The girl had a petite, fair face adorned with two beautiful braids. Dressed in a light blue dress, the hem of her skirt swayed with each step she took, like a lily blooming in the morning dew—pure yet enchantingly alluring.  

Lu Cheng couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling.  

It was as if a flower he had nurtured in his heart for 26 years had suddenly bloomed.  

“Sis, Zhang Jiaming is over there!”  

By the time Jiang Moli followed Jiang Peng’s pointing finger, Zhang Jiaming had already run off. All she saw was Lu Cheng.  

The man was exceptionally tall, with a wheatish complexion, a standard buzz cut, and strikingly handsome features. His sharp gaze made it clear he was a battle-hardened soldier who had weathered the flames of war.  

No wonder he was the male lead—he cut quite the impressive figure.  

Jiang Qing, that damn female lead, sure knew how to pick ’em.  

Jiang Moli smacked her lips and strode haughtily toward Lu Cheng.  

As she got closer, she realized the man was even taller than she had imagined, forcing her to tilt her head up to look at him. “Zhang Jiaming, I’ll get straight to the point—”  

“Sis, he’s not—”  

Jiang Peng’s interruption was cut off by Jiang Moli. “Don’t butt in.”  

“No, he’s—”  

Jiang Peng pointed at Lu Cheng, trying to explain that he wasn’t Zhang Jiaming, but Lu Cheng interrupted, “Let your sister speak.”  

Jiang Peng: “…Who even are you?”  

“Your future brother-in-law.”  

Jiang Peng looked back and forth between Jiang Moli and Lu Cheng, suddenly understanding.  

Was this guy into his sister?  

He gave Lu Cheng a once-over. Judging by his attire, he was probably in the military, and the Shanghai-brand watch on his wrist suggested his family was well-off.  

Jiang Peng’s mind raced. He knew the guy was only temporarily smitten by Jiang Moli’s looks—once he got a taste of her true personality, he’d bolt faster than a rabbit.  

“If you wanna be my brother-in-law, how about some pocket money first?”  

“How much?”  

Caught off guard by Lu Cheng’s immediate agreement, Jiang Peng hesitated, then held up one finger.  

Without another word, Lu Cheng pulled out his wallet and handed him a ten-yuan bill.  

“Enough?”  

“More than enough!”  

Holy shit, it was way more than enough!  

He’d only wanted one yuan, but this guy gave him ten!  

Where did this rich, gullible fool come from?  

“Sis, brother-in-law, you two chat. I’ve got things to do, so I’ll head out first.”  

Jiang Peng slipped away like greased lightning, terrified that Lu Cheng might change his mind and ask for the money back.  

To Jiang Moli, this absurd scene didn’t seem out of place at all.  

She assumed Jiang Peng called “Zhang Jiaming” “brother-in-law” because he thought “Zhang Jiaming” was going to marry her. As for why “Zhang Jiaming” handed over the cash, it was obviously to curry favor with Jiang Peng—his future brother-in-law—ahead of marrying Jiang Qing.  

Truly worthy of the male lead: ridiculously handsome and generous with money.  

She wondered if she could also score a ten-yuan bill by calling him “brother-in-law.”  

Just as she was scheming, “Zhang Jiaming” called out to her: “Moli.”  

“Hmm?”  

“Say what you need to say. I’m listening.”  

The man’s voice was deep and rough, like gravel.  

Jiang Moli scratched her ear—it was tingling. Was she about to get pregnant from his voice alone?  

She cleared her throat and declared loudly, “I was late, but only by half an hour. And that’s not my fault. If you’d given me a bicycle, I wouldn’t have had to wait for the bus, and I wouldn’t have been late!”  

Passersby turned to stare in astonishment.  

She didn’t leave early, was half an hour late, and still had the nerve to blame someone else?  

And she expected him to buy her a bicycle?  

[Disdain value +2. 20,000 yuan deposited.]

“That makes sense. What kind of bicycle do you like? How about we go to the department store now so you can pick one out?”  

The man’s response caught Jiang Moli completely off guard.  

What the hell?  

This wasn’t how it went in the book!  

“Don’t think a bicycle alone is enough to marry me. You’ll need the ‘Three Rounds and One Sound’—all of it—plus a 500-yuan bride price. My dad spent everything he had raising me, and I don’t have a job or any income, so don’t expect a single cent in dowry.”  

The bystanders were stunned by Jiang Moli’s shameless demands.

