The intent couldn’t have been clearer. When polite words failed to drive her away, they decided to scare her off with the price.
Their attitude couldn’t exactly be called snobbish—compared to the salespeople in later times who treated themselves like “luxury goods,” this was actually fairly normal. They were being quite accurate, and honestly, they were nice enough not to throw her out directly.
But then again, she wasn’t the one paying.
“Mr. Xiao, I think you should come over and pick it out yourself. I’m not a VIP, so I can’t see many of the styles they have here.” Thanks to Lin Aiyun’s interruption, the salesclerks finally noticed the two tall men who had just walked into the store one after the other.
But the experienced salesclerks could tell at a glance which of the two was the real “golden goose.”
“Hello, sir. How can I help you?” Without needing any prompting, the salesclerk who had been standing in front of Lin Aiyun—one went to pour tea, and the other had already positioned herself beside Xiao Cheng.
“VIP?” Xiao Cheng raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zhou Jin. The latter nodded, pulled out some kind of certificate from somewhere, and handed it to the salesclerk. She took it, carefully read through the information, and her smile visibly deepened. She gave a slight bow and returned the certificate to Zhou Jin.
“We failed to recognize your status. Would you like to see our special designs?”
“Let her choose.” Xiao Cheng tilted his chin toward Lin Aiyun, then walked over and sat down in the seat next to her.
Who knew those two little legs could move so fast? In the blink of an eye, she’d dashed all the way over here. He and Zhou Jin had nearly lost her.
That strong presence was impossible to ignore, but Lin Aiyun didn’t want to deal with him right now. She gave him the back of her head and began to enjoy the salesclerk’s one-eighty-degree turn in attitude.
The “modest” bracelet on the table had vanished, replaced by a dazzling array of ornate, exquisite jewelry. The gemstones nearly blinded her. As she looked them over, she couldn’t help but sigh—having money was wonderful.
“Please wait a moment. My colleague is fetching the special designs. In the meantime, you can take a look at these.”
The salesclerk began to introduce the origins and basic details of the jewelry on display.
In her past life, Xiao Cheng had loved buying her piles of jewelry to fill her vanity—and other relatives, as well as those who wanted to curry favor with Mrs. Xiao, also showered her with gifts. Drawers of all sizes were stuffed full. Even if she hadn’t known much at first, long exposure had taught her a fair amount. She was well-versed in such things.
Though the pieces the salesclerk brought out looked impressive at first glance, anyone with a discerning eye could tell quality from dross upon closer inspection.
To be honest, none of them caught her interest.
Moreover, as she went back and forth, the little bit of frustration in her heart had faded. Her thoughts took a sharp turn: Why spend a fortune on a gift for a romantic rival? Xiao Cheng’s money wasn’t like it was blowing in from the wind.
And since the special designs still hadn’t arrived after all this time, Lin Aiyun decided she didn’t want to wait.
“How about we—” Forget it.
Before she could finish, several salesclerks returned, each carrying black boxes.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” As the words fell, the boxes were opened.
When she saw the jewelry inside, Lin Aiyun’s eyes lit up. She stepped closer to examine them carefully.
Leaning casually against the counter, Xiao Cheng caught her expression—like a mouse spotting rice—and the corner of his mouth lifted. Sure enough, women all loved those shiny stones.
“How much is this?” Lin Aiyun pointed to a set of pink-hued jewelry, which included a necklace and earrings.
The salesclerk slowly named a price.
Lin Aiyun gasped. The others assumed she was shocked by the steep price—after all, it was probably more money than she could earn in a lifetime.
But inwardly, she was screaming: “That’s so cheap!”
It was less than a tenth of what it would cost in the future.
Based on her experience, this set would sell for a seven-figure sum in later times—and that didn’t even account for the collectible value that came with age. That would be worth far more.
“Wrap it up.”
Before Lin Aiyun could say anything, Xiao Cheng spoke first. She turned around and saw him lounging in his chair like a lord, his long legs stretched out casually, an unlit cigarette held between his slender fingers. His posture was languid and at ease.
“I don’t think this is suitable for a gift.” It’s perfect for keeping for yourself! In a few decades, it’d be worth an apartment in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen.
“Oh? Why’s that?” He’d seen her eyes practically glued to the set—clearly, she loved it. Yet she said it wasn’t suitable for a gift. What was the reason?
His voice drawled, his handsome face spreading into an expression of unrestrained interest.
“You two just met, didn’t you? Giving such an expensive gift right off the bat isn’t appropriate—it’ll put pressure on the other person and won’t help things progress.” Lin Aiyun certainly wasn’t going to reveal her real reason. She struggled for a moment and came up with this load of nonsense.
Nonsense though it was, it did contain a little bit of her own cunning.
Any woman Xiao Cheng knew well enough to agonize over gifts for was surely wealthy and influential. Jewelry was actually a good choice—everyone loves money, and no woman dislikes pretty accessories, especially rich young ladies.
But would she tell Xiao Cheng that? Ha. Absolutely not.
“This one is just right.” Lin Aiyun held up the bracelet the salesclerk had initially tried to sell her.
