Chapter 34

Soon enough, Lin Jinshen realized Lu Yi’s curiosity was purely innocent.

What she wanted to know was whether their first meeting had also taken place in a hotel owned by Huayu, whether he had skipped a meal that day too, or if he had said something offensive—or maybe it was all of the above.

She hadn’t figured it out last time when discussing it with Lin Yumo.

As the person involved, Lin Jinshen knew better than anyone what had actually happened.

So, what was the reason?

Lu Yi’s questions kept getting interrupted by greetings from various people. It wasn’t until they registered for their auction numbers, entered the venue, and took their seats that she finally had the chance to ask her questions in full. As she finished, she added: “Don’t worry, I’m great at keeping secrets.”

“…”

Lin Jinshen, legs crossed in tailored suit trousers, leaned slightly toward her as she spoke, his gaze fixed on her the entire time. The typically expressionless face, softened by the lighting and his newlywed wife at his side, seemed unexpectedly approachable.

To outsiders, the couple appeared to have a harmonious relationship.

One spoke, the other listened—without a trace of impatience.

In truth, Lin Jinshen looked into her clear, bright eyes and, after a long pause, finally said, “So, our first meeting left such a strong impression on you.”

“… Not really,” Lu Yi corrected him. Her questions weren’t focused on their meeting but rather the woman in the yellow dress.

Lin Jinshen uncrossed his legs and said, “Then let’s leave now.”

“Now?”

“Mm.”

“Why?” They had only just arrived.

Lin Jinshen’s lips curved slightly, and he said unhurriedly, “Because satisfying you is more important.”

“?”

Lu Yi’s eyes widened instantly, her lashes fluttering like little brushes, her back snapping straight in alarm. She instinctively checked to see if anyone around them had overheard. Luckily, their seats were in the front row, and the surrounding seats were sparse and scattered.

Even so, her heart raced uncontrollably for a moment.

What was he even saying?

Seeing her reaction, Lin Jinshen added with a calm expression, “Satisfying your curiosity is more important.”

The tone and delivery were so composed, it was as if he hadn’t deliberately left out a word in his previous statement. If there was any ambiguity, the blame should lie with her for overthinking it.

Lu Yi: “???”

Thanks, now she wasn’t curious at all.

Before the auction began, the hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Wu, gave an opening speech. Mr. Wu was a portly man with a jovial demeanor, while Mrs. Wu, well-maintained and elegant, must have been a striking beauty in her youth.

It wasn’t until the woman in the yellow dress was invited to the stage that Lu Yi learned her identity—Wu Ruoshan, the youngest daughter of the Wu family. Her poise and elegance made her hard not to admire.

As Lu Yi observed her, Wu Ruoshan openly returned her gaze, not with hostility but with curiosity.

Lu Yi offered a polite smile, which Wu Ruoshan returned.

The auction began. Lu Yi used the provided tablet to browse the items—various donations from the guests, ranging from watches and jewelry to paintings.

She wasn’t particularly drawn to anything. For charity, buying one or two items and contributing an appropriate sum would suffice.

Lin Jinshen had no intention of bidding on jewelry or accessories for her—these were all second-hand items.

Instead, he bid on a Qing dynasty blue-and-white vase donated by Mrs. Wu, offering the highest price of the evening and giving the Wu family significant face. The social exchange was mutually understood.

“All done,” he said.

With his obligations fulfilled, they could now leave.

Lu Yi nodded. After securing the vase and exchanging pleasantries with Mrs. Wu, Lin Jinshen excused them, claiming other commitments. Mrs. Wu smiled knowingly and said, “I understand. Don’t let us keep you from your little date.”

As they were leaving, Lin Jinshen glanced at his phone and asked Lu Yi if she wanted to visit the restroom before they left.

“Sure, give me a few minutes.”

Lin Jinshen nodded. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Lu Yi entered the restroom, leaned over the sink, and extended her hands to the motion-sensor faucet.

Not long after, Wu Ruoshan walked in, her heels clicking against the tiles. She stood beside Lu Yi, smoothing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Wu Ruoshan studied Lu Yi’s reflection in the mirror. Seeing no surprise in her expression, she smiled and asked, “You knew I was coming?”

“Not exactly. Just a guess,” Lu Yi replied while rinsing her hands carefully.

As they had exited earlier, Wu Ruoshan’s gaze had lingered on them.

Wu Ruoshan let out a soft “Oh” and asked, “So, you know about me and Lin Jinshen?”

Lu Yi nodded. “A little.”

Wu Ruoshan scrutinized her calm demeanor. Whether the composure was real or feigned was unclear. “If I had said yes back then, I’d be Mrs. Lin now. Doesn’t that bother you at all?”

The implication was clear: You’re only with him because I didn’t want him.

Lu Yi dried her hands with a paper towel, her movements unhurried.

To be honest, she wasn’t angry—if anything, she was curious about why Wu Ruoshan had turned him down.

This wasn’t like her usual self. She typically wasn’t so interested in others’ affairs. But when it came to Lin Jinshen, her rules seemed to falter.

Thinking this, she said directly, “Not at all. But I am curious—would you mind telling me why you rejected him?”

Her tone was open and straightforward.

Wu Ruoshan let out a laugh, tilting her head to look directly at Lu Yi. After studying her for a moment, she said, “Not bad. I quite like you.”

“And honestly, I was curious too—what kind of woman Lin Jinshen would end up with after turning me down.”

There was no malice in her words. That earlier line had been a test. If Lu Yi had reacted poorly, Wu Ruoshan would have written her off as unworthy of Lin Jinshen.

Lu Yi was startled. “Wait… he turned you down?”

