Stop calling me Uncle.

"Is this considered a marriage proposal?"

Lin Zhen'er looked up at the face that was flushed with nervousness, her arms crossed, her face pale and clean.

Her mind went blank; she couldn't understand why the person opposite her wanted to propose. Whether it was their previous encounters or how he had helped her out of awkward situations, in Lin Zhen'er's eyes, it was nothing more than this young, successful, and wealthy man's curiosity about new things.

The position and salary he gave her, and the farce he staged that afternoon with his own nephew, all seemed too much like a spoiled brat acting impulsively for the sake of a woman.

Just like in her book, those who were born into privileged circumstances always fantasize about going out to fight and die on the battlefield while others are working like oxen and horses.

But those lofty ambitions and the courage to live and die for love are perfectly suited to Mr. Jin, who was born into a wealthy family.

But if Jin Yanzhi only wanted to have fun with her and get what he wanted, that would be one thing. But to propose to her after only knowing her for a few days is a bit too much.

In the past two days, she inquired about his past and found that he had no history of marriage, and she couldn't even find any scandals about him.

"Sure, you can pick any diamond ring you want, as long as you say yes tonight."

Looking up at his clean, porcelain-like face, who wouldn't want to kiss it? The restrained CEO swallowed hard, pinching himself to suppress the urge.

He looked down at the slightly drunk kitten, watching its watery eyes look up at him through the smell of alcohol, meet his gaze for a moment, and then shyly lower its head again. From the first confession to tonight's proposal, nothing had been planned in advance, so now he was nervously on the verge of going crazy.

Unlike her decisiveness last night, the woman was clearly hesitant today. She nervously lowered her head, swallowed hard, and then took a deep breath before raising her face.

Are you serious?

He was certainly serious. Exposing his nephew's scandal, getting involved in the group's hottest project to enter the arts and entertainment industry, and then getting into a fight at the company—all these things seemed like he was acting out of passion and madness, but none of them were unintentionally motivated.

The ceiling light in the hallway was old and flickered, casting an unpredictable glow on Lin Zhen'er's face. Her eyes were clear yet cunning, and her deep pupils held the restless and uneasy heart within them.

"I'm serious, I'm begging you, marry me."

The small two-bedroom apartment had a cramped and narrow entryway. The man strode in and knelt at the entrance, which was barely big enough for him. There were no flowers, no rings, not even background music. The richest young CEO in Pingyang raised his head firmly.

The orange glow of the floor lamp fell squarely on the two of them. The woman was staring at them with wide eyes, looking somewhat surprised. The paint on the walls in some places was peeling, and the decor was old. The little dog wagging its tail at their feet was even a bit annoying.

But looking at the small room and the guy wrapped in his bathrobe, motionless, his eyes and throat actually felt a little sore. He had never longed for these things.

A warm, welcoming light, and someone to rely on—these were plans Jin Yanzhi had never had in his life before. Previously, he only wanted to expand his territory, making his business empire bigger and bigger, and excelling in every industry he entered.

Romantic relationships and starting a family were never on his agenda.

"Then tell me, what do you love about me?"

Lin Zhen'er finally reacted. She sighed, reached over his head to close the door, and then squatted down to stand close to him. The usually eloquent CEO Jin suddenly felt like a lump of cotton was stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word.

Damn it, he didn't know what he loved about her. He had never loved anyone before, and everything he had experienced these past few days felt strange. He couldn't answer that.

At the most awkward moment, she stood up, abandoning her questioning, and pulled him to the small sofa, pressing his shoulders to sit down. She turned and went straight to the stove, expertly opening the refrigerator and taking out noodles and eggs, as if talking to him, yet also as if talking to herself:

"I didn't eat enough for dinner, let's have another bowl of noodles."

She was quick and efficient; in just a few minutes, a bowl of noodles with the aroma of scallions was placed on the table. The old house was small, and the two of them sat cross-legged across a small coffee table, eating their noodles in silence.

Perhaps it was because of the pepper in the noodle soup, but after only a few bites, he felt hot all over and even started sweating on his forehead.

"If you marry me... your family will object, won't they?"

The person opposite me was drinking noodle soup with their round head down when they suddenly asked that question out of the blue. I nervously gripped the spoon handle.

Their relationship has evolved from initial acquaintances to its current state. Even an ordinary family would need time to adjust, let alone the wealthy and powerful Jin family.

"No one dares to oppose me, not even the entire Jin family."

After saying this, Jin Yanzhi became afraid that what followed would be hesitation and refusal, so he quickly picked up the two empty bowls and walked to the pool.

He had never washed dishes before, and now he was clumsily holding a scouring pad, squeezing dish soap all over his hands, trying to deal with the slippery grease.

It was already difficult for Lin Zhen'er to stand in this small kitchen, and now that she was squeezed in by a 1.9-meter-tall man, it was even more difficult for her to turn around.

"I promise you."

The woman leaned lazily against the sofa, watching the man in a suit and tie, pretending to be skilled at washing the dishes. Her robe had a slightly large neckline that kept slipping off her shoulders, requiring her to pull it up with her hand.

They were doing the same thing while they were eating noodles. Every time she turned her head and reached out to pull him, she would see his gaze linger briefly on her. When he noticed, he would hurriedly look away. He didn't seem like a seasoned, seasoned boss anymore; he seemed more like a lovesick young man experiencing his first crush.

Thinking of this, Lin Zhen'er's lips curled up slightly, and she suddenly agreed to the marriage proposal.

She had observed him many times, when he followed behind her watching her touch up her makeup, trying to look cool but being forced to stumble backward.

