Volume One, Chapter Four: Shirley Chu

"Lily, you can't just grab a random man and call him your boyfriend."

"Who said he's random? We've known each other for years, right, honey?"

The beautiful woman known as Lily looked up at Lu Yichen. A sudden flash of shock crossed her eyes before she blinked, pleading with him to play along. Lu Yichen recognized her immediately; they had indeed known each other for several years.

This woman, Chu Xueli, was his former university classmate. She was incredibly charming and stunning, having been one of the top campus beauties and a well-known socialite during their college days. Her relationship with Lu Yichen had always been quite good—not romantic, but more like that of siblings. However, after Lu Yichen began dating Qin Ruoyan, Chu Xueli had gradually distanced herself from him. Calculating the time, they hadn't seen each other for three to five years.

Meeting her gaze, Lu Yichen’s lips curved upward slightly. "I am indeed Lily's boyfriend. I hope you have some sense of propriety and stop bothering her, or I will report you for harassment."

The man did not believe him. "You say so, but can you prove it? What is her full name?"

Lu Yichen gave a cold snort. He felt that anyone else might have been stumped, but he truly knew her.

"What are you laughing at? If you're so capable, say it."

"Her name is Chu Xueli. She was a media studies student at Shenhai University and served as the president of the choir club. Is that enough? Or would you like me to say more?"

Upon hearing Lu Yichen recite her name and university without a single error, the man looked stunned.

"That only proves you know each other; it doesn't prove you're a couple."

"Zhang Bochuan, if you're sick, go get treated. Why should we have to prove our relationship to you?"

"Lily, I didn't mean it like that—"

"Stop calling me 'Lily' this and 'Lily' that. Are we that close? We are just colleagues. Please have some boundaries and keep a social distance, will you?"

"But... I really like you."

"Liking someone isn't just about talk. You want proof? Fine, I'll show you."

With that, Chu Xueli pulled Lu Yichen toward her, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a kiss on his cheek, as light as a dragonfly skimming the water. Lu Yichen’s eyes widened; he certainly hadn't expected her to use such a method for proof.

The man stood watching the scene, stammering and unable to speak.

"See that? You have your proof now. Please stay away from me from now on."

After saying this, Chu Xueli dragged Lu Yichen away from the scene. Zhang Bochuan wanted to chase after them, but the image of Chu Xueli kissing the other man kept flashing in his mind, leaving him utterly devastated and unable to move.

"Phew, finally got rid of him." Chu Xueli let out a long sigh and released Lu Yichen’s hand.

Lu Yichen could still feel the lingering warmth on his cheek, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the moment she kissed him. "Were you just..."

Hearing Lu Yichen bring up the moment, Chu Xueli’s heart began to race, and her face flushed. "I'm sorry, Brother Chen, I had no other choice..."

"Hahaha, your charm hasn't faded a bit. It’s been three to five years, and you haven't changed at all."

Seeing Lu Yichen change the subject, Chu Xueli stopped mentioning what had just happened. "Brother Chen has become even more handsome. How have you been lately? Why didn't I see Ruoyan?"

"I've been doing alright. As for Ruoyan, we broke up."

Upon hearing this, a strange flicker appeared in Chu Xueli’s eyes, though it vanished as quickly as it came. "That’s such a pity. Everyone in school envied you two; we all thought you would make it to the end."

Lu Yichen sighed without responding. He didn't feel regret, but the comment brought back memories. Back then, his roommates had all bet on whether he and Qin Ruoyan would last, and it turned out the majority had been right that they wouldn't.

Seeing Lu Yichen fall silent, Chu Xueli feared she had said the wrong thing and quickly tried to make amends. "Brother Chen, could you keep me company for a while? I'm afraid he might come back to find me."

Lu Yichen agreed, and the two walked into the mall, entering a Chanel flagship store. Chu Xueli led him around the store before stopping at the perfume section.

A sales associate approached. "Madam, is there a scent you would like to try?"

"This one—could you take it out? I'd like to test it."

"You have excellent taste. This fragrance is quite remarkable—a fresh, oriental scent. The top notes are bergamot, Sicilian mandarin, and Tunisian neroli; the heart notes are Madagascar black pepper; and the base notes are cedarwood and vetiver."

After the introduction, the associate handed the tester to Chu Xueli. She sprayed it on her inner wrist, waited for it to settle, and caught the scent. "It's indeed excellent. I'll take this one. Please wrap it nicely for me."

Initially, Lu Yichen had thought that since they hadn't seen each other in so long, he should buy it for her as a gift. However, he hadn't expected Chu Xueli to buy it without even asking the price, handing her card directly to the associate. The associate grabbed a new bottle and headed to the counter to pack it up.

As they walked out of the store, Chu Xueli handed the gift bag to Lu Yichen. "Brother Chen, thank you for helping me out earlier. Since we haven't seen each other in so long, consider this a welcome-back gift."

Lu Yichen was surprised; he hadn't realized the perfume she bought was for him. He hadn't even known it was a men's fragrance, assuming she was buying it for herself. "Oh? Thank you."

Lu Yichen didn't stand on ceremony with her; he accepted the perfume and felt a warmth in his heart as he thanked her.

"Don't mention it. Come on, keep walking with me."

"Sure, let's go."

And so, Lu Yichen accompanied Chu Xueli as they continued to browse the mall. Even though he was growing tired, he didn't show a hint of impatience.

"Lily, stay there and rest for a moment. I need to use the restroom."

"Oh, alright."

Chu Xueli took the shopping bags from him and sat down on a nearby bench. Lu Yichen headed to the second floor and entered a Bvlgari flagship store.

A beautiful sales associate immediately approached him. "Good day, sir. How may I help you?"

"I saw a necklace online that looked like a four-leaf clover. Do you have it in stock?"

"You must be referring to the Fiorever collection necklace. We do have it. Please, follow me."

The associate led Lu Yichen to a display case and pulled out a diamond necklace with a shape resembling a four-leaf clover. Lu Yichen looked at the necklace and nodded, confirming it was exactly what he was looking for.