Chapter 12

Fortunately, the appearance of Zheng Xiaoxiao and Xin Li eased the tense atmosphere.

In the face of the case, Xu Shijia regained his composure.

The two of them had just bought a house and were being escorted to the door by the sales staff with smiles on their faces.

Probably because they were really happy, Zheng Xiaoxiao, although wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Now that we have a house, it feels like a big problem has been solved. Next, we’ll go try on wedding dresses and decorate the venue.”

Her tone was full of happiness and anticipation: “I was so stressed out a few days ago, I couldn’t sleep. But now I feel like the life I want is right in front of me.”

Xin Li looked at Zheng Xiaoxiao with a gentle expression: “I have nothing to do later, I’ll accompany you to try on wedding dresses.”

With those words, it was hard for Lin Shu to refute Zhong Peng’s previous guesses.

You can’t judge a book by its cover. It turns out that this Xin Li is really a kept man.

This Zheng Xiaoxiao is quite a character. In her videos, she seemed to be deeply in love with Zhong Peng, but it turns out she treated live streaming and making videos as a job. Showing affection with Zhong Peng was her work, while buying a house and trying on wedding dresses with Xin Li was her real life.

Since they were going to try on wedding dresses, it would be a shame to not go.

Without a word, Lin Shu grabbed Xu Shijia and followed Zheng Xiaoxiao and the others.

This time, Zheng Xiaoxiao took Xin Li to a wedding dress photography and wedding planning store.

Although Lin Shu had only been in Rong City for a short time, she had heard of this store’s reputation. Four top-tier celebrities had chosen this store to provide wedding services.

This store could handle everything from proposals, wedding dress photography or travel shoots, to the wedding itself, and even included customized honeymoon packages. Unlike other standardized weddings, this store offered personalized customization. Every wedding venue was like a high-end exhibition, full of aesthetic appeal. Of course, the price was also very expensive, ordinary people couldn’t afford it.

Although Zheng Xiaoxiao and Xin Li didn’t hold hands or engage in any other intimate gestures, Zheng Xiaoxiao was clearly very happy, with a smile on her face. They walked side by side into the store.

Earlier at the Xinhe sales office, in order to protect customer privacy and prevent information about the Xinhe property from leaking, mobile phone photography was not allowed on the premises. Lin Shu was unable to collect any evidence.

But if they could get evidence of Zheng Xiaoxiao and Xin Li taking wedding photos, it would be a valuable bargaining chip.

After all, Zheng Xiaoxiao was still maintaining the facade of being in love with Zhong Peng. It was this persona that allowed her to continue making money. She knew very well what kind of public pressure would come if her persona collapsed, and if her reputation among the public was ruined, it would forever ruin her influencer career.

But if they didn’t reveal these inside stories, and only released a joint statement, emphasizing a good separation and a lack of fate, preserving their reputation and leaving people with a sense of regret, they could continue their influencer careers in the future.

With some luck, they might even be able to catch Zheng Xiaoxiao using funds from her studio to pay for wedding photography and wedding planning.

However, as Lin Shu was about to go in, Xu Shijia stopped.

He looked at Lin Shu, “It’s not suitable for me to go in.”

Why not?

Xu Shijia said expressionlessly, “This store is very expensive, I estimate that I won’t be able to afford it for another five years.”

“…” Is he going to keep bringing this up?

What a petty, childish man!

Xu Shijia raised his wrist and looked at his watch, “Besides, it’s almost time for me to get off work in five minutes. I go in for five minutes and then come out, it’s pointless.”

“After all, you don’t necessarily need me to help you with your investigation. You went into the sales office alone earlier, didn’t you? It doesn’t really matter if I go or not.”

He glanced at Lin Shu, cleared his throat, “Of course, I’m a reasonable person. If you’re willing to apologize for your lack of teamwork and leaving me alone outside, I’m not saying I can’t consider working overtime to go in with you.”

What’s this? He’s getting cocky now?

As a boss, you can be medicineable with your subordinates, but you absolutely cannot spoil them.

Lin Shu hated it when people tried to blackmail her.

Her face turned serious, “Then go ahead.”

I’ll deal with you tomorrow at work.

Lin Shu didn’t bother to pay attention to Xu Shijia. She went into the wedding dress store alone.

However, as soon as Lin Shu fabricated a story about getting married and wanting to try on a wedding dress, while observing Zheng Xiaoxiao and Xin Li not far away, and casually picked out a wedding dress, Xu Shijia appeared in front of her again.

“Didn’t you leave for work?”

Facing Lin Shu’s question, Xu Shijia seemed very calm. He looked at the wedding dresses on the rack, and said with a matter-of-fact tone, “Yes, that’s right.”

