As the footsteps grew closer, Cheng Youyi trembled with fear. She buried her face deeply in the man’s chest and pleaded weakly, “Uncle, please, I can’t let them find me.”
“Who are they?” the man asked, puzzled, following her gaze toward the approaching figures.
Cheng Youyi panicked and quickly turned his head back, her cool little hands covering his burning face. “It’s my second uncle and my brother. You need to hide, quick!”
As their eyes met, an ambiguous tension swirled around them.
“Why hide? It’s not like we’re having an affair,” Gong Ming raised an eyebrow, taking the initiative by covering her soft, fair hands with his large palm and rubbing them gently.
“…” Cheng Youyi was speechless. At a time like this, he still had the nerve to tease her! Was he insane?
Gong Ming smirked mischievously and continued, “They wronged me earlier, and that’s affecting my pursuit of you. Shouldn’t I go out and clear my name?” With that, he released her hand and made a move to get out of the car.
“No, don’t! Please don’t!” Cheng Youyi was frantic. She pressed her slender fingers against his thin lips, shaking her head vigorously. “Keep it down, no fooling around.”
“But they’re interfering with my pursuit of you,” Gong Ming argued confidently, his expression unchanged.
“It… it’s not interfering… I beg you, don’t go out. Please,” Cheng Youyi whispered in desperation.
A sly glint flashed in Gong Ming’s eyes as he deliberately teased her. “Not interfering? So I can pursue you? Can you guarantee it?”
“Yes, yes, yes! Absolutely no interference,” Cheng Youyi was on the verge of tears, nodding repeatedly without even processing his words. At this moment, all she wanted was for Gong Ming not to cause trouble. She couldn’t bear the thought of Grandpa beating her to death tonight.
But how could the man let such an opportunity slip? He wrapped his large hand around Cheng Youyi’s waist, pulling her closer until she was pressed against him, and whispered by her ear, “Think carefully about whether you want to marry me. I’ll give you time.”
His warm breath brushed against her earlobe, sending tingling sensations through every nerve in her body.
Her stiffened body stood frozen in place, unable to utter a word for a long moment.
This man was like an opium poppy—alluring yet lethally dangerous.
Seeing her hesitation, Gong Ming didn’t press further. Instead, he gently stroked her back. “Behave well. If you’re good, I’ll let you go once they leave.”
With that, he leaned down and captured her cherry-red lips, his large hands gripping her waist as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
Cheng Youyi endured helplessly, her pounding heartbeat growing louder alongside the footsteps outside the car window.
She dared not cry for help or move recklessly, fearing it would arouse suspicion. All she could do was let the man have his way.
Gradually, the footsteps drew nearer, and Cheng Youyi felt as if she were suffocating. She struggled weakly against the man in front of her, letting out fragmented whimpers.
“Second Uncle, whose car is this? I’ve never seen this brand before. It looks so high-end,” Cheng Youheng exclaimed excitedly outside the car window, tapping and knocking on Gong Ming’s vehicle as if deeply intrigued.
Hearing this, Cheng Yuyan leaned in for a closer look, his expression puzzled. “It really isn’t our family’s license plate number. That’s strange. Didn’t the Gong family guy leave already? Logically, there shouldn’t be any guests at home right now.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Youheng picked up his phone and took a photo, muttering to himself, “No worries, I’ll go ask my future brother-in-law. He’s so capable, he’ll definitely know what kind of car this is. Maybe that uncle from the Gong family didn’t drive his car away?”
Listening to the commotion outside the car window, Cheng Youyi held her breath in shock, her eyes fixed pleadingly on Gong Ming. “What do we do? We’re dead. If this goes on, Grandpa will definitely find out about us sooner or later.”
Compared to her nervousness, Gong Ming appeared completely unruffled. He casually nuzzled against Cheng Youyi’s neck affectionately. “What’s there to be afraid of? I’m here.”
“What kind of time is this for joking? What good is having you here? It’s not you my grandpa will beat to death!!!” Cheng Youyi was truly on the verge of losing it. Not only did he show no sign of tension, but he could also comfortably snuggle against her neck. Was there anyone in the world more shameless than him?
“I’m the one who wants you. Let your grandpa beat me to death then,” Gong Ming replied nonchalantly, his kisses landing one after another on her neck and collarbone.
Cheng Youyi was so angry she cried. “You jerk! I hate you!”
With that, she bit down hard on the man’s neck, leaving a vivid, glaring bite mark right over Gong Ming’s black tattoo—a shocking sight.
He frowned slightly but didn’t stop Cheng Youyi, allowing her to vent.
Only when she had vented enough did the man lift his gaze, looking at her with a half-smile. “So eager to leave a mark? Afraid no one will know about our relationship once you step out of this car?”
“You…” Cheng Youyi was furious and turned her head away in a huff, only to meet the infuriatingly smug grin of Cheng Youheng outside the car window.
“Oh my god, it’s Cheng Youheng!!”
She was so startled she jolted, immediately wrapping her arms around Gong Ming’s neck. The next second, realizing her action was inappropriate, she hurriedly pushed the man away.
After being pushed aside, the man didn’t get angry. He simply watched her flustered movements, even finding himself unable to look away.
“It’s over. I’m done for.”
Cheng Youyi lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers, her voice trembling. She had never felt the world so dark, as if the sky had collapsed.
Gong Ming looked at the little thing before him with a half-smile. “What’s there to be afraid of? If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.”
“You hold it up? What can you hold up? I hate you so much.” She suddenly raised her head and glared at the man, her voice choked with tears as they silently slid down her cheeks.
Gong Ming couldn’t help but laugh. This girl was truly amusing. Did she not know there was something called privacy window film? No matter how much they moved around inside, people outside wouldn’t be able to see clearly.
But Cheng Youyi was too preoccupied with her anxiety to notice that Cheng Youheng outside the car window had already finished taking photos and left. She was even worrying about how to fabricate a lie to explain things to her family when she returned.
This demeanor of hers struck the man as particularly endearing and adorable.
After a long silence, Cheng Youyi suddenly spoke softly. “My brother saw this. When we go back, he’ll definitely tell. Ever since we were little, every time he tattled on me, I’d get scolded to death. So no matter what the truth is, my parents and Grandpa will definitely believe him.”
“So, the family will definitely want to talk to me next. When that happens, I’ll refuse to admit anything no matter what. I hope you can cooperate too, okay?”
“The family has always been unhappy about me wanting to break off the engagement. If they find out about this, it’ll be even harder for me to do anything in the future.”
“They’ve pinned all the hopes for the Cheng Family’s future, including my brother’s prospects, on me. They won’t allow me to make any mistakes, but… I have my own path to walk. So… please…”
Throughout her speech, Cheng Youyi kept her head lowered. She didn’t know if the man had understood her words or if he was willing to help her.
Gong Ming’s deep, dark eyes gazed at her, the flickering flames casting shifting shadows across his face, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
After a long while—
“Do you trust me?” the man asked in a low, deep voice. “Marry me, and all your problems—the Cheng Family, including your brother’s future—I’ll take care of them all.”
Cheng Youyi remained silent, not daring to meet his eyes.
In that moment, Gong Ming seemed to understand something. He hadn’t expected this young woman, who looked so gentle and easy to bully, to be so stubborn inside.
However, before she discovered the truth, Gong Ming still chose to tell her honestly. And the price he paid was—
A certain young lady said she would never, ever, ever speak to him again.
What Cheng Youyi didn’t know was that after she returned, Cheng Youheng would be won over by his future brother-in-law, ‘Gong Ming.’