Only I Understand His Gentle Heart - Chapter 97.1

Tang Xin, full of herself and practically wagging her imaginary tail, called over the server.

The server smiled politely. “Would you like to order more food?”

Tang Yu stood up with a dark expression, pulling out his card. “I’ll pay the bill.”

Tang Xin watched as he settled the bill. She yawned, rubbing her eyes, which were starting to water from exhaustion. Tang Yu put his card back in his wallet and turned around, only to find the once-proud Tang Xin looking utterly pitiful with reddened eyes.

He paused for a moment before realizing she was just tired, muffling another yawn behind her hand. He chuckled, equal parts annoyed and amused. “Eat your fill and then want to sleep. Are you a pig?”

Tang Xin glared at him with teary eyes, her tone defensive. “I just spent 20 hours on a plane! How could I not be tired?”

She wasn’t some kind of superhuman, after all.

Seeing her utterly exhausted, Tang Yu’s heart softened. He patted her on the head. “Alright, let’s get you home.”

Tang Xin was truly worn out. She nodded obediently. “Mm, hurry up and take me home.”

As they exited the private room, Tang Yu reached for her hand. Tang Xin wriggled free and frowned. “I haven’t even agreed to date you yet. Can you stop taking advantage of me?”

“You didn’t agree before either, and I still got away with it,” Tang Yu said without letting go of her hand, pulling her along toward the stairs.

“This makes me feel like I’m being taken advantage of,” Tang Xin grumbled before bending down to bite his hand.

Tang Yu stared at her in disbelief. “What are you, a dog?”

She didn’t bite hard—it didn’t hurt much—but her defiance was clear. As she bit him, she glanced up to see his expression hadn’t changed at all. Huffing in frustration, she released his hand and stomped ahead.

Tang Yu glanced at the faint teeth marks on his hand, closing his eyes briefly. This girlfriend is my choice—I’ll kneel and pamper her if I have to.

Downstairs, Tang Yu opened the car door for Tang Xin, who climbed in. After a moment, she noticed he was still standing by the door, watching her with an intense look.

“What are you doing?” she asked, tilting her head.

Tang Yu leaned slightly against the car. “How long do you need to think about it? A month or more?”

That was too long.

They had already wasted enough time.

Fine, he admitted he hadn’t handled things well before. But waiting another month? No way.

Tang Xin tilted her head further, letting out a small snort. “I’m not as bad as you, taking a whole month to reply. Jerk.”

Tang Yu, “…”

Being labeled a jerk for no reason left him displeased. He reached out and pinched her cheek, enjoying the satisfying softness of it. He only let go when she cried out in protest.

“How long, then?” he asked.

Tang Xin rubbed her cheek. “I don’t know. Whenever I feel like it.”

Tang Yu snorted and pinched her cheek again. Giving up on pressing her further, he walked around to the driver’s seat.

Tang Xin, still nursing her sore cheek, turned to glare at him. “What’s wrong with you, always pinching my face?”

Tang Yu glanced over at her, his body turned slightly as one hand rested casually on the steering wheel. His expression grew serious. “Tang Xin, some of your thoughts need adjusting. First, I’m not a jerk. If we date, I’ll spoil you and give in to you, but there are limits—don’t push too far. Second, stop only liking my face and money. Learn to like me as a person, okay? Third, the sooner you say yes, the sooner you can enjoy the perks of being my girlfriend. Got it?”

Tang Xin blinked, stunned. “What counts as ‘too far’?”

“That depends.”

“…”

Tang Xin mulled it over. Tang Yu really was good to her. And as for his so-called limits, well, weren’t a man’s boundaries fairly predictable? She probably wouldn’t cross them. Still…

“What’s wrong with liking your face and money? Who doesn’t like good-looking people? Who doesn’t want their boyfriend to be handsome? And is there anyone in this world who doesn’t like money? I just want to be a Rich Girl. Liking your face and money doesn’t…”

Doesn’t mean I don’t like you, Tang Xin wanted to say.

After all, she liked him first.

“…”

Tang Yu stared at her, feeling an overwhelming urge to crack open her head and see how it worked inside.

After finishing her little speech, Tang Xin remembered his third point. Suddenly excited, she looked at him. “So, what perks come with being your girlfriend?”

Tang Yu smirked. “Whatever you want, I’ve got it.”

Tang Xin blinked at him. “How do you know what I want? What if you don’t have it?”

Not have it?

Tang Yu doubted there was anything he couldn’t provide for Tang Xin. On the surface, she seemed spoiled and willful, but in reality, she was thoughtful, with a keen sense of propriety and boundaries. The things she liked were simple, her emotions were often written plainly on her face, and while some of her ideas needed adjustment, her slightly odd logic wasn’t exactly a dealbreaker.

These quirks weren’t real problems.

The biggest issue now? Getting her to give a clear “yes.”

Starting the engine, he drove off, briefly reaching over to brush her cheek with his fingers. “Be good. Even if I don’t have it, I’ll figure out a way to make it appear for you.”

“…”

Do you think you’re Doraemon or something?!

Tang Xin turned her head to look out the window, her lips twitching upwards despite herself. She couldn’t stop wondering—what exactly were these “girlfriend perks”? A black card, maybe? Closing her eyes, she grinned as she imagined. Why not just agree to it? Handsome, rich, and doting boyfriends aren’t exactly easy to find!

Tang Yu merged onto the main road, glancing over at her. Her head tilted slightly, her eyes closed. He couldn’t tell if she was asleep or just pretending.

He reached for the volume knob and turned the music down.

Moments later, Tang Xin actually fell asleep.

When the car reached her apartment building, Tang Yu parked and turned to look at her. Adjusting his seat to recline, he half-lay in the driver’s seat, his head tilted as he watched her. In a low voice, he called, “Rich Girl.”

She didn’t stir.

He chuckled softly and stopped trying to wake her.

Half an hour passed. It was nearing eleven, and he figured she wouldn’t be comfortable sleeping like this. Leaning closer, he poked her cheek. Her skin was smooth and soft, with just the right amount of elasticity. Tang Yu found himself hooked, poking her a few more times. Watching her long lashes flutter faintly, a faint smile tugged at his lips. How did I not realize before how adorable she is?

Half-asleep, Tang Xin mumbled drowsily, “Tang Yu, you big pig-headed jerk…”

Tang Yu, “…”

He pressed her cheek again, leaving a small indent, and scoffed lightly. “Still calling me names in your sleep?”

Tang Xin blinked her eyes open halfway, groggy and unfocused. She turned her head slowly, her gaze meeting Tang Yu’s handsome face as it leaned closer. Still in a haze, she wondered if she was dreaming. She blinked again, and before she could process what was happening, Tang Yu lowered his head and kissed her.

She made a muffled sound of protest, thinking in relief that she’d eaten fruit and yogurt after the hotpot, so her breath was still sweet.

Tang Yu nibbled at her lips gently and murmured in a low voice, “Awake now?”

She pushed him lightly.

Tang Yu smirked. “What will it take for you to say yes sooner?”

After spending so much time with her, Tang Yu had a pretty good grasp of Tang Xin’s personality. He knew she probably had some condition in mind.

Tang Xin, catching her breath from his relentless kisses, managed to reply between gasps, “You… have to say you like me… 99 times… and I’ll agree.”

Tang Yu lifted his head, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at her. “Ninety-nine times?”

Tang Xin inhaled deeply, shifting back a little to put some distance between them. “That’s right—99 times. Once you say it, I’ll agree.”

To say “I like you” 99 times in one go…