Chapter 71: Chapter 71: That Little Temper Still Needs Some Polishing

Zhang Yan noticed Xiaoyan’s little movements, but he didn’t pull his arm away. Having her rub against him actually felt quite comfortable.

Combining Brother Gan’s assessment with his own recent observations, he had completely figured out this woman’s true colors. She was vain and deeply materialistic, yet she insisted on putting on airs to appear aloof and noble. She was a textbook example of someone who lacked the skills but loved playing the game.

To handle her, he absolutely couldn’t let her taste the sweetness, but he had to keep it dangling right in front of her eyes at all times. First, he had to make her bow her head, lower her stance, and completely reshape her self-perception. Only then would he toss her a piece of candy. By that point, she would be completely at his mercy.

All that psychology reading he had done over the past few days wasn’t for nothing.

So, facing Xiaoyan’s slightly ambiguous and teasing question, Zhang Yan simply replied, "It’s not about what I want you to call me, but what you want to be to me. My girlfriend can call me hubby or darling. My friends can just call me by my name. So what about you? What is our relationship?"

Xiaoyan hadn’t expected a mildly flirtatious comment to be met with such a direct interrogation. However, there was no way she was going to give a straight answer.

"What else could we be? We’re just an ordinary senior and junior, of course," she said. "But then you said I wasn’t allowed to call you ’Senior’."

"Calling me ’Senior’ so intimately is already someone else’s exclusive privilege. You’d better stick to ’Senior Zhang Yan’."

Xiaoyan didn’t ask who that someone was because she knew perfectly well. She felt an urge to ask whether Zhang Yan and Chi Xinyue had actually started dating, but she held herself back. As long as she didn’t know the absolute truth, she could continue to bury her head in the sand. If she found out for sure... her conscience wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Besides, some things didn’t need to be spelled out. For instance, she was holding Zhang Yan’s arm intimately right now, and he hadn’t pulled it back. He was even brushing it against her chest, whether intentionally or not, rubbing against her so much that it left her feeling a bit flustered.

Even so, she tightened her grip on his arm.

She thought, "Keep rubbing. Let’s see who breaks first!"

"It’s just a title. However I address you, it’s all the same," she said smoothly. "Senior Zhang Yan, where are we going next?"

"It’s still early. Come with me to buy some clothes."

Ever since Zhang Yan had bought two outfits while accompanied by Chi Xinyue last time, he hadn’t shopped for anything new. This was a good time to stock up, as he was getting a little tired of wearing those same two sets. He used to be an ordinary college student who practically wore the same outfit all year round, but ever since his financial burdens vanished, he realized he was actually incredibly fickle, always craving the new and tossing out the old.

They casually browsed through top luxury stores like Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, and Armani.

To give Xiaoyan a sufficient sense of involvement, Zhang Yan didn’t pick anything out himself. Instead, he let Xiaoyan make all the choices while he acted as her clothing model, giving her the illusion that she was dressing up her own boyfriend. Buying clothes worth tens of thousands without a shred of hesitation provided a thrill of unbridled consumption, even if she wasn’t buying them for herself.

After picking out a few outfits, they had spent over a hundred thousand yuan. Seeing Xiaoyan’s flushed face and her look of wanting more, Zhang Yan knew these clothes had achieved their intended effect.

During the shopping spree, Xiaoyan had repeatedly picked up beautiful bags, admiring them fondly and looking reluctant to set them down. She frequently asked Zhang Yan if they looked good and whether they suited her. Zhang Yan simply praised her relentlessly, insisting they all suited her perfectly, but there was absolutely no way he would take the initiative to buy one for her.

Xiaoyan’s personality was completely different from Chi Xinyue’s. As long as she didn’t explicitly ask for something, it was just an ambiguous hint. She would retain the power to accept the gift without acknowledging any strings attached. Buying things for her now would be like throwing money down a bottomless pit.

