Chapter 30: A Glimpse of Money Power
Sitting at her desk and watching the three of them walk away, Lin Muqing covered her face with both hands and let out a helpless sigh.
If one day they suddenly found out that the cat-eared maid in the maid outfit… was actually their own classmate—
She had no idea how they would react.
But that wasn’t even the biggest problem.
The real problem was that she would experience social death, and her high school life would be completely over.
She absolutely didn’t want something like that to happen. So even if she had to stall, she would drag it out until the college entrance exam was over.
That way, even if she was found out, she could just switch identities, apply for a new ID and start over in college.
Perfect plan.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I was thinking abou—cough cough! Nothing!”
Hearing her best buddy’s voice, Lin Muqing almost spilled her thoughts out loud again. Luckily, she quickly covered her mouth and stopped herself just in time.
This terrible habit! she complained silently.
But she couldn’t help it. She trusted her best buddy too much, and rarely lied to Ye Ziming. She usually told him everything.
Well… that was back in freshman year.
As for now, she still technically hadn’t lied to him. She was just… hiding the truth about her real gender. That’s all.
“Come on. Let’s go buy you some clothes.”
Ye Ziming quietly smiled as he looked at all her little reactions and that cute expression she had when lost in thought.
After smiling, he patted her on the shoulder and gently reminded her.
He knew she hadn’t forgotten, but he also knew she might try to play dumb or wiggle her way out of it.
So he came fully prepared.
“Umm… Actually, I already have a lot of clothes. Like, so many that my closet’s about to burst.”
A drop of sweat rolled down her forehead. Lin Muqing placed her hands on the desk, fingers intertwined, and turned to face her buddy.
She blinked while talking, trying to talk him out of the shopping trip.
“Then let’s go to your place first, take some measurements, and order a custom wardrobe from the furniture store. It won’t take long to make, and they’ll deliver it to your door.”
Ye Ziming didn’t get annoyed at all. Instead, he smiled gently.
Then he calmly offered a “solution” to the problem, just get a new closet. That way, she could fit even more clothes.
“…Huh?”
Lin Muqing froze again. Once again, she experienced the terrifying power of her buddy’s money.
This—this was what it meant to be “rich without mercy.”
She had no way to argue with that level of “cash” ability.
And so, she ended up in his family’s car, being taken all the way to the biggest shopping center in the southern part of the city.
They made a quick stop at her home. She ran upstairs, took off the jade pendant, and came back down without even changing clothes, then was whisked away straight to the mall.
“I remember… this place is really expensive, right?”
Standing at the entrance of the shopping center, surrounded by bustling crowds and high-end stores, Lin Muqing suddenly stopped and turned to her buddy.
Even though they were close, she felt like she had no right to spend his money like this. In fact, she felt like she didn’t even belong in a place like this.
She’d been here before with her parents. But since everything inside was so expensive, they barely bought anything back then.
It really was just shopping.
"It's fine. I'm a member here, there’s a discount when I shop."
Noticing the change in Lin Muqing’s expression, Ye Ziming narrowed his eyes just a little, then calmly said those words.
After he spoke, he walked a few steps ahead, but when he looked back, he saw that Lin Muqing hadn’t followed. She seemed a little distracted.
“Even with a discount… it’s still expensive, right? How about we go over there instead? It’s way cheaper.”
Still feeling unsure, Lin Muqing remembered the places where she usually bought clothes. Local markets near home, where things were much more affordable.
If she got lucky, she could buy a good-quality outfit for a little over 100 yuan. It could last a long time, wouldn’t fade, and wouldn’t fall apart.
“You’re my secretary, remember?”
Ye Ziming turned back and stood in front of her, placing one hand gently on her shoulder. He looked into her eyes and spoke softly.
“I…”
Hearing that, Lin Muqing suddenly remembered what Sister Yu had told her the day before.
As the store manager’s secretary, dressing like this looks a bit too shabby. It’s like making your boss lose face.
“Come on. To your boss, this is just pocket change.”
Ye Ziming’s soft smile returned when he saw her expression begin to change. He knew his words were working.
Then his eyes dropped slightly, and he reached out and gently took Lin Muqing’s small hand. Just like that, he led her toward the bustling shopping center.
“W-wait a minute!”
Everything happened so fast that Lin Muqing didn’t even have time to react before she was pulled through the door.
Ye Ziming moved smoothly, like he’d done this many times, heading straight for a store he clearly knew well.
On the way there, he never let go of Lin Muqing’s hand, no matter what she said.
If she resisted or tried to pull away, he would turn his head, smile at her, and lightly squeeze her small hand.
“Umm… can you maybe let go of my hand now?”
Finally, standing in front of a famous clothing store, Lin Muqing found a moment to speak properly with Ye Ziming.
She really felt like something was off. Walking hand in hand like that… it looked kinda weird. Kinda gay, even.
Just thinking about two guys holding hands made her shiver. She completely forgot what her real identity was right now.
“Does holding hands with me make you uncomfortable?”
Ye Ziming turned his head, eyebrows slightly furrowed, looking at her with a hint of innocence.
As he spoke, he gently squeezed her hand again. Soft, small, and warm. He didn’t want to let go. If possible, he wanted to keep holding it for a bit longer.
“Ah? Well… not really.”
Caught off guard by his question and expression, Lin Muqing paused, then seriously answered.
“Then let’s go pick out your clothes.”
With that same soft smile, Ye Ziming took her hand again, turned toward the store, and prepared to head in.
“Hold on! Don’t you think this is kinda strange?”
Taking a few quick steps forward, Lin Muqing stood next to him and tugged his arm, speaking quietly and hesitantly.
She really wanted to say that the way they looked right now made them seem like… well… a couple.
But seeing a few people nearby, she chickened out at the last second. Saying that out loud would be social suicide.
“I don’t think so.”
Ye Ziming stared at her for a long moment, then slowly shook his head and shared what he truly thought.
Honestly, he thought it was kinda nice.
Right now, Lin Muqing looked just like a soft and adorable high school girl, and he really liked that.