Chapter 1194: Chapter 1194: Extra Story of the Eel 31

Su Man blurted, “Of course, because it’s too expensive!”

The voice on the other end of the phone, Lu Yuwen, seemed relieved and let out a soft chuckle.

Su Man spoke earnestly to him, “That dress cost thousands, and I didn’t even bring that up. This set of jewelry is at least seventy to eighty thousand. For no reason at all, how could I accept such a heavy gift from you? Anyway, either I return the jewelry to you, or you send me the invoice, and I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Lu Yuwen patiently listened to her finish and responded good-naturedly, “Don’t be in such a rush…”

Su Man: “I’m not rushing!”

Her tone sounded agitated, and Lu Yuwen chuckled softly again.

Su Man: “…”

She pursed her lips and muttered defensively, “Fine, maybe I’m a little worked up. Come on, anyone who receives a gift worth tens of thousands would feel a little anxious.”

Lu Yuwen: “I wouldn’t.”

Su Man: “…”

“Why are you like this!” she frowned. “If you keep this up, I won’t go have dinner with you!”

Her words were meant to sound like a threat, but somehow they carried a hint of playful coquettishness…

Su Man herself didn’t know why it came out this way and froze up for a moment, a little unsure of what to say next.

“Don’t be upset, okay?” Over the phone, Lu Yuwen’s voice was extraordinarily gentle, mingled with the lazy tone of someone drifting off to sleep. “If you don’t like it, I won’t send gifts next time, I promise.”

What could Su Man even say to that? She bit her lower lip and murmured an “Mm” in response.

After saying “Mm,” she immediately realized something was off.

No gifts next time? But what about this time?

Was she just going to let this slide???

She nearly fell for his smooth words again!

“How much is the jewelry? I’ll transfer the money to you.” Su Man said directly and seriously.

Lu Yuwen chuckled and asked, “Manman, if what I gave you today was just a bouquet of roses worth 200 bucks, would you insist on paying me back for it?”

Su Man paused and answered, “Of course not.”

Lu Yuwen: “So, the reason you’re offering to transfer me money now is mainly because you think this gift is too expensive, isn’t it?”

Su Man nodded instinctively, “It’s too extravagant—I really can’t accept it. If my parents found out, they’d definitely say I was being reckless.”

Lu Yuwen said, “Manman, I believe the concept of ‘expensive’ depends on perspective. For a newly graduated intern, taking their girlfriend out for buffet might be considered a luxury, but for someone with substantial wealth, it’s merely pocket change. Does that line of reasoning make sense to you?”

Su Man: “…”

All right, while she might not be the sharpest thinker, she wasn’t dense enough to miss the implication behind his words.

What he clearly meant was…

“Even though I wouldn’t call myself a wealthy tycoon, a set of jewelry for me is no different than a bouquet of roses worth 200 bucks. You really don’t need to overthink it. Besides…” He continued leisurely, “Besides, I think, considering your family’s financial situation, this amount of money isn’t much at all.”

Su Man: “But, for no particular reason…”

“Why can you accept a bouquet of roses for no particular reason, but not a set of jewelry worth tens of thousands?” Lu Yuwen gently interrupted her. “And besides, it’s not for no reason. I want you to look stunning when we have dinner tomorrow night. Putting in a little effort for that is only natural. The jewelry matches the dress perfectly—that reason alone should be enough.”

Su Man thought hard, racking her brain for something to counter his argument.

Lu Yuwen added, “Manman, you can’t possibly expect me to pick out a set of jewelry worth just 200 bucks just so you’d feel okay about accepting a gift from me… Though I’m not overwhelmingly wealthy, I happen to be the owner of several restaurants. Gifts worth a few thousand or tens of thousands really aren’t unusual for me. If people found out I gave someone a set of jewelry worth 200 bucks, I…”

Su Man: “…”

She had just wanted to return the gift—how did the conversation turn into him sounding aggrieved?

“What you mean is, receiving the dress and jewelry makes you feel like you’re taking advantage of me, so you feel guilty and want to make up for it?” he laughed quietly and went on, “…Actually, when men give women gifts, the main reason is to please themselves, to satisfy that shallow, primal bit of male vanity. So Manman, just treat it as doing a kind deed and indulge me a little, okay?”

Su Man closed her eyes.

Oh, heavens.

He had said everything there was to say—what more could she even argue?