"Tell me, what's the matter?" Yang Chen said as he put one leg on the leather seat, kicked off his rubber slippers, and began to pick at his toes with one hand. The heat made it easy to get itchy, and Yang Chen considered whether he should buy some ointment.
Seeing this, Lin Ruoxi paused, subconsciously covering her cute little nose and frowning, "Could you please stop doing such disgusting things?"
Yang Chen smiled nonchalantly, "Hehe, if your feet itch, just scratch them. It's only natural. What's so disgusting about that? Why endure the pain?"
Lin Ruoxi swore that this was the first time in her life she had ever encountered such a shameless person. Although she knew from a preliminary understanding that this person was just a kebab vendor, so what? The fact that she had lost her virginity to him was irreversible. She could only make the best of it…
"Yang Chen…"
"Wait!" Yang Chen stopped Lin Ruoxi again. "What's wrong?" Lin Ruoxi was a little annoyed, a slight blush rising from her cold face.
Yang Chen said a little embarrassedly, "Miss Lin, look, you know my name, and you know I was arrested by the police. It's obvious that you've investigated me. But I don't even know your name, and you said you want to discuss something with me. Isn't that a bit..." As he spoke, he looked at Lin Ruoxi greedily and licked his lips.
"Lin Ruoxi, Ruoruo as in Ruoruo, Xi as in Xishui... Can we talk now?" Lin Ruoxi suddenly regretted her decision. The man before her had a lustful look on his face, completely different from the honest man she had imagined. But once she made up her mind, there was no room for change. So, Lin Ruoxi gritted her teeth and decided to go through with it. "Lin, Ruoxi…" Yang Chen muttered several times, seemingly reminiscing. "Yes, this name suits you quite well."
"My grandfather gave it to me, but that's not the point. I need you to do something right now." Lin Ruoxi felt that even hearing her name called out by this scoundrel sounded disgusting.
Yang Chen looked at Lin Ruoxi warily, "Um… Miss Lin, you're not going to ask me to repay the favor of bailing me out, are you? I don't have the money, and I'm dead."
Seeing Yang Chen putting on such a pitiful look, Lin Ruoxi felt a wave of nausea. Too lazy to even glance at him, she turned her head and said, "Marry me."
"What?!"
"Marry me…" Lin Ruoxi, her face flushed red, repeated it again, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum. Yang Chen still suspected he had misheard. He carefully placed his ear forward and asked dryly, "Miss Lin, please explain clearly. I feel like I'm hallucinating..."
"You're not hallucinating," Lin Ruoxi seemed to have made up her mind, returning to a cold expression. "I said, I want you to marry me! Get married right now!"
After each word bounced into Yang Chen's ears, Yang Chen had to admit that he wasn't hallucinating. He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "Miss Lin, this is too... too hasty. You can't just say you want to marry me just because you slept with me once. Marriage is a matter of life and death. I think you need to think carefully and not act on impulse."
This time, Yang Chen didn't joke with her. Instead, he looked Lin Ruoxi in the eye, earnestly, hoping she would understand. Lin Ruoxi simply shook her head, "I'm not a child. I know what I'm doing. I'm not young anymore, it's time for me to get married, but I just haven't found the right person... Of course, don't assume you're the right person. For some reason, what happened last night..." At this point, Lin Ruoxi's pretty face couldn't help but blush, but she immediately continued, "I can tell you very clearly that I'm a very conservative woman. Rather than being forced to marry another unfamiliar and unpleasant man, I'd rather choose you. At least I gave you my virginity."
Yang Chen pondered for a moment, then sneered, "Miss Lin, I understand what you mean. The marriage you want is just a decoration, and as your cooperating male protagonist, compared to the other candidates, I'm obviously the easiest to control, right?" Lin Ruoxi felt a little uncomfortable when her heart was touched upon, but she nodded without denying it. "Yang Chen, I can promise that if you cooperate with me, in three years, at most, when my career is completely established, we will each divide our things and bear no responsibilities. Moreover, I will give you a huge reward, more than you could earn selling mutton skewers in ten lifetimes."
"Miss Lin..." Yang Chen's expression had turned cold, and he smiled playfully, "It seems you haven't understood one thing. Although I'm poor and just a mutton kebab vendor, it doesn't mean I would marry a woman with no emotional connection just for money, even if it's fake. You can call me hypocritical, stupid, or self-righteous, but I don't have any other tempers except being stubborn. I have my principles, and the word 'fake marriage' doesn't exist in my vocabulary."
"You..." Lin Ruoxi really didn't expect that a mutton kebab vendor, whom she saw as the lowest of low, would refuse her request, even if it was just a fake marriage. Didn't he know that countless talented people in Zhonghai City had hoped to get close to him, but were excluded!? Yang Chen didn't pause, continuing, "If you're truly a conservative woman who can't accept having your virginity taken away by someone you don't love, I understand you, and I feel sorry and guilty about it. If you're willing, I will pursue you earnestly until you truly like me. Then, we can get married, and I'll totally accept it. As for whether I truly love you, you don't have to doubt it. I think any normal man wouldn't doubt your charm. But... you want me to pretend to be your husband for three years just to shield you for your career. I, Yang Chen, won't accept it."
"Humph, pursuing me... What gives you the right to pursue me? Your lamb skewers?" Lin Ruoxi was truly furious. This man's arrogance baffled her. From childhood to adulthood, no man would refuse any of her unreasonable requests, but she never expected that now, an ant-like man would refuse to marry her!
Yang Chen seemed to have reverted to his scoundrel self, chuckling, "Look, I'm so handsome, so manly, and my grilled lamb skewers are delicious. I live a simple and frugal life, embodying the qualities of a traditional good man. More importantly, I'm very good to women. If I were to treat my wife, that would be even better..."
"Enough!" Lin Ruoxi was afraid she'd lose her temper if she continued listening. "One hundred million! Buy you three years!"
"This isn't about the money..."
"One hundred million for two years!" Lin Ruoxi lowered her demands, angrily saying.
Yang Chen still shook his head, "Even ten billion won't do. This is a matter of principle."
"Do you believe I can get you out of the police station? Or put you in jail for life!" Lin Ruoxi's eyes were red, and she felt a pang of grievance as she said resentfully. Yang Chen burst into laughter, "Why? Miss Lin, are you going to tell the police that I r*p*d you last night?! I clearly remember Miss Lin asking for s*x many times..."
"You... I... I... You..." Lin Ruoxi bit her pink lips with her white teeth, tears of grievance and pain suddenly overflowed from her eyes like a dam breaking. "Yang Chen, you are shameless!"