“I’m off work now, and I just happened to walk into this wedding dress store.” He looked at Lin Shu, “What? You own this store? I can’t come in?”

“Women can try on wedding dresses, men can’t try on suits? I’m doing some research for my future wedding, getting prepared.”

“But just because you left me alone without any teamwork doesn’t mean I’ve gotten over it.”

“…”

Lin Shu felt that the Xu Shijia in front of her was like a girlfriend who was being unreasonable and then looking for a way to save face. He was stubborn and a bit pitiful, and he was practically writing “coax me meaning “appease me”)” on his face, but he was still trying to maintain his pride.

Lin Shu felt a little amused.

Fine, I’ll appease him.

After all, Xu Shijia seemed pretty easy to appease, it wouldn’t be too much trouble.

Lin Shu stared into Xu Shijia’s eyes, “Actually, I’m really happy you came. After all, who would try on a wedding dress alone? It’s too easy to arouse suspicion. Besides, I don’t have any experience trying on wedding dresses, I’d be flustered alone, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t have the chance to collect evidence. With you here, I feel much more at ease.”

“It was my fault before,” Lin Shu said sincerely, “Back at the sales office, I was so focused on getting evidence quickly so I could finish this case, get my lawyer fees, and let you get your hard-earned money. You wouldn’t have to follow me around all the time.”

“That Xinhe property is really nice. I really hope one day we can both live there.”

After hearing those words, Xu Shijia’s stern face gradually relaxed. He said unnaturally, “You like that Xinhe property so much? Actually, it’s nothing special compared to the other properties developed by Xinhe.”

Look at that tone, like the Xinhe property today is nothing special.

Men really love to brag.

But Lin Shu didn’t call him out on it. She didn’t have time to deal with these trivial matters, because the salesperson quickly medicineed them:

“Sir, you’re here too? That’s perfect, you can help your wife choose a wedding dress. Once you’ve chosen the dress, we’ll help you pick out a suit to match.”

Xu Shijia was clearly taken aback.

Lin Shu was afraid he would instinctively clarify and slip up, so she immediately grabbed his arm and said sweetly, “Thank you, honey, for coming to accompany me even though you’re busy. I thought you weren’t going to come.”

Perhaps Lin Shu’s flirting was a bit over the top, Xu Shijia’s expression was very hard to describe. It looked like he was about to get goosebumps, but in the end, he didn’t push Lin Shu away and let her lean her head affectionately against him.

Lin Shu continued to act sweet, “Honey, I’ve already picked out a wedding dress to try on. You go to the wedding dress section and pick one out. If you think it’s suitable, I’ll try it on later.” Lin Shu pointed to the wedding dress section not far away, “It’s over there, there are people choosing dresses there too.”

Fortunately, Xu Shijia quickly understood Lin Shu’s hint.

Over in the wedding dress section, Zheng Xiaoxiao and Xin Li were choosing dresses with another salesperson. Xu Shijia glanced over there, then raised an eyebrow at Lin Shu, “Alright, I understand.”

Watching Xu Shijia walk towards the wedding dress section, Lin Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She had to play the part well. She turned and went into the fitting room to change into the wedding dress.

Lin Shu’s plan was perfect. She would listen to what Zheng Xiaoxiao and Xin Li were saying, see if there was any possibility of collecting evidence, and at least get some information. Then she would find an excuse to leave, saying the dress didn’t suit her.

But as she changed into the wedding dress and came out of the fitting room, she was about to ask Xu Shijia about the situation when someone called out to her.

“Lin Shu?”

The voice calling her name was gentle and familiar.

Lin Shu instinctively tensed up. She looked up and saw a familiar face.

Tao Lei was wearing a suit and black-rimmed glasses. He was standing in front of her, staring at her wedding dress, his eyes filled with surprise, “How come you…”

He didn’t finish his sentence before a sweet female voice interrupted him:

“Tao Lei, do you think this one looks good on me?”

The voice was pleasant and melodious, but it was a long-standing nightmare from Lin Shu’s adolescence. As soon as the words were spoken, a face with exquisite makeup came into view.

The smile on the other person’s face stopped abruptly when she saw Lin Shu, replaced by undisguised hostility.

“What a coincidence, I’m choosing a wedding dress with Tao Lei, and I bump into you. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely remember to send you an invitation when I get married.”

“After all, you’re my dear sister.”

Although she was saying “dear sister,” Lin Shiyao’s face was full of coldness and vigilance.

