"Well, since you’ve invited me so sincerely, it wouldn’t be right for me to refuse."

"Hehe, Brother Jiang, I’m at Wanda Plaza," Jiang Xiaoqi said.

"It’s still early, so if you’re not busy, you can come pick me up. We can browse for a bit before we head over."

"Okay, I’m heading over now."

After hanging up, Lin Jiang stretched a bit in his car.

’This is my first time fighting this kind of battle. I have to annihilate the enemy in their own trenches.’

Lin Jiang started the car and drove to Wanda Plaza to meet up with Jiang Xiaoqi.

Once he reached the first floor, he spotted Jiang Xiaoqi at the entrance of a bubble tea shop, a drink already in her hand.

Now that she was on break, Jiang Xiaoqi was dressed far less formally than she did at school.

She revealed a pair of long, slender legs, clad in a plaid pleated skirt and black over-the-knee socks. Her tall frame accentuated the near-perfect proportions of her lower body. On top, she wore a gray, Japanese schoolgirl-style blouse with a small, red-and-blue-striped tie, giving her a vibrant, youthful energy.

Everyone who walked by in the mall couldn’t help but glance her way, whether intentionally or not.

Standing in the crowd, she was a vortex, drawing every gaze.

"Brother Jiang, you’re here."

Seeing Lin Jiang, Jiang Xiaoqi walked over enthusiastically.

"I didn’t know what you like to drink, so I just bought you a High Mountain Dragon Well tea. If you don’t like it, I can get you something else."

"No need to go to all that trouble. It’s just something to quench my thirst."

"Mhm."

Jiang Xiaoqi took the initiative and looped her arm through Lin Jiang’s. They looked just like a couple as they walked through the mall.

"Brother Jiang, I’ve discovered you’re much naughtier than I imagined."

"I haven’t even done anything yet. How am I naughty?"

"Hmph, I can tell just from the things you bought me."

"So, do you like them?"

"Well... there really were a lot of things I’d never seen before. You’ve piqued my curiosity. I’m a little tempted to try them."

"I think there’s no time like the present." Lin Jiang thought for a moment and said, "But today might not work. We have to have dinner with your family."

"Aiya, Brother Jiang, you’re so dense."

Jiang Xiaoqi’s face turned beet red.

"Aren’t there, like, those private cinemas for couples?"

’Jiang Xiaoqi, you’re a genius!’

’My thinking was too limited.’

"That’s an excellent suggestion. I’ll book one now."

Jiang Xiaoqi’s face was flushed, and she said nothing, looking as if she were his for the taking.

Lin Jiang searched online for private cinemas and found that the industry was quite popular.

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Lin Jiang picked the most expensive one, ready to try it out that evening.

Seeing that Lin Jiang was done, Jiang Xiaoqi spoke up.

"Brother Jiang, I found a really nice outfit. Do you want to go take a look?"

"Let’s go."

The two went to the third floor, to the clothing store Jiang Xiaoqi mentioned. It was a black bodycon dress set, displayed on a mannequin. It looked both sexy and alluring. If Jiang Xiaoqi were to wear it, the effect would surely be even better.

"Brother Jiang, do you think it’s pretty?"

"It’s beautiful. Buy it."

Jiang Xiaoqi picked one in her size. "I’ll go pay."

"You’re modeling it for me, after all. How could I let you pay?"

As he spoke, Lin Jiang’s gaze fell on the high heels nearby.

"These shoes are nice too. Pick out a pair in your size."

"Brother Jiang, you have great taste. The style of these shoes is similar to Valentino. I was just admiring them myself."

"Then we’ll buy them both."

"Mhm."

They took the clothes and shoes to the counter, and Lin Jiang paid.

After shopping, they wandered around a bit more. Lin Jiang felt it wouldn’t be right to show up empty-handed, so he bought two bottles of Maotai.

"Brother Jiang, you’ve spent too much. You really didn’t need to buy anything. My dad arranged this dinner just to thank you. After all, I wouldn’t have gotten this position without you."

"It’s just two bottles of liquor. It’s no big deal."

Lin Jiang drove away from the mall, but instead of going to the restaurant, he went to Jiang Xiaoqi’s house.

"Brother Jiang, wait for me. I’m just going upstairs to grab something. I’ll be right down."

"Alright."

After about a ten-minute wait, he saw Jiang Xiaoqi return, carrying a black bag.

Then, following Jiang Xiaoqi’s directions, Lin Jiang drove the car to a restaurant called Chunjiang Pavilion.

The restaurant had three floors. Just from the exterior decor, he could tell it wasn’t cheap, which was enough to show her family’s sincerity.

"Brother Jiang, can I tell you something?"

"What is it?" Lin Jiang said as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"My second uncle and my auntie will be there today. My dad and the others all think you’re my boyfriend. If they bring it up, Brother Jiang, please save me some face and don’t deny it on the spot."

Jiang Xiaoqi looked at Lin Jiang pitifully. "That way, no one will try to set me up on dates anymore, and I can finally have some peace and quiet."

"No problem. Leave it to me."

"Mhm, thank you, Brother Jiang."

