Chapter 71 I Don’t Like Forcing People

He Tingzhou paused while drinking water and turned to look at her.

The light was as bright as day, but there was a darkness in those sharp black eyes. During the ten seconds of his silence, Shuang Xu's heart was beating with anxiety.

After a while, He Tingzhou put down the half glass of water, turned around and leaned against the bar, his expression had returned to his usual casual state.

"You found me," he said. "So what? Are you going to sell yourself to me?"

He didn't deny it.

Shuang Xu's heart beat violently, and his tense nerves waiting for the verdict relaxed.

"Sure." She answered without hesitation, "If you can promise to help, I can sell myself to you."

He Tingzhou crossed his arms and stared at her silently for a while: "For Shen Yu, you can do anything, right?"

"This is not for my brother." Shuang Xu said, "This is for my stepfather."

He Tingzhou looked at her calmly for a few seconds, then stood up and walked towards her.

The dark grey slippers on his feet pressed against the tip of her shoes. She reflexively took a half step back and her waist was hooked.

His knuckles were long and powerful, and they fell on her waist with a body temperature that was clearly different from hers, causing Shuang Xu's skin to involuntarily tense up.

He Tingzhou half lowered his head, his eyelashes cast a thick shadow, obscuring the color of his eyes.

He threw down two words: "Kiss me."

A hint of surprise flashed across Shuang Xu's eyes. Is this starting?

For some reason, she suddenly stiffened like a stone statue, and under He Tingzhou's direct gaze, her breathing became unnatural.

He Tingzhou let her go, and his cool voice seemed to be a test for her: "You are not ready, why do you act like you are ready to sacrifice yourself for me?"

After saying that, he walked past her and went back to the living room to sit down.

Shuang Xu stood there for a few seconds, turned around, and walked straight to him. He Tingzhou raised his eyes to look at her, Shuang Xu held his shoulders and pushed him onto the sofa.

He Tingzhou leaned back according to her force, without saying a word, only slightly raising his eyebrows.

Shuang Xu was very unsure; she had no idea what He Tingzhou was thinking.

When a person walks on a field of cotton, he cannot tell whether the ground beneath his feet is solid and supportive, or a trap that will leave him dead without a burial place.

But she knew why she came here. Compared with the Shen family's kindness to her, everything else was nothing.

This villa was so quiet, so quiet that it was frightening. The only sound was her breathing, which had quickened in frequency due to nervousness.

The last time he was drugged and asked for sex but was rejected, he still remembered the shame. At that time, the drug was still in effect and it was understandable that he did those shameful things. Now he is in a sober state and knows clearly what he is doing.

She knelt on the sofa beside him, holding his shoulders, and with a determined heart, she mustered up the courage to kiss him.

He Tingzhou didn't move, letting her get closer.

The moment he was about to touch her, he raised his wrist and his palms precisely caught Shuang Xu's face.

He raised his eyes from her lips that were bitten red by herself, and his eyes were as dark as the night sky without a single star.

"Your fearless expression makes me feel like a piece of shit."

"I..." Shuang Xu didn't know how he interpreted it, "I didn't treat you as shit."

He Tingzhou: "Then should I thank you?"

"Are you going to continue?" Shuang Xu asked.

He Tingzhou looked at her silently for a moment, then lifted one of her legs, and threw her onto the sofa beside him in a manner that was not gentle but not rough either.

He got up and went upstairs: "I don't like to force people."

So, did he reject the deal?

Shuang Xu was the only one left in the quiet living room. She sat quietly for a moment, then stood up and walked out of He Tingzhou's house.

*

When the Shen family was prosperous, their home was always crowded with people, and everyone would respectfully call Shen Yu "Young Master Shen". But when Shen Changyuan fell into misfortune, many new faces that had never been seen before appeared.

Some are opportunists, some are eyeing the Shen family covetously, and many people wish that the Shen family would fall into decline so that they can get a share of the empty pie.

At the lunch, Shen Yu was forced to drink some wine by a few guys who were taking advantage of their seniority. He was sent back by Yue Zifeng and happened to meet Lu Manman who came to see him.

Lu Manman muted his phone so that he could have a good sleep. When Shen Yu woke up, he realized it was already dark.

There was a noise in the kitchen, so he came out of the bedroom and saw Lu Manman cooking porridge in a clay pot and bringing it to the dining table. He looked up and said with a smile, "You're awake."

Shen Yu stood at the door, looking at her quietly.

"What's wrong?" Lu Manman asked.

"Let's cancel our engagement." Shen Yu said.

The smile on Lu Manman's face slowly disappeared: "Why?"

"Given the current situation of the Shen family, this marriage is no longer appropriate." Shen Yu said, "The sooner we draw the line, the less impact it will have on the Lu family."

He was a gentleman and every word he said was considerate of her, but Lu Manman was not happy at all.

"Are you canceling the engagement because you're afraid of being a burden to me, or do you never want to marry me?"

Shen Yu had been so busy these past few days that he was exhausted. His voice was a little hoarse, but still gentle. He apologized to her, "I'm sorry."

"Who asked you to apologize?" Lu Manman pursed her lips, wanting to cry but unable to hold back, "I want to like you myself, I don't blame you."

With red eyes, she walked to the entrance to change her shoes, opened the door and walked out, then came back and said to him in a tearful voice: "Xiaojiu called you this afternoon and said she had something to discuss with you."

After conveying this, she could no longer control her tears and ran away crying.

Shen Yu rubbed his forehead, picked up the phone on the table, and called Shuang Xu, but no one answered.

He picked up his coat and went downstairs. When he returned to the Shen family, the maid told him that Miss Shuang Xu had gone out two hours ago.

Shuang Xu rarely calls him now. What does she want to discuss with him?

Shen Yu felt a little uneasy for no reason today. He called her number again and walked out of the house to look for her.

The car lights shone into the yard, and Shuang Xu came back.

She saw Shen Yu's figure in the night, stopped the car, got out and walked over.

"Brother. How's the matter with Dad going?"

"I'm still trying to find a solution, don't worry." Shen Yu said gently.

He always habitually treated her as a child who needed his protection, trying to shield her from the ups and downs of the outside world.

"What do you want to talk to me about this afternoon?"

Shuang Xu didn't want to add more pressure to him, and she didn't want Shen Yu, who raised her like a treasure, to know that she was using him to make that kind of deal.

Anyway, He Tingzhou didn't agree.

"I just want to ask you if you have looked for Brother Tingzhou."

Shen Yu smiled and said, "Tingzhou has a cold personality and doesn't get close to anyone. He will give me some face, but this matter is a hot potato. It's a favor for him to help, but it's also right for him not to help."

"Have you eaten?" he asked.

Shuang Xu shook her head, and he patted her head: "No matter how busy you are, remember to eat first. The kitchen has cooked porridge for you, go and have some."