“But I didn’t expect that you would have a day when you could wear a wedding dress.” Lin Shiyao had always been mean to Lin Shu. Now that they had met unexpectedly, she naturally wouldn’t let Lin Shu off easily. She sneered, “I thought you’d never find a boyfriend.”

“After all, if you always use Tao Lei as your standard, with your conditions, it’s naturally very difficult. But now I’m happy to see that you’ve finally come to your senses. You’ve lowered your standards, and you’re still young, you can always get married.”

Lin Shiyao looked Lin Shu up and down, and finally showed her first smile after seeing Lin Shu.

At first, Lin Shu didn’t realize what she was laughing at, but soon, Lin Shiyao let her know:

“Sister, I know this wedding dress store is very famous, but actually, the store’s most highly praised items are the custom-made dresses. If you choose such a basic dress, there’s no need to come to this store. It’s more expensive, and it won’t necessarily improve the quality. After all, you get what you pay for.”

“Isn’t there a saying? It’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. You’re better off going to a wedding dress wholesale market, spending a little more money to get a custom-made replica. The effect might be better than what you have now.”

Lin Shu was here for work purposes, so she just picked out a dress casually. Now she realized that the wedding dress she was wearing was indeed not luxurious in terms of design or quality. It was simple and elegant, while Lin Shiyao’s dress was covered in beads, with intricate craftsmanship, obviously custom-made. The price difference between the two dresses was obvious.

Tao Lei probably felt awkward, so he pulled Lin Shiyao, “Shiyao, stop it…”

But the more he said, the more Lin Shiyao seemed to be ignited like a powder keg, “Why can’t I say it? You wouldn’t still have feelings for her, would you?”

Tao Lei glanced at Lin Shu, then put his arm around Lin Shiyao’s waist, “What are you talking about? I’ve always treated Lin Shu as a sister. Besides, I’m going to marry you.”

Perhaps the word “marry” calmed Lin Shiyao down. Her mood improved a little, but her plan to mock Lin Shu clearly didn’t end there.

“That’s right, at least you accompany me when I come to look at wedding dresses and choose wedding planning. My sister isn’t so lucky. She has to come here alone to choose the most basic dress in the store. Sister, although most marriages don’t care too much about feelings, your new husband is really not attentive to you. How can you get married like this? I’m really worried about your future life…”

“Move aside.”

Lin Shiyao’s voice was interrupted by a cold, hard male voice:

“You’re blocking my view of my wife.”

Lin Shu was a little confused. She instinctively looked in the direction of the voice, and then saw Xu Shijia standing behind Lin Shiyao with a cold face.

Although it wasn’t the first time she had seen Xu Shijia, Lin Shu couldn’t tell if it was because of the change in setting, but he seemed to have an unfamiliar, unmedicineable aura about him.

The wedding dress shop was dimly lit, creating a dreamy atmosphere. The decorations around them were like a fairytale, designed to fulfill every girl’s princess dream. On one side were snow-white wedding dresses, on the other side were black suits, a scene of pure and holy dreams. Xu Shijia stood in the middle, his face expressionless.

Some people’s good looks depend on the atmosphere. Once they lose the specific atmosphere to enhance them, and they lose their expression management, they become ordinary. But Xu Shijia wasn’t like that. He had a face that could stand out even if he abandoned expression management and stood next to a trash can.

He had a face that looked like he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His every move was languid, but even when he stood there casually, he still gave off a subtle sense of superiority, a kind of aloofness that looked down on humanity. His body proportions were also incredibly good. Even Lin Shu, who worked with him, was still struck by his appearance at that moment.

After all, not many people can maintain their good looks while making a sour face.

Compared to Lin Shu, who was used to seeing Xu Shijia, Lin Shiyao was clearly overwhelmed by this unexpected shock.

She stared at Xu Shijia’s face, almost in a daze, losing her usual composure and pickiness.

To be honest, Lin Shiyao, dressed in her finery, was more eye-catching than the ordinary Lin Shu.

However, Xu Shijia didn’t even spare her a glance. He walked straight towards Lin Shu, his eyes fixed on her.

For a moment, even Lin Shu felt a little nervous and flustered.

As if he was trying to create a grand entrance and attract more attention, Xu Shijia, like a dutiful husband, looked at Lin Shu’s wedding dress with focused eyes. The coldness on his face, which had been there just a moment ago, was replaced by a smile.

It was like a sunny day after a heavy snowfall, like spring after the melting of ice and snow. It was a coldness that was gentle only to one person, a focus that only one person could capture.

He stared into Lin Shu’s eyes, still looking nonchalant, but his tone was serious, every word distinct, “You’re beautiful.”

Xu Shijia smiled, revealing a small dimple. He was handsome, with a mischievous playfulness, “You’re my wife, after all.”

