After they left the shop, Lin Wei noticed Yuxi staring at him intently. Her expression was unreadable, and her silence made him a little uncomfortable. He scratched the back of his neck, trying not to meet her eyes.
"I did say sorry, you know…" he mumbled under his breath.
"That's not what I'm asking," Yuxi said softly but firmly. "Why did you buy that bag for me? And where did you get the money? Don't tell me you took out a loan just to show off…"
"It's fine," she added before he could reply. "We can return it. I don't want you pushing yourself into debt over something like this."
Lin Wei let out a quiet chuckle. "Do you really think I'd go that far just to impress you?"
Yuxi didn't respond immediately, but the concern in her eyes deepened. She knew Lin Wei's financial situation better than most.
"Then how…?" she asked quietly.
"Just don't ask," he said, giving her a lopsided smile. "You can think of it as suddenly landing a rich boyfriend."
Yuxi's face flushed at his words. "Hmph! Who said I'd date a scum like you?"
"Heh…" Lin Wei laughed softly, watching her flustered expression. The tension between them began to ease, replaced by something lighter, more familiar.
"I don't care anymore, idiot." Yuxi muttered, brushing off the topic. She could tell from Lin Wei's evasiveness and that familiar glint in his eyes that whatever he did to buy the bag wasn't simple—and possibly even risky. But rather than pressing further, she chose to drop it, even though his quiet mystery only made him all the more intriguing to her.
"But give those bags to someone you actually like. I've already gotten my satisfaction from putting that Leng Siya in her place, so just take them back." She tried to hand the bag over, but Lin Wei kept walking ahead, not even turning around to take it.
"Take it already! My arm's going to fall off!" she huffed, catching up to him with a pout, but he only backed away again, that same playful smile tugging at his lips.
"I am giving the bag to the girl I like," he said plainly, his voice calm but firm.
"Don't talk nonsense," Yuxi snapped, cheeks tinged with a soft pink as she glared at him.
"What makes you think it's nonsense?" Lin Wei replied, his tone unshaken.
"Don't you have Xueyin? She's a nice girl. You should treat her well," Yuxi said, her voice soft but distant. A flicker of envy passed through her, but it quickly faded. After all, she'd seen enough during her time in social work to know—being with someone like her might only cause Lin Wei more trouble. Maybe Xueyin was the better choice.
"I don't think I'm dating her," Lin Wei replied calmly. "And I'd prefer if no one made those decisions for me. I want you to decide... whether I'm worthy of you or not."
As he said that, he reached for her hand—not the bag.
"I... It's not like that, idiot," Yuxi stammered, clearly caught off guard.
Lin Wei walked beside her, a playful glint in his eye. "Then how about this? Can't we be... special friends? You know what I mean."
Yuxi flushed again, glancing at him sharply. He could really be so cheeky sometimes—but to her own surprise, she didn't hate the idea. In fact, she found herself strangely drawn to it.
Unaware of the quiet influence of his passive skill, [[Aphrodesync]], her perception of Lin Wei had already begun to shift. Her guarded feelings were slowly turning, softening—accepting.
She gave a small nod, then finally took the bag back into her arms.
"Thank you... for the gift."
"It's all right! Want to have something to eat."
"Yes! I am also feeling hungry. Plus, with this, I am done with my shopping."
"I really would not have thought that I would be able to buy this set for it."
"Thank you... for the gift," Yuxi said quietly.
"It's all right. Want to get something to eat?" Lin Wei offered, his voice light.
"Yeah, I'm starving. And I'm done shopping anyway." After the rollercoaster of emotions she'd just been through, the thought of food was a welcome distraction.
"I honestly didn't think I'd end up buying that set," she murmured, glancing at the bags in her hand. Her expression darkened slightly as thoughts of Leng Siya surfaced.
But then she recalled the look on Siya's face back at the shop—the flash of frustration, the bitterness. A faint smirk played at the corner of her lips.
'That was satisfying...' she thought.
Without a word, she reached out and gently took Lin Wei's arm as they walked. Her fingers curled around it, her grip light but sure.
'All thanks to him...'
"Okay then, let's go grab something to eat. Is there anything you're craving?" Lin Wei asked as they walked, his tone casual but genuinely curious. After all that walking, he figured she'd want something specific.
"Hmm... not really. I'm fine with anything." Yuxi gave a playful grin before adding, "But if I had to choose, it might be something expensive."
She glanced sideways, clearly waiting to see his reaction. But Lin Wei didn't flinch. "Oh? Is that so? Then you should lead the way," he replied easily, unaffected.
That calm response caught her off guard.
"I was just teasing... I don't usually eat out around here," she said quietly, her grin softening into something more sincere.
"Besides," she added, "it's expensive around here. Let's just go back to the college cafeteria. I like the food there more anyway."
Lin Wei looked at her for a moment, thoughtful. So she's still trying to save me money, even now.
"But I wanted to eat out today," he said. "It's not every day I get to go out with you, you know? Let's enjoy something nice together while we're here."
He didn't bother explaining that the cost didn't matter to him—that anything he spent would be reimbursed threefold by the system. Still, he understood her concern. She wasn't the type to spend casually; most of what she earned went straight to her family. It was just who she was—practical, responsible, and quietly selfless. That kind of frugality, paired with her outward charm, created a depth most people overlooked.
And somehow, that only made her more intriguing to him.
Especially knowing that, behind closed doors, her desires painted a very different picture—freer, bolder, and far less restrained than the modest persona she wore in public.
"Okay! Let's go to that one."
After a bit of scrolling and discussion, they finally settled on a cozy seafood restaurant. The food turned out to be surprisingly good—fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. Lin Wei especially noted how much Yuxi enjoyed it, even though it didn't come with a hefty price tag. The entire meal only cost him around 2,000 to 3,000 credits.
Afterward, Lin Wei playfully dragged Yuxi along to help him shop for men's clothing. Somewhere along the way, though, it turned into something else entirely—he started picking out pieces for her too. By the end of it, he'd spent around 40,000 credits on her alone. But thanks to the system's reward mechanism, his account was quickly credited with 120,000 credits in return.
Now, Lin Wei sat just outside the changing room, casually leaning back as he waited. He'd just handed Yuxi another outfit to try on—one he thought would suit her perfectly. He was starting to realize he had a sharp eye for fashion; every piece he chose for her seemed to fit like it was made for her.
Yuxi had even asked, half-serious, whether he used to work for a fashion magazine or something. Lin Wei just chuckled, knowing full well he hadn't. The idea that it might be his boosted intelligence stat doing the heavy lifting hadn't even crossed his mind.
"Hey... can you help me?" Yuxi's voice called softly from behind the curtain. "I can't zip it up at the back."
Lin Wei, who had just been about to check the NTR application again, paused and glanced up. Peeking shyly from the changing room curtain, Yuxi's cheeks were tinged with a blush, her eyes meeting his with just a hint of playful embarrassment.
He grinned. Who could say no to a classic moment like this? The infamous zipper scene—straight out of every R18 drama or romcom cliché. And now it was unfolding right in front of him.
"Definitely," he said, flashing her a confident smile.
After a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, Lin Wei stepped inside, the curtain rustling behind him. The lighting softened, the space narrowed, and as he entered, his expression brightened—half amused, half anticipating.
Walking in to find, the girl to be looking at the mirror, with red blush on her face, her lips looking a bit wet. And instead of zipping the chain, he directly held her waist and kissed her lips.