C10 Buy Buy Buy!

Early the next morning, Zhang Cheng had just finished dressing and stepped out of his room when he noticed his sister-in-law, Zhao Qingya, in a simple outfit, drying her hair with a blow dryer. It was clear she had just showered, likely due to the discomfort from last night's events, which had left her in a state of distress after hastily applying medicine and dealing with the shock.

Despite having just bathed, Qingya was modestly dressed, with no hint of allure exposed. Just then, the doorbell chimed. Who could it be at this hour? Both Zhang Cheng and Qingya were curious.

Upon opening the villa's door, they were greeted by none other than Zhao Zhiquan. "Xiao Ya, you're here too," he said, with a forced polite smile, before his gaze turned icy upon Zhang Cheng.

"Cripple, you're aware that the day after tomorrow is my cousin Qingyu's birthday. Tonight, I'm hosting a private birthday celebration for her at the Hua Ji Hotel. I wonder if you have the guts to show up," he taunted.

Zhao Qingya bristled at Zhiquan's derogatory address. "Hey, that's my brother-in-law you're talking to!" she snapped, her sudden defense of Zhang Cheng taking Zhiquan aback. He didn't know Qingya well and chose to ignore her outburst.

"Afraid to attend your own wife's birthday party? What's the matter, feeling inferior?" Zhiquan sneered at Zhang Cheng.

"We'll certainly be attending my sister Qingyu's private birthday party, and there's no need for you to foot the bill—I've got it covered. And as for my brother-in-law, he's my sister's husband; of course, he'll be there. Is there anything else?" Qingya retorted, her words a rapid-fire.

Zhiquan simply smirked darkly and took his leave. Zhang Cheng watched him go, puzzled by the young man's antics. Nonetheless, with Qingyu's private birthday banquet scheduled for tonight, and as her husband in name, he knew his attendance was non-negotiable.

After shutting the door, my sister-in-law, Zhao Qingya, launched into a tirade against her cousin Zhao Zhiquan, lambasting him for his shameless antics—she stopped just short of outright cursing him.

Zhang Cheng was perplexed, wondering what had gotten into his sister-in-law. 'Could it be that Zhao Zhiquan had wronged her before?'

Midday found Zhang Cheng lounging in the living room, engrossed in a TV drama that was, frankly, quite dull. Yet, he watched with rapt attention.

But it wasn't the storyline that captivated him.

"Wow, this guy is incredibly good-looking. He's almost giving me a run for my money," he mused, flipping through the channels. His eyes widened, and he switched again.

He couldn't shake the feeling that danger lurked around every corner.

With a sigh, he was about to switch off the TV when suddenly, his sister-in-law appeared.

"Hey, I need to go shopping for clothes. I can't just show up to my sister's private birthday party tonight in this, right?"

"Oh."

Zhang Cheng, feeling a bit downcast, quietly turned off the TV drama.

"Oh? What do you mean 'oh'? You're coming with me."

His sister-in-law commanded with authority. Despite his pleas, Zhang Cheng eventually caved in and agreed to accompany her.

After all, he had planned to go clothes shopping today anyway.

Riding in his sister-in-law's luxury car, the air conditioning was so efficient that he didn't feel the summer heat at all.

Once more, Zhang Cheng realized the perks of wealth. He resolved to strive for success, setting an initial modest goal of earning a billion.

But even that 'small' goal seemed quite ambitious.

Filled with these reflective thoughts, Zhang Cheng finally reached a sprawling shopping mall with his sister-in-law.

No sooner had they entered than she kicked her shopping spree into high gear.

Zhang Cheng's heart winced at the sight.

Not for his sister-in-law's wallet, but because she expected him to foot the bill for her purchases.

This... This... This was utterly unacceptable! He had just set a financial goal for himself, and now he was supposed to start spending?

Zhao Qingya was indifferent to his protests. Her logic was simple: you took all my money yesterday, so today's expenses are on you!

And so, Zhang Cheng's day took a turn for the worse.

"Shopkeeper, please pack up this one, that one, and also that one over there."

Zhao Qingya pointed with a radiant smile, her joy contagious. The clothing store owner laughed heartily in response, while Zhang Cheng's face was the picture of misery.

My money...

Zhao Qingya was in exceptionally high spirits today, likely buoyed by her haul of new clothes.

Over there, a young girl pouted, trudging along with no enthusiasm. "If you won't buy this, and you won't buy that, what's the point of shopping at all?" Her boyfriend's face was a study in embarrassment as they passed by Zhang Cheng.

Just then, the store owner finished tallying up Zhao Qingya's selections. "Sir, the total for your girlfriend's choices comes to thirty-seven thousand yuan. Here's your receipt, please keep it safe," the sales associate said, her face beaming with a smile.

Zhang Cheng, unfazed by the sales associate's slip of the tongue, grimaced as he hoisted the clothes onto his back, a picture of suffering.

Now, Zhang Cheng was laden with bags, big and small. Adding any more would surely make walking a challenge.

A girl passing by caught sight of him and her eyes widened in admiration. To her, the man draped in bags looked incredibly handsome. Glancing back at her own boyfriend, who held only a meager small bag, she lost all desire to continue shopping and quickened her pace in frustration.

"Xing'er, Xing'er, wait for me!" her boyfriend called out, rushing after her.

Unbeknownst to Zhang Cheng, this was likely the fifth couple he had inadvertently distressed.

Oblivious to the impact of his appearance, Zhang Cheng nursed his own sense of injustice, never imagining he could appear dashing to some.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qingya reveled in the moment, particularly savoring the envious and jealous glances from other women. She decided that Zhang Cheng must accompany her on future shopping trips; the feeling was simply too delightful.

Zhang Cheng tallied the bills in his hand and glanced at Zhao Qingya, who was practically bouncing with joy. He nearly choked on his own disbelief.

My money... spirited away by this so-called sister-in-law. Thankfully, he had managed to extract two hundred thousand yuan from her the previous night. Otherwise, he would be spitting blood right now.

Zhang Cheng, adorned with an array of packages, felt his cheeks burn under the weight of the curious stares surrounding him.

It's utterly humiliating. I mean, I'm supposed to be a man of steel, yet here I am, loaded down with a woman's shopping bags.

The problem was, Zhang Cheng was carrying an absurd number of bags. While most people might be burdened with two or three bags at most, Zhang Cheng was laden with nearly ten, each one stuffed to the brim.

He nudged his empty-handed sister-in-law and whispered, "Hey, can you take some of these? I can't carry any more."

Zhao Qingya gave him an eye roll. Knowing full well how tough Zhang Cheng was, she wasn't buying his act.

"You'll have to carry them whether you can or not," she retorted, picking up the pace.

Zhang Cheng trudged behind her, his face a portrait of misery.

And so, they eventually left the mall and loaded the mountain of clothes into his sister-in-law's Maserati. Even Zhang Cheng was out of breath, and it wasn't just from the physical effort—it was a deep, soul-wearying tiredness.

"Come on, let's keep going."

Hearing his sister-in-law's words, Zhang Cheng's eyes rolled back, and he nearly passed out. He made a mental vow never to go clothes shopping with her again.

Zhao Qingya, noticing his reluctance, chuckled and said, "This time we're shopping for you. I've got enough clothes. Surely you're not planning to wear that to my sister's private birthday party?"

She gestured at Zhang Cheng's attire as she spoke.

Indeed! After all this time, he realized he hadn't actually bought a single item for himself.