“I knew it,” the rich woman scoffed. “A girl like you would never go for some pretty boy like him.”

Shi Han: “…”

The woman dropped herself onto the couch opposite them, stroking the gold chain around her neck as her greasy eyes locked onto Lu Yan. “Tell me, what’s so bad about being with me? I’ll cover all your grandma’s medical expenses, pay for your entire college education, and if you want, I’ll even send you abroad.”

“No need.” Lu Yan glanced sideways at Shi Han to gauge her reaction.

“Don’t be a fool, Lu Yan,” the woman snapped, her patience thinning fast. “Do you really think you can afford to say no? I could get you fired from this place with one phone call. Without this job, how are you going to pay for your grandma’s treatment?”

Lu Yan said nothing, just lowered his head and signed the sales contract.

“Well, aren’t you noble.” The woman pulled out her phone, a smirk curling on her lips. “I’ll call the boss right now. You can kiss that commission goodbye. And if you want to fight it, go ahead—I’ll drag this through court until you’re left with nothing.”

She started dialing, lifting the phone toward her ear—but her hand was suddenly yanked back.

Shi Han grabbed her wrist and pried the phone away with cold precision, ending the call without a word. Her eyes were void of emotion. “Don’t push it too far.”

“What’s this got to do with you?” The woman’s heart skipped a beat. She forced herself to stay calm, narrowing her eyes. “This is between the two of us. You have no right to interfere.”

“……”

The woman sneered, “Little girl, you’re still green. If you’re not even interested in him, then trying to steal him from me only makes him look worse.”

Shi Han’s fury boiled over. “And who says I’m not interested in him?”

The moment the words left her mouth, the room went dead silent.

Lu Yan’s cold lips curved slightly, and even his sharp, angular features seemed to soften.

Shi Han, however, was starting to feel embarrassed.

She didn’t even know why she was acting like this—she just couldn’t stand watching Lu Yan get pushed around.

It was the first time she’d ever done something so bold.

Jerking her hand out of the rich woman’s grip, she muttered awkwardly, “If you’re really that rich, why force someone who clearly doesn’t want it? Just find someone else.”

“But I want him,” the woman said matter-of-factly. “Sweetheart, the money you’re spending still comes from your parents. I can offer him five hundred thousand a month. Stay with me for two years, and he could afford a house right here in the capital.”

“Fifty grand a month? That’s it?” Shi Han pulled another card from her pocket, glanced at the little wolfdog’s expression, and slid it across the table. “I’ll give him a hundred grand a month.”

“I don’t have time to argue with you,” the rich woman huffed, tossing her business card onto the table. “Lu Yan, I can see right through this girl—she’s just playing the game. When you need something real, call me, okay?”

Shi Han: “…”

Dripping in gold chains, the woman turned and left.

Lu Yan picked up the housing contract.

It came in two copies. He handed one to Shi Han.

“Miss Shi, you’ll just need to wait for the property deed.”

His voice was still quiet, low, and to the point. Shi Han glanced at the card she had just handed over. She hadn’t planned on actually keeping Lu Yan.

But stepping in like that just now… if she turned around and said it was a misunderstanding, it’d sound exactly like what that woman had accused her of.

After weighing it over, Shi Han finally said, “Lu—Lu Yan, there’s a little over a million in this card. The password’s my birthday—it’s on the housing contract. Just… take it for now.”

For someone who’d only met him twice, Shi Han figured she was already being ridiculously generous.

Lu Yan froze mid-motion and looked up.

His eyes, catching the sunlight, shimmered like glass—cool and unreadable. His face was calm, expressionless, but there was an undeniable elegance about him, like a noble young lord carved from ice.

Shi Han swallowed hard.

All these years, she’d never met a man she liked just by looking at him.

And now that she thought about it… having a little wolfdog like this around didn’t seem so bad. It’s not like she couldn’t afford it…

Wait a second—how did her principles shift this fast?!

Shi Han abruptly looked away, flustered. Maybe… they could start by being friends.

=^_^=