Chapter 15

Jinwu’s breath hitched, and she looked up at him steadily.

The man’s strong features, accentuated by the light, had deep-set brow bones and contours.

His naturally captivating peach blossom eyes met hers directly, without shying away, focusing on her with sincerity, completely devoid of any trace of jest.

It sounded like he was truly willing to help her.

Jinwu’s heart suddenly quickened.

His proposal had always been tempting.

She knew Zhou Yaning’s personality very well. As long as she didn’t give in, she would definitely come to the hospital every day to make a scene.

With Duan Shiyan’s status as the Crown Prince of Beijing, the head of the Duan Group, and the founder of SW Technology, Zhou Yaning would definitely abandon Fu Yulchen, who was merely an heir to the Fu family.

She would clap her hands in agreement for them to be together, even wishing they would get married that day.

As long as she nodded now, her anxieties and worries would be immediately resolved.

But Jinwu couldn’t understand why Duan Shiyan was willing to help her.

Didn’t he say he didn’t like to meddle in other people’s business? Why would he be willing to meddle in her business?

Was it simply because he disliked Fu Yulchen and wanted to annoy him?

“Why are you willing to help me?”

Jinwu had never been so presumptuous as to think of herself as the heroine of a story, where a rich and handsome male lead would rescue her from a dire situation. “What can I do for you?”

Duan Shiyan’s eyebrows twitched, and a smile curved his thin lips.

“Didn’t I tell you in the car that not only the board of directors, but also my family is watching for my future wife? I don’t like being arranged into marriage, so we’re a good fit.”

His gaze remained direct and intense, leaving her nowhere to hide. “You need someone to protect you from your mother, and I need to appease the board and my family.”

“Jinwu.”

Duan Shiyan put away all his flippancy, his voice deep, mellow, and calm, each word carrying a serious conviction. “I need you.”

Need her?

Jinwu looked at him in disbelief.

Duan Shiyan actually needed her?

But she was just a nameless, illegitimate daughter, didn’t families like theirs value matching status and background?

How could she be worthy of his need…

Fu Yulchen’s words from that night, spoken with such confidence, echoed in her ears.

“Duan Shiyan.”

Jinwu clenched her hands tightly under the table, speaking calmly. “You should know that I’m just an illegitimate daughter, I don’t have much background, so I’m not the most suitable person for your needs, you’ve chosen the wrong one.”

Her exquisite and clean face remained calm.

Even when saying things that put herself down, she remained expressionless, as if she had become accustomed to it.

Duan Shiyan’s tall frame trembled slightly, his pupils instantly turned dark, and his heart was immediately overwhelmed with an unbearable dull ache.

Even if the game started with a failure, but soon gained an unexpected SSR equipment that could lead to victory, one should feel joy or excitement, right?

Even if not, one would at least feel wronged, sad, or angry because of those gossips, right?

But she had none of that.

Only a calm acceptance of everything.

As if she had been instilled with so much negativity that even running with her ears covered wouldn’t help.

In the end, she could only embrace herself with her wounds and choose to numbly accept everything.

But the more calm she was, the more heartache he felt.

“Jinwu.”

Duan Shiyan looked into her eyes, suddenly serious. “Shake your head.”

Jinwu: ?

Although she felt strange, she still obediently shook her head from side to side.

Duan Shiyan’s lips curled into a smile.

“From now on, those naysayers’ words have been successfully shaken out of your head, and now, remember what I said.”

He looked directly into her eyes, his dark and deep pupils burning with an eternal, blazing flame, illuminating her path.

“Only those who are incapable will consider matching status and background, and I, Duan Shiyan, have no need for that.”

He looked at her, his gaze filled with love, burning with an unparalleled intensity. “I only want what I want.”

Jinwu almost held her breath instantly.

It took her a while to regain her voice. “Why…”

“Why else?”

Duan Shiyan’s eyebrows curved slightly, the dimple on his right cheek deepened, as if overlapping with the sixteen-year-old boy from back then. “Because you’re the best.”

She’s… the best?

Jinwu’s heart skipped a beat.

This word was so unfamiliar to her throughout her entire life.

So unfamiliar that it felt like she was seeing it for the first time.

As if he could see the uncertainty in her heart.

Duan Shiyan bent his deep and bright peach blossom eyes, like a compliment machine exclusive to Jinwu, with an arrogant and proud air that left no room for rebuttal.

“My future Mrs. Duan is a doctor who saves lives, she is the best, the most outstanding, I will always be proud of her.”

Of course, there’s more.

