Chapter 46 Five months

Luo Xiaolei looked at Yu Chen and blinked twice. He was wearing a panda hooded sweater so how could she even get scared?

"Y-you’re not. You don’t look scary at all." At least not right now, as your panda version.

"Good. You don’t have to be scared. After all, I already said that I will agree with your proposal as long as you tell me the truth."

When Luo Xiaolei heard him, her eyes circled. "R-really?! You mean, you won’t reject my proposal no matter what I say as long as it is the truth?!" she exclaimed and when Yu Chen simply nodded, Luo Xiaolei’s mouth hung open.

Disbelief was so evident in her eyes that Yu Chen could only ask again. "Do I look so untrustworthy?"

His question immediately made Luo Xiaolei shake her head. How could she even see him as someone untrustworthy when she couldn’t even doubt him despite her mind constantly telling her not to trust anyone?

"It’s not like that. It’s just that..." It’s just that I don’t understand why you’re being like this to me...

Luo Xiaolei wanted to ask but she didn’t. It was true that Yu Chen was mysterious to her because she couldn’t doubt him but every time he was being so nice to her like this, Luo Xiaolei couldn’t help but remember that man whom also once treated her like she was his most precious princess.

"Okay, since you’ve given me your word, I’ll say it." Luo Xiaolei finally started and after taking a deep breath, she continued. "My father forced me into this. They took my precious little buns away and locked them up, to blackmail me. He said that he would send them abroad if I don’t bring them the news of our engagement as soon as possible."

What followed Luo Xiaolei’s confession was a deep silence. She was looking into his eyes, anxious about how he would react but shockingly, Yu Chen’s expression still didn’t change at all. He didn’t even seem to be surprised and instead, looked like he expected what she said. Did this mean he really expected something like this all along?

Thinking about it, Luo Xiaolei could only face palm herself. Why did she even think that she could hide her real motive from this person, of all people?

"I’m... I’m very sorry. I’m asking you to please forgive me. I didn’t have any choice but to do this. I really need to save them." Luo Xiaolei could only plead.

"Then, after you take them back, you would then call off the engagement?"

As those words reached Luo Xiaolei’s ears, something sharp struck her heart. Her guilt intensified and as she stared at this big, fluffy panda before her and she just didn’t have the heart to keep lying and using him anymore. Strangely, even though she couldn’t see any feeling or emotion in him at that moment, Luo Xiaolei felt that she didn’t want to disappoint this person more than this.

"I-it’s true that that was my plan at the beginning but... now that you know, the circumstances have changed. And I already promised you that I would take responsibility for seeing your... I mean... anyway, that incident has nothing to do with me being forced so... for me to fulfill my promise, I won’t call off the engagement. I’ll become your fiancée and will still live in your house for many days..."

As she said those words, something finally changed in Yu Chen’s expression, but it looked like it wasn’t something positive. His brows knotted a bit as soon as he heard the last words of her statement.

Noticing this, Luo Xiaolei swallowed air before she continued, trying to coax him.

"For a m-month..." she said but then, the lines across Yu Chen’s brows deepened.

"O-okay, for two months..." Luo Xiaolei was speechless because the big panda seemed to still be unsatisfied.

"Okay. Three should be enough, right?"

Gladly, the lines in Yu Chen’s brows didn’t deepen anymore so Luo Xiaolei was about to heave a sigh but then, the man suddenly spoke.

"One year." He said and Luo Xiaolei almost choked. Ehh?? One year?!

"T-that’s a bit... uhm five. Five months." Luo Xiaolei immediately negotiated and the man went silent. After a long while, he moved and his one hand landed on her head.

"Okay."

Hearing his most awaited ’okay’, Luo Xiaolei finally heaved a sigh of relief.

"Let’s go back and get changed. I’ll go with you to your father’s house." He added and Luo Xiaolei could only nod.

"O-okay."

"I’ll fetch you so wait for me in your house."

"Okay."

"Also, drive carefully."

"G-got it."

By the time the white panda and the black rider separated, the light of dawn was already kissing the sky, spreading colorful hues, as if declaring the start of a new, beautiful beginning.

As Yu Chen quietly rested his face on his hand, staring at the magnificent sky, Gu Jinyang spoke.

"Yu Chen, why are you doing this? What are you planning to do in those five months? More like... what exactly are you aiming for?" Gu Jinyang’s questions lingered in the silent car, but Yu Chen simply glanced at him, not giving him any hint on what was going on in his head.

Gu Jinyang knew that Yu Chen had been looking for someone for years but he really didn’t make any real effort or made any move to search for that person. Gu Jinyang believed that the reason was because he was hesitating all along.

However, one day, something suddenly changed in Yu Chen. The night of Mr. Luo’s party, Yu Chen was actually in a situation where it was almost impossible for him to attend, yet, he insisted. He even acted like attending that party was a now or never situation and nobody understood why. Since then, Gu Jinyang was puzzled. He didn’t believe that Yu Chen’s actions towards Luo Xiaolei was simply because he was falling in love. He just had a niggling feeling that this was not as simple as that.