Chapter 17: Opportunity!

"What... Ms. Marsh, are you... are you joking?"

Probably due to the alcohol, Nora's cheeks were flushed with intoxication, and her almond eyes became blurred.

She chuckled lightly, "Do you think I'm joking?"

Glancing over Nora's face, Arlo swallowed hard and said, "But why me?"

"Arlo, don't you want to?" Nora looked at him narrowly, asking back.

Arlo quickly shook his head, "Ms. Marsh, you're so beautiful and kind. How could I not want to? It's just... it's just..."

"Just what?"

"It's just a bit sudden." Arlo shook his head, noticing Nora's strange gaze. He gritted his teeth and said, "Ms. Marsh, are you trying to make fun of me?"

Nora gave him a coquettish look, realizing she couldn't deceive Arlo, so she confessed, "I knew I couldn't fool you. Actually, I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend. I'm not young anymore, and my family has been pressuring me to get married. But I don't want to. Alex was introduced to me by my family."

"Although I've cut ties with him today, my parents will definitely be angry. To shut them up, I can only ask you, Arlo, to help me out."

"Arlo, can you?"

Arlo opened his mouth. He had thought that pretending to be a boyfriend was something only found in cheesy novels and TV dramas, but he never expected to encounter it himself one day.

After a moment's thought, he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll do it."

"I knew I didn't make a mistake in you, Arlo, thank you!" Nora exclaimed joyfully, raising her glass. "Come on, let's have a few drinks together!"

Arlo chuckled. "Ms. Marsh, I still have to go to work later. Drinking too much will mess things up!"

"It's still early for the bar to close. If you drink too much, you can just sleep here for a while. I'm the boss, I make the rules!" Nora huffed, her usual sophistication giving way to a hint of stubbornness under the influence of alcohol.

Arlo found this side of Nora even more genuine and adorable.

Arlo instinctively scratched his head, wanting to refuse, but Nora, pretending to be angry, interjected, "No refusal allowed! If you refuse, I'll fire you!"

"Okay, okay, is it okay if I drink with you?" Arlo exclaimed helplessly, picking up the glass on the table. "I'll accompany you today!"

Nora then smiled again and clinked glasses with him.

The two bottles of wine on the table were quickly emptied by the two of them, and Nora, under the influence of alcohol, became unusually affectionate.

With watery eyes, she stared at Arlo and smiled sweetly. "Arlo, do you think I'm old?"

Arlo had also had quite a few drinks, but he only felt a bit dizzy, not drunk.

Hearing her question, he shook his head and said, "Not at all, Ms. Marsh. You have no idea how beautiful you are. If I could have a girlfriend like you, the men in the village would probably envy me, haha."

As they talked, the two of them unconsciously moved closer together.

Nora giggled. "Aren't I your girlfriend now?"

"Ms. Marsh, don't tease me. You said it yourself, I'm just pretending to be your boyfriend, it's not real," Arlo stummered. Under the influence of alcohol, his courage had grown.

Emboldened, he wrapped his arms around Nora's slender waist. Arlo's heart was in his throat, afraid that Nora would rebuke him at any moment.

But Nora seemed not to notice anything unusual around her waist and leaned closer to him, exhaling gently, "So, do you really want your big sister to be your girlfriend?"

Seeing her face so close, Arlo's heart began to beat rapidly.

Nora's translucent cherry lips made him feel a bit hot, and he stuttered, "I... I think..."

"Haha!" Nora couldn't help but burst into laughter, watching him squirm in embarrassment. "Arlo, are you serious?"

Arlo blushed. "Ms. Marsh, I..."

"Shh!" Nora's slender index finger pressed against his lips, and she winked mischievously. "If you really want to be my boyfriend, it's not impossible, but Arlo, I'm afraid you might not be able to handle it!"

Hearing this, Arlo suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

What are men most afraid of?

They're most afraid of women saying they're not capable!

He stiffened his neck and said indignantly, "Ms. Marsh, you're underestimating me. How could I not handle it!?"

"Is that so?" Nora's hand lightly caressed his cheek, her smile turning sly. "Do you know what my family does?"

"What do they do?"

"My parents own one of the top ten companies in Fleross. I don't have any prejudice against your background, but are you sure you can handle my parents' questioning and disdain?" Nora's smile grew even brighter. "They want me to marry someone from a similar background. Do you think you're qualified?"

The hot blood in Arlo's chest cooled instantly, and he suddenly realized the seemingly insurmountable gap between himself and Nora.

No, it wasn't just the gap between himself and Ms. Marsh, but also the gap between their families.

But Arlo was never one to delude himself or shrink back in the face of difficulty.

When he was very young, he was bullied by older kids in the village because of his small stature. Even when his face was covered in blood from being beaten, he gritted his teeth and refused to give up.

Through sheer determination, he successfully defeated those who bullied him.

And now, he was even less likely to back down easily.

"Ms. Marsh, perhaps I'm not qualified now, but I will work hard to earn your parents' approval!" Arlo said firmly, looking at her seriously.

Nora was stunned. She thought her words would be enough to make Arlo back down, but she didn't expect this little brother in front of her to be so resolute.

After a moment, she smiled gently. "Alright, I'll give you this chance. As long as you have ten million in assets within three years, we'll get married!"

"Okay, it's a deal!"

Arlo agreed without hesitation, but after he said it, he felt a bit regretful.

Three years, ten million in assets.

For a rich second-generation, with the starting capital given by their family, as long as they find the right path, they could earn it in a year, let alone three.

But what about himself?

Thinking about the little over a thousand dollars left in his bank account, Arlo suddenly felt a bit foolish.

But the words had already been spoken. Would taking them back now make Ms. Marsh look down on him?

Just as Arlo was thinking about how to make money, he heard Nora's steady breathing.

He tilted his head slightly and saw that Nora had already fallen asleep.

Arlo breathed a sigh of relief, figuring that Nora probably wouldn't remember what he had just said when she woke up.

After hesitating for a moment, Arlo got up and carried her to bed.