Chapter 302: Straight Confession to Susan! Lin Xiang was sweating profusely!
"As long as..."
In Susan's expectant, beautiful eyes, Shen Anyu spoke only halfway, but his gaze swept over her with deep, meaningful intent.
Susan's small face flushed instantly, a layer of crimson spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. She shrank back against the car window, her heart pounding like a drum against her ribs.
A terrifying thought involuntarily surfaced in her mind—could this gentle and amiable Big Brother be trying to use this matter to blackmail her? To take advantage of her in that way?
Absolutely not!
She tried to deny the thought, but the reality of her situation crashed down on her. The Bugatti Veyron was a sealed fortress of luxury. The doors were locked, the windows were one-way glass, and the space was intimate and suffocatingly private. Outside, the world was oblivious; inside, she was completely at his mercy.
Panic, like a cold hand, gripped her throat.
"Big Brother, no, no, that kind of thing isn't allowed..." Susan stammered, her voice trembling like a frightened fawn. Her hands clutched the hem of her shirt, her knuckles turning white.
Shen Anyu feigned ignorance, tilting his head slightly, his expression the picture of innocence. "What kind of thing isn't allowed?"
Susan bit her lower lip, her eyes misty with unshed tears. She mustered every ounce of her courage, her voice weak but firm with her principles.
"That kind of thing... only with someone you love can you do it!"
She looked at him with pleading eyes. "If Big Brother wants to threaten Susan with Lin Xiang's debt, Susan won't agree. I... I have my dignity!"
Shen Anyu immediately adjusted his expression. The playfulness vanished, replaced by a look of profound hurt and disappointment. He sighed softly, the sound heavy in the quiet car.
"Sister Susan, so in your heart, Big Brother is such a bad guy? You think I would actually use such a thing to threaten a young girl and take advantage of her precarious situation?"
His voice was low, filled with a magnetic sorrow that tugged at the heartstrings.
Seeing Shen Anyu's sad expression, Susan's defense crumbled instantly. Guilt washed over her. How could she think such dirty thoughts about this noble, handsome man who had been nothing but kind to her? He had wiped her tears, invited her into the cool car, and spoken so gently.
"Big Brother, I'm sorry! I... I misunderstood you. It's Susan's fault for thinking too much," she apologized profusely, her head bowing in shame.
A hint of a playful, predatory smile flashed deep within Shen Anyu's eyes, invisible to the innocent girl before him. He suddenly leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Actually, you weren't too mistaken."
"Eh?"
Under Susan's puzzled gaze, Shen Anyu continued, his tone shifting from hurt to a domineering decisiveness.
"My condition is simple: as long as you don't contact Lin Xiang anymore, I will waive the five million yuan repair fee. Furthermore, I will not pursue Lin Xiang's legal responsibility for the hit-and-run."
Of course, this was a lie. How could Shen Anyu, a Destined Villain, ever let go of a Child of Destiny? This was merely a tactic to isolate the target, to sever the emotional connection between the protagonist and his heroine.
Susan was startled, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief. She had expected him to ask for money, or perhaps labor, but... to stop contacting Lin Xiang?
As long as she didn't contact Lin Xiang, the astronomical debt of five million would be waived, and Lin Xiang wouldn't go to jail?
Why was this? It didn't make sense from a business perspective.
Shen Anyu looked deeply into her eyes, his gaze burning with an intensity that made her legs feel weak.
"Because I fell in love with you at first sight, Susan. I don't want you to contact Lin Xiang because I want you to look only at me."
Boom!
Hearing Shen Anyu's direct, overpowering confession, Susan felt as if a bomb had exploded in her mind. She was completely unprepared. Her pure, flawless face turned a deep shade of scarlet, resembling a ripe peach ready to be plucked. Her beautiful eyes swam with confusion and shyness, intoxicating and watery.
Her heart pounded so hard she feared he might hear it. Thump, thump, thump.
She lowered her head, burying her chin in her chest, unsure how to respond. She had never been confessed to by a man of such caliber—handsome, wealthy, mature, and possessing an aura of nobility that Lin Xiang completely lacked.
For the destined heroine of a youth campus romance novel, innocence was her defining trait. However, Shen Anyu knew the settings of this world. The Child of Destiny here only had around 300,000 Destiny Value. This meant the world's resistance would be weak. Shen Anyu had no need for slow games; he could be direct, aggressive, and overwhelming.
