We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

You look beautiful today.

Along with this compliment, his gaze swept over her from head to toe without any attempt to conceal it.

Unhurried and unhurried, with an undisguised sense of appreciation.

Xia Shiqing's ears burned, and her breathing became erratic.

But vanity and smugness swelled wildly in her heart, and she secretly rejoiced that the outfit she had agonized over in front of the mirror all morning was indeed the right choice.

Ye Chen withdrew his gaze, a faint smile on his face, and walked around to the passenger side to open the car door for her.

"Get in the car."

Xia Shiqing bent down and sat down, her V-neckline sloping down with the movement, revealing glimpses of her fair skin.

As soon as she settled in, the scent of woody rose perfume filled the enclosed carriage.

Ye Chen closed the car door and walked back to the driver's seat.

A lone man and a lone woman, and an atmosphere of ambiguity silently intensifies.

The Mercedes started smoothly and merged into the traffic.

"Not going to work today?" Ye Chen asked casually, his hand on the steering wheel.

"I've taken a day off. Weekends are usually the busiest time at the store, and it was a real relief to get a turn today." Xia Shiqing brushed a stray hair behind her ear and glanced at him as he focused on driving.

"You're quite punctual. I thought you were too tired after military training to get up."

"I've always had a strong sense of time." Ye Chen turned the steering wheel with one hand. "Besides, I'm worried that someone owes me that cup of milk tea, and I'm afraid you'll renege on the debt if I get up late."

Xia Shiqing couldn't help but pout and say, "Do you think I'm that stingy? Can I really cheat you out of a cup of milk tea?"

"Not stingy? That's perfect." Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, a casual smile playing on his lips. "I won't hold back when you order later. Order whatever's expensive, top up all the condiments, I'll make you bleed a little."

"Hey, wait!" Xia Shiqing waved her hand dismissively, laughing and scolding, "Why are you adding extra toppings? Are you planning to eat eight-treasure porridge? I'm treating you out of kindness, why are you taking advantage of this and trying to extort me?"

Ye Chen chuckled softly.

Xia Shiqing discovered that even though she was the one who had already entered the workforce, she couldn't put on any "adult" airs in front of this eighteen-year-old boy.

He didn't say much, but every sentence he uttered was perfectly timed to follow up on her words, and he unconsciously took control of the conversation.

The car entered the Jing'an Temple commercial district.

Ye Chen parked the car in the mall's underground parking garage, and the two took the elevator up to the pedestrian street on the first floor.

It was the weekend, and the place was packed with people.

As they passed a popular bubble tea shop with a long queue, Xia Shiqing stopped and turned to look at him.

"This is the place." She pointed to the sign. "I heard it's quite famous. I'll go queue up. You find a place to sit for a while."

"Okay." Ye Chen walked straight to the bench under the shade of a tree and sat down. "I'll wait for you here."

Xia Shiqing walked towards the end of the line in her high heels.

Her outfit and her presence in the line drew the attention of many men.

Someone pretended to look at their phone, but the camera was secretly pointed at her.

Xia Shiqing was already used to this kind of attention. She looked down at her screen and patiently waited for the person in front of her to place their order.

Just then, a young man dressed in a full Versace suit with slicked-back hair walked out of the milk tea shop.

His eyes lit up as he immediately spotted Xia Shiqing at the back of the line.

He turned around and came closer.

"Beautiful lady, are you alone?"

Xia Shiqing glanced up at the other person's attire and politely shook her head.

"No, I had friends with me."

"Having friends doesn't prevent you from making new ones." The young man took a step closer in a familiar manner, playing with his Porsche car keys in his hand and deliberately showing off the green Submariner on his wrist.

"Add me on QQ, I'll treat you to coffee later. This milk tea shop doesn't suit your style."

The flippant words, coupled with the possessive gaze, made Xia Shiqing look embarrassed.

She took half a step back to create some distance.

"Sorry, I don't add strangers randomly."

The young man persisted and pressed the issue further.

"Don't be so cold. Having more friends means having more options. I know this area of ​​Jing'an very well. I can arrange for you to go anywhere you want."

Xia Shiqing frowned, about to say something to send them away.

A hand reached out from the side and wrapped around her waist in a domineering yet perfectly natural manner.

Xia Shiqing's body stiffened abruptly.

Before I could even react, I caught that familiar, clean scent at the tip of my nose.

Ye Chen was already standing beside her without her noticing.

One hand loosely embraced her slender waist, while the other was casually tucked into his pocket.

He turned his head to look at the young man, his tone calm and natural, yet it exuded an irrefutable sense of pressure.

"You should write down my girlfriend's QQ number?"

When a young man's plans are ruined, he is about to lash out.

"Who the hell are you...?"

He was about to rant when the words caught in his throat.

His gaze fell on Ye Chen's wrist, which was resting on Xia Shiqing's waist.

Vacheron Constantin is a global brand.

Born into a wealthy family, he is extremely familiar with luxury goods.

The young man narrowed his eyes, his gaze moving up along the watch on his wrist until it met Ye Chen's emotionless eyes.

My mind is racing.

The boy in front of him was clearly a few years younger than him, but he didn't even blink when faced with his challenge.

That kind of composure and indifference that comes from the core is not something that ordinary people or nouveau riche can fake.

So young, yet with such a mature demeanor, and wearing a watch of this caliber.

When did this kind of person emerge in the local circle? His background is definitely extraordinary.

Those who frequent the circles of the wealthy second generation know one ironclad rule.

Never offend someone whose background you don't know.

The arrogance on the young man's face vanished instantly.

His expression changed for a couple of seconds, and a measured smile appeared on his lips.

"You look unfamiliar, buddy." He took a step back, giving himself an out.

"Alright, I apologize for being presumptuous today. Since this beautiful lady already has a boyfriend, I won't bother her any longer."

After saying that, he gave Ye Chen a deep look, but instead of fleeing like an ordinary hoodlum, he maintained the dignity of a rich young master and turned to leave.

The crisis was resolved quietly.

Ye Chen withdrew his hand from her waist.

"Have you finished shopping?"

His tone was so calm, as if nothing had happened.

Xia Shiqing was still in a slightly dazed state.

The instant he leaned in, his decisive action shattered her psychological defenses.

The moment my arm was around my waist, an overwhelming sense of security washed over me, my heart pounded like a drum, and my legs went weak.

That's too domineering.

And it doesn't feel greasy at all.

"No, not yet, it's my turn." She snapped out of her daze and quickly turned to the clerk to place her order.

After buying milk tea, the two of them each held a cup and strolled casually along the commercial street with the flow of people.

Xia Shiqing used the action of biting the straw to quietly calm her heartbeat that had been pounding because of him.

Before we knew it, it was lunchtime.

Ye Chen didn't ask the cliché "What do you want to eat?" Instead, he glanced at his watch and started walking.

"Come on, let me take you to eat."

His tone was calm and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

Xia Shiqing obediently followed in his footsteps, and her affection for him soared even higher.