I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

Liu Ruyan then remembered that there was still money involved.

Then, she noticed a blind spot: "Do I still have a salary?"

Chen Ya handed her the receipt: "The total cost is 9 yuan. I'll round it down for you. I'll give you 500 next month."

Liu Ruyan covered her mouth, somewhat surprised.

First, she didn't expect that she would have a salary, and second, she didn't expect that the salary would be as much as 3000.

She had no concept of money and could only keep converting 3000 yuan into crispy roasted sausages. When those pink sausages fell from the sky, she felt like a rich woman for the first time.

Even though she used to eat kaiseki cuisine whenever she wanted and her clothes cost tens of thousands of yen, she never felt as wealthy as she is now.

When they got home, a kind-looking aunt from next door came over, her eyes constantly glancing at the two of them, and she couldn't stop smiling.

"Chen Ya, are you dating someone?" the aunt asked.

Chen Ya gestured at her: "No, this is my cousin."

"Haha, I thought they were a young couple. They look like a married couple."

Liu Ruyan lowered her head and went into the house, putting down the bag in her hand and rubbing her hands together like a fly.

The bag really did tighten her palms until they turned red. She switched hands countless times along the way, and both hands were red from the tightness.

Chen Ya walked over and took her hand directly.

"oops!"

He ignored her small gasp, took her hand and opened it, seeing the red marks all over it, and asked, "Does it hurt a lot from being strangled?"

She nodded slightly.

Why didn't you tell me?

"You've brought up more, so I think I can too..."

“Is this the same thing?” Chen Ya spread out his hands. “My hands are covered in calluses, while yours are so soft, like tofu. If it hurts, just say so.”

He grabbed the girl's hand and pinched it repeatedly, making Liu Ruyan's face turn red again, then turned his head to look to the side.

"...Stop pinching me, it doesn't hurt anymore."

Chapter 54 Master, what kind of work do you do?

"No, I haven't sculpted enough yet."

Chen Ya grabbed her hand and squeezed it wildly like a kitten kneading its mother, while Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth and closed her eyes.

Shame, resentment, grievance, and about a hundred other emotions mingled together like rivers flowing into the sea, making her feel that the impact of this behavior was no more than what a respectable woman would have to endure if she encountered bandits on the road.

The reason for all of this is that she doesn't hate being bullied like this at all.

I actually found it quite comfortable.

Her long-standing upbringing as a lady prevented her from showing joy in this situation, which is why she was in so much pain.

The only way to console myself in this situation is: it's because I'm too honest that I let him take advantage of me without any resistance.

It's definitely not for any other reason.

"All right."

Like a heartless scumbag who started a relationship and then abandoned her, Chen Ya shook off her hand and left. Liu Ruyan opened her eyes angrily, only to find that the marks on her hand had disappeared like snow melting in water.

"Hey? My hand doesn't hurt anymore."

Liu Ruyan followed him to the kitchen, where Chen Ya was putting vegetables into the refrigerator.

She held her palm up to the window, and the light shone through her fair, slender fingers, casting a halo around the edges of her palm.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"The Chen family's unique craftsmanship is not open to inquiry," Chen Ya replied.

He placed a few tomatoes, potatoes, and green peppers on the counter, and held up one finger:

"Next, I'll teach you how to prepare the ingredients. Watch carefully, I'll only demonstrate once."

With that, a gleaming blade flashed, sharp as a knife that could kill instantly. The cleaver struck the cutting board, its sound like horseshoes or drumbeats. In the blink of an eye, the vegetables were neatly sliced ​​and arranged on a plate, even forming a flower shape.

Liu Ruyan's mouth was wide open, and her jaw couldn't close for a long time:

"I...I didn't see it..."

"Then we'll study this afternoon."

Chen Ya washed his hands, grabbed an apple, ran to the sofa, sat down, and turned on the TV.

Liu Ruyan slowly followed behind him, sitting down two body lengths away and secretly observing him.

The spot where he sat was exactly where she had lain yesterday. Liu Ruyan's mind slowly raced, wondering if he had considered this possibility.

"Oh? Look, the missing person notice is even on TV." Chen Ya said, pointing to the TV screen.

Liu Ruyan looked over and overheard the TV host describing her appearance.

"...The missing woman is 166 cm tall and weighs 50 kg. She was wearing a white Lolita-style dress and went missing after boarding a bus at the xx bus stop. If any members of the public have any information, please call the hotline xxxx as soon as possible. A reward of 50 yuan will be offered for helpful information..."

Liu Ruyan's mouth dropped open: "50?"

“Hmm,” Chen Ya nodded, “Your parents are quite willing to spend money.”

He tossed his hand, and the apple core landed precisely in the trash can.

50, which translates to 10 crispy roasted sausages!

Liu Ruyan shook her head vigorously: "I don't want to go back."

