117: Binglan agrees to be my girlfriend?

Ye Chen was stunned.

Giving it to him?

On the way here, Bing Lan hadn't said anything like that... If he accepted it, would he really become a kept man?

Ye Chen was just about to open his mouth to refuse.

Beside him, Ye Huasheng couldn't help but ask cautiously, "Miss... Miss Bing, how much does this house cost?"

Bing Lan said calmly, "Not much, just a hundred million."

"One... one hundred million?!"

Zhuang Yufen gasped, her eyes widening into circles.

Ye Huasheng's legs went weak, and if Ye Chen hadn't been quick to support him, he would have sat right down on the floor.

One hundred million!

The old couple had lived most of their lives, and the money they had saved wouldn't even cover a fraction of this house's price!

Ten lifetimes—no, a hundred lifetimes—wouldn't be enough to earn this much money... "No! This absolutely won't do!"

Zhuang Yufen snapped back to her senses, her head shaking like a rattle-drum as she pulled Ye Huasheng back.

"It's too expensive!"

"How could we possibly live in a house like this?"

"Miss Bing, we appreciate your kindness, but we really can't take this house!"

"A-Chen, hurry and explain to Miss Bing. We're leaving now; we can just stay in a hotel!"

She looked at the floor, which was as polished as a mirror and reflected her image, then at her old cloth shoes stained with rural mud... She felt itchy all over, terrified that a single careless move would dirty the place or break something—it would be an astronomical price she could never afford to pay back!

Ye Huasheng also nodded repeatedly, his honest face filled with trepidation. "Right, right, we can't stay here!"

Bing Lan was helpless.

She wasn't trying to show off; it was just that these were the only properties under her name that were nearby.

She couldn't very well have Ye Chen's parents move in with her, could she?

But then again... a price tag of a hundred million was indeed unimaginable for ordinary people.

She took a deep breath and tried to persuade them.

"Uncle, Auntie, you don't need to feel burdened."

"Since I'm A-Chen's girlfriend, these things are what I should be doing."

"The house is a gift for A-Chen, and for you as well. This will be your home from now on."

She paused and looked at the two elders with clear eyes. "If you insist on leaving and refuse to stay... does that mean you are dissatisfied with me, your son's girlfriend, in some way?"

"No, no! Absolutely not!" Zhuang Yufen waved her hands hurriedly upon hearing this.

Was she joking?

Bing Lan had the looks, the family background, and she was devoted to their son—giving away a hundred-million-yuan house just like that—and she was also polite and thoughtful toward the old couple.

A future daughter-in-law like this was something one couldn't even get by burning incense for eight lifetimes. How could she be even slightly dissatisfied?

"Miss Bing, please don't misunderstand! We are a thousand, ten thousand times satisfied with you!"

Ye Huasheng also hurried to explain, fearing he might hurt his future daughter-in-law's feelings.

"Since you're satisfied..."

Bing Lan smiled slightly.

"Then stay."

"Everything is here, and the daily necessities are all new. Please stay here with peace of mind."

"Just consider it a small token of my respect as a junior."

After speaking, she tilted her head slightly and gave a gentle wink to the helpless-looking Ye Chen.

At first.

She hadn't thought about giving it away.

But seeing how ill at ease Ye Chen's parents were, she worried they wouldn't feel comfortable staying, so she gave it to them... After all.

One's own things are easier to use freely than someone else's, aren't they?

And even in the worst-case scenario.

What was wrong with giving Ye Chen a house?

He had saved her!

And he had even helped her get her revenge!

A single house was nothing at all!

Seeing this, Ye Chen was both moved and amused.

This woman, usually as cold as ice, actually had quite a way of dealing with his parents.

Using retreat as a means of advance, she had his parents completely wrapped around her finger.

Ye Huasheng and Zhuang Yufen exchanged a glance, both seeing hesitation in each other's eyes.

It was their great fortune that their son could find such a girlfriend.

Since Bing Lan had put it that way and her attitude was so sincere, if they continued to stubbornly refuse, it would seem heartless and hurt the child's feelings.

Finally... Zhuang Yufen sighed and compromised, "Then... we'll trouble you, Miss Bing. We'll stay."

Ye Huasheng also nodded silently.

Bing Lan smiled radiantly. "It's no trouble. Uncle, Auntie, please change your shoes. I'll show you the rooms."

"Alright!"

...They soon finished looking at the house.

Ye Huasheng and his wife adamantly refused to take the master bedroom, saying they would leave it for Ye Chen and the other.

So.

They stayed in the guest bedroom.

But the guest bedroom was also very clean, and they could see the river view by opening the window.

At first, the old couple was still very stiff, not even daring to sit on the sofa with any force, but under Bing Lan's patient guidance, they gradually relaxed a bit.

However, the daze and unease in their eyes wouldn't dissipate anytime soon.

After settling his parents, Ye Chen and Bing Lan went downstairs and got into the car model.

The car drove out of Dijing Garden and headed toward Number One Courtyard.

Ye Chen gripped the steering wheel, looking ahead, and suddenly asked, "That house... are you really giving it to me?"

