“And then he said he wants you to take responsibility for his two hairs?”
As soon as Shen Ling finished the sentence, she collapsed into Sheng Mingzhi’s arms, laughing hysterically. Sheng Mingzhi pushed her away with a look of pure disdain.
“Can you mind the boundaries between men and women? Besides, I have a very specific profession. I don’t want to spark scandals with a second-generation socialite.”
Ever since Lu Jiayan sent him that message that morning, he had flown to France for a business trip. Sheng Mingzhi hadn’t seen him for a while. Consequently, he hadn’t had the chance to tell Lu Jiayan that he planned to build a cenotaph for those two tragically deceased hairs. Construction cost: two million per hair, totaling four million. Cash payments only.
Lu Jiayan’s schedule was packed. Upon his return, he led his core team through a series of major maneuvers at Shengjia, catching Lu Xiao completely off guard. Even Sheng Mingzhi, who didn’t care for financial news, had heard about the soaring Shengjia stock price more than once from the retail investors in his circle, like Xiao Wang.
The two factions within Shengjia were locked in a heated battle. It was no wonder Lu Jiayan hadn’t been sleeping well lately; Sheng Mingzhi vaguely recalled seeing the faint dark circles under his eyes that night.
“He really said that? Lu Jiayan actually said that?”
“Who else?”
Shen Ling finally stopped laughing and daintily forked a piece of watermelon. “That doesn’t sound like his personality.” She paused, her female intuition kicking in. She raised an eyebrow. “I feel like he’s intentionally trying to ‘extort’ you. Mingzhi, you two didn’t actually develop feelings after marriage, did you?”
As if he had heard the world’s funniest joke, Sheng Mingzhi’s body stiffened, nearly spitting out his juice. He quickly offered a cool, biting retort: “Impossible. What kind of feelings can you develop with a ‘cyber-dog’ man like Lu Jiayan? My greatest act of benevolence would be not giving him a green hat after he dies.”
Shen Ling hesitated. “Why are you so agitated? I just said it in passing.”
After all, their relationship was so “plastic” that any two random men on the street were more likely to fall in love than Lu Jiayan and Sheng Mingzhi. Furthermore, if Lu Jiayan really had any ideas, he wouldn’t have stayed away for three years. If no sparks flew then, how could he change his view of Sheng Mingzhi in just two short months back? As far as she knew, elite heirs like Lu Jiayan who had been top-tier since birth usually looked down on “useless” rich second-generation kids like them.
________________________________________
After dinner, Shen Ling used the excuse of a post-meal walk to drag Sheng Mingzhi to the Yunting Plaza. Everything above the seventeenth floor was luxury boutiques. It was the autumn/winter season transition, and haute couture coats were hitting the shelves. Despite having watched a dozen runway shows and ordering over twenty pieces of couture, Shen Ling still insisted she needed “daily wear.”
She even fabricated the claim that she was “missing a bag for grocery shopping,” which made Sheng Mingzhi want to plug her mouth with a diamond.
Sister, are you taking a Birkin to the wet market?
And do you even buy groceries? Isn’t your hobby ‘raising fish’ in nightclubs?
Like most men, Sheng Mingzhi despised shopping. Primarily, he hated carrying Shen Ling’s bags, her purse felt like it was stuffed with bricks. Out of their decade-long friendship, he begrudgingly accompanied her into a luxury brand store to sit for a while.
In just ten minutes, Shen Ling changed through three dresses. Dazzled and annoyed, Sheng Mingzhi pretended to be deaf, ignored her shouting, and calmly walked away.
The moment he left, a sales associate who had been waiting for the right moment approached Shen Ling, surrounding her with a flurry of extravagant flattery.
Why did they wait for Sheng Mingzhi to leave? In Xiao Wang’s words, both Sheng Mingzhi and Shen Ling had “top-tier” striking features. One was 173cm, the other nearly 180cm; standing together, they radiated an intense, intimidating pressure. Moreover, Shen Ling had the face of a “femme fatale,” while Sheng Mingzhi looked like a “sea king” (player) hanging out with her. Xiao Wang had “fashionable person phobia”—he was terrified when the two appeared in the same frame because anyone standing next to them would inevitably look short, ugly, and poor.
Aside from clothing, the boutique also sold tie clips and accessories. Sheng Mingzhi’s gaze fell on a deep gray tie. He suddenly remembered Lu Jiayan had a black suit jacket that would go perfectly with it. It was the perfect way to “take responsibility” for those two hairs.
