Chapter 50: Temptation

Li Yaqin gripped the heavy bunch of keys tightly.

The cold metallic touch seemed to seep into her very soul, a stark reminder of the true nature of this transaction.

But deep within her, a fiery and shrewd calculation ignited.

She understood her current predicament better than anyone.

On the surface, aside from this increasingly beautiful young body and the futuristic knowledge within her mind, she possessed nothing.

Yet, deep within her, a fiery and shrewd calculation ignited.

This house, these keys, were merely the first step.

Zhao Chengyu, this tiger, was dangerous, but also represented opportunity.

She secretly weighed her trump cards—the unknown space, the elixirs capable of defying all logic.

These were the very things that gave her the confidence to negotiate with a tiger.

They allowed her to play along, to use his power to achieve her goals.

The man before her exuded a suffocating aura of danger, instinctively putting her on guard.

Yet, it could very well be the fastest and most effective way for her to escape the mire of her current life and climb upwards—a solid stepping stone.

His wealth and power were the bargaining chips she desperately needed to grasp to change her fate.

She had to carefully maneuver around him.

She had to cleverly utilize his sudden, perhaps not entirely pure, interest in her to secure the greatest possible living space and practical benefits for herself.

Her personal space and her elixirs were her greatest secret and her last trump card.

But in the face of absolute power and influence, these were far from enough to allow her to stand securely.

She needed Zhao Chengyu, this seemingly unbreakable backer, even if that reliance was only temporary and fraught with calculation.

Zhao Chengyu's gaze fell on her lowered eyelashes, the seemingly docile curve.

This did not lower his guard; instead, it aroused a deeper desire for control within him.

This seemingly restrained little girl had to be firmly held in his grasp.

Only by branding her with his exclusive mark, leaving her with no possibility or even thought of escape, could he truly ensure her safety.

He had already decided that tonight's dinner location had to be the most famous state-owned restaurant in the city.

Moreover, it had to be the highest-class room, the special private room that was normally completely off-limits to ordinary people.

The dishes had to be the most expensive, those rare dishes that ordinary people had never even heard of; he would lavishly order a table full of them.

Zhao Chengyu had already planned it out. Wasn't this little thing only interested in practicality?

Then let her see with her own eyes what true, unattainable luxury really meant.

The most famous state-owned restaurant in the city, a special private room that ordinary people couldn't even touch the threshold.

Those rare dishes she'd never even heard of…

He wanted her to understand what money and status meant when she was with him, Zhao Chengyu.

He wanted to use this thing she valued most to etch the deepest imprint on her heart.

As long as she behaved herself and stayed obediently within the boundaries he had drawn for her, all this luxury would belong to her.

The state-run restaurant was bustling with noise; the clatter of bowls and chopsticks, the chatter, and the smoky aroma of food filled the not-so-spacious space.

On most tables, simple white rice was piled high, accompanied by only one or two small dishes of bland vegetables. Not a speck of oil was visible.

The scene before Li Yaqin was completely different.

She steadily picked up a piece of braised pork belly with her chopsticks. The dark brown piece trembled, its surface glistening with oil.

Putting it in her mouth, the incredibly tender skin required almost no chewing, its gelatinous texture clinging to her lips and teeth. The lean meat was also translucent, and the rich aroma of the sauce and meat instantly overwhelmed all her senses.

She savored it slowly and carefully, every subtle movement revealing her deep appreciation for this long-missed meaty experience.

This was the taste she had craved day and night since her journey through time, a concrete symbol of a life of abundance.

The twice-cooked pork belly next to her was equally tempting.

The evenly sliced pork belly, rendered of fat by the hot oil, had crispy edges while remaining tender inside.

The red oil from the fermented bean paste coated the slices, salty, fragrant, and spicy, layer upon layer stimulating her taste buds.

A waiter in a white uniform hurried through the crowd, heading straight for their table.

He carried a white enamel plate, overflowing with steaming braised pork.

It was the very dish marked "Sold Out" in red on the menu.

The pork chunks were piled high, the sauce rich and deep, and the rising steam carried an even more intense aroma.

Several envious yet inquisitive glances immediately fell upon him, but they quickly and discreetly looked away, not daring to linger.

The waiter placed the dish down, giving Zhao Chengyu only a slight bow.

Then he hurried away, not even glancing at Li Yaqin once.

This special treatment, this unquestioning favoritism.

The waiter placed the even more fragrant plate of braised pork down, gave Zhao Chengyu only a slight bow, and hurried away, not even looking at her once.

Several envious and inquisitive glances around her quickly and discreetly averted upon meeting Zhao Chengyu's aloof profile.

This unquestionable special treatment, seemingly at the expense of others, silently testified to the unimaginable power this man possessed.

Li Yaqin's mind involuntarily conjured up the image of the new house.

Spacious and bright, the furniture brand new, even featuring a white, refrigerated metal cabinet—a refrigerator.

In this era where even electric fans were rare commodities.

Refrigerators were practically a luxury reserved for a select few, unimaginable to ordinary people.

Zhao Chengyu, just what unattainable social class did he belong to?

Was such a man truly suitable for her?

Suitable? She scoffed inwardly, quickly dismissing this unrealistic, even laughable, thought.

What was the point of thinking about such abstract things now?

Could they feed her?

Filling her stomach and accumulating enough capital to make a living are the most important things.

Whether it's suitable or not ultimately depends on how many tangible benefits he can bring her.

Thinking about such unrealistic things now is too early, too extravagant.

Li Yaqin gently lowered her eyes, concealing the complex emotions within them, and continued eating her meal in small, elegant bites.

Right now, the most important thing is to hold onto this hard-won, seemingly leisurely job.

With a stable income and relatively free time,

Li Yaqin can then go to the mountains without any worries; those vast forests are her true treasure trove.

She gathered herbs, foraged for wild vegetables, collected anything potentially useful, and even fished at a secluded reservoir to improve her meals.

She used these resources from nature to fill her space, accumulating the capital to establish herself in this unfamiliar world.

This was what she should be doing most, and what she absolutely had to do.

A man? Marriage?

The thought swirled in her mind again, carrying a cold and hard sense of reality.

In this era, it seemed that for a woman to truly establish herself, marriage was always the seemingly only path.

This was completely different from the world she had once lived in, where marriage was one of many choices, not a necessity for survival.

Now, the shackles of reality weighed heavily on her wrists, impossible to ignore.

Marriage, she could.

But not blindly, emotionally.

Her gaze lightly swept over the scattered leftovers and cold food on the table, while the intricate calculations in her mind whirred rapidly.

The other party must be able to bring her tangible, visible benefits—not just the accumulation of wealth, but more importantly, a leap in social class.

Both are indispensable; otherwise, it's out of the question.

Why should she selflessly sacrifice herself for a man? Let alone risk immense danger and pain to bear his children.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile curved Li Yaqin's lips, carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery.

A barely perceptible sneer appeared on her lips.

Selfless sacrifice? Only a fool would do that.

She was no longer the naive Li Yaqin.

Only by firmly grasping what she wanted, and proceeding cautiously step by step, could she survive in this world, and live with dignity.

If she could live well, what did it matter if she was a little selfish? It was better than being at the mercy of others.

Li Yaqin would absolutely not allow her life to fall into the mire again, repeating the tragic fate of the cannon fodder "Li Yaqin" in the book.

Across from him, Zhao Chengyu had already picked up several clean enamel takeout containers that the waiter had placed aside at some point.

With a calm expression, he began to pack the remaining dishes on the table into the containers one by one.

His movements were natural and effortless, showing no trace of embarrassment or awkwardness.