The moment the man finished speaking, it was as if the entire world had come to a sudden halt.
Lu Shuyan stared at the reaction of the person across from him after he said that sentence.
He saw her originally joyful smile drop at an extremely subtle angle, so subtle that it would be hard to notice if he wasn’t focused on it, and then, quickly, the smile lifted again, returning to its earlier angle.
It was a rigid movement, one that was controlled by her facial muscles with great effort, a stiffness where emotions were not managed by the brain.
Si Nian thought she had heard wrong.
However, the man’s reaction in front of her told her that she had not heard wrong.
His eyes kept repeating what he had just said, the matter he had called her out for tonight, the thing that had almost made her go crazy with happiness since the afternoon, were just four words:
“We should get married.”
Si Nian’s mind went blank in that instant.
“I… I…”
She couldn’t even say anything, tonight was clearly supposed to be about breaking up, so why did Lu Shuyan start proposing?
And can this even be called a proposal?
Even if there was no kneeling or engagement ring, there should at least be some preparation, right?
No, no, how did things become like this?
She clearly didn’t want to marry Lu Shuyan.
After all the hard work, wasn’t the ultimate goal to take the money and leave?
If they married, wouldn’t that mean she could never leave this job, she would be stuck in it for life.
Lu Shuyan calmly observed her gradually reddening face, obviously smiling, but his eyes grew more and more unable to hide the panic in Si Nian.
“Day 1713,” the man’s face showed no warmth related to a proposal, his voice only carrying the cold mockery, “Si Nian,”
“We should get married.”
Si Nian looked up in shock.
The restaurant waiter stood outside the private room door.
This was one of the highest Michelin-rated restaurants in City B, and the guests who entered this restaurant every day were either rich or noble.
However, when this couple, who looked like a serious couple or perhaps a young married couple, entered the VIP private room tonight, the waiter, who considered himself well-seasoned, couldn’t help but secretly admire how pleasing they were to the eye.
He then began silently gossiping in his mind, wondering if they were married or not, and thought, if not, with the atmosphere being so perfect tonight, it would indeed be a pity not to propose.
Until faint sounds of an argument suddenly came from the private room.
The waiter, who had been wondering whether a proposal would happen, immediately frowned and instinctively leaned towards the door.
Inside the private room.
The candle on the table was still burning, but all the lights in the room had already been turned on.
Si Nian slightly parted her lips, feeling a bone-chilling cold from the man in front of her who had just mentioned “Day 1713,” rising from her heels all the way to her head.
There was no commemorative meaning to this date, this precise date, it was something only a phone diary would record.
She never expected that in the time it took her to go to the bathroom, Lu Shuyan had looked at her phone.
Lu Shuyan had never looked at her phone before, he was the kind of person who despised such behavior of looking at his girlfriend’s phone.
So, when they first started dating, she showed consideration by daringly setting up face recognition for him on her phone.
And then, time passed so long that sometimes she even forgot he could unlock her phone, and she could leave it around with him in the room without worry.
Until one day, Pandora’s box was opened.
Realizing what had happened, Si Nian finally felt dizzy, her hands and feet weak.
“It’s not like that,” she immediately stood up and tried to explain, “It’s not what you think.”
“What do you mean by ‘not like that’?” Lu Shuyan remained seated, his face revealing the absurdity and anger he felt at this moment.
Si Nian: “I…”
Lu Shuyan: “Day 1, officially became his girlfriend, so happy.”
“Day 180, six months, didn’t expect him to be so affectionate.”
“Day 365, one year, couldn’t stand it anymore, persistence is victory.”
“Day 713, two years of struggle, enduring hardships, making eight figures.”
“Still, on Day 1674, almost five years, Lu Shuyan, you bastard, I’m going to tear you apart.”
The man’s gaze was sharp, as if he wanted to dissect her, every word of what he had seen in the online diary, where the owner casually recorded their feelings at certain time points.
He asked her: “Isn’t it like this?”
In that moment, Si Nian started to feel like everything was over.
The words she had once recorded in the diary were now calmly spoken by him.
She felt like she was being stripped bare, exposed to his gaze.