Xiao Cheng narrowed his eyes at the plainly modest bracelet, his expression full of skepticism.
And what did she mean by “just met” and “not helpful for progression”? What the hell was going on in that head of hers?
Suddenly, a string in his mind snapped taut, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. Could it be that she’d misunderstood—that she thought he was asking her to pick a gift for another woman? So…
But if that were the case, why had she been so eager from start to finish?
At that thought, Xiao Cheng’s expression soured again.
Seeing this, the salesclerk hesitated. His professional integrity told him not to interfere, but afraid of losing a big sale, he still felt obliged to speak: “Miss, this is our cheapest piece—it might be even less suitable as a gift.”
The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
In the end, not only the special designs but even that “cheapest” bracelet was purchased. But which one Xiao Cheng would actually give away, he didn’t reveal.
After leaving the jewelry store, Xiao Cheng took her to buy all sorts of women’s items—clothing, shoes, even small decorative pieces for the house. If the trunk hadn’t been full, Lin Aiyun suspected he wouldn’t have stopped.
From this, it was clear that Xiao Cheng truly cared about this woman—he’d thought of everything down to the smallest detail.
At that thought, Lin Aiyun wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, though she forced herself to maintain a smile throughout.
“Brother Cheng, should we pick up some supplies for the calligraphy lessons while we’re here?” As they exited the building, there happened to be a bookstore across the street that sold paper and ink.
“Mm.” But Xiao Cheng made no move to walk over.
The bookstore was small—you’d bump your head just walking in—and it was crowded. He had no desire to squeeze in with the masses.
Lin Aiyun watched Zhou Jin load the jewelry boxes and shopping bags into the trunk, then prepared to head to the bookstore. She spoke up: “I’ll go with you.”
She didn’t want to be alone with Xiao Cheng right now.
Zhou Jin instinctively wanted to refuse, but then realized he didn’t know exactly what to buy. If he missed something, he’d have to go back again—more trouble. Better to get it all done in one go. So he swallowed his words and said: “Then I’ll trouble you, Miss Lin.”
The two walked side by side toward the bookstore, chatting and laughing, the atmosphere perfectly pleasant.
Leaning against the front of the car, Xiao Cheng smoked and watched them. His eyes narrowed. Lin Aiyun could get along so well with anyone—everyone except him. With him, she acted like she’d seen a ghost, stumbling over her words half the time.
What, did he look like some man-eating monster?
Putting aside those dreams, from the moment they’d met until now, the feeling Lin Aiyun gave him was strange. The way she looked at him was far too complex, filled with emotions he couldn’t read.
Sometimes he felt that she might be having the same dreams he was. But her gut reactions didn’t lie—when he’d asked her, she’d clearly been clueless.
Suddenly catching sight of something, he paused mid-motion, flicking his cigarette. He put it back between his lips and strode toward the bookstore.
Inside, Lin Aiyun and Zhou Jin were picking out paper for writing when an uncertain voice came from not far away.
“Aiyun?”
Lin Aiyun looked up and met a pair of disbelieving eyes. She, too, opened her mouth in surprise—she hadn’t expected to run into an acquaintance here.
“Brother Fengyang?”
“What are you doing here?” Xu Fengyang was dressed in a grey Zhongshan suit, a camera hanging around his neck. He made his way through the shelves to stand before her. But the smile on his face faltered when he saw Zhou Jin beside her. He hesitated: “And this is?”
“His name is Zhou Jin. We came here together to buy some things.” Lin Aiyun naturally noticed his reaction but didn’t elaborate. She figured it was better if he got the wrong idea.
Zhou Jin, his arms full of paper and ink, glanced at Xu Fengyang, then at Lin Aiyun beside him. Instinct told him the two shared a closer relationship—close enough to use each other’s nicknames.
With that thought, he suddenly turned his head toward the entrance, where he could just make out where they’d parked.
“Oh, I see.” Xu Fengyang didn’t get any explanation about their relationship, and a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes. But he also noticed that while they stood together, they kept a respectable distance—clearly not a couple. He felt a small wave of relief.
“I’m here with the newspaper for an interview.” Xu Fengyang pointed to a group of people standing outside the bookstore and explained warmly.
“Oh, I see. Well, you’re busy—we’ve bought what we need and should be heading back.” Lin Aiyun’s tone was polite and distant, faultless by any standard. But to Xu Fengyang, it stung.
They hadn’t seen each other since that blind date. He’d tried asking his mother about her feelings through roundabout ways, but the answers were always vague and uncertain. She hadn’t made up her mind—but since she hadn’t outright refused, there was still hope.
He’d thought he’d wait and see, so he hadn’t gone looking for her.
He hadn’t expected to run into her here. Maybe, as the books said, this was fate?
But while he was secretly delighted, Lin Aiyun had poured cold water over him—her words lacked any warmth. Still, Xu Fengyang quickly brushed it off. Though they’d met with the intention of a match, they’d only seen each other once. As a girl, she was naturally shy and reserved—that was normal.
As a man, he should be the one to take the initiative.
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