Over there, Lu Jiaoyue had successfully made contact with Gu Sipei, and the progression was smooth, bringing a sense of reassurance.
But at the same time and place, the System fell into deep thought as it watched Lu Xiaoxiao hiding behind a trash can with an intense aura of stealth.
"…Host, what are you doing?"
Lu Xiaoxiao let out an impatient "tsk" and replied, "Spying, of course. Do you even have a brain?"
System: "No, I don’t."
Lu Xiaoxiao: "…"
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Impressive."
Indeed, sincerity is the ultimate weapon.
The System continued to express confusion: "But didn’t you already exchange points for a stealth duration? Why are you still hiding?"
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Mind your own business. This kind of thing is all about the vibe."
After saying this, she ignored the System and continued observing the two over there.
[So it was an accidental collision… What a cliché way to meet.]
[But still, this man’s face is truly handsome. Look at those long legs! Look at those broad shoulders and narrow waist! Not bad, not bad—barely worthy of one ten-thousandth of my Xiaoyue’s charm!]
While Lu Xiaoxiao was scrutinizing Gu Sipei with the critical eye of a mother-in-law evaluating a son-in-law, Lu Jiaoyue suddenly heard the familiar inner voice and froze slightly.
She glanced around out of the corner of her eye but didn’t see Lu Xiaoxiao anywhere.
Lu Jiaoyue realized that her sister must be hiding nearby, closely watching her every word and action.
The slight panic she had felt earlier instantly subsided, replaced by a comforting sense of having someone backing her up.
Perhaps this was her sister’s test! She had to handle this unexpected situation properly to prove to her sister that she wouldn’t bring shame to the Lu Family!
With this thought, Lu Jiaoyue lifted her face with renewed determination, looking seriously and solemnly at Gu Sipei as she said clearly, "Sir, please don’t be angry with me. As compensation for disturbing your mood, I’d like to treat you to a coffee!"
Gu Sipei: "……?"
Lu Xiaoxiao: "?"
Lu Xiaoxiao felt her vision darken at Lu Jiaoyue’s move. She helplessly covered her eyes, unable to bear watching.
[Oh no, spending money on a man at the first meeting? Girl, you’ve really lost your mind!]
[It was just a bump—was such a formal apology necessary? Could it have caused any real harm? And even if we stretch it, wasn’t he at fault too? Standing there without moving aside when he saw someone coming!]
Gu Sipei narrowed his eyes, studying the girl whose height barely reached his chin, and didn’t respond immediately.
He rarely visited shopping malls in person, as his lifestyle assistant handled most of his needs, leaving little for him to buy himself.
His presence here today was due to the upcoming 70th birthday of the Gu Family patriarch, for which he needed to prepare a gift.
Gu Sipei’s relationship with his family had always been distant, with only the patriarch being somewhat closer to him. Naturally, he didn’t want to skimp on the birthday gift, so he had come to select a finely crafted jade Buddha statue.
Just as he stepped out of the store, Lu Jiaoyue had unexpectedly collided with him.
The girl was holding a pile of luxury brand shopping bags, yet the clothes she wore seemed worth less than a hundred at a glance. Her face was free of makeup, and she carried a pure, clean aura—at first glance, she didn’t resemble a wealthy heiress but rather a girl from an ordinary family.
But this face was familiar to Gu Sipei.
The Gu family had well-connected sources. Back when the Lu Family confirmed Lu Jiaoyue's identity, someone had already sent him a file containing her photo.
Gu Sipei usually stayed away from women, yet there were many social butterflies in their circle trying to climb their way to him. He had encountered plenty of charming, cute, aloof, or spoiled women, but someone as simple and plain as Lu Jiaoyue was completely new to him. That's why he remembered her after just one glance.
He never expected to run into her so coincidentally today.
Not far away, Assistant Lin from Gu Corporation had just finished paying for the jade Buddha on behalf of his boss. As he was about to approach Gu Sipei to report, a single glance from his superior stopped him in his tracks.
Assistant Lin took a closer look and noticed an unfamiliar young woman standing before the CEO. Without another word, he quietly turned and walked away.
After all, Gu Corporation paid him such a high salary—he needed to have some situational awareness.
Lu Jiaoyue had already regretted her words the moment she heard Lu Xiaoxiao's internal complaints.
Wuwu, I really am so foolish. I wanted to impress my sister, but I ended up making things worse.
Seeing that Gu Sipei hadn't responded for a while, her embarrassment grew. Stuttering, she tried to save face: "It's… it's fine if you don't want to. Anyway, I'm really sorry…"
"Who said I didn't want to?" Gu Sipei cut her off before she could finish. "Lead the way."
The man's voice was deep and magnetic, pleasant to the ear. He didn't say anything unnecessary, his tone brief and authoritative—clearly someone accustomed to giving orders.
Lu Jiaoyue was dumbfounded. She let out a dazed "Ah?" and her expression became conflicted.
Now that he had agreed, she didn't actually want to treat him anymore…
Her sister had already called her foolish, and she desperately wanted to cut her losses!
But since it was her own promise, and Lu Jiaoyue wasn't one to break her word, she hesitated for a long time before reluctantly deciding to follow through.
"Alright, but, but… I never said I'd take you to a café." Lu Jiaoyue temporarily set down her shopping bag, then flusteredly pulled out her phone and opened the scanning interface. "I'll scan and pay you!"
Gu Sipei was taken aback, clearly not following her train of thought. "Scan what?"
Frowning, Lu Jiaoyue replied, "Your payment QR code, of course! I'll transfer you 20 yuan."
Her expression was so matter-of-fact, her eyes even carrying a hint of doubt, as if she might as well have written "Do you even have common sense?" right on her face.
The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence.
Lu Xiaoxiao was the first to break. She quickly covered her mouth to stifle any sound, but she was laughing hysterically inside.
[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I'm laughing so hard I'm falling apart! Is this an apology or an insult? You're doing amazing, sweetie! Gu Sipei definitely never dreamed he'd go out shopping and get charity of 20 yuan from someone HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]
Hearing Lu Xiaoxiao laugh so joyfully, Lu Jiaoyue thought her approach had earned her sister's approval. She brightened up entirely and even urged him, saying, "Hurry up!"
Gu Sipei's expression grew increasingly indescribable. After a silent moment, he still pulled up a QR code.
Except it wasn't a payment code—it was a WeChat add-friend QR code.
"Let's exchange contact information," he said.
After a moment's consideration, Lu Jiaoyue thought it would be acceptable and compliantly added him.
Lu Xiaoxiao nearly laughed herself silly at this plot development, but halfway through her laughter, she suddenly realized she didn't even have Lu Jiaoyue's WeChat contact. Her amusement instantly vanished.
[That damn man actually beat me to it! I want to add my sister on WeChat too!!!]
Lu Jiaoyue couldn't help but smile faintly, deciding she would add Lu Xiaoxiao's contact immediately when they met later.
In the original plot, Gu Sipei had escorted Lu Jiaoyue back to the Lu Family.
But when the real Gu Sipei asked if she had come alone, Lu Jiaoyue firmly shook her head.
"I came with my sister. She's probably waiting in the car for me right now. I need to go find her."
"Transferred 20 yuan to you! Remember to accept it! Bye~"
Watching the girl's resolute departing figure, then gazing at the transfer interface on his phone for a while longer, Gu Sipei let out an ambiguous chuckle from his lips.
He was beginning to grow curious.
If this girl knew his cash flow exceeded 200,000 per minute, he wondered what interesting expression she would make.