From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 688: Imperial Koala of the North

By the time they finally returned home, the sky had already gone dark.

Micah didn’t even bother changing his clothes. The moment he entered his room, he kicked off his shoes with his heel, walked straight to the bed, and collapsed face down into the mattress. His arms sprawled out to either side like he had been shot mid-step.

He didn’t move again.

Within seconds, he was asleep, dead to the world, breathing slow and heavy, like a tired dog that had run across fields all day and finally found a warm spot on the floor. He didn’t dream. Didn’t stir. He simply slept until morning sunlight crept through the curtains and warmed his back.

The Palmer house was lively the next day. Relatives poured in, neighbours dropped by, and old acquaintances showed up with smiles that were a little too wide and eyes that were a little too curious.

Ever since Edmund’s grand blunder, Micah’s "popularity" had exploded in the most embarrassing way possible.

No one held back anymore.

"Oh, you’re so famous now!"

"Is it true you met celebrities?"

"Did you get their numbers?"

"Are you planning to continue in that industry?"

"Can you sign this?"

"Take a photo with my daughter!"

It was less of a New Year gathering and more of a fan meeting.

Micah sat there with a polite smile that never quite reached his eyes. He answered questions patiently. He posed for pictures. He even signed a few things when it seemed impossible to refuse.

At some point, someone pressed a red envelope into his hand.

Then another.

Then another.

He blinked.

Surprisingly, he received quite a lot of New Year’s money. Some from elders, some jokingly from neighbours who claimed they were "investing in a future celebrity."

Micah didn’t argue. He folded the envelopes neatly and slipped them into his coat pocket. Good luck money, he told himself, trying to justify it. He was not a child to receive New Year’s money. It was too embarrassing!

Meanwhile, practical matters were being handled.

The Palmer house simply couldn’t accommodate the entire Du Pont family, especially with guests constantly coming and going. So Clyde had already reserved a large suite at a nearby ski resort.

When Micah heard that Clyde would be arriving, he immediately wanted to go pick him up.

But Darcy stopped him.

"The weather’s turned bad," Darcy said calmly. "Flights have been delayed. It’s better to let them come directly to the resort. Roads might get icy."

Micah stared at him for a long second. Something about the timing felt strange. Still, he suppressed the faint doubt rising in his chest and nodded. "Fine."

He stayed home the entire day. And everywhere he went, Darcy followed. To the kitchen. To the living room.

Even when he stepped outside to get some air, Darcy was right there, walking half a step behind him like a tail attached to his back. Even a moron could see something was going on. But Micah acted as if nothing was wrong. If Darcy wanted to guard him, so be it.

Instead, it was the Palmer family who began looking at the two of them strangely. Micah caught more than one meaningful glance. More than one whisper. Especially since both he and Darcy had publicly claimed they were "not single."

His lips twitched. He could almost hear their thoughts.

Ah, young love.

Midnight came quietly. Micah’s phone buzzed.

Clyde.

"We’ve arrived," Clyde said.

Just those words.

Micah felt something in his chest loosen instantly. A knot he hadn’t realised was there untied itself.

"Okay," he replied softly.

That night, he slept peacefully. The next morning, Micah announced loudly at breakfast, "I want to ski."

Before anyone could protest, he dragged Darcy and Edmund along and headed straight to the resort.

The snow outside glittered under pale sunlight. The air was sharp and clean, biting at exposed skin.

When they finally arrived at the resort entrance, Micah spotted Clyde. Without hesitation, he ran forward and leapt straight into Clyde’s arms, his legs wrapped around his waist like a koala. Clyde staggered half a step but caught him firmly.

Behind the wheel, Edmund nearly choked. "What the hell!" He barked in shock before hurriedly driving off to park properly in the lot, muttering curses under his breath.

Darcy closed his eyes briefly. He deliberately blocked the public display of affection from his mind and instead walked forward to greet the Du Pont juniors.

Emile looked bright and excited, already dressed for skiing.

Dean, however, looked slightly downcast as he was separated from Aria.

Jacklin stood calmly beside them, hands tucked into her coat pockets. Her expression was neutral, not particularly excited, not dissatisfied either. As if she had expected all of this.

But they weren’t alone. Five additional, very uninvited guests stood nearby. And all five were staring.

Staring at Micah, who was still clinging to Clyde like a koala in broad daylight, and then, to make it worse, planting a loud kiss on Clyde’s cheek.

Georgina let out an excited squeal.

Lin Heye’s expression darkened slightly with jealousy before his gaze shifted toward Soha, who, meanwhile, was staring at the pair with undisguised fascination.

Mason Cooper snickered.

Dylon Parisi snorted loudly and made a disgusted "Ew" sound.

Micah finally slid down from Clyde’s arms and turned to glare at them.

Mason crossed his arms and smirked. "No wonder he was like the king of hell the whole trip. Oozing cold air like a walking air conditioner." He tilted his head knowingly at Micah. "You screwed up, didn’t you?"

Dylon blinked in confusion. "Huh? How did you conclude that? Isn’t this just a lover’s reunion?"

Mason sighed dramatically. "Of course not. Look at him. He definitely messed up. Have you ever seen him this eager before? It’s always the other way around."

Dylon tilted his head. "Really?"

Mason looked at him with exaggerated pity. "You are such a clueless man. God help your future partner."

Dylon bristled. "You’re not much better!"

Micah ignored them entirely. His motives had been exposed in front of everyone, but there was no point in arguing. Instead, he stepped forward politely. "Hello, teacher. Brother Lin Heye. Sister Soha."

Georgina opened her arms immediately. "Oh, my lovely student!"

But before she could hug him, Clyde pulled Micah behind himself. "No touching."

Georgina put her hands on her hips, ready to scold him.

Micah quickly slipped around Clyde. "Hey! Ease up! I need to talk to her!"

He hurried over to Georgina and began discussing the fashion show, his recent designs, and upcoming ideas.

Clyde remained standing behind them, silent and radiating cold air.

Lin Heye walked up beside him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Man. It’s already freezing here. Tone down your mood. We’re going to turn into icicles."

Clyde shot him a flat look.

On the other side, Emile leaned toward Darcy and whispered, "Hey... what happened? Why was my little uncle like that on the flight? We were too scared to even talk."

Darcy coughed lightly. "Nothing. My grandma misunderstood something and tried to set Micah up with someone."

Emile gasped dramatically. "Dear lord. Such a brave soul."

Jacklin pinched the bridge of her nose. So that was it. She had imagined a hundred complicated scenarios. Business conflicts. Emotional drama. Secret grudges.

But never something as simple and ridiculous as a matchmaking misunderstanding.

Dean finally looked up from his phone. "How could they not know?"

Darcy ran a hand through his hair. "I told her he didn’t have a girlfriend. She assumed he had broken up." He sighed. "Micah already gave me an earful."

Emile burst into laughter. "Oh... you are so bad, messing up with my uncle."