"Oh, I’m exhausted!"

As soon as Liu Menglin walked in, she violently kicked off the high heels she’d been wearing all morning by the shoe cabinet at the door, tossed her new Chanel bag aside, and flopped heavily onto the sofa. She spread her arms and legs without a hint of ladylike grace, gazing dazedly at the ceiling with a satisfied expression on her face.

Ye Wen, who walked in with her, rolled her eyes dramatically: "You have the nerve to say that. We’ve been shopping non-stop, went through the whole mall, and even had to scour nearby shops for bargains. I’m really impressed!"

With that, she dumped all the big and small bags she was carrying onto the coffee table, then plopped down on the edge of the sofa, rubbing her swollen and aching calves irritably: "Look at the time, it’s almost two in the afternoon. I haven’t even had lunch yet."

Liu Menglin, with her head on the cushion, flicked her wavy chestnut hair over the side of the sofa, shifting to a slightly more comfortable position. Hearing her best friend’s complaint, she gave a speechless expression as if to say, "Like it’s my fault": "Oh please, who was it that said outside food isn’t as good as Huang Tao’s cooking and didn’t want to eat out?"

"Wen, don’t tell me you never said that!"

That statement left Ye Wen speechless and unable to refute!

After all, she really had said that.

But it was the truth too!

How can outside food compare to Huang Tao’s cooking?!

Not to mention, if you end up with something bad, it’s like paying to suffer!

But in the end, isn’t it because of you?!

If you had wrapped up shopping earlier, we could’ve gone to Huang Tao’s place for lunch and wouldn’t be starving now.

As if reading her mind, Liu Menglin dramatically sighed, "Besides, wasn’t I shopping today all for you? I gave up my day off, time with my family, and even going back to the office just to help you buy pretty clothes, shoes, and bags. I poured my heart and soul into your makeover mission, and now, not only do I have nothing to eat or drink, but I’m also laden with complaints..."

She added a "Doesn’t your conscience hurt saying that?" expression for effect.

Ye Wen: "..."

"Look at my calves, they’ve gotten so much slimmer from all this walking!"

Liu Menglin gently lifted her slender, beautiful leg wrapped in sheer crystal stockings and placed it on Ye Wen’s thigh, her fingers softly caressing her own leg before gently placing it on Ye Wen’s lap.

Trying to make Ye Wen’s beautiful eyes appreciate how her legs had slimmed for her benefit.

And to remind her of her hard work!

When things finally work out between her friend and Huang Tao...

Liu Menglin will be hailed as a major contributor!

She’s confident her friend wouldn’t forget her help.

And with that...

A lifelong free meal ticket would finally be in hand!

Ye Wen was well aware of her friend’s little schemes but didn’t call her out because Liu Menglin’s intentions were for her good!

Their heartfelt talk from the day before was still fresh in her mind!

She remembered when Liu Menglin gently patted her shoulder: "Wen, if you like Huang Tao, why not be bolder, more direct?"

She had hesitated when she heard that.

But Liu Menglin had rarely been so serious: "Sometimes opportunities lost are lost forever. I’m confident in my people-reading skills; Huang Tao is a decent guy. And with my keen eye for men, he seems to have a tiny bit of interest in you too!"

She bit her lip: "But..."

"But what?"

Liu Menglin immediately understood her worries: "Is it because Huang Tao’s a single dad? Are you worried about your family’s approval? Honestly, I don’t think that matters. What matters is if you can be sincere with each other."

"In a vast sea of people, finding someone you like and who likes you back isn’t easy. You should seize the opportunity, don’t let a beautiful relationship slip away!"

"But..."

Ye Wen fiddled with the hem of her clothes, hesitating: "I feel like he doesn’t even have any intention of pursuing me. I can’t just chase after him, can I?"

Liu Menglin couldn’t help but roll her eyes: "Oh, come on, you’re so old-fashioned! What era are we in? Does it really matter who chases who? As they say, when a man pursues a woman, there’s a mountain; when a woman pursues a man, it’s just a veil. As long as you’re proactive, as long as you try, you’ll definitely win him over."

"Wen, don’t underestimate yourself. Trust me, no man can resist your charm."

