“Wait, don’t—” Lin Xi started, but she couldn’t stop him.

The shop assistants, spurred on by Song Xu’s words like they’d been injected with adrenaline, immediately shut the store doors to turn away other customers. They swarmed Lin Xi to take her measurements.

“88, 60, 90… Wow, Miss, your figure is incredible,” one assistant praised sincerely. “We’ll get everything packed up right away.”

Having her measurements announced so boldly in front of Song Xu made Lin Xi’s ears and cheeks flush a deep crimson.

Song Xu leaned in close to her ear, his voice a low murmur. “What are you blushing for? I’ve measured you with my own hands before. I didn’t need her to say it to know.”

Lin Xi’s face burned even hotter. She shot him a glare. “You’re breaking the rules.”

The contract explicitly stated no teasing or verbal harassment.

Song Xu gave her a sidelong glance. “How am I breaking rules? I’m just stating facts.”

“You…” Lin Xi bit her tongue. Who was she to complain? She was the one who had signed her life away.

Song Xu didn’t have the patience to wait for the assistants to pack every item. He pulled out a black card, settled the bill, and selected one outfit for Lin Xi to change into immediately.

She didn’t refuse. She emerged wearing a fitted, pale yellow short-sleeved top paired with white wide-leg trousers. The ensemble highlighted her fair skin and made her legs look miles long, instantly elevating her entire aura.

Song Xu couldn’t take his eyes off her. Lin Xi was a diamond in the rough, a piece of jade that simply needed a bit of polishing to become a treasure that belonged solely to him.

While he was lost in thought, his phone buzzed. It was Shen Yan.

Shen Yan and Xiao Heng had been stuck in military training at Jiang University and hadn’t contacted him for a while. Calculating the days, their training must have just ended.

Song Xu answered the call. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Xu Ge, we missed you so much!” Shen Yan wailed melodramatically over the line. “The brothers have finally been released from the dungeon. You up for a drink?”

It was about time he introduced them to Lin Xi. “Where are we meeting?” Song Xu asked.

“How about Yunzhou Ge’s bar?” Shen Yan suggested.

“Not the bar,” Song Xu countered immediately. That place was too chaotic; he didn’t want Lin Xi exposed to that environment. “Find a proper place for dinner.”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, likely Shen Yan checking if he’d dialed the wrong number. Once he confirmed it was indeed Song Xu, he spoke again. “Alright then, I’ll book a private bistro. We can have some spirits.”

Song Xu agreed. Five minutes later, Shen Yan sent over the location and room number.

“Xixi,” Song Xu said, gesturing to her. “Forget the clothes for now. Let’s go eat.”

“Just leave them? But you already paid!” Lin Xi had watched the clerk swipe his card—over five hundred thousand yuan for thirty outfits.

Seeing that long string of zeros made her heart bleed. If only that money had been deposited into her own bank account… unfortunately, this was all “company funds,” and she only had the right to use the items, not own them.

“They’ll deliver them to the apartment,” Song Xu said, leaving his address and number before pulling her out of the shop. “Now, let’s get you some jewelry.”

At the jewelry store, Song Xu didn’t even bother letting Lin Xi choose. He went straight for a pair of matching diamond rings and a diamond necklace.

He slid the female version of the ring onto the middle finger of Lin Xi’s right hand. “Don’t take this off. It shows you’re spoken for, so other men won’t bother you.”

Lin Xi looked at the million-yuan ring on her hand and felt an immense weight. “Maybe I should take it off when I’m doing chores at home. What if I damage it?”

“If it breaks, we’ll get another.” Considering she was still a student, Song Xu hadn’t bought anything too extravagant. He’d save the proper wedding rings for when they were actually engaged.

He fastened the diamond necklace around her neck, then lightly brushed her earlobes. “Why don’t you have your ears pierced?”

Lin Xi felt the heat from his touch radiating through her ears. “I’m afraid of the pain. Besides, I never had the spare cash for earrings.”

Song Xu momentarily forgot about her fainting at the sight of blood. “If it hurts, we won’t do it.”

He looked her over again. The diamonds were merely a small accent; no ornament could overshadow the natural radiance she gave off.

“Let’s go eat.” Song Xu tightened his grip on her hand. For now, he could only hold her hand; anything more intimate might scare her off.

“Aren’t we going home?” Dressed in brand-new clothes and draped in diamonds, Lin Xi’s body felt stiff. She desperately wanted to go home and take everything off.

“Someone else is picking up the tab tonight. That’s one less meal you have to cook,” Song Xu replied.

Lin Xi licked her lips nervously. Is he really debuting me this quickly?

Song Xu felt her palm grow clammy. He pulled out a handkerchief and gently dried her hand. “Nervous? It’s just people we know.”

People she knew? Shen Yan and Xiao Heng? That wasn’t so bad; at least it wouldn’t be awkward.

—

Song Xu drove to a private bistro designed like a secluded mountain villa, surrounded by lush greenery and flowing water. Stepping inside, Lin Xi felt a sense of calm wash over her.

Song Xu was a regular here. The owner came out personally to greet them. “Young Master Song, you’ve arrived!”

Song Xu nodded slightly. “Are they here?”

“Just arrived. This way, please.” The owner led the way, stealing a few glances at Lin Xi. He made sure to burn her image into his memory; this was the first time he’d seen the young master holding hands with a woman.

At the door of the private room, the owner knocked and stepped aside. “Please, go on in.”

Shen Yan and Xiao Heng stood up to greet him, but they froze the moment they saw Lin Xi following behind.

When their eyes traveled down and saw the two of them holding hands, they were completely floored.

The owner closed the door and left. It was just the four of them now.

Song Xu pulled Lin Xi to the table and looked at his stunned friends. “What’s with the faces? Don’t you recognize Xixi?”

“Xi… Xixi…?” Shen Yan’s mouth snapped shut, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Xiao Heng’s eyes darted back and forth between Song Xu and Lin Xi. “We were only in military training for three weeks. What did we miss?”

“Three weeks is plenty of time,” Song Xu said, pulling a chair out for Lin Xi. “A lot can change.”

“And it’s not ‘Xixi’ to you,” Song Xu added, resting his arm on the back of Lin Xi’s chair as he stared his friends down. “From now on, when you see her, you call her Sister-in-law.”

“Huh?” Lin Xi’s reaction was louder than the boys’. She looked at Song Xu helplessly. “That’s really not necessary!”

Song Xu ignored her, his gaze turning cold as he maintained eye contact with Shen Yan and Xiao Heng.

“Hello, Sister-in-law!” Terrified of that look, the two boys immediately shouted the title in unison.

Lin Xi’s heart did a nervous flip. This was taking the act way too far. She gave a strained laugh. “Actually, you can just use my name.”

Song Xu’s arm shifted from the back of the chair to her neck, pulling her firmly into his side. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, “You don’t want them calling you Sister-in-law? Do you have some other ideas about them?”