"Speak, what do you want?" Yang Chen said as he lifted one leg and rested it on the leather seat, removing his rubber slippers and scratching his foot with one hand. The hot weather made him feel itchy, and he wondered if he should buy some ointment.
Seeing this scene, Lin Ruoxi paused her words and instinctively covered her cute little nose, frowning. "Can you not do such disgusting things?"
Yang Chen shrugged indifferently, "Hehe, it's only natural to scratch when it itches. Why suffer in silence?"
Lin Ruoxi swore that she had never seen such a shameless person in her life. Although she knew that he was just a small vendor selling lamb skewers, what could she do? The fact that she had given herself to him could not be changed. She could only continue down this path of mistakes.
"Yang Chen..."
"Wait!" Yang Chen interrupted Lin Ruoxi again.
"What now?" Lin Ruoxi was getting annoyed, and her cold face was flushed with anger.
Yang Chen felt a little embarrassed and said, "Miss Lin, you know my name and that I was arrested by the police, so it's obvious that you have investigated me. But I don't even know your name, yet you want to talk to me about something. Isn't that a bit...?" He trailed off and greedily eyed Lin Ruoxi, licking his lips.
"Lin Ruoxi... Can we talk now?" Lin Ruoxi suddenly regretted her decision. The man in front of her was full of lecherousness, completely different from the honest man she had imagined. But she had made up her mind and there was no turning back. So, with a stiff upper lip, Lin Ruoxi decided to carry on.
"Lin...Ruo...Xi..." Yang Chen seemed to savor her name, murmuring it a few times. "Not bad. It suits you."
"My grandfather named me, but that's not the point. I need you to do something for me." Lin Ruoxi felt disgusted hearing her name spoken by this scoundrel.
Yang Chen looked at Lin Ruoxi warily. "Uh...Miss Lin, you're not going to ask me to repay the favor of getting me bail, are you? I don't have money, but I can offer you my life."
Seeing Yang Chen putting on a pitiful look, Lin Ruoxi felt repulsed and didn't bother looking at him again. She turned her head and said,
"Marry me."
"What?!"
"Marry me," Lin Ruoxi repeated, her face turning red as if she was about to cry.
Yang Chen still couldn't believe what he had just heard, so he carefully put his ear close to her and asked in a dry voice, "Miss Lin, can you clarify what you just said? I feel like I'm hallucinating."
"You're not hallucinating," Lin Ruoxi seemed to have made up her mind and resumed a cold expression. "I said, I want you to marry me! Let's get married right away!"
Each word bounced into Yang Chen's ear, and he had to admit to himself that he wasn't hallucinating. He couldn't help but laugh bitterly and said, "Miss Lin, this is too... hasty. You can't just decide to marry me because we slept together. Marriage is a lifelong decision that requires careful consideration. I think you need to think it over before you make any rash decisions."
This time, Yang Chen wasn't joking around. He looked at Lin Ruoxi with a serious expression, hoping she would understand.
Lin Ruoxi shook her head directly. "I'm not a child. I know what I'm doing. I'm not getting any younger, and it's time for me to get married. I just haven't found the right person. Of course, don't think you're the right person. Yesterday's incident happened for some reason... " Lin Ruoxi blushed involuntarily at this point, but quickly continued, "I can tell you very clearly that I'm a very conservative woman. Rather than being forced to marry someone I don't know or don't like, I'd rather choose you. At least I gave you my first time."
Yang Chen pondered for a moment and sneered, "Miss Lin, I understand what you mean. You're looking for a marriage of convenience, and compared to the other candidates, I'm obviously the easiest for you to control, right?"
Lin Ruoxi was uncomfortable being seen through, but she nodded without denying it. "Yang Chen, I can promise you that if you cooperate with me, three years at most, when my career is completely stable, we will go our separate ways without any responsibility. Moreover, I will give you a large sum of money, more than you could make selling lamb skewers for ten lifetimes."
"Miss Lin..." Yang Chen's face had turned cold, and he smiled mockingly. "It seems you haven't understood one thing. Although I am poor and just a lamb skewer seller, it doesn't mean I'll marry a woman without any emotional foundation just for money, even if it's fake. You can say I'm hypocritical, stupid, or self-righteous, but I'm just stubborn. I have my principles, and there's no such thing as a 'fake marriage' in my dictionary."
"You..." Lin Ruoxi didn't expect that a lowly lamb skewer seller in her eyes would refuse her request, even if it was a fake marriage. Didn't he know how many elite young men in Zhonghai City wanted to get close to her?
Yang Chen continued, "If you're a conservative woman who can't accept your virginity being taken away by someone you don't love, I understand and feel sorry and guilty about that. If you're willing, I'll seriously pursue you until you truly like me. Then we can get married, and I'll fully accept it. As for whether I'll truly love you, you don't have to doubt. I think any normal man won't doubt your charm. But... I won't accept being a shield for your career and pretending to be your husband for three years."
"Hmph, pursue me... Why do you think you have the right to pursue me? Your lamb skewers?" Lin Ruoxi was really angry. This man's arrogance was inexplicable to her. No man had ever refused any of her unreasonable requests before. But now, there was a man as lowly as an ant who refused to marry her, even if it was just a fake marriage!
Yang Chen seemed to return to his rogue appearance, grinning. "Look at me, I'm so handsome, so manly, and my lamb skewers are delicious. My life is simple and austere, with the virtues of a good traditional man, and more importantly, I treat women well. If it's my wife, even better..."
"Enough!" Lin Ruoxi feared she would lose control if she continued to listen.
"One billion! I'll buy you for three years!"
"It's not about money..." Yang Chen shook his head.
"Two years, one billion!" Lin Ruoxi lowered her demand, her anger evident.
"Even if it's a hundred billion, it's a matter of principle," Yang Chen replied firmly.
"Do you believe I can get you out of jail and put you in for a lifetime?!" Lin Ruoxi's eyes turned red, feeling wronged and angry.
"Why? Is Miss Lin going to tell the police that I forced myself on you last night?! I remember clearly that Miss Lin took the initiative many times..." Yang Chen burst into laughter.
"You...I...you..." Lin Ruoxi's white teeth bit down on her pink lips, and tears of sadness and frustration suddenly overflowed from her eyes. "Yang Chen, you're shameless!"