"So go ahead and love boldly!"

Thanks to Liu Menglin’s encouragement, she found the courage to pursue love.

Therefore...

She wanted to start by changing her look a bit, so she invited Liu Menglin to shop for clothes today, wanting to look her best when she met Huang Tao.

"Alright, alright, you’ve worked hard. There’s bread and drinks in the fridge, help yourself!"

With that, she pushed Liu Menglin’s beautiful leg off her lap.

"You’re letting me eat just this?"

Liu Menglin rolled her eyes dramatically, then hopped up, wrapped her arms around Ye Wen’s, and playfully whined, "Wen! Hurry up and make your move, win over your dream guy Huang Tao, so he can cook for us!"

"I’m not wanting to be with him just so he can cook for us."

Ye Wen immediately retorted.

She liked Huang Tao.

It’s just pure liking, without any ulterior motives.

After all, Huang Tao is just her type.

Taller than 1.8 meters, distinctive features, mature and handsome, good personality too.

Although there might have been a tiny bit of selfishness at the start, after several encounters, she knew she completely fell for him, liked Huang Tao.

And that kind of liking is just pure emotional affection!

"Alright, I know you’re husband-obsessed, and you’re not even with him yet!"

Liu Menglin clutched her rather full chest and lamented, "Ah, after so many years of raising a daughter, now she has hearts and eyes only for another man, my heart hurts..."

Ye Wen: "..."

She pretended to be angry and said, "You’re not getting dinner tonight."

"No, daddy, I’m sorry, I was just joking just now..."

Liu Menglin wrapped her arm around Ye Wen’s shoulder and begged with a grin, "You know, I’m all for you flirting with him!"

"I’m not bantering with you, I’m going to go change clothes."

Ye Wen took the spoils she acquired this morning and slipped into the bedroom.

This 80 square meter, two-bedroom apartment, was a cozy little nest provided by Ye Wen’s parents.

It’s very close to the Golden Sun Kindergarten, just a five or six-minute walk.

Buying this place was to make commuting easier for her.

For now, she lives here alone.

Back in the bedroom, she picked out clothes from her spoils to wear later.

"This dress..."

Gazing at herself in the mirror, she frowned slightly and shook her head, saying, "It’s nice, but isn’t it too formal?"

The dress she was wearing at the moment, just bought from the mall, was the latest winter style from some brand, both the style and texture were great, well-suited to highlight her nearly perfect figure.

But still!

This dress was more suitable for formal occasions, wearing it outside would attract too much attention.

Thinking it over, she changed into a cashmere turtleneck sweater and paired it with black wide-leg pants, feeling it was more low-key.

But would this be too plain?

"Oh dear, what pants should I wear today, I should be wearing a skirt to catch his eye!"

Liu Menglin stood at the door, munching on bread, shaking her head, saying, "Wear that burgundy set dress, and remember to pair it with black stockings. I’m telling you, no man can resist the charm of black stockings."

Ye Wen shot her a look that said, "Even eating can’t shut your mouth," then closed the door and locked it.

Now, the world was finally quiet! 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

In the end, she obediently followed her best friend’s advice and changed into another outfit.

A burgundy short top paired with a matching short skirt, black sheer tights, the overall style was slightly mature, but she wore it with a touch of girlish charm.

The material of the coat and skirt was fine and warm, complementing her good figure and face, making her look more fashionable and charming.

Satisfied!

She looked in the mirror, a charming curve forming at the corner of her lips.

Seeing it was getting late, she stuffed her phone into her bag, then checked herself in the mirror one last time before heading to the door.

But just a few seconds later, Li Menglin came back, picked up a beret, and put it on.

Next, she took out lip balm from her bag, applied some in front of the mirror, touched up her makeup, tidied her hair, and walked out of the bedroom, satisfied.

She said to Liu Menglin, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa watching a drama, "Meng Lin, I’m ready, we can go."

Liu Menglin glanced up approvingly, making a tsk-tsk sound, "Wow, not bad, with this outfit, you’re sure to sweep a lot of men off their feet."

Ugh~

Who cares about sweeping lots of men off their feet...

As long as she could sweep Huang Tao off his feet...