“Madam, which bag do you prefer?” The shop assistant immediately noticed the couple’s high status and approached them with enthusiasm.

Cheng Youran looked at the woman ahead, feeling that she looked familiar. It seemed like Su Ruan, so she walked over.

“What going on with her?”

Liu Zhong and Su Ruan had their backs to the door so they hadn’t noticed Lu Zixiao and Cheng Youran’s arrival as the two of them were chatting away.

“That woman is so fake, she says her comeback is because of her love for acting, and even looked like she was almost in tears but who doesn’t know that Lu Zixiao is about to divorce her? The station had said the interview was low-quality and lacked any real story, it was driving me crazy.”

As she said this, she turned around and immediately saw Cheng Youran and Lu Zixiao making her expression pale with realization. “Mr. Lu, Cheng Youran? What a coincidence!”

Wasn’t it said the Lu Zixiao and Cheng Youran were getting divorce? Why were they still shopping together?

Cheng Youran maintained a neutral expression as she spoke coldly. “Yeah, what a coincidence.”

If she hadn’t run into Su Ruan she wouldn’t have known that this person put on a completely different act in front of her. What she thought were sincere words were nothing more than a joke in someone else’s eyes.

“Oh, Mr. Lu,”

Meanwhile, Liu Zong quickly handed over his business card. “My name is Liu, I work in import/export trade. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Lu Zixiao took the card, raised an eyebrow, and quickly figured out what was going on. With a light laugh, he asked. “Mr. Liu, is this your… lover?”

Liu Zong subtly glanced at Cheng Youran looking displeased, and quickly shook his head, denying it. “Ah, just a friend. We happened to be going in the same direction, so I gave her a ride. What a coincidence, right?”

Who was Lu Zixiao? He took over his father’s logistics company at sixteen, known for being meticulous in business matters. It was said he once led a group of mercenaries in East Africa to deal in arms.

Being with Su Ruan was only for fun and not trouble.

Su Ruan unwilling to accept the situation, shoved the platinum bag back on the shelf. “Right, just a friend. Mr. Liu, you might want to reconsider being friends with me.”

Lu Zixiao paid no attention to Su Ruan and instead looked around, asking Cheng Youran. “Which bag do you like?”

This caught Cheng Youran off guard.

To be honest, she didn’t know much about luxury goods. She could tell the brands apart, but that was about it. She had only come into the store out of curiosity. After thinking for a moment, she replied. “Something pretty, I suppose.”

“Madam, all the bags here are beautiful,” the shop assistant said warmly looking at Cheng Youran’s.

“Then I’ll take them all,” Lu Zixiao said indifferently.

A younger shop assistant pointed to the crocodile leather bag and kindly reminded him. “Sir, this bag costs 800,000.”

“I said I’ll take them all.”

Lu Zixiao said this casually, as if he had no idea how much of an impact his words would have.

“Understood, sir!”

The shop assistants beamed with delight, quickly starting to pack the bags. Their eyes practically sparkled as they looked at Lu Zixiao. If Cheng Youran hadn’t been there, they might have rushed to throw themselves at him.

The intensity of their gazes made Lu Zixiao furrow his brows slightly. He didn’t like the display of money, however, he noticed that, in the instant Su Ruan spoke, Cheng Youran’s expression seemed a little sad.

He glanced at Su Ruan indifferently, the way he usually looked at strangers.

But to Su Ruan, it felt haughty and condescending, piercing her pride.

She bit her lower lip. Was having money really that impressive?

After paying, Lu Zixiao instructed the staff to send the bags to the villa in the first. Turning to the still-stunned Cheng Youran, he said. “Shall we go, Mrs. Lu?”

Hearing his words, Cheng Youran snapped back to reality and sighed softly. It was true—money really did allow people to do whatever they pleased.

“What else do you want to buy?”

As they left the store, Lu Zixiao with this long legs walked ahead and stopped to ask.

“Nothing more.”

Cheng Youran thought about how much she must have just spent—probably enough for Lu Zixiao to earn by starring in dozens of TV shows, if not more.

Lost in thought, she accidentally bumped into the back of Lu Zixiao.

He frowned, turning around, and disdainfully pulled her away. “In public, don’t throw yourself at me.”

Cheng Youran: …Was that really how “throwing yourself at someone” works?

They walked toward the elevator, with the car parked nearby in the parking lot.

Once Cheng Youran got into the car, she opened her phone while she casually glanced at Lu Zixiao. Someone like him would probably demand the best atmosphere and flavor, and the ingredients were likely to be organic and pollution-free.

