Yun Qingjue fell into a momentary silence. Indeed, what she'd said was nothing but the truth. With her bewitching looks, winning a man's heart was as easy as pie.
He knew that pressing the matter further today would be of little avail. Instead, he might as well simply keep her company and enjoy the day.
Shen Jin Huan didn't mind having an extra person by her side. In the past, when the noble Miss Shen strolled the streets, there would invariably be seven or eight burly attendants clearing the way and carrying her parcels. Alas, those days of grandeur were now a thing of the past.
Yun Qingjue was wealthy, always ready to carry her purchases and fetch her treats, treating her with unfailing tenderness and indulgence. Shen Jin Huan, relishing in such pampering, thus refrained from giving him the cold shoulder.
After lunch, as they stepped out, he asked, "Do you like this?" Spotting an elderly woman selling balloons at the street corner, their lights twinkling merrily, looking rather enchanting.
"Yes!" Her eyes sparkled with delight. All things beautiful were meant to be hers!
Yun Qingjue curved his lips into a smile. He'd noticed that, despite her seemingly aloof countenance when she was solemn, the girl was actually quite childlike at heart, taking a shine to every novel and glittering trinket.
It was rather like taking care of a little daughter.
Walking up to the balloon vendor, he said courteously, "Good day, ma'am. I'd like to buy one balloon, please."
"Very well, it's fifteen yuan."
Yun Qingjue scanned the QR code to pay, then gently ruffled her hair. "Huane'er, which one would you like?"
She picked a balloon in the shape of a little kitten.
When Shen Jin Huan smiled, it was as if the constellations in her eyes were set in gentle motion, mysterious and resplendent, rendering Yun Qingjue momentarily speechless, his heart skipping a beat in a most erratic fashion.
She tugged at the string of the balloon, causing it to dip slightly and then bounce back up. Another gentle tug, and it repeated the motion, and she was thoroughly amused for several minutes, her laughter tinkling like delicate pearls cascading onto a jade plate, even more melodious than one could imagine.
Watching her, Yun Qingjue couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth turn up a notch.
"Ouch~" Suddenly, she covered her eyes and let out a soft moan.
"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.
Shen Jin Huan replied in a pitiful, quivering voice, "I think there's sand in my eye. It hurts."
That little tremor at the end of her sentence, laden with a hint of a sob, tugged at Yun Qingjue's heartstrings. Hastily, he cupped her delicate face and cooed soothingly, "It's okay, it's okay. I'll blow it out for you, and you'll be fine."
"Okay." She clutched the sleeve of his shirt tightly with both hands. Shen Jin Huan was a delicate flower, unable to bear the slightest discomfort.
In a nearby coffee shop, Ji Yu was having afternoon tea with her best friend. It was a rare, leisurely day, and she'd finally managed to carve out some time to unwind.
Wan Yinyin, also a rich second-generation heiress, had a long-standing friendship with her. They'd been high school desk mates and had even ended up in the same city for university.
Now, Ji Yu, with her idle hours as a young lady of leisure, dabbled in design, creating works not for pecuniary gain but purely out of passion.
Wan Yinyin, on the other hand, had chosen the noble path of a primary school English teacher. The job was rather agreeable, with a manageable workload. The salary, while not overly extravagant, was more than sufficient for her needs, especially considering her affluent family background.
It being the weekend, they'd arranged this cozy afternoon tea rendezvous.
"Why are you so late, Yinyin!" Ji Yu chided playfully as she saw the beautiful girl walking through the door.
"Oh, you know how the traffic in the city of Hai is. It's a nightmare," Wan Yinyin replied with a shrug.
"It's not even rush hour. You're pulling my leg! Did you oversleep, Wan Yinyin? Oversleeping for our date!" Ji Yu punctured her excuse without mercy.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You could've let it slide. Anyway, here I am!" Wan Yinyin sat down, and there on the table was the mango mille-feuille that Ji Yu had ordered for her, her absolute favorite!
Just as she scooped up a spoonful and popped it into her mouth, Ji Yu exclaimed excitedly, "Yinyin, my brother has a girlfriend, and she's drop-dead gorgeous! Stunning beyond words!"
Wan Yinyin rolled her eyes. Judging by Ji Yu's tone, one might think it was she who had a new girlfriend.
However, Ji Yu had a habit of overstating the attractiveness of people. A moderately good-looking person would be described as extremely beautiful, and a somewhat handsome one would be lauded as earth-shatteringly handsome. So, Wan Yinyin took her words with a grain of salt. Still, the couple she'd seen outside just before coming in were truly a sight to behold, especially the girl with the balloon, so beautiful that she'd almost been rooted to the spot.
Seeing Wan Yinyin's skeptical expression, Ji Yu grew impatient. The beauty of Shen Jin Huan was not to be questioned. "Huh! You don't believe me, do you? I even took a photo with her. I'll show it to you!"
She rummaged through her phone for a moment, found the photo, and handed it to Wan Yinyin with a triumphant air.
"See, isn't she beautiful?"
Wan Yinyin's expression turned rather strange in an instant. After a long pause, she looked up at Ji Yu, her eyes serious. "Are you sure she's your brother's girlfriend?"
"Of course I'm sure. I brought her home for dinner just a few days ago."
"Ji Yu, look outside."
Ji Yu followed the direction of Wan Yinyin's finger.
"Clang." The fork in her hand dropped to the floor, and her pupils constricted sharply in an instant, accompanied by the jarring sound of metal hitting the ground.