She’s kind, resilient, independent, and takes everything she does seriously.

Fu Yulchen didn’t know how good she was, but Duan Shiyan did.

Jinwu stared into his burning peach blossom eyes, feeling like she was being sucked into a fiery vortex, her racing heart losing control.

The chaotic voices that had been plaguing her mind seemed to be dispersed by a dazzling, scorching sun, leaving her feeling warm all over.

It was as if the wounded little hedgehog finally didn’t have to hug herself anymore, someone was there to carefully hold her in their arms.

Jinwu’s clenched fists slowly relaxed, and the eyes that had been as still as a stagnant pond gradually began to gleam.

But soon, she suddenly remembered something.

The surge of emotion stopped abruptly, as if she had suddenly realized something.

Wait a minute!

He just said… Mrs. Duan?

“Well…”

Receiving the surprised look from the other side.

Little Dog Duan quietly took out his fox ears again and skillfully put them on his head. “The process of dating is too slow, those old geezers will definitely seize every opportunity to cause trouble and pick fights, so getting married directly is the fastest and best method.”

“I know this might be sudden, but don’t worry, marrying me, you can completely continue your career, I will give you all the respect and support, and I will never interfere.”

“And I won’t use the fact that I’m your husband to restrict you in any way, you can be completely free to be yourself with me.”

The man, who had already taken off his fox ears, raised his chin slightly with a hint of self-satisfaction, looking like he was waiting to be praised. “Also, I’m not like that scumbag named Fu, I’m clean as a whistle.

No bad habits at all, a perfect, textbook five-first guy.”

Five-first guy?

Jinwu asked curiously, “What’s that?”

Duan Shiyan’s lips curled into a smile, and he immediately spoke with immense pride. “It means first hold, first love, first kiss, first… ”

At this point, his peach blossom eyes flickered with a mischievous and alluring glint, his ending dragged out, seductive and naughty, he slowly uttered two words. “First, night.”

Jinwu: ?

She gasped lightly, her earlobes quickly turning red.

What was he talking about in public!

Duan Shiyan, sitting across from her, watched the girl who was strategically taking a sip of water, a deepening smile in his eyes.

Well, to be precise, his first hold and first love were gone.

But his first hold and first love had always been her, never changing, so it wasn’t a lie, right?

“Here’s my physical exam report, please take a look, future Mrs. Duan.”

The person across from her was like a male guest standing on the stage of “If You Are the One.”

He handed her the physical exam report, which he had prepared from who knows when, and patiently waited for her to turn on the light.

Name: Duan Shiyan

Sex: Male

Age: 26 years old

Physical Data: Height 190cm, Weight 69.5kg, Bust 101cm, Waist 74cm, Hips 93cm, xx19…

Seeing a certain section, Jinwu’s gaze stopped abruptly, and her face instantly flushed.

“Cough.”

Jinwu held his physical exam report to shield her slightly burning face, and suddenly noticed a key point. “By the way, do you carry this with you?”

Otherwise, how could he have produced it at this opportune moment?

“Ah, about that.”

Duan Shiyan remained unfazed. “Didn’t I say I just happened to be passing by the hospital? Then I remembered that I had a physical exam done a while back, so I went to pick it up.”

Jinwu looked at the date, and it was indeed recent.

But are hospital physical exams so detailed now?

Detailed to the point that even… could be measured.

Jinwu’s mind was a little muddled.

What happened tonight was too unreal.

Back in school, “winning over Duan Shiyan” was a high-difficulty challenge that many beautiful and bold girls couldn’t achieve.

Now, this highest level of challenge was being presented to her, a boring and rule-abiding good girl, with a marriage proposal, and he even said she was the best choice.

Should she agree?

Although it was just a marriage of convenience, there was no need to think too much, but she was still worried if she would make the wrong choice again.

“Jinwu, I know what you’re worried about.”

The man who had been sitting across from her suddenly stood up and walked towards her with long strides.

Then, under her shocked gaze, he slowly knelt down on one knee, as if proposing!

“But don’t give up on all the questions just because you got one wrong.”

His deep, bright eyes burned with passion, like a blazing inferno. “I told you, I will be your best choice.”

“Jinwu.”

“Marry me.”

As soon as the words left his lips.

A silver arc shot up into the dark night.

Then, a giant blue firework, like Van Gogh’s starry night, burst open in a blaze of glory, covering the entire night sky of Beijing.

Duan Shiyan extended his hand towards her, the intense emotions hidden deep in his eyes could no longer be concealed, pouring out towards her. “This time, I will never let you lose, I will make you win.”