First, then, love.

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall.

His palms were burning hot.

Shu Yao felt as if a branding iron had been stuck to the back of her hand.

The calluses from years of holding a gun pressed down along the texture of her delicate skin.

It's both numb and scraping.

She abruptly pulled her hand back.

The force was too great, and I lost my footing. My slipper got stuck in the edge of the thick cashmere carpet, and my ankle twisted.

She stumbled back two steps, her lower back slamming into the glass dressing table behind her.

With a loud "clang".

Several perfume bottles worth thousands of yuan on the table wobbled and nearly fell to the ground.

Shu Yao ignored the pain.

Her chest heaved violently, and her breathing became erratic.

The hand he had just held involuntarily curled up, and the palm was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

He Zheng stood still and didn't go forward to help her.

He lowered his eyelids, glanced at his empty palm, and unconsciously pinched his thumb and forefinger together.

I savored that smooth, slippery feel.

Then, he lifted his eyelids, his dark gaze locking onto her once more.

That look is deadly, like a leopard staring at an antelope's neck in an animal documentary.

Shu Yao couldn't stand the feeling of being suppressed in every way.

She needs to regain her home advantage.

"He Zheng." She forced herself to stand up straight, raising her chin. "We're all adults. If a blind date has come this far, it's basically about living together."

He Zheng looked at her with deep eyes, remaining silent.

Let her continue writing.

"You've seen what my family's financial situation is like." Shu Yao reached out, her fingertip pointing to the row of expensive skincare products on the dressing table. "The price of one of my face creams is equivalent to half a month's salary for you. We can get married. But let's get this straight."

She swallowed hard, her throat tightening.

"Let's sign a prenuptial agreement and separate our assets. Your money is mine, and my money is mine. I'm not after your He family's powerful background (except for the money), and you shouldn't expect to control my spending. Let's just get a marriage certificate, go back to our respective homes for holidays, and live under the same roof as roommates without interfering with each other."

She rehearsed these words with Qiaoqiao several times in bed last night.

They believed their logic was rigorous and flawless.

A typical modern urban woman's clear-headed remarks (except regarding money).

After listening, He Zheng raised his eyebrows by half an inch.

He suddenly twitched the corner of his mouth and uttered a very short monosyllable.

"laugh."

It wasn't mockery; it was more like listening to a little girl say she wanted to build a spaceship.

I find it funny.

Shu Yao's face flushed red, and her anger flared up.

"What are you laughing at! This is perfectly fair!"

He Zheng put one hand into his trouser pocket, took a step forward, and leveled the distance between the two.

The man's tall shadow enveloped her once more.

Shu Yao's lower back was pressed tightly against the edge of the dressing table, with nowhere left to retreat.

He Zheng took something out of his pocket.

A short, black genuine leather wallet, outdated in style, with even the edges worn smooth and patina-like.

It looks like it's been used for many years.

It didn't match his expensive casual suit at all.

He held his wallet and raised his hand.

Shu Yao closed her eyes in fright, thinking he was about to attack her.

"Smack."

A dull thud struck Shu Yao, but instead of hitting her face, it hit the glass dressing table behind her.

Shu Yao opened her eyes.

He Zheng braced his arms against the edge of the dressing table, trapping her between himself and the table.

He opened the old wallet with one hand, his slender fingers fiddling with the inner compartments.

He pulled out an ICBC savings card and threw it on the glass counter.

"Salary card." His voice was low and husky, with a metallic quality.

He then pulled out a black China Merchants Bank credit card and tossed it next to his debit card.

"My supplementary card has a credit limit of one million. If that's not enough, I'll ask for more."

Not finished yet.

He reached his fingers into the innermost zippered compartment of the wallet and pulled out a key.

A security door keychain with a black electronic identification buckle and a simple metal ring hanging on it.

"Click." The key and card lay side by side.

He Zheng withdrew his hand, his dark eyes fixed on Shu Yao's pale face.

"Jinxiu Huating, a large single-level apartment. It's a ten-minute drive from your workplace, perfect for a wedding."

The air seemed to freeze.

Shu Yao stared blankly at the two cards and a key, her mind buzzing.

She had prepared a whole host of negotiating arguments.

What about splitting expenses equally after marriage? What about household chores?

Now everything has been smashed to pieces by this man's simple and brutal actions.

He Zheng leaned forward slightly, and the two were only two centimeters apart at the tip of their noses.

The hot air sprayed onto Shu Yao's cheeks, making her eyelashes tremble.

"What agreement?" He Zheng's voice was low and penetrating in the quiet bedroom. "Men of the He family don't do that. Once we're married, everything I own is yours."

Shu Yao's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

"Aren't you afraid I'll bankrupt you?"

"Try it," He Zheng said calmly, with an air of arrogance. "Let's see if you can bankrupt me."

He straightened up and put some distance between himself and the body.

The cramped and oppressive feeling in the bedroom dissipated slightly.

Shu Yao was finally able to catch her breath.

"The password is my badge number." He Zheng glanced at her slightly trembling hands at her side. "I'll send it to your phone so you can spend whatever you want, as long as you're happy. Buy bags, shoes, all those bottles and jars of yours, buy whatever you like."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over her face, which was trying to appear calm.

"As for being roommates," a dark glint flashed in He Zheng's eyes, "you wish."

Shu Yao gasped in shock at those words.

Just as I was about to refute.

He Zheng had already turned around and was walking towards the door.

Princess, the calico cat on the corner cat tree, had been curled up in a ball and pretending to be dead.

Just then, seeing the terrifying man turn around, they mustered their courage and poked their heads out.

"Meow—" it let out a weak meow.

An attempt to assert sovereignty.

He Zheng didn't stop walking. He turned his head and gave a cool, sweeping look.

The princess immediately pulled her neck back.

A gurgling sound came from his throat.

There has been absolutely no further activity.

He was a complete coward.

Shu Yao looked at her ancestor, who usually acted like a tyrant at home and didn't even respect her father, and was frightened into a quail by a single look from He Zheng.

I was so angry my teeth were itching.

waste.

All those imported canned foods I usually feed him are a waste.

The princess seemed to understand her gaze, and let out a weak "meow," as if to say: You're useless too.

He Zheng walked to the door and grasped the doorknob.

"I'll pick you up on Friday. We'll go get our marriage certificate."

He said something to her with his back to her.

With a flick of his wrist, he turned the locked door open with a "click".

Shu Jianguo's hearty laughter came from the living room outside.

"Hey He! The water pipes are fixed? Come on, come on, let's play a couple of games! I've already set up the chessboard!"

"Uncle is here." He Zheng's voice instantly returned to the calm and honest tone of a son-in-law.

The door was pulled open and then closed behind it.

The bedroom fell silent once more.

Shu Yao leaned against the dressing table, exhausted, panting heavily, her legs feeling weak.