in pain, slowly straightening up.
He squinted suspiciously at Zack Harrison.
But his words were directed at me: "Who is he?" "I've seen the Harrison family heir drive this exact car before. Don't tell me he's—"
I snapped out of my shock.
Looking at the sports car, then back at Liam Spike.
"No way." "Just the same last name."
Zack Harrison wouldn't be crazy enough to impersonate a member of that Harrison family.
I jogged to the driver's side window, bending down to remind Zack Harrison.
"Where did you rent this car?" "Be careful driving it. I think I saw some scratches earlier—won't the rental company make you pay for damages?"
He wasn't appreciative of my concern.
He scoffed coldly.
"So you rejected me for this piece of garbage?"
Zack Harrison glanced at my reddened wrist.
"Did I hurt you?" "What exactly do you like about him?"
I was completely confused.
Just as I was processing this unexpected turn of events, some jeering voices from nearby interrupted me.
"Yo! Zack's not keeping a low profile today!" "Damn, that's our heir for you—casually driving around in a twenty-million-dollar car."
Wait...
I went from surprised to numb, staring blankly at Zack Harrison: "If I'm not mistaken, you're the heir they're talking about..." "Right?"
7
The guy met my gaze.
His fingers were gripping the steering wheel so tightly they'd gone white.
After a moment, he opened his mouth slightly: "No." "This car is rented."
The guys in the distance paused.
Then they walked in another direction, awkwardly laughing it off.
"Oh, we were wrong." "How could that possibly be our heir's car..." "Obviously a knockoff mod job!"
I believed him without question and breathed a sigh of relief.
I seriously tugged at Zack Harrison's sleeve.
"Why did you suddenly rent such an expensive car?" "I heard that if luxury cars get scratched, rental companies make you pay huge damages."
Zack Harrison gave a perfunctory smile, still leaning back coolly in his seat, his fingers drumming irregularly on the steering wheel.
"Probably because after finding out your ex is rich, I felt too insecure."
He glanced at me, his expression as calm as if he hadn't just been caught with a rental car.
"Getting rejected and blocked on my first confession made me so insecure I cried all night." "When the fancy car couldn't attract you, I figured I'd save up money for plastic surgery to look like your ex."
He tilted his chin slightly toward Liam Spike in the distance, then said dismissively: "Then come back and confess to you again."
Those few sentences shocked me seven or eight times over.
I stared slack-jawed for several seconds before managing to organize my chaotic thoughts into words.
I grabbed his sleeve desperately, leaning my face closer.
Trying to let him see the determination in my eyes.
"You're better looking than him! Zack Harrison, you're already the most handsome guy I've seen at this school."
He remained unmoved, his eyelids drooping lazily.
I unconsciously treated his sleeve like my own, grabbing and releasing it, then nervously clutching it again.
After several rounds of this, I finally managed to speak awkwardly.
"I didn't reject you."
Zack Harrison finally looked up at me, quietly waiting for me to continue.
When our eyes met, I realized how close we were.
I immediately backed away, releasing his wrinkled sleeve.
"It's just..."
I blinked rapidly, steeling myself to explain quietly.
"At the time, I thought you meant for me to introduce you to a girlfriend."
I looked down at my toes and explained what had happened last night.
Zack Harrison didn't respond immediately, seeming to contemplate this misunderstanding as well.
After a moment, he drew out an "Ah."
"So you're saying—"
His eyes sparkled with lazy amusement.
"You said yes?"
?
Wait, what?
What kind of logic is that...
I shook my head in bewilderment. "No..."
But I was cut off by Liam Spike from nearby.
"Dude, have some shame."
He sneered coldly.
"Samantha would have to be crazy to fall for a broke poser like you."
I saw Zack Harrison lower his eyes, looking pitifully dejected.
He opened his mouth as if to argue but stayed quietly hunched over.
He must have been hurt.
I whirled around, glaring inexplicably at Liam Spike, my anger hitting maximum levels.
"What's wrong with you?" "What business is it of yours to judge him?"
Liam Spike laughed mockingly, his tone loaded with meaning.
"I'm your ex and first love, just trying to help you dodge a bullet." "A guy so vain he rents sports cars—if you date him, you'll probably end up paying for dinner too."
His condescending tone made Zack Harrison hunch even lower.
His shoulders even seemed to be trembling.
I thought he was about to cry from anger.
Fury momentarily overwhelmed reason, and my retort to Liam Spike was completely unfiltered.
"Fine, fine, fine. I want to spend money on him." "I like him—I'm head over heels for him." "I'm taking him out to spend money right now, so get lost."
I successfully pissed off Liam Spike.
My competitive spirit and protective instincts had unleashed my full potential.
Total victory!!
8
After getting in the car, I was relieved to see Zack Harrison wasn't crying.
I started quietly complaining: "I really hate those rich kids."
Zack Harrison paused while starting the car, then leisurely released the handbrake.
He responded unhurriedly.
"Me too."
I turned my head in confusion: "You too what?"
Zack Harrison smiled faintly, casually backing out and driving toward campus.
"I said, I hate rich people too."
Umm...
I didn't mean to condemn all wealthy people with one broad stroke...
But I could understand Zack Harrison's resentment toward the rich, especially after being humiliated by that rich kid.
And he had to pretend nothing happened in front of me.
9
While replaying my badass moment of destroying that jerk, I remembered my thoughtless words.
Gripping my seatbelt, I turned to clarify with Zack Harrison: "What I said back there..."
"I thought—"
He steered with one hand, eyes on the road as he interrupted me.
"You've dated a rich guy, so you'd look down on me."
His voice was gentle, giving the illusion that I'd somehow saved him.
"I've been insecure about money for years. Your public confession back there was the first time I felt confident about myself."
Meeting my gaze, his peach blossom eyes were especially attractive and alluring when they held that smile.
"Girlfriend."
Those three words seemed to roll around in his mouth, so tender I thought he might kiss me the next second.
Me: "..."
All words were instantly blocked, stuck in my throat.
Zack Harrison slowly added an "ah," as if just remembering he'd interrupted me.
"Oh right."
He smiled politely, asking courteously: "What were you about to