Near the apartment where Hai Baihe lived, there was a department store, like many others, with a large chain supermarket.
As they passed by the building, Hai Baihe thought for a moment, "I'm going to buy something. You go back; we're almost there."
Liang Xiao looked at her flushed cheeks, worried that she might collapse halfway. "It's okay. What do you need to buy?"
"Forget to ask Auntie to buy some food." Hai Baihe, still a bit drunk, giggled incessantly. "Stocking up, I'm running out of food." She elongated the last sentence, full of deep meaning.
Liang Xiao pinched her hand. "Trying a different flavor wouldn't hurt."
It was already half past nine in the evening, and the supermarket would close at ten. Therefore, there weren't many people inside, and only two checkout counters were open, giving it a somewhat deserted vibe.
Hai Baihe picked up a basket and started selecting food. She first went to the fresh produce section, which was close to closing time. Many unsold fruits and meats were on sale, and several middle-aged women were frantically grabbing them, loading bundles of vegetables into their carts.
Due to her excessive drinking, Hai Baihe's movements were a bit sluggish. As her hand slowed down, a box of beef was snatched from underneath her by one of the middle-aged women.
The woman glared at her fiercely, as if afraid that Hai Baihe would try to take it back.
Hai Baihe: "..."
She then tried to buy a few oranges to squeeze juice, but a plump woman pushed her aside and quickly stuffed the remaining imperfect-looking oranges into her bag, handing them over to the staff. "I'll take these."
Hai Baihe: "..."
After going around in circles, she realized she was no match for these aggressive middle-aged women. Feeling displeased, she headed towards the imported goods section, where the items were considerably more expensive and not targeted by the middle-aged ladies, allowing them to be preserved.
While Hai Baihe was picking fruits, Liang Xiao went to choose beef for her. "Is this one okay?"
Hai Baihe glanced at it. "This is beef ribs. I want beef short ribs." Since they were about to part ways soon, she felt a bit uneasy, which affected her tone.
Liang Xiao didn't mind and continued searching based on the labels. Just as he was about to reach for the last box of beef short ribs, another fair and delicate hand reached out at the same time.
Liang Xiao paused and withdrew his hand. The other person took the box of beef short ribs and looked up at him with a smile. "Thank you... Mr. Liang?"
Liang Xiao suddenly realized the problem. The woman with flowing long hair was none other than one of their targets, Qingren, whom he had recently been in contact with through a cooking class - Bai Wenwen.
In that instant, Liang Xiao's mind flashed through various information about Bai Wenwen. Their target was a major drug lord codenamed "Crow," with a mysterious identity that nobody knew. He had many lovers, and Bai Wenwen was one of them. However, she was a particularly unique individual, not because of her beauty or exceptional abilities, but because she was an ordinary woman.
She resembled an ordinary housewife, attending cooking classes, flower arrangement courses, and tea ceremonies. She walked her dog every evening, lived a regular life, and was not extravagant. It was hard to imagine her being involved with a drug lord.
They believed that Bai Wenwen either held special significance to Crow, such as being his true love, or she herself was not simple, making
her a good entry point for investigation.
After their initial contact, they discovered that although Liang Xiao's appearance was attractive enough to draw female attention, Bai Wenwen had a natural fondness for him, but she was equally cautious. She was not the kind of woman who would casually chat with men.
So they adjusted their approach and created a new persona for Liang Xiao. For a woman like Bai Wenwen, an outstanding and handsome man indeed had appeal, but it was also too dangerous. She would instinctively resist.
Therefore, it was better to portray him as a good man deeply in love with his girlfriend, with a strong sense of family belonging. Such a man would be safer.
It was similar to when a woman encountered a single man and a couple on the street; the latter would be more likely to gain her trust.
Due to this adjustment, Liang Xiao had to give up all other illicit relationships with women, including his interaction with Hai Baihe.
"You're also buying short ribs," Bai Wenwen smiled at him, and upon seeing Hai Baihe beside him, she suddenly realized. "Oh, this must be your girlfriend."
She handed the beef short ribs back to him. "Here, you can have them. I've already bought some for my boyfriend. He said they're delicious, so I came to get them."
For a moment, Liang Xiao felt absurdity creeping in. Everything was so coincidental that it left him speechless. In the previous class, they learned how to cook pan-seared beef short ribs, and during that time, he naturally mentioned having a girlfriend. "Since she loves to eat them and is too lazy to cook, I have to learn," he remembered saying those lines with helplessness.
Bai Wenwen saw the beef short ribs and then glanced at Hai Baihe. It seemed natural for her to assume that Hai Baihe was his girlfriend.
If he denied it, the "good man" persona they had created would crumble.
As for the setup of being siblings... Liang Xiao only remembered it afterwards, as he had completely forgotten about it in the heat of the moment.
Hai Baihe handed over the fruits, slightly puzzled by the last statement. She looked at Liang Xiao, then at Bai Wenwen, and finally shifted her gaze to the beef short ribs. "Thank you."
No matter what kind of arguments they had, it had nothing to do with her. But the beef short ribs were different. They were delicious! However, this man's ròu was no longer hers.
Liang Xiao neither confirmed nor denied, but rather had a tacit attitude. He smiled humbly. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome," Bai Wenwen's smile seemed even more sincere than before.
Hai Baihe went to the beer section, with Liang Xiao following closely behind. He sent a message to the group leader labeled as "purchasing agent" on WeChat.
"I don't want the Guerlain I ordered before."
"Dear, it's difficult for us if you do this. May I ask why you don't want it?" Liang Xiao found the tone of the conversation somewhat frustrating. He couldn't understand why the group leader insisted on using this code method, although it could be explained as a package from overseas. But still... he silently criticized the situation and replied honestly, "My girlfriend said she liked that lipstick. I wanted to surprise her, but she saw me buying Lancôme today, thinking it was for her. She said she really liked it, so..."
"Dear, I think this Guerlain suits your girlfriend better."