Chapter 5: She Looks Better This Way

The air froze for a moment.

Ye Ming’s complexion shifted from pale to green, and the corner of his eye twitched violently.

Last month, a collector’s grade Paul Newman Daytona had sold at the Christie’s auction for a staggering price of 130 million.

The buyer’s identity was mysterious and remained a puzzle to this day.

He never would have imagined that the person was Lu Huaiyu!

More importantly, he had smashed such a watch just like that!?

In comparison, his own blue-and-white porcelain vase with carved longevity patterns wasn't even worth a fraction of that!

How was he supposed to pay for this!?

Ye Sheng finally realized he had caused a massive disaster. With a deathly pale face, he hid behind Su Yuan and pleaded for help

"Mom..."

How could he have known that a mere watch would be so expensive!?

Ye Ming took a deep breath

"Second Young Master Lu, this matter is indeed my son’s fault. I am truly sorry... Ye Sheng!"

He barked the name!

Ye Sheng’s body trembled, and a trace of fear finally appeared in his eyes.

Although Su Yuan felt sorry for her son, she knew this matter wouldn't be settled easily.

Not only had they offended Lu Huaiyu, but that watch, worth over 100 million, could pay for their entire villa!

She gritted her teeth and pushed Ye Sheng forward

"Hurry up and apologize to Second Young Master Lu!"

Ye Sheng’s previous arrogance had completely vanished. He stood there at a loss, stammering

"S-sorry..."

"Apologize to the person you should be apologizing to."

Lu Huaiyu lifted his chin slightly and spoke in a calm voice.

Ning Li’s brows twitched.

Ye Sheng froze. Even though he was unwilling, he didn't dare to defy him. With a flushed face, he whispered to Ning Li

"...Sorry, I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have thrown the dart at you."

Hearing this, how could Ye Ming not understand?

He had long known that Ye Sheng was very resistant to Ning Li’s arrival, but he never expected him to do something like this!

And now, he had even dragged Lu Huaiyu into it!

Ning Li’s eyes narrowed slightly.

She had never heard this apology in her previous life.

In her past life, on the first day she returned to the Ye family from the hospital, Ye Sheng had used the same trick and left a cut on her face.

So, after entering the house, she had already prepared herself.

However, she hadn't expected Lu Huaiyu to step in and help her.

She frowned ever so slightly.

She owed him another favor.

Seeing her expression, Lu Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, assuming the young girl was still angry.

"Louder."

His tone was low and languid, yet carried an air that no one dared to defy.

Ye Sheng had no choice but to raise his voice

"Sorry!"

Ning Li ignored him and walked over, bending down to pick up the watch.

Fortunately, the watch face was still intact, but there was a shallow scratch on the strap.

She held the watch and walked toward Lu Huaiyu, stopping in front of him.

Ning Li was 1.68 meters tall, which was definitely considered very tall for a girl, but standing in front of Lu Huaiyu, she only reached his shoulder.

She tilted her head slightly, handed the watch over, and said earnestly

"Thank you."

Lu Huaiyu lowered his eyes, observing the young girl in front of him.

Her skin, delicate as porcelain, was incredibly clear. Her peach-blossom eyes were naturally beautiful, and when she looked over, the depths of her clear, clean pupils seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist, shimmering with light.

Her features were elegant and vivid, yet the corners of her eyes and brows held a touch of indifference and detachment, revealing a natural, uninhibited spirit.

A thought flashed through his mind like a meteor.

—If she were to smile, it would surely be incredibly sweet.

His lips curved, and he gave a very faint smile.

"I helped you so much, and two words are all I get as thanks?"

Ning Li was silent for a moment.

Since when did this gentleman become so calculating?

He hadn't been like this when he helped her before.

"Then, what does Second Young Master Lu mean?"

Lu Huaiyu took the watch and lifted his chin slightly

"I think this would make a good thank-you gift."

Ning Li followed his gaze and looked down at her own wrist.

A black hair tie.

Wholesale price: three for one yuan.

Cheng Xiyue, watching from upstairs, couldn't help but "tsk" in his heart.

How utterly shameless!

There were so many ways to stop Ye Sheng’s dart, yet he chose to smash the most expensive one.

And then he had the nerve to ask the young girl for a thank-you gift.

He was truly generous, and truly shameless.

Ning Li thought for a moment, took off the hair tie, and handed it over.

"I know this isn't enough. Today’s matter, consider it me owing you a favor."

Lu Huaiyu raised an eyebrow in surprise, then laughed

"Fine."

He was always cold, noble, and aloof. Now that he suddenly smiled like this, it was like ice melting, making his demeanor appear even more refined and clear.

Even though it wasn't the first time Ning Li had seen this face, she was still momentarily dazed.

With such looks, it was no wonder so many socialites in the capital flocked to him.

But to others, their interaction seemed extremely bizarre.

Even someone as shrewd as Ye Ming couldn't quite process what was happening.

He looked at Ning Li, then at Lu Huaiyu, feeling suspicious and uneasy.

But there was still one thing left unresolved.

After a moment of hesitation, he bit the bullet and spoke

"...Second Young Master Lu, your watch..."

If it were an ordinary item, he would have compensated him without hesitation, but that was over 100 million!

Lu Huaiyu took the girl’s hair tie; it still carried a hint of her body heat.

The warmth made his mood improve significantly.

He responded lazily.

Ye Ming was incredibly awkward, the rest of his sentence stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.

Cheng Xiyue, who had been watching the show for a long time, finally stepped in to smooth things over.

He walked downstairs, glanced at the watch, and smiled

"Lu Er, I see that only the strap of your watch is scratched, and that blue-and-white porcelain is something Uncle Ye has cherished for many years. Why don't you give me some face, and let both sides take a step back, how about that?"

Lu Huaiyu glanced at him and nodded.

Ye Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If he only had to pay for the strap, that was acceptable.

"I’ve really caused you trouble, Second Young Master. I will have someone transfer the money to your account tomorrow—"

"No need, just transfer it to him."

Lu Huaiyu interrupted Ye Ming.

The "him" naturally referred to Cheng Xiyue.

Cheng Xiyue, suddenly mentioned, was pleasantly surprised.

Lu Huaiyu was concise

"Driver’s fee. Settle it."

Cheng Xiyue: "..."

Why did that feel so strange?

Lu Huaiyu, however, couldn't be bothered to stay any longer and turned to leave.

"Let's go."

Cheng Xiyue smiled and bid farewell to Ye Ming and the others.

The farce finally came to an end.

Cheng Xiyue drove away from the Ye residence.

It wasn't until they had driven some distance that Cheng Xiyue couldn't help but glance at him.

Lu Huaiyu was half-leaning in his seat, one hand propped up.

In his other hand, he was holding that black hair tie.

His fingers were long and slender, looking completely out of place with such a small trinket.

Cheng Xiyue raised an eyebrow and asked

"You like it that much?"

Lu Huaiyu didn't answer his question, his eyes half-lowered, ripples seemingly surging in their depths.

A moment later, he smiled

"She looks better without her hair tied up."

Lu Er: Exchanged a token of love, she’s mine now.

Ning Li:??? Please look up Yiwu Small Commodity Market, thank you.