After applying toner, lotion, and sunscreen, Xu Su patted a thin layer of foundation onto her face. She set it with setting spray and then lightly filled in her eyebrows with a pencil.

Her eye makeup was a must, too. After applying mascara, Xu Su chose a dusty rose blush and lightly swept it across her cheeks with a blush brush.

When she was all done, Xu Su looked at herself in the mirror...

Maybe she was just used to her own face, or maybe the makeup was too light, but she didn’t think she looked much different.

After staring for a few seconds, she felt like it was all a waste of makeup...

After a moment’s hesitation, Xu Su saw that it was already 11:30. She decided not to fuss with it anymore, picked a cherry-colored lip glaze from her collection, and applied a light layer to her lips.

She went to the walk-in closet, changed her clothes, and got ready to leave.

As had been the case for the past few days, Zhou Mochen wasn’t home at this time. Xu Su didn’t plan on having anyone drive her; she’d just call a cab.

She had completely forgotten about Shen Chen’s existence overnight. To her surprise, as soon as she walked into the living room, she saw him sitting properly on the leather sofa, leisurely sipping tea.

Hearing her footsteps, Shen Chen looked up. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when he saw her. "Are you going out?"

"Yeah." As she walked, Xu Su tucked her phone into the small crossbody bag she was carrying. "Didn’t I tell you yesterday? I have a class reunion today."

"I seem to recall something like that..." Shen Chen nodded, then stood up to block her way. "So, you’re planning to go dressed like that?"

"???" Xu Su looked down at herself, confused.

She was wearing a slightly tight, red-and-white sleeveless crop top with a pair of loose, baggy jeans. At a glance, her legs looked very long, and her proportions were excellent.

’It’s not like I’m showing cleavage or my midriff. What’s wrong with it?’

After a moment, realization dawned on Xu Su. "You have a point. It’s probably not a good idea to wear this."

She was about to be a university student, a real adult. She should dress differently than she did in high school.

Seeing that she understood, Shen Chen nodded in satisfaction. "Go change."

’A nice young lady like her, what’s with showing her entire arm? And that top is a bit too tight. A couple more glances and you could...’

Xu Su had no idea what Shen Chen was thinking. She glanced at the time and hurried back to her room.

She spent a moment picking through her walk-in closet before choosing a white, cinched-waist dress with a crossover neckline. The neckline revealed her collarbones, and the style was simple and elegant—perfect for her age.

Soon, Xu Su emerged again in her new outfit, rushing toward the entryway.

It was almost lunchtime. She had gotten up late and then spent all this time getting ready. Huang Feng had arrived a few minutes ago and had been texting her nonstop, telling her to hurry.

But as she passed the bar, Shen Chen blocked her again. Xu Su was getting anxious. "What are you doing? Move, I’m in a hurry."

"This is what you changed into?" Shen Chen’s voice was even louder than hers. "You were better off in the first outfit! How can you wear a skirt that short!"

"How is this short? Besides, I’m wearing safety shorts underneath." Xu Su had no idea what had gotten into him. What she wore was none of his damn business.

Besides, this was a dress Zhou Mochen had prepared for her. How short could it possibly be!

But Shen Chen stood there, unmoving, like a statue.

Xu Su was at her wit’s end. Anxious to leave, she carefully lifted the hem of her dress to show him she was wearing shorts underneath and definitely wouldn’t have a wardrobe malfunction.

Her voice was a mix of exasperation and frustration. "Can you please stop meddling? Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’re my dad."

The length of the skirt was a secondary issue. The main problem was...

Standing face-to-face, he had a height advantage. He could even glimpse the subtle scenery inside the neckline of her dress. Shen Chen’s brow furrowed tightly. "I’ll drive you there, you won’t be late. Go change out of this dress."

’He’s acting like some stuffy old official. Anyone would think he’s super conservative.’

As if Xu Su would listen to him. Seeing that he was still blocking her path, she tossed her bag at him. "Shen Chen, don’t make me slap you. Get out of my way!"

"You’re really not changing?" Shen Chen caught the bag she’d thrown, a hint of resignation in his voice.

"If you’re that bored, you can stay home and change all you want." Xu Su snatched her bag back and headed for the entryway. "You’re a real piece of work, you know that? Now you’re telling me what I can and can’t wear."

"Fine, I can’t control you." Shen Chen sighed and followed her to change his shoes. "But dressed like that, aren’t you worried your boyfriend will be unhappy?"

"You don’t think I bought this myself, do you?"

Xu Su finished putting on a pair of nude-colored strappy sandals and stood up, retorting irritably, "Zhou Mochen had someone send this over. Where would I find the time to go shopping for clothes?"

She really didn’t understand what was so revealing about the dress. Weren’t these just normal clothes?

’Is Shen Chen possessed by some remnant of the Qing Dynasty?’

Xu Su pressed the button for the elevator, and Shen Chen followed right behind her. "Which hotel is your reunion at? I’ll drive you." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Junyue Hotel." After she said it, Xu Su suddenly remembered—wasn’t that one of the Shen family’s properties?

Sure enough, Shen Chen couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows and smile. "Well, what a coincidence."

"..." Xu Su hadn’t expected it to be held at such a high-end hotel.

But then she remembered that most of the students attending were from Chang City and came from well-off families, so it wasn’t that surprising.

In the underground garage, Shen Chen opened the passenger door of a black Bentley. "Get in."

Xu Su shot him a glance before obediently getting into the car.

Imperial Central wasn’t far from the Junyue Hotel, and Shen Chen reached the destination in less than ten minutes.

On the way, messages from Huang Feng kept coming in, and at one point, she even called.

The moment she got out of the car, Xu Su saw Huang Feng waiting for her at the hotel entrance. Deeply touched, she ran up to her. "Have you been waiting long?"

Huang Feng was dressed very femininely today and was also wearing makeup. She stared at Xu Su for a long moment before reaching out and pinching her waist. "How are the rest of us supposed to live? It’s bad enough you look like this, but your waist is so tiny too."

"..."

Before Xu Su could say anything, Shen Chen, who had followed them, raised an eyebrow and smiled. "What floor are you on?"

"The third floor." Xu Su pulled Huang Feng toward the elevators.

Huang Feng had met Shen Chen last year, so this was their second time meeting. Her eyes lit up, and she secretly tugged on Xu Su’s arm, whispering, "Did he drive you here?"

Xu Su said, "Yeah, he happened to be there."

She had told Huang Feng before that Shen Chen was a friend of Zhou Mochen’s, so Huang Feng just nodded in understanding.

Then, she lowered her voice even more. "He’s... kind of handsome..."

Huang Feng’s slightly shy tone made Xu Su’s heart skip a beat, and alarm bells started ringing in her head.

She looked at Shen Chen up ahead. ’His looks are deceiving; he’s definitely more than just ’kind of handsome.’’

Just as she was about to say something, the elevator arrived. The three of them stepped inside, and Xu Su immediately fell silent.

After pressing the button for their floor, Shen Chen turned to them with a smile and said, "I’ll talk to the manager and have him comp your bill."