74: Chapter 74 Gratitude and Dependence, Zhou Zhaolong is Stunned

Song Qian stood in the store, feeling completely uncomfortable.

She looked at the glistening bags around her, at the clothes as exquisite as works of art, and at the long strings of zeros on the price tags.

It felt... like a world she didn't belong in.

A single bag cost more than her family's annual income.

A single piece of clothing was enough for her living expenses for half a year!

Song Qian hunched her shoulders, feeling like a beggar who had wandered in by mistake.

The shop assistant quickly came over carrying a pile of clothes.

"Miss, these pieces are our new arrivals for this season, and they suit this young lady's temperament very well."

She showed the clothes to Su Bai, seemingly knowing who the benefactor was.

"Would you like to try them on?"

Su Bai nodded.

The shop assistant looked at Song Qian.

"Miss, please come this way."

Song Qian stood up and followed her into the fitting room.

Her leg still hurt, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.

The fitting room was large, with mirrors on all three sides.

The shop assistant hung up the clothes, stepped out, and closed the door.

Song Qian stood in front of the mirror, took a deep breath, and began to change clothes.

The first piece was a dress, off-white, with a simple cut, the fabric as soft as a cloud.

She put it on, zipped it up, and looked at the mirror.

The person in the mirror seemed like a different person.

The skirt fell just above her knees, the waist cinched perfectly, making her waist look slim and her legs long.

The neckline was neither too high nor too low, revealing just a hint of her collarbone.

The color made her skin look several shades fairer.

She was stunned.

Was this her?

The shop assistant knocked on the door from outside.

"Miss, are you ready? You can come out and let the gentleman see."

Song Qian hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open and walked out.

Su Bai was sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine; hearing the movement, he looked up.

His gaze lingered on her for a second.

"This one is not bad," he nodded. "Next one."

Song Qian was taken aback.

Just that?

She thought he would say something more.

But then she thought, he brought her to buy clothes, probably just like taking a puppy to buy a collar; as long as it fits, that's all that matters, no need for evaluation.

She went back to change into the next one.

The second piece was a black skirt paired with a white silk shirt.

The shirt fabric was smooth and felt cool against her skin.

The skirt was tight around the hips and reached just to her knees, making her hips look particularly full.

She walked out.

Su Bai took a look.

"Okay, next one."

The third piece was a pair of jeans paired with a simple gray knit sweater.

The jeans were very form-fitting, clearly outlining the lines of her legs.

Su Bai still just took one look.

"Okay."

Song Qian tried them on one by one.

She felt she had never looked so good in any of them.

But for every piece, Su Bai only said a faint "Okay."

The last piece she tried was a wine-red maxi dress, with spaghetti straps and off-the-shoulder.

She put it on and looked at herself in the mirror, suddenly feeling somewhat afraid to go out.

It was too revealing.

She hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open anyway.

Su Bai looked up.

His gaze stopped on her.

The wine red made her skin look glowing white.

The spaghetti straps revealed her rounded shoulders and delicate collarbone.

The hem reached her ankles, but there was a slit on the side, revealing her thigh when she walked.

She stood there, tugging at the hem of the skirt, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"This one..." she said softly, "is it too revealing?"

Su Bai didn't speak.

He stood up and walked over to her.

Song Qian's breath hitched.

He stood in front of her, very close, so close that she could smell the faint scent of body wash on him.

He looked down at her, his gaze sliding from her shoulders to her collarbone, then down to the slit in the skirt.

Then he reached out.

Song Qian's body tensed slightly.

His hand landed on her shoulder, gently flicking the thin strap.

"You wearing this..." he leaned close to Song Qian's ear, "really turns me on, but... from now on, you can only wear it for me to see."

Song Qian was stunned, then her face turned beet red.

Did Su Bai mean... that he wanted her to wear this as lingerie?

"This one, and all the clothes and bags we tried on earlier," Su Bai commanded, "wrap them all up."

The shop assistant's eyes practically lit up.

"Very well, sir! Please wait a moment!"

She rushed to pack everything up.

Song Qian stood there, watching Su Bai.

"Those... you're buying all of them?" she asked softly.

Su Bai glanced at her.

