After she finished, Little Xia turned to Jiang Cheng—who was scrolling on his phone—and asked, "Brother Cheng, doesn't Sister Xia look amazing in this?"
Jiang Cheng had already noticed the exchange between Little Xia and Xia Meng.
Now that Little Xia was actively asking for his opinion, his brows lifted in delighted surprise.
He gave it a glance and said decisively, "Looks great—if you like it, just wrap it up."
Seeing Jiang Cheng's approval, both Xia Meng and Little Xia secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Cheng had no idea that his accidental hands-off approach could stir such complicated thoughts in the two Girls.
In truth, he only wanted to hurry up and bond with Jiang Churan.
That simple smile on Jiang Cheng's face, at this very moment, fell into Xia Meng and Little Xia's eyes.
Once again they couldn't help interpreting it as a gratified smile praising them for being so considerate.
Encouraged by this approving grin, Little Xia raised her finger once more, pointing at the bracelet inside the glass case—identical to the one on her own wrist—and at the delicate ring beside it.
She leaned toward Xia Meng and whispered, "Sister Xia, why don't you try these two?"
Xia Meng's brows knit slightly at the sight, hesitation flickering in her gaze.
After a short silence she answered slowly, "But… you already have this ring. Would it be awkward if I wore one too?"
Right now Little Xia's only concern was that Jiang Cheng might think her petty; she couldn't care less about anything else.
She immediately made her stance clear.
In her thick hometown accent she blurted, "No, not at all! We're like real sisters—what's there to worry about!"
Listening to Little Xia's sincere, warm words, Xia Meng's already pink cheeks flushed deeper, but she gave a small nod in agreement.
The Sales Associate who had been quietly observing the pair the whole time grew excited the instant Xia Meng nodded.
With nimble movements she pulled the display ring—freshly restocked—from the cabinet.
A sweet smile on her face, she chirped at the two Girls, "Lots of best friends love buying this design."
The moment the word "best friends" hit their ears, Xia Meng and Little Xia both recalled what Jiang Cheng had said earlier.
Instantly the connection clicked again.
Did Jiang Cheng actually hope they would become inseparable best friends?
At once ripples stirred in each Girl's heart.
After a wild shopping spree at Van Cleef & Arpels, the three of them strolled out hand-in-hand. Such a harmonious scene had the whole sales staff crossing their legs in envy.
Inside Van Cleef & Arpels the trio indulged in retail therapy, sweeping every exquisite jewel into their bags. Laden with purchases, they again clasped hands and sauntered out.
That picture-perfect warmth became a dazzling sight, drawing sideways glances and whispered envy from every Sales Associate; some unconsciously crossed their legs to calm their excitement.
"Tsk-tsk, first time I've seen a three-way romance this romantic," the clerk who'd served Jiang Cheng couldn't help sighing.
Her gaze followed the departing figures, a look of intoxication on her face.
Beside her another clerk pouted, voice sour: "Romantic or not, neither of us is part of it."
The first clerk rolled her eyes teasingly: "Come on, you handed Mr. Jiang two glasses of water—where's your professionalism? If the manager saw, you'd be in trouble."
The teased clerk shrugged, unconcerned: "So what? Last month I killed myself for fifteen grand total. Look at him—those two visits alone topped two million. If I could be one of his Girls, even if he dumped me, selling this stuff on the secondary market would cover three years of my salary…"
At that the surrounding Sales Associates all nodded in agreement.
To them, a big-spender like this was a once-in-a-blue-moon sight.
Usually a customer bringing a girlfriend might spend a hundred grand—already considered generous.
Once outside Van Cleef & Arpels, Xia Meng had long forgotten her excuse about meeting friends.
She'd only said it to avoid potential awkwardness, giving everyone an easy out.
Yet after the back-and-forth with Little Xia, Xia Meng was surprised to find it wasn't as hard as she'd imagined.
After all, she'd worked in clubs and met plenty of Girls.
Though she rarely spoke with them, occasional contact had given her some experience.
In the short time she'd just spent with Little Xia, she found the Girl's smile honest and simple.
Her words were straightforward, not scheming—Xia Meng actually quite liked that.
Of course, since Xia Meng didn't bring up leaving, neither Jiang Cheng nor Little Xia mentioned it either.
With the two Girls in tow, Jiang Cheng visited several high-end fashion boutiques.
What stunned him was that, although the Girls bought some items separately,
they also picked several identical pieces.
Though he said nothing, inwardly he was baffled.
In so short a time they were already close enough to wear matching outfits?
When they'd walked into Van Cleef & Arpels he could sense the jealousy between them.
He didn't know when their attitudes had shifted,
but if they could share clothes, did that mean they could share… The thought reminded him of Yu Xiaoxiao and Su Wan—this best friends setup was getting interesting.
After another round of shopping Jiang Cheng asked, "What do you two want for dinner?"
Xia Meng slipped her arm through his, leaned over and asked Little Xia, "Little Xia, what are you in the mood for?"
Little Xia blushed faintly, shook her head, and murmured softly,
"I don't know. I rarely eat out. I'm not picky—anything's fine. I'll leave it to you."
Instinctively Jiang Cheng glanced at his watch.
The hands showed just past five in the evening.
If they ate now, with normal pacing, dinner would take nearly two hours.
They wouldn't finish until around seven.
Getting back to the apartment would then be after eight.
That wouldn't leave him much time.
He hadn't been home all night.
Though his parents hadn't said anything, they'd just arrived in Shanghai, and it felt inappropriate.
After a moment's thought he said, "Almost forgot—I've got something to take care of. How about we order take-out and eat at your place?"
The Girls didn't sense anything risky in the suggestion.
Xia Meng blinked, then shyly asked Little Xia, "Um… can I come eat at your place too?"