In these times, even acquiring the “Three Rounds and One Sound” is already a significant challenge for ordinary families.  

Yet Jiang Moli not only demanded the “Three Rounds and One Sound” but also an additional 500-yuan bride price—while offering zero dowry in return.  

Just how shameless did someone have to be to say something so utterly brazen?  

[Disdain value +5. 50,000 yuan deposited.]

“After marriage, you must hand over your entire salary to me, but you can’t control how I spend it. Also, I won’t do housework, I won’t live with your parents, and I won’t have children. If you can’t meet these conditions, don’t waste my time.”  

Demanding a man give you all his money while forbidding him from questioning how you spend it—why don’t you just fly to the moon?  

No housework, no serving the in-laws, not even children—then what’s the point of marrying you?  

To enshrine you like a goddess?  

[Disdain value +10. 100,000 yuan deposited.]

Listening to the continuous influx of rewards, Jiang Moli couldn’t help but lament how late she had met this system.  

If she’d known about it just two months—no, two days—earlier, she would’ve already been a billionaire by now!  

System: [Host, I admit you’re really good at racking up disdain points, but… look around. Aren’t you afraid of getting beaten up?]

Of course she was.  

That’s why she’d brought Jiang Peng along for backup—who knew he’d be so unreliable?  

In any case, her purpose in meeting “Zhang Jiaming” was to earn disdain points. Now that the mission was accomplished, Jiang Moli was ready to bolt.  

“If you’re not saying anything, that means you don’t agree, right? Then let’s call off the engagement. From now on, you go your way, and I’ll go mine—”  

Jiang Moli turned to flee mid-sentence, but before she could take more than a few steps, a hand clamped around her wrist. “Why are you running?”  

If I don’t run, am I supposed to wait to get beaten up?

“The bride price is yours, and my salary is yours too. I can only come home once or twice a year—can you accept that?”  

Jiang Moli’s pupils trembled in shock: How is this even possible?!

Lu Cheng was amused by her wide-eyed, stunned expression. “If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as agreement. Then it’s settled. I’ll come to your house in three days to propose.”  

Wait, you’re serious? 

Then what about your female lead?!

“Aren’t you going to marry Jiang Qing?”  

“Jiang Qing? Who’s that?”  

What a heartless scumbag.

Jiang Moli smirked. “Fine, I’ll wait for you. If you don’t show up, you’re my grandson.”  

She was determined to find out what this bastard was really scheming.  

“I’ll definitely come. It’s hot out—you should head home early. Want me to walk you back?”  

“Don’t bother buttering me up. I’m not falling for it. Not a single cent less than the agreed bride price, got it? Hmph!”  

Jiang Moli yanked her wrist free and strode off.  

The man’s gaze burned into her back like a physical weight, making her subconsciously quicken her pace.  

Only when the girl’s petite figure disappeared into the crowd did Lu Cheng finally look away, lowering his eyes to his right hand.  

The soft, boneless warmth of her wrist still lingered in his palm, leaving him craving more.  

“Young man, with your qualifications, you could marry anyone. Why settle for someone like her?” An aunty sidled up to Lu Cheng with a smile. “My daughter is 22, a middle school teacher. Whatever bride price you offer, we’ll match it in dowry. Would you like to meet her?”  

“No need. I only want her—no one else interests me.”  

The aunty rolled her eyes and stalked off in a huff.  

Turning down my outstanding, hardworking daughter for that gold-digging, lazy good-for-nothing? You’re no catch either!

[Disdain value +1. 10,000 yuan deposited.]

The aunty’s resentment over being rejected by Lu Cheng translated into disdain for Jiang Moli.  

As the crowd dispersed, Zhang Jiaming—who had fled earlier—finally returned to Lu Cheng’s side. “Sir, did Jiang Moli agree to cancel the engagement?”  

Lu Cheng patted his shoulder, his expression unreadable. “Don’t worry, I handled it for you.”  

Zhang Jiaming exhaled in relief. “Thank goodness! Sir, from now on, you’re like a second father to me!”  

Lu Cheng shrugged. “You want to marry her stepsister, right? When are you planning to propose?”  

“In the next couple of days. Sir, I’d really appreciate it if you could accompany me again as a witness.”  

“No problem. But I have urgent matters to attend to these next two days. Let’s make it three days from now.”  

“Deal!”  

…

Jiang Peng hadn’t gotten far when a man in military uniform blocked his path. “Hey kid, let’s have a chat.”