In the early morning when Jiang Qiuyi opened her eyes, Lu Mingcheng was in the bathroom washing up.

She glanced at the clock—it was exactly seven o’clock.

Lu Mingcheng had a very regular routine. No matter what time he went to bed, he always woke up at six the next morning, exercised for an hour and finished washing up around seven.

In the past, at this time, Jiang Qiuyi would immediately get up to help iron his work clothes and organize his tie.

Even though the household staff could handle these tasks, she always took them on herself.

But today, as she listened to the sound of water stopping, Jiang Qiuyi’s eyelashes fluttered. She turned over, found comfortable position and fell back asleep.

Lu Mingcheng came out of the bathroom and, out of habit, reminded her. “Qiuyi, there’s an important meeting at the company today. Try to choose a more…”

Before he could finish the sentence, he saw the woman still lying in bed.

Jiang Qiuyi was facing away from the bathroom, curled up under the blankets.

She didn’t move at all.

Lu Mingcheng froze for a few seconds, slightly surprised.

He raised an eyebrow, walked over to her, and gently touched her forehead. After confirming that she was still just asleep, he walked into the walk-in closet, puzzled.

When Lu Mingcheng went downstairs, the chef had already prepared breakfast for both of them, and the butler and housemaids were standing by.

Seeing that only Lu Mingcheng had come down, Uncle Xu, the butler of the villa, was surprised and asked. “Good morning, sir. Is Madam not joining for breakfast?”

Lu Mingcheng gave a brief “Mmm” and replied calmly, “She’s not awake yet.”

Uncle Xu raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Their madam… had times when she didn’t wake up early?

Lu Mingcheng didn’t want to elaborate, quietly continuing his meal.

Uncle Xu thought for a moment before stepping outside to check with the maids about the situation.

He had been a bit preoccupied yesterday and hadn’t been around.

By the time Uncle Xu returned after his inquiry, Lu Mingcheng had almost finished his meal.

Before leaving, he glanced at Uncle Xu and asked. “Is there anything going on at home these days?”

Uncle Xu respectfully replied, “Yesterday, Old Madam had a few friends over for afternoon tea.”

Lu Mingcheng asked, “Anything else?”

Uncle Xu informed him, “It seems Madam wasn’t feeling well. After the ladies left, she went back to her room to rest.”

Lu Mingcheng nodded, then looked at him and asked, “Did the doctor come?”

Uncle Xu hesitated, then said, “Madam mentioned it was just a minor issue.”

Lu Mingcheng, understanding Jiang Qiuyi’s temperament, spoke calmly, “Have the doctor come by later.”

“Understood,” Uncle Xu replied.

As Lu Mingcheng walked out and was about to get into the car, something crossed his mind, and he instructed, “When Madam wakes up, have the chef make her favorite breakfast again.”

Uncle Xu nodded. “Understood.”

At first, Jiang Qiuyi was pretending to be asleep, but before she knew it, she had actually drifted off.

When she woke up again, the sun was already out.

She lay half-propped on the bed for a while before grabbing her phone to check the time.

It was nine o’clock.

Since marrying Lu Mingcheng, she hadn’t slept this late before.

As she stepped into the bathroom, Jiang Qiuyi looked at her reflection in the mirror—a bright, refreshed face with sparkling eyes.

Her skin, soft and glowing from the rest, looked so dewy it could almost be pinched for moisture. Why had she forced herself to wake up early to serve that cold, indifferent capitalist before?

The answer was regret.

She regretted it deeply.

After freshening up, Jiang Qiuyi went downstairs for breakfast.

She had barely sat down at the dining table when Uncle Xu brought her breakfast over.

“Good morning, Madam.”

Jiang Qiuyi looked at the rice noodles on the table and turned to Uncle Xu, asking, “Is this what Sir is having as well?”

“No,” Uncle Xu replied with a gentle smile. “These were specially prepared by the kitchen at Sir’s request.”

Jiang Qiuyi wasn’t from Ningcheng. She had moved here in high school when her parents’ business began to improve.

Back in her hometown, it was customary to have rice noodles for breakfast.

After moving to Ningcheng, the chances of finding authentic rice noodles were few and far between.

Since marrying Lu Mingcheng, she had eaten it twice.

But because rice noodles were high in carbs and had a strong flavor, and since Lu Mingcheng didn’t like them, Jiang Qiuyi hadn’t had them again.

This breakfast was unexpected.

Jiang Qiuyi thought for a moment, wondering if he knew what he was going to do to her in the future, and was trying to sweeten her up in advance as compensation.

She glanced at it, thinking to herself that she wasn’t so easily bought.

From now on, she would make sure Lu Mingcheng saw her in a new light.

After enjoying the authentic rice noodles, Jiang Qiuyi went back to her room and called her long-time friend, Jian Xia.

