Persuade With Reason

The little girl had a bandage wrapped around her arm, and tears still clung to her lashes, not yet dry, yet she was already offering him advice.

“What do you know, you little brat?”

“Little brat? Do you know what the boys in my class call me?” The little girl lifted her chin, like a proud little phoenix, though one that had been dusted with soot.

At sixteen, he looked at the little girl’s dusty princess dress: “Little princess?”

“What’s so good about being a princess? You still get bullied by the evil queen.” The little girl’s braid swung in the sunlight. “They call me the queen, the prettiest one.”

“Jin Fei!” Not far away, a little boy walked out from the stairwell. “Your hand is hurt, don’t run around.”

“Call me big sister!”

“No!”

“Old boy, I’m leaving now.” The “little queen,” covered in dust, waved at him. She took two steps, then ran back. “Did you remember what I just said?”

The sixteen-year-old “old boy”: “……”

“If you don’t want others to know about something, do it secretly.” The little queen spoke with righteous authority. “If no one knows, it’s as if it never happened.”

If you don’t want others to know about something, do it secretly…

The notification sound from his phone brought Shi Yibai back to the present. He picked up the phone he had casually placed on the table.

It was a message from Jin Fei.

【Jin Fei: Sure~】

The playful little tilde reflected her good mood.

Shi Yibai chuckled softly and put the phone back. After a moment’s thought, he picked it up again.

【Shi Yibai: I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. Can you send me your address?】

“Pick me up?” Jin Fei stared at Shi Yibai’s message and muttered to herself, “That doesn’t seem quite right, does it?”

【Jin Fei: How can I let you come pick me up? Send me your address, and I’ll come get you.】

A deep laugh escaped Shi Yibai’s lips.

【Shi Yibai: Alright.】

That’s more like it. Even though gender equality is the norm nowadays, she still had to maintain her dignity as a woman.

The next morning, Jin Fei’s parents were surprised to find their daughter up unusually early. Zhou Yun asked curiously, “Fei Fei, why are you up so early? Going to practice martial arts in the garden?”

“I made plans to go look at cars with someone.” Jin Fei gave Zhou Yun a pleading smile. “Mom, can I borrow your car?”

“Be careful driving.” Zhou Yun handed over the car keys, hesitating for a moment. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

“It’s a boy.” Jin Fei took the keys. “Don’t worry, Mom, I won’t do anything to him.”

Zhou Yun rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

After more than twenty years of not worrying, it seemed like it was finally time to pay the price.

Stay calm. A parent’s life isn’t complete without a bit of headache from their children.

Zhou Yun’s car was small and cute. Though Jin Fei wasn’t entirely fond of its appearance, as the borrower, she had no right to complain.

“Mr. Shi, what would you like for lunch?” The housekeeper handed Shi Yibai a menu after he finished breakfast.

“No need to prepare lunch for me.” Shi Yibai wiped his mouth clean as the intercom at the door buzzed.

The bodyguard stationed at the entrance answered it.

“Boss, there’s a Miss Jin here to see you.”

“Let her in.” Shi Yibai stood up and walked toward the door.

Driving through the ornate gates, Jin Fei saw Shi Yibai walking out.

“Mr. Shi.” Jin Fei parked the car, got out, and opened the passenger door, gesturing for him to enter. “Please, get in.”

The bodyguard at the entrance glanced at the overly cute sports car, the young girl opening the door for his boss, and then at his boss, impeccably dressed in a suit. He silently averted his gaze.

He was a highly trained professional. No matter the situation, he would not laugh.

Shi Yibai’s steps down the stairs were slow and deliberate. He looked at Jin Fei standing by the passenger door and smiled. “Miss Jin, there’s no need to be so formal.”

“It’s only proper.” Jin Fei gave a slight bow. “Please, get in.”

As Shi Yibai bent to enter the car, Jin Fei instinctively raised her hand to shield his head from the car’s low roof.

The bodyguard, who accidentally witnessed this again, took a deep breath. He was a trained, highly professional bodyguard. He would not laugh.

After closing the door, Jin Fei got back into the driver’s seat. “Where are we going?”

Shi Yibai gave her the address of the car dealership.

Jin Fei nodded in acknowledgment and turned on the car’s sound system. “What kind of music do you like?”

Shi Yibai: “Anything is fine.”

He wasn’t in the habit of listening to music in the car.

“Then I’ll just pick something.” Jin Fei turned on the music, and a familiar, upbeat square dance tune filled the car, playing on repeat.

Jin Fei: “……”

She silently turned off the music. “Listening to music can be distracting. Let’s just drive in silence.”

Shi Yibai: “Sure.”

Not being particularly familiar with each other, Jin Fei took the initiative to keep the conversation flowing. When she wanted to, she could make anyone feel at ease.

Even Shi Yibai, who rarely smiled, laughed several times during the ride.

When the car stopped outside the dealership, Shi Yibai’s smile softened. “Miss Jin, you speak and act… like a queen.”

“You shouldn’t say that.” Jin Fei coughed awkwardly. Though the great phoenix dynasty had fallen, she had never considered usurping the throne prematurely.