Si Nian staggered, powerless, and Lu Shuyan looked at her: “Si Nian, did you get the eight figures?”
When the man finished speaking, it felt as though the entire world had come to a halt.
Lu Shuyan stared at the reaction of the person across from him after he spoke those words.
He saw her originally joyful smile drop at an imperceptibly slight angle, so subtle that it would be hard to notice unless he was watching intently.
Then, quickly, her smile returned, restoring the previous angle.
It was a smile controlled by her facial muscles, stiff, as though emotions were being suppressed by her brain.
Si Nian thought she had misheard.
However, the man’s reaction told her she had heard correctly.
His eyes seemed to repeat the words he had just spoken, the very words that had made her nearly lose her mind with excitement since the afternoon.
The four words were:
“We should get married.”
Si Nian’s mind went blank in an instant.
“I… I…”
She couldn’t even speak, how had this turned into a marriage proposal?
Tonight was supposed to be about breaking up, so why was Lu Shuyan proposing marriage?
This couldn’t even be called a proposal, right?
There should be a ring and maybe even a kneeling gesture, but there was none.
No, no, how had things turned out like this? She didn’t want to marry Lu Shuyan.
Her ultimate goal for all this time was to take the money and leave.
Wouldn’t getting married mean she couldn’t leave her job?
She’d be stuck here for life.
Lu Shuyan calmly observed Si Nian, whose face was turning red, laughing while her eyes were becoming more and more frantic.
“Day 1713,” the man’s face had no warmth, only a mocking coldness in his voice.
“Si Nian,”
“We should get married.”
Si Nian’s gaze snapped up in shock.
The restaurant server stood outside the private room door.
This was one of the highest-starred Michelin restaurants in B City.
The guests who frequented this restaurant were either rich or influential.
But when this young couple, who seemed like a serious couple or possibly newlyweds, entered the VIP room, even the server, who had seen it all, couldn’t help but appreciate their appearance.
He started to gossip in his mind, wondering whether they were married.
If not, with such a good atmosphere tonight, it would be a pity if there wasn’t a proposal.
Suddenly, faint sounds of an argument came from the private room.
The server frowned, instinctively approaching the door.
Inside the room.
The candles on the table were still burning, but all the lights in the room had been turned on.
Si Nian slightly parted her lips, facing the man who had just mentioned “Day 1713.”
She felt an overwhelming chill crawl from her heels all the way up to her head.
There was no special meaning behind this precise day.
Only a phone diary would record such an exact date.
She never imagined that during the short time she went to the restroom, Lu Shuyan had gone through her phone.
Lu Shuyan never looked at her phone.
He was the kind of person who had always disdained snooping through his girlfriend’s phone.
So, she had no hesitation back then, even registering his face for facial recognition when they first started dating, just to show her consideration.
Time passed, and it became so long that sometimes she even forgot he could open her phone.
She would leave her phone in the room with him without any worries.
Until one day, Pandora’s box was opened.
Si Nian was finally dizzy and weak, her limbs trembling.
“No,” she suddenly stood up, wanting to explain, “It’s not what you think.”
“It’s not what?” Lu Shuyan remained seated, his face revealing the absurdity and anger he felt.
Si Nian: “I…”
Lu Shuyan: “Day 1, so happy to officially be your boyfriend.”
“Day 180, six months in, didn’t expect he was so loyal.”
“Day 365, one year in, couldn’t take it anymore, but persistence is victory.”
“Day 713, two years of hardship, I’ve suffered so much to earn eight figures.”
“Or Day 1674, almost five years, Lu Shuyan, you bastard, I want to dismember you.”
The man’s gaze was sharp, as if he was about to dissect her with his eyes. Word by word, he repeated the entries from the online diary she had written at certain milestones in their relationship.
He asked her: “Isn’t this what you meant?”
In that instant, Si Nian began to feel like everything was over.
The words from her diary were now spoken aloud by him, and she felt completely exposed, as if stripped naked and stared at by him. Si Nian staggered, and Lu Shuyan looked at her: “Si Nian, have you gotten the eight-figure sum yet?”
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