Such a handsome man-what a shame he lived off a woman!

Wang Lida's face instantly turned blacker than the bottom of a pot.

His family's company supposedly had a market value of several hundred million yuan. It sounded impressive, but he knew that valuation included all its fixed assets and the money poured in by stock-market suckers.

The company's cash flow amounted to a few tens of millions at most.

His family kept him on a tight leash, capping his monthly allowance at fifty thousand yuan.

Spend over four hundred thousand on a watch for a woman he hadn't even gotten into bed yet? Only if he'd lost his damn mind.

He'd brought his girlfriend with the smoking-hot figure along today just to make himself look good and indulge her vanity. His plan had been to browse Vacheron Constantin, then head next door to Omega and placate her with a twenty-thousand-yuan watch.

After all, she had a pretty face, a great figure, and felt fantastic in his hands. Some expenses couldn't be skimped on.

But never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Chen Lin, the penniless loser in his eyes, would buy a watch he himself wouldn't even dare dream of owning without so much as blinking-and give it to the woman beside him!

Wang Lida felt his cheeks burn. Every vicious insult he'd just hurled had become an invisible slap, striking him across both cheeks, crisp and loud.

Dragging his girlfriend, who had completely turned to stone, he turned and slunk away without a word, not daring to utter even one parting threat.

With those two clowns gone, even the air in the shop felt fresher.

The young saleswoman's eyes practically blazed as she looked at Chen Lin.

"Sir, would you mind adding me on WeChat? If you have any questions later, you can contact me anytime." She smiled, her voice so sweet it was almost syrupy.

These "questions" you're talking about... are they strictly business?

The thought had barely flashed through Chen Lin's mind.

Beside him, Song Qiuya reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She immediately stepped forward, seemingly casually positioning herself between him and the saleswoman.

"Add me."

Song Qiuya took out her phone and opened her QR code, her tone calm but brooking no argument.

"If there are any questions later, I'll contact you."

She behaved like an elegant feline guarding its territory, watching warily for any potential threat.

The young saleswoman's smile stiffened, and disappointment welled up inside her. Still, she remained professional and added Song Qiuya.

The two of them left Vacheron Constantin.

As soon as they stepped outside, Song Qiuya took Chen Lin's hand of her own accord, tightly interlacing their fingers.

Feeling the softness and warmth in his palm, Chen Lin was quietly pleased. He had finally melted this ice queen completely.

Before long, they passed a Gucci boutique.

Song Qiuya suddenly stopped and all but dragged Chen Lin inside.

"Huh?"

"Not a word!"

Song Qiuya's tone was more commanding than ever before.

She pulled Chen Lin along and picked out three outfits for him from the season's newest menswear collection in one go.

At checkout, she took out her own card and paid one hundred and thirty thousand yuan without batting an eye, much to the sales assistant's astonishment.

Standing beside her, Chen Lin felt a warm glow inside.

This woman really knows how to take care of a man.

Clothes made the man. There was no denying it.

Chen Lin had always had the looks, but his cheap shirt and jeans had kept his presence buried.

Now, dressed in his new clothes, he looked like an entirely different person.

With his tall, straight, six-foot-one frame, broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, and handsome face, he looked exactly like a male model who had stepped out of a fashion magazine.

Song Qiuya stared at him, almost transfixed.

She knew Chen Lin was handsome, but she hadn't expected a change of clothes to unleash such astonishing charm.

Whatever she was thinking made her cheeks grow inexplicably hot.

Watching them, the sales assistant's eyes shone, but inwardly she sighed.

Such a handsome man-what a shame he lived off a woman!

People in her line of work had sharp eyes.

At first glance, she had spotted the brand-new Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Collection moon-phase watch on Song Qiuya's wrist. Then, seeing Song Qiuya spend over a hundred thousand yuan on a man without hesitation, she immediately labeled Chen Lin a kept pretty boy.

As dinnertime approached, they went to Haidilao on the mall's top floor.

The red, oily broth bubbled away, its spicy beef-tallow aroma filling the air and whetting their appetites.

After a few quick dips, the beef tripe turned wonderfully crisp, ready to be coated in sesame oil and minced garlic and popped into their mouths.

The fatty beef rolls cooked almost instantly in the scalding broth, becoming irresistibly tender.

The quality of these ingredients was nowhere near that of the food Chen Lin raised at home with spirit spring water.

Still, he had to admit that the service here was first-rate.

They thoroughly enjoyed their hotpot meal.

By the time they left Yida Plaza, the sky was completely dark.

Night had fallen, and the city lights had come on.

Neither of them had driven, so they strolled hand in hand along a path through the riverside park.

The evening breeze brushed their faces, carrying moisture from the river and sweeping away the day's heat.

People came and went throughout the park: families out for a stroll, young people jogging together, and older women swaying to music in their group dances. The place brimmed with everyday life.

They walked quietly hand in hand, enjoying this rare moment of ease.

As they walked, the hairs on the back of Chen Lin's neck suddenly prickled. For a fleeting instant, he felt someone secretly watching him.

He whipped his head around, his sharp gaze sweeping over the bustling crowd behind them.

Figures moved beneath the streetlights, everyone going about their own business. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The feeling of being watched vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as though he had only imagined it.

Chen Lin frowned but didn't pursue it.

They walked for another half hour or so.

"Let's rest a bit. My feet hurt." Song Qiuya suddenly stopped, a barely perceptible trace of weariness in her voice.

She had worn heels seven or eight centimeters high today. After walking around with Chen Lin for so long, she really was struggling.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Chen Lin felt a pang of concern. This woman really knew how to endure discomfort.

They sat down on a bench beside the river.

Song Qiuya was just about to bend down and rub her aching ankles.

"Let me."

Chen Lin's voice was low and gentle. Before she could react, he knelt on one knee in front of her and gently slipped off her elegant heels.

Song Qiuya's face instantly flushed scarlet. Like a startled fawn, she hurriedly tried to pull her feet back.

"No, no! I can do it myself!"

Ignoring her resistance, Chen Lin caught her small, delicate foot, cradled it in his warm palm, and began gently kneading her sole.

A tingling current instantly shot from the bottom of her foot straight to the top of her head.

Song Qiuya's body went rigid.

With just the right pressure, he pressed precisely on the sore points. The soothing pleasure nearly made her moan involuntarily.

She bit her lip hard and abruptly turned her head away, not daring to look at Chen Lin's face. Her heart pounded so fast that it felt ready to leap out of her throat.

Having a man cradle and massage her foot in a public park was simply too embarrassing!

Watching her adorable expression, caught between embarrassment and pleasure, Chen Lin felt a surge of heat.

His free hand began, almost unconsciously, to slide slowly upward along her smooth, flawless ankle.