Chapter 067: You Don’t Mind My Germs?

Chapter 067: You Don’t Mind My Germs?

Li Ruobing really was stubborn down to the bone.

But this time she’d genuinely thought it through. She’d run through every possibility, every assumption, and no matter how she turned it over, it came out impossible. She’d even entertained the idea that Wu Chen might be close friends with Su Ruiwen himself. Even under that assumption, it still struck her as impossible.

Three reasons, at the core of it.

First: the Su family would never budge. Any son-in-law had to meet their standards, full stop.

Second: for all that Su Qingying was a formidable woman in her career, she was also, at heart, an obedient daughter. She listened to her family. Always had, from childhood on. She’d been disciplined too hard for too long, and had long since learned to accept what came her way. She wasn’t the type to defy her family the way Li Ruobing had defied hers.

Third—and this was the important one—Wu Chen would never, under any circumstances, marry into someone else’s family.

Her confidence wasn’t only in the Su family. She had just as much confidence in Wu Chen.

How could a man like him—that capable, that sharp, a man who never once lowered his head to anyone—possibly agree to marry in?

She knew he liked holding the reins on everything. She knew nothing ever rattled him, that he’d never grovel before anyone, no matter the situation.

Marry in? Absolutely not.

“You’re really going to bet with me again?” Wu Chen grinned, showing a row of small white teeth.

He’d figured that, after thinking it over this long, she’d have learned her lesson. He hadn’t expected her to actually agree.

“I’ll bet! What’s there to be afraid of?” Li Ruobing said.

“I’m afraid you’ll lose again, suffer a mental collapse, and start doubting your entire life,” Wu Chen said with a smile.

“You’re the one about to have a mental collapse. Cut the crap.” Li Ruobing gave his tie another tug, then let it go, smoothing it flat with two quick strokes of her hand. Looking up at him, she said, “Out with it. The exact terms, and the stakes.”

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to accept my demand,” Wu Chen said.

“That confident? Do you have any relationship with the Su family right now?”

“No relationship. We don’t know each other yet.”

“Then what are you wasting words for? Are you scared? You said it because you thought I wouldn’t dare bet with you. Well, I’m betting anyway. Come on, say it.”

“You really don’t learn, do you, Boss Li?”

“Talk.”

“Fine. Three days. I will make Su Qingying become my woman—the kind who stays with me for life.”

“I’ll give you thirty days.”

“No. Three days is enough.”

“Fine, fine, you’re impressive. I’ll see what you say three days from now. What are the stakes?”

“You go first.”

“If you lose, I want you to kneel and apologize to me!” Li Ruobing pointed at the floor. She wanted to win it back. Since she had knelt to Wu Chen once, she also wanted him to kneel to her once.

“No problem.” Wu Chen smiled.

“And your condition?” Li Ruobing immediately asked.

“My condition…” Wu Chen drew it out, rolling his shoulders and working his neck like he was loosening up before a workout. Then he set one hand on Li Ruobing’s shoulder, leaned in, and murmured close to her ear. “Lately… so… I need you… maybe… anytime… a hundred times. How’s that sound?”

“One hundred times?” Li Ruobing asked from the corner of her eye.

“If you think it’s too much trouble, then forget it. We don’t have to bet,” Wu Chen said, as if he truly didn’t want to bet with her at all.

“No. It’s not trouble. I’ll bet. If I lose, I’ll accept the result!” Li Ruobing said at once.

The wager was locked in.

The two of them went out together.

By the time they walked out of Li Ruobing’s office, she was already smiling, arm looped through his, looking bright as spring and clearly in wonderful spirits. Not a crack showed. Anyone watching would have taken them for a couple hopelessly in love.

Off to lunch.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Donghai’s New Century Plaza, one of the city’s busiest commercial streets.

The newly opened Italian restaurant Li Ruobing had mentioned earlier sat right here.

Wu Chen had eaten here before too. It had only opened half a month ago, true, but he’d spent a thousand years living through July 7th over and over. A restaurant still novel enough to interest Li Ruobing was, to him, as familiar as it could possibly get.

The food really was good.

The restaurant’s storefront wasn’t much to look at, but the space inside opened up wide. Outside the entrance sat a handful of tables under sun umbrellas, and between that and the overall decor, the whole place had the feel of a vacation somewhere abroad.

The weather was good, so the two of them picked a table outside, under one of the umbrellas. With a light breeze drifting through, it was pleasant enough.

They ordered without much thought—beef with tuna sauce, pasta, seafood soup, and a salad—and chatted idly while they waited.

In truth, the two of them didn’t need to eat together every day—this was all an act, after all, playing at being a couple. But if Wu Chen had the time and Li Ruobing had the time, then eating together made sense, and it had to happen somewhere public. Only that made it look “real.”

Today, though, they weren’t out engineering some chance encounter with a wealthy boss to boost the effect. They were just having lunch. This place had been a casual pick, nothing more.

The odds of running into any top-tier businessmen here were slim.

Not because the place lacked class. It was more that the city’s real heavyweights tended to be in their forties and fifties or older, and Western food simply wasn’t their habit. Besides, a restaurant like this wasn’t the place to entertain clients—you might love the food, but your client might not, and that made it a risky bet.

No one bothered them, and hardly anyone here would recognize Li Ruobing, which left her thoroughly relaxed.

“…I really should thank you properly. The contract was signed very smoothly, and the endorsement fee was very low. Oh, right…”

As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and tapped through a few quick screens.

Ding!

A text landed on Wu Chen’s phone. A bank deposit notice.

Twenty million.

“Thank you, Boss Li.” Wu Chen glanced at the screen and smiled. Even now, he still called her Boss Li—and Li Ruobing was starting to find it faintly strange to hear.

“Can you stop calling me Boss Li? We’re already this familiar… Besides, there are so many people here. If an acquaintance heard that, it would blow our cover.”

“All right… Ruobing,” Wu Chen said, and smiled again.

“Excuse me…” A server arrived first with their drinks.

They hadn’t ordered alcohol—just juice, watermelon and orange.

The server placed the two glasses down and left.

Li Ruobing picked up the large glass of orange juice, took the straw between her lips, and sipped. Her brows knit at once.

Wu Chen, who had taken a sip of watermelon juice, noticed her expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s too sour. You try it…” Li Ruobing handed the orange juice to him.

Wu Chen took it and tried a sip through the straw. It really was sour. He already knew the orange juice here ran sour, and he knew Li Ruobing didn’t care for anything that tart—he’d been the one who ordered the drinks, after all.

“It is sour. Drink this.” Wu Chen set the orange juice down, picked up the large glass of watermelon juice, and handed it to her.

Li Ruobing took it, sipped through the straw, and by the look on her face, was well satisfied.

“I used that straw. You don’t mind my germs?” Wu Chen asked with a smile.