Mu Ling inched closer to her, his gaze fixated on her soft lips. Memories of how they had felt when she kissed him flashed in his mind, sending a wave of heat coursing through his body. His eyes darkened, filled with desire, and without hesitation, he bent down and pressed his lips to hers.
Fu Rong's eyes widened in shock, her heart racing as she felt his lips on hers. Panic surged through her, and she immediately tried to struggle in his grip. Her mind whirled, remembering the visions she had seen when she performed a divination for him. "Did I really come back to life just to lower myself to him? What kind of fate is this?" she thought, frustrated and helpless.
But the more she struggled, the more he deepened the kiss, as if he was intent on claiming her. It wasn't until she began to pant, gasping for air, that he slowed, his kiss softening into something more tender. Still, Fu Rong, her strength renewed by her anger, pushed him away fiercely, breaking free from his grasp.
Her eyes were red, blazing with fury, while her face flushed with embarrassment. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly forced them back, tilting her head upward to stop them from falling. She wouldn't let him see her cry.
Mu Ling, who had been momentarily stunned by her reaction, bent down again, as if intending to kiss her once more, but this time, Fu Rong's hand shot out and slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed through the car, the tension thick in the air.
"Mu Ling, what do you think you're doing?" she shouted, her voice trembling with rage. Her mind raced. "I can't afford to offend this dangerous man. I can't be near this beast," she thought desperately.
Mu Ling, unfazed by the slap, looked at her with a mix of seriousness and something that almost resembled hurt. "Fu Rong, I want you to take responsibility for taking my first kiss," he said, his tone pitiful, as if he were the wronged party.
Fu Rong blinked in disbelief, her mouth falling open. "There he goes again, talking about responsibility!" she thought, feeling her anger simmering once more. "I'm the one who kissed him accidentally, and now he's acting like I owe him something? I didn't even care about my first kiss, and this grown man is standing here demanding I take responsibility for his!" Her thoughts swirled with frustration as she glared at him.
"Responsibility?" she scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Mu Ling, you better be clear with me. How exactly should I take responsibility for you? Hmm?" She grunted in frustration before continuing, her patience wearing thin. "Okay, I kissed you, and you kissed me back. Are we even now? Can I leave?" Fu Rong asked, trying to maintain some composure, but her voice faltered slightly under the intensity of his cold gaze.
Mu Ling's expression grew darker, his eyes narrowing. "Why is he angry again?" Fu Rong thought, exasperated. "I should be the one angry with him!"
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to ask calmly, "Alright, tell me—what do you want me to do?" She had no choice but to compromise, frightened by his icy demeanor.
Mu Ling's face softened as he finally revealed what he wanted. "Fu Rong, be my girlfriend." His voice was calm, almost tender, but his words sent a shockwave through Fu Rong's body.
She stared at him, her mind reeling. "Be... his girlfriend?" She could hardly believe her ears. Her world seemed to crumble around her at that moment. Everything she had expected, all her thoughts about how to handle the situation, dissolved into confusion and disbelief.
Mu Ling chuckled softly, clearly amused by her stunned expression. He watched her closely, patiently waiting for her to process his words, as if giving her time to come to terms with the unexpected proposal.
Fu Rong's heart pounded in her chest, her thoughts a jumbled mess. "Mu Ling, is this some kind of joke?" she asked, still hoping there was some mistake. She searched his face for any sign of humor, but all she saw was his cold, determined gaze.
"I need time to think," she said hastily, her voice barely above a whisper. Without waiting for his response, she reached for the car door and flung it open. The moment Mu Ling let his guard down, she bolted out of the car and ran as fast as she could, her heart thudding in her chest as she escaped into the night.
"Boss, should I get Miss Fu back?" Song Peng, Mu Ling's loyal assistant, asked cautiously, watching his employer carefully.
Mu Ling shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "No need. Let her think about it. She won't be able to get away from me now," he said, his eyes glinting with confidence as he looked in the direction Fu Rong had run off to.
Song Peng blinked in surprise. He had never seen his boss smile like this before. Sure, he had seen Mu Ling smile coldly, even cruelly, when he was destroying someone, but this smile was different. It was warm, genuine—almost happy.
"What's happening?" Song Peng thought to himself, still in shock. "Is this the same Mu Ling I know?" He patted his chest, trying to calm his racing heart. It seemed that Fu Rong was the only one capable of evoking such a reaction from his boss, and that realization left him both curious and unsettled.
He composed himself quickly, but the image of Mu Ling's smile stayed with him. Something had changed, and whatever it was, Song Peng knew that it was only the beginning.