温柔美国人的情歌

第5章 其实，我是......

At this moment, Zhang Yifei felt an invisible pressure weighing on him, making it hard to breathe. Watching the Dean and Shao Tianzhi disappear from sight, he immediately bolted for the exit.

As soon as Zhang Yifei stepped out of the living room, it felt like the air had suddenly become fresher, and the pressure vanished. The serious expression he had maintained for so long also began to ease.

But then it hit him—this wasn't a hotel; this was the Shao family residence. Even if he could run away, there was no place to hide. Moreover, the Shao family estate was massive, and Zhang Yifei had no idea where the front gate was. There was no way out.

Unbeknownst to Zhang Yifei, Shao Ningdie had already appeared behind him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

Shao Ningdie continued to smile warmly at Zhang Yifei, never intending to say a word.

Alright, Zhang Yifei surrendered without a fight.

"So, Miss Shao, what do you do for work?" Zhang Yifei thought to himself, "I'm a man, after all—no need to be overly reserved."

Shao Ningdie smiled gently and replied gracefully, "I'm currently preparing to take full control of Xuan Yi Group. What about you, Mr. Zhang?"

Hearing Shao Ningdie's words, Zhang Yifei felt the world spinning around him, as if he could see gold nuggets the size of fists appearing before his eyes.

This woman was powerful—she was already taking over Xuan Yi Group. She wasn't just any ordinary temptress; she might as well be the queen of the Kingdom of Women.

"Me? I'm somewhere between the rich and the poor, floating aimlessly," Zhang Yifei replied. He couldn't help but question his own desires—did he really want a wife like Diao Chan? But surely not a queen of the Kingdom of Women.

Zhang Yifei clearly remembered the story of Tang Sanzang in *Journey to the West* almost falling for the queen of the Kingdom of Women. But unlike Tang Sanzang, Zhang Yifei's heart wasn't as steadfast, nor did he have a Monkey King to protect him. He could easily be tempted.

"Merciful Bodhisattva, couldn't you just bless me with a gentle wife like Diao Chan? Let me be a real man for once."

"And what exactly do you do?" Shao Ningdie's every move was filled with subtle seduction.

"An idle scoundrel, doing nothing all day!"

Seeing Zhang Yifei's low spirits and hearing his dismissive words, Shao Ningdie was momentarily stunned. After all, her father had praised Zhang Yifei to the skies.

How could someone her father thought so highly of be a mere scoundrel?

Moreover, Shao Ningdie had never encountered a man who treated her so indifferently. Usually, men fawned over her. This was strange—was there something wrong with her?

It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Shao Ningdie; it was that Zhang Yifei had a fear of strong women.

Zhang Yifei often saw on TV that the husbands of powerful women had no rights at home, summoned or dismissed at will. Zhang Yifei didn't want to lose his rights in a marriage.

Moreover, Zhang Yifei wasn't being dismissive; he really was an idle scoundrel.

If he actually married this woman, he'd never recover.

The more Zhang Yifei looked at Shao Ningdie, the more afraid he became.

"Mr. Zhang, you're too modest. Uncle Li showed me your photo, and both my father and Uncle Li think very highly of you."

Modest?

Zhang Yifei looked at the woman in front of him. Her gentle smile, her bright eyes—she didn't seem to take his words seriously at all.

Misunderstood—this wasn't good. Zhang Yifei had always prided himself on being honest, so he solemnly placed a hand on Shao Ningdie's shoulder and said earnestly, "Miss Shao, you've been deceived. I have no special skills. In the orphanage, I often caused chaos, and I never passed a single exam. Just the other day, I accidentally cooked the Dean's pet dog into a stew. Even the Dean said that my existence is the root of all evil in this world..."

"Mr. Zhang, you're very honest. No wonder Uncle Li says you're a straightforward person. It's hard to find someone as genuine as you these days. Most people I've met are fake, untrustworthy, and don't give me a sense of security. But you, Mr. Zhang, make me feel secure," Shao Ningdie said, her eyes sparkling.

Seeing Shao Ningdie's bright eyes, Zhang Yifei felt bitter and helpless.

It was clear—the Dean had anticipated what Zhang Yifei would say all along.

What had he done to deserve such scheming? How deep was this grudge? Zhang Yifei really wanted to ask the Dean what he had done to offend him so badly.

Was it really just because he hadn't set the Dean up with a new partner, leaving his rooster with nothing to do? Was it worth all this?

Zhang Yifei stood there, feeling like not only had he failed to tarnish his image, but he had also somehow made himself look even better in her eyes. This was turning into a serious problem—this woman could see beyond the surface.

"Actually... I'm also a lecher!" Zhang Yifei said sheepishly to Shao Ningdie.

Shao Ningdie smiled, as if waiting for him to continue.

"All in!" Zhang Yifei steeled himself.

"Whenever I walk down the street and see a beautiful woman, I always stare at her until she becomes self-conscious. If she's single, I'll go over and chat her up or try to hit on her."

"Now that you know about my lecherous habits, what do you think?" Zhang Yifei tried to look as sleazy as possible, shaking his head and wiggling his body like one of those thugs on the street who couldn't seem to keep still.

"This is normal. When men see a beautiful woman, they usually look a little longer or try to strike up a conversation. If a man doesn't react at all, you'd have to wonder if there's something wrong with him."

"In fact, if you watch closely, even foreign presidents often make this mistake on television. So it's not surprising that you do too."

What kind of logic was this? Who was the real smooth operator here?

"So, Miss Shao, can I kiss you?" Zhang Yifei figured he might as well go all in if he wanted Shao Ningdie to believe he was a complete rogue.

"Since you even ask for permission before kissing, it shows you're a man who respects women. But right now, kissing isn't an option—after we're married, though, it's a different story."

What was this woman thinking? What kind of logic was this?

Is there any rogue or lecher out there who could teach me how to be a proper one? I can't even pretend to be a decent rogue. It seems I'm truly worthless.

But why wasn't this woman taking the bait? Was she pretending not to understand, or did she really not get it?

Now Zhang Yifei finally understood what it meant to feel like crying without tears.

Zhang Yifei wanted a beautiful wife, but not a strong woman like this, no matter how beautiful she was.