The bright sunlight streamed through the massive french windows, casting a light on Li Xiuming, softening his usually stern and cold demeanor. He leaned back in his chair, his scrutinizing gaze drifting over the woman standing in front of his desk.
Yesterday, she adamantly declared, "I will never sign."
But now, she willingly stood before him at the same spot, with the same firm tone stating, "I’m willing to marry you under agreement."
Li Xiuming's eyes revealed a hint of curiosity, his voice almost careless, "On what terms?"
Ye Youran boldly met his gaze and said, "I want five hundred thousand cash, right now."
"Heh," Li Xiuming scoffed, sarcasm trickling through his words, "Didn't you leave my office just yesterday, high and mighty, telling me ‘do you think everyone would stoop to anything for money’? Did money win you over that quickly?"
Back then, he believed her. He even saw the pride of a lotus in muddy water in her for a split second. To think he, a seasoned observer, was fooled by such a young woman.
Ye Youran's face displayed neither the embarrassment of being ridiculed nor the guilt of lying. She just kept a poker face, her gaze unwaveringly directed at him.
Li Xiuming suddenly felt a mysterious frustration and resentment. This woman was inconsequential to him whether she was noble or hypocritical made no difference.
He suppressed all emotions, picked up his phone and ordered someone to bring over the five hundred thousand, closing his eyes as he said, "The agreement is on the table."
Ye Youran approached, hesitated for a few seconds before decisively grabbing the agreement. Bitterness filled her taste buds. If she wasn't backed into a corner, she would never betray her principles.
Soon, a man walked into the office carrying a briefcase, "Boss, I've brought the money," he said.
Li Xiuming gestured for him to place the money in front of Ye Youran, his tone still mocking, "Do you need to count it?"
Ye Youran clenched her fist, quickly signed her name on the agreement, and handed it to Li Xiuming.
Li Xiuming took a casual glance at the signed agreement, "Can we go process our marriage registration now?"
Yue Youran stood and took the box, looking a Li Xiuming, she said, "I'm sorry, before I go with you to get our marriage certificate, there's one last thing I need to do." Without looking back, she strode away.
Li Xiuming watched her retreating figure, recalling the look in her eyes as she spoke - calm yet filled with suppressed rage and hatred, there was even a hint of madness.
A corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk, revealing a trace of wickedness. Interesting.
In the magnificent hotel lobby, well-known figures from various fields moved to and fro. When Yue Youran walked into the lobby, she surprisingly and easily spotted the person she was looking for, Shi Jia.
Bathed in the light, Shi Jia's brown hair shimmered, his peach blossom eyes gave off a feminine warmth, yet the defined contours of his face exhibited a masculine firmness; a sight one cannot easily ignore.
With the box in hand, Yue Youran recklessly approached Shi Jia. Before he had time to react, she raised the box and aimed for his body.
"Holy shit! Are you mad?" Shi Jia couldn't help but curse. After enduring a few blows, he caught the woman's hand in a suitable moment and stared, "Youran? Why is it you?"
Yue Youran stared at the handsome face in front of her, a great pain spread from her heart to every corner of her body.
She and Shi Jia were childhood sweethearts and were in love for several years. They were both discovered by a talent scout together and joined the same company. Later, they competed for the same opportunity for their mainstream debut. To realize Shi Jia's dream, she gave up hers and willingly stepped out of the race.
Over the years, she has been a low-tier celebrity, working hard to earn money, while cautiously saving to support Shi Jia’s maintenance in the hope that one day, once his career was successful, he would fulfill his promise to marry and care for her.
But now? He became an overnight sensation and betrayed her, messing around with other women! Even for money and future, he went to bed with those old women! She must have been blind!
Yue Youran laughed in anger, broke free from his grip and hissed, "Don't touch me. You disgust me."
Shi Jia’s expression stiffened, he murmured, "So, you know."
"I never thought in my wildest dreams the boy who came out of the fishing village with me would have turned out like this." Yue Youran's eyes welled up with tears, accusingly she said, "Don't you find it disgusting?"
"Disgusting?" Shi Jia scoffed, "Youran, you’re still so naive."
Yue You Ran stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes reddened but holding back her tears, nodding while opening the suitcase. The moment the suitcase opened, rows of neatly displayed and glaring red bills came into view.
Yue You Ran picked up a stack of bills, looking at him through tear-filled eyes. Her voice was calm yet filled with anguish, "Just for this thing, you could betray our decade-long bond, you could sell your own body, trample over your own dignity?"
She coldly glanced at him with a smile, suddenly grabbed a handful of bills and threw them at him, angrily saying, "You want money? Take all of this, take it all!"
The red bills fluttered in the air like fallen leaves, blurring her vision.
Shi Jia looked at Yue You Ran through the gap, her eyes full of resolution and angry smile, his heart aching as if being sliced by a knife, and he clenched his fists. Taking a deep breath, he sternly replied, "Yue You Ran, what right do you have to judge me?"
"What do you mean?"
Shi Jia grabbed a floating bill, consecutively questioned, "How did you get this money? Who is the rich man who keeps you? Is it an old man over his fifties or a fat old boss?"
Yue You Ran was too angry to speak, wishing to rush up and hit him until he couldn't utter a word, but at this moment, she heard a cold voice as if it were made of ice, "I gave the money."
All she saw was Li Xiu Ming, dressed in a crisp black suit walking towards them, stern and cold like a king on patrol. Upon closer inspection, his dark pupils were deep and alluring, his high nose bridge adding a touch of masculinity, he was simply exceptionally handsome.
Li Xiu Ming stood beside Yue You Ran, looking at Shi Jia and said, "But I'm neither over fifty nor a fat old boss, I'm afraid I've disappointed you."
Was Yue also relying on a sugar daddy behind his back? Shi Jia was shocked for a few seconds, a sudden surge of anger welled up in his heart. He couldn't help but swing a punch at Li Xiu Ming, only to be intercepted by him, then reversed with a twist.
Shi Jia's pain caused his face to contort, he couldn't help but cry out, angrily questioning, "Who are you?"
Li Xiu Ming gave a cold smile, extended his other arm to draw Yue You Ran into his embrace, a cold and domineering voice echoed over Yue You Ran's head, "I belong to Yue You Ran."
At that moment, Yue You Ran's heart felt as if it had been heavily struck.
