Sheng Qianchi’s gaze suddenly quivered for a moment, like a straight road suddenly wrinkled. He reached out a hand, pinched her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes, "Tell me, you like me." Actually, her body was far more honest than her mouth. Men can separate sex from love, even if they don’t love, they can still flirt with different women. But women are different, women’s sexuality is born from love. A normal woman, if she doesn’t like a man, would only feel disgusted or even intensely repulsed by his closeness, but she greedily indulged in his kiss, and he could see the intoxication in her eyes. Gu Jiayin looked deeply into his eyes, biting her lip silently. Did she like him? She didn’t dare deny it. Although she didn’t dare admit how much she actually liked him, she truly couldn’t deny that she did like him. Only, she herself didn’t know how deep her feelings for him were. Sheng Qianchi didn’t press further; her heart harbored too many secrets that he couldn’t delve into. If he forced it, it would only push her farther away. The assassination attempt in Suri had already made him realize that there were secrets behind her that he couldn’t fathom. These secrets made him apprehensive, afraid he would unknowingly push her into danger. She didn’t dare deny her liking for him; that was already a valuable gain. He never demanded that she love him as intensely as he loved her. It was enough that he loved her. She was someone he pursued against the odds, so there was no reason to demand so much from her. His large hand unintentionally reached under her, feeling the coolness, only to realize he had pressed her against the freshly watered grass. Yet he greedily cherished the intimacy of their interaction, unwilling to return immediately, so he turned with her in his arms, letting her lie on top of him. The scarlet of the sunset spread across the grass, also tinting the woman’s delicate face red. He reached out to tuck the strands of hair behind her ears, gently caressing her cheeks. The fine, smooth touch ignited a greed in his fingertips, "Tell me, why can’t you marry me? What have I done inadequately? Tell me and I’ll change it." Gu Jiayin truly felt this intimacy was unreasonable, yet his tenderness trapped her. Her body defied her thoughts, greedily nestled in his arms, with her tiny hands involuntarily clutching his clothes. She dared not meet his affectionate eyes, speaking in a low voice, "Don’t say that." But Sheng Qianchi tightly locked his eyes on hers, unwilling to miss any trace of expression, "You like me, even willing to give me your body, yet won’t marry me. There must be something I’m doing wrong, something that dissatisfies you..." He sighed, crossing his hands under his head, "Gu Jiayin, tell me, what must I do to make you let down your guard, hmm?" The evening breeze drifted by, blowing the hair in front of her forehead; Gu Jiayin’s face was half-hidden in those strands. Suddenly, she sat up, slipping away from the man’s broad chest, sitting on the grass, her knees drawn up, arms wrapping around, burying her face in them. Sheng Qianchi quietly gazed at the woman’s back, not speaking for a long moment. He too sat up, bringing her slender body back into his embrace. He didn’t want to pressure her, didn’t want to see her troubled and sad, but this was his one chance, using her beloved Twilight Manor to drive her back; otherwise, even if she truly liked him, she wouldn’t actively return. Thus, he must force her this one time. After a long silence, he said, "Or, is there someone or something making you unable to choose me? You must tell me. You should believe I can handle any problem for you." After his words fell, the space was silent, save for the sound of the wind. The woman maintained her original position, not saying a word. After a long while, he sighed helplessly, "Go shower, change clothes, eat." Gu Jiayin was led by Sheng Qianchi, hand in hand, back to the villa, into the bedroom. "Shower first, change clothes and come down. After dinner, we’ll discuss the matter of Twilight Manor." Sheng Qianchi left these words, then went to another bedroom to shower, closing the door shut. The room remained unchanged. The bed she slept in, the blankets she used, the pillow she lay on — none were replaced. The only difference was, he no longer slept on a cot, but rather, slept on this bed every day. In the closet, all her clothes were untouched. Gu Jiayin hesitated for a moment, took her clothes and went to shower. The bathroom was as it was, with all her belongings there. After showering and changing clothes, she intended to leave just like that. But remembering how he never allowed her not to blow-dry her hair after showering, she went to find a hairdryer in the drawer and sat on the sofa to dry her hair. As she dried her hair, her mind began to wander. She didn’t know what to do. Sheng Qianchi said she should trust that he could solve everything, but she knew he couldn’t. She also knew the incident in Suri made him suspect something, but apart from herself, no one could help her escape. Without the Blood Tears Jade, she could never gain freedom, nor return to Mo Qiyan’s side to help him recover. At an unknown moment, the hairdryer was taken by a large hand, and above her head, a man’s displeased voice sounded, "What are you thinking about? Blow-dry any longer and your hair will turn to straw." Gu Jiayin didn’t show much emotion, got up and walked outside, "Let’s eat." Sheng Qianchi quietly watched her back for a few seconds, said nothing more, and followed her downstairs. The meal was eaten in silence; she refused to talk, and he didn’t force her. After eating, she quietly followed him into the study. On the desk was a square box, inside which were a property certificate, a bank card, an antique painting, a ruby, and a set of car keys. These were all the things he had given her before. She watched as he took out a transfer contract for Twilight Manor from the drawer, placing it beside the square box. He looked at the box and said, "These things were meant for you, so they are still yours." Then he picked up the Twilight Manor transfer contract, "As for Twilight Manor, I will only give it to Mrs. Sheng." Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on Novᴇl_Fire(.)net Before she could respond, he pulled out his own wallet from his pocket, placing it atop the transfer contract, "And my entire fortune, entrusted to Mrs. Sheng." In that wallet were all his cards, with passwords now changed to her birthday. Gu Jiayin’s heart raced furiously, feeling crushed beneath the weight of these items like a mountain. This temptation was overwhelming; if it were any other woman, they’d probably faint from excitement, but Gu Jiayin struggled fiercely to clench her fists. She wanted none of those riches, only Twilight Manor. After a long struggle, she slightly parted her lips, wanting to plead with him to give her Twilight Manor and then let her go, since she couldn’t give him marriage. But just as she was about to speak, the first syllable hadn’t even left her mouth before the man interrupted, "Don’t rush to answer me, take a day to think it over. Tomorrow night at eight, I’ll be here waiting to have dinner with you."