“You’ll cook it yourself,” he said firmly.
He was deliberately making things difficult for her. Li Yaru couldn’t take the grievance and stood up angrily. “Fine, Zhuang Qiting, you just said you’d treat your wife well, pamper and spoil her, and now you want me to cook and serve you? I think you’re a big liar! Don’t you know the kitchen is hot?!”
“So… am I your wife now?” Zhuang Qiting asked with interest, his cold eyes like storm clouds enveloping her.
Li Yaru glared at him and looked away, shyly saying, “…I’m not willing.”
His expression was indifferent. He slowly poured himself a cup of tea, though the restaurant’s complimentary tea was mediocre and far from his taste.
Holding the cup, he didn’t take a sip, only letting out a cold laugh: “Am I a clearance item? If Arou wants me, she takes me. If not, I’m trash to be discarded. Picking and choosing on a whim.”
His icy mockery stunned Li Yaru. She pursed her lips tightly and stepped back awkwardly. The modest-sized private room felt suffocating because of his presence.
“You mad?”
Was she offending him by ending things silently?
Li Yaru’s voice was very light, not daring to be even a little mischievous.
She was truly intimidated and could only obediently explain, “You suddenly said you want to marry me, and I didn’t react. I thought you just wanted to use me…”
“You think I’m using you as a mistress, a toy to play with for a few months until bored, then you can leave, right?” Zhuang Qiting finished her sentence with a low, cold voice. “Fine, then be happy now. No need to force yourself to marry me. From now on, just obediently be my fiancée. But you want to leave after a few months? Not that easy. I won’t let go. You’ll keep playing your part. I have no other demands, just one: make me happy.”
“Go ahead,” Zhuang Qiting set down the tea. “I’m waiting to eat the banquet you cook.”
Li Yaru stubbornly stood her ground, staring unblinking at his cold profile. Her heart welled with grievance. He was moody, cold, stern, domineering— a difficult bastard to please!
“Not happy?” Zhuang Qiting asked, tilting his head to look at her.
Her charming peach blossom eyes filled with grievance. He actually felt sorry and wanted to pull her into his arms, kiss her eyes, nose, mouth, and soothe her.
But his controlling nature forced him to tightly confine Li Yaru within his domain, grinding away her rebellious spirit, so that even if she grew wings, she wouldn’t dare to fly— she would submit of her own accord.
If only she were more obedient, he wouldn’t resort to such measures.
He said expressionlessly, “Feeling wronged? This is just one meal. If I made you cook for me your whole life, wouldn’t you be crying all the time?”
He was too fierce. Even when spanking her before, he never was this harsh. Though he controlled everything, he was always gentle and indulgent, spoiling her.
And yet now, shamelessly, he wanted to force her to cook forever.
Li Yaru’s eyes suddenly stung fiercely, a hot wave rushing up her nose. Tears silently rolled down.
She cried with restrained stubbornness— not really crying, but another kind of resistance. She stood firm, eyes reddened strangely, staring straight at him.
“I’m not going,” she said stubbornly, her hoarse voice firm.
Zhuang Qiting sneered. “Not going? Do you want me to send someone to invite your father to cook for me personally?”
The air stiffened instantly, with noises occasionally drifting from outside.
Li Yaru didn’t move, as stubborn as a water buffalo. But Zhuang Qiting lost patience first, becoming irritably restless.
With a stern face, he gulped down the cheap tea, which was lukewarm and even worse tasting.
“Li Yaru,” Zhuang Qiting called.
She remained silent.
“Li Yaru,” he lowered his tone.
Li Yaru still said nothing, fists clenched, like a stubborn block of wood confronting him.
Zhuang Qiting took a deep breath, headache throbbing. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her back onto his lap. She resisted sitting, but he forced her firmly into his arms.
His temples throbbed painfully. His iron resolve had already softened completely— no longer wanting to break her rebellious spirit.
He rubbed her tears away with his fingertip and sighed softly, coaxing, “Why are you crying? Just one meal, and I’m bullying you?”
Li Yaru clenched her teeth, refusing to speak.
Zhuang Qiting was helpless. This little thing was fearless when stubborn. He was angry and resentful, knowing he had gone too far.
He softened his tone and negotiated, “Baby, I was too much earlier. Don’t cry, okay?”
“Have my dad serve you your meal then. I won’t serve you no matter what. You can beat me to death, but I won’t serve you. You old bastard,” Li Yaru gave up, crying wildly without caring if her makeup ran, becoming rough and coarse.
Zhuang Qiting sighed helplessly. “How can my father-in-law serve me? It’s me serving my father-in-law.”
Suddenly, she hysterically grabbed his collar and bit his shoulder hard, biting fiercely, cursing him a bastard, jerk, annoyance, dog, sex maniac, pervert, and all sorts of colorful words.
After a long time, she got tired and slumped into his arms. The private room wasn’t soundproof, so who knew if their wild commotion was heard outside.
Zhuang Qiting cupped her face, his nose touching her wet one. “You’re too naughty, baby, so stubborn.
