After spending the morning at the library, the first thing Shen Tong did was go to the bank. Clutching the card Liang Xiaoyuan had given her tightly, she stood in front of the ATM. After entering the password, the balance showed exactly two thousand pounds.
Seeing this amount, Shen Tong felt immensely relieved. She silently noted Liang Xiaoyuan's name in her heart. It seemed that this person had some integrity and was quite interesting. Meeting by chance in a foreign country could be considered a kind of fate.
As Shen Tong was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang.
Seeing it was an unknown number, Shen Tong declined the call. It wasn't until the number appeared for the third time on her screen that she finally picked up.
"Why didn't you answer the phone?"
From the tone, Shen Tong instantly knew it was Liang Xiaoyuan. His voice was always gentle. She quickly put on a smile. "I did answer, didn't I? I just didn't expect you to have something for me so soon."
"You guessed right, I do need something. Accompany me to a gathering," Liang Xiaoyuan said with certainty.
"As your shield?" Shen Tong asked. With a handsome and wealthy man like Liang Xiaoyuan, he must have many women interested in him.
Liang Xiaoyuan's voice suddenly took on a hint of helplessness. "Not really. I'll explain when we meet."
"Okay, where are you now?" Shen Tong agreed readily.
"Near your school. My car is parked where it was last night. Do you remember?" Liang Xiaoyuan asked.
"I'm at the bank counting money. I'll see you at the school gate in a bit," Shen Tong replied.
Liang Xiaoyuan was speechless. Just as he was silently criticizing Shen Tong's bluntness, he saw her waving at him from outside the car window. She was wearing a white shirt, jeans, and simple sneakers. Despite her plain attire, her natural beauty still drew attention.
Within a ten-meter radius, all the men seemed to have noticed Shen Tong and were looking her way. Liang Xiaoyuan quickly opened the car door and let Shen Tong sit in the passenger seat.
"Tell me, what's so hard to say?" Shen Tong got straight to the point.
Liang Xiaoyuan's expression became complicated again. "I'll be going back to China in two weeks. This time, I want you to accompany me to a dinner at a friend's house."
"Oh, and what identity will I have at this gathering?" Shen Tong asked, getting to the point.
"You don't need to say anything. Let them guess it themselves," Liang Xiaoyuan replied.
Shen Tong's eyes twinkled as she asked, "You shouldn't be short of women right? You just want your friends to misunderstand our relationship?"
"I don't know, I just don't want Sang Yan to feel burdened," Liang Xiaoyuan's tone became hesitant, unsure of how to explain.
Shen Tong's keen observation skills caught the key point immediately. "Who is Sang Yan? Someone you like?"
"You don't need to know all this. It's just a meal." Liang Xiaoyuan's brows furrowed and he frowned slightly, his eyes, as black as obsidian, turned cold in an instant.
"Okay, I'll shut up then." Shen Tong knew she had touched on Liang Xiaoyuan's private matters and decided to stop. But she couldn't help feeling a bit uncomfortable. Who was this person that could make the usually composed Liang Xiaoyuan lose control of his emotions?
The car stopped in a parking lot near a commercial street. Without speaking, Liang Xiaoyuan said to Shen Tong, "Get out of the car."
"Your friend lives here?" Shen Tong asked. This was a famous commercial street, not a residential area.
Knowing that Shen Tong was unhappy with his earlier words, Liang Xiaoyuan tried to appease her. "I'll take you to buy some clothes. Her house is nearby, we can walk from here."
"After talking for so long, isn't it you're just embarrassed by me?" Shen Tong looked at Liang Xiaoyuan's immaculate suit, then at her own casual outfit. They indeed didn't match.
Even when Shen Tong was being sarcastic, she looked stunning. Liang Xiaoyuan knew he couldn't win this verbal spar and quickly gave in. "It's my fault. But you need some appropriate clothes for the occasion, right?"
"Since you said so, I won't hold back then." Shen Tong got out of the car readily.
Liang Xiaoyuan took Shen Tong around several clothing stores until they arrived at one. He noticed a light purple dress in the display window, simple yet elegant with a sprinkle of tiny diamonds, resembling moonlight.
"This one," Liang Xiaoyuan said to the shop assistant.
Shen Tong saw the dress and knew it was expensive. She quickly shook her head. "Maybe we shouldn't..."
As she spoke, her confidence waned. The dress was just too beautiful! Liang Xiaoyuan noticed Shen Tong's hesitation and directly ignored her objections, telling the assistant, "Let this lady try it on, along with those shoes."
The shoes were high heels, matching the light purple of the dress, very dreamy.
When Shen Tong came out wearing the outfit, the word "stunning" flashed in Liang Xiaoyuan's mind. Even the shop assistant was amazed. Many people had tried on the dress, but none had looked as good in it.
Shen Tong walked up to Liang Xiaoyuan, feeling a bit uneasy. "How do I look?"
Liang Xiaoyuan snapped back to reality. "Beautiful. This is the one."
After this, it was already noon. Liang Xiaoyuan took Shen Tong to a luxurious residential area nearby. They soon arrived at the destination, and a girl in casual clothes with a gentle smile opened the door.
"Xiaoyuan, you're here! Your friends have all arrived. I thought you were coming with them." The girl's pure smile and simple looks made her appearance comforting, even if she wasn't particularly eye-catching.
Shen Tong stepped out from behind Liang Xiaoyuan and smiled at the girl. "Hello, I'm Shen Tong, Xiaoyuan's friend. He said he wanted to introduce me to his friends..."
"Uh, what a surprise! I'm Xie Sangyan. Please come in!" The girl was clearly taken aback but quickly smiled at Shen Tong and Liang Xiaoyuan.
As soon as Shen Tong entered the living room, she immediately drew everyone's attention. She was too beautiful, and with her carefully chosen outfit, she was impossible to ignore.
"Xiaoyuan, aren't you going to introduce us? You've been hiding such a beautiful girlfriend from us..." Most of the people there were Chinese and quickly began teasing him.
Liang Xiaoyuan smiled but didn't confirm or deny their speculations. Shen Tong, however, was very gracious, greeting everyone with a smile, maintaining an ambiguous attitude. To everyone there, the two seemed like a couple.
During the meal, Shen Tong met many new people. Several men handed her their business cards, which she accepted with a smile, much to Liang Xiaoyuan's frustration.
After the meal, Liang Xiaoyuan drove Shen Tong back to school. She was still in her beautiful dress, attracting attention. Liang Xiaoyuan called out to her, "Wait!"
"What is it?" Shen Tong asked with a smile, turning back.
Liang Xiaoyuan took the bag with her old clothes and handed her the shirt she had been wearing before. "Isn't it cold? You should wear more."
Shen Tong rolled her eyes but put on the shirt before leaving. Liang Xiaoyuan watched her walk away, finally got into his car, and drove off.