The scorching sun was like fire, and Carson Flores stood by the roadside, wiping the sweat from his forehead, fuming as he searched for a taxi.
The heartless master had tricked him into serving as a war medic at Dark Blade for five years; he had finally retired to settle accounts with the old man, only to discover that the old man had left a letter and run off.
"Dear disciple, haven't you always wanted to know about your origins? Now you can leave the mountain."
"When your master found you, there was a jade pendant by your side. That jade pendant was very special and should hold clues to your heritage. But at that time, your master was very poor and owed people favors, so he used the jade pendant as a betrothal gift to arrange a child's betrothal with the Miller Family from Polgel, receiving a considerable bride price enable to raise you with great difficulty."
"We've spent the money, so we have to acknowledge the engagement. However, I've checked for you, and Mary Jimenez is a great beauty and a company president, both beautiful and capable. Lucky boy, you've struck gold."
"Live a good life, and when I have a grand disciple, I will come to see you."
"No need to miss me too much!"
Remembering his master's pitfall message, Carson couldn't help but gnash his teeth.
Bride price?
I'm a man, and you had the nerve to accept a bride price from someone else?
Are you selling me?
Expect me to marry into another family, becoming a live-in son-in-law?
From childhood to adulthood, doing laundry, cooking, making the bed— I served you, took care of you while you spent all day drinking, and you have the nerve to say you raised me with difficulty?
You sneakily got me into Dark Blade, and even the pay card was in your hands, allegedly to save it for my future wife, and for five full years, I've never even seen what the pay card looks like!
That's too much!
"Dad, it's already come to this, and grandpa is still talking about it... Sigh, didn't I say, I have a boyfriend... Since when have I been neglecting my duties? Alright, enough, let's not talk about it."
A sharp and impatient female voice rang out behind Carson, as a young woman walked past him on the right, preparing to cross the street. At the same moment, a large truck rushed forward from the left.
Carson almost instinctively reached out with his right hand, grabbing the woman with a swift motion, and with a strong yank, he pulled her back toward him.
"Phew!"
The truck sped past just in front of them.
Carson turned his head and scolded, "Are you trying to get killed... Ah!"
The woman Carson had grabbed was a young woman in her early twenties, tall and well-proportioned with delicate features, sporting wine-red long hair, and dressed in a strappy dress—fashionable and enchanting.
In the urgency of the moment, Carson's hand had pulled on the straps of the woman's shoulder, and with that vigorous pull, the strappy dress along with her underwear was dragged open to a vast arc, exposing her entire chest to the air. As Carson turned his head, he saw everything—white, pink—all of it, crystal clear.
"Sorry!"
Carson apologized at once, and his hand retracted as if it had been stung by a bee.
The woman steadied herself, her face pale as the recent scare had indeed been perilous.
Seeing Carson's embarrassed gaze, she instinctively looked down, then screamed again, hastily covering her chest with both hands.
Carson, quite embarrassed, casually advised, "Next time, be careful crossing the road, and don't be on the phone. It's not safe."
After speaking, Carson turned and walked away, planning to find another place to catch a taxi. However, after not going far, he heard the urgent clicking of high heels on the pavement behind him.
"Stop."
Carson stopped and turned to see the woman who had caught up with him: "Is there something you need?"
The woman stood before Carson, her gaze scrutinizing as she sized him up and down: "By your accent, you're not from around here?"
Carson nodded: "No."
The woman withdrew her gaze: "You look pretty decent. Considering you just saved my life, do me a favor, and I'll let you make a little money!"
Carson frowned: "What is it?"
The woman huffed: "Pretend to be my boyfriend for two hours, just for a family visit."
Carson instinctively refused: "I can't."
The woman coldly huffed: "Ten thousand."
Carson was slightly surprised; this woman seemed to be quite wealthy. However, this was not something he wanted to do.
The embarrassment was still fresh on his mind.
Seeing no reaction from Carson, the woman simply raised the stakes: "Fifty thousand!"
Carson frowned, explaining: "It's not about the money. I have other things to do..."
The woman cut him off: "You saw my chest."
Carson became instantly embarrassed: "I was only trying to save you. If I hadn't grabbed you, you might have been hit."
The woman once again spoke: "Saving me is one thing, but looking at my chest is another. If you don't agree, I'll just shout that you were peeping at my chest!"
Carson was a bit taken aback: "This is like returning kindness with enmity, trying to blackmail me?"
The woman coldly huffed: "You'll have to earn this money whether you like it or not!"
Carson gave in, speechless: "Fine, as long as you don't worry about being exposed, it doesn't bother me, but the money has to be paid up front!"
Since he couldn't escape the situation, he might as well not turn down the money, especially when he was flat broke—the old man had taken all the household money and his salary for the past years!
The woman smirked coldly, her eyes flashing with disdain and mockery: "Bank account number."
Carson gave his bank account number, and the woman took out her phone. In one minute, fifty thousand was deposited into his account.
"Let's go!"
As Carson followed the woman, she asked while walking: "What's your name?"
"Carson Flores."
The woman said crisply: "Alright, you're Carson Flores, an executive at an import-export trading company in Seashore City. Your dad owns a third of the shares in the trading company. My name is Samantha Tate. I'm 24. In front of my family, you can call me Samantha..."