CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 61: THE 10 YUAN PATRONAGE

As long as she could lead a comfortable life without having to work, she wouldn’t object to being his lover.

And so, with ulterior motives, Zhou Ruo watched the movie absentmindedly.

Ten minutes later, Zhou Ruo was getting anxious.

What’s going on? We’re lying together, and he still hasn’t made a move?

With a hint of confusion, Zhou Ruo snuck a glance at Xia Liang. She saw that he was engrossed in the movie, an occasional smile gracing his lips.

"What is it?" Xia Liang asked, feeling her gaze and looking a bit puzzled.

Although it was a cheesy horror flick, Xia Liang was enjoying it as if it were a comedy. It was so full of plot holes and continuity errors that for a moment, he completely forgot about the choice he was supposed to make.

"Nothing," Zhou Ruo said, shaking her head, a little speechless.

Xia Liang muttered, "If it’s nothing, then go get me some snacks. Watching a movie without snacks feels like something’s missing."

"Uh, okay, Mister Xia," Zhou Ruo agreed, though she was clearly annoyed, and dejectedly went to get them.

Eat, eat, eat! What is there to eat? I’m already offering myself to you, and you won’t take the bait. You insist on snacks instead. Am I less tasty than a bag of chips? No way! This Xia Liang is a dense block of wood. I need to be more proactive.

With that thought, Zhou Ruo returned carrying a plate of neatly cut fruit.

"Mister Xia," she said, beaming, "I cut up some fruit for you. Have a taste."

Xia Liang glanced up at Zhou Ruo. "Hmm," he grunted. "Did you wash them?"

...

Zhou Ruo’s hand trembled, and she almost dropped the plate. Thankfully, she managed to steady it just in time and forced a smile. "Don’t worry, they’ve been washed."

"Hmm."

This time, Xia Liang didn’t reply, just nodding for her to put the plate aside.

She quietly moved closer to Xia Liang again. As she watched him eat the fruit while engrossed in the movie, Zhou Ruo looked for her opportunity.

Just then, the movie reached a small climax. The male protagonist hid in a wardrobe, unaware that the female ghost was right there beside him.

Perfect chance!

Zhou Ruo’s eyes lit up.

"AH!"

With a sudden scream, Zhou Ruo threw herself at Xia Liang. The scent of her perfume filled the air, and in the next second, a stunning woman landed in his arms.

"Mister Xia, I’m sorry. I’m a total scaredy-cat. I’ve been afraid of these things since I was little." Her voice was full of a pitiable charm, making one want to hold her tight and lavish her with affection.

That should do it, right?

Zhou Ruo was quite pleased with herself, but the feeling lasted less than a second.

"If you’re scared, why are you watching this? I seem to recall you’re the one who put it on, right?"

...

Her body stiffened, and she gasped. Is he even a man? I’ve already served myself up on a platter, and he still won’t take a bite? Have I gotten ugly? she wondered.

But she quickly regained her composure, though she looked slightly aggrieved. "But I’ve never seen it before; I wanted to try."

"A total amateur, yet you still love to play," Xia Liang couldn’t help but murmur. "Get up. You’re blocking the screen."

...

Zhou Ruo’s thoughts were in complete disarray. She mechanically sat up and lay back down again, looking at Xia Liang with a peculiar expression. She’d gone this far; if Xia Liang were a real man, he definitely wouldn’t be able to hold back. For him to resist like this, there was only one possible explanation.

"Could he be gay?" Zhou Ruo blurted out her guess unconsciously.

GULP!

She swallowed hard and, like a thief caught in the act, looked up again, only to find Xia Liang’s sharp gaze fixed on her.

It’s over! He heard me! A chill ran down Zhou Ruo’s spine.

Although Zhou Ruo had spoken softly, Xia Liang’s senses, enhanced by the Gene Potion, had long surpassed those of ordinary people. Of course he had heard her question if he was gay. How could he tolerate that?

Zhou Ruo was startled by the look in his eyes. Her body instinctively shrank. Just as she was about to apologize, she found Xia Liang moving closer and pushing her down beneath him.

Although she had imagined this moment, now that it was actually happening, Zhou Ruo still felt a surge of panic. But she steadied her nerves and said pitifully, "Mister Xia, I haven’t... I hope to save myself for my boyfriend..."

Hearing this, Xia Liang stopped.

Zhou Ruo was stunned, then looked at Xia Liang pleadingly.

Xia Liang just calmly looked at her. After a moment, she grew flustered and averted her eyes out of guilt. Only then did Xia Liang sit back properly and say indifferently, "Being my girlfriend is out of the question, but you can be my lover. As long as you behave, you can become the de facto mistress of this mansion."

These straightforward words left Zhou Ruo dumbfounded.

Liar! They’re all huge liars! Didn’t my best friend say that no man could resist in a situation like this? She said they’d even call you daddy, let alone make you their girlfriend! Why doesn’t this man play by the rules? He just stops when he says he will. Fine, whatever, but if you’re going to make an offer like that, shouldn’t you at least sweet-talk me into it first? Not a single sweet word! Who asks a girl to be their lover so directly?

A war raged in Zhou Ruo’s mind. Finally, her eyes settled on Xia Liang beside her.

Without a word, she climbed on top of him.

...

The night passed without incident.

It wasn’t until noon the next day that Zhou Ruo slowly awakened.

"Awake?"

Looking up, she saw Xia Liang, already neatly dressed, standing by the bed and looking down at her.

"Why did you wake up so early?" As Zhou Ruo tried to sit up, Xia Liang stopped her.

"Lie down; get some more rest."

For Xia Liang, who had sworn never to be a Bootlicker again, such a caring phrase was already a rarity. But soon, he returned to his usual self.

Without giving Zhou Ruo much time to react, Xia Liang spoke commandingly, "From now on, you’re my lover. You must be on call whenever I need you. Go through your contacts and delete every man except for your parents—relatives aren’t an exception. From this moment on, you will maintain your distance from all other men. If I ever catch you with another man, you’re both dead."

Zhou Ruo nearly rolled her eyes at his speech.

With his looks, his stamina, and his wealth, I’d have to be crazy to look for anyone else.

Although that’s what she was thinking, she didn’t dare say it out loud and could only nod obediently.

"I understand."

Seeing her compliant attitude, Xia Liang nodded, then took out two cards.

"This card has ten million Yuan. It’s your allowance for a year. Use it however you want—shopping with your friends, buying things, whatever. Just use this card."

After saying that, he tossed the card to Zhou Ruo.

Holding the card in her hand, Zhou Ruo felt like she was in a dream. Her mind went blank.

Is this what it’s like to be with a God of Wealth? Ten million Yuan for pocket money?

She knew other girls who were kept women. But at most they got 100,000 Yuan a month, totaling just over a million a year, and that was only if they kept their men very happy. But her man, on the very first day, not only gave her ten times that amount, but he gave it to her as a yearly lump sum.

Who could possibly resist this?

Before she could even process it, Xia Liang held up another card.