When it came time to pay, Zhong Chuxi finally understood what it meant to "spend money like water."
Chen Jiaxue picked out two dresses and a bag, while Zhao Yihan chose a dress, a pair of shoes, and a small leather wallet.
Chloe was the most direct.
She took whatever she liked, eventually forming a small pile.
Zhong Chuxi had originally thought they would show some restraint.
After all, Chen Jiaxue had just said she "wasn't qualified to be his girlfriend."
Shouldn't she at least be a bit more reserved?
Instead, Jiang Cheng sat on the sofa, nodding every time the Sales Associate announced an item.
"I'll take this dress."
"I'll take this bag."
"Those shoes, get them in her size."
From beginning to end, Jiang Cheng didn't look at a price tag once, but when checking out, he deliberately added a few more items for Chen Jiaxue and Zhao Yihan.
Finally, the Sales Associate tapped on her calculator for a long time before looking up with a smile. "Mr. Jiang, the total is 2,368,000."
Zhong Chuxi's head buzzed.
Two million, three hundred and sixty-eight thousand.
Her parents gave her twenty-five hundred a month for living expenses—thirty thousand a year. It would take her over seventy years to save that much.
Why was Jiang Cheng so good to them?
In reality, Jiang Cheng wasn't thinking as much as Zhong Chuxi imagined.
Last time he went to the bar with Fang Yuan, the system had rewarded him with two Consumption Cashback Cards, each with a maximum cashback limit of five million.
That was why Jiang Cheng had casually added more items.
After all, it would be a waste not to take advantage of it.
Seeing that the amount was still a bit low, Jiang Cheng pointed to several more bags, some seasonal hoodies, and some sneakers.
The three women noticed that the clothes Jiang Cheng was buying weren't in their style, but aside from glancing at each other, they didn't show any other reaction.
"Mr. Jiang, with these additions, the total is 4.2 million!"
Jiang Cheng nodded and pulled out his card.
"Swipe it. Oh, and wrap these up for me. I'll leave an address for you to deliver them..."
"Of course, Young Master Jiang..."
Soon after the card was swiped, the system's 'ding' sounded in his mind.
"Ding! Consumption Cashback Card used successfully. Congratulations to the host for obtaining ten times cashback: 42 million!"
When they walked out, Zhong Chuxi was completely dazed.
She was also carrying three bags in her hands.
They contained not only the light blue dress from earlier but also items Jiang Cheng had chosen for her.
She clearly hadn't said she wanted to buy them, but when it came time to pay, the Sales Associate had already wrapped the dress, saying it was "per Mr. Jiang's instructions."
She didn't know what to say.
As they left the shop, Chen Jiaxue winked at Jiang Cheng and then proactively moved closer to Zhong Chuxi.
She put on the air of a caring older sister.
"What's wrong? You don't look very happy..."
Looking at Chen Jiaxue's behavior, Jiang Cheng didn't feel much of a reaction internally.
Once your net worth reaches the hundreds of millions, you'll find that the number of sensible people around you starts to increase.
These people will take the initiative to solve even the slightest annoyance you might have.
Zhong Chuxi hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, "Is he... always like this?"
"Like what?" Chen Jiaxue asked, blinking her large eyes.
"Spending money... is he always so casual about it?"
Chen Jiaxue understood what Zhong Chuxi meant.
After a moment of reflection, she spoke. "While I don't know Jiang Cheng that well yet, I don't think he's a 'casual' person. It's just that he's different from other rich heirs; he's a man who knows how to respect women..."
Seeing that Zhong Chuxi remained silent, Chen Jiaxue glanced at her and added, "You're the best friend of Jiang Cheng's girlfriend, right?"
Zhong Chuxi nodded.
"Though I haven't met her, based on what I know of Young Master Jiang, he must treat her very well..."
Zhong Chuxi nodded at those words.
"Jiang Cheng is very good to her. He bought her a house and a car, and he really pampers her when they're together..."
Hearing this, Chen Jiaxue felt a pang of jealousy.
But it was only for a fleeting moment.
Persistence pays off; even an iron rod can be ground into a needle.
The fact that Jiang Cheng had brought her out to buy things today was already a huge step forward.
"Then do you think," Chen Jiaxue's voice was soft, as if asking casually, "that you should tell your best friend about what you saw today?"
Zhong Chuxi froze.
She instinctively looked at Jiang Cheng walking ahead of them.
Currently, Chloe was leaning on his arm, and Zhao Yihan was smiling as she said something beside him.
The sunlight hit him, making him look very ordinary, yet very extraordinary.
"I..." She opened her mouth. "I don't know."
Chen Jiaxue didn't say anything, just continued walking alongside her.
After a while, Chen Jiaxue spoke up again.
"If I were you, I wouldn't say anything."
Zhong Chuxi looked at her. "Why?"
Chen Jiaxue stopped, turned around, and looked her in the eye.
"Is telling her really for her own good?"
Zhong Chuxi was stunned.
"Look," Chen Jiaxue said, her tone calm. "She knows best how Young Master Jiang treats her. He gave her a house and a car, he's sincere, and he treats her like a treasure every time they meet. You've seen all that. And today, you saw Young Master Jiang taking other women shopping? You saw him spending money generously?"
She paused.
"But in this world, there are plenty of wealthy men. Look at those billionaires—how many of them don't play around? They do it openly, and when they're done, they give nothing. Unless a woman bears their child, they might give her a house. Haven't we seen enough of that?"
Zhong Chuxi was speechless.
She thought of the news online and the "wealthy sugar daddy" gossip her roommates talked about.
She thought of those messy dramas where women who had children were still fighting online for a house.
"It might not be great for me to say this," Chen Jiaxue smiled with a hint of self-deprecation. "After all, Yihan and I are probably the least important people around Young Master Jiang. We haven't known him long, and there's no special connection. It's just... just that we were lucky enough to be taken in by him."
She looked at Jiang Cheng ahead of them, her eyes holding something Zhong Chuxi couldn't quite decipher.
"But even so, he hasn't mistreated us. We never lack for food or clothes. Whatever we want, if he knows, he gives it. Don't you think that's already very rare?"
Zhong Chuxi remained silent.
"Isn't that saying very popular online?" Chen Jiaxue laughed.
"'If someone gave you 500,000 a month to help their mistress through postpartum confinement, would you do it?' — The comments are all 'Yes.'"
She looked at Zhong Chuxi. "So you see, those women are willing to do anything for money without even meeting the man. But Young Master Jiang? He gives money, he gives things, and he gives respect. He never treats us like playthings. Do you think a man like that would be bad to his own girlfriend?"