“Hello?”

Jian Xia’s voice was still hoarse, clearly woken up.

Jiang Qiuyi paused for a moment before asking softly, “Stayed up late again?”

Jian Xia replied with a groggy “Ah.”

She kept her eyes closed. “Yeah, I was writing some erotic stories under a fake name last night and couldn’t stop.”

Jian Xia had been writing novels since university, starting as a sweet romance writer before transitioning into adult content.

Jiang Qiuyi: “…”

“What time did you sleep?”

“Four or five o’clock,” Jian Xia yawned. “What’s up? What do you need?”

Jiang Qiuyi didn’t beat around the bush and said directly, “I want you to go shopping with me.”

“Huh?” Jian Xia didn’t understand. “Are you buying a gift for someone?”

Based on what Jian Xia knew about her, whenever Jiang Qiuyi went shopping, it was always for gifts for people around her.

Lu Mingcheng was too busy. Unless it was for someone particularly important, he would leave the gift-buying to Jiang Qiuyi.

Listening to this, Jiang Qiuyi couldn’t help but feel more regretful.

She felt like she was nothing more than a servant of the Lu family, and maybe even less free than the actual servants.

“Buy myself something,” she said firmly. “Buying a gift for myself, and I’ll get something for you as well. Want to go?”

Jian Xia exclaimed, “No way!”

“Really,” Jiang Qiuyi replied.

She smiled and added, “I’m going to put on some makeup now. Should I come pick you up in a bit?”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Jiang Qiuyi walked into the walk-in closet.

The villa where she and Lu Mingcheng lived was expansive, with spacious rooms, and the walk-in closet was several times larger than an average room.

As soon as she stepped in, the sensor lights automatically turned on.

The wardrobe lined the walls, with a display table, jewelry stand, and cabinets for shoes and bags in the center. The array of items was dazzling, overwhelming to the eyes.

The jewelry, illuminated by the light, shimmered brightly, almost blinding.

Jiang Qiuyi had very few items she’d purchased for herself, most of the things in the closet had been gifts from brand representatives, Lu Mingcheng, or her mother-in-law.

Almost none of them were the types she preferred.

The walk-in closet wasn’t fully used—Lu Mingcheng took up a small portion, and Jiang Qiuyi’s belongings took up even less.

She glanced at the empty closet and bag shelves, a plan forming in her mind.

If she was going to enjoy the perks of being a wealthy wife, she might as well start with shopping, filling up the closet bit by bit.

Jiang Qiuyi chose an ivory-colored dress, both stylish and warm.

Once ready, she looked at herself in the mirror.

Her skin was as smooth and pale as jade, her complexion like white porcelain. Her lips were naturally tinted red, her features delicate, eyes bright, radiant yet still sweet.

It wasn’t that Jiang Qiuyi was narcissistic, she just honestly couldn’t understand why someone with this kind of appearance in a novel would end up as a cannon fodder supporting character.

This question lingered in her mind, and even as she prepared to meet Jian Xia, she still hadn’t figured it out.

When Jian Xia saw how Jiang Qiuyi was dressed, she sneakily glanced at the driver and lowered her voice to ask, “Why are you dressed so flashy today?”

Jiang Qiuyi raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down. “Is it really that flashy?”

“Yes,” Jian Xia replied.

She looked down at her own outfit—jeans and a sweatshirt—scratching her head. “I didn’t even wash my hair.”

Jiang Qiuyi chuckled, “Well, I’ll treat you to a hair wash later.”

Jian Xia raised an eyebrow. “Did something happen today?”

“No,” Jiang Qiuyi answered succinctly, “I just figured something out.”

Seeing the serious look on her face, Jian Xia wanted to ask more but held back, not wanting to speak in front of the driver.

The two arrived at the mall with the most luxury brands in Ningcheng. As soon as they got out of the car, Jian Xia linked arms with her. “Come on, tell me. What did you figure out?”

Jiang Qiuyi glanced at her and said, “I just realized that no matter how well I play the role of Mrs. Lu, the Lu family’s attitude toward me won’t really change.”

She shrugged. “So I might as well enjoy this identity, right?”

Jian Xia’s eyes lit up, excited. “Exactly! I’ve been telling you that no matter how frugal or nice you are to them, they won’t appreciate it. The prejudice in wealthy families runs deep. It’s better to just relax and enjoy yourself. As for everything else, let them do as they please.”

Jiang Qiuyi nodded.

Seeing that she had truly figured things out, Jian Xia immediately asked, “Where do we start shopping?”

Jiang Qiuyi glanced around. “Let’s start on the right and go from store to store.”

She leaned in close to Jian Xia’s ear and whispered, “If you see anything you like, go ahead and take it. I’m paying for everything today.”

