Chapter 18

Ji Linyu didn’t refuse her, but drove her to a nearby shopping mall.

He had accompanied Zhu Xinyue to the night market in M ​​Province before, so he was ready to go shopping today.

He was mentally prepared to spend a long time shopping and planned to set aside a whole morning to accompany her.

The wedding invitation stated a dress code, with ladies recommended to wear green, blue and yellow.

“Brother Linyu, do you think this light green one-shoulder long dress looks better, or this blue V-neck long dress?” Zhu Xinyue compared the dresses on herself and asked Ji Linyu.

Her usual style, except for the red dress they first met in, is mainly casual and comfortable. Today, she also wore a beige linen suit, gentle and non-aggressive.

“They both look good.” This sounded perfunctory, but Ji Linyu meant it because he couldn’t imagine her not looking good in anything.

With such a bright smile, even if she wore a burlap sack, she would look good.

Zhu Xinyue turned over the tag and saw the price. After converting the exchange rate,, one dress cost five digits, and she felt a little sorry for Zhu Silang’s money.

“It’s a bit expensive, I’ll just choose one of them.” Zhu Xinyue faced the mirror again, holding the dress in her hands, still unable to make a decision.

A one-shoulder dress can show off a perfect shoulder and a beautiful collarbone, while ruffled edges can decorate the arm line.

The blue dress compliments her skin tone, and the slit hem can also embellish her long legs, both are very good.

“Just buy both. I’ll pay.” Ji Linyu stood up from the sofa, walked towards the cashier.

Zhu Xinyue held the two dresses in her arms, followed Ji Linyu, looking at him with that burning gaze.

Feeling her hot gaze, Ji Linyu hesitated for a moment when taking out his card, then asked, “Are there any other skirts you like? Go on, I’ll wait for you.”

He thought he took out his card too quickly, which made her suspect he didn’t have the patience to wait for her to try on clothes, but he just felt that in such a small matter, she could have both and didn’t have to make a difficult choice.

Zhu Xinyue shook her head and smiled contentedly. “These two are enough.”

Ji Linyu paid with his card.

The sales clerk put the packaged dress into a shopping bag and handed it forward. Zhu Xinyue took the bag before Ji Linyu and continued to look at him with the same burning gaze as before.

Ji Linyu’s ears became hot when she looked at him, and he shifted his gaze to the luxury store opposite: “Do you want to go to the next store?”

Zhu Xinyue smiled and shook her head, “No need. Let’s go back.”

Ji Linyu raised his wrist to look at the time. From the time they entered the store to the time they paid, it took less than ten minutes in total.

Is this the end?

He was a little surprised, but since she didn’t want to continue shopping, he would go along with her and go back.

Zhu Xinyue sat in the co-pilot’s seat, holding the shopping bag, smiling eyebrows, and turned her head to ask Ji Linyu, “Boss Ji, is this a gift?”

Her voice lifted at the end, sounding cheerful and upbeat.

Ji Linyu responded with a soft “mm” but kept his focus on driving.

Unable to resist, Zhu Xinyue opened the shopping bag and used two fingers to open the packaging box, looking at the new dress she had just bought.

This was a gift from Ji Linyu to her! Not out of guilt or any other reason, simply a genuine gift!

She almost buried her head in the huge bag, like a squirrel checking its stockpile for winter, holding her spoils triumphantly, completely satisfied.

So adorable.

Ji Linyu glanced at her from the corner of his eye, seemingly infected by her joy, his lips curling up slightly.

The car was waiting for the traffic light and stopped in front of the zebra crossing.

The blinking traffic lights resembled a heartbeat, steady and rhythmic.

Zhu Xinyue straightened up, set the shopping bag down, and took a deep breath to calm herself.

Seeing Ji Linyu smiling, she felt good. Perhaps he was smiling because he found her easy to please.

But she didn’t want him to think her contentment was cheap, or that what he did was insignificant enough to make her so happy.

Zhu Xinyue cleared her throat and said, “Brother Linyu, you know, I could have used my brother’s card to buy these two dresses. But using his card, spending his money, makes me feel guilty. The more I spend, the more uneasy I feel.”

Ji Linyu raised an eyebrow.

He had heard Zhu Shilang mention his sister before, saying that after their parents divorced, they saw each other less than twice a year and rarely contacted each other. Every time they met, they were like strangers and the atmosphere was very awkward. They all knew that her mother took her away for the high child support from father Zhu, and her mother would not let Zhu Xinyue go back to the Zhu family until she found the next person to entrust her life to.

Her father felt indebted to her, but they were the kind of people who valued money more than emotional connection. The Zhu family had long set aside a sum enough for her to spend lavishly for the rest of her life.

But that was on the condition that she returned to Qingyang, obeyed her father’s arrangements, and, under the supervision of her father and brother, married someone who was suitable and trustworthy.

“Why are you uneasy?” Ji Linyu didn’t expect that she, who always seemed gentle, would have this side to her.

Zhu Xinyue lowered her head, clutching the seatbelt in front of her. The edge of the strap cut into her hand, the pain making her more awake.