In a rare moment of goodwill, Sheng Mingzhi decided to buy the tie for Lu Jiayan.
But before he could ask the associate to wrap it up, Qiao Yan’s voice rang in his ear.
“Sheng Mingzhi? Why are you here?!”
Sheng Mingzhi looked up and saw Qiao Yan, fully disguised in a baseball cap and mask. Standing next to him was Huo Yuzhe, who was already carrying several luxury bags. It seemed they were out on a date.
Talk about bad luck. You can choke on cold water when you’re this jaded.
Sheng Mingzhi’s face immediately darkened with disdain. Qiao Yan saw this and fumed. He hadn’t even started giving Sheng Mingzhi attitude yet, and this guy dared to look down on him?!
Somehow, Qiao Yan remembered the rumors about Sheng Mingzhi’s “fake flexing being exposed by netizens.” He looked Sheng Mingzhi up and down, glanced at the luxurious decor of the shop, and sneered sarcastically, “You’re not here just to take photos for social media, are you?”
Sheng Mingzhi didn’t answer the boring provocation. He said flatly, “I was wondering why I saw a ghost in broad daylight. Turns out it’s just you, haunting the place.”
Qiao Yan glared. “You!”
Huo Yuzhe quickly intervened to smooth things over. “Yanyan, there are many people here. We’re in public.” He was reminding Qiao Yan of his status as a celebrity. Unlike an 18th-tier flop like Sheng Mingzhi, Qiao Yan couldn’t afford to act out.
Because of his status, Qiao Yan endured it. However, he couldn’t swallow his pride. To coax him, Huo Yuzhe told Qiao Yan to pick out any gift he liked. Coincidentally, Qiao Yan set his sights on the tie right in front of Sheng Mingzhi.
“I want this tie. Wrap it up for me.”
“Wait.” Sheng Mingzhi spoke up, drawing out his words intentionally. “Who told you this tie was available? I want it too.”
Qiao Yan exploded instantly. “Sheng Mingzhi, don’t push it too far!”
“Hilarious,” Sheng Mingzhi said lazily. “You overthink your own importance. What does my shopping have to do with you?”
The atmosphere was explosive. The sales associate was caught in a dilemma. Qiao Yan, burning with rage, glanced at the price tag: 78,000 yuan. He calmed down for a split second. For a star, it wasn’t “expensive,” but it was enough to sting. Where did a flop like Sheng Mingzhi get that kind of money?
Qiao Yan pursed his lips and said, “Fine. You want it? Buy it then. Let’s see if you can actually afford it.”
Sheng Mingzhi said slowly, “Actually, I think it’s ugly now. I don’t want it.”
Qiao Yan smiled derisively, thinking he had confirmed the rumors: Sheng Mingzhi was indeed a poser who “slapped his face to make it look fat.” At this moment, he felt a wave of satisfaction. He didn’t even want to argue anymore. Why stoop to the level of a low-class poser? It would only lower his own value.
With a smug, “bitchy” smile, Qiao Yan proceeded to buy about 600,000-yuan worth of accessories in the store. He also added a 700,000-yuan haute couture piece, totaling 1.3 million yuan.
Huo Yuzhe’s brows furrowed slightly. Including what Qiao Yan had bought earlier today, the total was nearly two million. He had only recently gained popularity; his endorsement fees and savings only amounted to a little over ten million. Spending two million made his heart ache but he had to keep Qiao Yan happy to ride his popularity and climb higher.
Once Qiao Yan finalized his choices, Sheng Mingzhi finally spoke to the sales associate, his tone indifferent: “Everything he just bought? I want it all.”
Qiao Yan laughed out of pure anger. “Are you insane, Sheng Mingzhi?”
You couldn’t even afford a 78,000-yuan tie, what are you posing for?
Sheng Mingzhi ignored him and continued to the associate, “I recall your store has a policy: VIP customers get priority when stock is limited.”
Qiao Yan froze.
The associate replied immediately, “Yes, Mr. Sheng.”
Sheng Mingzhi pointed to Qiao Yan’s items. “Are most of these the only ones in stock?”
“Most of them are the only piece,” the associate confirmed.
Sheng Mingzhi smiled. The kind of smile that could take ten years off a person’s life. “My apologies. It seems you’ll be going home empty-handed today.”
