Chapter 3

He was really tall.

He lifted me effortlessly from behind and carried me to the elevator.

I didn't dare say a word after having just offended him.

We exited the company and reached the large flower bed on the first floor. He raised his eyebrow at me and clearly looked like he wanted to blame me. "Didn't you recognize me?"

I shook my head like a bobblehead. "It was a misunderstanding."

He was my boyfriend who gave me 1.5 million dollars. Of course, I would recognize him in any circumstances.

"Was it a misunderstanding? I was right next to you, but you ignored me and ran off to call another guy honey. It looks like I spent the money this morning in vain."

"Not that. I just didn't see you. That guy's back looked a lot like yours, but he is nowhere near as handsome as you," I said with wide eyes and tried hard to convince him.

He was amused by my words and laughed. Then he took off his name badge and stuck it on my forehead. "Remember, your boyfriend's name is Madelynn Hughes. If you mistake again, I'll dock your salary by ten thousand."

"Fine. I'll engrave your name into my soul and won't sleep without reciting it 300 times a day."

Madelynn smiled and looked quite satisfied. Then he picked up my name badge and read it seriously. "Laurence Scott, right? I'll remember you, too. What do you want for dinner?"

"I'm not picky. Whatever you like, I'll eat it, too!" I responded eagerly.

Madelynn pointed to a noodle shop across the street. "Do you want some pork tripe noodles?"

Wow, he had quite an adventurous palate.

"Sure. That is my favorite." I had to match him in every aspect.

So we found ourselves sitting in the noodle shop.

I had thought we'd have a fancy dinner after I had a wealthy boyfriend, so that I could see much of the world, maybe even Michelin star level.

But there we were, sitting across the street from the company, with two bowls of noodles.

I silently picked at the scallions in my bowl felt a bit disappointed. Suddenly, Madelynn reached over, took my bowl, and swapped it with his. "I don't eat scallions or cilantro," he said, starting to slurp his noodles.

I opened my phone's notes app and jotted that down.

"What are you doing?" Madelynn asked, looking up curiously.

I handed him my phone to show him.

He glanced at it.

It read, "Girlfriend's Notes. First, recite my boyfriend's name 300 times daily. (Or I will face a salary deduction.) Second, he doesn't eat cilantro or scallions. So I have to clean his bowl first when we have noodles together. (Or I will potentially face a salary deduction.)

Madelynn chuckled. He covered his nose with his hand as he laughed. "Are you really so afraid of me docking your salary? Do you have to write it after every note?"

I quickly handed him a glass of water. "Since I've taken your money, I have to give you a service experience better than perfect. Otherwise, I'd feel guilty with the money."

"That sounds great, like a good girlfriend." Madelynn reached out and took off my baseball cap. Then he ruffled my hair.

Apparently, he liked the feel of it because he did it several more times.

I mentally tallied up the bill with each of his moves.

Madelynn ate quickly. He finished his bowl in no time. He stood up and said, "I'm going next door to buy a pack of cigarettes. Take your time with your noodles."

"Okay." I continued to slurp my noodles.

To be honest, it was my first time having pork tripe noodles, and the smell was strangely addictive.

Suddenly, I sensed a whiff of perfume. A figure sat down in front of me. I looked up and was about to say the seat was taken. Then I saw Madelynn's ex-girlfriend.

She covered her nose and waved her hands dismissively. "Did Madelynn bring you here to eat noodles?"

"Yeah."

She looked me up and down and said coldly, "When Madelynn dated me, we had dinner at fancy restaurants every day. Now he just has noodles with you. Don't you know what you mean to him?"

I knew very well.

He and I had a purely financial arrangement.

She sneered, "We're both women, so let's not pretend. I know exactly what you're thinking about. You are Madelynn's girlfriend only for money, right?"

"Exactly." What else would it be?

She choked. Clearly, she hadn't expected such a straightforward answer. So she didn't know how to insult me further. "You'd be the girlfriend of a guy you didn't know? Do you have no principles?"

I looked at her, puzzled. "Do you even know what you're saying? Are principles more important than money?"