Chapter 21 Will You?

In a daze, I almost doubted if I was hallucinating from lack of sleep. In the dim light, I stopped struggling, my wide, disbelieving eyes glowing brightly.

"Stop pretending to be dumb and answer the question," he said, his voice calm and unwavering in the darkness.

"You... crazy?" I held a bottle of wine, staring at him like an idiot.

"You said you'd marry me, and now you're denying it?" Seeing me settle down a bit, he directly grabbed my waist and effortlessly lifted me onto the bar counter. At this height, my eyes could no longer escape his blazing gaze.

His voice was hoarse, but his eyes were terrifyingly calm, as if the bold conversation just now hadn't stirred him in the slightest. "Let's talk. Tell me why you're angry."

I really couldn't refuse a mature man who was emotionally stable and logically clear.

"Because..."

D*mn, I got stuck.

Great, half a month's worth of grievances, and now I couldn't even remember where to start when he suddenly asked.

Seeing me stammering, he didn't wait any longer and took the lead. "You think I distanced myself because your family went bankrupt?"

"…Actually, that's not your fault," I tried to defend him. "It's human nature, I can understand..."

He chuckled helplessly. "What are you understanding? You're just overthinking. Your family's issues? I started working with your dad on that six months ago. If I really looked down on you, would I have transferred you back to the country to live in my house?"

"You transferred me?"

"Your dad suggested it, and I handled the procedures."

"So the cards I used and the money in the accounts are all yours too?"

"Yes. If you're willing, not just those, but all my assets can be yours." He looked indifferent, as if this was a trivial matter.

Speaking of which, why did I think he was such a jerk again?

Actually, the moment he asked when he could marry me, all the past grievances were wiped clean.

But since the plot had pushed me into this situation, I had to say something, right? Even if I had to make something up, I had to find fault with him!

"Those women..." I quickly searched through my chaotic mind. "Oh, right. They mocked me at that birthday party, calling me a stray dog after my family went bankrupt, saying I was desperate enough to seduce old men..."

He laughed lightly when he heard that. "You're talking about my time in France?"

"Yeah."

"Then why didn't you call me and tell me?"

It was fine until he asked this. When he did, I got angry.

Call you? Weren't you the one who ran off back then?

"You didn't contact me for so many days, so why should I call you? What if I interrupted your date?" I retorted.

"Date? What date?" Shen Jibai's surprised reaction didn't seem fake.

"You and Song Yixin, linking arms, at Mollybistro's entrance." I was straightforward.

Shen Jibai froze for a moment, then touched his forehead as if he suddenly understood. "Oh, that day! I..." He paused, a helpless smile appearing as he looked at me. "You saw that?"

"Yeah, I was at the café across the street with Lin Xi."

"No wonder you know her name. Lin Xi met her before." At this point, he inexplicably became soft and lazy, his curved brows and eyes shimmering even in the dim light. He even affectionately touched my hair. "Jealous?"

I glared at him angrily, saying nothing.

He got serious. "We broke up years ago. There's really nothing between us now. That day..." He paused, speaking solemnly. "Letting her hold my arm was just to help her get rid of a crazy suitor. And the scene you saw was the only physical contact we had. Other than that, there was absolutely nothing inappropriate."

"And I made it clear to her that day: this was a one-time thing and wouldn't happen again."

Someone unfamiliar with apologizing was trying hard to explain, visibly struggling.

"Actually, that day... after we kissed... uh..." He cleared his throat awkwardly when he said the word "kiss." "I planned to confess the next day. But in the morning, you stayed in bed for so long, so I thought I'd wait until the evening to talk..."

"And then?" I asked.

"Then you got hurt and deliberately used Ji Xunran to provoke me..."

"So you hesitated?" I was honest, directly exposing his wavering back then.

He nodded. "Yes, I admit I hesitated and had concerns."

"What were you worried about? Afraid I'd become a burden because of my injured foot?" I asked, dissatisfied.

"Silly girl, I was worried you'd regret it after acting on impulse." He patiently ruffled my hair again, his gaze gentle as water, filled with tenderness. "You're still young and not very settled. If you regretted it later, how could I face Old Jiang?"

Honestly, I had never thought about this.

I actually knew he hadn't gone to France to escape. At that time, there was a problem with a French project at his company, causing quite a stir.

After a long pause, I looked up at him. "What about now? Are you not worried anymore?"

He didn't answer directly. Instead, he placed his large hand on my lower back, pulling me into his arms. Then he leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine.

This was the closest we'd been since that kiss in the car.

My eyes started to redden as the suppressed grievances and messy emotions of these days surged into my heart from all directions.

In the darkness, his voice was low and soft. "And you? Are you willing to give me another chance?"

I panicked and quickly replied, "No, no, I'm only a sophomore. I can't get married now..."

A soft laugh came from beside my ear. "Who said anything about marriage? I'm asking if you're willing to be my girlfriend."

How embarrassing. Another day of being self-absorbed.

Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, who could refuse a mature, emotionally stable, and handsome man?

But after Old Jiang's bankruptcy, I realized that when a spoiled rich second-generation loses their family background and wealth, all that's left is a bare soul in an ordinary body. At the core, I had nothing, not even basic survival skills. How could I stand beside him?

"Will you?" he asked again.

"Maybe... in the future," I mumbled evasively.

Instinctively, I wanted to run away.

But those hands gripping my shoulders wouldn't allow it.

"Answer me now." His cool voice carried a hint of coaxing as he suddenly leaned in, his lips brushing lightly against mine in a fleeting kiss.

That brief moment was enough to send an electric current through my body.

"Will you report your business trips in the future? Will you still leave for France without saying goodbye?" I murmured, avoiding his gaze.

He chuckled at my teasing, his tone showing clear compromise. "With you holding grudges like this, how could I dare leave without your approval?"

"That's more like it..." I was somewhat satisfied.

He gently pinched my cheek. "Whoever marries such a hard-to-please wife in the future, I don't know how he'll manage..."

My cheeks and ears turned red.

All the pain and grievances I'd suppressed for days now felt like withered vines regrowing and thriving.

His slender fingers gently parted my lips. I tilted my head up, and his thumb softly caressed my lips.

But the next moment, there was no expected kiss.

Just the teasing was enough to overwhelm me, my eyes reddening, and tears pooling.

He laughed softly.

"You look like this now, it's really hard to resist..."

His soft lips pressed firmly against mine. In the darkness, one hand gripped the back of my neck, forcing me to tilt my head to the angle he liked.

The kiss was deep and intense, far more urgent than the one in the car.

Trembling slightly, I instinctively pressed my hands against his shoulders, but I couldn't push him away.

I panted, my breathing hurried. "This time, is it serious?"

He gently bit my lower lip. "It was serious last time too."

The short, urgent kiss lasted only a few seconds. Just as he was about to deepen it further, a voice startled me. I jumped off the bar counter as if electrocuted and pushed him two meters away!

The wine cellar was lively tonight. Out of the three people in the house, all of them were here.

No one could outdo my dad. As soon as he entered, he turned on the main light.

I darted over, startling him into a stumble.

"Dad! I... couldn't sleep... came to get a bottle of wine..."