Free Web NovelChapter 318: Chapter 318: A Rash Proposal
Su Li always thought it was a bit far-fetched and was skeptical of things like love at first sight, but Yang Jiu’s subsequent passionate and relentless pursuit left her unable to argue.
Yang Jiu wasn’t just testing the waters; he was genuinely putting his heart into pursuing her and spared no expense.
But Su Li refused to accept.
Su Li did everything she could to refuse any valuable gifts, returning them all to Yang Jiu.
She had also made it crystal clear to Yang Jiu that she was already seeing someone.
But Yang Jiu continued his pursuit anyway, hoping Su Li would give him a chance.
Yang Jiu hadn’t shown any such inclinations when they’d first signed the partnership agreement. He only started pursuing her after they became business partners.
Su Li was exasperated.
With most people, she could just make herself clear and then ignore them, but as her business partner, Yang Jiu was impossible to avoid.
Su Li gave an awkward smile and got into the car.
’I’ll have Sister Cuihua take over this from now on. I can just use school as an excuse to pull back.’
Su Li decided silently.
"After we finish touring the factory, let’s go get something to eat."
Yang Jiu sat beside Su Li. He signaled for the driver to start the car before speaking to her.
"I have other things to do, so maybe..."
Yang Jiu cut her off with a chuckle. "Just half an hour. Think of it as a celebration of our partnership. This meal is long overdue."
A flash of anxiety crossed his eyes, but he didn’t give Su Li a chance to refuse. "It’s settled, then."
Yang Jiu toured the factory with great focus, carefully inspecting the finished clothes. He was the consummate professional when it came to business.
But as soon as their business was concluded, he took the keys, dismissed the driver, and reverted to his role as her pursuer.
"After you," he said, opening the car door for her.
Su Li sighed in resignation.
"Please, you must do me the honor. I have other matters to discuss with you, too."
Since he put it that way, Su Li could only agree and get in the car.
Yang Jiu took Su Li to a Western-style restaurant.
A candlelight dinner, for which he had booked the entire restaurant.
As she ate, Su Li began to have a bad feeling.
Her feeling was right.
Halfway through the meal, the already romantic candlelight dinner was taken to the next level.
Yang Jiu proposed.
"Su Li, I know you’ve been doubting my sincerity. Today, I’m going to prove it to you."
He proposed with a camera.
Su Li had been meaning to buy a camera for some time, but she’d never gotten around to it. It was a mystery how Yang Jiu knew, but he placed a brand new camera right in front of her.
"This camera isn’t an engagement gift. It’s just to show you how sincere I am. If you marry me, Su Li, I will do everything in my power to give you anything you ever want."
"I can’t promise you the world, but I can promise to give you anything you desire."
Yang Jiu gazed at Su Li with deep affection. "Su Li, will you marry me?"
Su Li nearly choked to death on her steak.
"Mr. Yang, please don’t." Su Li managed to swallow, waving her hands in protest.
"I genuinely like you, and I genuinely like Little Mo. If you’re worried about Little Tang Mo, we can have him officially entered into the Yang Family registry before we marry. He’ll be my eldest son and can inherit the Yang Family fortune one day."
"And you can co-own the Yang Family’s businesses with me. If I’m ever unfaithful, half of the Yang Family fortune will be yours."
Yang Jiu stood up. "Now that I’ve said and done all this, surely you can see how sincere I am?"
He took two steps forward and looked at Su Li earnestly. "Su Li, marry me."
The restaurant staff, who had already recognized Yang Jiu, gasped collectively when they heard his offer.
The young women on staff looked at Su Li with overwhelming envy, covering their mouths and wishing they could say yes for her.
’How much money is that? If she’s not tempted by this, what would it take?’
Money. Who doesn’t love it? Of course Su Li was tempted.
But her temptation was different from that of the young women.
She sighed. "I can see your sincerity, but Mr. Yang, I wasn’t joking before. I am seeing someone."
Su Li gave him an apologetic smile, then turned and walked away.
The restaurant staff stared in disbelief as Su Li just walked out.
"Oh my God."
Amid the staff’s collective sigh, Yang Jiu lowered his head and ran out after her.
Su Li had already hailed a pedicab and was gone.
Yang Jiu stood at the doorway, his eyes filled with anxiety as he watched the pedicab disappear into the distance.
Perhaps because Su Li’s rejection had been so firm, Yang Jiu didn’t contact her again. He still hadn’t reached out by the time her new semester began.
After the new semester began, Wu Sheng, now a shade darker, finally returned.
He went home, saw Wu Qihua, and spruced himself up. Then, Wu Sheng hopped on the bicycle he hadn’t ridden in ages and headed for Su Li’s university.
As Su Li was coming out of her classroom building after class, the first person she saw was Wu Sheng.
Wu Sheng stood out effortlessly among the crowd of students.
Wu Sheng was wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses, leaning casually against his bike and facing the building’s exit.
Su Li spotted Wu Sheng at once, and he spotted her at the same moment.
When he saw her looking, the corner of his mouth instantly curled into a smirk.
He lazily got on his bike and started to ride away. A familiar wooden board hung from the back, impossible to miss.
"Miss me? Hurry up and come here."
The script was his familiar, flamboyant scrawl, and the words were just as familiarly conceited.
Su Li had to fight to keep from laughing.
"Whoa, who’s that handsome guy? Does he go here?"
"No idea. Who do you think he’s here to see?"
"What does that board say?"
Wu Sheng was the kind of person who drew attention wherever he went. It wasn’t just Su Li; many other students had noticed him too.
Listening to the others’ chatter, Su Li suppressed a smile, said goodbye to Chang E, and followed after Wu Sheng.
Just like last time, Wu Sheng stopped partway down the road to wait for her.
As she drew near, he got back on his bike and continued on, not forgetting to flip the little wooden board over.
On the other side of the little board were just two words.
"Let’s hug."
It took Su Li two seconds to realize what was happening.
The two sides of the board actually formed a single sentence.
"Miss me? Hurry up and come give me a hug!"
Su Li stared at Wu Sheng’s back. "..."
’I’ve been way too busy to think about him! And there’s no way I’m going to hug him!’
Su Li really wanted to turn around and walk away, but her feet, unfortunately, had other ideas and kept following him.
When Wu Sheng met Su Li outside the campus, the first thing he asked was:
"From the front, the back, or the side? How do you want to hug me?"
Su Li: "..."
"Or do you want to hug me from every angle?" Wu Sheng asked when she didn’t reply.
Su Li exhaled. "...I’m not hugging you."
"If you don’t hug me, how are you going to cure your longing for me? You didn’t miss me?" Wu Sheng retorted instantly.
Su Li: "I didn’t miss you."
Wu Sheng chuckled. "But I missed you."
There was a smile in his voice, but his words were completely serious.
His eyes weren’t lying; his dark, bottomless gaze was greedily drinking her in.
Su Li’s face instantly flushed red.
While things were heating up between Su Li and Wu Sheng, Tang Yuanxiao—who had left the enclosed training grounds at the same time as Wu Sheng—was in a far more somber mood.
He hadn’t returned to his unit. Instead, he went straight to the women’s prison.
He’d been in closed-off selection training for a month and hadn’t been able to visit Mrs. Tang.
He rushed over the moment he was out.
This visit was also a farewell.
Tang Yuanxiao would soon be leaving for advanced training.
He was one of only nine people who had made it through the grueling selection process.
As expected, he had passed.
According to the schedule, they would be departing in three days.
He wouldn’t be back for another month.
