Liam's and Benjamin's expressions were hilarious. I couldn't help but giggle.

Someone knocked on the door, and Benjamin immediately rushed over to open it. "Is William here? A gorgeous girl asked me to deliver some treats just now."

"Yes, yes, he's here. You can just hand them to me. Thank you so much." Benjamin took the treats and placed them on the table. I was taken aback.

It was beautifully packaged. If Crystal hadn't told me she'd made them herself, I would have believed they were bought from a sweet shop. It was unlikely that she was lying to me.

Crystal seemed excited. "You've received the desserts? Try them and tell me whether you think they're nice."

"Thank you."

I didn't want to embarrass Crystal before Benjamin and Liam, so I opened the packaging to take a bite.

To be honest, they tasted pretty average: a bit hard, not sweet enough, and way too doughy. It couldn't compare with the dessert stall in front of campus, let alone my family chefs.

However, I praised her kindly, "It tastes quite good."

"Really? That's great. Looks like my efforts have not gone to waste. I don't have a foundation in cooking. However, I'm willing to learn for you... I'm sorry. I know you don't like hearing me talk about this. Just pretend like I hadn't said anything."

She placed herself in such a low position. It made me feel a little embarrassed. A girl doing this inspired pity in me.

"Thanks."

"William, I need a favor from you."

"What is it?"

Although the desserts weren't that good, I was indebted to her now, so I had to be courteous toward her.

Crystal said softly, "Tomorrow is my annual family reunion. All my relatives will gather at Grandma's house for a feast. All my sisters, whether they're older or younger than me, have gotten boyfriends. I'm the only one without a partner. I don't want them to nag me about this when I go home. Could you pretend to be my boyfriend at the event?"

Her pretend boyfriend?

I frowned and said, "Are you asking me to pretend to be your boyfriend at a family dinner? This seems inappropriate. Wouldn't it mean that I would have to accompany you to other family events in the future?"

It sounded like an unending task.

"Not at all. It's just for today! Grandma's not in the pink of health. She'll be going overseas for treatment soon. This is probably the last time we'll meet as a family. I don't want to disappoint Grandma. I'm begging you."

I was still quite hesitant. There would be many people at the event, whom I would have to entertain. It annoyed me.

"Why don't you enlist the help of someone else? I can recommend someone for the job."

"Forget it."

My rejection must have disappointed her because she said, "I'll stop disturbing you. Have a good rest."

She hung up immediately.

The second I put my phone away, Benjamin and Liam began chiding me. "Fuck, William. How could you be so cold-hearted? So ruthless! How did you turn her down?"