Su Mu sat on the sofa in the women's haute couture store, idly scrolling through his phone.
This woman was quick when helping him pick out clothes.
But when it was her turn to choose some lingerie as compensation, she was so hesitant, insisting on buying the cheapest.
When she tried to refuse again, Su Mu spoke up directly.
"My time is worth more than those few thousand bucks."
As soon as he said that, Mu Changge obediently slipped into the mysterious shopping area inside.
The private shopping assistant in the lingerie section greeted her with a warm smile.
Mu Changge's face was flushed the entire time, unable to lift her head.
The styles hanging on the wall were flashy, some so much that she didn't dare to look at them for long.
She calculated in her mind that Su Mu had already spent too much money on her.
She definitely couldn't be the kind of girl who takes advantage of every opportunity.
So she bit her lip and asked the assistant to bring her the cheapest basic set in a larger size.
The sales assistant glanced at her knowingly and quickly brought over a set.
It was a black lace design, simple in style.
Mu Changge thought, at most, this style would cost a few hundred bucks.
She had earned three thousand today, and after sending some to her sister Xiaoxiao, the rest should be enough to buy a piece of lingerie.
But when she took the clothes and flipped open the small tag.
Seeing the string of numbers on it, she felt a chill run down her spine.
She thought the mall's air conditioning was way too strong.
The tag clearly printed 4200, damn it, the cheapest.
At this price, you could buy several large bags of the same fabric at a wholesale market.
Mu Changge braced herself and walked into the high-end fitting room located in the corner.
She carefully took off the silk blouse worth sixty-eight thousand.
Eagerly unhooked the expensive but only C-cup lingerie.
She tried on the 4200 black lace set.
The zipper of this outfit was a full-back covering design.
In other words, it was an anti-human design meant to fit the back's curve.
Mu Changge reached her hands behind her back to pull the delicate hidden zipper.
When it reached the middle of her spine.
The clasp suddenly clicked and got stuck.
At first, Mu Changge didn't think much of it.
She used a bit more force to pull.
But the zipper not only didn't go up but got completely stuck.
Caught in the mesh lining that protected the skin.
It was tightly bitten in.
Mu Changge tried various positions and angles for five minutes.
Her arms were twisted behind her back, almost cramping from the strain.
That delicate zipper still wouldn't budge.
She looked at herself in the full-length mirror, embarrassed beyond words.
The woman in the mirror was flushed red, wearing a tight black lace outfit.
Large areas of her fair skin were exposed to the air without cover.
Her hands were tied behind her back as if she were kidnapped.
If this scene got out.
The Iceberg Campus Belle persona would be utterly destroyed.
The worst part was, she couldn't take it off, nor could she put it on.
The assistant had asked two minutes ago if she needed help from outside.
She wasn't used to having someone waiting outside, so she let the assistant go busy herself.
If this damn thing tore.
The 4200 price tag would be a disaster for her.
She pressed her head against the cold fitting room wall.
Tears of humiliation welled up in her eyes.
Su Mu had just finished a game outside.
His phone screen suddenly popped up with a notification.
It was a WeChat SOS from Mu Changge.
He put away his phone and leisurely walked to the fitting room area.
The heavy velvet curtain was pulled open a narrow slit from inside.
Just wide enough for an eye to peek through.
Mu Changge's tearful voice drifted out from the gap.
Su Mu felt like all the bad luck in the world had befallen this woman.
He confirmed no one was around, then squeezed sideways into the narrow fitting room.
Mu Changge clutched her coat to her chest, her back to Su Mu.
Su Mu glanced down at the zipper head stuck in the mesh.
This thing, priced at over four thousand, was still easier to make money from women.
The workmanship quality was worse than the ten-yuan-for-three-street-stall goods behind the school.
If a young couple got excited at night, it would become disposable.
He pinched the tiny metal zipper head with two fingers.
His fingertips inevitably touched Mu Changge's warm, soft back skin.
The woman shuddered violently.
Su Mu thought if this went on, he'd end up getting hurt by her.
"Senior, can you stop shaking?"
"If you keep shaking, and I really ruin this zipper later."
"We'll have to call the assistant to cut it open with scissors, and that scene would be talked about for ages."
Mu Changge heard this and instantly dared not move a muscle.
