Chapter 7: If We Prosper, Do Not Forget Each Other; What’s Wrong with Leaning on a Rich Woman?

Xiang Bei's hands rested steadily on the steering wheel. He hadn't said a single word the entire drive, but the faint smile at the corner of his mouth never faded.

What's this guy grinning about?

Gao Qinghe sat in the passenger seat, a vague unease stirring in her heart. He wasn't talking, hadn't told her where they were going... He wasn't really planning to abduct her and sell her off, was she? Her mind involuntarily flashed to those sensational news stories: Northern Myanmar, organ harvesting, disappearances...

But the Maybach's seats were just too comfortable. The subtle, woody scent of the premium car fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose, making all the muscles in her body relax involuntarily.

Luxury cars really were different. She usually couldn't even bring herself to splurge on a taxi, let alone a car like this.

The smooth driving made the car feel almost completely free of bumps. The trees and vehicles rushing past outside the window made Gao Qinghe feel a bit drowsy.

Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it. That had been Gao Qinghe's philosophy for dealing with things for the past twenty years. The boat will straighten itself out when it reaches the bridge. Xiang Bei was driving on a bustling main street anyway; what could possibly happen?

The buzzing vibration of her phone snapped her out of her daze.

Gao Qinghe turned to look at Xiang Bei, only to see him press twice on the edge of the steering wheel with his right index finger, give a cursory glance at the central control screen in front of him, and then pay it no more mind, his expression completely unreadable.

"What is it, a message from your girlfriend? Is it okay not to reply?" Gao Qinghe wanted to mock Xiang Bei with biting sarcasm, but no matter how hard she tried to force it, her tone couldn't really be called biting. Hmm, if she had to say, it was just a bit sour.

Xiang Bei turned his head, his gaze lingering on her face for half a second, the smile at his lips deepening.

"What, are you probing to see if I have a girlfriend?"

???

Gao Qinghe nearly choked on her own saliva. Buddy, aren't you being a bit too narcissistic? Do you really think all women are lining up to chase after you?

"I only said that because you must have a girlfriend!" Gao Qinghe blurted out.

"Oh? Why are you so sure about that?" The car stopped at a red light. Xiang Bei turned his head, looking at her with interest. "Do you know me?"

Gao Qinghe's heart leaped into her throat. Without thinking, she snapped,

"Don't be so full of yourself, who do you think you are?? Guys like you, average-looking yet confident, are a dime a dozen on the street. Who can even tell which one is you?"

"Oh? Is that so? Interesting." Xiang Bei looked back at the road, thoughtfully stroking his chin with his thumb and index finger, not annoyed in the slightest. "No one's ever called me an 'average-looking yet confident man' before. You're the first."

Great, what's the next line?

An interesting woman?

Do you really think you're the domineering CEO from some CEO romance novel?

"However, if you don't know me but still think I have a girlfriend, then you must think I seem reliable." Just as Gao Qinghe was speechless, Xiang Bei added another line. "A lot of people say I'm a player, but it seems you're someone who can see the essence of things. I'm really happy you said that."

...He's really putting on an act! How did he start self-aggrandizing now?

But to be honest, Xiang Bei was rich, but he kept a low profile. He hardly showed his face at school, and his private life was tightly sealed.

If it weren't for him being Lin Xi's new boyfriend, she would never have connected Xiang Bei with that legendary rich second-generation playboy who traveled by helicopter.

"Yeah, yeah, I know exactly what kind of person you are." Gao Qinghe angrily crossed her arms over her chest. It took her a good while to finally find a comfortable position, resting the weight of her ample chest on her forearms.

"Really?" Xiang Bei glanced over again out of the corner of his eye, seemingly trying hard to hold back laughter. "It seems you're one of the few people who's genuinely willing to understand me."

What the hell? Is this guy sick? What kind of lines are these? Where did he learn them? From an otome game?

Gao Qinghe turned her head and happened to catch sight of his handsome face, still trying to suppress a smile—See! He obviously finds it funny himself, yet here he is spouting this nonsense with a straight face. How is he so good at spinning things?

Could it be that Lin Xi was fooled by his smooth talk?

Back when she used to say sweet nothings, Lin Xi would always giggle beside her, saying this devoted persona didn't suit her—so what, it suits this smooth-talking, two-faced poser instead?

Just as Gao Qinghe was about to open her mouth to curse him, the car smoothly entered the underground garage of a high-end shopping mall in the city center. The lights swept past the car window in layers, making her profile flicker between light and shadow.

Of course she knew this place.

In the past, when Lin Xi was stressed, she loved shopping at physical stores. Back then, she was the one responsible for carrying the bags. Sometimes, when Lin Xi got tired from shopping, she would even buy her a milk tea and they'd sit and rest together. When Lin Xi shopped at the stores she liked, Gao Qinghe would also stand outside the display windows, drooling over those trendy brand clothes, but she never dared to go in and try them on. These shop assistants were the best at judging people by their appearance; Gao Qinghe had seen it firsthand. When she went into a store alone, the assistants wouldn't even glance at her. It wasn't disdain in their eyes, they simply treated her like air. Only when she entered a store with Lin Xi would she occasionally receive a nod or a smile. How she wished she could win the lottery someday, so she could buy a pair of Air Jordans to show off!

But she could only dream.

Lin Xi knew she liked this brand and had once gifted her a limited-edition pair for her birthday. Although she accepted it, it never felt right inside, so she earnestly told her not to buy such expensive gifts in the future.

She was with Lin Xi because she liked her as a person, not because she intended to be a kept woman. In the past, some brothers had indeed joked, saying things like, "Gao Jingdong, if we prosper, do not forget each other; if you latch onto a rich woman, don't forget us." But heaven knew she had never spent a single cent of Lin Xi's money.

She was a grown woman; how could she spend a woman's money!

If there was any sense of superiority in being with her, it was only because Lin Xi, who had so many choices, still firmly chose her, a poor girl, among all those men.

"Ah..." Thinking of the past, Gao Qinghe unconsciously let out a sigh.

"What, don't like this place?" Xiang Bei parked the car steadily and turned to her with concern. Surprisingly, there was no hint of teasing in his eyes, his tone sincere. "That dress of yours is quite niche, isn't it? I haven't seen it before. I just picked a place that's relatively close. If there's a brand you usually wear, we can go there instead."

Niche my foot! Clothes that could be left in Li Xiang's room were one hundred percent off-brand.

Faced with Xiang Bei's naive ignorance of the hardships of life, a genuine feeling of disgust welled up in Gao Qinghe's heart.

She waved her hand, hiding the dazed look on her face, and unfastened her seatbelt with a look of disdain.

"Let's just finish shopping here quickly and leave. I can't stand being in the same space with you anymore."