What do you mean there’s no room for negotiation?
She had originally thought that as long as he lowered his head to her, this matter wasn’t entirely out of the question. Who would have guessed this man’s attitude would only grow more stubborn!
Bai Xiaotong: “Do you think too highly of yourself? I did say I could compensate you, but that doesn’t mean I have to do whatever you say!
You said it yourself earlier—marriage is a lifelong matter, not something to be taken lightly. Just because of one compensation, I have to sacrifice the rest of my life? That’s beyond my ability. Either think it over seriously, or…”
As she spoke, Bai Xiaotong began rummaging through her bag, then pulled out a few bills and handed them over.
“I’ll pay you back. No one loses out.”
Bai Xiaotong looked up at him.
Lu Ling, wearing a black cotton jacket over a simple white shirt, really did look handsome—his nose was straight, his lips well-defined, his neck slender, and his Adam’s apple looked particularly attractive.
But right now, his expression was far from pleasant. He stared at the money in her hand as if gritting his teeth, his eyes almost blazing with anger.
Hmph, wanting to marry me but unwilling to lower your head? Serves you right to be annoyed.
Lu Ling was indeed furious.
What did she take him for?
Trying to brush him off with money!
Lu Ling’s gaze swept over the bills before settling on Bai Xiaotong’s proud face.
Bai Xiaotong’s title as the factory belle was unanimously voted by everyone, able to withstand any scrutiny or comparison.
She was tall, with a perfectly proportioned figure and exceptional poise. Her skin was as fair as snow, clear and flawless, her features delicate yet striking, elegant without being intimidating—a sight that brought joy to anyone who looked at her.
Lu Ling’s anger subsided slightly. Staring at the stone slabs beneath his feet, he suppressed his inner unease and feigned a firm tone: “Marrying me is the only way to take responsibility. Any other form of compensation is just shameless behavior. If you refuse, I’ll report you. The mug I drank from that night is still there, with a little water left inside. Taking it to the hospital for testing will clear my name.
And you—you won’t get away with it!”
First he was just stubborn, and now he’s outright threatening her?
Bai Xiaotong’s face paled again at his words.
She recalled that dream, the thought of her reputation ruined, dying a tragic death from plot collapse.
This was the second time today this matter had frightened her.
Earlier, it had made her cry.
This time, her entire body trembled.
Seeing the color drain completely from her face, her bright eyes wide with what seemed like extreme terror, Lu Ling’s heart tightened. This was bad!
He had scared her too much.
Noticing Bai Xiaotong was almost unsteady on her feet, Lu Ling quickly helped her sit down nearby.
Bai Xiaotong felt weak in her hands and feet, her heart racing, letting him guide her.
But soon, her thoughts gradually gathered. Seeing Lu Ling gripping her wrist, she forcefully shook him off, springing to her feet and pointing at him angrily, “You want to report me? Fine, go ahead. At worst, I’ll die. I brought this foolish mistake upon myself, and I’ll bear the consequences!”
Bai Xiaotong glared at Lu Ling, filled with both resentment and fury.
In that dream, to seek revenge, he had opposed the male and female protagonists at every turn, becoming the greatest antagonist.
Bai Xiaotong had always believed that in the precognitive dream, Lu Ling’s path to becoming a villain was largely her fault. After all, it was her foolish actions that dragged him down, and later, due to her own stupidity and being misled and encouraged by others, she caused him to be imprisoned.
Now that she had come to her senses, she not only wanted to change her own fate but also pull him back from that villainous path, to make amends for her mistakes.
But this man, he actually wanted to report her!
Forget it, never mind, she couldn’t be bothered to care anymore.
Bai Xiaotong remained silent, tightened her grip on her purse strap, and stood up to leave.
Lu Ling’s heart clenched, and he instinctively reached out, tightly grabbing her wrist. His voice was low, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I just wanted to scare you a little. I didn’t expect you to react so strongly. There’s no evidence at all—I threw that teacup away long ago.”