“…I can’t explain it. I feel like a thief. I just took the surname Zhu and the title of ‘Zhu Shilang’s sister’ to gain wealth, family affection, friendship, and everything that shouldn’t belong to me.

“It feels like I stole all of these. When they find out that I’m not the person they want, I have to give them all back.”

It was strange.

She had accepted the system’s offer, becoming Zhu Xinyue, the supporting female character in the novel, but she still agonized and behaved in an exaggerated manner, feeling guilty on one hand and enjoying the convenience of this identity on the other.

Especially after seeing the memories of the original owner, she pitied the original owner for loving the wrong person and thought everything had a chance to turn around, as long as the original owner was still alive and didn’t do anything stupid.

Zhu Xinyue didn’t expect Ji Linyu to understand these words she said to him.

Before, she always praised him because she believed he was kind from the bottom of her heart. He was good to her, not because she was the daughter of the Zhu family, but because he happened to meet her who needed help.

She thought it was natural that she would like a good man.

After all, who wouldn’t like a good person?

Ji Linyu noticed her anxiety and felt his heart tighten.

That was why she was so happy to receive the gift he gave her. It was something that belonged to her, something he clearly gave her, something without expectation of a return.

He knew that she was thoughtful and sensitive, like a dazzling diamond that had been polished into a sparkling glow by repeated self-reflection. She could reflect and discover the beauty of the people around her, and could also feel the subtleties of interpersonal relationships at the first moment and grasp the best distance for interacting with others.

She was very clever, knowing when to advance and when to retreat, making her very comfortable to be around.

But he knew well that diamonds didn’t shine naturally.

The traffic light turned green.

The car restarted, but instead of going back to the hotel, it circled back again.

Zhu Xinyue didn’t know the road and thought they were heading back to the hotel. Only the last place the car stopped wasn’t the hotel but a flower shop they had just passed.

“Wait here.” Ji Linyu parked the car and told Zhu Xinyue not to move, then unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

Zhu Xinyue didn’t know what he was doing. Maybe he forgot to buy something.

She didn’t wait long in the car before Ji Linyu returned.

When he returned, he was holding a bouquet of chamomiles.

White petals, yellow stamens, the small flowers were densely packed, blooming warmly. Around them were green foliage whose names she couldn’t identify, making the bouquet discreet.

Ji Linyu handed the bouquet of flowers to Zhu Xinyue.

It was the first time Zhu Xinyue had received flowers from someone else. She looked stunned, staring blankly at the bouquet of chamomile.

“Why did you give me flowers?”

“Do you think this bouquet is beautiful?” He asked.

“Beautiful.” Zhu Xinyue had never seen flowers more beautiful than these.

Ji Linyu looked at her seriously, speaking plainly. He said, “Beautiful, but from the moment it leaves the soil, its life begins its countdown.

“Just like humans, humans are born to die.”

Zhu Xinyue thought he would explain some romantic language of flowers, but instead he was so unromantic, saying something ominous, like a pot of cold water being poured directly from head to toe, extinguishing the little thoughts flying around her because of his flower-giving behavior.

She heard Ji Linyu say again, “There’s nothing you’ve stolen, and you don’t need to give anything back. What’s given to you is yours. Once you hold onto something, as long as you want it, don’t let it go back. If you hold onto it tightly enough and have the ability to keep it, no one else can take it away from you. Then, it’s yours.”

“What you want, just ask for it openly. If others don’t give it to you, then go and fight for it. If you can snatch it, it shows your ability. If others give it to you, just accept it directly. That’s what you deserve. If they regret it later or gave it to the wrong person, it’s their own fault for not understanding you earlier, for not recognizing that you’re not the person they wanted.”

Zhu Xinyue’s heart began to beat rapidly again as she listened to his words, almost feeling shaken.

“The lifespan of this bouquet is short, and it will wither soon. I bought it and gave it to you to make you happy. It bloomed for you, and its entire life is just to make you say ‘beautiful’

“You don’t need to become the person they want you to be. Just be yourself. If they don’t like you, it’s their problem. As long as you like yourself, it’s fine.”

“Sometimes, being a little selfish isn’t a bad thing. Don’t demand too much from yourself. Even a saint has selfishness.”

Ji Linyu wasn’t good at comforting others. He always wore the mask of a gentleman in social situations, and it was the same in front of her. So he didn’t intend to let her know his true nature.

He wasn’t as good as she thought. He was a businessman, fundamentally no different from a thief. If he wanted something, he would get it, weighing only how much cost he had to pay before seizing it.

Zhu Xinyue held the bouquet in her hands until the car restarted and drove on the road before she gradually reflected on his words.

He was encouraging her, although it sounded more like corrupting her.

“Then… does Brother Linyu have selfishness too?” Zhu Xinyue stole a glance at him.

Ji Linyu smiled and asked her back, “Do you think I’ve ever sent flowers to anyone else?”

Zhu Xinyue blushed.

Her world is full of blooming wildflowers.