“What else do you expect me to say? You’re my date, and you’re being lovey-dovey with someone else in front of me. What do you take me for?”
Ke Teng turned his face away. "No more looking. If you keep looking, I'll get angry with you."
Jian Fei felt a little annoyed by his inexplicable rudeness towards Jiang Chuan.
He hadn't given anyone a pleasant look throughout the entire auction.
Whether Ke Teng was affected by her mood or genuinely didn't like anything, they left empty-handed after an hour.
He drove her home. At the entrance of her building, Jian Fei didn't ask him upstairs. She grabbed her things and hurried away.
Seeing her pouting, Ke Teng felt both amused and annoyed. He shamelessly followed her.
"You're really a scumbag. Wearing my clothes worth over a hundred thousand and giving me attitude. Who do you think you are, Jian Fei?"
The stairwell was dingy. Jian Fei felt a pang of regret as her thousands of yuan sheepskin-soled shoes stepped on it, so she unhesitatingly took them off and carried them in her hand, walking barefoot.
She answered him as she walked.
"I didn't intend to keep your clothes; the tags are still on. I haven't dirtied your shoes either; I'll return them after wiping them clean."
"Return them? Why return them? To insult me?"
Ke Teng was taken aback by her words and immediately got angry.
"I, Ke Teng, have never returned anything I've bought. Do you want to embarrass me?"
"If you think it's embarrassing, give them to someone else, or just throw them away. I didn't beg you to buy them for me."
Jian Fei was defiant.
"You were the one willing to spend money, and now you're coming to settle accounts with me. Are you a good person?"
"........."
They quickly reached her door. Jian Fei opened it, placed the items on the coffee table, and took wet wipes to clean his shoes.
Ke Teng followed her in and grabbed her hand.
"Alright, I was just kidding. You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"I find you really interesting. You're tough as nails with me, but you smile at every other man except me. Why do you always pick on me like this?"
Jian Fei shook his hand, but couldn't break free.
"Who's picking on you? It's you who likes to pick on others! Jiang Chuan didn't do anything to you, so why did you say that about him in front of so many people?"
"What did I say to him?"
"You say what you said!"
"If I recall correctly, I just asked you to hurry up and enter with me. Is that wrong?"
Ke Teng felt a pang of jealousy.
"You're already this upset without me saying anything. Do you like him?"
Jian Fei was momentarily speechless. She threw the shoes onto the sofa and sat down angrily.
"I can't be bothered with you!"
"What do you mean you can't be bothered with me? It means you have nothing to say, right?"
Ke Teng sat on the coffee table opposite her, staring at her with a heavy heart.
"I find you to be a liar. Just the other day, you implicitly admitted you'd never dated, that you were still pure and untouched. And now I've caught you in a lie so quickly."
Jian Fei was speechless.
"It was just a couple of old classmates meeting and talking. You..."
"No backbone, secretly harboring a crush but too afraid to admit it."
She was so angry she was about to hit him. "Who's harboring a crush! You're the one with a crush!"
Ke Teng reached out and caught her hand.
"Whoever likes whom is known. You get so upset when I say a single word about him, but you hit and scold me. Did I do something wrong?"
"You think you can get away with anything because you know I won't get angry with you?"
Hearing him say that, Jian Fei realized she had indeed gone a bit too far.
After all, he was the esteemed Young Master Ke, far superior to other men.
Why was she so polite to others, yet always wanting to hit and scold him?
It seemed Ke Teng's good temper had spoiled her.
She still needed his help with work, so Jian Fei dared not act out further.
"...Are you thirsty? I'll pour you some water."
That was more like it.
Ke Teng didn't hold it against her and went to lie down on the sofa.
"I'm thirsty and hungry. Make me something to eat."
After eating and drinking their fill, and tidying up the place, it was already past four in the afternoon.
Ke Teng felt a bit sleepy and asked Jian Fei if she was tired.
Jian Fei took off her gloves. "If you're tired, go back and sleep."
"You're so considerate. You ask me for favors and then want me to leave. Can't I just sleep in your bed for a while?"
"It's not that I'm not letting you sleep, it's just that my conditions aren't good."
"Did I ever show any disdain for you?"
Jian Fei was exasperated. "Fine, fine, you sleep then. But I'm also a bit sleepy. Where will I sleep if you're in bed?"
"Together. We've slept together before. I don't even see you as a woman. Relax."
Jian Fei was simple-minded and harbored no improper thoughts towards Ke Teng. Moreover, they had indeed shared such experiences before, so she actually lay down with him.
They kept their distance, but the faint scent of her perfume, and how beautiful she looked in the evening gown today, lingered in Ke Teng's vision.
He had been very sleepy, but once they lay down together, he couldn't fall asleep.
After lying still for a few minutes, Ke Teng reached out and nudged her. "Are you asleep?"
"No. What do you want?"
Ke Teng thought for a moment. "I want to ask you something."
"Mm."
"What is your dream?"
Jian Fei couldn't help but chuckle.
Although he was a career elite now, she had seen his most ridiculous and unrestrained side, making her feel he was still an immature young man.
It was quite amusing for him to suddenly ask such a serious question.
"I'm talking about something serious. What are you laughing at?"
Jian Fei stopped smiling. "I wasn't laughing at anything. My dream is to get promoted, earn more, and make a lot of money as soon as possible."
Ke Teng pouted, knowing she would say that.
"You're always thinking about money. What do you want to do after you make money? Buy a car and a house? As your dowry?"
Buying a car and a house felt too far out of reach for Jian Fei, so she was quiet for a moment.
"Did I ever tell you I have a sister?"
"What about your sister?"
"She had a car accident before and became deaf. I want to get her a cochlear implant."
Ke Teng found himself even more unable to sleep.
He only knew Jian Fei was poor and had struggling parents before. He hadn't realized she had a disabled sister at home.
It seemed like something you'd only see in a TV documentary, a tragic fate that had befallen her alone.
He couldn't help but turn his head to look at Jian Fei.
She spoke calmly, without complaining about life or dwelling on her misfortunes. Her eyes sparkled with a brilliant light, as if filled with dreams of a beautiful future.
Many thoughts surged within Ke Teng, almost uncontrollably.
"You earn money for others. Haven't you thought about doing something for yourself?"
Jian Fei shook her head. "I'm already very content taking care of those around me. Even if it means paying a greater price, it's fine."
Noticing he was staring at her, Jian Fei turned to look at him.
"Weren't you sleepy? Why are you staring at me instead of sleeping?"
As she moved, her ruby-red lips were facing Ke Teng.
Her appearance now was a perfect description of "bright eyes and pearly teeth." Ke Teng finally couldn't resist. He scrambled up, leaned his head forward, and pecked her on the lips.
"You're willing to pay any price, even this?"