Bing Lan turned her head to look at the flowing neon lights outside the window and said faintly.

"Yes."

"Later, the property deed will be transferred to your name. You don't need to worry about anything else."

Hearing this, Ye Chen was stunned. "Are you for real?"

"Do I look like I'm playing around?"

"I, Bing Lan, have always been a woman of my word."

Bing Lan glanced at him. "It's just a house. Compared to what you've done for me, it's nothing."

Ye Chen rubbed his nose and said half-jokingly, half-seriously.

"Then this 'soft rice' is getting tastier and tastier... If this keeps up, I'll look more and more like a kept man."

"How about..."

"You actually become my girlfriend for real?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, even Ye Chen felt they were outrageous.

It was one thing to have her pretend to be his girlfriend, but now he wanted to make this "girlfriend" status a reality... Even Five-Star General MacArthur would have to say this is incredible!

Bing Lan didn't speak; she just looked at him quietly.

Ye Chen was sweating under her gaze and was just about to speak when... suddenly.

Bing Lan spoke softly, "Okay."

Ye Chen: "???"

He thought he had misheard.

Bing Lan had already turned her gaze away, looking out the window again, leaving him only with her beautifully lined profile and slightly reddened ear tips.

Her voice was still calm, but it was like a small stone thrown into the lake of Ye Chen's heart, sending out ripples.

"I said, okay."

"..."

Ye Chen opened his mouth, but couldn't squeeze out a single word for a long time.

Holy crap!

I must be dreaming... The two fell into silence.

The car soon entered Number One Courtyard.

The night was deep.

The car model slowly came to a stop in front of Bing Lan's villa.

Ye Chen let go of the steering wheel and gave a dry cough. "Cough... well, we're here."

Bing Lan nodded and reached out to unbuckle her seatbelt.

The seatbelt snapped back.

She pushed open the car door, but just as one foot stepped out, she suddenly paused.

Then.

She turned around.

Under Ye Chen's shocked, bewildered, and dazed expression, she suddenly leaned over, and her warm, soft lips lightly touched his cheek.

It was a brief touch and then gone.

Ye Chen's pupils dilated slightly.

Bing Lan had already pulled back to her original position. Her face showed no expression, but the base of her ears was intensely red.

She looked away. "Let's stamp it first. The 'contract' for being boyfriend and girlfriend can continue."

After saying that, she was about to get out of the car.

But just as she turned—

Ye Chen suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Bing Lan was startled, and before she could react, an irresistible force pulled her whole body back!

"Mmph...!"

She let out a low grunt and fell back into the passenger seat. Before she could steady herself, Ye Chen was already pressing over her.

One hand braced against the back of the seat beside her ear, while the other still tightly held her wrist, trapping her firmly between himself and the seat.

"Stamping?"

"Then I want to stamp one too."

Bing Lan tilted her head back, her small face flushed. "Not now, you said you needed..."

"Just a stamp, nothing else!"

Ye Chen lowered his head and kissed her lips fiercely.

Bing Lan was completely stunned, her mind going blank.

That was her first kiss... Suddenly!

"Sister Bing Lan!"

"What are you guys doing? Why aren't you coming in yet?"

Li Qin's familiar loud voice came along with the opening of the villa's front door.

Like a startled rabbit, Bing Lan snapped her eyes open and shoved Ye Chen away.

She pushed with such force that the unsuspecting Ye Chen's back of the head slammed against the car window.

"Hiss..."

He winced in pain and sucked in a breath of cold air.

Bing Lan, however, had already hurriedly pushed open the car door and stepped out.

Her cheeks were so red they looked like they might bleed. She didn't even dare to look at Ye Chen, keeping her head down as she walked quickly to the door, grabbed the still-peeking Li Qin, and dragged her into the villa.

*Bang!*

The door slammed shut, leaving Ye Chen alone outside.

He rubbed the back of his head, staring at the closed door, not coming to his senses for a long while.

Bing Lan's scent seemed to linger on his lips, and his heart was beating so fast it felt like it would crash out of his chest.

He... had just kissed the former superstar who once swept the nation, and current business world female ceo?

And she had even agreed to be his girlfriend?

This feeling was too surreal.

Surreal to the point of feeling unreal.

He sat in the driver's seat for a while in a daze before finally restarting the car and leaving Number One Courtyard.

On the way, he took out his phone, swiped the screen, and opened WeChat.

Then.

He sent a WeChat message to Jin Meiting.

[Ye Chen: Bing Lan and I are together.]

Sent successfully.

He could almost imagine the wonderful expression on Jin Meiting's face when she saw this message.

Back then... this woman had used a "secret" to blackmail him into getting close to Bing Lan and becoming her boyfriend to sabotage the marriage between Bing Lan and the Zhao family.

But now... the Zhao family had fallen, Zhao Yi was dead, and Zhao Tiangang was in prison.

As for Bing Lan's "boyfriend" status, he had actually made it a reality.

Nothing is more unpredictable than the affairs of the world.

Before long, the phone vibrated.

A reply had come.