Jian Xia: “…Damn.”

Those damn rich people.

Jiang Qiuyi wasn’t a regular at luxury stores, but she occasionally came by to pick up a few things. The staff recognized her, but they weren’t familiar with her, so they didn’t know she was Lu Mingcheng’s wife, the one who had never shown her face.

When she appeared, one of the sales assistants greeted her with a bright, cheerful smile.

“Miss Jiang,” the sales assistant smiled as she looked at her. “Would you like help with anything?”

Jiang Qiuyi replied, “No.”

She glanced around, speaking casually, “I’m just browsing.”

The sales assistant nodded and followed closely by her side.

Jiang Qiuyi slowed her pace and lowered her voice. “You don’t need to follow me. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

The sales assistant smiled gently. “Of course.”

Jiang Qiuyi took a moment to survey the store and picked out several dresses.

“What do you think?”

Jian Xia nodded. “They look good.”

Jiang Qiuyi glanced at her reflection in a nearby mirror, casually holding the dresses up to herself to compare. Then, she instructed, “Please wrap these up for me.”

The sales assistant paused for a moment, glancing at Jiang Qiuyi’s outfit. After a brief hesitation, she reminded her, “Miss Jiang, two of these dresses are limited edition, and their prices are a bit on the higher side…”

Before she could finish, Jiang Qiuyi pulled out Lu Mingcheng’s secondary card. “Go ahead and charge it.”

When the sales assistant saw the color of the card, her face lit up with a smile. “Of course, Miss Jiang. Please, take your time shopping.”

Jiang Qiuyi paid no mind to the assistant’s enthusiasm. She grabbed Jian Xia and continued picking out a few more bags.

Jian Xia glanced at her and whispered, “Are you really buying this much from one store?”

“This is nothing,” Jiang Qiuyi replied casually. Having been in the Lu family for a year, she was no stranger to high-end shopping.

She did a quick mental calculation and reassured her, “Don’t worry, those earlier items cost less than a million.”

Jian Xia: “…”

After finishing at the first store, the two moved on to the second and third…

By lunchtime, Jiang Qiuyi took Jian Xia to a five-star hotel. They planned to have a meal, then relax in the presidential suite for an hour or two before continuing their shopping spree in the afternoon.

Jiang Qiuyi watched as Jian Xia enjoyed her meal and asked with a smile, “How does it taste?”

Jian Xia looked up at her and replied, “The taste of money, what do you think?”

Jiang Qiuyi: “…It’s not that exaggerated.”

She spoke softly, “Next time, come over to my place and try it. The seafood we air-shipped recently is really good, I’m sure you’ll like it.”

“…”

Jian Xia paused, then said, “Don’t say that, I might just want to go there right now.”

Jiang Qiuyi thought for a moment, “It’s fine. I’ll call Uncle Xu, and he’ll arrange it.”

“No, no, no.”

Jian Xia’s eyes widened in shock. “You’ve really impressed me this morning.”

Jiang Qiuyi took small bites of her food. “Really?”

“Really.”

Jian Xia sighed and said. “But, it feels so damn good.”

Walking into luxury stores without asking the price, buying everything she liked—how could that not feel amazing?

This was basically the life Jian Xia had always dreamed of.

Jiang Qiuyi gave a faint smile. “I’ll make it even better for you this afternoon.”

“Yes!” Jian Xia eagerly agreed.

After lunch, the two went to the suite to rest.

This hotel had an investment from the Lu Group, and the presidential suite on the top floor was specifically reserved for Lu Mingcheng.

Jiang Qiuyi took the room key and led Jian Xia upstairs.

As soon as they stepped into the elevator, Lu Mingcheng appeared with his assistant.

He had an important meeting in the morning, and for lunch, he had a business meal here with a partner.

Lu Mingcheng had just sat down with his business partner in the private room when his assistant, Xu Chen, quietly said. “Mr. Lu, your wife is also in the hotel.”

Lu Mingcheng paused for a moment, surprised, and looked at him. “Is she alone?”

Xu Chen replied, “She’s with Miss Jian.”

Hearing this, Lu Mingcheng didn’t pay much attention.

He simply nodded and said, “Ask if she needs anything. And tell her that I’ll be resting here for lunch.”

“Understood.”

After Xu Chen left, Lu Mingcheng resumed his conversation with his partner.

It wasn’t long before Xu Chen returned, looking somewhat uneasy.

Lu Mingcheng glanced at him, excused himself from the conversation, and stood up to leave.

Once outside the room, he asked, “What did she say?”

Xu Chen cleared his throat and quietly replied, “She said that she and her friend will be resting upstairs for lunch, and asked you not to disturb them.”

Lu Mingcheng: “…”

=^_^=