Guan Qingtong thought she had misheard.
She blinked in confusion, staring at Su Yirao.
Su Yirao pushed her gently towards her room, urging, "What are you standing there for? Go change out of your pajamas and put on some regular clothes. We're going shopping."
With a click, Su Yirao had already shut her own door, likely to change clothes herself.
Guan Qingtong, still in a daze, quickly got herself ready as instructed, then sat in the living room waiting.
...
Times Square, located in the heart of Yongcheng's most bustling area.
After parking, they took the elevator up to the Times Square mall. Guan Qingtong still felt like she was in a dream.
The mall was luxurious and bright, with gleaming tiles reflecting the names of various high-end brands. Guan Qingtong looked around, feeling out of place.
"Any brands you like?" Su Yirao asked.
Feeling awkward, Guan Qingtong clutched Su Yirao's hand, staring at the unfamiliar English brand names, unsure of what to say.
"Sister, are you really buying me clothes?"
"Yes, I plan to take you on a vacation. You need a few outfits for the trip," Su Yirao replied, thoughtfully suggesting, "Since you don't have a favorite brand, I'll take you to one of mine."
"This is too much..." Guan Qingtong felt embarrassed, knowing her modest salary couldn't cover such high-end fashion.
As she quietly considered how she could repay Su Yirao, they arrived at a store specializing in elegant, modern women's clothing—a brand she recognized from the tags on Su Yirao's clothes.
"This one, and this one, and this one."
Su Yirao selected a few items from the salesperson and held them up against Guan Qingtong.
"These would suit your skin tone. Go try them on for me."
"Oh, okay."
Snapping back to reality, Guan Qingtong took the clothes and followed the salesperson to the fitting room.
Not long after, she had tried on all the outfits. She had to admit, Su Yirao had a good eye—each outfit looked great on her.
"These everyday pieces are perfect. We'll take them," Su Yirao said, swiping her card. "Next, let's look at some vacation styles."
More clothes?
Feeling embarrassed, Guan Qingtong hesitated. "Sister, isn't this a bit much?"
"Not at all. We've only bought a few outfits, barely enough for daily wear."
"But... Sister, aren't you going to pick something for yourself?"
"I don't need any more clothes; I have plenty at home." Su Yirao wasn't much of a shopper, and her mother frequently sent her the latest styles, so she rarely felt the urge to buy more.
Going out just to buy things for her? Was this what it meant to be wealthy?
Guan Qingtong felt both shocked and deeply touched.
"Mrs. Song, what a coincidence! Your daughter is here in the store today. You can have her try on the clothes you picked."
Hearing the familiar voice, Su Yirao instinctively turned around.
"Mom, what a coincidence."
"Not really," Mrs. Song's gaze flicked to Guan Qingtong. "I was planning to buy you some clothes and then come find you."
Sensing her mother's unfriendly demeanor, Su Yirao subtly raised an eyebrow and positioned herself protectively in front of Guan Qingtong.
"Is there something important you needed to talk to me about?"
"Actually, I came to see this young lady. You go try on some clothes; I need to have a private word with her."
Mrs. Song had been wanting to meet Guan Qingtong for some time but hadn't had the chance. Seeing them together tonight seemed like fate.
"What do you need to talk to her about that I can't hear?"
Su Yirao felt uneasy, worried her mother might say something harsh that would make Guan Qingtong uncomfortable.
"Just go try on some clothes. I won't do anything to her; we're just going to have a little chat."
"It's okay, Sister. I can handle it." Guan Qingtong reassured her with a confident look.
After a moment's hesitation, Su Yirao gave in and followed the salesperson to the fitting room.
Meanwhile, she sent Guan Qingtong a text.
Su Yirao: My mom will probably ask about our "relationship." Don't worry too much; I'll come back to face it with you soon.
Mrs. Song said, "Come with me; the store manager has arranged for us to use the VIP lounge."
After reading the text, Guan Qingtong felt more at ease.
She calmly put away her phone and followed Mrs. Song to the VIP lounge.
The lounge lived up to its name, offering a variety of refreshments and soft, luxurious seating, far more comfortable than any café.
Just as Guan Qingtong sat down, Mrs. Song fixed her with a stern look, her tone haughty.
"Tell me, what's your real reason for getting close to my daughter?"
This... feels like something out of a melodrama.
"Su Yirao is amazing. I can learn a lot from her."
It was the truth, but Mrs. Song clearly didn't believe it.
"For love," Guan Qingtong lied with a straight face, hoping this would be more convincing.
But Mrs. Song pulled out her checkbook without missing a beat.
"I don't care what your true motive is. Here's two million—leave her."
Whoa, it really is like a melodrama!
Surprised, Guan Qingtong had no idea she was the protagonist of this cliché novel.
Two million was tempting, but...
"Is that not enough?" Mrs. Song sneered. "You've got quite an appetite. Five million—this is my final offer. Take it and leave my daughter."
Smack!
The check was slapped down in front of Guan Qingtong.
Seeing the number, it was hard not to be tempted!
But Guan Qingtong knew she had to treat it like it didn't exist and sat up straight. "I'm sorry, but my feelings for Sister Yirao can't be measured by money. This money, I..."
Before she could finish refusing, Su Yirao, now dressed in the red slip dress her mother had picked, hurried over.
"We'll take the money, of course," Su Yirao said with a bright smile, picking up the check. "Mom, thank you for your sincere blessing of our relationship. We accept your blessing and the money too."
