Chapter 20 When will you marry me?

His light-colored shorts and T-shirt shimmered in the sunlight, giving him an air of casual ease as if he were here on vacation.

In stark contrast, I stood there cold and guarded.

"What are you doing here?" I asked stiffly.

He seemed momentarily startled by my detached tone, but he quickly masked it with his usual composure.

"Oh, I'm here to see Uncle Jiang. It's about… some business matters."

"Dad! Shen Jibai is here to see you!" I shouted toward the second floor, then went back to watering the plants as if it had nothing to do with me.

What a joke. Business matters? Couldn't he just make a phone call? Was the cost of international calls too high?

But it seemed they really were discussing the company's acquisition. Upstairs in the guest lounge, they held a remote meeting that lasted the entire day.

It wasn't until dinner that I saw Shen Jibai again for the second time. My dad, thrilled to reunite with an old friend, insisted I toast him to thank him for taking care of me all this time.

I raised my glass, not even bothering to look up."Thank you."

Thank you for kissing me and then telling me you're like a brother to me.

He smiled patiently, as if amused by my unwillingness, and downed his drink in one go.

I didn't touch the steak on my plate and abruptly stood up. "I'm full. I'll head upstairs." Then I bolted to my room.

Perhaps, to him, I was nothing more than a little sister. That's why he couldn't understand my sorrow.

That night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep until the early hours. D*mn it, why couldn't I get that b*st*rd's face out of my mind?

I missed him. I missed him so much that I wanted to throw caution to the wind and drown myself in his arms. I wanted to hear him comfort me with that calm yet incredibly gentle voice, telling me not to worry, that a little bankruptcy was no big deal.

But in reality, he was a coward. A scoundrel. Trash.

The next day, I ran away to avoid him. I was a coward too.

An American classmate of mine happened to be back in Kuala Lumpur for the holidays. When she heard I was in town, she excitedly invited me to hang out.

We spent the entire day together, and even after dinner, I didn't feel like going home. So, we decided to hit a popular local bar.

As luck would have it, a group of drunk foreigners at the next table got into a fight, and the chaos spilled over to our table. While defending ourselves, I accidentally threw a spoon at one of the drunks, hitting him square in the face. Furious, he thought we were deliberately provoking him, and just like that, we were dragged into the brawl.

An hour later, I found myself sitting in a police station, looking utterly disheveled.

Shen Jibai arrived quickly.

The moment he stepped into the station, his commanding presence filled the room.

Even in a foreign country, without an assistant or bodyguard by his side, some people naturally exude authority.

His first reaction upon seeing me was to crouch down and check if I was hurt.

Sitting in a chair, I instinctively leaned back, startled by his concern. But seeing how worried he was, I quickly stood up to explain."Uh… it wasn't us who started it…"

He frowned, his dark eyes clouded with worry, and gently pushed me back into the chair."It doesn't matter who started it. Are you hurt?"

He stared at me intently, his gaze so serious that I couldn't meet his eyes. I shifted uncomfortably."No."

After all, I was no longer the spoiled heiress who could act recklessly, knowing my dad would always clean up my messes. In the past, I would've called both my dad and Shen Jibai to the scene, tearfully exaggerating every grievance I'd suffered that night.

I might've even called in 200 brothers to make a scene.

But now, in a foreign land, facing unprovoked hostility, I couldn't bring myself to add another storm to my dad's already turbulent life.

My eyes began to sting with unshed tears.

Shen Jibai held my wrists tightly at my sides. I had neither the will nor the strength to pull away. Perhaps, deep down, I needed someone to anchor me in that moment.

He stared at me again, his voice firm as he asked, "Are you sure you're not hurt? Not even a scratch?"

"Mm." I nodded.

Only then did he stand up, patting my shoulder lightly to reassure me. "Stay here and wait." Then he turned and calmly went to negotiate with the police.

His flawless English sounded particularly refined against the Southeast Asian accents around us.

After signing some papers, I was released.

The night breeze in Kuala Lumpur was hot and stifling. As we walked out of the police station, I looked down and noticed that one of the buttons on my blouse had fallen off at some point—either just now or during the bar fight. Unfortunately, it was the button at the most critical spot.

With every step I took, the movement of my body caused my undergarments to peek through.

I crossed my arms over my chest, following behind him.

He glanced at my chest, where my hands were covering the missing button, but said nothing. Instead, he gestured for me to get in the car.

He silently drove us to a late-night market that stayed open until the early hours. I had no idea such a place existed here.

Having rarely visited street markets growing up, I was overwhelmed by the colorful stalls and bustling atmosphere.

Suddenly, he gently took my hand. Startled, I looked up at him. He didn't say anything, his expression relaxed and composed, as he led me toward the liveliest part of the market.

Surrounded by vibrant stalls, I couldn't bring myself to focus on the clothes or patterns.

His low, coaxing voice sounded in my ear. "How about this one?"

He had picked out a very local-style dress for me.

I nodded blankly, showing no interest whatsoever. All I knew was that it was a long slip dress that would cover me up.

"Want to try it on?" he asked patiently.

I nodded again indifferently. Anything was better than walking around clutching my chest.

But the stall didn't even have a fitting room.

He casually grabbed a bedsheet to use as a makeshift curtain, using his height to shield me completely.

Inside the makeshift fitting room, I took off my blouse and changed into the new dress.

"…I'm done," I mumbled from behind the curtain.