When she was exposed for her boyfriend's infidelity, she was caught in a storm of public opinion and ridicule, and when she was fired and felt extremely helpless, her ex-boyfriend offered her help and tempted her to choose him.

There was also tonight, when she sat outside a Japanese restaurant for several hours, and when she saw me get in the car, she wasn't impatient at all. She even shakily reached out her hand and made a blunder by taking advantage of her.

But only at this moment did she realize that she truly possessed his heart, and even if it was only for a brief moment, he was not acting.

The man standing by the kitchen stove was someone she only heard about from her classmates when she was a child, and later became an essential skill for the male protagonist in her books. But seeing him in person was a first for her.

The allure of a life of luxury high above the clouds is tempting, but on a night like this, the bubbles in the sink gently cradle her fragile self-esteem, a heart that longs to tiptoe yet fears to fall.

Upon hearing the answer, Jin Yanzhi felt as if his body had been electrified, the numbness spreading from his heels all the way down his back, leaving his entire body stiff. He did not reply immediately.

He kept his head down and continued tidying up until he finished and painstakingly stuffed each bowl into the cupboard. Only then did he turn around and walk back to his fiancée by the sofa.

The place was so small that the man, who couldn't even stretch his legs properly while sitting on the plush carpet, felt like a giant stuffed into a toy box, with nowhere to put his hands and feet. That's when he wanted to take her home even more.

"Give me a kiss."

Having just been accepted of his proposal, he clearly didn't want to leave so soon. He couldn't help but reach out and pull the small girl into his arms again, greedily lowering his head. She smelled so good. He bent down, burying his face in his fiancée's shoulder, and once again closed his eyes in blissful infatuation.

"That's enough!"

Lin Zhen'er struggled to push aside the 1.9-meter-tall man, wanting to open the door and see him out. Jin Yanzhi, who was determined to go all the way, suddenly became mischievous. He raised his hand and gently pressed that fair wrist against the wall, then lowered his head and took that still-speaking little mouth into his lips.

The intertwined shadows of their kiss on the wall remained for a long time before finally separating. The man, panting heavily, pulled back the last vestiges of his reason and reluctantly released the woman in his arms, who was breathing rapidly. He nuzzled her small nose with the tip of his own before finally retreating to the doorway.

"I'll pick you up at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."

He left only this sentence before he left, and an hour later...

Lin Zhener received an invitation from a well-known jewelry store. While driving, President Jin arranged everything. After instructing the jewelry store to bring out the largest diamonds, he began to arrange the changes to be made at home for the wedding.

I was busy until late at night before I finally lit a cigar and sat on the balcony of my bedroom.

He couldn't sleep; his mind was filled with the image of that sweet, innocent girl in the rented room. The temperature was still high in late summer, and the old air conditioner wasn't working well. Towards the end of their kiss, they both broke out in a light sweat.

Her wisps of hair were damp and clung to her skin; when he released her, her eyes were slightly hazy and delicate. Thinking of these details, he felt even more aroused, so he got up and went into the bathroom, drenching himself with cool water until he felt a little calmer.

What exactly do you want?

The next morning, Mr. Jin sat in the store, his eyes bruised and swollen, scratching his head in distress. His fiancée arrived as promised, but she didn't seem satisfied with the surprise he had prepared. They had been in the VIP room of the jewelry store for more than half an hour, with diamonds of various cuts neatly arranged from largest to smallest on the tray in front of them.

Although I don't know much about these things, these items are undoubtedly top-notch.

Jin Yanzhi swallowed nervously. He was unsure about the woman beside him, wondering if she wasn't interested in the rings or if she had accepted his proposal too quickly.

Unexpectedly, the chubby little hand beside him withdrew from the table, tugged at his sleeve, and pulled him out of the shop:

"Do you think it's possible to buy a fake ring? And give me the cash equivalent of this money?"

"I'll be your wife from now on! Even if I'm wearing a fake, no one will be able to tell. Wouldn't it be great if we saved millions?"

The person who only reached his chest seemed incredibly sincere, even showing him several high-quality imitations she had prepared the night before on her phone. Finally understanding everything, Mr. Jin didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She was about to marry him, but she still wanted to cash out the diamond ring. She actually felt that after marrying him, she would need to make money in this way.

The man took a deep breath and spoke with a smile:

"Go in and choose whichever one you like. I'll transfer the same amount of money to you."

The words had barely left his lips when the woman, who had just been clinging to his chest, dashed to the jewelry store entrance, turned around, and called out obsequiously:

"Mr. Jin! Let's go inside quickly and choose the biggest one!"

Lin Zhener struggled with the decision all morning, but after hearing that she would receive cash equivalent to the diamond ring, she made up her mind in five minutes.

The card transfer was completed smoothly. Jin Yanzhi smiled as he looked at the woman beside him, who was grinning after her success, without showing any displeasure at being tricked.

The woman in the car kept twirling the enormous diamond on her finger, occasionally raising it to admire the sunlight streaming through the window, squinting as she watched its dazzling brilliance. The man with his hand on her shoulder recalled their first meeting.

That day, she wore a fishtail dress and a teardrop-shaped diamond pendant. She stared straight at him, making him back down, and boldly barged into his heart, which had been dormant for many years.

Where are we going?

Lost in the light of the ring for a while, Lin Zhen'er finally came to her senses, looked out the window, and suddenly realized that this was not the way home.

"Go home." The man's answer was concise and to the point.

"Your home?" The woman, tilting her head, seemed a little nervous, caught off guard.

"Our family."