The sales associate quickly checked the VIP card data. The photo that popped up wasn’t Sheng Mingzhi, but Lu Jiayan, the Chairman of Yunting International. The associate’s face turned pale; she nearly screamed at the counter. When they returned to greet Sheng Mingzhi, the associate had been replaced by the Store Manager, who bowed respectfully and began wrapping everything Sheng Mingzhi had requested.
Qiao Yan watched in disbelief as Sheng Mingzhi actually bought over a million yuan worth of goods without blinking. His face turned a shade of bruised black. Mortified, Qiao Yan wanted to lash out physically, but Huo Yuzhe held him back.
To be fair, Huo Yuzhe felt a secret sense of relief when he saw Sheng Mingzhi swipe the card. If he had really been forced to pay that 1.3 million, it would have truly hurt.
“Yanyan, let it go.”
“Let it go?!” Qiao Yan finally snapped at him. “Am I your boyfriend, or is he? Why are you speaking for him? Huo Yuzhe, I’m not blind!”
With that, he ran out in a huff. Huo Yuzhe glanced awkwardly at Sheng Mingzhi, a seed of doubt planting in his mind. How does Sheng Mingzhi have that much money? Where did it come from? But he had no time to think; Qiao Yan was already far away, and he had to chase after him.
Watching the “Little Green Tea” cry as he ran away, Sheng Mingzhi felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
However, by nighttime, he felt a bit of regret. Not because of the money—he was using Lu Jiayan’s card, so he didn’t feel a thing—but because Qiao Yan’s taste was truly atrocious. Aside from that tie, he couldn’t find a single nice item in the pile.
Just as he was sitting in the living room agonizing over the mess, the front door of No. 1 Xishan opened. The sound of an engine came from the yard. Sheng Mingzhi froze; he suddenly remembered today was the day Lu Jiayan returned from his trip.
What a coincidence.
Before he could hide the mountain of luxury bags on the table, Lu Jiayan had already taken the elevator up from the basement. Having not seen him for days, Sheng Mingzhi felt a bit of awkwardness.
Lu Jiayan paused at the sight of the chaos in the room, then raised an eyebrow. Although Sheng Mingzhi spent Lu Jiayan’s money like water and wasn’t polite about it, this was the first time he’d been caught red-handed.
Feeling strangely guilty, Sheng Mingzhi broke the silence. “Let’s get one thing straight. I didn’t buy these for myself.”
Lu Jiayan lazily removed his suit jacket, revealing a white shirt. His proportions were perfect, like a man stepped out of a manga. He walked toward the sofa step by step, his presence bringing a sense of pressure.
Sheng Mingzhi repeated, emphasizing: “These are all for you.”
Lu Jiayan was skeptical. “For me?”
Sheng Mingzhi nodded. The more he thought about it, the more righteous he felt. I bought him gifts, why am I guilty? The old man should be grateful to me! Even my brother Sheng Xu hasn’t received a gift I bought myself!
“Yeah. Didn’t you want me to take responsibility for those two hairs?” Sheng Mingzhi pushed the luxury goods toward Lu Jiayan, looking like he was presenting a treasure. “This is my sincerity.”
His expression said: This settles the score for the unpleasantness that night.
Lu Jiayan didn’t move. He looked at him with a half-smile, as if saying: The little ancestor actually knows how to spend money to coax a man?
His subtle touched moment lasted about three seconds.
The phone in his pocket vibrated. Lu Jiayan pulled it out; it was a notification from the bank.
【Dear [Bank Name] Customer, your card ending in 3215 has completed a transaction of 1,432,000 CNY at the [Yunting Plaza Store]…】
…
…
Sheng Mingzhi: “.”
The living room became horrifyingly quiet. The screen was bright. Both could see the text clearly, and both could see the Yunting Plaza logo on the shopping bags.
The atmosphere was a stalemate of awkwardness. Suddenly, Sheng Mingzhi broke the silence.
“That’s right,” he said with a straight face, using a dry, forced logic. “Theoretically speaking, if I’m buying things for you, I should obviously use your money.”
His logic was so flawless that Lu Jiayan found himself unable to argue. Instantly, every ounce of sentiment in his heart vanished.
Lu Jiayan was moved to a cold laugh. His voice was deep and clean, his eyes full of disbelief. “So… am I supposed to thank you for spending my money to buy me a gift?”
“Yes.” Sheng Mingzhi nodded expressionlessly, though his toes were curling in embarrassment. “You’re welcome. It’s the least you could do.”