First, then, love.

Rainwater streamed down his brow bone, droplets hitting his black tactical boots and splashing up a ring of mist.

Shu Yao was grabbed by the wrist and shoved into the black SUV.

The car door slammed shut.

It instantly shut out the sound of the rain outside.

He Zheng walked around the front of the car, opened the driver's side door, and sat down, bringing in a gust of damp, cool air.

The space inside the carriage instantly became cramped.

He smelled very good.

Despite having just been caught in the rain, she carried a clean, citrus scent that instantly overpowered the fishy smell of rain in the air as she sat down.

Shu Yao sat in the passenger seat, looking down to straighten the wrinkled hem of her velvet skirt.

Suddenly, the person next to me leaned over and pressed down on me.

A huge shadow fell, and broad shoulders almost blocked all the light from the car window.

Shu Yao was startled, her back pressed tightly against the leather seat, and her hands protectively crossed over her chest.

What are you doing?

He Zheng lifted his eyelids and glanced at her, his eyes dark and deep, before reaching out to wipe his hand across her chest and pull on her seatbelt.

The two were less than ten centimeters apart.

Shu Yao could even see the stubble that had just sprouted on his jawline, their breaths mingling.

The man's body temperature was frighteningly high, like a burning furnace.

"Click".

The sound of the metal buckle locking was heard.

He Zheng turned around and put one hand on the steering wheel.

"Fasten your seatbelts, the roads are slippery when it rains."

Shu Yao turned her head and faced the window, her ears burning uncontrollably.

The windshield wipers outside the car window were swinging wildly.

Shu Yao calmed her breathing and secretly glanced at the car out of the corner of her eye.

The interior is all black, with genuine leather seats and a spotless center console; there are no amulets, perfume ornaments, or anything else to be seen.

This man seems to be quite clean.

My gaze drifted down to his hands gripping the steering wheel.

The forearm muscles are well-defined, with slightly protruding veins. The hands are large, with long and strong fingers, and the nails are neatly trimmed. The hands are quite pretty.

Looking further up, you see the straight bridge of his nose in profile.

Shu Yao suddenly recalled the random jokes that her best friends had posted in their group chat.

The man had a straight nose, long fingers, and large hands.

If you possess all three of these qualities, you are absolutely gifted in that area.

So... He Zheng is very big?

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Shu Yao's cheeks flushed bright red.

Feeling guilty, she quickly lowered the car window a little to let the cold wind in.

He Zheng turned his head to look at her.

"hot?"

"I get carsick, I need some fresh air," she retorted firmly. Her voice was slightly unsteady.

He Zheng glanced at her flushed neck and casually turned down the car's air conditioning temperature by two degrees.

There's a traffic light intersection ahead.

The rain was so heavy that the whole street was completely blocked.

Suddenly, a white Lexus in the right lane turned on its lights, cut in front of the other vehicle, and crossed the solid line to change lanes.

He Zheng's eyes sharpened, and he reacted with lightning speed, swerving the steering wheel sharply to the left and slamming on the brakes.

The tires screeched as they rubbed against the wet asphalt.

The car suddenly stopped, but it was still half a second too late.

With a muffled thud, the Lexus's left door scraped against the SUV's right bumper.

Shu Yao's body lurched forward uncontrollably, the seatbelt digging into her collarbone, causing her to gasp in pain and almost burst into tears.

The Lexus's door opened.

A man with large, tattooed arms came down.

A bald man, wearing a thick gold necklace, walked over in the rain, cursing and swearing, and forcefully pounded on He Zheng's car window.

"Are you blind?! Can't you even drive?! Get out of there, you bastard!"

He Zheng turned off the engine without expression and unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Sit in the car and lock the door," he said to Shu Yao, before getting out of the car.

Shu Yao rubbed her reddened collarbone and looked out through the rain-soaked windshield.

The bald man was arrogantly pointing his finger at He Zheng's nose and cursing.

He Zheng was a head taller than him, with a straight back, like an unshakeable wall.

He glanced down at the scratches on the front of the car, then looked up at the bald man with a cold gaze.

The bald man froze under his gaze, the words of his curse stuck in his throat, his mouth open but unable to utter a sound.

His previous arrogance vanished almost instantly, and his aura was completely suppressed.

He Zheng pulled out his phone, his voice cutting through the rain into the car, low and cold: "The dashcam footage shows you crossed a solid line to change lanes; you're fully responsible. Settle this privately or call the police?"

The bald man swallowed hard, looked at He Zheng's muscular physique that seemed to burst out of his clothes, and then at the Land Cruiser SUV that barely had any paint chips.

They backed down.

"Let's settle this privately. Brother, add me on WeChat, and I'll transfer the money for your car repairs."

The battle was over in two minutes.