Especially with Susan. She was timid, soft, and easily bullied. She was the type of girl who, once conquered, would be wholly devoted.
Shen Anyu didn't hold back. He unbuckled his seatbelt and shifted closer, invading her personal space. The scent of her—a mixture of milk and faint jasmine—filled his senses.
"Susan..."
He sat next to her, his large, warm hand reaching out to directly cup her small, burning face. His thumb gently caressed her soft cheek, feeling the exquisite texture of her skin, smooth as high-grade silk.
Susan's face was burning hot. Her eyes darted around frantically, looking at the leather seats, the dashboard, anywhere but at Shen Anyu's intense gaze. She stammered, her pale pink lips trembling.
"Big... Big Brother, we just met... this is too fast..."
Shen Anyu didn't let her retreat. He leaned in, his breath brushing against her ear, causing her to shiver.
"Love transcends the limits of time. I didn't believe in love at first sight before," he whispered, his voice low and husky, filled with a mesmerizing charm.
"But now..."
He paused, forcing her to look at him.
"Susan, I've already fallen in love with you."
As his words fell, Shen Anyu didn't give her a chance to process or refuse. He lowered his head, capturing those trembling, pale pink lips.
...
On the other side of the city.
The scorching sun hung high in the sky, baking the asphalt until the air shimmered with heat waves.
"Why hasn't Susan come back yet?"
Lin Xiang had already arrived at Susan's doorstep in the urban village. He held onto his bicycle, sweat dripping from his nose, looking left and right with growing anxiety.
They were childhood sweethearts. Their families lived very close in this older, humble neighborhood. Usually, Susan would come straight home.
"Susan rarely gets angry. She's always so gentle. This time, she must be very disappointed in me. How can I make her forgive me?"
Lin Xiang's face, usually filled with a rebellious and unruly arrogance, now showed a rare expression of trouble and fear.
He was fearless in school. He fought bullies, brawled with gangsters, led truancy rings, and defied teachers. But in front of Susan, his heart humbled itself into the dust. She was his goddess, his white moonlight.
If Susan ignored him, his world would collapse.
As for scratching a luxury car? Paying five million in compensation? The threat of jail for a hit-and-run? Lin Xiang didn't care in the slightest.
Just a rich second-generation idiot, he thought dismissively. What can he do to me? I am Lin Xiang!
Pay five million? Bah! In his mind, money was just paper. He had his pride.
Moreover, he was confident. There were no surveillance cameras in that blind spot, and the car didn't seem to have a dashcam. There was no evidence. Without evidence, he was invincible.
So, Lin Xiang felt completely secure regarding the legal trouble. His only worry was Susan's attitude.
Time ticked by slowly. The sun moved across the sky, relentless in its intensity.
Lin Xiang still hadn't seen Susan return. He grew increasingly anxious, pacing back and forth with his bicycle.
He stood under the scorching sun for several hours. His clothes were soaked through with sweat, sticking uncomfortably to his back. His throat was parched, and his legs ached. But he refused to leave. He wanted to wait for Susan to come back, to show her his dedication.
At this moment, a middle-aged woman returning from work, carrying a bag of groceries, saw him. She looked at Lin Xiang standing at the entrance, her face filled with surprise.
"Lin Xiang? Why are you standing here in this heat? Why don't you come in and sit? The fan is on inside."
"Aunt Susan, no need, I'll just wait here."
Lin Xiang recognized her as Susan's paternal aunt, the woman who raised her. He quickly straightened his posture, wiping the sweat from his face, no longer looking like an unruly punk but a polite young man.
"You child, did you quarrel with Susan again?" the aunt asked with a sigh.
"It's all my fault for making Susan angry. I'm waiting here to apologize. I'll make her forgive me," Lin Xiang said with full confidence, his chest puffing out slightly.
Susan was so kind. She couldn't bear to see a stray cat hungry, let alone her childhood friend suffering. She definitely wouldn't stay angry with him forever. A little coaxing, a few jokes, and they would reconcile as they always did.
Moreover, Lin Xiang had a plan.
He felt incredibly clever. Self-inflicted hardship. It was a classic strategy.
