Shen Wanqing transferred 200,000 yuan straight to her account—and had even collected the payment on her behalf.
Trailing the notification was a message: I won’t change my name. I won’t delete Big Sister. I’ll keep my promise.
Lu Zhixia fired back a string of ellipses. She had the nerve to type out “Shen Wanqing, you’ve got issues,” but not the guts to hit send right away.
Yan Fanghua suddenly grabbed her hand. Lu Zhixia’s phone nearly slipped from her grasp. She fumbled to catch it, only to see that the message had already gone through.
Yan Fanghua beamed. “Then Little Xia can represent me and keep Wanqing company.”
Shen Wanqing still clutched her phone, apparently oblivious to the new message, and nodded. “Sounds good. You two catch up. Little Sister and I will sort out the wedding gown and formalwear today. As for the restaurant, I know a few excellent spots. I’ll take Little Sister to check them out.”
“Go for the best,” Shen Tingyun reminded from nearby. “Something to Grandpa’s liking if possible.” Shen Wanqing rose at once. “Little Sister, come along with me.”
Little Sister this, Little Sister that… Lu Zhixia stayed planted in her seat. Yan Fanghua gave her a nudge. “Off you go.”
With no other choice, she stood. Glancing back at her mother, she let a pleading look flicker across her face—really don’t want to leave, really want to stay.
Yan Fanghua waved her away with a bright call: “Little Xia, treat Big Sister to something nice out tonight.”
Their wedding was meant to be a simple family affair, just dinner with loved ones.
Wedding photos hadn’t even been on the table at first. Yan Fanghua let on that she’d like to take some, and Shen Wanqing read between the lines.
Shen Wanqing proposed the idea, Shen Tingyun approved, and Yan Fanghua “reluctantly” went along.
In the end, Lu Zhixia was the only one zoning out. Out of nowhere, this wedding had crashed the scene—and the surprise Big Sister turned out to be Shen Wanqing of all people…
Heading downstairs alongside her now, Lu Zhixia noticed Shen Wanqing hadn’t so much as glanced at her phone. Hope flared up. “Shen Wanqing.”
“What did you call me?” Shen Wanqing glanced back over her shoulder.
“What else is there to call you?”
“Little Sister, what do you say?”
Lu Zhixia swallowed hard and stiffened her resolve. “I’ll stick to your name. We’re not close enough for nicknames. Why play at intimacy?”
“Truly a rebellious little brat,” Shen Wanqing remarked. Dissatisfied, Lu Zhixia shot back, “You’re the brat!”
Lost in their bickering, Lu Zhixia completely forgot about the message.
A Mercedes-Benz business van idled at the entrance, the familiar sports car parked right behind it.
Four staffers waited downstairs. Spotting them, they nodded respectfully to President Shen before piling into the vehicles.
Lu Zhixia beelined for the back seat. Shen Wanqing paused beside the car. “Think it’s fitting for Big Sister to play chauffeur?”
She knew it looked off, but sitting right next to Shen Wanqing was too much. In the end, she relented and climbed into the passenger seat.
Lu Zhixia feigned sleep the whole ride and trailed obediently after they arrived.
Shen Wanqing handled the custom suits inside while Lu Zhixia lingered bored at the door—like a husband tagging along on his wife’s shopping spree.
When it came to the wedding gown customization, however, Shen Wanqing made a beeline for the luxury brand boutique. Lu Zhixia yanked her back in a panic. “This is Mother’s wedding. I call the shots.”
Shen Wanqing yielded ground. Lu Zhixia strode past the high-end store to a more mid-tier option.
It was a sweet thought, but Lu Zhixia drew a total blank on the vital measurements. “One moment, please.”
Shen Wanqing caught Lu Zhixia’s hand. “No need to call. I know them roughly.”
Lu Zhixia sized her up skeptically. Shen Wanqing explained calmly, “I study fashion design. Standard measurements? I can gauge them at a glance.”
Mother’s preferred styles were another story. Lu Zhixia, a total blockhead with girly tastes, hadn’t the foggiest idea.
“Truly an unfilial rebel,” Shen Wanqing murmured. “You don’t even know Mother’s preferences.”
Lu Zhixia had no comeback. Unwillingly, she grumbled, “I’ve been abroad for years. How was I supposed to find out?”
Shen Wanqing tugged her toward the exit. “Professor Yan’s paintings feature a whole wedding gown series.”