Only when she couldn’t hold back anymore and explicitly asked for it would it turn into an "exchange." At that point, he could leisurely state his terms.

"It’s about time. Let’s leave these things here for now. The place I booked isn’t far."

Xiaoyan couldn’t hide a flash of disappointment on her face. She reluctantly followed him out, and this time, she didn’t link her arm through his.

Her little temper still needed to be ground down.

Zhang Yan brought Xiaoyan to a pufferfish hotpot restaurant. He had never eaten pufferfish before. In his mind, pufferfish were highly poisonous, so how could they be eaten? However, he had broadened his horizons by searching online, seeing phrases like "the greatest delicacy in the world" and "once you taste pufferfish, all other fish become tasteless." Reading those praises had whet his appetite.

He absolutely had to try it and see if it truly lived up to its reputation.

This pufferfish hotpot place was extremely popular. Even though it was still a little early for dinner, the waiting area was already packed with people. It looked like it would take at least an hour to get a table. Fortunately, Zhang Yan had reserved a private room in advance, so he led Xiaoyan straight inside.

"I’ve heard of this place! It’s a pity it’s always so crowded, and they usually don’t take reservations," Xiaoyan said. "Senior Zhang Yan, how did you manage to book a room?"

"It’s simple. You just sign up for a VIP card, deposit ten thousand yuan into it, and they’ll let you make a reservation."

Xiaoyan was momentarily speechless. That really was a "simple" method.

This was Zhang Yan’s first time eating here too, but he had looked up some guides beforehand. Pretending to be a regular, he ordered a few of the highest-rated dishes online. The broth was a milky-white fish soup scattered with a few large red dates. Zhang Yan took a sip and found it a bit fishy; supposedly, it tasted much better once it was brought to a rolling boil.

Unlike other places, the raw shrimp here came pre-peeled, with only their outer layer seemingly blanched in hot water. Zhang Yan was experienced enough now to know that such little details only meant the additional service charge would not be cheap.

After they had some simple appetizers, the main event—a massive plate of pufferfish sashimi—was served.

Zhang Yan picked up a piece and tasted it. In his mind, an epic cooking anime soundtrack seemed to play. The texture was simultaneously soft and crisp with absolutely no fishy smell. It was incredibly savory, surpassing even the taste of shrimp, though it lacked the shrimp’s distinct sweetness. It was truly delicious!

No wonder there was always such a long line outside. Waiting for an hour was definitely worth it just for this single bite.

It was also Xiaoyan’s first time eating such exceptionally fresh and savory fish. Her previous disappointment was swept away, and she became lively once again. However, all of that came to an abrupt halt when it was time to pay the bill.

"Sir, Miss, your meal comes to a total of 2,300 yuan. Will you be paying by card or scanning a QR code?"

Xiaoyan’s brain short-circuited for a second.

She thought, "What the hell? We just ate a bit of fish and it cost over two thousand yuan!"

Seeing Xiaoyan’s expression stiffen, Zhang Yan said flatly, "Junior, how about I cover this meal instead?"

Xiaoyan gritted her teeth but took the initiative to swipe her card anyway. She didn’t suspect Zhang Yan of deliberately bringing her to such an expensive restaurant, because Chi Xinyue had once told her that the seafood hotpot Zhang Yan treated her to had cost a whopping twelve thousand yuan for the two of them!

So, this bill was already the result of Zhang Yan thoroughly "accommodating" her. She had gone to great lengths to ask Zhang Yan out using the excuse of buying him a meal, and he had even tried his best to cater to her financial situation. If she went back on her word now, it might seem like she had scored a free meal, but it would be incredibly difficult to ever ask him out again.

Besides, since she was spending this much money today, she would definitely reap an even bigger reward when Zhang Yan returned the favor next time!

"Senior, we agreed that this would be my treat," she said. "Even though it’s a little pricey, I’m willing to spend this money on you!"

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