244: Chapter 244 Operation Plan (Partial)

6:30 the next morning.

Jiang Ye was yawning as he walked into the bathroom when the door suddenly clicked open, swiped from the outside with a key card.

Lin Wanxing poked her head in cautiously, warily scanning the room before her gaze finally landed on the blurry figure behind the frosted glass of the bathroom.

Seeing that he was properly dressed in pajamas and showed no signs of "streaking," she stepped in quietly and sat down on a chair by the window.

Jiang Ye finished rinsing his mouth and stepped out of the bathroom. He was about to break the awkward morning silence with a "Yo, I guess we're even now," but she beat him to the punch.

"Jiang Ye, tell me about the plan for today."

"Huh?"

Jiang Ye's witty comeback was cut short. "The plan?"

"Yes."

Lin Wanxing nodded. "As in, what you guys intend to do next. Those 'lines' Ye Cheng mentioned yesterday... does she have more scenes today?"

"Tsk, didn't I tell you? If I tell you, you won't be able to give that authentic, caught-off-guard reaction. It'll ruin the effect..."

"I can definitely cooperate! Not knowing anything makes me feel insecure, which makes it easier to mess up. You wouldn't want your so-called 'surprise' to blow the whole operation, would you?"

In truth, besides wanting to understand the plan for better cooperation (or self-preservation), Lin Wanxing's more urgent need was:

She had to immediately find a serious and lengthy enough topic to force their way through this awkward morning.

Otherwise, heaven knows what kind of embarrassing, unanswerable nonsense this guy would spout next.

Jiang Ye glanced at her. Seeing that she was forcing a calm expression despite her flickering gaze, he understood most of what she was thinking and sighed helplessly.

"Fine, fine... Today's plan is to take you all shopping at K11."

"Shopping?"

"Yeah. The core objective is to flaunt my wealth... oh wait, no, it's to demonstrate my financial strength and 'unreserved' affection for you. This will further impress your family and make them worry about your 'status being threatened,' heightening their sense of competition."

"Then... what about Ye Cheng?" Lin Wanxing was more concerned about the role of this "competitor."

"That's the key part."

Jiang Ye snapped his fingers. "First, we'll warm up by browsing other stores in the mall. Then, we'll 'run into' Ye Cheng hanging out at Chanel. When she sees me trying to buy you something so expensive, she'll come over and needle you. Her lines will basically be mocking you for being poor and relying entirely on a man."

He paused, observing Lin Wanxing's expression. "As for you, just play yourself. Emphasize that 'poor person' vibe and your sense of embarrassment."

Lin Wanxing's face darkened at the phrase "play yourself as a poor person," but she couldn't refute it.

Compared to the big-spending "President Jiang" and the seemingly wealthy Ye Cheng and Su Ning, she, a mere office worker, was indeed dirt poor.

Pushing down her annoyance, she mulled over the plan. "And then?"

"Then? Then you won't have to give your mom money anymore. The excuse is already built-in—you can say that after this incident, you've realized you can't rely on me blindly. You need to keep some money to maintain your dignity and buy me gifts in return, so it's not always a one-sided contribution. Basically, you're shaping the image of a 'poor but principled' sensible girlfriend."

Lin Wanxing thought about it. Given Zhao Yumei's extremely pragmatic and face-saving nature, this logic might actually work.

If she saw a "golden son-in-law" willing to spend a fortune on her daughter, for the sake of the "long term," Zhao Yumei would likely suppress her urge to demand monthly wages for a while. She might even urge her daughter to "seize the opportunity" and stop acting "petty" over money.

"But... what about the bride price? Even if they stop forcing me to hand over my salary for now, they definitely won't forget that 200,000 at the end of the year."

Jiang Ye clicked his tongue and gave a mysterious smile.

"To make your mother fully cooperative, a stick isn't enough; you need a carrot. You can dangle a carrot in front of her. Tell her that when Lin Haoxuan actually gets to the wedding stage at the end of the year, you'll find a way to get more from me—maybe 300,000 or 400,000—to give your brother a grand wedding and bring honor to the family."

"300,000 or 400,000?! Where would I get that much money? That's way too big of a promise!"

"Don't worry, it's just an empty promise; you don't actually have to deliver. The key is... whether he'll even be able to get married by then is another matter."

Lin Wanxing was stunned.

If Lin Haoxuan and Sun Na's wedding really fell through, the plan would be perfect. She'd not only escape a year of financial oppression but also be rid of that suffocating bride price at the end of the year once and for all.

But... why would the wedding fall through? Sun Na didn't seem like the type to let go easily... She looked at Jiang Ye's face, which screamed "it's a secret," hesitated, and swallowed the question on the tip of her tongue.

Forget it. Even if she asked, he wouldn't tell the truth. It would likely be more nonsense that would only end up infuriating her.

Seeing her silence, Jiang Ye assumed she was still processing the plan. He stopped talking and got ready to get out of bed, change, and head to the restaurant for breakfast.

Watching him, Lin Wanxing bit her lip. "So... what do you plan to 'pretend' to buy me?"

"Oh, just take you to stores like Chanel or Gucci, look at some bags or clothes that cost tens of thousands..."

"Jiang Ye, that's too expensive! Even if it's just for show, I can't accept it. It's beyond what I'm comfortable with."

"Huh? Are you dreaming? 'Can't accept it'? I told you it's just for show!"

Jiang Ye paused while fastening his belt and turned to look at her as if she were an idiot.

"It's obviously 'try on but don't buy,' strictly for show! When I ask what you like, you'll pretend to hesitate and say 'let me look around more.' Then, after Ye Cheng needles you, your pride will flare up, and you'll say 'no' to everything. Finally, you'll drag me to affordable stores like Hotwind, Yishion, or Peacebird and buy a few items for two or three hundred yuan. Done."

"..."

Lin Wanxing glared at his punchable "did you really think I'd buy it for you" expression, her teeth grinding.

But annoyingly, his script was more logical and more likely to achieve the desired effect.

"See!"

She took a deep breath, forcing down her exasperation. "This is why you had to tell me the plan in advance! Otherwise, what if I actually thought you were buying me something expensive and just accepted it?"

Jiang Ye put on his shirt and waved dismissively. "Relax, that won't happen. We have a backup plan."

"A backup plan?"

"If you didn't refuse in time, or if your family made too much of a scene, Ye Cheng would chime in with a timely snort and say, 'How shameless. I guess she's so desperate for money that she'll grab anything she can get.'"

"..."

Lin Wanxing was completely speechless.

She could imagine that with Zhao Yumei's obsession with saving face, hearing such words would definitely make her suppress her greed temporarily to avoid being ridiculed by an "outsider."

This bastard... he really knows how to play the game.