Perhaps because maintaining her facade as the young lady at school was so exhausting, Su Zhiyi felt drowsy. Even in a light nap, she had a wonderful dream. She dreamed that her mission had become to spend a billion yuan, that she no longer had to pretend to be rich—she could be genuinely wealthy. In her life, aside from the truly rich people she had flirted with or who had flirted with her, she had never seen a full billion yuan in her own salary account. For the first time becoming a real rich person, she was so moved that she immediately opened her phone and spent her very first 648 on a game she had never topped up before. That evening, she ate instant noodles with an extra sausage while admiring the new outfit she had bought for her in-game daughter, wishing she could stay in the dream forever, too happy to wake up. But dreams are beautiful, and reality is cruel.
"Su Zhiyi... we're here... wake up..." Su Zhiyi was roused by Su Qinghuai's hazy voice. She was quite pampered and got grumpy when woken up; she was so annoyed with Su Qinghuai's voice that she wanted to tape his mouth shut. "Don't bother me... so annoying." Her finely drawn brows, lightly powdered with eyebrow powder, furrowed slightly. After a moment, she slowly opened her sleepy eyes and cast a reproachful glare at Su Qinghuai, who stood before the car calling her. At that glare, Su Qinghuai indeed fell silent.
Displeased at being woken, Su Zhiyi deliberately sought trouble, nitpicking at Su Qinghuai, the culprit. "What did you call me?" "Su..." Su Qinghuai instinctively started with the word "Su," paused, withdrew the following "Zhiyi," and slowly uttered, "...Young Lady." "That's more like it. I don't like you calling me by my full name." Su Zhiyi waved her hand, signaling Su Qinghuai to step aside from the rear door. Su Qinghuai obligingly moved aside, holding the open door frame. After Su Zhiyi got out of the back seat, he closed the door and said to the driver in the front, "You go back to the Su family. If Father and Mother ask, tell them I have business today and won't be returning." But they probably wouldn't ask anyway.
"Hmph," Su Zhiyi gave a light snort. Su Qinghuai was a "good student" in the teachers' eyes and a "good child" in his parents' eyes. Even if Su Qinghuai didn't come home for ten days or half a month, as long as nothing happened to him, the two Su family members wouldn't worry about him doing anything outrageous. Su Zhiyi couldn't be bothered with Su Qinghuai. Fortunately, Su Qinghuai was also taciturn and didn't initiate conversation, though his gaze never left her while they were shopping or eating.
Too bad her gaze wasn't on him; whether walking or eating, most of her attention was on her phone. She had no choice—there was someone on her phone she needed to deal with, and this person wasn't as easy to fool as Su Qinghuai.
【Song Lian: Are you still out shopping?】
【Su Zhiyi: Mm-hmm.】
【Su Zhiyi: Having dinner.】
Su Zhiyi raised her hand and snapped a photo of the lavish meal to send to this person named Song Lian. She deliberately didn't capture Su Qinghuai across from her, cropping out the second serving of food on the table that would expose his presence. If he were in the picture, it would be a disaster. Because this person named Song Lian was also one of her romantic interests and her nominal ex-fiancé. Song Lian was the only son of the Song family in City A, the future heir of the Song family. He was handsome, gentle and steady in personality, treated her well, and indulged her little tantrums. The key point was that he was rich and powerful—exactly to her taste.
Whether Su Qinghuai knew about her involvement with Song Lian didn't matter; even if he knew, he couldn't do anything about it. But she absolutely couldn't let Song Lian know about her relationship with Su Qinghuai. They had been engaged since childhood, and Song Lian didn't know she had been kicked out of the Su family and was no longer the Eldest Miss Su. Three months ago, after she was expelled, the Su family politely terminated their engagement on the grounds of "respecting the children's wishes." Song Lian wasn't as easy to fool as the idiots at the academy. On the surface, he seemed gentle, but in reality, he was shrewd and intelligent—not easy to deceive. She had to devote most of her energy to handling him. So even while eating with Su Qinghuai, she didn't forget to reply to Song Lian's messages. If Song Lian found out about her relationship with Su Qinghuai, it might expose her identity... and then her million would fly away.
As for the other elements in the photo besides the food, Su Zhiyi wasn't sure if she had intentionally or unintentionally included them. Two-thirds of the table showed the food; the other third was... Su Zhiyi's skirt, and between the skirt and the table, a noticeable stretch of skin. The skirt lay obediently on the girl's thigh, the front of her knee slightly flushed pink, contrasting with her snowy skin, causing the man on the other end of the screen to remain silent for a long time—so long that Su Zhiyi wondered if her internet was bad and the carefully taken photo hadn't sent. Just as she was about to send it again, the person finally replied.
【Song Lian: Is Zhiyi eating alone? [Smile]】
【Su Zhiyi: Yes~】
【Su Zhiyi: This French restaurant tastes pretty good.】
【Su Zhiyi: But eating alone is so boring. I want to come with Brother Song next time.】
Su Zhiyi's words were half true and half false. That she was eating alone was false; that it tasted good was true—a lavish meal someone else paid for naturally smelled fragrant. That eating alone was boring was false; that she wanted to come with Song Lian next time was true. Because every time Song Lian ate with her, he picked up the tab. Why wouldn't she want another free lavish meal?
As expected, Song Lian sent a message. 【Song Lian: Mm, next time it's on me.】 【Song Lian: But I have one request.】 Su Zhiyi didn't take his words seriously; his request surely wouldn't be too excessive. She perfunctorily typed a few words and sent them. 【Su Zhiyi: What request?】 【Song Lian: If I'm eating with Zhiyi...】 【Song Lian: I hope it's just the two of us [Smile]】
Su Zhiyi forked a piece of foie gras from the plate and brought it to her mouth. The rich foie gras melted on her tongue, and the taste of money made her squint with pleasure. Then she typed her reply to Song Lian. 【Su Zhiyi: Sure.】 【Su Zhiyi: When I eat with Brother Song, of course I hope it's just the two of us.】
Author's note:
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Male guest number two appears!