She carefully selected the best-reviewed and most atmospheric barbecue place and showed it to Lu Zixiao. He gave a quiet, indifferent hum in response.

“Sir, Madam, we’ve arrived.”

Cheng Youran opened the car door, and noticing that Lu Zixiao remained unmoving, she asked curiously. “Aren’t you getting out?”

Lu Zixiao was sending an email on his laptop. His hand lightly held the laptop, his chin slightly lifted, the cold light casting sharp, defined contours on his face. He replied with an air of indifference. “Why would I go to a place where the average meal costs less than 500 yuan?”

“You… can get it to go.”

Cheng Youran: Was he really carrying an image even when eating barbecue?

She let out a long, deep breath, leaning against the open car door. “Alright, Brother Lu, what do you want to eat?”

Lu Zixiao raised an eyebrow, clearly pleased with the address, and rested his chin in his hand, ready to speak.

Cheng Youran noticed his lips moving in a way that suggested something undesirable, so she quickly intervened. “No ordering everything, okay? The restaurant is busy, they can’t handle that much.”

Lu Zixiao tapped his chin with his index finger. He really did want to order everything. He glanced at Cheng Youran’s scrunched-up face and said a few words. “You decide.”

“Alright, Brother Lu.”

Cheng Youran quickly responded, letting out a breath of relief. Just as she stepped out of the car and was about to head toward the barbecue place on the second floor, Lu Zixiao called out to her. “Wait.”

As Cheng Youran turned around, the night breeze brushed against her face, and her dark hair swayed. She casually brushed her hair back, her eyes sparkling like fragments of stars.

Lu Zixiao’s gaze darkened.

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Youran felt a chill from the wind and instinctively shrugged her shoulders.

Lu Zixiao frowned, tossing his suit jacket at her. “Put this on.”

Cheng Youran quickly caught the jacket, which had a faint scent of grass wood. She draped it over her shoulders, feeling that despite Lu Zixiao’s arrogance, he wasn’t without a sense of warmth.

But Lu Zixiao’s next words shattered her thoughts.

“I thought about it, and with your taste, you probably won’t pick anything good and just order the most expensive ones.” His tone was light.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

Lu Zixiao looked up at her, his narrow eyes showing a hint of curiosity.

“I’ll be right there.”

Cheng Youran stepped into the bustling, smoke-filled Qiaotou BBQ, her high heels clicking on the floor. She wore a Dior red dress, draped in Italian handmade clothing, standing out in the lively atmosphere.

“Miss, may I take your order?” The owner, sweat dripping down his forehead, was busily moving between the kitchen and the front counter. He didn’t recognize Cheng Youran’s outfit and treated her like any other guest.

“I’ll have a portion of chives, tofu skin, potatoes, and sweet potato skins, and ten portions of grilled meat.” Cheng Youran squinted at the cramped menu, feeling a slight ache in her eyes. “Boss, what’s the most expensive dish you have here?”

The owner, taken aback by her boldness, set his pen down and replied politely. “Our seafood is all freshly caught from the seaside, so it’s fresh but pricey.”

Seafood, being a loose category, could vary greatly in price, from dozens to thousands of yuan, depending on the size and freshness.

“Do you have anything for two hundred?”

Cheng Youran inquired.

“Anything around two hundred would be on the smaller side, but see that lobster? It’s really fresh, starting at three thousand.” The owner chuckled at her question. “Miss, you might want to be careful. Don’t end up unable to leave the door.”

“Great! I’ll take ten.”

Cheng Youran estimated that this meal had already cost around 30,000 yuan. Even if Lu Zixiao were picky, he wouldn’t be able to say anything about it now. “Just charge it to the card.”

The owner: Holy crap! A tycoon!

His tone shifted completely, and he quickly bowed slightly, speaking carefully. “Miss, do you have any specific flavor preferences?”

“Anything on the menu works,” Cheng Youran replied.

Seeing her expression falter slightly, the owner immediately added, “Of course, we can adjust to any taste you prefer!”

Cheng Youran thought for a moment. Lu Zixiao was from Donghai and had studied in the UK, so his taste was likely to be on the lighter side. He might not be able to handle something too spicy. She replied, “Mild spice will be fine.”

“Hey, look,” a man in the corner nudged the arm of another man with long hair. “Doesn’t that woman look like the heroine from your script?”

The long-haired middle-aged man tilted his head back, taking a swig of beer, and drunkenly looked toward Cheng Youran. A cold, glamorous woman draped in a suit, with her red skirt fluttering in the breeze, stood out in the lively, bustling barbecue joint.

He froze, staring. She looked so much like the character—too much.

He almost stood up, but as he got a clearer look at her face…

=^_^=