Chen Ya lay on his side on the sofa, his expression unreadable: "They must be very anxious."

Liu Ruyan lowered her head and remained silent.

She remained silent for a long time.

Chen Ya nodded: "Understood."

He added, "Then remember to wear a mask when you go out. This city is big enough that you don't have to see people you don't want to see for the rest of your life."

Liu Ruyan's tense mood relaxed.

This small room, so cramped it couldn't hold much mental space, yet she felt more free here than in her own 500-square-meter home.

Looking back, she realized that she had become dependent on the person in front of her almost instantly. She didn't know why before, but now she understood.

Being with him, I never felt controlled.

From childhood to adulthood, she was controlled by her parents every single day, only able to breathe like a diver surfacing before going to sleep at night.

Being by Chen Ya's side, the feeling of freedom is like the wind coming from all directions.

If she didn't want to go back, she could stay here; if she couldn't learn it, she could learn it again next time... This sense of ease was something she had never experienced in her previous life.

Such immense freedom made her feel hesitant and timid. Like someone groping their way downstairs in the dark, she explored the boundaries of freedom little by little, content even when she bumped into the edge. But so far, she still can't see where those boundaries are.

In just two days, she felt a sense of belonging to the small room.

The clock hanging above the door ticked away steadily. The wind blew in through the balcony window, and the distant honking of cars from the main road made the room seem even quieter.

Such a quiet, peaceful, and uneventful morning was a novel experience for Liu Ruyan, unlike anything she had ever had before.

She was feeling a little sleepy and gave a small yawn.

Chen Ya pressed the remote control, changing channels.

"Splat".

"Are you alright? Are you alright? Are you okay?... If you're alright, have some plums..."

"Splat".

"...This humiliating defeat for the national football team has become the biggest topic of conversation these past two days. Let's..."

"Splat".

"...Typhoon 'Sinhala,' the second typhoon of the year, has formed. Although its structure is relatively loose and its strength is relatively weak, but..."

"Splat".

"Right now, I feel a mix of excitement, fear, joy, and happiness..."

"Splat".

"..."

Liu Ruyan finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "By the way, this morning you said you'd come back and explain to me about that...that thing..."

When they went to buy clothes in the morning, Chen Ya told the shop owner that he was grooming her to be his girlfriend.

As she spoke, she felt a sudden urge to slap herself.

Why bother pursuing this kind of thing?

If that's really what he thinks, how should I respond?

How should I reject him? And after rejecting him, how can I have the nerve to stay by his side?

Thinking about this, she wanted to pluck the hair off her head.

“Oh,” Chen Ya said, “I thought if I said you were my girlfriend, she would give me a discount.”

"Just for this?" Liu Ruyan tilted her head.

"if not?"

"..."

Liu Ruyan regretted it even more.

What do you do for a living?

Chen Ya turned the TV volume down, turned around, and looked at her with a puzzled expression: "Work?"

Liu Ruyan said nervously, "Because...because...I've never seen you work before."

Chen Ya lazily turned his head: "Do people live for work? No, it's for freedom. I remember telling you, what oath I made when I was born?"

Liu Ruyan remembered that he said he wanted to live as the freest man in the world.

Despite Chen Ya's repeated insistence, Liu Ruyan chose not to believe him again. Because babies don't swear oaths.

"You need to work to earn money, right?" Liu Ruyan said. "You seem to have money, but I haven't seen you working, so..."

“The first step to poverty is to work and then receive a salary,” Chen Ya said. “Your family is very rich, but did your father earn so much money through his salary?”

“Yes,” Liu Ruyan said, “Isn’t that right?”

Chen Ya sat up.

What does your dad do for a living?

“He works very hard,” Liu Ruyan said. “He told me that at his busiest, he flew to three cities in one day. In the morning, he would play golf with clients in Shenzhen, then fly to Haicheng to have seafood with clients at noon, and then fly to Beijing to have tea with clients in the afternoon, not returning home until late at night.”

"...He must have had a really tough time," Chen Ya said sarcastically.

"Right?" Liu Ruyan didn't recognize the meaning.

Chen Ya suddenly moved closer, put a hand on her shoulder, and pulled her into his arms:

"So, you're a little rich girl? If I get together with you, does that mean I won't have to work hard anymore?"

Liu Ruyan looked down at his hand on her shoulder, then looked up at his face.

Her heart suddenly started pounding like a diesel engine.

Chapter 55 Quickly Take Off Your Clothes (Thanks to Alliance Leader ptik1786913)

Liu Ruyan grabbed his hand that was on her shoulder, gently put it down, and then quietly moved away from him by a body length.

"I...I believe that marriage should be based on love, so..."

"I agree with you." Chen Ya crossed his legs, flicked his fingers, and swallowed the rest of her sentence.

"A marriage with only material things and no love is stable but unhappy; a marriage with only love and no material things is happy but unstable."