He Zheng opened the car door and got in, bringing in a blast of cold air from outside.

He grabbed a tissue and casually wiped the rain off his face before restarting the car.

Shu Yao was amazed by his efficiency in solving problems.

She is someone who hates trouble.

He seems to be someone who is good at solving problems.

*

The car was parked downstairs in Shu Yao's apartment complex.

"Let's get in." He Zheng didn't get out of the car; his fingers were on the steering wheel as he turned to look at her.

Shu Yao unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed open the door and got out of the car. The lobby security guard came over with an umbrella to help her take the cello down.

Only after watching that red figure walk into the lobby did He Zheng step on the gas.

The SUV merged into the main road traffic.

He Zheng took out a cigarette from his pocket, bit off a piece and lit it. The bluish-white smoke spread in the carriage, blurring his cold and hard eyebrows.

The phone call I received after my blind date that afternoon flashed through my mind.

He was sitting in his car outside the cafe when he dialed his mother's number.

His mother, Shen Minghua, is the powerful and influential "Iron Lady" of Shengshi Real Estate in this city.

He's usually decisive and efficient; he answers the phone very quickly.

"Second brother, how did it go? Did you scare the girl away?"

He Zheng rested one hand on the car window and exhaled a smoke ring.

"I've found her, that's her."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a deafening burst of laughter.

"She really likes it? Oh my goodness, it's like an iron tree has finally bloomed! Sister Zhang has done a great job this time!"

Before retiring, Aunt Zhang was her mother's top secretary.

After retiring, she became a well-known matchmaker in the industry.

On the surface, she's a helpful neighborhood committee auntie, but behind the scenes, she's a matchmaker for the second generation of government and business leaders, holding the city's top single resources.

Shu Yao's mother thought Aunt Zhang was just an ordinary neighbor, but in fact Aunt Zhang had already found out everything about her.

The He family valued Shu Yao's respectable family background, her scholarly upbringing, her beauty, and her respectable job.

I had already done my research before arranging this blind date.

"She has a bad temper," He Zheng said calmly, flicking his cigarette ash.

"What's wrong with a temper! What kind of family are we? Can't we afford to raise a little princess? If you like it, let her do whatever she wants!" Ms. Shen Minghua, wealthy and powerful, spoke in a loud voice. "Mom will arrange for someone to deliver the engagement as a token of our sincerity. You keep a close eye on her, don't let her run away!"

*

Shu Yao dragged her cello and stepped out of the elevator in high heels.

I'm feeling extremely irritable.

The hem of my skirt was completely wet and it was sticking to my legs, which was very uncomfortable.

As she unlocked the door, she was mentally planning how to deal with her mother.

That SWAT officer is a savage.

Rough. Bad-tempered.

That bald man was almost scared to death by just one look from him.

If we get married, won't he pull out a gun during any argument?

Let's just say that.

She opened the door as she thought.

Upon entering the house, Shu Yao froze as she put down her keys.

The crystal chandelier in the living room was fully lit, dazzlingly bright.

Her father, Shu Jianguo, the deputy director of the Municipal Bureau of Culture, usually maintained the aloofness of an old intellectual, but at this moment he sat upright on the leather sofa, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

Her mother, Lin Shufen, sat beside her, holding a purple clay teacup in her hand, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

The two stared intently at Shu Yao, who had just entered the room.

Their gazes were as intense as if they were looking at a newly mined gold mine.

Following their gaze, Shu Yao lowered her head.

The once spacious solid wood floor of the living room is now so bare that there's not even a place to put your feet.

On the left were four boxes of Feitian Moutai with special supply markings neatly stacked, and on the right was a set of exquisitely crafted sandalwood tea set and several jars of premium Da Hong Pao tea.

In the center of the coffee table, there were two large orange Hermès boxes tied with red ribbons. Next to them was a velvet brocade box with its lid half open, inside which lay a pair of icy jadeite bracelets with excellent clarity, so green they were dazzling.

The entire living room reeked of money.

"What...what's going on?" Shu Yao stood stunned at the doorway.

He pointed at the things scattered on the ground, his voice dry.

Lin Shufen stood up immediately, rushed over, and grabbed Shu Yao's hand.

His voice trembled with excitement.

"Yaoyao, your Aunt Zhang just called and covered everything."

"What do you mean by 'covering'?" Shu Yao swallowed.

"That He Zheng!" Lin Shufen raised her voice, her throat cracking, "His mother is Shen Minghua, the chairman of Shengshi Real Estate! His grandfather is a retired high-ranking officer! Your grandfather even served under him! You brat, why didn't you tell us you got engaged after your blind date? The He family even sent a huge engagement gift right to our door!"

Shu Yao felt a loud buzzing in her head.