Chapter Forty-Two: It Wasn't So Indifferent

Knowing full well that he would come upstairs, she still pretended not to understand and asked, “Why not wait until your luck turns before leaving?”

He let out a light snort. “What’s the point in playing small? If I play, I play big.”

“For example, getting what each of us wants?”

That phrase again—getting what each of us wants. Last time, it nearly led to a fight, yet she dared to joke about it now because she noticed that his car was still parked downstairs. In other words, he might be planning to stay the night.

“Aren’t you curious where I’ve been?” he asked, not angry this time, but rather in good spirits.

She studied him carefully for the first time. Something was indeed different—he’d gotten much darker. Sensing the moment, almost fawning, she asked, “Tell me, I really want to know!”

Perhaps her acting was too clumsy, his expression shifted, but he maintained a gentle tone. “I went to Vietnam.”

She only smiled lightly and murmured, “Oh.” He seemed to grow restless from her lack of interest. Was she truly so indifferent? Raising an eyebrow, he said, “I went after a woman.”

“Got it.” Still, she showed no real concern.

He became even less composed, forcing the words through his teeth. “I chased her all the way to Vietnam—from Beihai in Guangxi, I rode a jet ski, took three or four hours to reach Halong Bay.” He finished in one breath, then fixed her with a burning gaze.

She knew he wasn’t speaking a word of truth and laughed, “Sounds romantic.” Seeing his face grow darker, she felt a strange surge of satisfaction. She didn’t know where her courage came from, but she said carelessly, “Actually, you don’t need to tell me.”

“Hah, true enough. You don’t need to know these things.” He walked straight to her bedside, sat down with unruffled composure, and tapped the spot next to him, commanding, “Come here.”

That forceful aura made her move without thinking. His smile was devilish, successfully drawing her to sit beside him.

Suddenly, he pressed her down, wild and fervent, his kisses landing on her lips, cheeks, and neck. After a long while, he gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes—eyes cold and angry, like a beast.

Her own eyes were wide with terror, both fearful and expectant of what he might do next. Yet all he said was, “The final payment reached your company’s account today.” She understood now: with her company’s modest strength, they could never have secured Lin Shuo’s help. He only intervened because of her. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. She asked, “What do you want me to do?”

“Accompany me to a social event.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. His life was never short of women—beautiful and slender, he could pick and choose as he pleased. Why go out of his way to trouble her?

“I’m afraid I’m not qualified to wear the title of ‘Shuo’s girl.’ You could easily find someone breathtaking.”

He’d seen many polite refusals before, but never in a situation of man and woman alone. He nodded slightly, as if praising her self-awareness, but then said, “Good enough is fine. Besides…” He paused, then hit the point, “They trade favors with me; they owe me nothing.”

The implication was clear: in this relationship, she was always on the losing end, never equal—so what right did she have to argue or demand? Even when he spoke of trading beauty for money with ‘Shuo’s girls,’ she had no right to scoff.

“All right.”

That ambiguous smile had somehow become his trademark expression. Only after he left did she begin to seriously ponder his words—chasing a woman all the way to Vietnam. Maybe it was true. Maybe she wasn’t quite as indifferent as she seemed.

Don’t talk of love in lonely times—Chapter Forty-Two: Not So Indifferent—update complete!