"Du’Er, when people say scores aren’t important, they mean in comparison to your health. But getting a high score, especially ranking first in the entire school, is something to be proud of. I’m very proud of you!"
"Really?" She looked up, her eyes shining like stars as a smile unconsciously spread across her lips.
"Of course. This weekend, I’ll have your aunt take you to the amusement park. You can’t focus all your energy on studying."
"That’s great! I’ve never been to an amusement park before. Dad, will you have time to come with us? Please?"
He ruffled her hair again. "Dad is very busy, but I promise, if I have time, I’ll definitely go with you. If I can’t make it this time, I’ll find another time to take you, okay?"
"Mhm!" Wenren Du’Er nodded emphatically.
"Off you go. Get some rest!"
-----------------
When Shen Meng got home, her cousin, Wu Min, was sitting on the sofa. Hearing the commotion, she knew Shen Meng was back.
"Shen Meng, sit!"
She chuckled in spite of herself. "What’s wrong, Cousin? You look like you’re about to interrogate a prisoner."
"You guessed it. I feel like prying open your skull to see what’s going on in there. You always put on this ’men, keep away’ act, so I thought you were just holding out for the best offer. But you? Turns out you’re the one paying for him."
Shen Meng put her bag aside and sat across from Wu Min in the living room. "Cousin, just leave this alone. We’ll never see eye to eye on it."
When it came to relationships, Wu Min thought Shen Meng was in the wrong for not knowing how to properly leverage her good looks and qualities.
Meanwhile, Shen Meng felt that Wu Min’s method of toying with men’s emotions not only hurt others but also showed a distinct lack of self-respect, though she couldn’t be bothered to say so.
Now Wu Min was taking a stance as if to lecture her, and she wasn’t having it. On this issue, the two were on completely different wavelengths.
"No, seriously, Shen Meng? Is that guy really your boyfriend? How far have you two gone?"
Shen Meng stirred the latte art in her coffee cup, the milk foam gradually blurring into a fuzzy heart shape. "Cousin, we’ve only just started..."
’Thinking about that hug from earlier, he must feel that way about me, right?’
"Only just started? Then it’s not too late to turn back from this mistaken path."
"What mistaken path? I already told you to leave me alone."
Wu Min looked at her with exasperation. "Shen Meng, you’re so naive. Let me tell you something, and it’s not because I’m materialistic, but it’s a truth I firmly believe: a man who is unwilling to spend money on you is definitely not sincere about you. This has nothing to do with how much money he has. People’s capabilities differ, but it’s the attitude that counts."
Shen Meng was unconvinced. "Why should I spend his money? I have my own."
"Money? What money? After what you send to your mother every month, how much do you have left from that meager salary? I’m telling you right now, a boyfriend that stingy, who even makes you pay for dinner, is not a good match. You’ll have hell to pay if you end up with him."
"Cousin, I thought you worked in corporate planning. When did you pick up fortune-telling?"
Wu Min sighed. "You... you’re just impossible. Still in the mood to joke around. You haven’t listened to a single word I’ve said."
"It’s not like this is the first day we haven’t seen eye to eye. On this matter, I can’t convince you, and you can’t convince me. The best we can do is respect each other’s choices. As for how my future turns out, that’s my choice to make, and I’ll be responsible for it."
"Alright, let’s get some sleep. If we keep talking out here, we’ll wake up Auntie."
Shen Meng stood up, grabbed her pajamas from her room, and went to take a shower. Her uncle worked out of town, so only the three of them—she, Wu Min, and her aunt—lived at home.
"Hey, Shen Meng! Wang Hua said he has a surprise for me for my birthday tomorrow. I’m curious to see what Yang Hui does. He’s not going to make you pay for the meal again, is he?"
"And what if I do?"
Shen Meng didn’t really care about such things, and she walked into the bathroom without a backward glance.
It wasn’t that she was the complete pushover Wu Min imagined her to be. She didn’t believe Yang Hui was the Scrooge-like figure her cousin described; she wouldn’t have been attracted to that kind of man in the first place.
She just felt that a couple didn’t get together for money. When it came to everyday, affordable expenses, why nitpick over who paid?
Wu Min shook her head. ’This cousin of mine must have a screw loose. What’s the point of getting a boyfriend like that? Most people look for a sugar daddy; she’s found someone to empty her own wallet.’
’What a waste of such a pretty face and figure.’
「The next day, Friday」
At 8:30 AM, the Mercedes E-Class arrived punctually at the entrance to Shunyuan District. He sent a message telling Shen Meng to come down.
’The three-month mission timeline meant Shen Meng was his most important target right now. The more contact he made, the more opportunities he’d have to get her to spend money.’
In the faint morning light, the obsidian black paint of the Mercedes E-Class reflected the shadows of the plane trees. Its sleek body lines shimmered with an understated metallic sheen under the rising sun.
A graceful figure appeared in the rearview mirror. Her pencil skirt swayed with a subtle arc about four inches above her knees, the straight seam in the back like a meticulously measured dividing line.
"Morning." As she bent down and slipped into the passenger seat, the car’s cedar-scented air was suddenly stirred by her perfume. Her skirt rode up as she sat, revealing the pale white of her inner thigh.
"We are now departing. Please fasten your seatbelt, front-seat passenger!"
Shen Meng gave him a look, unamused by his joke pretending to be a rideshare driver.
"I’m giving you a free ride, and I get scorned for it."
She gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, turning to him. "I’m the one giving you the opportunity to pick me up. What’s wrong with scorning you a little?"
’He suddenly realized that after that hug last night, the distance between them seemed to have vanished in an instant. She was already joking around with him.’
This great start made his spirits soar, and he couldn’t help but hum along to the music coming from the Burmester sound system.
Seeing his smug expression, Shen Meng chuckled softly, her heart enveloped by a strange, gentle emotion.
They reached the company parking lot at 8:55 AM, right at the peak time for employees arriving for work.
"We got here a bit early today. We can leave a little later next week."
Shen Meng rolled her eyes, pushed open the door, and got out.
"Wait."
With one foot already outside, she pulled it back in. "What is it?"
"This is when most people are arriving. Aren’t you afraid of the gossip if you walk in with me?"
Shen Meng shot him a look. "You’re ridiculous!"
Then she pushed the door open and got out. In that moment, Yang Hui understood the meaning in her clear eyes.
’It’s not like we’re doing anything shameful. If you dare to do it, why not dare to own up to it?’
’That’s the kind of spirit I like.’ He grinned smugly and followed her out of the car.
Sure enough, many of their colleagues turned in unison to look their way, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and the anticipation of watching a drama unfold.
It was common knowledge around the office that Yang Hui was pursuing Shen Meng, but no one had expected them to be this brazen.
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