Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The man was close… too close. The faint smell of odor, no, fragrance coming from him, coupled with a thin blanket of cigar smoke, assaulted her olfactory senses. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed red. His skin was so fair, the kind of fairness that women coveted for. His pores were so clean that they were barely visible. His facial features were perfectly in place, eerily symmetrical even. The closer he got to her, the faster her heart beat, skipping beats many times.
She was not used to it; being so close to another man besides Bai Wenxuan. She could not take it any longer. He was too close! Just when she was ready to raise her hands to block him from coming any closer, she heard a familiar sound.
Clack.
The man was coming in closer to help her fasten her seatbelt. Then, and only then, did the warning signal on the car odometer stop blinking, allowing the man to start the car. She, on the other hand, was stunned.
The atmosphere was undeniably awkward and heavy.
Did she think he was going to kiss her?
He was merely being a gentleman, helping a lady to fasten her seatbelt, albeit an action that was uncalled for. Nevertheless, her mind drifted so fast and far! Embarrassed, she wanted very much to find a hole and hide in it, at least it was better than facing the reality that she had lewd thoughts!
The car was silent except for the humming of the car engine that was muffled greatly by the chassis. After she was sure her mind was settled, she turned her eyes to the man, who was focused on nothing else but driving. The passing street lights shimmered into the car, briefly illuminating his face that was stoic with distinguished elegance. Before, Xia Yanxi had always thought that Bai Wenxuan was the epitome of one who was handsome, a man with the utmost force of attraction. Now, she could not help but feel, the man that was turning and adjusting the wheel slightly at times, was far better than her ex.
“Like what you see?” the man’s voice rang. Husky, deep and clear.
Involuntarily, she answered, “I do.”
Only after she realized that the words had come out of her mouth, she blushed again. Her eyebrows were twitching, filled with emotions.
She could not tell but it seemed the man was satisfied with the answer she had instinctively given. From the corner of his lips, the same smile was seen; the indiscernible one.
Even though it was a faint smile, Xia Yanxi was certain that the man was indeed an homme fatale. With that thought in mind, she averted her gaze, not wanting to fall prey to his charms.
When her heart started to slow down, slowly reverting back to a normal heart beat, she sucked her lips in for a bit. Nervous and unsure, she asked, “Sir, you have me in the car and you are driving me somewhere, yet you did not ask for my home address. Where are you taking me?
He cocked his head a little before turning to look at her once before focusing back on the road.
Words and voices like scarce gold, he said, “My house.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. She tried to speak, to find a way to reason with him, as she stuttered.
“Y-Y-Your h-house?”
The man lifted one of his hands off the steering wheel and slowly approached her, cupping her tiny hands that rested peacefully on her thighs.
“Didn’t you want this? To marry me?”
As his large hands completely covered hers, her heart beat so fast that it felt as if it were going to break through her rib cage. This time, voluntarily, she removed her hands, placing them closer to her chest. Blushing and slightly shy, she said, “But, you rejected me… no?”
The man was unaffected by the sudden retraction of her hands from his. He merely arched an eyebrow, without looking at her.
“Did I?”
Xia Yanxi froze. Seeing as how he was not going to build on top of that, she prompted further, “Do you… Are you sure you want to marry me?”
The man nodded.
“I said it before, and I will say it again. I never joke about this kind of thing,” he said, with a determined face.
Convinced of his certainty, she leaned back on the chair and went into deep thoughts. After a while, she finally decided to reveal her true purpose of getting married.
“I… have some family issues to deal with. In short, I need to find a man to be wedded to in the shortest period of time. Coincidently, I overheard back in the restaurant that you were forced to get married, to find a wife as soon as possible. To be honest, the two of us are but strangers to each other. Yet, both of us could use each other for our own benefits. We can get married, be husband and wife, but not be socially forced to commit to each other.”
“Also, I don’t need your money and I will not partake in any of your personal life. I hope… that you can consider doing the same.”
Qiao Yanli smiled, faintly, as he listened to Xia Yanxi’s continuous rambling. His eyes still focused on the road, unwavering. He remained quiet. Not doing anything to express his acknowledgment of what Xia Yanxi was proposing.