How he knew, she didn't know.

  She pulled out the seat and sat down. "Alright, this is your chance. If I finish my food and you're still talking in circles or being silent, I will kick you out of the room," she said sternly to Mo Qingchen.

  "Fair enough," he replied, pouring himself a glass of water. "Shall I begin my explanation then?"

  "Quickly," she answered, opening her chopsticks.

  He sighed and then opened his own.

  "How long until you take over the Bai's company? And how long can you fend off your father?"

  "I have started the process to take over yet. And my father is a lost cause. Why?" she answered quickly.

  It sure felt like a lost cause.

  "Do you agree that not having your father breathing down your neck would be significantly helpful in quickening the time it will take for you to take over the business?" he asked before popping a piece of sushi into his mouth and chewing.

  "Isn't that obvious?"

  "I would assume so, yes."

  "I don't see your point. My father is not going to stop pushing me."

  "Exactly. It is impossible for you to escape your father with your situation. Not to mention concentrating on expanding your own business, keeping track of your investments, and acquiring new businesses."

  This was the cold and calculating Mo Qingchen she didn't enjoy talking to. Not on days she was miserable.

  "I don't feel like sitting here and pointing out all the reasons why my life sucks."

  "Well, unfortunately, it is necessary for me to do in order to present my case to you." He arched a brow in challenge.

  "Then get to it, will you?" she rushed him along before taking a bite of sushi.

  "Patience…" his lips tugged upwards. "We're about to get to the good part."

  "Joy," she muttered sarcastically.

  "Do you also agree that having a financial and business ally would allow you to do your job better?"

  "Obviously. Proceed."

  "What if I gave you access to all of my resources, provided free technical and software support for your ventures and helped you analyze everything? You would have access to everything and my name."

  Qian Meng stopped and put her chopsticks down. "I don't understand what you are getting at. I could get all of those with my own money. Why do I need you?"

  The thought of getting technical and software support for free sounded really nice, though. But nothing came free in this world. What was he plotting?

  "Well, you get something in addition. My name." She squinted at him. "Now that we are on the same page, let's go back to my situation. You do not see what we could offer one another?"

  "I have no idea what you are talking about." She breathed out in frustration. "I have nothing to offer you, Mo Qingchen."

  "You're wrong. Qian Meng. Like I said before, I want you. And I am serious."

  "What? You're hitting on me? You like me?" This conversation made no sense.

  "Not romantically. No matter how good our chemistry is, I can't offer you romance. But I can solve your problem. You need a man who will shelter you from your father and support you in all adversary. You'll have all my resources on hand. And you already know my problem."

  She talked herself through the situation. "Your problem is that you need a woman in your life. I am a woman, but you're not interested in dating… like me. So…"

  "Having a woman in my life doesn't mean that I need to be romantic with her, does it?" He coaxed her on to finish her sentence.

  "You want me to go to events with you and help you socially progress and get deals. And in exchange, you are helping me with my problem."

  "Yes," he answered with a satisfied smile.

  She nodded thoughtfully, glad she was starting to catch on.

  "So that is your business proposition?" she asked, feeling slightly optimistic. He nodded. "So, how would this work?" she asked, leaning forward with interest. "I just have to go to events with you and you help me out?"

  He laughed softly and took a bite of rice.

  "There's more to it," he informed her. She gave him an expression telling him she was listening to him. She enjoyed business propositions. "In order for both of us to reap all the benefits, I would need people in our life to believe that we're in a relationship."

  "So you want a fake relationship?" she asked.

  Interesting. If Mo Qingchen was backing her, her dad would back off. Until he had simmered down, she could pretend to be with him. Sounded like a nice deal.

  "No. I want to marry you."

  She choked on her food and pulled her glass of water to her lips for a quick sip. She wiped her mouth with the back of her palm and looked at him, thinking that he was joking or being sarcastic.

  But when she looked at him, she saw his serious and waiting face.

  "You're serious, aren't you?" she asked, taken aback.

  "I'm very serious."

  "Marriage… yes, that sounds exactly what I need right now after I rejected a guy in front of hundreds of people." She paused. "I have one question."

  He looked at her critically. "Ask me anything."

  "Are you fucking insane?" she asked in a hushed voice, even though there was no one who could hear them.

  "No, I am not insane. I am a businessman and so are you. I am offering you a deal that in my opinion would benefit both of us."

  "What about just pretending to date? Why would you come to the ridiculous conclusion that we should get married?"

  He scoffed. "What's so ridiculous? For one, you will have access to everything I own, which you wouldn't get if we were just dating. You would be legally in the right to use my name to do whatever the fuck you want with my money."