Swipe the card!

After a few minutes, Chu Qingchan entered the private room and removed her mask. Instantly, the air seemed to freeze for several seconds.

Xu Lin was momentarily stunned—not because she was exceptionally beautiful, but because Chu Qingchan had managed to make herself look unattractive with her makeup. If the system had rated her appearance as a nine before, now it would be an eight at most. Most importantly, her features had changed significantly.

Her once striking phoenix eyes now appeared ordinary, and her cheeks and nose had been subtly altered. She truly no longer looked like Chu Qingchan—there was perhaps a sixty percent resemblance at best. Makeup really was a kind of genuine magic.

Across the table, Jin Linquan was utterly entranced. It wasn't until Qiao Shanshan nudged him that he snapped out of it.

"Your sister-in-law is so beautiful," he blurted.

"Beautiful? Come now, Sister Qiao isn't lacking either," Xu Lin said carelessly.

Chu Qingchan shot him another glare. Qiao Shanshan laughed, but she was aware of her own limitations. Sometimes, a woman's weapon wasn't just her looks—it was whether she knew how to use her advantages.

"Alright, let's order," she said.

After touching the electronic menu, the waiter knocked and entered. The group began ordering, and before Jin Linquan could react, four steak sets and a bottle of red wine—four thousand yuan—vanished from his account.

"Should we get dessert?" someone asked.

"Go ahead," Jin Linquan replied with a smile, though his hand under the table was tightly clenched.

"Let's get some then—the ice cream and two slices of Black Forest cake," Qiao Shanshan chimed in, her interest piqued. Since they'd already spent the money, as long as she could win them over, it was worth it. Besides, though this guy was a bit naive, he was handsome—no loss there. It was a pity this beauty had caught Jin Linquan's eye.

The food arrived quickly, but compared to earlier, the atmosphere between Chu Qingchan and Xu Lin had grown tense. Jin Linquan and Qiao Shanshan kept the conversation going, sensing that the two were irritable, which made them easier to approach.

Yet, Xu Lin and Chu Qingchan felt helpless—why hadn't these two asked for their WeChat yet? So timid?

But as long as they stayed together, the others had no chance. Xu Lin threw a meaningful glance at Chu Qingchan, who nodded in understanding.

After the meal, Xu Lin said apologetically, "Sorry to trouble you like this."

"Don't mention it—treating friends to dinner is nothing," Jin Linquan replied. "Let’s go upstairs and shop together."

When they got in the elevator, Xu Lin reached out to take Chu Qingchan's hand, but she brushed him off. Jin Linquan secretly flashed a triumphant smile: beauty only brings happiness when matched with money—good looks can't fill the stomach.

He slowly moved closer to Chu Qingchan, who didn't distance herself again. The fragrance from her hair made him feel as if he were floating.

Qiao Shanshan ramped up her physical contact with Xu Lin, and when they reached the third floor, Chu Qingchan headed straight for the fresh food section.

"Sister-in-law?"

"Leave her be—she's just sulking," Xu Lin said with typical bluntness. Jin Linquan immediately retorted,

"You have to comfort girls. Go cheer her up."

"I'm not going—bro, you watch her. I'll buy the groceries."

"Is that alright?" Jin Linquan said, though inside he was delighted.

Xu Lin waved him off. "Just keep an eye on her—don’t let her buy anything unnecessary."

"Okay."

He hurried after Chu Qingchan, who was already at a stall selling condiments, picking them out herself.

Jin Linquan walked over and spoke softly, "Sister-in-law, has Xu Lin always been like this? Young people need to be more understanding."

"That guy just likes looking at women. When we started dating, he said he’d never do it again, but today he kept staring at Sister Qiao."

"She dressed too... well. I'll mention it to her next time!"

"Mm. Brother, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No!" Jin Linquan perked up instantly.

"You’re so outstanding and don’t have a girlfriend? I thought Sister Qiao was."

"No, if I had one, why would I try to chat you up?"

"Don’t say that. Although Xu Lin’s temper isn’t great, I wouldn’t..." Chu Qingchan appeared sincere.

The more genuine she seemed, the more Jin Linquan felt hopeful—she was wavering, so he had to play it cool.

