What?
Lin Mian suddenly froze, looking up at him.
At this moment, the man was pressing against her, in the dim light, his eyes were a bit dark, and it was easy to see the possessiveness hidden in the depths of his eyes.
He was about to make a move.
Lin Mian moved her lips and felt her throat dry and hoarse.
"What do you mean by 'follow you'?"
"Don't understand? Then let me be more direct, I want to keep you, on a long-term basis. While I still have some interest in you, you can set a price."
Shi Lin pinched her cheek and his voice was clear and cold, "So, name your price Lin Mian, whatever it is, consider it my maintenance fee for you."
Boom...
Lin Mian felt as if thunder was exploding in her ears.
She stared at him wide-eyed, it took her a while before she snapped out of it, and she felt her fingertips trembling.
So, all his actions were for this purpose.
To sleep with her, to keep her?
She bit her lip and forcefully turned her face away, "No."
"What did you say?" Shi Lin frowned.
"I said I don't want to be kept by you, let alone be with you." Lin Mian mustered the courage to shout out, her eyes showing a strong resilience.
Shi Lin seemed surprised by her strong rejection, and stared at her without moving, "Haha" he laughed.
"You don't want to be with me, do you want to be with Qin Li?"
Lin Mian: "..."
How did he bring Qin Li into this again?
Seeing her silent, like a little creature lured to the edge of a pit, Shi Lin's voice sounded, slow and calm.
"Although Qin Li is rich, it's not that easy to get a hold of his money. With your current salary of six thousand a month, over seventy thousand a year, deducting social security and expenses, do you think your bottomless pit at home can be filled with hard work alone?"
"You..."
Lin Mian widened her eyes, looking at him in disbelief.
How did he know about her family?
Shi Lin faintly smirked, after the first night together, she fell asleep and her phone vibrated with messages until late at night.
He just glanced at her phone screen once and knew she was in need of money.
In the morning, he made some effort to find out more, and learned about her family's financial troubles.
"Did you secretly investigate me?"
Lin Mian quickly realized and questioned him incredulously.
Shi Lin squinted his eyes, not denying it: "Lin Mian, think about it. If you follow me, at least in the short term, you won't have to worry about money, or be pressured by your family. Your father's leg will also receive the best treatment. We can be clear about our prices and each take what we need."
Clear about prices, and each take what they need...
These words weighed heavily on Lin Mian's heart.
Lin Mian took a deep breath, her voice hoarse, "Why me?"
Shi Lin said, "Perhaps because you are relatively clean, obedient, good at sleeping, and a bit addictive."
Look at these words.
Every word hit her head so ironically, making her feel embarrassed.
Lin Mian gritted her teeth and pushed him away forcefully.
"I'm sorry, I don't agree."
"Why?" Shi Lin looked down at her.
Lin Mian clenched her fists, stood there with her head lowered in silence.
Even though she didn't speak, Shi Lin knew what she was thinking, it was nothing more than those ridiculous and elusive notions of honor.
He smirked and lightly spoke to her.
"Lin Mian, selling once or selling multiple times makes no difference. Since you've done it, don't delude yourself with false notions of honor. Smart people should think more about practical benefits."
"No, there is a difference."
Lin Mian kept her head down, her voice hoarse as she said softly, "Sinking into infinite decline and struggling to break free from the quagmire, there is a big difference."
She could compromise a few times, but she couldn't always give in.
Shi Lin looked at her heavily, his eyes gradually darkening.
"How foolish."
He spit out two words. Lin Mian didn't want to hear him anymore, and coldly refused him.
"Doctor Shi, I won't consider your deal. I have a job, I can earn money, and I still have a lot of hope for the future. I don't want to sink down my whole life, I still want to struggle to climb out of the quagmire."
Shi Lin looked deeply at her. "I hope you will always think like that."
He took a deep breath, then turned around, opened the door, and left. The air quieted down once again. Lin Mian leaned against the door and let out a long breath. She knew she was being a bit melodramatic, a bit hypocritical. Even though she had slept with someone, she shouldn't act so self-righteous. But she still wanted to strive, to build a decent life on her own, to earn the money she desired on her own.
Before, she had no way out, but now that she had a job, she would always work hard to earn money. Lin Mian went back to the bedroom, took a shower in the bathroom, still bearing many red and purple marks left by Shi Lin from the night before. She couldn't help but think of his words: "Good to sleep with, obedient, addictive..."