After lunch, it was already two in the afternoon. Liu Mingyan was washing dishes in the kitchen while Qin Bao'er was engrossed in playing games on her phone.
Noticing a slightly ajar door, Ning Xingchen pushed it open and walked in. It turned out to be Liu Mingyan's bedroom, which was spotless, with the bed neatly made. Ning Xingchen guessed that Liu Mingyan might have a mild case of OCD.
What caught Ning Xingchen's attention the most in the room was not Liu Mingyan's black lace lingerie, but the books on the shelf, which included titles on economics and management.
Books like The Wealth of Nations, Das Kapital, Principles of Economics, Out of Control, and The Inevitable—Ning Xingchen was surprised to find that Liu Mingyan had such an interest in these subjects.
On the desk was a stack of documents that caught Ning Xingchen's eye. He took a couple of quick glances and found that they were related to an investment project.
"What are you doing?" At that moment, Liu Mingyan entered the room with a face full of anger.
"Just looking around, seeing what your hobbies are." Ning Xingchen smiled calmly.
"What do you really want?" Liu Mingyan was on the verge of calling the police due to Ning Xingchen's shamelessness.
"I've told you, my target is only you."
"Dream on." Liu Mingyan's response was cold.
"I know you need money right now. Name your price. If you spend one night with me, I'll invest in your project." Ning Xingchen looked at Liu Mingyan and slowly said.
"Bastard, did you read my project proposal?" Liu Mingyan was instantly furious.
Ning Xingchen didn't care, his smile remaining. He spoke softly, "How about a hundred million? Your project seems like small potatoes to me."
"Get out of my house right now. You're not welcome here." Liu Mingyan pointed to the door, her face as cold as ice.
"How about two hundred million? To be honest, I don't see much profit potential in your project. The initial phase requires a lot of funding." Ning Xingchen held up two fingers.
"Get out."
"Sister Yan, why are you doing this? I know you're an ambitious woman. You need to take responsibility for your life. Two hundred million for one night. Even top international actresses aren't this expensive." Ning Xingchen, from just looking at the proposal, could tell how much effort Liu Mingyan had put into this project.
Helping someone achieve their dream is a happy thing, Ning Xingchen thought, feeling that he was doing a good deed by helping Liu Mingyan succeed quickly.
"I don't need it." Liu Mingyan sneered.
"Three hundred million. I'm genuinely fond of you." Ning Xingchen continued to raise the offer.
Unfortunately, Liu Mingyan remained unmoved, her expression calm. In reality, she was tormented and struggling inside, indecisive, with two little voices arguing in her head.
"Four hundred million. Even if you don't think for yourself, think about Bao'er. She's growing and needs proper nutrition. If she keeps eating instant noodles, she'll become malnourished. And in a few days, you might not even afford instant noodles."
Ning Xingchen didn't say anything else, just laid out the reality for Liu Mingyan. The choice was hers, and he wasn't forcing her.
At the mention of Bao'er, Liu Mingyan softened, feeling like crying. Her sister and brother-in-law had asked her to take good care of Bao'er before they died, at least ensuring she had no worries about food and clothing. Suddenly, Liu Mingyan felt she had failed her sister and brother-in-law's wishes.
"Bao'er has suffered with me for the past six months." Liu Mingyan sighed, feeling a sense of helplessness.
...
A year ago, Liu Mingyan had a very good executive job at a multinational company. However, not content with her current situation, she decided to leave the company and start her own business. Unexpectedly, she kept losing money, exhausting her savings in half a year, and owing a large bank loan.
Finally, Liu Mingyan decided to take a risk and planned an agricultural project for an ecological orchard. She sought investment everywhere but hit walls everywhere. She began to regret her decision to leave her job, feeling foolish for resigning and ending up with a failed startup and living a life of hardship with no hope.
Starting a business is indeed not easy; it's a nine out of ten chance of failure.
"Four hundred million. If you think it over, come find me." With that, Ning Xingchen put on his coat, ready to leave, not wanting to waste more words.
In an instant, Liu Mingyan finally convinced herself.
As Ning Xingchen walked past her, Liu Mingyan, with almost no hesitation, grabbed his hand and softly said, "Young Master Ning, I've made up my mind."
Ning Xingchen smiled knowingly and leaned close to Liu Mingyan's ear, whispering, "Liu Mingyan, you're smarter than I thought!"
"Keep your word." Liu Mingyan took a deep breath, feeling that four hundred million was worth it.
Moreover, Ning Xingchen was very handsome. Even giving him her first time wasn't that hard to accept. Besides, Bao'er liked him a lot, which meant there must be some good qualities and merits in this bad guy.
"Do I look like a liar?" Ning Xingchen shook the Ferrari keys in his hand.
"Anyway, you're not a good person." Liu Mingyan bit her lip gently, pouting.
"Thank you for the compliment. If you called me a good person, I'd think you were insulting me." Ning Xingchen smiled, looking at Liu Mingyan with affection.
"Now?" Liu Mingyan asked shyly. Since she had decided to exchange her body for money, she had to fulfill her promise. One should keep their word.
"Sure, but Bao'er is still at home. It wouldn't be good if she saw us, right?" Ning Xingchen pointed outside.
"Go take a shower first. I'll handle Bao'er." Liu Mingyan's voice was soft.
"Bao'er, stop playing games and go to the next door to do homework with Xiao Ming. Otherwise, you won't finish it and will be punished by the teacher tomorrow." Liu Mingyan went to Qin Bao'er's room and told her.
"Auntie, I don't want to do homework yet. Let me play for a little longer." Qin Bao'er began to act cute and beg.
Usually, this trick didn't work on Liu Mingyan, but to quickly send Qin Bao'er away, Liu Mingyan had to say, "You can take your phone and play games at Xiao Ming's house. You two can play together."
"Auntie, that's a great idea. I accept it." Qin Bao'er jumped and hopped to the next door.
After Qin Bao'er left, Ning Xingchen, who had just come out of the bathroom, grabbed Liu Mingyan eagerly and led her to the bedroom.
Sparks flew, and with a man and woman alone, what would happen next was obvious.
"Why are you in such a hurry? I haven't showered yet." Liu Mingyan gently pushed Ning Xingchen.
"After we're done, we can shower together." Ning Xingchen didn't know why he was so impatient, perhaps because Liu Mingyan was so beautiful.
In no time, Liu Mingyan's jade-like body was exposed to the air.
Just as Ning Xingchen was about to take the next step, Liu Mingyan said helplessly, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you, it's my period these days."
Damn, are you kidding me? Today is completely ruined.
Ning Xingchen then recalled that when he first entered, Qin Bao'er had mentioned that Liu Mingyan was indeed unavailable.