She didn't even dare to breathe.
Su Mu pinched the few damned mesh threads with his thumb and forefinger.
His other hand held the bottom of the zipper.
Accompanied by a slight tearing sound of fabric.
The stubborn zipper finally came undone.
Su Mu had used a bit too much force, and the clasp sprang open with inertia.
Mu Changge, suddenly freed, lost her balance and leaned forward.
She quickly turned around to try to maintain her balance.
At the same time, both hands quickly covered her chest.
This turning motion completely exposed her front.
And the distance between the two instantly shrank to less than ten centimeters.
Su Mu hurriedly stepped back.
His back slammed into the wooden door frame of the fitting room.
With a dull thud.
The air in the confined space instantly froze.
They could even hear each other's intense heartbeats.
At this critical moment.
The assistant who had gone to attend to other customers returned, heels clicking.
The assistant's voice sounded outside the velvet curtain.
She asked if the clothing size was suitable, her tone seemingly teasing.
Su Mu knew if he pulled the curtain and walked out now.
It would be impossible to clear his name even if he jumped into the Huangpu River.
He pressed Mu Changge's shoulder.
Pushed her further into the fitting room.
And pulled the curtain tightly shut.
The two were forced to squeeze into this narrow space.
Mu Changge's entire face was red as if it would drip blood.
She bit her lower lip hard, swallowing the scream back into her stomach.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, almost breaking through her ribs.
Su Mu leaned against the door, looking at this woman who was so nervous she was about to faint.
[Ding.]
[Target Mu Changge's current development progress increased to 10%.]
[Unlocked target's hidden information: Target's first physical contact with a young male.]
[Current psychological state: Confusion, shame, and a hint of pride.]
Su Mu read the floating blue text on his retina.
His eyebrows raised slightly.
System, are you serious?
One of the Four Campus Belles who consistently topped the charts at Shanghai University.
With a beauty score of 98, a body score of 96, already 20 years old, and hasn't even held hands with a guy?
No one would believe it if you said it.
But on second thought, it made perfect sense.
Mu Changge relied on student loans for school and had to work to support her sister.
Where would she find time for the luxury of a relationship?
Su Mu suddenly felt that her awkward reactions earlier.
Were probably the reflexes of someone single since birth for twenty years, suddenly in close contact with the opposite sex.
But what was that hint of pride about?
Ten minutes later, they walked out one after the other.
The assistant stood at a distance, her smile almost reaching her ears.
The two were in perfect sync, not mentioning the fitting room incident at all.
Su Mu generously swiped his card, and the assistant personally escorted them to the door.
They walked side by side in the spacious corridor on the second floor of Plaza 66.
There was a wide gap between them, enough for another person to stand.
Mu Changge looked down at her brand-new outfit.
Just this outfit alone probably exceeded her total clothing expenses over the past twenty years.
She suddenly stopped and turned to look at Su Mu's back.
"Su Mu."
"The money for these clothes today."
"I'll slowly pay you back with my part-time job every month."
Su Mu didn't even turn his head.
He held the iced Americano he just bought, taking a big sip through the straw.
Continuing to walk forward with that indifferent stride.
"Sure, Senior."
"Take your time paying me back, no rush."
"The interest will be ten percent above the latest central bank benchmark rate."
Mu Changge's thank you stuck in her throat, completely choked.
She stood there, staring at Su Mu's back.
Her gaze was like looking at a ruthless capitalist.
She really couldn't tell if he was joking or serious.
This guy not only had a sharp tongue but also a wandering heart.
At the same time.
In the influencer afternoon tea gathering area on the first floor of the mall.
Class belle Lin Zhiyue and her roommate sat in the outdoor seating of a dessert shop, a popular check-in spot.
Lin Zhiyue held her phone.
She was frantically searching for photo angles for the tiramisu that had melted a third.
She had been editing photos here for twenty minutes.
The nine-grid layout still hadn't gathered enough material for Xiaohongshu.
Just as she switched the camera to take a panoramic shot with a blurred background.
Two eye-catching figures suddenly entered the frame.
Lin Zhiyue habitually prepared to crop out the passersby.
Her finger froze on the phone screen.
It was Mu Changge.
