The next morning, Jiang Cheng woke up with a twinge of regret—mainly because the dark circles under his eyes had deepened.
Fortunately, he was still young, and thanks to the system's physique boost, even three straight days of plowing left him battle-ready for more than an hour.
Any ordinary guy would have collapsed long ago.
While guiltlessly enjoying Wang Yuyan's breakfast feeding, Jiang Cheng thumbed replies to Zhou Ying on his phone.
Wang Yuyan was perfectly tactful; her gaze never dipped below his mouth, showing no hint of screen-peeking.
"Jiang Cheng, are you awake?"
"Been up ages. Are you busy today?"
"No work for me. Got time?" Zhou Ying replied.
"Tell me what for, then I'll decide if I'm free." Jiang Cheng sent back playfully.
"Hmph—want to take you to lunch!"
"OK, I'll come pick you up right now."
After cuddling Wang Yuyan a little longer, Jiang Cheng left Luxury Hotel. When he pulled up at Zhou Ying's place, she was already downstairs waiting.
Jiang Cheng liked that about her—she was always early and never kept him waiting.
Today she wore only a tiny camisole up top, the Cartier necklace he'd gifted gracing her swan neck, and loose light-wash jeans below—casual yet sizzling.
Jiang Cheng rolled down the window, whistled, and said with a smirk, "Ying-er, get in."
Zhou Ying didn't object aloud, but her cheeks flushed at the intimate nickname.
Once inside she cooed, "Where are we eating?"
"How about nearby Hang Lung Plaza? Lots of good food there."
"Deal!" Zhou Ying answered.
Soon the car stopped at Hang Lung Plaza. After parking, the two strolled around casually.
Passing rows of luxury boutiques, Zhou Ying volunteered,
"Let's skip shopping and eat instead. I'm starving."
Jiang Cheng saw through her—'not hungry' really meant 'don't spend money on me'.
He knew she meant it, but he still had two Cash-back Shopping Cards burning a hole in his pocket.
After looking around, he decided Chanel suited Zhou Ying's vibe best.
He tugged her into the Chanel boutique. "Anything you fancy?"
Zhou Ying shook her head. She'd owned Chanel before and knew exactly what it cost.
Besides, last time they'd bumped into Wang Yuan, Jiang Cheng had already bought her pricey jewelry. Their relationship had only just begun, and she didn't want him buying something every date.
She joked, "Forget it—my myopia's getting worse; lately I open Alipay and can't see my balance at all."
Jiang Cheng laughed. "Shall we pop into an optician then?"
"Er… never mind. Anything money can fix, I can't afford."
The quip lightened the air between them instantly.
"How come I never noticed you were this funny back then—such a waste."
"Hmph, you didn't speak to me once in three years of high school."
Jiang Cheng rubbed his nose, pointed at a camellia-print bag. "Try this one?"
Zhou Ying glanced at the Sales Associate hovering nearby.
Too polite to refuse, she picked it up and slung it on.
"Suits you. Try this next."
At his words her resolve wavered visibly.
"This one's nice too—give it a go."
Jiang Cheng had to admit he adored Zhou Ying's looks: sexy or pure, she could pull off either.
"How about some clothes?"
"No need—I never have occasions to wear them."
When she refused, Jiang Cheng shook his head. He wanted to use the Cash-back Card, whose ceiling was 500,000 yuan.
One Chanel bag was barely 20,000—nowhere near enough.
But Zhou Ying insisted, so in the end he bought two bags totaling 55,800 yuan.
Still nowhere near the threshold to trigger the cashback card.
With the bags in hand, Zhou Ying dragged him off to lunch, refusing further shopping.
They headed to a well-known hot-pot franchise nearby.
A Waitress led them to the second-floor dining area.
The Handsome Guy–pretty-girl combo drew glances the moment they appeared.
Unfortunately, the instant Jiang Cheng stepped upstairs he spotted a beauty at the left table—none other than Qiao Yinyin.
Just then, the Waitress's loud "Welcome!" made Qiao Yinyin look up.
Her eyes widened in alarm: Jiang Cheng was holding hands with an unfamiliar woman.
Jiang Cheng's face registered a split-second shock, but he reined it in at once.
Qiao Yinyin's reaction was even more obvious; she pouted and whipped her face away, pretending not to see him.
Her blatant gesture puzzled Zhou Ying, who turned to Jiang Cheng. "You two know each other?"
After a pause Jiang Cheng nodded. "Yeah, she's a Streamer."
Since they'd bumped into each other, he saw no need to hide. From Qiao Yinyin's behavior he knew she wouldn't make a scene; their arrangement had been clear from the start.
Though Qiao Yinyin had imagined this scenario, facing it still stung.
True, she'd first chased his money, but after all their intimacy, feelings had crept in.
Firsts are firsts—whatever the reason, they're special.
She'd thought Jiang Cheng cared for her too.
Turned out it was just a transaction.
Yet seeing his expression, Qiao Yinyin chickened out, daring no public outburst.
She knew that in this mutual deal, throwing a tantrum would cost her everything.
As Jiang Cheng walked toward her, her mind screamed a hundred rejections.
"Fancy meeting you here," Jiang Cheng said, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh… hey, what a coincidence—enjoy your meal."