If the kind-hearted Susan saw him standing under the blazing sun for several hours, dripping with sweat, face pale from dehydration, her heart would surely ache for him. She would soften immediately, and her anger would dissipate by more than half. She might even rush to get him water, wiping his sweat with her own handkerchief.
Thinking of this, Lin Xiang felt quite pleased with himself. He felt like a romantic hero enduring torture for his love.
He continued to stand there. The heat was oppressive. Lin Xiang felt a bit hazy, his vision swimming. He could only perceive layers of green leaves beside him and green shadows dancing before his eyes. The cicadas buzzed loudly, mocking him.
"It's really too hot... thirty-five, maybe thirty-six degrees... I'm almost getting heatstroke..."
Lin Xiang wiped the pea-sized beads of sweat from his forehead. He looked longingly at the shade of the large banyan tree nearby. He felt a bit tempted, wondering whether he should go over and hide for a bit to cool down.
"No! Forget it, I'll wait a bit longer. I've stood for so long, I must let Susan see my sincerity! If I move to the shade now, and she comes back, it won't look as pitiful!"
He gritted his teeth and persisted, unaware that his sacrifice was completely in vain.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny Lin Xiang's emotional line has undergone a significant change, plundering +86,000 Destiny Value!]
...
Back inside the cool, luxurious interior of the Bugatti Veyron.
"Big Brother... h-how could you do this?"
Susan sat curled up in the passenger seat, her lips swollen and rosy, her eyes tearful. She was weeping softly, looking like a flower trembling in the rain.
She felt wronged, yet strangely, her heart was racing in a way she couldn't understand. The kiss had been domineering, taking away her breath and her ability to think.
Shen Anyu was in a great mood. The taste of the destined heroine was exquisite. Hearing the system notification about plundering the protagonist's destiny value made it even sweeter.
He immediately switched modes. The predatory dominance vanished, replaced by a look of deep regret and tenderness.
"Susan, I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice laced with pain. "I acted on impulse. Seeing you... you are just too beautiful. In that moment, I lost all my calm and reason."
At this point, Shen Anyu reached out and grasped Susan's fair and tender small hand again. He didn't let her pull away. He looked down into her beautiful, tear-filled eyes, his expression sincere enough to fool the gods.
"Susan, I am a man of my word. I will take responsibility for what I did. I will take care of you for your entire life."
"If you are unwilling to accept my apology, you can call the police right now. Send Big Brother to jail. Big Brother has no regrets because my feelings for you are true."
He even took out his phone and unlocked it, placing it in her hand.
Looking at Shen Anyu's affectionate gaze, hearing his willingness to sacrifice himself for his "impulse," Susan's heart softened instantly. The anger and grievance vanished, replaced by a shy flutter.
Her eyes darted away, unable to meet his intense gaze. She lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper.
"Big... Big Brother, I won't call the police. This time... Susan forgives you. But... don't be impulsive again in the future."
She handed the phone back to him.
"We... we just met. I don't even know your name yet. It's too fast to be together... My aunt says I can't date..."
A hint of a triumphant smile flashed in Shen Anyu's eyes. What a kind, naive girl she was. Calling the police? Even if she did, the police in this city worked for the Shen family. But he liked that she didn't even try.
"Susan, my name is Shen Anyu. I am now formally pursuing you, is that okay?"
As he spoke, his thumb gently rubbed the back of her hand, sending electric currents through her arm.
Susan felt bitter yet sweet inside. This Big Brother, who looked so gentle and refined, why was he so domineering now? He wasn't asking for permission; he was stating a fact.
Who pursues a girl like this? Directly claiming her after one meeting?
But... he was so handsome. And he saved her from the debt.
She was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to hurt others, especially someone who claimed to love her so deeply. Looking at Shen Anyu's expectant gaze, she eventually, shyly, nodded her head.
"Mmh."
Shen Anyu laughed, a sound of genuine pleasure. He looked at the pure, kind, and incomparably beautiful young girl in front of him.
Then, he casually glanced at the hidden screen on the dashboard. The feed from the nanometer monitoring robot showed Lin Xiang, standing like a fool under the scorching sun, swaying slightly from dehydration, waiting for a girl who was currently being courted by his enemy.
The corners of Shen Anyu's mouth turned up into a cruel, mocking arc.
"You just stand and wait, Susan won't be coming home tonight!"
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