Mrs. Song's eyes widened in shock as she glared at Su Yirao.
Ignoring her mother's anger, Su Yirao smoothly changed the subject. "Mom, you have excellent taste. This red dress is perfect for a vacation."
She twirled, showing off the dress's details.
Mrs. Song wasn't interested in the dress at all. With Guan Qingtong there, she couldn't scold Su Yirao openly, so she muttered, "Five million... Don't waste it all on that woman."
It was clear Mrs. Song had a very low opinion of Guan Qingtong.
"She, waste my money?" Su Yirao chuckled, finding her mother's words ridiculous.
"Relax, Mom. I'm going to invest it," Su Yirao said, changing the topic.
"In that new big data project?"
"Yes, in a friend's startup. The prospects look good, and investing now could lead to even bigger returns."
Hearing this, Mrs. Song felt more at ease about her daughter's decisions. "I've always trusted you with your work. When will I be able to trust you with your relationships?"
"Qingtong is a good person. You're just biased against her!"
"A homewrecker who was involved with your ex-fiancé? Bias? Everyone hates homewreckers, and she deserves it!"
Su Yirao, both amused and exasperated, decided it was time to clear Guan Qingtong's name.
After hearing the truth, Mrs. Song seemed only slightly more accepting of Guan Qingtong.
...
A few days later, Su Yirao and Guan Qingtong boarded a plane as scheduled, traveling across provinces to reach a picturesque ancient town.
Surrounded by water, the town was scenic and peaceful, with fresh air and a cool breeze—a stark contrast to the stifling heat of Yongcheng.
The slower pace of life in the town immediately made them feel relaxed.
After checking in at their guesthouse and unpacking, the two set out to explore the sights.
In the past, Su Yirao had always traveled alone. She enjoyed photography but had to hire professional photographers to get the shots she wanted. But they were strangers, and she didn't enjoy it.
This time was different. She had invited Guan Qingtong along, not just as a reward for her hard work but also with a personal motive.
Recently, Guan Qingtong had been learning photography to prepare for her future in social media. Su Yirao saw this trip as a chance to assess Guan Qingtong's skills.
In short, she wanted Guan Qingtong to be her photographer.
Unfortunately, Guan Qingtong's lack of experience showed in her photos—poor angles, overexposed shots, and too much noise.
Despite her frustrations, Su Yirao didn't want to be too harsh, knowing that Guan Qingtong was still learning.
So what was meant to be a vacation turned into a practical photography lesson, with Su Yirao teaching Guan Qingtong the finer points of capturing good photos.
They photographed sunrises and sunsets, the town's youth, and people in traditional clothing...
Guan Qingtong's skills improved rapidly, finally meeting Su Yirao's standards.
"Sister Yirao, in this photo, you're standing on the city wall in the slanting sunlight, gazing into the distance. It's so poetic!" Guan Qingtong said, scrolling through the pictures on her laptop and pointing out one.
Su Yirao leaned in, her interest piqued.
"It's a shame you only captured my profile. I spent an hour on my makeup that day, and you didn't even get it."
"I did, look at this one!"
Guan Qingtong quickly clicked through a few more photos, revealing a stunningly vintage-style shot.
"Edited?" Su Yirao raised an eyebrow. "When did you learn to edit photos?"
"I just adjusted the filter, no heavy editing. Sister, you're naturally beautiful," Guan Qingtong replied with a soft smile, thoroughly enjoying her time alone with Su Yirao.
A few days earlier, Su Yirao had said that balancing work and relaxation was essential for maintaining a good working state. Now, Guan Qingtong fully agreed.
This vacation had refreshed her spirit and made her reluctant to leave.
If she could, she wished she could stay in this peaceful town with Su Yirao forever.
"Flattery," Su Yirao laughed. "Go ahead and package up all my photos and send them to me."
"Okay!"
"I've booked our flight. We leave tomorrow morning. Do you have anything else you want to buy?"
"No, I'm good." Guan Qingtong shook her head.
Once she finished sending the photos to Su Yirao's email, she heard another question.
"Qingtong, have you considered learning more skills?" Su Yirao asked thoughtfully. "Learning to edit photos would help you enhance them. Your photography is decent, but many of the photos can't be used as-is."
"I definitely will!" Guan Qingtong smiled. "Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I was already planning on it."
Su Yirao raised an eyebrow, not holding back. "Alright, then. Use my unedited photos as practice and give me a final product I'll be satisfied with."
Guan Qingtong nodded seriously, "Okay!"
...
When the plane touched down, the peaceful life in the ancient town came to an end.
Back in the bustling city of Yongcheng, Guan Qingtong returned to her routine of work and study.
After the vacation, Su Yirao seemed even busier. Despite living under the same roof, Guan Qingtong often didn't see her. Even when they did meet, Su Yirao looked exhausted, the startup work clearly taking its toll.
Concerned, Guan Qingtong prepared some of Su Yirao's favorite dishes for dinner.
"Qingtong, there's a gala the day after tomorrow. I need you to come with me. I've already arranged time off with Zhou Huiying."
"A gala?"
"Yes, as my girlfriend."
It had been a while since she'd used that title, and Guan Qingtong felt a mix of anticipation and nervousness.
"Is there anything I should be aware of?" Guan Qingtong asked hesitantly.
"No, just play the role of a good girlfriend."
Su Yirao paused, then added, "Hmm, we'll need to be more intimate. There might be some close dancing, and we'll likely have to hold each other close. Since you're not used to it, we should practice and get comfortable over the next couple of days."