Sometimes I really want to break your rebellious spirit. Do you understand?”
Li Yaru’s voice was soft and hoarse as she stubbornly hummed, “So you want me to serve you meals my whole life? Dream on. I won’t! You go find another woman!”
Zhuang Qiting laughed. “Not that. I’m not such a bastard to make my wife cook every day— unless you want to. No one can force you.”
“You’re the one who wanted me to be your mistress.” Her eyes, washed by tears, were bright and bloodshot like a red moon.
“I never treated you as a mistress. Li Yaru, do you think a mistress needs etiquette lessons or English classes? Needs me to go to such lengths to transfer her to Hong Kong University? Needs me to supervise her studies every day? All I need to do is give her money on time so she’s comfortable. What does the rest have to do with me? Do you think I, Zhuang Qiting, am some silly duck, letting any woman run her mouth? I care for you, coax you every time, scared you’d be frightened, even let you prepare a day in advance. Baby, why do you always think I’m the bad guy?”
He never spoke such crude words off the bed, but now shamelessly did so while maintaining a serious demeanor. Li Yaru showed disdain, cheeks flushing red.
“Pervert…”
“No swearing, Arou.” Zhuang Qiting didn’t spank her but kissed her half-wet eyelids.
“I didn’t make you lick there…”
“It’s sweet there. I want to taste it.”
“…………”
Li Yaru lunged to bite him again. Usually, she only dared bite him in bed. Off the bed, he controlled her strictly; she didn’t even dare curse, let alone touch him.
Zhuang Qiting hissed softly. His stiff shirt had bite marks, stained with lipstick and saliva, utterly disheveled and seductive. Just from her biting, he was somewhat aroused.
Zhuang Qiting shook his head with a wry smile, gently soothing the girl in his arms. He really couldn’t bring himself to be harsh. Once she cried, he lost his rhythm.
Fine, let her be spoiled. As long as she was willing to marry him, he could take a step back.
Life was long. Slowly grinding her down, he would eventually turn her into a gentle and understanding flower.
“Had enough biting, you dog of a little thing?”
“You’re the dog.”
Zhuang Qiting wrapped his arms tightly around her, gazing deeply as he seriously asked, “I’ll ask one last time, Li Yaru—are you willing to marry me? Willingly, from your heart?”
Li Yaru heard her heart ring sharply.
Enveloped by his strong and domineering aura, she felt like an animal trapped in quicksand—the more she struggled, the deeper she sank.
She knew she couldn’t escape. From the moment she sought him out, it was destined they’d be entangled and possessed by him.
Could she say no? No. If she did, Zhuang Qiting would use even colder, harsher means until she surrendered willingly.
After all the chaos just now, she understood she couldn’t fight him. The Zhuang family held Hong Kong Island in the palm of their hand— no one could help her.
Her childhood dreams were simple: happiness, freedom, enjoying a good life, and if she could get rich, all the better.
Marrying him wasn’t so bad. Li Yaru tried to think positively. She didn’t hate him, even liked his handsomeness, liked being pampered, kissed, and embraced.
His looks and demeanor had once made her heart flutter.
He was rich— very, very rich—with wealth and power she could never have. Marrying him would turn her into a completely different Li Yaru, someone entirely new.
If she had to marry, she might as well marry the best, most respectable, and most glorious man.
It was a tangled mix of compromise, fear, calculation, affection, confusion, realism, and romance.
Finally, she nodded and softly said, “Mm.”
“Willingly?”
“Mm.”
Zhuang Qiting smiled contentedly, lowered his head, and kissed her lips softly, gently sucking.
The dazzling diamond watch was already on her fair wrist. Li Yaru was intrigued— it looked like a bracelet at first glance, but opening the diamond flower revealed the watch face inside.
“I saw it during my trip and thought it suited you, so I bought it. Like it?”
“I do. But you proposed with a watch? Others give big diamond rings, and I don’t even have one!” Li Yaru obediently said but quickly took back the initiative.
“There will be one. The biggest and best diamond ring for you.”
“This weekend, I’ll visit your home, talk with my parents, and bring you to the Zhuang Family Main Residence to meet them. After we meet each other’s parents, we’ll arrange a meeting between our families to discuss the proposal and wedding.”
“I hope to finalize it soon. If your family has any requests, just say. Arou, marrying me won’t make you suffer.”
His series of decisions laid out their schedule meticulously.
Li Yaru rubbed the watch on her wrist, then said, “After we marry, don’t control me. I’m marrying you, not becoming your servant.”
Zhuang Qiting chuckled lightly. He wouldn’t promise what he couldn’t keep. In his eyes, a husband must take up the role of a father— loving, caring for, helping, and educating his wife.
And since she was so wild and fearless, he truly didn’t trust her.
He pinched her pouting lips, joy flooding his heart. He kissed her forehead, nose, cheeks, and finally her lips, lingering.
“Baby, I won’t let you regret it. I’ll make you the brightest jewel of Hong Kong Island.”