After the school beauty rejected me, I became her mom's number one fan!

Qiao Jinlin stood still.

She was still covering her mouth with her hand, and her shoulders were shaking.

Ning Xiuyang walked up to her.

He did not kneel on one knee.

He stood there, looking her in the eye, and spoke earnestly.

"Would you like to be my woman?"

Qiao Jinlin's tears fell.

One drop, two drops, trickled down her cheeks and landed on the back of her hand that was covering her mouth.

She nodded vigorously.

I tapped it again and again.

Ning Xiuyang smiled and reached out to pull her into his arms.

Scattered applause and whistles rang out on the dock.

The night breeze from the Huangpu River, carrying the heat of early summer, blew over, making Qiao Jinlin's hair flutter and brushing against Ning Xiuyang's chin, causing a slight itch.

A candlelight dinner has been set out on the yacht's deck.

Ning Xiuyang led Qiao Jinlin by the hand onto the springboard.

Han Yunmei, dressed in a black business suit, stood at the entrance, nodded slightly, and pulled out chairs for the two of them.

Her movements were fluid and graceful; after setting out the meal, she retreated to the other end of the deck without uttering a single word.

In the distant dock parking lot, Elena and Xie Yanxi sat in the back of a GL8, dressed casually, and did not board the ship.

Elena was scrolling through her phone with her legs crossed.

"How much do you think he spent on this trip?"

Xie Yanxi ignored her.

"The coordination fees for the lighting systems of those buildings on the Bund must have been seven figures, right?"

Xie Yanxi still ignored her.

"Master is really generous. This young lady must be the most expensive woman in our villa. There are so many beautiful women in the villa, why does Master like this one so much?"

Elena pouted, tossed her phone onto the seat, and leaned back to stare at the ceiling.

on the yacht.

Qiao Jinlin drank half a glass of red wine, and a thin layer of pink rose on his cheeks.

She held the wine glass in both hands, looked at Ning Xiuyang across from her, and suddenly lowered her voice.

"Senior, are there... lots of girls around you?"

Ning Xiuyang was cutting a steak, his hands never stopping.

"have."

Qiao Jinlin bit his lip.

"Is it a lot?"

"Quite a few."

There was silence for a few seconds.

The wind on the river made the candle flame flicker twice. Han Yunmei walked over from a distance, shielded the flame with her hand, and only retreated after the flame had stabilized.

Qiao Jinlin followed Han Yunmei's retreating figure for two seconds before looking away.

"Is she one too?"

"Um."

It's quiet again.

Qiao Jinlin lowered his head and used a knife to cut the steak on the plate into very small cubes, but he didn't put a single piece into his mouth.

Ning Xiuyang put down his knife and fork and leaned back in his chair.

"I won't lie to you."

Qiao Jinlin raised his head.

"From the moment I met you until now, I have never told you a lie. Everything tonight is real, these roses are real, the lights on the Bund are real. But the many people around me are also real."

Qiao Jinlin tightened his grip on the wine glass.

"I won't give up others for anyone, because everyone is serious." Ning Xiuyang paused for a moment, "But you promised me tonight, so your place in my heart is set."

Qiao Jinlin lowered his head and after a while, he softly hummed in agreement.

It was almost 10 p.m. when dinner ended.

Ning Xiuyang led Qiao Jinlin off the yacht, and the driver who was waiting at the dock had already brought the car over.

Qiao Jinlin stood by the car door, not getting in immediately.

The night breeze blew her skirt, and she lowered her head, her hair covering half her face.

Ning Xiuyang opened the car door and glanced back at her.

"Go back to school or..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Qiao Jinlin lowered her head even further, her face flushed and radiant, her voice so soft it was almost swallowed by the wind.

I'm not replying.

Ning Xiuyang smiled slightly but did not ask any further questions.

Not replying is the best and most perfect answer.

Tonight, the world will lose one innocent young girl and gain one charming young woman.

He reached out and pressed down on the top edge of the car door, waiting for Qiao Jinlin to climb in himself.

The car drove to the Peninsula Hotel.

When checking in, Qiao Jinlin stood in the corner of the lobby, twisting the shoulder strap of her bag with both hands, not daring to look anywhere. She looked as if she was afraid of being discovered by someone she knew, and her pretty face was flushed.

Ning Xiuyang completed the formalities at the front desk in less than two minutes, took the room key, and walked over, naturally taking her hand.

The presidential suite is on the 32nd floor.

When the elevator doors opened, the corridor was empty.

Swipe the card, push the door open, and the lights turn on automatically.

Qiao Jinlin went inside and went to the French windows first.

Outside the window is the night view of the entire Zhonghai area, with the three buildings of Lujiazui standing there gleaming, and the Huangpu River making a bend at your feet.

She stood in front of the glass, her hands gripping the side seam of her dress, her knuckles white.

Ning Xiuyang walked over from behind, put his arms around her from the sides, and placed them on the glass of the floor-to-ceiling window, encircling her in the middle.

"Don't be afraid."

Qiao Jinlin turned around.

She looked up, her nose almost brushing against Ning Xiuyang's chin.

Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

She was very inexperienced, and her lips were trembling when they touched.

But they did not back down.

……

late at night.

Qiao Jinlin huddled under the covers, breathing steadily, fast asleep.

Ning Xiuyang leaned against the headboard, looking at the half of her face that was sticking out of the blanket.

The shadow of her eyelashes fell below her cheekbones, and her lips were slightly parted, like a child's.

He gently pulled his arm away from her and picked up his phone from the bedside table.

He squinted when the screen lit up.

I opened my contacts, found Qiao Feiyu's private number, sent her my location, and then another message followed immediately.

"I'm in room 3201. Come over now. Room 3202 is next door. The room is ready."

After sending it, he placed his phone screen face down on the bedside table.

Less than thirty seconds later, the phone lit up silently.

He turned it over to look at it.

One word.

"Yes."

Ning Xiuyang put his phone back on the bedside table.

Qiao Jinlin, who was beside him, turned over and mumbled something inaudible in his sleep, then reached out and placed a hand on his chest.

He didn't move, waiting for her to calm down again.

About half an hour later, Ning Xiuyang, who was half asleep and half awake, suddenly opened his eyes.

I picked up my phone and checked, and sure enough, I received a message from Qiao Feiyu.

"Master, Jonu awaits your arrival!"

Upon seeing the message, Ning Xiuyang smiled slightly.

Then he got up, put on the hotel bathrobe, silently opened the door, and went out.

The corridor was so quiet you could hear the airflow from the central air conditioning unit.

When Ning Xiuyang arrived at the door of 3202, the door was ajar, leaving a crack less than two fingers wide.

He pushed open the door.

The light behind the door was off.

Only the bathroom light was on, casting a narrow beam of light that divided the entryway carpet into two halves of light and shadow.

Qiao Feiyu knelt on the carpet in the entryway.

He hadn't taken off his black coat yet, only the buttons were undone.

She was wearing a dark gray turtleneck sweater, and her hair was casually pinned back with a hair clip.

They probably arrived in a hurry and didn't even take off their glasses.

It normally takes at least forty minutes to drive from the city government dormitory to the Peninsula Hotel.

She replied "yes" in less than 30 seconds after receiving the message, indicating that she was already waiting when the message arrived.

I don't know how long I waited.

Perhaps from the moment Qiao Jinlin sent her the first photo of the Bund in the evening, she had a premonition that this moment would come tonight.