Shi Yibai smiled at her.

“Being called ‘prince’ is enough. ‘Queen’ is too much.” Jin Fei turned off the engine and twirled the car keys in her hand, opening the door for Shi Yibai.

“Thank you, Miss Jin.” Shi Yibai looked up at the hand shielding his head, momentarily stunned. When he saw the gentle, spring-like smile on the girl’s face as she bent down, his lips curved into a smile. “You’ve gone through a lot of trouble.”

Jin Fei’s smile didn’t waver.

The sales manager, who had been waiting at the door to greet the VIP, hurried over as soon as he saw Shi Yibai. “Mr. Shi, it’s an honor to serve you. I’m the manager of this dealership.”

He glanced discreetly at the beautiful girl beside Shi Yibai and gave her a polite bow. “Hello.”

“This is Miss Jin.” Shi Yibai rarely smiled in front of strangers. “I’m accompanying her to look at cars today.”

The manager quickly caught on. “Miss Jin, Mr. Shi, please follow me.”

“This is this year’s most popular limited-edition sports car. Its sleek design will definitely turn heads on the road.” The manager knew that a young, beautiful, and wealthy woman like Jin Fei would care about the car’s appearance and status.

Jin Fei’s eyes lingered on a striking red sports car, but after glancing at the price tag, she quickly looked away.

“This one…”

“That red one looks nice.” Shi Yibai suddenly spoke up. “Let’s take a look at that one.”

The manager’s smile grew even more enthusiastic. “This sports car is a top-tier global limited edition. Many of its parts are handcrafted by master artisans. Other clients might not be able to secure an order, but since Mr. Shi has requested it, we’ll make sure to have it delivered within two months.”

The price of this car was five times that of the previous one. It was the first time the manager had seen Mr. Shi bring a female companion shopping, and he hadn’t expected him to be so generous.

Jin Fei frowned and shook her head. “Mr. Shi, this car is too expensive.”

How could a prince take advantage of a man?

“Miss Jin, how much do you think my life is worth?” Shi Yibai signed the purchase order and smiled at her. “A life-saving favor is beyond repayment. In my eyes, a car is far from enough to repay you. Besides, this amount of money is nothing to you. With your abilities, you could buy anything you want.”

“What I’m doing is just adding a cherry on top.” Shi Yibai handed the purchase order to the manager and turned back to Jin Fei with a smile. “Other than this, I really don’t know how to repay you. I have nothing but money, so I can only offer myself…”

“This car is beautiful. I like it.” Jin Fei smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Shi.”

Xie Lisu arrived at the dealership with Lin Xiaoxiao, presenting his luxury car membership card and a photo of the sports car to the receptionist. “I heard there’s still one slot left for this model?”

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Xie.” The receptionist glanced at the photo and apologized. “Another customer has just reserved this car.”

"Who?" Xie Lisu was somewhat surprised. This car was globally limited to only three hundred units, and only top-tier VIPs had the privilege to purchase it. Who could have acted faster than him?

The receptionist could only smile awkwardly, not daring to reveal the customer's information.

"Lisu, it's fine if it's not available. Let's just pick another one," Lin Xiaoxiao said. She didn’t particularly like this sports car, but Xie Lisu had been insistent, and she didn’t want to outright refuse.

Xie Lisu’s expression darkened. "No way. If it’s the car you’ve set your heart on, how can I not buy it?"

Lin Xiaoxiao: "..."

When had she set her heart on it? She had no idea.

"Last night, I contacted your manager and confirmed that I’d come today to place the order. Now you’re telling me the allocation is gone?" Xie Lisu sneered. "Call your manager over."

"Please wait a moment," the receptionist replied, inwardly groaning. "Mr. Xie, Miss Lin, please follow me to the VIP lounge for now. I’ll fetch the manager right away."

As they were speaking, the manager’s voice could be heard.

"Rest assured, Mr. Shi and Miss Jin, we will ensure the car is delivered as quickly as possible, providing you with a flawless purchasing experience..." The manager’s words trailed off as he caught sight of Xie Lisu and Lin Xiaoxiao standing hand in hand.

Xie Lisu’s eyes widened, wondering if he was hallucinating.

How could his ex-girlfriend be here with his uncle?

Jin Fei had already noticed Xie Lisu and Lin Xiaoxiao, but she had promised Xie Lisu’s mother not to drag him into any online controversies, so she pretended not to see them.

Shi Yibai glanced at the pair’s intertwined hands, then at Jin Fei’s calm expression, and also acted as though Xie Lisu didn’t exist.

It wasn’t until Jin Fei and Shi Yibai had walked past him that Xie Lisu snapped out of his shock. "Jin Fei, stop!"

Jin Fei ignored him and whispered to Shi Yibai, "Can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Run!"

Shi Yibai was momentarily stunned but followed her lead as she grabbed his suit sleeve and dashed out of the showroom.

Xie Lisu could only watch as Jin Fei whisked Shi Yibai away right in front of him. After a long pause, he finally muttered a single word.

"Damn!"

He wasn’t cursing—it was just a shorthand for the sun.