After taking several more sips of water, Ye Yuning still hadn't decided what to ask.
Finally, she said, "How about I introduce myself first?"
"Alright, go ahead."
"Actually, I'm just an ordinary office worker. I scrimped and saved to buy a fifty-square-meter studio apartment in Upper City—the kind where the living room, bedroom, and kitchen are all one space. My salary is just a little over eight thousand."
Xiao Linye said nothing.
The moment she spoke, Ye Yuning instinctively tried to preempt any potential trouble a 'phoenix man' might bring.
I got married to solve a problem, not to attract even bigger ones!
Xiao Linye, unaware of Ye Yuning's current thoughts, didn't catch the hidden meaning in her words.
He stiffened for a moment, then nodded nonchalantly, "Mhm, I can tell."
He can tell I'm poor?
Hearing his direct yet seemingly unconcerned attitude, Ye Yuning's expression couldn't help but tighten.
His single remark left her unable to continue.
She could only turn the question back to him, "What about you?"
Seeing she wasn't continuing, Xiao Linye set down his glass of red wine. His every gesture exuded an air of nobility and elegance.
Ye Yuning couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This man truly appeals to my aesthetic in every way.
Xiao Linye interlaced his fingers and looked at her. "My situation is probably a little better than yours."
"I've been in Upper City for five years, and I own a two-hundred-square-meter luxury apartment."
A two-hundred-square-meter luxury apartment in just five years?
Ye Yuning was instantly shocked. In a place like Upper City, where every inch of land is precious, countless people struggle their entire lives without ever owning a home.
A sudden thought struck her: Maybe this marriage I rushed into isn't as bad as I imagined.
"So, are you living with your parents now?" Ye Yuning asked instinctively.
Xiao Linye shook his head. "My parents are in Lingcheng; they have their own house. However, there's one thing…"
He paused.
Ye Yuning reflexively asked, "What is it?"
Xiao Linye said, "Half the reason I agreed to marry you is because my family has been pressuring me to get married."
"Since we're married, I hope we can both take this seriously. So, for us to get to know each other better and faster, it would be best if we lived together."
"L-live together?"
Ye Yuning, still processing, felt her mind go completely blank. My mind's gone blank!
Just moments ago, she'd instinctively wanted to avoid the trouble of getting involved with his entire family. Xiao Linye's sudden proposal of cohabitation caught her completely off guard.
Before she could respond, Xiao Linye asked, his tone tinged with an air of authority, "Is one day enough for you to consider?"
Why is he in such a rush?
Wait, his attitude... doesn't it seem a bit domineering?
Ye Yuning sensed something was amiss. She looked at Xiao Linye, conflicted, and asked, "Isn't this a bit too fast?"
"My family is pressing hard. Besides, you were the one who proactively sought to marry me. Don't you want us to understand each other on a deeper level?"
His words, "you were the one who proactively sought to marry me," left Ye Yuning with no grounds to refuse.
She quickly mulled over Xiao Linye's words.
She also deduced that his parents came from a stable family background and were likely well-off.
This was a world away from her own current situation.
Considering those people are already plotting to take everything I have, a marriage certificate alone might not be enough to deter them.
So...!
In just a few seconds, Ye Yuning understood the stakes and nodded. "Alright. So, I'll move into your place?"
I'm not used to living in someone else's home.
But after downplaying my own apartment as just fifty square meters, I can't really take it back now.
Xiao Linye had no objections. "Alright. Shall I help you move tomorrow then?"
Ye Yuning shook her head. "No need. I don't have many things. I can bring them over after work."
"Alright then," Xiao Linye agreed, not insisting.
He then sent his home address to Ye Yuning.
When Ye Yuning saw the name of the residential complex, she was once again too shocked for words.
He actually bought a place in the best district of Upper City, in the most prestigious residential complex!
And it's right near my studio! If I live there, I won't even need to drive to work!