Huang Shi's eyebrows shot up, shock momentarily breaking through his calm mask. On the surface, he remained steady, but inside, his pulse was erratic.
Ah, shit... here we go again, he thought. This woman is playing with me, and I'm standing right in the center of her trap.
As he remained silent, staring at her as if trying to decode a puzzle, Bai Xinyue's expression sharpened. She leaned in, her gaze becoming intense and sincere.
"I'm not kidding, Huang Shi," she said, her voice dropping to a serious whisper. "If you ask me right now... I'll really show you."
This time, his surprise was genuine. He studied her—her plain, average face contrasting with the strangely hypnotic aura she radiated. It was a magnetic charm that seemed to defy her appearance.
I really do want to see it, he admitted to himself. I really do want to see what she actually looks like, but it feels like I'll be taking a loss if I do so.
"You know what, Xinyue? I really do want to see how you look," he began. "But for some reason, it feels like if you show me under these circumstances, it will feel transactional. Our relationship would just stay the same."
This time, it was Bai Xinyue's turn to be surprised. She stayed quiet for a few moments before softly asking, "...Why? Why are you worried about our relationship? What kind of relationship do you want us to have, Huang Shi?"
Once again, the ball was in his court. He weighed the question for a few seconds before choosing not to respond directly. Instead, he brought up another topic of conversation.
"I have a few ideas as to why you suggested showing me how you truly look. Would you like to hear them?"
"Sure, let's hear it then," Bai Xinyue spoke in a calm tone, but the slight tremble of her fingers betrayed her inner thoughts.
"First, you've started to become insecure. Although it's baseless, you have started to think that I may have a point—that because you've kept your appearance hidden for so long, you're actually not that beautiful anymore in reality."
The moment Huang Shi finished speaking, he felt a chill run down his spine. Bai Xinyue narrowed her eyes, and the temperature of the room suddenly dropped below freezing. Yet, her next word forced him to continue.
"Continue."
"Second—and this is probably the more likely reason—you wanted to test me! You wanted to see if, in the presence of your true appearance, I would change the way I treat you. You wanted to see if I would grovel at your feet like all those other men around you and treat you like some sort of untouchable being!"
Once again, a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes as her heart shook. It was clear she hadn't expected him to read her like an open book. She was just about to say something in her defense when he spoke again.
"Lastly, and this is probably something you aren't yet willing to admit to yourself, but surely something you've realized... You, Bai Xinyue... have started to develop feelings for me!"
Once again, the temperature plummeted. Imaginary hints of frost appeared on the edges of the tables and chairs.
In fact, he wasn't even sure if it was imaginary; he felt like he was suddenly stuck inside a damn freezer.
Shit... I've really done it now! But if I don't make my stand right here, she'll never think of me as a man! As a man, I need to make the first move!
Bai Xinyue stared at him with unblinking eyes, her fingertips shimmering with silvery-white spiritual energy. It was clear she was so agitated by his words that she was struggling to control her emotions. Finally, after an agonizing minute, she spoke with feigned confidence.
"Assuming what you say is true, what do you think will happen?"
Huang Shi felt his heart thump as his brain went into overdrive. A sense of excitement rampaged through his body, filling him with a vigor he hadn't felt in days.
Fuck! Yes! I have a fucking chance! Let's fucking go!
However, this wasn't enough for him. He needed to be sure. He looked deep into her eyes and spoke with a slightly aggressive tone.
"Which of my ideas is right? My answer will depend on it, after all, so I need to make sure!"
Bai Xinyue's expression suddenly twitched. She looked at him, speechless, clearly astonished by how shameless he was acting.
Hey! Don't look at me like that, all is fair in love and war!
She clenched her fist as her eyes turned fierce for a few seconds before quickly returning to a calm state. Once again, it was her fingers rapidly tapping on the table that betrayed her inner turmoil.
"The second one," she admitted, before adding in a slightly timid voice, "And a bit of the third one as well."
When he heard those words, Huang Shi finally couldn't hold himself back. He broke into a very, very happy smile. He was so overjoyed that he started to laugh heartily.
"HAHAHAH! YES!! I HAVE A CHANCE! THE HEAVENS DO HAVE EYES! EVEN HER ROYAL HIGHNESS CAN BE WON OVER WITH SHEER GRIT AND HARD WORK!"
Seeing Huang Shi laugh like a madman made Bai Xinyue finally unable to hide her emotions. She covered her face with one hand, trying to hide her embarrassment, and spoke in an exasperated tone, "Alright, alright, enough with your antics and just give me an answer."
He laughed for a bit longer, reveling in the joy, until he saw that Bai Xinyue was seriously starting to get annoyed. He stopped and shifted to a serious tone.
"Alright, I'll give you my straight answer. Bai Xinyue, at first I really thought I wouldn't like you. In fact, I was afraid of you. For the longest time, I thought if I said the wrong thing in front of you, you would cut off my head!"