When the curtain fell, I stood before him in a floral, exotic-style dress. The thin straps accentuated the curve of my neck and shoulders. The carefully styled waves in my hair had loosened throughout the day, now cascading lazily over my shoulders, giving me a languid, world-weary charm.

I could feel his unfiltered, admiring gaze on me, and I lowered my eyes uncomfortably.

In the narrow, crowded market, someone bumped into me, causing me to lose my balance. He instinctively caught me, pulling me into his arms. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he guided me to the inner side of the stall, placing himself between me and the bustling crowd.

It was only then that I noticed a group of drunken local men behind him, loudly shouting and staggering through the crowd.

I pushed him away, putting some distance between us.

"Good looks really do make anything look good," he said with a faint smile. His eyes held a deep, unmistakable desire—subtle yet blatant at the same time. He was so disarmingly honest in moments like these, yet maddeningly ambiguous in others.

One thing was certain: I must've looked stunning. Men's eyes don't lie.

I scowled, thinking, You d*mn scumbag.

He must've noticed my mood, but it didn't stop him from admiring my beauty. The two things seemed to exist on parallel tracks, completely unaffected by each other.

"Let's go home. I'm tired," I said listlessly, watching as he paid for the dress and packed up my old clothes.

The drive home was silent.

When the car stopped in front of the house, I got out gloomily. What a waste of this dress. It had barely been seen for half an hour, and now I'd have to take it off.

As I walked toward the door, Shen Jibai called out from behind me.

"Jiang Li, are you upset because I kept the truth about Uncle Jiang from you?" His voice was low and commanding, carrying a hint of unapproachable authority.

Ha. That's the least of your sins.

When I didn't respond, he continued,"Or is it because you think there's something about me that you're not satisfied with?"

Ha. You should ask what about you I am satisfied with. Kissing me and then running off, going on dates with other women—are you even human?

"Answer me," he pressed, his tone growing more urgent. The weight of his presence seemed to intensify.

I swallowed hard, my back still to him, and remained silent.

His voice softened slightly, as if trying to coax me. "Tell me why you're upset. Talk to me, okay?"

Finally, I turned around and spoke with difficulty."Shen Jibai, we won't be in the same circle anymore. Why bother with all this? I won't have any contact with you in the future, and I won't go around talking about us. Now, can you rest easy?"

He froze for a few seconds, as if his brain had short-circuited.

After a long pause, he frowned. "Jiang Li, are you out of your mind? What nonsense are you thinking about all day?"

"I am out of my mind. So you should stay far away from me!" I suddenly became emotional, my chaotic feelings surging uncontrollably.

I needed to leave before they overwhelmed me completely.

Turning on my heel, I strode toward the house, unwilling to waste another word on him.

He chased after me, grabbing my arm. His voice was tinged with anger. "Jiang Li! Grow up. Stop acting like a child. Let's talk this out."

I stopped, trying to steady my breathing."Fine. Let's talk." My voice was shaky, my emotions barely under control. "I like you. Will you marry me?"

"…"

He didn't say anything, but the stunned silence that followed told me everything I needed to know.

I shook off his hand and fled.

All his past tenderness was nothing more than a reflection of his innate politeness and character. It had nothing to do with love or affection.

He could talk to you about romance and take you on the most enchanting dates, but it was all to satisfy his physical or emotional needs. You could fulfill one or both, but the moment you mentioned marriage, he'd have nowhere to hide.

My emotions were spiraling out of control. Since Shen Jibai's arrival, my insomnia had worsened to the point where even closing my eyes felt impossible.

In the past, after Aunt Lin passed away, I had gone through a difficult period of insomnia. At its worst, even medication couldn't help.

Those sleepless nights were often filled with strange dreams.

In those dreams, my vision was always blurry, and the surroundings were unbearably noisy. It felt like I had known Aunt Lin for a long time, yet she wasn't the Aunt Lin I remembered.

In the dream, she asked me to call her "Mom" and pointed to a strange man, asking me to call him "Dad."

The "Dad" in the dream was a completely unfamiliar, shadowy figure.

When I woke up, I would sometimes have headaches or be startled awake in the middle of the night.

The doctor said it was a psychological reaction to trauma. I figured Aunt Lin's passing must have hit me harder than I realized.

In the past two years, I hadn't had those dreams as often. But now, even in dreamless nights, lying in bed felt utterly hopeless.

I had traced the patterns on the ceiling from this angle so many times that I'd lost count.

Finally, in the middle of the night, overwhelmed by frustration, I got out of bed. Throwing on a robe, I didn't even bother turning on the lights. Guided by the faint glow of the night lamp, I made my way to the wine cellar on the second floor, heading straight for the fridge.

The cold beer soothed some of my irritation as it slid down my throat.

But as I turned around with the bottle still at my lips, I collided directly with Shen Jibai's chest, choking so badly that I nearly coughed myself to death. The remaining half of the beer spilled all over my chest, soaking through my silk nightgown and dripping down, leaving a large wet patch.

As I coughed, my chest heaved dramatically. And of course, I wasn't wearing a bra.

The dim lighting… Please, let him not see anything…

Before I could react, I felt his hands firmly gripping my arms.

"What are you doing?" I tried to shake him off, annoyed.

He suddenly lowered his head, his gaze intense and unfathomable. His voice was gentle yet filled with an inexplicable tenderness."When do you want to marry me? Now? Or after you graduate? Either works for me."