Lin Shu could stay calm when she was being mocked by Lin Shiyao, but at this moment, she didn’t know what was wrong with her. Xu Shijia just gave her a look, a casual remark, but Lin Shu felt like a candle lit in a strong wind, her cheeks flushed and her eyes darting around.

She knew that all of this was Xu Shijia’s act, that it was all fake, but Lin Shu’s heart still raced, and she felt nervous as if this scene was real.

Even though her attention had been on Lin Shiyao and Tao Lei just a moment ago, as soon as Xu Shijia appeared, it was like the main character in a movie had finally arrived. No matter how important the supporting actors were, they paled in comparison to the absolute protagonist.

Lin Shu could look at the ceiling, she could look at the wedding dress, she could look at Lin Shiyao, she could look at Tao Lei, but she couldn’t meet Xu Shijia’s eyes.

Fortunately, Lin Shiyao’s voice broke the atmosphere that made Lin Shu feel flustered and uneasy.

She sneered in disdain, “He actually found a broke kept man.”

Xu Shijia didn’t even bother to acknowledge Lin Shiyao. He just stared at Lin Shu, “My wife is perfect in every way. She’s just too kind and always worries about me wasting money. She even chose the cheapest basic wedding dress. I told you, we’re not short of money.”

Xu Shijia looked at the salesperson beside him, “You can bring that wedding dress over for my wife to try on. I think that one suits her better.”

“Sir, that’s this year’s latest custom-made wedding dress. You have to pay a fee to try it on.”

“Okay.”

Xu Shijia had given his approval, so the salesperson naturally happily brought over the custom-made wedding dress and enthusiastically helped Lin Shu try it on. Lin Shu couldn’t stop him before he pushed her into the fitting room.

Although the simple, elegant, basic wedding dress was also beautiful, when she put on the custom-made dress, Lin Shu looked at herself in the mirror in the fitting room, feeling a little disbelief.

It was so beautiful.

The dress was like it was made for her. It fit her curves perfectly, the back design was unique, and it showed off all of Lin Shu’s best features.

When she was led out of the fitting room by the salesperson, Lin Shu even felt like she was really there to try on wedding dresses.

Outside the fitting room, another salesperson was selling men’s suits to match Xu Shijia. When he heard Lin Shu come out, he subconsciously looked at her.

Then Xu Shijia froze.

The salesperson continued to talk excitedly, “Sir, there might not be a better suit to match your wife’s wedding dress. I can bring over the other dress that goes with that suit for your wife to try on.”

“No need.”

Xu Shijia smiled, “She looks good in anything.”

He thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, “How much is this one?”

Lin Shiyao’s face showed a mocking expression, as if she was expecting Xu Shijia and Lin Shu to be embarrassed after knowing the price, “You’re only asking the price now? You can’t afford it, so you’re still trying it on…”

“The total price of this dress is over two hundred thousand…”

Xu Shijia pointed to Lin Shiyao, “How much is the one she’s wearing?”

“That one is around fifty thousand.”

Lin Shiyao’s face was a little smug, as if she was waiting for Xu Shijia and Lin Shu to be embarrassed after knowing the price.

Unfortunately, Xu Shijia didn’t even blink, “It’s pretty cheap, buy it.”

The salesperson was a little awkward, “Which one are you talking about buying?”

“Of course, the two hundred thousand one.”

Xu Shijia tilted his head, “A person should wear a wedding dress as beautiful as they are.” He glanced at Lin Shiyao, “My wife is far more beautiful than her, at least four times more beautiful, so wearing a dress that’s four times more expensive than hers is already a concession. Of course, we should buy the expensive one.”

Lin Shiyao’s face was very ugly. Lin Shu was indeed very relieved, but this was two hundred thousand!

Lin Shu was a little anxious, “Xu Shijia!”

But Xu Shijia didn’t care at all. It was as if two hundred thousand was the same as twenty yuan to him. He turned to Lin Shu and smiled brightly, “We haven’t registered yet, so this money is still my premarital asset. So listen to me, after we get married, you can tell me what to do.”

He dropped those words and readily pulled out his card to pay.

Before he picked up the wedding dress and left with Lin Shu, Xu Shijia, as if remembering something, walked over to Tao Lei. In Lin Shu’s memory, Tao Lei was already quite tall, but now, standing in front of Xu Shijia, he seemed a little small, both in height and build.

“Four-eyes, can you keep your eyes on your own wife? Stop staring at other people’s wives.”

“Although my wife is only a hundred times prettier than yours,” Xu Shijia said coldly, “You’ve been staring at my wife too many times. It’s really annoying.”

…