It was all just to scare her.
Bai Xiaotong turned back, her voice calm and cool, “Let go.”
“No!”
Lu Ling knew very well that if he let go now, there would be no chance in the future.
No, he couldn’t let her leave!
“I regret it,” Lu Ling suddenly stood up, looking at her seriously and earnestly. “I regret rejecting you the day before yesterday. Just like you said before, we’ve already… done that. As a man, I should take responsibility for you. You don’t care about my background, so I should be braver too. I shouldn’t hesitate or overthink things.
Bai Xiaotong, marry me.
Given my current situation, I can’t promise you much, but I guarantee that within my capabilities, I’ll give you the best of everything.”
Lu Ling finally lowered his head and began to speak softly.
Bai Xiaotong sneered.
Now he’s talking nicely—what was he doing earlier?
If he had just lowered his head from the start instead of scaring her, maybe they would have been happily preparing for marriage by now.
It was too late for any more words now. She wasn’t that easy to appease.
Seeing her silent and unresponsive, her face full of mockery, Lu Ling felt utterly panicked. He took a deep breath and said, “Punish me. As long as it helps you calm down, you can hit me or scold me.”
Bai Xiaotong completely ignored his words, her face cold as ice. “I told you to let go!”
Lu Ling sighed helplessly to himself, gave a light laugh, and then suddenly pulled Bai Xiaotong’s hand to slap his own face.
A crisp “slap” echoed.
Bai Xiaotong stared at him, shocked and bewildered. “What are you doing?”
Lu Ling grinned and tried to pull her hand to hit himself again, but Bai Xiaotong reacted quickly and pulled back.
“Are you out of your mind?”
Just look at that handsome face—half of it was already red.
Lu Ling asked, “Are you feeling better now?”
Bai Xiaotong glared at him. “You nearly scared me to death. How could I feel better so easily?”
Lu Ling might seem cold, but he was quite capable of humbling himself—even slapping his own face.
Since his attitude in admitting his mistake was good, she could forgive him a little.
But…
“Don’t do this again in the future. If you get hurt, whose fault would it be?”
Lu Ling said softly, “I won’t do it again. Let me treat you to a meal. Give me a chance—consider it my formal apology.”
By the time they finished their back-and-forth, it was already past twelve.
Bai Xiaotong touched her empty stomach, glanced at his handsome face, and cleared her throat. “Well, alright then.”
No matter how big the world was, eating came first. She’d fill her stomach first and think about the rest later.
There was a restaurant right across from the cultural center, but it was quite crowded. On weekends like this, especially during mealtime, they had to queue up and wait for someone to finish eating before they could get a seat.
Seeing so many people, Bai Xiaotong instinctively frowned.
Just then, Xu Biao, along with a buddy, waved at them from a window seat. “Brother Lu, come in, over here!”
Lu Ling led Bai Xiaotong over.
Xu Biao and another young man named Tang Mingyuan quickly stood up and offered their seats to the two.
Seeing the table empty, Bai Xiaotong realized they hadn’t ordered anything yet and politely said, “Let’s order together.”
Xu Biao quickly shook his head, “You two order, we… we’re already full. Brother Lu, we’ll head off first.”
As he spoke, Xu Biao glanced at Bai Xiaotong again. He had originally wanted to greet her, but for a moment, he didn’t know what to call her.
Judging by the situation, the two of them must have gotten together. He should call her sister-in-law.
But Brother Lu had said earlier not to shout nonsense, so he didn’t dare open his mouth just yet.
No choice, he could only smile and nod, then drag Tang Mingyuan away.
Once outside the restaurant, Tang Mingyuan was still grinning foolishly as he looked back.
Xu Biao smacked the fool’s head, “What are you looking at? Be careful or Brother Lu will deal with you.”
Tang Mingyuan: “What am I looking at? I’m just happy for Brother Lu.”
The factory flower!
Bringing her home would be so beautiful!