The Jiang family is indeed formidable. They gave five million without hesitation, so casually. Although Jiang Yi's words were a bit cheeky, they were indeed true.

Indeed, the truth is never well-received.

Since the people in power at the Jiang family have said so, why not take advantage of it? She's been disgusted by Jiang Yi for so long, that compensation she got from those little bits and pieces showing through her fingers is what she deserves.

Then she sent Qin Yuezhi a message, "Want to go shopping together later?"

Qin Yuezhi is in a state of utter turmoil right now, she doesn't have the time or energy to go shopping. She replied with a 'crying' emoji, "No way, not going."

Upon completing his response, his gaze fell once more upon the pile of photos on the table. They were so eye-searingly awful that he felt despair sink into his heart like a lead weight. “Mr. Hall, there’s no need to be so serious about this. It was just something I said off the cuff...”

That day, Huo Tingdong asked her what danmei literature was. How could she explain it to his face? She could only bluff: "It's just that the path taken is different from ordinary people."

This statement isn't entirely a lie, it's not just one path, after all.

At that time, Huo Tingdong didn't say anything and just let her off the car. Who knew he had prepared all this today, waiting for her, these photos, all of men, she has no idea where he got them from. She searched everywhere on Baidu, but couldn't find any information about them.

Of course, it could also be that she's unwilling to spend money?

Huo Tingdong looked at her, his voice as serious and righteous as when he was in court, and said word by word: "Danmei literature originated in Japan. Now it generally refers to a romantic relationship between men that does not involve reproduction..."

Qin Yuezhi felt like a row of needles were pricking her bottom, making her fidget and shift uncomfortably. She gathered the photos together and pushed them towards him: "Put these away first. Although my shop usually doesn't have much business, there are occasional unexpected customers who might suddenly drop in. Seeing this..."

She coughed dryly. "Not good."

Unlike her outward calm, she was currently screaming inside like a prairie dog: Huo Tingdong, are you sick? Who discusses this kind of thing with photos as evidence? And you, if you're going to bring something, just search for pure love images on Sogou wallpaper, there are tons! You had to bring one with a bed scene.

"If I don't make it straightforward, you might not understand," Huo Tingdong said calmly.

"..."

It's not that he's afraid she won't understand, it's that he's afraid she'll play dumb and deny it.

"Miss Qin, tell me, which action of mine led you to this misunderstanding?"

" ... Lawyer Huo, how about I treat you to a meal as an apology for my indiscretion? Let's just turn the page on this."

"If Miss Qin can't give me a reasonable explanation, then I'll have to sue you for defamation. You could face up to three years in prison, or the loss of your political rights."

Qin Yue's hatred burned in her eyes as she glared at him, gritting her teeth. "I saw you hugging a man on the street when I came out of the teahouse."

……

Shen Wanci's skincare products were almost used up, so after work, she went to the mall. It was hot today, with few people in the mall during the day and crowds at night.

No one to go shopping with, she found it no fun at all. So she quickly bought what she needed and headed straight for the familiar counter. As she passed by the luggage section, she remembered her promise made in Nie YuCheng's hospital room to get a wallet for Bo Jing Zhou.

That day in the hospital, she said, now that everyone has been discharged, she still hasn't sent it.

It's still a little embarrassing to think about.

Bo Jingzhou usually uses custom-made wallets, the kind that Shen Wanci couldn't buy, she wasn't qualified.

She browsed around, picked out a few that she thought were prettier and sent them to him: "Which one do you like?"

Bo Jingzhou replied quickly: "Which shopping mall are you in?"

Shen Wanci told him the name of the shopping mall: "Answer quickly, the sales assistant is still waiting for me, I have to go back after buying."

"I can't tell from the photo, I'll come and pick it."

“……”

When Bao arrived at the shopping mall, it would take at least half an hour. By the time Bao Jingzhou got there, Shen Wanci was sitting listlessly on a rest chair, studying the instructions for skincare products with a frown. She looked impatient.

A man walked past.

When Shen Wanci saw him, she began to complain: "Don't men's wallets all look the same? You have to choose one yourself and analyze the material too?"

She hurried towards the area where handbags were sold, talking as she went. It was clear she wanted to shop quickly and get out just as fast.

Bao Jingzhou grabbed her hand: "No rush, since we're here, let's just have a stroll."

Shen Wanci: "Didn't you say that shopping is a waste of your life? You also asked me if I know how much money you would lose for every minute wasted."

"When did I ever say that?"

"More than half a year after we got married, you said you'd accompany me out shopping."

She stormed out of the room in anger.

Bo Jingzhou had a memory of it. That was the first time she took the initiative to ask him out. He thought it was a date and happily asked Chen Xu to reschedule the meeting, but—

"You made an appointment with Qin Yuezhi that time, and you also gave a thank-you gift to some love-struck client."

Isn't that just a sucker?

For a mug his ex-girlfriend gave him, which cost nine yuan and nine jiao with shipping, he spent 200,000 yuan to repair it, thinking of using it to impress his ex-girlfriend. As a result, after the mug was repaired, his ex-girlfriend got married, and her husband was still his brother.

What was he doing in that situation? Was he just walking around like a human billboard?

"I... I wasn't afraid of just the two of us being awkward, after all, we didn't really have any feelings for each other back then."

"That's just right, now I'll make up for it."

Because there was nothing to buy, I browsed very superficially.

Bao Jingzhou frowned: "Can we hold hands? This way, others will think we're here to inspect the business situation of the mall."

Wherever they walked, the salespersons' backs straightened.

Shen Wanci: "If you can hold hands in public, it's not a secret relationship anymore."

Bo Jingzhou: "..."

Passing by a traditional Chinese clothing accessory shop, Shen Wanci finally stopped her hurried pace. Girls have absolutely no resistance to these shimmering and twinkling things. Even if they don't buy them, just looking at them makes them happy.

She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, picked up a crystal butterfly hairpin and fastened it into her bun, "How does this look?"

She happened to have a Hanfu.

Bo Jingzhou: "It's beautiful."

Shen Wanci picked up another one and gestured it above her head: "What about this one?"

"Also pretty."

"She scoffed, disdain dripping from her voice. “What good are you?”

Bo Jingzhou: "Anything you wear looks good on you."

Shen Wanci tilted her head, just about to explain to him how a qualified shopping companion should act – not only offering opinions but also helping with the final choice when necessary. Before she could utter a word, the man landed a kiss on her lips: "No need to choose, buy whatever you like. Wear it if you want, throw it away if you don't."

From the first floor, Jiang Yajue, who had been following them closely, widened her eyes in surprise. Then, with a face full of excitement, she slapped her husband's arm repeatedly, '啪啪啪', leaving a trail of handprints all over his arm in an instant.