He held himself against the railing of the boat with one hand and pressed his other hand onto her shoulder. He was not too forceful, but it was just enough to restrain her.
He always liked to keep this sort of hazy, flirtatious distance. Even the act of breathing felt embarrassing for her.
He looked into her eyes and spoke with calm composure, "I'd advise you to think carefully about your next move before I change my mind. Think about it, your family's company is in shambles, it's not a mess that just anyone could help you get out of."
Who was he referring to by 'anyone'? Yin Tangyi? She felt a stab in her heart like it was being torn apart. She thought about the outlook of her current situation, the only reason she had to rely on the crown prince's breakup fee was that she had no other options left.
Tonight, from the moment she stepped on the yacht, she had already decided on the path she was going to take for the future. Therefore, receiving his aid meant that things could not have turned out any better. Expect for the fact that he was the person she loathed the most, everything else was progressing better than she thought.
"What will I get out of this?"
"Your father's company. Not only am I going to get it out of debt, but I'm also going to let revenue pour in endlessly. You also won't have to worry about his surgery cost and alimony, I'll have professionals looking after him around the clock. Also, you won't have to marry yourself off to some gross, old, and obscene stranger. You can also use my name to crush those who dare to harm you.
"All you have to do is heed my call whenever, and wherever."
Sure sounded alluring…
The price she had to pay was worse than death, but she had no other choice!
If she had Mo Nianchen backing her then she would not have to marry some seventy-year-old geezer. She was still going to come out on top out of this.
She made sure to give it some thought before raising the question, "What about the duration of the marriage, you can't expect me to sell the rest of my life to you right?"
His expression froze for a split second, then he responded with an icy smile, "Since you're selling your life to me, it shall last until I decide I'm done!"
She pretended to not notice his scornful look and continued pursuing the matter, "One year? Two years? Or is it three years?"
She turned his suggestion on its head into a discussion of terms!
"You really are that eager to leave? Don't worry, you're not even that interesting." he smiled slyly, a flash of discontent appeared in his eyes.
"Perfect! The agreed-upon period is that you can end it whenever you are sick of the marriage. But isn't it unfair if you are the only one who has a say in when to end it?"
She meticulously plotted her escape plan with every word that came out of her mouth, he could not help but sneer, "You really think I'm going to keep you around for the rest of your life?"
"I wouldn't dare to hold myself in such high regard. How about this, you are free to ditch the agreement whenever you want anytime within the next three years. If I happen to give birth to your child, then I'm free to call it off after I give birth, how does this sound?"
"Who do you think gets custody of the child then?"
"…"
"You can call it off after giving birth to my child, but I'll be getting full custody."
"…Alright."
He suddenly kissed her lips. Her first instinct was to dodge but he held onto her tightly. Briefly sensing a trace of his anger, she did not dare to resist any longer. He held her head down and kissed her harder.
He opened his eyes to see her reluctant expression. He chuckled before pushing her off and announced, "We have an agreement."
"I'm going to need it on paper so there's proof for the future."
"You think I'm going to go back on my words?"
Who in their right minds would simply believe the words of someone like you? She thought she was done being a subject of his little games!
"Don't you worry, you'll get your contract very soon," an uninterpretable smile appeared in the corner of his lips.
Unbeknownst to Li Shengxia, he had bent the railing behind her out of shape somewhere along their interaction.
"From here on, you are not allowed on to accept anything from another man, otherwise I can't guarantee that you'll still find that man in one piece the next day. You are my woman, I'll give you whatever you want. Of course, provided that you can please me first."
"Judging by your logic, won't I starve to death if you refuse to feed me?"
"No, you may still please me."
"You…" Li Shengxia angrily bit her lips. Mo Nianchen, you devil!
"One more thing, you'd better not fall in love with me. If I find out, I will dump you on the spot! All of the companies under the Li name will be reverted to their original state!"
"You don't have to worry, I doubt that's going to happen even if you gave me ten thousand chances," she said while gritting her teeth.
"Mark your words today," the anger in his eyes appeared more prominent.
There were still beautiful clouds floating on the horizon in the distant sky. The sunlight was gentle, but it felt unbearably uncomfortable for her.
He became even more hysterical when he noticed her vulnerable expression.
He could faintly hear his ears echoing the words she said many years ago before leaving, every single word was carved into his heart.
-- Do you know how much I hate you, you have ruined my entire childhood! I have finally gotten rid of you! From now on I will never be associated with you, not in my entire life! Do not worry! I will forget about that letter! Do not expect me to stick by your side! This is farewell, forever!
Farewell forever? No! It will never end! His mind was racing, when he came to his senses, he forcefully shoved her away!
She braced the landing using his coat.
The sea breeze continued blowing.
The wind in September was very cold and she was shivering from the chilling breeze.
He had his back turned against her, seemingly shielding her from the wind. She sorted herself out before getting back up.