“Of course.” Wu Ruoshan rolled her eyes. “For a while, I thought he had terrible taste. I mean, what’s wrong with me? But now that I’ve met you, his judgment doesn’t seem so bad.”

Their first meeting had left Wu Ruoshan smitten with Lin Jinshen. Though his personality was a bit stiff, she thought he might act differently in a relationship—or could be “trained.”

But to her surprise, Lin Jinshen rejected her outright.

Determined, Wu Ruoshan arranged a second meeting, thinking perhaps the first impression had been rushed, but his attitude remained unchanged. She still remembered his words: Feel free to tell others it was my fault, that you weren’t interested in me. My reputation doesn’t matter.

“At the time, I was so annoyed. I thought he was just being pretentious and would brag about it to his friends later,” Wu Ruoshan paused. “But to his credit, I’ve never heard any other version of the story.”

It sounded exactly like something Lin Jinshen would do.

Wu Ruoshan arched a brow and said, “Congrats. Your taste in men is as good as mine.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

They hit it off, exchanged contact information, and Wu Ruoshan excused herself to return to the auction hall, saying her parents were calling for her.

Lu Yi saw the message from Mrs. Qin—it was a red packet transfer wishing her a happy holiday. She smiled knowingly and replied before stepping out, wishing her parents a happy holiday as well.

As she walked outside, the night breeze brushed against her, prompting her to instinctively wrap her arms around herself.

At first glance, she didn’t spot Lin Jinshen. After scanning her surroundings, she saw him standing to the left. In the dim light, his tall figure seemed like a shadowy block of lead—steady and imposing.

His gaze, though separated by the cool night air, felt like an invisible thread tugging at her, drawing her in.

How long had he been waiting for her?

Five minutes? Ten minutes? She hadn’t kept track, but he showed no sign of impatience.

Lu Yi walked toward him, and as he straightened up, she noticed something different—the car wasn’t the black Bentley they had arrived in but another model: a Bentley Continental GT.

Had he switched cars?

Sensing something unusual, Lu Yi caught onto the shift in atmosphere. Suddenly, she remembered that today was Valentine’s Day. Could he have prepared a surprise for her?

“Did you prepare a gift?” she asked uncertainly. With anyone else, she might have been confident, but this was Lin Jinshen.

He looked at her but neither confirmed nor denied it. Nor did he take out any gift, as though waiting for her to discover it herself.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Yi asked, “Is it in the trunk?”

She had already seen several similar surprises in her friends’ social media posts.

Girlfriends would open a car trunk to balloons flying out, a bed of flowers inside, and a gift box in the center—either a handbag or jewelry.

This kind of gesture wasn’t new to her; even some of her previous admirers had tried it.

Was that why he switched cars? Otherwise, the surprise would’ve been spoiled on the way here. But the thought of Lin Jinshen being the one to prepare such a gesture gave her a strange sense of dissonance.

On second thought, it was probably his assistant who had arranged it. Jiang Xun, having just graduated, was at the age where romantic fantasies were still vivid.

Hugging her arms, Lu Yi walked around to the back of the car. When the trunk opened, she found no balloons, no flowers, and no lavish arrangement—just an empty, spotless space as clean as if it were brand new.

“…”

Perplexed, she turned her head, only for a set of car keys to drop into her line of sight, adorned with the Bentley logo in the center.

Lin Jinshen stood there, calmly watching her with his usual composed expression, indulging her in this “gift hunt.”

She wore a beige evening gown, her high heels clicking softly as she moved. The hem of her dress swayed like a blooming flower, reminiscent of a tuberose quietly unfurling in the night. When she came up empty-handed, he finally gave the correct answer.

“Would you like to take the car for a spin?” he asked in a low voice, his gaze steady.

“The gift is this car?” Lu Yi was stunned. That seemed far too extravagant.

Anticipating her thoughts, Lin Jinshen said, “There’s no need to worry about the expense. Half the money in my account is yours. You could think of it as me using your money to buy you a gift.”

Lu Yi: “?”

She chuckled. “Thank you. I’m not worried about the expense anymore—now it just hurts.”

“You’re welcome.”

He placed the car keys into her hand.

He had wanted to replace her Mini Cooper for a long time, and now, he had his wish.

Lu Yi drove the car straight back to Chengxi Garden.

Not long after leaving, a notification popped up on her phone. Thinking it might be Mrs. Qin’s reply, she felt a bit uneasy about making an elder wait. However, she couldn’t respond while driving, so she handed her phone to Lin Jinshen, who was in the passenger seat, and asked him to reply for her.

“The password is my birthday,” she said.

“Got it.”

By the time Lu Yi gave him the password, Lin Jinshen had already unlocked the phone.

Her phone wallpaper was a picture of a cream puff. The apps were neatly organized and minimalistic, clean and easy to navigate.

Another notification popped up, and Lin Jinshen instinctively opened it. A video in the chat automatically began playing.

The footage was dimly lit, showing a man in a white shirt dancing to music, unbuttoning one button at a time to reveal toned, smooth muscles as pale as tofu.

[Guess Guess]: “@Lu Yi Wow! Don’t say we only think about our own fun. Here, have a treat!”
[Guess Guess]: “Are you regretting not coming now?”
[Guess Guess]: “Bet you’re feeling the FOMO, huh?”
[Yu Yin]: “I can’t believe Wu Sidong is partying harder than I am!”

Lin Jinshen: “…”

There were several other messages mentioning Lu Yi, each more suggestive than the last. In one video, a man even leaned into the camera with a playful grin and a lowered voice, calling out, “Big Sister.”

Big Sister?

Who was he calling Big Sister?

Lin Jinshen’s lashes lifted slightly as he glanced at the chat group name.

“Shh! Adult Only.”