Chapter 46: Begging Me? Then You’d Better Have the Right Attitude, Don’t You Think, Miss Lin?
“Well, well, Miss Lin is actually asking for help? The sun must be rising from the west today.”
Zhang Chen couldn’t help but tease when he heard this. It was Lin Xī after all, the prideful, almost unapproachable young lady. Who would’ve thought she’d come to him asking for help?
Lin Xī bit her lip in frustration. What else could she do? Despite her pride and arrogance, she wasn’t a fool. That was why she had no choice but to beg Zhang Chen.
“Zhang Chen, please help me this once.”
Lin Xī had never really begged anyone in her life. This was the first time she was doing so, and she hadn’t expected that Zhang Chen would refuse her without the slightest hesitation.
“I’m not interested.”
“Zhang Chen, even if I beg you, please help me this once!” Lin Xī looked as pitiful as she could manage, lowering her voice as she asked. But she had to swallow her pride because she was fully aware of her current situation.
Zhang Chen smiled. “Beg me?”
“Yes… I beg you, please help me this time.”
“Miss Lin, it seems like you’ve been very well protected by Mr. Xia, haven’t you?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Zhang Chen sneered. “Is this how Miss Lin begs for help?”
“When you beg, you need to have the attitude of someone begging.” He wasn’t some saint.
Sorry, he wasn’t the type of idiot who would lose his mind over a beautiful woman. No matter how beautiful Lin Xī was, it could only make him consider something small. For anything else, it depended on the benefits and his mood.
Begging attitude? Lin Xī was indeed smart, but as Zhang Chen pointed out, she had always had an easy life. Born with a golden key as the eldest daughter of the Lin family, even after her parents’ death ten years ago, she had Mr. Lin and Xia Yanshuang protecting her. She was a sheltered flower.
Zhang Chen didn’t think much of her, so he had little interest in helping. Unlike Ye Fan, who wanted to protect her, Zhang Chen was far more interested in seeing how this sheltered flower would crumble when crushed.
Did Lin Xī not understand his hint? She did, but she couldn’t bring herself to make the decision.
“Miss Lin, if there’s nothing else, then I’ll hang up,” Zhang Chen said, already preparing to end the call.
Whether Lin Xī went to meet Ye Fan was part of his plan. If she did, it meant his whole plan would fall into place. If not, he wasn’t worried. He was certain Ye Fan, the lucky son of destiny, would find a way to meet her alone.
“Zhang Chen! Wait!” Lin Xī heard his impatience and tried to suppress her frustration, quickly speaking, “Please… please help me this time, I’ll repay you!”
God knows how much determination it took for her to say those words. And once they were out, her face turned bright red.
Lin Xī wasn’t a little girl; she was fully aware of her advantages. Besides her family, she had herself. So, when she said those words, she was mentally prepared.
“Even if it means letting him take advantage of me, well… we already have a marriage arrangement…” She was trying to console herself, her self-deception skills were impressive.
Recently, she had noticed a shift in her feelings toward Zhang Chen. An invisible change had gradually altered her inner thoughts, something she might not even have realized herself.
Unfortunately, when Zhang Chen heard her so-called sincere request, he nearly laughed.
“Repay me? How would Miss Lin like to repay me?”
“You… you can ask for anything…” she stammered.
“Anything, huh?” Zhang Chen’s smile turned more playful. If they weren’t talking over the phone, Lin Xī would have definitely noticed the look in his eyes—there was no lust or greed, only mockery and sarcasm.
Lin Xī, holding the phone, bit her lip before finally saying, “As long as it’s not too outrageous, I… I’ll agree to anything!”
But it still wasn’t enough. Zhang Chen shook his head, bored. “Fine, call me ‘Daddy’ and I might consider helping you.”
Lin Xī: “???”
She probably thought she misheard. Lin Xī was silent for a long time, wondering if her ears were malfunctioning. “Daddy?”
She thought it would be some over-the-top request, and she was ready to grit her teeth and agree. But instead…
It was this kind of request?
Lin Xī was dumbfounded, then furious!
“Zhang Chen!”
“Don’t want to? Then Miss Lin, you should find someone else.” Zhang Chen said without hesitation and hung up.
He wasn’t obligated to indulge her.
At Zhang Chen’s villa, Lin Xī heard the busy tone on the phone, her emotions a mix of shame and anger.
“Zhang Chen! You jerk!”
Lin Xī cursed furiously, but sadly, her upbringing had been too strict. All she could manage were a few choice words like “jerk” and “bad guy,” repeatedly.
The nearby maids and servants, though, pretended not to notice. They were clever enough to know not to make Lin Xī do manual labor like them. Liu, the housekeeper, wasn’t foolish enough to ask her to do anything menial. After all, who could guarantee that Lin Xī wouldn’t end up as the future Mrs. Zhang?
As she seethed, Lin Xī suddenly received a call from her mother.
“Mom, what’s going on at home?”
“Xī, are you still with Zhang Chen?”
“Yes, why?”
On a highway leading to Zhang Chen’s residence in Jiangdong, Xia Yanshuang spoke while driving, her voice serious.
“The surveillance footage from last night has been restored.”
Lin Xī, being sharp, immediately understood.
“Was it really Ye Fan?”
“Right now, Zhang Chen is the only one who can help you!”
Xia Yanshuang was helpless. She knew Zhang Chen wasn’t a good person, especially since he dared to challenge her. But there was no other choice now.
“I… I understand…” Lin Xī suddenly laughed, though it was unclear whether she was breaking down or finally coming to terms with things.
She ended the call, and then dialed that number she had once despised.
“What can I do for you, Miss Lin?”
Zhang Chen answered, as expected. He knew she’d call. Someone had already informed him of Ye Fan’s every move. After some simple analysis, he was sure Lin Xī would make the call.
“I… I agree to your terms.”
Lin Xī lowered her head.
She had no choice but to concede.
Zhang Chen raised an eyebrow. “Hmm? Bad signal?”
“Please… help me, Daddy…” Lin Xī nearly lost all strength, the shame of it making her want to disappear.
“This signal’s so unstable, looks like you need a new phone,” Zhang Chen mused, as if ready to hang up at any moment.
Lin Xī finally couldn’t take it anymore and snapped, “Daddy! Is that enough?!”
“Good girl, Daddy will definitely help you.” Zhang Chen laughed, thoroughly pleased with himself.