「Private room 204 at the restaurant.」

There were six people sitting in the room. Besides Jiang Xiaoqi’s parents, there was also her second uncle, Jiang Guoqiang.

Next to Jiang Guoqiang was her aunt, Jiang Jinghua.

In addition, there were two other young people: her cousin Jiang Wenlong and her other cousin Zhang Xinxue.

"Second Uncle, when did Xiaoqi meet her boyfriend? What does he do for work?" Jiang Wenlong asked, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he casually flicked some ash.

"I didn’t ask too much about that. I only know he’s in the import-export business and has powerful connections. He’s the one who helped Qiqi become department head." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Jiang Wenlong thought for a moment, then blew a smoke ring.

"Connections are important, sure, but what matters is if he can turn those connections into cash. Besides, I think Qiqi is plenty capable on her own. She has a master’s from a top-tier university, and her class has the best scores. She probably could have become department head without any help. We all need to be sharp and keep our eyes open."

"My cousin’s right. Qiqi has been naive since she was little. When it comes to relationships, she’s a blank slate. She could easily be tricked," Zhang Xinxue said.

"That’s why I called you all here. Besides thanking the man, I also need your help to vet him. It’s not that he has to be rich, but this is for life. His character has to be solid," Jiang Guobin said with a chuckle.

"I keep seeing these videos lately. Some guys pretend to be rich just to scam young girls. When I see those videos, I immediately think of Qiqi," Jiang Jinghua said.

"I’ve seen those kinds of videos too, but I’m not good at telling what’s real and what’s not. I’ll have to rely on you all to help me take a look."

"You should let our Xiaoxue handle this. At her job, she only deals with rich people. She can spot a fake from a mile away," Jiang Jinghua said.

Jiang Guobin looked at Zhang Xinxue. "If I remember correctly, Xiaoxue works at a design firm, right?"

Zhang Xinxue nodded. "In the design industry, our firm is ranked in the top three in Zhonghai. Our fees are incredibly high. Ordinary people wouldn’t even dare to walk through our doors. Our cheapest projects start at over a million yuan, and even then, none of our designers want to take them. So, I can tell if someone is truly rich just by looking at them."

"Huh? That much just for renovation fees?"

"Of course," Zhang Xinxue said, a hint of pride in her voice.

"My god, spending that much on renovations... just how rich are these people?"

"Second Uncle, don’t be so shocked. That’s nothing. A few days ago, a real tycoon came to our firm. Guess what his renovation budget was?"

Everyone in the private room looked at Zhang Xinxue.

"That’s hard to guess... Five million?"

"Think bigger. Guess higher."

Jiang Wenlong held his cigarette, his legs crossed.

"Ten million should be the absolute limit, right? The boss of my company only spent a little over eight million to decorate his place."

In Jiang Wenlong’s eyes, his boss was already an incredibly wealthy person.

Spending over eight million on renovations was an astronomical price. Very few people could reach that level.

"Take ten million, double it, and then add another five million. That was the man’s renovation budget."

"What? Twenty-five million?!"

The Jiang Family’s jaws almost hit the floor. "How big must that house be to need that much for renovations?"

"It’s in Century Triumph, a 681-square-meter apartment. And he told our director that every last bit of that money had to be spent. Now that’s what I call extravagant."

"If I’m not mistaken, the apartments at Century Triumph are supposed to be very expensive, right? I think I’ve seen posts about it online," Jiang Wenlong said.

"It’s one of the three most luxurious residential complexes in Zhonghai. Our director said that apartment cost 165 million. And the most important part is, his place already came with high-end interior finishes. That 25-million budget was just for appliances and furniture. Now *that’s* what you call a truly rich person."

"The things you’re talking about are too far removed from our lives. It’s not something ordinary folks like us can ever come into contact with."

"We’re just chatting, and they’re not here yet anyway." Zhang Xinxue tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said,

"I just wanted to tell you all that I’ve seen my fair share of rich people. I can tell if someone is genuinely wealthy with just a single glance."

"We’re getting old. We’re counting on you young people now."

Seeing his family members all scheming and planning, Jiang Guobin was very gratified. He had truly worried himself sick over his daughter’s future marriage.

CREAK—

Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Jiang Xiaoqi walked in with Lin Jiang.

"Dad, Mom, I brought Brother Jiang."

After they entered, Jiang Xiaoqi introduced everyone in the room, and Lin Jiang greeted them one by one, placing the liquor he had bought on the table.

When they saw the two bottles of Maotai that Lin Jiang had brought, the Jiang Family all stared.

They were lucky if they got to drink this kind of liquor even once a year. Now that it was right in front of them, their mouths started to water just looking at it.

’He’s pretty smooth, actually buying two bottles of Maotai.’

Jiang Wenlong pretended to be calm, but his eyes were shining. He had never tasted Maotai in his entire life.

Even so, he still lit a premium cigarette, crossed his legs, and fixed Lin Jiang with a critical, appraising gaze.

"So, where do you work? How much do you make a month? What car do you drive? Do you own a house? Do you live with your parents..."

"Shut up!"

Zhang Xinxue rudely cut Jiang Wenlong off.

The Jiang Family was confused and looked at Zhang Xinxue, only to see her stand up politely.

"President Lin, what... what are you doing here?"