The car was filled with a faint but unmistakable fragrance, the scent of the car air freshener. As the air conditioning vents slowly rotated, a unique coolness and freshness seemed wrapped in a thin gauze, mingling with the faint breathing inside the car, intertwining and lingering.
This was a fragrance Jian Ran really liked—a blend of cedar and bergamot. Usually, it felt calming, but now it inexplicably stirred a sense of restlessness.
After she spoke, an eerie silence fell over the car.
Chu Lulin kept his eyes down, saying nothing. He was probably seriously considering her suggestion just now.
After all, he wasn't limited to just her.
Jian Ran understood that. This kind of thing required careful thought—you'd compare options even when buying something, so it was only natural to take time with something this big.
Sigh. Thinking about the comparison, Jian Ran couldn't help but feel a little lacking.
From what she saw of that sister she met today—her clothes, her demeanor—she was clearly a strong career woman, a true rich lady.
Unlike her, whose status as a 'rich woman' was somewhat diluted.
Leaving everything else aside, just looking at the Maybach that woman drove, her Audi really paled in comparison.
Jian Ran felt a bit relieved—at least she hadn't bragged earlier, only saying she was half a rich woman, so it wasn't too embarrassing.
But she thought she still had a chance.
At least compared to that sister, she and Chu Lulin had just spent over a month together, which meant they had some connection.
And that connection was still fresh—who knew?
But the longer he stayed silent, the more her dwindling confidence nearly vanished.
Forget it. Talking about feelings when money should be the focus was no different from being a jerk.
It wasn't false modesty. Realistically, who would choose an Audi over a Maybach? She could understand.
Besides, Chu Lulin was thin-skinned. He probably didn't know how to refuse her now. Putting him on the spot like this was really uncalled for.
After calming down, Jian Ran's initial impulse faded.
She cleared her throat and pretended to be calm, offering a graceful way out for both: "I brought this up pretty suddenly, so you don't have to rush. You can go back and think it over."
It was easier to reject over text than face-to-face.
Or he could just pretend this never happened—no reply needed, and she'd understand.
Adult tacit understanding.
Hearing this, Chu Lulin finally looked up. In an instant, he read the retreat in her eyes.
He subconsciously frowned, hesitated only briefly, and then quickly made a decision.
"I'm willing."
Jian Ran was stunned, not quite registering.
Willing to what? Willing to go back and think it over, or...
Chu Lulin seemed to understand her confusion and explained, "Big Sister just said to let me be with you. I'm saying... I'm willing."
Jian Ran blinked under his somewhat solemn gaze and replied, "Oh."
The reversal was too sudden. After a few seconds of blankness, her first thought was that she had underestimated their connection.
A connection that could beat a Maybach seemed to be more than just a little.
But...
"But I have two conditions."
Upon hearing conditions, Jian Ran subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
That was more like it. If she had won out over that true rich woman without any extra conditions, she'd suspect it was a scam targeting her.
Of course, that wasn't entirely logical—after all, she was the one who proposed this today.
"What conditions?" she asked.
Chu Lulin looked at her quietly, a trace of unknown emotion in his eyes. "First, I want a process."
Jian Ran paused, a hint of confusion on her face.
Wait—did being a rich woman come with a probation period?
Did their sugar daddy circle actually have this rule?!
Chu Lulin seemed unsure how to explain. After a brief pause, he said, "I think we should spend some time together normally first. Take it slow, not too fast..."
Jian Ran's eyelashes fluttered, and she immediately grasped his unspoken meaning.
Not too fast in what—physical intimacy.
Well... she could honestly say she hadn't thought about that either.
Heaven knows, Jian Ran's improper thoughts about Chu Lulin were currently limited to above the neck—specifically, to his... mouth.
Come to think of it, her lust was pretty innocent.
But his request was a bit strange when you thought about it.
Jian Ran only knew that in a relationship, things should progress slowly—holding hands, hugging, kissing—all that required time. But with a kept arrangement, it didn't seem necessary.