"I know, so I won’t say anything more. That would be disrespectful to you, and to Xu Lin. But if you ever want to travel, I hope you’ll give me a chance to be your companion."

"..." Chu Qingchan stood up, seemed to deliberate for a few seconds, then nodded. Jin Linquan felt his heart skip a beat.

"Thank you. By the way, I don’t know your name yet."

"I..." Chu Qingchan looked hesitant.

"It’s alright, if you don’t want to give your real name, your online handle is fine," he said, taking out his phone and opening WeChat.

"Alright, but you should add Xu Lin too, otherwise..."

"I understand."

He couldn’t contain his smile now—he knew he was almost there. With WeChat added, the rest was just a matter of time; in half a month, he’d win her over!

Xu Lin was in a similar situation, forced into ever more intimate contact, and finally exchanged WeChat as well.

The group reconvened at the checkout counter, Jin Linquan glowing with satisfaction as he raced to pay the bill. Xu Lin sent a quick message: "Did you buy everything you wanted?"

"Yes, all the most expensive stuff."

"Ok."

But Jin Linquan didn’t care about the two or three thousand spent; instead, he had a thought—why let others admire such a beautiful girl? Wouldn’t it be better if she became his girlfriend? Spending money on his own girlfriend—his mood instantly improved.

They descended to the first floor, stopping near a jewelry shop. There were many boutiques nearby—watches, handbags, other luxury goods.

"Shall we go in and take a look?" Jin Linquan said offhandedly. To his surprise, Chu Qingchan nodded. He was stunned, as was Qiao Shanshan.

Before he could react, Chu Qingchan had already walked over, with Xu Lin following leisurely.

Qiao Shanshan sidled up to him, whispering, "What’s wrong with you? We agreed so many times not to go to expensive places."

"It’s fine—they’re not actually going to buy anything. They wouldn’t dare make me pay."

"But aren’t you a rich kid?"

"Then I’ll buy it. Later, I’ll record a video and make her give it back."

"You’d really do that? I think you genuinely want to pursue her," Qiao Shanshan gave him a sidelong glance.

"...Ahem." Jin Linquan scratched his chin awkwardly. "Alright, alright, I’ll pay. Don’t worry about it."

Inside, the atmosphere was minimalist yet saturated with the scent of money, making the pair tremble.

But Chu Qingchan appeared calm, while Xu Lin kept his head down, looking nervous.

Over the next few minutes, Chu Qingchan began selecting items, and Jin Linquan grew anxious—should he buy, or not?

"How much is this?"

"If you want it in stock, we don’t have any. This is just for display; you’d have to wait a few days."

"I see. What about this necklace?"

"Thirty-two thousand, but we’re running a promotion—add eight thousand and get a pair of diamond rings."

"Let me see the rings."

"This way."

Chu Qingchan followed the clerk to the other side; the jewelry store was connected to the one next door.

A few minutes later, Chu Qingchan returned and nodded at Xu Lin, who kept his head down. Jin Linquan drew a deep breath. No—I can’t hold back!

"Wrap it up, please—as a gift for my sister-in-law."

"No, this is too much."

"Brother, don’t spend so much."

"It’s nothing—how much is it altogether?"

Jin Linquan watched the sales clerk’s expression, caught Chu Qingchan’s faint smile, and felt that money should be spent where it counts!

"Altogether, two hundred and forty-one thousand; the manager is waiving the one thousand."

"Wasn’t it thirty thousand?"

"Yes—the ocean blue is thirty thousand, but this young lady also selected two rings, a bracelet, and a pair of earrings."

"Uh... I didn’t bring that card today—how about just the necklace for now?"

He turned quickly, keeping his expression calm and confident, fearing he’d be found out.

But the next moment, Xu Lin, who had been silent, beckoned, holding a bank card that glinted gold. "Swipe this!"

He spoke casually, slowly raising his head. The timidity and innocence vanished from his face, replaced by a confident smile and sharp, determined eyes.

"Shall we talk somewhere else?" Xu Lin’s tone made Jin Linquan deeply uneasy; Qiao Shanshan was also at a loss—what did he mean?

But in the next second, Qiao Shanshan cried out in surprise. Jin Linquan turned to see four or five uniformed police officers standing outside the glass door, looking in at them.