"You don't like them?"

"No..." Song Qian shook her head, "it's just... it's too much..."

Su Bai didn't speak.

He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to the shop assistant who walked over.

The shop assistant took the card, swiped it, and respectfully handed it back.

"Sir, the total is 238,000."

Song Qian's mind went blank.

This is just too outrageous!

238,000?!

This money would be enough for her mother to work in the factory for six years!

Just like that... he swiped it?

The shop assistant respectfully handed over the large and small bags.

Song Qian didn't dare let Su Bai carry them, so she quickly took them.

"Let's go."

Su Bai looked at Song Qian's long legs, which were still slightly unnatural, reached out, and wanted to carry her again.

Song Qian hurriedly stepped back.

"I, I can walk myself..."

Su Bai looked at her.

Song Qian lowered her head.

"I really can walk," she said softly.

Su Bai didn't insist further.

The two walked out of the store.

After taking just two steps, Song Qian's leg hurt again.

But she gritted her teeth and followed him step by step.

Su Bai walked in front of her.

His back was upright, his stride steady.

Song Qian looked at that back, and a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.

She couldn't explain it; perhaps... it was similar to how a puppy looks at its owner.

Gratitude and reliance.

Just then, Su Bai's phone rang.

He took it out, looked at it, and answered.

"Hello?"

Someone said something on the other end.

"I'm at the mall," he said coldly. "Come directly here."

After hanging up the phone, he looked at Song Qian and said faintly, "General Manager Zhou Zhaolong is coming over."

Song Qian was taken aback.

General Manager Zhou Zhaolong?

The general manager of Fengxian Construction?

The person who bowed to him at the school anniversary?

"What is he... coming here for?" Song Qian was a bit confused.

Su Bai put away his phone.

"To report on work."

Song Qian fell silent.

These four words were said so naturally, so matter-of-factly.

It was as if it were only natural for a big shot like General Manager Zhou Zhaolong to come and report work to him.

She suddenly realized that her understanding of this man was still just the tip of the iceberg.

"Let's go," Su Bai said. "It will take him a while to get here, let's go look around some more."

He reached out his hand.

Song Qian looked at that hand and, without hesitation, placed her own small hand into it.

He held her hand and led her forward.

Her hand looked so small in his palm.

Song Qian followed him, walking forward step by step.

For a moment, she had an illusion,

that they were like a couple.

But she knew they were just in a master-servant relationship.

It's just that this master is actually quite good to her right now.

— —

After stopping at Longji Plaza, General Manager Zhou Zhaolong trotted all the way through the mall.

Fine beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead; he didn't know if it was from hurrying or from nervousness.

Su Bai said he was at the mall and told him to come directly.

Without a word, he abandoned a meeting that was halfway through and had his driver take him here as quickly as possible.

In the elevator, he kept wondering why Su Bai had suddenly called him over.

The company's recent projects were all going smoothly, with no problems.

Could it be about the school anniversary that day?

It shouldn't... be that, right?

He had never heard of Su Bai getting angry over such things before.

The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became.

The elevator door opened, and he walked quickly toward the store Su Bai mentioned.

From afar, he saw Su Bai.

That incredibly handsome man was leaning against the mall railing, his posture casual, one hand in his pocket, the other hand—

draped around a girl's waist.

General Manager Zhou Zhaolong paused in his steps.

He recognized that girl.

It was the girl his nephew, Student Union President Qi Mingxing, was pursuing!

General Manager Zhou Zhaolong's gaze swept over Song Qian.

She was wearing a wine-red knit dress, a form-fitting style that outlined her exquisite curves.

Over it, she wore a camel cashmere coat, which had a great texture and looked expensive at a glance.

On her feet were black ankle boots, and she was carrying several shopping bags in her hands, with logos of luxury brands on them.

She stood quietly beside Su Bai, as docile as a tamed kitten.

A layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on General Manager Zhou Zhaolong's back.

He understood.

He understood it all, damn it!

Why Su Bai appeared suddenly that day, why he stood in front of that girl, why he made him apologize...

So that was it!

This girl was a canary kept by Su Bai!

And his blind nephew actually dared to hit on Su Bai's woman?!