The outfit has to be something really sexy!

—

On their way to the shopping plaza, they made one stop at a gas station.

"Fill it up with 98."

Just as Lin Shen was about to pull out his phone to pay, Zheng Yanfei, sitting in the passenger seat, proactively presented her WeChat Pay QR code to the gas station attendant. She turned to Lin Shen with a grin and said,

"Brother, let me get the gas!"

Huh?

Lin Shen was taken aback.

A full tank for a Jaguar XFL would cost at least six or seven hundred yuan.

That was nothing to Lin Shen, but for a student like Zheng Yanfei, it had to be a significant expense.

And then there was what Lin Ping had said.

’His niece didn’t come from a well-off family, so her allowance had to be limited, right?’

’So where did she get the money?’

Lin Shen was a little curious. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

After driving out of the gas station, he asked casually,

"How much was the gas?"

"Not much."

Zheng Yanfei smiled sweetly.

"Brother, you came all this way to pick me up and take me out, so of course I had to fill up your tank! This way, you’ll think of me when you’re driving! Hehe!"

"..."

Zheng Yanfei’s words warmed Lin Shen’s heart. After a brief silence, he changed the subject.

"You probably don’t get a big allowance, do you?"

"Not much, just a few hundred. But I can earn my own money. I even pay for my own tuition, you know."

Afraid Lin Shen would get the wrong idea, Zheng Yanfei quickly explained,

"It’s all legitimate work! Like modeling for clothing brands that send me stuff, or makeup ads and things like that. After all, I have a decent follower base on Douyin."

"On a good month, I can make five or six thousand!"

"That’s pretty impressive."

’Honestly, a girl on Zheng Yanfei’s level—a campus belle—could be making a lot more money off her looks if she didn’t have certain boundaries.’

’And yet, her best month was only a few thousand.’

This forced Lin Shen to reconsider one thing: whether or not Zheng Yanfei was actually a gold digger.

’Time for a little test.’

—

「Huamao IAPM Mall」

As a new landmark for fashion and trends in Modu, the mall’s exterior featured a circular glass curtain wall that brought natural light into the interior.

The interior was even more intoxicatingly luxurious, with a platinum color scheme, a wave-like ceiling, and twinkling firefly-like lights that created a dreamy, dynamic atmosphere.

The people who shopped here were either rich or powerful.

They were either handsome men and beautiful women or people with usernames like "Don’t eat cilantro" and "AAA Building Materials - CEO Wang." Everyone was dressed to the nines, their designer brands practically glowing.

Zheng Yanfei, however, held her own against them with her youthful beauty, not to mention she was with Lin Shen, who drew attention wherever he went.

"Whoa!"

As Zheng Yanfei walked into Huanmao holding Lin Shen’s arm, she looked around in absolute awe. She immediately pulled out her phone and started snapping pictures of everything, just like a tourist.

"This place feels so luxurious! Brother, did you bring me here to buy something specific?"

"Mhm."

Seeing Lin Shen nod, a worry immediately surfaced in Zheng Yanfei’s mind, and she asked tentatively,

"Is it a gift for your girlfriend? And you want my help picking it out?"

"Couldn’t it be for you?"

Lin Shen smiled meaningfully.

His casual, half-joking remark made Zheng Yanfei’s heart pound, and her once-clear mind suddenly felt dizzy.

Eh?

’For me?’

’Is Lin Shen admitting I’m his girlfriend?’

’Is he hinting at a confession?’

’No, no, no!’

’He’s just being polite, what am I getting so excited for?!’

Zheng Yanfei lightly patted her cheeks, forcing herself to calm down. Then she said, a little embarrassed,

"That... wouldn’t be right, would it? Brother, this is the first time you’ve invited me out, and I’m already taking a gift from you. That would be so presumptuous."

"Just think of it as a thank-you gift for filling up my tank."

Lin Shen took a step forward, wrapped an arm around Zheng Yanfei’s slender waist, and leaned in to whisper in her ear,

"I don’t like to be indebted to people."

"..."

Hearing Lin Shen’s deep, magnetic voice in her ear, Zheng Yanfei’s legs inexplicably went weak, and her pretty face instantly flushed red.

Her body instinctively shied away to the side, but then, feeling that was the wrong move, she pressed back against him, letting him keep his arm around her.

"It’s not really a favor, you know. After all, you’ve helped me a lot, Brother. You even sent me so many gifts during my last Douyin stream."

"So you don’t want it?"

Lin Shen raised an eyebrow, making Zheng Yanfei twist and squirm. Finally, she took a step forward, hugged his arm, and said coaxingly,

"Then thank you in advance, Brother!"

"Let’s shop first. I’m paying."

"Yay! You’re the best, Brother!"

And so, Zheng Yanfei affectionately linked her arm with Lin Shen’s. They first queued up at Ah-Ma’s Hand-made to buy two cups of their signature drink—the Beaten Rice Mochi.

Although the line was quite long, the drink was delicious, and every sip was full of toppings.

Next, the two went to Fascino to buy some bagels and bread, then to KUMO KUMO x Rolling to get their classic mini cheesecakes and Swiss rolls.

These were all snacks and pastries that Zheng Yanfei recommended. Their flavors were unique—sweet but not cloying, soft and chewy.

"Brother, try this."

Zheng Yanfei held up the Swiss roll in her hand to feed Lin Shen, her eyes full of expectation.

"Is it good?"

"Not bad."

Lin Shen gave a thumbs-up after chewing.

He had to admit, going shopping with Zheng Yanfei was pure enjoyment.

She was like a walking Xiaohongshu recommendation list; she knew every single store inside and out.

Which products were good, and which weren’t.

Whether there was a secret menu, and how to best pair the flavors.