Lin Nianxi opened the shopping app and searched for laptops.
She had been wanting to buy a new laptop for a while. She had her eye on one that cost three thousand yuan but had hesitated for half a year, unable to bring herself to spend the money.
Her finger swiped directly to the latest models.
A pink, slim and lightweight laptop—twelve thousand yuan.
Her slender, pale hand gently tapped the payment button.
A computer she wouldn’t have dared to look at before could now be bought with just a tap of her finger.
Lin Nianxi was overjoyed, but she realized she was still far from completing today’s spending task.
She decided to head to the mall.
Lin Nianxi stood up, picked up her bag, and walked toward the door.
The butler had already arranged for a driver. A low-key black Mercedes-Benz was parked at the entrance of the estate, and the driver opened the rear door.
“Madam, where would you like to go?”
“SKP,” Lin Nianxi replied as she got into the car, her voice lacking a bit of confidence.
SKP was Beijing’s most upscale commercial complex, home to a cluster of top-tier luxury brands and the highest-grossing luxury department store in the world.
In the past, Lin Nianxi would pass by without even daring to step inside.
Now, she was wearing the light pink French-style dress she had changed into earlier, paired with Mary Jane shoes adorned with crushed diamonds. The bag in her hand was a limited-edition piece from a high-end brand she couldn’t even name.
She wanted to go inside and take a look.
The greeter at the entrance bowed slightly. “Welcome.”
Lin Nianxi straightened her back and stepped inside.
On the mall’s basement level, there was a dessert shop that had been trending online for over half a year—Crème de la Lune.
Lin Nianxi had scrolled past it countless times on social media.
Influencers lined up for photos, and the comments were filled with praises like “expensive but worth it,” “a bite of heaven,” and “the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.”
Back then, lying in the small, cluttered room at her uncle’s house, she would zoom in on every picture, study them carefully, and then silently close her phone.
It was too expensive—she couldn’t bring herself to spend that much.
A tiny cake, finished in two or three bites, cost seven or eight hundred yuan.
Now, Lin Nianxi stood before the cream-white glass door.
Inside the shop’s display case, rows of breathtakingly exquisite desserts were arranged.
Lin Nianxi’s dark almond-shaped eyes curved as she peered inside.
She felt like a little mouse entering a rice jar.
She wanted to try everything.
On the display shelf, a caramel-colored French mille-feuille was drizzled with amber syrup, which slowly trickled down the layers of pastry. Next to it was an entire row of handmade chocolate cakes, each coated in a mirror-like chocolate glaze. The filling was a rich double layer of blueberry mousse and dark chocolate ganache, blending shades of purple and deep brown.
At the center of the display was the signature cake, named “Midnight Blueberry.”
The entire cake was a deep purplish-black, adorned with fresh blueberries and edible gold leaf. The base was made of crushed handmade butter cookies, and the middle layer was a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate filling.
A small slice cost eight hundred and eighty yuan.
Lin Nianxi swallowed.
As a chocolate lover, seeing all this was almost overwhelming.
“Please give me one slice of Midnight Blueberry, one caramel mille-feuille, and…” She glanced at the other cakes in the display case. “One hazelnut mousse, and one matcha raw chocolate tart.”
The shop assistant smiled as she packed them.
Four slices of cake in total—four thousand one hundred yuan.
Lin Nianxi walked out of the dessert shop carrying a shopping bag printed with the brand’s logo. She couldn’t resist opening the bag and taking a sniff.
So fragrant.
Just smelling it makes me so happy.
The rich chocolate aroma is incredibly appetizing.
Lin Nianxi sat on the beige French-style chair outside the shop, taking out the small cakes one by one and arranging them on the table. She placed the bag aside, picked up her phone to take a photo, and after snapping the picture, posted it to her social media with the caption: “The little cakes I’ve been dreaming of—my friends get to see them first!”
After posting, she picked up a small fork and looked at the cakes with a hint of dilemma.
Each one looked so delicious—which should she try first?
Lin Nianxi decided to start with the hazelnut mousse.
This cake even had a chocolate stick as decoration on the outside. With the first bite, the rich chocolate aroma enveloped her senses.
The filling inside was also rich and creamy.
It was a delicate sweetness blended with the mellow fragrance of chocolate—one bite was pure satisfaction!
No wonder it tasted so amazing!
You really get what you pay for!
Lin Nianxi happily took bite after bite, finishing two small cakes with great contentment.
After those two small pieces, she was already feeling a bit full.
She couldn’t bear to eat the remaining two and decided to save them for later at home.
Lin Nianxi took out her phone and glanced at her spending record. Including the laptop and the cakes, she had spent a total of sixteen thousand today.
She continued browsing inside the mall.
On the fourth floor, there was a high-end hair salon famous among Beijing’s socialites—SALON DE FLEUR.
It was said that this salon only accepted appointments, and its clientele was exclusively wealthy or influential. Even a basic treatment cost over ten thousand.
Lin Nianxi hesitated for a moment at the entrance.
Her hair really needed some care.
Due to years of poor nutrition, her hair was dry, frizzy, and severely split at the ends. It looked decent when tied up, but loose, it appeared messy.
She envied the smooth, glossy hair of her university classmates.
Pushing open the glass door, the interior was decorated in a subtle champagne gold tone, with a faint floral scent lingering in the air.
The receptionist looked up, her gaze first landing on the well-tailored dress Lin Nianxi was wearing, then sweeping over the watch on her wrist and the shoes on her feet.
Her professional training allowed her to quickly assess the customer’s spending level.
“Hello, do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked with a warm smile.
“No, I’d like to get a hair treatment. Is there an opening now?”
“Yes, please come this way.” The receptionist personally escorted her to the VIP area.
A top-tier stylist approached, took a strand of Lin Nianxi’s hair, and examined it. His tone was gentle yet frank: “Your hair’s foundation is actually quite good—fine and soft—but it lacks nourishment, and the cuticles are severely damaged. I recommend a deep repair treatment package, combined with scalp care.”
“How much is it?”
“A single treatment is twelve thousand. If you purchase a membership card, it’s a minimum of five treatments with a twenty percent discount.”
Five treatments would amount to forty-eight thousand.
Lin Nianxi hesitated for a moment. “I’ll take the membership card.”
She swiped her card—forty-eight thousand.
Spending money was truly a joy.
The treatment began. The stylist’s technique was professional—hot compress, essential oil massage, steam treatment. After the entire process, Lin Nianxi was so relaxed she nearly fell asleep.
Just as she was drifting off, the salon door swung open.
A familiar laugh pierced her ears.
“I want the same hydrating hair mask treatment as last time. The results were amazing—my classmates said my hair looked like it belonged in a commercial—”
The voice abruptly stopped.
Lin Nianxi opened her eyes and saw the newcomer in the mirror.
Lin Xuewei.
Dressed in designer clothes, wearing ten-centimeter red-soled high heels, and carrying a handbag.
Their gazes met in the mirror.
Lin Xuewei froze for a full three seconds before her expression shifted from shock to gloom.
She brushed aside the receptionist’s guidance and strode over to Lin Nianxi, scrutinizing her outfit from head to toe, her eyes narrowing more and more tightly.
“Lin Nianxi?”
Lin Xuewei’s voice lowered as she frowned and asked, “What are you doing in a place like this?”