The same Mu Changge who worked part-time washing dishes in the cafeteria kitchen, unable to afford a decent lipstick.
But now, the Mu Changge in the photo.
Wore the latest high-end luxury brand beige trench coat of the season.
The silk innerwear exuded superior quality.
She wore calfskin boots from the famous red-bottom shoe brand.
The outfit from head to toe was worth at least hundreds of thousands.
The most striking thing was Mu Changge's position in the photo.
She was following behind a tall, handsome young man.
That man had just turned to look at an advertisement, leaving only a blurry side profile.
Lin Zhiyue completely failed to recognize him as Su Mu, who dressed shabbily in class yesterday.
But in her eyes, skilled at catching rumors.
The distance between them and Mu Changge's slightly hesitant demeanor.
Clearly indicated it wasn't an equal romantic relationship.
It looked suspiciously like a female college student being kept by a sugar daddy.
What boyfriend would let the girl carry everything while leisurely sipping coffee?
Lin Zhiyue felt a blockage in her chest, both angry and envious.
Excitement and jealousy swirled in her mind.
Her roommate across the table noticed her changing expression and was startled.
"Is the dessert not to your taste? Why do you look so upset?"
Lin Zhiyue forced a smile, her lips stiff.
"Nothing."
She placed her recently manicured hand on the table edge.
The nail polish was chipping, and her account balance was similarly running low.
She looked down at her clothes.
She had specifically chosen this affordable luxury outfit for the afternoon tea, usually proud of it.
The jacket was actually a discounted 790-yuan knockoff.
This outfit could fool the unknowing engineering boys at school.
But compared to the high-end luxury ensemble Mu Changge wore in the photo.
Her outfit instantly seemed shabby, like something picked from a wholesale market's clearance sale.
Why?
Lin Zhiyue asked herself this question a thousand times.
In terms of looks, she considered herself top-tier too.
Except for her figure, which couldn't compare to Mu Changge's extraordinary one.
But why was she noticed by such a wealthy person?
In an instant, she achieved a class leap, turning into a phoenix.
The tiramisu on the table had completely melted, collapsing into an unrecognizable mush.
Looking at that mess, Lin Zhiyue felt her own bottom line collapsing too.
It perfectly mirrored her fragile mindset at this moment.
She switched back to the encrypted album.
Zoomed in on the photos she had just captured.
In a second, she thought of three Xiaohongshu viral titles.
Any one of them posted on the campus forum could ruin Mu Changge's reputation at Shanghai University.
But Lin Zhiyue's reason wasn't entirely consumed by jealousy.
Even if she ruined Mu Changge's reputation, such a big shot wouldn't notice her.
This kind of thing, harming others without benefiting oneself, wasn't her style.
She skillfully created a new hidden encrypted album.
Dragged those photos into it.
Thinking she would save these for later.
At a critical moment, they would be a trump card that could shake the scene.
Half an hour later.
In the dimly lit VIP exclusive garage on the second basement of Plaza 66.
Su Mu's eye-catching Porsche 911 flashed its headlights twice.
Mu Changge skillfully opened the low passenger door and slowly sat inside.
She glanced at the luxury shopping bags.
The price of those items was equivalent to a down payment on a house in downtown Shanghai.
Finally, she couldn't help but break the oppressive silence in the car.
"Su Mu."
"Do you rich people not treat money as money?"
"The money you spent this morning is enough for me to work three jobs a day without eating or drinking for two years."
Su Mu shifted into D gear, lightly tapping the accelerator.
The car smoothly glided out of the parking space.
He didn't even lift an eyelid as he casually replied.
"Since you know I'm generous."
"Why not seriously consider the personal living assistant offer I mentioned yesterday?"
"Room and board included, ten thousand a month."
"Isn't that a hundred times safer than wearing a coat to take on those odd temporary playmate gigs at night?"
The car fell into that familiar absolute silence again.
Only the deep exhaust sound of the sports car echoed between the empty garage's crash barriers, lingering for a long time.
This time, Mu Changge didn't directly refuse like she did yesterday morning in the infirmary.
She turned her head to watch the scenery retreating outside the window.
Finally, she softly let a weak sentence drift into the air.
"I'll think about it."
Su Mu held the steering wheel, hearing those four words, his lips quietly curled up.