Luo Yi listened and nodded in wholehearted agreement. Friendship was friendship—and that meant give and take.
Deputy Director Wang's superiors are at minimum the General Manager of Changlong Hotel, if not the owner himself. Li Bochen had nothing to offer them in return—sooner or later, he would be edged out of that social circle.
"Shut up!" Luo Ningxi was trembling with fury at Luo Zhiqin's instigation.
She said to Luo Yi, "No matter when the goodwill runs out, at least it's put us here at this table together right now. Dad, Bochen accomplished what even you couldn't — I think you should give him more of a chance!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Yi fixed Li Bochen with a complicated look, but in the end, Sheng Kai's authority outweighed his suspicions of Li Bochen.
"Boy, I don't know what tricks you used to fool my daughter into marrying you, but your reason for getting close to her is nothing more than money. Here's my offer: I'll give you five million, you divorce my daughter, and you never show your face in front of her again. How does that sound?"
"Dad!!"
Luo Ningxi's heart instantly leaped into her throat.
Li Bochen had agreed to help her put on an act for her family for one reason only — money!
Now Luo Yi had come right out and offered him five million — in exchange for a divorce.
Five million — that was a fortune for him…
Would he agree?
If he agreed, and Sheng Kai came back again to press her into marriage, what was she supposed to do…
"Bochen is not that kind of hypocritical, money-worshipping scoundrel. How could you insult him with money?"
Luo Ningxi was both furious and worried, her body trembling slightly.
"If his love for you is genuine, five million would naturally be beneath his notice. If it isn't, then it's nothing but your own wishful thinking—there's no question of insult either way." Luo Yi spoke with lofty self-righteousness, his entire bearing that of a man already certain of victory.
He too had clawed his way up from nothing, step by step, and considered himself intimately familiar with Li Bochen's mindset — whatever could be secured in hand was naturally far more reliable and practical than the vague, intangible promises of future reward.
"Honey, don't bother with them. Forget this meal—let's go!"
Luo Ningxi, terrified that Li Bochen might be talked into it, grabbed him and made to drag him outside — but Li Bochen didn't budge an inch.
Luo Ningxi turned to look back. Li Bochen gave her a reassuring glance, then shifted his gaze to Luo Yi, his voice laced with contempt. "How generous of you, Director Luo — but a mere five million to buy out my marriage? Isn't that a bit of a joke?"
Luo Yi said with disdain, "That's all you're worth—don't get too greedy."
"Mr. Li, five million can at least spare you ten years of struggle. Compared to the uncertain gains from marrying Xixi, I think you're a smart man — you should know which to choose…" Jiang Jingya smiled as she made her case. Five million was a great sum, yet measured against Sheng Kai's future capital injection, it was nothing at all.
The coldness in Li Bochen's eyes grew even more pronounced.
From the imperious bearing of this couple alone, one could well imagine what sort of life Luo Ningxi had led under the Luo family's roof.
A flash of malice crossed Luo Zhiqin's eyes; then, tears spilling down her face like rain on pear blossoms, she said, "Mr. Li, don't let my sister fool you. The reason she married you is that Sheng Kai pressured her into it—she had no choice but to grab the nearest person and go register the marriage. You know Sheng Kai, right? The one who runs a massive steel business in the capital. If you stay with Ningxi, you'll become Director Sheng's enemy—and I'm afraid that means you won't be far from death."
Luo Yi and Jiang Jingya's provocations had only made Luo Ningxi angry, but Luo Zhiqin's words struck her right where it hurt.
That was exactly what she had in mind!
Hearing Luo Zhiqin say it all so plainly and openly like that, she even found herself feeling despicable…
True, Sheng Kai was wealthy and powerful — she'd only thought to drag someone into a flash marriage because she couldn't escape him herself. But she hadn't considered what might happen if Sheng Kai, humiliated and furious, decided to make trouble for Li Bochen.
At least she still had the Luo family behind her — but what about Li Bochen?
He was nothing more than a gigolo driven to sell himself by the pressures of life — how could he possibly resist Sheng Kai?
Luo Ningxi's chest rose and fell without her control, a profound sense of helplessness washing over her. It was precisely at that moment that Li Bochen sensed her panic; he reached out with one long arm and drew her firmly into his embrace, his large hand encircling her slender waist.
"Excuse me, but I have no interest in rushing into marriage only to rush back out. Whatever reason Luo Ningxi had for marrying me, the fact remains — married is married!"
A low, deep voice sounded from above her head—domineering and commanding, reverberating little by little through the very depths of her heart.
Luo Ningxi looked up at him, feeling for the first time that he was far less wretched than she had ever imagined……
He had actually given up five million to stand by her…
"You——" Luo Zhiqin was half-dead with rage, her face contorted with venom. "Aren't you afraid she'll get you killed?!"