After a series of checks at the hospital, it was confirmed that the eardrum rupture was caused by external trauma.
“Take the medicine first, and come back for a follow-up in four weeks. If it hasn’t healed, you’ll need eardrum repair,” Tang Si said, taking the medication and standing before Shi Ran.
Shi Ran nodded and took the medicine. “I understand.”
“Let me give you a ride.”
Tang Si felt a pang of guilt.
“No… no, thank you.”
“Don’t be silly.”
Tang Si snatched the medicine back and pulled Shi Ran’s wrist, leading her outside.
He walked ahead, and she followed behind.
All she could see was his warm hand gripping her slender wrist and his handsome, striking back.
Thump, thump, thump.
Shi Ran’s heart pounded like a drum. She felt her breathing grow erratic, her face flush with nervousness, her cheeks burning hot. She even forgot to pull her hand away from Tang Si’s.
She got into Tang Si’s car, and he drove her back to her apartment complex.
Upon arriving at her destination, Shi Ran said, “Thank you for driving me back. Bye.”
As she spoke, she reached for the car door handle, only to find that it was locked. She couldn’t open it.
“Young Master Tang, the car door is locked.”
Shi Ran reminded him, looking at Tang Si with a hint of shyness.
“Shi Ran, be my girlfriend, okay?”
Tang Si tilted his head, looking at her, and spoke with utmost seriousness.
“Huh?”
The sudden proposal left Shi Ran’s mind buzzing.
“I mean a fake girlfriend, to play along with me. I’ll pay you.”
After he finished speaking, Shi Ran was still dazed, seemingly unable to process the shock.
Perhaps the news was too astounding, requiring time to digest.
Tang Si seized the moment and continued, “I’ll give you a hundred thousand a month, and it will end when she leaves.”
“Uh… this…”
One hundred thousand yuan was incredibly tempting.
Shi Ran, having just graduated from college, was quite swayed by the offer and found it difficult to refuse.
But then she thought of Zhao Wuyan’s ferocity; a single slap had perforated her eardrum. It was truly terrifying.
After much deliberation, she shook her head. “The compensation is very generous, but I just think it’s too scary. I’d rather…”
“Another hundred thousand! But during this period, I’ll be staying at your apartment.”
Tang Si finished speaking, and noticing Shi Ran’s eyes widen and a look of wariness on her face, he quickly explained, “It’s part of the act. If we live separately, it would seem suspicious. But don’t worry, I can sleep on the sofa in the living room.”
Zhao Wuyan was too clever; any slip-up in their pretense would be immediately obvious to her.
“Two… two hundred thousand?”
Such a large sum of money.
Shi Ran bit her lip, looking up at the car ceiling, calculating: twenty thousand a month, forty thousand in two months, that was equivalent to two to three years of her salary.
“Then, if she hits me, can I get separate compensation?”
She asked directly.
Her clear eyes rippled like water, her beautiful eyes curving into a smile, looking incredibly adorable.
“Hahaha…”
Tang Si was amused by Shi Ran’s expression and laughed. “If she beats you to death, no amount of compensation will matter.”
“It’s a society governed by law. She can’t really beat me to death, can she? I don’t believe it.”
“As long as I’m here, she wouldn’t dare be so brazen.”
“It’s a deal. But, can we sign a contract? Something in black and white so you won’t go back on your word. I have a printer at home.”
“Tsk tsk… who taught you to be such a little moneygrubber?”
“It’s natural to like money. There’s no need to learn it.”
Shi Ran smiled.
The two went upstairs together. Shi Ran drafted a contract, printed it, and she and Tang Si signed and sealed it. Tang Si immediately transferred a hundred thousand as a deposit.
Shi Ran then found a quilt from the closet and placed it on the sofa, saying to Tang Si, “From today onwards, you’ll be sleeping here.”
“No problem.”
Tang Si nodded.
Shi Ran tilted her head and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just past eight in the evening. She wasn’t tired at all. Usually, she’d be watching dramas, but with Tang Si present, she felt a bit awkward.
“Well… you rest here for a bit, and I’ll go lie down in the bedroom.”
Although she had known Tang Si for a long time, living under the same roof made Shi Ran genuinely uncomfortable, so she chose to retreat into the bedroom.
The moment she lay down on the bed, Shi Ran suddenly realized…
Due to poor design, the bathroom in their one-bedroom apartment was located inside the bedroom!
Oh my god?
What was she going to do?