Chapter 14: Want to Consider Being with Me?

Lu Yan made no effort to hide the desire burning in his eyes.

Beep—

Shen Xing, being quite tactful, silently raised the divider in the middle of the car.

Li Qingqing froze. This man… he’s not seriously going to try something here, is he?

She remembered how last night he had forced a kiss on her without warning. The thought made her uneasy, and she instinctively shrank toward the corner of her seat.

“You… Can’t you talk with a little more subtlety?” she stammered.

“No, I can’t,” Lu Yan replied unapologetically, his voice firm.

“…”

Li Qingqing was speechless. This man is out of his mind—at any time, in any place.

She was starting to seriously suspect that his Ph.D. must have been bought—he clearly had none of the refinement of a well-educated man.

Seeing her go quiet again, Lu Yan suddenly turned and caged her against the seat.

His striking face closed in on her, their foreheads almost touching, breaths mingling in the tight space. His unique cold scent overwhelmed her senses without mercy.

Li Qingqing stiffened, afraid to move, her breath hitching. That all-too-familiar scent brought back memories of heat and flushed cheeks.

“So? Li Qingqing. Have you thought about it? Want to consider being with me? Didn’t you say you needed money? Well, I’ve got plenty. Name your price,” Lu Yan said, his voice husky and seductive.

Li Qingqing was stunned. She lifted her gaze to meet his deep, dark eyes, and even in the dim car light, she could see the possessive hunger lurking behind them.

She swallowed hard and confirmed what she thought she heard.
“You mean… you want to keep me?”

She didn’t think she’d misunderstood—his earlier words made that clear.

“That’s right. That’s exactly what I mean. So? Are you in?” His nose nearly brushed hers, and he looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Li Qingqing immediately turned her face away, trying to keep as much distance as possible between them.

In that moment, she suddenly understood why he’d been willing to offer such a high price to hire her as his personal maid. So this was his real motive all along.

She took a deep breath and forced out three words: “Not a chance.”

“What did you say?” Lu Yan frowned, clearly displeased with the answer.

“I said I won’t do it!” Li Qingqing shoved him away firmly, her eyes filled with determination and rejection.

If they weren’t still in a moving car, she would’ve already flung the door open and left.

“What now? You’ve already sold yourself to me twice for money. You even dropped out of school—clearly you’re desperate. Now I’m offering you a chance to make money, and you’re still being stubborn?” Lu Yan stared at her, baffled. He had thought this was a logical next step.

Li Qingqing fell silent again. Yes… he had guessed right—she was desperate for money, so much so that she had once sold herself when she had no other choice…

Seeing her not respond, Lu Yan’s tone softened.

“I’ll be honest with you, Li Qingqing. You were my first. Whether you believe it or not… you really were the first woman I’ve ever had in my 27 years.”

He stared at her, complex emotions flickering in his eyes.

Li Qingqing was stunned. That was the last thing she expected to hear.

She looked up into those deep, unreadable eyes, uncertain how to feel.

He was a virgin too? But based on how he’d performed in bed, that was definitely not how a first-timer acted.

She stared into his eyes again, searching for any sign of a lie—but there was none. That realization stirred a complicated tangle of emotions in her heart.

And yet, she quickly shoved those feelings aside. Now wasn’t the time to get emotional.

After a long silence, she finally said, “That’s still not a reason for me to agree to being kept.”

Lu Yan fell quiet for a few seconds, clearly not expecting her to be this stubborn. Then he let out a sarcastic laugh and said coldly:

“You need money. I want to sleep with you. Isn’t this just mutually beneficial? We’ve already done it. What difference does once or a few more times make?”

His crude and mocking words stung. Li Qingqing clenched her fists, fighting to hold back the tears welling in her eyes.

“There is a difference… Maybe to you, it’s just a question of once or multiple times. But to me—it’s a question of having a choice… or not.”

Faced with the girl’s tear-filled but resolute eyes, Lu Yan fell silent. He could only half-understand her words. He didn’t know if the disconnect was caused by the differences between men and women, or by the gap in their social classes.

But one thing was clear—her attitude was firm. She had what she considered her bottom line.

So, he said nothing more. The car cabin was swallowed in silence.

The Bentley rolled into the underground garage of Wanhua Apartments. The two of them got out, one after the other.

This time, despite Lu Yan’s earlier pressure, Li Qingqing didn’t choose to run away.

Tonight, she would still sleep in Wanhua Apartments—but by tomorrow, she would leave on her own.

---

The next day, when Lu Yan got up, he didn’t see breakfast waiting for him. On the table was a single note.

He picked it up. There was only one simple line written on it:

[I resign. The leftover grocery money has been refunded. Please check your account.]

He opened WeChat. There it was—49,874.6 yuan transferred back, to the last cent. She hadn’t kept a single extra penny.

Lu Yan gave a self-mocking laugh.

In the next second, he flung his phone to the floor. It shattered into pieces.

Li Qingqing, you’ve got guts! You’d better never show up in front of me again!

---

In the week that followed, Li Qingqing didn’t see Lu Yan again.

She moved back to the school dormitory.

Time flew, and the day came for her to begin her internship under Mu Xingyi at Shian Hospital.

She got up early, even put on some light makeup, and headed cheerfully to the hospital.

---

“Qingqing, you’re here?”

Mu Xingyi spotted her with her canvas backpack and ponytail, skipping cheerfully over to him. Just seeing her made his mood lighten.

“Mm. Dr. Mu, I didn’t expect your hospital to be so close to our school.”

Li Qingqing smiled, her whole being radiating youthful energy.

“Actually, when we were choosing the hospital location, we deliberately picked somewhere near the university area. The foot traffic is high, it’s convenient for transportation, and it makes commuting easier for interns. You know, most nurse interns don’t even get paid, so a lot of them stay in their school dorms to save money.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that,” Li Qingqing nodded obediently.

Not just for nurses—even traditional Chinese medicine apprenticeships usually required the student to pay for training. The fact that Mu Xingyi was willing to take her in for free was already more than she could ask for.

“But…” Mu Xingyi stepped up to her and gave her shoulder a pat.
“Qingqing, I know a bit about your family’s situation. Since I’ve decided to take you on as my apprentice, I won’t shortchange you. I’ll pay you a standard intern’s salary. Just don’t let it slip in front of the other staff.”

He gave her a warm, “you’re one of us” kind of look.

“Ah, no, Dr. Mu—you don’t have to treat me any differently. I’m already really grateful that you’re taking me in without charging me.” Li Qingqing was a little overwhelmed by the kindness.

Mu Xingyi had expected her to refuse. Looking into her eyes, he said sincerely, “Qingqing, we’ve known each other for a while. In such a big world, the fact that we’ve met more than once means something. So please, accept this small gesture, okay?”

Seeing the genuine sincerity in his eyes, Li Qingqing felt a warmth in her chest. The unpleasant things she’d endured the past few days seemed to melt away.

“Thank you, Dr. Mu.” She didn’t know how else to express her gratitude and simply gave him a deep bow.

Mu Xingyi reached out and gently patted her head, a soft look in his eyes. “From now on, just call me Master—‘Dr. Mu’ feels too distant.”

Li Qingqing nodded obediently.

---

After work, to welcome the new hires, Mu Xingyi decided to take everyone out for some fun, to help the team bond.

The group arrived at an entertainment center—and in the lobby, they ran straight into Lu Yan and Qin Yichuan’s crowd.