Lu Zhixia snapped back to reality already outside. Shen Wanqing grew solemn. “I want you to understand something. In a way, Professor Yan’s my family too. This is her one-and-only wedding gown shoot, and I want in on it. Don’t fight me for it. Let me show some filial piety this once, and I promise not to steal your turns down the line.”
Shen Wanqing’s brand of filial piety? Marching into that luxury brand store to bespoke a wedding gown so exorbitantly priced Lu Zhixia had never once fantasized about shelling out for it.
Rush fees piled on top made the whole affair outrageously opulent.
Suddenly, Lu Zhixia realized she owed Shen Wanqing far more than just 200,000 now…
She couldn’t stop it—Shen Wanqing was a VIP member, and the bill deducted seamlessly from her account.
The shortlisted restaurants? All elite venues in Haijing City.
Lu Zhixia had dined at a few before, but only tagging along with national dignitaries. Her everyday spending barely topped the average person’s.
Trotting after Shen Wanqing felt like shadowing the God of Fortune himself. She picked spots without batting an eye at the tags, caring only if they struck her fancy.
The banquet package? The priciest clocked in at 888,888 yuan.
The manager explained the painting’s meaning with vivid flair, but in simple terms, it was all about emptying your pockets.
Shen Wanqing didn’t bat an eye as she handed over the deposit.
Lu Zhixia’s heart bled at the sight. She didn’t know what to say.
She’d met rich people before—friends with ties to high-ranking officials, scions of medical dynasties, media celebrities. But compared to the Shen Wanqing standing before her now, they were all small-time.
By the end of their shopping spree, Lu did a rough calculation: a few million spent. Averaged out, it would wipe her savings clean.
Shen Wanqing turned around abruptly, and the person trailing behind bumped right into her.
Lu Zhixia took a step back. “Sorry.”
“Hungry?” Shen Wanqing asked.
Lu Zhixia shook her head—she didn’t dare admit she was—and lowered her eyes. “Shen Wanqing, you said you wanted to show some filial piety, but she’s my mom too. Your dad married her, so I have a duty to be filial as well.”
Her wallet, however, couldn’t stretch that far. Lu Zhixia said earnestly, “As for the money, I’ll do the math when we get back. I’ll cover half, but I’ll have to pay you back bit by bit.”
Shen Wanqing arched a brow. “Fine by me.”
“And for any more big-ticket items like that in the future, I get wanting to make our parents happy, but we have to think about the cost. You should ask my opinion first.” Lu Zhixia’s brows knitted together.
Shen Wanqing pressed her lips together and hummed in agreement. “Fine.”
“Then let’s go—dinner’s on me.” Lu Zhixia couldn’t risk slacking on her mother’s orders. Knowing her mom, there’d be an interrogation waiting. “What do you feel like?”
“What do you want?” Shen Wanqing asked, walking beside her.
“Anything works for me.”
“Same here.”
Lu Zhixia stopped and looked down at her. “Shen Wanqing, I’m serious. Tell me what you want so we can eat and get home already.”
“You’re treating me—you pick.” Shen Wanqing tilted her head up and saw those furrowed brows. She reached out to smooth Lu Zhixia’s brow. “It’s just dinner.”
That was true. With her friends, Lu Zhixia knew plenty of hole-in-the-wall spots they could hit up.
But after witnessing Shen Wanqing’s spending power that afternoon, she now understood what a world of difference meant.
Their eyes met. Lu Zhixia swatted Shen Wanqing’s hand away and blurted out, “Do you know what Mala Tang is?”
As expected, Shen Wanqing looked blank. “What’s that?”
“Let’s go eat…” Lu Zhixia pulled out her phone and scrolled through a review app to the top-rated Western restaurant—the priciest one. “German Restaurant.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I want something else.”
“Like what?”
“Anything.”
That nagging sense of déjà vu hit her again. Lu Zhixia suggested Golden Triangle, the top Thai spot.
“Don’t feel like it.”
“Then what?”
“Anything.”
She tried the number-one French restaurant next, but Shen Wanqing still wasn’t sold.
Lu Zhixia rattled off every famous place she could think of, then thrust the phone at her. “Miss High-and-Mighty, pick one already, or go home and have Big Chef whip something up for you!”
Shen Wanqing narrowed her eyes and crooked a finger. “Come here.”
Lu Zhixia marched over aggressively. “What? You—hey! Ow!”
Shen Wanqing latched onto her ear with pinpoint accuracy and ruthless precision, her voice cool and even. “Go on—try barking at me again?”
