Chapter 28: A Clash of Wits (4)

“What is it, then?”

Though Meng Yier was still upset, she could sense a hidden meaning in his words and realized there was room for negotiation. Her heart settled.

Since Yan Yichen learned this girl lived next door, he had been afraid of startling her, worried she would vanish from his life once more, and so he had never found the right moment to approach her.

Now, finally presented with an opportunity, Yan Yichen would never let it slip away.

He pondered for a moment, a barely noticeable smile flickering at the corner of his lips.

Has this little fish finally taken the bait?

“I have a condition. If you agree to it, I won’t pursue the matter of you trespassing into my home.”

Meng Yier rolled her eyes. As expected, there was no such thing as a free lunch.

This man was far too cunning—she had almost been misled by his voice.

“So, what’s your condition?”

Yan Yichen picked up his glass of red wine and settled into a nearby lounge chair. He took a sip and spoke coolly, “My housekeeper recently took a week off, so there’s no one at home to cook or clean. If you agree to work for me for a week, we’ll call it even. What do you say?”

Meng Yier’s eyes widened. “What? You want me to be your housekeeper and wait on you?”

Though Meng Yier was not a true heiress by birth, she had grown up in a wealthy family. The Gu family employed many servants, and the elders doted on her as if she were their own daughter. She had always lived a life of luxury, never lifting a finger for herself.

She had never done any household chores—Gu Yunchen often joked that she couldn’t even take care of herself, let alone someone else.

Even if she were willing, who would trust her with such responsibilities?

Yan Yichen watched her hesitate, her face troubled, and narrowed his eyes. “Since the young lady has her reservations, I won’t force you. We can simply let the police handle this matter.”

With that, Yan Yichen picked up his phone from the table by the lounge chair. His slender fingers unlocked the screen, and he made a show of dialing as he walked away.

Meng Yier panicked. She lunged forward to snatch the phone from his hand, shouting, “Wait—!”

It was just a bit of cleaning and cooking. How hard could it be?

How could such a trivial matter stump her, Meng Yier?

Besides, she might even find an opportunity to teach this scoundrel a lesson.

“I’ll give it a try, then,” Meng Yier muttered under her breath.

Yan Yichen’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. With his back to her, Meng Yier couldn’t see his expression, but she knew she had fallen right into his trap. Frustrated, she glared at his bare back, silently vowing to seize any chance to put him in his place.

After a brief pause, Yan Yichen turned around and looked at her with a faint, ambiguous smile. “You’re not being coerced?”

Meng Yier bit her lip and shook her head resolutely. “I’m not.”

Yan Yichen smiled, and on his handsome face, the expression was dazzling as starlight. Even his deep eyes seemed to shine with a bright, starry gleam. Meng Yier stared, mesmerized—she never knew a man’s smile could be so captivating.

Realizing she had lost herself in his looks, Meng Yier shook her head in annoyance. When she looked up again, Yan Yichen had already turned and walked away.

She took a few steps forward and suddenly remembered she was still soaking wet. “Hey, I—”

The man stopped and turned his head. The smile was gone, his handsome face once again impassive, his eyes cold and indifferent.

Meng Yier was momentarily dazed, almost doubting whether the smile she saw earlier was just a figment of her imagination.

“My name is not ‘hey.’ From now on, you must remember—I am Yan Yi Chen.” His gaze locked onto hers, and he pronounced his name deliberately, his tone commanding, his expression earnest and sincere.

Seeing how serious he was, Meng Yier nodded.

Yan Yichen—

This name sounded so familiar.

She racked her brain, trying to recall where she had heard it before.

Of course! It was the name those fans had been shouting madly at the airport.

He really was a celebrity!

No wonder she often heard his songs drifting over.

Meng Yier had never chased after stars, nor did she pay much attention to the entertainment industry, especially not the domestic scene.

No wonder she always found him vaguely familiar—even his name seemed to ring a bell.

In hindsight, he was a celebrity after all, with such a high profile. It wasn’t surprising she had heard his name or seen him on TV or elsewhere.

She just couldn’t quite remember where exactly she’d seen him, or heard his name before.