Charles Sullivan had just turned twenty and was sitting for the college entrance exam for the third time.

And finally, he made it—he got into his dream university.

The moment he held that acceptance letter, he was over the moon.

Without a second thought, he called a few buddies out to celebrate with drinks.

After several rounds, Charles parted with them and staggered down the road, humming some random tune as he walked.

“...Help.”

The sudden cry snapped him out of his daze. It came from around the corner.

"Hah, help? Girl, it’s pitch-black out here. Who’s coming to help you?” one voice mocked.

“Yeah, just give in already. That pretty face, that tiny waist… damn,” another added with a sleazy tone.

What the hell?!

Even drunk, Charles wasn’t about to stand by. He rushed toward the voices.

“Back off! I’m serious—don’t make me get rough.”

Maybe they weren’t expecting someone to show up. The two men cursed under their breath, then ran off into the night.

In the silence that followed, Charles heard soft sobbing.

Cautiously, he walked over. “Hey, miss… are you okay?”

What he saw nearly broke his heart—a tear-streaked face, trembling, with big eyes full of fear and a glossy sheen of tears.

“Hey, don’t cry. Want me to walk you home?”

He hiccupped, stumbling sideways.

The woman caught him just in time. When she saw his face, her expression shifted. “It’s you?”

“Huh? Do we… know each other?”

Charles could barely stay on his feet.

Just before his world went black, he saw her bite her lip, like she had made a serious decision.

The next thing he knew, he was waking up in a hotel bed.

The scent of perfume still lingered faintly beside him.

He jolted up, wide-eyed.

“Wait, no way…”

“Did I really…?”

He smacked his own face.

Wasn’t he just trying to take her home?

How the hell did they end up in a hotel?

He vaguely remembered her saying something—but whatever it was, he couldn't recall.

“Goddamn, Charles… what is wrong with you?”

But the woman? She was already gone.

What the heck happened last night?

Charles was completely lost.

——

One year later.

Ningzhou University.

Classes for sophomore year had just started when Charles was yanked out of sleep by his roommates shouting.

"Chloe Weston is back! Let’s go check her out!”

“Wait, Chloe Weston?”

Charles sat up instantly.

Wasn’t she the legendary campus belle who took a year off but still held the top spot in everyone's eyes?

Yeah, no way he was missing this.

He jumped out of bed. “I'm coming too!”

Except... his roommates had already left.

“Jerks!”

He cursed, quickly threw on clothes and dashed out.

To save time, Charles decided to cut through the campus park—quiet during the day, mostly a lovers’ hangout by night.

But today, he saw two women in the gazebo halfway through the path.

One was older, maybe in her forties.

The other wore a simple outfit—white shirt, jeans, high ponytail—and looked to be in her early twenties.

Her side profile caught his eye—so pretty, and oddly familiar.

Just as Charles squinted, trying to place her, the sound of a baby crying broke the quiet.

That’s when he noticed—beside the two women were four strollers. One of them had a baby waving tiny arms, crying its heart out.“What am I gonna do?” The young woman looked at the crying baby, almost in tears herself.

“Miss Weston, you’d better hurry. You’ll be late for class.”

“But… Baby Four...”

Out of curiosity, Charles Sullivan walked closer to see what was going on.

The moment he saw the woman's face, he froze.

Wasn’t she the same woman he’d saved a year ago… and then, in his drunken stupor, accidentally slept with?

Could these four babies be… hers?

And if they were hers… could one—no—could all of them be his?

No way, right?

Heart skipping a beat, Charles called out before she left, “Hey! Miss Pretty?”

Chloe Weston turned her head and spotted him. Her eyes widened, panic flashing across her face.

“Su…”

She almost called his name but stopped herself just in time.

No! He mustn’t find out about the babies.

She hadn’t expected Charles to also get into Ningzhou University. He should only be a sophomore now. When she learned she was pregnant a year ago, she couldn’t bring herself to get rid of them.

If Charles knew the four kids were his, he’d totally freak out, right? It could ruin his life, his studies, everything.

That couldn’t happen.

Before he could get closer, Chloe turned around and left in a hurry.

“Mrs. Langley, please look after the kids…”

Charles stood there: ...

Did he look that scary?

“Hey, wait up!”

“Why are you running? I’m not gonna bite!”

Charles chased after her.

As he passed by, the babies started crying even louder.

Charles stopped in his tracks, hesitant.

“Why is she crying so much?”

Mrs. Langley picked up Baby Four, but nothing she tried seemed to work.

“Um… do you want some help?”

The older woman was clearly flustered too—Baby Four was usually fussy, but this was new.

“Sure, you can try taking a look at the other three—”

Before she even finished, Charles had already taken Baby Four from her arms.

And with the baby in his arms… he froze.

It was like muscle memory kicked in—except he had no memory to go by. Twenty-two years old, took the college entrance exam three times, and yet, holding a baby? First time ever.

He looked frantically at Mrs. Langley.

“Uhh... how do I calm her down?”

He really had no clue.

But before she could answer, Baby Four suddenly stopped crying.

“She’s not crying anymore?”

Charles blinked.

“I think… she’s actually smiling?”

The baby blinked up at him with shiny little eyes, then narrowed them and broke into a grin.

Oh god. She was tiny. And adorable.

How could a baby be this cute?

Mrs. Langley noticed his nervous face and chuckled, reminding him gently, “Looks like she likes you, young man. Relax, just hold her gently—there, like that.”

Charles forgot all about chasing Chloe. His whole brain was now full of this squishy little ball of warmth in his arms, smelling faintly of milk.

He glanced over at the stroller with the other three babies.

And instantly lost it.

They were all waving their little arms and beaming at him too.

This was too much.

“Okay I’m done. I’m melting. I’m not even kidding!”

“They’re TOO CUTE!”

Mrs. Langley couldn’t help laughing as she saw him go full mush.

“Of course they are! Quadruplets — all adorable.”

“Quadruplets?! That woman from earlier is seriously something!”

Then, thinking back to Chloe’s fleeing figure, Charles cautiously asked, “So... Mrs. Langley, where’s their dad?”